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WHEN NIGHT FALLS, Octavia lies close to Finnick, whose arm is wrapped around her tightly. Neither of them are asleep, but neither of them speak. Instead, they subtly watch as Katniss stares at Peeta.
"We've been here before, you know," Peeta says to her.
Finnick and Octavia share a look, surprised that he was speaking to her.
"What?" Katniss asks.
"That look," he clarifies, "I've seen that look. . ." He moves to sit up. "You're trying to decide whether or not you should kill me."
"I never wanted to kill you," Katniss says, "and that's not what I'm doing."
"I saw it with my own eyes in the first Games."
"In the first Games I thought you were trying to help the Careers kill me," she snaps.
"Should we say something?" Finnick whispers to Octavia, who shakes her head.
"They need to talk at some point, might as well be now," Octavia replies.
"After that, I always saw you as an ally," Katniss tells him.
"Friend. . . lover. . . victor. . .fiancé . . . enemy. . . target. . . mutt. . . and now ally?" He questions. "I'll add that to the list of words I use to try to figure you out," he says, his voice echoing slightly through the room.
Finnick takes Peeta's raised voice as an opportunity to diffuse to situation, pretending to yawn as he lifts his body off the ground and sits up.
As Peeta notices, he apologizes.
"I just can't tell what's real or what's made up anymore."
"Then ask," Octavia says, "It's what Alena does, Johanna too."
"Ask who?"
"Us," Jackson chimes in, "we are your unit, now."
"You had a brother. Is that real?" Peeta is looking at Octavia. She inhales deeply.
