Gale's story after Mockingjay Chapter 25, a hunger games fanfic

Hey there you guys! We are finally here, the wedding of Katniss & Peeta *w* Please before reading it (if you haven't) take a look at Chapter 24, my author's note. It is really important!

Thank you so much for your support and patience:) I love you all!

~Gabriela

Chapter 25 – The Wedding

KATNISS POV

"Wake up sweetie, this is going to be a big, big, big day!" Effie awakes me of a dreamy night.

Today is my wedding. Today is my wedding. TODAY IS MY WEDDING!

I smile before opening my eyes to find an exited Effie just in front of my bed. She is always exited, but it seems that today she could be even more excited than me. I laugh internally, she will always be more excited than everyone.

"Good morning Effie" She starts clapping like a little kid, her smile is bigger than ever. She just makes me smile.

"Are you ready for today? Finally your day is here!" she sings before helping me to get up. Her words have just made my stomach go nuts. I am marring Peeta today!

"Can't wait to marry him" I answer with honesty.

"Oh surely you can't sweetie" she smiles with tenderness. "But you know that there is no way I am going to let you see him before the ceremony, it is tradition!" I just shake my head with disbelieve. That is an unfair tradition, I need him right here with me.

Last night Effie came just before we went to bed to drag him out of my room and no matter what I said she took him away to another room at the other side of the hotel. Remembering the scene just makes me laugh, she looked like a father tugging the ears of her daughter's boyfriend to get him out of the house. I was a little mad at her last night, but today it just makes me laugh.

Johanna is right, I am getting really soft with all this wedding thing.

There is a knock on the door and as soon as Effie opens it Venia shows her head and smiles to me. Flavius, Venia and Octavia enter almost jumping into my room screaming and hugging me, just like when I told them that I was going to marry. They quickly take off my night suit and push me into the shower, it seems that my beauty session has just started.

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PEETA POV

A little morning sun light enters to my room and I slowly slip my arms searching for Katniss to wake her up but my arms find nothing. Wait what? Where is Katniss?! Just before I freak out I remember last night events, Effie kicked me out Katniss's room. Why she did that? She said something about bride and groom not seeing each other until the wedding… Remembering her words just hits me like a fast speed train. I AM GETTING MARRIED TODAY! How could I forget that? Oh Lord… I am marring Katniss today. Is it for real? I need somebody to answer that.

Someone knock on my door and I see Haymitch coming in.

"Hey kid, ready for wasting time eating and hearing music before getting married?" It is real. I just laugh of joy.

"Hell I am ready! What is that of hearing music and eating?" I am getting married, there is something I must do, no? Getting ready, dressed?

"Well kid, you'll see… all what the groom does is dressing with a tuxedo, no makeup, no special things at all. So we are having a little party before you doom yourself" we both laugh and I friendly punch him.

"I can't wait to be doomed then" That is totally true, I can't wait to marry Katniss. It just seems surreal that the day is finally here.

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KATNISS POV

My prep team, plucked, scrubbed, and cleaned all the defects and hair from my body, they spoke in excited voices, talking about how amazing my wedding was going to be, and how everyone in the Capitol was talking about it. I smiled to myself, they were just like Effie, showing even more excitement than I did.

My stomach is complaining and I wonder the hour, I am starving.

"What hour is it?" I ask Effie.

"It is 2:00 pm, are you hungry honey?" I nod and Effie quickly leaves the room. I think that she is going to order something for us to eat.

"Oh please Katniss! Try to do not get dirty or something." Flavius complained.

"Don't worry Flavius, I won't ruin your master piece" My prep team smiles and we all eat a stuffed chicken. Just after finishing they continued to make me beautiful.

When my hair, nails, and make-up were done, they stepped back, admiring their work.

"All we need is the dress" My dress…

Venia run out the room and a minute later my mother and Johanna came in carrying my dress.

They hanged it in the mirror and I just couldn't stop seeing my mother. It has been more than a year since I last saw her, she smiled to me. I had missed her, even though I was mad at her at first with time I understood the reasons why she left me alone, she needed to grief in silence, away from everything that could remind her of Prim.

My lovely Prim, she would've been so happy here, seeing me getting ready to get married. She always loved Peeta. I remember when I was proving dresses for my 'supposed' wedding before the Quarter Quell, she was so excited for me.

I imagine her here with me, dressed with a soft pink dress and her long blond hair carefully curled, I imagine her smile and laughter. I walk slowly and hug my mother, this is my wedding day, for no reason in the world and no matter her mistakes in the past I am not going to reclaim or be mad at her.

My mother cried on my shoulder and I just closed my eyes trying not to cry too.

"I am so sorry Katniss, you look so beautiful" I hug her tighter.

"I missed you too mom, there is nothing to forgive, you are here now" we broke apart and she smiled to me.

"I wish she was here with us" in her voice it was reflected the pain that consumed her and that almost made me break down.

"I wish she was here too, her and dad" she softly nod before Octavia opened the bag in which my dress was in.

My dress…

When Cinna designed the dresses for me to prove and for the Capitol to vote for their favorite he had made in secret at different collection of wedding dresses designed for the real me, a wedding dress that I would wear in my wedding. No one except my prep team and Portia knew about that collection, hidden underground in Octavia's fashion store in the Capitol. My last gift from Cinna…

I looked at my dress and sighed with sadness, Cinna was alive in that dress, he will never truly die while one of his creations is still admired and shown to the world.

My dress is shining, it's beautiful, is not extravagant or bizarre, but at the same time takes away breath. My dress is strapless, in the chest has a delicate embroidered triangular area in which are embedded small diamonds and pearls, but the triangle does not cover the entire breast and the rest is made of the thin white fabric of the rest of my dress and has small folds that follow the triangular shape of the embroidery. Connected to the triangular chest embroidery is a belt that gives an elegant and curvy shape to my dress, the belt is embroidered with the same design of the embroidery on the chest and belt down it begins the skirt.

The base fabric of my dress is creamy white, not a sparkling white, thing which I adore. The skirt gets to the floor and below the belt a very thin fabric that has the same color as the dress falls as an extra leather of the dress, embroidered in the thin fabric there are little lines of diamonds that look like rain shining drops that fall in my dress.

I am about to cry, it is beautiful, so perfect, so me, so Cinna.

"It is time to put it on Katniss" I look to Venia, in her eyes a couple of tears are forming telling me that she thinks just as me.

"Let's do it" I answer with a smile, I don't know if I am ready for getting dressed yet. I mean, will the sight of me as a bride terrify me? I am good enough to wear this dress? I am good enough for Peeta? No, no one is…

My mother and Venia help me dress and I close my eyes while they are adjusting it. The fabric is so soft, it feels like if Peeta was gently touching all my skin. I can't wait to see him, I wonder what he is doing right now.

PEETA POV

My hands are shaking, it is 4:48pm, I am marring Katniss at 6pm, in 1:12 hours I am marring the woman I love. I just can't believe it.

Haymitch, Gale and I have spent our time talking about all the events that brought us here today. We laughed about Gale's thoughts of me before and while Katniss and I were on our first Hunger Games, Haymitch told us many details behind our games, we played "real or not real" because I just can't believe this is true yet… I am so excited.

"I think that it is time to dress up gentleman" Gale says to us in a very proper way with a glass of champagne in his right hand. Haymitch and I just can't help laughing at him. "I mean what I am saying! You are almost getting married Peeta, you need to at least get dressed" I smile to him.

"Let's get ready ladies" Haymitch laughs and passes to me my tuxedo. I get into the bathroom and dress up, but before leaving I look at myself in the mirror.

My tuxedo is black, 2-button jacket with two hand pockets and one in the chest were I will have a dandelion. My shirt is white and my vest and tie are grey metallic colored. Flavius should be here at any minute to fix my hair and for the last details.

It is amazing to see me like this, about to get married, finally looking as a man. Nothing could be wrong right now, no nightmares, no war, only the fact that I am 100% ready to get married to Katniss.

I leave the bathroom to find myself with a Haymitch in an all-black tuxedo, black vest, white shirt and grey tie. Gale gives me a friendly punch in the shoulder.

"All Panem chicks are going to cry when they see you man" We both laugh.

Gale is wearing a black tuxedo with a light coffee vest that matches the tie and a white shirt. The three of us now look acceptable and ready to go to my wedding.

"Bah, I am not that handsome Gale, if the case was you getting married I am sure that a couple would try to do everything to kidnap you" He laughs a bit.

"Well, it seems that isn't going to happen in a while" He smiles.

"You've got to be kidding boy, you have the entire break heart looks" That is true, Gale could have any girl he wanted.

"Thanks but I am far from getting married" He looks thoughtful; I think he is thinking about that girl.

"Who is she?" I ask him.

"Nobody, she is just like this unreachable person, there is no way she will ever let me have a shot with her" He says sadly.

"You know Gale, that was exactly what I thought about Katniss and look at me!" I smile to encourage him. "Don't give up on her"

"Oh come on kid, give us a name!" Haymitch screams with disbelieve.

"I don't know, she just drives me crazy, she is bipolar or something, and no, no names"

I wonder who this girl is, she might be a soldier. Yeah, I think that she is a soldier, someone who is like Gale, strong and determined.

Just before Haymitch is able to complain and command a name, Flavius comes in and without wasting time he grabs me and begins to work.

KATNISS POV

My mother opens a box that reveals a set of beautiful jewelry. First Octavia takes the pair of earrings, above they have a diamond shaped like a rain drop from which falls another diamond that is shaped like a rhomb, and below it there are two diamonds that form a sheet which hangs a delicate pearl. Octavia puts me on my earrings and returns to the box to get out a beautiful comb that will be right where my hair is collected and then falls in waves; the comb is holding my veil that will fall on my back. It is so beautiful, it has the form of five petals, each with small flowers of diamonds and pearls that shine with the smallest ray of sunshine that falls on them.

Venia helps Octavia to put the comb in place along with the veil and then returns for the ultimate accessory, my pearl, the pearl that Peeta had given me in the Quarter Quell was now in a simple but beautiful necklace that complemented my look.

I am ready, I am ready to marry Peeta.

My mother starts to cry and I wonder if I am so changed, I haven't seen myself in the mirror because I am afraid. I turn to see myself and I sigh marveled, I look so magnificent, almost not like myself. My dress shines under the sunlight that gets into the room, my face has a natural pink flush that makes me look younger, my eyes shine with emotion and it seems that my eyelashes have finally make an appearance. My eyelids have a pearlescent bright with a very soft pink background that gives depth to my eyes that doesn't stops to be sweet. My lips are with a simple pink color with gloss. I look at myself again and I just can't believe that it is me on the mirror, Peeta is not going to recognize me. I smile to myself, I can't wait to see Peeta.

My mother gives me a final thing, my flower bouquet. I am going to cry, white lilis, primroses and cherry blossom flowers conform my bouquet. I look at the primroses, in the center they have this light pink color that fades as the petal grows. I take a deep breath and feel like home, no matter what I know that my sister is here with me.

"Are you ready Brainless" I turn to see Johanna, she looks so stunning in a green dress.

"I was born ready" I smile to her and we make our way to the gardens of the hotel, where I am going to marry Peeta.

PEETA POV

"You need to go to the garden right now Peeta, I don't want you to see Katniss before the wedding!" Flavius rushes to push us three to the elevator.

The gardens are so big, but have a defined track of flowers to guide the guests to the weddings point, the flowers are primroses and cherry blossom flowers. I am wondered by the beauty of cherry blossom trees that give the perfect decoration to the garden, it makes it look so peaceful, so perfect. We walk across a non-natural river and that is when I see the aile, the two lines of guests and the arch under Katniss and I are getting married. I am speechless.

Everything is perfect.

"Here we are boy" My mouth is still open when I turn to Haymitch.

"What I have to do?" I ask him. I know nothing about weddings, just the tradition we have in District 12, the Bread Ceremony, that is totally private and nothing to do with all of this.

"Apart from getting married?" He laughs a little. "Effie told me that you have to wait just before the stairs in the arch for Katniss, she will walk down the aisle and together you will get up and do what the judge will tell you. Did you write your vows?"

"It was the only thing apart from choosing my tuxedo that I was left to do so, yes, I have them" Truth is that I have in my mind what I want to say, but I never wrote them down, I guess that I will know what to say when the moment comes.

"Well kid, then you are ready, wait 3 steps after I begin to walk down the aisle and wait in the stop I told you" He smiles to me before hugging me one last time. "I am proud of you Peeta"

I am speechless as he turns and faces the crowd and begins to walk.

1 , 2 , 3… My turn.

Now every eye is fixed on me, I walk decided, ready and with a smile on my face until I reach the bottom of the stairs and turn to see the aisle.

I am Peeta Mellark, I was reaped at the age of 16 in the 74 Hunger Games and entered the arena with Katniss Everdeen, I was in love with her since I was 5, I confessed my love in national television, we were named the Star-Crossed lovers, we both won, we went together to the 75 Hunger Games, I was captured by the Capitol and hijacked, I forgot I loved her and tried to kill her, we both survived a war, my memory began to clear and she was always there, I asked her if she loved me and she answered "Real", I am 20 years old, I am standing in front of Panem and I am about to marry Katniss.

KATNISS POV

"Breath Katniss, breath" I remember myself constantly. My hands are sweating badly holding my bouquet. I am hyperventilating. All Panem is going to see me getting married. What if I fall? What if I screw up everything? The world is watching.

"Brainless, stop strangulating your bouquet" I rise my eyes to see Johanna that is just in front of me with a mocking smile. "Why are you nervous? You are just getting married in front of the world, no big deal" She winks me an eye.

"Yeah, sure, no big deal" I answer sarcastically.

"Better than being in the Hunger Games, you cannot complain" She is right.

"Guess you have a point" I smile a little.

"Hey, hey, chill out. Imagine that it is just you and Peeta, everyone else doesn't matter a thing Katniss. Don't waste your time worrying for things with any importance. You are marring the man you love aren't you?" She is right. I take out my fear that is quickly replaced with excitement and joy. I am finally marring Peeta, nothing could ruin this.

"Thank you Johanna, for everything" She smiles and hugs me.

"You're welcome Brainless, try to don't think more shit or insignificant things for today, just enjoy" We both laugh.

"I will" I take a deep breath before two men take their places before the principal door that leads to the gardens.

"Count 5 steps and then follow me Katniss, and try to do not get lost" She jokes just before both man open the doors to show the most beautiful and peaceful sight I've ever seen.

Johanna stars walking and I count in my head.

Here we go…

Thanks to God that Effie taught me how to walk on heels.

The gardens smell like the forest on spring, when the flowers start to blossom and freeing the most exotic and beautiful fragrances. The grass is perfectly cut and white and pink cherry blossom trees rise from the floors and form the amazing view. I try to focus on our path that is marked by two lines of floating lights. I turn around to see the tail of my dress and the veil that carefully float in the road.

Now I can listen to the expecting crowd. The quiet murmurs that bring me to the reality that we are close and that's when I see the bridge, made of white stone that crosses a small river, small fishes swim in the water while I finish to get through it. We are so close.

The murmurs stop just when Johanna is seen by the crowd, I am looking down and just when I see the aisle, made of cherry blossom flowers and primroses, I rise my head with a big nervous smile. Blood starts to rise on my cheeks when I see all the people that are around me. I can't see very well what it's in front, just the flowery arch made of two cherry blossom white trees. It is so beautiful. How is it possible? The two trees somehow are curved perfectly and their branches tangle and now hold still together with flowers all around them.

Johanna has reached the end of the aisle and now turns right, and that's when I see him…

His blue eyes sparkle with emotion as we both smile to each other.

I have to correct myself. Seeing Peeta under the cherry blossom arch, standing just before me with a big smile on his face, waiting for us to get married is the most beautiful sight I've ever seen.

Peeta extends his hand and I take it with confidence, he squeezes my hand a little, like if he was welcoming me back home.

Both of us climb the two stairs taken hand by hand and stand in front of the judge that now asks the crowd to sit with a simple hand gesture.

"You are beautiful" Peeta whispers in my ear and I just smile to him. Emotion has taken over me and I know that no matter what he will be there for me, that we belong together.

"Ladies and gentleman, we have gather here in this glorious day to witness the union of Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen" I can feel Peeta's eyes on me when I smile even more (I cannot believe that this is humanly possible) when the judge says this.

"Peeta and Katniss, please hold both of your hands" We both turn to see each other and I take his other hand. "Now answer with complete honesty the questions that I am going to make" We both nod as an answer.

"Peeta and Katniss, are you here under your own will and desire?"

"I am" we both answer at the same time.

"Are you willing to leave behind you families and friends to begin a life together?"

"I am" we both answer.

"Does anyone here has a reason for this two young people to do not marry, if you have speak now or be silent forever" Silence is made in all the garden and Peeta smiles with emotion to me.

"Now, I will ask each one of you to say your vows to each other" I look the judge. "Katniss Everdeen, please say your vows to Peeta Mellark in the presence of your family and friends gathered here" I take a deep breath and look straight into Peeta's eyes.

"I am excited and proud to marry you this day Peeta." I begin, my voice is clear and strong, but never fierce. "You are not just the love of my life, but the only person that can make me feel safe. You are my pillar, my rock, always faithful and loving." My eyes start to fill with tears, but I won't let them out, not yet. "Life has put us through many challenges, and every one of them we have accomplished together." I squeeze his hand a little. "I promise you that I will be less of a pain," I say with a smile as soft laughs are heard from behind "that whenever you cry, I will be there to wipe away your tears. I promise that I will laugh when you do and that I will try to be a better cooker even though I am a lost case." Now Peeta laughs a little and looks to me again with those blue eyes filled with love "I will be always there to hold your hand and listen to you. I love you more than I could ever imagine that a person could capable of loving" I take a deep breath, I want to stay with him here forever, holding hands, knowing that we love each other and that nothing could change that "My dear Peeta, I can't imagine living without you and I can't wait to be by your side the rest of my life. I give myself to you completely, and I promise to love you forever,from this day forth." And I finish whispering him the only thing that I am certain of, "I love you."

A small tear falls from Peeta's eyes and falls down his face, he is going to make me start crying!

"Now Peeta Mellark, please say your vows to Katniss Everdeen in the presence of family and friends gathered here" I try to ignore the fact that Peeta has no more family alive, but I know that he knows that they will always be here with us, just like my father and Prim.

"My Katniss, my love, words cannot describe the happiness inside me; I am going to finally marry you." I smile to him again, I know how much he wanted this day to come. "Never in my wildest dreams I thought that this day would come, the day were our lives together start. I have always loved you," He looks right into my eyes reaffirming his love to me, a love that we both share. "you have my heart and soul since that day in class where you sang and the Mockingjays started singing with you." I smile at the memory. "I can't believe that I am saying this, but being reaped was the best thing that could ever happen to me, it dragged me to you." A small tear gets down my cheek as he continuous. "Even when I wasn't myself you never abandoned me, no matter if I was weakened with an injury or if I lose myself, you were always there. You saved me in all the ways that a person can be saved." I can't stop the tears; I wish I could just stop him right now and kiss him. "You are my inspiration, the reason why I wake up every day with a smile, you give me strength, you calm me down, you remember me who I really am." My heart is swelling, getting bigger and bigger, threating to get out of my chest. That is what he thinks of me? "You were patient in my recovery of hijacking and even though I hurt you, you help me remember, you encouraged me to rebuild the bakery of my family and without even trying you made me fell in love with you again." He takes a deep breath before continuing. " I promise to always be by your side. To hold you when you feel like you are going to fall. I promise to be there to face together all our nightmares. I promise to love you for the rest of our lives with every fever of my body." More tears come out as he finishes. "I love you Katniss and always have and always will."

He releases his right hand to wipe my tears with a smile. I love him so much.

"I request the best man to present the rings" The judge commands.

Haymitch comes up with a small white pillow that has the rings.

Our wedding rings have inscribed two words, our promises to each other.

"Katniss Everdeen, please take Peeta's ring and repeat after me" I stop seeing Peeta for a moment to smile to Haymitch and take the ring with my promise to Peeta, my ring to him says a simple word: "Real" The word that represents my promise that my love for him is real and that it will forever be.

"I Katniss Everdeen" The judge begins. "take you Peeta Mellark, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish from this day forward for as long as we both shall live. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, my devotion and faithfulness. As I place it in your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you."

"I Katniss Everdeen, take you Peeta Mellark, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish from this day forward for as long as we both shall live. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, my devotion and faithfulness. As I place it in your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you." I repeat and place the wedding ring on his ring finger.

I smile to him as he takes his ring in hand.

His ring to me has inscribed his promise to me: "Always" To represent that he will always love me and be there by my side.

"Please repeat after me Peeta Mellark" The judge tells Peeta. "I Peeta Mellark, take you Katniss Everdeen, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish from this day forward for as long as we both shall live. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, my devotion and faithfulness. As I place it in your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you."

With a firm voice he repeats. "I Peeta Mellark, take you Katniss Everdeen, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish from this day forward for as long as we both shall live. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, my devotion and faithfulness. As I place it in your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you." He places the wedding ring on my ring finger, where it shall stay for the rest of my life.

"With the power committed to me by the nation of Panem, I now declare you husband and wife" and with this words I knew that my life was finally taken the curse that it should've had a long time ago.

Peeta took my face in his hands and carefully guided my lips to his, sealing our love. His lips are soft, welcoming. We both continued to kiss with big smiles on our faces, I love to kiss Peeta like this, when he is smiling. The crowd behind us cheers with excitement as we both break our kiss and face the world for the first time as husband and wife.