Return to the Sea (Gale Hawthorne x OC)

The sound of thunder wakes me with a start.

"Mortar shells. It's not ours." Gale informs. "Peacekeepers must be shellin' the rebels outside the city."

"That's not outside the city." Cressida says.

I sit up causing a jolt of pain come from my right arm making me hiss slightly. Gale heard and walked over to me and sat down on my right. He lightly grabbed my arm and pulled the sleeve of my jacket up. He frowned when he saw the blood through the bandage. I took my arm away only to bring it up to his neck and lightly touch the stitches causing him to flinch.

"Your hands are cold." He whispered.

I rolled my eyes. "Your lucky it didn't hit your jugular vein."

"I know." He nodded.
***
I took my hair out of its braid and combed my fingers threw it when Gale came back down the stairs.

"Sun's coming' up. Could be Paylor, maybe Lyme. Rebels are close."

"This is it," Cressida said.

Gale was walking towards me when an alarm sounded from the holographic tv. Gale came to my side and wrapped his arm around my waist bringing me into his side.

"To all Capital citizens more than a half mile outside the City Circle, I am announcing a mandatory evacuation. Come to the mansion. I am promising you shelter and sanctuary. All refugees, come to my home. There you will be provided with a food, medicine, safety for your children, and you will have my solemn oath to protect you till my dying breath." Snow announced.

"Wish he'd hurry up with that last part." Cressida commented making me frown.

"Our enemies are not like us. They do not share our values. They have never known our comfort and our sophistication. And they despise us for it. Make no mistake. They are not coming to liberate us. They are coming to destroy our way of life. They are coming to burry us."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. What did he mean by bury us? We're only after him. Right? Or did I miss something?

"Is he still in the mansion?" Asked Katniss. "Peeta? Ceto?"

"Yes,"

"I recognize the room." Peeta finished.

"Where is that at?"

"About five blocks away," Cressida said. "We're right here. Off the Avenues. Mansion's here." Cressida pointed on a map.

"What about the pods?"

"They'll probably deactivate the pods around here for the residents safety."

"That could work," Katniss nodded. "I could get close enough."

"Every Peacekeeper's gonna be waiting." Gale spoke.

"Next to our faces on every billboard." Cressida added.

"Snow's offering shelter to all the refugees."

"You're gonna need a guide who knows every nook and cranny of the Capitol." I say.
~~~
"We need to head north." I say as I fix the black cloak around my shoulders. "There should be thousands of refugees. Follow the river downstream, you'll get to civilization."

"We got one shot." Katniss said.

"Let's make it count." Gale looked at Katniss and I.

"Good luck, Katniss." Cressida hugged Katniss.

I quietly stood behind as everyone said their goodbyes. Although, Katniss' goodbye to Peeta was the hardest to watch. I quickly looked away and walked over to Cressida.

"Give this to Annie, okay?" I opened her hand and placed the two necklaces in it and closed her fingers around the necklaces.

"Of course."

I said thank you and we both hugged and after I brought Pollux into a hug. I pulled back and looked at Katniss and Gale.

"Ready?"

"Let's go."

I pulled up the hood and grabbed my loaded knife holster and put it around my thigh and walking out behind Katniss.

"Keep your head down and don't make eye contact with anyone. Keep me in sight, and if you loose me, don't look for me, keep going."