(Hello after years and years! I read through this fanfiction and wanted to continue it. As I started a new part, I opened this as a draft from when I originally wrote this fanfiction over five years ago. I am about to read it for the first time since I wrote it and I guess I will continue from there! There will be a * indicating where the original writing ends. I am so happy to write more. Thank you for reading).
Katniss's POV
"Gale," I had to say twice because I wasn't sure if I'd just mouthed the words over my lips rather than actually speaking the words themselves.
"Hey, Catnip."
My whole body froze, and at the same time, I felt my lungs close to the feeling of them collapsing right there in my body. I'd been gone for so long, witnessed so much, and yet, seeing him, nothing had changed.
There was the acceptance of his growth, and his dark brown hair brushed to the side, but that was expected. His eyes seemed distant, but present at the same time, and his hands were covered in dirt. Under his nails were coats of coal.
Before I could stop myself, before I could even begin to pull my thoughts together, my arms threw themselves around his neck and I held myself tight to him. I held back my tears and I breathed in his smell, his figure so familiar.
"Gale." Was all I could manage to say again.
And then I breathed and took in a breath, and it was all just a dream. My head shook and my heart stammered, and there I was, looking over my sister and Rory and I was all alone.
Why wasn't he here?
And more importantly, what would he say to me when we reunited?
My head throbbed, and I turned back to where Peeta and Effie had gone, following myself through crowds of people toward the District's stage. Up there, Peeta and the Mayor talked, smiling as if they were old friends. They looked casual, and just as I turned back to find my mother, Peeta caught my eyes, instantly waving me over. *
For a moment, I crossed my arms over the front of my body, almost engulfing myself in a hug that was meant to be from Gale. He was my best friend, my family. I had waited all this time, gone to the arena for death and came back. It was for nothing.
Calmly, I gathered myself and took a few breaths before turning back to the stage. As selfish as I had hoped to be, I simply had no capability to ignore the stage and the last show that I needed to act for. If I left now, so much pressure would be placed on my loved ones, I knew it wasn't an option. Although this event felt intimate to District Twelve, it was clearly being shown across all of Panem. There were two victors and so there had to be two victors present.
I walked back through the crowd and made my way up the stage. Peeta reached his hand out for me as soon as I made it to the first step of the stage. I smiled, forcing the pain and tiredness to leave my body, or at least to act like it didn't exist for the rest of the night.
Peeta led me up the stage as the music played loud throughout the square. As I entered the stage, I noticed that more people turned to take notice. and with it, the music began to quietly ease out. It was time to say something, to say something to the people who had watched me go to war and come back alive; we had beat the odds, Peeta and I, and now we were expected to explain.
Mayor Undersee held out the mic to us. I had been so concentrated on pushing away my thoughts of Gale and the hurt of his absence that I hadn't realized the mayor had already introduced us. As always, Peeta reached for the microphone, holding the object in one hand and my hand in his other. The crowd began to cheer, enveloping Peeta and I in cheers and happiness, giving us their pride and excitement that the games had stripped them from for nearly twenty five years. Between Haymitch's Quarter Quell and our victory, they had watched year after year of tributes, of District Twelve children, sent off to be executed annually. Peeta and I were the first to many, the first to even ourselves in this lifetime.
"Here we are, all thanks to Katniss here, we are home," I listened as Peeta began his speech, holding my hand and keeping me close as his words filtered out effortlessly. He looked out towards my family, my mother and Prim, and then out to his own family. Peeta's eyes began to glisten with tears as he looked from his father back to me. I wasn't listening anymore; the feeling of this moment was indescribable. It was awful and fulfilling all at once. For the past month my goal had been to get to this point; of course, this was after my life had altered for the worse. I had no idea I would even be in this position six weeks ago. Yet, everything was different now that I was home. Gale wasn't here. Would he still want to be apart of my life?
Peeta spoke for what felt like a half hour before he handed me the microphone. We both knew I was no good at speaking, especially publicly. I was only ever able to share my thoughts to those closest to me, and Peeta knew he was the newest recruit to that club.
So, I just looked out into the crowd, at Prim. I looked right into her eyes. "I made a promise to you, the morning I left Twelve. I promised I would win, that I would come home". It took me a moment to clear my throat as I felt that I was only able to tell one of the two people I needed to. Gale promised me that I would be home; I promised Prim I would be home. Gale's promise was true as was my own to Prim. Where was he? "Prim - I'm home. I will always be home so long as you are here-"
The tears filled my eyes and I shook my head. I felt Peeta grip my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. I could feel the strength in his presence just next to me; it was strong and endearing, it protected me.
"To my-" I remembered Peeta. I had to learn to be less selfish; I couldn't help it, I came into this situation alone and I was only getting used to a companion through this. "To our home, Districct Twelve, we thank you. Thank you to the Mellarks, thank you to Peeta". My eyes wandered up to his, "we kept each other alive".
Peeta leaned into the microphone, his voice only partially reaching the amplifier, "we will continue to do that".
And with those few words I little else left to say. So instead, I handed the microphone back to Mayor Undersee as I stepped back, just for a moment, to admire the people who stood before me. I smiled and Peeta and I left the stage.
At the end of the stairs to the stage, Effie took us into her arms. "Time to go home". She gleamed at us. Tomorrow would be our televised introduction to our new houses in Victor's Village, tonight however, I was to sleep back in the house that was my home; it would always be my home.
Peeta squeezed my hand and all I could think of for now was the hopes that it would have been Gale's.
