Hunger Games 2

Arching a delicate brow, it was all Aurora could do to withhold the smirk that was tugging on the edges of her lips. Most didn't know, but Aurora was tougher than she let on. She even had a tattoo, that she had yet to tell Piper about. She didn't want her sister to think less of her, or to grow less fond of her once she found out that she wasn't as perfect as everyone once thought. "I will hold it, and I will love to see your face when I do," she countered. As they reached the house, her eyes widened slightly in disbelief. It seemed they weren't the only ones who came from a rich family. With a few prods on the back of Piper's seat, her sister eventually shifted in her seat and rubbed her eyes. Her hair was a rumpled mess. "What," she groaned, before her eyes rested on the mansion. Her mouth flopped open in pure shock.

Leon smirked a bit, seeing the girl's confidence. Well, that was something he hadn't see of her just yet, so he was rather surprised to see it at all. Yet, he wasn't going to question it. He just smiled and rolled his eyes. He glanced over at the two girls when they came to his house, and he managed a smile. "Yeah, I know that it's not what you would expect of me, but it is what I grew up in," he said. It was a rather drastic change when he went from living in a mansion to a house that could barely hold two. "Welcome to what was once my humble abode," he said, and he paused a moment when he saw a certain car in the driveway. "My brother's here," he muttered, groaning a bit. It was bad enough he was going to have to face his father, but his brother too? He wasn't sure he could do it.

Eventually, the shock died away, and Aurora was able to wipe the emotion easily off of her face. "Well, it is definitely nice," she whispered, a sheepish smile playing on her lips. Nice was most certainly an understatement. However, she didn't voice this aloud. Instead, she stepped out of the car and headed up the driveway effortlessly, leaving them behind in the car. Watching her sister disappear up the driveway, Piper slowly drifted her attention to Leon and grasped his hand in hers. "Don't worry too much about it. Just take a few deep breaths," she encouraged with a small smile, hoping to help ease the nerves. However, it wasn't likely that that would happen.

Leon looked up to see Aurora already going to the house. She better not ring the doorbell before he could. He looked back at Piper, and he smiled a bit at her words. "Easier said than done," he muttered, but he still managed to offer her a smile. He got out of the car, following Aurora to the door, but he didn't seem as happy as her. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself before he knocked. A few moments later, his father opened the door. After a few moments of examining his son, he slammed the door shut, locking it as well. From inside, he could hear his mother ask who as at the door, but he didn't hear his father's response. Then there was a bit of arguing.

Though Piper knew very well that he was right, she didn't send a response in his direction. Instead, she merely got out and trailed after him. Aurora seemed content with leaning against the wall and watching bees roam around, darting from one flower to the other. When the door opened but shut soon after, it was enough to make Piper jump. "Well that was uncalled for," Aurora snorted from where she stood; she kicked off the wall to stand upright afterwards. "I say we egg them," she suggested with a smirk, and all Piper could do was stare at her with her mouth gaping open. The world must have ended, because she never would have thought her sister would have suggested that.

Leon stared at the door for a moment in shock, but his shock grew the moment that he heard the words for Aurora. For a second, he could have swore they came from Piper. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked her. His gaze switched to the door when he heard it open once more, revealing his mother. She wrapped her arms around Leon, hugging him tightly. "I missed you so much," she said, starting to cry. Leon hugged his mother back, smiling a bit. "I missed you two mom. Leon's brother stepped out now, looking at the scene. "The prodigal son return, although I have a feeling you aren't coming here for forgiveness?" he asked with a smirk before hugging him himself. As much as he out-shined his brother, he still loved him. His gaze fell on Aurora, and he smirked a bit, looking her up and down. "Now who is this?"

As Aurora eyes trailed from one stunned expression to the next, it was all she could do to keep from rolling her eyes. "Come on," she grumbled, shaking her head. A few wheat tinted tendrils of hair fell across her cheek. "Stop staring at me as if you have seen a ghost," she grumbled, and Piper eventually snapped out of it. She just didn't see that side of Aurora often; no wait, she never saw that side of her. It was just...odd frankly. As the door opened again, she tensed, but relaxed a moment later. She wasn't sure what to say, so she opted to say nothing at all. At Leon's brother's comment, Piper grumbled, "What am I, chopped liver?" Though, it was all in good fun, for a smile tilted up her lips as she stepped over to stand beside Leon. Aurora slowly crossed her arms over her chest; whether it was to cover herself or to feign nonchalance, she was uncertain. "Aurora. I am Aurora," she answered after a long pause.

Leon's brother was about to speak, but he heard his brother clear his throat. He didn't seem to happy to see him looking at Aurora like that. Even though he had just met her, he liked her sister, so he felt like he needed to protect her some as well. Their mother smiled a bit, and she rolled her eyes. "Why don't you two come in," she said, but then his father started to yell form inside. "That thing is not to be allowed inside my home! I don't let animals live here," he called from inside. His mother sighed a bit, rolling her eyes. "Come on in. I'll talk to him," she said. It was hard for Leon to stop the heartbreak that came to his eyes as he looked at the ground, walking in to his former home.

When his brother didn't respond, Aurora arched a brow and threw a glance over at Leon. She decided not to object as she crossed her arms over her chest. Though, she could very well take care of herself if she needed to. Leaning against Leon, Piper sent him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. Her hand lightly squeezed his as she whispered, "Don't let him discourage you." Though, she didn't have much room to talk. Her mother was the reason she stormed out of that house.

Leon sighed as he heard Piper, and he nodded. He knew that she was right. He just needed to shut his dad out. He walked inside with his mother, smiling a bit. His brother was looking Aurora up and down, but he wasn't a horrible guy. He put an arm around her, smiling. "So, your name is Aurora. Like the princess in Sleeping Beauty? You know, my name is Phillip. I could be your prince," he said, looking down at her with a smirk. Leon looked inside the house. Pictures of him had been taken down, and any award he won as a child was gone. He sighed a bit, trying not to look so hurt.

It was all Aurora could do to keep herself from shaking his arm off of her. She did, however, glare daggers in his direction. "Unfortunately, I don't believe I will be under a sleeping spell any time soon," she replied, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Is your name really Phillip or were you just trying to be smooth?" As Piper trailed in after him, she reached out and grasped his hand in hers once more. "Is everything all right?" she whispered, sending him a worried look. Though, she knew very well that he was not all right; she was beginning to regret ever making the deal.

Leon looked around the house, trying his best not to lose it all. His mother led him to the couch, handing him a cup of coffee. He didn't see his father anywhere, but he was thankful for that. "So how has life been?" his mother asked. He stayed silent for a few more moments, looking at the coffee and the steam rising from the cup. "It's been okay. A little hard," he said. He was sure his father going erasing his will as they spoke. Phillip smirked a little bit, and he rolled his eyes. "No, it is my real name, much to your dismay," he said, releasing her from his arm. She seemed to be a rather independent girl, despite from what he first saw of her.

Unsure of what to say or do, Piper merely planted herself beside Leon and twiddled her thumbs. Her own family was quite puzzling, but she didn't know what to make of his. "A little seems a bit like an understatement," she commented under her breath; it had been quite the roller coaster ride. She could barely keep up. One minute everything is looking up, and the next it goes right back down hill - not to mention that Xander's men were, perhaps, on the lookout for her. Leaning against the wall, Aurora stared up at the bright sky, considering his words. "The fact you actually know about sleeping beauty," she commented, doing her best to hide a smirk. "Isn't that more along the lines of a fairytale for a girl?"

Leon smiled a little as he heard Piper. She was right. A little bit couldn't even begin to describe what both of them were feeling. He simply put on a smile and acted like he was okay for his parents. He took a few sips of coffee before he put the drink down. "Mom, I know that you miss me and everything, but it doesn't seem like anything at home as gotten better, so i am going to need you to let me go. No more Christmases, no more birthdays. I'll call you, but I just can't go on with my family like this," he said simply. His mother looked heartbroken, but she put on a smile for her son. "If that's what you think is best. i love you," she said before hugging him. Phillip chuckled a bit, rolling his eyes in response. "What? I watched a lot of Disney when I was a kid. Is that a sin or something? To be some beautiful woman's knight in shinning armor?"

The words that passed through Leon's lips definitely weren't expected; however, Piper did not say a word. Instead, she stared at the ground beneath her. She could not help but feel envious of Felix. He had the perfect family; a strong mother, who she admired for she had so much strength, and a loving father. He had what only Piper could ever dream of having. Wealth did not equate to love in the long run. Aurora brushed her fingers through her hair, brushing back the wavy tendrils from her face. "No," she began, but continued quickly with, "however, not every woman needs a man to protect her. Take Mulan for example." A grin appeared on her lip as she considered this herself.

Leon closed his eyes for a moment, and he looked down at Piper. He stayed away from his family for a while, and he just needed to keep it like that to keep the peace. "If you really still want to see me, we can have some holidays together...just without dad," he said. He couldn't stand his father any more than his father could stand him. He simply save his mother a hug and thanked her for still supporting him. His father with his Piper and Aurora now, as odd as it sounded. Phillip chuckled a bit, raising a brow. "Mulan, huh? Well, I must say, you have amazing taste in movies, my dear. I hated those early, sappy Disney movies," he started. All the female character were so whiny and helpless. He wanted a girl that was smart and could kick his butt at the same time. Aspen had spent longer than his anticipated that Caroline's but he got even more information than he ever thought he would. He just needed to make sure that no one knew where he was but Peyton. He soon came to the Sherwood house. Dimitri was there! He really hoped that they didn't take time off work to spend with their kids. It would look a little odd if he decided to pull Peyton aside.

As Leon continued to speak with his mother, Piper remained quiet. She didn't want to cut in the middle, especially considering she was uncomfortable as it was. She was in need of some alcohol, which she rarely had cravings for. Though she was underage, there were always ways to find alcohol - most of the time she stuck away from it, but now she only felt an increasing headache. She honestly wished that things could get back to normal, but normal was not possible any longer. Aurora folded her hands together, considering his comment. "Not into the damsel in distress?" she mused, arching a brow as she thought it over. So it seemed, Phillip basically described her - not that she would point that out. "Most of the princesses were idiots," she agreed, laughing softly to herself. "Like, why would Snow White accept an apple from a creepy old woman?" Peyton was leaned back on the couch, her legs pulled up to her chest as she flipped through the channels; she wasn't particularly looking for something to watch, just channel surfing to distract her from her thoughts.

Leon talked with his mother for a bit longer, but soon it was time to leave. He hugged her before looking down at Piper. "I believe you and I have somewhere to be," he said, taking in a deep breath as he started to walk out of the house. He rose a brow as he caught Phillip and Aurora talking. "Exactly! I guess she was never told to not take candy from strangers," he said jokingly, and he smiled a bit, but then his brother approached, signaling that it was her time to leave. "Can I get your number?" he asked, pulling out his phone and hand it to her so she could put her contacts in. Aspen rushed to Peyton, thankfully avoiding his bother-in-law. "I recorder the entire conversation. I want you to tell me what you believe and don't believe. There's some pretty heavy stuff, so we need to listen to this in a very secluded place," he told her.

Leon's comment brought a confused expression onto Piper's face. "Where?" she inquired as she slowly stood and trailed after him. She had missed the conversation that he had had with Aurora, considering she had fallen asleep. "Are we going somewhere nice? I don't think I am dressed for the occasion," she fretted, raking her hands through her length hair to make it at least seem somewhat presentable. Odds were, she still looked like a hoodlum. Aurora suppressed a soft laugh and tried to imagine it herself. "She definitely needed some help," she mused; the seven dwarves hadn't been exactly forthcoming. Her eyes trailed over to Leon briefly before she nodded and took his phone from his grasp to exchange her number into it. "There you go," she stated afterwards, tossing it back towards him.

Leon couldn't help the small chuckle that came to his face. "Yeah, you were asleep. Well, after this, your sister and I agreed to go to the local amusement park since we have a lot of time left. Trust me, it will be fun," he told her, taking her hand with a bright gleam in his eye. He was sure that both Piper and her sister would have an amazing time. Besides, it couldn't be dull with Leon there. It just wasn't possible. Phillip laughed along with her, smiling a little. She was pretty cute, he would say that. He wouldn't wait to talk to her some more. "Call me," he said, winking toward her. He could see the odd look that Leon was giving him. She wasn't the kind of girl he would normally go after, but maybe he just changed his preference once he met her.

Arching a brow, Piper let this mull over before a smile broke out onto her lips. "I will hold you to that. If not, I might just have to leave you," she mused teasingly, nudging him with her side. Though, truthfully, she knew she couldn't leave him. She had nowhere else to go. Back home was no longer an option, not after what her mother put her through. She would be glad if she never had to set foot in that house ever again. Aurora suppressed a smirk as Phillip spoke, crossing her arms over her chest. "I do believe Phillip," she began with a smirk gliding into place before she could stop it, "I gave you my number. So you will have to call me," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone, rolling her eyes as she did so. At least he tried...

Leon couldn't help but laugh a little, and he glanced at her sister for a moment. The two were so much like day and night that it was almost scary. "She is an odd one," he muttered to himself, but also to her. He would have never thought that he would have met some girl in the woods that he wold have so much in common with. At least she didn't run away from him. Phillip couldn't help but smile a bit as he heard her words. Okay, so maybe she was right, but he did try, right. That had to give him some sort of brownie points. "I will call you then," he said, winking towards her. Oh, she was so pretty. Hopefully his brother didn't have the hots for her too. Aspen rushed to Peyton, thankfully avoiding his brother-in-law. "I recorded the entire conversation. I want you to tell me what you believe and don't believe. There's some pretty heavy stuff, so we need to listen to this in a very secluded place," he told her.

Noticing that Leon's focus was elsewhere, Piper spared a glimpse over at her sister; in comparison, the two were drastically different. Although they were quite similar when it came to appearances - minus the fact that Piper's hair was a startling shade of beach blonde and Aurora's possessed a dusty tint, their personalities seemed to branch off. "Hey, that's my sister you are talking about," she noted, nudging her elbow against Leon's ribcage. A hint of mischief danced across her vision; there was a glimpse of the old, playful Piper. Without Leon in her life, Piper would have been so lost and dejected, a former shell of the girl that she once was. A satisfied smirk traced the corners of Aurora's lips; she was triumphant, for she had seemingly won this round. "I will hold you to that. Otherwise, I might have to come and track you down," she mused, quirking an expectant brow in his direction; though, it was evident that she was merely joking. The rapid pad of footsteps startled Peyton, drawing her from her deep seeded thoughts. She peered over at Aspen, wonder and apprehension apparent in her gaze. "And you believe her?" she whispered, her words merely a breath. In truth, Peyton had no idea what to believe herself.

Leon tried his best to hold back a smirk, but it was wiped off his face when she elbowed him. "Hey, that's not very nice," he murmured, but his playful tone was evident. He was glad that he had managed to bring this girl back to the way she had been before, or at least the way she seemed to be before. She was different than when he had first met her, that was for sure. "Thanks for coming with me. It really means a lot to me," he whispered honestly. He wondered how she could have possibly trusted him, but here she was. Phillip held back a chuckle, looking down at his phone for a moment. He would never admit it, but he couldn't wait to call this girl. He hadn't been so excited to meet a girl in what seemed like years. His parents were always so strict with who he dated, but he couldn't care less at this point. She seemed to make him laugh, and that was more than any girl could do before. Aspen tried his best to regulate his breath, standing up for a moment. "I don't know what to believe and what not to. She's made some pretty bold accusations, but oddly enough...it makes some sort of sense. Here," he said, pushing her on into her room and shutting the door. He didn't need someone like Dimitri or Noah come in while they were listening to what she had said. Astrid would be even worse. He grabbed some headphones ad plugged them in, starting the recording once Peyton was listening. He didn't know it quite yet, but their entire world would change

A faint smirk traced Piper's lips, reflecting the easy nature that Leon brought out of her. A sense of triumphant flourished through her being when he seemed winded by the faintest brush of her elbow connecting with his side. "I never said that I was nice," she interjected, a taunting smile sliding over her features. The change was evident, for she was deliriously happy, and she hadn't been that way in what seemed like forever. "I owe it to you. After all, I wouldn't have been able to face my parents without you by my side," she interjected, immediately brushing aside the thankful notions. As she peeked up at Phillip, Aurora's lashes brushed along her brow bone. She, too, was looking forward to the moment that he would call. Suppressing a faint smirk, she meandered over to the pair; nonetheless, she couldn't help but spare a final glimpse over at Phillip all the while. Stunned by the urgency in Aspen'a voice, Peyton shuffled into her room. Posters littered the far wall, old and obscure bands that her parents often found quite odd. Her teeth captured her bottom lip, sinking into the soft skin as she placed the earbud into her ear. She would hate to keep the secret from her twin, for they shared everything. Yet, this was a serious matter. As the tape played, she soaked in every word, attempting to decipher if the declarations were sincere or not.