Spark to Flame: A Finniss Story

Part IV: Cyclone to Calm

Everyone shows up for the day of the execution.

Gale returns from District 2, Cressida and her team are ready to shoot what will be her final propo, and the whole world waits for the moment Katniss Everdeen will put an official end to the tyranny of President Coriolanus Snow.

Katniss stands in Snow's elaborate reading room, staring out through one of the windows at the grounds below. She isn't thinking of anything in particular - just letting her mind soak in the details of what she sees - when someone enters the room. She turns, just in time to see who it is.

"Katniss," Gale says, sounding surprised to see her.

"Gale, you're back."

She acts surprised herself, but she's been expecting his arrival. They may have grown apart since she had become the Mockingjay, but she knows that her friend wouldn't miss Snow's execution for anything.

"Uh...you're awake." He points out, somewhat awkwardly. "Thats good."

"Yeah...thanks."

They stand there a few moments, a heavy silence weighing down on them.

"...I'm glad Prim is safe," he says quietly, nodding to her.

Katniss immediately adopts a guarded stance, eyes narrowing. "You mean safe from the bomb that you designed?"

Gale stares at her, taken aback.

"I mean, it was your bomb, wasn't it? Kill a few, let the rest come in to help, and then murder them all at once? Wasn't that one of your plans?"

The ice in her tone seems to affect the atmosphere of the room as she remembers seeing Gale's designs back in District 13, and she begins to grow cold at her place by the window. Gale clenches his jaw, looking down a moment to prepare his reply.

"...Katniss, I wanted to win. I wanted us to win. Not them. I did what I had to do. But I never-"

She scoffs, cutting him off. "Never what? Thought it might have repercussions? Never thought that bombing a pen full of Capitol children might put Prim in danger too? What, Gale? What is it?"

He purses his lips before bursting, "I didn't think it would be like this! Okay?! I didn't think that...that we would win by killing a bunch of little kids! I didn't think Prim would be in any danger...I didn't...I didn't want this!"

"No," Katniss says. "But it's what you got."

He scoffs. "Do you honestly think that we'd be standing here right now if not for that bomb? Do you really think they would've shown us any mercy? Because if you do, you're wrong."

"Do you honestly think the way we went about our victory was right?"

"Yes! I do! I honestly don't believe we would've won by doing anything differently than we did!"

"So in other words you're saying Prim could've died and so long as we won the war everything would be alright. God, do you hear yourself right now?"

"No! I'm not-" His hands come up to grip his hair, frustration coming to a dangerous head. "I never said that! I'm just saying you act like we had other options when we didn't! That bomb made the difference between winning and losing! Prim is alive and that's all that matters!"

"And what if she wasn't? What if she had died in that explosion? Would you magically care then?"

Silence meets her question, and although they're both on their breaking points with the subject, Katniss isn't done yet.