DISCLAIMER: HG CHARACTERS DO NOT BELONG TO ME
Chapter 141-Mockingjay
August 31
Gale is back in District 12 at the district's mortuary. Katniss's body has been prepared and placed in a clear box for public viewing. He is here alone, everyone still back at the house with his Mom. Vick, Layla, Taran, Sander, and Oren arrived yesterday and will be accompanying them with Posy and Rory to the Capitol tomorrow. While they will not be attending the public memorial service, Paylor had arranged for the family to have a private viewing in the mausoleum where her body would be for viewing before moving to its final resting place.
District 12 was getting its own memorial service, the district's tribute to say goodbye to their former victor and mockingjay. Tonight, in a few hours the district would host a vigil in the town square. He looks down and stares at her inside the clear casket. Even in death she looks beautiful as he sees that her body does not look like a body of a corpse. The box inside was eliciting a chemical that kept the body from decomposing, and it made it appear as if she was sleeping. Her hair was styled and curled by stylists who arrived from the Capitol, and she was dressed in a long flowing black dress, with flames that lit up periodically, making it appear as if she was on fire, just a little. Scattered in her hair were primrose flowers. Her hands folded across her stomach, her wedding ring on her left hand, she has two lockets placed in her hands. The locket from Peeta given to her all those years ago, the other a more recent locket given to her from Gale, inside a picture of Sienna, Avery, Jack and Juniper.
He feels a hand on his shoulder, he turns around and sees her Mom standing behind him. Before he can say anything in response she says, "I can't go to the Capitol. I can't say goodbye there, but-I can say goodbye here."
He hugs her tight and says, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. For Katniss-for Prim". Unable to hold his composure any longer, he is openly sobbing.
Her Mother, however, continues to show no emotion, but comforts Gale. After a few moments he breaks away and they both turn and look at the casket. They both stare for what seems like an eternity, Gale still crying and her Mom just staring, as if she is in another world. He places his hand on the casket and notices it is extremely cold. He lets his hand stay there as bends down, crying even harder.
He didn't think he'd be able to walk in the procession line, but after having his moment alone in the mortuary with Katniss's Mom he was able to keep it together by the time dusk arrived and the procession line was about to begin. He sees Haymitch waiting for them as they get out of the car.
"I don't see Peeta" Gale says to Haymitch as they begin to line up.
"He'll show" Haymitch says, but Gale hears the slight uncertainty in his voice.
Once the procession line is ready to begin, Gale watches as the four white horses sent by the Capitol being moving, pulling the carriage behind them, Katniss's casket in full view. Gale looks behind him one final time and is relieved to see Peeta standing behind the government 12 official, the last one in line. He begins walking with Katniss's Mom beside him, followed by Haymitch, various community leaders in the district, the government official, and Peeta. He is not surprised to see pretty much the entire district here, lined up to see their former victor. As they walk along the street, everyone gives the three-finger salute, some openly begin crying when they see Katniss's dress begin to flame. Gale looks over at Katniss's Mom to see if she alright, but she continues to look straight ahead, her face void of emotion as they continue to walk.
When they arrive in the town square, he sees candles have been lit and placed everywhere. The casket placed in the middle, it will remain there for a few more hours to let visitors pay their respects. Gale, Katniss's Mom, Haymtich, and Peeta are ushered into nearby building along with the others. He sees refreshments and snacks, along with tissue paper and chairs in the room.
It was strange to talk to Peeta again, for Gale had not seen nor spoken to him in over twenty years. He looked the same yet different. Gale could not help but notice his appearance aged quite a bit unliked himself and Katniss, his hair now gray. Gale could not help but have this feeling, that Peeta was keeping something from him. That there was something he wanted to say but was refraining himself from saying it. Things got less awkward when Haymitch joined the conversation, and eventually he was pulled away to talk to the government official of 12 along with the rest of the community leaders. Before he knows it, the time is 10 pm, and it is time for him and Haymitch to be flown to the Capitol. Before boarding the hovercraft, he approaches Katniss's Mom and says, "You sure you don't want to come with us? They need you-all of them do. You can stay at the house as long as you'd like."
"I can't go the Capitol square".
"You can stay back at the hotel the President is letting us stay in, we can put you in the room with my Mom and Juniper if you'd like".
"Okay, I'll come, but I have to get my stuff from the hotel here". Gale informs her that he will make some calls to arrange to have her flown to the Capitol tomorrow morning, he hugs her one last time before boarding the hovercraft.
While sitting in the hovercraft, he tries not to think about the fact that Katniss's casket is below them in the cargo area. He notices Haymitch continuously drinking out of his flask. He has two of them in his coat pocket. At times Gale reaches over, signaling he would like a sip, Haymitch handing it over without question, the taste of whiskey burning his throat.
Once they arrive in the Capitol they are taken by car to the hotel, while the casket is taken to the mausoleum to prepare for public viewing. They both head straight to the bar, he knows the first thing he should do is go upstairs to the room to check on everyone, but he desperately needs a drink. Haymitch orders them both whiskey sours as he pulls out his phone and calls his Mom, letting her know he has arrived but that he was escorting Haymitch to his room. He knows his Mom will believe the lie without question.
Once he sits down at the bar, Haymitch passes to him his drink. Gale downs it very quickly and says, "We don't have much time, I lied to my Mom and said I'll be up to the room in a short while because I had to escort you to yours".
Haymitch gets a condescending look on his face and says, "Well, we don't want Hazelle worrying over what's happened to her baby boy. But wait, you are not the baby, you are the oldest".
Gale orders his next drink, not responding to Haymitch. Once his drink is in his hand he says, "You do realize my youngest kid is 12 right? And I still have another kid at the house? I had to practically beg Katniss's Mom to come here, my Mom would not be pleased if she knew I was down here getting drunk with you instead of upstairs making sure my son and daughter are alright. They are not talking to me, they refuse to acknowledge my existence, even Sienna deep-down believes Katniss's death is my fault".
"What are you talking about Hawthorne? Everyone deals with grief in their own way. So what if your kids won't talk to you? They are teenagers! Even a 12-year-old is a teenager, tweens they call them now. Surely you have not forgotten, when one is in pain there are times when you want to just be by yourself and not be around a parent. Your kids know that you love them, and they don't blame you for her death, how could they even think it".
He is on his third drink by this time, the effects of the alcohol setting in, he cannot believe that having this talk with Haymitch is making him feel slightly better. He is not sure if his mood change is because of the pep talk or the whiskey. They have a couple more drinks before Gale heads upstairs, Haymitch remaining at the bar. He informs Gale he will send him a message on his phone once he is in his hotel room.
"I mean, these things can be useful from time to time" Haymitch says pointing to his phone beside his glass.
Gale heads up to their hotel room floor, six rooms have been reserved, one for him and Jack, one for Sienna, Avery, and Posy, two for Vick, Layla, and the boys, one for Rory, and one for his Mom and Juniper. He sees the time is 1 am. He decides to go to his room instead of checking on Juniper, for he does not want to wake her or his Mom.
He heads quietly inside the room and he sees Jack asleep on the queen bed. There are two queen beds in the room. He quickly strips out of his clothes and gets into the other one. Knowing he needs to be up early he sets his alarm for 7 am and tries to fall asleep, his head beginning to hurt from drinking so much, so quick.
The next morning, he awakens to the alarm going off. He turns it off and sits up, his head still throbbing. He looks over and sees Jack awake and dressed, his son preoccupied by his portable computer in his lap.
"Hey" Gale says as he gets out of bed and heads over to the small counter to make himself a cup of coffee.
"Hey" Jack says back without looking up.
"You didn't want to sleep in?"
"No, we got here around 5 yesterday, went to dinner down the street, then just came back. Juniper got too upset when she saw an advertisement showing Mom's memorial service when Grandma tried suggesting we take walk around the area".
Gale sighs as he pours his cup. He was afraid of this very thing happening. The hotel they were staying at was far away from the Capitol square, but the downside of that was that there were holographic advertisements showing the memorial service, a picture of Katniss and the mockingjay symbol behind her.
He knows the next 24 hours will be the hardest for him as a parent, and as a husband. Once he is finished with his coffee he showers and shaves, and once he is dressed, he calls his Mom's room to see if Juniper is up.
"She is, I think she'd like to see you" his Mom whispers into the phone. He tells her about Katniss's Mom arriving later then hangs up. Not even two minutes go by when he hears knocking at the door.
Jack opens the door and Juniper is there, running to Gale once she comes into the room. He kneels, opening his arms for her. She buries her head on his shoulder, he feels her tears begin to fall, her body beginning to shake. He holds her tight for a few moments before saying, "Let's go out to the balcony".
He leads her outside while she wipes her tears away. He wants them to have some privacy away from Jack. It is windy outside, for they are on the 300th floor, force field walls surrounding them. He kneels again, to be eye level with her. Still taking after her aunts, she has maintained Posy's curls and Prim's blue eyes, but she has also inherited Prim's short stature. He places his hands on her shoulders as he says, "Grandma E is coming today, she'll be here by lunchtime to stay in your room with Grandma."
She nods, trying to hold back her tears. She manages to say to him, "I don't know if I can do it Dad, I don't know if I can see Mom".
He gently says to her, "You don't have to, you can stay back with Grandma E if you want, she'll be here."
"But I want to say goodbye" she says tearing up again.
He touches her face, wiping her tears away, it killed him to see her in so much pain. "You can still say goodbye in your heart, you don't have to physically be there" he says to her.
"Do you know what I will miss most?" she asks him.
"What" he asks, for he genuinely had no idea how she was feeling for this was the first time she has opened up to him and shown him affection since the night he told her Katniss had died.
"Her singing to me" she chokes out as she begins sobbing.
Unable to hold his composure any longer, he begins crying. She is unsure what to do, growing up she was used to her parents consoling her when she was sad, for the first time ever, it is her Father that is crying as hard as she is. He reaches out for her and she goes back into his embrace, realizing she does not have to do anything but be there for him, just as he has been there for her. She begins to feel guilty for being so mean to him this past week. Suddenly, she hears a loud chirp. She looks up and her eyes go wide. She pulls away from Gale and says, "Dad look!"
He turns around and sees sitting on the back of one the patio chairs, is a mockingjay. There was no mistake it was a mockingjay, for it began to sing. He had only seen one, maybe two during his years hunting in the woods in District 12. He knows Juniper has never seen one, except in videos and holograms.
"How did it get in here?" she asks him.
"It must have flown in from the top above the force field" he says continuing to stare at the small, but loud bird before him.
"It sounds so beautiful" she says in awe. She slowly approaches the bird and begins to sing the first verse of 'The Old Therebefore'. The mockingjay pauses for a moment then begins singing it. Gale knows that Juniper learned a lot about the history of the Hunger Games the previous year in school but does not know how to feel about her singing this song. He cannot deny the words resonate with how he is feeling now.
You're headed for heaven,
The sweet old hereafter,
And I've got one foot in the door.
But before I can fly up,
I've loose ends to tie up,
Right here in The old therebefore.
Suddenly they see more black birds approaching, the mockingjay quickly flies up and out of the balcony, and as it flies off they begin to hear the song echo in the distance, the sound getting louder than fading away completely.
"That was amazing" Juniper says to Gale, a smile on her face.
"It was" he says smiling back.
"It was almost as if-"
"I know" he says, both knowing what the other was thinking.
He grabs her gently by the shoulders again and says, "I love you", his tone serious.
Her smile fades and she says, "I love you too Dad, I'm sorry about-"
But he raises his hand up to cut her off and says, "This week and the coming months, are going to be hard on all of us. I just want you to remember, that I'm here for you. Your Grandmothers are too, and your sisters."
"I want to go the mausoleum. I want to be there with all of you" she says with certainty in her voice.
He nods and gives her a hug, and they both head back inside.
