Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games plot, but the President, Arianna and Tobias belong to me and any tributes belong to the representative writer.

A/N: Another way of submissions, thank you – in case you want to submit a character, I've put the tribute and mentor/escort/stylist submission form on my profile.

Spaces left: Plenty of mentors and escorts left

All female and male tributes have been filled!

Mentor – (any except 1, 4, 10 and 11)

Escort – (any except 1, 4 and 12)

*Should you be unhappy about any way in which your character has been portrayed, or something that they do, then PM me in our chat thread and hopefully I'll be able to sort it out

Chapter 12

The residents of the Capitol in the broadcast room were shocked at the collapse of Arianna. Tobias nearly fell off his chair in an attempt to get to her first.

"Arianna, can you hear me? Arianna…" He squeezed her hand and placed his spare one on her cheek to feel the warmth of it.

Elina reached through the crowd and pulled the boy away, knowing that the cameras were still rolling and she didn't want him to inadvertently say something that would put Arianna in jeopardy. "Come on Tobias – let's leave the doctors to tend to Arianna."

"But, but she needs me… They both need me…"

"Tobias, come away!" Elina snapped more insistently. "Prosper will want to talk to you again. This whole situation is difficult to govern, and I don't know how much more of it that I can take."

A hand grabbed Toby's and pulled him back towards the interview table.

"The interview isn't over, we have to carry on without Miss Phoenix now," a broadcaster whispered in his ear. "Just answer the questions that are put to you and act like what has happened, has not just happened…" The broadcaster turned towards the crew who were on set. "And we are back on again in three, two and one…"

"Hello residents of Panem, welcome back. We apologise for any inconvenience caused in the broadcast process. Miss Phoenix has been taken ill- we will let you know of her condition later on." Horatio Sphinx grinned at the camera. "Now Tobias Griffin, now that she is not here, we can ask the question that's on everyone's mind… Arianna Phoenix- ally or enemy? Friend of foe?"

Toby froze up, how do you answer a question like that in a world like this one? "She's Arianna Phoenix – she's the granddaughter of the President, and I have known her since she was twelve, when her name was first placed in the reaping bowl and she had come to live in the first district. We have both been reaped as the male and female tribute from district one. It's obvious that she would make a strong ally, having been trained by Teresa – and we all know what a fantastic tribute she was."

"I fear you may be avoiding the question a little bit…" Thalia whispered, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Ally, or enemy?"

"She'll be an ally, until- until I no longer need her," Toby replied abruptly, knowing that if Arianna ever heard this, then she would definitely go a little bit crazy. "Does that answer your question?"

"Perfectly," Thalia said slowly, enunciating every syllable. "Talk to us about the other tributes. Cora and Anthony from district two. Alice and Leui of three, Dathan and Sierra, Briana and Maser, Kenji and Jacqueli, Rowena and Salvador… Stitch and Cotton…"

Toby said exactly what came to mind about the tributes. "Well it seems like Cora is a strong ally, but Anthony Xerxes is making a force to be reckoned with, with Leui and Rowena from what I hear. Alice doesn't seem to be making friends with us- any of us. Sierra is quiet when she trains. Maser and Kenji are secretive between one another. Briana tends to observe us training- as does Jacqueli as I've never seen her train, but she is always watching us. Salvador seems cool. I don't know who Cotton and Stitch are though…"

"They are the tributes of district eight. Oh Tobias, you've missed out Dathan, don't you like your rival?" Horatio smirked at the district one male tribute.

"Well, he's very headstrong and full on at times. He's certainly building a strong connection with Arianna, and I cannot do anything about that but just keep my opinions closely to myself."

A sharp look from Elina made Toby feel as though he was stepping on egg shells and needed to avoid this area of conversation. He trusted Arianna, but he didn't trust Dathan- regardless of her connection with the district four mentor and escort, Melissa and Talisa.

The interview dragged on, and afterwards, Toby refused to go anywhere except the private hospital room where Arianna was being kept. Doctors had been given supplies of her blood and were told to run tests on it and deliver the results back to Elina and Prospero. Darwyn was sat in a chair to the side of Arianna's bed.

"Aria-" Toby went over to her side and squeezed her hand. "Are you alri-"

Darwyn gasped in the most over exaggerated manner. "Elina- you better start explaining to me what this whole thing is here?" He gestured the pair. "Because there have not and will not be a love pair in the Hunger Games, so tell me this is not what I think it is." His eyes widened. "He's got her pregnant! I can tell it from the look in your eyes, Elina!"

Elina was utterly flustered and caught up in the moment. "That is not the case! This does not concern you Darwyn, it's not relevant right now."

The stylist was keen to get the information. "Oh no you don't Elina, I know your game and I will not stand by whilst everything going on concerns me and my designs for a pregnant girl."

"Don't raise your voice at me, Darwyn."

Toby looked back and forth between the escort and stylist, wondering who was going to crack.

"To-by?" he heard Arianna say. "Toby?"

"Aria, don't move too much… How are you feeling?" He squeezed her hand tightly.

"I remember the interview, and then they asked a question about Teagan- I think I fell over. Is everything okay?" She glanced about awkwardly. "Toby?"

"It's okay, we are awaiting a doctor to come in- it's someone close to me. A family friend who specialises in medicine and can be a confidant for us. I trust her so it's all going to be just fine. Regardless of what fancypants says or does…"

Fancypants was the name that Arianna had given to Darwyn in a fit of anger, and Toby couldn't help but laugh and make the name stick.

"Toby…" Arianna squeaked awkwardly. "Don't call him that."

Elina answered a gentle knock at the door and in stepped a mature looking woman wearing a white coat that draped down around her feet. The lady hugged Toby and then glanced over in Arianna's direction.

"I'm going to need to do some physical examinations on the stomach and genital areas before we do an ultrasound- now let's get that tummy out, missy…" She helped Arianna expose her bump before pressing her hands in various positions around the skin. "Seems, normal. No abnormalities at a touch…" she murmured to herself.

"Ok…" Arianna whispered, wincing at the slightly harder than necessary pressure that was being applying to her small bump. She was dreading any form of examination, but if it meant that she found out that the baby was okay, then it was worth enduring. Part of her just wished that this situation never came to become public knowledge of the districts of Panem.

Even if the more people that found out, meant the higher risk of it slipping out.

And Arianna was right. The next morning, it was being broadcasted for everyone to see.

The granddaughter of the President was carrying a child, and someone had let it slip. As soon as Arianna found out, she suspected the woman who examined her. She was the only one.

"She did it!" Arianna shouted at Toby standing in the doorway. "You said you trusted her!"

"I do!" he replied in a calm but stressed manner. "Elina, Prospero and Darwyn want to see you now, come on…"

Arianna stared at the three adults that were in charge of her for the preparation of the games. "Why did she do this?"

Prospero nodded. "It's unexplainable as to why she would do what she did, but the actions are done and it isn't fair to point the finger when it could have been any one of us as well…"

"Please tell me this wasn't you because it was one of your survival techniques in order to get more sponsors, Prosper?" Arianna looked pleadingly at the elderly mentor, hoping the answer was no.

The screen that had been mounted onto the wall switched on and displayed Siren and Sphinx about to start their broadcast.

"Good morning districts of Panem, we'd like to welcome our tributes from district one to nine- particularly Rae and Richard who arrived only this morning. Hello, and have we got news for you!"

"That's right Thalia, and it turns out that you weren't the only one to enter motherhood this year. It seems that the President Phoenix's granddaughter, Arianna, is also with child. Sources have confirmed this and after such a catastrophic interview last night with the young girl and Tobias Griffin, it's no wonder that the youngster was distraught as medics carried Miss Phoenix away."

"But was it all just a mistake? I mean, if we listen to what Tobias said yesterday, it's safe to say that he is clearly not the father… Let's listen to it again."

"She'll be an ally, until. I no longer need her… Does that answer your question?"

Arianna listened to Toby's harsh sounding voice, regardless of the edited software that cut out his uncertain repetition and worried looks. She wasn't to know. Her hands cupped over her mouth as a lump bulged in her throat sending tears down her cheeks. Inside her chest, she could feel her heart cracking into a hundred pieces as Toby tried to apologise and make everything better.

But it wasn't something that he could take back so easily when the evidence was right there, staring them in the face…

Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = I had to bring the truth out and I'm gradually bringing the characters in. We're up to district nine so far and I'm looking to add district ten in the next chapter – hope you are enjoying the story so far