Hello everyone, I'm gonna go ahead and warn you that we have a rather emotional chapter here. I guess you would say, an alpha chapter. None of those physical or mental chapters, this is the real deal. Real tribute wolves, screaming jaberjays, and sweet-smelling lizards ALPHA. My chapters are mutts apparently. Does that make me the Capitol? I'm not sure how I feel about this realization. Well, at least my kids are safe… wait… I don't have any kids. At least my niece will be safe even when she's older. There that's better. BOW DOWN TO ME DISTRICTIANS! HAND OVER YOUR CHILDREN!

They sat for hours in silence. Ember looked over at Kawino and Katniss and could tell that you could pretty much cut the tension between them with a knife. "So..." She said awkwardly.

"What?" Katniss asked.

"What now?"

"We survive. It's the only thing we can do."

"Easier said than done."

"Obviously, that's the whole point."

"A...are we splitting up?"

Katniss shook her head. "There are still ten of us left. The three of us, the boy from 1, Glimmer, Ria, the girl from 8, the boy from 10, Rue, and Thresh. We can still use the numbers."

"Okay good." Ember sighed.

"Why would we?"

"I don't know things seem tense."

"I guess they are." Katniss sighed.

"Well, can we try to get over it please?" They both nodded. "Thank you, figure it out please."

"We will try." She promised.

"Do I need to take guard duty? Thank you, I will wait." She said. She headed just outside the cave leaving Katniss and Kawino alone.

"Katniss, I am not sure what to say here." He said.

"It's hard." Katniss sighed.

"Yeah, I know." He said.

"This seems to only be making it worse." She admitted.

"Talking you mean?"

"Trying to solve it this way."

"We need to do something." He said.

"I know that." Katniss sighed.

"Maybe I should just leave you and Ember?" He said.

"No, please don't."

"Why not it would be less awkward."

"Well, one, again we need the numbers and two… I do like having you around."

"By being here and throwing us off I am putting you both in danger."

"We'll find a different way."

"What if there is none?"

"There always is."

"I am not so sure."

"Well, I am."

"Okay." He sighed.

"Just don't leave though."

"I won't." He said.

"Good, so back to our immediate problem."

"Being less awkward."

"Yeah."

"Okay, well...I am lost."

"I'm really sorry, Kawino. I'm just not use to this stuff."

"You think I am?"

"Of course not and that just makes it worse."

"I need to go for a walk."

"Alright." Katniss sighed. He nodded and headed out into the trees.

He wandered in the woods of course trying to stay alert and gather his thoughts at the same time. Needless to say it was not going well for him. Then he heard a noise. He turned and saw a still barely moving branch. "Come out slowly." He ordered.

He was a little surprised when Glimmer came out. "Hey there." She said.

"Hey," he said with a hand on his mace but didn't attack.

"This is a bit awkward." She said.

"Very, actually."

"I'm not armed I promise." She said taking a step towards him.

He relaxed a little bit being able to see that it was true.

"So, I have to ask something," she said.

"Which is?" Kawino asked.

"Is it true that you killed that boy from 12?"

"Yeah, I did." Kawino sighed.

"Well, I wanted to say thank you..." She said awkwardly stopping in front of him.

"Because he was annoying?"

"Yeah, really annoying, and I think you'll like this." She said before connecting his lips with her own.

He was surprised to say the least but then his mind seemed to snap in though and he pushed her away. "Why?" He asked.

"Why what?" She asked confused.

"Why that?" He specified.

"The kiss?" She asked.

"Yeah… that."

"Well, as I said, it was thanks. That boy practically drooled over me. That and you are a really great guy. You can't say you were not enjoying the kiss either."

"Well… I…"

"See, you know you did," she said.

"Just be quiet."

"Why?" She asked smiling a little and showing perfect white teeth.

"Would you rather I do it for you?" He asked holding up his mace.

"Fine, but you know you liked it." She said backing far enough away a mace swing would not reach her.

"Just go back to Marvel and Ria." She nodded winking at him and heading off.

'I was wrong. It could get more awkward.' He thought and walking on in the other direction. Then Kawino had a thought that most men had at some point; 'I will never understand women.' As little as he wanted to though, that had gotten him thinking about Clove's death. 'Why did you just give up?' He thought.

"You want to go home?" He heard Glam's voice taunt in him memory.

"Not really." Clove's voice said very weakened, it was clear by not only the words and what followed that she had pretty much lost any will to fight… any will to live… but why? She was so close and…

Then Kawino saw red. "No… it couldn't be," he grumbled, having realized really the only thing that could mean. "They didn't not to her." He muttered. In just a few seconds though his knees buckled underneath him and he started crying the fact that he might be killing Ria's family having not crossed his mind at the time. "I'm so sorry, Clover."

"Why did I not see it?" He closed his eyes and tried to think back for anything he should have. There was nothing really, they had treated her so well in front of him.

Once he thought about it really… there was one time that came to mind. When she and Cato first started dating: the nervousness in her voice when she made the announcement, how quick she was to get out of there, how quick they were to actually dismiss him once she did get back, the way she was buried under the covers when he had woken up as it to hide something… 'How was I have been so blind?' He realized feeling as though he had failed her as a brother.

Sadness was quickly replaced rage, which turned to fury as he stopped crying and glared at the sky knowing that Panem was watching including his parents. "You two had better pray that I don't come home! Because if I do I am going to kill you both as slowly and painfully as I can! I swear it!" He shouted.

Meanwhile Clove was watching the whole thing from back in Heaven. "No, Kawino, please don't think that." She said though she knew she obviously had no way to actually contact him.

"What's wrong?" Cato asked. She motioned down to earth sadly. "What is wrong with him?"

"He found out." She said knowing Cato had found out a while after his death.

"Oh no! He did? Well that's a problem." Cato said.

She nodded sadly. "He thinks he failed me."

"He didn't though you thought you were keeping him safe."

"I know that and he thought he was keeping me safe. I guess we were both played for fools."

"Well, you could try going to him in his dreams."

"We can do that?"

"Yeah but again only in dreams."

"Alright, I will the next time he's asleep."

"Good idea." Cato said glancing to where he could watch his sister. Training was out for the day so she sat in the floor at home watching the games with her knees drawn up to her chest. She was staring at the screen clearly worried for what was basically her only living sibling. Cato sighed wishing he hadn't abandoned him like that. "I was a fool." He said.

"You didn't mean to, Cato."

"I still did though."

"You had just watched the girl you love be beaten to death was a steel bat wrapped in barbed wire. Most people would have."

"Yeah, but Cady." He said.

"You weren't thinking clearly."

"I know," He sighed.

"Looking at her thoughts, she doesn't blame you." She then sighed and said, "Kawino's a different story though."

"He does not blame you."

"He blames us both."

"That was before he found out though. He likely still blames me but not you."

"Maybe, I just hope he makes the right choice."

"With the games?"

"Exactly." She said.

"Well, now he's definitely going to want to avenge you to both Glam and your parents."

"You think he'll kill Glam?" She asked.

"At least attack. He already said he would."

"Then we can just hope-."

A while later back on earth, Kawino got back to his feet clutching his mace now fueled by a new anger that no force on earth could put out. He had to get out of here now. He turned to where he saw Glimmer go off to.

Kawino headed in that direction maybe he could catch her. It was no use though. She was long gone. "Damn it!" He said swinging at a tree. He thundered through the woods trying to find someone. He found no one though until he started heading back then he heard someone running through the trees. "Got you." He smirked and ran towards it.

There was a boy chasing a girl through the woods a sword held tight in his hands. He stepped in the way of the boy with his mace raised. Before the boy could stop he swung at the boys head.

The hit made contact hard enough to break the boy's skull. He the boy fell with a hard thud as Kawino picked up his sword.

With that he turned and pursued the girl he was chasing, that girl being the girl from 8, the very one he had saved the first morning. She began to run faster upon seeing it was him. He just sped up more easily catching up to her. He stabbed her through the back and through her appendix.

Before she died he removed it and stabbed her again in the left lung. She let out a gasped and coughed up blood. To finish it off he hit her in the side with his mace knocking her down and walked off leaving them both to die.

Soon enough one cannon went off. It wasn't very long until another followed. "That's that." He said.

Meanwhile back at the cave the girls were getting worried hearing the cannons. "You don't think that was him?" Katniss asked.

"Killing or dying?"

"Both." She said.

"Well, I doubt either." Ember said and looked to the sky of the hovercraft.

"Why do you doubt it?"

"He too good in both ways."

"What is something happened though?"

Ember sighed and said, "Then it might."

"Oh no! He could be hurt or worse!" Katniss said worried. She looked over the edge of their perch seeing if she can spot him somewhere. There was no sign of him. The hovercrafts came picking up his victims though confirming that he was at least alive. "Well, he's not dead."

"That is good then. He'll probably be back soon, Katniss."

"I hope so." She said pacing worried.

"Just try to calm down."

"How can I?" Katniss asked.

"Just know he can handle himself."

"Yeah, I suppose your right."

"Yeah, he's still a Career."

"Yeah, I'm sure he's fine."

"Exactly, so just try."

"Okay, I am trying. I promise."

"Good, that should help."

"Maybe."

"Well, I hope it does." She nodded and kept watching for him. She didn't see any signs though. 'I hope you're okay.' She thought.

Hours later, decided it was best not to head back to the cave, Kawino climbed a tree and took camp there and went to sleep.

He was having no dreams and then things began to glow a soft white. He was a little confused until Clove appeared. "Clove! It's you! Wait, am I dead?"

"No, Kawino. You're just dreaming."

"Damn," He sighed.

"That's not a bad thing, Kawino."

"Yes it is. If I were dead at least I could see you again."

"We'll see each other again one day and then we can spend eternity together but I don't want that to be now or anytime soon. I beg you; don't make the same mistake I did."

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because you deserve to finally be able to live your life and you certainly can't do that dead. I promise that if you win this then things will get better."

"You do not know that, and besides there are people here I can't kill or I don't want to kill."

"You have to at least try. If nothing else you must want to avenge me don't you? Both my death and my life."

"Yeah, I love you." He said.

"I love you, too. That whole time I thought I was protecting you just as you thought you were protecting me. If you really do want to then you need to make it through this. I know you can."

"Clove, what if I can't kill someone though"

"Then find another way."

"If I can," He sighed.

"You need to promise me you'll try."

"Okay." He sighed.

"Kawino, really truly promise me."

"Promise that I will try to kill someone I am coming to like?" He asked.

"You might not have to."

"So, I let someone else kill her."

"Clearly you're up in this tree and not back at the cave for a reason."

"I can't be around her...I lose focus."

"That's not the only reason though." Clove said knowingly.

"What do you mean?"

"You're worried that if you stay around her much longer one of those two are gonna have to happen."

"Because they are. We do not both get to go home."

"But if you're not there when she dies then you can't be held responsible."

"I don't want her to die."

"As you said, there aren't any other options."

"Clover, let me ask you something and maybe you'll get what I am saying. Would you have killed Cato or let him die?"

"If we were in together?"

"Yes."

"I'd have rather let him die."

"Really?!"

"Yes really. I never could have killed him."

"You would have let him die though?"

"It what would have been what had to be done."

"I suppose."

"Just please promise me."

"I promise to try." He said.

"Thank you." She smiled and pulled him into a hug knowing it was genuine. "And you were a great brother. Don't ever think otherwise."

"I failed to save you though," He said.

"Then I was a terrible sister," She stated, obviously knowing he would say she isn't.

"You were never a terrible sister."

"And you were never a terrible brother."

"Really?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course not."

"I feel like I was."

"How could it be any different than I did?"

"I never noticed."

"Neither did I and in hind sight, yours was a lot more obvious."

"Well, still."

"What's the difference really?"

"I don't know." He admitted.

"That's because there isn't one so if I wasn't a terrible sister then you weren't a terrible brother."

"If you say so."

"I do and never forgot that."

"I still miss you."

"I know but we will see each other again with time as I said before and know that I will always be watching over you."

"I don't want you to leave."

"I'm sorry, Kawino, but I have to. My home is up there now."

"Please don't leave me alone again," He said.

"I don't have a choice, Kawino. I can only do this in your dreams and you're going to have to wake up."

"Clover...I love you." He said and even though dreaming he seemed to be trying to avoid crying.

"I love you, too, Kawino." She whispered starting to fade. Then she was gone as he slowly started to wake up.

"Clover, please come back." He mumbled in the real world. He knew though that she was not coming back, not now. 'Clover, if you can hear me please at least come back tonight.' He thought to her. Now though he supposed he should refill his water.

So he got down from the tree and headed over to where he remembered the river it was and thankfully there was no one got out his water bottle filling it back up."Ah, much better."He looked around for any signs of life.

There were animal tracks nearby. He could tell from training they were fresh and decided to follow them. He did and found a large bird. He threw the knife being the best bet with the bird. It went through the neck of the bird which fell obviously dead.

He approached and began to de feather it. He looked over to meat which we would recognize as a groosling. "Looks edible.' He thought. 'Of course I'd need a fire. That might help me get a few of my other problems out of the way though.' "After all, everyone knows Career Tributes are attracted to fire." He muttered and set up a pit. He lit the fire and started to cook.

He had pretty much finished cooking the groosling when he heard footsteps. He turned as Glimmer poked her blonde head out from behind a tree. "You're back." He said calmly reaching his hand into his jacket pocket.

"Well, you drew my attention." She said awkwardly.

"I can't say you haven't done the same. You hungry?" He offered motioning to the groosling.

"Is that so?" She asked smiling as she approached him.

"Yes it is. Are you hungry though?" He offered again.

"A little are you offering?" She asked.

"Yes I am." He said and cut off a piece giving it to her.

"Well thanks." She took a bite but her body realized something was wrong the second she swallowed it. She tried to spit it out, but it was too late the world around her was starting to warp.

She fell to the ground as her body seamed to physically deteriorate a cannon sounding seconds later. "Too easy." Kawino muttered putting the nightlocks back in his jacket. He grabbed her pack and took her spear. "That makes seven left and Ria and Katniss are amongst them." Kawino sighed and took the rest of the bird having only poisoned the piece he gave her and walked away.

Meanwhile Katniss and Ember were searching for Kawino since he had never come back. Katniss heart speed up at the sound of Glimmer's cannon. "Oh no!" She muttered.

"Katniss, just remember." Ember told her.

"Remember what?"

"He's a Career. He can handle himself."

"What if he was outnumbered?" Ember didn't know what to say. "Exactly." She said.

"…Then there would have been more than one cannon."

"What do you mean?"

"If he was outnumbered he would have killed at least one before he died."

"Well, I guess so." She said.

"I'm sure of it."

"Okay, still, I wonder why he did not come back."

"So do I." She sighed.

"Maybe he's injured?"

"We'll find him either way." Ember said.

"Okay," Katniss said nodding.

"So keep looking." She nodded and went quiet.

After a while they stopped him. "Kawino!" Katniss called. He stiffened at her voice and sighed turning to them. "You scared us. Why didn't you come back?"

"I was not in a great state of mind last night and I do not want to hurt either of you."

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"I came to a few conclusions is all."

"You seem angry." Ember observed, Katniss still being really bad with emotions.

"I am a bit. It's nothing to do with either of you though."

"Oh, well, tell us what's wrong," Katniss said.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said.

"Oh, okay," Katniss said.

"Yeah, it's just really hard."

"I understand," she said.

"So you won't ask?"

"No, you don't want to talk about it."

"Thank you."

"So do you still want to be a team?" Ember asked.

"I'm not sure that's safe."

The girls froze in surprise. "Why?" Katniss asked.

"Just as I said earlier, I don't want to hurt either of you."

"Oh...I see." Katniss said clearly a bit hurt.

This time Kawino had noticed. "I'm just trying to protect you."

"I understand," she said carefully.

"You don't like it though."

"Well, not really."

"I'm sorry but it's too dangerous."

"Oh, alright, guess this is goodbye."

"I guess so, may the odds be ever in your favor."

"And in yours," she said biting her lip. With that he took his stuff and walked away. Katniss watched him walk away sadly. "What do you think he means?" She asked Ember.

"By what?"

"That whole thing."

"He does not want to hurt us."

"What happened to make him think he would though?"

"I am not sure," she said.

Katniss sighed. "I guess he must have killed who those cannons were for."

"Yeah, must have." Ember sighed.

"That makes six kills."

"Wow! He's dangerous."

Katniss nodded sadly. "A fourth of the arena."

"What?" Ember asked.

"There are twenty-four people in the arena. He killed six. That makes a fourth of the arena."

"That has to some sort of record."

"Tied with Enobaria right now but it likely won't be his last."

"Yeah, I wonder if she's proud."

"According to him he's really important to her."

"So, then yes probably."

Katniss nodded. "Said she was like his mother."

"That makes sense."

"Yeah, it's good that he had her."

"Yeah, but what will we do?"

"That I don't know."

"I was hoping you would not say that."

"Well, sorry but I don't."

"Then we have a problem."

"That we do." Katniss sighed.

"Do we split up too?"

"I don't think so."

"You don't?" She asked a bit relieved.

"No, I don't."

"Okay, then that's good."

"Yeah, some numbers are still better than none."

"Yeah, you make a good point."

"So back to the cave then?"

"He knows where that is." Ember pointed out.

"Think he might come back and attack it?"

"Well, only if he has to."

"I guess we do have to find somewhere else."

"Probably best."

"Then let's start looking."

Ember nodded and the two of them set out.

What they didn't notice was a figure was following them through the trees. She watched them trying to decide if she could trust them. Then a flash of gold caught her eye. "Is that…? A mockingjay." She came down from the tree and followed for a while later still remaining from view.

Eventually she decided to try her luck. "Guys need help?" She made herself ask. They jumped and spun to face her. They found Rue just standing there with a small pack and slingshot. "Hi there." She said nervous.

"Hi." Katniss said.

"I thought you could use another ally?"

"What do you think?" She asked Ember.

"Well, the more the better."

"True," Katniss said and looked her over.

"You're pretty young."

"Yeah but I've lasted this long haven't I?"

"Fair point." Ember said.

"And as you said for now the numbers are better."

"True." She said.

"So… allies?"

"Allies." Ember said and Katniss nodded.

Rue smiled, "So, I heard you need shelter?"

"Yeah we do." Ember said.

"Can you not climb?"

"We can." Katniss said.

"Then why not the trees? That what I've just been doing."

"Sleep in the tree's?"

"Exactly."

"Okay, that could work."

"So, what do you guys have?" They showed all their supplies. "Wow, impressive grabs."

"Yeah thanks." Ember said.

"I don't really have much since I got wanted to get out of there as soon as I could."

"Understandable, so did we."

"How did you get all of this then?"

"We had a friend." Katniss said carefully.

"Oh... The boy from 2?"

"Yeah him..." Katniss said quickly.

"What happened to him?"

"He left." Katniss huffed.

"Oh, that's a little odd."

"Yeah it is." Ember admitted.

"Well, I guess you just have to leave it though."

"Yeah, we can't exactly stop him."

"It sucks." Katniss said.

"Katniss is not taking it well." Ember sighed.

"Try not to take it too personally." Rue told her.

"I am trying it's just tough."

"I guess that happens."

"Yeah, let's just move." She nodded and they just kept walking.

See? I told you it was dark and please take your children back. I was obviously joking they're just being a handful. Did you enjoy my alpha chapter though? Please review and tell me what you think even if it's a flame.