ME: Time to get back to Gale.
When Gale finally woke up in a cold sweat from all he experienced, he was not in the fiery depths of hell, doomed to a painful afterlife for his crimes. Instead he was in his bedroom.
"I'm alive!" He gasped. "I don't have to be evil anymore! I can finally change and help people!"
After shaving, he showered and dressed in a long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans. It was simple and inconspicuous; perfect for not drawing attention.
He walked to the local train station and purchased a ticket to Two's Central City; it was a Monday, but he had saved up his paid vacation days and used them sparingly.
The maglev monorails for the Intra-District System had been upgraded from 150 MPH to 300 MPH due to the size of District Two, so the ride to the Central City took around three-and-a-half hours instead of seven live it previously would have. It vaguely occured to him during the trip that the mining village he lived and worked in was in the northwestern part of the North American State of Montana, while Central City had been built upon the ruins of a metropolis known as Colorado Springs, Colorado.
After he made it to District Two's Grand Central Station (named after the one in New York City from the North American Era), Gale choose to reflect on all the good that had been accomplished because of the Second Rebellion.
Under the Republic of Panem, he reflected as he purchased another ticket before boarding an Inter-District train, train travel was no longer restricted by the whims of autocrats in the Capitol. Ordinary civilians could now go from one District to the next if they could afford to do so, leading to a renaissance of commerce and culture as the internal borders were opened. Though not as luxurious as Tribute trains, Gale had a comfortable seat. In addition, there was Internet access and a wireless television monitor with it. He could enjoy movies, use search engines or watch news not controlled by the State. Even though the national network was still owned by the federal government, it was now operated by a private contractor and in fact produced a profit.
Simple freedoms and achievements like the ones he listed, Gale reflected, were glorious.
When he finally arrived at District Twelve, Gale realized it was nearly eight o'clock due to the time difference between Two and Twelve. He decided to rent a motel room to avoid disturbing two certain people; the meeting would have to wait until the morning.
After he woke up, he ran quickly to the laundromat his mother now owned.
Unfortunately, the other Hawthornes were not around; according to another shopkeeping family, they were currently on vacation in District Five, particulary the Grand Canyon.
So he went back to the hotel, had breakfast and left for the Victors Village.
Katniss was finishing off a bowl of cereal when someone knocked.
"I'll get it, Peeta," she said, wondering who was at the door.
What she did not expect was her former hunting partner.
"Gale?" Was her shocked inquiry.
"Hello, Catnip."
She hugged him despite having ended her friendship with the ex-miner on bad terms. "You didn't ever respond to my letters."
"Sorry, I was a different person," Gale replied honestly. "To be honest, I was an asshole. I hope I can make up for that, and don't worry about housing me; I already rented a motel room."
Katniss shook her head. "Even before the Quell, you've always been stubborn about accepting charity."
Peeta came face-to-face with Gale for the first time in over half a decade. To the baker's credit, after recovering from his shock he greeted his wife's "cousin" warmly.
"I hope you don't mind company," the blue-eyed Victor said smiling. "We invited some fellow veterans over along with Bristel and Thom, your ex-crew mates. You heard they got married?"
"Let's just say a little birdy told me," the twenty-five year old man laughed. "Trust me, you'd lock me up in some psych ward if I told you the truth about how I knew about it."
The veterans turned out to be the MOEI crew sent to film Loyalists in Two. Stephanos was the only one who looked like he'd been in battle, having a fading scar from having his left cheek punctured in the Nut (and even then Panem's advanced medical science meant it would soon be gone forever). Julia, now married to Stephanos and a successful anchorwoman, was distressful of Gale at first but gradually relaxed around him. Bristel and Thom mainly avoided speaking to him, though the ex-coal miner could not blame them.
"Good night, Katniss," Gale told his ex-hunting partner. "I need to do something; enjoy the rest of your life with Peeta."
He then walked to the local National Guard base; he needed to confess before he could turn around and run.