They're all sitting down as we near them. "Be tough. You got this."

I walk up behind a sitting Blaze and grab the clothes on his shoulders and stand him up. "What the fuck are you doing sitting?" I bark.

"I uh was-"

"Don't you have a plan to create and follow through on?"

"Sarg, don't make me do this. I can't do this." He pleads quietly.

"What! Say that louder!" I shout. He shakes his head and mouthes the word no.

"Isn't this a bit harsh?" Haymitch asks me.

"War's harsh." I say.

Blaze still doesn't move. "What the fuck did the woman say?" Gale barks. "Go!"

His upper lip quivers, and he looks around but finally nods.

I grab him by the shirt. "Don't fuck up." I growl. "My shit list is a real scary place."

***

"Half of us are going to scale down the cliff, the other half surround the ones on the ground and shoot."

I stay silent, laying on the ground with one of my shirts balled up under my head.

"The scalers will have a better chance of survival; seeing that the mutts can't shoot straight up."

"Why would the capital produce anything less than perfect." I mutter from my ground a few feet away from them.

"Because they're playing us." He says softly. "They're playing tricks on our minds to psych us out."

"It's working." Gale swallows.

"So, who's gonna lead the groups."

"I'll repel." I say.

"I was gonna suggest that. The smaller ones do that. So Gale, Brutus, myself, and Haymitch will be the ground crew. And you girls will be the repellers."

"We gonna set off these?" Gale asks holding open a backpack stuffed to the brim with bombs.

"Yes." Blaze says. "You girls are gonna have to repel half way down; then drop the bombs and hurry back up."

"Or you risk your own damn life and do it yourself?" I question him. "Because I won't get hurt doing your stupid half assed plans."

"Fine, does anyone else want to do it?"

"I will." Gale says. "They're my bombs, I know how to work them. I'll do it."

"Gale don't." I put a hand on his armored chest. "It isn't worth it."

"I'll be fine." He assures me. "Brut." He says looking at Brutus. "Help me set up these bombs?"

"Yeah." He grunts before plopping down on the ground next to him. I do the same.

"I'll help."

"No, you have to tell the soldiers." I hear Blaze say.

"Fuck you." I laugh. "Your in charge, you do it."

"I don't know how to talk to them."

"You also don't know how to lead a battle."

"As your superior I order you to inform the soldiers on the plan."

I run my tongue around the base of my teeth smirking angrily. I chuckle lightly, without warning I turn and with all my might I punch his nose. Because my suit comes the entire way down to my fingertips, a thin sharp piece of metal lines my knuckles.

When my fist makes contact with his nose, a series of cracks is heard. He cried out holding his nose as he fell to the ground.

"What the fuck was that for?" He asks cradling his nose.

He stands to get eye level with me. "If I ever hear you speak to your superior like that again, it won't be your nose I break next time."

He looks at me, but turns to nurse his nose. Haymitch looks at me and nods with a proud smirk.

Gale claps me on the back. "That's what I'm talking bout girl on fire."

I look at Johanna and frown. "Im sorry Jo I-"

"Don't be." She shakes her head. "I was about ready to do the same myself."

I nod slowly. "Here girls, let's get the repelling stuff on so they can check it later."

"Okay."

"Ask your husband if we can take a few more smaller guys to repel also. Sure wouldn't wanna overstep my boundaries." She nods, laughing as she walks away.

"Can do sarg."

I watch them talk slowly, she punches his chest and then rubs the back of his neck. She slaps him next, causing me to laugh loudly.

"Eyes on the ground." He warns me.

"You wanna go for round two!" I call at him. "Didn't think so! So shut the hell up!"

His face grows red with anger as he turns to address the soldiers.

I listen to him speak. A lot of 'uh's' and 'um's'. He can't address them like i can. I can't address them like Peeta can.

Peeta talks with grace and knowledge, I speak with rage and power. I'm good at pumping up a crowd to get them ready. Peeta's good at calming them down.

"Alright. These chumps are gonna repel with you guys."

"Chumps?" The biggest one asks. "Who you calling a chump?"

"It's just a saying." Blaze laughs. "I didn't mean it to anyone like that I-"

"I'm sure you didn't." The man says with a swift punch to Blaze's temple.

"Why does everyone keep hitting me?!"

"Why do you keep fucking up?" I say making everyone laugh.

"I never knew someone could be so childish." He shakes his head. "How do you even call yourself a leader."

"Like this." I stand up on a stump and raise my balled fist over my head. "Who is your leader?" I scream.

KATNISS EVERDEEN.

"Who am I?!"

KATNISS EVERDEEN.

I step down and smirk. "Like that."

***

"Your gears all good." Gale says as he pulls on my straps. "Just release the cord when you want to go down. Don't jerk on it or you'll give yourself whiplash. To stop, gently tighten your grip on the rope and it'll stop. Then to set off the bombs, you press these two buttons at the same time and then you've got twelve seconds to drop it and scale as far up the cliff as you can."

"O-Okay." I nod.

"Don't do anything stupid to prove a point." He notes.

"I could say the same to you."

"I don't got nothing to prove." He says with a striking smile.

I find myself smiling down at the ground with a faint smile. "You know.." I start. "I've been thinking a lot lately."

"About?"

"I think I could have very easily loved you the rest of my life. It feels right." I say.

"I wish you would have said that five years ago Katnip." He shakes his head slightly.

"I think I-"

"No. Don't say that." He says softly. "I don't want to have to hear that again."

"But Gale I-"

He stood me with his lips on mine. It's what I've been strangely craving lately.

The feeling of coming home. The deja vu of it all.

He pulls back, but I find myself leaning forward waiting for more.

He looks down at me and smiles as he places a hand on my cheek. His hands aren't rough anymore. A few years of cooking and soft labor chipped away at his calluses.

"For old time's sake Katnip."