DISCLAIMER: HG CHARACTERS DO NOT BELONG TO ME
Words not in English are italicized
A/N: I was asked a question how often I'll be updating on here, I have no set schedule-I am writing when I have time and when I feel motivated-which right now I'm pretty motivated-trying to not watch as much TV-streaming and real life TV for I am in the US and life here is not great right now-I would say at least expect an update once a week-with both this story and the new one I posted
Chapter 140-Finding Peace II
August 23
As Katniss walks back up to her hotel room after dinner and many, many drinks with Haymitch, she stumbles onto the bed. Relieved that Haymitch decided to book a room in the hotel, Katniss did not have to worry about making sure he got home to the Victor's Village in one piece. Gale still out for the night, she figures she has time to unwind by herself. Suddenly, her breathing becomes labored and rapid. She sits up, closes her eyes and begins repeating Sioux words in her head. She has not repeated Sioux words in her head for a long time. In the last few months however, she has found she has had to bring back her old habit. Feeling her body get weaker, her cough increasing, and the sudden onslaughts of shortness of breath, she knows what this means. Her increased difficulty in breathing was the turning point in why she agreed to see Dr. Hughes again in the Capitol. The appointment was September 6th, she knows she needs to remain strong and continue to fight, just as she has been fighting for the last three plus years.
She is sleeping when Gale gets home, passed out due to the alcohol she consumed. Getting her message on his phone earlier that Haymitch was staying at the hotel, he knew the two of them probably had one too many. He looks at her while she sleeps, her hair still black, she often jokes how amazing it was at their age they did not have gray hair after having four children. He pushes her hair out of her face, she stirs slightly but does not wake. He kisses her on the forehead, resisting the urge to wake her. He realizes it is the small moments like this when he knows he is luckiest man in the world, to be married to woman he has loved since he was a teenager. The woman who is now the mother of his children.
August 24
The next morning Katniss was slightly hung over, and she and Gale decided to spend the morning in bed together watching TV. Around noon Haymitch called her to let her know he had checked out of the hotel and returned home. After eating a late breakfast, she was starting to feel better. She had finished getting out of the shower and was drying off when Gale came up behind her, he begins kissing her and removing her towel.
"I thought you wanted to have a picnic lunch" Katniss says to him between kisses.
"Tomorrow-we can go before the dinner you owe me" he says before his mouth is on her neck.
"Uh-huh" she says teasingly before he guides her to the bed.
They take turns pleasuring each other before they begin having sex, thankful that she is able to disguise some of her labored breathing. They make love two more times before they fall asleep. When she awakens she sees it is 4 pm. She sees he is still sleeping, knowing he will probably wake soon for it is almost dinnertime and they have not eaten lunch, she carefully climbs out of the bed and slips on her robe. Going over to the nearby hotel desk, she pulls out a piece of a paper and grabs a pen and begins writing.
August 25
She turns on the water in the tub, repeating every single act of kindness she ever saw in her head but saying it in Sioux. Concentrating on the words and staring into the tub, she was lost in her thoughts when she hears Gale call out to her.
Back in the present, she decides not to dwell anymore on what is to come. Making up an excuse for why she almost let the tub overflow, she decides to clear her thoughts while soaking in the tub. She continues to let her mind relax while watching TV with him, to the point she was laughing about things that weren't even funny parts in the show they were watching.
She falls asleep as she has for many nights in the last twenty-four years, in his arms, with her dreamcatcher above her head.
She awakens, gasping for air. Once her breathing is more controlled, she sees it is 5:30 am. Knowing she does not have much time if she wants to see the sun rise, she takes out the note she wrote yesterday and places it on the nightstand beside Gale.
She takes a cab to the outskirts of the District, towards where the Seam once was. She walks in a now deserted area into the woods, the horizon beginning to change. Breathing heavily, she makes it up the hill and collapses by a small tree. Watching the sun rise, she feels a sense of calm. She reaches into her small bag and pulls out her locket and opens it. She stares at it for she is not sure how long before closing it and putting it around her neck.
She listens to the birds as they sing. She struggles to stay awake before she hears someone say, "Looks like your journey is complete".
She looks up to see Rain smiling down at her. She notices she is very bright, almost as if she is glowing.
"Rain!" Katniss chokes out.
"Killing Bird, I've missed you" she says in response.
"I can't, I can't leave them, I won't" Katniss says frantically.
"Your ability to forgive has forged a new path". Katniss looks up and now sees instead of Rain, Morning Sun standing before her, also glowing.
"But they need me" Katniss says.
"And now we need you". Katniss looks on in shock as she sees the light brighten and Prim take form.
"Prim-I-"
"Katniss, for many years you have had peace, and that peace lasted".
She does not respond, she knows Prim, or whatever version of Prim this was in front of her, was right. Deep within her heart, she knew after all that she had been through, she had found peace. She had a life she knew most could only wish for, had a love most only read about in books. While she wished she had more time, she knew had more time than most.
"Katniss, thank you for being there for Annie and my son". Seeing Finnick now before her, she does not respond, for realizes she does not need to.
"It's okay Katniss". She hears the voice coming from far away, the light coming into focus and instinctively knowing the voice and longing for it after all these years, she sees her Father, waiting for her.
"Dad" she says softly then she closes her eyes, exhaling her final breath.
August 29
"Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, that is the official cause of death" Gale says to President Paylor in his study on a virtual call. He sees the pained look on her face, he knows it is genuine.
"What can I do?" she says.
"Tell them the truth, what really caused her death" he says. She hears no anger in his voice, just pain, a lot of it.
"I will".
"We are not coming to the memorial service, I was hoping, you can speak for us instead" he asks.
"Of course."
Once the news broke four days ago regarding Katniss's death, thousands of people flocked to the Capitol to place Mockingjay pins and flowers outside the Hunger Games museum. Everyday a crowd was there, the museum had to close because so many people were outside, lighting a candle vigil at night. A public memorial service in the Capitol was planned for September 1, Gale and his family had been invited to speak and attend, but he knew he could not subject his children to that. He has hardly slept in the last four days, for he has been attending to his children's needs, all of them taking the news of Katniss's death differently.
Sienna, always the most mature and responsible, was in denial, not accepting that her Mom was really gone until last night. When a box arrived at the house with Katniss's clothes and locket inside, including her Father's hunting jacket, she went ballistic on Gale and started screaming at him. Due to her strikingly similar appearance to Katniss, Gale felt as is he was back in District 13 and it was a young Katniss going off on him instead of his daughter.
"ADRS doesn't just happen Dad! A person has to be sick before that" she yells, the two of them in his study.
"She was going to see her doctor in the Capitol Sienna, it was days away".
"Why did you not do something!"
"I got to her as quickly as I could. I think-she planned for it to happen his way."
She begins striking him, he grabs her arms and she quickly relents, collapsing in his arms and begins sobbing. "I miss her so much already" she says between her sobs.
"I know, but I need you to help me to be there for your sister and brother. Jack and Avery have not come out of their rooms, and Juniper-"
"I know, I will Dad, I promise".
Juniper had been inconsolable the last few days, it is the main reason why Gale knows they cannot go to the memorial. She would be a mess and he knew Katniss would not want them shown in public in such a fragile state.
Later on that night, he approaches Juniper's room. His Mom comes out after he knocks.
"How is she?" he asks.
"The same" Hazelle says sadly.
He sighs as he places his hand on the doorknob, he turns to his Mom and says, "Thanks for agreeing to stay here to help".
"You know there is no where else I'd be" she says as she leaves.
He goes inside and sees his daughter turned on her side, her eyes red from crying. She does not look at him as he sits down beside her on the bed.
"Why did she not say goodbye?" Juniper asks, continuing to stare straight ahead.
"You talked to her-that day" he says cautiously, remembering how they had called her at his Mom's house while eating their picnic lunch.
"No, I mean, if she knew she was gong to die, why didn't she say goodbye" she turns around and looks at him, anger evident on her face.
"She wanted to do what's best for you".
"Get out" Juniper says.
"Sweetie-"
"I said get out!" she screams. "And don't call me that, only Mom called me that."
He leaves without another word. Knowing that she is hurting and that she didn't mean what she said, he decides to go to their room and take a hot shower. After showing he goes over to their jet tub and fills it up with water. He hardly ever got into the tub unless he was in there with Katniss. Once it filled to the top with water he gets down on his hand and knees and dunks his head inside. Screaming at the top of his lungs so no one in the house can hear his pain. He brings his head back up and sits on the wet floor, his back up against the tub, longing for the one person he loves most to be there with him.
