Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty; Something In-Between

The whirring noise sounded loudly in Stephanie's ears as the scan ended and the tunnel slid back.

But Stephanie was otherwise occupied as her shrill of surprised protest was smothered against Seneca's lips.

It was at that moment that Stephanie moved. She didn't manage to slap him quite as hard as she wanted to, but he did jerk back with a plosive curse on his lips.

Stephanie abruptly sat up, her chest heaving as she stared at Seneca, wide-eyed and furious.

Seneca raised a hand gingerly to prod at the tender spot on his lower lip where Stephanie had bitten him in retaliation.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Stephanie screeched. She swivelled around immediately, leaping lightly off the table and righting herself when she stumbled slightly.

Seneca slid off the table silently, as his tongue darted out to swipe over his recently bit lip.

"You really have no idea how to behave like a normal human being, do you?!" Stephanie cried and Seneca looked to her half-interested. "I tell you I trust you, and what is the first thing you do?!" Stephanie continued to rant, her words edged with sarcasm.

Wirin entered the room then cautiously, glancing towards Seneca as he swallowed nervously.

Seneca cast an expectant glance over his shoulder, arching a brow.

"The scan was completed," Wirin said before adding hurriedly, "successfully this time."

"Good," Seneca replied dismissively before he bent to swipe his jacket and cufflinks from the floor, practically ignoring Stephanie standing in her silent rage.

Wirin nodded; taking the hint as he swiftly left the room, casting Stephanie an inscrutable look before he left.

"Are you even listening to me?" Stephanie seethed, feeling unbearably foolish and annoyed with herself.

She had been idiotic enough to tell the blue-eyed Gamemaker that he had somehow, without her conscious consent gained her trust; proved to her that he did love her.

And the first thing Seneca thought to do was abuse that trust by kissing her!

However despite his seemingly indifferent nonchalance, Seneca whirled remarkably swiftly at her words. His blue eyes blazed brightly.

"I at least think I deserved one kiss," Seneca said sarcastically.

Stephanie rolled her eyes as she immediately turned away from him in disgust.

She gave up!

Seneca Crane was an amalgamation of many things Stephanie found; man, monster, human, animal…trying to discern differences was impossible and would most likely drive her to insanity.

She would just have to accept that she would never be able to predict the blue-eyed Gamemaker because she would never be able to tell what part of him was in charge. It was something that made dealing with Seneca infinitely more dangerous.

He had promised her he wouldn't kill Haymitch now, but tomorrow, would that change?

"If the thing is done can I go now?" Stephanie barked harshly instead, as she glared at Seneca.

Seneca sighed irascibly as his blue eyes narrowed to points. "Of course," he agreed with sardonic geniality, as he gestured for Stephanie to walk by him.

Stephanie scowled darker as she strode by him, her arms wrapped around her torso protectively.

"A little gratitude wouldn't go amiss either," he added as he followed behind her.

Stephanie turned quickly to look up at him with furious eyes. "I never asked for your help," she snarled.

"But you take it anyway," Seneca shot back.

A high flush rose in Stephanie's cheeks. "Fine then. Whatever the results of this Capitolite test I don't want to know them," she said stubbornly.

She made to turn when his hand shot out, catching her upper arm tightly. "That's not what I meant," he protested.

Stephanie stopped her struggling for a moment as she looked up at Seneca, sighing heavily as she shook her head hopelessly. "Then just what the hell do you mean Seneca? I don't understand you!" Stephanie confessed, her voice softer than she had meant it.

Seneca's grip on her lessened again as his eyes idly traced the shadow of her collarbone peeking above her gown.

"I barely understand myself anymore," Seneca breathed quietly, his gaze never straying," and it's your fault. You're changing me."

He smirked as he looked up to catch Stephanie's widened eyes before she scowled in response, readying to make a retort.

"Your driver's here Seneca."

Stephanie and Seneca snapped around as Wirin stood half in the threshold of the control room door, reluctant to approach any further into the room.

Stephanie breathed a silent sigh of relief; it was finally over.

…

"Are you done yet?"

Stephanie scowled, her arms folded stubbornly across her torso. She eyed the door warily which Seneca was waiting outside with barely kept patience.

"Stephanie!" A sharp two raps followed.

"No," Stephanie replied shortly, hearing Seneca growl in impatient exasperation.

"I don't know how long it can take to put a damn dress on," she heard him mutter on the other side of the door.

Stephanie rolled her eyes as she returned her reluctant gaze once more to the 'dress' that Seneca's driver had brought her.

It wasn't nearly as bad as some of Ficen's more imaginative inventions by any stretch. In fact it was a rather familiar dress.

An ice blue dress the exact same shade of Seneca's eyes, that she had worn at Cen's boutique once before.

Heaving a frustrated sigh Stephanie reluctantly conceded defeat, and stood to shrug out of the papery thin gown.

It fluttered to the ground with a quiet rustle and Stephanie kicked it aside, picking up the blue dress to hold in front of her for inspection.

Would it really have killed him to bring me something more comfortable than a friggin party dress! Stephanie thought disgruntled.

She fleetingly wondered where Seneca's driver had gotten the dress from in the first place and if he knew the significance of it.

But she swiftly discarded the meaningless thoughts as she stepped into the dress.

It took her another good few minutes of frustrated struggling and Seneca threatening to come into the room twice 'to put the damn thing on her himself she was taking so long.'

Stephanie glanced in the mirror of the small bathroom she was in once she had finished. She had been able to get washed up mostly when she had first changed into the paper gown; so the bloodstains and make-up smears were long gone.

She essentially looked now just how she felt; completely wearied and still a little frazzled.

Stephanie huffed absently, as she tugged her fingers through the bird's nest her hair now resembled. But giving up she simply shoved it away out of her face, conceding defeat.

She opened the door to find Seneca with his arms folded crossly, and a scowl marring his features. However his expression smoothed as she emerged, and his gaze flickered indiscreetly across her person.

"That's better," he finally murmured, returning his gaze to her face.

Stephanie rolled her eyes as she eagerly looked towards the doors.

They walked in silence to Seneca's car. Stephanie had to hike her dress up nearly to her knees, because apparently asking for a normal pair of shoes in the Capitol was also an impossibility.

Stephanie allowed herself a rueful smirk though as she slid into the cool interior of the car. She had to admit she was getting a little better walking in heels.

Seneca followed after her and as soon as the door shut the car pulled away silently.

Stephanie looked over her shoulder unable to help herself as she caught a last glimpse of the huge building. She even saw Wirin; an ever diminishing figure standing at the doors as they got further away.

She turned back around in her seat after a moment, feeling rather at odds with…everything.

The wind had brought her clarity once, but a blue-eyed Gamemaker's kiss had shattered it. Along with any illusion of control over her own life, she had imagined, she might have had for one morning.

Stephanie's hands twined with one another in her lap as she watched the outside world roll by outside, and studiously doing her best to ignore the presence of Seneca beside her.

Stephanie grappled with the thoughts in her head, trying to cement things she knew for certain.

She knew for an irrefutable and painful fact that things between her and Haymitch were strained at best. The fact that she didn't know how things lay between her and the man she was planning on spending the rest of her life with, threw Stephanie's whole world askew.

If she couldn't comprehend things with Haymitch; the one person she was supposed to be able to read above all others in this Capitol, then what chance did she have with someone like Seneca Crane?

She had inwardly resolved to stop trying to comprehend Seneca – at all. She couldn't define him definitely as friend, enemy or a hundred other things. The Gamemaker had chiselled a place all for himself that if Stephanie was forced to put a label on it she would say…somewhere in-between.

Because that was what Seneca was to her; a 'somewhere or something in-between'.

She reluctantly conceded he was somewhere between friend and enemy, man and monster. And faced with this new uncharted territory Stephanie didn't know how to act around Seneca now.

Everything she had ever done around Seneca was instinct, without conscious thought about the resulting consequences of her actions.

Did she still have to fear about what Seneca might do if she pushed him too far? Yes…Stephanie's thoughts whispered. She trusted Seneca – but only to a certain extent. Anything more than that would just be foolish Stephanie resolved.

Thanks for the reviews; girlworthfightingfor for the review; I literally have a serious addiction to cliffhangers. I never plan them and somehow they always happen; they just sneak up on me – sorry! And yea, there were a few subtle hints that you were a Stephanie/Seneca supporter :P I listened to the song – very apt. Personally I listened to The Reason by hoobastank when I'm thinking of Stephanie/Seneca; little cheesy I know :P

Thanks to SibunaMockingkay for the review! – Real glad to hear you are enjoying this!

Guest X3 I'm guessing? – thanks for the reviews; a little bit yea and you'll find out later on and yea again :P

Just a reminder! – The poll for Stephanie/Haymitch vs. Stephanie/Seneca – still open, if you want to pop over to my profile for a second. The result could result in MAJOR story changes…just saying :D or leave me a review!