Mira did not want to wake up. Effie had pounded on her door for about three minutes before she had finally lifted her head off of the pillow to call "I'll be right there!" hoping that she was lying. That was ten minutes ago, and she still had made no move. Now Cinna was at her door, marching in on her and gently pulling her up.

"Cinna, I can't do this," she whimpered as he handed her a loose dress to wear on the hovercraft.

"You can. But not if you think like that. Just... believe in yourself. Corny as that sounds, it works." He smiled reassuringly, and she reluctantly pulled the comfortable fabric over her head. She fought to keep her hands steady as he lead her outside to a hovercraft. A ladder dropped down, and she froze as soon as she touched it. She wasn't released until a doctor inside injected a tracker into her forearm. She absently thought of how much she hates needles.

The roomy hovercraft was quiet as they flew over Panem to the arena. Cinna offered her water periodically, and food, but she mostly refused. She drank the water, but it seemed to have a taste, and did little to soften her throat, constricted as it is with fear. Honestly, Mira was terrified. She felt a clutching horror in her chest as the minutes drew on and on in the craft. This can't be happening, she kept telling herself. I'm going to wake up in my bed, and Father is going to beat me for screaming in the middle of the night, she tried to convince herself. She decided she would take her father's cruelty over death in the arena any day. Just the thought of facing a night in the cold sent tremors of fear into her stomach. How will she survive this? She knew the answer: she wouldn't.

Gale was up long before Portia came for him. He had awoken depressed, not remembering the significance of the day for a moment. When he did, though, depression and despair transformed to cold-hot rage and hard determination. He would come home.

He payed no attention as he dressed and boarded the hovercraft. His mind was far away, twelve hours away, lost in the previous night's goodbyes. . .

After they had returned from the interviews, he and Katniss had slipped away as soon as was possible. Before that though, Katniss and Peeta had been happy love birds for the cameras, as they would be while he was in the arena. He had begun to accept their scenario. Katniss needed someone to protect her, not physically, but just to be there for her. If that couldn't be him, at least there was someone else willing.

They had fled to the roof top, the one place they were guaranteed to be left alone. He knew that Peeta had seen them; he'd seen the look on his face as they fled. His face had been a mixture of resignations, understanding, and compassion. For once, Gale hadn't been bothered by it. How could he, when his heart was occupied with much more pressing thoughts. Availability of trees, herbs, weapons, allies, sponsors, and more currently, what he could say to his best friend and the girl who held his heart that would make her remember him forever, if he couldn't be there to make sure she did himself?

Standing on the roof, they hadn't spoken at all for the first few minutes. They had stood in the little garden, staring up at the sky. Gale had tried to pick out a few familiar stars in the silence.

"Even the sky is different here. You can hardly see the stars," he'd said quietly. His bravado was slipping, as was Katniss's. Reality was catching up with them, unbearably fast.

Wrapped in each others arms, they'd stayed perfectly still for maybe seconds, maybe minutes, maybe months. Time had stopped, giving them peace in their last moments.

Katniss had sighed, saying, "You should get some sleep," and reluctantly pulled away. She'd avoided his gaze, looking over the side of the building.

"All right Catnip," he'd said. Arguing was not something he'd intended to do, so he acquiesced instead.

They'd started walking at a snail's pace back to the elevator and stair case. Just shy of it though, she'd stopped, taking his hands. Still she avoided his gaze, staring at her soft leather shoes instead.

"Gale, there's something I need to tell you, in case I can't tell you... later." Her already soft voice was barely audible. He knew it was difficult for her to say anything to him regarding emotions, and here she was doing it twice in one day...

"Anything, Catnip."

"I... I..." she stuttered. But Gale understood what she wanted to say, as he understood she wouldn't get it out herself.

"I know, Katniss. I do, too," he'd said at the same time as she whispered even softer, "I love you, Gale."

He'd stood in slightly stunned silence while she took a step towards the door. "I just wanted you to know that. Get some sleep."

Her voice had been clearer and stronger then than during the whole conversation, and he knew the words they'd exchanged would be the ones carrying him through the nights and days to come.

Concurrently, Katniss, Haymitch, Effie, and Peeta were on a very different hovercraft, going to a very different place. The ride had been very quiet so far, with most of the passengers slumped in various stages of early morning catatonia.

But suddenly, Katniss shot up, her eyes widening, all thoughts of sleep forgotten. "The two victors rule," she whispered.

She and Peeta had been sleeping side by side, so he'd been jarred when she stood. "What?" he asked groggily, and loud enough to wake everyone else.

"The two victors rule. They never announced if they were keeping it. We never even told—" she stammered. She had told Gale. She wasn't sure if he remembered at all, with everything else going on, but she had definitely, and in detail, discussed the possibility with him.

She waited for someone to laugh, tell her that she was the only one who'd forgotten, and that they already knew the answer to her unspoken question. But no one spoke. Even Haymitch and Effie were silent for once. And silence scared Katniss much more than a difficult answer.

Haymitch finally broke the silence with a very foul word. He said it again and again. "How could we have missed this?!" he exclaimed.

While Effie wasn't aware of the full emphasis of this news, she knew it was very upsetting, and began wringing her hands and muttering, "Oh no!"

Katniss simply stared blankly at nothing, her eyes still wide, willing someone to do something, to fix this.

Only Peeta stayed calm. He didn't completely understand why everyone was freaking out. It wasn't under their control anyway. "They're probably just going to announce it. They wouldn't leave something so indefinite unattended. There are probably other people wondering exactly the same thing we are, so really, why are you freaking out?"

Katniss grimaced. "He's got a point..."

"Yes, but now we haven't been able to coach them at all as a team," Haymitch grunted, ever the optimist.

"Haymitch. Think about it. What are the odds that Snow is going to keep this rule anyway?" Katniss said, her voice hard. She didn't want to take part in false hopes that could lead anywhere, but almost guaranteed disappointment.

"Slim, yes, but we should have been prepared anyway. They need every advantage they can get."

Silence fell back on the craft, and those who could fell back asleep. Katniss did, but her dreams were troubled. She felt like she'd barely blinked when Peeta was shaking her shoulder gently, saying, "We're here, it's time to get up."

The room they entered was pristine, with many different controls and screens. The walls were stainless steel, and the floor was hard white tile. There were three comfortable looking chairs in front of the controls. A door stood slightly ajar on the other side of the long room, and Peeta caught a glimpse of a much more comfortable room, with plush purple carpets and couches, probably for the mentor's relaxation. As if they could ever relax while their friends life was in their own hands.

"Why are there three chairs? I thought you said you weren't mentoring this year..." Katniss asked Haymitch.

"The third chair is for a sponsor. A very, very rich sponsor. They pay extra money to come and watch from here, but they can't control anything. It's not a commonly known fact, so don't go spreading it. I'll be that sponsor until you send your first gift, so I can help you get the hang of things. After that though, you're on your own."

"When can we see the arena? What are we supposed to do right now?" Katniss demanded.

"Calm down sweetheart. You'll see the arena at nine o' clock, and have time to go through it, virtually of course, before the tributes are there, so you'll know where potential threats are, water sources, all that good stuff."

"So, now what?" she asked again.

"Now, we wait. Sponsors will start calling within the hour, and both of you need to be ready to sign them up."

"That's it? We do nothing?"

"Yeah. Relax, their will be plenty for you to do soon. Enjoy this time while you can."

Peeta led a reluctant Katniss through the door, and the world transformed from the cruel, cold, precise control room to a soft, comfortable place. Katniss sank onto the voluminous couch, sighing.

"I guess this is it, then, isn't it?" she asked softly. "This is the last time we'll ever be normal. Because after this, we'll have blood on our hands."

Appalled, Peeta said, "Katniss stop! This isn't going to be your fault, no matter what happens. You're going to do your best keeping them alive, and if you fail, no one will hold you accountable, do you hear me?? Not your mother, not Prim, not Hazelle, not me, and Gale wouldn't either."

She'd never thought of it that way. "But I still will have failed him," the words escaped through her closed lips, so softly that she could barely hear them herself. She hadn't known of her own deepest fear until it forced itself out at that moment.

"No, you won't fail him. Failing him would be letting this get to you. Failing him would be agonizing over 'what if', and not focusing on now."

"It's so easy to believe you, you know that?" she said with a hint of a smile. He returned it with a full one, and sat on the couch next to her, taking her hand in his own.

"That's because it's the truth." For a while, neither of them spoke, and they were left undisturbed.

Katniss moved closer to him, and he put his arm around her. She thought of how Gale might have been in Peeta's place, in another universe.

Then a shocking revelation came over her. She wanted Peeta by her side in this instant. She wanted his ability to comfort her with one sentence, one word, even. His gentleness. His kindness. Even though she would give anything to have Gale safe and by her side in that moment, it was still Peeta she wanted next to her.

Then a phone rang shrilly, shattering her thoughts, and she was glad for it.

Peeta stood, offered his hand, and pulled her up. "Ready?" he asked wryly. She gave a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and nodded.

The next hour or so lifted Katniss's spirits considerably. Apparently, potential sponsors hadn't known they would be speaking directly to last year's victors, so of course, they were ecstatic and pledged much more money than originally planned, telling their loaded friends as well. Many of them asked specifically for Gale, though they managed to direct a few towards Mira as well.

During a break in the frantic phone calls, but before they were allowed to see the arena, Peeta brought up the issue of which of them was to take the majority of the responsibility for whom. Katniss's brow furrowed, and she thought deeply on the subject.

"Um... Do you think we can just, both do both?" At his perplexed expression she added, "Well, we've never exactly stuck to Capitol regulations, so why start now?" with a slight mischievous smile.

"I think that's a brilliant idea," he said.

An hour later, they were ready for their viewing of the arena. Haymitch was with them, as was Effie. He gave them a brief description of the multiple sets of controls, and how they affected the view and cameras.

Suddenly, the multitude of large screens seemed to meld into one giant window, as if they were just outside the arena. A countdown appeared; 10... 9... 8... Katniss locked eyes with Peeta, her heart beating erratically, fear for her friend seeping through her... 5... 4... 3... Peeta held his breath... 2... 1...

"Holy—"

* * *

In the catacombs under the arena, Gale was tense, ready for battle. He knew Katniss didn't want him to risk his life for the bloodbath at the Cornucopia, but he needed weapons. Even he couldn't survive without them. Even just a meager knife, and a pack. Still, he didn't want to die with in the hour.

Then it hit him. He could be dead within an hour, and no one would think anything of it. He would be just another tribute that luck had abandoned. Katniss would miss him, surely, as would his mother and siblings, but they would move on, they'd have to.

He didn't want them to have to. He wanted to go home.

Portia told him it was time to go into the arena. His heart sped up as his fight-or-flight instinct took over. He stepped onto the round plate that would raise him into the wilderness that may or may not become his deathbed. He took one last deep breath as he began to ascend...

Mira clutched her hands together nervously as the round plate lifted her up. As she was rising, she just barely caught a glimpse of soft brown earth around her, and she remembered what Katniss had said about trees. She looked toward the Cornucopia, and her breath caught in her throat...

Despite himself, Gale gasped. The view around him was anything but what he'd expected. The ground beside his plate was soft, a rich brown, but there were hardly any plants growing in it. About a thousand feet to his right, a gently sloping hill gave way to a rugged cliff, not too high, but dangerous to climb nevertheless. To his left, a hill sloping downwards probably had the same ending, though he couldn't tell. All around him, in fact, were various cliffs, hills, and caves, to his surprise. He saw a sliver of green, perhaps a pine or elm tree, at the top of the cliff to his right, and knew his plan.

All this he digested in 20 seconds, and focused the next 20 on the Cornucopia. Strewn inside were supplies geared directly for this arena. Multiple climbing packs, which he knew he needed. He saw blankets, night glasses, and even telescopes. His eyes lighted on a bow, and knew what he would do.

20 more seconds, and he flew off of his plate, sprinting, grabbing climbing supplies on his way. He managed to snatch up a knife and pack, which he slung over his shoulder. He'd run faster than he ever had in his life, and had the bow in hand by the time the other tributes reached him. He swung his knife wildly, praying he would make it out alive...

Katniss was frantic. They'd explored the entire arena, and she knew that there was a sparse forest on top of most of the cliffs, and at the bottom of the canyons. There were streams running everywhere, so water shouldn't be much of a problem. The Cornucopia was also filled with climbing supplies, so she'd begun to relax.

But now, watching Gale run straight into the thick of the most violent day of her life, she was barely holding in a scream. Peeta had his arms wrapped entirely around her, and Haymitch was controlling the camera. Mira, much to everyone's relief, had grabbed a pack, containing climbing supplies, jerky, a blanket, and a water container, that lay a scant five feet from her before running straight to the first canyon. Peeta occasionally glanced at a screen they'd set up to follow her, but everyone's eyes were trained on Gale, as Haymitch frantically worked the controls, trying to keep him in view.

Gale was slashing at everyone in his path, trying to get out. He held the bow close to him, like a lifeline. He was almost out, almost out. But then, hot red pain erupted on his shoulder, and he screamed, turning abruptly and slashing, slashing.

The pain in his shoulder was barely manageable, but he finally escaped the blood shed. He sprinted for the nearest canyon, knowing he would be easy to pick off while scaling a cliff. He hastily swung his quiver over his shoulder, and began maneuvering the sloping hills.

Mira fumbled with her equipment, her hands shaky with adrenaline and fear. She finally managed to propel down the cliff-side.

As she landed, she looked up, and to her horror, saw another figure coming down the same way. She ran for the forest, almost forgetting her life-saving equipment. Think, Mira! Think! she told herself. All around her were trees. Trees! How hard could it be to climb one?

Finding a sturdy-looking oak, she gripped the lowest branch tightly, and swung her legs around it, so that she hung upside down. She twisted her body, hauling herself up on top of the branch, just as a figure ran under her. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. But too soon, because the figure stopped, and looked straight up at her.

Gale sighed. Mira was sitting awkwardly in a tree above him, staring at him with wide, terrified eyes. If he killed her now, it would save her a more painful death later, and him a possible enemy. But he couldn't make himself do it. Not only would he be considered heinous back home, but he could not bring himself to kill her at all. Not yet, anyway.

So instead, he put his fingers to his lips, motioning her to be quiet, and kept jogging away.

Back in the control room, Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch let out a collective sigh as Gale jogged away from Mira. Aside from Gale's shoulder injury, which was extremely minor compared to what could have been, they had both come away from the cornucopia relatively unscathed. Katniss knew Gale would trek until he came to a water source, set up some traps, and stay in a tree for the night, safely far away from the other tributes. But even if they came, he had a bow, and a knife. He would be alright for the night.

A/N: To all my faithful readers, I am soo sorry it took so long for me to update! I honestly thought that I would be able to during Thanksgiving break last week, but you would not believe the homework load I got. It's like my teachers think we have no life or something lol. But anyways, I would have updated right after, but I had major writers block. So, I basically did nothing until literally today, when I got super inspired and wrote basically 2/3rds of the chapter in like, two hours :) So, let me know what you think! And, special thanks to Pita-BreaD-RoCkS who gave me the idea for the control room. I hadn't thought of it at all until her [his?] review. lol. So that definitely helped my writers block. Read&Review :) Because if I don't know how you guys feel about this, I can't keep updating! And, I hope hope hope that I won't take as long next time :D Now that we're in the Games, it should be easier for me to get inspired ;D

-mymockingjay