Panem War Room, Coin:

"ALMA COIN!" Haymitch's voice roared through the intercom, startling the woman in question. The woman walked over to the response button and pressed it.

"Yes, Haymitch?"

"My study. NOW!"

"I'm coming." She released the button.

"He sounds pissed." She whispered to herself as she left the room. The war room was located in a bunker underneath the castle to keep the royal family safe in their planning. It also kept secrets in. Coin had been down there to check the progress of the troops from the three forces and if they were ready to move. They were almost ready. The moment Katniss and Gale returned from the Games, they would be ready to strike against the Capitol. Katniss just had to survive first.

A passing messenger handed her a report before going into the bunker. It was from Boggs telling her that the tribute pool was now down to twelve and that Katniss and Gale were still alive. She tucked the message into her pocket and turned her mind to Haymitch and why he had called her. They were only seven days into the Games and there were still a lot of tributes left against the couple.

She didn't bother knocking as she reached the room she needed to be in. The first thing she noticed was the broken glass between the chairs facing the television. There was a blonde woman standing off to the side and Haymitch was standing next to the desk, his hand close to the intercom button.

"You asked for me, Haymitch?" Coin asked and Haymitch looked at her. She didn't like the anger she saw there.

"What new information have you received?" He growled.

"Nothing that hasn't been said in the Games' coverage." Coin answered, not frightened by the glare coming from Haymitch.

"Don't you have spies throughout the Capitol?"

"I do. But they don't report regularly. Only if something is particularly interesting."

"Particularly interesting," Haymitch whispered and the blonde woman moved to be closer to Darius. "So your spies are just waiting for information to fall into their laps." He spat and Coin took a step back. "This woman risked her life to get us new information! Information that you should have had weeks ago!"

"What are you talking about?" Coin asked.

"Snow plans to destroy the arena in seven days." The blonde woman answered, glaring. "If Katniss and Gale are still alive, he will make sure they die. He doesn't care if there is a victor or not this year. His only goal is to make sure the Mockingjay dies for good."

"And where are you getting this information?" Coin asked, suspicious. "I doubt Snow would have told you out of the kindness of his heart considering you were in a jail cell when we found you." The woman's eyes narrowed.

"A Royal Guard by the name of Chaff was there as well. We both went into the Capitol. He went deeper in than I did. He helped place the explosives to destroy the arena. He got the deadline because he was going to be one of the ones to light the fuses."

"Was?" Coin questioned.

"He died getting me the information. The moment I had the info, Peacekeepers caught up to us. He pushed me out of sight and was caught. He died knowing that the information would save Katniss."

"Why didn't your spies find this out, Coin?" Haymitch asked. Coin didn't have an answer. "Do we have a hovercraft ready?" Haymitch asked, turning to Darius.

"We can have one ready in a few hours. But the men are a different story."

"We don't need men." Haymitch answered. "I want a doctor and their team and then I'm going to the Capitol to get Katniss and Gale."

"Haymitch, we don't even know where the Arena is." Coin tried.

"I know where it is." The woman spoke up. "I'll take you." Haymitch nodded and turned to Coin.

"Use a communicuff and get word to Boggs and Finnick. Tell them to be ready for an extraction." Coin nodded and everyone jumped into action. On the television, Katniss and Gale left an unconscious tribute on the ground.


Gale's POV

I keep hold of Katniss's hand as we run for the other side of the arena. Early this morning, an explosion woke us both and I nearly fell from the tree. We couldn't see the smoke then and started moving again, quickly. Nothing else had happened for the next few hours. Then, ten minutes ago, several explosions rocked the arena, one dangerously close to us. I don't have to tell Katniss what is happening. Snow is trying to kill us because he knows we can win. There are only six of us left. There would be five if Katniss had let me kill Peeta last week, but she was feeling merciful. The most that happened was we left him unconscious on the ground. Katniss wants the killing to stop, but she knows she has to kill in the arena. Maybe she's hoping someone else besides us will kill him. She told me that if we kill him, it would feel too much like revenge and not like survival.

Another explosion throws us to our feet and I use my body to shield Katniss from the debris raining down on us. We're barely standing up when another explosion, this time right next to us, happens. We are both thrown to the ground and my ears are ringing. I look for Katniss. She is several yards away from me…at Peeta's feet. He has a knife out and he's looking at her. Katniss isn't moving, but breathing, thankfully. She has several burns and cuts and what looks like a deep gash on her side from shrapnel. Before I can take stock of my own wounds, Peeta is kneeling next to Katniss and I jump.

With my ears still ringing, I roll away with Peeta, trying to avoid being stabbed by his knife. Somehow, I manage to get it away from him. Distantly, I hear more explosions but I don't know if they are anywhere near us. Right now, I am more focused on Peeta. He almost killed Katniss. He would have killed me. I don't care if this looks like revenge to her. It's survival this time. Katniss will know that when I tell her. That knife was aimed for her heart, my heart.

Everything's moving in a blur as my hand finds the discarded knife. We both roll to our feet for a moment before jumping at each other. He tries grabbing for my neck. I avoid it by ducking and then drive my hand upward, along with the knife. Dad taught me a few things when it came to killing because he knew the chances of me coming into the arena. I feel the knife slide between his ribs and into his heart.

"There's no coming back from this." I whisper harshly as I turn the knife and then yank it out. I don't wait to see him die. Before he hits the ground, I'm sprinting back to Katniss. She is still unconscious on the ground. No other tributes seem to have found us. I pull her into my lap and hold both of them. All around me, explosions destroy the arena and if tributes are dying, the cannons can't be heard. Snow is sure to spin this as a rebel attack and not him. The only thing it will do is placate the people in the Capitol. The refugees, Panem, the Districts, and Thirteen will know the truth.

"Gale!" I look up, confused, and see Haymitch hanging from a ladder attached to a hovercraft. He's got a hand extended out to me and gesturing for me to hurry. Another explosion, a little farther away. I get to my feet, Katniss in my arms, and hop onto the ladder. Haymitch grabs her upper body and holds her close. I grab onto the ladder below him. "Now!" Haymitch shouts upwards and we're pulled up. The door is closing when one large explosion sounds and the hover craft is rocked in the air and I'm afraid we might fall but we don't and I go to a window and look out. The Arena is gone.

I turn to Haymitch. "How did you know?"

"Johanna Mason and Chaff infiltrated the Peacekeepers. Chaff died, but he gave the information to Johanna and she got it to me last week. He may have failed to save Prim, but at least he died doing his duty." Haymitch nods out the window. "Peeta was just a distraction. This was the plan all along." I think back to the letter Katniss sent and how easily Snow agreed to it. Everything makes sense now.

I take Katniss from Haymitch and walk to where a medical bay has been set up. We're both checked out. I'm given a clean bill of health, but the doctors seem worried about Katniss. It's been confirmed that she's only unconscious, though she may have a concussion. They're going to monitor her for that. But there's something else. The head doctor takes me from the medical bay to a waiting area where Haymitch and Finnick are waiting. Good, he got out. Nearby, a blonde woman and Boggs stare out the window. She looks familiar but I can't place her. I look back to Haymitch and Finnick. By the look on Haymitch's face, Finnick told him that Katniss is pregnant. I look at the doctor as they walk over.

"How is she?" I ask. The doctor looks down.

"The queen is fine. We don't think she has a concussion, but we'll monitor her for it in any case."

"Then what's wrong?" I press. He forces me into a seat and looks at Haymitch before turning to me.

"Did you know she was pregnant?" He asks me.

"Was?" I ask. "She is,"

"She lost the baby, Gale. In the explosion that knocked her unconscious. She miscarried." It takes a moment for the weight of the words to hit me and when they do, I'm glad he forced me to sit. After another moment, I see red and I turn and punch the wall. Not repeatedly, but the once is enough to cut up my hand. Finnick walks over and takes me back into the medical bay to get it stitched up. I let him without protest. One thought is consuming my mind. Snow killed my child. Snow will pay for this.


*ducks behind desk to avoid large vegetables* Thanks for reading and please review. Oh, don't blame me, blame Snow. *Takes cover again*