A/N - I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone that I don't own the Hunger Games or any characters.

This chapter is a little on the short side, as a result of splitting a super long chapter into two.

"Breathe, breathe in the air
Don't be afraid to care
Leave but don't leave me
Look around and choose your own ground"

Breathe - Pink Floyd

The train I take to District 2 is quite different from the extravagant ones we took to the games, so it doesn't trigger too many memories, for that I am immensely thankful. It slows down as it pulls into one of the smaller stations in District 2, shuddering to a stop. My stomach is a little unsettled. I suspect it's a little motion sickness, since I have ruled out nerves.

From the train window it's not hard to spot Gale among the folks milling around waiting. There are a few Capitolite-types, but most folks are from the Districts, not dressed or made up flashy.I see at least one though, there's a woman squeezed into some kind of purple snakeskin outfit trying to get Gale to help her with her bag. I can tell he's being helpful and polite enough, but the tell-tale flex of his jaw when she looks away telegraphs he'd rather not assist.

I make my way down the stairs and over to where he's extracted himself from her. He rolls his eyes to no one in particular, as she teeters away in some incredibly high heels He is bigger now, more of a man, if that's possible, since we last saw each other. While I've shed weight from my loss of appetite, he's put on muscle - the size difference between us is the most exaggerated that it has been since before I had my teenage growth spurt. His face brightens when he sees me, it's not quite a smile, but I'll take it. His body language is penitent, as he works on assessing my emotional state. "Hey", he greets me like we were hunting just yesterday. I provide the requisite "Hey" in response. He's giving me the space (literally and figuratively) to decide how to react.

We're face to face now, looking at each other over an awkward silence. I drop my bag on the platform and step forward into arms that immediately welcome me in. I feel a surge of relief, as if I finally found something I had been searching for. We hadn't much occasion to embrace before, but I know now that he inherited Hazelle's talent for them. It's comforting without being constricting. I realize that we've been reunited after our longest separation in the five or six years we've known each other. Once I control the threat of tears, I end it with a tighter squeeze. When we separate, all he says is "Well, welcome to 2," as he scoops up my bag by the handles, "it's just a short walk to my mom's."

As we walk I take in our surroundings. This small town is nestled in a valley with foothills lining one edge and mountains walling off the other, it's rather breathtaking. The town itself is situated on the backside of the Nut, the opposite side from where we were stationed during the war, so there's nothing familiar to me, with the exception of beautiful mountainous scenery.

"Is it just that I'm outside of 12, that the air seems easier to breathe?" I swear the blue of the sky is brighter absent the smoky filter that airborne coal dust provides. I fill my lungs with the clean mountain air.

"Yeah, the air's definitely cleaner here, huh," he smiles a little, "but it's thinner too. It's easier to get out of breath."

He points out a few notable buildings in town and soon the main road that we're on starts to turn and dip downhill. Along the left hand side of the street are homes and on the right rolling hills are punctuated by stands of beautiful trees with white bark and fluttering leaves. The leaves shake in the breeze like the confetti from the parades in the Capitol, but natural and welcoming, not synthetic and contrived. I glance at Gale and back to the trees. In understanding he comments, "They're aspen trees! Aren't they gorgeous? One of my buddies on my squad, Radix, told me that each cluster shares a common root system. So if one is damaged in some way, the other trees can actually reduce their resource requirements, leaving more for the recovering tree - he described it like how a healthy community or family should function."

I consider for a moment how my immediate remaining family functions, thinking of my mom off and away in District 4. Though it does spark images of so many times before the games that the Hawthornes and my family exchanged household supplies freely and helped each other when we could, back before the rebellion.

Gale draws me back to the present by waving his hand to the right and saying "This is actually a public park - kinda like the meadow, but it's owned by the District and they actually take care of it, clearing the paths and thinning diseased branches. Posy and to some extent Vick love to run around here. The best part for Posy is down near my mom's there's a small play structure - her "castle". The park itself goes back quite far and at the far end there's a wooded area."

There are a few paths that wind in and around the hills and through the stands of trees. Overall it looks like a pleasant place to spend time, and if there are woods, it can't be all that bad.

"They're here on the left, the one with the red door. Who knew my mom always wanted a bright red door?" A neat white row of attached houses line the street. Each house has a pitched wood-shingled roof, an inviting porch, a window with bright colored shutters and a matching door. He strides up the steps and pushes open the door, holding it open for me, as he yells towards the back of the house "Guess who's here!" We shuck our shoes, leaving them on the porch, an ingrained District 12 habit as a preventative measure of tracking in the dust.

There's the pitter patter of small feet interspersed with heavier footfalls as the kids all but tumble down the stairs. Vick makes it down first with Posy a close second. I'm already enveloped in their hugs as Rory cooly makes his way down the stairs and Hazelle peeks into the front hall.

Rory gives a hug telling me, "So glad you made it! Are you sure you're ready to spend a week with these clowns?" He motions his head to the game of chase that has erupted around us.

Hazelle is asking me about the train ride even before she starts in on one of her signature hugs. "Belated Happy Birthday! Thanks for taking me up on our offer to come! It's so good to see you! I think the clean air here will do you some good."

Rory, Vick and Posy give me a tour, while Gale takes care of a few things for Hazelle. She's busy completing the finishing touches on our lunch. Their place has 3 floors, the ground floor has a spacious kitchen that spills into what was a dining room, but now serves as a family room. In the front is a smaller more formal sitting room with a small desk for Hazelle and couch. The second floor is made up of two bedrooms and a bathroom. The boys still share one, but it's just them - an upgrade from both their place in the Seam and their quarters in 13, so they're thrilled. Posy has scored big with her own room up on the third floor. It's cozy with slanted walls from the roofline and a little nook with a window bench. I love it, which is good because I'm sleeping in her room while I'm here.

We all enjoy a leisurely lunch together. I had all but forgotten their family tradition of each person naming at least one thing that they are grateful for before the meal. I remember agreeing with a neighbor's observation of Hazelle's miraculous ability to "make abundance from coal dust". I take a few notes from Hazelle, as she has always been able to focus on the brighter side of life. Between Hazelle's delicious cooking and being around them all, it really is warm and welcoming. I am able contribute dessert, some of their favorite wild plums from the woods in 12. Gale needs to get back for some training, since it's Friday. We make plans for me to meet up with him at the gym then maybe do something together in town in the evening.

Once he's gone Rory starts showing me the features of the audio band. I've only figured out how to play the few songs he loaded for me. He shows me how to find new music and organize them into sets, so you could have an upbeat set or one that's more melancholy depending on your mood. Also, there's a way for us to share sets with each other or to create one that is open available to anyone that wants to listen to it, we can even both add songs. He's a whiz at it, but more importantly he's patient, which is apparently a pre-requisite for teaching me something technical. He creates a list and shares it with Gale and I. We've all got code names or "handles" as he calls it. He goes by "Thorny Road" and Gale by "Seamless Transition", both clever. I'm less imaginative, but at least I talk him of calling me "Mockingjay", that would be a nightmare. In the end I go with "Knotty Girl", get it… naughty… knotty? Yeah, still lame, but it's definitely better than Mockingjay.

I'm putting together my first set of music when Posy bounds into the room and invites me to tag along to the piano lesson at the neighbors' with her and Vick. Posy skips ahead as Vick and I bring up the rear. I have to admit there's something inherently uplifting and optimistic about getting around by skipping, or even just watching someone who does. Mr. Charles' house is just in the next set of houses. Posy rings the doorbell, so he's already answering the door by the time Vick and I catch up.

"Hi Posy... Hey Vick" he says cheerily, "uh, Hi" he says a little awkwardly in my direction.

"Hi, I'm Katniss, I'm a family friend of the Hawthornes. Posy asked me to come along, I hope that's alright."

"Of course! Yes, Hazelle's told me about you. I'm Charles, nice to meet you," he says as he extends his hand, "Please, do come on in."
Posy has already snuck into the house in front of Charles and is getting set up on a chair near a piano. There's another girl around my age in there already strumming a guitar. She's got waves of dirty blond hair and wide set eyes.

"This is my niece Jules." He turns to her and says "Jules, this is Katniss Everdeen, you remember who she is?"

She perks up immediately, "Yeah! Wow! Um...nice to meet you! I'm Jules. Jules Bridges." She extends the hand not holding the guitar, it ends up being the left one, she laughs contagiously when she notices her gaff.

"Nice to meet you too," I snicker back.

"Jules, maybe you and Katniss can hang out in the back while we have our lessons in here. It's probably best to not have more distractions." Charles says with a wink.

"Sure thing!" She replies, sounding familiar with the drill.
Jules leads me through the house with her guitar in hand. We step out of the backdoor into a sweet little garden with a bench and a few chairs under some fruit trees.

She makes herself comfortable on the bench, motioning me to take one of the chairs. She starts to strum absent-mindedly while she thinks a little bit. I grow a bit wary when I notice her nails are painted a cheery bright green. That reminds me of one of 'those' Capitol-types, though her ability to laugh at herself says otherwise. She looks to me "Know anything you want to sing?"
Put on the spot, I can't think of a single song except the Valley Song and I pretty much have no interest in singing that right now. I defer politely "No, maybe you can teach me something simple."

She continues to play a few chords until she's struck with the words to a tune. Jules teaches me the refrain and then she sings and plays as I fumble along. It seems vaguely familiar, I wonder if this something my dad sang to me. After a few rounds I get the hang of it, and all in all it sounds pretty decent. By the time Posy bounces outside Jules has us singing in harmony.

Once Vick finishes, he comes outside with Charles. I trail off, finding myself a bit too flustered to sing in front of others. Jules takes my cue and ends it short, but with a flourish.

Charles nods, as though he approves.

Jules is all smiles, "That was fun! We should do that again. You're a natural!"
"I am?" I feel the heat of a blush creeping up.
"Yeah, plus you like it."
"How'd you know?" I say as I rise from my chair.
"I can tell because your whole face lit up once we started singing."
"I haven't sang in a really, really long time."
"Well, I'm always up for singing, especially with someone good. Consider yourself welcome here anytime! I'm staying here with Uncle Charles until I get my own place, which might be a while."