Hunger Games 2

All the words were distorted and hollow, a faint echo that tended to pulse in her very ears. Eventually, the tension died down, and she was able to intake a few deep breaths. She barely registered that her sister had meandered over during the entire fiasco. The own pounding her heart seemingly pulsed in her ears all the while. "I'm...I am sorry," she whispered, her words scratchy as she forced them to pass from her lips. This was not her intentions, to soil the precious time that they had together. Dominic eyed Aspen thoughtfully; he had found the invitation odd, and the way he seemed to be acting, as if he had a disease, was not helping. Nevertheless, he shifted his focus to the blinding yellow light stationed from above. "It isn't easy," he agreed finally as an exasperated sigh fell from his lips. Quirking a brow, Ann suppressed a faint smile as she followed Riley's guidance out the door. The steps creaked as she wandered down. "You think? Should I be worried?" she mused, a teasing lilt gliding through her words. She was thankful from the break in the tense atmosphere.

Leon found himself almost laughing when he heard her apologize. She thought that she needed to say that she was sorry? For something that she couldn't help? He would never understand her. He simply shook his head and helped her, pulling her up onto her feet. "Piper, you don't need to apologize. You have no reason to," he said, and he had a feeling that her sister would agree. In all honesty, they had no idea what she was going through. Aspen nodded, trying his best to pry but not seem so suspicious. No, he had to seem curious. "What exactly do you do? You know, whenever I was a kid I loved to look at the buildings in the Capital. I wanted to build them, but my father had other plans in mind," he said. Riley rolled her eyes, the smile seeming to come back to her face as she pulled the cheesecake out of the back of the car. "Possibly," she joked, smiling a little as she looked down at it. It was hard work, but she had managed it. "Everyone likes New York, so that's the kind I made," she said. She had also made a small batch of cookies for Felix, and she tilted her head towards them. "I also thought that Fe could use a treat of his own."

Her legs were equivalent to jello; they had succumbed to mere mush after the fiasco. Bracing her arm against the smooth exterior of the go-kart, she wormed her way out of the enclosure and attempted to regain the sliver of composure she had left. After all they had been through, they deserved to have a swell time; yet, somehow, she had managed to ruin that. Although Leon insisted otherwise, she couldn't find it in her to believe it. "Can we just...go somewhere else?" she whispered, her voice hoarse as if a layer of the thick dust had lodged into her throat. Aurora, always seemingly knowing just the quick fix, spoke up, "Funnel cakes. I believe we could all use funnel cakes right about now." Dominic furrowed his brows thoughtfully as he considered his question. He tried to shake off the hint of worry that tumbled about his thoughts. After all, why would Aspen of all people be on to him? "Normally I map out the blueprints. Although, I do often pitch in with the labor. It isn't as easy as it seems," he noted, a sigh falling from his lips. Nights on end, he had returned exhausted, only for various other reasons. Inching across the seat, Ann swiped the basket of cookies. The aroma coiled about the air and warmed her from within. She definitely wouldn't mind biting into one of the delicious delicacies herself. "I have to say, these don't look half bad, Riles."

Leon could tell that Piper wasn't okay. God, why didn't he think before he suggested the stupid go-karts? Thank goodness for Aurora, though. She seemed to know just how to cheer Piper up. "You know, a greasy funnel cake sounds like heaven right about now," he said, helping Piper up. He wanted to do everything he could to make her feel better. He owed it to her. Aspen nodded as he listened closely. If he asked enough, maybe he could get him to break. "Do you just blueprint houses? Or are there more. I bet warehouses are pretty hard," he said, trying to see if he would give away anything about the hideout. He knew that he had to know something! Riley smiled a little as she heard Ann. She probably wouldn't know it, but it really meant a lot to Riley. "Thanks, Ann. Mrs. Handcock has taught me quite a bit, and I intend to share that with the group," she said, sniffing the cookies herself. She had a feeling that Felix would love them.

Capturing her bottom lip between her teeth, Piper attempted to fend off the destructive thoughts that circulated throughout her mind. Her arms clutched around her midsection, as if she were holding herself together piece by piece. "Yeah, good idea," she agreed, speaking around the lump in her throat as she forced back the unruly tendrils of hair that fell just over her brow. She just needed to get out of there. A frown curved along the edges of Dominic's lips as Aspen brought up the topic of warehouses, which was a discomforting factor. "Uh, I wouldn't know. We don't normally handle warehouses," he covered, lifting a shoulder as if to express nonchalance regarding the matter, although he most definitely felt uneasy. Swinging the woven basket to and fro as she meandered up the wooden porch steps once more, Ann managed to offer a quick smile over her shoulder. "I could definitely use some baking lessons," she mused, a grin curving along the edges of her lips.

Leon looked down at the girl in his arms. He could see that she was broken, but he didn't mind that one bit. She was beautiful to him. He walked her off of the track, trying to find one of the stands so he could get them some food. "I'm feeling nice, so I might even get you gets a milkshake while I'm at it," he said jokingly, looking at the sisters. He sometimes wondered why people put up with him. Aspen tried his best to hide his smirk when he seemed uncomfortable at the mention of a warehouse. So there was one. "I wonder how long they take to make," he said casually, wondering what else he could say. "Do you think they have a lot of security too?" he asked curiously. "I wonder if some have codes. Have you seen any like that?" Riley smiled as she followed Ann to the porch. She missed spending time with her friends. "Just call me up and I can give you a mini lesson," she said, opening the door and scanning the room for Felix. She wanted to see his face when he saw the cookies she had made.

Shackles seemed to be clamped around her slender ankles, for each step Piper took felt like a grand occurrence. The stale scent of popcorn aroused her senses, paired with the sickly sweet aroma of funnel cakes. "Are you trying to send me into a sugar shock, Leon?" Piper chimed in. She was slowly regaining her strength as the effects of the memories wore off. She always felt so weak in comparison to others. She was no Aurora or Astrid, who were both powerful in vastly different ways. Dominic's shoulders notably tensed; Aspen was pressing the wrong buttons. He was probing, searching for answers that he did not plan to give him. "Unfortunately I don't have much information myself about them," he answered, his tone bland. It was clear that the discussion was over.

Leon smiled a little as he saw a little bit of the normal Piper come back out. He was glad to start seeing it after what happened earlier. He wouldn't say it out loud, but it scared him quite a bit. "Maybe I am," he said with a smirk, chuckling as he got in the line. He pulled out his wallet, seeing how much money he had. He might have to work an extra shift or two to pay for this, but he didn't mind. Aspen bit his lip when he saw that he was holding back information. There was a lot he wasn't telling him. He was sure that Dominic might be on to him. "I wonder if Riley knows anything," he said as if he were challenging Dominic. He would murder him for what he did to his son.

A faint sigh fell from Piper's lips, one of relief. Although her arms still trembled with the tremors that her body had succumbed to, she was relatively all right. The scent of the fried delicacies wafted through the air, igniting her senses as she fell into step beside Leon. "You shouldn't have to pay," she whispered, her voice still hoarse after the fiasco. Glaring at Aspen, Dominic careened back onto the balls of his feet. "Why would she?" he pressed, attempting to keep his tone nonchalant. Nevertheless, the hint of irritation roamed freely about the phrase.

Leon couldn't help the smile that came to his lips as he heard her. "If my father did teach me one good thing, it was how to be a gentleman, and a gentleman always pays," he said, pulling out his wallet and flashing a smile at the two girls. He quickly went off to go get them their greasy treats. Aspen chewed on the inside of his cheek as he watched Dominic. He smirked a little, hearing his next words. "Oh, some people just have certain information hiding away in their brain. Could be you, could be Riley, could be Scott," he said, fighting the urge to start circling him as if he were prey. Dominic Kenway would go down, and he would make sure of that.

The smile was irresistible, a fact that Piper had come to accept. It brightened her day and eased the rolling tension that seeped throughout her body. Although one smile could not fix all of her troubles, it definitely could ease her mind - at least for a while. "I will let it slide this time, only because I do not have any change handy," Piper called after him, whilst Aurora stifled a laugh. The feigned nonchalance seemed to fade into the distance. Aspen was on to him, which meant that he had nothing to lose. He gripped him by the throat and pushed him up against the wall; his hold was tight, for he did not plan on releasing him any time soon. "Accusing me of something, Ledger? Because it almost sounds like you know too much yourself."

Leon came back a few minutes later with funnel cakes and drinks for them all. He sat down beside Piper, placing some of the powdered sugar on her nose. "You know, you look pretty cute like that," he said playfully, the smile still wide on hi face. He hoped that she wouldn't want to pay him back. She didn't need to. Aspen couldn't help the look of surprise that passed his face when he felt Dominic grab onto his throat. He knew in that very moment that Caroline was right. "You know damn well what I am accusing you of," he hissed, crawling at his hands as he tried to breathe. He tried kneeing Dominic as hard as he could.

Planting herself on the edge of the bench, Piper shifted to grow comfortable, for the splintered wood was hardly a comfortable resting place. As his thumb grazed over her nose, it naturally scrunched up. The sprinkled dust created a ring of white along the tip of her nose. She had no clue how she looked, but she doubted it was as "cute" as Leon claimed. Dipping her thumb into the powdered, she swiped it over the edge of his nose in turn. "I think the look suits you more," she mused, a triumphant grin curving along the edge of her lips. Wide eyes stared back into his own, a key sign that Dominic had taken him off guard. Good, Aspen needed to be put in his place. As Aspen reared his knee up, Dominic swerved out of the way in the nick of time; his knee still connected with his hip, sending shards of pain sprawling across his body. Nonetheless, it was better than the alternative. He could detect the faint pad of footsteps - surely their wives heading towards the house once more. "Oh yeah, who do you think they will believe?" he pressed, his voice strained as he released his grip on Aspen. "You or me? Considering you just injured me, I say it leans in my favor," he tacked on, his voice a mere breath that swept over the airstream.

Leon was surprised when he felt her own finger run along his nose, but he smirked all the while. "You thinks so?" he asked curiously, taking a bite of his funnel cake and seemingly managing to get the powdered sugar all over the rest of his face. "Maybe I should grow a beard too," he said playfully. He had always wondered what he would look like with one. Aspen was trying desperately to get Dominic's hands off of his throat. He wanted to call out to his wife as he heard footsteps, but he couldn't even seem to speak. He could say the few select words he wanted to say to Dominic. Instead, he balled his hand into a fist and punched him square in the face.

Inspecting the array of powder that danced over his features, Piper suppressed a faint trill of laughter that dared to fall from her lips. The speck of white that littered over his jawline produced a shadow that resembled that of a beard. "I think so too. You would look irresistible," she commented, a teasing lilt igniting her words. The pit of worry that coiled about her system had dwindled, for Leon made her unbelievably happy. Leaning in, she pecked his cheek; the surge of white coating her lips. "You are so sweet," she mused, a grin forming along the edges of her lips - at least she was proud of her joke. Unsuspecting of Aspen's antics, Dominic winced as his fist connected with his nose. Scarlet trickled down from his nose, a single line that traveled over the edge of his lip. Instead of his hold loosing, he pushed Aspen up against the wall and called out over his shoulder, "Help! Aspen has gone mad!"

Leon glanced down at his funnel cake, knowing that he probably had the majority of the powder on his face, but he didn't mind. Whenever he ate things like that, he tended to get them everywhere. The moment he felt her lips on his cheek, he felt his face flush, red coming to his cheeks. How did she know just how to make him blush? Leon never blushed, after all. "I may start working on one. You can tell me if I look hot or not," he said with a bright smile. He wanted to spend more and more time with this girl. Aspen as struggling, grasping desperately at anything that would give him air. He realized his mistake of going too far once he heard Dominic. He narrowed his eyes, using all of his strength to try and knock him to the ground and put all of his weight on him. Riley perked up from her place in the kitchen when she heard her husband. She quickly jumped into action, trying to pull the two away from each other. "Aspen, stop it!" she said with anger in her voice. Aspen narrowed his eyes at the two. Riley had to be in on this. "He's a traitor! He's the reason why my son had to go in the games," he growled. Riley glared at Aspen. How could he suggest that! She glanced over to see Felix watching from a distance with wide eyes.

Grasping a napkin, Piper swiped the remainder of the powder off. She noted the faint blush that brushed over Leon's cheeks, a hue that was definitely not impacted by merely the sun. Her gaze flickered, scouring for Aurora who was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she was giving the pair some privacy, considering their intimate moment together. "Hm, I think I already know the answer to that," she stated, a grin forming along the edges of her lips. With or without a beard, she was certain that he was quite sexy. As Riley came hurtling into the room, Dominic's hands fell from around Aspen's neck; instead, one planted over his nose to halt the flow of blood that trickled from the injury. "Oh, don't play all innocent, Aspen. Don't think you can frame me," he sneered, his voice distorted as he spoke. Footfalls echoed throughout the space as Ann joined them, confusion etched across her features. "Riley," she spoke, her voice distorted as the name fell from her lips. It pained her to do this, but she had to speak with Aspen alone. "Maybe it is best if you and Dominic leave. Felix, go up to your room," she muttered, her tone insisting that there was no room for argument.

Leon looked at Piper for a moment. The more he saw her smile, the more one started to play on his lips. She was just so beautiful. He wondered if she would like him or not. He wasn't all that much, but he was something. He took another bit of the funnel cake, raising is brows for a moment. "You already know the answer, huh? If you ask me, I think it's going to look horrible," he said honestly, and he started to put some powder on her chin, making what was supposed to be facial hair. "I think you look pretty good." Aspen narrowed his eyes, but he stopped the moment he saw the heartbreak in Ann's eyes. She didn't believe him, did she? His son looked even worse. He didn't miss the tears falling down Felix's face as he ran up the stairs to his room. He lunged at Dominic, but Riley stopped him, glaring all the while. "Aspen, stop it! I-I can't believe you would do this to us. I thought you were family," she spat as she pulled her husband up, quickly grabbing tissues to help stop his bleeding. She gave Ann a sympathetic gaze as she led her husband to the car.

Suddenly, it occurred to Piper how vital Leon was in her life. He was her anchor; the one force that kept her from plowing under the deep water and drowning due to the impact. Although she had managed to make it out on her own for a while, she realized that she did not want to remain lonely. She needed him and her sister more than she would ever care to admit. Could she see herself falling for Leon? A few days ago she might have denied it, for the heartache was a consuming entity. However, now, she could see it; perhaps in the distant future. She just hoped that history wouldn't repeat itself. As he smeared the powdered residue across her chin, she wrinkled her nose to reflect her distaste. Swiping away the remains, she commented, "I highly doubt that. I am not keen on looking like Santa." With the tissues clamped against his nose, Dominic meandered out the door with his arm wound around Riley; surely, he would feed her a bunch of lies on the ride home. Eyeing the pair, Ann refused to meet Aspen's gaze. She was fumbling for words; only, she was at a loss, which was a rare occurrence. "Tell me the truth," she stated; she dearly hoped that her voice masked the pain, that the hard edge would never uncover the true emotions hidden from within. Was Aspen really a traitor? Years ago, so long that it seemed like a lifetime away, he had been the enemy. What if Dominic was right? What if he still was?

Leon wondered what exactly was running through Piper's head. She was probably thinking of how stupid he looked with all that powder all over his face. He chuckled a little, rolling his eyes when he heard her. "You would be a cute Santa," he said, pausing to think for a moment. "I can be Santa and you can be Mrs. Clause," he said jokingly, pulling her close to him with a laugh. The more he started to hang out with this girl, the more he realized how special she was. She was the ray of sunshine that he needed on a cloudy day. How could that Felix guy possibly pass her up? Piper was one in a million. He just hoped that Felix would stay away so that he could be there for her. Riley cursed under her breath as she helped him in the car. "I'll get us some ice when we get home. God, what happened, Dom?" she asked as she drove off. Aspen looked down at his wife, looking into her eyes. He could remember when he had first met her. He had been trained since birth to fight, and his job was to kill her. He couldn't bring himself to do it, though. Ann Sherwood taught him how to be human. "Dominic had betrayed us. He's been doing it for who knows how long," he said, trying to seem cool and collected, but he was losing his mind. She had to believe him! "Caroline has been innocent all along. He's just been using her as a scapegoat and pulling all the strings," he said.

No one would be able to estimate where her thoughts lied, for she was dwelling on her internal emotions. She was open to the idea of love - even though she had been hurt before, who was to say that it would happen again? Leon was far different from Felix as far as personalities were concerned. He was reliable, or so she dearly hoped. "Of course you would say that," she mused, her nose wrinkling and producing the faintest lines. Powder remained no matter how often she swiped at the residue. It was far worse than even glitter. "Oh? The iconic couple huh?" she mused as she leaned into his side, an action that was so natural that she almost didn't even realize it. Uncertainty coiled throughout Ann's system. All these years, she had assumed Aspen was a changed man. What if she were completely and utterly wrong. She despised the thought, for the two men in her life were her world. To part from one of them would be a difficult feat to accomplish. "Aspen," she whispered, her voice hoarse as her thoughts remained on this sole declaration. "What proof do you have?" she pressed. Deep down, she didn't believe that Aspen was at fault; she wasn't merely blinded by love, this was pure intuition. Yet, how could he frame Dominic without evidence that he was in the wrong?

Leon smirked a little, taking a few more bites of his treat. It was almost gone by now, and he sort of wanted more, but he knew that his stomach wouldn't agree with him if he went to buy another. "I think you knew I would say it because it's true," he said honestly, glancing down at her as he put an arm around her casually. How could anyone pass up Piper? He just didn't understand it. He hoped that she thought the same of him. Maybe he could end up with her eventually. Whenever she was read because he was willing to wait. He didn't care how long it took. "Well, I believe we could be rather iconic," he said with a smug look on his face. Aspen could feel the doubt in her woods. Dominic and Riley and possibly Scott and betrayed them all. He was sure Dominic's family was in on it too. When she asked for proof, he immediately thought of the recording. Could he trust her with it? It was his wife! Of course he could. The real question was, would she believe it. He pulled out his phone, getting the recording ready. "I sat down and talked with Carolin the other day. I realized none of us ever bothered to hear her story," he said. Ann may hate him for siding with her, but Caroline was innocent. She was misunderstood and used and in need of someone to care for her. Caroline Young needed a family.

Sweetness clung to her teeth and danced across her taste buds; so much so that Piper did not dare to devour another bite. She would soon enough be on a sugar rush as it was; oftentimes sweet treats only produced a subsequent amount of energy that she would be gearing to burn off. "Well I don't particularly agree," she muttered as her fingertips fell upon the wooden table. The wood was splintering along the edges and was withering due to age. A flush of color dusted across her cheekbones. One measly comment had the capability to arouse such a response out of her. "Right, the huntsman and the lone wolf. Sounds like quite the power couple right there," she mused, a taunting edge coating her words. One simple response seemed to change one's perspective. Apprehension morphed over Ann's features. Why should they take Caroline's word for it? She was the sole reason that there life had been hell for the past twenty years. She was a liar, a manipulator. Surely she had the power to weave her words in such a way that the person would believe her. "Why do you believe her of all people, Aspen?"

"You don't agree! How could you possibly not agree?" he asked, trying his best to hold back a laugh. He could tell that she was thinking the same as him. He would probably go into a sugar coma if he had another one of those funnel cakes. He only noticed then that Aurora was not at their table. That was probably a smart move on her part. She could probably see how much he was flirting with Piper. As she spoke again, the smile came back to his lips. "Very iconic indeed. I can see the stories they'll write about us now," he said, looking down at her for a moment. "You could make anything iconic, Piper." Aspen knew that Ann wouldn't want to believe a word that Caroline said, but she just had to believe him. The again, why did he believe her? It took him a moment to think of an answer. "I understand her pain. She spoke in such a tone that no one can fake. Ann, have you ever felt utterly alone? That's how I felt until I met you, and that's what I can feel in her voice. There is no way she can be lying, Annalise," he said, his tone serious.

Stifling a soft trill of laughter, Piper's eyes skirted about the area in search of her sister; she had, evidently, meandered off - perhaps to challenge the next sucker to race. Her attention returned to Leon as his spoke; a smile traced the edges of her lips as she dipped her fingertips into the powder. "You think so?" she mused, her brows furrowing as she debated over this notion. She highly doubted it, for her group of friends hardly remembered her. By the end of the evening, they probably deemed the occurrence as a drunk illusion. Pain coursed through Ann's system. Have you ever felt alone? The question continued to bounce about her very thoughts. When she had been tossed into the arena, she had felt alone, outnumbered and inexperienced. Perhaps that was why she clung to Aspen, for safety and security. As her full name fell from his lips, chills roamed down her spine. Rarely was the name used, unless the situation was dire. "Let me hear it," she eventually insisted, attempting to keep her voice even all the while.