Sorry for the long wait my life has been very hectic but here is Chapter 3.

I follow Haymitch to the cafeteria. I spot a women with a piece of fabric wrapped around her head. She sits stiffly beside Beetee. I smile.

I walk over "Effie!"

She gets to her feet and hugs me "I'm so sorry about Chase and Peeta."

I smile softly at her "thanks."

Haymitch smiles at her "Effie."

They hug which looks to me like it tortured Effie. We sit Gale looks out of place and glares at Effie.

"Err...Effie this is Gale. Gale Effie was my escort in the games," I say.

Effie offers her hand and Gale pauses a moment before shaking her hand. She looks happily at me.

"How have you been Effie?" I ask.

"Terrible dear! I miss my wigs and coffee!" she says slamming her glass of water back on the table.

I have to fight the urge to laugh.

"I never thought any place could be so strict I though in the higher ranks it'd be better," she points to the fabric on her head "luckily I remembered this was all the raged coming up in the Capitol."

I smile at her "Plutarch rescued you?"

"Yeah rescued me that's what he calls it," she says.

I smile "well I'm happy to see you again."

Gale gives a soft laugh.

I glare at him before turning back to Effie.

"I have something for you," she says pushing her tray away from her.

She pulls out a book and hands it to me. I snap it open and look through the pages. There's beautiful drawings of a mockingjay outfit. Plans to the outfit. Sizes, lengths and sketches of the final product. At the end it says in neat small handwriting. I'm still betting on you, Cinna. I feel tears well in my eyes but I blink them away.

I look up at Effie "he's dead?"

"We aren't sure but he's best off like that isn't he," she says.

I nod "yeah."

"He made us promise not to show you this until you agreed to being the mockingjay on your own. He knew the risks like we all," she says.

I have to look away from the sketches so I close it and snap it closed.

"It beautiful," I say.

"They have it," she says "they have the mockingjay outfit. There's not much of a prep team here but we will make you look fabulous."

I nod smiling "I look forward to it."

Gale has disappeared and came back carrying a tray he nudges it to me.

"You should eat something," he suggests.

I shake my head "I'm not hungry."

He shrugs, sits down and starts to eat it instead.

I smile at Effie and she smiles back "I saw the interview Peeta did. Chase is beautiful."

I nod "yeah."

I don't want to talk about Peeta and Chase. I rake my brain for a better topic.

"Did you enjoy the Quell?" I ask.

Gale stiffens but it doesn't show unless you've known him for years like I have.

She nods smiling "it was quite the clever arena."

I nod "it was definitely that."

"Which one was the worst you think?" she asks.

I take a moment to decide "all were pretty bad. But the fog was the worst I think."

"We all saw the jabberjays I thought you would say that was the worst," she says.

"Was until Peeta helped make me feel better about it," I say.

Finally I know what I will do to help her feel better. I take out the paper I wrote my conditions on and flip it over and take a pen. I draw a circle on it. I show her where the cornucopia was and explain in depth the stuff that happened in the games. She listens carefully and I think even Gale enjoys this. She asks about Chase's birth and I tell her about it.

She smiles and yawns "I'm heading to bed. See you in the morning Katniss."

I nod "want my sketch?"

She nods and takes it.

Gale and I sit in silence for a moment before he pulls up his sleeve "I've got training next."

I tug up my sleeve and hold my arm next to his. "Me too."I remember that training equals hunting now.

My eagerness to escape into the woods, if only for two hours, overrides my current concerns. An immersion into greenery and sunlight will surely help me sort out my thoughts. Once off the main corridors, Gale and I rave like schoolchildren for the armory, and by the time we arrive, I'm breathless and dizzy. A reminder I'm not fully recovered. The guards provided our old weapons as well as knives and burlap sack that's meant for a game bag. I toletatehaving the tracker clamped to my ankle, try to look as if I'm listening when they explain how to use the handheld communicator. The only thing that sticks in my head is that it has a clock, and we must be back inside 13 by the designated hour or our hunting privileges will be revoked. This is one rule I think I will make an effort to follow.

We go outside into the large, fenced-in training area beside the woods. Guards open the well-oiled gates without comment. We would be hard-pressed to get past this fence on our own-thirty feet high and always buzzing with electricity, topped with razor-sharp curls of steel. We move through the until the view of the fence has been obscured. In a small clearing, we pause and drop back our heads to bask in the sunlight. I turn in a circle, my arms extended at my sides, revolving slowly so as not to set the world spinning.

The lack of rain I saw in 12 has damaged the plants here as well, leaving some with brittle leaves, building a crunchy carpet under our feet. We take off our shoes. Mine don't fit right anyways, since in the spirit of waste-not-want-not that rules 13, I was issued a pair someone had outgrown. Apparently, one us walks funny, because they're broken in all wrong.

We hunt, like in the old days. Silent, needing no words to communicate, because here in the woods we move as two watching each other's backs. How long has it been? Eight months? Nine? Since we had this freedom? It's not exactly the same, given the fact that I have to rest so often. But it's about as close to happiness as I think I can currently get.

The animals here are not nearly suspicious enough. That extra moment it takes to place our unfamiliar scent means their death. In an hour and a half, we've got a mixed dozen -rabbits, squirrels, and wild turkeys- and decide to knock off to spend the remaining time by a pond that must be fed by an underground spring, since the water's cool and sweet.

Gale offers to clean the game, I don't object. I stick mint leaves in my mouth, close my eyes, and lean back a rock, soaking in the sounds, letting the scorching afternoon sun burn my skin, my mind tries to travel off to Peeta and Chase but I fight those thought to the back of my mind and think about something else, I'm almost at peace when Gale's voice wakes me.

"Katniss why do you care so much about your escort?" he asked.

I open my eyes to see if he's joking, but he's frowning down at the rabbit he's skinning. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Hmm, let me see. Because she's spent the last year prettying you up for slaughter?" he suggests in a mock tone.

"It's more complicated than that. I know her. She's not evil or cruel. She's not even smart. Hurting them, it's like hurting children. She doesn't see...I mean, she doesn't know…." I get knotted up in my words.

"She doesn't know what Katniss?" he says "that tributes -who are the actual children involved here, not that freak- are forced to fight to the death? That you were going into that arena for people's amusement? Was that a big secret in the Capitol?"

"No. But they don't view it the way we do," I say "they're raised on it and…"

"Are you actually defending them after what they did to you, Peeta and Chase?" he slips that skin from the rabbit in one quick move.

That stings, because, in fact I am, and it's ridiculous. I see a vision of Chase wailing on the top of his lungs in the arena. I should hate Effie, Cinna and my prep team for all they did but I don't. Cinna was on my side though he's different.

"When I found out I was pregnant everyone Effie, Haymitch, Cinna and my prep team they were heartbroken for me. I remember Effie not being able to look at me….." I trail off again there are tears "thanks Gale I was just about happy for once."

"Sorry but I needed to ask," says Gale.

I huff "of course you did.''

Gale looks at me "I still can't believe you're defending the Capital the workers of Snow."

I can't respond I just look down at my shoes this stings.

There are a couple things that I need you my readers input on. Answer the questions if you can. Also give your reasoning thank you!

Number 1: Should Peeta be hijacked?

Number 2: Should Finnick be killed?

Number 3: Should Prim be killed?

Number 4: Should at the end Katniss finds out she pregnant with Peeta and hers second child. I have a cool line in mind if so. NOTE: If yes for this on Peeta probably wouldn't be hijacked it just wouldn't work.