A/N: thanks to JB and DAK for the reviews

Chapter 76

Broadcast

I do train him, and I train him the best I can; considering that he is cuffed half the time. Especially around Katniss. It's driving me nuts. I can see my friend tense around her, and there is nothing I can do. We go thru everything, since I had trained him in district Twelve he knows a lot of the martial arts already. I have Charring with me in his lessons, he spars with him. I don't trust the other soldiers and Charring is strong enough to subdue Peeta if he goes off the deep end.

He doesn't and I think it's partially because I try and keep him and Katniss away from each other as much as I can.

It's exhausting.

It's not just that that is taxing my mind.

I worry over not stopping this war before it escalates. I can only imagine the casualties if we raid the capitol. The traps around every corner. I could loose friends again, family. Gale I could loose him so easily if the wrong place crosses his path. Nightmares come back full force now and half the time I don't have Gale to make me feel secure. I'm alone in my room crying myself to sleep well before lights out, and even then I don't fall asleep for long, a couple minutes at a shot if at all.

Gale POV

My girl looks dead on her feet nowadays. I see circles under her eyes; they rival the ones during her propos shoot. The worst thing is…

I can't do anything! Our schedules are completely different and while she is training Mellark I have to train Katniss and Mason.

I don't like Mason, ever since Katniss got wind they wouldn't be allowed to come with the teams she had raised such a stink about it that they finally gave her an ultimatum: Train like a maniac for these three weeks and maybe they will let her go if she passes the exam.

She is training like a maniac, I watch as she helps Mason with her rifle or running with her but she's not completely recovered. Nor is Ariana, and Mason gets queezy with the mention of water. Their basic training is with a colleague and I get them for weapons training and since Tracer has returned to district Five with her brother I also have her for martial arts.

It gives me no time to see if my girlfriend is okay and coping. I know she doesn't want war, I know this more than Boggs and Boggs probably knows her better. It gets so bad that one night I actually end up with Ziggy in her lab talking to Tracer in district Five.

"She looks like a stiff wind will blow her down" I say worried, "has she ever been this skinny? She's barely eating I doubt she's sleeping"

Tracer sighs, "something is worrying her worse than normal" she says, "she's always been slim though Gale, but I know we worry about her too" she pauses, "maybe sneak into her room tonight see if talking to her helps okay?"

"I'll try"

"And get her to talk, I mean seriously Gale. I don't think she's told you what's getting to her"

Reflection I head out to her room that is now just down the hall from my family's. Maverick has been asked to do grading on those getting ready for the exams. Katniss should be next week if she can hack it. I knock and the door swings open, Ariana is sitting on her bed looking at her locket. She showed it to me once, it opens to a compass and a picture of her family.

"Hey beautiful" I say and she looks up, "not sleeping are you?"

She's about to argue that she has but thinks better, "how can I when we are on the brink of war and Ziggy has yet to air it" I sit beside her as she returns to looking at her opened locket, "Seneca would be telling me its out of my hands right now."

"He'd be right" I reply, "is that's all that has gotten you worried?" she shakes her head, "You scared of loosing?" she shakes her head, "you having nightmares?" she nods, "what of?"

"Everything" she replies, "Gale I know these traps, people could die, innocent people could die, Katniss, Peeta…you! Everyone could snuff it if they aren't off…what if they light them up? What if we air the broadcast and Snow calls them to turn the switch on? Or worse what if he…" her hands are shaking, "god Gale, the games were worse, but these people in power? They are the one at the control panels, and they don't care! What if we loose? What if we win? It doesn't matter we will end up with the same problem, ten twenty years from now"

I grasp her hands, "I know, and I don't like it either, we can only hope it turns out okay?" she starts to cry softly and my heart breaks, she cares so much for people, for strangers, for all of us, "I know we said we wouldn't promise we would be okay, but can I promise I will be as careful as I can? And you, no stupid stunts okay? We will come out of this, all of us, whole or close to it"

"I don't want to loose anyone, I don't want to loose you" she sobs, "I hate it Gale, I can't take loosing anyone anymore"

I hush her, "you won't okay? I promise you won't" I hold her tight and she grasps my shirt burrowing her face in my neck, "try and rest okay I won't leave, my mom knows I'm here"

She finally falls asleep a couple hours later, I just hold her when the small screen flickers and then…

"People of the capital keep an eye on this photo" It's the propo! And Ariana is out cold. I watch in shocked appreciation. It's being transmitted right now and if it's playing here, which is a feat because Coin had the controls on this place, Ziggy and Beetee have done it. They have broken thru and the Capitol is finally seeing their angel after five long years. Resurrected and warning of what horrors their home actually possesses.

Four hours later our communicators go off, beeping angrily (if that is possible) but Ariana sleeps thru them. I am sure if we were back at my family's compartment my brothers would be yelling at me to shut them off. But Ariana sleeps on unfettered by the obnoxious sound when our alarms go off.

I carefully slip my arms from her not wanting her to wake. It's a meeting. Its Coin and Plutarch.

It's now.

But I can't in good conscious force Ariana to go. She's been thru too much in my opinion. I feel a little like Maverick in a way, I don't want her to face this right now, like he didn't want her killing anyone anymore in their games, I don't want her fighting anymore. She's fought enough, it's my turn.

I get changed and head to command. Everyone is there and Coin is looking rather smug.
"Well well well, our latest director!" she smirks, "well done Hawthorne, you realize what you did?"
"Either sparked an inner rebellion or nothing" I reply, "at least this time we don't expend any resources" I let that hang
"That little stunt had created mass hysteria" Haymitch days, "the residential quarter has vacated, shops have been ransacked and just a minute before you got here Snow contacted Coin...asking for our assistance."
I cock an eyebrow, "you're serious?"
"Oh yes" Coin replies her smile widening, "he's willing to barter even, he's held up in his mansion away from his precious control room."
"Good! Let him rot!" Johanna says, Maverick looks at her and smirks, she smirks back.
"I would love to, except this gives us a perfect opportunity" Coin says, "he gets deposed by us, we get rid of him and take over management, I told him it would cost him dearly...apparently his life is more important than his presidency"
"Please he sent children to their deaths long after the games were supposed to end" Haymitch says, "I agree with Mason and Letorch"
"Where is our new little starlet?" Plutarch speaks up
"Asleep right now, and she needs it, she hasn't been sleeping or eating properly from stress" I reply
"We should get her input though" Katniss says, "I mean she lost a lot I think"
I would agree with my friend but for some reason thinking of waking my girlfriend to ask her if we should show the one person that killed her brother and forced her to watch as Maverick 'died' in her games, killed one of her mentors and threatened the lives of everyone she had cared about mercy doesn't feel right.
"No" I say, "let her sleep she's done enough" I look at Coin,"what do you propose?"
The rest look at me dubiously.
"Gale I think Katniss has a point" Haymitch says
I slam my fist on the table, "you know what she has been thru do you? She's exhausted"
"I have to agree with Abernathy" Maverick says, "besides she's the most clear headed out of all of us. We might all call for blood but she's a non-violent Gale"
I make to argue but when my eyes look up she's in the doorway, "Ari" She looks marginally better those mere hours did her some good, though she doesn't look all that happy.
The rest turn with smiles on their faces
"Diffuse the situation Coin, but do so with as little fighting as we can, we are dealing with innocent citizens who had no idea their own president would kill them" she looks at me then the rest, "I'll be going in, with a squad" she turns and leaves.
"Any other volunteers?" coin asks

I rush out the door when we are dismissed to try and find her. Ken has gone another direction.
Ariana is with Ken (guess he knew where she'd go) in the artillery range sending magazine after magazine into the targets when I find her.

Beside her is a nickel plated six shooter. She has yet to touch that one.
"Something on your mind Crane?" I hear Ken ask, I'm in the observation booth.
"Why do people feel the need to protect me" she says letting another three bullets off, "do I look fragile?"
"No"
Blam! Blam! Blam!
"Am I weak?"
"Hell no!"
Blam! Blam! Blam!
"Then what?!"
Ken chuckles, "you just give off this vibe I guess, my pa said once that baby animals give off this air of needing to be sheltered even if they can defend themselves after a year. people still will go out of their way to shelter them."
"So I'm not helpless I only look it" she pauses, "I guess being stressed to exhaustion and not sleeping makes me look it"
"And the only way to get around that is for you to sprout a foot, gain some muscle and maybe instead of chest adornments have something below the equator, that and maybe putting on a few pounds and actually sleeping," he says, "don't get bent out of shape because people want to protect you" he comes around the divider and leans against it, "be glad you have people who want to ok?"
She responds by taking the six shooter and landing one in the head target of the dummy.
"Each time someone has tried to protect me Ken they have been injured or killed. I don't want that to happen again." she looks at the dummy she had just shot in the head, "I don't want anymore human shields"
Ken looks at her solidly, "well then I will stand at your side and not in front of you" he smirks, "come on Ari. We should get the crew together, find Zigg and get to the briefing"

Their communicators go off as mine does. This one is new.

'briefing auditorium'