Caesar Flickerman's booming voice sounded through the warm night air. "Well everyone, our next tribute is from District Twelve. Say hello to the lovely Katniss Everdeen!"

Peeta stood and watched as Katniss Everdeen awkwardly stepped away from him and she walked out of his sight. She did this just as the twenty-three tributes before him, and the twenty –two before her. The tributes for these Seventy-Forth Hunger Games were conducting their individual interviews with the famous Caesar Flickerman. Of course, Peeta remained the last one standing in line. He was no longer nervous; his nerves were taken away after the sixteenth interview. Now he just wanted to get on that comfortable looking chair and sit down, if even only for a few minutes.

"Peeta!" he heard, snapping him from his daze of boredom.

Coming to his left side was his mentor, Haymitch Abernathy. "What's up, Haymitch? I thought you weren't allowed to talk to tributes as they were in line?"

Peeta wanted to add "and looking pretty sober, too." But the thought best not to push it.

Haymitch looked at the tributes in front of Peeta. "There is no line, son."

While it was true that sponsors were not allowed to talk to tributes prior to their individual interviews, this rule hardly was enforced for Haymitch. After always having the last pair of tributes, nobody really cared what he did. It hardly mattered year after year, since District Twelve tributes always had a habit of dying off early anyway.

Haymitch composed himself to ask his uncharacteristic barrage of questions. "What are you going to do when you get up there? What's your angle? What's your motive?"

Peeta looked away from his mentor. "I don't really have any of those things. I'm not as good looking as Katniss or any of the other girls, and I'm not as strong or brash as the rest of the male tributes. I don't really have a chance of winning."

Haymitch was immediately fed up with Peeta's attitude. "Oh come off it, Peeta! You have something they don't and you know it!"

Peeta made eye contact with Haymitch. "Really?" he asked skeptically. "And what would that be?"

Haymitch ignored the obvious skepticism in Peeta's voice. "You're an underdog! Everyone loves an underdog. You look likable enough. What did I tell you on the train? You have to make people like you!"

Peeta remained unconvinced. "How would I do that?"

"Do I have to hand you a map, Peeta?" Haymitch asked. "You make them out there want to root for you! Have a little give-and-take with Caesar up there! Have some fun up there! Just talk to damn guy!"

Peeta again looked away from Haymitch. "I don't know. I'm not the best of talkers."

Haymitch almost lost it. "Oh, come of it Peeta! You could talk paint off a wall!"

Peeta chuckled. Maybe Haymitch was right. However he still felt as if he had no shot. After what he saw in training, he just wasn't sure. He still felt at a disadvantage.

Quickly, a red haired woman ran to Peeta and Haymitch. "Peeta Mellark! You're on in three!"

Haymitch felt as if he wasn't getting through to Peeta. "Peeta, there has to be something. You want to win? You want to go back to your family? You want to protect something?"

Just then, a large amount of crowd noise was heard from all angles. Looking quickly at the televisions, Peeta and Haymitch were stunned. Katniss was spinning in her elegant dress. Not only that, her dress was engulfed in flames. However she wasn't in any danger, if anything the flames made her look… sexy. Fabulous. Amazing. She was stunning. She was radiant. She was the Girl on Fire. She stole the air and heart from Peeta's chest.

Haymitch saw his opportunity. "Is it her, Peeta? Do you want to protect her?"

Peeta looked as far away from Haymitch as possible. He might as well admit it now. How was his mentor supposed to be of any help if he wasn't honest? "Yes. I do." Peeta mumbled.

Haymitch placed his hand on Peeta's shoulder. "Tell the world."

Peeta then looked Haymitch in the eyes. "They won't believe me."

"Let me rephrase that." Haymitch began. "Show them. Make them believe it. Make them love it."

Peeta had serious doubts about this. "But…"

"Do you want to survive, Peeta?" Haymitch asked. "Do you really want to see her return to her family? Then don't just convince them."

The next thing Haymitch said would stay on Peeta's mind forever.

"Convince me."

Just then, the cool female returned. "Peeta Mellark, you're on in thirty seconds."

The crowd gave a standing ovation for Katniss, and Peeta and Haymitch nodded. Peeta suddenly knew what he had to do, and exactly how to do it. Katniss Everdeen would return home, even if it cost him his own life. As he walked to where his position needed to be, Katniss brushed past him on her rush of the stage. Haymitch's voice rang in his head.

"Convince me, Peeta."