"The Bad in Each Other" by audreyii_fic (PG-13)

[stars-inthe-sky.livejournal.com]

Fandom: THE HUNGER GAMES
Pairing: Light Katniss/Gale
Length: ~2k words
Author on LJ: audreyii_fic 
Author Website: FFN

Why this must be read: You'll be on the edge of your seat reading this short but powerful what-if in which Gale stops Katniss from volunteering. Some things change, others don't, but the penultimate section still gives me chills after multiple reads.

Day Three:

He needs food more than he needs classes about coal.

All his snares are cut. The bow she gave him is in pieces. The knife that belonged to his father is unmolested. He brings down a slow-moving turkey, carves it, leaves half in their meeting place.

***

Day Four:

He finds the turkey pinned to an oak.

***

Day Five:


The arrow flies an inch past Gale's head. The screams that follow scare away all the game. You killed her! You killed my sister!

She's not dead yet, Catnip.

The next arrow clips his ear. Don't call me that! I wanted to go! I should be there and you know it!

They didn't pull your name.

You would have volunteered if it was Rory!

Would you have tried to stop me?

He expects a third arrow to go through his heart, but there's no response. It takes a few minutes to understand she's left. He never saw where she was.

Prim gets a rating of four.

The Bad in Each Other