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Chapter 4

Alex walks into the training center with red eyes. After her panic attack Katniss pulled her off to the side alone and promised her she will do everything she can to keep her alive.

Alex takes a deep breath and freezes seeing only eighteen year olds.

"Ah, Ms. Russo. Get in here." A lady orders. Every girl and guy from each district turns to her and Alex rushes over, "As I was saying there is no violence in here or there will be a lot of punishment." Alex gulps scared that only in three days everyone will be trapped in an arena.

Once dismissed Alex looks around at all the stations. Archery, targets, plants, snares, net climbing, weights, and an obstacle course.

Alex shyly walks over to the weights and begins to do push-ups to get warmed up.

~K&A~

Katniss and Peeta watch Alex surprisingly lift a medicine ball, half the size of Peeta's in the 74th Hunger Games. Alex throws it and it smashes through the heart of the target. Katniss watches Alex's face turns to shock and she immediately goes pale.

"Shit." Katniss mutters getting up as Alex runs full speed out of the room. Katniss takes off in a jog and once in the hallway she sees Alex curled into a ball crying into her knees.

Katniss walks over to her and sits down on the floor next to the twelve year old. Katniss frowns as she wraps her right arm around Alex's shoulders.

"I... if that w... wasn't a t... target and w... was real. I... I would have k... killed s... someone." Alex sobs. She saw Katniss walking to her and is next to her.

"I know sweetie. No one likes killing people." Katniss whispers.

"Unless they are Careers." Alex comments sniffling.

"There are some who have a heart Alex." Katniss argues softly.

"Name five."

"Clove, Cato, Thresh, Mags and Finnick." Alex looks up at the older girl confused as more tears fall.

"Who are they?" Katniss looks down at Alex surprised.

"Did you ever watch the past games?"

"No. According to my brother and mother District 12 changed... for the worst." Katniss's eyes widen.

"What do you mean... for the worst?"

"All I know is they are now mining again and guys fifteen and up now go down there. We barely feed ourselves. It's worse than last year. Last year we wouldn't eat on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This year is Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. That's because no one has enough food. No one has much money so the poor half of the District, including my family, sends the man of the house..." Alex catches herself and covers her mouth. That's a secret only the poor half of District 12 knows. The middle class and rich don't know it either and never will.

"Sends them..?" Katniss trails off trying to get an answer. To her shock Alex's turns red and sobs escape her mouth before she starts tugging on her hair. Tears stream down her face as Katniss moves so she is in front of Alex and pulls her hands away, "Shh Alex. Everything is ok. I promise you everything is ok." Katniss captures Alex's face with her hands and gently makes her's and Alex's eyes lock.

Katniss wipes Alex's tears away with a soft smile.

"Peeta and I live in District 12 too remember? Jill and Rose both give food to the Salem people. I used to live in the Salem part of the district. Is that where you live?" Katniss asks after Alex calms down.

Alex nods not speaking.

"Could you please tell me and to finish off what you were saying?"

Alex shakes her head.

"Why not?"

"It's a secret." Alex whispers softly, "I will get in a lot of trouble if I say a word." Katniss looks into Alex's eyes closely to see complete truth.

"How about this, I ask questions and they will be yes or no questions." Katniss offers already thinking about what Salem is doing... something like what she did.

"Ok." Alex agrees nervously.

"Do the guys go passed the fence and hunt?" Katniss whispers so no one can hear, only Alex.

"Yes."

Katniss strokes Alex's hair gently with a smile.

"It's ok Alex. To be honest, I did that since my father passed away and I still do it. Rose and Jill either grab one of two bags. One bag is the food we won't touch and the other is what I hunt. Peeta bakes so that's also in the bag with what I hunt but it's in a bag of its own." Katniss reveals.

Alex's eyes widen in surprise as a light bulb goes off in her head.

Alex opens the bag to see turkey, squirrel, rabbit and individual wrapped meat to keep fresh, while at the same time, to keep clean. In another bag inside is bread. Alex's eyes widen in surprise as a thankful smile grows on her face.

"That explains it." Alex whispers to herself.

"Explains what?" Katniss asks confused.

"Oh, uhm... it's just that..." Alex takes a breath and retells Katniss at that day.

"Rose talks about you a lot." Katniss admits now able to put a face to the name Rose talks about all the time.

"She does?" Katniss nods, "I didn't know she knows my name."

"She knows yours and your siblings' names."

"Really?" Katniss nods once more, "Huh... that's something new."

~A&K~

The next day Alex does the obstacle course that she learned the name of... The Gauntlet.

Alex jumps across completely missing the rough poles the Gamemakers use to knock you to the ground, before running down the benches to the ground.

Alex pants and looks up at the clock to see she finished the course faster than last time... twenty seconds.

She turns away and begins to climb the net. Because she is under weight, Alex finds it easy to do.

~K&A~

Katniss and Peeta watch Alex with smiles.

"She's a lot like Rue for the net." Peeta chuckles as Alex slips up and through to the top.

"I agree. She's a fast runner." Katniss taps her fingers to her chin thinking of a strategy for the twelve year old.

"Yes she is. You think of Alex's strategy and I will think of Luke's." Peeta quickly kisses his wife before getting up and walking to the table and sits down; making a list of the stuff Luke needs to work on and a list he is best at.

Katniss grabs a pen and paper before doing the same but for Alex.

Best:

Running
Climbing
Weights
Plants

Work on:

Weapons
Camouflage
Snares

Katniss reads over the list before folding it and putting it in her pocket. Katniss looks back out to see a guy from district seven punches Alex in the stomach. Alex winces but stands her ground. The guy punches her stomach again before everyone hears a crack as Alex falls to the ground holding her stomach.

Everyone freezes as the guy screams clenching his hand with his other. Katniss looks closely to see the guy has broken his hand. She looks at Alex to see her lifting her shirt where there is a forming bruise. Alex puts her shirt back down before getting up and running out holding her stomach with tears falling.

Katniss gets out of her chair and runs out after Alex.

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