Hunger Games 2

Aimée wasn't impressed with this guy at all so far. He just seemed like a jerk that needed a wake up call, but she wasn't going to say anything to him. Not yet at least. "You really don't have a filter, do you?" she asked. Well, there went being nice. "If I was him, I probably wouldn't either," she said. She looked down when Willow spoke, and she held her hand. She still didn't trust this guy very much, even if he was Dayton's friend. Dayton didn't seem to want to continue the friendship anyway. When Dayton spoke, she tried not to look shocked. "You were bullied?" She asked him. He just wasn't the type to be bullied. He was the type to bully.

{I kind of want to ts to when they are captured for the games, but is that too far?

Jaxon shrugged and plopped himself back down on the chair. "Do you want me to fake for you? I do for my parents all the time," he said simply. Dayton was awkwardly half smiling. His friends came off on a bad vibe. Besides Tyson, he had run with the wrong crowd. At her question, he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah. People made fun of my real name," he began, shaking his head at the name Nathaniel. He hated it so much. "And I was....well I was considered the weak kid back then. Four eyes was one of their favorite nicknames," he said sheepishly. "Then I met Jax and his friends. Jax told a guy off for pushing me around, and we became friends." In some ways, he had Jax to thank.

--

{hm....I guess not.....but idk whatever you want to do....

Aimée watched him for a moment, and she sighed. This guy was just a no for her. She instead listened to her boyfriend explain what happened when he was younger. She hated it for him so much. It was probably the rain on his pride parade to tell her about it. "If that helps, I got it every time I moved. New girl was always the best target," she said with a small sigh as memories flooded back. She hated it so much.

{two years later

Felix was currently driving his car with Noah in the passenger seat. He had been sad and depressed for the last two years. He rarely got out of his room, rarely ate, and he was never happy in school like he usually was. They were on their way home from a party. Felix had finally gotten fed up with his cousin, and he drug him to the party. Usually it would have been the other way around. He stopped his car to let Noah out, but before he could get out, he felt something injected into him, and he was out cold. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it must have been a while. He clothes were changed, and he was in an enclosed, small space. "Noah!" he called out, but there was no reply. Back at home, Dimitri was frantic. His son was supposed to be home hours ago, but neither of the boys had reached home. He had called the cops and everything. They found Felix's car, but the boys were gone. He was pacing in the living room when the tv turned on. A man whose face was invisible spoke. "Hello Panem. I bet you are wondering what is going on. Well, to make this long story short, we are ending the presidency of Dimitri Sherwood. He deserves to pay for what he has done to this country, and to make sure that he resigns, we are going to take away some precious things of his. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 157th Hunger Games. And remember, this is all your president's fault," he said, and the screen faded. What appeared next was the one thing he never wanted to see happen. His son rose from a platform. In front of him was a cornucopia of weapons. This was real. This was happening.

Dayton hated speaking of the memories. He was the way he was partially because of the bullying and partly because of how he was raised. "You won't anymore," he told her after a moment. He would never let her get bullied. Jaxon had extinguished his cigarette bud and threw it away. "So, out of major curiousity, how did you and my boy meet?" he asked with a half smile. Willow had started inching her way to Dayton's bedside. Before he even realized what she was doing, Willow had climbed onto the edge of the bed and was grinning from ear to ear. "Tell him the story, Aimee. Tell him," she said eagerly as if it were some bedtime story.

--

Astrid had been hanging out with Piper. Piper was the only one who knew how tore up she was about breaking up with Noah. She had a boyfriend that she didn't even truly care about. She had tried acting happy, or at least that is what she was convinced that was happy. "Everything will be okay. Who knows, maybe you and Sawyer will work out," Piper encouraged. At least she was trying, but she didn't seem to be helping much. "Here, let me take out these rollers," Piper suggested, sitting up to pull the rollers out of her hair. Her hair fell across her shoulders in curls. And that was the last memory she had. The next moment, she woke in a tight space. It was rather hard to breath. "Piper?" she called. She felt the walls of the tube. Then, she was brought back to a few years ago. "One day, baby, you are going to do something you really don't want to do. You are going to have to trust me. I want you to kill Noah Sherwood," her father had said. This was it. This was the time. Lindi stepped out of the kitchen and was in time to see the one thing she had never wanted to see. She ran to the screen and fell to her knees. "No," she whispered. "No!"

Aimée was about to insist that they didn't tell the story, but of course, Willow was dying to here it. She looked as if she was about to find out in some romantic way her parents met. "Well, I guess I have to tell you. I moved in, and Dayton over here happened to see me. He came over, talked a bit, and that was it," she said, and she looked over at Dayton. With Willow in the room, she probably didn't want to add the part about her going away and getting drunk and then Dayton taking her to Tyson's house.

Noah was so confused as his platform started to rise. What was going on? As he reached the surface, a cold gust of air hit him. The light was hard to handle since the tube he was in was rather dark. He could hear a steady tempo of what sounded like a clock. He opened his eyes, and he was finally able to see that it was a clock, and it was counting down to zero. He then realized what was going on. What his father had told him about. He was in the games, and there was no getting out now. He looked around, and he saw Felix. The two managed to make eye contact, and then the bell rung. Let the games begin. Dimitri was in pure shock. He wrapped his arms around Lindi and shielded her from the screen. "Shh, it's going to be okay, honey. I'm going to save our son," he said, and he looked over at the phone. He was terrified to answer it, but he did anyway. He was thankful to heard Aspen on the other line, and he wasn't yelling at him. He just asked a simple question,"What do we do?"

Jaxon arched a brow. It didn't sound very exciting, and if he knew Dayton, he wasn't one to just pick up any girl off the street. He was sure there was an elephant in the room, but he didn't bring it up. "Interesting," he said thoughtfully. He took a swing of his water. Willow tilted her head and frowned as she listened. "So when did you two first kiss?" she asked, grinning from ear to ear. Dayton faked clearing his throat and muttered, "So, what about you Jax?" Jaxon chuckled and patted him on the arm. "Cute," he said, shaking his head. "You actually think I have changed a lot huh?"

--

Astrid squinted at the new light. Once they focused, she set her eyes on the sword. About a year ago, her father had started training her. He had never told her why, but he just said it was utterly necessary. So, she had trained. And the sword was her best bet. She caught Piper a bit away; Piper looked scared out of her wits. Piper, the overly energetic girl. Piper, the one who didn't meet a stranger. Piper, the one who was there for her all the time. Of course, of course her father would be sure that she stayed on task by putting her best friend in danger. The the bell sounded. "Two can play this game, daddy," she whispered, before she sprinted for the swords. Lindi was in tears; she could barely take her eyes off the screen. This shouldn't be happening. Why was it happening? She burred her head in Dimitri's shoulder. "Why...why Noah," she whispered quietly.

Aimée watched Jaxon as he took a swig of what she knew wasn't water, and she noticed that her hands were starting to shake. No, she needed to stop. She couldn't start with the drinking again. She clenched her first to stop herself from continuing. Hopefully Jaxon wouldn't notice. When Willow spoke, she laughed a bit. "That is a story for next time," she said. She watched Jaxon for a moment, and she bit her lip. She couldn't shake off how she saw him with the alcohol.

Noah ran as quickly as he could when the bell rung. He grabbed a couple bags with anything that he could find, and he managed to stuff a couple knives in, and then he grabbed a sword. He saw Felix who looked like a deer in headlights. He grabbed him arm and shook him. "Snap out of it!" he yelled at him and shoved him a bag. He saw Piper, and he shook his head. No way. Piper couldn't be in here. She was too sweet and kind to be subjected to this. He ran to her and hugged her tightly. "Piper, we need to get going, now. Felix and I have a few supplies. If we can make a shelter, we should be fine," he said, and he looked over at his cousin. Dimitri held his wife close, and he bit his lip. "I don't know. What do we tell Peyton?" he asked. He talked to Aspen a few moments before hanging up. "Aspen and Ann and coming over."

Jaxon arched a brow at Aimee. He had noticed the slight change in her stance. He knew. He could tell. He had done the same thing plenty of times without alcohol. "Willow, why don't you go get a snack from the machine?" Jax suggested, handing her two dollars. "Go crazy kid. It is just down the hall," he said. He waited until Willow left the room looking ecstatic before he turned to Aimee. "I take it you drink or you used to," he said pointedly. Dayton tensed slightly but didn't say a word. He wouldn't until Jaxon stepped out of line.

--

Piper had made a run for the knives. She wasn't sure what would be legitimately necessary. Honestly, she wanted to grab and go. She nearly jumped when someone hugged her. She only relaxed when she noticed it was Noah. She returned the hug but pulled away quickly. "Wait," she began, and she glanced around for Astrid. She was already headed for the wooded areas. She caught Piper's eye and shook her head. She would be safer with them. Astrid didn't plan on making it out alive but she wanted Piper to make it. Then, she disappeared. "Nevermind," Piper whispered. "Let's go." Lindi bit her lip and dropped her gaze to the ground. "I...I don't know. How exactly do you tell someone this?" she whispered quietly.

Aimée tensed when he sent Willow out of the room, but it got even worse when he confronted her. What was she supposed to say? She glanced at the ground, a bit afraid to look up at him. "Why does it matter to you?" she asked him bitterly. This Jaxon guy was getting on her last nerve, and she didn't want to break down in front of Dayton. He would think that she was insane.

Noah looked at her oddly when she told him to wait, and he followed her gaze. It was Astrid. She was stuck in the place too, but of course, she ran. He narrowed his eyes. He was going to find her and save her. "We will find shelter and I will find Astrid," he said, and he started to run, taking her wrist along with him. Felix followed close behind. After running a bit, he finally found a place that seemed okay. He set his stuff down, and he took a few heaving breaths. This was going to be a long, long time. Dimitri sighed, and he shrugged. "I honestly have no idea," he said, and after a moment of silence, he spoke up. "Peyton, we need you to come right here, now!"

Jaxon set his bottle down and leaned back in his chair. "It was an observation, and considering you are acting so defensive...I am right," he said, creasing his brows. "You don't have to like me. You don't even have to pretend," he said with a shrug. "I was just here to check on Dayton anyway." Dayton glanced at Jax and hesitated a moment before changing the subject. "So, uh, how is it going?"

--

Piper opened her mouth to protest but just decided to drop it. She raced along with him and threw a glance back at Felix. All of it didn't make sense. It was like minutes ago she was in Astrid's room having a makeover. And now, she was in her worst nightmare. Once they stopped, she relaxed and let out a heavy breath. "I...I don't want to kill any body," she whispered quietly. Lindi bit her lip nervously. She wasn't looking forward to this at all. She couldn't imagine what it would be like for her. This was her twin. Her brother. Peyton stepped into the living room, looking between her parents. She went from smiling to frowning in seconds. "What's wrong? What's going on?" The last time something like this happened, they were at the hospital. She still wanted to slaughter Astrid for what she did to Noah.

Aimée watched him closely with narrowed eyes. She didn't trust him at all now. She didn't care if he was Dayton's friend and helped him. He was making her uncomfortable. "Don't talk me to about it, okay. It's not something I would tell everyone, especially you," she said, and she sighed softly. "I'm going to go check up on Willow," she said before she rushed out of the room rather quickly. She didn't want to say that she hated this guy, but it was getting pretty close.

Noah raced as quickly as he could with Piper and Felix by his side. When they reached the shelter, he started to set everything up. He hated so much that Piper was here. She of all people didn't need to be there. Looked over at her when she spoke, and he took her hand. "Piper, you won't have to kill anyone. I will make sure of that," he said. He glanced at fhe two of them, and he took his sword. "I am going to find Astrid. Stay here. Felix, get the knives," he said before he took off running. Drake looked down at her when she spoke, and he guided her to the couch, making her sit down. "Peyton...your brother. He went to that party with Felix. They never came home. It turns out that they were both kidnaped. They, along with twenty-two other kids were put into an arena to make it like the Hunger Games. It's all my fault. They did it so I would resign," he said before he broke down crying.

Jaxon simply nodded and watched as she left. Dayton, on the other hand, sat up and sighed. "Jax, maybe you should come back another time. Alone. Don't bring the others," he said, giving him a hard stare. "I don't want Aimee around them," he continued. Most of their other friends were worse than he and Jax combined. Jaxon stood and shrugged. "All right, all right. I will leave. But nice choice, your girlfriend is hot," he said with a smirk. Dayton narrowed his eyes, and despite the pain, he grabbed the collar of his shirt. "If you favor that nose, I would never say that again," he muttered before releasing his shirt. Jaxon didn't look phased by it, but Dayton knew he'd listen. He left with a simple wave. Willow had bought a candy bar and a soda. She actually sort of like the Jaxon guy. Maybe it was because he gave her money. Bribing worked wonders on kids.

--

Piper bit her lip and nodded once slowly. She needed to trust Noah; Noah's father was a leader. Maybe Noah would be a good one too. The family bred great leaders. From Drake Sherwood all the way down to Noah. She quietly watched as he ran off. Astrid had set up a small camp of her own. She was unsettled. Of course, she saw Noah, and Felix, and Piper. But there had been someone else she saw too. Someone who she didn't want to see. She had caught his eye; he had wanted to join up. She had ran. She lifted her sword and stared at it. "He did it on purpose," she whispered. Sawyer was there because her father wanted to be sure that she stayed on task. Peyton remained quiet as he explained what happened. Her stomach did flip flops at the news. She didn't know if she wanted to scream, or cry, or both. "Why....why Noah?" she whispered quietly. She had to hold back the tears. "Can't we stop them? You are the president."

Aimée quickly found Willow, and she hugged her. "Come on. Let's go back to Dayton. I'm sure that he misses you. Maybe be can tell you about how much he's a hero," she said with a small laugh before guiding her back to his room. She was lucky enough not to run into him on her way back to his room. She opened the door and sat down where Jaxon uses to be. "I don't understand how you are friends with him," she said with a small sigh.

Noah ran as fast as he could when he found her. "Astrid!" He called, and he ran over to her and hugged her tightly. Despite everything, he still loved her. He still wanted to be with her. He was terrified of getting her hurt. "Please, join up with us," he said, and he grabbed her tightly so she couldn't move. "I can't live knowing that I am the reason you get hurt. I still love you, and if you don't loved back, that's okay," he said, and he kissed her head. He wanted to be with her more than anything, but he could live without her. Who was he kidding, he couldn't. He would die without her. Dimitri closed his eyes, and he hugged her tightly. "I'm not sure, but I am going to stop whoever is behind this. If I have to, I will resign," he said, and he looked over at Lindi. He hated having to do this.

Dayton leaned up and squinted at the pain before he fluffed up a pillow for elevation. "It's kind of complicated to explain. He's just...he's been around for some crazy stuff. And once you run with the guys like that, you can't exactly run from them," he replied, sighing. "Besides, he isn't as bad as the others. He just...doesn't have a filter," he muttered, frowning.

--

Astrid was startled when Noah raced over and hugged her. She had been taken by surprise, and that was not a good thing in the games. It was only Noah, but what if it hadn't been? She was speechless when he spoke. She dropped her gaze to the ground. "Noah, if you know what is best for you, you should stay away from me," she whispered. She wasn't going to get away with not killing him. When he spoke again, she sat there shocked for a moment. She would have been certain that he had moved on. Why hadn't he? "If I don't love you back?" she repeated, shaking her head. "And to think that I always thought I was a terrible liar," she whispered under her breath. She then murmured to him, "Noah Sherwood, I have been in love with you since I can remember. I don't know when, or how. But it only took me a day without you to realize it." She paused and then nudged him away. "But you should still stay away from me. This isn't safe. I'm not safe. I am a ticking time bomb." Peyton instantly shook her head. "That is what they want, dad. The whole world will be in chaos if you resign," she whispered.

Aimée sighed as she listened to him, and she bit her lip. "He makes me really uncomfortable," she said, and she looked down at Willow. She didn't trust him in front of Willow either. "He might be an okay guy, but I really just don't trust him with Willow," she said quietly. She didn't want Willow to overhear it incase she for some reason liked him.

Noah shook his head when she spoke. If she really thought that he was going to leave her just because she told him then she had another thing coming for her. "Astrid, you should just give up now because if you haven't realized, I've picked up my grandfather's stubbornness," he said. He probably got it from Dominic too, but he wasn't going to say that. As she talked more, he bit his lip. He was so happy to know that she really loved him. He kisses her and hugged her tightly. "Astrid, I love you so much," he said quietly. He could never say it enough to get the meaning across. He shook his head once more. "Astrid Matthews, do it. Break my heart into a million tiny pieces like you did before. Set it on fire and watch it burn for all I care, but if I get to spend these moments with you, that will be okay by me," he said, looking into her eyes. Dimitri looked down at his daughter. He had never spoken the words he was about to speak while he was president. "I don't know what to do." Those six words made him feel a pang in his heart. For once he wasn't in control. He clenched his fist as tears ran down his face.

Dayton arched a brow and lightly reached out to take her hand. "I know he comes off sort of strong...," he began uncertainly. After the comment, he almost didn't want to stick up for the guy. He really needed to learn how to have a filter. "Just have an open mind. I was like that before too," he said finally, sighing. Maybe not as bad but close enough. At the comment about Willow, he glanced over at her, who seemed preoccupied with her candy. "He wouldn't hurt Willow. For some crazy reason, the guy loves kids. You should see him with his little sister." He shook his head and sighed.

--

Astrid arched a brow and then let out a long sigh. "I swear, if the person has the last name 'Sherwood' or is related to someone with the last name 'Sherwood', then the person is likely to be hardheaded," she muttered under her breath. When he kissed her, she couldn't help but kiss him back. She really had missed him so much. As he spoke again, she bit her lip and dropped her gaze to the ground. "You may say it will be okay, but...but Noah, it isn't okay to me," she whispered, slowly looking up at him. "I...I can't tell you why, but this is so much more than just breaking your heart. You have to trust me," she whispered, taking his hand. "I...," she began again, but her words were halted when she heard a rustle. She turned just in time to see Sawyer come up. Peyton bit her lip and let out a shaky breath. She never would have thought her father would have spoken such words. Finally, she whispered, "If you don't....maybe grandpa will..."

Aimée couldn't help but let out a forced laugh. "Sort of? That seems like a bit of an understatement to me," she said, and she tried her best not to sound too much like a jerk. She just didn't like him. He really made her uncomfortable. When he spoke about how he wouldn't hurt Willow, she watched him for a moment. "He better not. If he does, I will have his head," she said. She didn't want him going near her, but it wasn't like she could change anything.

Noah managed a small smirk at her comment. "You are right there. I'm sure that anyone in our group has a hard head. Well, maybe not so much my father. He is somehow able to just go with things. I'm not sure how he does it, but I wish I could be more like him sometimes," he said quietly, chatting with her as if it were old times again. When she continued on, he bit his lip and kissed her. "I know it may seem bad now, but it will all be okay. I promise you," he said, looking into her eyes. He would do anything to get her back. "You can't tell me? Astrid, you tell me everything. What is with the keeping secrets now?" he asked, and he pulled out his sword when the guy came up, and he pointed it at him. Dimitri nodded, trying to stay calm. "Yeah, he might know something," he said, and he pulled out his phone. He quickly started to call his father.

Dayton shrugged and raked a hand through his hair. "I owe him one, Aimee. He has had my back through some tough stuff. Some stuff that even Tyson hasn't helped me with. Actually, if I hadn't failed last year, we probably would have never even talked," he replied with a shrug but instantly squinted at the pain. It was easy to forget the pain when he was on pain meds. At her comment, he cracked a half smile. "Trust me, if he tried to hurt Willow, the guy wouldn't live to see the next day," he muttered. Despite it all, he did care for Willow; she was almost like a sister. Close enough.

--

Astrid couldn't say anything in response. Instead, she just stared at Sawyer in confusion and horror. He wasn't supposed to be around. He wasn't supposed to find her. Sawyer was glaring at them both. "So, when were you going to tell me there was someone else?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. Astrid was shunned into silence. She reached out and gripped her own sword. "And of all people, you pick the Sherwood boy," he continued, glaring at her. "You are no better than scum. No better than your father, Astrid Matthews," he snapped. It wasn't the harsh words, nor the humiliation that made Sawyer cross the line. It was when he threw a knife at Noah. Astrid jumped up and, thanks to the training, managed to take him off guard by slashing his side with her sword. Drake had been flipping through the photo album, which was a common habit for him, when his phone began to ring. He hadn't heard about Noah or Felix yet. He creased his brows thoughtfully when he saw it was Dimitri and answered. "Hello? Dimitri, what is it?"

Aimée listened to him with a sigh. Finally, she nodded. "Okay, I'll give him a chance, but just a warning, if he does anything stupid or makes me uncomfortable, I will punch him," she said. She wasn't going to be a pushover. As he continued, a smirk came on her face. "You really do love her!" she said with a laugh, and she kissed his head. She tried to play it off like she didn't notice him wincing so they wouldn't get into another fight, bu she couldn't help it. "Should I ask for more pain medicine?"

Noah narrowed his eyes at the guy, but when he threw they knife, they went wide. When it hit his leg, he let out a cry of pain. He managed to get it out, and when Astrid distracted him, he took the chance and tackled him, pointing the knife at him. "I will make it your choice. You can either leave, or you can die," he said. The normal Noah wouldn't do this, but this wasn't normal circumstances. This was a whole new world. It was survival of the fittest, and Noah needed him and his friends to be the fittest. Dimitri was shaking as he called his father. He couldn't even get the words out. "Dad, please come," he managed to say, but then Noah was hit with the knife. "Noah!" he screamed as he watched helplessly.

Dayton shook his head and offered her a half smile. "I will beat you to it," he stated and thought back to his comment. He decided not to mention that part. He rolled his eyes and nudged her shoulder lightly with his hand. "Shut up. I can't have my little bud getting hurt," he stated with a glance at Willow. At her question, he shook his head and let out a long breath. "I'll be...I will be fine," he muttered in response. He was convinced that it would be fine. The pain would subside eventually.

--

Sawyer glared at him and held another knife tightly in his hand. "Aw, you think you get to give the options, do you?" he asked, scowling at him. "You know, no one could pay me enough to date her, anyway. Have her. I am sure you are in for a nice surprise, Sherwood," he said before he shouldered Noah out of the way and sprinted off. Astrid was shellshocked for a moment. Then, it clicked. He had been hired, and she could guess by who. She shook her head and dropped down beside Noah. "Are you okay?" she asked. What a stupid question. Drake was utterly confused; but instead of asking questions, he jumped up and headed for the door. "I will be there soon," he replied before hanging up.

Aimée watched him for a moment, not fully sure that he was okay, but she just needed to trust him in the end. "Okay. Please tell me if anything hurts and I will get some," she said, and she kissed his head before she looked over at Willow. She was glad to see her happy for once. "Do you think I should call Drake? I'm sure he'd like to see you," she said, and she looked over at him. As much as Drake hated him, she was sure that he had to worry for him.

Noah narrowed his eyes, and he winced in pain when Sawyer threw him off. He watched him for a moment before he slowly got up. "I am going to be fine. For now, we need to get back to Felix and Piper before anything horrible happens to them," he said, and he leaned on a tree for support. It was hard to walk or even stand on his hurt leg, but he needed to shut up and go along with it. If his friends were okay in the end, he could deal with some major pain. He started to gather up her stuff, not letting her protest. Dimitri dropped the phone when his father hung up, and he began crying. He was terrified for his son and his nephew. They didn't deserve that.

Dayton just simply nodded. He didn't want to seem hopeless, and at the end of the day, he at least felt better. And that amounted to something, right? He glanced at Willow and cracked a small smile. The kid had a soft spot in his heart for whatever reason. At Aimee's suggestion, he hesitated. "I...I don't know if that is a good idea," he said finally. Drake wasn't his biggest fan, and he doubted he actually worried that much about him. He actually didn't expect anyone besides his friends and his father to worry about him.

--

Astrid froze at his words. She couldn't just join up with them. He obviously didn't hear her when she compared herself to a time bomb. She wasn't warning him for no reason. "Noah...," she muttered, but she had a sickening feeling that there was no room for arguing. She tried to look at the bright side. The only one was that she could be sure Piper made it out alive, because Astrid knew her outcome was undetermined, especially when her father comes to find out that she had no plans to kill Noah. "Let's just...let's just go," she muttered, taking the lead. Drake drove as fast as he could without getting into a wreck. Once he reached Dimitri's house, he knocked once, and he stepped in when Piper opened the door. "Dimitri, what's wrong? What happened?"

Aimée smiled down at him. She was hoping that he would get better, but she wasn't sure that he telling the truth. When he spoke about Drake, she smiled up at him. "Come on. He won't hurt you, and he at least has to care for you a bit. I know that Angel does. Just it a try," she said, and she took his hand. She was hoping that Drake had grown on him a bit.

Noah soon finished getting her things together, and he started to follow her, telling her the directions as they went. "I don't understand you, Astrid. I know you let me, yet you distance yourself from me and refuse to tell me the reasons," he said, and he sighed to himself. It didn't make sense. They soon came to the camp, and he set down her stuff, getting Felix to help him. "We need to sort through out stuff and find the food, weapons, and medical supplies and put them in different piles," he said, and he looked down at his wound. He would need to take care of that soon. Dimitri looked up when he saw his father, and he raced over to him and hugged him tightly. "Dad, they took him. They took Noah and Felix. I don't know what to do," he said tears falling down his face as he pointed at the television.

Dayton awkwardly raked a hand through his hair. "I just..." he began, but trailed. "He just has never seemed to like me before. I don't see how that could change," he said finally, letting out a long sigh. However, Willow, who always seems to want to be helpful, piped in with, "Yeah, invite Drake!" Dayton mentally groaned and shook his head. "Thanks, Willow. You help so much," he muttered, and Willow just sent him a cheeky smile in response.

--

Astrid stared at the ground as she walked. She blamed the reason for it on looking for traps; but honestly, she just couldn't face Noah. She didn't even know what to say. "Some things are just not meant to be shared. You should just trust me," she replied quietly. She would find a way to leave; she needed to for Noah's sake. For everyone's sake. Once they reached camp, she shrugged off her sheathed sword and let out a long sigh. "Maybe we should fix up that wound first?" she began uncertainly. "It could get infected," she continued. Drake hugged him back but pulled away after a moment to rest a hand on Dimitri's shoulder. He glanced to the television and frowned. He had never wanted his own kids to go through the games, much less his grandchildren. "Okay, first, you need to calm down. No one can think rationally while having a panic attack. We'll save them. It's going to be fine."

Aimée smiled up at him, and she took his hand. "I know that it seems like a bad idea, but I think it would help," she said, and she smiled when Willow piped in. "See, even your shadow thinks that it's a great idea. What's the worst that could happen? You're already in the hospital so he can't do that," she said with a small laugh, and she kissed his head. "Please Dayton."

Noah sighed, and he tried not to seem as aggravated as he really was. "Fine, I'll trust you," he said, but he really wanted to know the truth. Why did she leave him and break his heart when she really did love him? It just wasn't a plausible statement. "No, I'll be fine," he said, and he started to sort through everything. Dimitri took a few deeps breaths to help calm himself down. He was really going to need to figure out what to do. After a few moments, he was settled down. "Okay, what ideas do you have?" he asked him.