A/N: Ok, I'm late again. I am really truly extremely sorry for that.

Here's an announcement: I've been thinking about stop posting this story, just for a while. I think it might be a good idea that I finish the story first before I start updating again. It may take a month, or even more than that (life, you know), but after that I would be able to make daily updates. I'm not sure if I should do that. However, seeing my constant delays on writing a new chapter and the fact that, after almost two months, it isn't even half way through the story, I feel like there needs to be a more efficient way to update the story. What do you guys think about that?

Anyway, if I don't update again next week, you'll know the decision has been made.

As always, thank you all for reading, following and reviewing this story. Thank Brandon Vortex and Alyssa A for revewing the last chapter. I'm really glad you like my story so far. (And don't worry about that, Alyssa A, I still feel your support even if you haven't reviewed that chapter :D)

Chapter 10: Prepare

"I would like to be coached separately."

As blunt as the way Peeta's request came out, Haymitch really couldn't say he was shocked.

"What, you've got intimidate by Katniss's score?" he asked casually.
"No, it's not about that," Peeta answered immediately, almost as if insulted by Haymitch's assumption. "It's just…"

"It's just hard to think of the fact that after all the time being together, you two are going to fight against each other in the arena," Haymitch finished it for the boy. The latter simply nodded.

Haymitch sighed. He couldn't tell Peeta what he and the team were up to, but he needed to test the theory first, to see if this Mellark boy was worth their effort.

"Let me ask you one thing, Peeta," said Haymitch. "Do you want to win?"
"I… I don't know what…" Peeta stammered.
"C'mon, a simple yes or no. Do you want to get out of the arena alive and go home and see your family?"
"Of course, but…"
"And do you want Katniss to win so she can go back alive and do those things?" Haymitch didn't give him time to protest.
"Yes, but…" he was cut off again.
"And if you get to choose, who would you like to be the victor?"
"What?"
"Answer me!" Haymitch snapped. "One out of two. Who would you like to see winning this damn thing? You or her?"

Peeta looked down, not sure where this was going, but the answer was clear for him.
"Her," he said quietly, then looked up to face his mentor again, meeting the older man's questioning glance, so he said it with more strength and absolution.
"I want her to win the Games."

For a while no one was speaking, not Haymitch, not the team who was listening closely. They'd half suspected this being the boy's answer, but hearing him say it out loud, with no room for argument, had put all of them in awe.

"Good," Haymitch finally broke the silence. "Let's make it happen then."

The plan was simple. In the upcoming interview, Peeta would, after cracking some small jokes with his natural-born sense of humor, declare his love for the young lady that came here with him. The audience would go wild, Nate was sure. They just couldn't resist lame soap opera moments. The two of them would be trade-marked as the star-crossed lovers in the Games. The crowd would even love both of them more for that, and getting to the audience meant getting to the sponsors.

There was just one slight problem: Katniss.

Haymitch had tried (with some help from Sophie) helping the girl with her people skills. They'd practiced her being an innocent little girl, her being humble, her being arrogant, her being humorous and a lot of other approaches. Getting the girl her personal fans would be harder than expected. So far Katniss's performance was about as good as Sophie in a theatre. Maybe even worse than that, Nate considered in his head.

Even Nate had to admit, the girl was among the hardest people to read. He'd seen different people in his job, both his former position as an insurance investigator and now as a thief, and he seldom saw someone as changeable as Katniss Everdeen. One moment her face was completely blank and the next she was screaming with fear to take her little sister's place; she entered the gymnasium calmly and cautiously and then ended up shooting at the Gamemakers and storming out of the room.

He had absolutely no idea of how this girl would act on stage and what effect she would have to the audience. They either loved her or hated her. There was no in between when it came to an unpredictable person like Katniss Everdeen.

That night, after throwing a huge tantrum in her room, Katniss decided to went up to the roof and had some fresh air. She didn't know what else she could do. The interview was tomorrow and right then would be the time the Capitol finally realized she wasn't worth their attention and sponsorship. Who would sponsor a tribute who couldn't hide her hatred towards the Capitol and the Games and the entire situation.

"Rough day, huh?" someone said behind her, interrupting her self-loathing thoughts. The voice came from someone she didn't know. She felt her muscles tensed. Who else would be on the roof at one in the morning? She couldn't tell from the man's tone whether he was actually concerned about her or merely being sarcastic. She really wished it wasn't another tribute from a different district. It could mean a hell lot of trouble. Deciding she needed to find out the answer anyway, she took a breath and turned around. Her eyes were wide in disbelief.

It was the male Avox from her floor speaking.

It was Eliot's suggestion to teach the girl more about self-defense. Nate agreed to it.

Eliot had seen the girl with bow and arrows. She was freaking great, he'd give her that, but he was worried about the girl's close-range combat skill. She hadn't learned any fighting technique. All she had were years of hunting experiences, and somehow Eliot doubted it would include wrestling a deer to the ground with her bare hands.

Even with the Leverage team watching over the girl shits could still happen, and Eliot would not allow himself to see the girl getting through all the traps and disasters in the arena but got killed by other tributes for her disadvantage in size. She'd come face-to-face with someone sooner or later and Eliot would make sure she was fully-prepared for that.

"Rough day, huh?" he said while approaching the girl, seeing her shoulders tensed up. Now was as good a time as ever, since the girl had decided to come to the roof all by herself. He smiled a little at Katniss's reaction when she found out it was an Avox talking to her.

"Um… no offence, but how come you can speak?" After the shock sank in the girl seemed calmer than most people would be when they saw a mute talk.
"None taken," Eliot grinned softly. "I sort of escaped the tongue-cutting part by threatening the person in charge of the procedure a little bit." He decided that Quinn wouldn't mind him stealing his story. The light chuckle from the man through his earbud proved his suspicion.

Katniss frowned. This was the first person she met in the Capitol who dared to so openly discuss his disobeying the government. It was odd to see a man with gut in this place (except Cinna, of course) and she trusted this man for that, despise his highly-suspicious behaviors.

Hell with it. The man obviously had issues towards the Capitol. She knew what they said about the enemy's enemy.

"Why are you here?" asked Katniss, feeling a bit reassured. "I mean, why talk to me? I might tell others about your secret."
"Well this is a chance I'm willing to take," the man was still smiling. Something in his eyes made Katniss want to trust him. "I'm Eliot, by the way."
"Katniss," she answered, and immediately added. "But I assume you know that already."

Eliot shrugged, not denying that fact. Smart girl.

"So, why are you here?" She asked again, not happy with the way Eliot brushed the question off.
"To help," he answered.
"How? Why?"
"Well not a lot of sixteen-year-olds would give their life to someone else, even if it's their siblings. I respect you for that."
"But how are you gonna help me?" Katniss still had her doubts. What the man just said didn't really explain a lot of things, but she still had to ask. If putting her faith in the strange man meant better chance of surviving and winning the Games, she should take the risks. She didn't have anything to lose anyway.

The man's warm, although self-contained, grin had never left his face.

"Well, practicing a one-on-one fight should be a good place to start with."

Ok, so here you go.

Again, if I don't update next week, don't worry, I'll be back, just probably not so soon. Please don't forget about me and this story :P

Oh and in the meantime there may or may not be some shorter stories, just some one-shots I suppose, on Leverage, as well as some other TV and movies. No promise, though. Just say this so you know I won't completely disappear from the site.