DISCLAIMER: HG characters do not belong to me.

Words not spoken in English will be italicized.

A/N: I found a slight error and made a correction a few chapters back. Gale is 29 now, not 30.

I agree with the comments that Katniss never cared about Gale's feelings when it came to her being with Peeta but feels guilty when she is with Gale. Keep in mind-she left Peeta without warning to start a new life and then not too long after gets with Gale. I think it is completely normal for someone to feel guilty about that. I think this behavior is typical of her character in the books-when she was with Peeta she thought of Gale, when with Gale-she thought of Peeta. It drove me nuts lol.

I know it might seem like Katniss and Gale fight a lot in this story, that will be dying down from what you'll see in this chapter but they often got into spats in the book so again-this is my attempt at keeping them in character as best I can.

Thanks as always for the reviews!

Chapter 88-New Beginnings II

10 weeks later (January)

Katniss stares out at the trees and hills before her as she sits high up in a tree. Her bow in her lap and her arrows strapped to her back. The air is extremely cold, it is snowing lightly, the scenery before her absolutely beautiful. She's deep in the wilderness in the wild territory. She is with the Sioux in their new location-a five day walk away from the Cheyenne tribe directly north. She had traveled to the Cheyenne tribe while on her brief break in November. She took a train into District 9 and spent one day with Jocelyn and McKenna before a small hovercraft picked her up and took her into the wild territory. Arranged by Gale, she was given access to the hovercraft with Penny as the pilot and Spencer as her escort. Once she arrived near the Cheyenne tribe she had Penny land the ship and she and Spencer walked an hour and a half to the village. She was anxious while heading there, not sure how the Cheyenne tribe would handle her arrival and if they would even remember her. To her relief, she was not met with hostility and was welcomed back to the village after slowly approaching the area. She was able to communicate with them that she was there to see Sachem and Katniss was relieved to see that he spoke Sioux, for his Mother was a former Sioux member. Sachem gave Katniss the map to where the Sioux were now living explaining that they had been gone for almost three months. Katniss and Spencer accepted the tribe's invitation to stay for dinner and once finished, Katniss thanked Sachem and the two of them headed back to the hovercraft. Once aboard, Spencer worked with Penny to figure out the coordinates on how to get to the location the Sioux tribe appeared to be on the map. They arrived late at night and decided to head out first thing in the morning.

Due to the limited time she had, once Katniss arrived to the new village she could only stay for a day. As expected, she was asked why she had not come sooner and had to get creative in explaining to them that she now had a job and a house that she had to pay money to stay in and her other responsibilities and expectations. While they appeared to understand Morning Sun reminded Katniss that had she stayed with them she would never have to worry about those types of things. Katniss gently reminds her back that it was she who encouraged Katniss to pursue teaching.

"You could have continued teaching the children here" Morning Sun says in response.

"I want to do more than just teach children how to shoot."

"We've missed you. I've missed you" she says quickly changing the subject, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I missed you, I missed everyone. I am here now though and I know now how to find you."

"When can we go back to our village?"

"Not until I get the map back, even then it still might not be safe. I need to make sure all of the people who could harm you are captured and sent back to the Capitol. It is too dangerous to go back now."

Morning Sun was not happy with this news and Katniss found out later, neither was Strong Wind. As the tribe's leader he had the final say and it took some convincing on Katniss's part to explain why it was not safe to go back. Especially after she told him she was informed the Jay Killers were no longer in the wild territory.

"I don't believe what I am being told. I have a feeling something is going to happen soon-something bad. Either in the wild or in Panem" Katniss said while sitting in Strong Winds tepee, just the two of them.

"This not our home" he said sternly.

"I only need you to wait a little bit longer, maybe only a few more months. The Capitol is doing everything they can."

"The same Capitol you told us was evil and could not be trusted?"

She doesn't know what to say in response. She remembers very well what she said that day when she had discovered the secret cameras in the village. And her speech that they were being spied on and how the Capitol was evil and always would be. Even though she found out the real reason she was being watched, she still only somewhat trusted Paylor. There were still many other's in Paylor inner circle that she hesitated to trust, Heavensbee being one of them. The only two people in the circle she did trust was of course Gale and Haymitch.

"I have to work with them. I have no other choice. I brought this mess to you, I will fix it."

"Your place is here with us now. That place destroyed you."

"Rainbow and your people helped me find myself again. A part of me will always feel like I belong with you. I will never forget what your tribe has done for me. I stay in Panem for the people I love you know that."

"I understand. But you know how to find us should you decide to bring them here and stay. They would be welcome."

"Thank you" Katniss says appreciatively.

When she said her goodbyes, she felt her time there had been too brief. Little did she know she would be returning five weeks later but for a totally different reason.


Once she had returned, she had assumed her normal routine with Gale. Their fight that resulted after coming home drunk after her visit with Peeta was the last one they had and she was determined to keep that way. She had forced herself to admit that the reason she could never let Peeta go was because she still had that innate desire to protect him from harm. It had started the minute they had entered the arena together and despite the fact she was in love with Gale, that desire never went away even though she didn't want to be with him anymore. She knew she had to let go and trust that Haymitch and Greasy Sae would make sure he was alright, along with Delly.

When she is told by Haymitch that the doctors had informed Peeta that he had a neurological disorder but that the cause was still unknown, it had taken restraint on her part not to head back to the Capitol to make sure he was alright. But she stayed put and respected his wanting her to stay away for it hurt him too much to be around her. She had found out later from Haymitch that this disorder was responsible for his headaches and seizures, but that they needed to do more testing to help determine the cause. He was placed on medication and was released to return to District 12.

She had continued to bond more with Posy, and as promised the weekend after she returned she visited Posy and Hazelle and spent the weekend at their townhouse. Just the three of them for Gale stayed behind with Harper. The visit went well and Hazelle and Katniss were able to have an honest conversation about Hazelle's hesitation to fully trust her.

"I just don't want him to get hurt again. You weren't here, you didn't see what I saw" Hazelle said to Katniss as they sat at the kitchen island drinking hot tea.

She doesn't try to defend herself or tell her side of the story, instead only saying "I hope you can someday forgive me."

"You have my forgiveness. Gale told me shortly after we got here that he asked you to kill him after he was captured by Capitol soldiers. Why didn't you?"

She is taken off guard by Hazelle's question, not prepared to give an answer. After a few moments to reflect on that day she finally says, "I was going to do it, but when I held the arrow in my fingers and looked at his face, I realized, I can't kill the ones I love."

"That's what I thought you'd say. You still love Peeta don't you?"

"A part of me will always love him, but I need Gale, I told you this before."

"That's the only thing that concerns me. Your ability to never let him go."

"I think Gale still loves Dez."

"Not the way he loves you."

"It's the same for me and Peeta. I do love him, but he can't make me happy, only Gale can do that."

Hazelle nods in response, squeezing Katniss's hand letting her know she appreciated her honesty and openness.

The next day Katniss and Posy shop at RAVE downtown. Katniss ended up getting only a scarf while Posy got a new outfit for school. Katniss surprises her by buying her the scarf that matched her outfit.

"Thanks Katniss" Posy says hugging her as they walk out of the store.

"Sure" Katniss says smiling back.

"I'm glad you are here."

"I'm glad too."

Katniss spent time with Hazelle and Posy again the next weekend, for she and Gale had decided that they would make an effort to visit once a month.


At the beginning of December, Katniss had gotten her first quarter review from PES. She was meeting the benchmarks required of a first year teacher and was told to keep up the good work. After the administrator from PES left, the principal of Silver's Lake's elementary school surprises Katniss with a confession that they didn't want to hire her, but did so on the recommendation of someone from the Capitol.

"We were willing to consider just dispersing the children you currently have with the other two teachers until we found someone, but a friend of yours from the Capitol insisted that we hire you. Saying that we would be making a big mistake if we didn't and that we as a District need to let go of the past. I have to say, you have more than impressed us and I am happy to let your friend know we were wrong in prejudging you."

While she appreciated the honest conversation they were having, she could not figure out who in the Capitol provided a reference, a reference that held more weight than McKenna's.

"I'm not sure which friend you are talking about" Katniss says pressing to know the answer.

"Why your friend Plutarch Heavensbee of course."


Katniss had planned to tell Gale that night at dinner what she had learned, that Heavensbee was responsible for her getting hired in Silver Lake but that did not end up happening. When she arrived home she was greeted by a candlelight dinner, Gale giving her a sweet kiss the minute she walked in. He tells her to take her seat. When she does, she sees a small box sitting on the table.

"Open it" Gale says as he watches Katniss eyeing the box.

She picks it up and strips off the wrapping paper. She then opens the box up and sees it is a necklace with a charm inside, upon further inspection she realizes it wasn't a charm she thought was hanging from the necklace, but a ring. A very large one.

The ring was round and the jewel inside was not a diamond, but was an emerald green stone that had small diamonds around it and along the sides. It was beyond beautiful.

"Oh Gale" Katniss says unable to say anything else.

"Try it on."

She removes the ring from the necklace and places it on her finger, slightly too large.

"We will have to get it fitted for you."

She looks at him and says, "Does this mean…."

He laughs and says, "I think you know what it means. I just hope you give the answer I am hoping for."

"I think you know the answer" she says and pulls him down for a deep kiss. While getting lost in the moment she completely forgets to tell him about Heavensbee. Instead trying to wrap her head around the fact that Gale had proposed to her.

They decided to keep their engagement a secret, even from their families. Not wanting to waste time planning a wedding for neither one of them wanted a formal wedding nor a simple toasting as was done in District 12 they decided to get married on December 31. It was decided that Katniss, Gale, and her Mother would be spending the holidays at Hazelle's with Posy, Vick, and Rory. The plan was to take everyone to dinner in a private room in a restaurant and inform them all then that a wedding ceremony was about to take place.

The plan worked out perfectly, Katniss had worn a dress that was silver while Gale wore a black suit with a silver tie. No one had suspected that what she was wearing was in fact her wedding dress. Posy screamed in surprise as did Hazelle when they figured out what was about to happen.

In front of her Mother, Hazelle, Rory, Vick, Layla, and Posy, Gale and Katniss exchanged their vows. A man officiating the ceremony from District 2 legally declared them husband and wife. Gale bends down and gives Katniss a deep but sweet kiss as they hear their family clap in the background.

They have dinner afterwards. Posy and Layla gushing over Katniss's rings. Her engagement ring was the large emerald one and her wedding ring as a simple band covered in small diamonds, fitting perfectly beside the engagement ring.

"How did you keep this hidden from us?" Posy asks.

"I wore it on this, hidden under my shirt" Katniss says and points to her silver necklace around her neck. The necklace her ring was given to her on. She planned to still wear her rings on the necklace hidden from sight even though they were married. They didn't want anyone besides their family and Layla to know. At least for now.

Surprisingly, Rory gave his heartfelt congratulations to Katniss and Gale. Approaching Katniss and asking to speak to her alone Rory tells Katniss that while he was hesitant to trust that she wouldn't hurt his brother again, he tells her he is willing to put the past aside.

"I honestly never thought you would marry Gale. I thought your relationship with him would be similar to what you had with Peeta in 12" he says to her.

"I wasn't expecting him to ask me so soon, but I had no reservations about saying yes."

"Well, you have definitely surprised me."

"In a good way I hope."

"Welcome to the family Katniss" he says and leans in and gives her a hug, letting her know his answer.

Two days later they head to the wild territory. She wanted to go to District 4 and spend their honeymoon by the beach, but knowing that in order to not draw attention to themselves, they decide to go to a remote location to celebrate that they were now husband and wife.

Gale was to resume his suspension from the military starting January 10th. They were given access to a hovercraft as a final favor from President Paylor and they were taken to the Sioux village and were told the hovercraft would be back to pick them up seven days later, getting back to District 2 on January 9, the day before his suspension begins.

Still deep in thought about what has happened over the last two months, she sees a brown hawk in the corner of her eye. She raises her bow to shoot, but is interrupted when she hears, "I don't think Morning Sun plans to cook that."

She looks down and sees Gale looking up at her in the tree.

"What makes you say that?" she shouts down.

"Because I got quite a few things in my snare line" he says proudly.

She throws her bow on her back and climbs down. Once her feet are on the ground she suddenly finds herself being picked up and swung around, getting dizzy from the sensation. She laughs into his shoulder as she tells him to put her down.

"Sorry, can't help myself Mrs. Hawthorne" he says teasingly.

"That's Ms. Everdeen to you" she says as she reaches under her jacket and takes her rings off her necklace and places them on her left hand. She has no plans to change her name just yet.

They walk back to the village hand in hand, eager to get back to eat dinner with the tribe before retreating into their tepee for the night. Being with the tribe in the wilderness, being able to hunt, and most importantly being with Gale was for Katniss the perfect way to start the New Year and the beginning of a new life.

A/N: So-I'm prepared for the hate I might get for this chapter! More to come later with what is happening with the Jay Killers and the introduction of some of the former tributes.