Ileana: Katniss's Daughter

Chapter Four: The Traitor

     My breath caught in my throat. That boy, now a man, from the tapes, from my mother's childhood, was standing in front of me! Gale....Hawthorne I think...yes Gale Hawthorne. But what was he doing here?

     Trace and Garel froze beside me as we watched the man cross the field towards us. I eyed him suspiciously as he approached. "Hi." Said the man. grinning at me. "Gosh you do so look like your mother. It's Ileana, right?" I nodded...I liked the way he said my name - ilee-ahn-ah. "And you two are..." He trailed off pulling a bundle of papaers from beneath his coat." Ahh...you're Trace Fischer...and you are Ileana's little brother Garel. You look like your father." Gale said. "I noticed, though that the warmth he had had when he told me I looked like my mother was not there when he spoke mf my father.

     Gale stared at us for a moment. "Ahh, so. Um...would you take me to your parents, Ileana, I need to speak with them. "

     "Yessir." I grumbled. This was an odd man. I steped in front of the man and began to lead him toward home. Trace bounded up beside me with Garel right behind him.

     "Who is that man?" Trace hissed.

     Garel answered for me. "That's Gale Hawthorne...Mother's ex-best friend."

     "What is he doing here!?" Trace demanded.

     " I don't know!" I whispered. "But I am sure we will find out."

     When we entered the house I called out for mother. When she didn't answer I ran up the staircase to check her room. leaving the others in the foyer. As I reached the landing I heard a gasp and a crash from below. I raced back down the stairs to find my mother gaping at Gale. A broken bowl lay at her feet.

     "What? No! Gale, you, y-you don't belong here. You cannot be here. This is my home. And you - my sister...my family." My mither rambled and sobbed as she stared at a man she hadn't seen for probably fifteen years or more.

     "Katniss, I know I have no right...but I was sent here. I have urgent business to discuss with you." he eyed us suspiciously. "Alone." My mother's face depicted her utter shock at his prescence and her anger and confusion as well.

     "Oh, uh, of course. The parlor will do." My mother said waving him into the room and shooting me a anxious look. I realized with a start that I hadn't spoken to her since the yesterday before I found out about the Games.

     "It's okay, I love you mom." I said sincerely and shooed her into the room.

     As the door closed behind them Garel raced up the stairs. I knew exactly where he was going and Trace and I followed him.

     To the left of the landing at the top of the staircase there is a air vent that comes from the Parlor. When you lift out the grate you can see and hear everything that goes on down there. It was here that we went with our ears pressed close and out eyes searching the hole for the pair below.

     "Gale why are you here, I need answers. The last time I saw you you blew up my little sister. My whole world. I can never forgive you and if my children had not been out there I might have killed you on the spot. You aren't a friend and you are no longer welcome in my home. Tell me what you must and then get out of my life."

     "Katniss.

     *awkward pause*

     "Catnip, I..."

     "Don't call me that, you have no right."

      "Sorry, Katniss. I am a messinger of the New Republic, though not a willing one. The New World Government has been overthrown. They are followers of the old Capital of Panem, they're planning to bring back the Hunger Games, soon. Within the week, some say. They are planning on putting a male and female child of former tributes into the games, and"

     "I already know all this and I am afraid that you have overstayed your welcome, now if you would so kindly leave me..."

     "Kat! There is more. The Games are a ploy. Rumor has it that the New Republic is trying to gather followers, even if they have to threaten them. Kat, they are trying to get to you and Peeta. Haymitch has no children so he may be a lost cause, unless they can use your children to bribe the three of you into joining. But it's my fault. It is. I accidentally brought up in front of a coworker at the plant the whole idea about using capital children as Hunger Games tributes. That idea ended up vetoed and never made it to the press as you know. Anyway, The man I spoke with I thought was a friend. Turns out he was a traitor. He was working undercover with a group of people trying to overthrow the New World. He was trting to get to you through me. You may have aged Kat, but you are still the face of inspiration amongst the nation. You could be irreplaceable. Anyway, they threw the New World and are still trying to get to you, Kat."

     "Why should I believe you? You, you are the traitor! You killed my sister. You killed innocent people. Prim! Why Prim? She was a baby, just a baby! How..." My mother was sobbing now and I heard movement through the hole.

     "You have every right to hate me. But I have never lied to you Katniss. I hate myself for Prim, I do, Really. I never meant to...t-to hurt her. I didn't." Now Gale was crying. "Saving Garel and Ileana, though might be able to help me begin to repay the debt, altough I know I can never undo what I have done. I am supposed to leave here tonight with both of them. I could take them though and hide. I would do anything to protect them. Truly Katniss, I would. " And even though I couldn't see him, I believed Gale's words.

     "Alright Gale. Take them, do it now before I change my mind."