DISCLAIMER: HG characters do not belong to me.

Words not spoken in English will be italicized.

Chapter 37-One Step Back

Gale was becoming anxious, the small team he had sent out to find the group that was close by had not returned. That was over 8 hours ago. The large hovercraft had already returned to camp coming back from the Capitol.

He tried radioing to each squad member. Each soldier had a portable radio strapped to their uniform. No one answered. While he wanted to get in the hovercraft and begin searching, he knew his team had had a very long day and his pilots had just flown two trips in one day. He decided they would stay put and send out tracking locators at dawn the next morning.

Gale's unit was ready at dawn the next morning. Three tracking locators were sent out. The two Native women had still not left their tent, the two female squad members Gale had assigned checked in on them, bringing them food and water. Gale wasn't sure what to do with them once they were ready to leave camp. For he figured most likely they would be leaving this area soon.

Gale again tried radioing. As before, he was met with silence on the other end. All he could do now was wait for the tracking locators to come back. The hours dragged by for him. Finally, after 4 hours two of the tracking locators came back. The readings showed no movement in the area they both covered. A half hour later the third tracker came back that showed it had picked up movement. Gale took the tracking locator into the hovercraft to see the images that were taken.

None of the images were of his squad members or the Jay Killers. The images showed Native men on horses traveling. From the images, it looked like they were searching for something. Or someone Gale thought. He saw that the men all had weapons. Gale's stomach began to tighten in knots. His gut told him this group of Native men may be the reason his squad is not responding. Where they captured? Or worse?

"What now Commander?" Abraham asked once the images were finished showing on the screen.

Gale looked on the map where the images were taken, the Native men were heading south, straight for their camp. It appeared they were about 2 hours away, maybe more.

Gale knew he needed help, he just hoped the person he was about to ask would be able to.

"I need to send a message to Spencer's group. No one is to leave camp under any circumstances. In fact, I want everyone to get all their personal belongings on the hovercraft." Gale walked out of the hovercraft with the others and went to grab his personal belongings. He grabbed a small rectangular device out of his backpack and the sent the following message to Spencer's device:

Urgent: Have K.E. call the hovercraft to speak to me immediately- 227-8930-G.H.

Only certain squad members had access to these devices. The devices were mainly used to send short messages. A lot of times they were used to help soldiers find each other when separated from each other.

Gale figured Katniss should be back in the wild territory with Spencer by now. He put the rest of his stuff into a small locker on the hovercraft and went to wait by the phone.

After 20 minutes the phone rang. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hawthorne" he said hurriedly.

"Gale-it's me, Spencer said you needed me?" he heard Katniss say on the other line.

"Katniss, I need your help. I will need you to come to our camp right away-with your Native friends if possible."

He heard silence on the other end for several long seconds. "Katniss?" he asked confused wondering if she was still there.

"I'm here—sorry."

"Will you come with your friends?"

"I will try, I swear I will try Gale. But-"

"But what?" He was becoming even more anxious then he already was.

"The Native's won't go near technology. It is the reason all this is taking so long, they refuse to travel with us by hovercraft."

"I know that Katniss, but I have an emergency here. I believe a Native tribe is coming right for our camp and we have two of their tribe members."

"What? How?"

"The Jay Killers captured them."

"So you captured all of the Jay Killers?" Katniss asked hopefully.

"Not all of them. Some of them escaped, including their leader. I sent a small team out to try to retrieve some of them yesterday. They have not returned."

Gale heard Katniss gasp. "Where are you?" she said wearily.

"We are pretty far north, north of the tribe we were at when we took the cameras down. The Comanche tribe right?"

"Gale-listen to me. You have to go—all of you. Get in your hovercraft and go. The tribe coming for you is the Arikara. They are not like the Sioux. They will kill you."

"I will not leave my soldiers Katniss. I have to find them."

"We will. I promise I will help you. But I think the less people involved in this the better. Why don't you come to us? This will also give me time to convince Red Bear and the others to travel with us."

"Red Bear?"

"Yes, a Sioux tribesmen. He's my friend, I trust him more than any other tribesmen."

"Okay-we will come to you. But then a small group of us are going to return these woman and find my soldiers. And I hope Red Bear comes with us."

"I hope so too."

"The two woman we have, they will not leave their tents. How will I get them on the hovercraft with us?

Katniss taught Gale had to say, 'Don't be afraid'. She explained even though each tribe spoke a different language, perhaps if Gale spoke in a language they were familiar with, they would be more trusting. After a few tries he was able to say the words. He kept repeating the words over and over in his mind, memorizing them. After, Gale had Katniss put Spencer on the phone and Spencer provided Gale their coordinates.

Gale informed his squad what the plan was. Within 10 minutes everyone was on the hovercraft ready to go. The only tent remaining was the one the Native women were in. Gale and the two female squad members went in. Gale saw the two women were sitting on the floor, braiding each other's hair. They tensed the minute Gale walked in.

"Don't be afraid" he said as best as he could.

Both looked at him in disbelief. But, they appeared to understand what he said for they looked at each other and relaxed. He was able to get them to leave the tent while it was taken down. Getting them on the hovercraft took some convincing and a forceful escort. He had to repeat what he had been taught a few more times while his team got them on the hovercraft and strapped in their seats. The decision was made to strap them in so that in case they panic they cannot get out of their seats once the hovercraft takes off. The look of terror returned to their faces once they were in their seats. Gale felt guilty, but he felt in order to find out the truth of what happened to his squad he may need them when they faced this tribe coming for them.

Three hours later they landed near the large lake. Gale is the first person off the ship, while walking down the walkway he sees Katniss running towards him.

"Gale" she said her arms outstretched. He opens his arms up as she runs into them. He sighs. He shouldn't want this affection from her, but he does.

"Commander" Spencer says as he walks up behind Katniss. Gale breaks his embrace and shakes Spencer's hand. He then sees Robin, Penny, Stone, and Hance along with three Native tribesmen lingering behind.

Gale sees Katniss walk over the tribesmen and begins talking to them. He thinks he recognizes Red Bear, remembering him back at the Comanche tribe.

The rest of Gale's squad comes off the hovercraft, catching up with Spencer, Robin, Penny, Stone, and Hance. He decides to let them all have a few minutes. He walks over to Katniss. She turns her head towards him when she sees him approach.

She looks at him waiting for him to say something. He suddenly feels out of place, not knowing why. Seeing Katniss with these men, talking with them in their native language, how relaxed and at ease she looks makes him realize just have far she has come since he saw her at the end of the war.

Her look is not unwelcome though. "Katniss, could I-talk to you for a second-alone?"

"Sure." She turns and says something to the men, they all nod and walk off. She turns back to him, waiting for him to continue.

"I am going to need you and hopefully Red Bear and the others to come on the ship and talk to the Native women. We had to strap them to their seats, they are very afraid."

"Of course. Red Bear will come on the ship, but it will only be him. I couldn't convince the other two-Blackmoon and Silver Horse to come. At least not now."

"What did you say? To convince Red Bear?" Gale asked.

Katniss shrugged. "I told him that my best friend needed me. I also told him about the women. I think he doesn't want to see any Native blood shed so he knows time cannot be wasted any longer."

"I appreciate it."

Katniss looked at Gale and smiled. "So, where are they?"

Gale showed Katniss and Red Bear where the women were on the hovercraft. He left the four of them alone and walked off. Fifteen minutes later all four of them walked down the walkway. Katniss, Red Bear, and the two women immediately walked to where Blackmoon and Silver Horse were sitting. After the women appeared more at ease with tribesmen she walked over to Gale's group.

"They are able to communicate somewhat. When we meet up with the Sioux heading to the Arikara it will be better because one of the Sioux tribesmen can speak the language."

Gale nodded. "We can stay here and eat, after I think we should be on our way."

"Okay" Katniss responded.

"Do you want to eat with me?" Gale found himself asking not realizing the implications of his words.

"Sure, I'd like that."

They ate their lunch by the lake, everyone else was closer to the hovercraft, all eating in small groups.

They sat side by side, looking at the lake while they chewed on their food. Gale asked how her trip to District 4 went, letting her know he had heard about it from Spencer. She happily told him about the fun things she did there.

"I saw your brother" she told him suddenly remembering how she ran into him downtown.

"Really? Where?"

"Downtown, I was just talking a walk and I saw someone who looked exactly like you walking towards me."

Gale chuckled, now that Rory was older he did look a lot like him. Gale was happy he was still taller than him though. It was an easy way to tell them apart. "How did he look?"

"Good. He seems to like it there. We only talked briefly though. He saw my escorts and I didn't want to go into detail."

Gale nodded. "I worry about him sometimes."

Katniss put her hand on his knee, trying to provide comfort. He quickly changed the subject by asking, "So when this is all over, where will you go next?"

Katniss took her hand away and looked down, forming her hands into fists. She kept opening and closing her fists in a nervous gesture. "I plan to go back to the wild territory, then to my Mother's. I plan to move to District 4."

"What about Peeta?" Gale asked curiously.

"I-I ended things with him."

"For good?"

"For now" Katniss clarified.

Gale raised his eyebrows at her. Looking at her in disappointment.

"What?" she says defensively.

"Nothing, I shouldn't be surprised."

"Surprised by what?" Katniss's voice raised.

"You can never let him go."

"I broke his heart. I can't just—forget about him."

"Like you did me?"

"I didn't forget, not really."

"But you tried."

Katniss looks away, not able to make eye contact. "Yes" she says looking off to the side.

"That's what I thought" he says in response.

She whips her head back and glares at him. "Looks like you did a fine job forgetting about me. You and your very blonde, very thin girlfriend-not wait, fiancé. I saw a picture of the two of you and your dog in your office. Really Gale, I am surprised you would be with someone who looks so-"

"So what?" he challenges her to finish.

"Capitol made."

Gale laughs. "Trust me Katniss, there are a lot of women in District 2 that look more—Capitol made than Dez."

"Dez?"

"Yes, Dez, that's her name, well, the name I call her."

"What's her real name then?" Katniss demanded.

"Destiny."

Katniss gave a smug look. Gale responded by saying, "I know, it's a career name. That's why I nicknamed her."

"And she likes this—nickname?"

"Yes. Her friends even call her by it now."

Katniss could feel her jealousy soar. All the years she had known Gale, she was the only one who had gotten a nickname. His sister Posy didn't even get a nickname.

Gale read the emotions on her face. "I had to move on Katniss."

She tried to brush it off saying, "You're right. Look-I don't want to fight. We have spent enough time apart. Could you just please be supportive about Peeta? No matter what happens?"

He could only nod in response. Not wanting to start another argument by letting her know his feelings on the subject.