Note: You can find what Caroline wears on my Quotev and Wattpad platforms inside the chapter itself! They're the only ones that allow me to add pictures to my stories.

There's a lighthearted scene between Finnick and Caroline at the end of this chapter that I adored writing. It does border on slightly sexual content (here's your warning) but I did make myself laugh a couple of times too which is always fun. Let me know what you think! Enjoy! :)

CHAPTER 8

Assessment Scores & Recovery

"I-I have to stand out there? In front of that massive audience?" Caroline's eyes grew wide and her heart thumped in her chest loudly as she stared at the screen above them. The camera was panning around the crowd and all she could see was more and more people. The audience was massive – there were thousands of bodies in that room and all staring up at the stage where Ceaser Flickerman was making his introductions.

She could barely see the far end of the building.

Was the entire population of the Capitol here tonight?

It sure felt like it.

She gulped with an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach. God, she really didn't want to do this. Her chest heaved up and down anxiously as the pounding in her ears doubled. She didn't like being the center of attention, let alone standing in front of thousands of people as the main focus point. What if she screwed up? Said the wrong thing? She could make an utter fool of herself on live television and even the potential horrified her.

Tonight was the interview portion for the Hunger Games. They happened every year; the night after training and the assessments have been concluded. These interviews were always conducted by the Capitol's very own Ceaser Flickerman. Just going by his appearance; he looked like a nice man with some exotically stylish attires and flashy colored hair. Over the years, he's generally stayed the same in terms of what he looks like but every year, he decides to mix up the color pallet to stay 'in the now'. His choice for this year seemed to run with bold colors. His hair was a vibrant scarlet with his suit nearly matching it – the shade toning down a little on the leather.

Caroline stood in the middle of the hallway, just a few meters away from where she was supposed to be standing. She tried to tell herself it would be over in no time but her feet just wouldn't budge – she was undeniably petrified of going up on that stage. It didn't help that the clothing she was forced to wear made her skin feel too airy. She couldn't remember the last time she's worn something this short, let alone an actual dress.

Her prep team and stylist made her wear a deep ocean blue silk dress that fell to the middle of her upper thigh. In light layers on top of the silk was a thin organza material in the same color. The skirt draped longer at the back then it did at the front to give it some variety. Around the waist where the skirt connects to the top, there was a thin gold chain that acted like a loose belt. It did greatly compliment the blue to give it an eye-catching feel. On her feet were a pair of simple black heels that made her feel like a tripping hazard.

Her hair held a subtle hair vine of gold and ivory, spotted with small white flowers and cotton buds as it was pulled into a half up, half down hairdo. Her make-up was natural with a light brush of lip gloss, a tiny bit of mascara and eyeliner to make her features pop. Her stylist, Pearl, told her point blank that she had an eternal beauty about her that only a few would possess. That anything more on her face than needed would take away the natural beauty.

Finnick stood behind her with a light hand brushing against the sole of her back.

"Care, you'll be fine." He tried to calm her nerves.

He observed their surroundings to make sure no one looking in their direction. He could only see that there were one or two Capitol guards roaming about. He knew all the other tributes were just down the hall waiting to be called upon. All of the mentors were supposed to be in the audience by now but he wanted to make sure Caroline was okay before he left … and to give her a vote of support. He was also finding it hard to let her out of his sight considering the circumstances.

Finnick knew she never liked being the center of attention so she probably just needed some encouragement. She was one of the last to arrive out of all the tributes, and so were the pair from District 10. All three of them were taking their time until they were forced to hurry up.

"There's just … so many people." Caroline couldn't take her eyes away.

She felt a wave of panic settling on top of the ever-growing fear of tomorrow. She started binding her hands together in the hope that doing so, would take away some of the stress off her shoulders. All she wanted to do was run and hide in a closet. Maybe even run for the hills … if trees even exist in the Capitol. All she noticed were buildings and streets on her way in.

This place was nothing like home.

"Hey," Finnick pulled her to the side and away from the screen so she couldn't watch it anymore. It wasn't doing her any good. He made her face him and look straight into his bright sea-green eyes. He sent her a comforting look as he rested his hands on her upper arms, "You will be fine." He repeated, "Just remember everything we practiced last night. The interview's only going to be a minute or two. You can be as vague or descriptive as you like. Just try and hook the audience in with something that means a lot to you. And I know it's horrible but … let them pretend they know you like anyone close to you would."

There was a pause.

"You're right," Caroline whispered to herself as she processed the majority of his words, "That is horrible." She momentarily forgot everything else that was said but put it into the back of her brain for later use. She took in the comfort his touch gave her, like a warm hug when she was upset.

She didn't want these people knowing anything about her but … she didn't really have a choice, did she? They're part of the reason why she was here in the first place. If they stood up and said 'cancel the Hunger Games!' then all these children, including herself, wouldn't be sentenced to death. How was she supposed to win these people over and to make them think she was worth saving? How could she even justify putting her life as more important than the other 23 children she's going to have to compete with. This was the stuff of nightmares and she's living in it right now.

She had no idea how she was going to get through everything after tonight.

She'll be entering the Hunger Games in the morning and she was terrified to the core.

…

The entire team from District 12 including; the Victors, stylists, mentors, and escort were huddled around the television screen later that day after having finished their meal. It wasn't long before the Hunger Games interviews were to commence but it was still a few hours out. It left enough time to see what scores they received from their training assessments.

Peeta and Katniss kept their distance from everyone. During dinner, it was revealed exactly what each other them did during their assessments and no one looked particularly impressed by the news. The only one who didn't look too phased was Cinna. He didn't seem to take it as bad as the others. There was almost a sliver of proudness in his eyes yet he seemed to try and hide it. He perched himself next to Katniss, wrapping an arm around her as the screen flared with life.

They turned the news on just in time to see photographs of Cashmere and Gloss appear on the screen. In the background, you could hear Ceaser Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith chatting away to each other as they gossip about their favorite Victors, muttering about who they predict will do well this year. Following the photos were scores. Numbers that were deemed appropriate for each Victor's level of skill.

As predicted; Districts One and Two received all high counts of eleven, solidifying the fact that they were a few of the most dangerous heading into the arena this year. In District 3 with Beetee and Wiress, they came out with decent scores of 7 & 8. That was to be expected. Neither of them was considered to be the type of fighting bloody. They were smart enough to think of ways that wouldn't put them in the line of fire.

"What the-?" Katniss quietly muttered to herself in confusion as a picture of Caroline Winter's appeared on the screen, followed closely behind by a bold twelve next to her name. Ceaser and Claudius were babbling to themselves in the background with astonishment plastering their tone. She tuned them out as if they were white noise.

"A score of twelve?!" She repeated what her eyes caught. She glanced towards each person in the room and they all appeared just as shocked as her. Haymitch was probably the only one who didn't look as affected as them but he's always been like that. She didn't take note of the odd behavior he possessed as of late since everything that's happened is hard on everyone. "Has that ever happened before?"

Katniss couldn't recall any time that's happened because the highest she could remember was eleven.

"No." Cinna was the one to murmur as his eyes stayed attached to the screen.

Katniss peered over her shoulder again while the rest of the tributes scores were announced. She quickly noticed this time how her mentor was sighing to himself, his fingers gripping the edge of his nose and his head ducked in what she could fathom as dismay. She wondered briefly if the blonde was another of his friends, another that he would soon lose to the Hunger Games again. With everything that's going on – she had to remind herself that he's known these people for quite a long time, some more than others. He was going to have to watch his friends die and she already knew she didn't want to be the cause of it.

The thought of just her and Peeta going it alone was starting to become a better idea at this point.

Her attention snapped back to the television screen just in time for her and Peeta's scores to appear. She wasn't entirely shocked but a part of her was still bewildered when she witnessed the bold twelves hanging next to each of their names. They received the same scores as Caroline Winters.

The last few words were spoken from the commentators before the screen turned black. Nothing else would be aired until the interviews tonight. Everything in the room turned into quiet shuffles but no one moved away from their place.

The silence in the room was almost suffocating as the disappointment rolled off one particular person in waves. The two Victors knew well enough that a score of twelve was nothing to be excited about – it was just as bad as receiving a zero on a test paper. It meant trouble. An eleven usually meant someone with dangerous talent – a person that others needed to keep an eye on. But someone was a twelve? That made them sound like the most volatile of them all.

Peeta ended up being the one to speak up first as his brows furrowed. "Why did they do that?" He tried to come up with a conclusion and only one despicable theory bounced around in his head. He wouldn't put it past Snow to tamper with the scores just to help get rid of them once and for all. It was the reason any of this was happening in the first place. The only reason he would throw Victor's into the Hunger Games again, hiding behind a rubbish lie that it was already written in stone before the first Games began.

Haymitch was voiceless for a moment before he revealed his wisdom in a flat tone – staring off into the distance. "Retaliation, that's why."

He should have known this would happen.

He had an inkling that something like this would come about - given what his tributes revealed to them during dinner. Although; he didn't imagine Caroline would also receive the same score. Actually, no, he did. It wasn't too much of a surprise but he hoped to have been proved wrong. It didn't matter to Snow that she was a Capitol Darling anymore – he had other agendas on the list.

He did have to wonder, though, what provoked such a score despite that. If Peeta and Katniss received scores based on how they rebelled during their assessments – what did Caroline do during hers to receive such a reaction?

"Why would Caroline get a twelve like us?" Katniss vocalized his inner thoughts. The brunette glanced between everyone as if someone knew the answer to her question. "She's a Capitol Darling. It doesn't make sense to put a bullseye on her head."

No one could answer why because there was only one way to know for certain what happened during Caroline's assessment. She would have to reveal that information if she wanted it shared. It was all confidential information otherwise that never left the inner circle.

"It was her..."

Peeta's voice cut through their thoughts. He suddenly felt multiple pairs of puzzled eyes turning to him soon after his admission. He turned to look at Katniss specifically for a moment, "Didn't you see it when you walked in for your assessment? The writing on the wall?" He asked, "It's what gave the motivation I needed to paint Rue in the first place."

"Writing on the wall?" Cinna questioned.

He and Haymitch shared a look when no one was looking. They then went on to listen as Katniss and Peeta explained further, recollection drumming in both their eyes as they spoke.

"Oh," Katniss murmured quietly to herself as she gathered what he was talking about. She looked back up but kept her eyes steady on Peeta's. "It looked like someone tried to scrub a bit off but I guess someone stopped them because it was still pretty bold. It didn't look like they were having much luck getting it off, otherwise, we probably wouldn't have seen it."

Effie was horrified enough by her own tributes' actions in their assessments. She dreaded to think what young Caroline had done to piss them off as much as Peeta and Katniss had. "But, what did it say?"

"I think it was a message to anyone who supported the Hunger Games – to anyone who's never tried stopping it," Peeta explained, recalling exactly what it said. "It said, '1800 children were murdered because of you. Do your own children have to die before you start to care?'"

The only ones to react in horror were Effie and Portia as they let out unionized gasps.

The men in the room didn't look surprised but were seemed somewhat troubled by the news.

"That's not all though." Peeta continued, a little hesitant to put forth the next piece of information. No one interrupted him but he got the silent signal to continue, "I've used enough different materials as paints since I was a child but I never got close to that color or the thickness. The smell was rather potent too when I got a little closer to it. The only time I've seen that color is when Katniss would bring over the animals she's hunted."

"It was blood," Katniss stated bluntly on the subject he was dancing around. "It looked like blood was used, not berries. There was brownish crusting around the edges as it was drying up too. I'm certain that's what it was."

The air felt claustrophobic again as the revelation sunk into their skins.

After a moment; Haymitch was the one to slowly speak in a tone that someone should follow. "I think you two should get some rest in your rooms before the big night tonight." He recommended, not taking a no for an answer. "Someone will come by and get you when the prep team is ready."

…

Finnick brushed a few stray strands out of Caroline's face as she curled further into his body. She was fast asleep with her arm resting against his clothed chest. The blanket covered them both, for him it went up to the middle of his stomach and for her, to the top of her shoulders. He felt tiredness ache through his bones but he just couldn't seem to fall asleep. The worry of many things spreading rapidly into his heart. From everything that's happened, up until now and what was to come.

How little time they had left was starting to weigh him down and he couldn't help but hold his love a little tighter as she slept. He dipped his nose into her hair, closed his eyes and cherished the smell of strawberry's surrounding him. That berry has always been her favorite, ever since her mother introduced it to her shortly before she died.

Just before heading to bed for a nap, one that would hopefully mentally prepare them for the interviews tonight, he managed to calm Caroline down enough to tend to the wound engraved on her arm. Luckily, the blade she used was sterile so it was doubtful she'll gain an infection from it. It was likely the marking would disappear soon, probably by the time they had to get ready.

Neither of them was looking forward to tonight at all.

After leaving her for a couple of minutes when she calmed down earlier; he came back in with a small pot of ointment from the first aid kit in the kitchen. It was a special concoction that would heal the skin in a very short amount of time while avoiding any possible scars. She had been reluctant to have it smeared on her skin but in the end, she realized it probably wasn't a wise decision to have a visible scar running down her arm. Both for her brother's sake and to avoid questions from random people in the Capitol.

It could cost them donors if they figured she was potentially harming herself.

Finnick really wanted to know what happened during her individual assessment. Though, he probably wouldn't find out until later at the very least. From what he was able to piece together; she did something with her blood when she could have used berries instead. He remembered her insinuating that notion. It was also mentioned that she wanted the people watching her to realize everything they were doing, including the consequences of their actions. He still couldn't quite fathom out what it was she did exactly.

Maybe she wrote a message or drew something on the wall?

He wasn't quite sure.

The woman his thoughts were on suddenly knocked him out of his headspace as she shifted against his body. She instinctually snuggled closer to his warmth and he wrapped a tighter arm around her body.

She still kept her eyes closed but it was clear she was starting to stir. She was slowly awakening from her slumber with a slight niggle of a headache in the back of her head. Her eyes began to blearily open and it wasn't long before she noticed the man next to her staring with a small smile on his lips.

"Hmm, hey," She hummed in a low voice as she tried to keep quiet.

"Hey back," He replied in the same way.

Caroline stretched out the arm that was currently wrapped in a white gauge. She could feel a slight sting where the cut had been but otherwise ignored it and pretended it didn't exist. She couldn't even bring herself to look at it and check how much damage she actually did to herself. Everything about this morning was pretty much a blur to her and part of her was fine with that.

"Have you been to sleep yet?" She asked tiredly, rubbing her eyes and the removed the sleep from them. As she peered up to look at him, she couldn't help but notice immediately just how exhausted he looked - probably about as much as she still felt.

She noticed the black bags peeking underneath his eyes and suddenly felt very guilty, knowing it was probably her fault that he didn't get any sleep. She definitely remembered he was still wide awake after she closed her eyes and fell asleep herself. He probably stayed awake just holding her all this time. They seemed to be in the exact same position as she remembered.

"Course I have." Finnick fibbed, quite badly, and the blonde couldn't help but snort at the attempt that was so hilariously terrible. There were little tell-tale signs that she could always pick up when he was lying. There was always something in his tone and his eyes usually bolted away from her, trying to stare at anything else in the room other than her.

"Uh huh, sure." She grinned teasingly, trying to push away the guilty thoughts. They could barely see much through the darkness but there was a calm light coming from the far window-wall. It was nice. If she didn't know she was being held captive by the Capitol, about to be put to death, then this might actually be a beautiful room to stay in.

"You know you can't lie to me, right?" Caroline continued, trying to rub it in a little, "You really are terrible at it." She could feel his fingers lightly playing with her hair as a comfortable silence covered them like a warm blanket.

She always found it odd yet slightly amusing that in public with total strangers, he was able to lie like it's easy as pie. But with her; he seemed to blubber his way into a corner and absolutely suck at convincing her.

All of a sudden; she took note to just how dark it was outside.

"I'll take a guess to say we missed dinner?" Caroline wondered out loud. She went back to resting her head on his chest after taking a better look out the glass pane from her side. She was lying on the far end while Finnick was lying closer to the window. Without notice, she felt her stomach make a grumble.

Given how the man beside her tried and failed to hide his laugh - the sound of her belly wasn't as small as she hoped.

I could really use a cupcake right about now, she thought.

As if having read her mind; Finnick reached over on his side of the bed and flicked on the lamp. The room was suddenly filled with light which made their eyes sting for a second. After a few moments, his hand returned to present her most favorite food of all and it was instantaneous how wide her eyes became.

A cupcake.

From what she could tell – it was a strawberry cupcake with a pink (likely strawberry again) buttercream frosting swirled on top like a small tower. Placed on top of the icing was a small strawberry with the stem still attached. Her mouth watered at the very sight of it and her stomach begged to snatch it away from the mean man tempting her with it.

Any tiredness she felt in her body was magically whipped away at the sight of the queen of all foods.

"I'm willing to share half of my cupcake…" Finnick playfully started, horribly teasing her by waving it slightly in front of her face but just out of reach. "…for a price, of course." He had a cheeky grin on his face that made her want to narrow her eyes at him but she refrained from doing so. She wasn't about to play into his hand.

Caroline raised an eyebrow as her attention went back to him, "Are you blackmailing me, Finnick Odair?" Using his full name for good measure. She leaned away from him before shifting herself into a sitting position. He made a point to move the cupcake a little further away from her as she moved aside her pillow, situating it behind her back. The wooden bed frame touched the skin of her back and it was slightly chilly to the touch.

"Yup."

She tilted her head down at him but her eyes flicked over to the cupcake once more.

"Do you really have the balls to keep that cupcake away from me?"

There was a dangerous and unpredictable spark in her eye that made Finnick falter slightly, however, he told himself to stay strong. He knew all too well that Caroline and her cupcakes were nothing to mess with – especially when it comes to the one that's currently in his hand. He wasn't quite sure how he had the gal to do what he's doing right now … but he was.

Maybe he'll survive … hopefully.

"Y-Yes."

"Was that a stutter I hear?"

Finnick let out of huff, "Of course not." He denied.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Caroline let out an inner smirk in her head before deciding to startle him. She climbed on top of him and sat on his chest – she even bit her lip for good measure, knowing exactly what kind of reactions she got out of him with that move. Both her legs now confined his body to the bed with her palms resting against his abs – her fingers lightly gripping his shirt. She could feel her nails faintly scratching his skin.

She could tell how excited he was becoming just by the look in his face.

Finnick had to move the cupcake over to the side a little so she didn't hit the merchandise.

He continued to observe her actions but never complained. His eyes followed her every move but she caught him off guard as she leaned forwards - catching his lips against hers. She leaned into his body and kissed him hard enough that the only thing running through his mind was this particular moment. He could slowly feel the cupcake in his hand becoming forgotten as he started making the next moves.

Caroline soon felt his free hand run underneath her shirt and towards her breasts – she knew he was hooked like a fish. It was hard to fight off the grin he would feel but she managed to contain herself. The hand keeping her cupcake away from her was now in a reachable position. She could see it slowly being lowered towards the bedsheets as he completely forgot about it.

Finnick used his knees to push her towards him slightly and she was assaulted by peppered kisses trailing down the skin of her neck. Her chest heaved deeply, feeling a warmth brew inside of her that nearly made her forget why she initiated this coo in the first place.

No, Caroline … focus.

She almost felt like she was betraying her cupcakes because she wasn't sure what she wanted more.

Finnick … or the cupcake.

The cupcake.

It was the moment when his fingers were about to slip underneath her bra that she did the most diabolical thing she knew how to do to him. Within seconds; she managed to slip away from his grasp and snatch the delicious cupcake away from his skillfully pleasurable hands. She moved to the other side of the bed before he could pull her back. Although, he appeared too stunned to even do anything about it.

"Thank you for the cupcake, dear." Caroline said with a bright smile covering her lips.

His jaw dropped.

He was flabbergasted.

"Oh, you little minx."

She just shrugged indifferently before happily unwrapping part of the cupcake and took a large scrumptious bite from it. Finnick looked physically tortured when she groaned in delight from just eating food. The tightness in his pants was almost gasping as he wished that groaning was coming from a completely different activity. It probably would have hurt less if she just punched him in the face.

"It's your fault," Caroline noted smugly after she swallowed a bite. She was delighted to find out it left an amazing aftertaste as she licked her lips from the frosting. She plucked the strawberry off the top, holding the berry out for her boyfriend to take.

He just stared at her as she made another third of the cupcake disappear.

"What?" Caroline chuckled lightly after she swallowing again. "You did say we'd be sharing this cupcake."

"That was cruel," Finnick stated, now feeling the betrayal sinking in from her actions.

"After all this time … you should know by now to never come between me and my cupcakes."

Of course, as per usual, he did the most childish thing of sticking out his tongue with a huff and a pout formed on his lips. The reaction on his face was one that could always bring a laugh out of her. Yes, he did know that. It's exactly why he started second-guessing himself earlier.

Finnick reached forwards and grabbed the strawberry from her outstretched hand and plucked it into his mouth, barring the stem. He pushed himself into a seated position next to her while trying to use the multiple blankets around them to cover his lower half. He took the initiative to grab a hold of her waist and brought her over to him so she was sitting in his lap. He didn't go anywhere near her cupcake this time but instead wrapped his arms around her waist and cuddle into her back.

They shared the sentiment of tranquility for a few peaceful seconds after the cupcake was completely devoured. The type of silence that gradually grew on them like a vine began choking them and everything slowly turned oddly cold. It started attacking the skin that wasn't hiding underneath the covers.

"How long have we got?" Caroline finally inquired.

One of the main events that have been plaguing them both all day would be upon them soon. The other had been their training assessments that happened this morning. Finnick knew exactly what she was referring to because a small slow breath left his lips. He too was trying to forget about their upcoming performances.

Finnick was about to open his mouth to reply but was stopped when hard knocking sounded from their bedroom door. It was loud enough to wake up the dead. It certainly made them both nearly jump out of their skin and freeze. They were a little afraid at who it might be, however, their relief came swiftly with the sound of a squeaky woman's voice.

"It's time to get up you two!" Adaline Carrows shouted from outside the barrier in her very uptight style of speech. "And I know you kids are both in there! You have five minutes to be up, showered, and ready for the teams to get working on you."

The woman gave the door a few extra bangs for good measure before the sound of her high heels clicked against the floor and towards the living room.

Finnick was the one to roll his eyes but they both shared a small smile. That woman always knew where they were. She was like a bat that could see through walls. Adaline Carrows was one of the very few people who knew, not in complete detail, that there was secretly something going on between them. She knew very well not to reveal anything because she knew exactly what the consequences could be.

Neither of them immediately made a move to get ready like they were told.

Caroline let out a small resigning sigh as she mentally prepared herself to finally get up and out of bed. To get showered and dressed. She turned up to look at Finnick when a sudden playful thought came to her. It would certainly make up for what she did to him earlier. It would also get rid of the hot and bothered feeling she was also experiencing now that the cupcake adrenaline had worn off.

As he felt her gaze at him, he followed in suit and stared back at her as a glint appeared in her eye. She turned away in no particular direction when she noticed his attention was on her. A mischievous smirk appeared on her lips that he could only get a glimpse of.

She was learning far too much from her better half.

"You know, Mr. Odair" She echoed quietly to him, almost as if she were speaking as an afterthought but there was a secret conveyed within. "The only way we'll be ready in five minutes is if we were to use the shower at the same time."

Finnick's eyes sparkled just as devilish as hers.

"I like the way you think, Miss Winters."

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Never mess with a girl and her food, haha. Thank you for reading!

Note: When I refer to 1800 children were murdered. I do include all the victors that are still alive. As soon as they participated in the Hunger Games, their old selves were killed off when they killed another or experienced something a child should never have to face. Their lives change forever, no matter how much they enjoy the benefits. (District's one and Two for example) I hope you can understand my reasoning!