A/N: Hi! So I decided that instead of writing a sequel, I would just split this story into however many parts I wish to include. Probably four, maybe more. I think the ending to the third book came too soon, and that there should have been more about the rebellion. So I decided to make my story longer. Enjoy chapter twelve and remember to review. I also want to thank everyone who has reviewed. It means a lot to me.

Chapter Twelve

"Katniss? Are you here?" I call, pushing the door of her room open.

At first it looks empty, but then I spot her in the corner of the room, looking out the window. I walk over to her. She seems oblivious to the fact that I'm inches away.

"Where is Gale?" I ask, though I already know the answer.

Gale is in the mines, working to the bone to produce the expected amount of coal for the Capital. Katniss has been dreading this day for weeks. Right now she is staring into space, probably trying to think of everything except Gale in the horrible mines.

"In the death trap on the other side of town." She spits out.

"You should go out and do something. Staying here won't help Gale." I tell her.

"Who will I go with? I doubt you want to go to the woods." She says.

"We don't have to go to the woods. Why don't we go to the bakery or the Hob?" I offer.

"I guess we could." She mumbles.

I take her hand and pull her out of the chair, down the stairs and out into the snow.

"Where do we go?" She asks.

"Why don't we go to the bakery? We can buy something sweet."

She nods and starts to head out of the victors village.

The town square is empty, except for an old woman, selling bracelets. I veer off course and over to her small stand. She has to fix her glasses to make sure she's seeing correctly, when I walk up.

"Hi! I'll take eight!" I say.

The elderly woman fumbles with the eight bracelets. I hand her the correct amount of coins and thank her. She will eat well tonight.

"Why did you buy eight of them?" Katniss asks.

"Three are for you, mother, and I and the other five are for each of the Hawthornes'."

She smiles and we hurry inside the bakery door. The smell of freshly baked bread fills the air, and my mouth involuntarily waters.

The baker's son Rye enters the room. My eyes almost water. He looks exactly like Peeta, yet he looks different. Katniss gently nudges me forward. I pull her with me up to the counter.

"Hi. How may I help you?" He says without bothering to look up.

When he finally does he looks surprised.

"Oh. Hi Primrose. Hi Katniss."

"Hi." I say, trying my best not to look him in the eye.

"We want three cookies, and one loaf of bread." Katniss says for me.

She must understand that even though Peeta and I weren't allies, and even though he we didn't make contact once we were in the arena, that I still grieve for him. He was kind to me when everyone else gave up on me. I should have made an alliance with him. But I didn't and he's dead.

I can't help feeling that everyone who was in the arena, aside from Rue, is dead because of me. If I had died one of them would still be alive.

Maybe Cato and Clove would have won. Maybe Thresh and Rue would have won. Maybe Foxface would have one. But Rue and I won, and I can't change that. What's done is done. I look up, thinking that Rye is gone, only to stare up into his big blue eyes. They look just like Peeta's. He turns away to get the cookies and bread.

"It's my fault." I mumble.

Katniss has the ears of a hunting dog and quickly responds.

"No it's not. He went into the bloodbath. That was his choice."

"I went into the bloodbath too." I remind her.

"No you didn't. You almost did. You were smart and ran for the woods."

Rye returns and sets the food on the counter in a brown bag. I hand him the coins and turn to leave, when he speaks up.

"Prim, it's not your fault." He says.

How did he hear us?

"I should've tried." I tell him.

"No. He should have tried. But he didn't. I just want you to know that you exceeded everyone's expectations. My whole family and the whole district are happy to have you home. We are happy that you and Rue were able to live."

"Thank you. I really appreciate that. Peeta was special. I'm sorry he had to… go… so early. It wasn't fair." I say.

He nods and quickly disappears into the back room.

Katnisses point of view

Why is the baker's son being so nice?

He's getting over his little brother's death awfully quick. If Prim died I would never have gotten over it. Whether Peeta won or not. In fact I would probably despise him for not protecting my little sister.

The fact that a twelve year old girl won the games is amazing, but I don't think I would be able to disregard the fact that my brother had just died. I definitely would not have been happy to have him home.

I grab the brown bag off the counter and shove out the bakery door.

The wind begins to pick up and I begin to run. Prim runs too, but not nearly as fast as me. I can hear her panting behind me, trying to keep up.

People turn to stop and stare, but I ignore them. At first I don't understand why they would care, until I feel myself smiling. Gale says I never smile except in the woods. And here I am running through the streets of district twelve, smiling and laughing. It must be quite a sight.

We're just turning the corner to Victors' village, when I realize that Prim is no longer behind me. She gracefully passes me by laughing at the look on my face. She's faster than I thought.

Embarrassed I begin to run faster. She senses that I'm gaining on her, and quickens her pace. By the time Victors' village is in sight we are side by side. I smile down at her as she looks up.

Our house is only a few yards away. I'm panting and gasping for air, but she just runs faster. She stretches her hand out trying to grasp the doorknob. I reach to, but she's fast.

With one leap she lands directly in front of the door. She wraps her hand around the door handle and lifts her other arm into the air triumphantly.

"I win!" She announces.

"No fair! I was holding the bag!" I protest, holding the bag up.

"You're much stronger than me. So it doesn't matter." She tells me.

"That makes no sense!" I say.

"You're just jealous of my amazing skills!" She gloats.

Was Prim just….bragging? She seems to realize this too.

"Oh. For a second I started to sound like Cato did." She says laughing.

Did she just say Cato? She didn't know him that well did she? Maybe I heard her wrong.

"What did you just say?" I ask.

Her eyes widen.

"Nothing." She mutters and hurries inside the house.

I didn't know she was that affected by the games. I foolishly believed that everything would return to normal. I never gave her killing a second thought.

I'm okay with her killing other tributes because it had to be done. I never wondered how she felt about it. Prim pokes her head out the door.

"Aren't you coming?" She asks.

I nod and smile at her. She appears to be completely fine with talking about Cato, but I see in her eyes that she's hurt. Damaged beyond repair.

Prim is giving and sweet. Her heart has enough room for everyone. Even a scruffy cat with no real purpose. Of course she cared about Cato and Clove. She cared about them long before she helped him that day. Anyone who knows her could have seen it in her eyes on screen.

When I was watching her games with Gale I could see it. They were enemies, deadly ones. Yet she swallowed her fear to help him. Then In return, they helped her.

I should have known the moment they started running towards where the lizard mutts almost killed Prim and Rue that they cared.

Clove died saving Prim. Cato died trying to protect them from Thresh. Marvel died at the hand of a twelve year old, because he knew that killing them wasn't right. Foxface willingly died, because she knew that there was no way they shouldn't go home.

Rue almost commit suicide with her, because she knew it was right. Especially after what they had been through.

Eighteen other tributes died, so Prim and Rue could go home. They were fighting for their own life, but in a way they helped save Prim.

I am forever in their debt. And I can never repay them, because they are dead. I hate owing people. But I can never repay the twenty-two tributes that perished in the seventy-fourth Hunger Games.

Gale's point of view

Light, light, light, light, light.

That's all I can think as the elevator begins to rise up and out of the darkness. I have a hard time standing still as the elevator slowly climbs through the ground, back to the light.

My gear already dropped off, all I need to do is clean up, before I can go see Katniss. I need to let her know that I'm okay. Her eyes were brimming with tears when she came to see me this morning.

I rock back and forth on my feet anxious to get out of here. I patiently wait my turn as everyone files out of the elevator.

I immediately want to go see Katniss, but I can't looking like this. I look and feel like crap.

As I walk I take in deep breaths of air, trying to fully appreciate being above ground. When I reach my house I quickly greet everyone before I rush to my room. Once I've changed my clothes I quickly wash my hair, face, and arms.

The walk to Katnisses house isn't as long as I thought. By the time her house is in sight I'm practically running. When I reach her house I unceremoniously pound on the door.

"I'm coming!" Katniss shouts.

She yanks the door open while angrily muttering.

"We aren't deaf; you don't need to knock our door down. What do you- Gale!"

She says finally looking up.

I planned to say something sweet and reassuring but all I say is, "Hey Catnip."

She smiles, but I see in her eyes that we need to talk.

"Want to go for a walk?" I ask.

This secretly translates to, let's go to the woods. She nods.

"Alright."

She shuts the door behind her and we run for the woods. The woods have always been special to us.

It's the one place where I can express myself freely, speak the way I want, act the way I want, be the way I want. There are no rules, no limits, and no retrains.

I slip under the fence behind Katniss and into freedom. We silently walk to our place, concentrating on covering our tracks in the light blanket of snow.

When we arrive Katniss settles herself on a rock and I sit next to her.

"What's wrong?" I ask her.

"Everything! Today Prim and I were racing home, and when she beat me she started bragging. She never brags. She's usually so humble and modest. Then she noticed and said that she almost started to act like Cato the tribute from district two! I never realized how much the games affected her until then. I could see the pain in her eyes. As if just thinking about them hurt her. Then I was thinking and I realized that I can never repay the tributes that died to bring her home because they're dead! I hate owing people!" She finishes.

I nod. I understand why she's so upset, but them something she said catches my attention.

"Prim… beat… you… in… a… race?" I say dumbfounded.

She's so small, and Katniss is so fast. It makes no sense.

"Yes. Don't act so surprised." She says.

"But I am surprised." I say.

"Whatever." She says.

"Is Katniss a little embarrassed?" I tease.

"Shut up. I am not embarrassed." She says unconvincingly.

"Awww, Katniss got beat by her little sister. That's just pitiful." I joke.

"I'm still fast. I'll race you." She says, trying to defend herself.

"You're on." I say.

"Fine. On three."

I prepare myself to win.

"3… 2… GO!" She says taking off.

"Wait. You didn't say one…"

But then I realize that she skipped one on purpose. She wants a head start.

But by the time I begin to run, she's already out of sight.

A/N: I hoped you liked the chapter. Please tell me what you think and remember to review!