Hunger Games 2

Drake nodded and half smiled at that. He hoped she would because he would rather not have another episode like that happen again. "The kid is spunky, I will give him that. But his smoking is a different story for a different day, even though I can't help but wonder why he started in the first place," he said, sighing. He was somewhat glad he hadn't had to worry about his kids doing anything like that. Maybe the old ways had some advantages to it. "And you aren't stupid. You just made a stupid decision."

--

Astrid sighed and dropped her gaze down to the ground. Noah didn't make sense, that was for sure. She had tried everything to push him away, but he was like a boulder. He wasn't budging. Yup, he definitely was Sherwood. That was for certain. She finally brought her gaze back up to him and bit down on her lip. "I do love you....and I hate you for making me say it," she whispered, shaking her head. Noah Sherwood was a piece of work. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "I hope you do."

Aimée gave him a small smile, and she nodded in agreement, laughing. "Yeah, he sure is something else. I wonder about him sometimes," she said with a small sigh. She was still worried about them though. They were fighting too often for her comfort. "How do you avoid fighting, Drake?" she asked him.

Noah pulled her into a kiss when she spoke the words, and he chuckled. "You are stuck we me, so you can't hate me," he said with a small smirk. He held her close, and he closed his eyes. "I will get you and everyone else out of here. I am going to save you all," he said. It was now his goal. If he died doing it, he would be okay with that. He just needed the satisfaction that everyone was going to be okay.

Drake chuckled softly at her comment and nodded in agreement. He just didn't know what to think about Dayton most of the time. He was different, that was for sure. At her question, he paused to think it over. "Well, some fighting is not bad. Actually, it is healthy. It brings you closer at the end of the day. Maybe you two should try to compromise. Try to fix the things that the other does not like. It may prevent all the fighting."

--

Astrid returned the kiss despite it all. She did love Noah, and no matter how bad she was for him, they were stuck with each other. "I ought to get you," she muttered, nudging him. "You should have never let me date Sawyer. He kisses like a dead fish. Don't ask how I know how a dead fish kisses," she said, shuddering. She then grew serious at his words and nodded. "You are getting out of here too. If you aren't letting me leave," she began before she latched her arm through his. "I guess I have no choice but not to let you leave me either."

Aimée listened to him closely as he explained a bit about fighting. She bit her lip. "At the end of the day when we fight, it seems as if e are farther apart. How do we fix that?" she asked him. She wanted to stay with Dayton, but the fighting needed to come to an end. It seemed as if fighting was detrimental to either relationship, not healthy.

Noah smiled as she kissed him back. At her words, he chuckled and rolled his eyes. "But I'm just too adorable," he said with a laugh. As she continued on, he smirked a bit. "Well, when I found out you two were dating, I started to plan ways to beat him up. We even almost ended up in a fight after school," he said with a small laugh. He looked down at her oddly when she looped her arm through his. "I guess we are stuck to each other."

Drake paused to think that one over. "I couldn't tell you. You two have to work together to stop fighting. I can't decide for you. Just try to work it out between the two of you. It should be easier if you two tried to work it out, and be honest with each other," he said finally. He wasn't sure exactly how to help them. At the end of the day, they would have to work it out themselves. "But if it were actually meant to be, it will work itself out. You can come back from anything," he said as he stood.

--

Astrid rolled her eyes and nudged him with her elbow. "Shut up," she muttered, shaking her head and hiding a smile. When he continued, she rose her brows in surprise. "I never heard about that," she said thoughtfully. But then again, she hadn't really listened to the normal teen gossip. Astrid had faked being happy, but people didn't know what life was like behind closed doors. "I guess so," she replied with a half smile before dropped her gaze down to the ground.

Aimée listened to him, and she thought about it for a while. Things just needed to be worked out, and she planned on doing that. "Do you think I can go see Dayton today and talk to him?" she asked him. She may regret ever doing this, or it could be the best thing she had ever done.

Noah smiled, and he took his hand. "Let's get back to camp. I think it would be smart to move. If we can, maybe we can take the cornucopia," he said. A large group, including Sawyer, had taken it, and it was almost suicide to suggest it, but it could save them. "I would have everything that we need. I know that it's crazy to even suggest it, but it's worth a shot," he said. He would protect Felix and Astird anyway.

Drake hesitated at her question and considered it. "If you feel up to it and you think you are well enough to, then I see no reason not to," he began as he took a cup of his coffee. "Speaking of Dayton, who was the guy who brought you home? You said he was Dayton's 'ex-friend.' What was that all about?" he asked in confusion. There was a chance Aimee didn't even remember Jaxon bringing her home. She had also called him a "Meanie", but he decided not to mention that part. "Want coffee?" he offered, nodding toward the cup.

--

Astrid stopped walking once he suggested taking the Cornucopia. "Are you insane? No, you are insane," she muttered, shaking her head. That was a death sentence. "We are outnumbered. We have two fighters and Felix," she muttered, then turned solemn. They would have had Piper too if it weren't for her. She was the catalyst for horrible things. She didn't deserve to live. She should have been the one to die, not Piper. She then paused as she thought it over once more. "But as crazy as it made sound, we may be able to do it. But you are going to have to trust me on this," she said. There was a chance this wouldn't end well and that Sawyer may want to kill her, but she could play the damsel in distress card well. All she had to think about was the Wicked Witch of the West. Her mother.

Aimée gave him a small smile when he said that she could go talk to him. "I may need to take a nap first. Gosh, I feel horrible," she said, and she ran a hand through her hair. She felt so stupid. How could she do something like that? She really did lose control of herself. When he spoke again, her eyes widened. "A guy brought me home! Oh my gosh," she said, terrified. "I-I didn't do anything with him, right?" she asked him.

Noah bit his lip as she replied. He was expecting that, and she did have some good points, but he knew that Astrid was trained. How many of these guys were trained? Probably none of them. They had a fighting chance. It was better than nothing, that was for sure. As she finally agreed, he smiled and hugged her tightly. "See, I know we can. We just have to plan this strategically. If we do that, we can win," he said, and he kissed her.

Drake nodded simply and sipped his coffee. "Normal hangover symptoms. I think we have some medicine you can take in the cabinet," he said as he leaned back. When she started to freak out, he frowned and said, "No, I don't think so. The guy just brought you home. From the way you were talking, you didn't seem to like him that much." He placed the mug down onto the coffee table. "Or maybe that had been the alcohol talking. Either way...," he trailed and shrugged.

--

Astrid nodded once and let out a long breath. "For this to work, we are going to have to surprise them," she began. She wasn't sure how Noah would take her suggestion, but it was there best bet. "I can join up with them. Beg Sawyer to 'take me back', and once they trust me, I will insist to take the first watch while they sleep. You and Felix can come in while they are sleeping," she said. "And then we fight," she finished. It had to work, right? She sure did hope so.

Aimée sighed, and she closed her eyes. She hated herself so much. How could she be so stupid! "I don't know who it was. I think I am going to go see Dayton," she said quietly, and she quickly got up. She wouldn't be surprised if he hated her, and maybe talking things out wasn't a good idea for them, but she was going to see if they were meant to be or not.

Noah was on board with attacking them until she said her idea. "Wait, what! No way! There is no telling what they will do to you!" he said, and he looked down at her. This was a horrible idea! He couldn't lose her. He closed his eyes and looked at the ground. "It just might work though. Please, be careful. I can't lose you," he said, and he pulled her into a tight hug. He couldn't live without her.

Drake glanced over at Aimee and offered the best smile that he could. As she spoke again, he nodded slowly and said, "All right, but be careful. You aren't exactly in the best shape." He wouldn't want something to happen to her just because she was going to see some boy. Okay, so Dayton wasn't just some boy, but that wasn't the point. "If you need anything, just call," he added on as he stood and headed into the kitchen once more.

--

Astrid let out a frustrated sigh; she understood Noah's point, but she could take care of herself. She knew what she was doing. Or at least, she hoped that she did. "I will be fine, Noah," she told him, trying to remain calm. She didn't want to argue over this, and she owed it to them. She needed to do a bit of good for Piper's sake. If Piper couldn't live, she was going to do all that she could to make sure that the rest of their little group did. "I will be fine. If everything goes right, he will accept me and let me back in," she assured him. She knew there was a sliver of a chance that he wouldn't even hear her out and kill her, but that wasn't going to stop her. She returned the hug and leaned up to kiss his cheek.

Aimée gave Drake a hug when he said that he could. "I will be careful, don't worry about me," she told him, and she grabbed her keys. Whoever brought her home must have been amazing enough to go and get her car because it was in the driveway. Well, this mystery guy sure did seem nice. She got in and started to drive to the hospital. Maybe this confrontation with Dayton would go well.

Noah looked down at her, and he held her tightly. "Astrid, I love you so much," he said, and he bit his lip. "I am going to go along with this plan, but if Sawyer hurts you, I will end him," he said. He was probably going to end him either way, but that was just an excuse. "When are you going to go?" he asked her. As much as he hated it, it would probably have to be soon since he wasn't sure how long it would take to gain their trust. It could take forever.

Jaxon was back. That was the first thing Dayton registered when he woke. The next was the fact that he still hadn't heard from Aimee. "You are welcome, by the way. I could have let her get a ride in a taxi, and who knows where she would have ended up. You are lucky I found her, and not some pervert," Jaxon said. Dayton frowned and furrowed his brows as he cut in. "Jax, you are a pervert," he muttered, taking his bottle of water and taking a large gulp. "You didn't...you didn't try anything did you?" Jaxon shook his head and muttered, "Uh, no. Hey, question, do you think I am pretty?" Dayton gave him an odd look and muttered, "Yes, Jaxon. You are a beautiful little princess."

--

Astrid offered him a small smile as she listened to him. In spite of it all, she loved to hear those words. It wasn't like she heard them from her family, and her best friend was gone. She only really had Noah now. "Noah, I will be fine. I know how to fight if I need to," she told him, kissing him softly. At his question, she hesitated. The sooner, the better in this case. "I should probably go now," she began, giving him a hug. "Try not to get into it with Felix again. I may can fight, but I can take out everyone by myself, and besides, you two need to work it out. He is taking this worse than even me. So bottom line is, be nice to him."

Aimée drove as quickly as she could to the hospital, but once she got there, she was sick to her stomach. She was worried that she was going to say something wrong or they were going to fight. She was so excited before, but now she was terrified. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was going to be a long day. She got out of the car and went into the hospital. She came to Dayton's room and opened the door, but then she saw Jaxon. She became even more nervous.

Noah listened to her, and he sighed softly. He knew that she was totally right, but he just wasn't sure if he wanted her to do this. When she aid that she should go right then, he pulled her into a tight hug. "Astrid, stay safe, please. I can't live without you," he said, and he gave her a small smile. "I'll make Felix feel better, don't worry," he said.

"Speak of the devil, and the devil arrives," Jaxon commented, which earned in being elbowed by Dayton. "It is just a quote!" he said, but Dayton only elbowed him again. "What was that for?" he muttered. Dayton narrowed his eyes at him, and Jaxon huffed in frustration. "Fine, fine. I will go get some snacks." He stood and nodded at Aimee before he left the room. Once the door clicked shut, Dayton frowned. "Aimee, tell me why you went off and got yourself drunk! Anything could have happened to you, and I wouldn't have known about it."

--

Astrid returned the hug and offered him another small smile. "I will, don't worry about me," she stated as she pulled away. She hoped things went well, and Sawyer would decide to hear her out. This was there best bet. It may be their only bet. Once he mentioned Felix, she nodded and gave him one last hug. It could be very well the last time she spoke to him. But it was their only hope. She then sprinted off towards the Cornucopia.

Aimée looked down at the ground when he stared, and she bit her lip. "Well maybe I just need an escape from everything, okay. And since when was it was problem? I have pleaded with you and asked you to stop smoking because if you keep it up, it's going to be the death of you, but you still do it anyway. Why should I stop?" she asked him, trying her best to keep her voice down and not cry. "Dayton, I am begging you to quit. I went out because I thought since you didn't quit, maybe I could indulge myself a bit. I thought it wouldn't hurt."

{should we ts

Dayton scowled when she brought up the smoking again. "Do you not get it, Aimee? It isn't something I can just...quit! Smoking...it helps with my problems. It makes them...it makes them seem to go away," he muttered, then narrowed his eyes at her. "And you don't realize what trouble you could have got yourself into. If Jaxon hadn't found you, there is no telling who would have! You probably would have trusted anyone as drunk as you were," he muttered. He had to stop as he was thrown into a coughing fit. Oh, how he hated all of this.

--

{yeah...do you want me to start?

Aimée narrowed her eyes at him. "And you think I can just quit this! Dayton, do you even realize how many urges I have had, but I let them go because of you. I didn't want to make things worse for you," she said, and she ran a hand through her hair. This was a bad idea. All of this was a bad idea. Maybe their relationship was a bad idea. "Am I not enough to help you with your problems? Am I never enough?" she asked him quietly. It was hard enough being rejected by her mother, but if Dayton left her, she would be all alone.

{if you could

Dayton let out a frustrated sigh; this wasn't something he wanted to discuss right now. "You didn't have to live with a woman who drank and smoked half the time, and when she wasn't drinking or smoking, she was screaming at me. I can't count the times she has threatened to kill me," he muttered, letting out a long breath. At her question, he frowned and slowly sat up. "My problems are a bit big, if you haven't realized. What about me? Am I not enough? Can you not accept me for who I am, flaws and all? Because I am sorry, but it won't go away over night."

--

Astrid had managed to talk Sawyer into letting her join them, that is after he almost killed her. She had put up a good fight; but then when she realized that wouldn't work, she played the damsel in distress card. It had worked to his advantage. Maybe he really liked her, who knows. Either way, she had managed to win over his trust. She was now keeping guard by the entrance while everyone slept. She was waiting semi impatiently for Noah and Felix. If they were going to take them out, now would be a good time.

Aimée was staring the fear that this was all a bad idea, and it was all her fault. People were right. She was annoying and pushy. "Do you at least think you could try? I am trying so hard to stop, but you are over here thinking you are Superman and smoking a pack a day," she said. She felt like she was all alone half of the time, and he needed someone. Anyone really. She could feel the tears running down her face, but she didn't bother to wipe them away.

Noah was waiting besides Felix behind some bushes. They needed better cover, but that was the best that they were going to get at that point. When it seemed that everyone was asleep, he quickly went to the opening, and he looked down at Astrid. "Are you ready?" he whispered to her, and he kissed her head.

Dayton closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. No one told him that relationships would be so difficult. He finally turned to her and muttered, "I don't know. I can try, but that doesn't mean I will be able to stop, Aimee." He was thrown back into a time when he had been through the same thing but he was the one saying to stop. "Momma...momma why can't you stop? You know you can," he had said. Caroline had glared at him and spat a few curse words in his face. "If I stop, I will have a clear enough head to realize what a mistake you are," she had snapped back. "Maybe you should stop whining and try some. Do you some good." He shook the memory away and sighed. "I can only try."

--

Astrid stood and nodded once. "I am ready," she assured him quietly. She already knew exactly who she was headed for. She reached out and hugged Noah quickly before she maneuvered her way towards Sawyer. She could feel her heart pounding a mile a minute. She didn't know if she could actually kill him, or anyone for that matter. It didn't feel right. Just as she was about to rest the tip of her sword against his neck, a hand shot out and grabbed her ankle, forcing her to fall onto her butt.

Aimée let out a sigh of relief when he said that he would at least try. She wiped away her tears and ran over to him, giving him hug. She made sure not to hurt him. "I love you Dayton. Oh I love you so much," she said quietly. She couldn't even think of a life without Dayton. He was just...what she needed. He completed her. He made her feel happy like no one ever had before.

Noah hugged her back, but he was still terrified. Something horrible could happen, and he just couldn't lose her. He kissed her before he went for one of the other guys, taking out his knife. He was shaking, terrified that he couldn't do it. This was some kid his age, maybe younger. Could he really take a life. His thoughts stopped when he heard Astrid fall. Of course Sawyer wouldn't really trust her. He raced over to her, knowing that he would wake the others up, but it wasn't like he could stop it. "Don't touch her!"

Dayton still winced when they hugged. The bullet would was healing, but it wasn't going fast enough for his liking. "I love you, too," he whispered finally as he pulled away. He regained his breath before he spoke again. "But please, for the love of God-" he began, but Jaxon decided to walk in then. "I have been waiting for you two to stop yelling. You know, I could hear you out there," he said before cracking a small smile. "I got you some stuff. You are welcome," he added as he placed two bottles of water and a package of cookies onto the beside table.

--

Astrid cursed under her breath and instantly reached out for her ankle. She could bet about a hundred bucks that it was sprained if not broken. Sawyer was up and standing above her before she had a chance to even try to get up. "Don't touch her?" Sawyer repeated, narrowing his eyes at Noah. "Oh, but she played me. She acted like she was on our side. I knew she wouldn't just leave you. I mean, you are all she has left, especially after you killed her friend," he said with a slow smirk. Astrid reached out for her sword as silently as possible.

Aimée managed a smile. Maybe Drake was right. They would be able to power through it and work it out. She took his hand, and she looked up when Jaxon entered the room. She looked down at the ground for a moment before speaking. "Where you the one who took me home last night?" she asked him quietly. She knew that it was a bad subject to get on, but she had to know, and if he did, she would sadly have to thank him.

Noah watched Sawyer for a few moment. So he knew the whole time, and he probably knew that they were going to attack. He couldn't let him get close to Astrid, even if she was going to hurt him. "You can only try to hurt her when I'm dead," he said bitterly before he tackled him. Felix was shocked, but he knew that he couldn't stand around and wait. When Noah tackled Sawyer, he quickly ran to Astrid and helped her up.

Dayton opened the bag of cookies; he couldn't really turn them down, and it was better than smoking, right? Jaxon took out his one bottle of water- for once, it was actual water- before he answered. "Yeah," he answered, taking a swig of his water. "And apparently I have a funny nose, and I am pretty. And let's not get into the Jaxie part...," he muttered, shaking his head once more. Dayton had to stifle a small chuckle. "What?" Jaxon muttered, catching the laugh. Dayton smirked lightly and remarked, "Now we know who has the looks, big guy."

--

Sawyer narrowed his eyes at him and smirked slightly. "Is that an invitation Sherwood? Because I have wanted you dead since day one," he snapped. When he tackled him, he was only taken off guard for a second before he pulled out his knife and held it to Noah's neck. Astrid watched in horror, and she was about to scramble to do...well, who knows what. She just wanted to make sure Noah would be okay. When Felix helped her up, she cringed. Yeah, she was sure her ankle was broken. "Do you have a weapon?" she asked, tightening her grip on her sword.