District Seven! Before you read, I have an announcement to make! There will be a Capitol Dance later on during the story. Dates are a must. Victors must go with victors and tributes with tributes. However, you get to vote for who that is. If you pair every character up, you get ten sponsor points. You have a long time to do this in so you don't have to vote straight away. However, if there is a couple you really, want to see attended a Capitol Party together and you don't think it will change between now and District Twelve, you are more than welcome to vote. Please leave the victor thing until AFTER they have all been introduced. Also, same sex dates are allowed. Votes will be submitted through PM.

Also, thank you so much for the reviews, it really makes me happy to see that you are enjoying the story. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

Anyway, please enjoy Grover and Balina, our District Seven tributes!

Grover Jay Lindell, District 7 Male:

"Barker could not make it...he is too unwell," Grover's father said, his eyes full of guilt. Grover's back stiffened upon hearing this, not that he expected any different but he still hoped to see his brother before he was taken away.

"It's okay, I forgive Barker!" Grover spat, not even looking his father in the eye. Grover loved his brother more than any of his family members. After his mother's death in childbirth to Grover and Barker and his brother's diagnosis with Cystic Fibrosis, he knew he would have to pull his own weight. However, he never expected that it would include giving up his childhood. Admitted, it was mostly throwing mud through school windows or hiding the Lumberjacks axes but it was a childhood nonetheless.

His brother had stolen everything, the life of their mother, attention and now possibly his life. However, Grover found it easier to forgive his brother than his father. His brother was in pain and wanted help, his father was just selfish. Then again, maybe it was too much to ask that Grover had the life he deserved. Or maybe he got it.

10 Years Later...

Laurel Zetta, The Crimson Victor as people called her. The girl who slaughtered tributes with nothing but an axe in desperation but without remorse. The teenager who chuckled as she was announced victor, doused in her victim's blood with a twisted smile on her face. And Grover was going to tell her off.

The dark haired male didn't even bother to knock as he entered through the unlocked door. This leads him to the backstage of the burlesque club where the victor worked. As the door violently swung open, the blonde girl did not even look up from the tattered book she was reading, an uncaring expression on her face. His eyes scanned her clothing, a tight, lacy leotard with diamond studded high heels and her blonde hair fell in a waterfall of curls. She looked rather hot and that angered Grover.

"I can't believe you work in a strip club," Grover said, scrunching up his nose, earning some offended looks from the other female dancers.

"It's not a strip club, I don't swirl around on a pole like a hog roast...I don't even strip, I sing and even if I did, what is it to you?"

"I don't like the idea of other guys looking at you...dressed like that-"

"Did you come here to mock my hobby, Grover?" Laurel sighed, placing the book she was reading down.

"No, I came for my mentoring sessions-"

"Last time I checked, I was not your mentor, Gerhard was so why do you go to him?" Laurel asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

"I think he likes you," a redheaded dancer laughed as she laced up her knee high shoes. A few of the other girls winced as Grover turned around, an agitated look in his eye.

"What makes you think I like her? The STD's are getting to your head, try closing you fish legs next time, eh?"

"Grover," Laurel sighed, grabbing the boy by the arm and pulling him out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Once the door had closed, the stoic look on her face turned to one of amusement as she tried not to laugh. "I never liked her," she mumbled under her breath, a small smile forming on Grover's lips. However, before anything else could be said, the girl, faster than Grover could react, pinned him to the wall, her arm across his neck. "Listen, you don't own me, nor will you ever own me, I am not your slave-"

Grover quickly pushed the girl away, pinning her against the wall by her arms. "Funny, that is not what you said the other night."

"Dick."

"Cow."

"Dinner tomorrow at eight?"

"Sounds good, after party at my place?"

"You got it," Laurel said with a chuckle as Grover planted a rather tender kiss on her lips. "Love Ya'."

"Yeah, you too," Grover said with a wink before leaving Laurel by herself. However, as he got further away, his smile dropped. The boy was not sure what attracted him to the victor. She was far from the prettiest girl he had got his hands on. It wasn't like she was submissive either, the two had got into many fights due to Grover being obsessive. However, it always ended in the two laughing, complementing and comparing fighting techniques. It was a strange relationship and none of it made sense, she had nothing to make him keep coming back yet he always did. Maybe it was the fact that he knew Gerhard, his mentor had a thing for her. Since the girl turned seventeen, he had not let up on the courting Laurel. Despite his stoic front, Gerhard yearned for a sense of normality and he saw that in the young victor and the family she would produce. Laurel did have a crush on the man when she was young so Grover was sure if he had started his courting earlier before the girl got with him, the two might have got together. However, there was an off-putting number of years between the victors, nineteen. By the time she was his age, he would be fifty-eight, Grover wasn't sure Laurel would want to put her time and effort into an old man. There was plenty of women back in Seven that would bend over backward to marry him, Grover was not sure why they had to go for his girlfriend.

He quickly shook his head, there he was, getting over protective over nothing. It was not even like he liked the girl, she was just a fling like all the bits on the side. He just thought it was rude, that is all. Grover didn't need to rely on anyone, his parents made that clear when they volunteered him to save his brother. He didn't mind but after spending his whole life alone because of his brother's cystic fibrosis, he quickly learned that he did not matter to anyone, so why should they matter to him? To him, Laurel was nothing more than a meat bag that pleasured him, he used her, he didn't love her. However, as he thought these thoughts, he felt a strange sensation, like he had been punched in the stomach with guilt.

He zoned out as he wandered into the tribute house, his mind arguing over his feelings about Laurel and how his past might have affected his current self. He fell backward onto the backless sofa Ares was on and looked up at the ceiling. "You okay?" Ares asked, raising an eyebrow at the dazed boy.

"I-I think..I think I have problems," Grover said just above a whisper, like his brief dive into his childhood and feelings towards his secret girlfriend had opened up some gateway to another galaxy.

"Huh...and do you want to talk about these problems?" Ares said, squinting to try and see what his friend was so entranced by.

Grover scrunched his face up, like the idea of talking about his problems grossed him out. "I ain't no pussy," Grover squeaked, earning a startled look from Ares.

"Debatable," Romilda sighed from next to him, flicking through Cooking Weekly in his tight, white shirt that showed off his rippling, muscular arms.

"Oh shut up you steroid filled bear!" Grover growled, earning a small chuckle from the male.

"Aw, Romilda is more of a...teddy bear," Ares said, stroking and angered Grover's hair.

"Yeah, and I just love hugs," Romilda cheered, giving the dark haired boy a wink before going in for the hug. Grover let out a small grunt as he wriggled away falling off the sofa and onto the floor.

"You hug me and I will tear your face off!" he spat at the giggle blonde man. Ares making small cooing sounds at the flustered male.

"Are you going dressed like that, Grover?" a small voice chirped from the doorway. The males looked around to see a beautiful Belinda dressed in a tight, red dress. Only at that point did Grover noticed that everyone was dressed smartly like it was for a night out. Shit, it's Saturday night. Grover thought as he quickly scrambled to his feet, blushing slightly as he looked at how beautiful Belinda was.

"Where is Veyron?" Ares asked as he stood, buttoning up his blazer.

"Here I am," Veyron said quietly, stepping out from the darkness of the kitchen, dressed in a smart suit.

"Huh, I thought the looming figure was a lamp," Grover said with a childish grin on his face.

"I like to stand in corners during social situations so I don't have to interact with people," Veyron mumbled, followed by an awkward silence.

"Optimism, that's what I like to see," Ares said with a fist bump, earning a small smile from the giant male.

"And why are you dressed like that, we are off for drinks, not to a wedding," Grover asked the male with a disgusted look on his face.

"You are the one dressed in shorts and a vest top, chicken legs," Romilda pointed out. Grover looked down at his sports kit then back up to the blonde male, sticking his tongue out at the Romilda. He swiveled on his heel, walking back towards his room.

"Are you not showering?" Belinda asked as he unlocked his door.

"It's not body odor you smell, it's manly musk, it's how the Grover attracts his mates," Romilda hissed to the girl, Ares blurting out in laughter.

"Romilda, I am going to kill you," Grover sighed as he entered his room.

"Ooh, kinky. Only two weeks until the arena sexy," Romilda shouted back in a girly voice as Grover slammed the door.

Balina Abbott, District 7 Female:

Balina's nails scraped against the side of the train, peeling the paint off as she pushed against her father's force. The young man gave a grunt as he grabbed onto her hands, dragging his own nails across the girl's skin until she yelped. As she did so, her hand lost grip of the door frame, allowing her father to kicked her onto the train. The girl fell face first onto the carpet, loudly sobbing as she scrambled to her feet. The Peacekeepers predicted her next move and quickly shut the doors, leaving a six-year-old Balina pounding at the glass of the door, begging for her father to save her.

The girl's attempts become more panicked as the train started to depart the station like her life depended on her breaking the glass. As he was about to vanish from sight, her father, with teary eyes quickly mouthed an apology to his daughter.

10 Years Later...

Balina Abbott sat cross legged on the white carpet of her room, her brown eyes focused on the pad in front of her. The pen glided over the paper with grace, sometimes stopping to violently scribble out a mistake. Since she was reaped, Balina had adopted the hobby of poetry. It was something she did not share with any of the other tributes but it was also something she did not mind keeping to herself. It was her down time, something the intelligent girl spent her evenings doing. However, tonight was different. Outside, it sounded like an argument was brewing. A loud shout, followed by silence and group of people chuntering. Balina would stop every now and again to try and pick up some words, hoping no one would include her. It wasn't her night though.

When the low mumble of arguing to screaming, Balina had enough. She threw her ballpoint pen across the room, it smashing against the wall, painting it in black ink. With a groan at the mess she had caused, she flung open her door, the screams almost deafening. Her eyes settled on a camera man at the far end of the hall where the noise was coming from, looking excited as he focused on whatever mayhem was unfolding. "Leave him alone...turn that off!" Annabella screamed, stumbling into view, tears in her eyes as she begged the camera man. She quickly locked eyes with Balina, a broken look on her face as Tore skidded around the corner, a flustered look on his.

"Nero cheated on Annabella!" He shouted, arching his back slightly with his arms outstretched.

"No, he didn't!" Annabella screamed, tearing apart her throat before going back to beg people to stop their assault against the man. Balina was about to go back to her room when Shelly raced past her, holding some underwear in her hands. Before Balina could try and escape once more, her friend Tore, grabbed her by the hand and dragged her towards the commotion.

As she rounded the corner, Shelly stood on the table, hushing the crowd as she held the red thong proud in her hand. "I found the underwear!" She said with pride, the group in front of her turning around.

"They're mine!" Eve gasped, earning disgusted looks from the other tributes. "Oh get over yourselves, I did not sleep with him," Eve growled, snatching the pants away from Shelly.

"You like him don't you? And we all know Nero was thinking of breaking up with Annabella-" Damon pointed out, only to be cut off my Belinda who was holding back Grover, the dark haired boy sizing up Nero.

"How do you know that?" She questioned.

"Berik told me," Damon said, pointing to Nero's warrior partner, Berik Mathews of District Twelve.

The blonde boy gasped, quickly turning to Nero. "I swear I didn't mate-" Berik stopped when Nero raised his hand, silencing the man.

"How did this even get out?" Nero asked, clearly trying not to cry. Shelly cleared her throat, gaining his attention.

"Clarissa told me after Annabella told her-"

"Clarissa?" Annabella squeaked, the thought of her best friend betraying her too was just another blow to the chest. Clarissa opened her mouth to speak but was quickly intercepted by Shelly.

"She trusted you and you broke it...how do we know you didn't sleep with Nero, hm?" Shelly asked, the group of warriors nodding in agreement.

"Fuck sake, it's because she is gay!" Sunbeam shouted, the attention of the room shifting to her. "With me, she is more likely to sleep with Annabella than Nero-"

"Oh and FYI, Annabella is as straight as a four by four so no, I didn't do her either," Clarissa mumbled with anger.

"Huh," Shelly took note of the unexpected development but quickly seized the opportunity. "Well, you still broke your friend's trust and for what? in the hopes that we would like you?" The group cheered in agreement, making Balina roll her eyes. She found the human race so gullible and quick to anger. She knew for a fact that Clarissa did not tell everyone that was attacking her, they were just following the crowd.

"Stop it!" Annabella screamed, bringing the room to a shocked silence. "Whatever Nero did is between him and myself, we don't need your input," she said this with a worn out drag, her body weak from the argument.

"Annie," Grover said with care. "We are trying to help you-"

"No, you want a fight, to single someone out and attack them. I mean, it's what we have spent all our lives being trained for...right?" Loretta said from the other end of the room, standing with Pallas, Romilda, and Veyron. The group turned to her. "Well, I mean maybe...I don't really know-"

"Fuck, dude, the beatings are getting to her head-"

"Grover!" Belinda scolded the boy, making him scowl at Belinda while muttering an apology to Loretta. The arguing started again until Romilda mounted the same table as Shelly, the tall, well-built male towering above her. The group quickly turned around to face the big brother of the group.

"One thing I have found out over the years is that forcing someone to break up with someone they love, even if it is for the best is utterly useless," as he said this, his blue eyes flickered over to a shrinking Loretta. "Nero may have cheated, this might have just been a mess up with the laundry but it is not our place for us to decide what she decides to do with the matter, even if we are just trying to help because we love them...we should just step back and let them make their own choice about something that does not concern any of us but them." The room fell silent once he finished his speech, his eyes locking with Loretta's who quickly looked away, her body shaking.

"Gay!" Ares shouted from next to Grover but his childish grin told Romilda he agreed. And just as quickly as the storm started, the tributes dispersed, making their ways back to their rooms or return to their evening activities. This allowed Nero and Annabella time to quickly vanish into their room.

Romilda turned to Shelly who gave him a smug smile as she jumped off the table, following Damon down the hall to his room.

Tore turned to his friend with an excited look on his face. The dark haired boy had a love for drama but Balina did not, staying out of it when she could. If she was never in a fight, she could make no enemies, increasing her chances. Plus, she found the whole thing tiring. Human emotions could get the better of someone, breaking them down to where there is nothing left to do but the unthinkable. It happened to her mother. For a teenage mum like Balina was born to, there was no help for them. Not in Seven anyway. Trying to single handed raise a child proved too much for the young mother and she saw no other way out than to kill herself. Balina was then sent to her father who did not want her any more than her mother did. He volunteered her and forced her to become a Warrior just so he no longer had to raise her. Sadly, her early experience had taught Balina to not get involved with human emotions or trust humans. Tore, the only person she felt she could call her friend was not even truly a friend. He only knew what she wanted him to know. Balina was always going to be a girl who kept to herself, whether she died in that arena or not.

District Seven:

Grover Jay Lindell, 17

Balina Abbot, 16

Tributes Mentioned:

Ares Walker, District Eight

Romilda Vasilios, District Four

Belinda Herd, District Ten

Veyron Maverick, District Six

Shelly Bereg, District Four

Damon Romulus, District Five

Berik Mathews, District Twelve

Nero Anghel, District Two

Annabella Giada, District Three

Evelyn Spires, District Two

Clarissa Silvia, District Eleven

Tore Dante, District Nine

Sunbeam Feyre, District One