A/N: Here's another chapter. I'm going to try to update my other stories too but who knows? This one wants to be written this weekend so we shall see what comes next. Enjoy and review if you like it! Review if you don't so I know what to improve!

The District One champion slowly lowered her arms. She bowed before the crowd as much as she could. Then she quickly made her way back to her chair. It wasn't until her bum was in the seat that she realized what else was different with her costume. Her growing belly was showing.

Sophie's brown eyes blew wide at the image of her pregnant belly. Then she quickly buried her face in her hands and tried to ignore the awkward silence. Brutus, the other tribute of District One, walked up to the crowd and received a mild applause. Sophie just peeked through her fingers to see what happened. Everybody looked teary eyed and miserable. Then Brutus began to speak.

It was a simple speech. He had every intention of defeating every single one of his opponents. He didn't care about the fact that he knew several of them. He didn't even care about the fact that nobody cared about his plans. He was still playing the game. Years after winning his games, years after being out of the arena he was still playing the game. That was probably why he volunteered in the first place. Well, he had volunteered his first time. It made sense that he wanted the honor again.

The buzzer rang and the crowd barely cheered. Some were still staring at Sophie others were watching Enobaria approach the chair by Caesar's side. Each interview started blending together after that. A champion would speak and the crowd would slowly grow more and more distraught. Several women actually fainted when Eliot Spencer took center stage. Many more screamed their love for him and sobbed loudly and visibly.

Spencer was a popular favorite among the champions. He was the youngest competitor before Parker came into the mix. He was thirteen when he won and played his game. He was the favorite right from the start too. Everybody was going on and on about what a shame it was that the gorgeous, because he was gorgeous, Eliot Spencer wasn't going to last five minutes in the arena. Then he clinched the deal with a two for a score. Strategists everywhere were baffled by such a poor result. They were even more baffled when the boy made it through the first day of the games with the most blood on his hands. He was underestimated and played it up to his advantage. He was now seventeen and built for battle. He even pulled off a ten, an impressive score for somebody aiming to not be the target.

Unlike Parker, Sophie thought ruefully. The memory of the announcement of numbers was still fresh in her mind.

They were all sitting on the couch together. Haymitch was on one side while Jimmy was on the other. Sophie was in between Nate and Parker as was the norm now. The blonde's head was on her right shoulder while Nate's hand was firmly grasping hers in a death grip. All eyes were glued to the television screen. Nobody even bothered to breathe when they started announcing the scores.

"Next up, Sophie Devereaux," Claudius Templesmith called.

Caesar just smiled a bright smile. Though his eyes were completely void of cheerfulness he was still keeping up appearances. Even Templesmith had tears in his eyes. Nobody was expecting such attachment to the champions, not even President Snow.

Sophie's victory picture appeared on the screen and the numbers began to swirl. It was a twelve that finally glowed bright red for the whole of Panem to see. Everybody groaned at that but Sophie just shrugged and sat up straighter. She was expecting that. Nobody would have believed anything other than an eleven or twelve because of her score during her previous games. Everybody was predicting a twelve and she gave it to them. It didn't really matter to her. Nate and Parker's scores mattered.

Everybody was on edge until Templesmith finally announced District Twelve. Nate was first because he was the boy and that was just how they did things. Effie even audibly took in some air to hold her breath with the rest of them. She was rubbing her gold robbingjay bracelet and wiggling around for some form of good luck.

Effie had made certain to get everybody a pin to match Nate's mockingjay pin, or as Sophie loved to call them robbingjay pins. The pink-haired woman made certain to get every single person in her district one of them. Sophie wasn't one of her charges so she was the odd man out. Effie was highly upset about it but Sophie wasn't. It was Parker and Nate who needed the good luck.

Nate's number grew bright red and filled the screen. It was a twelve as well, exactly what she had been afraid of.

"I told you they were going to make you pay," Haymitch growled.

Jimmy didn't say anything repeatable. Well, it was repeatable and colorful. It just wasn't appropriate to repeat it. Though Parker did have a glint in her eye that meant she was more than willing to repeat it. Thankfully her name was announced before that could happen.

"Parker Ford's score is…" Caesar called.

He and Claudius were bouncing up and down in their seats now. Parker wasn't a champion so she didn't have their love like the others did. She was just a sitting duck waiting for everybody to capture and kill her. She was fresh meat basically.

"An eleven!" Claudius cheered.

The numbers were blaringly red and staring everybody in the face. The double one's were dancing around and shooting out balloons. The animations were making the number look like they were a good thing. They weren't. They were far from being good.

"Eleven!" Nate shouted, "How on Earth could they give her an eleven?"

"They just made her the target!" Sophie growled.

"I told you they would make you pay!" Haymitch hissed.

A sudden bang of applause broke Sophie out of her reverie. Nathan Ford, her husband, was approaching the stage to nothing but loud applause. Girls were whistling and sending him their love. Men were waving towards him as if he was a hero. There wasn't a silent person in the crowd from the way everybody was acting.

Nate took the performance as a challenge too. He waved towards everybody and played along. He gave out high fives and blew kisses to any woman who caught his eye. Then he winked towards his wife and graciously took Caesar's hand.

"Hello Nathan," Caesar said.

"Hello again, Caesar. It's great to see you again." Nate replied. He sent another wave towards the crowd and quickly took his seat. It was like he was a completely different person now.

"Nice tux," Caesar replied. He seemed disconcerted by Nate's behavior. Apparently he was expecting such a celebrity to appear before him. "I see the winning set was well-worth the wait. It's just a shame that the Capitol will never get to experience the joy of seeing this at your wedding."

"At least President Snow was kind enough to allow Panem to see them at all," Nate smiled, "Even if under such gruesome circumstances. Oh well, I still get to spend my dying days with the woman I love. That's a bonus, right?"

"Of course," Caesar nodded. Then there was a flash of sorrow on his face. His eyes moved towards the District One champion and back to the District Twelve champion. "But there seems to be something Sophie didn't explain."

"Really?" Nate frowned in confusion at that. He quickly turned his head towards Sophie and looked her up and down. Then he swung his whole body back and tilted his head to the right. He looked towards the audience and shrugged. "I don't see a difference."

Caesar and the crowd laughed uncomfortably at the joke. Then the interview host started looking around. He looked almost frightened of what he was going to say next.

"I was talking about the little bump to her stomach," he said.

"Oh you mean the baby," Nate chuckled. Then he encouraged the crowd to laugh with him by waving his hand a bit.

"I take it you knew about her condition?" Caesar pried.

"Oh yeah," Nate shrugged, "I am the baby's father after all. Unless you think Sophie met some guy in District One because if you do then I may just have to win this game just to kill him."

Caesar squealed a laugh at that and the crowd exchanged curious looks. Nobody was comfortable now. They were all looking at each other in fear of what could come out of Nate's mouth next. He didn't disappoint.

"I'm just kidding," Nate laughed, "I'm not going to win this game. I have no intention of it. My goal is to get Sophie and the baby out of her in one piece. There is nothing else in the world that matters to me."

"Not even your little sister," Caesar questioned softly.

The crowd was perfectly silent now. Teary eyes were glued to the blonde Seam girl and she fidgeted under the pressure. Nobody was looking forward to the games at all. Everybody was heartbroken. President Snow made one move too far wrong.

"Parker is fighting with me til the bitter end," Nate replied, "She's helping me save my child, an innocent baby whose only crime is that its parents are both champions."

And there it was. That was the reason why Nate had started out so cheerful and carefree. He loosened the crowd up just enough to increase the impact of his very last words. He reminded them of what they were doing during every game. He brought it home that the Capitol citizens were responsible for the slaughter of children and took great sport in it. He also showed them that it was the children of champions who suffered the most. It was the children of champions chosen for nothing more than their parents were victors.

The crowd screamed and moaned like a singular voice. They were all begging President Snow to cancel the Quarter Quell. Nobody wanted to see a baby die. Nobody wanted to see a pregnant woman die. Nobody wanted this and that was the key of it. President Snow was forcing this upon the Capitol and they were starting to realize that. The Capitol was realizing they had a voice, a say in what happened to the children of Panem and they were using it.

Nate took advantage of Caesar's distracted focus. He quickly raced towards his secret wife and grabbed her hand. Then Parker was suddenly there on Sophie's other side, squeezing her hand just as tight. On the monitors it was the same thing. Right down the line, champion after champion was linking their hands together. They were creating a chain of defiance against the Capitol and everything President Snow stood for. Then the screens went black at the realization.

Chaos reigned when the tributes left the stage. Sophie had nearly lost hold of Parker's hand twice during the whole thing. Peace keepers were separating everybody no matter what district they were from. Nate just barely managed to get into the elevator with them.

"What happened?" Sophie asked softly. She was confused and silently cursed herself for getting lost in her memories. She should have paid attention and not dozed off when Moreau started talking.

"I don't know," Nate shook his head. He was breathing heavy, like he had been running for miles. His hand was firmly clinging to hers though. And his eyes were soft, gazing at her with nothing but pure love and adoration. There was even a slight hint of a smile to his lips.

"But I'm pretty certain President Snow knows that we're not his puppets anymore."

%

Sophie entered her dressing room breathless and sore all over. She and the baby had a terrible night at the toilet. They were both still reeling from it. Nightmares and worry were probably the culprits responsible. Even Nate and Parker's breaths couldn't keep her away from the bathroom. She was very unprepared for the day's events. That was the absolute worst thing she could be too.

"Are you okay?" William asked.

He had met her at the door and pulled her into a strong hug. Sophie had clung to him as if life depended on it. She took a deep breath and memorized the smell of his auburn hair. She breathed in the scent of apples and cinnamon and pretended she was somewhere, anywhere else. Then her eyes snapped open and she stepped away.

"I'm fine," she answered, effectively lying through her teeth with a smile.

William nodded at her answer. It was enough for him then. He slowly pulled something out of his pocket and quickly set to work pinning it to her chest. Then he kissed it and placed both of his hands on her cheeks.

"The odds are in your favor," he said. Then he placed a kiss on her forehead and stepped away.

Sophie stared at him in confusion before she looked down. Then she gasped at what was on her chest. Nate's robbingjay pin shimmered in the light. The girl quickly looked at him for an answer, mouth ready to speak.

"Nate told me to give that to you before you went up," William explained, "He said it was to ensure that you would make it back to him in one piece."

Sophie didn't know what to say to that. The baby didn't either if the way her eyes watered was any inclination. So she just jumped towards her stylist and held him tight. She gave him a firm squeeze and allowed a few tears to fall on his beautiful blue shirt.

"Hush now," William cried, pulling her away from him just enough to clear off her tears. "There is no need to cry. My money is always on you, my darling champion. You will win and you will prove President Snow wrong. Remember, love always wins the war."

"If hate doesn't destroy it first," Sophie sniffled but she stopped her tears anyway. She bit her lip and forced herself to stand straight. She raised her chin and prepared herself for battle. She was ready.

"Nate is a very lucky man," William replied.

Then he quickly pushed her towards the tube. Sophie entered and turned around. She wanted to wave him good-bye. The doors closed and she smiled the brightest smile she had in her arsenal. She waited for the tube to start moving up and waited.

Something was wrong. She wasn't moving and she was supposed to be moving. William sensed it as well. There was a frown on his face and his green eyes were narrowed with suspicion. Then the door flew open.

Peace Keepers entered the room with their white uniforms glistening in the sick light. They raised perfectly white batons and started beating on William. There was blood streaking from his mouth and his nose but they didn't stop. They just kept beating until he stopped moving. Then they started pulling his crumpled body out of the room as if Sophie wasn't even in there.

The platform slowly began to rise with Sophie's panicked breathing as its ally. Sophie was pounding on the glass with every intention of trying to tell William she was there. She stopped but only because she could hear something coming from above. Then she shut her eyes tight. There was nothing but a bright sun shining her eyes… and water.