Author's Note: So remember when way back in Roads Home I had a chapter called "Blue Meets Grey"?...

This goes out to all those who hoped one day Ari would get a love interest! And also begins some fluff and drama again…(but then again all my writing is Drama so…why am I warning? *shrugs*) enjoy! Sorry if it goes back and forth in POV but when it comes to these two it will be like that from time to time…it's one of my favorite chapters so far so let's get to it!

Thanks go to Pandora, E-W-Dragon, HL and ASMF for their reviews

Chapter 15

Grey Meets Blue

Ari POV

Since the quarter quell announcement I have been nothing short of Charring and Boggs on their collective rears. It reminds me of all those sessions being beaten down and sweating buckets. I prefer them be exhausted and ready then just worrying themselves sick.

Peeta takes to it readily, probably because he trusts me the most. Knowing I trained Tracer.

Everyday starts the same. We all meet in the meadow in tracksuits and we do a run to the bakery on the other side of town. I always take the rear to keep and eye on them at first, their goal is to reach the apple tree before I do. It seems a simple task until I speed up.

Today starts like any other, I drag Haymitch to the meadow and we do push ups and sit ups until the teens arrive. At first it was like pulling teeth but he now realizes I am doing this for his own good. Now he can drop and give me twenty and flip and twenty again. Soon he will do fifty, like I do.

I said today started like any other until that is Katniss arrives. She doesn't speak much just following along, if I bark at her she glares after flinching. Today however she brings with her someone I recognize.

Gale.

Gale POV

Katniss insisted I come with her. Saying she was getting tired of being left behind or alone because although Peeta and her are getting along well the baker's son is listening to this girl staying with Abernathy. 'Petite with auburn hair and blue eyes' Katniss described her. To me it sounds vaguely familiar. I shrug, the mine is closed and mom doesn't need help cleaning so I follow along. Katniss' mom said I should start working out, what better way to start but with a run?

She says the girl is a tyrant barking at them to run faster harder and then they are studying everything in the afternoon. As well as learning to wrestle and fight unarmed in Abernathy's basement. She sounds like a peacekeeper or some other military person. Maybe she was from two? I shake my head, but nothing prepares me for who I see….it's her

The girl with the rose…now older more mature…still petite but her eyes, as blue as robin eggs. She is my age, well younger by a couple months from what I remember hearing, but I never forgot her eyes.

That day has stuck in my mind ever since I was fourteen with my mom and brothers. I had asked my mom who she was since she tried to shelter us from the horrors of the games back then. She said she was just a girl the mayor's family knew, I knew back then after a couple weeks she was the victor of that past year's games. And she had just given me a red rose in passing, the flower has long dried up and mom had retrieved it from my father's gravestone, sentimental reasons she claims. But the flower didn't compare to those eyes, those eyes are what have stuck in my head ever since then. Even with the girls at school and my past girlfriends…those eyes have always been there. The flick of sorrow, the gleam of something I doubt either of us knew back then. Ever since then those eyes have been what I have compared to every girl I had ever been with.

"Let's go Everdeen!" she calls she seemed to just glance at me, quickly….it snaps me from my thoughts

"Brought a friend" Katniss says, "hope you don't mind"

"More the merrier" she replies, "ready!"

Peeta Mellark is there just retying his shoes, I wonder how he's going to run properly with a fake leg but he is off with a prominent limp, but off he is followed by Haymitch, Katniss, her and I.

"Let's go Peet!" she hollers and Peeta just laughs, "I'll beat you again at this rate!"

"Will you ever let up" he calls back

"As soon as you beat me" she replies she keeps a steady clip at the back of the pack, "Haymitch if you don't speed up I will kick you in the rear!"

"'m goin! 'm goin!" he grumbles

Katniss looks at me, "I'm gonna catch up to Peeta for a minute okay?" she looks at me

"Yeah maybe she will stop picking on him and start on you" I say a bit breathless, I haven't had a lot of time to do running, I'm probably out of shape. I fall back with her.

She is calmly jogging, she's jogging! No wonder she's behind them all….she even has a bounce in her step, animated and a big grin on her face.

"Leaving the kids alone are we?" she asks as conversation

I blink, "Katniss wanted to chat with Mellark" I say

"Peeta no snoggin'!" she calls up front

Katniss looks back and glares, "Everdeen eyes front!" she barks

"You're being pretty tough on them aren't you?" I become defensive

"Think the arena is going to be filled with downy pillows?" she spins and runs backward a bit to look at me, "I know those victors, and they won't go easy on them because they are younger, if they can they will kill. Right now they need to know how to get out of danger fast, sharpen the body in the morning, sharpen the brain in the afternoon" she spins back again and picks up speed trying to leave me behind

Ari POV

Being tough is the only thing I know will help them! Peeta understands that, Haymitch does grumpily, it's just Katniss that is a hard sell. And I am fed up with babying her. Gale seems to think I should let up but then again he was never in a game. Those three have and they should know better. Well they will. Especially Peeta, I know he is volunteering this year, as much as it hurts me to know he is going thru this whole games, and even if I know Heavensbee is getting them out Peeta has to last until then.

"Wait up!" Gale calls and speeds up to match my pace, "look…sorry…just looking out for her…'ve been hunting with her since she was eleven…'til recently" he sounds out of breath.

"And I wrote to Peeta consistently for two years" I reply speeding up as we hit the seam and passing Haymitch.

"That will cost you twenty push up Abernathy!" I holler and he slows and walks.

Gale doesn't let up he matches pace again, "she's a good person"

I spin backwards again and look at him, "I didn't say she wasn't what I am saying is no one is being babied not even Peeta and he is missing a leg"

I speed up again as we round city hall and the justice building and then kick into top gear as we hit the market quarter I gain on Peeta who is trying his hardest to speed up…

"Fifteen Peeta well done" I smile and he slows to a jog as I near Katniss….Gale seems to get into it and speeds up and he's gaining on me as I pass Katniss

"That's ten for you kiddo soon I will owe you" I smile and she seems to nod and give an imperceptible smirk. I keep going because we are nearing the bakery and Gale is on my tail.

We are neck and neck as we pass the tailor and we run toward the back where the apple tree is.

Gale POV

She passed Haymitch at a brisk jog and then she was off like a hare that's been spooked, she is really moving fast and I have half a mind to show her up. The air is invigorating, my back hasn't started to ache yet so why not? I start to speed up and match her pace as she passes Mellark who slows to a jog.

She is gaining speed again like each time she passes one it's like a fire is lit under her. Then she passes Katniss who doesn't slow just keeps going.

"Beat her Gale!" she says as my back is starting to ache something awful but the girl looks behind her and gives this smile, like she is goading me! I pick up speed I don't have to run as fast as her being taller but I do have to run faster than before because she is really motoring as we pass the tailor.

She looks annoyed that I haven't let up; I give her a charming smile. At least I think it's charming. She smiles back, it's brilliant, and sweet, and devilish. She looks at me with those blue eyes. They are goading me, and I don't disappoint we are kicking up dust as we turn the corner to the bakery I am not breaking eye contact. I can't she is staring at me with only flitting glances ahead. I don't need to look I know this area well enough.

At least that what I tell myself, real reason is she has caught me in her gaze. She smiles again and places her hand ahead of her, for what reason I don't know until…

SMACK! I run right into the Mellark's apple tree and fall on my back. It's a flash of white hot pain and the wind is knocked out of me. I hear Katniss scream in panic at seeing me laying spread eagled, but it's the girl that is standing besides me that has my attention. She is laughing and not in any malicious way.

"You should have seen your face!" she laughs and bends down offering her hand, "come on then"

I take her arm and she gently hoists me up, but I can't stand straight my back is on fire. Even if I'm laughing tears are streaming down my face from the pain.

"Are you okay?" she looks worried, Katniss stops at the tree and rushes to my side, she puts one of my arms over her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Peeta asks as he is next to catch up then stops, "Gale your back, Ari!"

The girl Ariana! (That's her name!) Comes behind me. "Oh no" she says softly, "okay Peeta get me a towel, Katniss let's get him in"

"In? In where?!" Katniss asks and Ariana looks like the question wasn't even supposed to be asked as she points to the bakery back door.