Gale suggested they land their hovercraft in the distance, he didn't want to alarm Katniss if they landed it near Victor's Village.
"She'll think it's the Capitol, like I did!" He told Haymitch.
"And then she'll realize it's not soon enough," Haymitch dismissed him.
Gale huffed his disapproval and caught Haymitch's eyes. He strongly suspected that Haymitch's real motivation was that he didn't want to walk too far, but he didn't press the matter further, not sure exactly how seniority worked here or what Haymitch's real authority was.
As they landed on the dewy grass, Gale insisted he head out first.
"Good idea," Haymitch agreed, "she's least likely to shoot you."
Gale shook his head and smiled at that. As the engines shut off, he got up and headed towards the house. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, trying to imagine the state Katniss must be in with him gone for three days. He cursed himself for getting caught, but also knew it was good because it got them to Thirteen, to their families, though he had to admit that part of him was sad to leave their idyllic life alone together.
"Katniss," he called out as he approached. "Katniss! Are you there? Are you okay?!" He ran through the front door. "Katniss! It's safe. It's me!" he rushed through all the rooms in the house, but she wasn't there.
Gale had to force down his worry. This was what he'd expected. She'd either gone looking for him, or gone hiding in the woods. She could take care of herself.
He waved to Haymitch as he jogged out of the house. "She's not in there."
Haymitch nodded, seeming distracted as he looked to his house.
"She's either looking for me in the town or hiding in the woods."
Haymitch nodded again, agreeing with his assessment. "Right. Okay. Well, why don't you go look for her in the woods and you two," he called to the other two men, "start searching the town."
The two soldiers in the back of the ship nodded as Haymitch headed out of the ship. Gale realized he didn't say where he was going to look, and noticed he was walking towards his house. If he's only come here to fill up on booze, Gale thought, realizing that was exactly way Haymitch was doing. "Hey, guys, just, be careful," he said to the other two soldiers, thinking about Katniss. They gave him a ridiculous, ridiculing look. "What," he said, "the woman I love is pregnant and you think me caring about her is unmanly?" Their smug looks faltered for a moment, "and anyway," he added just for the fun of it, "I was telling you that for your sake, not for hers." Their smug looks fell completely with that line, and Gale smiled to himself as he went after her.
Gale knew how Katniss's mind worked, and he strongly suspected that she was at the cabin in the woods. It was deep and far away, but it'd be her safest bet if she was worried the Capitol was in the District. He ran at a brisk pace and hoped Katniss was thinking about what her safest bet would be, and not what her angry, riled up self might think to do.
Katniss had not found Gale.
She'd marched straight to the cabin in the woods, hoping that was their agreed shelter, and while her feet hurt from the long walk and her fingers felt cold and her stomach tight, she reminded herself of the night they were bombed.
"I'll meet you," he'd said. I'll meet you, I'll meet you, she thought to herself, she promised to him, I'll meet you...I'm coming….
When she saw the cabin in the distance, she broke into a run, at least, as best she could, hand over her stomach as she speed-waddled to the door. "Gale!" she cried, imaging him there waiting for her, an apology pouring from his lips for having to leave her, a story that justified it, nearly being caught, and knowing she was smart and capable enough to figure out he'd be waiting for her here.
But no kisses met her as she threw open the door, no apology, no Gale. The cabin was cold and dark and Katniss fell to her knees. "Gale," she sobbed, her head a hurricane of thoughts as every worse fear shot through her. "Gale," she said again and again, trying to convince herself he was still waiting for her in the District, but unable to. His name turned into a sob and then a cry and soon she was pouring all the anger and emptiness in her out, howling almost, as she curled into a ball and found sleep but no peace.
Her dreams were dark that night and her thoughts the next day worse. She held her eyes closed as she awoke, trying to make herself believe there was a chance Gale would be with her, but she knew he wasn't. She spent the entire day trying not to think, trying to keep her mind pouring over all the dark edges, and it was the most exhausting work she'd ever done. She tried to count the leaves on trees or the stones in the water, but nothing worked. All her thoughts led to Gale and what could have possibly happened to him...had the Capitol captured him? Were they torturing him? Had they cut out his tongue?
When the following day came, she suddenly realized there were worst thoughts than what was happening to Gale...her baby kicked and she thought: what's going to happen to us? She could stay out in the woods, sure, and get enough food to take care of herself...but what about when the baby came? Could she deliver it herself? What if she needed help? What if she died? What if the baby died? And then, what if the baby didn't? She shuddered, suddenly imaging the child left all alone out here, crying with no one to hear her, no one to help her, left to shrivel or freeze or starve if something happened to Katniss. It was like a fire ripping through her. Gale's a grown man, she told herself, whatever happened to him, he'd have to deal with himself. I've got to take care of this baby… Katniss put her arm protectively around her middle. She was done worrying. She spent the rest of the day coming up with a gameplan. They were not going to die out there in the woods alone, "I promise you," she said, "I promise."
That afternoon, she thought through her options completely resolved that staying alone was not one of them. She needed to find people, and those people were either going to be the Capitol or the Rebellion. Both were risky. She didn't know what the Capitol would do to her, or her baby, and she was loath to put herself in their clutch. She thought she could try and spin the story that the baby was Peeta's, and play up some melodrama that might turn things in her favor, but she honestly didn't know….And the rebellion? How would she even find them? There was no way she could walk to the closest district, Eleven, in her condition. And she had no idea what was going on in Eleven even if she could make it...it might be just the same as turning herself into the Capitol.
Her best bet was having the Capitol find her in Twelve. If she was lucky, the hovercrafts were still there, and she could surrender, hopefully find out what they'd done to Gale, hopefully save him. And then hopefully get in contact with some of the rebel allies in the Capitol, if there still were any. She'd at least be able to ask what'd happened to Haymitch and Peeta without drawing any suspicion to herself, see if Haymitch's cover was still intact...what the state of the rebellion was. And then figure it out from there.
She decided to sleep on her plan, turning it over and over in her mind, and see how she felt about it in the morning.
She woke up in the damp, early morning, her body both somehow numb and overly sensitive. She rubbed her sore neck and stretched her stiff arms. and took a deep breath, almost testing if she could take in the day and hold it inside of her. She sucked the morning air deep into her lungs and held it there, and then slowly, a little bit at a time, she let it all out. She'd done it. If she could take that breath, she could take the next. And if she could take the breaths, then she could take the steps.
No better ideas had come to save her from what she was about to do, and no Gale. "Okay, then," she said to herself, "let's do this," she looked down at the bulging stomach, "let's do this."
Katniss had been walking for almost half an hour when she heard something. It was tearing through the forest. And whatever it was, it wasn't trying to be quiet. She jumped behind the nearest tree and pressed herself tightly.
"Katniss!"
Did someone call her name?
She peeked from around the tree.
"Katniss!" the voice called again.
Was that…"Gale!" she screamed, finally placing the voice. "Gale!" she jumped out from the tree, eyes searching for him. It took another minute, but she finally saw his figure flash through the forest.
"Katniss, oh my god," he nearly collided with her, barely stopping himself before he knocked her down. She ran into his out stretched arms.
"Gale!" she could hardly believe it was him, and tears pouring as he took her face in his hands and kissed her, her lips, her forehead, her cheeks, her eyes. "What...what...happened? How are you...where…" She choked getting her words out.
"I'm so sorry," he said, holding her tightly and relishing her body.
"Where were you?"
"It's okay," he said, kissing her again, "I'm here now."
"No, it's not okay," she shoved him away, "I thought...I thought…" she sputtered.
"Katniss, I'll explain everything," he said, not quite understanding her anger.
"Gale, I thought..."
"I'm sorry," he held her and kissed her on the forehead, "I didn't mean to scare or worry you…"
"It's not about you!" she screamed at him. He looked at her concerned, not quite understanding. "I wasn't worried about you! I thought you were dead! I thought I was all alone! I thought I was going to have this baby alone out here and die!"
Gale couldn't believe it. He'd been worried about her, of course, but it never crossed his mind the worry she'd have for herself. He imagined she'd have been so worried about him, but now that he thought about it, now that he realize what she must have been thinking, what she was facing, he felt horrible.
"Come here," he said, but she still looked at him steelily, " please, I'm so sorry…" she let him take her into his arms now, "I'm so sorry," he pressed his lips to her temple, and held her tightly as she sobbed into him.
"I thought...I thought…"
He rubbed his hands up and down her back and over her arms, trying to maker her feel safe and waiting for her to calm down. When she was finally able to speak again, she asked, "so what the hell happened?"
Gale took her hands in his and led her over to a log to sit. He told her about being captured by what he thought were peacekeepers and waking up prisoner in Thirteen. He told her about Haymitch and their families.
"Everyone's there, Katniss, they're safe. Your mom, your sister, my family too, even Haymitch."
She couldn't find words to respond. She looked up at Gale, eyes brimming with tears and questions.
"Yeah, Catnip," he said with the trace of a smile, "they're all there. Waiting for us."
She returned his smile and gave him her hand so he could help her up and lead her back home.
It took Gale and Katniss a little over two hours to walk back to the District, and they found Haymitch sitting on the edge of the hovercraft tipping a bottle of what was undoubtedly liquor as they approached. As soon as he made out Katniss, he let out a deep breath and laughed.
Katniss looked down, uncertain how she was going to face Haymitch. She'd spent the majority of the past two hours considering how she was going to face everyone after all that happened and considering her current state. "You told them I was pregnant?" She'd asked Gale about ten times.
"Yes," he'd said, "I swear."
"And how'd they take it?"
"Pretty well." Katniss'd looked at him like that wasn't a sufficient answer. "I think both our mothers kind of figured this would happen sooner or later," he said with a bit of a shrug.
She'd looked surprised. "And Haymitch?"
"He laughed," Gale said, leaving out the part where Haymitch had called him stupid.
The laugh Katniss had imagined was the same one she was hearing now.
"Well hello sweetheart," Haymitch said as they approached, "long time no see, I'm glad you're..." he took a moment to find the right words, "well-fed."
Her eyes shot a scowl that told him that was not the right word. He only laughed some more. "And you're looking well-watered, as usual," her tone fell with condescension.
"Aww, I missed you too, sweetheart," he cackled, "come on board now, we've got a lot to talk about." He tossed the empty liquor bottle over his shoulder and scooted to the side to let her in. Gale helped her up and they headed to Thirteen.
A/N: Hello hello! Sorry it took so long for that update, I've been sidetracked with a few smaller projects, which I'd love for you to check out should you be interested, but I hope to be getting back to this one more regularly. And, to "Into the Flames" if any of you are also following that tale. I haven't forgotten, I swear! As always, I'd love to hear what you think about this, so I'd be oh-so-grateful for a little review.