Hunger Games 2

Aimée smiled when he picked her up, and she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, Jaxie," she said with a giggle. She was going to call him that if he liked it or not. When he asked her the question, she rolled her eyes. "Why should I tell you?" she asked him, glaring. Angel noticed a car in the driveway, and she looked over at Drake. "Could that be Aimée?"

Noah looked at her, and he shook his head. "Astrid, you don't understand. I either live with you or not at all. I'll be dead without you. I can't function without you, Astrid. Did you not see me when you left me? I didn't speak for months, and it took me two years and a stubborn Felix to get me out," he said. He sighed as she spoke about her parents. "They won't keep me from you. No one can," he said. Dimitri started to pace. It was a habit he picked up form both his father and Ann. "How do I get the message to him?" he asked himself.

Jaxon shook his head and muttered, "I told you not to call me, Jaxie. You remind me of my little sister." Speaking of, he would have to check up on her when he got home. At her question, he shrugged. "I don't know, because I just saved your butt back there," he said. Then he shrugged again. "But I don't need to know anyways. Not like I would tell you why I do it," he continued before he went to the door. Once he was at the door, he struggled to open it. Drake looked out the window and frowned. "That doesn't look like her car...," he said uncertainly. He went to the door and met Jaxon on the other side. "Who the hell are you?"

--

Piper was starting a small fire to cook the food Astrid was going to bring back. Astrid insisted on getting out of camp with Noah for some reason. She was being more cautious lately, and Piper was growing irritated with it. She sat down by Felix then and sent him a timid smile. She had had plenty of crushes on guys before; heck, she even had a crush on Noah before Astrid had a thing for him. But with Felix, it was different. She really did like him. He was comforting, and she really did feel like they could make it out of there alive. "Felix, can I be honest with you?"

Aimée giggled, and she smiled up at him. "But Jaxie is cute!" she said with a laugh, and she looked over at the door when Drake answered. "Oh, this is Dayton's ex-friend Jaxie. He doesn't date because no one will date him," she said, and she laughed, holding on to him tightly so she wouldn't fall. "He's mean and woke me up."

Felix was getting worried about Noah. He seemed to be more and more obsessed with being with Astrid while she was trying to get away from him. Meanwhile he was dealing with his own problems. He knew he had feelings for Piper, but every time he tried to express them, he looked like an awkward fool. He was so stupid. When Piper spoke, he was a bit surprised. "Sure. Go ahead," he said. He was hoping for something, but he highly doubted that she had feelings for him.

Jaxon furrowed his brows and shook his head. "My name is Jaxie. I mean, Jaxon. I mean Jax!" he muttered, letting out a long huff. He then brought his attention to Drake when he opened the door. He was about to explain, but Aimee decided she would answer for him and in the worst way possible. "You don't have a filter when you are drunk, do you?" he muttered. Drake perked up at that. "Wait, drunk," he repeated, then groaned. "Let's just get her to her bedroom," he said, moving aside to let Jaxon in. "Thank you, sir," Jaxon muttered, nodding once to him.

--

Piper twiddled her thumbs and tried to keep her breathing steady. Everything would go fine. She was an outgoing person; she could do this. But she was still worried about how things would go after. She didn't want things to be awkward around them. She turned to him and hesitantly took his hand. "I, uh," she began, but paused. "You know what, screw words," she muttered. "Felix Ledger, I like you," she stated before she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

Aimée rolled her eyes, and she slapped him. "I do have a filter, and I'm not drunk. I'm not even tipsy," she said, but her slurred words contradicted what she said. Angel watched them, and she quickly walked over to Drake. "Is she okay? What in the world is she dong drunk?" she asked. In all the time that she had known Aimée, she had never seen her drink, but then again, she hadn't known her that long.

Felix noticed that she seemed a bit nervous, and then he became nervous himself. What was she going to say? He was terrified that if she said something he would reply with something stupid or foolish. When she spoke, his eyes widened, but he didn't get to say anything. She was always kissing him. It was his first kiss, and he had no idea what to do, but he wasn't going to just pull away. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.

Jaxon rolled his eyes and muttered, "You can barely speak, much less talk. I think you are drunk, sweet cheeks." He shifted Aimee slightly in his arms. Drake frowned as he watched the two of them. "I have no clue. Is this your doing?" he muttered, confronting Jaxon. Jaxon shook his head and said, "No, no. I was just helping her get home. I don't know why she went drinking. She wouldn't tell me. I just saw her and thought I would bring her home safely," he said. Drake frowned slightly but nodded. "Her bedroom is down the hall," he told Jaxon, who nodded and headed that way.

--

Piper blushed slightly when he kissed her back. Well, at least he didn't seem to mind it. She pulled away after a few moments and glanced away. "Uh, sorry that was, uh, so sudden," she whispered, running a flustered hand through her hair. She hadn't been that happy since she had entered the arena. She could barely think straight. She realized, then, how long Noah and Astrid had been gone. "Should we go check on the others? Something could have happened," she suggested.

Aimée shook her head. "No I'm not," she argued with him, but he was right. She was drunk and was going to have major regrets in the morning. When Jaxon got her to her bed, she almost immediately went right back to sleep. Angel looked up at the boy, and she sighed. "Thank you for taking her home safely," she said, and she looked over at Drake. "Maybe we can talk to her tomorrow."

Felix smiled, and he looked into her eyes as she pulled away. "I love you," he said, but then his eyes widened when he realized what he said. "I-I mean, I like you too," he said, his whole face red. How could he be so stupid! He was such an idiot! He wanted to smack himself in the face. When she suggested going after the others, he nodded. "Yeah, let's go," he said, and he grabbed a knife for defense.

Jaxon just shook his head and muttered, "Whatever." Once she was in her bed, he was courteous enough to tuck her in. "Jaxon Meanie...yeah I am that mean, huh," he muttered to himself before he went back out. When Angel spoke, he nodded and offered a small smile. "Couldn't let her go off on her own. Dayton would kill me," he said, shrugging. "I should get going, though," he continued, nodding once more to them before he left and headed towards his car. Drake sighed and shook his head as Jaxon left. "Talk to her? Oh no. I told you about the lecture I gave Dimitri, Dominic, and Aspen right? She is getting the same lecture first thing in the morning."

--

Piper was stunned by his words; she couldn't come up with a coherent thought. She smiled slightly and stood after Felix. "You are cute," she whispered, leaning up to kiss his cheek. She grabbed a knife for herself, not that it would do much for her. She just felt securer with it. She lead the way into the forest where Astrid and Noah had went earlier. When she could see them just a bit a way, she sagged with relief. That was, until she heard the first signs of crackling. It grew louder every second. Finally, she saw the flames racing towards them. Smoke was already clogging the air. "Run!" she barely could yell. She was yelling not only at Felix, but Noah and Astrid. That is, if they could hear her from them. She coughed violently and began to sprint.

Angel waved at Jaxon as he left, and she looked up at Drake. She could understand his anger, but what she couldn't understand was how Aimée got drunk. She wasn't the type to drink. Heck, she wasn't even old enough. "I don't understand why she did it though," he said with a small sigh.

Felix smiled lightly when she called him cute. He felt as if nothing could ever bring him down at that point, but then he smelled the horrid stench of smoke, and then he realized there was a fire. His eyes widened in far, and he stayed close to Piper. He had to find Noah and Astrid! He could only imagine what his parents were thinking right then. "Piper, stay by me!" he said, and he reached out for her hand. He had to reach her before she got lost behind, and he wasn't leaving her. Not at all.

{should we timeskip?

--

Piper let out a strangled cough and stumbled slightly. The fire was getting closer by the second. She could feel the heat by that point. "Felix, I am not going to be able to keep up," she whispered, coughing shortly after. The smoke was already getting to her, especially since she had asthma. She stumbled after him, nonetheless. "Felix...Felix just go find them," she whispered breathlessly. She was already becoming weak, and her breathing was becoming less and less. "Please. I....I won't do any good. I will only drag you behind."

{sure. when to?

Felix was noticing that she was lagging behind, and they couldn't have that. He sure wasn't going to leave her behind. "I'm not leaving the person I love to die," he said, and he quickly picked her up. it would slow him down greatly, but it could save her in the end. He ran as fast as he could, the smoke filling his lungs and burning every time he breathed. He coughed and looked around for Felix and Astrid, but he couldn't find them. They couldn't be dead.

{hm....when do you think?

--

Piper was about to protest; there was no reason for him to risk his life just for her. She would have normally blushed at that, but when she was terrified out of her wits and coughing, it was hard to focus on the fact that he said he loved her. She was already feeling weak. "Felix...," she whispered breathlessly, coughing once more. "Please. Both of us can't die," she whispered. Astrid was navigating her way through the forest. She was running as fast as she could and trying her best to breath in with her mouth covering her shirt. She should have known. She should have known something like this would happen if she didn't kill him or run. Yet, she had stayed and waited cautiously. Now, something has happened. "Noah, I think I see Felix and...and Piper," she called to him. It was hard to see through the smoke.

Felix was running as fast as he could, trying to escape the fire. He was beginning to lose hope, but he wasn't going to tell her that. He continued to run, carrying her in his arms the entire time. He refused to let her die. He promised her that she would make it out, and he would keep that promise. "Neither of us are going to die, Piper. I will get us out of here," he said, but he could feel himself slowing down. He was coughing, and everything hurt. Noah was following Astrid, trying to make sure that she wouldn't run away. He couldn't lose her again. His eyes widened when he managed to see them, and they didn't look get. He grabbed her arm and looked into her eyes. "I am going to go get them. Astrid, please don't leave me," he said before he ran into the smoke.

Piper wanted to speak again, to tell Felix to just put her down. It was better only one of them died than both. When he spoke, she just weakly smiled. She knew it wasn't going to happen now. She could already feel herself slipping away. "Felix," she whispered hoarsely. She let out a long cough. "Felix, it's no use. Please, go find the others. I was a lost cause from the beginning," she whispered. She was trying to hold on; she just didn't know how much longer she would last through this. Astrid was speechless. She wanted to call after him, to stop him. Yet, he had already disappeared into the smoke. Finding no other option, she quickly followed after them. If she left them, now would not been the time. She had to make sure her friends were okay.

{we can ts to the morning if you want

Felix was running as fast as he could, but he could feel himself slowing down. "No Piper, don't say it!" he said before coughing. He could feel the tears running down his face. Part of him knew that she was right, and the other part refused to think that it could happen. He was shocked when Noah found them, and he took Piper from him. "Come on Felix! We are to get out of here," he said. He coughed a bit before he started to sprint, Felix right behind him. He soon made it out of the smoke, and he set Piper down. Felix rushed beside her and took her hand. "Piper," he said, tears running down his face. He couldn't lose her.

{sure. can you start....or do you want me to?

--

Piper was going in and out of consciousness. She knew something would happen, and she would drag the whole group behind. She was just a useless girl. When she was put down, she blacked out for a moment. She could barely breath, but the next thing she knew was Felix was beside her. "Felix," she whispered in a ragged voice. She managed to take his hand, but her breathing became less often and quicker. "Don't shed a tear for me," she whispered, reaching up to brush the tears away. "Don't....don't cry," she continued, taking his hand and holding it loosely in his. "You'll make me cry," she mumbled. Another loud cough. And as she took her final breath, she whispered, "There's always more fish in the sea, Fe." She managed one last smile before her body went limp and her breathes ceased.

Aimée woke up late in the morning with a huge head ache and feeling sic. She honestly couldn't remember anything from the night before, and she was rather confused. Where was she? Oh, she was in her room. How did she get there? That part, she had no idea. She slowly got up, but she had to grip her bed to help herself stand. She groaned before slowly pushing herself to the bathroom.

Felix cried hard, even though she told him not to. he didn't want to believe that she was dying, and he didn't want to believe that he would have to live without her. "Piper, don't go," he said, tears running down his face. Her last words made his heart crumble. He held her limp body in his arms, sobbing. "No there aren't. No there aren't," he whispered to himself. He couldn't control himself. He was a mess. He wanted to die with her.

Drake had been waiting up that morning for Aimee to wake up. Dayton had called first thing that morning to get an update. He could tell that Dayton was upset with her too. Surprisingly enough, Jaxon had checked up on her too. When he heard Aimee's door open, he folded the newspaper he had and stood. "I was not ready to be a parent again," he muttered under his breath before he headed to the bathroom Aimee had went in. "Hey," he said, knocking on the door. "Once you are done, come in the living room."

--

Astrid raced up a second too late to catch Piper. She was breathing heavily. She dropped to her knees beside Felix and shook her head. "Pipes. Pipes, you aren't dead. Pipes," she whispered under her breath. She shook her but found that Piper was, in fact, dead. "No, no. No, no, no," she whispered, shaking her head. "This is all my fault. I should have left. And now she's dead," she whispered. She bit back the tears. Astrid Matthews did not cry. She hadn't cried since the day she left Noah. "I should have left. I should have left," she repeated to herself. She didn't kill Noah, and now Piper was dead. She knew it was a trap planted by her father. It all went right back to her. She was the catalyst for everything.

Aimée sighed when she heard Drake. She knew exactly what was coming. It happened when her father found out when he came back. He was furious to say the least, and she didn't talk to him for maybe month. She regretted it all. She could remember every word of their fight. She closed her eyes and soon came out of the bathroom. She strggered to the living room and sat down. "Okay, go ahead. Hate me. Yell at me. It's okay," she said, running a hand through her hair.

Noah bit his lip, and he got down beside Astrid. He wrapped his arm around her, and he kissed her head. "Astrid, it's not your fault," he said quietly, but he knew that she would disagree. He held her close and kissed her. "No, you don't know that is was your fault. Don't say that," he said, and he looked over at Felix who was bawling and holding Piper. He didn't know how to help is friend. "Fe, she's right. She not the only one," he said, but he was given a side of Felix that he had never seen before. "Shut up, Noah! You've always had everything you've wanted. The popularity, the girl. I have just wanted one thing, but it's taken away from me, but when you lose something, you mope around like it's the end of the world. You are too stupid to realize you have everything else! At least your parents love you. I'm just a mistake!" He said bitterly, tears streaming down his face.

Drake had went back to reading the newspaper when Aimee came back in. Okay, he was acting like he was reading he newspaper. He was trying to think of what to say, but then she spoke. All coherent thoughts fell right out the window. The last time he confronted this issue, Dimitri had gotten upset with him. It had shaken their relationship once again. He couldn't imagine what it would do with someone who wasn't even related to him. He stood and pulled her into a quick hug. After he pulled away, he sat down beside her. "I will be honest with you, I planned on doing just about that," he began, sighing. "I am going to lecture you a bit, but I have a feeling you won't just be hearing crap from me, so I am just going to be brief. Don't do it again."

--

Astrid couldn't stop the tears from falling from her cheeks. She had to tell him. She had to tell him, and tell him now. "It is my fault, Noah. I could have prevented this," she whispered with a shaky voice. She glanced at Felix and flinched when he went on a outburst on Noah. "Felix...Felix don't hate him. Hate me. She wouldn't be dead if it weren't for me," she whispered. She scrubbed the tears away and fixed her gaze on Noah. "I was told to kill you, Noah. Because I didn't kill you or get away from you, my..my d-dad sent the fire as a trap. If I am not mistaken," she whispered, pausing to suck in a breath. "That fire was meant to kill you. It killed Piper. This is all my fault," she stated. Saying the truth aloud didn't feel as freeing as she would have hoped. It just added to the weight. It really was her fault.

Aimée sighed, and she watched Drake for a moment. She sure was surprised that he didn't start yelling at her like her father had. "I don't know if I can promise you that. I had trouble with this before," she said quietly. If problems kept piling up, it would happen again. Dayton would leave her. The thought of that made her start to cry. "I'm scared Dayton doesn't like me anymore. we are always fighting and I'm always pushing him."

Noah looked at Astrid in shock when she spoke the truth. "You really do love me then. if you didn't kill me," he said, and he pulled her into a tight hug. When he pulled away, he kissed her. Words from Felix made him pull away from that. "So it really is all your fault," he said bitterly, and Noah glared at him. "Shut up, Felix," he said, but Felix lashed out at him. "Don't tell me what to do!" he yelled at him. Noah's eyes were wide in shock. He could only think of what his parents were thinking.

Drake leaned back and clasped his hands together. "You know, we all have problems...er, no that's not the right word. Flaws," he began, sighing. "I've made my fair share of mistakes. I've pushed my kids away time and time again..," he began, trailing. "But to battle through it, you have to be determined. And Aimee, I think you can stop. How did it even start?" he asked, leaning forward then. At her next words, he furrowed his brows. "The strongest couples can fight but stick it through it...," he began, then glanced down at the photo album he always looked through. "There was a rough time for Angel and I. I won't go into the details, but a wise woman once told Angel about how true our love was, and we worked to make it work," he said, chuckling as he thought of Maria. It was only irony that her child would end up with his. "So, if your love is real, he will stick with you. No matter how much the two of you fight."

--

Astrid remained quiet. She couldn't believe he didn't hate her. Heck, she hated herself! She was stunned into silence when Felix lashed out once more. She couldn't believe the two of them were going to do this right now. Her best friend just died, and they were fighting like kids. "Both of you shut up!" she snapped, but the tears pricked her eyes one more. "Don't you realize, Felix, that you aren't the only one who lost someone today?" she snapped. She didn't want to direct her anger on him but all this fighting was rubbing her the wrong way. She only shut up when the hovercraft arrived to collect Piper's limp body.

Aimée listened to him, and she bit her lip when he asked her how she got started. She hadn't really told anyone. "Um, it started a while ago. My dad left for the army, and my mom was too busy in her work. Since she moved a lot, I didn't make a lot of friends. I was really lonely. At one point, I started running with he wrong crowd. They got me into it," she said quietly. She listened to him closely as he started to talk about him and his wife. It was hard to believe. They were always so happy.

Felix looked over at Astrid, and he stayed silent for a moment. He knew that his actions were nothing like his normal behavior. He didn't speak until the hovercraft came. "Let's go," he said hollowly and got up. Noah sighed, and he took Astrid's hand. "Stay with us, please," he said quietly. If it brought him to his death, so be it. "I will stop your father and make him pay for what he has done."

When Aimee answered, Drake nodded and sighed softly. He could see why she would turn to something like that. But nonetheless, it was a bad habit to have. "Try, for me, to not do it again. I don't want to be worried about you or you coming home with some random boy," he said, furrowing his brows as he thought of Jaxon. "You could have gotten hurt," he added on, sighing. He was supposed to be looking after Aimee, and thus far, he wasn't doing such a good job at it.

--

Astrid couldn't tear her eyes away from Piper's body as she was lifted into the hovercraft. Once it was closed, it signified the end. Her best friend was actually dead. And it was all her fault. When Noah spoke, she slowly brought her attention to him. She honestly couldn't understand why he wanted her to stay. She should have been the one lifted into the hovercraft. She should have been dead. Piper had so much to live for. Astrid only had one thing, and her father wanted him dead. "Why Noah? Why do you want me to stay?" she whispered hollowly.

Aimée sighed to herself, but she nodded and gave him a small smile. "Okay, I'll try. When Dayton and I first got together, we both agreed to quit. He agreed to quit smoking if I would quit drinking and visa versa. After out huge fight, he started it again. It stopped for a while, but I felt like if I just had a little bit, I would be fine. I'm so stupid," she said quietly.

Noah held her close, and he gave her a soft smiled when she spoke. "Astrid, it's because I love you and I can't live without you. I know you love me too, and that drives me even more to be with you. Astrid, we can't be apart," he said, and he kissed her. "I will get us out of here," he said, looking into her eyes. He would make her father pay for everything.