"I love you." Beetee's mouth went dry as Wiress stiffened under his touch. "Wiress?"

"Love -" Wiress whispered through fresh tears. "In - the Capitol - they always said -" Heart pounding, Beetee mentally kicked himself. Now fix it, genius! His brain chided.

"Wiress - I - I would never hurt you. Not like them. They never loved you. They never even knew you." Beetee seethed. At his angry tone, Wiress curled tighter into a ball under her covers. "Wiress," Beetee began in a softer tone. "Wiress, Do you remember when you were ten?" A small nod. "Do you remember walking with me to the Engineering Academy? After you got your acceptance letter?" Another nod. "Wiress, you were the little sister I never had. You were the one I wanted to protect. You're my co-inventor. You're my friend. Wiress, I - I want to protect you, look after you, invent with you by my side. That's what I mean when I said - when - I say - I love you." Large eyes brimming with tears focused on Beetee's face. "You don't have to say anything." Beetee whispered. "I know it's a lot." As he stood up, he felt a tug on his hand.

"Stay." Wiress whispered, her two smaller hands grasping his. "Stay."

"I will, squirt." Beetee said using Wiress' pet-name from her childhood. "I think I have to change first." After changing into an old t-shirt and shorts, Beetee turned out the main lights activating the small night-light in the corner of the shed. Wiress hummed a content tune as Beetee slid under the covers next to her.

"Beetee." Wiress whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. "My Beetee."

"I'm right here, Wiress. Always." Beetee whispered before kissing her cheek.

"My Beetee - safe." Wiress whispered before a small smile played on her lips as she fell asleep.

The next day, Wiress woke up to sunlight filtering in through the soot covered window. Wondering why she felt so warm, she opened her eyes. Her face was pressed into pale skin and her heart beat in tune with her co-inventor's. "Beetee." She whispered against his neck. Looking up, she smiled realizing he fell asleep with his glasses on. "You slept with -" She straightened the wire frames on his face.

"Mmf -" Beetee groaned before opening his eyes. "Wiress." He muttered. "Sleep ok?" Nodding, Wiress slowly peeled her arms away from his middle. "Whazzgoinon?" Beetee muttered sitting up and straightening his glasses.

"Breakfast." Wiress giggled staring up at him.

"Wires." Beetee groaned. "My turn." Ignoring the giggling from the bed, Beetee stumbled toward the kitchen and began making the oatmeal. Even in his bleary-eyed state, he was able to time the oatmeal and the coffee so that he was pouring two mugs seconds before filling two well used metal bowls with breakfast. "Wire!" He called.

"Thank you." Wiress said as she sat down. Nodding, Beetee gulped his coffee and began shoveling oatmeal into his mouth. After releasing a belch followed by a satisfied sigh, Beetee stretched.

"So, Wiress - ah - how are you this morning?" Beetee asked.

"Fine." Wiress said before eyeing Beetee's empty mug and bowl. "You enjoyed -" She began before Beetee belched again.

"Sorry - I think I drank my coffee too quickly. Yeah, I enjoyed breakfast." Wiress nodded in satisfaction. "Wiress, you only ate half." He reminded her as she mindlessly stirred her half-eaten oatmeal.

"I'm still thinking about -" Wiress began before looking out the window toward the city square where she had met the newest victor.

"Yesterday?" Beetee asked as Wiress slowly nodded. "Wiress, I know you don't want to go to the Capitol. Wires, I don't. Because they took everything from us."

"Not - everything." Wiress began before hesitantly reaching for his hands across the table. "Not - you." Beetee stared into her face puzzled. Gazing into her eyes, he could tell she was working something out in the same way she worked out electric circuits and mechanical features of her inventions. "Beetee," She paused as she gazed into his eyes behind his glasses. "They will not take me. Like that. Again." Beetee nodded to show he was listening. "Because I will have - someone."

"Who?" Beetee asked thrown off guard.

"My Beetee Tesla." Wiress gasped as Beetee pulled his hands from her grasp.

"No, Wiress!" Beetee snapped knocking over his stool as he snapped to his feet. "NO! I will NOT BE A CAPITOL SIDE-SHOW!" He roared before grabbing his notebook and bolting out the door. As he ran down the street, he could hear Wiress calling to him.

"BEETEE! BEETEE!" Her pain filled cries for him rang in his ears even as he approached the factory hub where the noise of drills, gears, and the hum of electricity was nearly deafening.

Collapsing by one of the factories, Beetee opened his notebook and stared at his inventions with his mind reeling from the breakfast conversation. Wires! He cursed internally. He knew what happened to couples in the Capitol spotlight. Even if their relationship had began with something real, soon it was as empty as the candy colored floss that was Capitol society and entertainment. He didn't want that for Wiress. Not after what she went through. He wanted her to experience love - true genuine deep love. He wanted her to be in a relationship because she wanted to, not out of duress. As the bells in the factories rang signaling the end of the workday, Beetee began walking back home. He hoped his thoughts were coherent enough to explain to Wiress. Taking a deep breath, he rehearsed the apology that had been in the works for the last fifteen minutes. Opening the door, he looked around the shed. Wiress' inventing materials were spread on the tables, but one of her notebooks was missing. Thinking she must have put it away, he checked her 'bedroom' assuming she was curled under her covers taking a nap. However, the covers were thrown back from the morning. Knocking on the bathroom door, Beetee got no answer. Opening the door, he looked in at no one. Fighting panic, Beetee checked the tables the bookshelves, the front door, the small kitchen counter, and even the top of his dresser for a note. Nothing. Shaking, Beetee sank to the floor as panic took over.

Wiress had left the shed without a note, and no one had tracked him down saying she was looking for him. She had simply run away.