A/N: Thanks for reading (and reviewing)!


The next week flies by. Suddenly it seems like everything is happening at once. The soldiers are in training in preparation for the final assault on the Capitol. Every time I see Spinner or Rose it just seems they are already exhausted and worn; I hope they get a break before they're shipped off to the war. They've already been assigned to squads heading to the Capitol. They aren't scheduled to leave for another week, though.

We've received a second shipment from the agricultural districts, and the hope is that since the Capitols' air power has been taken out with the victory in D2, that the rebel groups will be able to maintain weekly or semiweekly provisions shipments among the districts. Here in district four, they're sending a lot of the fish and farmed shellfish out to other districts, as much as possible. Of course, with the effects of all the structural damage from the battles here in D4, it's not as much as they used to export to the Capitol. Then again, the district populations have been severely hurt by the war. I hate to think how many people have been lost, how everyone here has been hurt by the war one way or another.

Naiya and I have really been kept busy, taking over provision distribution in our sector for Rose as she and Spinner throw themselves into training. We're barely up to speed on how to deal with logistics all through the sector, and now with the trains operating, we've got to manage what comes from within the district and what arrives by train. Thank goodness Rose is still around. Even though she's training full time, Naiya and I keep track of anything we can't figure out on our own and run the list past her whenever we get the chance. She always fills in the details we need.

All together, it's meant that I don't get nearly as much time with Bear as I want. We've had one more "date night" but otherwise, there's little time for us to linger in each others' arms. Everything is so new to me; it's a little nerve-wracking trying to figure out the whole relationship thing, so maybe it's good that we have to take things slowly right now. I can't deny it's a relationship. Maybe we've only had two real dates, but we steal all the time together that we can. We've set ground rules though - we're not letting it interfere with our work. Or sleep. After those first few nights on the couch, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with Naiya and our provisions work if I continued like that. Usually we're left with a few hours in the evenings, which is usually the only time we can spend with our other friends who are heading off to war any day now. Hence our final rule - we've got to spend the time with our friends while they are here with us, because who knows what will happen when the war begins again.

Though everyone is exhausted, we try to keep up conversation over dinner.

"How was training?" I ask Spinner.

He swallows a mouthful of food before answering, "the same - target practice, combat practice, conditioning. They're working us 'til we can barely stand."

Concerned, I say, "I hope they know what they're doing. You'll be no good to them if they just wear you down."

Spinner tells me, "I can tell a difference, though. The whole squad is better than when we started."

Bear adds, "that's the same kinds of stuff we see in the propos. Won't it be a weakness that they're broadcasting the training that way?" Every night we see more propos from the rebels, surely intended to boost morale here in the districts. It's not just Finnick and Gale that we recognize. Katniss and Johanna Mason, the victor from district 7, also appear, training together on an indoor (or underground) firing range. There's a special report about Johanna, how she helped the rebel conspiracy in the arena, how the Capitol imprisoned and tortured her. Of course the main focus is how she's been rescued from the Capitol and is now training with the rebels.

Spinner dismisses Bear's concern. "Well the secrets aren't in basic training are they? It's in the strategy and deployment that secrecy really matters. And weapons."

Bear and I concede the point and Spinner adds, "Anyway we all need the same training. We might have to report to commanders from other districts once we're in the Capitol. We're all going to need to be on the same page pretty quickly."

Johanna's propo was a surprise - our first real evidence that the rebels had rescued prisoners of the Capitol, since we were never sure what happened to Annie. But the real shock comes with tonight's special broadcast, this one focused on Peeta. I'm stunned speechless. We all quiet down as soon as we see him in the broadcast. Like Johanna, there's a big report on Peeta's role in the rebellion, even going back to his sacrifices for Katniss in their first games, essentially ending with how he warned district 13 of the bombing. They don't explain details behind how Peeta was rescued from the Capitol, but that after being tortured by President Snow, the rebels have reunited him with Katniss and that he too is in training to fight alongside rebel forces in the Capitol.

When did this happen? I've been worried that he was dead or worse, in President Snow's hands. He seems healthy and is even moving pretty well on his bad leg from the looks of it. He looks different - it's in his eyes or expression, something - cold. I can't define it exactly. But he's alive, that news alone is exciting and I'm caught up in the idea of yet another person from home who's still fighting. I catch Spinner's eye and we both grin happily from the news.

When the broadcast ends, Johnny says, "That's weird."

"What is?" Spinner asks.

"He didn't talk. No interview." he answers, still looking puzzled. It hadn't occurred to me, but it's true. Peeta's always been such a good speaker, you'd think they'd take advantage of that. Maybe he's not fully recovered from whatever he suffered at the Capitol's hands ... even so, you'd think he's be a persuasive force for the rebels. It leaves me feeling a little uneasy.

"Nothing actually with Katniss either," Bear adds.

At first I'm going to argue, but I know Bear was watching carefully, so I think back. Katniss had been shown once or twice in the broadcast, and it certainly suggested they were together, but I can't remember any shots showing them physically together in the same shot. The reporters had definitely talked about a reunion with Katniss. So Katniss and Peeta and Gale are together again ... maybe they didn't show her with Peeta because she's with Gale now. They just don't want to ruin the story for everyone else. But I had thought she really cared for Peeta too ... the whole situation is confusing now that I know he's alive.

I'm still trying to remember the broadcast more clearly, looking worriedly at Bear when Spinner says, "well they're probably in different squads - they refused to let Rose and I be on the same squad. Rules are rules. And maybe they're tired of having every kiss broadcast to all of Panem. I know I would be."

He's got a point. Maybe we're simply over-analyzing things. It was the Capitol that always put them on display and forced them to constantly demonstrate their love, so maybe now they actually have some say in things. Katniss hated her private life being on display for all of Panem. I guess Peeta's not going to be exactly the same either, after everything he's been through, and with everything going on with the rebellion. If he's committed enough to the war to be training for battle, should we really be questioning the details of the rebel broadcasts? It nags at me though. I wait until Johnny and Spinner go to bed before talking about it any more with Bear. I've got to know what he's thinking, and I know he'll be more open if we're alone.

"Did you know?" I ask him.

He shakes his head. "No, not a word. I'd've told you."

"What do you think about it?"

"You'd know better than me, but Johnny was right - it was a little weird. He didn't seem like himself."

We agree about that much. "Yeah. But after what he went through, what we saw in Snow's interviews ... how could he be the same? At least he's alive. I didn't really think it was possible."

His eyes search mine, and I can't tell what he's thinking but he's worried for me. But he smiles and pulls me to the couch. In deep and soothing tones he says, "Of course - you're right. At least we know he's alive, and out of Snow's reach. He's safe, or as safe as any of us are."

I sigh, "I wish we knew what was going on there."

"In 13?" Bear hesitates, then asks, "Do you wish you were with them?"

"What, in 13?"

He looks at me expectantly, the slightest nods confirming it's what he means.

I answer, "No. I just meant, I wish we didn't learn everything from these broadcasts, that we knew what was really going on. I miss them, sure. I miss home. But it's different now."

"Is it?"

"For me it is. To be honest I was kind of wondering what Katniss will do now that her love life is free from Capitol meddling. She's never been that open with her feelings. I really can't guess what things are like for her now."

He shrugs. "They're your friends. You know, when we saw that first interview ... when I first caught on ... I thought you might be sweet on him."

"What do you mean?" I say, a little too fast and feeling a faint surge of panic that I try to hide.

"Peeta. The way you obviously cared about him, and how you defended him. It was more than the girls here cared, and he charmed them all. So I thought ..." he drifts off. Maybe he doesn't want to say it for fear it's true.

I laugh, a little relieved. "No, I never liked Peeta that way. He was just, someone I grew up with. Besides he always had his eye on Katniss, like he admitted in his first interview. I could never have competed with her." I feel a little guilty, like I'm lying by not explaining the truth to him about my real crush. I don't admit my old feelings for Gale to him. I tell myself it doesn't matter, Gale's not a part of this conversation, and anyway it's all in the past. But I never wanted to compete with Katniss for Peeta ...

"If you ask me she could never compete with you," Bear says quietly. He brushes the hair back from my face and I get that familiar fluttery feeling in my chest. I lean up to kiss him. He's smart and caring and strong and it's still hard to believe that he could like me, but it feels so right to be in his arms, and to have him in mine. We may not have said anything about love, or even about boyfriends and girlfriends since Mick's comment on that first date, but I want this to last forever. I pull back a bit from our kiss and watch him. The fluttering in my chest gets stronger as I dare myself to ask what's in my thoughts. Since I've ended the kiss he opens his eyes to find me, and I smile at the sincerity of his expression.

He looks at me, expectantly, and I spit it out in one fast string of words, "Will you be my boyfriend?"

Before I know it his hands are cradling my face as he kisses my lips. "You'll be my girl?" he asks, his lips next to mine. I nod, biting my lip and smiling. As if he needed to ask.

"I'm all yours," he murmurs, kissing me again, wrapping his hand into my hair. We share a deep, passionate kiss as if to seal our new status. Then he lessens the intensity of the kisses, grins at me and says, "now get out of here while you still can."

I want to tease him back, but I know we have to be responsible. It's late and I need to get some sleep. I know that Bear has to get to work, too. "Okay," I agree softly. "Goodnight, boyfriend."

His eyes twinkle as he tells me goodnight. I practically float down the hall and into bed.


A/N: Sorry the updates are slowing down a bit. Been busy but hope to get more written soon.