On my Spotify, I made a Gale Hawthorne playlist called Gale Hawthorne Vibes. You guys can listen to it while reading.
Spotify: Kailey Pottah. And my PFP is a picture of Draco Malfoy <3
Y/n's POV
Every day seems to be the same. They pump Tracker Jacker venom into me. Torture me. Starve me. It's the same thing. I feel my memories changing even more. I still love Gale, but he seems like a bad person now. I want to love Gale the way I used to. But I can't. I try. But it's hard. Today I have to do another interview. I was put in another dress and had to do another interview with Flickerman. I know what I need to do. And I know the consequences. But I'm willing to face them if it means that the rebels live.
Gale's POV
It's been a few days since the interview with Y/n. I can't stop worrying about her. President Coin, Plutarch, Beetee, Haymitch, and I have been brainstorming a rescue plan. We need to save Y/n, Johanna, and Annie. Finnick is a mess without Annie. He has been quiet, and he's always tying knots, I guess it calms him.
Let me just recap yesterday real quick. It was crazy. We went to District 8 to visit a hospital and help them. To at least give them hope that we can win this rebellion. We visited them, and when we left there were these hovercrafts that came in and started dropping bombs. Earlier in the day, Beetee gave us new weapons, Katniss' bow came with these amazing arrows, the red ones make things explode. She shot one of the red ones at the planes but before that, the bombers dropped a bomb on the hospital. Everyone in there died. The Capital claims they want peace, but this isn't peace, this is war. They're making it worse. We went back to District 13 and continued with our schedules.
Today Coin said that Katniss and I can go hunting. Right now we're above ground in the forests of 13. It's peaceful, It's a lot like back home, well, what home used to be. We hunted around for a couple of hours, then we sat by a river nearby.
"I haven't been able to hunt for...a long time it feels like, all of 12 was covered with peacekeepers, and not an inch of the fence wasn't guarded by one of them," Katniss said
"Yeah, that was crazy. At least here we can...live without always having to watch our backs for peacekeepers" She nodded.
"How's the rescue planning going?"
"Good, actually. We have a few pretty good ideas, but we're still figuring it out. We only have one chance, you know?"
"Yeah. Don't worry, we'll get her back, no matter what" We had to go back underground now, so we get up and start walking back. When we get back we have to head to the conference room to talk over something. As we walk into the cafeteria I hear the tv playing. It's Caesar Flickerman again.
"He was arguably our favorite tribute. And I think that that's what we all find most astonishing, is that this young man was adored in the Capital. And I think for you, Y/n, this must be particularly painful." The Screen changed to Y/n. She looks so different. She's very noticeably shaking, she looks starved and terrified, all much more than in the last interview.
"Oh, my god," I whispered when I saw her. "She's changed so much, what are they doing to her?"
"I wish I could see you, Gale" Y/n said, looking down at a rose she was holding.
"Oh, you do? Well, that's surprising because of all the violence he has caused. You must love him very much to be able to forgive him. I don't think that I could. Unless, of course, Y/n, you think perhaps he's being forced into saying things that he doesn't even understand."
"...No-" She started but immediately looked terrified. "I mean, *sigh* yes, that's exactly what I think. I think they're using him to whip up the rebels...I doubt he even knows what happens. And what's really at stake." It looked like she was reading something that they were telling her to say.
"Now, Y/n, I doubt the rebels will ever let him see this. But if they do, what would you say to him? To Gale, the once-loved, Gale Hawthorne?"
"I would...tell him to think for himself. Don't be stupid, Gale, don't the rebels control you. I...I know you never wanted a rebellion. The things you did in the games were never intended to start all of this." She was starting to tear up and she looked like she absolutely did not want to say this. "The rebels have made you into something that you're not. Something that can destroy all of us. So if you have any power or any say in what they do or how they use you...please, please urge them to stop this war. Before it's too late. And ask yourself, can you trust the people you're working with? Do you know what they really want?"
"Thank you miss Y/n Y/l/n, for speaking tonight." Caesar finished
"Oh my god, did you see what she looks like?" I said to Katniss
"...I-I can't even imagine what she's going through. She looked so...scared and helpless. I bet they were forcing her to say all those things. She didn't mean any of it. I wonder what they're doing to her"
"Me too"
We had to go to the conference room to meet up with Coin. While we were in there we strategized some more rescue plans. Katniss and I didn't tell anyone that we saw the interview with Y/n. We weren't supposed to see it and Coin doesn't need to know that we did.
After the meeting Coin said that Katniss, Peeta, and I and a camera team will go back to district 12 and get some footage of it, and explain what happened there. On the way there we were all silent except for when Cressida gave us instructions on what to do when we got there.
***
In District 12
"Okay, I want to start with you in front of the Justice building, got it?" Cressida said to me
"Got it" I said. I walked up to the now destroyed justice building and looked at it. right here was where everything changed forever. When I volunteered for Rory, when Y/n and I shook hands, before heading to the capital for the first time.
"Why dont you tell us what happened her?" Cressida asked me, but I dont know, I wasn't here when it happened. I didn't say anything, then Katniss decided to.
"We were all standing right here, watching the games when you shot that arrow" She started, "The screens just went dark, nobody had any idea what happened. Then the peacekeepers forced us to go back into our homes. For about and hour the town was dead quiet. Silent. A little bit past nine we heard the trucks pulling out, I knew what that meant." She looked down and stopped talking so Peeta took over for her.
"Me, Katniss and a few other kids our age came and got everyone out of their homes. We ran out that way. We saved a total of 915 people. 915 out of 10,000. I feel like I could have grabbed more people and dragged them with me, and there was kids I could have carried, I-"
"You saved so many people, Peeta. If it weren't for you and Katniss there would be no District 12 not even a memory of it." Cressida said. It hurts knowing that over 9,000 people died that day. This used to be my home, this is where I grew up. And it's all rubble now. All the more reason to hate the Capital.
The bombers wrecked every single house except for the victors village. We went back to my house and I decided to grab a few things for my family. In my house everything was the same as how I remember it. I grabbed my parents wedding picture for my mom, my little sisters favorite stuffed animal and blanket -She's been having trouble sleeping without them- I grabbed my little brother, Rory's, lucky baseball -he loves that thing- and I grabbed some of Vick's favorite action figures for him. I went up to my room and found a picture of Y/n and I, I took that with me to. I figured that Y/n's mom would want some things from their house to, I went over and in the living room I saw a scrapbook, it looked pretty sentimental so I grabbed that along with her parents wedding picture, I grabbed a painting that I know is very important to Y/n's mother, I went up to Y/n's room and saw a little note on her nightstand. I opened it up
Dear Gale,
If you're reading this it means that you survived the Games again. I hope you are, because you deserve to live. I keep thinking about our first kiss, I keep replaying it in my head, I know I'm going to do whatever I can to keep you alive in the arena, and if you're reading this, I guess I succeeded in my plan. I wrote this because I know I'm not coming out of the arena again, not alive anyway, and I need to tell you that I love you. So much. I need you to know that I'm not scared. Of dying anyway. I'm scared of letting the Capital control me. I'm scared of losing you. Sometimes I think about what life is now, then I think back to a time when things were just...easier. Before we went into the Games. Before all this shit happened. I'm so thankful that I got to spend my -short- life with you, and Peeta and Katniss. You guys are my world, please tell them that, and tell them that I'll miss them. Oh, and here's the promise ring you gave me. I'll never forget when you gave it to me. That was the best night ever. They wont let me wear it in the arena and I dont want it getting lost in the Capital, so please keep it. I'm sorry we couldn't live long enough to get married, and live happily, but that's just life I guess. I love you, Gale. Take care of everyone for me, and take care of yourself, you deserve to be happy. Thank you for being here for me, and loving me, and being my boyfriend. Goodbye.
Love Y/n
(This note was a little bit inspired by Newt's note in the end of The Death Cure. That note in the movie had me crying all night. Newt was my favorite character 😭😭 anyway, just clarifying that I didn't come up with this note entirely by myself)
I teared up as I read it. Y/n was prepared to die in the arena. I took the ring in my hand and looked at it, I ran my finger along the top of it. I read the last 3 sentences of the note over and over.
"Y/n..." I whispered, then Katniss and Peeta walked in.
"Hey, Gale, They got the footage they need, it's time to go" Katniss said
"Oh, yeah, sorry. One second" I put the note in my pocket along with the ring then followed them downstairs. We made it back to the hovercraft and were headed to 13 again. I was quiet the whole way back. I couldn't stop thinking about the note. I couldn't stop thinking about Y/n.
***
We made it back to 13 and my family was very happy to have their sentimental stuff again. Y/n's Mother teared up when she received the wedding picture and the scrapbook.
***
I didn't feel like eating at dinner, so I gave it to Finnick. I couldn't stop thinking about the note, and what Y/n is going through right now. I went to bed early tonight. A part of me just wants to forget everything, but another wants to make everything right. Even though I went to bed early, I was still tossing and turning until like 3 am. I can't wait until they finally decide on a rescue plan already. It has to be soon.