Well alright This is the beginning of Portia's P.O.V. This might seem quite strange if you haven't read my first story which of course is the Career of 12. I wrote this mainly because a lot of you seemed to like the relationship i had built between Peeta and his stylist and i wanted you all to be able to see what she was thinking about her beautiful tribute. It's a little different to what i've read so far on Portia so i hope you all like it.

Enjoy/

The Boy with the eyes of Blue Fire

Portia's P.O.V

The first time I have to watch a tribute die it's when I'm working on the prep team for district four, I'm fourteen the same age as the male tribute from the district I'm working with and I can already see the Finnick Odair will be the victor this year simply because I can see the power in his sea green eyes I can see the way he wants this how he wants to go home, which was why when he killed the tribute I had spent the last three days trying to make perfect I feel only sorrow for the soon to be victor and what his life was about to become.

The second time I have to watch a tribute die I was a year older and the youngest person leading a prep team in all of history, I had been given district four once more and was able to talk to Finnick about what he wanted me to do to his tribute considering he asked me to take care of his male tribute this year. I took the boy under my wing only fifteen years old and full of confidence both his mentor and I believed that Reece had it in the bag that year until he was killed by the beautiful brunette from district two when there was only two days before the end: I had been devastated and the only thing I could have to comfort me was the fact that the girl who killed my tribute had been killed a few hours later by the guy who became the victor.

It wasn't until my third tribute death that I stopped keeping count: Finnick and I had once again been paired together only this time I was given a beautiful raven haired boy who was petrified of everything about the games, and I had known he wouldn't last long at all. When he had been slaughtered within the bloodbath in the last few moments I had left the re-make center and entered a bar hoping to drain my sorrows. I hated what the games were doing, I may be capitol born and have grown up with the games as an annual ritual but I had worked with tributes for the last four years and for those four years all the tributes I had worked with had ended up dead.

When I had sat down at the bar I had noticed another guy not too far away muttering over a sketch pad, I look over and had to chuckle at the beautiful yet flawed design he was mulling over. "Your hem is too wide" I say clearly making the boy look up at me in shock, I motion to the drawing and rest my chin on my curled fist giving him my kind smile "Your dress, the hem is to big"

The boy looked back down at the drawing and gasped when he figured I was right "Thank you I've been trying to figure out what was wrong with the dress for hours! Oh I'm Cinna by the way" he said giving me a bright smile.

Despite how much I knew this place would crush Cinna's smile and hope of dreams that everyone had when getting into any type of business in the capitol I couldn't help but smile and offer him my hands "I'm Portia" I say happily because while I knew how bad things got here I knew I needed a friend and maybe Cinna was that friend I could help get through this world.

After that meeting with Cinna things began to change I was given a new team to lead for what the game maker swore was going to be my final year with the fishing district as my talents were needed In that new team I met the man who would quickly become like a brother to me; it was that year my first tribute won: it was the year that I saw the great Finnick Odair fall in love slowly. It was the year I watched the games break a beautiful little girl: it was Annie's year.

Venturis and I were more like Co-team leaders despite the fact he was constantly telling me I was better suited to fashion and when Finnick came bounding over to me her made me and the stylist to do everything to help the young girl who was going to be my tribute as I had finally gained both Mag's and Finnick's permission to leave the boys. I had of course known something was different about this tribute as soon as Finnick escorted her to me, his eyes lingered on her a little too long and he was so caring I knew that my strong fisherman victor was falling for the beautiful ebony haired emerald eyed beauty in front of me. Annie was so kind but very scared and I couldn't see her lasting long in the games, when I had told Cinna that he had pressed a kiss to my forehead and told me to stick in there. By the end of the games that year I was done, I couldn't do it anymore, not when the first time I had to take care of Annie after the games she had thrown herself in my arms and sobbed for hours while Finnick stared at his hands at a loss of what to do, I couldn't work in the games anymore not when they had broken the sweet little girl from district four.

Once I had gotten out of the games after my five year stint as prep team manger I ended up working as a stylist on a T.V show which I enjoyed so much, the clothes and how I could change an entire look with just a bracelet, I became one of the best and soon I became a fashion stylist working on shows and ultimately with other victors like Cashmere who was used as a model countless times because of her flawless body. It wasn't long before I had run into Cinna again who embraced me happily and told me it was great to see me, and it was because despite how my thoughts had come true and my best friend had indeed lost his shiny look in his eyes and the lust for work he was still my Cinna and that was all I needed.

Together we took over the fashion world but stayed away from the games, because while Cinna had never worked on them before I had and made sure to tell him everything I had been through, how bad it felt to lose your tribute and how the mentor would come and thank you when you didn't want their gratitude at all. But then I turned twenty four and ran into Haymitch the man responsible for the district twelve tributes and a man that despite everything I actually liked mainly because I could still remember how kind he had been to me when I had first started as a prep team member.

"Hello there Portia" he drawled scrubbing away what I could only guess was his hang over "Your all grown up…how long it been?"

I grin and shake my head readjusting my grip on my sketch folder, "Five years I left after Annie" I say nodding making the old victor sigh and nod, I knew why he was here I always knew why around this time.

It was two weeks before the games which meant that Haymitch was going to select his stylists and prep teams and I could feel the pain in my eyes as I think of all them. When that had been my world I had always been given to District four simply because Mags had wanted me when she first saw me saying she saw a spark of something in me and then Finnick wanted me because of our similar age and then because he trusted what I could do. I know that Haymitch had wanted me to work with him at one point but now it was a bit late.

"Who you chose this year?" I asked curiously.

Haymitch laughed and gave me a happy smile: something that I wasn't surprising foreign to as the lone victor from twelve had always been fond with me "I got your old friend Venturis as my male prep team leader: he wanted to work with me this year: said that he wanted to make a statement" he said and I laugh nodding because that was defiantly that my dramatic friend would say. "But no style team…no one wants to work with me" he said making me fill with guilt.

Then somehow I offer my services and then Cinna's which of course blow Haymitch away-mostly because anyone who had gotten out of the games doesn't ever come back-but he wasn't one to look a good gift in the mouth and accepted before I could retract my offer. When I told Cinna what I had done I had expected him to be mad but instead he had sighed and kissed my forehead before telling me that it was time for us to play our parts and that it was bound to happen again making me chuckle sadly: he was right no one just walked away from the games not even me. That was how I ended up in the remake center with Cinna the day of the reapings waiting for us to see the tributes that we will be choosing from. I kinda already want the girl mostly because I wanted to try and fix the guilt that I could still feel about Annie but I knew Cinna loved to dress girls so I would wait until I saw the tributes to make my decision.

When I had strut into the re-make center earlier that week I had run into one Finnick Odair who had pulled me into the tightest hug I had ever experienced making a laugh bubble from my lips. "Hey Finn" I say happily once he had put me down.

"Portia what you doing back here?" he gasped "You said you'd never come back not after…Annie" I smile at how sad Finnick sounded when he spoke about the woman he loved completely and yet could never fully understand because of what had become of her.

Shrugging slowly I glance around the place that would act as my home until my tribute had entered the capitol in which I would move into the apartment with them. The re-make center used to be my home when I was a teenager and worked for the games and it was eerie to be back but familiar any way, the same people worked there and must remember me because they greet me with such enthusiasm that it was scary. "I'm not a prep team manager this time" I say slowly before glancing back at the handsome man I had known before he was a victor and just a confident fisherman. It was funny what five years could do to a person but the Finnick I had last saw was lost and scared the man before me had that same charming air he had held even as a fourteen year old but now he held a grim air to him as if he was preparing the fact his tributes were going to die: Finnick had grown up, but then again hadn't we all.

Finnick nodded and then gave me that smile that seemed to melt the hearts "I know Cashmere has been raving to me about how good you are with the models" he said in a teasing tone making me laugh "I always knew you were meant for more than prepping" he says before giving me another hug "Just be careful Portia you might not be able to leave this time: you're not a kid anymore"

"Was I ever?" I whisper softly and hear my friend sigh and that was all the answer I needed: we both knew I hadn't been a kid since I lashed myself to these games.

A few days later Cinna and I are seated in a viewing room when the screen flashed on and I watch as Effie-who I actually knew from my final year as a prep team manager and thought was really interesting-read out the name of the female tribute: Katniss Everdeen, she was pretty I would her that but I also knew a lot of pretty girls Annie had been pretty as well and look where that got her: she's mad and can't be of any use to anyone. Then the boy was called and my heart almost fell into my stomach when I notice that the tribute is just twelve years old, how the hell was he going to go anywhere in the games: it's a death sentence but just as I'm about to say so to Cinna I'm shocked by another voice calling out.

"I Volunteer!" a strong voice called and my eyes widen when I see a handsome young boy step out of the sixteen year old section "I volunteer as Tribute!"

Everything I knew about the games and any expectations I had for that year-which hadn't been very promising if I was honest with myself-were shattered the moment I heard the boy's voice ring out: a volunteer…from district twelve that wasn't done. I look over the boy offering his life and my breath was taken away from me at the strength I could feel radiating off this boy even from the screen, he wasn't like the others he was different, when I look in his eyes I knew I had to work with this boy the determination and courage I could see sparking in his eyes ignited a fire in my stomach that I hadn't felt since I had taken on Annie and that was how I knew that I wanted to be his stylist.

When I found out that the boy's name was Peeta I had to smile at the name it was so open and kind more than that it seemed to suit him more than anything I had ever heard. Throughout the rest of the reaping I watched my tribute-because there was no way in hell I was going to let Cinna take him-and tried to find some falter in his strength, tried to find the part where he broke down like all the other tributes from District twelve did, like his partner had and was completely shell shocked when instead of getting scared he lifted his chin defiantly and the flames in his eyes just grew stronger: I knew this boy was special.

"I want Peeta" I say as soon as the screen clicked off making Cinna turn and stare at me in complete shock "I don't care what you say but I want to work with Peeta"

The truth was Cinna had no clue what to do with someone like Peeta, he hadn't worked for the games before and he needed someone like Katniss to keep him grounded, but even more than that I felt like I connected with Peeta through his brief time on screen and as much as I loved my best friend I would be damned if he took my tribute. "I know these games Cinna…I know how to work him" I say hating myself for sounding so ridged and cold.

"Exactly you'd be able to make Katniss a princess give her a chance" he gasped out and I can tell that my partner wanted to work with the blue eyed volunteer just as much as I did "She'll be eaten alive with her little performance"

I shake my head and arch and eyebrow at him "Cinna I've worked with the male tributes before…I can't work with the girls" I say looking away, Katniss reminded me of Annie only thing was that Haymitch wasn't Finnick and didn't care for her the way the district four Casanova had loved the crazy district four tribute.

That seemed to make Cinna sit back and sigh, he knew how bad I felt after Annie and how my time in the games had given me an insight he couldn't gain by merely watching them. "Okay I'll work with Katniss…who knows maybe I can make that scared girl into something with a bit of fire"

Smiling happily I hug him thankfully the words fire and Peeta's eyes continually flashing through my head when suddenly a wicked idea popped into my head, the tribute parade I knew how we were going to make a splash in the games. "Hey Cinna you remember those flaming suits we made a year ago" I ask casually

"Of course they were scraped weren't they?" he asked curiously making me grin: good old Cinna always up for anything "Why?"

"Well my friend" I say as I link my arm with his to lead him through the re-make center where our tribute's coal miner costumes were waiting "Who says our tributes have to be boring old miners, I mean District twelve mines coal right" I ask and Cinna chuckles before nodding to humor me "Well my dear what is it you do with coal again?"

I can see the light enter my partner's eyes and nod when he looks at me excitably "how about we give the capitol something they've never seen before?"

Cinna laughed and then tore down the beautiful mining dress Cinna and I had designed for the female tribute and then the strange suit like uniform I had creatively created earlier and then called in an Avox asking them to get Cinna's trunk from his room where we stored all our so called 'failed' clothes. "Let's give them something to talk about" he said happily and I nod my smile excited for the first time since I stepped foot back in the game territory.

The first time I worked on the games I was only fourteen, that was ten years ago, since then I worked in four other games and only had one victor who ended up going insane afterwards. I've watched one hundred and thirteen children die during my time as a prep team worker and now I'm heading into my sixth games but as a stylist for the district that hadn't had a victor since the fiftieth games. I lost myself in the games before but I was younger and more innocent back then but now I was more experienced and had a tribute relying on me to make sure he made an impression bigger than how soft his hair looked or how his skin glowed: I was his image and when I thought back to Peeta and the fiery blue eyes glimmering out from the screen I knew I would do whatever I could to help him and make sure that fire burned for as long as it could: I wouldn't let the boy with the eyes of blue fire die without making a statement.

I had to put Finnick in here: i Just love him!

Thoughts are welcome.

Next: the parade