Off to the arena we go! Please review, I love all my reviewers!

-Rachel:

I'm pleasantly surprised when Haymitch leaves Finn and me only an hour later, I settle back into Finnick as he twirls my hair around his finger. Tonight may be the last night I get with him.

"I love you Finn" I tell him gently.

"I love you too."

"This may be our last night Finn,"

Before I know it I'm in his arms as he carries me off to his room, our room. He sets me gently down on the bed, "Then let's not waste anything second." He purrs to me, I lets him push me back gently as his lips collide with mine. Finnick starts to love me like it's the last day of our lives, which it very well may be.

I can tell he's still trying not to hurt me. "Finn" I whisper between his kisses. He stops; he thinks I'm being hurt.

"You okay?"

"Don't hold back Finnick."

"I may hurt you." He whispers to me, I pull him closer and kiss him again, harder than I ever have.

"You could never hurt me."

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The next morning I wake up with Finnick by my side. His arms encircle me, I don't want to get up, I want the sun to stop rising, but I know that won't happen. I need to report to medical so they can get a blood sample, make sure I'm completely healthy, and then I go off with Cinna to the arena.

"Finnick" I whisper, his hold tightens around me a little which makes me laugh. "I know, but I have to go."

"You'll come back to me won't you." He whispers

"Oh course I'll try too." I promise him, with that he lets me get up and change, he does the same.

Finnick stays with me the whole time, while they take my blood and while we go eat breakfast, he never lets go of my hand. But all too soon it's time for the tributes to say goodbye to their mentors, and Finnick has to let go to go speak with Skitt, and I have to say my final goodbye to my father. I go over and sit in front of him. We don't say anything, then I wrap my arms around his neck.

"I love you Haymitch." I say in his ear.

"I love you too Rach, I'm so proud of how you've grown up."

I pull back and he holds my hand in his. "I'll do all I can to get you out of there."

"I know you will," then I want him to tell me my favorite story he told me when I was little, I need to hear it, one last time. "Can you tell the story?" I ask.

"Oh course I will." Haymitch takes a breath before he starts. "I was sitting in the Hob, it wasn't very nice outside, another blizzard was starting up again. I looked up from my bottle as I heard the door swing open, I saw your father walk in, and he carried a bundle in his arms. Everyone surrounded him quickly, but I didn't go over to see, I didn't really care. But before I knew it I was there anyways, curiosity got the best of me. I saw he carried a baby with him, it was you. Your father was on cloud nine, you had just been born yesterday and he had wanted to bring you in to show everyone, but your mother had said the Hob was no place for a baby. He laughed that your mother was asleep now and he had to be back before she woke up. Everyone loved seeing you, we all had turns holding you too. Then I held you myself, I didn't care much for babies, but I couldn't help thinking how cute you were. Then the door of the Hob flew open about an hour later.

'Joel Shuba give me our daughter now!' your mother yelled as she burst in the Hob. Your father's face went snow white as she came over and grabbed you from him. She went off for about half an hour on how the Hob is no place for you and that it will scare you. She didn't even notice that you had fallen asleep during their fight. I was the one to point it out.

We all joked about how you would be a regular in the Hob, and sure enough, you were." Haymitch laughs at the end. It's one of my favorite stories, since it has my biological parents, and my parent.

"Thank you, do you have my token?" I ask him, I had given him my ring last night so it could also be my token. He nods and hands me a necklace, golden chain, the ring on the end. But there were other lockets on it too. Slowly I go through and open them. Each one holds a picture of a victor. Beetee, Chaff, Seeder, Finnick, Wiress, Annie, Ceier, Haymitch himself, and all the other victors and then one holds a picture of Peeta and I, smiling together. I'm rolling my eyes while Peeta seems to be laughing his head off, I remember when this was taken.

*Flashback*

"Why are we doing this again?" I ask Peeta for the millionth time as we pose in front of his brother Quil takes our picture for about the tenth time.

"Because pictures are so much fun!" he says sarcastically to me, "and I know you love them!"

I roll my eyes, "I hate pictures Peeta!"

"Which is why we're taking them, see this will be a great shot." Peeta strikes a ridiculous pose, putting his hand on his hip and his other hand under his chin. I just shake my head and stare at my best friend, he's crazy, yes, but I love him for it.

"Are we done yet Quil!" I demand after I at least smile so we can get one good picture.

"Nope" he grins at me.

"We can at yeast do three more." Peeta jokes, ugh I hate his baker jokes!

"Will you at least shut up." I hiccup when I say least so it sounds like I said yeast instead of least, which sends Peeta into laughing his head off.

"I knew you loaved them!" he holds his sides, I stare down at him and roll my eyes, I see the flash of the camera. Quil bursts out laughing,

"Now that's a keeper!"

"You both are pathetic"

*flashback end*

I hug my father again, "Thank you." He holds me in the hug as they announce it's time for the tributes to go. Eventually we separate and he walks me to the door, where I stand next to the rest of the tributes. Finnick runs over and kisses me one last time, he holds me close to him.

"Love always?" he whispers

"Always, take care of Haymitch and yourself, no matter what you see?" I ask.

"Of course." There're tears in his eyes now, the peacekeepers are calling him to get back in line with the mentors. He pulls me to him and wraps his arms around me. I bury my head in his chest, than a peacekeeper is pulling us apart. I go and stand in the tribute line.

Then, the two lines of victors face each other, Haymitch starts it first. He puts three fingers to his lips, touches his heart, and then extends them to us. Everyone in his line repeats the gesture. I bow my head slightly with everyone else as we accept their goodbye, their blessing. Then we are taken away, a way to go where we were promised we would never have to go again, away to the arena.

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Two hours later I'm waiting in my launch room, Cinna is in the room with me, holding my hands in his. He helped me dress and has explained that the clothes are water resistant, but they won't keep me warm.

I wear a skin tight long sleeved shirt, it's black and red, and has a twelve on the side. A burgundy jacket goes along with it. My pants are jeans, but made in waterproof materials. There are lots of pockets, which is good, I can keep weapons there. I can also secure my swords in the belt.

"I'm betting on you still" Cinna assures me. I just nod and take a bite of bread. I stand quickly and run to a corner, throwing up whatever I was able to eat that day. This alarms Cinna. "Quickly eat this," he offers me crackers, which I take and start to chew. I need food in me to start. But I only get two down before they're calling us to prepare for launch. I hug Cinna.

"Thank you Cinna."

"It's been my pleasure." He assures me as he escorts me to start on my metal plate.

I stand tall and look up as my plate begins to rise.

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A warm breeze goes gently across my face as I appear in the arena. I glance around at my surroundings. I see the cornucopia in the middle, overloaded with stuff for us. I can see most of the victors, but the confusing part is, about fifty feet behind us, the land ends. This can't be the end of the arena? It wouldn't even be fifteen square miles. I turn and look behind me, that's when I notice the tree line, oh, we're on a plateau. Now that my eyes have adjusted I can tell, the arena is big, woods are below the plateau, patches of hidden meadows are scattered throughout, and each meadow holds a pool of water right in the open.

"Welcome to the Seventy Fourth Hunger Games!" Claudious Templesmith's voice booms around me, I poise my feet to run to the cornucopia.

Ten

Nine

Eight

Seven

Six

Five

Four

Three

Two

One

The gong sounds and I'm off my plate first, sprinting towards the cornucopia, I reach it first. Weapons and packs, that's all there is. I grab three knives and two swords and a pack, and then I start to go around the horn. I run into Gloss first, whatever we had at the interviews is gone as our swords clash. It doesn't take long at all until my sword goes through her body and her cannon goes off. Once again I make the first kill in my Games. I hear footfalls and turn, my sword tip rests against Skitt's throat, as his sword rests against my own.

"Good thing we're allies right?" he breaths out.

"Right, we should get outta here, I don't like it much." I laugh.

"Same here."

Without further comments we both take off towards the edge of the plateau. As we get closer to the edge I can see more, there's water about thirty feet out. And it's about an eighty foot drop.

"Just jump!" Skitt orders next to me, I nod.

I match Skitt's strides as the edge rapidly approaches. Then my foot it on the edge as I thrust my body outwards and off the plateau. With my sword secured on my side my arms are free to control my free fall. I get the sensation of falling, only it lasts a lot longer than it ever has. Right before I hit the water one thought forms in my head.

I can't swim.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

I'm going to introduce a new character later on and I'm trying to decide on a name! I won't tell you anything about him, but in your review if you could state your favorite out of the following that would be great! Here are the ones I've narrowed it down too: Merrick, Zale, Caspian, Tyne, Rive, and Kevser(my personal favorite at the moment)!

If you look up what they mean you might be able to figure out the character XD