Chapter One-Hundred-and-Eleven; Siblings

"Really?! – An alliance!"

Stephanie felt the gentle smile curl her lips, the pained tugging at her heart as Ava stared up at her with wide green eyes.

She still reminded Stephanie so much of Eldi back home and her eyes weren't the cold emerald of her district partner or the unnatural fluorescent of Isa's eyes. Ava's eyes were a soft and natural green that for some inexplicable reason made Stephanie think of Spring.

"You see I told you it would all work out," Frenkin assured Ava, as he flashed Stephanie a huge grin.

Stephanie felt warmth thaw the icy chill that had encased her heart earlier at Prall's words.

And Stephanie realised this was where she belonged; she didn't care if that made her gullible, or naïve or just plain stupid.

"Sweetheart?"

Stephanie whipped around as Haymitch's words sounded from behind her.

Her heart was momentarily compressed as the sunlight threw the dark bruises and healing gashes across his face into sharp relief.

However pushing back the sorrow she smiled inquiringly at Haymitch, following him when he prompted her to do so.

They went as far to the edge of the rails as possible, where the breeze was strongest and snatched away their words as soon as they had left their mouth.

Stephanie pushed back her hair that blew into her face as Haymitch spoke.

"So what's this secret talent of yours then?" Haymitch inquired.

Stephanie gaped openly, though she admonished she shouldn't really be surprised by how fast news travelled here in the Capitol.

"It was a stupid idea, wasn't it?" Stephanie began to rush nervously when Haymitch chuckled, shaking his head.

"No – the opposite actually," Haymitch said, "what made you think of it?"

Stephanie grinned with relief as she shrugged, "it just came to me."

Haymitch looked vaguely impressed and Stephanie felt an unfamiliar rush of sweet relief mixed with pride infuse inside her. For a while it had seemed the only thing she could invoke in Haymitch was worry.

"What are we going to do when it comes time to unveil my grand act though?" Stephanie queried with a slight frown.

"We'll figure out something," Haymitch answered, "we'll be going back starting tomorrow morning," he added in a low murmur so quiet Stephanie had to strain to catch it.

Stephanie's brow creased with confusion as Haymitch sent her a meaningful look.

It took her a few moments but Stephanie finally was able to puzzle out Haymitch's cryptic statement; she could think of only one place that they had gone to that was too dangerous for Haymitch to mention outright.

The training centre at Sterlin's apartment.

The apartment where Seneca had told her he loved her.

An involuntary shiver ran the length of Stephanie's spine as she frowned, her brows snapping together.

"But what about Se - ?" Stephanie trailed off with a look of mild panic. She cast about her shoulders checking no one had heard her near slip-up but most were too engrossed in the proceedings.

The next race was about to begin.

Stephanie even caught Frenkin and Ava conversing excitedly, though she also noted with an added frown that Prall was standing behind them like a silent guardian. He was casting his gaze about searchingly and Stephanie had a feeling he was scouring for her.

She looked away hurriedly, returning her attention to Haymitch who looked tense at the near mention of Seneca.

Inhaling a deep breath Stephanie spoke again, forcing her voice to remain calm, "I thought you said we wouldn't be going back there now that he knows."

Stephanie could see Haymitch's jaw visibly tighten, "some things have changed," Haymitch told her quietly.

Stephanie felt as though her stomach had dropped a few inches suddenly as she pursed her lips. Haymitch's words were not at all reassuring.

"And what does that mean?" Stephanie inquired stiffly.

Haymitch glanced to her and moved closer.

His hand rested lightly on the curve of her hip; discreet yet comforting.

"We need to talk before you go on your date with Flickerman," he intoned, catching her eyes for a moment.

Stephanie recognised the seriousness and swallowed, "I thought we were talking now?"

"Somewhere more private," Haymitch enforced.

Stephanie frowned, "and how on earth are you going to manage that here?" she said exasperated. The idea that something potentially dangerous was occurring that she didn't know about was making her uneasy.

A brief smirk slanted across Haymitch's lips, "have a little faith in me sweetheart."

He sent her a wink and Stephanie gave a breathless chuckle feeling the vice-grip of panic that had suddenly seized her heart ease.

"Fine," she relented with a smile, allowing her hand to graze his for a moment wishing fervently that she could just lean into him, to hell with the consequences.

Haymitch caught her eyes, and Stephanie imagined she could see the exact same thought flashing in Haymitch's storm-grey gaze.

Haymitch squeezed her hip lightly before his hand dropped to his side, "come on sweetheart," he said instead and gestured for Stephanie to pass him.

And as Stephanie and Haymitch were making their way back from the rail Stephanie smiled as she felt Haymitch press his hand against the small of her back.

Prall almost jolted to alertness when he caught Stephanie in the periphery of his vision. He grinned over at her and Haymitch frowned slightly.

"New development?"

"New alliance," Stephanie replied looking to Haymitch, "we can discuss it tonight," she added and Haymitch nodded.

He slipped off then discreetly and Stephanie knew Haymitch was off to secure their 'private talk'.

Sighing in resignation Stephanie approached Prall.

"Does your mentor approve – of our alliance I mean?" Prall inquired as she reached him.

Stephanie sighed lightly, casting Prall a cool look. She didn't trust him but it was more than that.

She didn't trust him with Frenkin or Ava either.

Stephanie gave Prall a short answer in affirmation as Frenkin turned and glanced up at the sound of her voice.

She could still see the wonder in his small face at the thought of their strange alliance.

Stephanie offered him a slight grin unable to manage much more.

She could feel Prall's gaze heavy on her, watching her every move, watching the exchange between her and Frenkin with curious eyes.

Somewhere distantly a horn of some description sounded and a great cheer went up as the sound of building galloping sounded.

Frenkin and Ava edged forward eagerly with bright excited eyes and Stephanie smiled fondly, unable to resist reaching out and dotingly ruffling Frenkin's honey hair.

"Look how fast they're running," Ava exclaimed in delight.

Prall frowned at her exasperated, "Ava stop bouncing up and down – your bow will fall off again," he said as Ava's customary bow tilted precariously to the left.

Ava looked up at him with a sheepish expression as she nodded, looking apologetic before she turned to Frenkin.

"I've seen a horse before," she told Frenkin with a glowing grin.

Frenkin looked to her sharply, his blue eyes wide behind his glasses, "where?"

"At home, there's this lady who uses a horse to pull her cart of stuff along, but it can't run as fast like these -"

Prall sighed, "that's a different kind of horse Ava."

"A different kind of horse?" Frenkin blurted out amazed at the possibility that there was more than one breed. Even Stephanie looked curiously towards Prall.

A slight tinge of colour touched Prall's chees making him seem even younger at the unexpected attention he had garnered.

Prall shuffled, attempting a careless shrug, "well that horse back home in District 5 was a draught horse and those horses are…"

"Thoroughbreds."

All of them snapped around at the new voice and Stephanie gasped sharply.

Tain gave her an inscrutable look.

"Racing horses – like these ones – are called thoroughbreds," Tain explained, his gaze darting between each of them.

"Are there really more than one type of horse?" Ava piped up; renting the almost awkward silence that had ensued after Tain's impromptu interruption.

Tain's pale blue eyes inexplicably flickered to hers for a moment and Stephanie swallowed.

"Yes, many more," he answered simply.

Ava turned to Frenkin – who was gazing up at Tain with wide bespeckled eyes – and launched into an excited chatter as she speculated on what different types of horses there could be.

Prall shifted awkwardly once more, his shoulder tense when it knocked against Stephanie's with his anxious shuffling.

Tain's gaze locked with Stephanie's again and Stephanie had the impression that the gaunt-faced boy wished to speak with her – privately.

But Prall at her shoulder, though a telling blush of discomfiture at the situation was staining his cheeks, remained stubbornly unmoving.

Stephanie frowned. She suspected that Prall, convinced that Stephanie was somehow endowed with a deadly talent, considered her a key asset to their alliance and was unwilling to lose or share her or rather more specifically Stephanie's 'secret skill' with anyone else.

The idea of it made Stephanie bristle as she looked pointedly at Tain.

"It's really hot today – I could do with a drink," Stephanie stated flatly as she gestured to the buffet tables a few metres away.

Prall audibly scoffed at her side and Stephanie could have sworn she saw the hints of a smirk tug the corners of Tain's pale lips.

Tain without a word moved off in the direction of the buffet tables, Stephanie making to follow when a clammy hand latched onto her wrist.

Stephanie snapped her head back, not recognising the unfamiliar hold of the long bony fingers curled tight around her skin.

Prall's face towered above her; his childish features wearing a look of petulant annoyance.

"You know if you are going to invite him into my alliance you should at least consult me," Prall rushed in a furious whisper to her.

Stephanie snapped her wrist free from his hold, her eyes smouldering darkly, "first off his name is Tain Thorne and secondly it is not 'your' alliance it is our alliance; Frenkin, Ava, mine and yours."

Prall grinded his teeth together as he continued to look down at Stephanie; he looked as though he were swallowing some difficult words and Stephanie held her ground.

Prall moved closer then; so close that his hot breaths tickled her chin. Stephanie made to move back but he clutched her elbow tightly preventing her and Frenkin looked up with concerned eyes at them.

"Look," Prall began, practically snarling the word, "I accepted the two lambs here because you said so – "

For the second time Stephanie ripped her arm out of Prall's hold. She fleetingly caught a glimpse of Tain evidently waiting for her by the buffet tables, his expression blank as he observed them.

"Their names are Frenkin and –" Stephanie began to snap back at Prall when he spoke across her disdainfully.

"I know what their names are!" Prall barked, just that little too loud as a few people turned around to look. Prall looked down hurriedly, red suffusing his cheeks before he looked up, his voice consciously lowered.

Prall's gaze flickered to where Tain waited expectantly before it rested on Stephanie again and he expelled a long breath through his clenched teeth, "whatever it is you can do better be damn brilliant," Prall warned lowly.

Stephanie ignored the shiver in her spine as she turned sharply away from her alliance partner and stalked towards the buffet tables.

As she reached Tain however Stephanie looked over her shoulder again. She hated the thought of leaving Frenkin, and even Ava with Prall and the worry of the thought was plainly splayed across her expression.

Relief eased her features when she realised that Prall had stormed off and then a fond smile graced her lips as it fell on Frenkin.

Frenkin offered her a cautious smile, concern still pinching his small face and Stephanie gave him a beaming reassuring grin back.

"You care for him – that little district partner of yours?"

Stephanie turned at Tain's voice; his pale blue eyes having witnessed the entire exchange.

Stephanie swiftly scoured Tain's face; trying to discern what it was he could possibly want and what would be the correct answer to give him.

She had come to quickly learn that here in the Capitol sometimes the truth was the most dangerous thing to admit.

Tain laughed lightly, able to see the battle being waged by Stephanie's golden eyes alone.

"I'm here with my sister remember?" he reminded her bluntly and Stephanie shot him an apologetic look.

She was sure Tain had received much worse questions about him and his sister; hadn't she heard one such question during his interview?

To care for another tribute – the Capitol people would fawn and turn to mush over it, but ultimately it was seen as one thing; a weakness.

The Capitolites wouldn't understand that it could be the driving force to push you through impossible odds just so you could make sure that person survived. That was too selfless a notion for their self-centred minds to comprehend. All they could see would be the possibility for reckless behaviour when the loved one was endangered or altruistic but ultimately losing acts of sacrifice.

"Yes. I love him like a – " Stephanie trailed off. She had been about to say brother but decided it would be too insensitive but Tain's wry smirk told her he knew what she had been going to say anyway.

"It's real…bad luck isn't it?" Tain said ruefully.

Stephanie looked to him aghast, incredulous that Tain could be so mild in his condemnation of an event that would see him and his sister…

Stephanie's shocked thoughts stuttered to a halt as she saw the knowing look on Tain's face at her reaction.

She looked to him shrewdly, her mouth falling open to ask…

"It's nice," Tain announced genially, " – I mean to be outside again. Me and Star have spent the past year in the Justice Building holding cells in District 7," he said, a mischievous grin stretching his lips, his eyes burning within their sunken sockets.

Stephanie gaped, she couldn't help it. And Tain laughed heartily in response.

Stephanie whipped her head about fiercely then, checking no one was in earshot but…"you shouldn't be so casually admitting to such things openly like this," she admonished him fervently.

Tain shrugged and a bitter expression claimed his emaciated features, "what difference does it make now," he spat out, "the minute me and Star's names were called I knew we were finished."

Stephanie looked at him; something painful lodged in her throat as she saw that same anguished expression haunt his pale blue eyes.

"Why were you imprisoned in the first place?" Stephanie ventured gently. Despite her own advice she was irrepressibly curious.

The rueful grin curved Tain's lips again as a spark of impish light touched the pale blue of his eyes.

Stephanie could almost imagine Tain before his and his sister's incarceration; she could picture him, his white blonde hair falling across his bright eyes, an air of mischief in every quirk of his lips. But now folded into every line of his gaunt face was apprehension and the tortured expression he wore at the mention of his sister Astara – Star – constantly haunted his eyes.

Stephanie realised that Tain and his sister truly had endured everything together including a year of horror she couldn't begin to comprehend.

"Spreading anti-Capitolite propaganda and inciting civil unrest," Tain quoted and Stephanie felt a mirroring smirk cross her lips at the undeniable note of pride in Tain's voice as he admitted it.

But all too soon the boyish charm had fled and the anguished expression appeared again, "but not Star – she didn't deserve this. She wasn't involved," he told her in a hoarse voice.

Stephanie opened her mouth, not knowing what she was going to say but suspecting she was going to spew out some meaningless words of comfort.

But Tain spoke first; his voice low and hoarser, laced with desperation.

"You have to let Star into your alliance."

Stephanie blinked uncomprehendingly for a moment unable to formulate a response.

"I know that idiot Prall will probably object. Star isn't strong; she used to be able to throw an axe from a distance of five metres and hit her mark dead but after…" Tain trailed off, the feverish light in his eyes dulling as his thoughts turned to that horrible year, "but you can talk Prall around, can't you?" the desperation weighting his voice was almost palpable.

Stephanie looked at him, pity welling up in her as she wished for a forlorn moment that she did possess some secret talent.

Tain could clearly see she was hesitating though and misunderstanding he hashed on quickly, his voice dropping even lower, "look – in the arena – I can follow your group – discreetly. I'll take out anything that tries to harm you all – or die trying."

Stephanie felt the ache in her chest intensify and she blurted out, "Tain why don't both you and Astara join?"

But Tain leaned back abruptly at the words, shaking his head sternly, "the Capitol want me dead. I won't let Star get caught up in that again." Stephanie saw the guilt written plain across his face, the steely determination that told her he wouldn't accept her offer.

Stephanie realised he was resigned to die in this arena, but not before he gave his sister the best chance there was to win. And Stephanie considered that Tain perhaps had done the impossible. In the arena where countless had died before him just for the perverse entertainment of the Capitol's crowds Tain's death would have meaning. He would die for something, or rather someone – Astara – his sister.

Stephanie nodded jerkily then, barely trusting her own voice, "of course," she added after a moment when the burning sensation of tears in her eyes had subsided.

"But…" Stephanie began hesitantly. She had no secret talent, no grand strategy. Tain had perhaps signed his sister up to the worst alliance possible in his desperation to protect her.

"There are other alliances," Stephanie whispered. She knew what she was doing would be highly advised against; it was stupid and impulsive, "better alliances," Stephanie breathed, knowing she had just admitted that her alliance's fighting abilities was poor.

Tain smirked slightly, "I trust you."

Stephanie's eyes widened, "me?!" she exclaimed in shock, "but…why?"

She had barely spoken to Tain and with all the rumours of deceit and secrecy that surrounded her due to her 'scandalous' persona, she was sure that she wasn't exactly seen as the most trustworthy person.

Tain chuckled lightly, "because you love that little District partner of yours."

Stephanie frowned even more in confusion but Tain didn't explain anymore.

"Oh, one more thing," he added seriously, "you can't tell Star we had this conversation. She mustn't know what I intend to do – just you approach her and offer her a place in your alliance."

Stephanie looked dubious; she didn't trust her acting or secret-keeping skills at the best of times but she accepted and watched as Tain walked off until he was lost amongst the crowds once more.

She still didn't understand his enigmatic words to her but with a new sense of determination Stephanie swivelled her head searching for another white-blonde head of hair.

Tain smiled gently as he made his way over to his mentors. His mentor; a crabbed rust-coloured haired man called Bee scowled at Tain. Bee had been increasingly irked with Tain's insistence and stubbornness about tackling the arena himself.

"I don't suppose there's much point in asking if you've managed to secure an alliance?" Bee grumbled out sourly.

A smirk danced across Tain's lips. He had in fact secured an alliance, just not for himself.

Tain sighed, remembering Stephanie's incredulous expression when he had told her he trusted her.

She couldn't understand how and honestly – neither could Tain. How could Tain explain it to her when he had barely understood it himself?

Initially he thought about going to the Careers; he knew they would never accept anyone as seemingly talentless as Astara but he thought with the offer of himself as a human shield they would warm to the idea.

But what was to stop them killing her when he was gone? After he had done his part, dying to protect them?

How could he find someone that would keep their word even after he was gone?

The answer had come in a look; a look of something warm and precious that Stephanie had looked at Frenkin with as she reached out to ruffle his hair.

And suddenly Tain knew.

He didn't expect Stephanie to lay down her life for Astara, but he knew that Stephanie wouldn't kill Astara as soon as he was dead. Astara would be able to break away from the alliance when the time came and Tain would have given his twin the best chance he could.

He trusted Stephanie because in that one look she had shared with Frenkin Tain knew that Stephanie would be the only one to understand what he was doing.

Because Stephanie was the closest person Tain could observe that could possibly comprehend what it was like to have a sibling in the Games with you.

Thanks to girlworthfightingfor for the review! – I don't think Stephanie does either!

So that chapter was like the longest…ever. I just got carried away and then couldn't find a place to cut it, but anyway thanks to anyone who continues to read!