This chapter is part of the original story. For the updated (and hopefully improved) version, please go to 'Chapter Nine'.

"The smell of blood...it was on his breath."

During Games season the tone of the Capitol was especially animated, all of them treating it as an on-going celebration. In this moment, however, all sound in the region seemed to fall still. The typically bustling streets didn't show any signs of waking life. As Maive made her way through the barren area she felt hollow, and dazed, almost as if she were trapped in a lucid dream.

There was no doubt in her mind as to who the note came from.

From the familiar scripture, to the directness, and the scent that seemed to linger on the parchment. She'd heard rumors of what these meetings usually entailed and scolded herself knowing she must've messed up in someway, and she knew better. They all knew it was best to fly under the radar, or at the very least to blend in. To be getting a personal invitation for a meeting of this caliber was never a good thing, all it meant is that she garnered the wrong type of attention for herself.

We need to talk.

It was four simple words. Twelve measly letters. Yet the presumption behind the statement carried such massive weight.

As she approached the large building she stares up at the building, apprehensively taking in it's scale.

The bottom floor is like any other lobby. There's a large map that depicts a mass picture filled with colors and trails to give some semblance of direction. Not that she really needed directions, she knew exactly where she was expected.

Very few people got called here.

Pressing the given button on the lift she racks her brain for an explanation as it carries her up.

Had she done something wrong?

She must've or she wouldn't be here. She certainly had done nothing good. No one got sent here for doing good things, or if they did, it was beyond rare.

Maive feels her breath hitch in the hollow part of her throat as the elevator chimes signaling her arrival. The doors open tauntingly slow to reveal a massive lobby that looks bigger than the entire bottom floor. 'How is that possible?'

Every direction she looked she was met with putrid white.

White floors. White ceilings. White furniture. White flowers; mainly roses.

"Maivis.." Her name is called in a thick Capitol accent, "over here dear."

She walks cautiously towards a statuesque bird like creature.

She wasn't sure if it was male or female but either way it was intimidating. With it's sharp beak, long talon-like fingers, and beady eyes, it gave her the creeps. She was sure to keep her fair distance.

"I'm here to see..."

She can't even finish the thought as the bird 'person', rolls it's eyes in vexation, "I know who you're here for...obviously..." It drawls out in monotone.

"Maivis is here to see you."

It looks as though the creature is absentmindedly talking to itself, but soon a buzzer is heard as it echoes through the room, signaling the unlocking of a massive door.

Scanning over the large metal door, that's swung open just to let a crevice of the inner room show through, Maive feels a light cold sweat break out against her neck. Was it possible to just run away and hide under her bed?

A voice echoes out, "Ms. Furthers, won't you please come in?"

It's as if he knew exactly what she had been thinking. She was stuck, there was no getting out of this at this point. Lifting her chin up she tries to stand as tall as she can, given her rather small size, and walks with Capitol-like poise through the small opening and into the exclusive room.

'Damn.'

The door shuts too quickly for comfort behind her. It could've taken her leg clean off had she been just that much slower.

She felt incredibly vulnerable in this moment. No one knew she was here, and she was almost one-hundred percent positive, she was about to be looking death dead in the eye.

"Thank you for being so prompt, I would have hated to send out tracker jackers to track you down for me."

'That's supposed to be funny.' She tells herself, forcing a small smile as she tries to rid her brain of that terrifying image.

Tracker Jackers were a subject of horror stories told to the Capitol kids in an act of keeping them from running off. It was the only thing as a child that had really kept Maive from running as far away from here as possible.

"Won't you please have a seat?" He finally turns to face the girl, gesturing with his hand to the seat nearest his desk.

His eyes are haunting. There's something about his mannerisms that seem to try to convey kindness, but deep down she knows better. Looks like a snake. Acts like a snake. It's a snake.

He is a snake.

But he's also her gracious superior. She had to feign the upmost respect for him. Nodding she quickly moves to sit in the designated seat.

"I was just re-watching the interviews from last night." The white haired man turns to face his projector. An image of Annie's playing with no sound. "Sweet girl, isn't she?" Turning to her, he bears a bright smile.

Maive watches Annie smile, and twirl in her dress. Despite the clip being muted Maive can remember the kindness and sincerity in her answers from the night previous. "Very."

Raising one eyebrow, his smile grows ten fold and he now looks like some deranged joker, "She has quite the soft spot for her mentor yes? Then again, it seems everyone does. He's so full of charm and...virility." He hints.

"Why am I here?"

"Hmm," The man sighs, sitting back in his chair as his calculating eyes scan her over, "Lets not be disrespectful."

"Pardon me sir, I'm not wishing to be disrespect you in anyway," she lowers her head in respect, "I just wish to be quite direct here." She takes a slight pause, but he doesn't say a word, "I wanted to see the tributes off." She further explains.

"Yes, but of course." He nods his head, waggling a finger at her, "Annie, and Witten." He smiles, "I hear you've taken it upon yourself to sponsor them?"

Maive fights the natural desire to narrow her eyes in suspicion, "Yes..."

"Why?" He shrugs as if it's the most absurd thing he'd ever heard.

"I want to do my part." The words flow out of her, it's something she's always been taught to think. She didn't necessarily mean it, but she'd play it off well. "The Games are such a great way of reminding all of us what we've been through, and I feel I wouldn't be doing my civic duty of a Capitol member if I didn't get involved in some way."

He stares her dead in the eyes, a sadistic laugh leaving his hoarse throat, "Why do I get the feeling you practice that very line lying in bed at night?" Leaning in towards the girl he asks again, "Why?"

He knew she had been lying. How could she have expected him not too? He knew everything, somehow, some way. He always knew.

"Finnick asked me to do it... as a favor." That wasn't a lie.

He seems to like this answer, "Ah, yes. Mr. Odair." Tapping his fingers against his desk he hesitates a moment, "You two seem to be quite the cause of some upset."

"Upset?" Her eyes grow a deep green as she furrows her brow in confusion, "I don't follow."

"Let's not play so modest. You and I both know Finnicks role here."

"Yes..." '

Prostitute.

She wouldn't dare say it though.

"He's a mentor, and a very determined one at that. Not that I could blame him, Witten's a great tribute, and Annie...such a sweet girl. The decision was pretty much made once I met them."

Maive feels herself shrink back as her eyes meet the icy blue pools staring coldly back at her, "Was this before or after you got into bed with Mr. Odair. Now, listen here, your family is highly regarded but that doesn't make you an exception to the rule."

At the girls confused, if not terrified, face he softens up a bit. Not out of concern of course, but he wouldn't want word of this little interaction getting out. Young girls and their hysterics. It was all so tiresome.

"If you wish to rendezvous with Mr. Odair by all means, be my guest. But he has a hefty price and I expect you to pay your dues. The fact that you aren't has some of his clientele very upset."

"Oh.."

'They still thought she was sleeping with him...'

"It's all a misunderstanding." Her words were stiff. Each growing second she felt more sick to her stomach. She didn't want to talk about her intimate life or her relationships with anyone, let alone this man. "A huge misunderstanding."

"I hope so, I'd hate for anything bad to happen to the people you care about just because you can't follow our few rules."

A cold sweat broke out on the nape of her neck as she felt the room start to spin. Just what and who was he threatening here? Nonetheless she nods to him curtly, hoping this exchange is over.

Looking over the girl it's clear she understands. He has certainly struck fear into her.

"You need to be careful, you never know who is watching." He cast her one last warning look before taking a deep sigh and focusing his attention to a book perched on the edge of his desk.

"That will be all," He doesn't make eye contact with her as that joker like smile spreads across his pasty face once more.

Pushing the back the chair makes a light scratching sound as she fumbles out of her seat, trying to get out of the room as quickly as possible.

"Thank you, President Snow." Maive's voice is so feeble and weak she hardly recognized it as her own.

As soon as she heard the large door close behind her she took off in a fast paced retreat. But where could she really go? No where would be safe now. Snow or one of his many Capitol spies would have eyes on her at all times.

Once Maive leaves the room President Snow sits his book down. Moving towards the large window he looks out over his glorious Capitol, more specifically watching as Maive hurries out of the building and down the street in fear.

"You'll continue to play this up, are we understood?" He comments off handedly as he watches intently. "We need to keep my little... pawn.. happy and compliant."

"But what's the point?" A voice is heard as a tall, well built, boy walks out of the side room and sits where Maive had been a few minuets prior.

President Snow looks up eagerly at the boy. "My dear boy, the only way societies last is by constantly changing and evolving just enough to keep moving forward. Things have been much to still and it's time for some big change. But people...people don't always welcome change so openly. So we'll need a scapegoat to help usher in the new era, and Maivis Furthers is going to do exactly that. With your help of course."

"Shouldn't be that hard." Witten says, watching as President Snow smirks darkly.

He's clearly just set a long term plan in motion.

"Maivis!"

She hears a familiar voice call her but she can't stop moving her feet forward. She desperately wanted to tell someone about the meeting she just had, but she couldn't.

He'd know.

From this point on, everything she did, he would know.

Fast footsteps are heard approaching her and as a hand grips her shoulder she turns around, fully expecting peacekeepers to be there to punish her for already doing something not to Snows liking.

"Maive, hey!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Maive looks relaxed once more. But on the inside she can feel the onset of fear ripping its way through her.

"Annie." Nodding, she tosses the girl a small smile, "What is it?"

Annie tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, shrugging a bit uncomfortably, "I was just wondering if I could talk to you really quickly? Before I have to go get ready?"

She was already supposed to be with her design team so it must be pretty important. Plus, it didn't seem Annie was particularly fond of Maive, not that she blamed her in the slightest. They were very different people, from totally different worlds.

"Yeah of course, what's wrong?"

Looking around, Annie takes Maive gently by the arm and guides her to a more secluded spot to talk privately.

If only she knew that from this point on, nothing including Maive would be private except her thoughts. Though she was sure he'd find a way to hack into those too.

"Well, as you know, today the games start and I'll be thrusted completely into the unknown."

Annie sounded too formal for Maives comfort. She usually could read social cues pretty well, but she truly had no clue where Annie was going with this.

"I know my dads Head Game Maker and all that, but he doesn't tell me anything about the games. He likes for it to be a surprise for all." Maive rolled her eyes realizing how callous that must sound to someone like her. "Otherwise I would forewarn you of course."

She tries to be reassuring, but being nurturing wasn't at all her strong suit. This was all so strange. The entirety of this day so far had been off. It felt as though maybe she was having a bad high from the Glom.

At this Annie laughs light heartedly, "No, no, it's nothing like that Maive."

"I'm going to be be put in these games," she stammers, "and there's a very real, very high probability that I won't be returning." Looking down she takes a deep breath to prepare herself for what she has to say next, "I need...I want," she corrects, "you to look out for Finnick for me."

The emotion is clear now.

It's despair.

"Annie..." Maive trails off unsure of what the right thing was to say in this situation.

Annie's green eyes, identical to Maives, fill with tears as she takes her hands and holds them firmly.

"Please. I know I haven't been the most warm towards you, so you probably feel like 'who am I to be asking this of you'? But it's important. Finn and I have been each others constants for most of our lives. I worry deeply about what will happen to him once I'm no longer here. I can go into these games filled with relief knowing he has you, has someone, looking out for him."

"You're probably asking the wrong person. Finnick and I can barely tolerate each other for more than a day."

Shaking her head Annie smiles softly, "Thats not true, you fascinate him Maive."

"I think the word you meant to use was frustrate." Maive jokes half heartedly.

"Well that too." Annie gives Maive's hands one last squeeze before releasing them, "Please tell me you'll do your best?"

Seeing the pleading desperation in Annie's eyes Maive knows that despite the threat from President Snow, and despite being constantly kept at arms length by Finnick, that she had to do this.

For Annie.

Furthermore, she almost sort of wanted to do this.

...For Finnick. Possibly? The version of him that Annie sees is certainly not the Finnick Odair Maive has been acquainted with thus far. Which had her suspecting Annie was possibly blinded by 'love'. But who knows, maybe somewhere deep in him Finnick was a decent human being?

Probably not.

This favor was for Annie and Annie alone.

"You have my word Annie."

And as if this whole conversation wasn't weird enough, Annie suddenly pulls her in for a hug. Small tears begin to stream off her cheek and onto the revealed skin of Maive's shoulder and all she can do is stand there and try to comfort the girl about to head into death.

She truly is starting to hate these games.

But above all, she hates Finnick Odair for bringing her into all this mess.

Now she was obligated to care about these people whether she wanted to or not.

"How are you feeling?"

Both of them stand, backs pressed against the cold cement walls as they wait.

"Good." Witten shrugs, rolling his shoulders back. There's a moment of hesitation before he casts a glance her way, "Much better now that you're here though."

Maive rolls her eyes at his typical charm, "Witten you need to focus." She scolds half heartedly, pushing off the wall.

"Please Maivis." He lets a mocking Capitolian twain slip through at her name, "I've been training for this my entire life. I couldn't be more focused."

Looking down at her twiddling fingers she asks, "Are you nervous?"

He doesn't even have to attempt to answer, as he raises a quizzical eyebrow at her.

No.

Of course he wasn't nervous, he was Witten.

"You district boys are so full of it." Se scowls, shoulders slumping.

"Odd coming from a Capitol girl." He remarks, his blue eyes scanning her over. "Awe, you nervous for me Maivey?"

His tone clawed at her, making the blood beneath her fair skin feel as though it was abut to boil, "No." Scoffing she turns away from him, "Go kill and be killed, I don't care."

It sounded harsh, she knew this, and didn't particularly know why she felt the need to be so rude when he'd been so nice to her through this entire process.

It must all be taking a toll on her. She never was good with goodbyes.

Before anything could be said Witten's designer came to fetch him and lead him to the transportation dock.

"You look great, the sponsorships will come pouring in! Right Maivis?"

Maive hears the woman's words but, stubborn as she is, she won't turn to face either of them.

"Well okay then.. Ready to go?"

This was it.

He was going to go, and disappear from her life. Possibly for good.

..most likely for good.

His voice is soft and calm as he tries to get her attention one last time by using the pet name he had so affectionately given her.

"Maivey..."

His breath dances across the nape of her neck, sending a chill down her spine. She can't dare turn herself to face him. 'Don't go...'

"...bye, Maive."

The sound of footsteps against the concrete floors is heard echoing off the walls as Witten walks ahead. Head first into death, and head first out of her life.

Her first real friend. The first person to ever awaken any deep inner feelings of caring, or desire.

"Wait." She chokes it out, barely more than a whisper.

Before even thinking about what she's doing she turns, taking off at full speed to run after him.

'Go kill, and be killed, I don't care.'

That couldn't be her last words to him.

"Witten wait!" This time she's louder, clearly catching his attention as he stops from down the hall and turns to face her direction.

Finnick and Annie walk out of the medical examination room, discussing their game plan as he escorts her to the drop off point. The two are stopped in their tracks as Maive rushes past them and towards Witten, yards away.

Not used to running like this, Maives breathing is short and harsh once she finally reaches Witten, "You can't just...leave like that."

There's so much he could say, so much he could do. But without thinking too much into it, Witten smirks, "Don't worry, I'm not leaving for good, I'll be back." And without giving her a chance to argue, knowing damn well that she will, he leans down to pick her up by her waist and brings her dainty body against his massive structure.

Feeling her feet lift off the ground Maives eyes momentarily grow but soon she realizes just how safe she feels here in his arms. She feels as though this is how it's always supposed to be.

This must be what Annie feels when she talks about Finnick.

'Finnick..'

Why was she thinking of him now. She shakes the thought off quickly.

"Who would have thought, the Capitol girl and a boy from District four?" Witten whispers jokingly, staring her dead in the eyes.

His eyes were the most captivating color of blue. Never taking her eyes off his, she wraps her arms around his neck and slowly begins to lean into him. Finally falling into the magnetic force field that urged her to him.

"Who would have thought?" Her voice is soft, and sultry, as her lips are now inches from his.

And with one final movement from them both they close the little remaining distance between them and their lips finally meet.

Her eyes are shut tightly as she tries to focus on the sensation of the kiss. But, where we're the sparks, the stars that everyone was going on and on about. She saw nothing, felt..well, nothing.

Annie's mouth falls slightly agape as the grand gesture plays out before her, adjusting her head slightly she watches Finnick out of the corner of her eye. There is a slight falter in his typically over confident demeanor.

His whole body is locked, he could swear he couldn't move even if he absolutely wanted to. The sight before him caused a sickening drop of his stomach, and a slower rhythm to the beating of his heart.

This shouldn't bother him. No. He saw it coming, didn't he? Of course he had, he wasn't that naive. But what was this he was feeling? Never before in all his years had the infamous Finnick Odair felt such annoyance, such pain, as this.

"It's a broken heart."

Turning, an incredulous look on his face, he sees Annie watching him coy like.

"That's what you're feeling." She would know. That's the same feeling she got every time she looked deeply into his eyes and saw that he could never truly love her or be with her in the way she so desired. "You like her, don't you?"

Annie's voice is so faint, a soft croak, as she almost appears to be getting choked up at the mere idea of such a thing.

Finnick doesn't answer her, just watching as the two sweethearts finish their farewell kiss. The feeling didn't stop.

Trying to shake it off he rolls his shoulders back, continuing to guide Annie off. As they pass Maive though, walking in the opposite direction of them, rubbing on her lips, the pain strikes right back. She looks up and their eyes meet for a split second and he could swear his insides were being viciously ripped apart.

"Good luck Annie." Maive says softly, not wanting to particularly intrude on her final moments with Finnick.

'Good luck Annie? That's it?' He thinks to himself, bitterly. "What no farewell kiss for her as well." He bites out, looking over his shoulder at her as they continue to pass her by.

"Finn!" Annie scolds, pulling on his arm to redirect his focus.

He internally scolded himself as well for his slip of tongue. What was he doing? Why was he feeling this way, and why for her?

She was Maivis Furthers, a darling of the Capitol.

He had Annie. She had never blatantly thrown herself at him, except for that time they went a bit too hard on the rum. But Annie always was there, ready for him when he was finally ready for her. He owed her so much and yet couldn't find it in him to love her more intimately than a friend. Annie was so kind and warm. If she couldn't bring those deep feelings out of him he expected no one ever would. So why was he suddenly feeling this worked up over Maive? She could never make him happy, not really. She was cold, and stubborn, and a brat who didn't care what he thought of her. But, she also had those sea green eyes that reminded him of home, and she challenged him on everything which he secretly somewhat liked. She was the first person in a long time to not look at him as a tool for their own satisfaction, or with complete pity. He thought he would never find that in anyone again after his Games.

Holding the door open for Annie, he can't even make eye contact with her as he gets so lost in thought. Maive might be Witten's muse, but she was clearly Finnick's femme fatal.

Watching Annie walk past him, he recalls her question from earlier.

'You like her, don't you?'

"Yes."

He notices her surprised look as he catches her off guard. Continuing his thought, he finishes with such a simple sentence and yet it relieved so much weight from him to finally admit it.

"I'm completely mad for her."

He, the almighty Finnick Odair, was falling for the Capitol girl.

And who would have ever thought?

I hope you all enjoyed that! What'd you think of her meeting with President Snow? He always gave me the creeps, so I hope I conveyed him well. (UPDATE: Came back to this after watching TBOSAS and I recant this statement… he has not in fact *always* given me the creeps… although, he should. I'm discussing it with my therapist straight away.)

Hmmm it seems Witten is working for the dark side, could he just be using Maive, or are things not always what they seem?

From the bottom of my heart thank you all for your continued support.

xo Eva