Author's note: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait I really am. But since school started I've been downing in work and studying and I just couldn't find the time to update. However, here I am once again, bringing to you another chapter which I hope you enjoy. Please tell me what you think!
Thank you,
TchaikowskyLover111!

Catching secrets

Chapter ten: Being allies doesn't mean being safe

That morning when Gabriella woke up, she knew today would be more different than the last two days. It wouldn't just be training and then go back to your apartment. Today it was the private sessions with the game makers. She already knew what she would do. She would use the daggers and throwing knives and show her trap making skills. She hoped it would be enough to give her somewhat an impressive score which could get sponsors. The good thing was she didn't have to wait much; the scores will be given the same night after all. After getting dressed she walked to the dining room, but felt like she had no appetite. She only sat down and poured herself a glass of orange juice and nothing else. Her lack of eating didn't go unnoticed making Effie exclaim:

"Oh, dear! I hope that is not all you're gonna have…" she said scolding.

"I'm not hungry." Gabriella mumbled making Effie shake her head in disappointment. Something told Gabriella that her mentor didn't like her much.

"So have you two figured out what you're going to do?" Haymitch asked deciding he didn't want to be bothered with Effie's talks about eating habits.

"I'm gonna be using the survival stations, I've gotten good at them." Xavier stated making Haymitch nod. It was obvious he wasn't happy that the boy wasn't better with a weapon, but he knew this was at least something.

"How about you darling?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow. Something inside of him hoped that she would get a good score. Haymitch would be lying if he said he hadn't noticed her sneaking out the last few nights. He knew she was going somewhere and he had a talk with Finnick last night when he caught him going somewhere at midnight as well.

Haymitch was passing by his room after checking to make sure that the noises he heard walking around their apartment was Gabriella and not someone else. But as he moved by the elevator he noticed the board showed it was going down to the fourth level. What would someone from the fourth level be doing going up at this time of night. Out of curiosity, Haymitch clicked the button making the doors of the elevator open once it was on their floor. He came face to face with Finnick, the Capitol darling himself. Haymitch raised his eyebrow at the younger victor as he put his hand on the elevator door preventing it from closing again.

"Haymitch…" Finnick greeted, keeping on a composed face which revealed nothing.

"Finnick… Where would you be going this late at night?" he asked even though he had his suspicions.

"Couldn't sleep; decided to move around a little." Finnick did his best not to give a straight answer.

"Seems that you and one of my tributes have similar habits then…" He stated with a raised eyebrow making Finnick sigh.

"What do you want Haymitch? Looks like we both know I have somewhere to be…" Finnick knew there was no point in lying to the older victor. It wouldn't surprise him if he knew from the first night.

"Listen kid, I know you two are in an alliance already and I am telling you, she might seem weak but she is going to find a way to kill you if you betray her." Haymitch warned. He didn't want the people he planned to rescue to be fighting amongst each other.

"Haymitch trust me, I am perfectly aware of how deadly she is." Finnick commented with a smirk.

"Good, promise me that girl is getting on that hovercraft!" Haymitch stated warningly. He didn't understand why, but in just a few days Haymitch grew fond of the young one. The way she acted, tough while in reality she wasn't even close to it. Selfless, always putting others before herself. She got roped into these games just because Snow was feeling overly cruel than usual, and she had to pay the price for it. But he wouldn't have that… she might not be important for the rebellion, might not be crucial to keep it going, but she was still someone that was by now important to him in a way.

"I promise!" Finnick said this time turning serious. "Now if you don't mind?" he added glancing at the hand the man was still holding over the door. Haymitch moved the hand away and the doors closed letting the elevator go up again.

"I think I'm gonna show them my survival skills as well, but I'll also be using throwing daggers." She said truthfully.

"Throwing daggers? Since when can you use those?" Katniss asked her in disbelief.

"I learned…" she kept her secret, but still gave an answer.

"When? I've never seen you use them in training…" Xavier spoke up from his seat a bit further down the table.

"Maybe you weren't looking at the right time." Gabriella answered mysteriously. She knew she had never used the daggers in training, but there was no way she was telling anyone around the table when, where and how she learned to use the weapons

"I don't remember it either?" Katniss stated questioningly. Gabriella couldn't really understand why the Victor showed so much interest in what she does? Who she is allies with? How is she learning to fight? Before she would've blamed it on worry and she still slightly does, but lately it would seem like there was more to it.

"How about we don't ask questions and actually admire the fact she had tried to learn something?" Haymitch spoke up before anyone got to ask any more questions. He concluded that if the girl didn't want to admit the way she spent her nights who were they to pressure her into it. She looked at him across the table with a confused, but grateful look in her eyes before taking a sip of her juice.

"Come on! Come on!" Effie suddenly exclaimed rushing up from where she sat. "You must get going! The sessions are about to start, you don't want to be late!" She told them and practically pushed them into the elevator. Gabriella didn't understand fully why they had to be there so early. They were last on the list and they would have to spend their whole day sitting in a tight space surrounded by other victors as they wait for their names to be called. Which would take forever. But none the less, they were down in the waiting area within five minutes with most of the tributes already here. Katniss and Peeta sat in a far off corner, shielded from everyone. Xavier went and sat down next to the male teenage tribute from ten since the two seemed to get along. And Gabriella scanned through the tributes until she found a pair of sea-green eyes already looking at her. He smiled and motioned her over to where he sat along with Mags who Gabriella had the pleasure of meeting the day before. But what intimidated the young girl most is the fact that Joanna Mason was also sitting on the left side of Mags as the two women talked. But she couldn't avoid going over there, it would seem cowardly and she had worked so hard to keep up the act like she isn't bothered by any of the previous victors. Pulling her confident mask on she walked over and sat down beside Finnick with a small smile which he returned.

"Good morning Levanche!" he greeted her, catching the attention of the other two women as they looked over at them once they heard him speak.

"Odair!" she answered before sitting down and flashing a kind smile in Mags' way. Her eyes then caught a pair of grey ones looking at her. She looked into the eyes of the District 7 Victor, refusing to show a slightest bit of fear.

"Joanna, I want you to meet Gabriella Levanche!" Finnick stated, cutting off the slightly awkward silence that fell upon them. "Gabriella, meet Joanna!" He looked between them as they seemed to asses one another. Both of them cautious and weary looking for signs that the other could be a traitor or a spy for another alliance. However, Joanna was the first one to break the silence.

"It's nice to finally meet you… Finnick spoke of your talents!" Joanna stated raising an eyebrow as if asking her if what he said was true.

"You as well…" Gabriella commented confidently. And Joanna bought it, so did Mags… Everyone who would have been listening in to their conversation would've bought it. All but one; Finnick. He knew how intimidated Gabriella must feel, surrounded by Victors, Careers and other tributes. About to go in and fight for a score that would tell the Capitol she was ready to 'entertain' them in hopes of getting a sponsor. To the Victors this was easy, the game makers already knew them and their talents, they had nothing to prove, but the new tributes had everything to prove. This year the fight for a score was harder than any. But somehow, Finnick knew that Gabriella would do well. She always did when they were on the roof. And it soon started with Gloss being called in for his private session. None seemed to care much about it though as the doors closed behind him all the conversation started again.

"So what do you plan on doing this year Joanna?" Finnick asked making small talk.

"I have nothing much to prove… Imagine how funny it would be if I just went in there, sat down on the floor, and stared up at them?" She commented with a thoughtful expression on her stone hard face.

"Is that really what you plan on doing?" he asked, his eyebrow rose in a look of suspicion, suspicion she wouldn't do as she said.

"I think I just might!" she commented with a sly smile. "And even if I don't get a high score and no sponsors, I'm still in an alliance with you Odair, some good must come from that!" she commented jokingly earning a chuckle from him. Everyone in the room, and probably outside of it as well, knew who Finnick's sponsors would be. And as much as he hated his job, he knew it would be proven worth the effort in these games. "But what about you newbie?" Joanna turned her head in Gabriella's way. She knew she hadn't shown any battle skills in the training time, but she also knew she has been training with Finnick; after all she is where he got the knives for it.

"I will mostly rely on my survival skills, maybe use a weapon or two, try my luck!" she answered not fully committed to trusting the victor just yet. But the answer, however, seemed to bring a smile to Joanna's face. She wasn't trusting or naïve, and that was good… there would be no chance or fear that the Careers or other tributes might outsmart her and make her tell them anything about the alliance. At least she hoped that was it.

"That sounds interesting…" she commented, but her voice indicated she knew more than she was letting on making Gabriella worry. The question suddenly flared in her mind making her realize she had never actually thought about it before. The roof was available to any of the tributes at any time, even though the rules said it wasn't. What if someone had the same intention as they did the first night for coming up and saw them? What would have happened then? She had to dismiss those thoughts, however, and the conversation kept going… They talked about little things, the districts, Capitol people, trying anything to avert their minds from where they sat and what they were about to do. At least up to the point until their names would be called…