"Everything looks good, Rini," the doctor murmured as he went over his routine exam. He patted her knee which let her know she could close them and he scooted away from her, scrawling some things down on paper. "I haven't gotten to extend my congratulations to you and Seneca yet. I haven't had the chance, really." He glanced over his shoulder at her and offered a sympathetic smile. He had been the first stop of past victors returning to the Capitol for many years, but this was the first time he had witnessed something like this happening. "I just received my invitation to the wedding yesterday. I'm surprised that you have set a date so quickly."

Renata raised an eyebrow, having had no part in wedding details. Seneca must have arranged all this ahead of time. "We want to tie the knot before the next Hunger Games start and he's busy, I suppose."

"He is frequently a busy man, isn't it?" the doctor murmured, turning back to Renata.

She nodded and laid back down, turning onto her side so her bottom was exposed to him. The shot didn't bother her much anymore, but when he chuckled, she furrowed her brow and looked over her shoulder at him.

"You won't need that anymore, miss. Now if you get pregnant, it won't be an issue." He stood up and gave her a respectful nod. "We're all done here. Best of luck to you, Renata. If you need anything, you know where to find me." He smiled and then left her alone to redress.

When she emerged from the examination room, she furrowed her brow and made her way down the empty hallway to the front of the building. What did that mean, it wouldn't be an issue? The shot had been preventing her from getting pregnant? Well duh, Rini, she thought, sighing as she exited the building and descended the steps to the car that was parked out front for her. So did that mean that Finnick and the others in his situation got the same shot every time they frequented the Capitol? It would be an issue, as the doctor said, if suddenly the women were unable to perform because of pregnancy or the men had several children running around, wouldn't it? But now that she was going to be a wife, she didn't have a need for the shot anymore. She huffed quietly and slipped into the back seat of the sleek black car, raising her eyebrow when the darkened window separating her part of the car from the driver rolled down and an unfamiliar face greeted her.

"Hello there, miss Renata," he said with a metallic smile, looking normal enough except for those unnaturally shiny teeth. "My name is Javier, and I'm Mr. Crane's personal escort, and well, now yours too!"

Renata barely held back a snort and instead smiled at him. Another escort? What was it with the Capitol people having to maintain a constant running schedule? "It's nice to meet you," she replied, wondering if he'd take it as an insult or a compliment if she were to shade her eyes from the gleam of his teeth. "Where are we driving to now? The penthouse?"

"Now I'm afraid I can't say much, ma'am, but no, we aren't going there. It's a bit of a surprise, and well, quite a drive." He chuckled quietly. "If I were you, I'd take advantage of the seat controls back there, because it'll take a while until we get to where we're headed."

"There isn't a self-destruct button back here, is there?" Renata joked, looking at the impressive panel on the dashboard in front of her. "I think I'll try and take a nap, not that I'm trying to get rid of you or anything."

Javier gave a big laugh at that, shaking his head. "No offense taken, ma'am. I shall leave you alone to sleep. Off we go!" With that, he rolled the window back up and disappeared behind the dark pane of glass.

The car started forward and Renata pursed her lips as she stared at the panel before her. She pushed one button and her seat started to vibrate. Interesting. She pushed another and the television turned on, and she flipped that off quickly. It would've been helpful if they were labeled, but she assumed that Seneca had simply memorized what every button did. Not wanting to venture into discovering all their functions, she laid down, rested her cheek against the warm seat and sighed. Her eyes felt heavy and she was grateful that she did have time to sleep, since she hadn't slept very much on the train ride…

"Good morning," Renata appeared behind Finnick, who was hunched over the sink shaving the stubble from his face.

He grinned at her reflection, rinsing off the excess shaving cream from his face and then drying it with a towel. "Morning," he said with a lazy smile, turning to her and folding his arms over his bare chest. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever wake up."

"You could have woken me, you know," she said with an arched eyebrow. "I wouldn't have minded having a shower with you."

"Noted," He winked and dipped down to kiss her lips. His arms wound around her waist and suddenly he had her pinned up against the wall, lost in a passionate kiss. "Are you always so sprightly in the morning?" he breathed with a chuckle when he pulled away from her.

"No, not usually," she laughed and looked up into his eyes with flushed cheeks. Her stomach grumbled and she bit her lip. "I'm hungry…"

"I wonder why. You didn't work up an appetite or anything." He winked again and let go of her, beginning to walk out. "I'll take care of that, unless you wanted me to take a second shower with you?" He laughed and dodged the swat she aimed at him.

When she finished her morning routine and entered the kitchen, Finnick smiled as he recognized his shirt on her frame. "Planning on stealing my clothes, Rini?"

"Yes, I am," Renata replied as she sat down. "You discovered my evil plan. First get in your pants and then take the rest of your wardrobe."

"Alright, missy. You better eat before you get any more sarcastic."

Renata jolted awake, having suddenly gotten the sensation that she was falling, and she groaned, sitting up and looking out the window. She was puzzled as they were driving through a wooded area. Where the hell were they? The trees were different than the ones she had seen when she had gone to District Seven and she knew that they were still in the Capitol from the fact that they were driving on a paved road. She fiddled around with the buttons and then sighed, giving the window a soft tap with her knuckles.

"Yeeeees? Are you getting stir crazy?" Javier called back to her after he'd rolled down the window.

"How could you tell?" She smiled, resting her arms on the window and peering out the windshield. "Where are we? We're not-"

"Still in the Capitol? Actually, yes, we are. Not many people outside of those high ranking officials go out of the city." He swerved to miss a squirrel that had darted across the road and sighed.

"What's out here? Anything else besides squirrels?"

"Trees, mostly. But there are sections of land that certain wealthy individuals own…and that's all I'm saying. Quit trying to get me to give up the surprise," Javier chuckled, winking at her through the rearview mirror.

Renata pouted and she slumped back in her seat, staring out her window at the woods. It was a beautiful scene, even with the bit of snow still on the ground. Winter was almost over, for which she was very grateful, and she couldn't wait until spring came and brought back the warm sun with it. She closed her eyes and laid her head down, feeling sleep sneak up on her again.

"So this is it, I guess?" Cecil asked as he stood on the platform with Renata, her belongings that she had packed up already put on the train. "Goodbye?"

Renata looked at the wounded look on his face and she embraced him for the hundredth time that day. "Not for forever," she said softly, feeling squished in the hug. "I'll call when I can, when I figure out what's going on and when I'm settled in." She closed her eyes and nestled her head against his shoulder, feeling his arms tighten as if he were reluctant to let her go.

"Rini…"

"It'll be okay, Cecil," she reassured him with a gentle voice, swallowing when she thought she heard him sniffle. "I'm sure that I'll see you real soon." Slowly he let her go and he wouldn't look at her, or wipe away the tears that had started to fall down his cheeks. She moved to Polom and Aria, who stood near their mother, and she kneeled down in front of them. "You squirts are gonna be good, aren't you?"

"No," Polom smiled and he laughed, pouting when Renata patted his head and kissed his forehead.

Aria's lower lip stuck out when Renata kissed her forehead and she tugged at the rope that hung around her neck, offering it to the redhead. "Do you want this back? So you'll be safe?"

She smiled and she shook her head, pressing the vial back into her palm and closing her fingers around it. "You keep it," she whispered. "Then when I see you again, I'll see that you're taking such good care of it." She gave the petite girl a hug and ruffled Polom's hair when she stood. Leona gave her a one armed hug and kissed her cheek, telling her to be safe.

Cecil took Renata's hand when she walked back to him and he walked her onto the train, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the dizzying décor inside. "I love you, Rini. And I'm sor-"

"Don't do that," Rini murmured, stopping him before he could yet again apologize. "It isn't your fault." She hugged him tight and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Cecil. I promise I'll do everything I can to see you soon."

"Renata? Miss Renata," Javier's voice roused her and she blinked the sleep from her eyes.

"Are we there?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

"Yes, we are! And for the purpose of keeping the surprise intact, I've darkened your windows, and Mr. Crane has asked if you would put on this blindfold." He smiled shyly, keeping those teeth hidden behind his lips. He must have caught on.

"Well…alright," Renata murmured, taking it from him and tying it around the back of her head. This was a very elaborate surprise.

"She's ready," Javier murmured from the front of the car, and after a few moments, the door beside her opened and she gasped as a gust of cold wind blew in. A pair of warm arms slipped around her and she resisted the urge to throw a punch.

"Easy there," a familiar voice chuckled in her ear. A bit of facial hair tickled her cheek and she relaxed a little as she was lifted out of the car. "I've got you."

"Seneca," she whispered, holding tight to him as he carried her to wherever they were going. "All this secrecy for me? I guess this is a bad time to tell you that I don't like surprises?"

His chest rumbled with laughter and she felt the temperature shift from cold to quite a comfortable one. "I hope you'll make an exception for this. Ready?" he asked after he had carefully set her down on her feet.

"Yes," Renata breathed and she felt him take off the blindfold. She slowly opened her eyes and felt her heart skip a beat. They were standing inside of a beautiful foyer, and further on she could see brand new furniture in the large great room, and finally the back of the house had an entire wall of windows that showed the snowy forest behind it, surrounding a small lake. "Wow," she whispered, feeling like her feet were glued to the floor. She looked over her shoulder at Seneca with her mouth open a little, unable to come up with an appropriate response. "What's it for?" she finally decided on.

"I didn't think that you'd like living in the penthouse. That is more for business purposes, for me to have a place close to work to stay if I need to. Plus, this is more romantic." He chuckled, taking her hand and leading her further into the house. "Can't have my wife living in a bachelor pad, can I?" He stopped showing her the expansive bathroom and gave her a warm smile. "No, I can't. So I bought this for us to start our lives together in. For you."

Renata felt her cheeks turn red from how sincere he sounded and she gave his hand a gentle squeeze, once again trying to get a read on him. "Thank you," she whispered, letting him continue the tour of their house. The single level structure was roomy but it still felt like a cozy home, with a couple extra bedrooms. For expansions, Rini figured, but wasn't too keen on the idea.

"And come here, love," Seneca led her towards the door they hadn't gone through. They were in what looked like another house, albeit smaller than theirs. He looked at her and smiled, "For Cecil and Leona to visit. Polom, Aria, and Vic have their own rooms, even."

Renata's eyes widened as he spoke of her family like they were all old friends and she swallowed, managing a nod. "This is so beautiful…all of it. I love it," she smiled, tilting her face up so he could kiss her. "Thank you, Seneca. Really, this is the loveliest house I've ever seen. And it's ours."

He nodded and kissed her pink lips, smoothing back her curly hair. "Just wait until spring comes, and everything is in bloom." He sighed at the thought and let his finger stroke the top of her cheek. "What say we get settled in? You have a fully stocked closet, and access to whatever you could need. I'll have dinner taken care of; you must be starving." He kissed the tip of her nose and let her go, chuckling when he saw her have to search for her room again.

He hadn't been joking when he said that her closet was stocked. It may have been more accurate to say that it was bursting at the seams. She looked at the endless rows of garment bags and swallowed, just wanting to find something casual. Finally she unearthed a pair of black lounge pants and a soft top. She stripped and then redressed, and as she was leaving, she saw a deep purple silk robe and grabbed it, slipping it on her arms.

"Did you cook this? It was really good," Rini remarked, setting aside her empty plate. They had elected to eat sitting on the couch rather than at the table, and a nice fire crackled in the fireplace.

"I know a few good recipes," Seneca chuckled, wiping his mouth and tossing his napkin onto the coffee table. "But I'm by no means a professional cook. If you would like, I'll have someone around to make our meals for us."

She shrugged. "I can cook a little, and I could learn…I better learn how to be a wife soon, huh? Doctor Kasnik told me he got the wedding invitation…I didn't know there was a date set already."

He smiled sheepishly and brushed his fingers against her cheek, tucking a few curls behind her ear. "I hope you aren't upset. I didn't want to wait around for the Games to come and go. I want to marry you now," he smiled bigger. "Do you want to see the invitation?" When she nodded, he disappeared for a moment and then returned with a beautiful piece of parchment, the words engraved in silver.

"This is the date for the wedding?" Renata asked, looking at him quizzically.

"Is something the matter?"

"No, of course not…that's my birthday," She shrugged and then looked back at the invitation.

"Your eighteenth birthday," Seneca nodded, a knowing smile on his face. "I promise that you'll get birthday presents on top of wedding gifts. Your family will be here for the wedding, and I promise to make it as special a day as I can. You're giving me the best present I could ask for." He kissed her cheek softly and took back the paper from her.

Renata was quiet for a moment. Her brain hadn't stopped buzzing since this morning and she was beginning to get a headache from all her thinking. "Seneca?"

"Yes, dear?"

"How…do you know so much about me?" She pursed her lips and looked up at him. "You know so much, and it throws me off when you start talking about something I have no idea you knew about…"

He studied her face for a moment then gave a very slight smile. "I'm afraid I can't say much about that, darling."

Renata blinked, trying not to stare at him open-mouthed. Was he serious? She cleared her throat and turned her body towards him, setting one hand on top of his. "Well, I think…that since I'm your wife to be, I'm entitled to some answers." She swallowed, looking directly into his eyes.

Seneca arched a well-manicured brow and he laughed out loud, pulling her to his chest by one arm and kissing the top of her head. "I suppose I can't argue with that, can I?" He sighed and let her sit back, crossing his long legs. "We can see more than what people in the Districts know of. A lot more."

"What do you mean?"

He pursed his lips and she could tell he was trying to choose his words carefully. "We have eyes in each District. You know that, after what happened to Cecil. And what you've been told by others, I'm sure."

"You were spying on me?" she asked, a shiver going down her spine.

"I wouldn't say that, I never looked into your home. I just observed. Spoke with the Mayor about your childhood, and whatever he could tell me. I'm sure this is a bit strange to you…"

"I don't like that one bit." Renata shook her head, pulling her knees up to her chest. "That gives me the creeps."

"Rini-"

"That's not how you build a relationship!" she interrupted him. "You have to talk to someone and…be with someone to get to know them. Not by…observing."

Seneca smiled apologetically. "It was the only way I could know you since you weren't stationed here permanently. I'm sorry, love."

"You know loads more about me, and I barely know you. How can I marry a stranger?" She put a hand to her forehead, as if she couldn't fathom the idea.

"Can I make it up to you?" Seneca asked, biting his lip. The distress on her face upset him greatly. He reached for her hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb, trying to sooth her. "Before we wed, I promise that you'll know me. I won't be a stranger. You can ask me anything and everything you can think of, and I'll tell you. Okay?"

She nodded after a pause, a small smile lifting her lips. "Okay," she whispered. "Tomorrow?"

"First thing." He nodded and he stood up, scooping her up into his arms and carrying her towards their bedroom.

Seneca you horrible bastard! How could you do...wait..what? Interesting...and kind of creepy too? Hm. I really liked writing this chapter for some reason, I don't know, I feel like my writing was better than normal, not that i'm saying that I'm a good writer or anything or...oi. More and more interesting developments coming up, so y'all better stick around if you know what's good for you! Teehee, jk? Thank you so much for all of you that have left reviews and continue to do so and read what I have to share, each and everyone of you are awesome! Peace n blessing~

-Kelsey :3