A/N: Wow, you guys really like Gale's POV. lol. I think that chapter got the most reviews thus far. This chapter may seem like another dribble, pointless chapter, but there is important stuff in there. It's a lot of dialogue, but in my mind it fit's the character's POV. Hopefully, you guys like it. You know the deal. Reviews=quicker update.
This chapter is dedicated to my best friend who always has my back. I know I'll always be able to count on you to put me back in my place, even when it's not what I want to hear. Broski for life. Woo woo woo ::says like Zack Ryder::
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, its characters, or places. Just a PC and an overactive imagination.
Chapter 8 – The Trouble Maker
If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea,
I'll sail the world to find you
If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see,
I'll be the light to guide you
Find out what we're made of
When we are called to help out friends in need
You can count on me like 1, 2, 3
I'll be there
And I know when I need it I can count on you like 4, 3, 2
And you'll be there
Cause that's what friends are supposed to do
"Count on Me" Bruno Mars
I don't mean to cause panic. Ok, maybe I do. It's fun. The look some people get when they hear me say or see me do something they don't expect is priceless. For instance, Katniss didn't expect me to arrive as early as I did. She looked pretty surprised. Then she goes and shocks me. I walk into her house and there on the tree looking couch Peeta picked was Gale Hawthorne. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about him. He didn't bother me much the little time I knew him, but all the same, he wasn't exactly the best…influence on Katniss. He had a mindset for war. He thought that everything was as simple as it seemed. Go to war. Fight. Kill people. War is over and we can live happily ever after.
Yea, like that would happen. The war was like the Games: it never really goes away. Ask any victor that is still alive. We live with the pain of what we went through every day. When we close our eyes, all we see is death. When our eyes are open, we still see the horrible things we were put through. We rely on things to get our minds off of what we were forced to go through. But that wasn't the main reason I disliked Gale. No. My distaste went further than that. Before Katniss and Peeta got married, she – against my advice – wrote to Gale. When he didn't write back, she was hurt. I'm not sure what she was expecting, but I can tell you that letter was just a piece of a losing game.
Anyway, back to my surprise factor. Neither of them expected me to make the comment I did. The color from their faces drained and it would have been comical if I hadn't, for the briefest moment, thought that was what I was walking in on. That taste in my mouth Gale leaves grows even bitterer.
"Johanna, it's not what it…we weren't…I would never…" Katniss stutters.
I laugh through the uncomfortable feeling I have in my stomach. "Hey, I was kidding," I say. "I know he's no one important." I make sure the last part of my sentence is emphasized for even more effect. I want Gale to know he stands no chance against Peeta. I give Katniss a big smile and say, "Hey, I can really go for some coffee right now. That train ride was a killer. Would you mind making me some?"
She smiles back at me and nods. "Sure. I'll be right back."
The moment she walks into the kitchen, I drop the fake smile. I slowly turn on my heel and give Gale the dirtiest look I can. The man towers over me. He's a good six inches taller than me, but that doesn't matter. His lack of a spine makes him very small.
"It really wasn't what it looked like," Gale tries to explain.
"I really don't care what it wasn't," I spit. "I care about what it will never be. It will never be anything." I slowly make my way toward him. "You had your chance, Gale, and you let it slip through your fingers."
"I wasn't…"
"Shut up. I'm talking." I stood toe-to-toe with him, glaring right into his eyes. "As Katniss and Peeta's best friend…"
"You're not their best friend."
"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" He laughed and shook his head. "As I was saying, as their best friend, I will not allow some love-struck school boy ruin the most beautiful thing this world has ever seen. They're happy together. They have a very beautiful family together. Are you willing to break that up for your own selfish needs and desires?" He looked away. If he wasn't thinking about breaking them up when he came to District 12, he was now. "I'm warning you, Gale Hawthorne, if you try anything, I will cut the poor excuse for a male organ you have off and shove it down your throat as you sleep."
He was silent. He just looked down at me with this smug look. I wanted to punch him square in the nose. "You think I'm afraid of you?" he says in a low tone.
"You should be."
"I'm not."
"Then you're stupider than I thought. I won the Hunger Games, not a beauty pageant."
"Obviously."
"I will cut you. The military doesn't train you to fend off an angry woman. I'm going to say this to you one time: do not mess with my family."
"Your family?"
"Yes, my family. I was there when Katniss promised to spend the rest of her life with Peeta. I was the first one she called when she found out she was pregnant with Juliet. I was the first person they let hold Aden. I'm his godmother. Every year, I come here for the Remembrance Day and I stand with them as they mourn the people and things they've lost. They are my family and I'll be damned if you hurt them." We stare at each other for a moment, sizing the other person up. If he isn't afraid of me, he's a damn fool. He has no idea what I'm capable of and how far I would go to protect Katniss and Peeta. "I think it's time for you to go."
I could tell he wanted to say something, maybe wait for Katniss to walk in and tell him to stay. But he didn't. He walked around me and out the front door. I take a deep breath and put another smile on my face. Right on time too. Katniss walks back into the room with the coffee I had asked for.
"Oh, thank you," I say as I take the cup. "You have no idea how much I needed this."
"You're welcome," she smiles. "Where'd Gale go?"
"Hm? Oh. He had to go. He said to tell you goodbye."
She doesn't buy it, but she says nothing. She won't question Gale's quick departure because then she would have to admit the fact that he had impure intentions. I mean, I'd have to tell her why I shooed him away and why he didn't correct me when I called him out on what he was after. It doesn't take a genius to see she wanted to think the best of Gale. She needed a piece of her old life back and Gale was all she had left of it.
"So, where is my godson?" I ask.
"With his father," Katniss replies as we sit on the couch. "Peeta took him to work before I had a chance to protest. They should be home soon." I nod and sip at my coffee. "He's been asking about you for days. He wanted to pick you up at the train station."
"Aw. That's my boy. What about Juliet? How's she liking school?"
"She loves it; has a lot of friends. She gets being personable from Peeta. God knows I hated school."
"I think we all did back then." I debate whether or not to ask the next question. I know it's a fear that Katniss had when she first got pregnant. "Have they taught them about the Games?"
Katniss shakes her head slowly. She's told me before she's afraid of how her kids will react to learning that their rag-tag family was part of the Hunger Games – from "Grandpa" Haymitch, to Aunt Annie and yours truly, right down to Mommy and Daddy. Especially Mommy and Daddy.
"I'm just scared she'll hear about it from an older kid," Katniss confesses. "I'm surprised we've been able to shield her from it for this long. And how do we explain to her about how we were involved? Remember when Finn found out?"
Finnick "Finn" Odair Jr. was every bit like his father. He was charming, smart, and had an odd obsession with sugar cubes. When he started school, it was hard for people not to associate him with his father. He looked exactly like Finnick – it was scary. In District 4, they don't teach you about the Games until you're 10. Five years ago, Annie called Katniss and I in tears, telling us that her son had come home asking how his parents could have done the things they did. He had held Finnick on a pedestal for his whole life, only to find out his dear old dad was a murderer. He didn't want to listen to reason. Finnick did what he had to do to stay alive. It took a long time for Finn to see the light. Not all people that were part of the Games were monsters.
"She'll understand it better. And if she doesn't, you have Peeta to help you explain it," I say. It's true. Peeta wouldn't leave that task to do herself. That's one thing Katniss has that Annie doesn't. Annie didn't have Finnick there to help her. She had to do it on her own. Katniss has a huge web of support in Peeta and Haymitch next door.
"You'll have me to help explain what?" I hear. I look up to see Peeta walking into the room with his double hanging off his back. "Hey Johanna. We weren't expecting you until tonight."
I stand to give Peeta a hug. He's warm from being surrounded by ovens and he smells like bread. It's kind of comforting. "I got in early," I say as he gives me in what can only be described as a Peeta hug. It's almost like a bear hug, but nicer. "You know I can't stay away."
"Aunty Jo!" Aden yells as he slides off his dad's back and wraps his chubby little arms around me. I love this kid. He's so cute and cuddly it makes me want to squeeze him. "I made you a cookie!"
He digs into his little apron and pulls out a half-eaten chocolate chip cookie. "It looks like someone got a little hungry on their way to bring this to me," I laugh as I take the treat. "Thank you, Aden. I love it. Aunty Jo got you something too."
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a little wooden figurine. The stupid doctors thought I needed to find a hobby to help with my post-war stress. As if I was only stressed after the war. Idiots. Anyway, I'd taken up carving. Mostly figurines and other toys since all my friends were procreating. They'd all gotten over the fear of the Games returning. Not me though. I was determined to end up like Haymitch. Alone and attached to someone else's family. I think I could be happy with that.
Aden's smiles as he takes the toy from me. He holds it up to Peeta proudly, showing his father the latest addition to figurines. He takes off to put it in his room with the two dozen other ones I've made him since he was born.
"Peeta, can you take Johanna's stuff up to her room?" Katniss asks.
"Do I get a tip?" he teases.
"Yes, lay off the cupcakes sugar-pie," I joke, patting his belly.
He just rolls his eyes and grabs my bags. "I'm working on a six-pack."
"Six pack of beer," I yell as he heads up the stairs.
Katniss is just shaking her head at us and laughing. "You two are nuts," she jokes.
"But you love us."
She points at the stairs and says, "Him I have to. I'm stuck with him for life. You…"
"Not even funny," I laugh. I sit beside her on the couch and sip at my coffee. "Seriously, are you sure it's ok that I'm here?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"It looked like I was interrupting something when I got here."
Katniss sighed and put her cup down. "I told you that nothing was going on. Gale stopped by to talk and that's all."
"That's all to you maybe."
"Not you too…"
"Katniss, seriously, the boy's trouble. He was fifteen years ago and he still is today. Just…be careful."
"He's not like that, Jo."
I shake my head. She can't really be this naïve. "We'll see." We sit in silence for a minute or two before Peeta's heavy footsteps announce his return.
"Ok, you're all set up," he smiles. "Anything else? I gotta go get Jules."
"I'll go with you," I say, jumping to my feet. Katniss looks up at me with a brow raised. "I miss the little princess. I can't want to surprise her too?"
I notice that Peeta's staring at me too now. These two are too suspicious of everything and everyone. I can't blame them though. Katniss was a pawn in the war, used by Coin to get what she wanted. And Peeta…I can still hear his screams at night. They tortured him day and night to the point where he would pass out, only to be woken to be tortured again. They made me watch as they injected him over and over again with the tracker jacket venom. I watched as he slowly lost his mind. They'd found the most brilliant way to torture the most innocent boy in the world: take away the memories he had of Katniss. The more he struggled to hold on to them, the more painful their punishments became. I'm sorry to say, I had begged them once to put him out of his misery. I couldn't stand seeing him in so much pain. I just wanted it to end.
"Ok, let's go," Peeta says finally. "She doesn't like to be kept waiting."
I jump to my feet and follow Peeta out the door. He still finds it awkward to be around me alone sometimes. I assume it's because he still hears my screams in his head too. They're pretty hard to forget when it's all you hear for days, weeks, months…however long they kept us. We walk a fair distance apart. I can tell that he has things on his mind, but he's never been one to talk about them.
"So, Gale Hawthorne…" I say. "Must be weird huh?"
"Why?" he asks. There's no edge in his voice. He seriously doesn't see how this whole thing is fucked?
"Come on, Peeta. You can't tell me that you're ok with him being back."
"Johanna, I really don't have much of a say in it. He's free to come and go as he pleases. District 12 will always be his home."
"Yea, but you have a say in how much time he spends with your wife while he's here."
He sighs loudly, "Seriously, do people think I tell her what to do? She's allowed to have friends."
"A friend? You think Gale's just a friend? You and I…we're friends. You and Delly, you're friends. Gale and Katniss…that's different. They had something before."
"Before. As in no longer. She made her choice."
"And what if he's trying to change her mind?"
"Can we please stop talking about this?"
"Why Peeta? Because it's uncomfortable?" I laugh. "You still live in this perfect world in your head where everything's all rainbows and lollipops."
I can see him clenching his fists at his sides and I wonder if I'm pushing too much. But if I don't, I doubt anyone will make them see what they're doing is wrong. Allowing Gale Hawthorne to be part of their lives like this isn't right.
"Don't tell me about what goes on in my head," Peeta says through gritted teeth.
"Sorry," I apologize sincerely. "I just don't want you guys to get hurt. I mean, when I saw Gale at the house today…"
"Gale was at the house?"
I stop walking to see Peeta had stopped a few steps back. His face showed pure shock. He didn't know. Of course he didn't. "Huh?" is all I can say. Shit. I'm trying to defuse the situation, not set off the bomb.
"Gale. He was at my house? Alone? With Katniss?"
"I never…I mean…"
"Johanna," he says in a tone that makes me uncomfortable. He has a wild look in his eyes as he closes the gap between us in two simple strides. "Was he in my house alone with Katniss?"
I swallow the lump in my throat. I want to be anywhere but here. "I'm not sure how long. I just got there and he was there. I'm sure it was nothing."
Peeta exhales loudly and turns away. I step back from him, afraid that another episode is on its way. I've been around him long enough to see the signs. When it happens, he's no longer that sweet boy with a heart of gold and a smile that melts your heart. No. He's a vicious animal. I've seen him demolish a room before. He was like a human wrecking ball, just tearing everything down in his path.
"Peeta, I didn't mean to…" I start, but I don't get the chance to finish.
"It's fine," he says quickly. "It's probably nothing. Come on. We can't be late."
I don't say anything the rest of the way to the school. I'm afraid to at this point. I'm causing too many unnecessary problems. I can't help it. Seeing Gale at the house today just made me panic. I always figured that if these two could have a happily-ever-after, anyone could. Including me.
"So, how long are you going to be in town?" Peeta asks.
"Indefinitely. Why? Trying to get rid of me already?" I tease.
"I always am." I laugh. He could never stay mad at anyone for every long. It's a good and bad thing. "Seriously, Katniss said that you might be looking to settle down?"
I shrug. "Possibly." I don't know what I want to be honest. Part of me is so used to being alone I don't think I can settle down. Then there's the part of me that misses having people around that I care about. I travel between District 4 and 12 so much, I'm ready to sell my house in 7. I want what Peeta and Katniss have. What Annie and Finnick had. I want someone to lean on, share the burden of life with. But as I said earlier, I'm still afraid. I think I can be happy being alone forever.
"You know, you always have a home here if you want it," Peeta says. "I know it's hard to let go of the past, but we have to move forward. After all we've been through, we deserve to be happy. All of us." I just nod. "And who knows, maybe you'll find someone here."
I laugh. "I'm here like three times a year. I know everyone. I doubt I'll find someone new."
Peeta just smirks. "Maybe you've met him and just don't realize it yet. Fate has an odd way of playing out."
I don't have time to ask him what he means because a bell cuts through the air. I look up to see we've arrived at the school and little Juliet Mellark is running right toward us. She's excited to see me and she's talking a mile a minute. I try to listen, but I can't focus. I can't shake Peeta's words from my mind. I have a feeling that fate has a long journey in store for us all.