Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games and am making no money from this.

This story, like most Hunger Games stories I've read will be told from various points of view. As normal, I'll note when they change.

Katniss

Glimmer got me this tiny little two-piece swimsuit. A bikini or something she called it. There may be more to this than the tiny scraps of fabric she wears, but I still wouldn't call it a lot. It's dark blue, which isn't really my favorite color, but it does fit pretty well; I guess Glimmer really did remember my size.

I walk out of the changing room (Prim insisted I use a changing room in the new pool house. Considering she was practically dragging me there I didn't bother trying to disagree) and find my sister there, in a sky blue bikini similar to my own. "Um, Prim, shouldn't there be more to that thing?" She's my little sister after all!

"Oh relax, Katniss. We all got similar stuff."

"Whose I idea was that?" I ask. As if I need to. It's obvious.

"Glimmer!" Prim smiles.

Yep, I knew it. That girl is a rotten influence on my innocent little sister.

Prim must notice what I'm thinking because she gives me a dirty look. "Oh relax, Katniss. It's just us, Glimmer, Madge and Gale here. It's not like everyone in town is watching. It's not a big deal. Besides, Glimmer said this is what girls wear to a pool."

"Yeah, maybe what she wears…" I mutter.

"Besides we aren't we're wearing that dress she wore at the interviews or anything like that, Katniss." Yeah, over my dead body I'd let Prim wear that practically see through thing.

Prim just shakes her head and walks out to the pool. Since I've obviously lost this round, I just follow her. Well, nobody comes to Victor's Village, so I guess it's ok. And despite what Prim thinks, I do know she's growing up and isn't a kid anymore, but it's not like she's an adult either. I just wish she wouldn't rush growing up so much. I had to grow up after our dad died; it wasn't fun. I grew up even more when I was reaped and especially when I learned what being a Victor means. Take it from me: being a grown up in Panem sucks.

I suppose Prim has a point though, this is a day off. No training for the Games, no appointments scheduled (Capitolites are still too scared of the potentially murderous avoxes in all their houses to think about sex with Victors) so I guess I can relax today too. I mean really, I have all the money I could ever want, a big house, a family, my friends here, if I just look at today this is not a bad life at all. It's ok to just live in the present, at least for one day, right?

Yeah, living in the moment isn't a bad idea; it's like a vacation from myself. I can do that for a day. And if it means dressing in way too little and letting my sister do the same just because Glimmer says that's how it's done, well, it won't kill me to go along. Prim seems to like it at least, so I can relax for now I think.

I hear the door to the pool house, so I look over to see who it is. My breath catches in my throat when I see. Glimmer's coming out in this bright red bikini with black accents and matching heels. I feel my pulse quicken. Has she always looked like that? My god, I know I'm staring, but it's like I can't stop looking; she just looks so… I don't even know what the word is.

Come on, Katniss! Snap out of it! You've seen her at a beach before. It was back in 4. Yeah, sure that weird Finnick guy was there watching us and we had the appointments scheduled just a few days after, but still! You saw her. This is no different. Just because there's nothing hanging over my head right this second doesn't mean I can go all to pieces just at the sight of a girl, no matter how perfect she looks in that outfit…

"Oooh, someone's blushing!" Prim teases, looking up at me with a decidedly less than innocent smile on her face.

"No I'm not!" Darn, I think I said that too quickly.

"Yes you are." Prim leans in, then tilts her head to see what I was looking at. "Oh, someone's staring at Glimmer!"

"No, I'm not." I don't think she's going to buy it this time either.

"You totally are. And that look on your face… Wow!"

"What look on my face?"

"The same look on your face that I see on girls at school when they're looking at a boy they like." Prim answers smugly.

"Hey!"

"So is that why you never hooked up with Gale?"

"Prim!" I blush hotly.

"Well you certainly could do worse than Glimmer." Prim nods to herself.

"Prim!" When did my little sister get to like teasing me this much?

Even with my little sister teasing me, I can't help but steal glances at Glimmer as she struts to the diving board, kicks off her heels (did she really wear them just to walk a few dozen yards?) and dives into the pool. Glimmer breaks the water and the spell is broken.

I look back at Prim, my emotions (those stupid things) back under control again. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Prim. I just couldn't believe she'd have to show off like that even when it's just us. Did you see her? And she even wore heels just to walk a few steps. I mean seriously, what's up with that? Who is she trying to show off to here?"

Prim looks at me with this exasperated expression, shakes her head and walks to the shallow end of the pool, jumping in. I have no idea why she looks so frustrated.

Gale is the next to come out, in just black swim trunks, and he's looking good too. Prim already claims I was staring at Glimmer like some love struck schoolgirl, so what's to lose if I take my time looking Gale over too?

"Hiya, catnip!" he calls to me, striking a ridiculously over dramatic pose I can't help but laugh at. I think it was trying to be really macho or something, but it was just so funny I couldn't help myself. "Wow, way to make a guy feel proud. Way harsh."

Gale starts striking more poses, each seemingly sillier than the last. On his fourth one, he loses his balance and falls into the pool. I break up laughing, thinking this was all part of his show, but after several seconds there's still no sign of Gale. Is he ok? He didn't hit his head or something, did he? I rush to the edge of the pool, looking for Gale. There's no blood on the water, that's a good sign. But where is he?

Suddenly two hands shoot out of the water, grabbing me and pulling me in. I manage an awkward yelp before I go in (swallowing some of pool water in the process, which doesn't taste good at all). It doesn't take long to kick to the surface, where Gale is waiting, laughing like he just pulled off the best practical joke of his life.

"That wasn't funny, Gale!" I yell, grabbing onto the side of the pool.

"Yes it was." Gale grins.

"I thought you were hurt or dead or something!"

"Serves you right, laughing at a man like that. You know how much you can hurt a guy's ego when you do that? As a guy, I just couldn't let an assault on my manhood go."

"Don't scare me like that, next time, Gale. And don't drag me into the pool either!"

"Oh come on, Katniss. You have to admit it was funny. Besides, what's the point of a pool if you can't have fun with it?"

Ok, maybe it would have been funny if I were watching it happen to someone else, but there's no way I'll ever admit that out loud. Instead, I give Gale a dirty look and swim over to the shallow end where Glimmer is teaching Prim and Madge (In an orange bikini. Apparently we're all a matched set or something) how to swim.

Gale and I are oddballs in terms of knowing how to swim in District 12. There's actually no bodies of water big enough to swim in inside the district, so no one ever learns how. The only way we know is because we taught ourselves in the woods on particularly hot summer days.

I try to help, but it's pretty obvious I don't actually know how to swim the way Glimmer's teaching. Gale and I can paddle around, but it's not exactly pretty or that fast. What Glimmer's teaching is what I assume proper swimming is, actual strokes and all that. Prim and Madge aren't doing too bad, but it seems like everyone has a fear of the water at first. It'll take them time to get past that.

It's an hour or two later and Glimmer has finished up with Madge and Prim for now, swimming her own laps in the pool. I'm sitting at a table near the pool, relaxing, not really watching or doing anything in particular. Madge sits down to me, not saying anything for a while.

It's nice, really; it reminds me of being back in school. We'd sit together at lunch. I was never the talkative sort, and most of the other kids didn't much like that, but Madge never minded. She didn't have a lot of friends either, so it made sense in a way; two outcast girls hanging out together. And just like me, Madge never needed to fill a silence with stupid chatter. Sometimes we'd go all through lunch without saying a word beyond "hi."

This time though, Madge doesn't wait more than a few minutes before saying something. "Enjoying the day off?" Well that's a pretty pointless stupid question. She better not be practicing her small talk on me or something.

"Yeah."

"It's a nice place you have here. Fun to play around in. And a nice view too."

What the heck is that supposed to mean? A nice view? "Uh, Madge, it's a view of the woods. The same view of the woods this house has always had."

"I meant a different view."

Ok, this conversation is getting weird. If there's a point I wish she'd get to it. "What are you talking about, Madge?"

"I saw you staring at Glimmer earlier."

Oh shoot, she saw too? "Uh…" Come on Katniss, you really need to learn better denials than that!

"It's ok; you don't need to feel bad."

"Madge, I don't feel bad. It's just Prim teased me about this already."

"Oh, I'm not here to tease you, Katniss."

"Then why?"

"It's not every day you see Katniss Everdeen checking someone out."

"I wasn't checking her out, Madge!"

"Yes you were, Katniss. I've watched plenty of people; I know what it looks like."

"I was looking at Gale too."

"Relax, Katniss, it's ok if you like girls." Kill me now. Please, just kill me now. "You don't have to feel embarrassed if you're into girls, Katniss. Two girls can be together and be perfectly happy. Even intimate."

"I know what lesbians are, Madge!"

Madge puts up her hands in surrender. "Ok, ok, Katniss. I'm just making sure you know it's ok if you're into girls. Glimmer's really attractive, after all. Gale's hot too, certainly. But you shouldn't feel bad if you're attracted to girls." Madge gets up, takes a step away and then stops, turning back to me. "I see you around Prim, me, now Glimmer. I guess it just stands to reason you're into blondes." Wow, she's totally serious here. Ugh. Prim was bad enough, but Madge too? "Either way, I'll be cheering for you, Katniss." Madge flashes me a smile and then heads back to the pool.

Haymitch

The kids are practicing outside; I see them out the window of my house. Victor's Village is empty, just them and me, so no one cares if they play with toy swords and crap like that. Besides, I imagine it must be cramped inside; they beat the shit out of walls and the ceiling and crap like that.

The kids aren't half bad either, honestly. Sure, princess is an academy graduate, the finest District 1's girls academy could produce and all that, so of course she's hot shit. It's the other kids that are more of a surprise; they're actually all coming along. It's only been a few months but they can handle themselves pretty good. Sweetheart's worthless if you stick something other than a bow in her hands, but she manages unarmed combat pretty good.

I imagine it's because princess figured out that sweetheart has to have a backup plan if she can't get a bow, so I guess it's hand to hand combat. You don't really see it in the Games too much, but there's some situations, especially in the bloodbath, where it can save your life. Sweetheart's been training pretty hard at it and she can hold her own now.

Still, for unarmed the real stars are princess and that Hawthorne kid they got. Obviously, they told him he's won an all expenses paid trip to the Capitol. He's a big dude, and I'm sure he could handle himself in a fight before, but now that princess has taught him some real combat shit, the kid's pretty damned amazing unarmed. A big part of what makes him like that is that I think he really enjoys it. He and princess spar a lot; it's pretty damned entertaining. He's got size, strength and reach, but she has a shitload more knowledge and experience. She usually wins, but he makes her work for it.

The kid seems to like this big ass axe too, swings it around like it weighs nothing. It's really something seeing him move it around way faster than you'd think is possible. It makes for some impressive looking fights. If he pulls that sort of shit with a real axe in training the other tributes are gonna really notice. I'm not sure yet if that's something that's good or bad.

The mayor's kid is there every day too. I know we told her to keep an eye on them, but this isn't quite what we had in mind. I know her dad's really not liking this shit, but hey, it does the job. What I don't get is why the hell the girl wants to learn to kill. There's a lot of other ways she could keep an eye on them, but she's working her little ass off, keeping right up with the rest of them. She's even learned to use a pole arm pretty damned well. Not that she'll ever get the chance; she's too old to see the inside of arena.

I don't know what the hell she's thinking, and I don't know what princess is thinking either. She's a smart chick, appearances aside. She must know Snow's going to fuck with them at the very least, but she's still playing slave driver, getting them all to work their asses off, fighting, learning weapons and all that shit. Hell, she even got sweetheart to put this huge ass pool in the backyard so she can get everyone swimming laps every afternoon.

They're lucky the Capitol isn't on their asses, really. As hot as princess and sweetheart were when they won, they should be in the Capitol on their backs for weeks at a time. Lucky for them the Capitol's still terrified. They tracked that terrorist shit to the head of the avox program; found him in his office. Poor bastard hanged himself, left a note saying "The avoxes won't talk, now neither will I." Kind of spooked people, really. They figure (hope?) he's the head of that conspiracy, but there's no way to know for sure now.

Frankly, I'd like to know too. For all the talk of rebellion, the fact is we aren't organized for shit. We're all so paranoid we barely talk to each other, and in the case of rebel sympathizers in the Capitol sometimes not at all. I didn't know Cinna was a rebel sort until after he pulled all that shit that almost made the Capitol riot (I'm still disappointed I didn't get to see them set fires).

It's not like we have a secret handshake or anything like that. Hell, Cinna's still never outright told me he's a rebel. I was there when he explained all that shit to the girls, but he's never said anything about it since then. That avox guy, I'd never even heard his name before. I quietly asked around and no one seemed to know he was anti-Capitol. I'll have to ask Cinna if he knew the guy when I'm in the Capitol.

Really, that's the biggest problem with the rebellion right now. We got people all over the fucking map, and no god damned map to look at. Forget a command structure, we don't even have a god damned member list. Yeah, we got the mole people who are supposedly in charge, but they've been hiding in the damned ground for so many decades a lot of people don't give a shit what they say.

I understand the thinking; when your ass is out there on the line who the hell are some idiots who've been hiding for two and a half generations to tell you what to do? I don't like their asses either; I only follow orders because I don't see a better option for a rebellion.

That's why the kids are so important; Snow sees it too. Those kids inspire people, a lot more than they realize, and it's my job to keep it that way. The last god damned thing we need is them figuring shit out and trying to write their own script. This shit's too important to leave to a beauty queen or a weirdo hunter girl to decide.

So far, they haven't even talked to me, and I like it that way. I've got nothing to say to them and I don't want to go answering their damned questions. They're best off doing what they are now: training and making sure they survive long enough for the grownups to do our thing. Actually, their little academy shit isn't half bad.

Any other year and I'd say sweetheart, princess, and the kid would be heavy favorites. They know each other, trained together, and trust each other; they'd eat the Career pack alive. Hell, those three are Careers now basically. This year though, this year's different. There's no way we can let the Games go to a conclusion. Still, if they can fight, it makes things easier; buys us time to make shit happen. I'll just have to get them to all read from the right script and, with a little luck, we can make this shit happen.

Prim

I can't sleep. I'm not sure why; I didn't do anything that should make it hard to sleep. I didn't sleep a ton yesterday, I didn't eat anything that would upset my stomach, I didn't drink a bunch of sugary drinks before going to sleep, so I dunno. Whatever it is, I've been lying here staring at the ceiling for what feels like forever, and I'm no closer to sleeping than I was when I first got into bed.

Maybe someone's still awake downstairs. If not, at least I can watch some TV or play a video game or something; I'm bored out of my mind here. So I get up, toss on some quick clothes, and am about to head downstairs when I notice a light outside. I look out the window and see the fire pit's still burning and it looks like someone's sitting there. Well, that seems as good a place as any to go.

The alarm system beeps as I open the back door (I still don't understand why this house has an alarm system.) but no one seems to notice. Katniss had all the bedrooms soundproofed not long after moving in after all. I know she felt real bad at having to do it, but I don't blame her. She can't control the nightmares she had. I don't really know if she still has them since I can't hear if she wakes up screaming, but she doesn't look that well rested most mornings, so I'm guessing yes.

I'm trying to be quiet walking out to the fire pit. I don't really know why, the chance of it being someone dangerous is basically zero, but still, it's a bit odd that anyone's here at all, so I'd rather they not know I'm coming way in advance.

I don't need to get that close to realize it's Glimmer; her hair's pretty distinctive after all. It looks like she's just sitting there, staring into the fire and playing with something shiny in her hands; I think it's her Victor's crown. She had it with her when she came I know, apparently she felt like doing something with it in the middle of the night.

Well, it's good it's not someone dangerous, per se, though Glimmer destroyed our TV earlier tonight. There was this big special on TV, a farewell tribute to Cashmere. It was the typical stuff, highlights of her games, appearances in the Capitol since, a real nice nostalgic look back, and a farewell and that sort of stuff. It seemed nice enough to me. I know she killed kids in her Games and all, but, well, that always happens. It sounds terrible, but that's just a fact of life. My sister and Glimmer did the same and it doesn't really bother me.

Something really bothered Glimmer though; she walked in and saw it on TV (it's not like we had a choice in watching it; they had it on every single channel) and just totally lost it. She yelled some really not nice things at the TV, had a lot of mean stuff to say about Cashmere and she threw the glass she was carrying right through the screen.

She said she was sorry and she'd buy a new one tomorrow and all, but it was still pretty scary. I know she can switch emotions fast (usually to angry), but since she started that training stuff with Katniss, Gale and Madge she's been pretty normal most of the time. I'm not sure if she's just happier doing it like she's back in the academy or something or if she's too tired to be that angry. Whichever it is, I wish she'd stay normal like that.

I make my way to the fire pit real slowly. She's never been mad at me, but I still don't think scaring her in the middle of the night is a great idea. I think I'm being really quiet, but apparently not quiet enough. She doesn't even look at me before talking. "You know, I wanted this crown practically my entire life."

"Why?" I ask, sitting down.

"Yeah, I know the Games are all terrible here and reapings are a day of terror in 12, I get it. But it's not like that in 1. There hasn't been an involuntary reaping in decades. Reaping day in 1 is a big deal; it's the graduation ceremony for the academies; the best boy and best girl get to go to the Capitol to have their shots at glory."

Glory seems a weird way to look at the Games I think, but I don't say anything.

"1 has a lot of Victors, and they're like heroes. They'd come back to cheering crowds and all the kids would look up at them and dream of being just like them one day. And, well, as a little girl I was just like all the other kids; I dreamed one day of it being me stepping off that train."

"The only Victor we had to look at was Haymitch."

"Well, yeah, but I sort of understand why he drinks now, even if I don't want to go down that path."

"You know why he's a drunk? Why?"

But Glimmer ignores the question and just keeps on going with her story. "I went to the academy and studied and worked and acted like the character you saw on TV at the interviews, and I was the best there. The very best girl, and when I was 18 I got my chance to volunteer. It was such a proud day for me. The whole district watching, applauding, cheering me on and wishing me well. I was the best, the very best in 1, and I was getting my chance to prove I was the best in all of Panem."

She keeps playing with that crown in her lap. It's really pretty how it reflects the flames. "You saw how it went from there. Not entirely what I expected, but I won. I really was the best; Katniss too. And when the day came I was crowned a Victor, and yeah, I already had the sense things were going wrong, but still, I'd dreamed about it for so long; it really was one of the best moments of my life. Something like a hundred thousand people in the Capitol were there, cheering and screaming out my name."

"What went wrong?"

Glimmer finally stops playing with her crown and looks at me for the first time. I don't think she's been crying, but she really looks sad, like she's close. "Prim, I told you before, I can't talk about it."

"Yeah, I know, you said bad stuff will happen and I can't do anything about it anyway. You know I'm going to keep asking though. And it doesn't look like not talking about it is doing so good for you."

"Prim, it's not up to me."

All right, I guess I'll try something else. "Why are you, Madge, Gale and my sister training like you're going to the Games? I know Katniss' odds are real high, but Gale's are tiny, and yours aren't so big since 1 has a bunch of girl Victors besides you."

She shifts a bit in her seat, but doesn't say anything, so I keep talking.

"I don't get Madge either. I know Gale and Katniss hunt and all that, and yeah, you use weapons to do that, but I don't think Madge has ever even seen one in person and now she wants to all be like a Career and stuff? Does she really think she's going to the Games?"

"I honestly don't know what she's thinking, Prim. She knows for a fact she isn't going to the Games, but she wants to learn anyway. She even cuts school to do it, and somehow gets away with it. I've tried to figure it out, but I still have no idea what's going on with her."

Ah ha! She finally answered a question! It was to say she doesn't know something, but it's still progress! Wait a minute; she said something there that doesn't make sense…."How does Madge know for a fact she isn't going to the Games? If Haymitch is picked, it's possible she could. I know the odds suck, but it's possible."

She looks at me again. I think she's trying to think of exactly what to say to me. Probably thinking of how to tell me as little as possible. "Prim, look, you know your sister wouldn't want me telling you things. If she wanted you to know she'd have told you herself."

Oh not this again! "Katniss still thinks I'm a little girl! I'm not eight years old anymore! It's cute when she calls me Little Duck and all that, but I'm not a kid and my sister just doesn't get that, and I'm tired of being treated like one by her, so don't you start treating me like one just because she does! Always being in the dark sucks!" I suddenly realize if there was a TV around maybe I'd be tempted to throw something at it too…

Glimmer looks me over, this time it looks like she's sizing me up. I'm not sure if this is how people who fight against her get looked at, but it's a bit uncomfortable. I try not to show it, but I imagine she can still tell. "All right, Prim. A few ground rules. These are totally non-negotiable; you either agree or this conversation is over. Got it?"

I nod. "All right, first, we never ever speak of this in the house; it's bugged."

"Bugged?"

"Yes, bugged. As in there's Capitol listening devices called bugs. Somewhere there's a guy in a little dark room listening to every single thing said in every room of the house."

"Seriously?"

Glimmer nods. "I'm afraid so. All Victors' houses are bugged. Oh, and we aren't supposed to know, so never talk about it. Also, if you ever let any outsiders find out about this, you'll pay the same price as Katniss or I will if we step out of line."

"What price is that?"

"Someone you love dies." She says it so simply, as if she's talking about if it's going to rain tomorrow. I want to think it's a joke, but the look on her face tells me that somehow it's not.

"I… I don't understand." She told me I wouldn't want to really know and I thought she was just blowing me off. Suddenly, I'm not so sure.

"President Snow controls people by threatening to kill people you love if you go against him. And the threat isn't a bluff. That's how he gets silence and obedience."

I'm stunned. I have no idea what to say.

"He told us that Katniss and I are going to the next Games, and so is Gale."

"Is there any chance he could be lying or could change his mind?"

"None."

"So that's why you made that academy thing?"

"Yeah. To give us our best odds of survival."

Well that's starting to explain things. I thought they were just preparing for the worst, maybe even being paranoid, but this is so much worse. I take a deep breath. "Why were you and Katniss feeling so bad before the Victory Tour?"

Glimmer looks really uncomfortable, and I mean even by the standards of this horrible conversation. I don't think she's going to answer but finally she does. "Victors are required to do what Snow calls appointments. Basically, what they are is some Capitolite pays to have sex with a Victor. Well, usually a Capitolite. It turned out Cashmere really hated me, so much that she was the first Victor ever to pay to have an appointment. She paid a fortune to be the very first appoint, all night, with both Katniss and I."

"So that's why you were so mad you killed our TV?"

Glimmer nods. "That's right. They were playing her up like she was some pure angel. No, she was a cold, jealous bitch and she was trying to be a rapist."

Wow. It's really bad being a Victor. I thought terrible nightmares was it. It's almost hard to believe it could be true. But I know it is. Glimmer isn't smiling, and she isn't joking. She just sits there playing with her crown. "See why I have such mixed feelings about this thing? Yeah, it was one of the best moments of my life, but it came with so many terrible things. It's just pure dumb luck Katniss and I got out of the Capitol without having to do any appointments. Now we're going back to the Games."

We just sit, staring at the fire for a while. I know there's a lot of things Glimmer glossed over in what she told me, but I finally realize she was right all along; I really was better off not knowing. It's terrible, horrible stuff, and knowing doesn't make it any better and there's not a thing I can do to change it. There is one more thing I would like to know though. "Glimmer, why'd you tell me all this?"

"I never had any brothers or sisters growing up, and I didn't really have friends in the academy. Actually, Katniss was my first real friend. I like living around here. I still like my house and all, but this place kind of feels like a family that I'm sort of a part of. So I kind of like to act like you could be my little sister sometimes. I know it's silly, but it's kind of a nice fantasy, and it just didn't feel right to just keep not answering all your questions forever."

I already think of the Hawthornes as family, and Glimmer's been living with us for a while now, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't started to get close to her. Yeah, now that I think of it, I can see what she means. She kind of is like another big sister to me. The sort that's the big sister who's a bad influence.

Now that I think of it, that reminds me of something else, something that isn't all terrible and stuff. "You know, I think my big sister likes you."

"Yeah, like I said, we're friends."

"No. I mean she likes you likes you."

"That was just some teasing, Prim."

"No, I saw her at the pool when you came out in that little red bikini, she was staring. The sort of staring a girl does when she's looking over someone she really has a huge thing for."

"I thought she was gonna be a thing with Gale?"

"I always thought so too, and I still think they may get together, but she's looking at you too now."

Glimmer looks at me seriously. The sort of serious that you do when you're trying not to break up laughing. "Prim, since I'm not really your sister is this you trying to get me to wind up your sister in law?"

I giggle. "Maybe."

Author's Notes:

So just maybe I'll start to earn that romance tag I put on this story. These things take time, especially with a girl like Katniss.

As always, thanks to my friend JB for help with editing and thanks to that-fan for all the help he's offering. I really appreciate both their efforts. And, as always, it's good to hear from fans, whether it be by PM or review, it's always good to hear from readers. Thanks for reading.