DISCLAIMER: HG Characters do not belong to me.

A/N: So apparently the reviews are not being shown at this time, from what I saw on the message boards they will come back, hopefully by tomorrow or Tuesday. So, please don't be discouraged from reviewing! I always look forward to reading them.

I think some are either going to love or hate this chapter….but I could be wrong.

Chapter 60-Confessions IV

"I thought you were staying in the Capitol until tomorrow morning?" Gale asked Katniss, not realizing that Dez was right behind him.

Katniss still staring at Dez's appearance turns her eyes back to Gale and says, "I was-well I am-I decided on a whim to come see you, like I said, it's important." She is trying to give Gale the benefit of the doubt, that what she sees is not what she thinks she sees.

"How about you go to my Mom's? I'll let her know you are coming and I'll meet you over there in a little bit?"

"Gale-"Katniss begins to protest but is interrupted by Dez who says, "You heard him" with disdain.

Gale whips his head around and looks at Dez surprised to see her so close to him before turning back to Katniss and saying, "We are in the middle of something."

"Something that doesn't concern you" Dez hisses at Katniss, still giving her looks of pure hatred.

Katniss glares back at her. While the last thing she wanted was to have anyone get hurt by her and Gale's actions, she is angry that Dez is here. She begins to wonder if Gale really ended things like he said he did.

"Fine" Katniss huffs back putting her hands up in surrender, "I'll go-just wanted to let you know that I saw the President." Katniss quickly turns around and begins to storm off.

Gale quickly shuts the door of his apartment, leaving Dez and Harper inside and says, "Katniss wait!"

Katniss stops and turns around. Looking at him with annoyance.

"What?"

He wants to know what they talked about, if the President told Katniss the recommendations by the committee regarding his investigation. But he knows he has to finish his conversation with Dez. He owes her that. So instead of thinking about himself he says, "I'm sorry but I still have things I need to speak with Dez about."

"I thought you said you ended it?" Katniss says angrily.

"I have, but that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve an explanation of why I ended it. When I broke up with her, I was so focused on getting back to you I left her hanging. Now that I know you are okay I need to make things right with her."

"I'm not okay Gale, far from it" Katniss hisses tears almost forming in her eyes.

"That's not what I mean and you know it. Look-just please wait for me at my Mom's. We can talk then. I'll even come back to the Capitol with you if you want-I promise."

Katniss sighs and says, "Alright, I'll wait for you at Hazelle's."

He nods and heads back into his apartment quickly. She becomes angry that he didn't kiss or hug her before going back in. She knows she's being selfish, but she wants him, all of him to herself. To hell with Dez, she knows Dez is the reason he wasn't speaking to her all those months after she wrote her letter to him. She hates seeing Dez take away even more of her precious time with him, and resents the fact that Dez even wants to talk to him. She wonders if Dez is trying to talk him into getting back together. She begins to grow concerned but then relaxes remembering that Gale offered to come back to the Capitol with her. She knows why Dez won't let him go without a fight-because it's Gale.


When Gale left District 4 after spending the past week with Katniss he was nervous, nervous that he had to get back to reality and face his family and Dez's. He owes the Mills family an explanation for his actions, along with an explanation to his own family.

He goes to his Mom's first, to check on Harper and to see if Dez has spoken to his Mom or Posy. He gives his Mother money despite her protests and thanks her for taking care of Harper, and tells her that he will need her to watch him a little longer. Explaining that most likely he will be out of town this coming week, without getting into too much detail.

"He's been no problem at all, he's such a good dog. But he misses you and Dez" Hazelle says to Gale as he receives happy licks from his pet, welcoming him back.

"Have you heard from her?" Gale asks raising to his feet.

"No. Before I could warn Posy about what happened between the two of you Posy called Dez, asking if Dez would be a model for a mini fashion show she was working on for school, it is part of her final project. Dez told her no and refused to see her and said that you broke her heart and that you loved Katniss more than all of us."

Gale is not surprised for Dez was always one who could be highly emotional when upset. It was her ability to openly show love and emotion that attracted him to her. Gale never questioned whether or not Dez loved him like he had questioned Katniss's love for him. But that was in the past, he finally knows Katniss loves him. He is concerned he may be jumping out of one relationship with problems into another, but he knows the Katniss he saw in the wild territory is still there, he just has to help her find herself again. And he knows he has to help her stop taking those damn morphling pills. The last thing he wants is for her to sink back into depression again, he just got her back, and he can't lose her to her demons-not again.

"Where is Posy?" Gale asks knowing he needs to talk to his youngest sibling to make things right

"She's in her room."

Gale goes upstairs and knocks on her door. He hears her say, "Who is it?"

"It's me-I'm back." Gale calls into the door.

"Go away" she says, anger in her voice.

"Pose-"

"I mean it Gale-go away! I don't want to talk to you."

"I know you're upset about what's happened between me and Dez."

The door flies open, Posy stands there, glaring at Gale and says, "She was like a sister to me, a sister I never had. I was so happy she was going to be a part of our family and that I was going to be in the wedding. But instead, you break up with her and choose Katniss over her. I like Katniss, but she left our family. After the war she forgot about us and while I might not remember much, I remember how sad you were when we moved to District 2. Dez is right, you do love Katniss more than us" she cries slamming the door in his face.

"Posy" Gale says loudly as he hears that she is crying behind the door. He's about to open the door when he hears his Mother say, "She needs time, let her be."

He turns around and looks at his Mother and says, "I hate to see her upset" as he walks down the stairs, Hazelle following him.

"How is Katniss?" Hazelle says not wanting to talk with her son about how he has hurt her daughter.

"She's-healing. I think it is going to take time to get over what she's been through."

"I'm sure it will-no one deserves to be tortured."

Gale nods, not responding. He is about to take Harper out for a walk when his Mother surprises him asking, "So is Katniss moving into your apartment?"

"What? No! She's going to continue finishing her program. Why would you think she is moving in with me?"

"She could do her teaching assignment here."

"She doesn't want to be in District 2. Besides, even if she did, I would never have her live in my apartment. It's disrespectful to Dez."

"Glad to see you haven't forgotten about your former fiancé."

He sighs. He knows he was going to get pushback for what he's done, but he thought his Mother would at least be a little more supportive. "Of course I haven't forgotten, I better head back over there, I need to talk to Dez."

"Gale-I'm sorry-I just-I have accepted Katniss coming back into your life as a friend. I'm not ready to accept her as your lover."

He stares at her, not knowing how to respond to her choice of words, not that she is incorrect. She gives him a look and says, "Come on, you know to call her your new girlfriend is not enough. She's more than that, I know it, and Posy will accept it she's just not ready yet. All I ask is that you take things slow. I'm not ready for Katniss to be my daughter in law or to be a Grandmother just yet."

He blushes, slightly embarrassed that she is implying that he and Katniss are moving that quickly. Though he can't deny the thoughts have entered his mind though he knows Katniss's stance on children hasn't changed.

"Don't worry, Katniss and I will probably be apart for a while. I have no idea what my punishment will be for killing Geffen. And like I said, Katniss will be busy with her teaching assignment."

"Punishment? What are you talking about?" Hazelle asks concerned.

"It's why I have to go away again, I'm being investigated. What I did goes against military protocol."

"Tell hell with protocol! You were saving Katniss's life!"

"Let's hope they see it that way" he says appreciating her support.

"I want you to be happy. I just hope Katniss loves you the way you love her. I have my doubts."

"She does love me Mom. I no longer doubt that." He doesn't want to tell her about the letter, wanting to keep that between Katniss and himself. It was too personal to share with anyone-even his family.

She nods and says, "Okay, I trust your judgement. You always knew her better than most people did."

Gale thanks her for support and leaves his bag from District 4 at her place-in case he needs to come back in a hurry depending on how his conversation with Dez goes. He says goodbye to Harper and takes the train back to his apartment.

When he gets back, he sees Dez is nowhere to be found. She has taken some of her stuff out of their room and he figures she must have gone to her parent's house to stay. He looks up their number and calls and gets a very unwelcome response when he asks to speak with her.

"What the hell do you want?" Dez's mother Alana shouts angrily.

"I need to talk to your daughter-please."

"To what? Tell her how she's not good enough for you anymore? That you'd rather be the mockingjay's sloppy seconds now that she's bored in that dump you are from?"

"Alana please-"

"Shut up! And don't you dare call me by my first name. You are no longer part of this family."

Before he can respond he hears Dez in the background saying, "Mom is that Gale?"

He hears her mother say, "Honey" and then hears Dez say "Give me the phone Mom" and hears Dez take the receiver and say, "Gale?"

"Dez, can we talk? Alone please?"

She pauses and says, "When?"

"Do you want to come over now?"

"I can't. I have plans with my friends soon."

"Okay. I'll be at work tomorrow, there's a chance I might be going out of town for a few days."

"Just let me know when you get back" she says in an unfriendly tone.

"Okay" and then he hears her hang up, not saying goodbye.

He takes the train back to his Mom's, spending the rest of the day there with her and Harper. Posy still refuses to talk to him and eats her dinner in her room. Before he leaves for the night, he tries one more time to talk to her, knocking gently on the door. "Posy, can we talk please?"

"Go away" she shouts back not opening the door.

"I'll be gone for a couple of days, possibly longer. I just want you to know, Dez is wrong. She's hurting and so are you, but it's untrue that I love Katniss more than you, Mom, Vick and Rory. When Katniss got hurt I realized I needed her, and she needs me. I do love her, but not more than you. No one is more important to me than all of you. You, Mom, Vick, Rory-and Katniss. I hope you can understand that."

He turns and walks down the steps and heads out. Posy who was sitting on her bed and staring at her empty dinner plate while Gale spoke, suddenly realizes she might not see her brother anytime soon and gets up and runs down the steps. But she sees she is too late and that he is already gone.


The next morning when Gale goes into work, he is informed by his secretary that the President wants him to call her office right away. He quickly goes into his office and calls. Once Paylor gets on the line she tells him a hovercraft is coming within the hour to take him to District 4 and that his investigation will begin.

He's questioned relentlessly for the next two days. He wonders if Katniss has tried to call him. He wishes he could call her, but besides his questioning, he is kept busy helping the soldiers at the base look over recordings of the three men captured on the boat, trying to piece together what little information they gave about the Jay Killers during their questioning before heading to the Capitol.

He arrives back to his apartment at 9 pm on Wednesday night after picking up Harper at his Mom's. He doesn't go in so he doesn't see Posy, only seeing his Mom at the door. He listens to Katniss's messages and decides to call her first thing tomorrow morning.

He arranges to get off work at 3 pm the next day. He knows today is Dez's day off from the salon and calls her during his lunch break asking her to meet him at the apartment at 3:30 pm. She accepts his offer and says she'll be there. Lucky for him when he called she answered and not her Mother.

He hopes she hasn't seen the Panem Daily article but figures she probably did. Giving her and her family even more of a reason to hate him.

When she arrives at the apartment, he's shocked by her appearance. He hasn't seen her in almost two weeks, and he can tell by looking at her even with her clothes on that she has lost weight again. And not only did her body look different, her hair was drastically different too. It was no longer the light shade of brown that he loved, it was now mint green. All of her hair the bright shade.

He ushers her to the couch, sitting across from her with a pained look on his face. He knows he is responsible for the drastic change in her appearance. "Your hair looks-really different" not knowing how else to respond.

She shrugs in response while she pets Harper, the dog immediately coming over to her wanting to get petted, missing her company. "I wanted something different. To help-take my mind off things. Pastel colors are in right now."

"I can't believe what's happened to you. If I could take back what I did that day I would."

She looks up at him in surprise and says, "So you regret leaving me for her?" He hears the hope in her voice as she says the words. He knows he's about to break her heart all over again by saying, "I regret leaving you the way I did. You didn't deserve that."

Her look becomes hardened again as she says, "So what happened? She begged for you to be with her? She apologized for the way she hurt you?"

"She apologized to me a long time ago. She didn't exactly hide the fact she wanted me back when she was staying here."

"I know she did, I remember very well what it was like when she was here."

"I never wanted this to happen."

He sees her start to tear up, sees that she's trying not to let the tears fall and instead turns her emotions back to anger. Her look of heart break turns to a look of hatred as she says, "So-did you fuck her yet?"

"Dez-"he says pleading, not wanting to answer the question.

"Answer me Gale! Did you have sex with her?"

"Yes."

She gets a look of disgust on her face and says, "I figured, you and I had sex-what? Three days after meeting each other? And I know you. I saw the Panem Daily article of the two of you on the beach. You may have been sitting with space between you, but I saw the look you gave her while she stared out at the ocean. It was a look of pure lust. I realized when I saw it that I hadn't seen you look at me like that since I first dyed my hair brown. The next morning you woke me up before you went to work and you fucked my brains out."

He cringes at her choice of words. How she made it sound like what they did that morning was without meaning. But he had his answer to the longstanding question of whether or not she was putting on an act that day.

"Dez-it wasn't just fucking, my passion for you was real. I went a little crazy that morning yes, but it was because I loved you. You are the first person I ever made love to. The other women I was with, it was just sex-nothing more. It was different with you."

"Then why end it? Why Katniss?" she screams, the tears finally coming out in full force.

"Because I realized, as much as I loved you, I loved her more. I always have. I forced myself to forget about her. When she wasn't around it was easier. But being put in charge of the mission last year, seeing her again, my feelings started to come back, despite my attempts of burying my feelings for her. Seeing her almost die, seeing how I almost lost her forever made me realize-I had to be with her. I'm so, so sorry Dez. I know this is hard to hear, but you knew about my history with her, you knew how I felt. I never kept that from you."

"I warned you, I told you not to let her stay here. But you let her come anyway."

"I know. I was selfish. I wanted her friendship and your love at the same time."

"Did you make love to me that morning like that because my hair reminded you of her?"

He gasps at what she asks, but he understands her reasoning for asking it. He tells her the truth.

"No! That's not why. Truly it isn't. I made love to you like that because for once I saw the real you. Not some fake version of you. I preferred to see your natural hair color, not the blond hair. I was always attracted to you, but seeing you that way made me want you even more. You looked so beautiful that morning, without the heavy make up on. You always felt this need to look good for me. You always had your hair perfect, you starved yourself in fear I would leave you."

She doesn't respond, continuing to cry. He begins to confess to her everything that bothered him about their relationship. He tells her about his constant worrying of her health, how upset he would get when she refused to eat, how her weight loss resulted in no longer having a period. How he knows this problem stems from feeling not in control. How he had his doubts about her ability to handle tough situations in life, and his concern of how dependent she was on him.

"I thought you liked that? That you liked taking care of me?" she asks confused.

"I do, I'm naturally a provider you know that. I provided for my family and the Everdeen's, but I never worried about them like I did with you. I felt at times you were so dependent on me that you felt your only identity was being my girlfriend."

He goes on to tell her about his feelings about the wedding and how he felt for her it was more about the idea of getting married than the actual vows. Finally confessing to her everything that has bothered him in their relationship. He knows he should have told her all this a long time ago. He apologizes for it.

She leans over and slaps him across the face, her anger rising again. "You're wrong! I was excited yes, but it was more than just the idea of marriage. How dare you tell me now, after leaving me what really bothered you." She begins hitting him in the chest and like before, he allows her to hit him. She finally collapses in grief in his arms and cries. She cries even harder than before. He hold her as she lets it out. When she finally calms down, she curls up in his arms, leaning on him as he strokes her hair. He knows this is a compromising position, to be holding his former fiancé like this, but he knows they both need this moment for closure. A part of him wants to kiss her, as a way of saying goodbye. But he knows if he does it would be sending a mixed message. He looks at the clock and sees it is almost 5:30. Suddenly, he hears knocking on the door, startling both of them.

"Dammit" he says, releasing her from his arms and going to the door to see who it is.

He opens the door slightly and sees it is Katniss, looking eager to see him.