A/N: Though I think it's obvious, I feel like I should say that this is a Modern AU, so there's no Games or Districts or anything like that. It's just like the world we live in today.

SO, with that cleared up, here is chapter three :)

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.

Chapter Three: Are We There Yet?~

"We're here, we're here!"

Gale shielded his right ear from Prim's delighted shrieks. It had been nearly two hours since the brush incident - he knew, he'd counted - and now they were finally at their desired destination. As Mrs. Everdeen pulled into the parking lot, Prim unbuckled herself and leaned across Gale to look out the window, her knee digging painfully into his thigh. If it were Rory, he would have given him a piece of his mind, but Prim was so cute and delicate (and so not Rory) that he couldn't find it in himself to push her off.

With nothing else to do, Gale joined the two in looking out the window. It wasn't what he was expecting - to be honest, he didn't know what he expected, but it wasn't this. The reunion was taking place at a park; and a rather large one, at that.

There was a walkway that led from the parking lot to the shelter (no doubt where all the food was), and Gale couldn't help but notice the very long stretch of sidewalk that led from the shelter - aaaall the way across the length of the parking lot - to the restrooms; a very long walk indeed for anyone that had an emergency...er, not that he would.

There was also a play set at the end of the field (again, a long walk...for a little kid, anyway) and a swing set a few yards from that, closer to the shelter. There were already a handful of people there, old and young alike, with babies and strollers and kids running around and riding bikes and swinging on swings.

Under a patch of trees, closer to the parking lot, Gale noticed a group of fold-out chairs placed in a circle, crowded around what looked like an unlit campfire. In front of these chairs, set in a line, were more fold-out chairs, and ahead of these, Gale saw, was a small group of people setting down makeshift bases on the ground. It looked like they were setting up a baseball game.

Hm. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Okay, guys, here we are." Mrs. Everdeen pulled into an empty parking space, closer to the shelter.

"Finally!" Rory said excitedly.

Gale rolled his eyes. He must have bought into the sales pitch Prim had sold him on the way here.

Prim all but bounced out of the van, and Rory followed. Gale was the last one out; not because he didn't want some fresh air after being cooped up in that forsaken minivan for three hours, but because he had trouble moving in such a tight space. Eventually he was able to make his way to the side door, and, after Katniss and her mother moved some things out of the way, get out of the prison he had been held in for far too long.

"Hey, where's the bathroom? I gotta gooo," Rory practically whined.

"That way," Mrs. Everdeen replied, pointing to the building on the other side of the lot as she dug out a box from underneath the passenger seat.

"Yeah, I gotta go, too." Prim said, and they both trotted off toward the restrooms.

Standing in the warm sun - it was a very nice day out, perfect for an event such as this - Gale stretched out his sore muscles, expanding his shoulders and relishing in the elbow-room he had been denied for so long. He locked his hands together behind his back and stretched, stopping when he felt his collarbone pop. Katniss looked at him disgustedly, clutching the large cardboard box she held.

"Ugh, gross, you're gonna get arthritis."

"Sorry to disappoint you, my dear Miss Everdeen, but there is no scientific evidence that links the popping of bones to arthritis." He smirked happily, pulling his arms above his head as he stretched out his back.

Katniss sighed, rolling her eyes. "Whatever..."

"Katniss, could you take our cooler up to the shelter, please?" Her mother asked.

"Uh, yeah. Sure, mom." She smiled. Mrs. Everdeen smiled back before moving to open the back door of the van.

"Here," Katniss said, dropping her smile and thrusting the box into Gale's arms. "Take this."

He gave her a look. "Wh-what? Why?"

"Because," Katniss smirked. "I have a cooler to deliver." She hopped the step that separated the parking lot from the sidewalk, yanking the cooler by its handle to get it up to her level.

"But it's heavy," Gale complained.

"You're heavy." She replied.

Katniss began walking along the sidewalk toward the shelter, dragging the blue and white cooler along with her. Trying once more to get out of unnecessary manual labor, he called out,

"But where am I supposed to put this stuff?"

"Ask Sae!" She called back, still walking.

"Sae?" He said to himself.

Who the hell was Sae?

A/N: Can you guess what role Sae will play in relation to Katniss? :D

I'll try to stay away from making any OCs to fill in the family tree 'gaps' of Katniss' family reunion, but there a lot of people attending. Like I said, I'll try not to, but if it comes to that I'll limit their numbers to as little as possible :P

Oh, and thanks again to all who reviewed. I'm glad you decided to give my story a chance, Kimmy! :D

'Til next time.