Friends:

With a satchel of clothes over my shoulder and a pocket full of cash for food, I slip from my house unnoticed the next morning. Dad had asked me about my plans and I'd told him about Jewel but not Satine, she had to be kept quiet for now at least, till I could find her some work.

I visit the market first to buy some food and baby clothes, the lady selling the small woollen items give me a strange look when she recognises me. "I think Silk will love these" I say loudly as I pass over some money for a bundle of clothes. After all her due date is rapidly approaching and she can't exactly hide it anymore.

I leave the market in the direction that I came from and quickly looping around the back of a storage barn make my way further into the warehouses till I reach the one where I left Satine yesterday, as I slowly open the door the cry of a baby tells me that Satine hasn't gone anywhere in the night.

"Satine, it's me" I call into the darkness "Can I come in?"

"Of course" comes a quiet reply.

I sneak in and perch on the floor beside her; we are silent as she rocks Diamond but the baby continues to cry and fuss.

"I can't get her to settle" she tells me "I haven't slept all night"

"I brought you some things" I say pulling off my satchel and pulling out the stuff I'd brought from the market and home. Satine passes the fussing Diamond over to me and I hold her for a moment looking down at her crying face "Why is she sad?" I ask.

"I think she's just tired like me, but she's too cold to sleep"

"There's some woolly baby clothes in the bag" I say as she pulls them out and I hold Diamond as she wriggles the baby into a small woollen jumper. "It looks cute on her" I smile as she takes Diamond away from her and lies her on a soft blanket that I'd also packed. We watch her wriggle for a moment before she finally settles.

"She's so beautiful" I tell Satine "I could never have children"

"That's what I thought before her" she sighs

"Any child of mine would be at a far greater risk than your baby" I tell her with a sigh "but enough about the two Diamonds here, how are you?"

"Better now I have a friend to talk to. I feel less like a rat scrabbling around the market for food. You made me feel human again Diamond"

"You're alone today" I say as Jewel links arms with mine "Didn't you have a friend last time?"

"That was Livia. She's not working today. How was Satine?"

"Grateful. She wouldn't stop thanking me; I just wish I could do more for her though. I offered her our spare room again but she declined."

"Of course she would, she's got too much pride, it's a trait of us District One girls"

"You moved in with me"

"I also had ambition" she chuckles "Have you found her a job yet?"

"No. I asked around a few places near the market but as soon as I explained who she was they declined me. I've not had anyone say no to me in a while. Though they were very polite about it, stuff about no trade or the lack of wages available from the capitol." I sigh "Do you think it's her parents influence?"

"Her parents should have no influence that you can't beat" Jewel says "not Victor Diamond Hart."

"Ugh don't call me that" I say giving her a playful push on the shoulder "I get enough of that in the Capitol."

She laughs "Come on, lets just get to mine, Livia and Charm are dying to meet you" she chuckles and begins to speed up her pace. We reach her apartment block and make our way up the stairs "sorry lifts broke" she says "but at least I'm only on the third floor" we walk quickly up the stairs having to step around some kids playing on the second floor landing as we do so.

"Was that Diamond Hart?" I hear one of them say to the other as we continue up.

"Don't be silly Shen" the other one replies "no victors would come here, it's a dump"

Jewel continues to smile in an almost manic way as she reaches door 307 and slides in a key "You first" she says almost shoving me through the door.

I step into a clean but sparse little flat with bright white walls; opposite me is a window that looks out towards the market place. In front of the window is a small wooden table with four mismatched chairs and beside that a hob and sink are moulded into the walls in an attempt to copy the food delivery systems I've seen in the many capitol hotel rooms. The room is finished off with a tatty but comfy looking couch and government issued projector for watching the games.

On the couch lays a lady my age staring at a book, at the sound of me entering she looks up.

"Jewel" she screeches dropping the book on her lap "what the fuck are you doing with her?!"

I gawp at the girl open mouthed for a moment as I start to notice that Jewel is giggling.

"Livia" calls the girl who must be Charm and the girl I saw with Jewel a few days ago comes out of a side room scratching her head.

"What?" she yawns "I told you to leave me to sleep,"

Charm points towards me as Jewels giggles become louder, I'm still speechless.

"What is she doing here?!" Livia demands, her eyes wide open in shock.

"What?" I ask, looking over in shock at my friend who has begun to giggle. Didn't she just say they were looking forward to meeting me? "I don't understand"

"They never believed I really knew you." Jewel laughs, "I'm sorry but I just wanted to see their faces" she continues to laugh as I begin to lose my look of confusion, morphing it slowly into anger.

"I've always been a prop for you haven't I?" I rage at Jewel who is whipping tears from her eyes, I turn to leave.

"No please don't go" Jewel says catching her breath "I just really wanted to prove I was telling the truth."

"Well I suppose you were" Charm says "Did you really buy her that reaping day dress?"

"Huh yeah I did. Surely people saw us together after you moved in?"

Charm shakes her head "I've not seen you in the flesh since your reaping Diamond, I remember looking up with such envy."

"Well here I am" I say starting to relax a little as the atmosphere in the room relaxes with me.

"Come on" Jewel says "I'm parched, you want a drink?"

"Sure" I reply following her over to the small kitchen in the corner of the room, she grabs two glasses and instead of pouring in water like I expected her too pulls a vial of clear liquid from under the sink.

"Been saving this for a special occasion" she smiles

"You don't have to" I protest "not for me"

"Nah for me" she says "you two want something strong?" she calls over to her two housemates who are still pretty much where they were when they first saw me, seemingly frozen into place.

"Livia, Charm, Alcohol" Jewel states which seems to snap them out of it

"Oh if I must" Charm says leaping over the couch to join us by the kitchen, Livia shakes her head and stumbles over to join us.

Jewel pours four shots and passes them around "to friends" she says as she lifts her drink to her lips.

"To friends" we repeat as we join her.

A bottle and a half of Jewels stash later and were sat in a circle around her table, a platter of bread, ham and cheese in the middle and full glasses of a wine that Livia had been saving the conversation turns to the training centre.

"Oh you should have seen Hermes in full trainer mode" Charm says "are you a tribute or a mouse girl" she cries imitating his voice perfectly.

"Oh you have him perfectly" I say "Diamond you must behave in the arena if you want to live. Join the careers." I attempt causing more laughter.

"Did you see Brandi's wig at the last reaping?" Jewel asks "that shade of yellow"

"Oh the vomit one" I ask "it looked worse close up, it had orange spots"

The others fall about laughing for a moment before we calm down a little, I grab a chunk of cheese and munch on it.

"You know my stomach still turns every time I think about the reaping coming up" Livia says, "it's stupid I know"

The others nod in agreement "I got that the year after I won" I say "and last year too though those nerves were different."

"I knew Sapphire" says Charm pensively "she was in my training class, we were all so jealous when she got onto that stage."

"She was a smart tribute" Livia adds "she got so close too" they both look at me, forcing me to think of a fitting comment about the first tribute I mentored and lost.

"She got really close" I say "she should have never trusted Mason"

"Oh but Mason is hot though" Charm smiles "I wish I could meet him"

I force a smile as Jewel tops up my glass, she understands me better than these other two girls I think. As she pours the wine my mind drifts to Clos again and I begin to freeze up, blocking out whatever they are continuing to say around the table.

"Diamond, Diamond."

"Huh sorry you lost me there" I say

"Too much wine" Jewel says, "Look It's late, I'll walk you home."

"Thanks" I reply as we stand up and after some goodbyes and promises to return soon we head out of the front door and towards the stairs.

"I'm sorry the conversation turned like that" she says as we head down the stairs.

"I don't usually turn off like that" I reply "but then again I'm still testing my drug free reactions to stuff."

"well from your outburst earlier I'd say your anger is back oh and your sense of humour too, thank Panem"

"Yeah that was pretty funny" I say as we step out into the cold air, Jewel shivers.

"You can go back up" I say "I feel fine now"

"I think I will" she says, "Take care okay and let me know how it goes with Satine."

"I will" I promise bringing her into a hug. Stepping apart we smile and with a little wave I leave her stood there rubbing her hands and smiling at me as I walk down the path towards the road to Victors Village. Though I did hate their naivety I like Livia and Charm and after they'd got over their initial shock they did seem like genuine people, maybe in another lifetime I could have been their fourth flat mate and then life would be a little more normal.

A/N: Short little chapter this time, just wanted to get Diamond some normalcy before it all kicks off again. Speaking of this next chapter is gonna be epic!