The Epilogue

September 779 (or, 3.5 years after the Rebellion ended)

"Daddy!" Reed screamed, nearly tripping over himself and shot down the stairs and into his father's outstretched arms.

"Hey, Kiddo," Gale said as he scooped his son up into a big hug. "How've you been?" he asked as he carried his son into the kitchen to greet Katniss.

"Hey," he said, and she turned around to give him a kiss. Gale put Reed down and embraced her.

Reed pulled at his father's pants, demanding back his attention.

"Dad, I want to tell you what I learned at school today!"

"Yeah, I want to hear all about it," Gale said beaming.

He'd missed his son's first week of preschool. He'd had to go to the Capitol for work, ironically, to champion Twelve's educational program. The Districts were still pretty badly divided in how they did things, and in the three years since the rebellion ended, there was a lot of disparity between the success they were all having.

Coin's presidency had allowed each District a lot of freedom in choosing how they wanted to do and operate things, but it was becoming pretty clear now that some programs were working better than others. She was basing her reelection campaign on programs that would integrate the diverse systems and bring the best ones to all the districts.

Four's transportation systems and new construction had been immensely successful, and the employment programs in Eight had amazing results – to Haymitch's surprise – and Five was making a lot of progress with their renewable energy plan.

Twelve was seeing great results with its educational system that been created, shockingly, by Haymitch, who somehow found himself mayor of Twelve.

"Well god dammit," he told Katniss on the day he was sworn in, "I'd just gotten so used to ordering people around…I don't know how the hell this happened."

She smiled. Leadership suited her old mentor. He still hadn't had a drop to drink since they rebellion had ended, and he'd done a great job organizing all the returning people into gather food, supplies, and rebuilding. He also had the connections with Coin's newly elected government to see Twelve succeed. He was their best choice, she knew it.

"You sure you don't want this gig?" he joked. "You always did like bossing people around."

Katniss smiled. "Nah," she said, looking down at her baby in her arms, "I've found a better job."

Haymitch's educational plan was called ARENA, and it sprung from Haymitch's mentoring experience. Gale liked to joke that Haymitch's only real contribution was the name as he'd spent several days coming up with a title to meet the acronym: Academic Requirements to Educate the Nation's Adolescents.

"You'd be surprised how much and how quick kids can learn when their lives are on the lines," he told the educational board one day.

"We can't endanger the children," a horrified woman told him.

"I'm just saying, these kids aren't going to learn anything unless they see the value to it."

And so ARENA began. It was an integrated process that focused on using the traditional subjects to build real world skills and focused on building relationships between the teachers and their students. Instead of teachers being assigned one class to teach repeatedly year after year, they were assigned one group of students and taught them through the years.

Gale was honorably discharged from the nation's army for his failure to report to duty when Katniss was in labor. He'd turned off his communicuff and missed the numerous orders he'd been given to help fight.

"You know I hate to do this to you," General Piece told him when he turned in his uniform, weapon, and medals. "But we can't make exceptions."

"I'd never ask you to, Sir."

Gale never admitted the dismissal hurt him. He just said he didn't care and wanted to return and help rebuild Twelve anyway. But Katniss could tell it took something out of him to lose the camaraderie and respect he'd earned there.

He and Katniss returned three months after the war ended. Gale first helped with the new construction efforts, building a large part of his and Katniss's house himself, and planning many others. When Haymitch was nominated to be mayor, he told Katniss he'd only do it if Gale helped.

"I'm only doing this if your boy helps me."

"He'll help," Katniss said, knowing full well Gale'd be happy to do it. He was, and he'd since become one of Haymitch's top advisors, overseeing many of the district's new projects.

Katniss, on the other hand, was more than happy to be a stay at home mom, she wanted nothing to do with anyone other than Gale and their son for the first several months of his life. She did, reluctantly however, finally agree to use her good name and celebrity to promote important social programs when Prim kept begging her about a volunteer and donation opportunities she'd been working on in Four.

"Oh please, Katniss, do you know how much attention we'll get if you come?"

Katniss huffed. "People should come because it's an important program, not because of me."

"Yeah, but you know that's not how it works." Prim argued, and sure enough, she was right. Five times more people than expected showed up to Prim's program when Katniss agreed to come.

Prim and Torry decided to remain in Four after the war ended, much to Katniss and her mother's dismay. Anise was visibly upset and ordered her youngest daughter home, but Prim stoutly refused.

"Do you know how many injured people there are out here? This is where I'm needed."

"Prim, you're still a child…"

"I don't care! I'm going to do what needs to be done!"

Katniss had never realized just how alike she and her sister were until that moment. Prim had visited several times, but lived with Torry and his family in Four.

As Katniss sat in her kitchen, she stared down at her personal planner as Reed babbled to his father about his first week at school.

Most of her pages were empty now. They used to be filled with meetings and events. She spoke for Adult Literacy Programs in Ten, the Start You Own Garden Council in Eight, a Clothes Donation service in One…

Now, the only things on her calendar were Rory and Meeda's baby shower and Prim's wedding.

"And I learned a new song at school…" Reed continued.

"You did?" Gale lifted his son into his arms again.

"Yeah!" he said proudly and began to sing, "A bee sees the…elephant, I think." Reed's little face fell and he looked sheepish. "I forget the rest."

Gale frowned and tried to figure out what song his son was trying to sing as Katniss laughed from her seat.

"I forgot to teach our son the ABC's," she confessed and Gale laughed.

"Can I go outside and play with Cooper?" Reed asked. Cooper was their hound dog. Gale'd always wanted a dog, and he'd mentioned getting one several times since they returned to Twelve. Even though Katniss didn't want one, she finally broke down and got one for Gale for his birthday the year before.

Cooper actually turned out to be more of her dog that Gale's. Much to Gale's chagrin, he was gone so often these days that Cooper bonded more with Katniss than him. She even let Cooper sleep in bed with her while Gale was gone. Cooper was also a great companion for Reed and was often his only playmate.

"Yeah," Gale said, "but say in the front where I can see you," he said protectively.

Reed shrieked happily, calling the dog as he rushed outside to play.

"A bee sees the elephant?" Gale laughed as he put his hands around Katniss and kissed her more passionately. He'd missed her.

"Yeah," Katniss laughed. "He knows all the verses of Deep in the Meadow and The Hanging Tree…"

"You taught him The Hanging Tree?"

"Yeah."

"Katniss, he's three." Gale didn't think that song was appropriate for a child.

"He's almost four," Katniss dismissed. Her father'd taught her that son when she was about Reed's age. She didn't see a problem with it.

Gale just shook his head. "How've you been?" he asked as he opened their fridge and looked for a snack.

"I'm fine," Katniss said as she looked back at her nearly empty calendar before her. "I went and got Meeda and Rory's baby present today."

Gale let out heavy breath. Meeda and Rory were a contentious subject in his family. Rory was the issue more than Meeda. She was actually a very sweet girl, but Rory'd been fired from the two jobs Gale'd gotten him since they moved back to Twelve and he and Meeda weren't married yet. They'd just moved in with Hazelle, and they were driving her crazy.

"Don't forget we're going to that next weekend."

"I know."

"And you better be nice."

"I'll be nice," Gale said, crunching into an apple.

"That means no lecturing your brother or starting any arguments."

"Hey," Gale said suddenly authoritatively, "he's about to be a father. He needs to…"

"No lectures and no arguments," Katniss said with equal authority. "And you have to be nice to Kurt too."

Gale looked at Katniss like she was asking too much. Kurt was a 'friend' of his mother's. Gale didn't have a problem with him until Kurt answered the door to his mother's house one morning in a towel when Gale was dropping off some oil she needed for her radiator.

"Oh, thanks, but I already fixed the radiator for her," Kurt said with a big smile. Gale had to stop himself from punching the man.

Gale told his mother he thought it was "wildly inappropriate" to have Kurt over. Hazelle coldly thanked Gale for his opinion and reminded him that he no longer lived under her roof, and even if he did, he didn't have the right to tell her what to do.

The fight that ensued loomed over the family for two holidays and made for awkward family gatherings. Katniss finally forced Gale to apologize and make up with his mom before Reed's second birthday.

"Apologize!? Are you kidding me?"

"Not even a little."

"She had a strange man in the house. And Posy was in the next room!"

"Gale," Katniss said with her last bit of patience. "Can't you just be happy that your mom's found someone who makes her happy?"

"Of course," Gale said. "That's not the issue."

"Then what is?"

Gale thought it was obvious until Katniss asked him. But he didn't know what to say.

"That's what I thought," Katniss said. "Now, go talk to your mother." She leaned in and kissed him.

"Fine."

"And I want you to invite Kurt to the party too."

Gale huffed.

"He's practically part of the family," Katniss said, "He and your mom have been—"

"Ahh! Stop it! I don't want to know what he and my mom have been doing or where or for how long!"

"You're being ridiculous. What are you going to do when Posy starts dating?"

Gale's look told Katniss he didn't think Posy would ever start dating.

"God, you're lucky we don't have daughters."

. . .

"How's Reed doing in school?" He asked, eager to change the subject and know about his son's first week at school. It really bothered Gale that he'd missed being here for it.

"It's been going really great," Katniss admitted. She'd also been nervous about sending her son away. "He's handling it better than I am." She was really upset about sending her son away, and had spent her first morning alone anxious and distraught. But when she picked him up from school, he was beaming and bubbling about all the fun he'd had learning and playing with other kids.

"He really enjoys it. Playing with the other kids, learning…" She let out a wistful sigh.

Gale came over and kissed her on the top of her head and squeezed her shoulder. He knew how hard it was for her to be apart from Reed. It was hard for him too.

Gale glanced protectively out the window to check on his son who was tossing a ball playfully with the dog.

"There's actually something I wanted to talk to you about," she said, drumming her a pen on her planner.

"Yeah?" Gale asked, still watching their son and taking another bite of his apple.

"What do you think about having another baby?"

Gale nearly choked on his piece of apple and had to knock his chest. He was certain he misheard Katniss.

"What?" he said when he stopped coughing.

"I want to have another baby," Katniss said, turning towards him. "What do you think?"

Gale stared at her blankly. After the birth of Reed, Katniss had made it very clear that she never wanted to have another child. Seeing how arduous the labor was and knowing Katniss had never wanted kids before, Gale never pressed the issues. But he'd always secretly wanted more children.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah," she said plainly, as if she were simply suggesting what they should have for dinner and not changing their whole lives.

"But…what…" Gale didn't understand what was going on.

"I know I said I didn't want any more…"

"Yeah," Gale said. She'd said that like a thousand times.

"But," she shrugged, dropping her eyes down to the calendar before her. "With Reed starting school…"

"Katniss, I know it's an adjustment now that he's away for a few hours every day…"

"No, Gale, that's not what this is about. On the first day Reed came home from school, Reed was so excited. He was ecstatic. And all because he got to play with other kids."

Gale nodded. Reed's only social interactions were usually limited to Gale, Katniss, both their mothers, and Posy.

"I mean, I asked him how his day was, and he said, 'Mommy, you won't believe it, but I got to play with other kids!'"

Katniss got teary-eyed just thinking about it, and Gale felt his heart ache too.

"And then, he was supposed to draw a picture of his family one day, and he called Cooper his brother." Katniss pointed to the fridge, and Gale found the picture clipped to the side. Sure enough, the word brother was sloppily written above the image of the dog.

Katniss was getting emotional and Gale dropped on his knees by her side. "Hey," he said, taking her face into his hands. "Why don't we think about this for a while…"

"Don't you want more kids?" Katniss said angrily.

"Of course I do. You know I do. But I also know you don't."

"Well, I've changed my mind."

Gale frowned. "As much as I want a bigger family, Katniss, I don't want you to rush into something you don't want or will regret because you're having a hard time being apart from Reed."

"Damn it, Gale," she said getting up and pacing. "Why do you always think I don't know my own mind? This isn't some impulse. I don't want another child because I can't handle being alone in the morning or miss holding a baby. I want another kid because the best part of my childhood was my sister and I want Reed to have that too! I want him to have someone to play with and be his best friend."

"You're serious?" He said, slowly realizing that she was.

"Yes. I've been thinking about this for a while now. When Meeda found out she was pregnant. Now that's Prim's getting married…"

Gale stepped closer to her and looked her in the eyes. "You really want another baby?"

"Yes."

Gale grabbed her and swung her in his arms. Katniss let out a shriek of laughter as Gale kissed her passionately before setting her down on the counter. "Then let's make a baby."

She wrapped her legs around him and kissed him back. "Easy now," she said when she realized just how excited he was getting. "I didn't mean we had to start right now."

"Why not?" Gale said, nuzzling her neck and reaching his hands under her shirt.

Katniss laughed, and took Gale's face into her hands as she pulled him away. As much as he wanted to, he knew they couldn't make love in the kitchen.

But that night, in bed, after they'd put their son to sleep, Gale eagerly picked up where they left off.

"Come here," he said, pulling Katniss to him.

The couple had a very satisfying sex life, but Katniss could practically feel the sparks flying off his skin that night. Maybe it was because he'd been away for two weeks, she thought, but she suspected it was because she was so excited to increase their family.

There was something more exciting about making love for this reason, and she let out a deep moan as Gale slid off her shirt and pulled her into bed with him.

He climbed on top of her, peppering her skin with hot kisses as he slid off his shorts and found her found her breasts.

"What are you doing?"

Reed was standing in their doorway, staring at his parents curiously.

Gale immediately rolled off Katniss as she thrust the sheets up to her chin.

"Are you playing a game?"

"He's your son," Katniss whispered as she pressed her face into Gale's shoulder and stifled a laugh.

Gale grunted and nodded. He threw his legs off the other side of the bed and awkwardly put his shorts back on.

"What are you doing out of bed, buddy?" He asked as he adjusted himself and went over to scoop up his son.

"I don't know," Reed said plainly.

"Well, it's time to go to sleep," Katniss heard Gale say as he carried their son back to his room.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. Very sure."

Katniss couldn't stop smiling as she lay in bed, listening to her husband read to their son and realizing just how happy she was. She still couldn't believe sometimes that this was her life.

"Now where were we?" Gale asked when he came back into the room.

"Just so you know, I started without you." Katniss said, throwing off the covers and pulling Gale's body back on top of hers.

"So you did." Gale immediately hardened when her felt how wet and hot she was. "You're really sure you want another one of those?" Gale asked through a laugh as his lips found her nipple again and his hands began to do their work.

"Yes," Katniss answered. "Yes!"

The rest of the epilogue will continue in a new story which I'm calling "Undying Love." I know it's a corny title, but I wanted another "Un-" Something title to match "Uncovered Passions." And I really figured 60 chapters was more than enough for one story. So I'm going to include a few more scenes from their future there. Please join me! And, as always, let me know what you think.