A/N: I just would like to thank you all for reviewing and/or reading this story :) I didn't realize it would be so popular with so many people! This chapter and the next one are sappy as my way of saying thanks! :D

Chapter 10: Contracts

"What was - the green suit talking about?" I asked quickly.

"Many victors - offer - themselves - literally - to the citizens of the Capital as a condition of their - income." Beetee explained frowning. My stomach dropped.

"No one - would want a sick girl." I whispered. "That's why - you -" I stared into Beetee's eyes who were still burning with anger.

"That's not why I got upset." Beetee explained. "You're too talented - too - precious - to - for that to happen to you." I nodded. "You should change. I suggest the green dress you wore home."

To my surprise, he was in the car with Grandma when I came back downstairs. Beetee drove quickly to the Justice Building. "You're in a hurry, young man." Grandma said smiling as he practically bolted out of the car. He met one of the District Magistrates outside. "Wiress, why don't you help this old dear out of the car?" I laughed as I took Grandma's hand and walked up the Justice Building steps together.

"So, I heard you needed to get this welding contract off the ground before you two head to the Capital?" The magistrate asked smiling at Beetee. He nodded. "Let's get out of this sun." Even though it was much colder by one of the pillars of the building, we huddled in its shadow. "Well, here it is." The magistrate turned a clipboard over. On it was a marriage certificate. I gasped.

"You can trust him, my live-wire. He's never let us down yet." Grandma said smiling.

"I -" I paused. "Wow." I realized we were doing this secretly.

"Short but powerful contract, eh?" The magistrate asked smiling. I nodded. I looked into Beetee's face. Here was the man who vowed to help me no matter how others thought I would do during the Games and who has seen me through sickness and pain. I only hoped I would be able to do as good of a job helping him through rough patches in life if it came to it. I reached over and held his hand. He squeezed it before signing his name on the certificate. I signed it and Grandma signed as a witness. "There you go. Now they can't say you don't have the proper paperwork!" We got back into the car, but the ride to the train station was a blur. I was mesmerized by the the fabric of my dress and my coat for most of it.

"I can drive back to your place, Beetee." Grandma said. Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "You - and Mrs. Tesla - enjoy yourselves." She said smiling. "I trust you with my grandbaby." She said louder before kissing both of us.

Somehow we made it on the train and I sat down in a plush seat, my head spinning. Yesterday Melissa, Julie, and I were at Melissa's house having tea and discussing our group project. Now less than twenty-four hours later, I was en route to the Capital about ready to sign some sort of engineering contract where I would be somewhat forced to use my skills for the Capital. Oh yes, and I was married to Beetee as of five minutes ago. The world and the chaos of my thoughts faded as I focused on a point on the window where the rubber was beginning to come undone from the metal of the wall.

I felt a blanket go around my shoulders. Beetee wrapped me up and pulled me closer. I rubbed the soft fabric over my face before sitting on his lap. "Beetee - why -" I paused.

"To protect the one I love." He whispered. "So they know you're mine."

"I'm glad you're mine too." I whispered before dozing off hearing his heart-beat through his shirt. Loud cheering outside the window woke me up. I instinctively wrapped my arms tighter around Beetee. It took me about a minute to process what I was seeing out the window. We were back in the Capital again with people cheering for us. "How -"

"They recognize the victor's trains." Beetee explained. With his firm grip on my hand, I was able to stand and collect my things. I put my earplugs in and took a deep breath. Focus. A peacekeeper met us at the door and escorted us through the crowd. I focused on the insignia on her uniform to drown out the overpowering noise, colors, and movement of the crowd. My knees started shaking when I realized where we were. The doors of the Training Center loomed in front of us. Step. Look at the door. Step. The peacekeeper opened the door for us. I stepped on the marble floor and looked around at the multicolored furniture. The door had closed, blocking the noise from the crowd, but I was no less overwhelmed. A crystal chandelier scattered its light causing shadows in odd places. They began moving and fusing into blackness as I felt my knees and body give way.

"What happened?" A male's voice asked.

"Change of altitude." Beetee explained. I smelled a foul smell of something right under my nose. I coughed and opened my eyes. I was in Beetee's arms. He was sitting on a couch in the living room of District 3's living quarters. A Capital attendant was holding smelling salts under my nose.

"Oh - thanks." I said weakly to her. She nodded and put the first-aid kit back.

"I can see why you want her to have a desk job." I recognized the green suited man from earlier that day. His co-worker was with him. I sat up slowly and then stood up. The four of us walked to the table in the corner of the room.

"So, Mr. Tesla and Miss Carpenter." Blue suit began. "You two want to do engineering work for the Capital?" We nodded. "Wiress Carpenter, what are you good at?"

"Designing manufacturing equipment." I said. I paused. "I've helped alter the designs of machines in the factories." Another pause. "My first project was to make an assembly line safer."

"I see." Blue suit said. "Now - how do you envision helping Beetee here?"

"He can make - the inventions - and I suppose -" I trailed off for a second, y eyes scanning the room, but forced my mind to get back on track. "I could develop machines to make them." I took a deep breath. My head began to ache. How the Capitalites lived in this overstimulating environment of odd shapes of all colors, I couldn't fathom.

"Very well." Blue suit said before pulling a piece of paper out of his briefcase. "We would like a new line of cameras to use for various televised events - including this year's Games." He slid the paper over to us. "With two intelligent victors such as yourselves working on it, I'm sure they will be top notch."

"And if they fail to meet our standards - your deal is off." Green suit said. Beetee read through the document. I was so focused on reading it along with him that I didn't notice Green suit leave his place and stand behind me. "Though - intelligence and beauty - fragile beauty - is prized by some citizens in the Capital." I bit my lip as he ran his fingers down my neck and slid them under the neckline of my dress. I was too scared to move. "Think about it, Mr. Tesla." Beetee whipped his head around. Cold fury was etched in his face.

"Wiress and I shall sign your contract." Beetee said. "And then I am asking you to leave at once as this is Victor's headquarters." He signed his name and slid it over to me. My hands were shaking. Green Suit was still massaging my shoulders.

"What do you think, my pretty little engineer?" He asked in my ear. "We could make sure you're comfortable. Provide you better medical care than you probably get in your own district."

"I - I - prefer - designing things - using - my - true talent." I stammered. Somehow, I scrawled my name next to Beetee's. Beetee stood up and pushed Green Suit's hands off my shoulders and wrapped me in a hug.

"Take your contract. Go." He said in a steady but furious voice. The suited men left and slammed the door behind themselves. "Wiress honey -" I let my tears fall. We were still prisoners - slaves of the Capital. "I won't let them hurt you - I won't let him touch you ever again."

"We're in this together." I whispered.

"I won't leave you. I promise." Beetee said pulling me tighter.

"I know." I whispered. "I - I won't leave you." I stared into his eyes and my brain seemed focused on each individual eyelash. "Beetee - I love you." He cupped my face in his hands and brought his lips to mine. He guided me to the couch and I sat on his lap again. I closed my eyes so my brain could focus solely on the gentle kisses and touches he was giving me.

"I love you too. They can't take that. Ever." Though I was still worried about what life was like when we signed our lives away to the Capital, I was glad that today I had signed my life away to Beetee forever.