After Mockingjay: Gale Hawthorne

Part 8

Gale and Katniss sit outside the house on the porch.

Arrangements have been made for the Hawthorns to stay at the Mellarks' house for the night. Gale had bought them a house in District 11 a long time ago, before 12 was repaired.When 13 no longer felt like home to them. They had been there since. The train ride was long and tiring and it was midnight so no trains would be parting anytime soon. Gale was going to leave with Johanna and spend the night with her.

A cold breeze swept through the air.

Gale knows she has many questions, they know what the other was thinking before they say it.

"What you said, was it true?"

"Yes."

She nods, " I won't lie by saying I never blamed you.", she states, looks him in the eye, " I did but then I found out that it was Coin who was pushing you and Beetee, she wanted to bomb the capitol. I found out the details, that you had no idea what they were going to be used for."

"It was still inhumane Katniss, a bomb that went off twice-"

"If you knew more, if you knew what would happen, you wouldn't have used it. That doesn't matter, what matters is that Coin... what Coin wanted wasn't justice, it was sick and twisted. She wanted to kill innocent people, she would make a New Capitol and make the old one's kids fight in the Games, that's why I shot her."

" I was too dumb to see her real antics.", Gale added.

"You were sincere Gale. You wanted justice."

"It was my idea to bomb the gates, civilians died. It was bad idea-"

"It was the only way Gale.", Katniss said sadly, "It was war and as much as I hate it, innocent people always die in war, no matter how much we try to stop it. At least we could believe that it was actually for the greater good, you saw that before me."

"That doesn't make me innocent Catnip."

She smiles ruefully, " None of us are."

"Well maybe Peeta, cause you know, he wasn't sane enough to really know what was going on.", Gale jokes.

"That's my husband you're talking about.", she says with mock offence.

"He is now, I wanted to pound his face in when he tried to kill you."

"It wasn't his fault."

"I know.", Gale laughs suddenly, " I must have been horrible for you to still choose him over me!"

Katniss laughs, " You know it wasn't like that-"

Gale raises his hands in surrender, " I don't know anything."

Katniss pauses,"You know when you said that I'd choose who ever I needed to survive, that... that stung."

" I shouldn't have said that-"

"But it was right Gale,", She adds," like a lot of stuff you've said over the years that I've noticed recently."

Gale smirks, "Took you long enough!"

Katniss playfully punches him in the shoulder, "Shut up."

"Carefull, I have a woman to fight you for me now."

"Like I'd mess with Johanna!"

"You could win-"

"Not. A. Chance."

Silence envelopes them for a few moments.

Gale ponders if he should ask the question that has been nagging his mind for too long," Katniss, I have a question and you don't have to answer if you don't want to."