(OOC: Foxface's POV! And here are some shout outs:

LunaLovegoodLovesNargles: Thanks and i'm sorry the seventh took so long!
NinjaJacq : I'm sorry but I would have messaged you if you had messaging enabled. And to answer your question, no I did mean Peeta. This is my alternative of the 74th Games, sorry to confuse you and by the way who is David?
crimson11116: Thank you so much! I hope this was quick enough for you!)

Chapter 8- Making Connections

I position myself to a more comfortable state. Trees aren't exactly the softest part of nature… As I wait, my mind cannot help but go over the last few days. Ian snuck out twice to see me and we spent a lot of time talking about when we would put the plan into action with the mines. We knew it wasn't safe to do anything of the sort at the moment, due to the state the careers are in and how they cannot hunt yet. Ian tells me that the tall blonde guy, Cato I think he said, is knocked out cold and has been for a couple days. He also informs me that the tall brunette, Marvel, is also knocked out. I would have never thought that I would be hoping for careers to wake… but I cannot wait much longer, anticipation has taken its toll and whenever I think about it my nerves give in. When they all awake they will be off hunting and when they are off hunting Ian and I will finally be able to make our move. Hmmm what else had Ian said? I pick at my brain for a little until I remember. The short girl with the knives had been hit in the shoulder by an arrow, a sadistic smile slowly spreads across my face, and apparently she had been hit by her own ally. I attempt to stifle my laugh but fail, and a small snicker is let out. Then of course there was Peeta… the boy who I was waiting for right now, who was the reason of my rather uncomfortable seat. He had been beaten severely by the bulky blonde. The thought of someone bashing something so pure made me furious. I don't know why but I really want to preserve that beautiful smile. I push the thought out of my head. What is wrong with me? I am in a fight to the death and all I can think about is saving a boy that will eventually have to die in order for me to win. Did I really think I could win? I look down at my puny arms and grimace. My mind plays back images of the careers in training. The district two girl and district one boy rarely miss, if not at all. The towering blonde made aggression turn into strength. The district one girl wasn't bad herself... unless she was holding a bow. I, myself wasn't exactly great with weapons but was alright at stealth. Maybe I could assassinate them one by one? The biggest threat out of the careers was, in my opinion, the short girl. In training she was agile, strong, accurate and her height made her harder to hit.

My mind gets bored and I find myself wondering about Ian. What was he doing now? The last couple of times we were together we actually had conversations about ourselves and home. He is turning sixteen in a week. He has one brother and two sisters all of which are older than him. He has always been so close to his family. His brother had actually volunteered for him, but he was nineteen so it was not allowed. His name is Derek and from what he tells me about him he sounds like the best guy in the world. His two sisters are seventeen. Their names are Cassandrius and Qweyla. He used to have another sister, Granadella. The sisters were identical triplets. Two years ago Granadella had been reaped. She thought it immoral to take another's life though and she had suicided before she had gotten into the arena. It hasn't been the first time that has happened. Over seventy-four years there have been about twenty. Fifteen of which happened within the first nine years of the Games. These days suicide is extremely rare in tributes, but when it does happen it always makes the front page of the newspaper. It must have been so terrible for his family to not only have one child taken away from them but two. I silently pray for their grief.

Family has always been a touchy story for me, which is why I generally don't like to talk or even think about it. All it leads to is despair and pain.

An abrupt sound surfaces in the air. My body freezes and my mind goes into paranoia. I know that this is what I have been waiting for but it does little to calm my nerves.

"Hello?" The familiar voice calls. I would recognize that voice anywhere. He did come.

"Hello?" He asks again. I can now see the boy, trudging below, obviously scared. The crescent of the moon does little to show appearance. The boy is nothing but a silhouette. I do not move. I do not answer. I have to be sure that he is alone and that this is not an ambush. I slowly grab a pebble out of my pocket that I had collected before for this exact purpose. My fingers rub it for a little before throwing it at a tree, ten metres ahead. The sudden noise makes the boy's head turn in the general direction.

"Is that you?" He asks walking steadily over towards the tree. For thirty seconds my eyes train on where he had initially came on, looking for a sudden movement or noise that would give away the other's incognito but get not a clue. The boy is now heading back, confused.

I silently make my way down the tree. My feet gracefully hit the grassy ground and I face Peeta's back, who seems unknowing of my descent.

"Peeta" I whisper. His whole body turns around instantly. Of course this could all be part of his ambush but something tells me that, it is beneath him to do such a thing. In his hand he holds a sharp dagger. I take a quick step back and reassure myself it is just for his safety. His eyes lock onto mine.

"Why'd you want to talk to me?" He asks, his fingers still laced around the knife.

"Do you mind putting it away?" I say motioning with my head towards the life threatener. His eyes stare at me for a little before giving in to my request and pocketing the knife. I slyly wrap my hand around mine inside my pocket.

"Why did you want to see me?" He repeats.

"I wanted to talk to you. I want to see where your allegiance lies"

"What's it to you?" He asks confused more so than harshly.

"I'm just curious. Are you forever a career?"

Peeta's eyes wander, looking to the left and then the right. He shakes his head.

"Ah I see. Why are you with them now then?" I ask, continuing the interrogation. For a moment I think he will refuse to answer but he shows no hesitation.

"Same reason you are." I give him a confused glance, only just visible in the darkened night. "I'm keeping an eye on them" Was Peeta really this deceptive? "Okay now can you answer my questions? Firstly, why did you warn me the other night?"

My eyes look down at the ground, lost in thought. How am I supposed to answer that? There is no way I could say the truth, in front of him, in front of the whole of Panem. That would just make me seem childlike. It would destroy any chances of sponsors. "Because, I want you for an ally" I say, only being half the truth.

"What?" Peeta asks confusion vivid on his face. "Why do you want me to be your ally?"

"Because you would be a helpful asset"

"What, why?"

"It would be great to have someone on the inside" Yes it's true that I already do, but Peeta, he is the inner inside. He actually talks to them and spends majority of his time with them. That's what I tell myself anyways, I already know the real answer though.

"I don't know…" He stutters. A moment of silence hangs in the air before he gives in. "Okay. What do you want to know?" A small unnoticeable smile creeps up on my face,

"Not now. Tomorrow, same place, when the sun is directly overhead. Okay?" I wait for the approving nod of the head before turning away.

"Wait" He calls. I turn back around to face him. "I never got your name" he says almost too friendlily. A small smile finds its way onto my face.

"In time…" I say as I turn and run away from him.


As the sun's rays penetrate the canopy of the forest I cannot help but take a moment to admire the scenery laid out in front of me. The ground resembles an inverse coat of a Dalmatian, the scattered spots of light surrounded by the dark. The trees around me stand up like towers, making me feel miniscule in the comparison. I sit myself at the base of a rather tall tree which seems to stand out from the others. Almost everything about this tree differs from that of a normal one. The bark is a lighter shade of brown that reminds me of a wooden horse I had once. The leaves are a folly red, the trunk three times the size of any of the surrounding trees and even the texture is a much softer one. To the right of me, red shrimp flowers match the colour combination of the leaves. I pluck a flower from the stem and take a deep breath, inhaling the beautiful scent. The sweet pollen reminds me of home…

"Finch?" I jump at the abrupt sound, dropping the flower.

"Ian? What are you doing here?" I ask as I look up to see the pair of light brown eyes I have come to know. "I thought you said you couldn't come today?"

"I did say that. I just really wanted to see you, that's all"

"Why?" I ask, frankly a little annoyed. I was meant to be seeing Peeta… I didn't want to tell him about Ian… or vice versa for that matter.Now don't get me wrong, it's not that I am trying to play some type of love scandal, after all I know for a fact Peeta loves Katniss and secondly I think such a thing would be quite inappropriate.

"I just like to see you… you make me feel like everything is okay and you make me forget that we are in a death tournament. You cloud my head from the reality we face… and I'm thankful for it. I can see you're a little busy though… so I'll talk to you later then" The brunette turns and prepares to take a step that I won't let him take. I grasp his hand.

"No. Stay. Please." There was no way I could just let him walk after what he said. It was so sweet. I can feel my cheeks burning up, the blush obviously very clear on my face and I turn away in shame. I feel Ian's hand gently seize my right cheek and turn my head towards him.

"It makes you look beautiful. Don't be ashamed" This only creates more blush. "It matches your hair" He whispers behind his gentle smile.

"I don't think that is a good thing"

"Of course it is, I love that colour" My eyes fall to the floor, taken back by the sudden compliments. When I bring my eyes back up, they fasten onto the brown eyes in front of me, unable to blink bounded by the moment. Ian's lips near mine and suddenly my eyes are allowed to close just like that. My lips touch his before they slowly come off.

"Ian, what just happened?" I ask confused by my actions. He gives me a puzzled facial expression.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asks sadly.

"No. I just don't think these circumstances are fair for either of us to pretend to have something we won't ever be able to grasp." The boy's face droops.

"Hello?" A voice calls quietly from behind the tree.

"Over here!" I call as I look from where the voice came, surely enough a few moments later Peeta's face emerges.

"You know you should really be more precise with your instructions, I've been looking for you for a while"

"And I've been waiting for a while" I shoot him a cheeky smile.

"Umm what's he doing here?" Ian asks, his hand trembling around his sword that the careers had granted him. I put my arm in front of him to prevent any action.

"I told him to come"

"What? Are you crazy? Why?" Ian asks, his hand still grasping his sword tightly.

"We will be stronger in numbers and besides Peeta will be quite an asset. Please don't doubt my actions; I know what I'm doing" Ian lets out a rather aggravated exhale before turning to the boy standing in front of us. I know that majority of that anger channelled at Peeta isn't because of him. He is angry that I had blown him off after kissing him… but what was I meant to do? Someone would have ended up getting hurt. Really hurt. And I definitely didn't want to be the cause of that. Better he hates me now then mourn my death later.

"You're allied with him?" Peeta asks, a little shocked.

"Yeah we've been allies for a few days now and have been thinking of ways to eliminate the competition"

"Oh, and what have you came up with?" I pause for a moment. Should I tell him? No. He has been getting pretty chummy with the girls… he might cave on us and try to save them; maybe when I am certain when his allegiance is one hundred percent with us. "At the moment? Nothing. Have any ideas?" I see the questioned look that Ian shoots me but ignore it.

"To be honest I don't have the slightest clue. Cato is pretty aggressive. When he gets angered he doesn't think straight. Maybe you could use that to your advantage?" He suggests.

"True but how are we supposed to anger him that much?" Ian retorts.

"Well… I was almost killed when I said his girlfriend had bad aim… so maybe something along the lines of that?"

"Okay, but that is only one out of four. What about the other three?" Ian snarls.

"I don't know! Stop interrogating me will you? I don't even know who you are! Or you!" He says shifting his eyes on to me. Anger is contagious it seems…

"Calm down both of you!" I scold. The boys both instantly look to the ground as if ashamed of their actions and I cannot help but smile at the oddity of the situation. The same expression would be seen on a five year old who was in trouble for stealing a cookie. "Oh and I'm Finch" I take a short breath before continuing "Finch Tugella" Peeta grins and I am instantly taken back to that day in the training room where his smile blinds me with its purity. It just makes me want to smile as well.

"It's great to finally get to meet you for you and not some mysterious girl" He says as he outstretches a hand. "Peeta Mellark" He says as my hand tightens around his in which I shake. Mellark…what a nice surname… The grasp is disconnected and Peeta holds his hand out to Ian who shakes it.

"Ian Greveltska"

"Nice to meet you Ian" Peeta says. "What now?"

"Why don't you tell us about yourself? After all we should know a thing or two about our newest ally" Ian says, it is clear that there is still annoyance in his voice but thankfully a much toned down variant of himself before. I hope Peeta doesn't take it too harshly…

My ears sharpen as I listen to what Peeta has to say. Turns out he is the youngest of three brothers and a baker. I initially feel a hint of envy at his statement. It must be great to do what you want and have a loving family…

"What about you two?" Peeta asks.

Ian is now talking and though I have heard this before I cannot help but feel intrigued to this boy's story.

"That was your sister that suicided?" Peeta asked shocked. Ian nods dismally. "I'm so sorry…" He says as he gives Ian an encouraging pat on the back. "What about you Finch?"

I am taken aback. I should've expected this. It only made sense seeming as the other two just shared their story that I would have to go next. "Umm" I start, my throat drying and my lips cracking. I can feel my eyes widening and I suppress the tears that threaten to fall. No. There is no way anyone can make me relive those moments. I am never going back there. NEVER! "Sorry, I just can't handle that discussion at the moment" I say, trying to contain my emotions as my voice threatens to fall into the anger, the sadness, and the depression of which I feel inside. The guys seem to understand and they don't ask any more questions about the touchy subject.


Night time is upon me and the coolness lingers in the air. I am back inside my cave, the sweet rocky walls which I have come to love. The protection and comfort in which they offer me is a great breakthrough in the games for me. So sure the ground isn't soft and warm and sure the roof leaks occasionally… but, no one will find me. That's what matters to me. I want to be able to sleep without having nightmares about what could be happening in real life right now. I just need some time without fear just so I can keep my sanity for a little longer. I take a swig from my water bottle which now needs refilling… but why worry? I have two allies who have the ability to get me what I need in terms of liquid and food. They can simply walk right over to the lake with all the careers watching them and not be questioned. Instantly I feel like a burden. I am making them get me what I need and what am I doing for them in return? Not a thing. I am suddenly annoyed at myself for being useless. Not for long though, because my mind refuses to rest on one topic and instead it must torture me in every way. My brain and I. What great friends we are…

I find myself thinking about Ian. Or more specifically what we had shared. Ian likes me…? I don't understand why. What could he see in me? For some reason though this makes me feel enlightened. I get that warm fuzzy feeling I had only experienced once before… with my mother. But this is not the time to think about family, I am to overcome with joy to give family a second thought. Do I like him back? I allow myself sometime to think before coming to a one worded conclusion… which I toss out. What does it matter anyways? Even if I did I wouldn't be able to have him. I may only know a limited amount of information on the hunger games but what I do know is certain:

Only one person comes out.

(OOC: Review guys please! Thanks for everybody for reading this far and sticking with me! Clove's POV will be next! Oh and me and my friend own a HG page on facebook, it's called 'Seneca Train' maybe show some love and check it out ? SenecaTrain?ref=ts)