Author's Note: And now another episode of "she says, he says" aka another Ariana/Gale chapter (I really enjoy these chapters…they're so cute!)

Thanks go to my reviewers: SeaOtter, ASMF, E-W-Dragon, HL and Pandora

Chapter 18

Sparring Partner

A week after the tree incident and Katniss brings Gale to our mid afternoon exercises, the balms and ointments I gave Hazelle did the trick. Although his back is still a mess of scarring the large wounds have completely closed and the stitches removed.

After the escapade at the beginning of this whole training regime where I pinned Haymitch to the ground while Peeta cleaned his house of alcohol Peeta has harassed me into teaching them how to fight unarmed.

I was reluctant at first, but when we set up Haymitch's basement with mattresses from the vacant houses and padded the walls some with thick padding I bought from the tailor it's safer than most dojos.

I pair with Haymitch since he is older and stronger and I don't want him getting carried away if things get out of hand. He has been tossed so much I think he gets motion sickness now.

Today he has relinquishes his spot to Gale and I glare at the old man when the rest are chatting about what they want to learn. Thanks to Charring I am a walking encyclopedia of hand-to-hand.

"How do you disarm someone?" Peeta asks finally, "I mean getting into a fight with someone who has a knife."

I nod, "good thinking, that could very well come up" I look at Gale, who towers over me. Any other person that tall I would feel very defensive but when we look at each other his face holds no malice, mild curiosity maybe, and something I can't place.

"Should I pretend to be attacking you?" Katniss asks, man does she ever look eager.

"No, I won't mind trying this" Gale says, "unless you prefer someone more your height Ariana" he smirks

That asshole, teasing me at my height, fine!

"No, try and attack me" I say bringing up a hand and giving a sign to advance while Peeta hands him a comb in lieu of a knife.

Gale slouches a bit to try and get a shot of gutting me with the pretend weapon. When he lunges I step aside nimbly and grab his wrist spinning so I face away while I squeeze his wrist with my finger tips, (not my nails because I don't want to really hurt the guy), the comb drops to the floor, while my other arms raises and almost plant my elbow in his face.

I stop well before impact occurs and Gale looks a bit surprised. We were supposed to stop and have the other pair mimic but he lets the comb go and pulls my arm with his spinning me to face him. I almost punch him in the jaw and he grabs my other wrist, literally crossing my arms in front of me. He smirks thinking he has the upper hand but I link my foot behind him and pulling sharply I control our fall onto the mattress, me on top of him. He turns table and flips us so he is on top, my arms crossed defenselessly.

We are looking at each other. Blue meets grey, panting.

His face moves closer and my heart is pounding in my chest.

Two images flash in my head, Ken doing this same move comes first but then it's overridden by the fat man when I was fifteen. I immediately tense but I don't attack.

Instead my voice is soft and guarded; "don't" I say softly looking at him.

Gale POV

I feel like I am fighting my shadow when I square off with Ariana. She is calculating and calm and methodical. When Katniss offers to be the assailant I step in. I don't know why, and damned if I know why I teased Ariana about being petite but she agrees and we face off. Me with a comb as my knife.

The fight that we do doesn't actually land blows but I am sure if we did I would be out cold within the moment she controls the hand with the knife. Her elbow would meet my jaw hard and I would be sprawled out. But she doesn't make contact thankfully which gives me time to disarm her, she manages a few more almost hits, but then I have her arms crossed, I smirk thinking that's it I win the match, but she trips me and lands me on the mattress. She has me pinned! I roll and now she is pinned.

We are breathless, hot from the fight, or almost fight.

Our eyes meet, cool blue with warm grey. Staring at each other. I want to show her I want to get closer to her and I lean in to give her a chaste kiss.

I have kissed girls before, since I was sixteen actually I've had girlfriends. All had the same dreamy look when we kissed.

Ariana isn't one of them, it pulls me from my reverie as she looks guarded, hurt and of all things scared, a ghost of fear flits across her features as she says very softly.

"Don't" she gets out from under me and heads upstairs, leaving me to run thru what just happened with Mellark and Katniss.

Only Peeta looks upset and heads upstairs.

"What was that about?" Katniss says, I think I hear a hint of jealousy…barely noticible. All I can think is exactly what she just said, 'what was that all about?'

We all head home soon after. I don't head home I head for Peeta's because damned if I understand what just went on.

Ari POV

The lesson ends abruptly as I make my escape. I even tell them to head home since I really don't feel like entertaining the idea of chatting it up. Peeta looks hurt from this but promises we will talk about it tomorrow when I feel ready to explain what just happened. I eat supper, or what I can stomach right now and head to bed, leaving Haymitch the job of dishes.

I hadn't worn myself out! I didn't realize this, until I wake with a start and cold sweat covering me. It's gone midnight and no one is up, not even Haymitch who is conked out on the couch. My heart is racing, breathing fast, trying to break my nightmare into understandable images.

But they were all flashes, the fat man, a dead Maverick and Ken, Seneca before he left, the snakes, the dying boys. President Snow turning into a snake again. Rushing and everything was shown in bright colors, with a woman screaming as background noise.

I cover my face and rake my fingers thru my hair.

I need air.

I head outside after getting changed, and putting the porch light on I sit on the steps, if I was home in five I would be on my bicycle riding out to the desert to climb but in Twelve…no such luck. I can't calm down and it all bubbles out of me as I start to cry softly to relieve the tension I am under right now. I try and stifle the sobs but the thought of Seneca being dead just makes it all worse and I cover my face.

I don't know how long it is but I hear the crunch of gravel.

"Ariana?" I look up and Gale is standing there looking confused, "you okay?"

Gale POV

When we left I go with Peeta. I explained to Katniss that I am just concerned for Ariana right now and it looks like Peeta understands her better than we do. Plus they are friends, they were penpals for two years so he must understand some things better than we would.

Katniss looked a bit confused and if I read her right a flash of jealousy, but I can't deal with her right now. Something happened and it's got me worried, and I have to figure this out.

"Hey Mellark wait up!" I call to him, he pauses and looks at me quizzically.

"Hawthorne" he nods, he's at his door.

"Can I talk to you for a bit?" I ask. He nods and lets me in.

He goes to get his supper started, I know my mom is probably getting my siblings settled for some watered down soup or something equally unsatisfying and I bite back the impulse to go and make sure they are okay. But what has me sitting at his table is more pressing, for what reason I do not know, I just need to know what happened back there.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" he offers me a glass of orange juice, I turn it away. "How is your family?"

"Like every seam family…struggling and since Katniss and I can't hunt mom is making the money Katniss gives her stretch to its limit" I reply then shake my head, "that's not what I wanted to talk about"

"Then what is it?" he says

"How do you know her?" I ask I don't say Katniss or Ariana, he smiles gently almost knowingly, he's not a bad guy and I can't read any malice or jealousy in his face, "she's not related to you" I start to expand on my question, but he holds up a hand and points outside. I look puzzled but nod.

We go outside to his back garden.

"House might have surveillance, what do you want to know about Ariana?" he says with a smirk, he knew before I could get her name out.

"Just…how do you know her?" I ask

"She visited the bakery on her tour, we were fast friends ever since. We wrote to each other for two years until she faked her death" he replies

"She…she what?" I look shocked, she faked her death, I must have been playing hooky that day from school because I would have remembered that happening, "why?"

"Long story Gale" Peeta says, "Capitol doesn't like her all that much" he leans against a support column, "is this about what happened today? How a girl actually refused a kiss from you?" he smirks when I can feel my ears go red, "she's not from here, don't expect her to act like she is"

"But why did she act like that? I mean even if she was shy she wouldn't have gotten spooked from something that harmless" I ask

"It's not harmless, Gale she was assaulted when she was fifteen, you had her pinned defenseless. And you were forcing her to what you wanted…" he lets that hang, "don't feel bad though" he adds when I look completely at a lost, "I don't think she blames you"

We continue talking, he fills me in on just about everything and its close to midnight before I leave, I apologize for keeping him up late since they all need rest. He sends me off with a loaf of heavy bread and a container with soup for my family. I don't know why he is being nice to me; Katniss comes to mind being nice to me might mean he gains points with her. He really is a nice guy though, if Katniss did fall for him I don't think I'll be too jealous now that I got to know him a bit better. I am walking aimlessly except for getting home when I see the door of Haymitch's house open and Ariana comes out and sits on the steps, she wraps her arms around herself and seems distraught. This is confirmed when she has covered her face and starts to cry.

My heart steers my feet, if it were Posy crying I would scoop her up and hug her. At five she is easily calmed. If it were Katniss (if she ever cried) I would probably just listen to her until she released the problem into open air. But I don't know Ariana like I know these two, she's strong and she's pragmatic, she's kinda like me…how would I want to be approached?

Before I can figure a good line I have stopped in front of her and she is looking at me a bit frightened and a lot sad, her blue eyes rimmed with red shine in the porch light.

"Ariana? You okay?" I ask

It takes her a moment then she finally reacts…she slowly shakes her head.

The bread is wrapped in a towel and the soup isn't gonna spoil so I put them beside me as I sit with her. "what happened? Haymitch bad mouth you?" I ask, she shakes her head. "I didn't hurt you did I?" I ask

"No" she says softly, "I didn't did I?" I shake my head and she nods, "I'm okay."

"Sorry Ariana, you don't look okay" I reply, "and tears only come if someone is hurt physically or emotionally" apparently I won't get it out of her just sitting with her, she's in proper enough clothes so I offer up a suggestion

"Walk with me home okay? Maybe the fresh air will help?" I look at her.