Author's Note: Here we are at journey's end the last chapter of the final story...it's been a wild ride to be sure I hope you all enjoyed it and that this has a place in your favorites for a very long time. We have watched a little girl grow up into a strong young woman.

Yes it's a day early, kinda wanted too end it on a weekend :D

thanks go to abbey and RR for the reviews...

and now...the final chapter

Chapter 100

Her and I

Three days later we watch as Katniss is boarded on an air ship bound for district Twelve with supplies and workmen bent on rebuilding the Mokingjay's home district. She doesn't say anything to me but hugs Ariana tightly as her goodbye. Peeta was escorted to the hospital since he had more therapy to go thru, they say he is getting better but Aurelius wants to keep visitors down for the time being with all the excitement the shrink just wants to make sure Peeta is stable.

"You take care" Ariana says to my close friend, "you know how to contact me if you want to travel?"

Katniss nods, she doesn't say a word but she seems to understand. The guard escorts her onto the air ship and she is gone. Back to Twelve or what is left of it. I wonder when I will see her again, if I see her again. I think my girl is thinking that same thing because she watches as the ship disappears into the distance to the other side of Panem.

I come over to her and wrap her in a hug from behind; her hands find my arms and hold fast.

"Finnick found a place that I've been staying at, feel like staying with me?" I ask

She just nods. I guess this has rattled her still. We head for a small grocer that has finally restocked since supplies are at long last being brought in, we get some basics then head for the apartment.

Ari walks into it and finds pictures of her and her mismatched family everywhere. I put the few groceries away as she walks the rooms her brother lived in for almost four years. I can't even begin to fathom what is going thru her mind, but in any case she is taking it well.

"What do you want to eat babe" I call to her, "they didn't have squirrel" I laugh, "you shoulda seen the butcher's face when I asked as a joke."

"Toast" she says from the guest room.

Okay I know that I am overreacting but toast to Ariana and toast to me are two very different things.

"You sure?" my voice cracks.

"Yeah he has a toaster I'm sure" she calls, "I really want a slice of toast right now" I hear the shower start, she probably wants privacy but Dr. Makenzie and Aurelius warned me not to leave her alone in the washroom just yet. She was considered stable but everyone is worried myself included. So I find the toaster put on four slices of bread and head to the shower. It's not that we think she'll drown herself, or other crazed act, but we all agreed to aire on the side of caution, at least a little while.

She is just standing in the stall naked letting the water hit her. I did that once in Thirteen. It's therapeutic. She opens her eyes and sees me. She seems a bit bashful turning away, I realize I think this is the first time I have ever seen my girlfriend naked. The word svelte comes to mind. I strip and get in there with her touching her back and hair. We wash each other, intermittent with holding and kissing each other.

Suffice to say we don't get to the toast but luckily it doesn't set off the smoke alarm.

We fall asleep on the extra large guest bed together.

She sleeps so deeply, she doesn't even wake when I call Tracer in district Five. After what we had done, being together for the first time and all, even before that, even before she said she was a spy. I wanted her to be mine, but traditions are so different the toast is a prime example, she didn't know what it meant to me!

I go for a late walk and plan what I want to do the next day, finding the shop I really want and finding a bistro not far from it. Perfectly placed.

I return and she is still out cold, guess all the excitment took it out of her, her hair is still braided so it never tangles. I get into bed with her and I kiss her shoulder then wrap her in my arms.

I wake and Ariana is making breakfast. I don't know why but she is drawn to scrabbled eggs like I am to freshly cooked game.

I go behind her, she is completely focused on cooking the eggs, wearing a soft pale blue dressing gown. I wrap my hands around her waist and kiss behind her ear.

"Morning sunshine" I whisper, "how is the Attorney General this fine morning?"

"Hungry" she offers me a wooden spoonful of eggs with onions and pepper, "you sleep deep Gale I was awake at dawn."

"Must have been all that exercise I was doing with you last night" I kiss her neck.

She blushes, "Paylor called an hour ago, said we should be heading to district Two in a few days, she wants to make her office away from here, says we're to do likewise."

"What about Peeta?" I ask

"Doctors are doing heavy psychoanalysis on him" she stares at the frying pan, "they say it's slow but he is getting better, they want to make absolutely sure he is okay to be around Katniss and district Twelve so they are taking the time to make sure he's okay with everything, the therapists for his hands say he is making a lot of progress too he's a fast learner."

I nod, I had gotten over my jealousy very quickly about her and the baker's son. "So what do you want to do?" I ask.

She sets down our breakfasts with a kiss for me, "I don't know" she says, "Snow is dead, Coin is dead...we should be throwing a damn parade" she smirks

I laugh I know she is feeling better when she is joking about the two dictators.

"Feel like taking a walk?" I ask.

She looks outside as the spring air is making the few trees outside sway. "I would like that."

We head to the market area. I know I have plenty of money and an access card for the bank, and ever since the overthrow my family is being well looked after. It was an advance on my new wages Paylor gave me. It feels weird not having to worry over funds now. I push these thaughts to the back of my head as I tell Ari to find a nice bistro and I duck into the jeweler. I'll have to tell my family after the fact what I'm going to do.

The box is small, I still can't believe I would ever be doing this but I think deep down ever since we first locked eyes I knew she was mine when we were fourteen. I know we never talked to each other until I was nineteen but in my heart that blue eyed girl was mine as soon as she dropped that rose in my hand.

And now I was going to ask her to marry me.

She is sitting and stirring a soda; she looks up and gives a shy smile.

"The barista gave me our lunch on the house" she says.

"Funny I never saw a terrace attached to this place" I joke with her and she giggles softly; it makes me relax a bit and I sit beside her, "Ariana y'know last night."

She blushes very deeply, "yeah"

"I mean when you asked for toast" I add, "y'see back in Twelve toast means a lot more than bread in a toaster."

She cocks her head so I continue, "it's what we do to celebrate marriage."

Her blush reaches her ears, "oh my...I'm sorry Gale I completely forgot!"

"It's okay, it got me thinkin' I mean we care for each other right?"

"Yeah" she touches my face

"So why not make it official?" I show her the small velvet box. I had talked to Tracer who explained their traditions.

If you could afford it you got a ring for your fiancée and proposed on one knee...I would have asked my mom but we could never afford jewelry.

"Gale I" she gawks at the sapphire adorned ring.

"Marry me Ariana Crane" I say and am nearly bowled over by her tackling me with a hug kiss and laughter as I was getting to one knee.

I take it as an absolute yes.

FINAL AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Well dear readers there you have it. No epilogue for this epic. Just ending it happy. True it's kinda sappy but who cares sappy is always good!

Thanks goes to all of your who read, reviewed, favorited, alerted or just bookmarked these stories.

A HUGE thanks goes to The Jumble Book, who without her goading me to put up the 69th these stories would never have existed.(as a thanks to her go read "a way with words" and review XD )

Please take a moment to check out my Bio page for information on "Missing Pages" if you are interested, I will accept ideas and works and everyone gets recognition (heck if you wanna write an epilogue I would be thrilled :) )

So here we are, it's been fun people I shouldn't go on because I will get teary eyed so I thank all of you one last time. This story is now complete, don't forget to review!

Cheers!