𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 | Hunger Games

xʟɪᴠ

     AELLA BARELY MANAGED TO keep her body from trembling. There was so much emotion surging through her she didn't know how to control it all. For the first time since she'd been rescued from the Capitol she just wanted to be numb again. She didn't want to feel any of it but she knew she'd never get her way, not unless she grabbed that bag full of sedatives and administered them all to herself.

There were far too many watchful and cautious eyes on her. She could feel them all staring into her soul and the people she didn't know—didn't recognise—were putting her on edge.

The building they'd found to take shelter in for the night was surprisingly intact despite the disarray on the street. She had sat down with Peeta in a far corner and tried to keep him from slipping into that distant place in his mind when Boggs had returned. Everyone straightened, waiting to see what he had to say, for the explanation as to why Aella and Peeta had joined them. Only a few of them truly believed the words she'd spoken about Coin using them.

Everyone was surprised when Boggs ignored them all and walked straight over to Aella and Peeta. Like he'd expected her to, she froze when she sensed him nearing her. He stopped a reasonable distance away, six or so feet, and crouched down so he was in level with her sitting on a bench with Peeta. He was relaxed around her, weapon completely discarded somewhere and he was open. He tried to show her he wasn't a threat in the only way he knew how and it worked.

Her shoulders loosened while she looked at him, "Everything okay?"

He merely nodded at her, "I want to introduce you to the team," he said to her with somewhat of a soft tone, "I don't want anyone to be a stranger to you."

Her throat bobbed. Boggs knew how she felt about people she didn't know being around her. It had never bothered her until she had been captured. The fact that he remembered... it made her feel slightly less on edge and she found herself nodding. He copied her action and rose to his feet, holding his arm out for her to go first.

He didn't guide her far. Peeta was still within close distance to her but she could see everyone around her and she squared her shoulders again. She stood beside Boggs, the person closest to her after that was Finnick but even then he was fifteen feet away from her, easily.

"Aella and Peeta will be joining our team," Boggs announced, "most of you already know each other but there are unfamiliar faces here." He turned to Aella, "Aella I want you to meet Second Lieutenant Mitchell, best sharpshooter in Panem."

Aella swallowed as she looked at the unfamiliar man. He seemed to be middle aged, average size, average build. She didn't know him and he was probably a nice man but he made her feel uncomfortable and Boggs saw that he did.

He pointed to two blonde haired women next who looked to be twins. They both gave Aella a warm smile that she couldn't reciprocate no matter how hard she tried, "These are the Leeg sisters, they're First Combat Division."

She met Boggs gaze and said dryly, "I don't know what that means."

"I know," he nodded before he gestured to a smaller man with dark hair and a beard, "This is Corporal Homes."

He nodded once at Aella but still that discomfort remained.

Her eyes landed on the dark haired woman standing opposite her then. Boggs had called her Jackson. Her face was stoic. She offered no warm smile like the Leeg sisters had. Instead, she looked at Aella with cool indifference, almost as if she was trying to figure her out.

The man saw her look at Jackson. Everyone was well aware of the two women looking at one another. Aella still had all her daggers sheathed in the many holsters built into her clothes but she made no move to retrieve one. Instead, her hands were fisted by her sides, anything to make the tremble of her right hand unnoticeable.