Chapter 6

The next morning Alex hears beeping. Getting up cautiously, Alex grabs her spear that Rue told her that she carried with the bags.

Alex walks to where the beeping is and finds herself at the rocks.

"So maybe they did change it." Alex whispers to herself. Alex steps up onto the first rock, and begins to climb up the pile of rocks to where the beeping is.

As Alex arrives to the beeping she sees the number drop from 3 to 2.

Alex eyes widen and quickly hurry to get back to the bottom.

She jumps off a rock in time to get blown. The bomb goes off while Alex is in mid-jump and the impact makes Alex get blown deep into the forest.

As Alex lies on the ground, she feels her spear piercing into her stomach. Alex's breath picks up as she looks at her stomach to see the spear sticking straight up.

Alex closes her eyes tightly as tears build up in her brown eyes. She doesn't want to scream for Katniss or Rue, because she knows that will call attention to them.

Alex fights against her better judgement and screams.

"RUE! KATNISS!"

"ALEX!" Alex hears Katniss shout and running feet.

"KATNISS! RUE!"

Alex feels herself beginning to panic and her heart begin to beat faster. Alex opens her eyes, letting tears fall.

"ALEX!" Alex looks to where her name is called by Rue and sees both girls running to her with the bags and spears.

Katniss drops to the ground at Alex's head and Rue drops to the ground on the other side of her.

"Are you feeling ok?" Rue asks letting her tears fall.

Alex looks at Rue calming her racing heart.

"My..." Alex licks her lips, "My heart is racing and my breathing is coming in short breaths."

Rue nods and begins to go in medic mode. Something she is amazing at. Rue is a healer while Katniss and Alex are the hunters.

"This is going to hurt a lot." Rue warns Alex and grabs the spear.

Alex closes her eyes tightly while Katniss covers Alex's mouth as Rue pulls the spear out.

Alex screams into Katniss' hand as Rue digs into a bag and pulls out medicine.

Rue puts it on the wound then bandages it.

Once Rue is done, Katniss lifts Alex's hand before moving so her head will rest in her lap.

"Is she ok?" Katniss asks Rue as Alex whimpers.

"Yes. The wound wasn't deep. If she didn't scream for us she would be..." Rue trails off looking at Alex closely.

Alex lifts her right hand and wipes her tears away.

"Your mom is a healer... right?" Alex asks Rue with a small smile.

"Yup." Rue grins, "Mom taught me everything she knows." Rue looks into Alex's red eyes looking for any signs of Alex not being ok. Rue was honest. If Alex didn't scream for them, she would be dead. If the spear was in any longer...

"We have to move Rue." Katniss cuts off Rue's train of thought.

"Ok." Rue gets up, picking up Alex's bag, putting it on her back with her's. Katniss has her bag on her back. Rue picks up the three spears as Katniss carefully lifts Alex into her arms. Alex wraps her arms around Katniss' neck slowly falling asleep as she and Rue walks.

~K&A~

That night, Katniss keeps Alex and Rue close to her. Alex is still asleep on her lap as Rue is hidden in her side. Last week when they found Alex in the river, Rue would stay up all night one night, and then Katniss would be awake the next night.

Last night, Rue was up all night, so it is Katniss' turn.

"Kat?" Katniss hears Alex whisper.

"Ya?" Katniss whispers.

"Are you sure I will be ok?"

"Do you really question Rue's healing power?" Katniss teases lightly, making Alex giggle softly.

"No. but what if it doesn't heal?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"I'm scared." Katniss shifts Alex in her arms, so they can lock eyes.

"I know you are. Rue and I are scared too. I have to admit, the Careers are smarter than Clove, Cato, Marvel and Glimmer were. The girl from 7 is a lot like Foxface was, but the difference is Foxface was from 5, not 7." Alex rolls her red eyes.

Alex gives Katniss a small smile.

"I think they watched too much TV." Katniss laughs softly and nods.

"I agree too."

"I have something important to tell you Kat. But I'm scared the cameras will catch it. No one but Rue can know." Katniss nods and leans forward so Alex can whisper it in her ear.

Once Alex is done whispering it, Katniss grins.

"That's cool."

"What's cool?" Rue whispers rubbing sleep from her eyes. Alex immediately whispers the secret into Rue's ear, and Rue grins as well.

"That is cool." Alex nods in agreement, taking her hair out of her ponytail, letting if flow. She keeps the hair elastic on her wrist and begins to take the grass and leaves out of her hair.

"So where are we?" Alex asks.

"We are at the edge of the waterfall." Rue answers before Katniss could open her mouth.

"Why?"

"The other's are down there." Katniss points down to the river where Alex was hopping across the rocks.

"They do know they are in the open right?" Alex questions with a smirk.

"What are you planning?" Rue asks.

"Something."

Without a word Alex stands up and grabs a spear. Turns out that it is the one that almost killed her.

Alex lines up to her target and throws it.

It hits the guy from 7. Alex grabs the next one, hit the guy from 9. The final spear is thrown. It hits the girl from 9.

3 cannons are heard and the pictures of the three people Alex killed are shown.

Alex smirks seeing each person is still sleeping. No one awoke when Alex throw the spears because no one had the chance to scream.

"Are you ok?" Rue asks Alex worriedly.

"Ya." Alex nods. Katniss pulls Alex back down gently and Rue checks Alex's wound.

~A&K~

Max opens his eyes and looks around the basement. Prim and Angela are sleeping on the mattress next to his and Jerry is sleeping next to him. Justin is sleeping on the mattress at his head while Cinna is sleeping on his at his feet. There are only 4 mattresses total; so Prim and Angela are sharing and Max and Jerry.

Max looks at the TV screen to see Alex sleeping on Katniss' lap, with Katniss awake and Rue asleep.

When Alex came close to death, Max was crying. When Alex killed the 3 sleeping tributes, he was happy, because that means the faster it comes down to 6 the faster the rebelling will happen and the faster they will be able to save Alex, Katniss and Rue.

Max sits up and quickly yet quietly crawls out of bed and heads over to the couches. He sits down on one and stares at the screen. He just wants Alex home.

"They'll be home soon." Max jumps and looks up to see Prim, Katniss' little sister.

"Ya Max, Alex, Katniss and Rue will be home." Max jumps once again and looks at the other couch where Peeta was sleeping.

"I just want them home. I don't want Alex to get hurt again." Peeta and Prim watches as tears fill Max's eyes, "Alex was there for me when mom died. Justin and dad were too busy so Alex helped me. She was so focused on helping me that she didn't help herself. Alex is the one who I look up to. Not dad, not mom, not Justin. Her. I want to be like Alex. Alex is brave, smart and amazing. She puts family and friends before herself. She'd give up her life to say someone she loves."

Max lefts a few tears fall thinking of the time where he almost got kidnapped in New York, and Alex came to the rescue.

"Max, listen to me." Peeta gets up and kneels down in front of the youngest Russo, "Alex will make it through this. She knows what she is fighting for. Every year Coin asked Alex who she is fighting for. Her answer 'I am fighting to get home. I am fighting for my dad and my brother Justin. Most importantly, I'm fighting for my mom and my younger brother Max.'"

"Really?" Max whispers wiping tears away.

"Yes. I fought for my dad. Katniss fought for her mom and Prim. Alex fought for you, your mom, your dad and Justin. But mostly you and your mom. Alex knows Justin and your dad can take care of themselves. But Alex knows you need her."

"He's right."

For the third time, Max jumps. The three of them looks up to see Coin and Boggs at the basement door.

"Alex has the same answer for that question. Now, we are going early. After that stunt that Snow make the Gamemakers pull, everyone is pissed. Alex almost got killed so now we are going at it early." Coin fills them in.

"I'll take them out. You wake the rest up." Boggs tells Coin.

Coin nods as Boggs takes Max, Peeta and Prim out to the aircraft. Coin looks at Cinna, Angela, Justin and Jerry and begins to wake them up.

~K&A~

Not even a week later, Alex is fully healed. The Career alliance has not moved from their spot but Rue, Katniss and Alex has been on the move.

"While they sleep, I am going in to get a few weapons." Alex whispers to Rue and Katniss that night.

"I will be behind you. Rue, you stay here." Katniss smiles.

"Ok. I love you both." Rue whispers.

"I love you too." Alex and Katniss hugs and say to Rue at the same time.

And just like that, Alex and Katniss are on the move.

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