A/N: This is my first fic after years of being an avid reader. I couldn't find much Katniss/Cressida, so I thought I'd try writing my own. I am using the books as well as the movies as reference material. Please do review and let me know what I'm doing wrong or right! I couldn't resist making poorly-photoshopped cover art. I hope everyone appreciates the glorious cheesiness of it.

Cressida and crew followed behind Katniss, Gale, and the other soldiers as they trekked through the rubble of District 8 to the makeshift hospital. She studied Katniss in an attempt to figure the younger girl out. The Mockingjay costume and bow and arrows lent her an aura of power, but Cressida wasn't convinced.

"I didn't expect her to be so . . . vulnerable."

Messalla shifted his equipment and looked at Cressida questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"The way the Capitol portrays her, not to mention the way Heavensbee described her, I expected someone more . . . I don't know . . . commanding." Cressida's eyes narrowed and her lips pursed to one side as she considered the problem. "The girl lacks confidence. Not in her abilities, but in her appeal. She doesn't think she's worthy of being a leader."

"Does she not realize how many people are risking their lives for her?" Messalla and Castor shared an incredulous look. "Hell, we're risking our own necks to help keep her in the public's eye."

"She'll realize it soon enough. Something tells me she'll have a new perspective on things by the time we leave here today."

Cressida knew her prediction was correct as she followed closely behind Katniss into the temporary morgue and then into the main room of the hospital. She watched Katniss' face while the group moved down the main aisle and surveyed the sea of humanity laid out around them. The traumatized survivors were doing their best to tend to their most severely-injured neighbors.

"Katniss? Is it really you?" The survivors had realized who was in their midst and began to crowd around her, clamoring for a glimpse. Some reached out their hands and Katniss didn't hesitate to take them in her own. Even those who were too injured to reach out received her comforting touch.

Cressida took it all in with the propo in mind. Her practiced eye made sure her crew captured every angle and every expression. It was all there. Relief, gratitude, hope, skepticism . . . these people desperately needed something or someone to look to. Cressida could only hope that the girl had the fortitude within her to rise to the occasion.

Despite the questions about Peeta that Cressida could tell were painful, Katniss answered everyone with grace and kindness. Cressida noticed that despite the frenzy that had arisen, one boy stood away from the rest and seemed to be scrutinizing Katniss as she tried to give attention to everyone that asked for it. Finally, he spoke.

Raising his voice to be heard over the din, he asked, "Are you fighting, Katniss? Are you here to fight with us?"

Cressida quickly swung her gaze back to Katniss. Silence had fallen in the room following the young man's question. Everyone waited to see how Katniss would react. Her face reflected the compassion and newly-found determination that Cressida had hoped she would find.

Cressida spoke into her communication unit. "Tight on her face, guys, and we need to stay on the boy, too. Her face says it all and I want his reaction. Crowd reaction immediately following." She had a feeling this moment would go a long way to convincing more people to trust and follow Katniss.

"I am. I will."

There was a collective exhale, and, one by one, the survivors each raised three fingers to their lips and then into the air. The Mockingjay's salute. In just four words, Katniss had managed to bring hope and a new determination to District 8, and, with any luck, the rest of Panem. There was something special there, just beneath the surface, and it was now her job to make sure that this Katniss showed up more often.

"Get as much of this crowd reaction as you can. This is gold." Cressida was impressed. Perhaps there was more to this girl than even she had hoped.

She watched as Katniss assumed the role of ardent leader. It had only taken a few short minutes for her to transform from a frightened girl to the impassioned young woman now standing on a table with an adoring crowd smiling up at her. As the District 13 group prepared to leave, Cressida had to admit that she had underestimated Katniss.

The crew emerged into the hot sun outside the hospital. Cressida turned to Katniss, smiling. "We got some nice stuff in there."

"I didn't do much, really." Away from the crowd, Katniss' demeanor changed. She seemed to shrink back inside of herself.

"You did great, kid. You gave those people hope." Cressida wanted to encourage the girl, maybe get some more footage of the destruction of District 8 while Katniss was feeling confident. "Hell, you gave me hope!" That prompted a small smile. Cressida realized that it was the first smile she had seen from Katniss. She hoped it wouldn't be the last. She grinned in return and reached down to help Katniss up from where she had been resting on a large piece of rubble. "Let's get back to the hovercraft. We've got some damn good footage to put together for the first propo!"

Cressida's smile faltered the tiniest bit as their hands clasped and grey eyes met her own. A small shiver ran up her arm and down her spine. What the hell was that? She mentally shook herself and pulled Katniss to her feet, hoping the girl didn't notice her momentary lapse.

"OK, kid, let's talk about some thoughts I have for the next shoot." Cressida was interrupted by the urgent shouting of Boggs, the lead soldier.

"We're to get to the airstrip immediately. We have incoming bombers."

Cressida checked around her to make sure her crew were safely together and heading in the right direction. She hoped like hell they would make it out of this one. They had to get this footage out to the people. She knew the future of the rebellion very likely depended on it.