Happy New Year, everyone! Here is the next chapter. Oh boy…things were quite tense the last time we focused on a certain character…I wonder how things are going with that guy now?

Who Am I?

Golias sat in the cargo bay by himself for a very long time, feeling several uncomfortable emotions. Sad and scared now that he was not only without Yuri, but also with the knowledge that his best friend was in trouble, fed up with Johanna's comments, and shocked and ashamed of himself for yelling at her. That wasn't who he was—he would never just yell at someone like that, even if they'd yelled at him first! What had he been thinking?

That was the thing. He hadn't been thinking. He had just been so tired of hearing Johanna being mean to him that he'd snapped! But why? Why had he done that? Had it happened because Yuri was in trouble? No, that couldn't be right; he never got so frustrated that he yelled at someone like that when Yuri was even facing a problem, and until now, the only person who even had what it took to make him even feel frustrated was Lili. But then again, it wasn't like he and Yuri got separated from each other that often…oh, why had he done that? Why had he yelled at Johanna?

For at least twenty minutes he sat there, alone, wondering why he'd done something so unlike himself. At some points he felt tempted to apologize to Johanna for yelling at her, but he would always reluctantly decide not to, worrying that it would only prompt her to be mean to him again. And he just…he just couldn't deal with that. Especially when he was separated from Yuri and knew the poor boy was in trouble.

Then, unable to hold back any longer (and partly because Matt became aware of his restlessness and said he could), Bongo bounced back toward the cargo bay and knocked on the edge of the doorway, his own best friend not far behind him. "Uh…Golias? It's me, Bongo. Uh…can we come in?"

"Yes, you can," the elephant decided. Matt and Bongo were both his friends, and it wasn't like wallowing in his emotions all alone was really going anywhere.

With Matt following him, Bongo bounced into the cargo bay. He then looked left and then right to make sure nobody else in the hovercraft was close enough to hear them (which no one else was), before saying, "Woo! Good thing Haymitch got Johanna not to get you off the team. Without you I don't know what we'd—"

"Bongo," Matt cut in.

"What?" his Big Big Friend asked. He then jumped in worry. "Oh right!" Smiling nervously, he apologized to Golias for not asking him if he was okay before saying that.

"Oh, it's okay," Golias reassured him. He then made a sad noise with his trunk, and said, "I can't believe I yelled at Johanna."

"Why wouldn't you?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, she deserved it!" agreed Bongo. "She's more than just bossy. She's really really mean!"

"But that doesn't mean yelling at her was the right thing to do," said Golias. "I should have just stayed patient, but…she just wouldn't stop saying mean things! I don't understand. Why couldn't I take it anymore?"

Bongo shrugged. "Don't ask me. When you yelled at her it surprised me too."

"Yeah," nodded Matt. "'Cause…I don't think you ever got mad before."

"Not like that, I haven't," admitted Golias. "That's just…that's not who I am. I don't yell at people! I just…don't! So why did I do it?"

"Because Johanna started it," answered Matt. "She was even meaner than Lili, and nothing was stopping her! You know Yuri would have yelled at her because of it."

"But I'm not Yuri. I'm just me, Golias. I'm not supposed to yell at people, I'm supposed to be patient and stay quiet. Even when I'm talking to someone like Johanna." The poor elephant sniffled, and wiped a tear from his eye. "I'm sorry if I scared you…"

Matt comfortingly placed his hand on Golias's cheek. "Golias, you shouldn't have to be sorry. It didn't scare us, it just surprised us. And just because you don't usually get that mad doesn't mean it's wrong for you to get that mad."

"Yeah," Bongo agreed. "We all do things we don't usually do. Nessa's never wanted a break from Lili before, and she still wished she could switch bodies with someone. And she doesn't usually tell us what to do, but when Lili got stuck on that island the day she thought she was going away, she was the one who came up with the plan for how to get her back."

Golias nodded. "You're right." He sighed wistfully anyway though. "But I still don't think I did the right thing. It's not nice to just yell at people, even if they yelled at you first. And I could never not be nice…" Two more tears came out, one from each eye.

"I know that," Bongo told him, surprising himself by how gently those words came out. "That's why I forgive you."

"Me too," smiled Matt. He then hugged Golias, with Bongo doing the same thing at the exact same time, and weeping a little, the elephant hugged them both in return using his ears. However, while the hug did help him feel a little better, Golias still felt pretty sad. He was glad Bongo and Matt were here for him, but that didn't change the fact that his best friend was still missing, and in trouble. His current two companions were good friends and all, but Yuri's hugs would always be the best.

Which brought up another question: had part of the reason why he hadn't had the patience to not yell at Johanna been because Yuri was gone? Lili not being with her had been the reason why Nessa had taken charge the other day…so could that mean Yuri not being with him had had something to do with him yelling?

Golias sighed. If something like that could affect Nessa in such a way, then it was probably what had happened to him too. He couldn't let an incident like what had happened with Johanna happen again. She might have deserved it, but he still didn't feel right having yelled at her. On the other hand, however, was telling her he was sorry really the right thing to do?

Matt and Bongo released him, and Golias thanked them for trying to cheer him up. He then stared off into the distance, and imagined Yuri was with him too, asking him, "Golias? Are you okay? What's the matter?"

The elephant looked ashamed for a moment, and then began to sing, as though he were talking to Yuri. "Since the day I met you and you became my bestest friend, every day I'd make you feel better, and hope that would never end. But when you're not here with me or when you don't wanna cry ever again, when you're playing with someone else the way you'd always play with me…then I'm the one who's sad, 'cause without you…it's just not the same."

Matt and Bongo wisely stepped aside without making a sound. Golias looked upward and continued singing, "Usually I just fall down, and don't say all that until you ask what's wrong. But that's not what happened this time around. Instead she yelled and I got angry too, when I should have gone along! It's the thing I've always done…until now…"

Then Golias stood up and sung even louder. "Now I'm finding out there's parts of me, parts I never knew were there! Who would have thought the kindest friend you have, was the one who'd shout without a care? She might still wanna help me save you right, but she and everybody else still think you're my weakness. That no matter what I'd pick you and leave everyone else behind. And maybe they're right about that…but what am I doing singing this? You've always been my best friend, and without you by my siiiiiide…who am I?"

Nessa sighed heavily. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get rid of her doubts about her friendship with Lili! This was so overwhelming for her…why wasn't anything she was doing to fight off her doubts working?

She yawned, and then sighed again. Nothing else was working…maybe if she sang about her feelings, she'd finally be free from those conflicting emotions building up inside of her. So, after looking around to make sure no one was in sight or earshot, that was exactly what she did.

Maybe it was a coincidence that what she sang tonight came out in the exact same tune and tempo as Golias's song was, and that she unknowingly started singing a second after his latest line of "who am I" was finished being sung. But it didn't matter. She had thoughts she needed to get out of her head—now. So, taking a deep breath, she began to sing. "I'm trying to be the bestest friend that these people ever had. But it's really not so easy in the end, 'cause I know you must be sad! Even if you weren't trapped in the Capitol right now, I still wanted time away from you when you would have said no how. And still I know that if I hadn't said those magic words, then they'd be the ones in trouble and things here would have been much worse! It's funny how I always find my voice more when I'm not with you. But is that good or bad? Why don't I know what to dooooo?!"

Then she stood up and sung even louder. "Now I'm finding out there's parts of me, parts I never knew were there! Who would have thought the kindest friend you have was the one who'd shout without a care? She might still wanna help me get back to you, but she still thinks you shouldn't be my friend. That no matter what you'll never think of me the way I think of you. And maybe she's right about that…but what am I doing singing this? That's not how it'll end. You've always been my best friend, and without you by my siiiiiide…who am I?"

Then, after a few seconds, Bongo ultimately decided to sing along. It was partly to help cheer up Golias, and partly because he was still surprised by how comforting he'd sounded despite usually being the overly energetic one. At the same time, unbeknownst to him, Golias's song chorus had attracted the attention of the other hovercraft passengers, and while Haymitch tried to get Johanna to just ignore the song after she heard it and expressed her disdain towards it, Iris, Daisy, and Objectiva tried not to pay attention to it, knowing it sounded quite personal. Effie, on the other hand, tried to be polite and mind her own business, but in the end she was unable to resist listening to it because she considered it quite relatable. Then, before she knew it, she was walking toward the cargo bay, not really sure what was going through her mind exactly.

Looking straight at Golias, Bongo sang, "I always thought I just cheered our friends up by being funny! While you did it too, but you also used love. But now here I am, saying things you'd say! Not being goofy, just doing things only you'd think of."

He then started to sing something else, but was interrupted by the sound of another singing voice; one that sounded shy and quiet, but still sincere: "I always pictured myself on the Capitol's side, though that was before I began to see. That the people I thought were genuine, might not have been returning my feelings for them…"

"Effie?" Matt asked. He peered through the doorway and saw her before she had a chance to leave the area, and seeing him, she sighed and said, "I'm sorry, I should never have invited myself into your song…"

"No, it's okay," insisted Matt, smiling kindly. "What you sang fits right into it. Come on in."

"No, no I really shouldn't—"

"Come on! If you really want to you can sing with us."

"But I don't think…oh, alright." Caving in, the escort followed Matt into the cargo bay, arriving just as Bongo finished his next song line: "I mean sure, maybe Matt needed that other side of me sometimes. But apart from that I just didn't think this was how I worked! And still here I am, telling you it's all gonna be fine. I know it's the right thing to do, but it just feels so new…"

Effie took a deep breath and decided to keep singing. As she'd learned just before she and Golias had accidentally trapped Annie inside that painting, there wasn't really anything wrong with trying things like this; like singing. And it wasn't as if there were any cameras here to film her singing about her emotional dilemma either. As long as she was in these circumstances, with her friends from America, she would be alright.

So, pushing back any awkward feelings she had within her, she sang, "Then there's all the people I used to only see as colleagues and tributes. Turns out they're more worthy of the title 'friends'! But why am I having trouble facing the facts, that all this time I've been on the wrong side?" And then, with Bongo singing the same thing as she was at the same time, she musically added, "It just doesn't make any sense!"

Then silence fell over the cargo bay, as Matt, who was the only one out of the quartet that didn't feel like he had any odd or at the very least thought-provoking actions to reflect on, awkwardly chuckled and left the room, and everyone else in the cargo bay took a moment to think about everything they'd been singing about. Then Golias asked through song, "Am I just not the kind of elephant I thought I was?"

"I just don't know what to do…" sang Nessa. Again, the timing was punctual and purely coincidental.

Bongo then sang, "I thought I knew who I was all this time…"

"But now I'm doubting that was the truth," Effie musically finished.

"One moment you're nice and then you're just…well…" Nessa said. She sighed, and remained silent for a few seconds. Then, through song, she reluctantly fully admitted what was on her mind: "I wanna stay your best friend, but at the same time…I can't help but wonder if Foxface is right."

And then, she sang a line that, unbeknownst to her, was also sung by Effie at the same time. "Were you ever my friend too? Or was I never…never really important to you?"

"Am I better off with you or without you?" Golias then sang. "Oh, what am I saying? Of course I'm better off with you…but at the same time, do you really make me weak?" He then shook his head. He was just singing this so it would flow with the things Effie was singing about herself and the Capitol. Not because he was wondering if the things Johanna had said were true. Really!

Next, he and Bongo sang in unison, "And why am I not acting the way I usually do?" And then, this time solo, Bongo sang, "Oh, what is wrong with meeeeee?" After that, Effie started to sing something else, but was interrupted by Bongo as he then said, "Or is there something wrong…maybe there isn't! Or maybe there is. Is, isn't. Is, isn't. Is, isn't. Is, isn't. Is, isn't. Is…" his voice trailed off when he saw Golias narrowing his eyes a little. "What?" he asked. Then, realizing what it was, Bongo sheepishly said, "Sorry."

Then, the first part of the chorus was sung again, this time by Bongo and Effie. "Now I'm finding out there's parts of me, parts I never knew were there!"

Golias (and unbeknownst to him, Nessa too) then sang, "Who would have thought the kindest friend you have was the one who'd shout without a care?"

Next, solo this time, Golias sang, "She might still wanna help me save you right…"

"But she still thinks you shouldn't be my friend," sang Nessa.

"No matter what you'll never think of me the way I think of you…or used to think of you," Effie musically added.

"And maybe she's right about that…" Golias sang.

"But what am I doing singing this? That's not how it should end," sang Nessa. Then, she sang a part of the song that, unbeknownst to her, Golias was singing too: "You've always been my best friend, and without you by my siiiiiide…" And then all four of them sang together, "Who am I?"

Except this time, when Golias and Bongo sang the "I" part, it lasted much longer than when the girls sang it, and as they continued singing it, Effie and Nessa sang in unison, "Am I a friend, a rebel, or just an assistant to you? Who am I?"

Then their "I" part lasted longer than usual, and as it went on, Golias and Bongo sang, "I'm not feeling the way I should be, the way I usually feel about these things! Who am I?"

Next, their "I" part lasted longer than usual, and as it went on, Effie and Nessa sang, "Did you really think my feelings weren't important all this time? Who am I?"

Then their "I" part lasted longer than usual, and as it went on, it was Golias and Bongo's turn to sing. "Does this mean I'm turning into him?" they pointed at each other and both looked at Effie as they sang that part. "That my whole brain's changing? Who am I?"

After that, their "I" part lasted longer than usual, and as it went on, Effie and Nessa sang, "I may find a way back to my old life…"

"Who am I?" sang Golias and Bongo.

"…but thanks to you and what I've seen, are you actually someone that's really mean?" Effie and Nessa unknowingly sang in unison. But out of the two of them, only Effie had the courage to add one final note to the song: "I suppose so…"

Nessa sighed sadly. She liked Foxface, but she didn't want what she kept saying about Lili to be true. Yet the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like it really was the truth. Lili was the only friend of hers who'd tried to prove a point by doing something like blowing a whistle in her face, and she'd never once apologized for it or for doing anything else that some people might think was mean. Her other friends and the nice tributes, meanwhile, just used their words to make a point, even if it wasn't successful. They never yelled at her no matter how antisocial or tough they were, and the nice tributes even seemed more aware of her feelings than her friends from home had been. Not that she'd admitted to feeling all of them, but still—the point was that they'd noticed without being prompted to do so first.

The fact that Lili did things differently couldn't just be a best friend thing either; if it was, then Matt and Yuri would have done the things she did with their own best friends. But they hadn't, at least not as far as she knew. There was another reason why it couldn't be a best friend thing too: if it was, then Lili would have said so and given her own best friend permission to do seemingly questionable things to her as well. Yet that wasn't the case either…

Another lump formed in Nessa's throat. No, she thought, Lili has to be a nice friend. She has to! Bad people don't do nice things, even if it's not as often! But still, that other part of her wouldn't back down, and soon she was once again in tears. Sitting back down again, she took off her helmet so she could wipe her tears away with her sleeves, but more and more just kept on coming. Ohhh…if it turned out Lili was actually just pretending to be her best friend…what was she going to do? She couldn't imagine life without her…but if she wasn't really her friend, then…ohhhhh…

"Are…are you okay?"

Nessa jumped, startled. Looking up, she could see that a blonde girl who looked like she was around Rue's age was coming toward her. She was gently carrying an orangish cat in her arms, and wearing the most simple and rusty-looking pyjamas the former giraffe had ever seen. What she also had was a concerned but nervous expression on her face.

A wave of guilt instantly came over Nessa as she realized that her singing must have woken the girl up. Quickly, she apologized to her for doing so. "I didn't mean to wake you up. I just…I know I shouldn't be wondering if my best friend was really my best friend, but I am, and I felt like I just had to get it all out." Then she finally noticed the open window resting on one of the small houses the hovercraft was parked behind, and felt silly for not seeing it much sooner, before she'd started singing. No wonder she'd woken up this girl!

"It's okay," reassured the girl, though she still looked and now sounded nervous. "We were already up anyway because we heard the hovercraft landing. We didn't know it was you at first, but when nobody came into our house to arrest us or something and then we heard you singing, we figured it had to be you and the tributes."

Nessa nodded, wiping away her tears. "So…you know who we are?"

The girl smiled, though there was some sadness in her eyes as well. "Only men ever take up Peacekeeper jobs. And even if there were some women on the force, none of them ever sing. I'd expect it from you though, after the other things I saw you do…one of which I feel like I should thank you for."

"Really?" Nessa asked.

Nodding, the girl let her smile fade away. "Thanks for trying to get my sister out of the Capitol too. I know it didn't work, but…it was nice of you to try."

"Your sister?" Then Nessa realized something. District 12…sister… "Wait…are you Katniss's sister? Prim?"

The girl nodded, her timid energy returning. "You're here to include me and my mother in your plan to leave Panem, aren't you."

"Of course we are," Nessa said. "Katniss asked us to before she went to save Lili, Matt, Iris, and Daisy from the Peacekeepers as much as she could. She made us promise to stay safe and not to let anything bad happen to you."

Prim swallowed hard. "That does sound like Katniss…"

"Oh, don't worry," Nessa told her. "She won't be in trouble for long. My friends from Brasília are going to save her, and everyone else that got taken. And they all have magic powers that can help. She's gonna be fine."

"I hope you're right," sniffled Prim. "I just want her to be okay…"

"And she will be," assured Nessa. She put her helmet back on, bent down, and tried to lead the girl into a hug, but before she could, the girl's cat hissed, apparently not wanting to be embraced. So the former giraffe backed away from the girl instead, startled.

"Sorry," Prim apologized. "This is Buttercup, and…he might need some time to warm up to you."

"That's okay," said Nessa. "He's such a cutie pie." Prim managed a chortle, and then the former giraffe said, "You go find your mom and bring her out here while I tell my fr…my ally Foxface that I found you. And don't forget to take all the food and water you have with you when you come back."

"Okay," Prim said softly. She opened her mouth to say something else, but after a second, she closed it again and went around her house to find its front door, taking Buttercup with her. Once they were gone, Nessa felt around for the hovercraft's entrance/exit, and when she found it, she bent over and softly called into it, "Foxface? Can you make it so I can see the hovercraft again?"

A second passed, and the hovercraft became visible once more. Nessa then climbed back into it and whispered, "Guess what? One of the houses we landed behind is the one where Katniss's family lives! I just saw her sister Prim, and her pet cat Buttercup, and they're coming! Isn't that great?"

Foxface jumped, startled to hear the news. "You found her sister?"

"Yeah! She just went inside her house to get her mom, and then she's coming back with more food and water."

Her ally nodded, and then glanced at the other members of the team, trying to hide the awkwardness from her eyes. "Should…should we wake the others?"

"No, let's let them sleep," Nessa decided. "We can tell them what happened when they wake up on their own."

Within thirty seconds, Prim (and technically Buttercup, whom the former was still carrying) returned, now accompanied by a woman with blonde hair. She was also dressed in very simple-looking pyjamas, and was using one arm to carry a large bag that looked like it had a lot of stuff in it, and the other arm to carry a different bag; one that was a bit smaller, but also looked like it had a lot of stuff in it. Both of Katniss's relatives saw the hovercraft right away, and Prim carefully climbed into it first to drop off Buttercup. She then left it again, took one of the bags her mother was carrying, and transported it into the vehicle. Her mother then climbed into the hovercraft with the other bag, and Nessa quietly put both bags with the ones the Gearingtons had provided.

Introductions were made (although most of the people in the hovercraft slept through it this time), and Nessa and Foxface worked together to fill the Everdeens in on what had happened so far. Foxface even asked them if they knew how to fight, which neither of them did. They both knew how to heal though; in fact, half of the contents of one of the bags they'd brought onboard were medicines that Katniss's mother, who introduced herself as Clara Everdeen, had thought might be useful for the journey.

While Foxface personally felt glad that Katniss's living relatives were medics, she wasn't at all glad that they didn't necessarily have any fighting experience. Thresh was gone and Clove was still here, and while she hadn't seen any proof of this, she had a bad feeling that Geolo's story about how they'd come to lose Thresh, Twill, and Patch had possibly resulted (or would result) in at least some of the other members of the team reconsidering their distrust towards the Career. Which would be a nightmare if it was the case. If Cato, Glimmer, and Marvel had all wanted Nessa gone, and either still did or would have had they not been killed, why would it be any different with Clove? Clearly, she was just as selfish and sadistic as they were/had been! This whole turning-to-the-good-side thing was just an act; and she had to find some way to prove it.

"Are you sure some of your friends are trying to save Katniss?" Prim asked.

"I promise you they are," vowed Nessa. "So if the bad guys don't catch up to us first, you'll both get to see her again after we get back with them!" She sighed. "I hope that happens soon."

There was a moment of sad silence, and then Clara asked, "Did you only come here for us, or did Katniss ask you to gather anyone else?"

"Oh! Right! She also wanted us to find her friend Gale. Do you know where we can find Gale?" When Prim nodded, she smiled. "Oh goodie! Let's go!"

"Wait, wait," Foxface warned. "What about our sleep?" Then she saw the sudden looks of surprise on the Everdeens' faces, and the absolute excitement and determination on Nessa's that displayed no trace of sleepiness. Alright…maybe they could locate Gale and then focus on getting some rest.

With Prim's help, Foxface was able to steer the hovercraft into Gale's neighbourhood within five minutes. Once they made it to his house, she parked the vehicle behind it and the house next door to it, but kept it visible.

"Okay," said Nessa. "I'm just gonna go outside and get Gale. I'll be right back."

"No," Foxface cut in. "Not alone. In case any real Peacekeepers arrive and see what you are doing, you must not go out there alone."

"But I have to go by myself! We just got Prim, Buttercup, and Clara in our hovercraft, and I can't ask someone else to go with me. Everyone else is asleep!"

"Well, sometimes you have no choice but to wake your allies up," replied Foxface. "You will not even have to wake all of them. You only have to wake at least two adults."

So that was exactly what Nessa did. Extremely careful not to wake anyone else, she gently roused Appara, Paul, and Coyle, who then got dressed into some of the other Peacekeeper uniforms in the vehicle (good thing Twill, Patch, and Thresh had taken them off before leaving for District 13's underground area, otherwise there wouldn't have been enough for all of them) as they were introduced to the Everdeens and filled in on what'd happened in the last eight or so minutes. The only thing that went unsaid was the part about the conversation Foxface and Nessa had had before the latter had left the hovercraft, since Prim had witnessed some things that hinted at the real reason why the former giraffe had been out there and thought it best not to even tell her mother about those details.

Once the three adults were ready, they followed Nessa out of the vehicle (which was then turned invisible again) and went to Gale's front door, with Appara and Coyle carrying the two stolen blasters to help avoid suspicion. Not that it was necessary; there were no real Peacekeepers in sight. Still, everyone knew better than to let themselves feel relaxed because of this circumstance.

Paul stepped forward and knocked on the door very loudly and hard, and as he did, Nessa nervously stepped back, not wanting anything to do with any of the mean Peacekeeper stuff her allies were about to pull off. A few seconds went by, and when nobody answered the door, Paul knocked again, slightly harder than the first time.

Three seconds after that, a young olive-skinned man who seemed to be around Thresh's age and who had short brown hair and pyjamas that looked just as simple as the Everdeens' reluctantly answered the door. At first he appeared very unhappy to see them, but then Appara removed her helmet to reveal her true identity, and signalled for Nessa to do the same. She obeyed, and as soon as she did, the man immediately recognized her. "It's you," he said, surprised.

"Hi sir," Nessa greeted, putting her helmet back on on Appara's signal. "It's okay, we're not real Peacekeepers. These are just outfits and strange black things we took from District 8."

"You stole Peacekeeper outfits from District 8?" the man asked, now even more surprised. He then looked away from them, as though he wanted to smile but just couldn't find it in him. "Not bad…just wish my best friend could have been there to see it."

Best friend…no. Now was not the time to think about Lili and the things Foxface had said. Now was the time to focus on this man and what he was saying. So, out loud, she replied, "It's okay. We can just get your best friend out of here too—"

"Katniss is my best friend," the man cut in.

"Oh." Then Nessa smiled. "So that means you're Gale, right? The friend Katniss asked us to pick up before she went to save Matt, Iris, and Daisy from the Peacekeepers?"

"Who are Matt, Iris, and Daisy?" the man asked.

While Coyle glanced in all directions to make sure there were no real Peacekeepers in the area (which there weren't, though that didn't make any of the adults feel any better), Nessa explained who the trio was, that they along with her own best friend had been captured by the Capitol, and that Katniss had sacrificed herself to protect them. Paul even added that, from what he understood, all four of those people were very young, which prompted him to only admire her courage even more. And finally, Appara concluded the story with a reassuring note: that Katniss and everyone else would soon be, if not already, rescued by another group of rebels that included several Hunger Games victors, with Haymitch being among them.

The man studied the group, and he could tell right away by looking into their eyes. They were telling the truth. It hadn't simply been a matter of them letting Katniss get separated from them and as a result captured by the Capitol. What happened to her had been entirely her choice—one brave, downright selfless decision to turn herself in so four younger kids would receive a sentence far less painful. They obviously felt bad that it had come down to that too. That meant they were worth his trust.

Sighing, the man said, "I am Gale. And thanks for trying to get Katniss out of the Capitol. You have no idea how much she means to me." He fell silent for a moment, and then asked, "Were you planning to pick up her mother and sister too?"

"We already did," Nessa told him. "They're in our hovercraft right now, waiting for us."

"Good," Gale said, managing a smile. There was another moment of silence, and he said, "I'll just…I'll just go get my own family, and I'll be right out."

"Don't forget to bring all the food and water you have," Paul told him. "We have a lot of people on our team, and still at least four more people to pick up."

"Got it," replied Gale. He then went back inside his house, closing the door behind him.

Foxface was sitting in the pilot's chair, her gaze fixed on the windshield, now alone in the area she was in because of the Everdeens' decision to join the rest of the team and try to get some sleep themselves. There was still no sign of any real Peacekeepers, at least not as far as she could tell. No hovercrafts either. Unless they were invisible…although since the scene outside seemed pretty tranquil, she doubted that was the case. Considering the circumstances, she imagined that when they would finally catch up to them, the Capitol's hovercrafts would attack instantly, but invisibly.

Speaking of the Capitol, it seemed very strange that they still hadn't arrived on the scene. Hours had passed since their escape from the city, and being the enhanced-in-every-way people they were, you'd think they'd have been waiting for them in District 3 or at the very least have caught up to them by now! And yet that wasn't what had happened…what was going on?

They must have a particular plan in mind, the tribute thought. One that does not involve them arriving to intercept us. But what was that plan? All she knew was that Clove had to have something to do with it; Geolo might have claimed that she was the reason why he hadn't suffered the same fate as Thresh, Twill, and Patch, but she knew better than to believe that. He was, after all, that one tribute who always got spooked by the Careers enough to practically be their servant…

Foxface thought hard. What could the Capitol have in mind, and how was Clove involved? Hmm…perhaps she was supposed to betray them at some point, in an extremely extravagant way, and she was just waiting for the right moment to do it. But why would the Capitol think one Career tribute would stand a chance against several other people including Thresh, who had obviously been much stronger than her? Especially if they weren't planning to come out of the shadows and help her?

They must have given her some disguised nuclear weapons she can use to kill us when the right moment comes, thought Foxface. Which, considering the fact that she is still trying to maintain her act now, I theorize is to be right after the hovercraft had left Panem to do it so her arsenal will not destroy any of the nation. Yes, that had to be it. And that being said, it became clear what the furtive tribute needed to do now: get rid of Clove's backpack without setting off the weapons. The problem was, the Career was still wearing it on her back, and she was sleeping on the floor, on her side, right in between Esther and Geolo. She would never be able to get it off of her without waking her up. At least, not if she did it by herself…

Foxface sighed. She knew what she had to do. Parts of it were not going to be pleasant, but she had no choice. So, very very carefully, she half-crawled-half-dragged-herself to the area where Esther was sleeping and gently tapped on her ankles until she woke up. Once she was awake, the woman sat up, saw her sitting there, and started to speak, but the tribute put a finger to her lips and whispered, "I've figured out what Clove is truly up to."

Esther flinched, not having expected her to say that. "You…did?"

"Yes," Foxface whispered, and she explained what she'd come to realize. She then said, "I will need help to remove her backpack without rousing her. Will you provide me with that help?"

"Of course," Esther instantly whispered. "I knew she was up to something, and I'm glad to see that someone here agrees with me."

Foxface nodded curtly. "Alright. We will start with her right arm, since she is lying on her left side. I need you to move it very gently so that it can go through the right strap once I lift it up."

"But what about Clove herself?" asked Esther. "Shouldn't we be trying to get rid of her too?"

"We are only disposing of her backpack," whispered Foxface. "Whether we like it or not, now that Thresh, Twill, and Patch are gone, we need her now more than ever. But once we rid her of her weapons, she will no longer be a threat to us. Without her weapons, it is safe to say that she is greatly outnumbered by us, even without those three here."

Esther sighed in frustration. "You have to promise me that you'll personally train as many of us as possible, as fast as possible, once we leave for District 11. And I don't want that to wait until tomorrow. I want this girl off the team, as soon as possible."

"But if we leave tonight, how will we acquire our sleep?"

"Districts 12 and 11 aren't that far apart. I saw it on TV. It'll take less than an hour to get there from here, and we have the advantage of Rue and three of her siblings still being here. If the Peacekeepers really aren't going to pursue us, then our only challenge now will be finding out where Thresh lives. And that'll only even be a challenge if he and Rue's family didn't already know each other by the reaping."

Realizing what Esther was implying, Foxface exhaled softly and agreed to obey the woman's request as best as she could. She definitely held a powerful grudge against Clove, but at this point it was starting to look like it could be a bad thing as well as a good thing. The good part was that it was allowing her to see that having the Career on the team wasn't really a good idea, but the bad part was that she was so focused on her thoughts about that that it risked altering her thinking when it came to other subjects—and not in a good way. But it was best not to discuss that now, for if they did, it might result in them accidentally rousing Clove. And they couldn't risk that. They had to get that backpack out of the vehicle as quickly as possible, without waking her up.

Very very quietly, Foxface dragged herself closer to Clove, until she was right next to her backpack. She then gently used her right hand to lift its right strap, before looking Esther in the eyes as a signal. Esther got the message and then, being extremely careful, slowly lifted Clove's right arm and moved it through the space between her body and the strap. Once it was through, Esther gently put the arm down while Foxface dropped the strap, and both females froze, expecting the Career to wake up as a result of their actions. However, miraculously, all she did was mumble, "Yeah…it was nothing…all I had to do to take her out was…" and roll over onto her other side, clumsily taking the backpack with her. It landed on the floor with a thud, and Esther and Foxface froze again. However, if that roused her, it only did so for a few seconds because she never seemed to become aware that they were there.

Ten seconds passed, and when they were both certain that Clove was asleep, Foxface used her right hand to lift its now-easy-to-grab left strap, and as soon as it was the right distance away from the Career, Esther slowly and carefully lifted Clove's left arm and moved it through the space between her body and the strap. She then cautiously grabbed the backpack and crept toward the hovercraft's entrance/exit with it, only for Nessa to come back in at that exact moment, with Appara, Paul, Coyle, two more adults, and three children right behind her. The three returning adults from Districts 8 and 3 were each carrying a bag that was slung on one of their shoulders, and once the entire group was in the vehicle, Nessa introduced the extra people as the Hawthorne family: Gale, his mother Hazelle, and his younger brothers and sister: Rory, Vick, and Posy (even adding that it was a coincidence; Gale's little sister had the same name as Lili's aunt).

"Nice to meet you," greeted Esther. She tried to smile, but knowing she was carrying a backpack filled with nuclear weapons (if only she and Foxface knew the truth) didn't exactly make it easy.

Nessa then noticed what Esther was holding and frowned in surprise. "What are you doing with Clove's backpack?"

"I'm getting rid of it," she replied. "She's not on our side. She's working with the Capitol, and without this, she won't be able to sabotage us."

"Clove's not working with the Capitol, Esther," said Nessa. "You heard what Geolo said! She saved him when District 13 tried to give him a big booboo!"

"He could just as easily have made that up out of fear that she'd hurt him," Esther told her. "And you know it! Since you're working with them too."

"I'm not working with the Capitol either!" Nessa exclaimed.

"Oh really? Why did you let them capture my daughter then?"

"It was an accident! I didn't know they were going to take Sonia when they did!"

"Esther, please," Paul advised her. "Remember our conversation?"

His wife sighed and reluctantly stopped her accusations. However, she did tell Nessa one last thing: "If you're not on the Capitol's side, then prove it. Let me get rid of this backpack once and for all."

"But…" Nessa started to say. Though she decided not to finish that sentence. Talking to people like Esther Woolweave and Dial Gearington was sort of like talking to Lili; they meant well, but sometimes, no matter how hard you tried to reason with them, they just wouldn't listen. And she really did want to help them, even if Esther was still mad at her because of what had happened to Sonia. If she wanted the woman to warm up to her, she'd have to let her get rid of Clove's backpack, even if Clove herself was undoubtedly going to be upset when she woke up and realized what had happened. So, sighing, she continued, "Yes ma'am," and took off her helmet and allowed Esther to leave the hovercraft with the backpack.

Twenty seconds later, Esther returned, having hid the backpack under the table in the Hawthornes' kitchen, and whispered, "So…what's next on our list?"

"We should locate Peeta's family too," decided Appara, as Esther's arrival attracted the attention of Foxface and the Everdeens, prompting them to quietly come to them. "Just to be fair."

"Then let's go to the bakery," said Clara. "That's where they live."

THEY. Could that mean Peeta's mother wasn't the only relative he had? Foxface hadn't opened up to Peeta at any point in the adventure, so she wasn't exactly hoping that was the case, but she knew that if Geolo and Rue were awake, they would be. Still, she agreed to at least check the bakery out, since it was possible that other people lived there too; people worth bringing along on the journey.

Soon the hovercraft was being steered to the bakery of District 12, this time by Coyle with Clara's guidance. Foxface simply felt that it was best for herself to take some time off the wheel, particularly since she and Nessa had never finished the conversation they'd started earlier about preparing for unavoidable future Peacekeeper plans. Sure, maybe Clove had initially been their entire plan, but in case they found out her backpack had been disposed of before they were done in District 11, it was best to be prepared in case the Peacekeepers showed up anyway.

However, when Foxface pulled Nessa aside, she could see it in her eyes. She knew what they were about to talk about, and she just couldn't handle it. At least not right now. She still needed a break from the discussion. Which made sense, especially since it had turned into another debate over whether or not Lili was a true friend.

Once they were in a corner of the hovercraft, a safe distance away from Coyle, Clara, and everyone else in the vehicle, Nessa sighed sadly and said, "It's okay. I know what I'll have to do when the bad guys come back, and I'll do it. Even if Lili won't want to be my friend anymore because of it. I can just tell her I'm sorry when they're gone. And Clove…well…"

Foxface fought back the temptation to mention that she wouldn't trust Clove if she were in her ally's position. It would only make the scenario more difficult for Nessa. So, not wanting her to feel even worse, she instead said, "Let's not worry about Clove right now. We should only worry about the other parts of the future…but it is okay if you would rather take a break from it."

Nessa's eyes once again filled with tears. She couldn't stand it anymore. Her thoughts were just becoming too intense to keep inside of her. She had to let them out. So, her tears already streaming down her cheeks, she whimpered, "Foxface, the truth is…I don't want you to be right about Lili. But at the same time…I don't like it when she does things like that to me! The whistle-blowing, the not even saying thank you for pushing her stool around, telling the others that something she did was my fault…and never telling me she's sorry for doing that stuff…I mean, I know she cares about me, but…but…" Unable to finish that sentence, she buried her face in her hands and started crying.

"I know she cares about you too, based on your description of her from back in the arena," Foxface softly told her. "And well…I am sorry for letting our conversation be steered in such a direction earlier. I just…I am not used to caring about someone so much, and well…honestly, your relationship with Lili…it keeps reminding me of my relationship with my family back in District 5."

Nessa looked at her in surprise. "It…it does?"

"Yes. Every day…every day they would always say that they loved me and that I meant the world to them…but whenever I needed their love more than ever, they would not give it to me. A similar thing happened at my school with my teacher. So…every time I think of Lili…that is where my mind goes."

Sighing, Nessa stared at the floor. "They did that to you every day?"

"Yes. And because of it, I have always seen their love as fake. They always say they love me, and yet they never prove it enough. No matter how many times I tried to get my hopes up or tell them how important it was to me."

Fake love? Telling someone you loved them and then showing that you didn't when the other person needed your love the most? That sounded like it hurt; a lot…and as Nessa thought about it, she realized that that scenario actually reminded her of Lili too. A lot of Lili, to be honest. She'd told her she loved her a lot too, but then there were all those times where she had done questionable things that would have made Matt and Yuri leave her side in a heartbeat. Were those signs that Lili didn't really love her? Oh, Nessa really hoped not…but then again, how could she really know for sure if Lili loved her or not after hearing what Foxface had just said? If Lili had done all those things and never said she was sorry…

A fresh wave of tears welled up in Nessa's eyes, much bigger than the first. She had to face it. Considering everything she'd heard just now and all the bad things Lili had done, there was no way her love for her could be real. It was just fake love, the exact same thing Foxface had put up with for her entire life. Lili didn't actually love her…but why? Why didn't she? She'd done everything for her! Why didn't she love her?

Before either of the two could blink, Nessa's crying had turned to sobbing, and Foxface was being pulled into another hug, this time tighter than the others they'd taken part in together. The tribute immediately realized that what she'd said had shattered any remaining faith within the former giraffe that Lili was a true friend, and she felt extremely bad about it, but she also knew there was nothing she could do to mend her mistake. The damage had already been done, and now all she could do was awkwardly comfort her as best as she could, and watch and listen as the sobs woke Rue, Astilbo, Mec, and Geolo, prompting all four of them to rush over and find out was going on. Posy came over too, not having fallen asleep but probably feeling the most worried out of everyone in the group.

"It's Lili," Nessa wept, once Rue asked what was wrong. "I just…I just realized she…she wasn't really my…" It was all she could bring herself to say. Still, Posy and the two 11s didn't waste a second, and neither did Geolo. They all joined the embrace, while Mec simply watched, being the only one out of the newly arrived five who noticed how uncomfortable Foxface looked and not wanting to make her feel any more awkward.

By the time they arrived at the District 12 bakery, everyone in the hovercraft who'd been asleep had been roused by Nessa's sobbing, including Clove, who was now also aware that her backpack was missing. But she knew better than to question anyone about it now, when they were busy trying to comfort her sworn enemy. That would only make them trust her even less…but one thing was for sure. Someone had some explaining to do, and it had better happen before they left District 12.

Oh boy. So much drama going on here! What will be in store for the team at the bakery? Will Clove be forced to come clean about whose side she's really on? Next chapter coming soon…