HELLO! Yeah, I haven't updated in a while. I know but hey it's not like I have much motivation… Anyways, I started my sport last week which is girl's swimming and I am always so tired! I swear I just come home, shower to scrub off and wash out the chlorine from my hair, eat basically everything in sight then I collapse on the couch, wake up again, eat dinner then I go back to sleep and do it all again the next day. Plus, I have practice at 7:30 in the morning and it goes on for 3 hours! 3 HOURS. And my face always hurts from the goggles. Don't even get me started on my terrible tan lines…

I have also babysat and I can barely get to the computer with one kid yelling about something and another trying to pull the wires out of the TV. But they're my nephews and I have to deal with them. Even if I want to dump them off at Wal-Mart with a sign saying anyone can take them. Yeah, I know that is a bit harsh but my sister wanted to do the same thing and she's the mother! So I hope you can see how that contributes to the fact that I couldn't type anything up.

Things have been a bit crazy. I'm aiming to finish this story before school starts and once school starts I shall make no promises. I might update like every week and start on another story I had in mind and yes it will be another crossover! So watch for that. :)

I should really stop rambling and/or ranting and let you read the story!

~Z

Disclaimer: Seriously if I was Suzanne Collins or Scott Westerfeld I would be writing a fourth book to both trilogies! Sadly I am not them and there will be no fourth book to either series…

I don't know when I dozed off but somehow I did. I kept dreaming about her. She has always invaded my dreams. There is not one moment when I'm not thinking about her. She is just always there. I must been in a deep sleep if I had slept for this long.

I open my eyes to see a much scarred Newkirk looking at me. He doesn't say anything instead he looks a bit nervous for some reason.

"What are you doing here?" he asks.

"I was wondering where you went." He stares down as if he did something wrong. "Newkirk what's wrong?" I ask him.

It seems like years before he says anything. "We left on the mission without you and Lilit." he says quietly.

I stare down at the ground. I don't even have anything to say. What can I say? I just can't believe that they left without us. I told them I wanted to get her out personally. The mission was supposed to take place next week. I was supposed to find her. I was supposed to get her out safely.

"Where's Deryn." I hiss out. Newkirk doesn't say anything, in fact he looks sad. "Where is she?" I hiss louder.

"Alek-"

"TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" I shout at him. He freezes and stares at me. I don't know what is happening to me. I don't usually yell. And I don't get angry like this. "I'm sorry; I've just been on edge lately. Where is she?" I ask him.

"Critical Care unit." he says quietly.

"Am I allowed to visit her?" I want the answer to be yes so that I can run through the halls to find her.

"I'm not sure." he mumbles.

"What's wrong?"

He rubs the back of his head. It's something he does when he has bad news. "Deryn isn't…. Well how am I supposed to say this? Deryn is… "

"Deryn is what?"

He sighs. "The Capitol tortured her and she isn't herself."

I run out of the room and search for her. Newkirk is shouting something at me but I don't listen to him. I keep running. I knew that something was wrong. Nurses are yelling at me to stop but I don't listen to them. Doctors are trying to stop me but I push past them. I have to find her. I run through the maze of hallways until I find the Critical Care unit. I stop running and walk carefully through the halls.

I hear a clatter of voices at the end of the hallway. I walk towards it. Doctors are running everywhere with millions of papers. I stand in the doorway. Volger and Mr. Rigby are by the bed talking to someone. I creep in closer and see her.

Her short hair is matted to her head with sweat and blood. The skin around her eyes is dark as if someone rubbed coal on her. Doctors are asking her questions and trying to figure things out. She looks like a living skeleton. I can see the bones in her face. I lean against the doorway. She hasn't seen me yet.

I don't know what to do. She is right there, only 10 feet away from me. She's in my reach again. But something doesn't feel right. I don't feel like Deryn is really there. It's like her body is there but she isn't.

Deryn sees me. My breath catches when she looks at me. Her eyes look the same. I can see the emotions dance around; surprise, confusion and I think fear. She pushes past all the doctors and our mentors. I open my arms for her. She walks into them. I hold her close but then I feel something sharp enter my shoulder.

All I remember before blacking out is that someone pulled her away from me and that she was yelling.

Hijacked, that's what she is. I heard the doctors talking about it. The Capitol used venom to twist her memories of me so that she found me as a threat. In her mind I was the enemy and I was bent on hurting her. That's how Telsa wants to get rid of me. He knows I will fight back against anything he throws at me but he knows I would never even consider hurting Deryn. Deryn doesn't remember that she loves me. She tried to kill me when she stabbed me. It's her mission to kill me so that the war ends.

It's been days since I've seen her. They won't let us near each other. I have to share a hospital room with Fitzroy and I wish I could kill him. He's tried to kill me on more than several occasions so I would only be returning his gesture by strangling him.

"Alek," Fitzroy says. I don't say anything.

"Alek," he says again. I just stay on my side with my back to him. I only have to spend 5 more days with him here.

"Alek," he says louder. He has now resorted to throwing things at me. I grit my teeth and ignore him, just five long, brutal and torturous days.

"ALEK!" he shouts. I whip up and glare at him.

"What could you possibly want now?!" I yell at him.

He just grins. "I dropped my remote, could you please pick it up for me?" he asks with mock niceness.

"Why can't you just get it yourself?" I snap at him.

"You have to be nice to me since I was tortured." he smiles.

"Not as much as you're torturing me now." I mumble.

"Excuse me, what did you say?" he says.

"Nothing I will gladly get your remote for you." I say with a big fake smile.

"Good." he says. I get up and pick up the remote that is lying on the floor. I chuck it at his head. He dodges with ease. "Nice try." he sneers.

I desperately wish I could wipe that smug smile off his face.

"Where is our food?" he whines. I climb back into bed and try to block out his voice.

"Alek, where is our food? I'M STARVING!" he screeches.

I put my pillow over my head to block out his voice.

"FOOD!" he shouts. I poke my head out from under my pillow to see that our lunch has arrived.

The tray is set right in front of me. I sit up and dig into the soup. There is a thick slice of bread and some potatoes. I eat the soup quietly while Fitzroy is next to me slurping his up. The sound is very sickening.

"Could you please eat quieter?" I hiss.

"Certainly. But I won't." he says smugly. He slurps his soup even louder to spike me.

"Just ignore him Alek," I whisper to myself.

I finish my soup and proceed to the potatoes; there is no flavor what so ever. I don't think anything of the cooks here know the meaning of taste. I don't even think that they have salt much less how to use it.

"Are you going to finish that?" I look up to see Fitzroy looming over me staring hungrily at my slice of bread.

"Well-"

"Okay good." he says taking the bread off my tray and stuffing it into his mouth.

"I could have you reported you know?" I say angry.

"Yeah I know. But you won't say anything." he smirks. He lies in his bed and rubs his stomach satisfied with his meal.

He's right. I wish I could just kill him already and get him out of my life forever but I can't I'm stuck with him like a scar, a painfully annoying, arrogant and hedonistic scar that I can't get rid of.

Bovril is really the only person who visits me. Newkirk is in his own hospital room and I take that Lilit is still mad at me. Bovril doesn't really like Fitzroy all too much. But he still has to be nice to him since she is a medic.

"Is that all you need Alek?" Bovril asks.

"I'm fine,"

"Hey, medic!" Fitzroy booms.

Bovril gags and turns to face him. "Yes Fitzroy?" he asks in the nicest voice he can muster.

"I want my pillow fluffed." he says.

"That is not what I'm here for." Bovril says stalely.

"But you have to tend to the patients and I am a patient. Now fluff my pillow."

Bovril drops his shoulders and starts to walk towards him. I catch his arm and hold him in place.

"You don't have to do it." I say. Bovril nods. "Fitzroy you can't just push him around like this. He isn't your servant."

"You stay out of this Alek. I will push him around if I want to." he says.

"No you can't."

"And who is going to make me?"

"I am." I stand up. He stands up too. He is only a few inches taller than me. We stare each other down. I raise my fist ready to punch him.

And that is the moment that Volger chooses to walk in.

"Alek put your fist down." he says.

I huff out a ragged breath and sit down on my bed. Bovril walks out of the room.

"What do you want Volger." I hiss at him.

"Don't use that tone with me." he just says.

"Fine. What are you doing here?" I ask in an overly nice tone.

Volger who is very dense accepts the fake tone. "Better, now I came here with news."

"News?" Fitzroy asks.

"Yes, it seems that Deryn is not well."

"What are you getting at Volger?" I ask him sternly.

"She is a threat to you Alek. We cannot allow for you to see her."

I glare at him. "I want to see her Volger."

"She isn't ready. She can only see people who she remembers from her old District."

"I want to see her now." I tell him.

"I forbid it." Volger snaps at me.

"Since when have I ever listened to you?" I ask.

"Good point, but I still forbid it. I have even told the guards that you are not allowed within a 30 foot radius."

"You really think that is going to stop me?" I ask him.

"If that doesn't, then I will." he says very sternly.

"Humor me." I smile.

Volger doesn't say another word. He just gets up and leaves. I stare after him.

"Harsh much?" Fitzroy sneers.

"Shut up." I say.

"You really should thank him." he says.

"Why would I thank him? He was supposed to get Deryn out of the arena and he failed at that." I snap.

"But you got out. Doesn't that matter?"

"Not at all and besides why do you care?" I ask him.

Fitzroy actually looks like he cares. I don't believe him. "My mentor was killed as soon as you were rescued. I never got to see him again. And you know what? He was my uncle."

I don't say anything.

"Mr. Rigby and Volger are the only other victors left. As soon as you got out all other victors were killed on live TV. I don't care if you hate him. Treat him well. He is one of the only other people who have gone through what you went through."

I turn my back to him and put the pillow over my head. I block him out for the rest of the day.

So yeah, that's Chapter 8 coming to a wrap. Reviews/comments? It would really make my day if you reviewed. You would have the privilege of making my day better. So write something down in the box. I don't care if it's a negative comment or one word. HIT THE BUTTON.

Meh. I guess I will just go and make cookies then. And not share them.

Ignore my ranting, I'm just tired and I still have to get packed for team bonding camping trip. So I will maybe update on Monday. And maybe I won't.

Anyways have a fantabulous summer! (Bet you don't know the reference)

~Z