A/n: Waay to late at night now, but waay to long since the last update! In short, ehm... working is extremely time consuming. Not to mention after work drinks... Either way, here's finally the next chapter, the second last of this story. I think my prolonged writing of this part comes from the fact that there is very little tension left, and very much reconnecting/cutesy stuff to be filled in. Not my strong suit, apparently.

Feel free to let me have it if you don't like something, or let me know if you think something was good! Any inclination you've been reading is much appreciated, really ;)

Half still asleep, I hear the rustling of the front door opening again, and feel a wave of fresh air wash over my face. For one moment, I'm floating in the weightless state just beyond consciousness. I sense warmth, and my chest rising and falling in pace with another. I fell asleep with a smile and wake up with another, as my mind registers that I wasn't out of my mind this time either, after all. Gale is here, his breath fanning over my forehead and tickling my ear. We're still on the couch where we fell asleep last night, with me curled up tightly against his chest and my head tucked in between his shoulder and chin, his cheek on top. My eyes flutter, trying to fight off the sleepy haze that stops me from grasping what's going on, but slide closed again. Most of all, I'm so comfortable I just want to go back to sleep. Then I hear voices floating through the doorway, from the hall. Light, female voices, so familiar that my ears tune in without effort.

"Mom! It's clean."

I hear steps flutter over floorboards, footsteps I would recognise anywhere.

"Katniss?" Step, step, step. "She's not in the kitchen, either..."

A mumbled response is harder to make out.

I crack open one eye. The first thing in my line of vision is the soft skin of Gale's neck and collarbone, the pulsation of his blood visible from this close up. I get an impulse to lean in and kiss him there, to feel his heartbeat against the sensitive skin of my lips. There are so many new aspect of his body yet for me to discover… But then a movement registers, and I automatically refocus, to see instead a slight figure coming into my view just beyond.

Her blond hair falls free over her shoulders, seems to shine in the morning sunlight through the windows and her white dress billows innocently around her, making her look altogether otherworldly. An angel, sent to watch over me, when it should be the other way around. I blink hard once, to be able to look at her properly, to meet her sparkling blue eyes and assure myself that this sprightly creature is in fact my little sister, no matter how impossible it is for her goodness to come from the same pool of genes as my severity.

Her face is priceless, much less angelic than downright shocked, as she takes in the scene before her. She locks her eyes on mine for a minute, comically wide, and I can see the gears shifting in her head. Her gaze wanders over to the sleeping form around mine and bless her; her whole face shines up with inner light.

Then, before I can react, she launches herself forward with a high squeal. I just have time to catch sight of Gale's eyes snapping open in alarm, and then Prim's whole body lands on top of the blanket covering us, as she tries to hug us both in an awkward full-body tackle.

"Gale! Katniss! Oh!" Her voice is shrill right in my ear, but sounds as joyful as I had forgotten it could. That part, I don't mind in the least.

At the same time, I don't know whether to laugh or die from embarrassment. It's lucky we had the blanket pulled up high over us, really. She used to relentlessly wake me by jumping on top of me in bed when we were kids, but in this situation, it's not quite the same. It takes her a good long moment to become aware of the situation at hand, before I can see realisation hit her, along with an instant blush.

"Oh!" it slips out of her again, this time more urgent. I notice her eyes flashing down to my visible lack of upper body clothing, then widen even more when she registers Gale's similar predicament. In an instant, she untangles her arms from the two of us.

"Sorry!" my little sister pipes up, quickly twisting her feet back on the floor and scurrying off.

Laughter that I tried to hold back bubbles up my chest, increasing when I see the shock on Gale's face, as he is struggling at once to wake up and to register what just happened. He gives me a one-sided grin in response, looking a little sheepish, just like I know I do.

I hear Prim's urgent splutter from the kitchen, telling my mother the news with excitement that I can hear bouncing around all the way from here.

Oh well, we don't have anything to hide from the world now, I guess. Especially not from the people we love. Unable to control it, I keep giggling in muffled chokes all through the unsmooth process of sitting up and retrieving discarded pieces of clothing

I throw one longing glance at Gale's chest disappearing out of sight in his shirt, and when he catches my stare, he grins again, a little wicked, and kisses my lips rather unchastely.

Emerging from the sitting room, I find my mother calmly standing by the stove, already with a left-behind apron tied over her simple green dress and boiling water for washing up. In a strange moment, I'm not sure any time has passed at all since the early days of my childhood, as my mind spins back in time. I can almost see little toddler Prim crawling around at her feet, hear my own girlish voice twitter in the background about something father thought me last time we were in the forest, smell the scent of a scant dinner being readied for his return from the workday. Memories of when we last were a fully functioning family, resurfacing perhaps when I am finally ready for us to try out the concept again.

Like she can feel my stare burning into her back, my mother slowly turns around, wiping her hands on the front of the apron. We study each other for a long moment, eyes appraising and comparing to the last time we met. I look for familiar signs, search for confirmation of my suspicions, for anything to either reject or affirm the theory of our similar downfall. She looks aged, worn out by decades of worry, with dark circles under her eyes that tell of long hours working to forget. In her eyes is still that distant indifference, the barrier against the world that always made me resentful whenever I saw it before, since I mistakenly took it for a sign of weakness. But other than that, she looks better. Healthier, relaxed and with a hint of sunshine in her blond hair, like Prim does too.

The hard edge goes out of my eyes at once, just like I can see emotions surface ever so slightly in hers, as we both recognise each other in a way we never have before. She looks at me likes she finally understands who I am, mixed with respect and worry and just plain relief. A knowing but gentle smirk creaks up one side of her lips. I know without asking what she's thinking, that after all, we're more similar than either one of us would really like us to be, she and I. I inherited my father's physical appearance and strength of will, but my mother's fragile heart, and for that, she looks almost apologetic.

Perhaps this realisation would have made me resent her even more, if I had reached it only a couple of years earlier. Perhaps that was the real reason I couldn't stand her in the first place, since weakness is something I've strived to conquer all my life. If emotional softness were in my blood all this time because of her, then surely she would be to blame? No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop myself from falling in love, two times over none the less. And what's worse is, I let it consume me; let it eat me up from inside in my fight to eradicate all feeling. Despite my best efforts to think rationally, to keep my head cold and calculating, my emotions have always been the most prominent part of my character.

Now I look at my mother, and I see only strength, and bravery, in the sheer fact that she's here. She's learned to live with herself, with the vivid pain that I know is there every day to contort her reality into darkness, and thus, I can no longer hold the past against her. I resolve to try my best to leave anger behind, let it disappear along with my teenage years, and start again. At the very least, I am sure that I have a lot to learn from this woman, if only I can find the patience to listen.

Judging by the way she's slowly stepping closer to me with hope shining in her eyes, I take it that she at least is willing to give our relationship another chance. Despite my spur-of-the-moment realisations, I can only stand frozen in place and look on helplessly as she comes to stand in front of me. I don't know what to do, and I'm absolutely clueless of what to say, so for once, I'm happy to let her be the adult in our relationship. I guess a mother's instincts are pretty useful in these situations, because she looks anything but lost.

Like a little girl, I look at her for answers, hold on to the gentle smile on her face as if it's a lifeline. She lifts a hand to stroke my loose hair behind one ear in a gesture that says more than stuttered words, while the look in her eyes tells me I know.

Then her bright blue eyes shift to look over my shoulder, just as something deep inside me reacts to Gale's presence in the room. Prim, who so far has been standing a little off to the side and silently watched the fumbling reunion before her, gives another high squeal, and jumps into the arms of my allegedly dead best friend before he has time to react. I hear his startled laughter reverberating deep inside my heart. My mother looks on, with something that I can only classify as a smug set of her face. Her knowing eyes flit to my face, back over my shoulder, and then she smiles brighter, which rejuvenates her face by years.

"I knew it," I hear her mutter under her breath.

My eyebrows shoot up, and then furrow as I wonder which part of this she might be referring to: the part where Gale is alive, or the fact that he is here in my house, both of us obviously newly awakened. Mother looks me in the eyes again, and then takes me by surprise as she enfolds me in a warm hug. I'm overwhelmed by the familiar but yet so forgotten smell of her, the comforting feeling of her hand along the length of my hair.

"I had a feeling he couldn't be gone," she whispers in my ear. "He would never just leave you like that."

I pull away a little to be able to see her eyes again, but find them sincere, wise beyond this world. Maybe I'm not the one with witch-like qualities in this family. She is still smiling widely, stepping back to take hold of my hands, squeezing them affectionately with eyes sparkling in relief. You'll be alright, they're telling me.

Still staring wordlessly in wonder at this magical woman who has been hiding inside my mother, or perhaps been there all along without my busy mind noticing, I feel the warmth of Gale's body beside mine. A thrill tickles down my spine when his hand brushes along my shoulder blade, and his arm settles securely around my waist. I can't resist leaning my head against his upper arm, unable not to return the affection. He nods towards my mother with a dimpled, closed-lipped smile, and mumbles a quiet hello.

Since when does Gale pull off a shy demeanour? I'm wondering with a troubled glance to my side if this is the ghost of Prim's almost-death that is back to haunt him. He should know better than to think that either one of the other women in my family could possibly be holding a grudge, if not even I can.

He gets a warm welcome that surprises me yet again, as mother grips him firmly around the neck to make him bend down, and plants a quick kiss on each of his cheeks. The look on his face is superb, transforms him back into a young boy. She seems to have this effect on both of us today.

"I'm very happy for you both," she says sincerely, looking between Gale and me, effectively making us both blush and squirm.

"Me too!" exclaims Prim, lightening the atmosphere instantly as she wiggles in under my free arm and grins at us so wide that I'm worried her pretty face will split in two.

"Oh, and sorry about… before," she adds in a lower voice, blushing bright red across her fine cheekbones. However, she also throws me a weirdly sly glance out of the corner of her eye, when Gale looks out the window in a sudden burst of modesty. Perhaps my little duck is not so little anymore, at fourteen years of age. I notice with certain discomfort that the transformation into a graceful white swan seems to be in full swing, morphing her body from girl to a young woman. She's taller, leaner in some places and fuller in others. I wonder if it's weird that perhaps I'm feeling a little jealous? Not that I'm surprised, and not that she ever was quite the ugly duckling, but I can see this getting out of hand in no time at all... That twinkle in her large sapphire eyes just now was certainly a little too knowing, a little too grown up. Perhaps I have yet another reason never to let her out of my sight ever again, apart from the obvious one concerning her life. I can be quite menacing when I want to…

I secure my arm around her still-shorter shoulders as mother hands Gale and me each a ready-made sandwich that they must have brought with them on the way here. I raise a brow at her, and in return she shrugs apologetically. Prim must have told her about my inability to keep food around the house. Either way, it's a rich, delicious breakfast, full of produce we never could have afforded in the old days. Gale devours his one hungrily, but when mother asks him if he would like to stay for another and some tea, he hurriedly declines.

"No, no thank you, I've got to be off. Promised my family to help them finish painting the house," he explains, with a fond little smile and eyes shining excitedly.

Jeez, I know he's a handy kind of guy, but enthusiasm over painting? Then again, the smile probably has more to do with the promised company. I feel a little twitch in my heart at the thought of spending the entire day away from him, but quickly try to repress it. I'm happy as long as he's happy, and right now he needs his family to regain his spirit. Besides, I have my own fair share of retying family bonds to deal with. When I look up at my mother and sister, I'm surprised to find them both smiling encouraging at Gale, with knowing looks in their eyes.

"You knew they were here?" I ask, frowning slightly.

Twin mysterious smirks meet me in response, as they're looking at me like I'm missing the obvious.

"You don't think we've been keeping contact?" Mother sounds mildly reprimanding.

The idea of our families interacting all on their own, without me and Gale there to connect them, has never crossed my mind. I mean, we were all always close before, but since the Games, there has been this unbreakable barrier separating our world from theirs. Nevertheless, as soon as the thought settles into my mind, it seems natural. In a way, Gale and I bonded our families together tightly already from the day we first started providing for them together.

"We thought we had lost you both, you know," Mother continues in that unnerving sincere voice that sets us a little on edge. This proves the fact that Gale and I are both people of action, while my mother and sister are creatures of feeling and thought. Separated, and convinced that we had lost each other forever, we could to nothing but hide from the world, while they tried to heal and move on, using words in their favour. Without them, where would we be?

"I'll walk you out," I tell Gale when he turns to leave, and take his arm with the one that I extract from around Prim. I'm not quite comfortable with kissing right smack on the lips in front of my family just yet, despite what happened this morning.

My mother calls after us, "Will you please ask Hazelle if they won't all come over for dinner this evening?"

"I'm sure they'd love to," says Gale disarmingly, relieved by the easier topic at hand, before thanking her once again for the quick meal.

Outside of my cavernous house, the sun is shining hesitantly through a hazy layer of clouds overhead. A light breeze brings with it the summery smell of freshly burst flowers and the pureness of new grass, invigorating my lungs after the stuffy air inside. Gale and I walk lazily side by side down the short path to my front gate, where he stops to pull me against his chest. I fold my arms tightly around him, laying my head against his shoulder and letting the morning sunshine warm my face. Huddled together, I can almost imagine that life may eventually be easy, as long as we are allowed to stay like this. I don't quite risk hoping for it yet, still wishing to get through just one day at a time, but little by little, I can feel the swelling sense of a brighter future form within me.

Preferably, I wouldn't have to release my grip on Gale for even a few hours, but I know I have to.

"Will you be okay?" he mumbles against my hair, stroking up and down my back with enticing softness.

I break away a little to look up at him, with a wry smile on my face. In the bright summer light, I have a feeling lightness is the way to go.

"For the day? Yeah, I'll try not to get lost in fairyland," I reassure him. "Tell them all I said hi… And sorry," I add.

I'm too much of a coward to tell them myself, even if I know I should. Sorry for involving Gale in my own dark business, sorry for hurting his warm, generous heart, and sorry for letting myself slip away when they might have needed me.

Gale takes my chin gently in his hand, and I can see him trying to fight off the too familiar sadness in his eye.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Catnip. Please believe me."

I pull my lips once more into a tight little smile, touch his face with restless fingers.

"I will, just as soon as you start to believe the same thing."

Contrary to what I had been hoping for, his face falls a little more, before he can stop himself. Instead of talking further, he captures my lips with his own, and holds them in place in a long, searing kiss. When it ends, I gasp for breath, and my mind is effectively cleared. He keeps his face close, nudging my nose with his in a quiet bubble where there's only me and him and our hearts beating in unison for each other.

"It's never easy with us, huh?" he chuckles, and then kisses me again.

"What's to like with easy?" I mumble against his swollen lips, smiling myself now. Before I can let him out of my sight, I have to kiss him again, just once more.

"See you tonight, beautiful."

If it weren't for the fact that Gale is grinning like the mischievous boy he sometimes used to be, I would have soured at the overly silly endearment. As it is, I catch the somewhat over the edge teasing tone of his voice, and in return, I only roll my eyes.

"Whatever, pretty boy."

One more kiss between us ruins the playful mood a little, but I'm still left standing with a soft grin on my face as I watch his back until it disappears around the corner.