I'm not giving up on any other story, first of all. I'm just having temporary writer's block at the moment. This is something that I was inspired to write at like 1:50 in the morning. I just saw one of my old baby bibs, and thought this thing up. I hope it is a really accurate but still fluffy and sorta light type of ending to Mockingjay which seemed more in character than Katniss actually was in Mockingjay... Just know that if it doesn't really seem in character, it's because I spent my night writing it instead of sleeping. I wasn't really in my right mind. Love y'all.

Disclaimer: Familiar? Suzanne's. Un? My imagination.

A long time ago there was a government that ruled over Panem. Its darkness affected others, not just in the way they made family loyalty only go so far or how they had sadistic minds that caused death and hunger, and created tension and gore but, how people saw others around them.

Katniss was so fixed on seeing me as her hunting partner, and then an ally, and then friend, she never let herself imagine the possibilities of what could've developed afterwards. So we became best friends, confidants.

Having the ever prominent lurking of her imminent death in front of her, and enhanced every year at the Reaping. She strictly forbid any emotion to channel through her thinking.

And I tried to change her.

I did.

But she was never fazed by the things that I did. I remember the day she found out I did things at the slag heap. She told me that it wasn't any of her business how I spent my days not with her. Even after knowing the smallest details about her, like how her eyes focused when something she thought wasn't worth it bothered her; I saw nothing.

So then there was one day when I saw a shooting star. And I had only ever seen one other. I saw the first with my mother when we were walking back from the square from one of the Games. Dad was with us, and Rory was cradled in Dad's arms. He was preoccupied with Rory so I sought out the maternal kindness from my mom. She heaved me up next to her face and let me wrap my legs around her torso. She huffed a little and smiled.

'Gale honey, you're getting to be such a big boy, I can't carry you anymore.'

I had shifted in her embrace so I was sitting sideways facing her. I laughed and told her that I was always going to be a little boy. Dad had caught up with me and Ma, still sweet talking to Rory about how he couldn't wait to see what type of man Rory was going to end up being.

Something inside me had changed and when the star shot by, Ma whispered in my ear: 'Wish that you'll always be my little boy.'

I didn't. I wished for the day to soon arrive when I would be Daddy's big, grown up son.

In a few years' time, Dad died, and I was forced to become the man of the house. I would from then on be Gale, the grown up, breadwinner of the Hawthorne household. Except Daddy would never see how good I was at being a man.

That twisted little wish made me have a hard time trusting other stars… but I never saw another one to fix my mistake. It was hard, knowing that my wish was an ungrateful one and could've caused the death of my own father.

But I wanted to make sure that it wasn't just coincidence that his death happened after I made that wish. So the second time I saw a dazzling star scrape the indigo atmosphere, I hastily wished for Katniss' views on life and living to change.

Karma's a sick bitch I tell you.

Two months later she participated in the seventy-fourth Annual Hunger Games. And damn right her views on life changed.

She was even more sullen than before, more alert yet awkwardly superstitious. She had strange new habits that didn't make communicating with her any easier and her new beau, Peeta Mellark was her one piece of baggage. Always around her, always by her side, and she always needed to refer to him if she wanted something.

I didn't give up on her then because I was persistent. Ma told me to try and let go, that my anger, my jealousy, my rage was scaring my younger siblings, Prim included.

But I wasn't her little boy, I was a rebel, I was the stubborn one. So I persisted.

In the end I ended up telling her everything I felt. We had been in Tigris' basement, and I was reluctantly leading Peeta on. At the time I felt like I knew precisely what Katniss was going to do with her life. I knew that she couldn't live without her Peeta Mellark. So when he asked if I knew who she was going to choose – that idiot. He still thought it was a game to win Katniss – I told him: Hell yeah I know.

'Oh, that I do know. Katniss will pick whoever she can't survive without.'

I guess something had stirred within her. She had growled, audible from where I was perched across the room, and rose from her pile of furs, practically steaming.

'Am I really, that cold and calculating?' Peeta was visibly shaken, he was cowering with handcuffs clinking nervously against the metal railing that he was trapped next to. That's where our similarities cut short. While he was passive, I was all for the fighting and the yelling. She marched over to where we were, slowly and agonizingly suspenseful. 'Out of all people Gale, you saying that, stings the most.'

But it was true, and that's what I didn't understand. 'Katniss, you know that you need him to sur–'

'Shut it Gale. Because that implies that I'm only going to choose the man who can extend my longevity the most. How emotionless do you think I am?' Her voice was rising and others were shifting from their slumbers. Before I could respond she spat out: 'That makes my choice pretty simple right now, doesn't it?'

She wasn't even mad at Peeta, I realized. Being impulsive I tried: 'Hey, Pete here can't even decipher his own thoughts.'

It was like she didn't even consider what I had just said. She looked me square in the eye. 'I can survive without either you!' She shouted. People were upright in their beds staring with curious eyes. I'll admit her words did cut through me.

I took a deep breath and tried another approach after staring her down. 'Katniss. I meant it in the nicest way possible.' Her nostrils flared and her eyes widened with fury, but I saw a flicker of hope in the way that she didn't say anything back. 'But I know that I would pick whoever I couldn't survive without if I were in your shoes. I was reassuring Peeta that he would have you to take care of him as you two got old. But I was also just letting out my fear that I won't be able to survive without you, and that I won't be with anyone when I hit my lows… or my highs for that matter.'

The silence that had commenced almost killed me. I remember that my heart was beating a mile a minute and that I was beginning to feel light headed. I suddenly remembered that I hit my head earlier that day running from the lizard mutts that hissed Katniss' name with such a vigorous passion that it made my bones tremble.

'Gale, without you I couldn't have survived long enough to even make it to my first Reaping. What are you talking about?' Her raging demeanor had evaporated. And I was acutely aware of everyone's eyes still watching us.

'But Peeta gave you the bread,' I said shyly. '…before you even met me.'

'Once,' She took the last remaining steps into my arms and enveloped me in a hug. When she pulled out slightly, because I was too shocked to reciprocate the embrace she spoke again. 'Only once. You've saved me countless times, from being in the forest to losing myself in District Two.' She gave me small examples.

I remembered how vacant her eyes looked in Two.

'I can't survive without you.'

'But–' I had protested.

She shushed me. 'You're my rock Gale, my constant. If you leave, my ground will move out from under me. And I'll fall.' Her voice cracked. 'I'll fall into the ground. A bottomless, dark abyss will soon become my life and I won't ever be able to climb up into the light again.'

That was all it took for me to snap back into myself and crush her hard against my body and capture her lips underneath mine. I kissed her hard with a fear that it was a dream.

It wasn't.

A few days later we were on the streets of the Capitol, and we swore never to let go of our hands. Many obstacles threatened to separate us, but with years of stealthily moving as a unit throughout the forest, miraculously we wound our way through the City Block and in front of Snow's Mansion.

We met up with other rebels. 'Prim, what are you doing here?' Katniss had asked openly, unafraid that our covers were blown. After all, it didn't really matter. We were here, and we were ready to end this god damn war.

'President Coin said that it'd be best if I helped gather the children.' I looked around and noticed for the first time that hundreds of Capitol children were corralled around the walls of the mansion, protecting the bloody son of a bitch from the rebels intruding the house and killing him on the spot.

That monster.

'I have to go help Katniss.' Prim pleaded when she saw Katniss' look of disgust as she finally understood the maliciousness of Alma Coin. 'They just received gifts because of their bravery. I'm going to bring a few back here to get some medical care.'

If Prim said something else, I sure didn't hear her. Something was vaguely familiar about the gifts that the Capitol children were given. My mind flashed back to the hundreds of hours spent down in the Weaponry Room with Beetee.

I looked up and saw the famous Capitol seal design on the bottom of the hovercraft. But you're playing on their natural instincts to flee danger. Thinking like your prey… that's where you find their vulnerabilities. I realize then that Prim is about to–

'Katniss run!' I screeched, dragging her with me to catch up to Prim. 'No, no, no!' I cursed myself. 'Prim.' The both of us reached her and I yanked my hand out of Katniss'.

I told her to run ahead of me and I scooped Prim up into my arms. I dashed back to where Katniss was. She looked mortified, and I bet I did too.

The second explosion went off and I tucked Prim into my chest. I crouched down on the ground and heard Katniss' heart wrenching cry. I felt the heat course around me. Prim was sobbing hysterically into me and I didn't know if I was strong enough to face Katniss and any other human being, let alone stand up.

The pain was excruciating, but bearable. I did stand, somehow, but not with pride or any feeling of heroicness but of the feeling of being ashamed of showing their face even though they had too. 'I'm so sorry Gale.' Prim whimpered, practically lifeless in my arms. The adrenaline must have disappeared from her body. I could feel fatigue wearing down on me too.

'I'm so sorry Prim.' I told her, blinking heavily. I collapsed next to a rebel medic, guilt stabbing through me like knives, sleep weighing on my lids, and Prim on my chest and Katniss clutching my hand. Darkness then enveloped me.

My life is light now.

Now Panem is a bright and peaceful government, one where the people of the country have a say. And where Peeta and his fancy words are comforting and familiar. And with ever so happy Delly Cartwright by his side, she keeps him happy, truthful, humble and safe.

And now, people can live wherever they want to. District Twelve isn't an actual part of Panem these days. No one really wants to face those horrors again.

Katniss and I live in District Two. Where I apparently saved her from falling into a depression. Or at least that's what she says.

We have a new woods, and new community, a new home, and a new life. And soon…

A new family.

Prim was off at a medical school in New Capitol. Their mom was in District Four. Apparently she knew someone there from a long time ago that she had met on their Victory Tour the year Haymitch won. Ma and Posy were in the neighborhood, and so was Vick.

He was always the Mama's boy.

Rory was investing time in construction, working in the Nut. And as much as it disturbed me… I was proud of him for trying to rebuild up, instead of tearing things down, like me.

Katniss and I worked as Military General's for the new soldiers that would run under the government of New Panem and keep our country safe from harm. It was a very hard job, it had an equilibrium of good and bad things about it.

For one, Katniss trained a bunch of young and buff men all day. Of course I was beside her the majority of it, but still, they lusted after her. Two, she enjoyed working with them, all I could hear in the large gym was her hearty laughter when she pinned down a two-hundred pounded soldier.

But on the other hand, the erotic side, she would sweat, and gleam like diamonds in front of me. Which also lead to her wearing nice shorts and nice tank tops. She would pant and walk over to me and give me breathless kisses. And her hair was never in a braid, a high ponytail, and it made her look so sexy.

Oh god, I had to stop thinking about that.

She was on maternity leave now. We had a baby on the way. We're married of course, but she kept her surname. Katniss Hawthorne didn't sound too appealing and it was so like Katniss to want to keep her name. Well, I insisted, because I too think Katniss Everdeen sounds much sultrier than Hawthorne… except when it rolls off of her tongue. Mmh. "Gale, this one is cute, right?" Katniss asks me. I hum in curiosity and whirl around looking at Katniss and what she's holding up.

"The pink bib, Katniss? Really?" I ask her, raising an eyebrow. Now that she's pregnant she doesn't really see sense anymore. God she's so adorable.

"Yeah, I like the pink bib." She pouts. "Don't you?"

"Uh, no." I say and then laugh. "Sure we're having a girl Catnip, but she's not like other girls." I explain with a smile plastered on my face.

She still looks sad. She bites her lips and then exhales. "I know she's not like other girls, Gale, I just," She pauses and giggles to herself.

"What?" I ask confusedly.

She looks down at the bib in her hands, fiddles with it and then peers up at me through those incredibly long, dark, beautiful lashes. She walks towards me… and by now I know that whenever she does this, it's a bad thing. I groan and take a step back. She stalks towards me with a grin on her face and pulls the velcro ends apart. I take a few more paces backwards and curse when I bump into the wall.

"Katniss." I warn. I am not prepared for the mortification I am going to be feeling when what happens next. "Katniss." I whine, face pinker than the bib itself.

"Shuddup. You're so cute." She coos, stroking the bumpy yet comforting texture of the bib which she has stealthily placed around my neck. I instinctively growl when I feel her hand caress my chest.

She knows this turns me on.

She purrs at the sound, and the name Catnip has never suited her better. I cup her face in between my hands and kiss her, momentarily forgetting about the bib.

She smiles against my lips and bursts out in a conundrum of laughter. Her laughter ranges from schoolgirl giggling to flat out wheezing. When she clutches her sides, I stop cowering in embarrassment and reach out to steady her.

"I should be really mad at you, right now." I whisper in her ear. She rubs her ear with her shoulder, stopping the trembles going down her body from my proximity.

"You're still wearing the fricking bib." She tells me and then begins another peal of chuckles. I hastily snatch it off, ripping it as I do and out of nowhere the lady that was once at the counter at the front of the store is now in front of us.

Katniss red with humor, and I with discomfort. "You break it, you buy it." She snaps, and then she scuttles off to the cashier where she'll be waiting for us.

Once she's out of sight I turn back to Katniss, bib wadded in my fist and smile at her playfully. "Ooh, somebody's in trouble." She pokes my chest.

"You Mister, are in huge trouble." She agrees, getting the memo and striking a sassy pose. I'm glad that at three months, she still looks relatively normal and can still make an impressionable pose.

"I guess you're gonna have to teach me a lesson at home, aren't you?" I say seductively. She tilts her head back and guffaws.

Then she stares at me with one of the most heartfelt looks and tells me: "I'm so glad this is my life. Prim, Hazelle, Rory, Vick, Posy, my mom, you and Layta. Every struggle was worth it."

"Just think about what would have happened if you hadn't confronted me that evening." I muse.

"No, seriously, I was considering pretending nothing happened. Though, I was going to chew your balls off about it in private later." It was moments like this where her younger self came out and I wondered if having a baby was really a good thing.

"Chew my balls off, eh?" I smirk. "In private too."

"God you're gross." She exclaims, snatching the bib from me and heading to the check-out.

"Hey Katniss why don't we get this one?" I say immediately, grabbing a random bib from the shelf and scrambling up to her so that she doesn't get pissed off at me. I've seen a pissed off, pregnant Katniss, and it ain't pretty.

I mean of course Katniss is pretty, just not when she's purple in the face.

"Oh god no!" She jumps back.

"Why, what's wrong with it?" I ask her. She cocks her head to the side and gives me the 'really Gale?' look. "Oh, I see." I mumble when I look at the bib myself. It's a black bib with flames as accents around the edges and Katniss' sixteen year old face pinned on the front and center. "But I love this one." I stifle my laugh.

She frowns at me and I can't hold it back.

"You were so pretty back then." Not true. She's radiant now. The picture is the worst of her, she looks pale and young. Now she's taller, she's more muscular and she has that ageless face that's all the rage in the Capitol.

"Put it back Gale." She instructs me simply, and then she disappears around the isle corner. I chuckle and put it in my back pocket and make my way over to register number eight, where Katniss stands, wallet out and paying cash for the bib.

That's all we came to buy today? Where we even go to get a bib in the first place? I broke it. That's why she's paying for it. Wait, why is she paying for it? I didn't except the trip to end up like this. I stand behind Katniss and kiss her head. "You should've let me pay for it, babe." Now I'm going to start feeling guilty.

"Nah, I'm glad I did, that lady would've charged you extra. Looks like she absolutely hates you." I don't doubt it.

"Am I still in trouble?" I wonder aloud to her as we walk out the front door. She shrugs and I grab her bottom playfully.

She smacks my hand away and raises a fist. "Oh," She smiles menacingly. "Tons." I let her drag me to our apartment where she will definitely confront me about my naughty, naughty behavior. She's going to be a great parent.

Damn, that was terrible. I'm so sorry. :)