A/N: Hey guys, I'm back! Still in the middle of exams, but hey - a girl can't study all day so I thought I'd take a few hours to get this chapter ready :)

By the way, I noticed that I messed up the timeline in the last chapter - the part where Katniss kisses Gale in the house in the Victor's Village happens a lot later than I initially thought, so I took it out of chapter 25 and put it into the right place, so if parts of this chapter seem familiar to you, you are perfectly right. Sorry for the mistake.

But for now, I hope you'll enjoy the story :)

Chapter 26

„This is a communicuff," President Coin explains while a soldier straps the cool metal device to Gale's right wrist. „It will enable me and my officers to notify you about urgent meetings at any time. Only people who are considered important to the cause are granted one." She scans Gale's face with an unreadable expression. „You should feel honored, Soldier Hawthorne!"

Gale inspects the thing on his wrist suspiciously.

„How do I take it off again?" he asks.

„Oh, there's a code to open the fasteners," Coin answers nonchalantely.

„And that code is…?"

„I don't think there is any need for you to know that, Soldier." She focuses on the papers on her desk again and the soldier by the door grabs Gale's arm and roughly drags him up. It's more than obvious that he is dismissed.

From now on, Gale belongs to Coin. She calls him to the headquarters whenever she pleases. The annoying beeping of the communicuff interrupts his precious alone time with Katniss far too often, but he has no choice than to obey Coin's calls if he wants to stay in a position to actually do something useful.

„You're like a dog that she put into a collar," Rory once taunts him. Gale just stomps off angrily. He doesn't know what do say because his brother is right.

Then they show the interview with Peeta and everything gets worse. Katniss is on the edge of a breakdown and Gale's heart breaks all over once again when he notices the desperate, caring, and maybe, just maybe loving look on her face as she watches her husband on the screen. He knows by now that they are not married, that she was never pregnant, that there hasn't even been anything more than kissing and holding each other between Katniss and Peeta.

But still… there is something between the two of them. Something that locks Gale out.

But he is still her best friend and he does what a best friend is supposed to do in a situation like this: He gets in the way of a big, muscled soldier so Katniss can get out of the headquarters and hide in a closet.

Coin actually yells at him. Her hair is ruffeled.

Gale is almost glad when they take his communicuff away as punishment. He isn't made for a leading position anyway. He's never been a leader. Well, at least not voluntarily…

When Gale and Catnip sit together in that closet in District 13, you could almost think the Hunger Games and the whole star-crossed-lover issue had never happened. There is a familiarity between them that Gale had missed for so long. They laugh together. He can feel the warmth of her body next to his and he thinks that this is one oft he good things about being stuck down here in these grey hallways – getting Catnip back.

„What are you gonna do?" he asks after a while.

Of course she knows immediately what he is talking about, but she still takes some time to contemplate before she answers.

„I am going to be the Mockingjay."

Gale beams with delight. She is going to do it! She is going to be the symbol of the rebellion! With her, standing at the front of the freedom movement, they can finally start fighting! Gale is convinced that this is the beginning of the Capitol's fall, the beginning of the end of oppression and injustice.

He is proud that he was the once to convince Katniss to join the war efforts. It's only hours later, when his tattooed schedule orders him to bed and the lights are dimmed, that Gale remembers the expression on Katniss' face when she saw Peeta is alive.

And suddenly he realises what – or rather who - the only reason for her to say yes truly is.

The next day in command, Catnip manages to surprise Gale once again. She has conditions. Quite a lot of them, actually.

Being allowed to keep Prim's cat. Immunity for Peeta and the other captured victors. Being allowed to hunt with Gale.

Gale is kind of satisfied that she thought of him and didn't only demand something for Peeta. He is glad to see that he is still on the same step – important-wise – as Peeta. But, on the other hand, both Peeta and him are on the same step as the ugly old cat…

It's the last condition that shocks Gale the most. Catnip wants to kill Snow. He thinks back to their final minutes of goodbye before her first Games, back to when she told him that killing people was so much different from hunting animals.

All of this had changed her.

Well, fighting for your life changes everyone, Gale thinks. War changes everyone. Suddenly, he is afraid how much it will change himself…

When they find Katniss' former prep team beaten and in chains, Katniss is shocked, horrified even.

Gale can't understand her. Those are the people who helped to beautify her for the slaughter. They helped to make the Games happen, they were exicted about them, flattered to be part of them.

No, Gale can't understand his best friend's compassion for this monsters at all.

Maybe, the war doesn't need to change him. Maybe he was just born a soldier.

Gale doesn't know much about Beetee; only that the elderly District 3 victor is supposed to be some sort of technical genius. The bow he has fashioned to complete Katniss' Mockingjay outfit is a true masterpiece, absolutely fantastic.

The one Gale gets to keep isn't too bad, either. It feels absolutely different from the bows Catnip's father had made so many years ago – those bows had been mere instruments for hunting. This one is a real, deadly weapon, designed for war.

Gale notices how perfectly it fits into his hand.

„Have you been educated in engineering?" Beetee asks Gale after Catnip has left the special weapons department.

Gale shakes his head and laughs dryly.

„I've never been really educated in anything that isn't linked to coal," he answers.

„Would you like to learn a bit about it? You seem to have a natural understanding for technical processes – would be a shame to let that talent go to waste."

For a moment, Gale is completely baffled. This is the first time in his life someone has called him talented. It's also the first time somebody has offered him an opportunity to devote himself to something he is really interested in – and that isn't related directly to his and his family's imminent survival.

„You'd teach me?" Gale inquires unbelievingly. „On which conditions?"

Beetee just shrugs and gives the younger man an honest, warm smile. „My health is bothering me since the arena." He motions towards his wheelchair. „I could use a helping hand. An assistant."

Gale considers this for a second.

„Would working down here prevent me from having to run over to Coin every five minutes?"

Beetee smiles widely.

„I think we could manage that."

Now Gale starts to smile, too.

„Then we have a deal."

Of course Gale insists to accompany Catnip, when they finally allow her to leave this grey underground prison and send her to Eight. To his own surprise, there are little objections from Coin or anyone else.

The next morning, Gale is put into a grey uniform, takes his new high-tech bow and boards a hovercraft alongside Catnip, Boggs, Haymitch (who is sober and in surprisingly good shape), Plutarch Heavensbee and a camera team.

There is also a very colourful woman who talks a lot and calls Gale handsome and camera-ready.

With a slight shiver he remembers the last person who called him handsome: It was Mrs Undersee, in her kitchen, all those long years ago, when he was still an innocent boy and she was a lonely housewife.

Back then, he hated to be thought of as handsome. By now, he has grown and he has been forced to learn a lesson or two – and he knows that good looks can be used as a weapon. No matter how much he hates to be shoved in front oft he cameras, to be presented like a trained dog; if he can convince one single person in the Districts to join the rebels, he'll gladly endure it.

Eight is terrible. It doesn't look much better than Twelve after the bombing.

Catnip is shocked when they enter the improvised hospital. There are tears in her eyes. Gale is only full of anger towards those cowards who dropped bombs from the skies onto helpless people, not even brave enough to face them in a fair fight.

He breathes in the hate along with the smell of blood and burned flesh and sorrow.

Suddenly, Catnip's small hand wraps around Gale's wrist.

„Do not leave my side," she whispers. There is sadness and desperation in her big, grey eyes. Gale knows her, knows instinctively that she considers all of this her own fault.

„I'm right here," he answers.

Of course he is. Isn't he always? The ever faithful friend… Yes, Gale is always there for Catnip. She is the one who leaves him on a regular base.

And then, Gale's nightmare starts all over again. Bombs rain down on the District and he is running for his life.

There is an ear-shattering boom and a pressure wave throws Gale off his feet. He gets back up as soon as he is sure the volley is over, his eyes franatically searching for Katniss. She's still on the ground, shielded by Boggs' massive body. Gale's respect for the District 13 soldier imminently grows a lot.

The next time the hovercrafts attack, it is Gale himself who throws himself over the Mockingjay to protect her. Their bodies are firmly pressed against each other and for an instant, the world recedes. Catnip's face is only inches away from Gale's. It is flushed, dirty, yet her beauty strikes him all over again.

They are both trying to catch their breaths.

„You alright?" Gale chokes out. Somewhere behind him, something explodes, nearly drowning out his words.

„Yeah," she answers breathlessly. „I don't think they have seen me. I mean, they aren't following us."

„No, they have targeted something else."

„I know, but there is nothing back there but-"

The two hunting partners stare into each others' eyes, the same horrible realization rushing trough both of their minds at the same fraction of a second.

„The hospital. They are targeting the hospital!"

Disobeying orders never felt so good. He is a bit sorry for kicking Boggs in the face – but that's just the price for doing what has to be done. Catnip and Gale are up the ladder and on the roof of the warehouse in a matter of seconds.

„Better start with fire," Gale suggests and pulls one of Beetee's flamable arrows out of the quiver. She does what he says. Girl on Fire, Gale thinks. This way, I almost like it.

They are the perfect team. Working together without words, instictively, like only people who have relied on each other for years can.

But in the end, they are defeated. The hovercrafts veer, but the hospital is destroyed. Gale sees the burning rubble and the smoke and he knows there is no way anyone could have made it out of there alive. It is sad that he has enough experience with bombings by now to be able to tell this so easily.

„Katniss – would you like to tell the rebels anything?" Cressida, the young director, asks.

„Yes," Catnip whispers. Then, she repeats more forcefully: „Yes."

And Gale steps back, giving her the stage, and watches amazed as a completely new Katniss starts to shine through the sad and broken girl in front of them. A heroine, strong and fierce. The symbol of the rebellion.

„Fire is catching!" she shouts, her eyes focused on the camera. „And if we burn, you burn with us!"

At this very moment, Gale would die for Katniss Everdeen and her cause.

Unfortunately, they are not allowed to go into battle again after that incident. From now on, it's all propos, propos, propos. And of course Gale with his camera-ready face isn't spared from participating. They put him into a video with Finnick Odair, displaying – according to Plutarch – as many young, handsome fighters as possible.

Finnick looks Gale's body up and down with an unreadable expression.

„You should be really glad you were never reaped, boy," the victor says.

Gale doesn't like his tone.

„I'm a hunter," he answers. „I might have won the Games."

Finnick grins, but it doesn't reach his eyes; they stay sad and empty.

„Yes," he says. „You probably would've won. That's why I said you should be glad you weren't reaped. You'd have been a very popular victor…"

When the Capitol airs the second interview with Peeta, Coin and the other leaders decide to keep it secret from Katniss. Gale submits to their wishes. Peeta didn't look good. Seeing him this way would only make her worry even more and maybe break her newly acquired fighting spirit. It's probably better this way. Better for her and better for the rebels.

As reward for his compliance, Coin hands him a brand new communicuff – this time, with a code to open it. Her sly smile makes him sick. He accepts the device anyway.

They send Katniss and Gale back to 12 again. Accompanied by a camera team and for promotional purposes only, of course.

Katniss is falling apart; her strength is used up. Gale tries his best to light her spirit once more, but he fails. The grey walls of District 13 seem to slowly suffocate her, suffocate both of them.

They think visiting the remains of 12 will help her but it only makes it worse. Seeing her stand in between the ruins and the ashes with tears in her eyes almost breaks Gale's heart.

When they are inside the house in the Victor's Village, finally free from the constant observation of the cameras, Gale remembers the times he spent here, horrible times that seem so much less bad now in comparison.

"This is where you kissed me, remember?" he whispers, running his hands over the kitchen table that was his sickbed after his whipping.

The look of pity on her face is too much for him to take and he has to muster all his willpower not to shove her away when her dry, chapped lips press against his.

"I knew you'd kiss me." The words are out before his mind even realized that they are true. "That's the only time I seem to get your attention. When I'm in pain."

It hurts. It hurts so much.

Gale doesn't even get a peaceful night to think about everything, to make up his mind about Katniss and his feelings for her.

Once he is back in 13, he is greeted by Peeta's face on a TV screen and his coarse, broken voice: „And you, in 13… dead by morning…"

Oh no, Gale thinks. Not another bombing…

He is not sure how much more of this he can stand.

A/N 2: Thank you so much for reading. I have no idea if I'll be able to update during the next week, but I'll try my best :)