We meet once again, my lovelies! That is what I will always call you guys, because you are all so lovely! :D I love you guys! You make my day with your reviews/favorites/follows! I don't think you guys know how much I appreciate it! And I do a little dance every time it happens! ^_^

Sorry about the delay once again! If you go to my profile, I recently updated my information concerning my stories, so please check that out! It sorta explains why, and I want you to read about my next story idea, so... :p :)

Also, you guys may be a bit disappointed to find out that this is a filler chapter... it wasn't supposed to be but then, BAM! It happened. AND what might kill you a bit more... I, uh, sorta, kinda, maybe, perhaps, lied. I told you last chapter that this chapter would have more Sherlock/Molly interaction but, uh... *cough* that didn't exactly happen. I was totally going to have more interaction between them but then my fingers were like, "Hey, lets do this instead!" while writing, and so, that happened. There's a little at the end, so I hope that satisfies your Sherlolly feels just a bit! ;)

To the Guest who reviewed: Thank you for the review! :D I like getting question, so feel free to ask as many as you want! There will definitely be more Greg and Sebastian (unless my fingers type otherwise) because I like their characters too! :)

Also, Guest pointed out something I didn't really consider but am now considering... How would you guys like a Bonus chapter of the history between Susie and Mycroft? I really like the idea! What do you guys think? :)

ALSO, to the other person who reviewed today, has not shown me your review yet! I got it in my email and then deleted it, thinking it would be on here, but it has not arrived yet :/ It does that to me sometimes! :P I hope you can bare with me until I can answer you! :)

Well, I've been ranting on way too long... AlSO if you have not seen Sherlock S3 yet, BEWARE! I will be using characters from the series. But not the plots, so, there probably won't be many spoilers... not for a couple more chapters at least ;)

Anyway, enjoy chapter 9! :D I do not own the poem at the beginning of this chapter! Credit goes to whoever wrote it! Except, I replaced the word "policeman" with "peacekeeper" to make it more... Hunger Gamesy. But kept the word copper so... yeah. Deal with it. :) Its also my favorite poem, so I added it :) I'm a bit of a bizarre person. Don't judge me!

Remember, I really like feedback... *wink wink* ;)


"One fine day in the middle of the night,
Two dead boys got up to fight.
Back-to-back they faced each other.
Drew their swords and shot each other."

"That's weird," Molly told her father. "It doesn't even make sense."

"Well, that's the point," He explained softly. "Would you like me to continue?"

Molly thought for a moment before nodding and leaning her head back against her pillow.

"One was blind, the other couldn't see, so they chose a dummy for a referee. A blind man went to see fair play. A dumb man went to shout 'hooray!'. A deaf Peacekeeper heard the noise, and came and shot those two dead boys."

"I don't like this story." Molly said quietly.

"Its a poem," Susie corrected. "And I don't like it either."

"Its almost over," Their father pressed.

Their mother laughed from the doorway. "Come on, now. You're scaring the girls."

"Aw, come on, let me finish! Please?" He begged, acting silly, like he usually was. Molly and Susie laughed.

"Okay, but it better be almost over," Molly said. She wouldn't be seeing her father again for the next few weeks. The longer he kept talking, the longer she would have him before he left. She loved her father, so very much. His poem, not so much.

"It is, it is!" He promised, a happy smile on his face. He continued. "A paralyzed donkey was walking by, kicked the copper in the eye, sent them through a rubber wall, into a dry ditch and drowned them all. If you don't believe this lie is true, ask the blind man - he saw it too!" Then he clapped his hands once, making the girls jump. "The end!"

"Finally," Susie teased, turning on her side towards her father, her hand under her pillow with her head resting on top.

"There's a longer version if you want me to-"

"No!" The girls shouted at the same time, slipping into a fit of giggles. Their father chuckled with them and tucked them in.

"I'll see you in a few weeks," He murmured to each of his daughters. He kissed them goodnight and they watched as the silhouettes of their parents disappeared when they shut the door.

She didn't know at the time, but that would be the last time Molly got to see and hear her father. The last few moments she got to spend with him before the hovercraft he was aboard malfunctioned and the crash killed him.

It was also the first year Molly was able (more like forced) to enter into the Games. The year she lost her sister. It was hard for her to believe that she was in the Games, being the same age her sister had been. Would she, too, have the same fate? Maybe. And she realized that she didn't mind that much. Whatever came after death had to be better than this. And maybe her sister and father would be there, waiting with open arms. Not that she planned on death. But really, what were the odds of being the one to make it out alive?

As she sat next to the river of wonders, as she decided to call it, she thought about that last night with her father. After he had left their bedroom, she did everything she could to forget the really odd poem he had told them. After his death, she had tried everything to remember, but no matter how much she tried, the words never came. She remembered now, only because her mother had remembered the words. The poem no longer seemed weird when Molly thought about it. Instead, it brought her comfort. A part of her father would stay with her for as long as she lived.

Her hand went to cup her pearl necklace at that moment and she laughed when she thought about having a piece of Mycroft with her. That was quite comforting as well.

She couldn't see the entrance of the cave when she looked back, but she was sure it was because she was sitting down at the bottom of the small slope. If she had stood up, she probably would have been able to see the very top.

She stared behind her for a moment. She might be partly deaf now, but she swore she heard shuffling. Footsteps. Multiple. She hoped Irene and Sherlock and James were back, but a red flag raised up in the back of her head. Perhaps it was just paranoia, but she quickly stood up, picking up a rock the size of her hand and backed up until she hit the wall of the cave, waiting.

"Molly?" Someone whispered loudly, the voice echoing through the cave. James. Molly sighed and walked forward.

"Finally," She said. "I thought you guys would never come." Molly quickly covered her eyes and groaned as a blinding ray of light hit her eyes. Someone chuckled.

"It's just a torch, Molls." Sebastian said turning the light towards his own face, grinning.

"Well, I have been in the dark for a while," Molly said, trying to hide her annoyance. Molls? Why did he have to be the one to say it? Why did he call her that at all? "Where did you get that?"

"Cornucopia," He said simply, shrugging.

Molly nodded then she noticed the silhouettes on top of the small slope. "What are they doing?"

"Digging a hole," Sebastian said, staring at the river with the light from the torch shining on it.

"For what?"

Sebastian shrugged, not really listening.

Molly sighed and walked up towards the others.

She stood next to Irene who was watching Sherlock. James stood opposite Sherlock, holding a blue, folded up bag while Sherlock was busy digging a hole.

"Ah, Molly," Sherlock said, finally noticing her. He paused from digging and looked up at her with a small smile. "If you could be so kind as to start a campfire, that would be magnificent." He turned to start digging again, but quickly looked back up. "Irene, why don't you go and help her."

Molly frowned. He was sending her off with Irene, again?

"No, no. I'll do it." James suddenly said. He handed Irene the blue bag and stood in front of Molly with a sweet smile. "Molly and I haven't spent much time with each other. I think it would be a good bonding moment."

"Fine," Sherlock said indifferently, going back to digging the hole.

James held out his hand to Molly, his sweet smile still plastered to his face. Molly smiled back, a bit nervous, but she tried not to show it. She took his hand and he led her out of the cave.

They carefully scaled the rocks, and Molly was glad for James holding her hand when she tripped and fell on a rock that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Once Molly and James were outside, James led the way towards the nearest, and possibly the largest, waterfall. Molly looked at her surroundings, trying to spot trees or wood or anything that might help in making a good fire. She couldn't spot any and started to rack her brain for some information about other ways to build a fire. If there were other ways, she couldn't recall them. She also noticed that every inch of mud around the cornucopia was replaced with water.

"How did you and Irene get on?" James asked, his voice raising just enough to be heard over the roar of the waterfall. Molly just barley caught his words, her ears still ringing from the bomb.

"Fine." Molly called back.

"Good." James said, looking back at her with what looked like a genuine smile. "We're almost there."

"Where?" She asked. She looked ahead, only seeing the water pound onto the rocks.

They were right next to the falls, now. Molly couldn't believe how loud it was, and she was partly deaf. She wondered what it sounded like to James whose hearing was probably perfect.

James barley glanced at the falls before turning towards the cliff and walking into it. Molly paused for a moment. From her point of view, it appeared like he just became part of the mountain. She walked forward slowly, inspecting more closely. As she got closer to the rock, James's head popped out in front of her, a grin on his face. He laughed when she screamed and jumped back.

"Sorry," He said, laughing a bit. "Come on." He held out his hand for her again and she let out a small laugh when her heart had calmed down.

She took his hand once again and he led her into the mountain. They had to squeeze through the small tunnel, but it wasn't too long before they came to a large, open area with tall trees. Trees that looked half as tall as the cliff.

It was brighter than expected. A few openings in the mountain allowed sunlight to seep through, making it bright enough to see most of the area. One of the openings was a large hole directly above the trees. Another was to Molly's right, a large arch just behind the waterfall. She was surprised she hadn't seen it from the outside.

"Whoa," Molly breathed, smiling up at the trees. "How did you know about-" Molly looked forward, towards James who had let go of her hand as soon as they emerged from the narrow cave. She stopped as soon as she saw the four Tributes that James was walking towards.

Molly stared, not moving, not sure how she felt about this situation. She was glad to see Greg among the four Tributes. She recognized Sally, too, but she couldn't recall the names of the other two boys.

The four Tributes already had a fire going. They all sat around it in a half-circle. One of the boys stood up as James approached. They shook hands and the boy motioned for James to sit down.

James nodded and turned back to look at Molly, a small smile on his face. This smile wasn't his sweet smile or his 'trying to act natural' smile. It was more like a content smile. He was comfortable here.

James motioned for Molly to join them. She hesitated before slowly moving towards them, standing just behind James.

"Don't be shy," The boy who had shook James's hand said, fixing his glasses in place, no expression on his face. "Go on. Have a seat."

Molly smiled, slightly bowing her head for a small nod. She knelt on the ground next to James and Sally, staring at the fire and listening to the waterfall before smiling up at Greg as a form of greeting. He smiled and nodded back, both feeling a little better by the others presence.

After a few moments of staring at the orange flames, Molly started feeling a bit awkward. No one had said a word. She looked up at James, about to ask what they were doing there, when she saw that he and the boy with the glasses were in deep conversation. She couldn't hear a word they were saying and was becoming a bit paranoid. She bit her lip, trying not to seem unnatural, even though that was exactly how she felt.

About a minute later, James turned towards all the other Tributes and shouted over the roaring of the falls, "Do you have any firewood to spare? It would be greatly appreciated."

"Tom," The boy with the glasses snapped at the boy next to him. "Help 'em."

Tom nodded and stood up, catching Molly's eye and smiling shyly. Molly and James and Greg, who decided to help, stood up and walked with him as he grabbed a hatchet and approached a tree. They gathered wood quickly, holding it in their arms.

Tom placed a couple of more logs in Molly's arms, smiling shyly at her again. Her expression mirrored his.

"Good day, CAM," James nodded in the direction of the boy with the glasses who nodded back. "Give my love to Jani!" They exited the cave, maneuvering around the skinny tunnel, Greg coming along with them.

It took a little longer to get out than it did getting in. Molly dropped a log a couple of times, and other times, they would catch in small crevices on the cave walls and be momentarily stuck.

Once they were out of the tunnel and heading back to the cave, Molly bit her lip, wondering how to word the questions she knew she would have to ask James while they had their time alone, with the exception of Greg who walked beside her while James was just a few steps ahead.

"How did you know about that place?" She finally forced out.

"I saw it from the cornucopia," He said. Then, turning back to Molly and Greg, though he didn't glance at Greg, and walking backwards, he said, "I have the eyes of a hawk." Then he smiled cockily and winked before turning around again.

Molly giggled and then pressed her lips together to hide it. "So, uh, who's Janie?"

"Jealous?" James teased, chuckling. "Janine from District Eight. I met her once during training."

"And... Cam knows her?"

"Well, I would hope so. They are from the same District, after all." Greg cut in.

"Oh," Was all she could think to reply as they walked into the cave.

"Seb!" James called, his voice echoing loudly, making Molly jump, which made Greg laugh. "We could use the magic of your torch. It would be really helpful!"

"Yeah, alright, okay," Sebastian called back, hearing the sarcastic, eager tone is James's voice. He got to them pretty quickly, shining the light on the ground so they could see where they were stepping. Molly still tripped and a few logs tumbled to the ground.

"I've got it, Molls," Sebastian said, seeing her having a bit of trouble picking them up. He picked them up for her instead, and continued to light the way. Molly breathed a thank you, suddenly wondering how long this stupid cave really was. She looked up at Greg, who mouthed, "Molls?" As soon as he realized he had her attention. She shrugged.

"What took you so long?" Sherlock asked irritably, not looking at any of them as he sat by the hole with the tarp now laid out and pushed inside the gap.

"Met some other Tributes," James said, dropping the logs next to the pit, Molly and Greg following suit. "Just got to chatting."

"Chatting wastes precious time that we don't have," Sherlock said, dangerously low, standing up, facing James and continuing is a more sassy tone, "And next time you want to 'chat', make your words quick and to the point, hm?"

Sherlock stooped next to the logs and started organizing them in a circle, telling Irene to bring him the matches. As he did so, James turned to Molly.

"He needs to lighten up," He murmured to her, winking again. She laughed to humor him, but she was on Sherlock's side for this one. She felt uncomfortable around those Tributes, besides Greg, and was starting to worry that their plan to throw James and Irene off wasn't going to end well.

"Ah, Lestrade," Sherlock said as he threw a match in between the logs. "Good. You're here. If you could gather up some rocks, that would be lovely." He said in the same smile and tone of voice as earlier when he asked Molly to gather some wood; Trying to act like he was asking politely when really he was ordering.

Greg did as he said anyway, Irene helping him. James and Sebastian had wandered down next to the river. Molly went and knelt beside Sherlock who was taming the fire.

"I think somethings wrong," Molly whispered.

"What happened?" Sherlock whispered back, referring to when she and James had left.

"We went to this place behind the waterfall with trees and Tributes, including Greg," She dipped her head towards Greg who had struck up conversation with Irene as they gathered stones. "James and another boy - Cam? - were talking, and I couldn't hear because of the falls-"

"And your impairment." Sherlock cut in. Of course he knew about that.

"Yeah. Anyway, I don't trust him."

"Cam..." Sherlock mused. "District?"

"Eight, I think."

Sherlock straightened, his eyes going wide, his inhale was basically a gasp.

"What is it?" Molly asked, suddenly feeling more worried than before.

"Charles..." Sherlock exhaled the name. Molly didn't catch it, but before she could ask him to reiterate, he repeated louder. "Charles Augustus Magnussen... So, James has more allies than I originally deduced."

"What do we do?"

"I don't know." Sherlock turned to her slowly, pausing dramatically, his eyes still wide. "And I don't like not knowing."