Had some free time on this snow day to write some more. :) Enjoy!

Chapter 25

When Katniss woke, the sun was filtering through the drapes. Most of the group was already awake, preparing for the day. She woke Gale up and retrieved breakfast (canned soup, again) from the kitchen, opting to stay away from the group for the time being. They sat on the counter of the island as they ate, a heavy silence remaining in the air. Katniss had things she wanted to say to him but knew that the last thing he'd want would be for them to have such a serious conversation. She let out a sigh, not sure what to say. She couldn't think of one happy thing to talk about.

"Just say it." Gale said.

"You won't want to hear it."

"I know what you're thinking anyway. That's how it is when you've known someone for as long as I've known you."

"I just wanted to say goodbye, just in case something happens to one of us." she said. She could see him shudder at the thought of one of them not surviving.

"Why? We know how we feel about each other. We know what we mean to one another." he said. He placed his can on the counter and took her hand in both of his. "Whatever happens, just know how much I love you. How much I've always loved you, even when you were totally oblivious to the fact. You know I've always thought of you as a part of my family. I just wish I had had the time to do it properly, not all that pretend stuff we did for Quell. I wanted it to be real so badly." Katniss didn't say anything in reply. She still was unsure about marriage, even though she was in love with him. Maybe it's because marriage traditionally leads to other things, one of them being children.

Jackson, who was there to inform them that the squad was getting ready to move, interrupted the two. They joined the remaining members in the living room where they were rearming themselves after a night of rest.

When they were on the street, Katniss activated the Holo to use as a guide. They made it down two streets without activating any of the pods. Just as she started to think that luck was on her side was when things took a turn for the worst. Gunfire started ringing out from all corners. Pods were activated without them even triggering them. She felt herself being pulled to her left. She turned to find the squad running towards an alley between two buildings. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her until she was protected. They regrouped to account for the missing. Two soldiers had not made it. There were only 9 of them left. Katniss watched as Castor and Pollux communicated through signals, frantically making motions with their hands and arms. Castor then joined the group.

"My brother says there are tunnels under the street. We could use them to avoid gunfire and pods while getting us closer to Snow." He explained how the Avoxes used the tunnel system to travel throughout the Capitol and how Pollux is an expert after navigating them for 5 years before they could buy his way to the surface. They found an entrance tube to the closest tunnel and the group traveled down two at a time until they were all reunited. Pollux then led the way through a complicated maze. It seemed so confusing to Katniss. She couldn't imagine doing this on her own.

Even though they were out of sight from the Capitol, it didn't mean their journey was easy. It involved climbing up and down multiple levels, sometimes using nothing more than a hanging rope to gain access. They walked on a ledge above the sewer line as they neared the Transfer, which was a busy hub full of Avoxes and cameras. It took everything Katniss had not to vomit from the stench.

Once out of the sewers, the group took a short break. Katniss pulled out the Holo to see the progress they made. She was disappointed when she saw that they hadn't gone as far as she thought. It must have been all of the vertical movement they had to do with in levels of the tunnel system. After a half hour, they continued their journey, making their way closer to Snow. They didn't stop traveling until midnight.

Pollux found them a small engine room filled with pipes and machines where they could stay for the night. It was too risky to try to cover any more ground. After a certain hour, the pods underground would be activated. They had to ensure the safety of the group. Katniss took her boots off by the door and leaned against the wall. She felt utterly exhausted. Another guard schedule was put into place before the squad was allowed to rest. Katniss laid down and closed her eyes, passing out almost immediately.

Katniss felt a nudge, waking her from her sleep.

"What happened?" she asked as she shot up.

"It's your watch." Cressida said.

"I'm not on 'til 6." she said.

"It is 6." Cressida replied. Katniss couldn't believe how quickly the time had passed. She sat with her back against the wall and watched Cressida lay down on the floor. It was hard to stay awake with such little sleep. The humming of the engines didn't help. They had a nice lull to them. She could feel her eyes drooping. She hit her face with her hands, hoping that would make her more alert. It seemed to help a little. She decided to use her time to study the Holo some more, looking to find routes to the Mansion. They could possibly reach it tomorrow if they covered enough ground. She looked down at her watch and found she was half way through her shift. She spent the next 20 minutes looking around the room at each surviving member of their squad, thinking of all they had lost along the way. She knew most of their stories. When the hour was up, she woke up Finnick who was lying next to her. He had the next watch. She gently rubbed his shoulder, not wanted to surprise him. He slowly opened his eyes and gave her a sleepy grin.

"What is it?" she asked lying next to him.

"Sugar cubes." he said.

"What about them?" she asked with a smile.

"I had a dream about the first night we met." he said.

"How could I forget." she said with sarcasm.

"It was all just an act. It wasn't real." he said.

"I know, but you did play the part rather well."

"That was my job…to play the part."

"And what if I didn't join your alliance? I wasn't too pleased with you in the beginning."

"I had to get your attention somehow. I just chose the way I knew best." he said sitting up.

"Do you want me to stay up with you?" Katniss asked.

"No, get some rest. You look exhausted." he told her. She slinked down to the ground and closed her eyes. Minutes passed but sleep wouldn't come as easily as it did earlier. Maybe it was all of that thinking she had done during her watch. She continued to lay there, listening to the low sounds of the engines humming along. She heard something else mixed in with the noise, a whispered, hissing sound. Katniss stood up and walked to the door, pressing her ear to it.

"What are you doing?" Finnick asked as he walked to her.

"Shh!" she said holding her index finger to her mouth. Finnick mimicked her, putting his ear to the door. She heard it again, this time more clearly. It was a word. She kept listening until the word became coherent. It was her name. Finnick's eyes went wide and he realized what the voices were saying.

"Get everybody up. We have to get out of here!" he said, bringing her back to the present. The two of them quickly made their way around the room, waking the members of their squad.

"What's going on?" Jackson asked.

"We need to get out of here. They know we are here." Finnick quickly explained. The group quickly got dressed and armed themselves. Katniss activated the Holo and they made their way through the tunnels, trying to avoid the pods. The hissing sound of her name grew louder meaning whatever it was it was close. At one point, they started running, not worry about any pods.

"What do you think it is?" Gale asked her as they ran.

"Something bad." she said. She heard a crash from behind them and saw about 5 mutts appear from about 100 feet behind them. They wove through the maze, trying to turn wherever possible to try to lose them. Katniss then thought that this is no good. They are probably tracking their scent. They will find them eventually. The group stopped when they ran into a trio of Avoxes. Katniss quickly drew her bow, pointing it in their direction. The three moved to the side of the tunnel with their hands above their head in surrender. Katniss kept her bow pointed as they passed, making sure they would keep away from her squad. They continued to run down the tunnels. A few minutes later, they heard yelps reverberating in the hollowed tunnel.

"The Avoxes…they got them." Johanna said in a panic. Katniss stopped the group momentarily.

"We have to split up. It's me they're looking for. It's my scent they are tracking."

"No I'm not leaving you." Gale said.

"Me either." Finnick added. Other also voiced how they were a team and a team sticks together even in danger. There is a silence before they heard her name echo in the tunnel behind them as well as above and below them.

"Come on, let's move!" Jackson insisted. They moved once again, traveling through the tunnels. The tunnels became more cramped, slowing them down. At some points, they were on their hands and knees, crawling through the space. Katniss could feel her heart pounding. She knew eventually the mutts would find them. Pollux led them to the right and they were back in a tunnel large enough to stand in. They heard another explosion and saw the mutts come crashing through the wall. This time, they got a good look at them. They are white, reptilian looking creatures, with long tails and sharp claw. Their tongues lunged out of their mouth as they stared them down. Capitol mutts.

"Come on!" Peeta said pushing her away from the creatures. As soon as they began to move, so did the reptiles. The squad was now their prey. They made their way through the tunnels trying to lose the large mutts. The mutts moved fast though, quickly gaining on the group.

"Watch out, we have debris." Castor said, looking up ahead. This provided more of an obstacle as things were scattered all over the ground. One wrong step could mean death. They ran, trying their best to miss the planks of wood and rocks scattered about. Katniss stopped when she heard a gasp. It was Johanna. She had tripped and was lying on the ground.

"I'm stuck!" Johanna said with fear.

Peeta rushed by Katniss, heading toward her. The mutts appeared.

"Peeta!" Katniss shouted as she started to go towards him.

"Stop!" Gale said, holding her back. Within a second, a mutt had stretched out its tongue, hitting Peeta right on the neck. He bellowed in pain, clutching his neck as he fell to the ground.

"Peeta!" she said trying to break free from Gale.

"Katniss it's too late!" Gale shouted. "Look what's happening!" Before her eyes, she could see him transforming from human to mutt.

"No!" she shouted repeated into the air. She then watched as the mutt that was once Peeta shredded Johanna body with its sharp claws. Gale pulled her away as the group tried to escape. The mutts were on the move again. Katniss could feel the tears stream down her face and cries escaped her mouth. She wanted to collapse on the ground and mourn her friend, but that would mean certain death. Instead, she tried her best to remain strong. She thought of Prim and how much she wanted to see her little sister again. That was enough to keep her going.

Pollux found them another engine room to hide in, complete with a deadbolt to keep the mutts out. Once inside the room, Katniss immediately ran to Finnick and clutched onto him. They held onto each other as their bodies trembled from what they had just witnessed. Finnick just lost the last person that he was close to, with the exception of her. She had just lost the boy with the bread; the boy who saved her life more than once. She felt her knees give out and Finnick lowered her to the ground, resting her in his lap. He rubbed circles on her back, trying to get her to calm down. She could feel her breaths grow shallower as she began to hyperventilate.

"Deep breaths, Katniss." Finnick whispered. She took a few slow breaths to control her breathing.

"He's a mutt now." she murmured.

"Yes." he painfully answered back.

"And he killed her…how could he…" she tailed off.

"That wasn't him, Katniss. You know he'd never do anything to hurt her." he said brushing her hair with his fingertips.

"It's all my fault. They were looking for me."

"Don't blame yourself for this." he said. "You can't keep doing this Katniss…you'll lose your sanity if you do." Katniss nodded. She looked around the room to find they had an audience, hearing their every word. She saw Gale leaning against the wall, arms crossed, with a wounded expression. Maybe she should have ran to him instead. She slowly stood up and walked towards him, taking his hand and leading him to a small space behind one of the machines. She didn't want anyone else to hear this conversation. They stood there in silence. She didn't know what to say.

"Gale." she whispered as she reached her hand towards his face. He quickly flinched away.

"What was that?" he asked in a low voice.

"What was what?"

"What I just saw." he said. Katniss thought back to what had just happened. She ran to Finnick, not him. Finnick was the one to comfort her, touching her as murmured things to her.

"Gale—"

"I don't like it." he said firmly.

"You're reading the situation totally wrong." she huffed.

"Everyone else saw it too, Katniss! You saw the look on their faces. You ran to him, not me." he said, the pain laced in his voice.

"Johanna was the last person he had left, the last part of his family. I thought he might need someone." she explained.

"He'll be fine."

"No he won't. You weren't there after what happened to Annie. He lost it. I had to take care of him. I saw everything he went through. Think about what he just saw. He just saw his best friend get ripped to shreds. I don't want that to happen to him again."

"Why did you take care of him?" Gale asked with annoyance.

"We were in the hospital together after the Quell. Annie was murdered and the Capitol was torturing you. We helped each other, talking to each other, calming each other down. We kept each other sane."

"Did you ever…?" he trailed off. She could see the insecurity in his eyes.

"Ever what?" she asked confused.

"Ever do anything?" he muttered.

"No, never! Gale, is that what you were thinking back there?"

"I heard rumors back in 13 about the two of you. I never believed them until now but after I saw the way he touched you, I thought maybe the rumors had some truth to them."

"He's just a friend. Nothing more. You're the only person I have ever wanted." she said stepping closer to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. She was relieved that he didn't try to pull away this time. Instead, he nuzzled his face next to hers.

"If I ever lost you, I don't know what I would do." he whispered.

"Same." she replied. "We should probably get back."

"Not yet." he said with a smile. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer as his lips met hers. They quietly kissed each other behind the wall of machines separating them from the rest of the group. Their hands groped each other's bodies as their kisses intensified. Katniss jumped when she heard the hissing of her name behind her, bringing her back to reality. They were still looking for her. They walked back around to the rest of the group. The sounds of her name grew closer, coming from every direction.

"We're trapped aren't we?" Katniss said in a panic.

"The voices could be far off, traveling through the pipes." Jackson said. Suddenly, the heard a bumping noise on the metal door. Then the scratching started as the mutts tried to claw their way through the door.

"They're here! They're going to get in!" Katniss said in terror. Then, the door started to move. Jackson and Castor ran to it, putting their body weight against it. Pollux tapped Katniss showing an escape door on the ground in the far corner behind the machines.

"Good work, Pollux." she said giving him a smile. She ran back to the group. "Pollux found a way out. Over here." she said motioning for them to follow. She saw Castor whisper something to Gale before he joined her. Pollux went first, followed by Cressida, then Finnick, then Katniss, and finally Gale. As soon as Gale was on the ladder, he pulled the heavy door closed.

"What are you doing!" Katniss said. "We still have two more."

"They aren't coming, Katniss." he said looking down at her between the space between his body and the ladder. Katniss quickly climbed fitting through the gap. Gale pressed his body against her, preventing her from climbing any further.

"What are you trying to do, get us killed!" he said as he restrained her.

"We have to save them!"

"Katniss they volunteered! They knew the mutts would get us as soon as they stepped away from that door."

"No one else needs to die, not today!" she said, determined to get to them. They heard commotion above them, indicating that the mutts had broken through. Gale swung Katniss over his shoulder and climbed down the ladder to meet the others. He put her down.

"Where are the others?" Finnick asked confused.

"They aren't coming." Katniss said with anger. The anger was replaced with sorrow as she saw the distress on Pollux's face. He let out an agonizing shriek when he realized his brother hadn't made it.

"I'm sorry, it's what he wanted." Gale said, resting a hand on his shoulder. Pollux nodded, as his eyes filmed with tears. He took a deep breath then motioned from them to follow him. They made their way to another pipe system. As they walked, they saw a wall of light blue gas advancing toward them.

"Gas masks on!" Finnick shouted.

"Pollux, we have to get above ground!" Katniss shouted before putting her mask on. They fled to another tunnel where another wall of gas advanced towards them. They knew they had to run through it. It would hit them anyway. Katniss cringed, hoping it wasn't anything like the poisonous fog from the Quell. They ran as quickly as they could through it, not stopping until Pollux led them to another ladder. Katniss climbed up first and opened the hatch, ripping off her gas mask before climbing out. They were in a small utility closet in one of the Capitol buildings. She saw the door swing open, revealing a dolled up Capitol women. Her eyes went wide, indicating she knew exactly who had broken into her apartment. Before a sound leave her lips, Katniss had already drawn her bow, sinking an arrow right into her heart.

Intense chapter, wasn't it? Peeta and Johanna are dead. :( Gale confronts Katniss about Finnick (you knew it had to happen at some point).

Don't forget to review! I like knowing your thoughts (good and bad).