Sorry the updates will be coming a little slower now with track starting up again, and the fact that I've decided to sell my horse to get a new one, but I'll try to get them up when I can. I know I said I was going to alternate between stories, but I figured I'd just finish this story. So enjoy the second to last chapter!

Who are you when I'm not looking? ~Who Are You When I'm Not Looking, Blake Shelton

Denver's POV:

"Hey! This one's alive still!" my eyes flutter open at a rough voice and the sound of feet hurrying over to me. When my eyes come to focus I see a group of men standing over me, four to be exact. They all are in uniforms, but these aren't Capital soldiers. One man, he looks to be around thirty-two, waves his hand in front of my face. "Hey, can you hear us?" he asks, he was the voice I heard from before.

"Where's Gale?" I ask hoarsely, my throat is tight and dry. They all share a confused look at each other.

"We don't know who you're talking about. But common, you're lucky you're alive. Our hovercraft leaves soon, we can bring you back to District Eight." What? District Eight? Why there? I try to sit up but then pain shoots through my chest and I collapse back to the ground.

"You have some broken ribs, leg too. Stay still, we can carry ya." Another man smiles down at me.

"Who, who are you? Why are we going to Eight?" I stutter. The oldest out of the group, the leader I'm guessing, because he has this weird thing on his wrist, just shakes his head at me.

"We'll explain on the way to Eight, it's a long story." So they pick me up and take me to their hovercraft. Once I'm seated the group sits around me, their leader in front of me. This is what he tells me:

It's been three days since District Twelve was destroyed, by the Capital, after the victors broke out of the arena. Panem is now in a full scale rebellion; the Districts against the Capital. District Thirteen does exist, they are on our side, and they are headquarters. The other headquarters is District Eight, that's where we are going. Thirteen found two hundred people who had made it out of Twelve, they are now in Thirteen. Some of the victors are in Thirteen; like Katniss, Beetee, and Finnick. Others are prisoner in the Capital; Johanna, Enobaria, and to my horror, Peeta.

It's a lot for me to take in. So it's finally happening. This is it, this is change. But I just nod. Gale must be in Thirteen then, along with Vick, and Rory, and Posy. Even Prim and Mrs. Everdeen. Good. Then I look to the leader, whose name is Carter, right in the eyes. "I want in, I want to fight." He grins and nods to me.

;;;;;::::;;;;;

Over the next nine months I train, I work, I fight. I try to contact Gale too, but I'm unable too, it's too risky to contact Thirteen unless absolutely necessary. First I spend two months recovering from my injuries. I watch television; I see Katniss, the Mockingjay, and Peeta, beaten and abused.

I spend two more months training, I excel in training, I'm the top in my class. I'm immediately sent to District One to fight those who are still loyal to the Capital; right away I'm promoted to second in command in my squad after just the first mission. From District One I'm sent to District Seven, where I am told that this will be my permanent place of service. Also there, I find my greatest weapon. It's something I never thought I had, not the ability to use a gun, or a bow, or an axe. It's my ability to use words. How I don't need to think about it, I say what I know will bring the people to our side. And it works too; fighting in District Seven has a surge of victory under my influence. I begin to get the positions to actually lead the fighting myself.

But I still think of Gale, every day I do. No matter how much success I obtain, I'm never truly happy. My men think of me as heartless, they think I only think of war. I watch Gale gain success himself; I see him on screens with Katniss, I see him being the mastermind to the plan to take down the still resisting District Two. I see him lead the mission to rescue the victors from the Capital. And he succeeds, with all of it he succeeds. His plans are flawless, complex, and very well planned. I watch as Peeta heals himself from abuse from the Capital. I hear rumors that he's not the same, that he no longer loves Katniss. And my heart goes out to her for that. But I watch Katniss on screen too, I watch her be the symbol for the rebellion, she's our Mockingjay, we look to her. I watch her visit the dying, the wounded. And I listen to her words. If we burn, you burn with us. Her quote is the most powerful thing in this war, which I use in my own speeches that I'm assigned to give. To rally the soldiers.

Me, myself, I'm shown occasionally on television myself, for anything that has to do with Seven. I become the leader, the military leader of District Seven. Commander Roswell. All in my hands, all for me to do with what I like. And I keep Seven strong, willing, dedicated to the rebellion.

But I don't recognize myself in the mirror anymore. No, I'm not the same girl. Not the same girl who would chase Gale in the meadow when she was young. Not the same girl who prayed that Gale talk to her at least once. Not the girl that went to work in the mines, terrified. Not the girl that grew in the mines, that got stronger. Not even the girl who would sit next to Gale on the couch, who would go closer to him, and think how easy it is to be with him. No, I'm nothing without Gale. No more glint in my eyes, that happy glint. Sure, the fire is still there, always will be, but my expression is always serious. I can't remember the last time I've laughed. No, the girl in the military uniform, with this gun always strapped around her. That's not me, not who I am.

I get to the point where I don't even want to see Gale's face on the television, because it just hurts too much to see it. It makes my heart ache. I don't want to see him, yet I have too. So that I know he's okay. I don't even talk about it; no one knows what I had, what I hope I still have, with Commander Gale Hawthorne.

;;;:::;;;

-Gale's POV:

As I lie in my tent, my thoughts drift to Denver, they always do. Where is she? Well, I know that answer, she's in District Seven. But what is she doing? What is she thinking? Is she even happy? I know, no, I don't know if I'm happy. I miss her; I miss her more than I've ever missed anyone who isn't my family. But I know she's a success. I can see that on the televisions.

"What are you thinking?" I look over and see Peeta, handcuffs on, lying on his sleeping bag, looking up at him. I'm on my watch for him now.

"Denver" I reply simply, he grins up at me.

"That's always your answer."

"That's always the truth."

;;;::::;;;;

-Denver's POV:

I sit on the bench while I wait for the train to arrive. We get three new recruits today, coming in from District Eleven. I look up as it pulls up to a stop. I stand up straight; I'm supposed to look official and everything. I catch sight of the three men who hop off the train; I start my way towards them. But when I see their faces, I stop dead in my tracks. I feel my grin widen on my face as I shake my head. No, it can't be them, not these three. But it is, and I couldn't be happier, well I could, if it was Gale. But it's not. But I smile anyways. "Hey, soldiers!" I bark out at them, I can hear the smile in my own voice. They turn to fully face me. Then I run and throw my arms around the closest one of them.

"Hey there girly" Lucas jokes in my ear. He holds me out arm's length and whistles. "Look at you, Commander!" I roll my eyes.

"Yea, I must try harder than you, private." Lucas scoffs at me, then I get out of his grasp and hug the other two. Dalton and Andrew. "Look at you guys, common' let's go get a drink, we have a lot of talking to do, and we've got time." With that they all nod and begin to follow me through the district, which I've memorized like the back of my hand, and the back of Gale's hand.

Once we reach a bar we order drinks and start to catch up. These three have always stuck together; Lucas is a private, Dalton a Sargent and Andrew is a staff-Sargent. I'm sad to learn that Gary was killed, back in District Five. Ron has also been killed. I tell them about myself, how I've risen through the ranks. Lucas jokes about how he's surprised I never tell anyone to fuck off in any of my speeches, which of course at that comment I do tell him to fuck off. Then, a bit after three, the televisions all light up. The Capital symbol appears and immediately everyone in the bar is on their feet. I'm right up in front of the screen too. We see President Snow then and I cringe.

"I am pleased to announce that today; only minutes ago, we have destroyed this threat everyone calls the Mockingjay." I almost faint, but I don't. I just gulp down the lump in my throat. "We are proud to announce that during this, we have taken out all of those who were part of Squad 451." I heart drops, whoever was with Katniss is dead. Then footage on the screen, a squad goes into a building. Minutes later, the building is blown to pieces. And then the faces appear as Snow calls them by name. "Of course, Katniss Everdeen. Finnick Odair. Peeta Mellark. Gale Hawthorne." And at that name, I'm running, I'm screaming and running away. Because it's not true. It can't be true. Gale is alive. He has to be. He can't die. He can't. He's Gale, Gale Hawthorne. Gale Hawthorne can't die!

But he is. I saw the footage. No one can survive that. And with this realization, I sink to my knees. And I do something I haven't done, since that day in the woods with Gale, the first time. I cry. Because when that face appeared on the screen, my heart went with it. Because part of, a huge reason of why I still saw reason to live my life. Was because there was Gale. And now, even that is gone.

sad chapter I know I'm horrible. But, if you know what happens in Mockingjay, then no need to fret! Please press that amazing little button under this sentence, it'll only take two seconds!

Mocking Verse.