Hey guys! I wrote this chapter off and on the five hour drive back from my March break vacation, so it was hard to decipher my writing to type up, because of all the turning xD

I hope you enjoy, remember to review when your done please!

Chapter Ten

I can see a bird's eye view of chaos as I look out the window of the helicopter. Mobs of colorful civilians look up at us, some are shouting. Peacekeepers are trying to retain order and big black cars are pulling in from every direction. Of course, they're still shooting at us with huge new guns, but we're well out of range, therefore safe until Capitol helicopters arrive.

The first thing I do when we're temporarily out of harm's way is consult Plutarch.

"Thank you," I say to him. "That's the second time you've saved my life,"

But Mr. Heavensbee just looks grim.

"They're still after us," he says darkly.

"I know," I say, matching his tone.

"How did you even find us?" Madge asks in a hushed tone. She and the others have gathered around Plutarch and I.

"The Capitol isn't the only place that uses tracking devices,"

I gasp but know I shouldn't. People using me in their little games shouldn't come as a surprise and I owe Plutarch too much to start shouting at him. Gale, however, speaks.

"If you knew where we were, why didn't you come get us earlier? We were just sitting around in the justice building for a whole day,"

To these words, Plutarch looks at Gale, almost angrily.

"I couldn't have risked any more lives on the silly whims of you three, Mr. Hawthorne."

Now I'm angry. Silly whims? I was saving innocent lives! I tense, something I only do on two occasions; when I'm hunting and when I'm upset or angry. Today, it's the later. Plutarch must be able to tell.

"What you did was very heroic; Katniss, but you didn't think it through,"

Why is everyone treating me like this, like I'm some sort of tragic hero who is brave, but not intelligent enough to follow a plan.

"I think it worked out pretty well!" says Finnick, gesturing to Peeta, Johanna, and Madge. "We even scored a bonus," he points out Madge by putting his arm around her. "Hey," he says, offering a hand. "I'm Finnick,"

Madge shakes it and looks at me with wide blue eyes.

"Ignore him," I advise.

"Anyways," says Plutarch. "Yes, I'm very glad you are all okay, but you can't go gallivanting off whenever you like, not when there's a war going on!"

My jaw drops. I knew there was a rebellion and uprisings and resistance, but war?

"Yes," Plutarch answers my silent question. "The Capitol has declared war against us. They still have no idea where the Underground is, but it's still serious. President Snow said it on a live broadcast. "Anyone who was involved with the break out from the Quarter Quell and anyone who is part of the uprisings can consider themselves at war with the uprisings can consider themselves at war with the Capitol"." Plutarch quotes.

"So, basically, Dark Days Part two?" asks Gale.

"Yes," Plutarch agrees.

"But everything's okay, right?" I panic, thinking of my mother and Prim.

"Yes, everyone is fine at the underground. Like I said, the government still doesn't know about it," Plutarch tells me. But something is still wrong.

"My mother and Prim aren't in the Underground!" I splutter. "You said!" I prod Gale. "You said that they are in District 11!"

"They are!" Gale says defensively. "I told you I-"

Plutarch cuts him off.

"District 11," he muses. "They have a very good system for the rebels there,"

"That's what I said!" Gale says exasperatedly.

"They should be safe there," Plutarch continues.

I blanch.

"They should be safe there?" I want to be absolutely sure my family is safe.

Finnick notices my white face and walks over. "Chill, Kat," he says casually, and begins massaging my shoulders. I roll my eyes, scowl still in place and still thinking of my family.

"I have something that might assure you of their safety," says Plutarch helpfully, brandishing what seems to be a letter. "It's addressed to you, Katniss, from your sister I believe. In fact, some of the Underground citizens went to visit District 11, for supplies and such. Haymitch told me they came back with this and wanted me to drop it off. It makes perfect sense. I didn't want to read it, because it's not addressed to me…"

I snatch the letter and rip it open. I begin to read but end up just skimming it, I'll look at it in-depth later. They are safe, it says, and I can imagine Prim's small, warm hand writing it in the company of all of Rue's sisters. It's only after I finish skimming page two that I remember to murmur a thank you to Plutarch.

"So, now where are we going?" Peeta asks politely. I'd almost forgotten he was there, ever-present in our tight-knit group, still holding my hand. I give his fingers a squeeze and he strokes the back of my hand with his broad thumb.

"We're going to District 13," answers Plutarch.

"Yes!" Johanna punches the air. "Thanks for breaking us out of that hell hole, by the way," she adds, mainly to Finnick, her enhanced eyeteeth glinting.

"So it really exists," Peeta says in awe, referring to D13.

"Of course it does," Gale scoffs, sounding like he could've added a "you idiot" to the end of his sentence. But I personally know he had his doubts about the underground district as well.

"Oh, you'll love it Peeta!" I exclaim and go into telling him all about the survivors and Mayor Wanthope and Cinna being alive, even the caves. I know a fraction of what there is to know about the Underground, having only been there for one day, but I'm eager to learn more. I like the underground district because it's full of people dedicated to the same goal: taking down the Capitol. I also tell Peeta about the Underground being built off of an old arena, Johanna listens, too. I don't want them to have the unsettling feeling Haymitch, Finnick and I had.

As we talk, we drift to the sitting area of the copter and lounge around. We rescuers are really tired from the exertion of everything, but all the rescued want to do is walk around to stretch. Johanna is a no-show pretty early in to the chatting session, Madge excuses herself shortly after. I can tell Peeta wants to move around, but is trying to stay with me.

"Go on," I tell him.

He looks at me as if to say "really?"

"Go! Get out of here!" I joke. He laughs.

"Okay,"

Then he kisses my cheek and walks out onto the observation deck with the other two.

Now it's Gale, Finnick and I in the room, just like old times and by old times I mean a couple of days ago. There's certain awkwardness in the air, and Finnick's not a contributing factor.

"So," I say to Gale. "You and Madge…"

"You and Peeta," he retorts angrily.

I sigh and try to stay calm. "What about me and Peeta?"

When I say it, it comes out clipped.

"You're in love?" Finnick offers.

"I'm not in love with him," I say calmly, but am livid inside, still at Gale for…I can't think of a word yet. Is it called cheating if you were never together? Not really… "I'm not in love with him," I repeat without knowing who I'm repeating it for.

"Sure, Katniss!" Gale splutters. "That's why you were all over him earlier!" he's yelling now.

"I was not all over him!" I say indignantly

"Okay…" Gale says sarcastically as Finnick nods. Why is Finnick on Gale's side all the sudden?

"Well, if you want to talk about who was all over who, I suggest we talk about your little stunt with Madge!" my voice rises as I stand up.

"There's nothing going on between me and Madge!" says Gale, also standing.

"Okay…" I say, matching his sarcastic tone from earlier.

"Why would you care if there was, anyways," Gale says.

I look hurt. "We can't pretend you have no feelings towards me," I say quietly.

Gale flushes, "What, do you think I'm in love with you or something?"

This is just too much. "Gee, Gale. What would make me think that? Hmm…Maybe, you having told me!"

"Times have changed, Katniss," he says harshly.

No nickname, maybe times really have changed. Gale and I are nose to nose now, staring angrily at each other.

"Is it because there's something between you and Madge?" I ask icily.

"There's nothing between me and Madge!" Gale shouts, frustrated.

"Then why'd you kiss h-"

Gale cuts me off by crushing his mouth on mine, mid-sentence. His tongue forces entry and his lips move against mine. I don't kiss back, but I don't protest either. If I did I don't know if it would help the situation anyway.

"You're right, like always. I am in love with you," he says fiercely after finally releasing me.

I look up into Gale's gray eyes, so much like my own, and wonder what I can say to him now.

All I end up doing is excusing myself and going out onto the observation deck with the others. I feel bad leaving him hanging like that, but I have some stuff to figure out too. For example, I have letters to attend to. First, I read Prim's in full and am touched by what she has to say. She misses me just as much as I miss her and she's mainly just glad I beat the odds to get out of the arena again.

I go to shower before I consult the second; I need to wash off the blood from the rescue. Taking off my socks, I pull out the page that I ripped out of the MJS diary that was written by Maysilee Donner so many years ago. The real Maysilee is gone, so I can't ask her if she still has her sister Madylin's letters that document the plans for the rebellion, but there's still someone who may know something and is within reach; Madge.

The rest of the day passes quickly; I get cleaned up, catch up with the rescued, and spend the majority of the time cuddled up and talking to Peeta. Gale and I only have polite, if not overly formal, interactions that don't suggest anything happening. Of course, Gale glares at Peeta and I when we're together but that's really old news. I don't ask about Madylin's letters yet because I don't know who should know how much about that whole ordeal.

Plutarch summons us for dinner, which is more or less like the food we were fed in D13. He obviously hasn't been to the Capitol recently. We make small talk around the table, but all I really want to hear about is any advancement in the rebellion. Unfortunately, I don't think my brain is in a fit state to retain any important information. I'll ask in the morning after a good night's sleep.

A few more hours roll by and I start to yawn more frequently.

"Tired?" Peeta asks, smiling amusedly at me. We're sitting on a couch in the common area, me with my feet curled to the side and my head on his shoulder, just as I'd done countless times before.

"No," I answer, but have to stifle another yawn that decides to surface at the most inconvenient time.

"Okay," Peeta laughs. "You're just as bad a liar as I remember. Maybe it's time for you to get some sleep."

I scowl. "Really, Peeta, I'm perfectly awake,"

Sadly, that's the time my body decides is bet for yet another yawn. I chance a glance at the round clock n the wall. It says eleven o'clock.

"Maybe I could sleep," I admit to Peeta sheepishly.

I stagger upwards and he releases my hand reluctantly. I plod off to Plutarch who's taken the plane off autopilot and is flying it instead, purely for something to do.

"Um, Plutarch. I was just wondering where you wanted us to sleep."

Plutarch turns away from the control and flicks autopilot back on.

"Oh, so sorry, Katniss, right this way,"

People from the Capitol, even if they're on our side, are always so overly formal. Back in the days of District 12 if you'd asked a question like mine the person would just point at a bed, or maybe even the floor, and say "there". Anyone from the Capitol, on the other hand, has to show you the exact place and tell you everything about it.

Plutarch has led me to the common area again. Peeta is still on the couch, but the others have filtered in and they're watching some show on the television.

Plutarch gestures to three doors that branch off of the sitting room that I had noticed, but not taken account of.

"There are three bedrooms available, and with six of you that's two to a room," he articulates.

Its simple math but the others are listening to now, after Gale turned off the TV and there were audible "Hey, I was watching that!'s from Finnick and Johanna. There's a pregnant pause.

"We'll take that one," Finnick gestures to the far right door and Johanna nods.

"We'll take..?" Peeta begins, but I cut him off.

"No!"

Finnick and Johanna, Peeta and I, that leaves Gale and Madge and I do not want to think about that.

"I mean…" I try to recover from my outburst. "Me and Madge should room together because, sometimes, we have to have girl time and talk about…stuff…" I finish lamely.

"Oh well its okay if you want to be with Peet-"Madge says but I grab her arm to silence her and start leading her to our new room.

"Come on, Madge!"

We leave the common area with Peeta and Gale glaring at each other. Before the door closes I hear Johanna saying, "Katniss sure hasn't changed much," and guffawing with Finnick. It does nothing for my mood. Then Plutarch sighs and mutters something that sounds like "teenagers". Over the door creaking shut, I hear Finnick shouting, "I'm twenty four!"

Finally, there is silence and it's just Madge and I. Madge is quiet as ever, but now that she's cleaned up I can see the marks I had thought were dirt on her face are actually bruises. Also, earlier we both changed into different clothes because ours were so dirty. Wearing a t-shirt and a pair of cotton pants instead of the puffy Reaping dress I discover she's skin and bones. All three of the former prisoners are like that.

Madge and I aren't the talkative types so when we sit down on the bed it's a long time before either of us says anything.

"What's the matter, Katniss?" she asks me.

"Nothing," I say quickly, too quickly.

Madge is the only person I can talk freely with, except for Cinna, of course. Because of this, when she looks at me with her wide blue eyes, I can't not tell her.

"What is there between you and Gale?" I ask.

Madge looks taken about for just a second, but then crosses her legs so she's sitting looking down at me.

"Well," she says. "That depends…on what there is between you and Gale."

Now I bury my face in a pillow.

"Madge! That was not the answer I was hoping for,"

Madge and I are also not the kind of girls who talk about boys, so this is a stretch for us.

"Today was the first time we kissed, I swear," she says sincerely. "I thought he might see me like that for a while, but after the ways I say him look at you, I don't know anymore. I don't even know why he kissed me; I think it was to make you jealous."

"Oh," is all I can say. So they really weren't frolicking all over the place when I was fighting to the death. But Gale was leading on Madge, in a way, and I don't know how I feel about that.

"I didn't even know you liked him like that," Madge interjects.

"I don't know if I do. I can't tell any more,"

Madge plays with a thread on the blanket. "You know, I don't think you do. And it's not just because I do,"

Now I look confused. Madge is observant, but her thinking she knows my choice before I make it is a little extreme.

"Thanks, Madge," I say.

She looks puzzled. "For what?"

"I don't know, for staying alive."

With that we fall asleep.

Suddenly, I'm awake again. I just had a nightmare involving Peeta still being captured at the Capitol and my rescue mission failing. I tremble and spot Madge, asleep with a golden halo of her hair spread across her pillow. If we rescued her, Peeta must be here too. But the dream was so vivid.

My feet carry me out the door and my hands reach for the knob to the left. It's the boy's room, just the destination I wanted.

I search for Peeta's face and when I don't see it at first I panic. Then, I spot him on the floor with a blanket and pillow. Really, those boys are ridiculous.

"Peeta!" I whisper, "Peeta!"

His eyelids flutter open and I creep over to him.

"Hey," I whisper.

"Hey," he whispers back, a little disoriented, but not asking question. "You do this a lot."

"Do what?"

"Sneak into my room in the middle of the night, unexpectedly."

Even in darkness, I'm sure he can see my scowl.

"Don't worry, I like it,"

I can see his grin in the darkness, too.

Just then, Gale stirs. We both turn our heads to make sure he's not awake.

"You should get out of here," Peeta murmurs.

"You're coming with me."

I move backwards as Peeta scrambles out of his makeshift bed and attaches his fake leg, which was resting against the wall, onto his real leg which is cut off just below the knee. I cringe; I still think that leg's my fault.

"Don't worry about it," he says and we tiptoe out of the room.

Soon we are sprawled across the couch again, this time with a blanket.

"So what's up, love?" Peeta asks.

I sigh, the way he addresses me raises another problem.

"I had a nightmare. You were still in the Capitol, and I couldn't rescue you," I fret.

"I thought I was the one who had the nightmares. You don't have to worry; it was only a dream,"

I sigh again. "I'm scared Peeta. I keep hurting you, and you keep taking me back. I don't even know what to feel."

I'm referring to my still unresolved feelings towards Peeta.

"Katniss, I gave up on reality a long time ago. I'll take you real or fake, truthful or pretending. I just want to have some piece of you,"

His words break me because he's proven that I do hurt him but he'll always be good to me anyway.

"I don't think I'm pretending, not truly," I say in a small voice.

Peeta looks down at me and brushes a stray hair from my neck.

"I love you." he says, still tracing patterns across my back.

"I-"I splutter with contradiction in my eyes.

"It's okay," Peeta murmurs. "You don't have to say anything."

He knows I can't, I'm too bound to other things and occupied by awesome movements.

"So," he switches the subject. "Did you and Madge have fun with your "girl time"?"

I don't say anything.

"I know you roomed with her so she couldn't be with Gale," Peeta prompts.

"Yeah," I admit.

"What did you and Madge do? Braid each other's hair? He smirks.

"No," I scoff.

Peeta lifts up my usual braid, points and says "evidence!"

I bat his hands away and roll my eyes, but end up snuggling back up to him again. It's so simple being with Peeta. Now that he's back I remember how I stayed sane all those times when something disastrous happened. The only time I really lost it was when he was in the Capitol.

"Darius and the Avox Girl," I say without meaning to.

"I know," says Peeta. "They were good people, they didn't deserve to die."

I nod. "Did you know they loved each other?"

"I suspected it," says Peeta. "They always volunteered to bring us our food and tried to visit us."

I didn't know that. There's so much I don't know, I realize suddenly, and it scares me. Darius and the Avox had something but the Capitol got them before they could do anything about it. I clutch Peeta tighter.

"Her name was Tacey," Peeta says quietly.

Tacey, it suited her. Tacey and Darius had given their lives for the rebellion and I'd make sure they were avenged.

"Peeta?" I ask.

"Yes?"

"Promise me something,"

"Sure, anything."

I bite my lip, then say what's been on my mind.

"Don't die."

Peeta strokes my hair.

"Oh, Katniss…"

"Promise!" I say a little too loudly.

"Okay, I promise."

Okay, so there it is! I know this chapter is filler-ish but sometimes you've gotta slow it down so it's not all *BATTLE* *BATTLE* *DEATH* *DEATH* all the time (;

Fun Fact: Tacey (Avox Girl's name in my brain) is a Latin name that means "be silent". I thought it would fit her because with her tongue cut out she is forced to be silent all the time.

Review??? :)