CHAPTER 1:
As part of the rebellion, Gale Hawthorne accompanied Katniss’s crew of District-thirteenians on their mission to assassinate, me, President Snow. But what they didn’t know is that I had surveillance cameras tracking their every move. Through these spying eyes, I witnessed the beginnings of a love affair between none other than Gale and an infamous shop keeper named Tigris.
It was a slow night on the cameras. The rebels were hiding out in the shopkeeper’s basement scavenging for dinner. Gale watched from the sidelines as Katniss gazed affectionately at Peeta, wishing for him to come to his senses and love her again. Sick of the seeing the woman he loves lust after another man, Gale abruptly stood up and stalked out of the room.
Blinded by rage, he accidentally knocked into someone in the front of the store. Even through the dim lighting Gale could make out the stripes and whiskers on the lascivious figure. Tigris. “Sorry,” He automatically mumbled. Tigris just purred in response. Disturbed by his slight attraction to the middle-aged, genetically altered woman, Gale started to turn away. Tigris, noticing the pain in his eyes, put a paw-like hand on his arm to stop him.
“What’s the matter?” inquired Tigris, in her gruff voice.
“Nothing.”
“Are you sure? I’m a g-r-r-reat listener,” Tigris cooed. Gale knew he should walk away now. After all, she is from the capitol. How could she possibly help him? Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to say no – he felt drawn to Tigris. Losing the battle with his better self, he took Tigris’s hand and let her lead him to the closest custodial closet.
CHAPTER 2:
While I was imprisoned in the capitol awaiting my death, threatening to drown in my own boredom, I peeked into the surveillance room. It was then that I noticed the camera placed in the hospital had a few familiar faces in view: that of the young Gale Hawthorne and the visibly pregnant Tigris. I watched as they were rushed into a room and welcomed their new child into the world.
The doctor then handed the child, a girl with vibrant amber eyes, to Gale. I saw an expression creep on his face that was as foreign top him as it was to me – joy. As Gale cradled the child, I saw his face quiver with confusion. He carefully unwrapped the blanket that was draped around his daughter and was dumbfounded when a long tail, that matched her eyes in color, was seen flowing from the infant’s lower back. I can’t believe it; the altered genes had been passed on from Tigris to her daughter. Gale quickly handed the child back to her mother and all but sprinted out of the room.
I wasn’t surprised by his reaction. His hatred of anything of relations to the capitol was widely known. So of course a daughter that looked as if she had gone through almost as many plastic surgeries as the average adult capitol citizen would repulse him.
EPILOGUE:
Two years later…
Since I narrowly escaped my execution, I haven’t heard anything about the hybrid baby. Until yesterday, when I was at the local bakery in District 2, where I’m currently hiding out, and I saw the most peculiar thing. Gale was holding the hand of a young girl while smiling affectionately at her. I knew Tigris had been appointed the head fashion designer of the mayor of District 7 because it was just in the papers last week. This left me to assume that she abandoned her daughter to further her career, leaving Gale to own up to and care for his abnormal daughter. I guess he was able to look past the capitol looks and love his daughter for who she is – Tale and all.
