Disclaimer: The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, two of the best books I've ever read, are owned by Suzanne Collins and I don't have any rights to them except the right to read them and love them.

A/N: This story now has a companion story titled, Souls on Fire. It is told in Gale and Madge's POV. You don't have to read SoF to read this story, but if you love Gale/Madge, I would recommend it.

Warning: Please know that there are some mature scenes in this chapter that may be difficult to read.

Chapter Thirteen

We are alive. We are fighting. Those words pound in my head as Cinna helps me take off the beautiful gown. My mother comes in to take the pearls out of my hair. While her hands are running through the long strands I have to wonder if that little commercial will actually do any good. Because fighting, to me, isn't about beautiful gowns and ornamentation. It's gritty, dirty and absolutely terrifying. My mind flashes back to my first Games when Peeta and I were fighting for our lives against the hungry muttations. The haunting sounds of the dying boy in the Cornucorpia make me shiver. The Capitol has made monsters of us all.

"You okay?" Cinna asks me while my mother braids my hair silently. It is then that I notice tears are slipping silently down my cheeks. Here my friend stands before me and thanks to the medical wonders of District 13, he doesn't have any scars. But I can see that his eyes are shadowed.

"I'm fine," I lie. The look he gives me lets me know he doesn't believe me, but he doesn't press. When my mother is done she gives my shoulders a squeeze. My eyes meet hers in the mirror and I see the same shadows in her eyes as I've seen in Cinna's, Peeta's, Gale's, Madge's… everyone's. I want it to be over. I start to get dressed when my mother and Cinna leave me in silence in the Freeland black uniform. I feel edgy. I want to feel like I am actually doing something.

I open the door and I see Peeta waiting for me. Our eyes meet and I can tell he's feeling the same mood I am. Why can't he just be left alone to paint and bake cheese buns? Why can't I just go and hunt in the woods? I would love nothing more to escape from here and live with him in the middle of the wilderness. We wouldn't have to worry about trying to overthrow the Capitol.

"Ready?" he asks me.

Not really, I think. "Yes," I tell him. He takes my hand and we head down the stairs.

When we get to the training facility, I see there is a large crowd to the back of the center. Peeta, Finnick and I head over to see what is going on. I see Commander Vanzant standing next to her lieutenant, Kane, as two people circle each other around a mat. My eyes almost fall out of my head as I see Madge sparring with a man over twice her size. He's tall, muscular and very handsome. His hands are big and strong. He loomed over Madge. His eyes were locked with hers as they danced around the mat. He would go for a punch and Madge would gracefully feint the other way. I was surprised when she would go in for a hit, though the mountain she was fighting would usually block it.

I took a step closer so I could study their movements. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gale standing rigid with his arms crossed across his chest. He had a frown on his face and a muscle was ticking away in his cheek as if he had his jaws clenched. I elbowed Peeta and nodded towards Gale. He looked over. And then I noticed a wide grin split Peeta's face. His shoulders were shaking in silent laughter. I was baffled. I looked back at the match in annoyance when the man's eyes connected with mine for a moment. Surprise flickered across his features for a moment. That was just enough time for Madge to sweep him off his feet, grab his arm and flip him on his stomach. "Yield?" she asked.

Everyone was in shock. Then laughter erupted around the crowd as he answered, "Damn it, I think I will, Undersee." She let him go and got to her feet. Everyone burst into applause. Madge gave Gale a triumphant smile and I could see his lips quirk up for just a moment. Then Vanzant came up from behind me and asked Madge to follow her.

"I'll be looking forward to a rematch, Undersee," the man called out and I turned to see Madge give him a lazy wave. The crowd started to disperse leaving Gale, Peeta, Finnick, the mountain, Kane and I behind. The man had an easy going grin on his face and startling blue gray eyes. They latched onto mine again for a moment. "So this is the Mockingjay?" he asked. His accent was one of the oddest that I have ever heard. It was lyrical. Then his question registered and I squared my shoulders.

"The name is Katniss," I told him.

"Odd name," he commented. I felt anger bubbling up inside of me.

"What's yours?" Peeta asked.

"Shaw," he answered. "Shaw MacHenry."

"I'm Peeta Mellark. This is Finnick Odair, and of course, you've met Katniss," Peeta says as he holds his hand out for a handshake. I can hear the humor in Peeta's voice and it makes me want to grind my teeth together. I happen to like my name. My father named me.

Then Kane speaks up. "Shaw is visiting us from across the sea. He's helping us train for battles. He's our number one hand to hand combat man. By the way, Shaw," he adds as afterthought, "you owe me twenty."

Shaw laughs. "Bet against the little one, did you? I'm not going to lie. The little lass surprised the hell out of me." His eyes slide back over to me. "Not that you would surprise me though. Your story has even made it to our shores."

"My story?" I ask. "And where are your shores?"

He laughed. "I doubt you've ever heard of where I am from, lassie. I am from the highlands in Scotland, though there isn't nearly as much left as there used to be. The Great Storm a few centuries ago destroyed a lot of our land. As for your story, I saw it while we were patrolling waters close to her. I was part of the Royal Navy. We managed to pick up the Panem signal. We were surprised and appalled. Thankfully, that was my last year with the Navy. I sailed my own little boat here and started to look for someone to help. And here I am."

"That's quite a story," I tell him.

His eyes narrow. "Tis no story, lass. It's the God's honest truth."

Kane is looking back and forth between us and I don't blame him. I don't know what it is about this man that has rubbed me the wrong way, but I sense there's a lot more to him than he's letting on. About that time, Vanzant shows back up. "Commander, may I ask where Madge is?" Gale asks.

"I took her to the Medical wing," the Commander answers.

The look of death Gale sends towards Shaw almost makes me laugh. Almost. "He hurt Madge?" I ask in outrage.

"No," the commander says with a smile. "If anything, I think she may have hurt Shaw's pride. She was due for her the start of her medic training."

I breathe a sigh of relief and I turn to see how Gale took it only to realize that he left. I look toward the doors and I see him leave the room. When I look back at Vanzant, I see a wistful expression on her face for a moment. When she catches me looking, she beckons Peeta, Finnick and I to her office. "Training for you guys will start tomorrow. But we need to get some information down for you."

Later, after dinner and when the others returned from training, we all gathered in the Common Area of the dormitory. It was loud with all the kids, but it also felt good. The younger ones were playing one of the board games that some of the soldiers had brought in for the kids to play. I kept hearing Posy giggle and it made me smile.

Then Haymitch came in and his eyes swept over the kids. I saw his usual sour expression soften for just a moment. Then he shut some of the dividers so the adults were enclosed in the section of the common area that had the television. "They are about to air our little film," Haymitch says in explanation.

Everyone settles down as he turns on the huge screen. Currently, there is a spot on about curfew rules as well as a hotline to call for any sightings of rebels. "Please do not hesitate to call if you see anyone operating outside of Capitol protocol," A pleasant and chipper female voice says. "Remember, we have our eye on you."

This makes me shiver it was so eerie. Then the screen goes black for a moment. A message is seen across the screen that says, "We're sorry to interrupt your normal programming. An important public announcement follows this message." Then we see the last Victors on screen. I can't help but think, once again, we are sitting in a room at some ball. I almost feel like it was watching one of my past interviews before the Games. Our message starts with Finnick. Images flash of him in his first Games, and the last. We see a close up of his face as he grieves for Mags alone on the beach shore. Beetee's cue comes up and we see his damaged and broken body after he was saved from Plutarch's hovercraft. Johanna is seen being captured by Peacekeepers. There was a picture of me in the hovercraft with feeding tubes, scratches and bruises covering my body. Then we see Peeta as he is captured and trying to fight the Peacekeepers as he's yelling my name. My hand finds his and I squeeze.

It's Haymitch's turn and we see years of District 12 children dying on screens behind us. It changes back to Finnick as he breaks his family out of the Peacekeeper cells, Beetee as he is injured but starting to walk, and Johanna as she's shooting a gun while we were running in the forest. Then there's a clip of Peeta and I as we stand next to the lake during our first Games and lift the berries to our mouths. And, finally, there's Peeta as he is strapped to a slab in a dark room. We can hear Peeta's words as he says, "He has tortured me for information regarding Katniss's whereabouts, and the whereabouts of the rebellion even though I didn't know either." We see President Snow come into the light in the room and squeeze Peeta's stump as it bleeds. He screams out in pain and that he doesn't know where we are. The President slaps Peeta across the face with the back of his hand causing Peeta's head to rock back.

"Do you really want us to believe that she is dead?" the President murmurs.

"She's alive?" Peeta's broken voice sobs. I feel his hand tighten on mine.

"Oh yes, we believe she is. And you need to tell us where she is. We'll bring her to you," he delivers in softly.

Peeta raises his eyes and we can see the hate glitter in them as he spits blood from his mouth and onto the President's white suit. "Even if I knew where she was, I wouldn't tell you."

The President's eyes glitter maliciously in the bright light. He beckons for two Peacekeepers to come forward. One his holding a rod with a wet sponge, the other an electric taser. "Let's see how long you can hold out," the President whispers. They place the sponge on his chest and then tase him. Peeta's body arches and fights against the restraints as electricity runs through his body.

Then we see Peeta in the black room with the rest of the victors as he says, "If it wasn't for the perseverance of those beside me, I would not be alive now."

We hear me say, "We are alive. We are fighting." Then the screen fades to black.

The screen fades to black again. Haymitch turns the television off but no one says anything. I look over at Peeta and I see that he is white as a sheet. He gets up and leaves the room. I follow him up the stairs and to his room. He ignores me as he slams the bathroom door and locks it. I can hear him retching in the bathroom and my forehead rests against the door as tears fall down my cheeks again today. We are alive… We are fighting… If I get the chance, I know I will kill the President with my own two hands. I will tear him apart. I will be the monster he created.

A/N: So, so, so sorry for the long wait. I want to thank everyone for being so patient and the nice encouraging messages I received. Please be kind and leave a review.