Another late update, sorry! I still hope you enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Catching Fire or Supernatural, if I did, I really doubt I would spend my time making poorly written fanfiction about it.
Also the title from this chapter comes from the song Stop and Stare from Onerepublic.
"Play nice," is the last advice Bobby gives him as the horses began to ride. And that's what he does, keeping a grin on his face the entire time, he blows kisses and waves at the crowd. They scream out his name like they have done before. He remembers the first time he had been here, shaking and scared. His thoughts had been on Sam.
Sam had been a safe haven for him through his first game. Knowing that he needed to get up again, because Sam would be watching alone, scared for his brother.
Sometimes Dean wonders if Sam still needs him. But the day before the reaping Sam had told him that he wanted him home again, Dean had a wedding to attend, after all. Would Sam and Jess still have a wedding when he doesn't get back? If they did, it surely wouldn't be as good without his winning money. But according to Sam that doesn't matter. Dean hopes it doesn't, because as soon as he is dead, the money would stop coming.
His left over money might buy them some more time to find jobs, but if he wouldn't survive, his parents will be moved back to their 'house' by the beach. Sam may be able to keep his house in the shopping street for a while, but then the money would be gone, and then Sam and Jess will have to move back into their parents house. Well, at least there would be more room, when he's gone, Dean thinks grimly. He must have been frowning, because Missouri pores him in the side, moving his attention to the crowds that Dean had been able to block off. Dean starts to wave again, he hadn't noticed that he stopped. He also notices that Missouri doesn't wave. But then again, she had never done anything to show her love to the Capitol, so she sure as hell wouldn't do that now. The ride is almost done when they are at the end, waiting for president Snow's speech. Dean does his best to keep his smile on his face, but when he looks at his reflection, he sees that his eyes are on fire. He wonders if the people at home see it too. President Snow thanks them, and promises the Capitol people another great year. The Chariot goes faster back to the Correction centre. And in no time Dean is stepping of the carriage with a lot of excited talking from his stylist. Bobby gives him a nod, and that's all he needs to know that he did well. The other tributes are also stepping of the wagons, and Dean brushes past the other people to get to the carriage of district seven. Jo is clearly not amused by her stylist's choice, pulling at the dress with a scowl on her face.
"Tree is a nice look on you." Dean says in amusement.
"You look nice as well, fishnet." She bites back, tugging her hair lose.
"I know you love it."
They see Castiel and Seeder standing next to Bobby and Haymitch. Bobby jerks his head, and Dean knows he has to come.
"C'mon, you haven't seen Cas already right?" At Jo's headshake, he begins to push his way through the tributes and stylists again.
"He looks almost worse than you do."
Castiel's cheeks are red from the chariot ride, and he's listening to Bobby and Haymitch talking. Dean sees Katniss and Peeta also making their way to them.
"Haymitch." Dean acknowledges him with a nod. Haymitch never really seemed to like him. But then again, Haymitch also has an act to uphold. Castiel greets Jo, and Jo starts a conversation about their ridiculous clothes. The star crossed lovers join them with linked hands. As Katniss awkwardly hugs Seeder, Dean pretends he doesn't hear her ask about the families. It's always a terrible thing, feeling like you have to protect someone. Dean knows it all too well.
The guards aren't very comfortable with the idea of tributes being together, and soon they are all one by one, ushered to the elevator. Jo quickly darts after Katniss and Peeta, ending up in the elevator with them while Bobby, Seeder, Castiel and Dean have to wait. The guard at the door watches Castiel warily. Maybe all of the guards are given lists of tributes who pose the biggest treats. If they are, then Castiel is probably on top of those.
They don't let Castiel and Seeder get in the elevator with them. So after awkward 'goodnight's' and promises of see you tomorrow's. Dean and Bobby are alone in the elevator.
"Tomorrow training starts again." Bobby says.
"I know."
Bobby sighs and rakes a hand through his hair. "You're going to have to look for more allies."
Dean shrugs, if it were his choice he wouldn't be allies with anyone. It was worse killing your friends than seeing them up on the screen one evening.
Bobby seems to feel that because he says, "if you're going in there alone, you're gonna be one of the first one killed. People ain't gonna turn against their allies if they still have some loners to take care of."
Dean doesn't argue with that. "I'll see it tomorrow, I guess."
Surprisingly enough, Dean sleeps through the night. He is awakened by the smell of breakfast and people talking. For a moment he sees his mother before him, smiling over her teacup. Then he hears the pitch of Becky and suddenly he is back to the realization that he is in the Capitol. He pushes his blankets away, and climbs out of his bed. His necklace gets stuck behind his closet door, and he jerks it lose before making his way through the dining room in clothes laid down for him.
"There he is!" Becky exclaims, waving her hands towards the chair next to him. "You have to hurry! Training starts in less than forty minutes."
Dean's mind clears up better after a cup of coffee. Over the table Missouri and Bobby discuss ideas for training. Missouri has already made up her mind about allies, claiming that she would do better off alone. Bobby insists on Dean finding allies today, and tries to convince Missouri to at least look for allies.
She refuses.
His fingers trailed over the trident. Sighing, he looks around. Allies, he has to find allies. There is almost no one there yet, only Brutus and Meg. And Dean is sure as hell not making allies with them, he'll end up stabbed in the back after the first day. When the tributes from district 12 arrive, Dean considers going up to them and talk for a bit. Katniss would make a handy ally, Dean is pretty sure of it. Peeta might as well, Dean had seen his skills with the knife last year. He also knows that both of them wouldn't make a big thing of turning against him, or using him. Dean decides against going to them.
Bit by bit more tributes start to come in, but Castiel and Jo aren't there yet.
On ten o'clock sharp, Atala, the woman who runs training, starts her spiel, unfazed by the short attendance. During her speech, Castiel slips in, and quietly stands next to Dean. Atala pays no attention to him.
Atala runs through the list of stations, both combat and survival, and with a good luck she releases them to train.
Dean turns to look at Castiel. "Where do you wanna start?"
Castiel doesn't give an answer, instead he looks around at the stations.
"Maybe we can start with the survival stations?" Dean asks, seeing that most of the tributes are busy with the combat stations. Maybe he can stall of making new allies for a bit.
They start at the fire-making station, only to be joined by the two tributes of district three. Nuts and Volts, that's what Jo had called them. Dean glances around to look for Jo, and sees that's she is fighting with Ashe, and by the looks of it, winning.
Wiress and Beetee make decent company, making light conversation over the crackling of the fire. Dean already knows a thing or two about making a fire, but with flints it is a lot harder. He is so busy with the flints, that he doesn't notice that Katniss has also joined them, easily slipping into the conversation of hobby's with Beetee and Wiress. His hobby of fishing seems kind of boring next to Beetee's and Wiress's hobby of inventing things. But it was the only thing that could get his attention for longer than a couple of minutes after the games. So Sam had taken it up himself to take Dean fishing in between school. Castiel talks about the flowers he plants around the church of his family. And Katniss asks about the shortage of food they are getting from district eleven. Castiel glances towards the peacekeepers that are keeping an eye on them. "Yes, under the circumstances of the weather we couldn't plant nearly as many as we normally do." Castiel had used exactly the same words when he had informed Dean of the uprisings in district eleven.
"But because of the peacekeepers help we could still produce enough to have the minimum. Did you have any similar backups in coal production, this year?" Castiel asks Katniss, obviously interested in district twelve's circumstances.
"No. Well, we lost a couple of weeks when they brought in a new Head Peacekeeper and his crew, but nothing major," Katniss explains. "To production, I mean. Two weeks sitting around your house doing nothing just means two weeks of being hungry for most people."
No uprisings in district 12, than.
"Oh. That's a shame," says Wiress in a slightly disappointed voice. "I found your district very ..." She trails off, distracted by something in her head.
"Interesting," fills in Beetee. "We both did."
Dean feels a bit of shame for district four. They hadn't come further than whispers of an uprising, everyone had been scared, especially after the reading of the card. Dean wonders what the situation at home now is.
"Well, there aren't very many of us in Twelve," Katniss says defense. "Not that you'd know it nowadays by the size of the Peacekeeping force. But I guess we're interesting enough."
After that, Dean and Castiel move on to the next station, and are joined by Jo. The three of them work their way through which berries are poisoned and which are not in silence. Jo is the first one to break the silence.
"It's weird isn't it? Going into the arena with these guys?" She asks, examining a berrie.
Dean and Castiel agree. The silence after that seems to be more heavy. All three of them trying to think of something to say, but not finding any words to do so. The silence lasts until Atala announces that it's time for lunch.
I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that you aren't only reading this so that you can laugh about how stupid it is.
Just as a side note: In this story I am making Castiel a christian. I really hope this doesn't offend anyone. (It also won't focus around it, it's just something I did to make the transition from angel to human. I may put in some prayers or something, nothing big.) There might be some God-bashing (?) from Dean later, but if you watch the show I don't think it will be much different.
While we're talking about Castiel; yes I am making him a rebel, cuz I think that Castiel would be like that.
Also a big thank you that this story has already 123 views! It means a lot to me.
Uhm.. If you would take the time to review this story, it will make the world to me.
Bye, hopefully see you next time!
I will probably not update next saturday, because I have an open day (?) at school, which I have to attend.