Author's Note: Tension builds people! Hanging on are you? (twenty chapters left to go)

Thanks to RR, Arrow and DAK for the reviews

Chapter 80

Pep Talks

The briefing for commanding officers takes at least two hours. My team is to take the street leading from the eastern most side of the Capitol and work our way inward. Everyone has a tech-designate that will help if we run into problems. Some of us who have small teams will be joining peacekeeper units that are there already. Mine is one of them. Boggs informs us we are the ones in charge they should be listening to us.

We are all supposed to meet in the city center at the mansion, disarm PODs if we can or try and maneuver around them as safely as possible. Everyone has a communicator. And we are versed in the use of the emitters. They are the size of a small orange and they project a three-dimensional image of our sector. We can scan any part by tapping co-ordinates.

Everyone gets a number assigned, Bogg's group, a squad of sharpshooters that comprises Gale, Peeta, Katniss and a few others is 451, we call it the 'Star Squad' because lo and behold they have Cressida and Massala with them. Yeah I don't think they will be doing anything too dangerous.

They give my squad the designation of 666, Plutarch was informed and he was puzzled since I was 'the angel'. But now I know I am a fallen angel, I'm the demon of Snow's nightmare. And my crew is his personal apocalypse.
Ken is in my crew along with some new but very capable fighters with additional specialties. We go over our area, Ken and I decide to share command duty because if one of us gets offed the other knows the plan.

We are supposed to come from the east of the Capitol do a sweep and meet at city center. It's on foot and the Capitol is massive we all know it's going to be at least several days, close to a week. We get delayed for reasons I can only bet are related to Coin wanting more citizens to get injured and angry at Snow. It takes several days, days in which we hear PODs have been tripped by residents, children and adults alike. Now the control center is becoming like Fort Knox (that was a very important bank back in the day, said to be impenetrable).

We are all told we ship out the finally, if all goes to plan this should be over in a week or two.
I'm sitting in my room the day my crew is to leave. I'm in my blue combats and I am looking at my locket. For Seneca, for all my friends that are gone and for everyone I still have I put the chain around my neck and tuck in the pendant. This is for them.
I head for the hangar and find Peeta sitting on one of the crates. He had improved greatly the past two weeks; my guess is because he had something to focus on. I still don't approve of him going and I know Coin hopes he flips and kills Katniss who I am proud to say is as much of a rebel as I am.

"You okay Peeta?" I sit on the crate with him.

"I don't want to loose control" he says, and in a smaller voice, "I'm scared."

I take one of his hands in mine, "I know, I'm scared too and I'm in command of a squad!" I nudge him, "you won't loose control, just remember what we went thru, if you feel you are going to loose it find a quiet corner and breathe. I've told Gale."

"He won't listen" Peeta says, "he'll protect Katniss"

"He'll protect you both from each other and yourselves. Boggs knows too. He still thinks you're unstable, but he's willing to keep an eye on you too." I squeeze his hand encouragingly, "you'll be okay."

"He's right though" Peeta sighs, "let's face it Ariana I'm not going to get better. The attacks are getting fewer and I don't hate Katniss anymore but I'm not going to return to the Peeta you miss."

"Who said I missed a different version of you? Peeta you are still you, only wiser, maybe a bit cynical, just look at that cake you and I did," I point out, "if you weren't you you couldn't have done that work of edible art."

"But Ari" he looks a bit lost, "I don't trust myself."

I sigh, "I trust you" I take out the thing I was keeping just for Snow, a pair of handcuffs, "here, if you really feel you are loosing it tell Gale to put them on you okay? That way you won't be able to strangle Katniss" I put the key in his breast pocket, "but only use them as a last resort? Trust yourself okay"

We sit for a while, "do you think I'll understand why I love Katniss? Or why I used to or still."

"You will I'm sure" I reassure my friend, "I guess it will come when you need to know it most like how Gale told me people become their best when it comes down to the wire."

"I hope so, I want to remember why I love her, not just say I do but really know" He replies.

"Arg!" snaps both Peeta and I from our dark and saddened thoughts, a blond girl in med garb is storming towards us, I only realize its Primrose when I register her bright blue eyes alight with for the first time anger.

"Prim?" I look confused, "what's got your ire?"

"Tell me I can come!" she says, "they asked for volunteers for the medical teams and I need permission, mom isn't going, and Makenzie refuses, and now Katniss!"

I smirk, "Prim"

"I'm perfectly capable to patch people up, I'm an asset!" she insists.

I look at Peeta who shrugs but shakes his head. Yeah I agree, she would be out of her depth in a war zone, but telling the fourteen year old Prim she can't would be like telling me at her age…talking down won't work which is probably what everyone has been doing.

"Walk with me" I tell her and give Peeta a hug before leaving, it might be the last one we have if things go wrong but I refuse to dwell, we have to think positive right now.

I walk her past the ships, "Prim we need people here that are quick on their feet" I say, "our best assets aren't coming along."

"You are, and my sister and Gale and Peeta!" she argues

"Yes but y'see we aren't healers" I tell her

"You are!" she again argues correctly

"Yes but I'm a soldier first Prim, I'll be shooting first asking questions later" I reply, "we need people here that will work fast, in a war the doctors stay behind the scenes, patch people up and stabilize them. They aren't in the thick of things with bullets whizzing by them or explosions."

"So you aren't letting me go either?" she looks annoyed, "Ari I can do this!"

"I don't doubt it Prim but I'm thinking logically here, you are indispensable because you are not just versed in Capitol medicine but also natural remedies, if they run out of something you know the natural equivalent. There aren't many wild fields in the Capitol. We need that here! Makenzie isn't that privy to that and your mom relies on you" I touch her arm and she pulls away.

Nope not even logic is gonna enter her head, "okay you want to be soldier and soldiers follow orders" I look at her, "as a commanding officer I order you to stay here soldier Everdeen, I have a medic already"

"BUT!" her face goes red, I am sure she will try with someone else but if they have a head on their shoulder they won't let her.

"You disobeying me already?" I raise a brow.

She pales slightly, "no mam" she finally mutters.

"Good girl, now give me a hug and then go give your sister a hug and head back to the medical wing" I say and she does, although half hearted and trudges back.