A/N: It's finally finished, here's the epilogue! :) This was one of my favorite things to write of the story; they encounter Peeta and Katniss in a reunion, and, well, you'll find out. :D Thankyou to anyone who reads this... I'm considering writing more Hunger Games fanfics, with multiple different pairings I enjoy (Gale/Johanna, Cato/Clove, Gale/Peeta, Johanna/Katniss, etc.) not all of which would be particularly romantic or angsty... If anyone is interested in these ideas please say so in a review :) Regardless, more fanfiction will be coming soon... Thankyou!

Ch. 6— Epilogue

The young girl squealed with delight, bouncing on her mother's bony knee. Her mother absentmindedly braided and unbraided strands of her child's brown hair, thoroughly distracted, pausing only to stroke her comely, fair-skinned face. A mere six years of life were too kind to her; she was naïve, innocent, and uncorrupted, free of the struggles and troubles that plagued both of her parents' childhoods. Her silver eyes glittered jubilantly as she scooted closer to her mother. Her parent's lap was already cramped, the space filled by her pregnant stomach.

"Stop it, Phoenix," her mother snapped as the little girl started twirling her mom's golden wedding ring; she yanked her hand out of reach, startling the little girl.

She instantaneously weakened on meeting her daughter's shocked gaze, and found herself staring into the eyes of Phoenix's father. The woman was taken by remorse, apologetically embracing her daughter and kissing her on her forehead. Phoenix returned a meek smile. However, as soon as the woman began tickling her, the girl erupted in bubbly giggles.

"Go play with your daddy, Phoenix… he looks like he could use some cheering up," Johanna whispered to her daughter. Phoenix animatedly leapt from her lap, her slight frame gracefully navigating the floor of the hovercraft, and pounced into Gale's instead.

Phoenix Helena Hawthorne. Gale had absolutely detested the name when Johanna had first suggested it. His daughter would be a powerful bird; as it just so happens, a bird on fire. It took a while, however, for the meaning to sink in; Johanna's purpose was irrelevant to Katniss or the rebels. The phoenix was a majestic avian that rose from the ashes of its damaged past; it didn't only make a name for itself above the other birds, it was reborn anew. It was eternal. And in a way, it could describe them. Gale was fine from that moment on; he had no issues with "Helena", which he knew had been one of Johanna's good friends before her untimely death at the hands of Snow.

As Phoenix hadn't been intentional, as crude as it sounds, it took six years for Gale to convince Johanna into conceiving more children. He had always desired a huge family, and contrastingly, she had never wanted children at all. Though it could be said Johanna wasn't the greatest mother, she had an irresistible soft spot for kids, and did as best she could with Gale's assistance. After a tirade of pleading from Gale, Johanna finally caved to agreement, and she was pregnant with aforementioned baby now. She had discovered just recently that it was another girl, and though anxious, was just as excited as her husband.

Gale Hawthorne lifted up his daughter just as the hovercraft jolted slightly in an air current rift; a grin stretched across his features as she laughed charmingly. The family was on their way to Annie's abode in District 4 once more. However, this situation was different: Annie Odair had decided to throw a reunion.

Most of the people invited had kept in touch and visited each other often, so a reunion wasn't really in order; for those who hadn't, it had been over seven years. Annie invited anyone she'd ever encountered, and even some she hadn't; the reason Gale wasn't so eager on it was clear. Katniss would be there. He couldn't refuse Annie, but he had hoped never to come face-to-face with the Mockingjay ever again. He had abstained from anything related to District 12 at all for as long as he could recall.

Unknown to him, Johanna had done the opposite. In fact, every half-year she would schedule catch-up telephone calls with Peeta; they had been close, but in an odd way. While being tortured in the Capitol together, they had each been the only reserve of friendship the other had been offered, especially after becoming so acquainted with each other's screams. Though both of them informed each other of the events occurring in their lives, neither told their significant other the entire truth. Peeta Mellark would say Johanna had called, mentioning nothing about Gale, and Katniss never minded, as she had been her ally in the second Quarter Quell and her friend in District 13. Gale, on the other hand, knew nothing of these phone calls, and Peeta and Johanna both reckoned it was for the better if Katniss and Gale knew as little about each other as possible until they confronted one another on their own means.

To Johanna's pleasant surprise, her husband could stand viewing Katniss Mellark on television without becoming irritated anymore; as they were all victors or celebrities of some sort or another, they had all been broadcasted individually on television at least once or twice, if not regularly. In actuality, this eased Johanna, though she wasn't under stress. Though dysfunctional at times, after the situation was done with and everything confessed, their relationship was close to ideal. Of course, no marriage is flawless, and they would have the occasional spat, as headstrong, ill-tempered, and highly-opinionated they both were; but it would taper off as soon as it had flared up. Gale and Johanna Hawthorne really did love each other, and built their relationship and romance and support, not on necessity or lust. They were each haunted by rare nightmares, but it wasn't comparable to what they suffered before; to top it off, Johanna's fear had nearly subsided as well. She had hoped Gale's mixed concerns for Katniss had as well, but he became cagey as soon as she implied they were all meeting in Four.

An abrupt thud hollowly echoed around the cabin of the aircraft upon landing, but it was free of lurching motion. Johanna unbuckled herself and strolled over to Gale's seat; she squeezed his hand, an attempt to relax his nerves, and pecked him quickly on the mouth. In response Gale wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her down closer while biting her lips, astonishing her with his sudden passion. They drew back, Johanna murmuring reassurances between kisses as she pulled away. The wide metallic doors swooped open.

Johanna Hawthorne meandered across the unstable sand dunes, clutching Phoenix's hand with whitened knuckles, the tall wavering beach grasses licking at their legs. Gale followed closely, laden down with all of the baggage, but not complaining; they had taken luggage along, as Annie had permitted the family to spend the night. The celebration was on the stretch of shore behind Annie's house, so Johanna crossed over to the beach without an inclination to enter the house first. Conveniently, Annie was the first person Johanna laid eyes on upon entering, and she sprinted off to embrace her best friend, dragging an entertained Phoenix along by the hand.

Annie and Johanna laughed more cacophonously than they had in a while, wrapped in each other's arms; Johanna congratulated her on the turnout of the reunion, observing the large quantity of guests. They retracted so that Annie could shake Gale's hand, which was struggling enough already with the task of steadying slipping bags.

"Oh, just put those in the living room," Annie giggled warmly, noticing his dilemma.

A transformation had consumed Annie Odair; though she missed Finnick with enough grief to shred her soul, she could finally be at peace. Finnick had spent his entire life battling, and now he was free; she had no cause for macabre worry. Though it had taken years to come to this revelation, the newfound contentment cloaked her. A serene glow radiated from her at all times, especially when accompanied by her seven-year-old son, Finn Xander. At times, she couldn't help but feel abandoned, though she was positive it wasn't so. He was free now, and mentally, so was she.

Gale trekked up the porch and into the home, navigating through crowds of social chaos; only a handful of people were chatting in the living room, gathered around a disheveled table of refreshments. The man dropped the bags in a corner, sucking in a sharp breath from exertion. Gale decidedly walked across the room to obtain a drink, knowing he couldn't face the situation without a weak buzz. However, on approaching the table, he instantly wished he hadn't.

Gale nearly bolted for the door the second he saw that long, thick, ebony braid swishing back and forth, like a fluid pendulum. It was her. In the seven years of his absence, she had grown out her dark rich hair once more, which had been previously singed off, and styled it in her signature braid. He ascertained that it could be no one else; even the silhouette of her high olive cheekbones on her gaunt yet lovely face defined her. Barely visible, a waxy net of scars from her burn repair surgery climbed up the back of her bare neck; they had to be burns, by the way each pale tendril puckered and curled. As if she could sense his dreading gaze on her as he backed away in a panic, she turned and locked eyes with him.

Petrified, Gale never budged a muscle; the door was merely feet away, vacant and intriguing. Yet he knew he couldn't flee; he owed it to his wife to stay, and he couldn't disappoint her. Unfortunately, he had no idea what to expect. A battle of wits was in order, and both of them were bewildered; their gray eyes mirrored one another's precisely, glimmering with adrenaline.

For an instant, it was there. The gut-wrenching, blood-boiling rage they felt at each other's betrayal and abandonment. The sore memories of a raw romance briefly shared. The despicable envy they felt for each other's happiness. Heartbreak and horrors, detest and despair. A foul, repulsive mixture of emotions bubbled and swelled within them, intoxicating their reason. Neither of them could decide what they were more inclined to do: attack in a furious rage, topple into depression, or cave to the desire that used to consume them. The passion. The hatred. The misery. It gnawed at their innards, an inferno consuming them. And then, it was gone.

Though they could've been capable of anything in that single moment, it all flooded away, the enticing and taunting fire drowned out by relief. The jealousy, desire, and anger fizzled out; though they couldn't help slight envy, and the scars gashed into each other's consciousness would never fully heal, the intensity diminished. Memories of their childhood, their lasting friendship, and all they had supported each other through resurfaced instead. For the first time in years, they were genuinely relieved that the other was alive and well, safe and happy. The static emotion in the room had paralyzed them, but now it was though Katniss and Gale were back in District 12: hunting together, isolated by woods, and entirely easy-going.

"So, I guess you've been faring well," Gale smiled crookedly, embracing the nostalgia. "Well, you look it, anyhow."

"I've been better, and I've been worse," she snorted, a type of nervous laughter escaping her. "I doubt I'm faring any better than you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he teased, chuckling slightly. Both of them were weak with the impact still, yet comfortable enough to jape at one another good-heartedly. They could tell they were both exceptionally better since their last encounter, and nearly all patched-up mentally.

"So," Katniss blurted out, seeking something to discuss; she didn't realize how awkward the topic was until it was iterated. "I'm guessing there's a Mrs. Hawthorne now?" she asked, nodding towards his wedding band. Who would've thought when she assumed Gale had been in District 2 with a fancy job, kissing another pair of lips, she would be so correct?

"Oh, yeah," Gale stuttered, examining his own ring; the jewelry was shiny, glistening gold, engraved with gorgeous patterns of leaf-covered branches intricately, so light it was easy to miss. "Yeah, there is," he smiled warmly, glancing away.

Katniss's expression was stolid and indiscernible for a moment, but it brushed away, and she looked sincerely congratulatory. "I'm happy for you."

"Thank you," he grinned. "I have a daughter too, actually… and another on the way… it's almost unreal," he stated in a sense of dazed wonder, swelling with pride. As Katniss and Gale were only in their mid-twenties, they seemed too young for the lives they were thrust into; yet the terrors they had witnessed earlier had aged them greatly.

"Oh," Katniss seemed startled at the unexpected news, not interpreting that he would have children already. Nevertheless, she gave her head a quick shake to clear the surprise. "Well, you always did want a big family… I'll look forward to meeting them."

"Something tells me you already know my wife," he laughed in an omniscient way, confusing Katniss even further. "And something tells me I know the mister, too," he added, nudging her hand with the wedding ring on it.

She had been prepared for him to be outraged over the ordeal, so the nonchalant and collected manner with which he said it set her back again.

"Yeah, I'd say you do," she laughed cautiously.

"So, how's it been in District 12?" he inquired, taking a swig of the Capitol-grade champagne Annie had poured into the part glasses to calm himself.

"It's a lot better, almost entirely repaired," she smiled, lifting a dark eyebrow. "You should consider coming back."

He shrugged, not putting much thought into the offer; he had honestly, however, been curious of the condition his home district was in.

"I'm serious," she uttered. "I miss you, Gale."

Gale choked a little on his drink, but swallowed the bitter fluid as if he was unchafed; he couldn't stop himself from saying it regardless. "I miss you too, Catnip."

Before either could process anything, they were barreling towards each other, and met in an inseparable embrace. She gripped Gale tightly and breathlessly, never permitting her best friend to leave again, and pressed a cheek against his chest, which had always been a comforting haven in her times of desperation. Of course, the hug wasn't proposed to be romantic, and nothing they had spoken of pertained to love. They were only riveted by the fortitude they had always coddled in their hearts, and they realized everything could be reversed and reborn, as if not a second had passed since that moment in the woods.

They withdrew simultaneously, serenity plastered to their faces. After a short but vague session of catching up, which mainly revolved around District 12's disposition as Katniss still persuaded him to return, the Mockingjay invited him to return to the outdoor party with her.

"No, I'm going to have another drink, but I'll catch up," he called out as she walked away. Finally, the suspense had ceased and their friendship could be rekindled; he once thought it hopeless, and now he was free.

Katniss Mellark crept through the crowd stealthily in the same mindless daze Gale was in, scanning the vast range of company. Her heartbeat was syncopated, fluttering rapidly in her ribcage; though overjoyed, she needed Peeta to steady her. She scrutinized the throngs of people eagerly. The attendance was mainly composed of folks from District 13, Annie's dear friends from District 4, and even a handful of Capitol citizens; though their era had collapsed, they still wore the gaudy, opulent Capitol apparel, struggling to keep their ludicrous sense of style alive. All of the remaining victors attended as well, even the ever-insidious Enobaria. The District 2 victor was smirking at some woman who wore a dour countenance and gave Enobaria catty glares occasionally. Katniss spontaneously recognized this woman to be Johanna Mason, and it came to her attention she was in a conversation with Peeta; Katniss surged through the crowd towards them quickly.

Johanna and Peeta were guffawing at some humorous exchange they had just shared; she socked Peeta playfully on the shoulder, causing him to stagger a bit. Johanna had grown out her lustrous chestnut hair almost until it reached her bellybutton, but in a random fit of annoyance with all the attention long hair required, sheared all of it off; she now presented it in a messy, boyish pixie cut, the choppy bangs nearly shielding her dark, interceptive eyes. She was balancing her weight on one leg, a youthful girl of about six years propped on her hip. It was obvious Johanna was experiencing issues with holding her. Her bulbous stomach curved outwards gently, and Katniss instantaneously realized she was pregnant.

"Whoa… you're the last person I expected to settle down," Katniss remarked, entering their discussion. The statement was honest; Katniss was a little startled, but nothing could shock her after seeing Gale.

"Thanks?" she snorted with amusement, reaching out to hug Katniss. The embrace was uncomfortable, as her orb-like stomach protruded between them, but was graciously returned. "Nice to see you too, Kitty Kat."

Katniss beamed. "So who's this?"

"Her name's Phoenix. Phoenix Helena," Johanna smiled softly, a vulnerable kindness Katniss had never before witnessed appearing. "She likes to be held, but she's getting big though… and kind of heavy," she admitted, her eyebrows knitting together. "Do you want to go play with Finn soon, hun?" she addressed her daughter.

"Could I hold her?" Katniss interjected, staring at the little girl whose head was turned aside.

"Of course," Johanna chuckled. "But she doesn't understand she's getting a little old for this."

Katniss cradled Johanna's daughter in her arm, peering curiously at the pleasantly tempered child. With careful fingers, she delicately brushed the dark, smooth ringlets of hair from her porcelain face. "She's beautiful," Katniss began. "She looks just like—"

Suddenly Katniss cut off in the middle of the sentence, her mouth slightly agape. It hit her like a ton of bricks, and she was lightheaded enough to keel over. Just like Gale, she finished in her mind. Among the features of a face similar to both his and Johanna's, she was staring deeply into Gale's eyes.

Slightly narrowed, fierce yet understanding, and stone grey. Their viciousness was lessened by Phoenix's innocent look, but Katniss could place these eyes anywhere. Something tells me you already know my wife. Gale's words drifted back from the recesses of her subconscious, along with a couple more. I have a daughter too, actually… and another on the way. Katniss sewed the context clues together in her head, trapped in irreversible disbelief. It had to be a coincidence, right?

Yet she was definite that it couldn't be. Suddenly, she recalled where she had seen the pattern etched on Gale's wedding ring before; it was a traditional District 7 wedding band. Her throat constricted as a lump formed within it, and she was incompetent of grasping reality.

"Oh my god," she blinked furiously multiple times. "Oh, my god…"

"Shit," Johanna spat out incredulously, unsure what to do about Katniss's actions. She glanced at Peeta for support, but he just shook his head, in the same stupor Johanna was. Katniss's mind whirled, battling to find purchase as she lowered the little girl closer to the ground and put on a semblance to conceal her astonishment. She couldn't believe it. Gale had married and knocked up Johanna Mason.

It was too coincidental but far from convenient that Gale Hawthorne materialized from the busily chatting masses of people then, slinging an arm around Johanna and planting a kiss on her head. However, he was immediately concerned with the situation, wanting an explanation as to why Katniss was ogling his daughter in awe and sputtering senselessly.

"Your hair is really pretty," a soft voice stuttered, restoring Katniss's sanity. Phoenix provided her with a tender look of sweetness, though she was actually sort of scared at her reaction.

"Th-thankyou," she stammered, her voice fainter than the rustling of curtains in the wind. She gathered her senses and composed herself.

Johanna knelt beside her daughter. "Go and find Finn, Phoenix," she ushered with a calm gesture; the girl darted into the crowd before anyone could lift a finger.

Until Phoenix had left, Katniss had been careful not to hint the slightest intimation something was amiss; unfortunately, as soon as she vanished, Katniss snapped.

"What the hell? You… and you… and that?" she gawked but never raised her voice; on the syllable "that" she splayed a hand towards Johanna's baby belly. "And you," she declared, twirling on her heels and jabbing a finger in her husband's direction. "Why aren't you surprised? Did you know about this?"

"Well," Peeta swallowed audibly, aware Katniss's anger stemmed from being left out of the loop. "Yeah, kind of… I'm sorry…"

His wife seemed to be pondering everything, so Peeta couldn't resist adding, "Honestly, most people kind of saw it coming, anyways."

After a brief consideration, the group gave a collective shrug, accepting it; even Katniss nodded in recognition.

"I suppose you're right… I just didn't expect marriage, of all things…" she trailed off, perplexed, but randomly interjected, "Oh! Don't take this the wrong way, I'm happy for you. It's just… wow…"

Everyone cackled at her fading reaction, and even the Mockingjay herself saw it fit to give a weakened smile. After the situation subsided quietly and everyone was on fine terms (and perhaps even terms of acceptance for Katniss), they all slipped into comfortable conversation, though they tended to keep to themselves and abstain from congregations of strangers. Unfortunately, Peeta found it mandatory to test the waters, hoping Gale's passive courtesy wasn't only an act.

"So, how was it that you convince the immovable 'Johanna Mason' into having children in who knows how long, and I still can't persuade Katniss?" he japed nervously, stretching his skills as a people person.

Luckily, Gale didn't appear offended; he and Johanna both seemed tentative to answer, however. "Well, we didn't… uh, you see… we sort of…" Gale began, exhaling heavily.

"Oh," Peeta's eyes widened. Johanna had informed him of Phoenix's conception, but not that it was unintentional. Katniss looked away, blowing air through her lips.

"Um… she's our favorite accident!" Johanna beamed wryly.

"Oh, god," Peeta sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. Katniss, on the other hand, giggled at Johanna's crafty comment.

Johanna recovered speedily, affirming the couple was infatuated with her, and adored their child with all they could muster. She provided a short summary of the happening, thankfully without including much detail. It generally went the way most stories of that type do, something along the lines of "We were young and in love, and we were stupid. And suddenly, we weren't so stupid anymore", though not verbatim.

"Oh, and this one is on purpose," she finished. Gale snickered and pressed his palm to Johanna's stomach eagerly, as though it were fragile.

"A girl, right?" Peeta inquired, the question based off of what Johanna had told him previously.

"Yes," Johanna chirped ecstatically. "We're going to name her Aspen Juneau."

Katniss complemented the name, and Johanna thanked her; however, she jokingly replied she couldn't take the compliment too seriously, considering what a basic and classically District 7 name Aspen was. She did mention, alas, that Gale had developed the name Juneau out of the blue.

"I still think it's a beautiful name," Peeta inserted. "You should help me come up with names for our kids, later on."

"I think you mean the kids we're definitely not having," Katniss stated, her facial expression sardonic yet comical.

"Oh, give it eight more years or so," Peeta shrugged, mouthing 'it's so happening' when Katniss turned away. He wiggled his blond eyebrows suggestively, causing Johanna to cackle; Katniss rolled her eyes as she revolved back to face him, a smile hinting at the corners of her mouth.

"Oh, whatever you say," she laughed sarcastically.

The group's topics drifted off after that, and they continued to catch up until after the sun had a departed; the sinking luminescent disc left the entire beach in the midst of nighttime. The four of them hardly interacted with the other guests.

Katniss had been suspicious of their relationship initially; it had caught her off guard, as she had generally expected them to hook up promiscuously if they ended up together. Nevertheless, it was simple for her to see that the two had never been more cheerful than when they were together, and it was meant to happen.

The Mockingjay scanned the beach, which was dimly lit by a dozen or so hanging lanterns, courtesy of Annie; a few clusters of guests were already exiting the festivities, though it had just struck nightfall. However, in the faint halo of light radiating from a lantern above them, she saw a peculiar sight. It was Johanna and Gale's daughter, Phoenix, captured in a playful tussle with Annie's son, Finn.

Finn looked exactly like his father, in a majority of features; his eyes were deep teal-green abysses, as enchanting as Finnick Odair's had been, and the man was still present in his seven-year-old son's strong build, toned jaw, and mesmerizingly quirky smile. However, his face was softened like his dear mother's, and he possessed her thick midnight-brown hair. The boy was quite a showstopper, and the center of Annie's world as it was.

Phoenix Hawthorne laughed, dirtying her brand new white frock, which was dotted with a pattern of miniscule blue flowers, in the sand; wet sand was smeared in handprints all across the flowy fabric, yet it could only pay compliment to the girl's carefree nature. Both children's knees were grazed raw by the gritty sand, their cheeks stained a rosy pink from laughter. They were a picture of innocence. And in that moment, it struck Katniss that having a few kids wouldn't kill her.

The first sight Johanna envisioned on entering the guest bedroom was her husband, framed acutely by the doorway he faced; Gale sat on the bed, his brow crinkled in concentration, dwindling his thumbs. Johanna sensed something must be disturbing him, and perched beside him upon the mattress; he flinched, returning to his senses the instant she stroked his shoulder protectively.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned, adding, "I think you did really well today… everything seemed fine… better than fine, actually…"

"Yeah, no, all of that was great… surprisingly so," Gale responded. "I should be relieved, and this should make me happy, it's just… she asked me to move back to District 12."

"Oh…" Johanna replied; she couldn't decipher how to react to the news, but she was considerably more relaxed, now that she knew there were no troubles with the Kitty Kat. At least, to her knowledge. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her I'd consider it," he sighed defeatedly, pressing two fingers to his temple. "I spent so long swearing I'd never go back, but I really miss is sometimes, not to mention my mom and little siblings live there, so I could visit more often… I just need to see what it's become…"

Johanna leaned her head upon his shoulder sympathetically, inhaling loudly. "Well, we just settled down with Phoenix, and Aspen's on the way… but if it's what you really want, I wouldn't hold you back. I'd come too."

Gale grappled for her hand and gave it a settling squeeze. "No… I don't want to have to drag you, or the kids, into anything you aren't for."

Johanna shushed him, nuzzling his shoulder, her short, feathery hair tickling his jaw. "No, I want you to be happy. You know, we could always visit before, and make up our minds then… we're in no hurry, hun. We don't have to decide yet."

She withdrew her head languidly, and reached up to caress his cheek with her thumb; all he offered was a sheepish, half-hearted smile, which Johanna didn't approve of.

"Hey, look at me," she voiced firmly. "It's all going to be alright, okay?" He glanced up to meet her gaze; in the dreary lighting of their room, her eyes twinkled like obsidian, comforting him.

"Okay," he caved, a smile flickering across his mouth. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Jo."

The woman grinned back at him successfully, but was struck with a sudden thought, and went instantly to chewing her lip, as she always did when a fit of anxiety was jeopardizing her health. "Gale… you don't want to go back to be with her, do you?"

"What?" Gale spat in shock, flabbergasted. "No… no! You should know better Johanna. I love you; simply seeing her wouldn't make me feel anything for her again. She's my best friend, but none of this is about her. You know that."

Johanna could only shrug; she believed her husband, but she desired strongly to know everything he was feeling about today's experiences, about the girl on fire. She had, however, faith and trust in Gale beyond reconcile, and decided she would let him explain when the time was right. She knew he only loved her, that Katniss wouldn't be a problem, but it still irked her.

"Whatever you say, hotshot," was all Johanna murmured.

"Johanna—" he started, but never finished his sentence, jolting forwards to kiss her. Gale ran a hand up her spine and clutched the short hair above the nape of her neck, the other hand holding the small of her back; she responded fervently on instinct, shoving her body against his and sucking on his lips harder, her tongue tracing the back of his teeth. Gale broke away from the passionate liplock to say something, his forehead pressed against hers.

"It was never her, you know," he mumbled. "I thought it was, then, but it wasn't.
It was always you, just you."

Gale stretched out his neck and began to kiss her again. However, the young man paused when he sensed his lips brushing against her teeth; she was smiling. Perhaps she'd even been teasing all along. "I know," she breathed into his mouth. "I know."

She clambered on top of him eagerly, biting his tongue and grinding their heated bodies together roughly with an irresistible friction. Gale spontaneously required that same closeness as many a time before, and he was starved for her; he needed to emulsify himself in her, immerse his entire being in all that she was. Both belligerent and benevolent, she was everything to him, the absolute quintessence of passion. Never before had he encountered a force so appealing, so tantalizing, so unique. And no matter what, she was always his.

Gale finally realized he never had to run from fire ever again; however, curiously enough, it only attracted him to Johanna's fire more. He didn't want to be burned, he wanted to be incinerated. So, as she cupped her hands around his neck and kissed him, pulling him lower and closer to her, he was haunted with no more worries, and no curiosity for the approaching embers he would willingly kick up into sparks on his return. Instead, he let all of himself go to her, as was always his habit, and let her drag him into the inferno.