TRIPLE UPDATE! CHAPTERS 141-143! :D

I thought it only appropriate to have a 'break-up' chapter :P

Chapter One-Hundred-and-Forty-One; Fatal Touch

Empty.

That was how Stephanie had felt at first lying face down in her bed. She had long cried out every tear she could, screamed every curse into her pillow and blamed herself over and over again until she was blue in the face.

And when she had used all her words and tears it all still hadn't made a difference.

The empty feeling still ate away inside of her like some disease; hollowing out of her all the hopes, dreams and warmth to leave behind only a rasping husk that was numb to the world around her.

She had been vaguely aware that Frenkin had been sitting at her bedside for some time now, murmuring platitudes softly, that while well-meant did nothing to soothe her.

Stephanie hated how weak she was, curled up on her bed with red-rimmed eyes and a croaking voice from having cried so much. She berated herself fiercely. There were others enduring far worse than she with more decorum that she had in those moments.

The self-loathing burned in her gut like acid, it seared through her veins and raged through her skull relentlessly. The self-disgust spiralled ever downwards as Stephanie dwelled on her every failing.

She was utterly inept and useless. She couldn't protect herself. Her whole life she had always relied on others; her brother to save her from drowning because she had been stupid enough to fall into the river, Haymitch to save her countless, varied times, even Frenkin! – Little Frenkin who was far weaker than her, and who she was meant to be protecting, yet it was he that had saved her life.

Haymitch had stated vaguely that circumstances were the reason they couldn't be together anymore. This is the Capitol and things like we had never last here... But Stephanie was convinced now. It wasn't circumstances at all, it was her!

A relationship was meant to work both ways; to be a source of mutual comfort and strength. All I've ever done is take from Haymitch Stephanie thought sorrowfully. Pushed him until he could go no further, weighted him down until he broke. I expected too much and gave too little in return.

"He still loves you," Frenkin murmured resolutely, as his teeth tugged at his bottom lip worriedly.

Stephanie blinked open her eyes wearily to look blankly at the blue-eyed boy perched in the chair by her bed. She had no idea when she had shut her eyes to begin with.

"I know," Stephanie whispered into the pillow.

Because she did know that Haymitch still loved her. He had never stated that was why he was breaking up with her.

Even in her deepest despair when Haymitch had first stormed off and his cold steel gaze had chilled her to the very bone – it wasn't his love that Stephanie had doubted. Haymitch had proved he loved her a long time ago.

It was his endurance that Stephanie had feared had been eroded.

For some unfathomable reason Haymitch had fallen in love with her – probably the most infuriating tribute he had ever had, Stephanie thought ruefully. And Stephanie feared that she had been unknowingly whittling away at Haymitch from that first kiss like a corrosive substance on his very skin.

Bit by bit she had chipped away at him gradually but surely, throwing him little scraps of hope that were inconsequential on the scale of her destructive influence.

She had stretched every last nerve in him, squeezed every single breath out of him, completely snapped his last resolve.

She had left him with nothing but their fragile love to protect him, sustain him and spur him onwards. And it simply wasn't enough.

That was what hurt like hell; to know that she had done all this to Haymitch herself, had pushed him so far past a breaking point that even the fact that they still loved one another couldn't save them.

Her mother had always taught her that love was one of the most powerful forces in the world; unconquerable and unstoppable.

Stephanie scoffed bitterly; it hadn't been enough this time.

"I completely destroy everyone I touch…" Stephanie whispered horrified as the realisation dawned on her.

Friends and enemies alike she hurt them all the same.

If they all had never have met her; Haymitch wouldn't be completely stripped bare to his last resolve, Fas wouldn't be dead, Slena wouldn't have lost her cousin, twenty-three tributes including Frenkin wouldn't be facing certain death because a blue-eyed Gamemaker had decided Stephanie would win his Games.

Stephanie considered ruefully there was even Ficen, Dess, Dan – Seneca. In other ways she had destroyed their lives, the lives they were used to anyway.

And as it all crashed upon her Stephanie felt her own resolve waver upon breaking point.

The hope she had been clinging to in order to endure the cesspool of this Capitol had been snuffed out, ripped away from her leaving behind an inevitable gaping hole.

Loving Haymitch had been the one burning beacon of hope she had thought would enable her to survive the Games. Not just the actual physicality of the Games but the horror of them that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Stephanie felt a horrible chill of loneliness, of utter abandonment then. Her future was uncertain and frightening again.

"Tiny Tim scramble!"

Frenkin gave a shrill yelp, leaping to his feet as Electra suddenly waltzed into the room.

Stephanie immediately propped herself up to glare at the blue-haired woman.

"He can stay if he wants to!" Stephanie rasped back at her.

Electra rolled her eyes, ruffling Frenkin's hair as she passed by him. "Go get a cupcake," Electra said, winking at him.

Frenkin looked back at Stephanie unsure. He didn't want to just leave Stephanie, and even though he was intimidated by Electra he wouldn't leave Stephanie's side willingly no matter who ordered him.

Stephanie sighed as she nodded, attempting to give him a smile that felt more like a grimace. It was unfair to expect Frenkin to sit by her bedside while she cried her heart out.

He was only a terrified boy, lost in this Capitol heading for his death in the Hunger Games. He didn't need the extra worry of having to deal with Stephanie being a heartbroken snivelling mess. She couldn't destroy Frenkin like she destroyed Haymitch.

"It's okay Frenkin," Stephanie said reassuringly.

"I – I could bring you back a cupcake…if you wanted," Frenkin offered.

A slightly more genuine smile ghosted across Stephanie's lips then and she nodded, "yea that would be great. Thanks Frenkin," Stephanie answered.

Frenkin left then and Stephanie raised her gaze to fix Electra with a hard expectant look.