A/N: This is for the Team Gale fans... Enjoy! :)
Darkness still presses against the windows when I wake up. According to the clock on the nightstand, it's six in the morning, and the baby has decided she's going to use me as a punching bag. This is when I notice that Peeta is gone. Against Dr. A's rules, I get up (with some difficulty since I'm now about the size of a beached whale) and meander downstairs to look for him. Peeta's nowhere to be found—not in the kitchen, living room, nowhere.
I'm beginning to get nervous when I round the corner to the front hallway and run smack into a person I never thought I'd see again.
Gale is just as handsome as ever, with the same gray eyes and strong jawbone. He's wearing a suit, which looks out of place against our cozy furniture and my so-called "outfit"—one of Peeta's old shirts and some loose pants. It's actually really funny.
"Well, Catnip, clearly I can't trust you two alone," Gale says, looking down at me.
"Gale, stop being mean," I say, swatting at his shoulder with about as much force as a fly.
"You say that like it's possible," he says, and I half-smile.
"So how's District Two?" I ask once we're seated on the living room couch. After only five minutes on my feet, they're already sore. Just like my back. And my legs. This pregnancy stuff really takes it out of you.
"Fine. Boring. It's a lot like the Capitol, really, except the people look normal."
"Nice. And what are you doing there?"
"Just some stuff."
"You're great at using adjectives," I say sarcastically. I can see this conversation isn't going anywhere, so I change the subject. "Where's Peeta?"
"He tactfully removed himself from the house so that I could come talk to you. I believe he's checking to see if Haymitch has lit himself on fire yet."
I give a derisive snort. "Given the amount of alcohol he's consumed lately, he probably has."
After a few minutes of silence, Gale speaks. "Do I look old enough to be an uncle to you?"
"I value my life too much to answer that." And suddenly we're both laughing and I realize something: I can still be friends with Gale, even though I chose Peeta. We have too much history together to throw it all away.
Maybe it's time for the girl on fire to change a little bit.
But change can be a good thing.
Fixed it. Sorry, guys! :)