A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed/favorited/added this story to alerts! I wasn't expecting so much response to the first chapter.

The world out the window was a blur of intermingled gray and green. It was only a matter of time now until the earthy tones would give way to shapes of the tall buildings of the Capitol. District two was fairly close to the heart of Panem, only about an hour or two away by train.

Everything was moving so fast. Ali needed more time to strategize, because right now, her thoughts were racing and everything she could come up with was crammed together in a meaningless mush, much like the scenery flashing by on the other side of the glass.

There was a tap on her shoulder and Alison stiffened, expecting it to be Jason. But when she turned around, she was met with the sight of Noel Kahn. He was grinning stupidly and holding at least four cookies in his hand. Ali was pretty sure he hadn't stopped eating since their evening meal was served.

She was also pretty sure he didn't understand that his wolf-like eating made him look like an uncivilized savage. It was pretty disgusting, but as long as it made her look better in comparison, Alison didn't mind.

"You know, you don't look very excited," Noel said. He raised one dark eyebrow questioningly and stuffed one of the cookies into his mouth. After a few chews and a hard swallow, he added, "It's no secret your brother is a stick in the mud, but that doesn't mean you have to act like one, too."

"I'm nothing like my brother," Alison replied automatically. "If I was, I'd be hiding in one of the back rooms like an antisocial freak."

That made Noel grin again. "I almost wish you were. Then I'd have no competition for sponsors."

Normally, Alison wasn't bothered by Noel, but he was only tolerable in small doses, and that was when she was in a good mood.

The blonde scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Please, like that would ever happen. And you do realize all the sponsor money goes in a single fund for the district, right? Or did you choose to get yourself into this without any knowledge of how the Games work at all?"

Noel only looked more amused. Alison wanted to smack the smirk off his face.

"I've been preparing for this for a long time, Alison. So have you. Though I haven't seen you at the academy in a while. Where exactly have you been?"

"I'm sure you'd love to know what I do in my free time," Alison answered with a tight-lipped fake smile.

They were interrupted then by their escort bustling into the room. He was a short, stout man named Placidius with a moustache too large for his face and an absolutely nauseating sense of optimism.

"We're right on schedule, see?" he burst out, holding up a pocket watch as if Noel and Alison could read it. "In precisely five minutes, we'll pull up at the train station and you two can meet your future fans! Now someone go fetch the mentors! Hurry!" he chirped.

Grateful for an excuse to leave the room, Alison got up and headed for the hallway of bedrooms near the back of the train. Jason was in the first room to the left. When Alison peeked in, she found him sitting upright on the bed. His skin was pale and large, empty eyes stared in her direction.

It was clear he wasn't intending on mentoring this year. Maybe that was a good thing; maybe it meant he cared about sister enough to look out for her. Or maybe he would hold it against her for making him have to spend a month in a place that haunted him.

The other victors had to know there was something up with him, right? It wasn't her problem to worry about, but Alison didn't like the thought of Capitol people taking one look at his dazed expression and casting judgment on him.

"Mom and Dad said they expect you to fight hard," Jason said without moving or changing expression.

Alison stepped further to the room. "It would've been nice to hear that from them," she said quietly, crossing her arms.

She was grateful when Jason moved and seemed to contemplate a response. He ran his hand through his messy blond hair and sighed. "Ali, you know it's hard for them. Mom couldn't say goodbye twice." A moment passed before he added, "Especially not to you."

"What do you mean by that?" Alison asked.

"C'mon, you know what I mean," Jason said. "You've always been their favorite. Me, they could handle losing. You're the kid they wanted to hold onto."

Well it doesn't feel that way, Ali thought, but this was Jason she was talking to. Heavy, emotional conversations weren't a hallmark of their relationship. Her skin was already prickling in discomfort.

"If you think so…" she trailed off, shrugging her shoulders and trying to sound nonchalant. She glanced out the door and reluctantly brought her eyes back to her brother. "We should be pulling up at the station any second now. I was told to come get you."

A lot about the Capitol was a mystery to Emily. She didn't know how anyone could eat so much food every day without getting a stomach ache. She didn't understand what Cyrus meant when he cornered her and her district partner right before getting off the train and warned them to be careful what they talk about.

The buttons on the shower didn't make sense, and the biggest mystery of all was how she could lay in the most comfortable bed she had ever encountered and spend the whole night thinking that she preferred the old, hard mattress that rested on the floor at home.

Emily was actually surprised when she woke up in the morning- she didn't remember dozing off at all. Not when the clock said it was past midnight or when she heard the avoxes start moving around outside her door in the early hours of the morning.

It couldn't have been very deep a sleep at all. The feeling of eyes on her was enough to make her jolt awake. She gaped in confusion at the sight of her mentor, Meredith, standing at the foot of her bed with a knife in her hand.

"Good morning?" Emily asked tentatively. Her eyes were on the knife as she backed up and hit her shoulders against the headboard. The weapon didn't look very sharp at all, but it was attached to a slightly unstable trained killer, and that was enough to make Emily's voice waver.

"You look terrified," Meredith said. Her expression was unamused as she looked down and ran her fingers over the edge of the knife. "They never give me anyone good to work with."

Emily felt her cheeks heat up. If this was a test to evaluate her, she was off to a bad start. "It was just a little unexpected to see you there, that's all," she said.

Meredith looked up at her. "Don't count on expecting anything in the arena. My guess is you'll be dead within the first twelve hours."

The young woman cracked a smile that didn't look genuine and promptly exited the room. Emily was horrified.

She jumped out of bed and looked at herself in the full-length mirror built into the closet door.

Her dark eyes were bloodshot from a lack of sleep and her long, black hair was unkempt from tossing and turning, but other than that, she didn't look bad. She was tall and her tan skin was healthy and glowing. It was an athlete's body, far from the scrawny, underfed look typical of tributes from the outer districts.

The idea of being in the Hunger Games was more than daunting and she didn't consider herself capable of the brutality it would take to win, but she didn't look weak. Meredith clearly thought she did, though.

She could see her bottom lip quivering in her reflection. It dawned upon her that a strong exterior would mean nothing if it was transparent. Her fear was seeping through, revealing itself through body language and expressions.

Emily never considered herself to be an actor. She didn't know how to hide fear, but she could already feel the beginnings of self-preservation kicking in, telling her she had to learn fast if she wanted to survive.

Her throat was dry as she got dressed and joined the others for breakfast. No one said a word. There was barely any eye contact, aside from occasional evaluative peeks at one another. Emily couldn't help feeling like she was sitting in on the most dysfunctional family breakfast ever. Couldn't help being worried that her silence was being interpreted as shyness. Weakness.

"Maybe we should watch the reapings and see what we're up against," Emily said to clear the silence. Meredith and Harvey, the male tribute, cast a glance in her direction.

"I watched the recap last night," Harvey said while brushing crumbs off the tablecloth. He sounded disinterested.

Meredith studied her for a few seconds and then turned her attention elsewhere, apparently ignoring her. Emily kind of regretted saying anything.

Alison smiled at her reflection on side of the polished chariot. She never went anywhere without looking presentable, but tonight, she was something else entirely. She wasn't just beautiful; she was absolutely stunning.

Her midnight black top and skirt shined with the glassy complexion of obsidian. Silver armor draped around her shoulders and waist. Her blonde hair fell in perfect curls and her head was adorned with a black-diamond encrusted crown. Dark eye makeup contrasted beautifully against icy blue eyes.

Alluring and dangerous. It was exactly how she wanted to be seen. There was a certain thrill that came with wearing a costume. It made it so much easier to slip into a persona and fully embody all the characteristics that came along with it. Looking strong made Alison feel strong. The hours of torture involved in getting ready were more than worth it.

Alison surveyed the scene around her. The Tribute Parade had not yet started and hardly anyone was in their designated spot. She caught sight of Noel flirting with the girl from district one and shook her head. What a shock.

The district three chariot directly behind her was still empty. District four was a few feet further back. There was a dark-haired girl standing to the side, looking in Alison's direction attentively. As soon as they made eye contact, the girl's eyes flitted away.

Alison took a closer look. The girl was dressed as a mermaid. Sparkling fabric of soft hues clung to her from the waist down and flared out at her ankles, like a fin. Her top, if it could even be considered one, was comprised of a sea shell bra that didn't cover much.

Ali was careful not to let her eyes linger too long. The girl was easily one of the most attractive tributes here, but there was something else that Ali couldn't place. Maybe it was her hair, or something, but there was definitely an air of familiarity about her. She resembled someone from home.

Not being able to call to memory who it was quickly frustrated Alison. She realized she had been staring for a while when the girl's eyes met hers again. Ali turned away, not wanting to look like a creep, but it wasn't long before she found herself stealing another glance.

And the girl was looking at her. Again.

Ali tilted her head questioningly. She made a split decision to walk over to the district four chariot.

"Do you need something?" Alison asked. Her voice wasn't harsh, but it was firm and not particularly friendly.

"No," the girl answered quickly, eyes wide. "I was just…um, I like your costume," she said.

Alison narrowed her eyes. She wasn't sure what to make of the situation, but the girl looked harmless enough, and she still needed to figure out what about her was so familiar.

"Thanks," Ali replied. "Yours is nice, too. It's very fitting."

The tan-skinned girl crossed her arms over herself, as if suddenly aware that her top half was mostly exposed. "Yeah, mermaids are definitely a district four thing," she said.

"No, I mean it's fitting for you. Not everyone could pull it off," Ali said, deciding to play nice. The compliment wasn't a lie, anyway. "You remind me of someone. What's your name? Mine's Alison."

"Emily," she answered. Her eyes focused on Alison's. "That's not surprising. We've met before."

Alison raised her eyebrows. She was truly taken aback. "When? I've never set foot in your district."

"I lived in district two for three years," Emily explained. Before Alison could ask how that was possible, Emily elaborated. "My dad's one of the higher ranking peacekeepers. He's transported to other districts every so often. There was, uh, a situation in two a while back. It looked like it would be permanent so my mom and I were allowed to relocate with him."

Alison pursed her lips and nodded. "How old were you?"

"We moved there when I was twelve and stayed until I was fifteen. I was actually in your class."

"Really?" Alison asked, feeling a little bad for not remembering. "That would explain why you look familiar."

Emily nodded. She twirled the edges of her black hair before securing her arms around her body again. For some reason, she looked more nervous than she had before.

"Everyone knew who you were. I was in the background. We never really talked, except for that one time."

Alison racked her brain but found no recollection of the event.

Emily looked at her confused expression and frowned. "You mean you don't remember?"

"Should I?" the blonde questioned. "You make it sound like it was something more significant than peer editing in English."

The girl from four looked at her for a couple of long moments and dropped her eyes. "It was nothing, really. Don't worry about it."

"Tell me," Ali insisted.

Emily was about to form a response when the call came for everyone to report to their chariots.

"Ugh, you know what, tell me later," Alison said. "I'll find you during training."

She reluctantly returned to her spot and let Noel help her onto the chariot. It was not long until the horses started moving and they were parading alongside thousands of people screaming with delight.

It was exhilarating. All the adoring fans showering her with love and attention. She didn't have to fake her smile, although she did make sure to hold her chin up and look straight ahead, as if she were above everyone else. Alison felt like she was on top of the world, right where she belonged.

It was wonderful, but it was only a temporary distraction from the questions swirling around in her head after meeting the mermaid from district four.

Emily's mind was elsewhere as she wiggled out of her mermaid tail and scanned the drawers for something more comfortable to wear. A pair of black dress pants was the best she could find.

She collapsed on the bed and buried her head into a pillow. How ridiculous it was that, amidst the stress of her situation, she was thinking about Alison DiLaurentis of all people. She clenched her eyes shut and all she could see was blue eyes looking at her with curiosity. Blonde hair curled into perfect ringlets and how she looked both beautiful and intimidating in her costume.

So ridiculous. It wasn't like thoughts of that girl hadn't been trapped in her mind for years already. The last thing Emily needed was her first crush popping back into her life and turning her into an awkward, nervous mess when she needed to be focused. Especially considering the fact that Alison could literally be her downfall in the arena.

Anything remotely relating to Alison DiLaurentis needed to be blocked out immediately. Her attention should be on figuring out a strategy to stay alive for as long as possible.

Emily rolled over and stared at the ceiling. She groaned and allowed herself fifteen minutes to sort her thoughts before mulling over strategies. Fifteen minutes couldn't hurt anything.

It was apparent that Alison didn't remember anything. Emily felt stupid for expecting her to. They had only exchanged a few words, and Alison was definitely distracted.

But Emily remembered everything. She remembered how fourteen-year-old Alison looked as she darted out of her family's house, cheeks flushed and eyes watery. Her hands were shaking and she looked less put together than Emily had ever imagined she could be.

"Alison? Are you okay?" Emily had asked. She watched the other girl stiffen at the sound of her voice and precede to briskly walk away from her.

Emily had to jog to catch up. She was careful to keep a safe distance behind the girl's bouncing curls. "Alison, I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," Alison had responded without turning around. Her voice sounded weak and close to cracking. "Stop following me."

Alison's name was called in the distance and she spun around toward the sound. It was only then Emily could see the redness of her cheek and how her lip quivered. She noticed Alison was squeezing a piece of paper.

Her blue eyes met Emily's and when she took a breath, it sounded like she might break down sobbing. "Don't tell anyone you saw me. Please," she begged her.

"I won't" Emily had answered, so low she wasn't sure the other girl heard her. She wanted so badly to comfort her, to ask what happened.

Emily said the first piece of advice she could think of. "There's a place between the old market and the weapons factory, right past the working field. No one ever goes in between the buildings. You can hide there," she said quickly, rushing to get the words out.

"Right past the working field?" Alison had asked. Emily clearly remembered how the girl had taken in a sharp breath and took off running.

The tiny alcove used to be Emily's spot. It was a place she'd retreat to often since she always felt out of place among all the kids who had grown up in district two. She wondered if it helped Alison the way it helped her.

Since that day, Emily knew there was more to Alison DiLaurentis than meets the eye. She was never able to forget about it, even if she should. Even if Alison had.

A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed it :) I like writing for Alison because everything about her is really complicated. Also keep in mind that at this point, Emily hasn't experienced the same growth she has on the show. She's still shy and sweet Emily. I'll try to update within a reasonable amount of time. My family has the flu and I'm feeling kind of bleh so I hope I don't catch it. Anyway, please review!