DISCLAIMER: HG characters do not belong to me.

A/N: The answer to the question of whether or not I am a Game of Thrones fan, YES! I tried to change the wording around but still say the same message but I guess not enough. I originally was going to have it, Katniss meets Marlon later. She goes to the tribe and Morning Sun gives her the pep talk, then on the way back meets Marlon but I decided to change it after watching that GOT scene. I thought it be more effective coming from a stranger and I figured the tribe would rather Katniss stay with them than go back to Panem, so hence the change. As always thanks for the reviews!

Chapter 72-Unforgiven II

They stare at each other for a few seconds, neither one saying a word. His gray eyes intently staring into hers, giving her an unfriendly look. She knows she has caused him to worry, but she has more important matters to discuss.

"Hello Gale" Katniss says timidly.

"Katniss" he says in a curt tone. Suddenly, his eyes shift down, noticing for the first time since he got off the hovercraft that her arm was in a sling. His look softens as he says, "You're hurt."

She looks down at her arm and says, "Yeah, I uh-fell off of a cliff. A tree broke my fall, but I ended up hurting my arm and ankle. I couldn't move, but someone found me and saved me. Now I need your help to save him."

The other soldiers have caught up to them before he can answer, and Gale moves to the side as the one solider approaches Katniss and escorts her up the walkway. Once inside the hovercraft Katniss tells the soldiers they need more soldiers, briefly explaining where she was and that the Jay Killers may have Marlon.

"I am sorry Miss Everdeen but our orders were to bring you back to the Capitol immediately" one of the soldiers tells her.

"No! We have to go back, it is not far from here. Gale do something!" Katniss pleads and turns to look at Gale to respond.

"I'm sorry Katniss but I am here as a civilian, I can't force them to go against their orders."

She scans her surroundings looking for a place for them to talk in private and says softly, "Can we talk alone?"

He motions for her to follow him, leading her into an extremely small supply closet, a small overhead light casting a dim light down on them.

"Gale I need your help, please-we have to call Paylor."

"Is that why you activated the watch? Not because you were concerned how I was doing this whole time you've been gone but because you need the military's help?"

"I was going to come back. Please Gale-you know they'll kill him if they find him."

He sighs and says, "Wait here."

She waits while she hears voices talking, not able to make out what they are saying. It seems like an eternity though she knows it was only five minutes or so when he comes back in. Once the door is shut he says, "I used the phone to call the President, she has given us permission to stay, another hovercraft is coming with a few more soldiers. So you'll need to tell us which direction to go in. If no one is there, we are heading back to the Capitol."

She breathes a sigh of relief and reaches up to hug him, but he pulls back and glares at her and says, "Do you know how worried I've been?" raising his voice.

"I know" she says looking down at the floor.

"I am missing work to be here. I'm lucky they even let me come. Honestly I think the only reason they did was to keep you in check. You fell off that cliff because you were running away from me weren't you?"

"Yes" she says, still unable to look at him in the eye.

"We haven't been in this area since, that was six days ago. Do you really expect me to believe you were going to come back?" She hears his voice start to change. She raises her eyes up to his and sees that tears are starting to form.

"I was. I realized while with Marlon I need to keep fighting, I can't let the Jay Killers win. We have to stop them, and I need you by my side."

"I can't fight with you Katniss, I am banned for a year remember?"

"I'm going to talk to Paylor about that."

"No, you're not. I don't want you getting involved. I have had to deal with enough of your damage, I saw Peeta and Haymitch the other day." His look becomes hardened again.

"You did?" she says completely off guard hearing that Peeta and Haymitch were in the Capitol.

"Yeah, they came to the Capitol and demanded to see the President, they were-concerned from the letters you sent them."

Katniss cringes thinking about the letters she wrote that night before she left. She knows her wording in the letters concerned them, because she pretty much admitted that she might not come back to Panem, and that she was sorry for everything, especially for leaving District 12. She knows some might have interpreted her wording as a suicide note.

"How did they seem?" she asks.

"Haymitch was Haymitch, Peeta-well, he was really distraught. My conversations with them were not pleasant. They blame me for you leaving, they blame me for everything."

"I'm sorry-"she tries to reach for him but again he pulls back and opens the door and says, "You need to tell them which way to go, the other hovercraft should be here soon."

She goes outside and looks around, thinking in her head which way to go. When the second hovercraft comes she sees ten soldiers get off of it, making the total fifteen, plus her and Gale. She informs all the soldiers about what Marlon told her and points them in the direction to go.

Both hovercrafts take off and land at the top of cliff. The soldiers have Katniss and Gale stay back with the pilots while the rest head down, throwing a line down and sliding down, heading to Marlon's cabin.

Katniss and Gale sit in silence on the hovercraft, waiting. Finally she hears him say, "How is your arm?"

She shrugs and says, "Marlon set it. It still hurts but, not as much."

"You had your morphling pills to take."

"I took a few, but yesterday I burned the rest."

He nods at her in way that shows his approval. He then says, "When you get to the Capitol they will have to take a look at it."

"Yeah."

"I called your Mother, told her what happened."

"How was she?"

"How do you think? Worried. I didn't tell her about the pills though."

"Thanks."

"I didn't do it for you, I did it to protect her. I figured why make her worry even more."

Katniss only nods in response. She feels horrible for not thinking about her when she left. And she knows she is going to really need to work to get back on Gale's good side.

"How's Harper?" she asks changing the subject.

"Fine. He's with Dez."

"Dez?"

He gives her a look letting her know he doesn't want any snide comments. "Yes, Dez. Before I left for the Capitol she called me, asking if she could see him and that she missed him. I invited her to stay at my place since I didn't know how long I would be gone. She still has some of her stuff there. We talked briefly after she arrived and then I left."

"Is her hair still green?"

He gives her a disapproving look and says, "No-it is back to blonde."

She feels jealousy emerge, she knows she has no right to be angry after leaving the way she did but she can't help but be concerned now that the two of them are talking again. Without thinking she says, "So will that be a recurring thing? Her staying at your place to watch Harper?"

"I don't know Katniss, you tell me. I've been neglecting my dog and my job to be with you. I couldn't bring him to my Mom's yet again, it's not fair to her and Posy. It is easier for Dez to get to work from my place, and I know Harper misses her too."

"I can't imagine her parents were happy about her going back."

"What happens between her parents and her is none of your concern."

"You didn't have to follow me you know."

He snickers and says, "You knew I would, otherwise you wouldn't have ran. I said I would always take care of you your family, despite the fact you don't want me to."

"That's not true."

"Then why did you leave?" his glare returning in full force.

"I knew I needed to get off the pills for good, I needed-a distraction."

"A distraction from me?"

"From everything. I walked off my job, I may have thrown away my one chance to be a teacher, but I had to do it."

"Your friend McKenna says you have to go back the Monday after break, otherwise you will be dismissed."

Katniss is relieved to hear she still has one more chance, she only hopes Marlon is found so she can return to District 9 sooner rather than later.

"I hope to go back. I hope we can-return to a sense of normalcy."

He starts to laugh but not in a good way. "A sense of normalcy? We haven't had that at all since deciding to be together."

"I know."

"We were moving too fast before."

"We were a little, but I meant the things I said, all of it."

"We are not ready for a baby, or marriage."

"I still want those things though."

"I am not sure if I do."

"What are you saying?" she cries out in shock.

"That I yet again don't know how you truly feel about me. I thought I did, but you leaving made me see things differently, that and my talk with Peeta."

"What did he say?" she says in an alarmed tone.

"Nothing I didn't already know."

Before she can say anything else the soldiers return, without Marlon.

"It appears no one is there" one of the soldiers says to Katniss.

"He could be hiding, I need to see for myself" and she begins walking down the walkway at full speed.

They reluctantly follow her, Gale lingering behind, not letting Katniss out of his sight despite his admittance that he is not sure what their future holds.

Once Katniss approaches the line she looks down, trying to figure out how she is going to slide down with only one arm. As if reading her thoughts, one of the soldiers says, "One of us will have to go down and you will have to hold on." Just as the young man who said it walks forward, Gale comes up and says, "I'll do it" and grabs the line, motioning for Katniss to grab onto him.

She holds onto him tightly as he slides down, gripping his shoulder with her one arm while he holds her waist. Once they land they wait for others to slide down. Katniss jogs to Marlin's cabin, calling out to him in case he is hiding, not blaming him for being cautious.

As she was previously warned, no one is there. She barges into the cabin looking around and sees no one. She notices his things are still there, but hers are all gone. Her bow, her clothes, all the items in her bag including her locket, the map to the Sioux, and her journal.

"They took him and they have my things. We need to get him out" she says in a surprisingly calm manner.

"We are going back to the Capitol. You can discuss that with the President, you know we can't just show up, we are outnumbered. If it is true that there are a hundred people in the group" one of the soldiers says to Katniss.

She nods and walks out of the cabin. She waits with Gale beside her as the soldiers climb back up the line and get in the hovercraft. They wait and watch one hovercraft take off while waiting for the other to land below the cliff so they can get on.

Once aboard they strap into their seats as the hovercraft takes off, heading for the Capitol. After about twenty minutes in the air, Katniss unbuckles herself from her seat and heads for the supply room, motioning for Gale to follow her.

Once they are both inside Katniss says, "They took my map, the map to the Sioux, leading them right to them."

"We will get it back" he says in a reassuring tone.

"They could be heading there now."

"Even if they leave now it still takes two days to get there, we still have time. You said they are in the opposite direction, it might take three days."

"So you will help me?"

"That's up to the President."

"If anything happens to them-"

"It won't, the President wants the Jay Killers caught. She knows more and more people are being recruited, it is what their inside contact told them."

"Is he-here?"

"I don't think so, last I heard, he was still in District 1. They haven't brought everyone to the wild territory."

She nods trying to not to worry any more than she already does. She sees him bend down, his hands grabbing her shoulders as he says, "We will get Marlon back, and make sure that they don't find the Sioux."

She moves closer to him, getting on her tiptoes as she reaches for him, raising her head up to kiss him. His lips move only slightly while she kisses him. When she opens her eyes and takes a step back she sees his hardened stare has returned. Before she can say another word he bends down and pulls her towards him, kissing her with hunger, longing for the taste of her. She eagerly gives into his kisses, wishing she could be closer to him but is unable due to her sling. As quickly as his lips were on hers he breaks the kiss off, turning around abruptly and sighing loudly.

"Why did you stop?" she says out of breath while reaching for him to face her.

"I am not ready to forgive you-not yet. Just because we kissed doesn't mean everything is fine."

"I understand" she says in a soft tone.

"Even if-anything else happens, as hard as I try to not to, I can't stop wanting you. I never will. But-I can't forgive you right now."

"Will you still help?"

"Always."

She gives him a quick kiss, showing her appreciation. This time he does kiss her back. Together they leave the supply room and head back to their seats, getting very questioning looks from the other soldiers who noticed their sneaking off.


They arrive in the Capitol three hours later. Katniss is immediately taken to see a doctor despite her protests, Gale informing her he will talk to the President on her behalf. While being examined she is told her arm is indeed broken, and her arm is put in a hardened cast. She needs to wear the cast for the next six weeks.

Once she leaves she heads to the President's office, waiting in the main lobby. She sees Gale come out and she heads in after. She chooses to stand while Paylor sits at her desk.

"I see the doctors treated your arm."

"Yes-thank you" Katniss says appreciatively.

"So I hear your friend has seen the Jay Killers, and that there's quite a few of them."

"Yes. We need to stop them. And I want to be involved."

"You are not a soldier Katniss, it wouldn't be like last time."

"No but I could still be useful. I could-go on TV and inform the residents how dangerous the group is."

"I don't know if that is such a good idea. I will need to talk to Plutarch about it, Beetee as well."

"This group wants you and me out of the picture. You do know that?" Katniss says in an annoyed tone.

"I am very aware of that yes. Don't think the Jay Killers haven't tried an attack, they just haven't succeeded yet."

"Then you need me. Not only do we have to protect Panem, we have to protect the tribes. I am the only one the tribes will listen to."

"What about your teaching job?"

"Once Marlon is safe, I will return to District 9. I have-roughly five days to get back."

"So what are your demands? I know you have them."

"I need access to a hovercraft when I go see the tribe, and I want a hovercraft available when I need to travel back and forth from the Capitol. It takes too long by train."

"Anything else?"

"I want guards protecting my Mom in District 4."

"A valid concern, consider it done-what else?"

She never questioned Paylor's ability to be a leader, despite her young age, the fact that she knows Katniss still has other demands reaffirms that.

"I want Gale with me, he and I will always be a team. You need to reinstate him back in the military."

"That might not be as easy as you think."

"Sure it is, you are the President."

"And?" Paylor says with a hint of annoyance.

"And-he gets to bring his dog when he wants."

Paylor gives her a look of disbelief, not surprised by these demands but annoyed none the less.

Before they leave Katniss showers and is given new clothes. Once she is dressed she heads to the hovercrafts, seeing three large ones getting fueled and ready to go.

Gale comes up behind her, dressed in the all black uniform she saw him in when they were first reunited in the wild territory. She can tell he too recently showered for he still smelled like the soap in the President's mansion.

"You were reinstated?" Katniss asks trying to act like she had no idea.

"Temporarily. At least until this mission is over, I was put in charge."

She gives a small smile and says, "Good."

"And I can bring Harper whenever I want."

"You can?"

He gives her a look, letting her know he is not fooled. "I am not bringing him to the wild territory, it is too dangerous. But, I figured, I could maybe bring him with me on my trips to the Capitol, and-to District 9."

She tries not to give her hopes up, she knows she still has to earn his forgiveness, but his comment gives her hope.

He tells her Spencer, Abraham, Hance, Penny, and the others will be part of the mission and that they are on their way.

An hour later all three hovercrafts leave, heading north at full speed.