" Is it hot in here? " Lucy Gray said into the microphone.

" Yeah " the crowd cheered.

" Because we're planning on heating it up a set more " Lucy Gray continued " Please welcome......the one, the only.....Aletta Everdeen ".

The crowd cheered louder as Aletta twirled onto the stage with the guitar, that had been gifted to her and up to the microphone.

Coriolanus, who was standing in the crowd felt the world around him stop as soon as he saw her, she was safe and for that he was relived and all he wanted to was run up and kiss her and not let go.

" Well, hello, district 12......did you miss me? " Aletta smiled at the crowd.

" Yeah " The crowd replied.

" I bet you never expected to lay eyes on me again and let me tell you that goes both ways, but I am back, I sure am back  " Aletta said with a smile and then noticed a man holding a bottle up " Oh, is that bottle there for me? " Aletta asked and the man reached it to her and she grabbed it " Come on, you guys......you know I gave up drinking, when I was twelve " Aletta joked and the crowd laughed as she took a big sip and threw it back " It's to clear my pipes, guys....clear my pipes.....now, I know Lucy Gray usually sings but....I figured, I would tonight....what do you say? ".

The crowd cheered at her question before quieting down as Aletta began to strum her guitar, sung a slow tempo.

" Can't take my past ".

" Can't take my history ".

" You could take my pa.....but, his names a mystery ".

" Nothing you could take for me was ever worth keeping ".

" Oh, nothing you could take....was ever worth keepin' " Aletta smiled and the tempo sped up causing people to cheer and dance. 

" Can't take my charm ".

" Can't take my humour ". 

" You could take my wealth.....'cause it's just a rumour ".

" Nothing you could take was ever worth keepin' ".

Coriolanus's eyes drifted from stage to Sejanus, who was talking with someone at the bar but decided to question him later and focused on Aletta with a soft gaze.

" Oh, nothing you could take was worth keepin' ".

" Thinkin' your so fine....." Aletta eyes drifted and her singing trailed off, when she looked eyes with familiar blue ones, after a moment she began to smile wildly and sing again " Thinkin' your in control.....thinkin' you'll change me, maybe rearrange me, think again, if that's your goal ".

Coriolanus suddenly snapped out of his gaze of Aletta as he was pushed by a boy, who was yelling Aletta's name, Coriolanus glared at him cautiously as he wander to the stage with a red head behind him.

" Your'e sounding kind of thin, Aletta.....you should probably leave the singing to Lucy Gray " Billy said to Aletta, who rolled her eyes in response as she continued to play.

Mayfair tried to stop him as he climbed on stage, Aletta backed away as she stopped playing and the loudness of the hobb dimmed slightly but they continued to dance.

" Billy.....you swore you wouldn't play with them again, Billy Taupe " Mayfair called out as she dragged Billy off the stage, Billy just shoved her in response causing everyone to stop and look and people to yell at Billy.

A peacekeeper tried to calm him down but Billy just shoved him away and the peacekeeper shoved him back as the crowd began to brawl.

" Settle down " Aletta said trying to defuse the situation.

Billy crawled onto the stage and grabbed Aletta's skirt and held her thigh tightly.

" You still owe me for punching me, I know, how? " Billy said as he began to lift Aletta's skirt.

" You get your hands off me, right now, Billy Taupe " Aletta snapped making a face of disgust.

" Don't ever touch my sister again " Lucy Gray yelled as she rushed over and kicked Billy causing him to stumble before he was grabbed from behind by Coriolanus, who began to punch him repeatedly as Aletta, who was in Lucy Gray's arm looked at him in shock and surprise at the scene before her.

Coriolanus was then quickly dragged away by Sejanus.

⎯

Aletta sat against a rock that was under a large tree as she drew in she sketch book, she jumped up, when she heard and twig snap behind her and she turned and saw Coriolanus and she felt her stomach fill with butterflies at the sight of him, the boy she thought she would never see again.

" They said, I might find you out here " Coriolanus spoke as he stopped a few feet away from her.

" Sorry, I.....I still got one foot in the arena " Aletta said as she placed her sketch book and pencil on the rock.

" Your hair, that uniform " Aletta sighed as she looked at what he was wearing.

" I thought you were dead " Coriolanus said.

" So did I........but your dean.....Highbottom......he had them send me home " Aletta replied.

" Highbottom did? " Coriolanus questioned.

" He put me on the train himself, gave me some money " Aletta replied " he said they had sent you to 8 ".

" For breaking their rules.......saving your life......but I gave them my last cent.....so that i could some here to 12...because I had to try and find you " Coriolanus said as he walked towards her slowly.

Aletta looked up at Coriolanus, who stood in front of her " Your dean , he......told me the strangest thing.....he " Aletta stopped mid sentence wondering if she should tell him " He said....he was glad that I survived you ".

" He told you, what I did to that boy in the area? " he asked and Aletta nodded.

Coriolanus sighed as he felt his anger rise but looked down at Aletta and felt that anger dissipate.

" I didn't have a choice " Coriolanus told her.

" That little girl...Dill ".

" I know ".

" I thought it'd be one of the others......maybe Coral " Aletta began to breath heavier as she ranted.

" You are not a killer, Aletta " Coriolanus reassured.

" Yes, I am....both of us are " Aletta snapped.

Coriolanus grabbed her face softly " You're safe " Coriolanus reassured and leaned forward to kiss her but Aletta pulled back a little before grabbing his face as well and kissed him as she was leaning up on her tippy toes to reach his hieght.

Coriolanus kissed her back immediately like she was the oxygen, he needed to breath.....and it was true, he needed her and she needed him, they needed each other.

They pulled away, when they heard a whistle and they looked behind them and saw Maude Ivory, who was signing to her as she ran over.

" Your peacekeeper friends, I'll handle it...they'll want to know about the fight last night " Aletta breath out as she pulled away and walked away.

" Hey, they can't see us together " Coriolanus spoke and Aletta turned to face him as Maude Ivory stood behind her glaring at the boy with caution.

" There's a lake out in the woods......nobody knows much of it expect us, covey " Aletta suggested and smiled softly " Meet me here tomorrow.....we'll go....we can be free out there " Aletta smiled one last time before she began to walk up the hill telling the younger girl to grab her things as Coriolanus watched her leave.

⎯

Aletta and Lucy Gray were cleaning up after dinner, while the rest of the covey did their own thing.

" So.....Maude Ivory told me, she saw you kiss a peacekeeper " Lucy gray broke the silence.

" Of course, she did " Aletta sighed. 

" Who is he? " Lucy Gray asked as she turned to her sister.

" He was my mentor in the games..." Aletta shrugged.

" Really " Lucy Gray raised her eyebrows. 

" He saved my life at the cost of his own " Aletta said.

" Just....be careful, I don't want you to get hurt.....especially by a Capitol rat " Lucy Gray warned.

" He wouldn't hurt me " Aletta replied.

" Okay, I trust you.....and I want you to be happy " Lucy Gray smiled softly.

" I know and I love you for it " Aletta smiled and the two sisters hugged.

𝐀/𝐍:

𝐇𝐢𝐢,

𝐒𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟐 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫.

𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐱𝐱