Yay! Another chapter. I have to admit that I really do enjoy writing about Nicki and her trials and tribulations. It's fun! Okay, I know that sounds sadistic but… you know what? I know ya'll don't wanna know. You guys wanna read the story, so go ahead!

Disclaimer: You didn't think I forgot this, didn't you? I don't own Hunger Games, Catching Fire or Mockingjay. I own Catching Fire (the book) but that's it. I DO own the Greysons, Blaines and part of Garret Dolan though so if you want them, back off! Or at least ask for permission to use them.

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Chapter 2: You'll Be Alright

I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, "I'll never let you go"
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight

-Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift

I paced the room. I couldn't keep still. How much longer were they going to keep me in this room? I wanted to see my family and friends one last time… before I died.

Memories flickered behind my eyelids. I remembered being in this room. I had visited Krysta, Faylinn and Brielle when they were reaped. Hugged them one last time before they were sent off to their deaths. Now it was my turn.

My head snapped towards the door as it clicked open and a small blur flew into the room before colliding into my legs. Mika held onto me as she sobbed.

"You have seven minutes," the Peacekeeper outside the door told us. His voice was cold and unyielding. I wanted to scream at him, hit him, and do something to him. Make him hurt the way I was hurting now.

I could feel my tears burning my throat and pricking the backs of my eyes, but I wouldn't let them fall. I had to be strong.

"Don't go," she sobbed as I peeled her arms away from my waist so I could look her in the eyes, like I had done what seemed like a lifetime ago. "Don't leave me here alone."

I brushed a tear away from her cheek with my thumb, cupping her cheek in my hand. Clearing my throat, I told her, "You won't be alone. You'll have Danny and Roland here with you."

She shook her head, her damp curls flying. "It's not the same!" she cried.

Roland and Danny came in quietly. I looked up at Roland as Danny refused to look at me.

"Danny…" I said, holding Mika close to me as I tried to reach out to my little brother. He moved away.

"You said you'd take me hunting later," he accused, his voice thick with tears. His voice was quiet, but it cut through me like a knife. "You promised, Nicki. You promised."

"Danny, I just – "my voice cracked. I shook my head, my eyes threatening to fill up with tears, but I didn't let it. I wouldn't cry. Not now. There wasn't much time left. "Things change."

"Things always change," he yelled, finally looking at me. His blue eyes were rimmed with red and clouded with tears. He looked so much like our father. "You promised, Nicki. You promised, and you broke it! How could you?"

"You have to understand, Danny," I pleaded, my grip tightening slightly on my weeping sister. "It was either me or Reisa. Between the both of us, you know I have a better chance."

"Why did you have to go?" he asked, shaking his head. A tear slipped down his cheek, followed by another, and another. "It could have been anyone else. Why you?"

"Because Terran would have done the same thing. If it was you instead of Reisa. You know he would have."

He was quiet, tears streaming down his face. I shuffled closer towards him and wiped a tear away with my finger. I shifted a strand of hand away from his forehead, my fingers trailing down his jaw. Gripping his chin in a gentle but firm hold, I tilted his chin up. His crystal blue eyes met my own emerald pair.

"Everything will be fine," I promised. It sounded empty and hollow in my own ears. "I'll come back out of this. I'll be okay."

"How can you say that?" he asked, his shoulders shaking as he tried to suppress his sobs. I brought him into my embrace. He buried his face into my neck.

"Because I have too much waiting here for me to die," I told him firmly. "I'll come back. I promise."

Mika let out a particularly loud sob as Danny shook his head again. "Don't. Don't make promises you can't keep."

"I've kept all my promises."

"No, you didn't," Mika wailed into my neck. "You pinky promised you wouldn't get reaped."

"And I didn't," I told her gently. "I volunteered in Reisa's place."

Her arms tightened around my neck. "Don't go."

"I have to."

I looked up at my older brother. He looked like he wanted to break down and cry too, but kept it together the same way I was. We were the older siblings. We had practically raised Mika and Danny together. We couldn't let them see us break down. It would make everything a lot worse than it really was.

"You're not going to say anything?" I asked him. I tried to blink away my tears, but one managed to escape, trailing down my cheek. He wiped it away gently, tucking a wayward lock of hair behind my ear.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered, kneeling down in front of me. "Mom and Dad would be proud of you too. You're so brave."

Another tear slipped past my defences as I let go of my two siblings and threw my arms around Roland. I sniffed, determined not to let another tear slip. I had to be strong.

"I'm scared," I breathed, loud enough only for Ro to hear. He stroked my hair, like he used to when I was younger.

"I know." He gently pulled me away from him and took something out from his pocket. My breath caught when I saw the meager sunlight glinting off the chain. A golden locket swung off the chain. It was in the shape of a heart, with the letters L.T engraved in the front.

"Mom's locket," I whispered, reaching out a finger to touch it.

"Now it's yours," Roland said, opening the clasp and placing the locket around my neck.

"Ro… I love you," I said. Touching the locket briefly, I threw my arms around my elder brother again. Danny and Mika wrapped their arms around us as well. I savoured the feeling of my family around me. This would probably be the last time I would ever feel their arms wrapped around me.

"I love you too, Nicki-May," he whispered back, stroking my back.

"Time's up," the Peacekeeper said, his words a bucket of ice water over our little family moment. I reluctantly let Roland go, taking a deep breath to control my emotions.

I tried to stand up, but Danny and Mika wouldn't let go of me. "Guys," I said softly. "You have to let go."

"No!" they yelled, holding on tighter. My arms wrapped around them as I squeezed them one last time.

"I love you," I whispered, kissing both of them on the forehead. "I'll come back. I promise. I'll come back."

With that, I pried their arms from around my waist. Danny fought back for a moment before letting go, but not before kissing my cheek.

"I love you too," he whispered back before going to stand next to Roland.

Mika refused to let go. "Don't leave me!" she sobbed.

I shook my head. "I don't have a choice."

Before I could say anything else, Mika was ripped away from me. The Peacekeeper that had told us our time was up was holding Mik by her shoulders while she struggled to get away from him.

"No! Nicki! Nicki-May! Don't leave!" she screamed. It broke my heart to see her that way, hair wild as tears streamed down her face.

"I love you, Mik," I told her, blowing her a kiss. Roland took her from the Peacekeeper and they walked out the door. A tear slipped from under my eyelids and I hastily wiped it away. I could hear her screams as the door shut, tearing away at my soul.

I rubbed at the locket hung around my neck. The locket had belonged to my mother, back when she was alive. Ro and I could never bring ourselves to sell it, even if it did mean we wouldn't be able to eat. It was one of the few things we had left of her.

The door opened once more and Reisa and Terran came in.

"Five minutes," the Peacekeeper said firmly. Huh. He reduced the time.

"Hey, guys," I greeted, smiling weakly.

"I'm so sorry," Reisa immediately apologized, her eyes filled with tears.

I shook my head. "It's not your fault."

"You didn't have to take her place," Terran said, squeezing his sister's shoulders briefly before heading toward me.

"You would've done the same for Danny," I reasoned. "And I promised you Reisa wouldn't go to the Games. Well, now she won't."

"That didn't mean you had to take her place," he said angrily, his brown eyes flashing. I looked at him calmly.

"It was either her or me. You and I both know I stand a better chance of surviving."

"And if you don't? If you die? I won't ever be able to look Roland in the eye."

"And you think I would, if I had let Reisa go?" I asked incredulously. "She's twelve! She's too young to die!"

"You're seventeen! That's too young to die too!" he yelled.

"I can take care of myself!" I yelled back, my temper getting the best of me. "I'm not some little girl!"

"You shouldn't have taken her place!"

"You'd rather I let her die?"

"No, but – there could have been another way!"

"Like what? Nobody else was going to do anything! They were all too scared!"

"Stop fighting," Reisa begged, stepping between the two of us. "Please, don't fight. Not now. Not about this."

My shoulders slumped. I sighed, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. "I watched Krysta and Faylinn and Brielle get reaped and die. I didn't want the same thing to happen to your sister. I was too scared to do anything back then and look what happened."

"I'm sorry," he apologized quietly. "I just – you're my best friend, you know that?"

A small smile quirked my lips. "I've heard it once or twice," I joked weakly.

He held out his arms and I stepped into them, my arms wrapping around his waist. I rested my chin on his shoulders as he leaned his cheek against the side of my head.

"It'll be hard to see, you know?" he told me quietly. "Harder than seeing Krysta or Fay or even Bree. Because it'll be you."

I pulled back, smiling slightly. "Have a little faith in me," I said, echoing the words I said earlier this morning in the woods.

He grinned weakly. "Always. I trust you enough to shoot the birds, don't I?"

I snorted. "That's because you can't even hit the side of your house, let alone a flying bird."

He poked my shoulder. "Don't rub it in, Miss I Can Hit a Flying Bird from a Hundred Feet."

The small smile that was playing on my lips fell as reality set in. For that moment, I could forget that I wasn't about to die, that I hadn't just traded my life for Reisa's.

"I'll come back," I promised quietly. He pulled back so he could look me in the eye.

"Yeah? Is that a promise or are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

"Come on, Ter. You know I don't say stuff to make people feel better."

He was quiet for a moment before he rested his forehead against mine. I shut my eyes, squeezing his waist slightly. He squeezed me back as I opened my eyes, my now forest green eyes swimming with tears. I'd miss this; miss him.

"Yeah, I know. Do me a favour."

"Anything."

"Don't die out there."

I let out a soft laugh. "Of course. Who else is going to shoot the birds if I die?"

"I'm serious, Nicki," he said seriously. He looked… terrified. Like he was afraid I would really die.

"So am I," I said, my voice equally serious. "I'll try my best."

"I don't want you to try," he said fervently. "I want you to not die. Okay?"

He shook my shoulders a little as he pulled back. I put my hands on his and realised his hands were trembling. Looking at our hands, I saw mine were too.

"Okay," I answered softly.

A sob broke through our little bubble. I looked over a Reisa, who had tears streaming down her pale cheeks. She had her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her sobs.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she cried. I hugged her, wiping her tears away.

"I told you, it's not your fault. I don't blame you," I soothed, "so stop blaming yourself."

"I wish you didn't have to go, Nicki," she whispered, resting her head on my shoulder. I stroked her hair.

"So do I, Reisa," I murmured. "So do I."

Looking up at Terran looking down at us sadly, I couldn't help but think how unfair this was. What right did the Capitol have to send children to their deaths and tear families apart? A flash of white-hot anger flared through me briefly.

"Ter, if I don't make it – "

"Don't say that," he argued. I held up a hand, stopping him. I needed to say this.

"If I don't make it, take care of my family for me," I asked, my eyes pleading. "Try not to let Danny and Mika watch."

He just stared at me for a moment, uncomprehendingly. Then, he shook his head.

"No."

"Terran – "

"No, Nicki! You're going to make it out, because you're you."

I wanted to say that I wasn't as strong as he thought I was, that I was going up against victors; people who had already survived the Games once before. Compared to them, I didn't have much of a chance. I opened my mouth to say that, but the Peacekeeper came in again, signaling that their time with me was up.

Hugging the both of them one last time, I placed a kiss on both of their cheeks. Before he went off, Terran grabbed my hand, whispering, "Remember, don't die."

With one last tearful smile, he was gone.

I stared at the door as it slid shut. That was it. No one else would come and visit me. These were the last memories I would have with them before I died.

I knew I told them I'd come back, but saying and doing are two completely different things.

I leaned against the wall, sliding down until I sat on the floor. I leaned my head against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. That was that. Any moment now, I'd be carted off to the Capitol, where I'd meet my death.

My head shot up when I heard the door click open. Who else would come in to visit me?

"Lonna," I said, surprised, when I saw who came in.

Her smile was sad and tearful when she saw me. "Hey, Nicki."

"What are you doing here?" I asked. We weren't that close. I mean, we talked in class and said hi to each other whenever we passed, but we weren't particularly close.

"I wanted to see you. And to give you something," she replied, gripping something in her left hand.

"You didn't have to," I told her, standing up, but tears pricked the back of my eyes. She didn't have to give me anything. She wasn't even obligated to visit. Yet here she was.

She shook her head. "I want to. We're friends, aren't we?"

Normally, if anyone asked me that question, I would have hesitated slightly. But looking into her eyes, seeing her here right now, made the hesitation evaporate. "Of course we are," I answered, smiling slightly.

Her smile widened slightly as she clasped my hands. I felt her leave something in my hand and looked at it as she let my hands go. It was a pendant. A golden mockingjay perched in a ring, its wings spread open.

"Lonna…" I tried to say something else, but I couldn't. It was beautiful. And it looked pretty expensive. "I can't take this."

"Keep it," she begged. "I want you to have it. It might help you in the arena."

I brushed the pendant with my thumb lightly. "How?"

She glanced at the door before leaning in closer toward me, her voice dropping to a whisper. "There was a rebellion in District Eight. They say that the mockingjay is their symbol; the symbol of the resistance."

"And you think this will help me survive," I said skeptically. I had heard about the rebellion from the Peacekeepers. They thought I couldn't hear what they were saying because they were whispering so quietly, but I could hear every word.

"They also say that Katniss Everdeen is going to be going to the Games again too."

My forehead crinkled. "You're saying that this pendant will show to her that I'm on her side? You want me to be her ally?"

She nodded. "It's a good idea. Bree would have approved."

I nodded slowly. She was right. It was something Bree would have thought of. The mockingjay was her district token last year. I had heard from some of the elders that the mockingjay was the symbol of the rebels. Katniss was supposedly the reason for the rebellion. Her stunt with the berries was taken as an act of defiance. Then, reality kicked in and I shook my head.

"I'm just going to have to kill her, Lonna," I said. I don't want to make her trust me just to have to turn around and kill her. That's despicable and low.

"Maybe you won't have to," Lonna replied, a mysterious undertone to her voice.

"You know something," I said, my eyes accusing.

She glanced at the door one more time before nodding hesitantly. "Something like that. Look, I can't tell you anything. You'll have to find out on your own. Please, just keep it."

I stared at her for a moment. Her brown eyes were pleading me to listen to her words. Lonna wouldn't do anything to hurt me. She just wanted to help. She's my friend.

Finally, I sighed and nodded. "Help me put it on?"

Her smile turned relieved. "Of course."

She helped me place the mockingjay pendant on the chain hanging around my neck. I touched it lightly as it swung next to my Mom's locket.

She looked at the locket hanging around my neck and hugged me suddenly. My arms were limp by my sides for a moment before I wrapped my arms around her.

"Thank you. For coming to see me. And for the pendant," I whispered.

"It's nothing," she replied. We stood like that for a few more moments before we let go, smiling at each other.

The Peacekeeper entered the room once more, breaking another warm moment I had with another person close to me.

"Good luck," she whispered, embracing me one last time before she slipped out the door. I touched the locket and pendant around my neck, twisting the long chain around my fingers loosely. These were all I would have left of the people here in District Five. They wouldn't take it away from me. I wouldn't let them.

This time, the Peacekeeper didn't leave the room.

"It's time to go," he said, grabbing hold of my arm. The grip was tighter than it had any right to be, but I didn't say anything. I wouldn't show him weakness. I glanced sharply at his hand and saw a bite mark marring the skin.

I had to smother a grin. Atta girl, Mika.

I saw my fellow tribute being dragged out in a similar way, although it was probably because of the fact that he was still drunk and would probably trip over his own two feet.

The train was huge. I mean, I had seen it on television from previous Hunger Games, but it was different from seeing it in person.

Looking around, I couldn't see the cameras and reporters that were usually around to record the tributes going into the Capitol.

"New procedures," the Peacekeepers holding onto my arm said gruffly as he dragged me into the train. Well, that explains why he doesn't mind dragging me into the train like some fugitive.

"Now, now, Brayden," Griselda chided as she gently took hold of me. "Don't treat Nicolette that way. She's a tribute, not a criminal!"

"Nicki," I corrected automatically. She looked at me, confusion all over her face. "It's Nicki. Everyone calls me Nicki."

She nodded. "Of course, of course. Nicki, then." Then, she ushered me inside. "Come in, come in! We have to be on our way to the Capitol!"

I hesitated with a foot on one step before looking over my shoulder, taking one last glance of my home. The various factories and power plants made up most of the skyline in District Five, but I could make out the faintest outline of the slums I had grown up in.

My grip on the handlebar that was on the side of the entrance tightened as tears built up in my throat. What were the odds that I'd ever see my family and friends again?

They weren't very high, that's for sure.

Twenty-four tributes. Out of those, twenty-three were victors of previous games – the strongest of their year.

And I, the lone newcomer, was going to be going up against them.

I took a deep breath before tearing my gaze away from home, my voice slightly shaky as I said, "Let's go."

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Well, that's the next chapter of Deadly Five. I hope you guys like it. I wouldn't know… I haven't gotten any reviews *hint hint* Well, I updated a lot earlier than I expected. I couldn't help it! Nicki's story was practically begging to be written! I really, REALLY hope you guys review.

~Alex