Hellow, lovelys! Sorry I don't update a lot! I am home schooled, but I still like to read a bunch. SO I cannot promise a chapter everyday (obviously), but I can try for every other day. Possibly. Or every two days. Yeah, you can count on that. And I want to say thank you to all my wonderful reviewers Not just on this story, but on all my other fics alike. Any ways, this is off the topic of this story already, but here it is. Chapter nine.

Finnick grabs my right arm and pulls me behind large oak tree. The rest of the careers are near by, with night vision glasses. My heart pounds in my ear, so I can barely make out their words.

"Where are those little-" A girl says and is cut off by another girl.

"Katrina said they are farther in the mountains. And we aren't even in them. We're at the f*cking edge of the goddamn forest, Marilyn!" She says.

"Will you please put a stop to your petty cat fight?" A boy says.

"Shut up, Kactit! You're f*cking lucky we even let you join us! You are just a little pussy who pushed his sister into a frozen lake to save his skin! You goddamn nig-" a girl says.

"Saphire!" Another boy says. "You never say that!"

"Come on, it is just a word! It's ancient!" Saphire says.

Then I think Marilyn speaks up again, "We're wasting time! Let's go!" They all mumble words of assent, and set off at a jog.

I look at Finnick, knowing he knows our prediction was right. When we woke up and Katrina wasn't there, we figured she really was a career and just wanted us out of the way. I'm surprised see didn't kill us in her sleep. She likes Finnick, a voice in the back of my head whispers. That makes so much sense. If she tried to kill me in my sleep, I would have woken up screaming. Then Finnick would have awoken, and chaos would ensue. But if she just tipped off her fellow careers about our location, then she wouldn't have to kill Finnick. But that must have been a hard decision. Kill an Everdeen and kill the boy you like or even be killed by him, or have other's do it for you and let them take all the glory.

"I am so sorry." Finnick says suddenly. "I trusted her, and we almost got killed. It's just that, we were neighbors our entire lives." he admits. And then looking away he mumbles, "I am the stupidest person in the world."

"No you're not." I say grabbing his face and making him look me in the eyes. "Don't talk like that. You are one of the smartest people I know. You figured out that Katrina was a trader. You took care of me when I was unconscious, and vulnerable. You could have killed me if you wanted." I pause, thinking this over. "Why didn't you?"

Finnick's POV

I tell her, and then it's out and I am more vulnerable than ever. I don't tell her, and it's one more weight on my chest if I out live her. I've never felt like this before. And I have never been so worried in my life. When I saw her on the ground with Katrina, my heart broke. I didn't protect her. Even if she needed protection from herself, I still had to protect her. And I didn't. I stupidly went to see what the noise at the lake was.

When I speak, I immediately regret it. "Because we're allies." I can see slight disappointment in her eyes, but I ignore it. I grab her hand and pull her away from the mountains.

Hours later, we can see the lake through the trees. There are four tribute walking crossing it. Idiots. They are four of the fourteen tributes left, and they are just out in the open.

Surely the careers have figured out we aren't in the mountains, and they will have gotten tired of a wild goose chase and are probably looking for any tributes to kill.

I hear Willow gasp and grab onto my left arm with her good one. This time she pulls me behind a tree. I don't know why she would be so scared of those tributes, they all look weak. I peak my head out from behind it and see a more threatening pack of tributes. The careers. I peaked my head out just a little too far, because Kactit see's me and points me out. They start charging for they trees, slaying the other tributes on the way with quick thrusts of their swords and accurate aiming with bows and arrows. God, I am the biggest idiot in the Games.

I grab onto Willow, and run as fast as I can. Good thing she is as fast as I am. We jump over logs and bushes, occasionally Willow trips, and the careers get closer each time.

"You can run, but you can't hide! Ha ha ha!" Marilyn says then cackles.

"Shoot them!" Massis yells.

"They are too far away, dumbass!" Saphire screams. They keep getting louder and louder.

"Run quicker!" I say to Willow. But then I risk looking at her face in a patch of moonlight, and I see her condition. She is covered by a sheen of sweat, she looks extremely pale, she's limping, hugging her broken arm to her chest, and blood is practically dripping off her bandage.

I forgot about all her wounds and bruises. I stop, and hoist her petite body over my shoulder and run as fast as I can carrying both of our weights. Which isn't fast.

Willow's POV

I can hardly draw in a breath, and I am starring at the four careers that are left. Red headed Marilyn and Blonde Massis from one, Saphire from two who is carrying a bow, and then Kactit with an ax from 11. God knows where Katrina is. It was easy to see them in the moonlit field, but here in the forest the trees form a canopy over head, effectively blocking out about 90% of light.

The careers have night vision goggles, but only Saphire and Massis wear them. The other two follow closely behind them. They are about 20 yards away, a lot closer than I would like.

Finnick is running hard, exerting himself way to much. He is panting like no other, especially since we haven't found water yet. We are both dizzy.

Finnick suddenly banks to the right, entering the field. Why are we here?

"You can't run forever, bitch!" Massis yells. This really rubs me the wrong way.

"What did you just call me?" I shout at them, immediately regretting it but not caring because he just called me 'bitch'!

"You heard me, bitch!" He yells back. I struggle out of Finnick's arms.

"What the hell are you doing?!" He hisses.

I ignore him and run to the careers. I might die right now. I probably will. Saphire shoots at me, but I dodge the arrow, actually I duck and grab it. I grabbed it!

I continue running at them, screaming profanities, rage boiling over. I reach the first victim, Saphire, and slice her neck with the arrow before she can even thrust her sword in my general direction. Then comes Massis, and I lodge the arrow into his temple and then his eye socket while dodging the ax he carries.

Suddenly Finnick is beside me, holding the ax, and chopping away at Kactit's heart. Three canons fire. I squat quickly and grab the bow and sheath of arrows that Saphire idiotically only had over shoulder. Grabbing them is quite hard with only one arm, but I manage.

By the time I am done, Marilyn has reached me, and is swinging a sword at me. Before I can react, she is slicing my left arm that is pinned to my chest. It only nicks my muscle, but then the sword comes back and leaves a gash on my fore head. I gasp in pain as she tackles me and pulls out a knife just as Katrina had.

She smiles maliciously at me, sending chills down my spine. "Any last words, Everdeen?" She purrs.

"Yes." I clear my throat and say, "If you get to cocky, you may get aids and die." Shit. That made no sense. I blame loss of blood.

She looks at me like 'What the f*ck?'. I make a quick decision, grab the tree at my head with my right arm, and swing my legs up. My feet hook around the front of her neck and pull her head down and crash to the ground, causing her scull to crack as it lands on a rock the size of my hand. What luck.

Finnick's POV

I check the career's packs, finding an empty water jug, and a pack of matches. Seriously, that's it?

I run to Willow as Marilyn's canon fires. She is bleeding in two new places, her arm and fore head. "Dammit, Willow! You could have just died!" I shout.

I lean down and grab her arm, and haul her onto my back as the Capital seal appears and shows the eight dead tributes. From 14 to 6 in a matter of minutes. The audience must be having the time of their lives.

Willow passes out on my shoulder. I carry her to a large willow, where I lay her down and clean her wounds the best I can. I nibble on some of my seaweed bread, and watch her sleep. My throat is so dry. My head is pounding. We're not going to last another day without water.

I wake up Willow, feeling bad because she looked so peaceful. I help her get in the tree, and make sure she isn't going to fall if she goes asleep. I tell her to stay there until I get back. She doesn't argue, just nods and chews on her bread.

I arm myself with the ax, hoping to see some animals. I set out with a slow jog, right now looking for water. I spot a snow hare, and know there has to be more.

Willow's POV

I wait patiently Finnick to return, thinking he must be freezing. He is only wearing the black clothing that we are supposed to wear under snow suits. I think about making a fire, but then decide against trying because you need two hands for that. So instead I analyze the days events and eat the rest my bread.

Katrina betrayed us. I was kind of expecting that. Finnick and I almost were seen by the careers as they were looking for us. The careers saw us and killed two districts without even batting an eyelash. The careers chased us. Finnick killed Kactit. I killed three careers. 12 must be going insane. The last time someone from 12 killed a career, was 101 years ago. Katniss had killed two of them.

I start to smell smoke, and know immediately what is going on. The Gamemakers are bringing us all together. I carefully climb out of the tree, and see that there is no smoke near me. But there is more toward the lake. I can see flames in the distance, but, that fire doesn't look Gamemaker made. It looks like a bon fire.

I hide the bow and arrows in the willow tree I was just in, and get my hunting knife out of my pack. I walk towards the fire, ready to kill at a moments notice. I don't know why I haven't felt bad killing the careers. Maybe because they were trying to kill me. No, that isn't it. Because they were careers? NO. Definitely not. Because of survival instinct...?

As I get closer to the fire, I see someone standing there, taking sips of water and roasting what I think are rabbits. I go behind a tree, and see that the person is Finnick. I step out as I become light headed and my knees buckle.

Finnick turns, see's me, then immediately runs to me with the water jug and puts it to my lips. I sip slowly, knowing that if I drink to fast I will probably just throw it up along with all my bread.

"I told you to wait at the tree. I was going to cook the rabbit away from there so the remaining tributes wouldn't know where we are. And also I didn't want you to have to wait for the meat and become even more hungry. And the water just finished purifying." I stop drinking.

"Purifying?" I ask.

"I had iodine in my pack. Didn't you?" He asks innocently.

I shake my head and keep sipping. Why didn't I get iodine? I got the dehydrating bread! Maybe his mentor got it special for him. But then that would be illegal. And mentors are smarter than that. He would know that the Gamemakers would see Finnick pull it out of his pack.

"That's odd." Finnick says interrupting my thoughts. "I think the rabbit is done."

I stop sipping and smile, feeling much better. I get up and go closer the fire that I now see is in fact, a bon fire.

All the sudden, I feel a pang of guilt. What, why? Because I killed. I took people's lives. They will never see their families again. But their death is my survival. But now that there are only six people left, where does that leave Finnick and I? What happens if we are the final two? And all this is on me, because I had a temper tantrum. Good going, Willow.

"What's wrong?" Finnick asks.

"I just killed three people, Finnick." I saying trying to catch my breath. Instantly I know I am having an anxiety attack.

"Calm down." He says rubbing my back. "You did what you had to. Their families may be mourning, but so are the families of the people they killed. And if they killed us, our families would be broken, too." He says and holds me. "You'll be alright."

He calms me some how, even though his words didn't help much. For the first time in the arena, I think I may actually have a chance. I could be alright. But then Finnick would have to die.

I just nod my head and let tears fall from my eyes as I bury my face in his neck. I wrap my right arm around his neck, standing on my toes.

He holds me until my breathing returns to normal, pulls away and then says, "How about that rabbit?" And smiles.

I smile back, and walk with him to the large spit he made from a branch as long as I am tall. He pulls it off carefully, and cuts off a leg for me. The meat is gamy and oily. It is still delicious. After we eat, extinguish the fire and pack the other rabbit. We walk to the willow tree that is about 50 yards from where we were.

Finnick helps me climb the tree, and then climbs it himself. I have to tell him where to put his feet, but he eventually makes it to one of the many forks in the gigantic tree. We hug the branches and fall asleep as the birds start chirping.

Yeah. I went there. I killed off all the careers! Mwahahahaha! But we still have Darious's fire to extinguish... And Katrina's.