Beta-Read by: gkmoberg1

Come with me now by KONGOS

Afraid to lose control

And caught up in this world

I've wasted time, I've wasted breath

I think I've thought myself to death

I was born without this fear

now only this seems clear

I need to move, I need to fight

I need to lose myself tonight

Chapter 3

"Where have you been?" Pyrrhus Reed nagged as soon as Winnow stepped into the Dining Compartment. Everyone was seated at the table, its surface completely covered with decadent foods for their dinner. They all stared at Winnow as she entered and took a seat at the table beside Mags.
"I was in the drinking compartment," Winnow answered, a smirk coming onto her lips. Finnick, Mags, and Pyrrhus all gave her looks of disapproval. "I met the tribute from District Two there- Cato."

Suddenly, the disapproval was gone from the adults' faces, and Finnick leaned forward in interest. "Do tell," He prompted her.

Winnow found it amusing how quickly the attitude changed. "He introduced himself. He asked me if I was Career Material," she told them.

"And what'd you say?" Finnick asked.

"That I might be. That we'd see in Training. And then I told him I'd have to see if he and his Careers were any good before I would even think of joining them," Winnow recounted.

Finnick's jaw dropped open, and he stood. "Are you completely insane?" he demanded incredulously.

Winnow shook her head. "No." She answered. "It makes him want me more. It makes Cato need to prove himself to me,"

Finnick just stared at her for a moment, his expression falling into thoughtfulness. Kai watched them with narrowed eyes. Finnick slowly sat, and glanced at Mags, who nodded. "It's brilliant," he uttered, void of expression and tone- in complete shock.

Mags patted Winnow's shoulder, smiling at her encouragingly. Winnow gently nudged Mags in the side as she watched Kai, who with drooping shoulders was absently poking at his plate.

"Don't be so surprised, Finnick. I do know a thing or two about dealing with people," Winnow remarked.

"You mean manipulating people," Finnick interjected. "Which is more valuable," he added with a grin.

Kai's gaze was still on his plate, pushing the food around on his plate. He stood, pushing back his chair and leaving the compartment without a word.

"What was that about?" Pyrrhus inquired, worried eyes following after the tribute. He seemed confused, as if wondering whether he should be offended or simply worried. In the following silence, Finnick and Mags traded a glance. Mags nodded her concern to Finnick, who rose and strode around the table and out, following Kai. Mags looked to Winnow and gave her a subtle gesture not to react just yet. Then turning to Pyrrhus, Mags extended a hand to his, patting gently while also raising a finger to her lips to shush him.

Winnow looked down to her meal, and ate sparingly. There was no point in stretching her stomach out before the Hunger Games. She wrapped a roll in a napkin, tucking it into her pocket. "May I be excused?" She requested respectfully, in deference to Mags. Mags nodded quickly, placing her hand over Winnow's, her thumb running back and forth over the back of her hand in a comforting gesture. She lightly smacked Winnow's hand, gesturing for her to go.

Winnow left the compartment, heading for her rooms. She saw Finnick coming out from Kai's rooms, shaking his head. He nodded to Winnow in acknowledgment, continuing on his way back to the Dining Compartment. Winnow sighed, looking from her door to Kai's.

She crossed the hallway and entered Kai's room. "Finnick, leave me alone," Kai called, not bothering to look towards the door. The young man sat at the window, watching the landscape pass them; or rather them passing the landscape.

"It's not Finnick," Winnow said softly, standing awkwardly at the door.

Kai's head snapped back to look at her. "Winnow," he uttered in surprise. He stood quickly, his feet tangling together- tripping himself as he tried to stand. "What do you want?" He asked tentatively.

"You seemed upset when you left," she stated.

"And you care?" Kai questioned bluntly. Winnow flinched at his harsh words- but they were well-deserved.

"I don't want you dead," Winnow responded, setting the napkin-wrapped roll down on a table as an offering. "And if you just walk out when we're discussing strategy- you might just die." She continued.

"We were discussing your strategy, not mine," Kai retorted. "Why do I care about your strategy? Why do you care about mine?" Kai questioned her.

Winnow shrugged. "We were close once, Kai. We may not have an alliance- but I'd help you. I wouldn't hurt you," She told him.

"Would you stop someone else from hurting me?" Kai asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at her. Winnow nodded firmly as answer. "That's an alliance, Winnow," He informed her, softly, as if trying to make her believe it. "Because I'd do the same for you," Kai added, glancing away shyly.

Winnow watched him with an unreadable expression. "It could be secret, Winnow. No-one has to know. We don't even have to be together in the Arena. We just have the agreement to help each other, if we can. And to not hurt each other. Ever," Kai explained pleadingly.

The girl sighed, running a hand through her loose, dark hair. "Alright, Kai. We have an alliance. A secret one. So it won't endanger any other alliance we might make later," She agreed.

Kai beamed at her, his white teeth near blinding. He strode across the room, his hand held out to her. "An alliance," he said simply, as Winnow took his hand, shaking it quickly.

"Good night, Kai." She told him swiftly, plucking her hand from his, moving towards the door.

Kai followed after her, grabbing her arm. "Wait, Winnow!" he protested. She glared at him, eyeing his hand on her. He quickly released her. "I just want to make sure you know, Winnow...That I do still care about you," he said truthfully.

Winnow's eyes widened in shock- and she was suddenly very uneasy. "Not like that!" Kai added hastily. "I've moved on since then, but I do still care about you as a person, Winnow. I really wish you weren't here with me...but at the same time, I'm kinda relieved." he continued.

Winnow nodded. "I understand. I do still care about you too, Kai. But it's been so long since I've had friends that I'm not sure how to do it anymore," She admitted reluctantly.

Kai smiled at her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Well, maybe we can try and fix that- until the Games start," he assured her.

Winnow nodded at him briskly, drawing away. "Good night, Kai," She repeated firmly, escaping through the door.

She crossed the hallway, and quickly entered her rooms before she could be distracted again. She went through the drawers, looking for something suitable to wear to bed. She found a gold colored nightgown in a bottom drawer. Gold was Winnow's favorite color…

She reached into the drawer, fingering the material and found that it was silk- or so she assumed. It was cool to the touch, as well as the softest and shiniest material Winnow had ever felt. She quickly took it out of the drawer and took it with her to the bathroom.

Once there Winnow stared down all the strange buttons in the shower. None were labeled, so it took trial and error to find the right button to provide her with a hot shower. There were dispensers- also unlabeled- that Winnow merely guessed at which was which, and what was to go where on her body.

But half an hour later Winnow emerged from the shower feeling fresh and most likely smelling better than she had in years- her skin had been perfumed with some lovely, light floral scent. The moment she had pressed the button that had started the shower in order to turn it off, the water had immediately shut off- and hot air began to blow in the small space- drying Winnow off in record speed.

She quickly donned the golden nightgown, realizing it hardly reached past her thighs, before glancing at herself in the mirror. Winnow looked better than she had in months- wearing expensive clothing, freshly cleaned, and her hair expertly blown dry and parted perfectly down the middle.

Her dark hair was sleek and shiny, softer than it had ever been. The same could go for her skin too- even the rough pads of her feet from years of walking barefoot had been buffed away without her even noticing it. "This is something I could get used to," Winnow murmured to herself, leaving the bathroom to head to the bed.

She drew back the sheets of the bed, finding they were just as soft, if not softer, than her silk nightgown. They weren't silk, Winnow was sure, for they weren't shiny or cool like the nightgown. But the sheets were soft, and the mattress beneath them formed to her body like sand, but even better. She hummed in contentment as she drew the sheets back over her body, sighing sleepily before snuggling into her pillow to fall asleep.

And fall asleep Winnow did- in a matter of just minutes. She did not stir, she did not wake- until a knock came upon her door. It was insistent, repeating its disrupting noise when she tried to ignore it. She opened her eyes, glancing to the clock beside the bed, finding it was the wee hours of the morning- and no one should be trying to wake her.

She stumbled out of bed, sleepily making her way to the door, hitting a button. The door slid open, revealing the muscular outline of a certain tribute from District 2, in a similar state of undress. "Cato," Winnow uttered in surprise. He did not acknowledge her, his eyes raking up and down her form hungrily. "What are you doing here?" she questioned, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up.

"What do you think?" he murmured in response, stepping over the door's threshold and pressing himself against Winnow's body, using one arm to curl around her form and hold her close. With his other hand, Cato reached to the set of buttons beside the door- and pressed the one that made the door slide shut. Her eyes bore into his dark orbs, before she dipped forward, mashing her lips against his.

A/N: Much Thanks to my reviewers & my awesome beta-reader, gkmoberg1! Thoughts?

Revised 7/30/14.