Author's Note: Well we lost a family last chapter, I think our girl needs comfort right? Right!

Thanks go to my reviewers: HL, EWD and JB

Chapter 42

Cavalry

I remember getting off my bike. I had taken a few steps towards him but then I had blacked out. I barely register Gale catching me and calling out to me then to his mom.

I dream.

I dream of my mom, and it's weird since I haven't dreamt of her and dad in a long time. My dream makes my mind warp and nothing is making sence.

'It's okay' they coo me, 'you're alright sweetheart' Mom places a cool cloth on my forehead, 'you're dreaming but its okay'

'I lost them' I say, 'I lost them all'

'You didn't, it's not your fault and you didn't loose everyone' dad explains, 'you have to wake up, get up and get moving'

'Why are you making sense?' I look at them, 'dad…'

'We're your parents Ari, we're supposed to' he chuckles, 'now wake up'

'Wake up Ariana' mom says softly

"Ariana wake up!" Mrs. Everdeen says

I start, I'm laying on a bed of leaves with a damp cloth on my forehead.

"She's coming round!" Mrs. Everdeen calls to someone

"Wha…wh.." I try and sit up but my head spins

"Easy" Hazelle swims into view, "You passed out just before the fence, Gale was waiting, he said you weren't responding but you were breathing"

Gale…

GALE!

"Where is he?!" I sit up and almost fall back, if it weren't for Mrs. Everdeen catching me my head would have hit the log I'm laying against.

"He's hunting with a few men" Hazelle says, "he'll be back soon, a whole bunch of merchant teens and some more fit adults got there not long after you left. Buck had hit every shop and got them to run for it, he's a hero"

Buck is dead, Ryen…died in my arms. Harry and Maris…all dead.

"Oh god" I hold my head, it's pounding with the thoughts, with massacre. It's like two years ago only I don't have Maverick to bring me back, "oh god" I cry softly, shaking.

"Breathe Ariana" Hazelle says, "come on we're here, we're safe"

"The Mellarks are dead, all dead, oh god!" I start trembling.

"Ma!" Gale calls, "well we got some grouse and a hare or two" he stops as he sees I'm awake, "ARI!" he drops his game bag and runs the short distance, "Ari?! Ari!" he grasps my shoulder as he has come to kneel beside me and then wraps me in his arms as I am crying and hyperventilating from panic that he is just holding me until perhaps I can respond.

"The Mellarks are dead" Hazelle informs him. He just holds me tighter.

I am trembling until I pass out again.

I don't eat much. Even when I wake later that night to no one is up. I sit near the fire looking at it.

I don't respond to anything nor do I talk. My mind and my being are numb now. Mrs. Everdeen is saying I'm in shock. That I've overloaded my mind.

I know some of it is true, but part of me is angry and vengeful. Killing Snow will not satisfy me now; no he will have to suffer.

"Hey" I hear and Gale is standing not far from the fire. I haven't said much to him since I arrived back from passing out a second time, "want company?" I shift over a bit on my log and he sits beside me.

"I'm sorry" he says, "I'm sorry for stalling you, I'm sorry for loosing them. We should have…done something"

"We would have been killed" I say softly, "Buck and Ryen were shot, if I lost you…" I can't finish it

"I know" he says, "same here; it's why I tried to stop you"

We are sitting beside each other when I hear something in my bag go off…a very strong beeping.

I take my satchel and toss out my jacket and other items until I find my communicator.

It's letting off such a racket that it wakes everyone up.

"Shut it off!" one older gentleman snaps

"Shut it" I hear another younger man grumble

"Easy" I say softly as I turn the alarm off and realize I have a message

'Sparrow when you read this put on your audio Zigg'

"Who's Zigg?" Gale asks

"My tech spec" I say offhanded, I now realize there a lot of me Gale doesn't know, like what I was telling him when our two friends left.

"Tech spec?" he asks as I get up and walk a couple feet from him, "wait Ari!"

I turn on the audio component

"Sparrow here" I say softly

The racket coming from the other end is a bunch of voices and crashing and I even hear Maverick saying

"Let me first!"

But it's Ziggy I hear properly

"Sparrow! You're okay! Thank god we heard that Twelve got bombed and after watching the games we noticed your style and Mav could read Tracker's lips at the beginning, are you okay?!"

"I'm fine, we evac-ed most of Twelve we have a little over 900 people rescued"

"Ariana who are you talking to?!" Gale sounds worried and he's close enough that his voice gets transmitted

"Who's that?" Ziggy asks

"The guy you saw a drawing of about two years ago…" I pause, "I'll explain later, can we get transport? We have injured and getting to thirteen by foot is gonna be a bit troublesome if I have to use my bike back and forth"

There is a pause then Ziggy comes back

"Still there sparrow?"

"Roger that"

"Keep your communicator open and I can use it to triangulate your position" she says, "We're glad you're okay but you have a lot to be debriefed on"

"Won't that be fun" I mutter and disengage it

Gale is looking at me confused.

"We need to talk" I tell him

I lead him away from everyone. We get to the edge of the forest and sit looking at the now dead fencing.

I take a deep breath, I think I might have breathed in a lot of smoke because this is uncomfortable to say the least.

"You remember Peeta saying I faked my death right?" I say as I roll up my sleeve, I wear long-sleeved shirts all the time, even when I wore scrubs I had a cotton long sleeve shirt underneath. I show Gale the scar and he gently takes my arm and examines it.

"What Mason did to Katniss" he says and I nod, "yours looks almost sterile in comparison."

"I'm a ghost in the capital systems, I infiltrated their ranks as a doctor, gathered intel and was supposed to report back a year ago, but then Peeta got reaped" I continue

Gale looks at me for a moment, "how much of a hand did you have in that?"

"Just the first rule change and getting the medicine for Peeta, everything else was Katniss's idea….dunno what to make of her really Gale, she's way riskier than I am" I look at him, "I did a run of some district, including mine and got here just to check on Peeta before I headed back"

"But then the quell" Gale isn't looking at me

"It was a ploy obviously, but even before that card was read I had planned with the new gamemaker that this was gonna be the end of the games. We were going to rescue the tributes, I had no idea it was going to be Peeta and Katniss until that damned card was read" I say, "this is Snow's doing you realize that, he hates the idea of insurrection, he wants everyone to obey but you can't kick people forever"

"Eventually they kick back" Gale looks at me, "that's what you were getting at when Peeta and Katniss left…why didn't you tell me?"

I look at the ground, "I'm sorry, I wanted to, but…I just…"

"You're for the rebellion?" he asks way too calmly

I shrug, "I'm not a violent person Gale but I'm really fighting my nature when I think of Peeta's family….I just…I didn't want you to judge me on that"

"And that person, 'Ziggy'"

"She taught me a lot about technology. And Charring taught me martial arts, Boggs for weaponry" I explain, "Gale…I didn't think Snow would do that you believe me right?"

Gale looks at me confused, "of course I do…I just wish you'd have trusted me to tell me everything"

I feel horrible, "how was I supposed to? 'say Gale y'know I am actually a spy and I have pretty much screwed the capitol right now? Oh and district Thirteen exists' I didn't know how to broach that subject, since I…I really care about you"

Gale stands up, "I have to think….on my own"

Fair enough, I nod and he walks away.

At least it's out in the open. Now I will have to explain to Peeta how his whole family was wiped out.