20. Returning to Some Normalcy

       All was peaceful in the bedroom. The sheets were so comfortable, the birds kept their chirping to a minimum outside, and I had Gale by my side. I was alert but too lazy to open my sleepy eyes to the new day. Today was my final day being in this white bedroom. Today, I’d be returning home to the Hawthorne house, where I was sure a welcome-home was unavoidable.

It had been roughly five days since we had escaped the Capitol’s prison. Things were starting to go back in the right direction. My injuries were slowly scarring, the stitches in my leg and side had been removed. Whatever hijacking Katniss had been subjected to was slowly making its way out of her system.

            I swear Gale hadn’t let me go all night. This was the third time in five days that Gale stayed overnight here with me. Katniss and Peeta had no problem with it, just so long as we didn’t do anything naughty. That was something to laugh at because neither of us had those intentions. It was a time for recovery, not sex.

            I threw my arm across his chest, letting it hang there. I slowly adjusted, burying my head into his neck. I felt him turn his head so his cheek rested on top of my head.

            “Peeta, I don’t think they’re up yet,” I heard Katniss from the other side of the closed door. “Let them sleep.”

            “Katniss, it’s almost noon. I’m sure they’re starving,” Peeta retorted. I never thought we were in bed for that long.

            “If you wake them up, they’ll yell at you. They hate it when you barge in on them like you’re about to do.”

            “Fine, I’ll peek in to see if they’re up.”

            I tried to keep a placid face as I heard the bedroom door creak open. I heard one footfall, so I assumed Peeta was looking in.

            “See?” Katniss whispered. She had to be at the door, too. “They’re still sleeping. Like I told you, they’ll get up when they want to.”

            “It’s so uncanny how you and her look so much alike,” Peeta murmured. “I would almost say that’s you there with him instead of Katrina.”

            “Very funny. Come on, Peeta, close the door and let them be.”

            “Actually, they can stay asleep. It can give us some time alone.”

            “Peeta—”

            “I’m only suggesting cuddling and some kissing, Katniss, nothing extreme like you think,” he groaned. The door clicked shut and their footsteps faded. I yawned and opened my eyes.

            “You heard them, too?” Gale whispered. He was up? I looked up at him and nodded. “Just think, by tonight, you’ll be back home with me.”

            “Can’t wait,” I mouthed. Gale grinned and kissed my forehead. Over the course I was stuck here as well, Gale had been practicing to read my lips. He was definitely getting better, because I was using the notepad less and less. “I want to try something.”

            “Like what?”

            I propped myself up on one elbow. I had wanted to do this for quite some time, but I had been afraid to because I no longer had a tongue. I didn’t know why, but I just felt that this experience would feel much different without one.

            I rose, hovering over Gale as he sunk his head into the pillow. I kissed him ever so gently. It did feel weird, but the sensation still felt the same. My stomach was tumbling constantly.

            Gale gently rolled me over so that he was over me. I smiled as I stroked his hair. My fingers knotted themselves there when Gale kept kissing me. One hand stroked my face as our faces were close to each other, both gazing into each other’s eyes.

            “Do you think we better get up now before either of them barges in?” Gale questioned me.

            “Might as well,” I mouthed, shrugging. Gale wriggled his arms under my back and my arms secured themselves around his neck as he helped me sit up.

            “Let’s see how bad the scars are today.” I twisted around so Gale could lift up the back of my shirt and see the whip scars. I shivered when a hand delicately moved over the marks. “They look a little bit better. Yours look worse than mine do. Actually, I think you have a lot more than me.”

            Gale planted delicate kisses along my back. My back arched, butterflies running in my stomach. His hands rubbed my sides as he tenderly kissed my neck. I smiled. This was definitely a good morning.

            I twisted back around to look at him. I had never seen my injuries on my back, and I never planned to. If Gale said they were worse than his, I believed it. Over the few days I spent recovering, ever since I realized he told the truth about the slipup, I learned I could trust him like I did once before.

            “And here I never thought you’d have scars of any kind,” he murmured as his fingers tickled my scarred back. “It’s weird looking at you with scars like this.”

            “They just show how strong I really am.” I grinned.

            “They must, because I don’t know too many people who’ve gotten speared, whipped, stabbed, and had a tongue removal, and still be alive.”

            “Can I leave now, or will you keep me hostage here?” I raised an eyebrow.

            “I’ll let you shower.” He kissed my nose. “And don’t worry, I won’t try and sneak in, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’ll be a gentleman.”

            I slid off the bed, both legs strong and stable. My left leg was still a little weak, but at least I could put weight on it. I was glad I didn’t have stitches anymore, I was ecstatic when they were removed.

            I slunk away to the bathroom in Katniss and Peeta’s bedroom before either noticed me. This was the last time I’d see this luxury and live in it. I’d be back in the Seam with the Hawthorne family. Honestly, to me, I’d rather have family over luxury. I found true happiness to be in the comfort of family, not money.

            I was wrapped in a towel coming out of the steaming bathroom when a knock on the door made me jump.

            “Katrina, are you in there?” Katniss called. I scurried to the door and pried it open. “Stay in there, I want to try and wash out your hair dye before you leave.”

            I slowly backed up, securing the towel around me while Katniss shut and locked the door behind her. It took twenty minutes for her to really get most of the dye out. She ruffled my hair with another towel before I looked into the foggy mirror.

            The reflection staring back at me was one I had missed for nearly two weeks. Her dirty blonde hair was very dark because of being under water, but when it’d dry, the color would show. The only difference to her was that she had battle scars. That gives me an idea. I slowly turned around, twisting my head around to see if I could even peek at my whip scars. I could just see a few pop out from under the towel. The sneak peek was good enough for me.

            “Be thankful you can’t see all the damage,” Katniss said as she looked at me in the mirror. I looked at her. “Come on, get dressed. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

            Katniss abandoned me as she left me to her wardrobe. I went in comfortable clothing, a loose t-shirt and sweats. I let my hair air-dry, so I didn’t put it up.

I ventured to the kitchen to see Gale was already done eating, and everybody was in the kitchen except for me. Gale and Peeta had to take a double take. Katniss snickered behind her hand. I gave both boys an are-you-serious? look. Gale came to me, towering above me.

            “Now this is the you I know,” he crooned. I smiled, blushing a bit. I moved from Gale so that Peeta could look at me. Peeta shook his head so that he didn’t stare like he was already doing.

            “That makes quite a difference,” he murmured. He quickly looked to Katniss, then at me.

            “If I didn’t know any better, you and her could pass off as cousins, Peeta,” Katniss sniggered.

            “Oh, just like you and Gale could?” he retorted. I grabbed Gale’s hand, messing with it.

            “Are you still hungry?” Katniss asked me. I shook my head.

            “Should we head back home, then?” Gale proposed to me. I peered up at him, giving a bob of my head.

            “We’ll walk out with you.”

            We four all walked out into the bright day. There were people about, working or just roaming around. Gale and I had quite a walk ahead of us. I looked over my shoulder at Peeta and Katniss as they stood in the doorway.

            Gale and I started our walk back to home when the thought popped into my head. Where were my manners? I stopped, turned around and jogged back.

            “Did you forget something?” Katniss asked.

            “Katrina?” Gale called. I heard him come back to me.

            “Wait, I think I know what she wants,” Peeta murmured, ducking back into the house briefly. Katniss, Gale, and I all listened as Peeta rummaged through the house, coming out a minute later with a good bunch of notepads. My eyes bulged.

            “Good thinking,” Katniss mused. Gale took them from Peeta so I didn’t have to carry them. “I’m sure this won’t be the last time we’ll see each other. I think you and I ought to venture out just by ourselves one day, Katrina. I want to home in your shooting skills so you can hunt.”

            I nodded, now actually considering the idea. Before, I never wanted anything to do with killing animals. I had killed two mutts not long ago with only hours of training under my belt. Katniss was pretty good, so I had no doubt I’d be just as good as her if we were out together.

            “Actually, I think I’ll just get my bow and arrows right now. I’m not going to shoot them; I just want to make sure I’m more comfortable around them.” Katniss departed. That’s how she’d been recovering; she was slowly adjusting to having a bow and arrow back in her hand.

            I looked to Gale. “I’ll catch up, get a head start,” I told him.

            “I won’t get far.” He started heading the other way with the notepads. That left me and Peeta out alone.

            I got close to him. “Can you tell what I’m saying?” I asked slowly.

            “Wow, I can. Cool.”

            “I never properly thanked you for saving my life.”

            “It was nothing, Katrina, really.”

            “I feel like I should owe you something.”

            “Just take care of yourself, okay?”

            I grinned. “I’ll try my best.” I kissed his cheek as another token of my gratitude. “Thank you, for everything.”

            “Y-you’re welcome,” he stammered. He blushed bright red. I turned the other way and flitted to Gale.

            “You ready to rejoin the family?” he asked as he grabbed my hand.

I tugged him along; it was obvious what my answer was.

*          *           *

            The moment the Hawthorne house was in my sight, I had to restrain myself to make sure I didn’t go bursting into the house like a crazy person.

            “Welcome home,” Gale whispered to me. At the door of the house, we stopped. “I’ll go in first. They don’t know you’re supposed to be coming home today.”

            I twitched with anxiety as Gale went inside. I was outside patiently, but I could hear what was going on inside.

            “There you are!” Hazelle squeaked. “How is she?”

            “She’s doing well. Where is everybody else?” Gale’s voice was low.

            “In their rooms. They’ve been asking about her a lot, especially Posy.”

            “We’re going to have to explain to them about her muteness somehow, Mom. It’s unavoidable.”

            “We’ll figure out something. I assume that’s why you have all that paper?”

            “Yeah, for when she comes back.”

            “Gale?” Posy’s voice piped. “You’re home!” I heard her shrill giggle as Gale must’ve picked her up.

            “Hey, Vick, he’s back!” Rory called.

            “Maybe Katrina’s with him!” Vick theorized. I heard the boys run out to join the family. “Wait…she’s not back yet?”

            I took that as my cue to finally step in. Hazelle gasped at the sight of me, Rory and Vick’s mouths were on the floor.

            “Trina!” Posy screeched. She immediately reached for me. Gale handed her over to me, and she held me tight. I sniffed as I held back tears.

            “My goodness!” Hazelle squeaked, coming to hug me while I held Posy. “You’re back!”

            I nodded.

            “Why aren’t you saying anything?” Vick asked. I gazed down at him.

            “Rory, Vick,” Hazelle said solemnly. “You better sit down for this.”

            “Why? What’s going on?” Rory piped.

            “I’ll explain. Please, sit.”

            Rory and Vick looked puzzled, but they sat down at the table anyway. Hazelle had a hand on my shoulder, Gale stood on my other side, and I still held Posy.

            “All right, what’s up?” Vick asked.

            “Gale,” Hazelle croaked, “you better tell them.”

            Gale dived into the tale immediately, trying to not be too descriptive so nobody got freaked out. Posy buried herself in me at the scary parts, as if I would make the scary parts go away. Oh how I wished I could. I wished they had never happened either.

            “So…they did that to you?” Rory asked me. “Cut it out?”

            I gave a solemn bob of my head.

            “And now you can’t talk, at all?” Vick asked. I gave a nod of confirmation. “That’s so wrong.”

            That wasn’t the answer I expected. I was expecting something more along the lines of ‘sweet, now we can pick on her even more.’

            “Now just because Katrina has lost her voice does not mean that you can pick on her,” Hazelle warned the boys.

            “Honestly, Mom, we’re going to stop our antics just for her,” Rory said. My eyebrows rose in surprise. Was I hearing this right? “Kat, we’ve realized ever since you were gone, things weren’t the same. And now with your disability, we feel bad about how hard a time we give you—or at least, I do. I don’t know about Vick’s say in the matter.”

            “I’ll stop my antics,” Vick chirped. “We’ll make life easier for you, Kat, we promise.”

            “So does this mean I won’t be told anymore stories?” Posy whimpered as she poked her head out. I looked at her sadly and nodded. “That’s not fair. Those people are mean!”

            “Is there any way we can get your voice back?” Vick asked. I shrugged.

            “I doubt there is, Vick,” Hazelle sighed.

            “But it won’t be the same if she doesn’t talk! I don’t want her to be silent forever, and I’m sure she doesn’t want it!”

            I never wanted it, I confessed mentally. Being mute was something I never wanted to be, and it was definitely something I didn’t expect to become.

            “There are some other details I failed to mention,” Gale admitted. Rory and Vick looked at him, Hazelle didn’t look surprised. “Kat has some injuries.”

            “Besides the leg problem?” Rory asked.

 Gale nodded. “It’s worse than that.”

            “Worse?”

            “Let me take Posy, Katrina,” Hazelle said. “I don’t think she wants to be around much longer.”

            I gladly handed Posy to her mother. Hazelle walked away with her daughter.

            “The Peacekeepers whipped her,” Gale growled.

            “They what?” both of his brothers roared.

            “That’s what led her to be this way. They tortured her by whipping her so she would give in and let them do this to her.” Gale slid an arm around me, I was guessing to keep himself calm. “She’s got a lot of scars on her back from it.”

            “I guess she matches you, Gale,” Vick grumbled. “Only I’m sure she got a lot more lashes than you did.” I think I could agree with Vick on that.

            “She survived them all. She’s stronger than she looks.” I blushed at Gale’s compliment.

            “Well…in light of what happened, we’re really glad you’re back, Kat,” Rory said quietly.

            I gave a tiny smile. I had a feeling Rory and Vick would live up to their promise to be easy on me from now on. They understood what burdens I carried, and they wanted to make my life easier. I always knew Hazelle raised those two right, just like she did with Gale and Posy.

*       *        *

            I felt content being back in the Hawthorne house. Things seemed a little different because I just came back and the rest of the family besides Gale was adjusting to my muteness. They all agreed to try and lip-read, and if necessary, I agreed to write down what I wanted to say. The change wasn’t pleasant for them all, but they were adjusting better than I thought.

            Night had fallen over District 12. Everybody was settling in for the night. Rory and Vick actually hugged me goodnight before they went off to bed, a first for those two. Posy wanted me to tuck her in, so I did. Hazelle decided to sleep in Posy’s room because she was afraid Posy would have nightmares after what she heard today.

            I still shared Gale’s room, only this time, Gale didn’t have to sleep on the floor. Nope, he was up with me. I bet the comfortable mattress was nice on his back; he had slept on the floor for nearly six months from the day I arrived in the household.

            “It must feel nice for you being back here,” Gale murmured into my hair. There was a radio playing static-y music in his room (he had found the radio lying around during the time I pretended to be Katniss). I looked up at him.

            “I don’t have to pretend anymore,” I said, grinning. “It’s a good feeling. But—I don’t feel like myself anymore.”

            “I can understand why.” Gale brushed my throat with the back of his hand. I closed my eyes in content. “I’ll miss hearing your voice, Kat.”

            “I’ve missed it since the day it got taken away from me.” I sniffled.

            “Shh,” Gale whispered as he wiped a tear that had escaped from me. “I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

            “It’s okay, people slipup every now and again.” I sighed silently. “If I had my voice, I’d sing along to the music right now.”

            “I wish I could have heard you sing.”

            “I’ve only sung twice in my life. Both times I was pretending to be Katniss.” I winced. “Peeta is the only one who’s ever heard me.”

            “You must’ve been beautiful to listen to,” Gale whispered.

            I pulled Gale’s head down to me so that I could kiss him. He helped me straddle him. His hands smoothed my back, I trembled under him. One hand knotted in his hair while the other rubbed his neck.

            Gale nibbled on my lower lip, trying to pry my lips open. I knew for a fact I wasn’t having that. It would feel weird for us both if we tried that if only one of us had a tongue. I kept my lips clamped shut.

            “Don’t be afraid, Katrina,” Gale purred against my mouth.

            “Oh my God!” cried a voice.

            Gale and I broke apart, startled. I sat up immediately to see Rory standing in the doorway, looking disgusted. I went bright red. Gale propped himself up on his elbows.

            “Knock much?” Gale snarled.

            “I was heading for the bathroom,” Rory said defensively. “Am I dreaming this? Please tell me I am.”

            I bit my lip nervously. One of Gale’s hands rubbed my thigh.

            “What was the shouting about?” Vick grumbled. This just got better and better. He stopped to stare. “What’s going on here?”

            “Looks like Gale finally found someone other than Katniss to love,” Rory snickered.

            “Both of you, back to bed,” Gale hissed. “Don’t let Mom know about this, okay? I’m surprised she hasn’t barged in yet, demanding what all the noise is about.”

            “Darn, if we hadn’t made that promise to Katrina, we could use this to pick on her,” Vick huffed. I grinned. Thank God for their promise!

            “Guys,” Gale complained.

            “We’ll go, we’ll go,” Rory snapped. “Just don’t make any noise, okay?”

            “We’re not going to. Now, bed.”

            “’Night, lovebirds,” they chorused. They both departed for bed.

            I sighed, reached behind me and grabbed some covers, and fell onto Gale’s chest. Gale tugged the sheets over us both. I burrowed into his chest, his arms came around me.

            Gale flicked off the lamp on the nightstand near the bed. “’Night, Katrina.”

            I kissed him goodnight. As the radio crackled softly as background noise, I fell asleep to Gale’s heartbeat. 

**I know the gif isn't exactly Gale and Katrina, but it was just so close to them that I wanted to put it in. :)**