Mockingjay: The New Story

Chapter Twenty

Gale and I stare at each other for a long while. He skips the Command meeting using me as an excuse. Coin buys it, but I know I will be facing something more important than an hour with my babysitter. His stare isn't as cold as it was earlier this year when he wanted Katniss almost as much as I did. Now, from what Katniss said, he is in relations with Madge, daughter of Twelve's mayor. She is very sweet, every now and then coming into the bakery to buy a cookie or some bread for dinner or a cupcake on a peaceful Sunday. She was a familiar face at school, being in our year and all. But she was the exact opposite of Katniss; blonde, patient, as sweet as candy. Somehow, their opposites attracted and they were best of friends for the longest of times.

I finally spoke up once the clock struck four. Katniss had been gone for at least two hours, she is probably sleeping still.

"You don't like me, do you?"

Gale gives it a second, then says, "No, I do. I just worry for Katniss. I see how much you love her, but she's my little sister and I don't want you to jump too far into being the Mockingjay. It's a dangerous job and you aren't one for much danger intentionally. She was so close to breaking when you were gone, I will not watch her go through that again."

I nod. "Yes, I know. But she can't do anything six months pregnant. I can't either if you don't trust me. She'll ask you to tag along with me wherever I am sent to protect me, like she is, and I want us to trust each other. It would be better if we were friends, although we already discussed this before, we are on better ground as of now, yes?"

"I guess we are, I mean, I don't want to claw you every time I see you. You've grown on me."

I laugh, making a pain shot through my stomach. I wince and shake it off.

"What I'm getting at is, even though we have had misconceptions of each other we must over come this dispute and do what is best for Katniss. Over the last two years, we have all grown. You and I can put aside our competition for her affection because we already know who has won, I won't be sour and try to ruin anything for either of you like I said, we have grown. But... I will not stand to see her take another hit because of something she feels she did.

"She has blamed herself for all that has happened. Although, she does have a point, she got those berries, it was Snow who wanted revenge because of her fire. He is afraid of her, just as we all should be. Put her in action and she goes off. You did see her in Eight right?"

I nod. "Yes, I did. I was terrified for her. How was she after?"

"A bit bruised and some sharplen to the back of her knee, but took charge with taking precaution into her own hands. She stood tall and asked to be cut from Mockingjay duties early. She was planned to continue until the seventh month of her pregnancy but with the unexpected raid and her being so close we decided to go a different route. Beetee and the team just released a set of videos called We Remember. You'll see them soon if you haven't."

"I haven't." I was never really shown anything on the rebels, just that one clip of Katniss in Eight. That might not have been the only one, they might have created more and played them more than once, but I wasn't aware of them.

"Did Katniss put you up to this?" I ask after a while of silence.

"No," Gale says. "I have been thinking about this since I volunteered to be on the rescue team the second time round. We might have known each other for a while, but what do I really know about you? You bake and paint and would fall to your knees for Katniss, but what else? I decided to... I don't know how to put it well."

"See if I'm true to word. I am, if you're wondering. You've taken good care for Katniss, and I am eternally grateful because I never asked that of you and I can't think of anything to repay you with. She might have picked me, but you will always be as important to her. Now that I'm here doesn't mean that you can leave. Katniss needs us both for different reasons. I feel it is very important to get your trust since her father isn't here to do that. He was a good man and didn't deserve to leave before seeing how much she has done."