"Where do the Careers feel safest?" Beetee asks once they're all gathered around him and listening intently. "The jungle?"

"The jungle's a nightmare." Johanna retorts bluntly, Dahlia nodding silently in agreement. No one would stay in that hellhole willingly, not with the dangers lurking in every segment.

Peeta pitches in with his own suggestion, "Probably here on the beach."

"Then why are they not here?" Beetee asks again, already knowing the answer but wanting his allies to work out the direction he's taking them.

"Because we are." Johanna answers sassily, growing impatient with Beetee's incessant questions. "We claimed it."

"And if we left, they would come." Beetee adds on, prompting the group along.

Finnick sighs pessimistically and points out, "Or stay hidden in the tree line."

"Which in just over four hours will be soaked with water from the ten o'clock wave." Beetee reminds them, eyes shifting between each tribute standing before him. "And what happens at midnight?"

"The lightning strikes." Dahlia replies gruffly, crossing her arms with a huff as she too grows fed up. "Enough with the questions. Where are you going with this?"

Beetee remains unfazed by Dahlia's sharp attitude, smirking deviously as he begins to explain his plan, "Here's what I propose. We leave the beach at dusk. We head to the lightning tree. That should draw them back to the beach. Prior to midnight we then run this wire from the tree to the water. Anyone in the water or on the damp sand will be electrocuted."

"How do we know the wire's not gonna burn up?" Johanna questions harshly, wary of the coil that Beetee had been so insistent on retrieving. She had nearly died to get that cable, so she stubbornly held a grudge against it.

"Because I invented it." Beetee answers simply, shooting down any further arguments they might have about the durability of the coil. "I assure you, it won't burn up."

Beetee waits tolerantly for a decision to be made as silence fills the group. Johanna, Finnick and Dahlia exchange glances, knowing this could be their opportunity to get Katniss safely out of the arena. Their silent conversation causes the young girl to raise an eyebrow in suspicion but she doesn't dare speak up against them.

Finally, Johanna is the one to voice her (albeit reluctant) support, "Well, it's better than hunting them down."

"Yeah, why not?" Katniss accepts quickly, masking her distrusting feelings as she turns away from the trio. "If it fails, no harm done anyway, right?"

Peeta nods in agreement with the girl, oblivious to her wary scepticism as he declares, "All right, I say we try it."

"So what can we do to help?" Finnick asks, willing to go along with this plan and hopefully get out of this arena alive.

"Keep me alive for the next six hours." Beetee quips back with a hint of humour in his voice. "That would be extremely helpful."

Dahlia snickers lightly at Beetee's request before assuring him, "I'm sure we can manage that."

All the group can do is waste time for a few hours, relaxing as much as they can before they have to abandon the beach. Katniss and Peeta have separated themselves from their allies, heading further up the sand to talk privately. Johanna and Beetee were having a civil conversation on the shore while Finnick and Dahlia messed about in the waves. The District Four boy was trying to teach her how to wield a trident but she wasn't taking to it as easily as she had with the sword.

"Stop laughing, Finn!" Dahlia reprimands the boy with feigned annoyance as he chuckles wholeheartedly at her pitiful attempts. His laughter was music to her ears, a welcome sound after so much hardships for the pair. So when his giggles refused to cease, she couldn't stop the adoring smile spreading on her lips.

Throwing the trident into the sand, Dahlia runs to Finnick and shoves him as harshly as she can. He is barely affected, only stumbling to the side, but he turns to her with a pretend look of offence. This time, it's Dahlia's infectious giggles reaching his ears as she sprints away through the waves. Finnick chases after her, much to the amusement of Johanna and Beetee. The two no longer seem like Hunger Games Victors, just two lovesick teens content enough with each other to let their guards down.

When Finnick manages to catch Dahlia, he is quick to grip her body and haul her over his shoulders. Dahlia lets out a yelp of surprise which soon dissolves into laughter as Finnick spins around. For a moment, they could fool themselves into thinking they were on the shores of District Four, illuminated by the warm glow of the sunset and completely free from the threat of the Careers. But all good things must come to an end.

Johanna, who'd been muttering complaints about now having two couples to deal with, calls out to both intimate pairs, "All right, lovebirds!"

It was time to put Beetee's plan into action. They cautiously headed back into the jungle, more aware of its dangers than when they had first entered. The tributes surveyed their surroundings diligently, constantly on the lookout for any ambush the Careers may have planned. Just as they were clambering up a rocky slope, the Panem anthem begins to play and makes everyone stop in their tracks.

Cashmere's face is the first to be displayed after Johanna had cut her down in the earlier attack. Gloss was next, Dahlia's blood boiling at the mere sight of the man. She should've made him suffer for what he did. Should've prolonged his death as long as possible, to make him feel the pain Dahlia felt when Alaric was taken from her. Alas, his face on that screen would have to do.

Wiress came afterwards, everyone in the group feeling saddened by her death. They wouldn't have known about the arena layout if it wasn't for her. And they were all so quick to shut her down, dismiss her as crazy. Dahlia knows all about being called mad, she should've known to look past the surface. Katniss' gentle and kind nature was the way she broke through. Maybe she was a better symbol for the Rebellion than Dahlia had initially thought.

Mags was next, Dahlia wordlessly slipping her hand into Finnick's to offer him comfort. He inhales sharply at the woman's courageous expression, knowing Mags had remained strong to the very end.

Then Finnick is the one to offer Dahlia support when Alaric's stern features were displayed next, squeezing her hand tightly. She willed herself not to cry or react to his face, needing to remain emotionally steady for her fellow allies. But the sight of her father staring down at her reminded Dahlia that he was always watching over her from above. He had always been proud of her, even in his last moments. Everything she would do from this point on would be for him, and for Finnick.

The morphling who sacrificed herself for Peeta flashed next, making the boy's eyes soften in regret that he'd never known her name. Blight's mention was a source of grief for Johanna, who was yet to admit how much his death had affected her. Chaff is the last face to be shown before the music ends and the group immediately continues on their journey.

Darkness had fallen upon the arena by the time they arrived at the tree, meaning they didn't have too long before the lightning would hit. Beetee inspected the tree with a scrutinising gaze before passing his judgement with a hum of admiration, "Minimal charring. It's an impressive conductor." Then he declares to the group, "Let's get started."

They let Beetee take the lead on the preparation work, the rest of the tributes acting as his bodyguards for the moment. He carefully wraps the coil around various sections of the trunk, ensuring there would be enough left over to connect to the beach.

"Typically a lightning strike contains five billion joules of energy. We don't want to be anywhere in the vicinity when this hits." Beetee explains as he makes his final touches to the tree before collecting the rest of the coil. "You girls, go together now." He orders the trio, holding the wire out to Katniss, who looks ready to protest. "Take this. Unspool it carefully. Make sure the entire coil is in the water. You understand?" Katniss' mouth opens and closes in opposition as Dahlia and Johanna nod at the instructions, Beetee continuing to talk despite the girl's hesistance. "Then head to the tree at the two o'clock sector. We'll meet you there."

"I'm gonna go with them as a guard." Peeta speaks up, uncomfortable with letting Katniss out of his sight so close to the end of the Games.

Beetee shuts down the idea immediately, "No, no, no. They've got Dahlia for that." He points to the aforementioned woman who, although unhappy with leaving Finnick, is willing to go with the knowledge that they'll be free when they reunite. "You're staying here to protect me. And the tree."

Beetee's eyes flicker from Katniss to Peeta, both of whom seem shifty after the man's refusal. Peeta fiercely objects once more to this idea, "No, I need to go with her."

"There are two Careers out there. I need two guards." Beetee states firmly, while Dahlia and Finnick share a curious look at the boy's insistence. He was never normally this stubborn, usually compliant to do whatever the plan requires.

Still, the boy challenges Beetee's command, "Finnick can protect you just fine on his own."

Then Katniss chimes in with a suggestion of her own, "Yeah, why can't Dahlia and Johanna stay with you and Finnick then Peeta and I can take the coil?"

Johanna's jaw clenches in annoyance as Beetee huffs and stalks over to the young girl. "You all agreed to keep me alive till midnight, correct?" Beetee questions, staring at Katniss over the rim of his glasses.

"It's his plan. We all agreed to it." Johanna reminds them sharply, both women glaring at the pair with unnerving eyes.

"Is there a problem here?" Finnick asks softly, a hidden threat hidden under his tone as if daring Katniss to admit the truth. They can tell that she and Peeta want to abandon them while they can, leaving their allies to turn on each other and fight it out between them so they won't have to engage them in battle. But the Alliance can't let them do that.

"Excellent question." Beetee pronounces, still staring intently at Katniss and waiting for any more complaints.

Katniss keeps her face neutral and impassive as she stiffly replies to the man, "No. There's no problem."

She averts her eyes to Peeta, stepping closer to share a long farewell kiss. Dahlia rolls her eyes at the interaction, brushing past the pair to approach Finnick. He gazes down at her in concern, terrified to let her out of his sight. Last time they'd been separated, he'd been subjected to the torture of her screams for an hour. He didn't want that nightmare to become a reality.

"I'll be fine." She assures him after sensing his overwhelming reluctance, taking his right hand in both of hers. "We'll be back before you know it."

Finnick still didn't seem delighted with the arrangements, but knew that Dahlia could take care of herself and Johanna would have her back. Forcing a tight-lipped smile on his face, Finnick lifts their hands up to his lips and presses a kiss to her skin, never breaking eye contact. Then he squeezes three times, their secret expression of love to each other bringing a grin to Dahlia's face.

She just manages to return the gesture when Johanna grows tired of waiting for the girls. "All right, let's go!" She shouts impatiently, pressuring the pair to hurry along.

Dahlia walks backwards away from Finnick, their hands remaining linked until the last possible moment. As their fingertips slip away, she sends him one last nod before turning around. A tiny voice in the back of her head screams at her not to walk away from him, but she reminds herself that they will be reunited soon enough. They won't be apart for too long and, when she sees him again, a life spent together will begin.