━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━

JUPITER woke to the sound of waves and the brush of soft kisses on the plump of her cheek. It was a stark contrast to the cold and the dark in the mountains surrounding her house, and she sunk into the warm body next to her. His hand was running up and down her back, tickling at the planets along her spine, and Jupiter wished she could stay in the half asleep state that allowed her worries to mean nothing.

But inevitably the sun filtered into her senses and Finnick pulled away, and took the warmth with him. Jupiter let out a sleepy sigh and opened her eyes, watching him move around his room. Already, the tightness in her chest was building, knowing she would have to go back to the house, and that tomorrow morning she would wake cold and alone to repeat the monotony her life had become after winning.

Finnick seemed to feel it, too, as they continued their morning in relative quiet, as if speaking would lead to her leaving. Jupiter held onto him in the kitchen, and Finnick sat with her on the porch overlooking the water, his hand absentmindedly laying on her knee.

District 4 had always been so different to the place she had been born. It was vast like the ocean it sat beside and people who lived by the sea always seemed nicer. The markets were colourful and the smell of salt and the sound of seagulls and waves had become known to her as an escape. Though they, too, had an Academy on the hill, she had always felt more at home here than the house back in the mountains.

Maybe she would have felt differently had she never been taken from the house her father had won, maybe she would have found District 2 warmer if it wasn't so empty for her these days. She wasn't sure, but nothing made her feel less like a Marrow than watching the blue lap at the gold sand.

"I love the sea," Jupiter murmured, cheek pressed against his shoulder. She played with the pearl around her neck. "We have a lake in 2– but it's not the same."

Finnick hummed in response. "I didn't like the city in 2," he admitted. "It was so..." he trailed off, as if she didn't want to offend her.

"I know," she said with a shrug. "The further out you get– the nicer it is."

Finnick only nodded, as if he understood, but in truth he had never been to her home District except for his Victory Tour so long ago. It simply wasn't feasible for him to visit her with her mother and especially Mars still living there.

"It always felt so industrial," he added.

"I tend to agree," Jupiter said quietly. "The mountains are the best part," she explained, her gaze set on the ocean ahead of them. From where they were sitting she could see the sun climbing further into the sky, and she knew soon the day would get to a point she couldn't leave safely anymore. "It's a different world up there. My father used to take us hiking in fall."

"That sounds beautiful," Finnick murmured. Jupiter only nodded. She didn't talk about her father much– and not to anyone except his headstone.

But as the sun grew higher in the sky, Jupiter knew she would have to leave soon. It had crossed her mind to simply stay another night, but with tightening security and her brother's place in the Peacekeepers, she couldn't risk it. And the guilt of showing up on Finnick's door like a box of dangerous goods still ate at her– she couldn't ask that of him.

"I know that look," Finnick sighed as she got to her feet.

Jupiter only frowned. "I know, I'm–"

Frantic knocking interrupted her. The pair froze up, looking in the direction of the front door as if they could see through walls. Finnick got to his feet quickly, pushing the back door open as they both filed in. He gave her a pointed look and she disappeared into the shadows as he cautiously headed for the front.

A million thoughts ran through Jupiter's head as she played with the pearl around her neck, wondering if in the next few seconds she'd have to run, if someone had seen her and reported her. If something happened to Finnick because she was sad she'd never forgive herself.

She heard the door lock unlatch and Finnick open it slowly with a creak.

"Finnick!" a familiar voice shrieked the second the door opened.

"Annie," he breathed.

Jupiter let out a sigh of relief and slipped out of the shadows. Annie's light eyes widened at the sight of the District 2 Victor, but it seemed that Jupiter's presence was the least of her worries.

The redhead looked at Finnick desperately. "It's a riot," Annie said shakily. "In town– there's–"

"What? Again?" Finnick asked. Jupiter's gaze flicked between them both warily. Riot? Again? Annie nodded, chewing on her bottom lip. "Okay– just stay here and look up at the sky okay? It'll pass."

Annie disappeared into Finnick's room to look calmingly at the mural she had painted years ago, casting Jupiter a look as she did so. It wasn't unusual for the young Victors to meet, but something in the way Annie looked at her made her look disapproving.

Jupiter still looked wary as Finnick approached her, taking a hold of her hand that wasn't reassuring in any way. "You need to go now," Finnick told her. "While the Peacekeepers are distracted."

She only nodded, throwing her bag she'd left in the living room back together, sensing the urgency in Finnick's tone. She was still dressed in his clothes, but she didn't have time to get changed, as Finnick placed a fisherman's hat on her head and pulled it down to shadow her face.

He looked at her fondly for a moment. "Good look," he told her.

"Shut up," she scoffed.

Jupiter could hear the commotion from the Victor's Village as they headed around the back area of the town centre. The walk was much faster than when she had arrived, the pair both moving frantically. Jupiter kept her head low as Finnick shadowed her, scanning everything for her.

She wanted to ask what was going on, she wanted to tell him she was scared at the thought of a riot. But she didn't– she kept her head down and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

The riot was a mess of District 4 citizens against a wall of Peacekeepers, who looked outnumbered against the masses. Jupiter didn't dare stop to look as Finnick touched the small of her back and gently pressed her forward.

Amongst the shouting and the commotion, Finnick and Jupiter were barely seen as they skulked around colourful streets she had walked only a day before. They came to a stop in the shadow of a building, Finnick's hand on her arm.

"Okay," Finnick breathed, the train station just in sight. The sound of yelling was getting worse, more aggressive. "I'll see you soon, okay?" Jupiter only nodded, pressing her lips together, wishing they had more time, wishing things could have been different.

Finnick kissed her quickly, giving her one last fleeting look, before the pair split off in opposite directions.

No one stopped her as Jupiter beelined for the train station, skipping up the steps and passing through the gate with no Peacekeepers intervening, all of them distracted by the uprising of the citizens.

Jupiter got on the train as it arrived, right on time according to Finnick's predictions, barely needing to wait out in the open. But as the doors slid open, she heard the horribly unmistakable sounds of gunshots, and the yelling was broken up by screaming behind her.

Her foot caught on the door, and she glanced back, as if she could see Finnick from where she was. The doors beeped, and with a hiss she pulled inside and watched as District 4 disappeared from view, eyes wide and her hands shaking.

The ride back was not peaceful. Every stop she scanned for Peacekeepers, and she chewed on her lip harder, iron washing over her tongue. She was sure if she was approached now she could burst into tears immediately, sob story or not.

Was it true the Districts were rebelling? Why? District 2 had only shown signs of change through the impacts of supplies and Peacekeeper conscription, but nothing close to violence. Was Finnick involved? He had been acting odd for months, so had Fawn. Did Snow's warning have to do with that?

What was going on?

The District 2 train station felt like a breath of fresh air as she stepped off a couple hours later, but she was quickly reminded that security was still tight here, and if anything, tightened. The Peacekeepers were patrolling in pairs, beyond the two that usually guarded the gate.

Had the District 4 riot reached them already? Did they know she had been there? Jupiter could barely think clearly as she left the train amongst a small collection of general commuters.

But Jupiter, dressed like someone straight out of 4, wasn't sure if she could make it through, and she swallowed thickly as she stayed in the shadows, teetering on the edge of a decision.

"Miss, what are you doing?" someone asked, and Jupiter paled at the Peacekeeper uniform. She whipped around, ready to defend herself and delve straight into a sob story, but was met only with dark eyes and a familiar face. "You," she breathed.

Mars stared at her from behind a white collar and the trigger of a gun, which was held at his side. "What the fuck are you doing?" he asked, the polite tone falling away as he stared at her like he'd seen a ghost. Her brother scanned her up and down, his eyes widening further as he likely realised where she had been.

"Nothing," she hissed back, as if for a second they were normal siblings.

"Marrow," one of the other Peacekeepers said as he walked up to them. He was much older and appeared more experienced, her brother straightening up at his arrival. The Peacekeeper looked down at her suspiciously. "Problem?"

Jupiter's stomach dropped.

"No, sir," Mars said. "All clear." Jupiter quickly hid her shocked expression, trying to meet her brother's eyes but he would not look her way.

"Get home, miss," the other Peacekeeper said.

Jupiter only nodded and muttered a quick thanks as she left the station in a hurry, not daring to glance over her shoulder or give Mars a chance to change his mind. She made the trek from the station on foot, golden eyes hard and her heart in her ears.

The sun was setting as she got home, pushing the door in as she tracked into the house. The TV was on, something nonsensical, but Jupiter looked at it quickly, as if she would see a report for the gunfire she had escaped.

"Mars, baby, is that you?" Cassia asked, turning on the sofa.

"It's me, ma," Jupiter said flatly.

"Oh, Jupe," her mother realised. "You weren't home last night."

Jupiter only shrugged. Truthfully, she had not expected her mother to notice. "Do you know if he's coming home tonight?" she asked as she passed through the doorway, standing behind her mother.

"Your father hasn't been home in a long time," Cassia said oddly.

Jupiter faltered, glad she wasn't looking at her. "Ma, I meant Mars."

Cassia's glassy eyes only blinked slowly. "Oh. I'm not sure."

Jupiter lingered in the kitchen for a moment longer, before retreating to her room and dumping her bag. She got undressed out of Finnick's clothes, which smelt like salt water and him, and folded them neatly into her drawers with others she had kept overtime.

She hoped he was okay, she hoped that he had said goodbye to her and simply gone home. If something happened to him, she feared she would never find out. And she wished there was a way to let him know she was okay– he had worried so much for her over a decision she had made.

By the time she had showered and pressed her palms against her eyes until she saw stars, Jupiter heard the front door open. She turned at the sound, wet curls in her face, as she made sure she had removed any evidence she had been anywhere but in her room the last forty eight hours.

Warily she moved downstairs to see Mars in the kitchen, hair sticking to his forehead with sweat and a bag over his shoulder which she assumed held his uniform and training gear. It was dark outside now, Jupiter wasn't sure how much hot water she had used in the time she had been under the shower.

"Mars," she said, the first conversation they had had in the kitchen since they had covered it in glass and blood. "Look, I know–"

"Do you?" he snapped. She faltered.

"I was actually going to say thank you," Jupiter said indignantly.

Jupiter immediately knew she had taken a wrong turn when her brother's face turned nasty. The look he had been missing since she had pressed the glass to his throat had returned. The one where he knew he was winning, that something he had was an advantage over her.

"I didn't do that for you," he hissed. He dropped his bag with a thud, and Jupiter hated how she winced. "You owe me," Mars told her.

Jupiter clenched her jaw. "No."

Mars only looked at her like she was something naive and stupid. "I'm sure the Peacekeepers will be happy to know I found out the woman I spoke to was conspiring with other Districts," he said simply.

She swallowed thickly. If what she had seen in District 4 was true, and if it was to be believed to be happening in other Districts, she might be punished for that. No, she would be punished for that.

The relative freedom she had earned by proving she wasn't afraid of him a month ago was gone, now replaced with something far more sinister. Blackmail.

Mars seemed to have seen where her train of thought was going, her father's face on him twisting. "That's right, J, I still run things here," he said, lowly, jabbing a finger to her chest. Jupiter only looked down at the digit and back up at him, wondering if it was worth hitting him again.

"Both of you shush!" Cassia snipped. "It's starting."

"What is?" Mars asked, turning away and looking frustrated at his peacocking being interrupted.

"The mandatory programming!" Cassia sounded far too excited. Jupiter glanced at the clock to see seven thirty.

"Flickerman is mandatory?" Mars said in disdain as he appeared on screen.

But Jupiter had gone very still. Were they going to talk about the riot? Was there going to be a memorial for Finnick or Annie?

Jupiter recognised the Training Centre behind him as he went on about the upcoming nuptials for the District 12 Victors, introduced one of their stylists and showed pictures of the wedding dresses. Jupiter rolled her eyes and turned away, trying to blot out the news as she made herself dinner.

"Did they mention this at the barracks today?" Cassia asked.

"Yes," Mars responded. "But this doesn't seem worth it."

"That's right, this year will be the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Hunger Games, and that means it's time for our third Quarter Quell!" Caesar announced, and Jupiter looked back to see that the dresses were gone.

Mars looked mildly interested, while Jupiter cast her gaze to it. The anthem played as President Snow appeared on the stage with a boy in a white suit holding a small box. Jupiter assumed that was the card for the Quell.

As the anthem ended, President Snow began to speak, the usual reminder of the Dark Days and why the Hunger Games existed. The Quarter Quell happened every twenty-five years as a glorified version. And then he went on about past Quarter Quells, none of which Jupiter had been around for.

"On the twenty-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district was made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who would represent it."

Jupiter felt sick. The fate of the children she would mentor were being televised as some glorified version of an already morbid tradition.

"On the fiftieth anniversary," the president continued, "as a reminder that two rebels died for each Capitol citizen, every district was required to send twice as many tributes."

Jupiter had gone rigid now, wishing her mother would turn off the TV, wishing she could turn away from the screen herself.

"And now we honour our third Quarter Quell." The boy in white held out the box. Snow removed a single one of many yellow envelopes, the one marked 75. Jupiter watched with a frown as he pulled out a small square of paper and looked down.

"On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors."

The only sound in the kitchen was the smashing of Jupiter's glass as it slipped from her hand.

━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━

and with that, we're into catching fire properly