A/N- Now that I've been able to watch Hunger Games again, I know what I will be doing for sure in the arena. I just needed to see the action again :) As always, I do not own The Hunger Games.

KPOV

When we arrive in the Capitol late the next day, everyone is clamoring to see us. The star-crossed lovers being sent into the arena again, along with their very own personal villain, the rapist, Gale. There's so much shouting, yelling out our names, screams towards Gale, who should have been punished already. The news reached all the way to the Capitol and yet no other Victor chose to send anyone else in but themselves. Is it really all about their pride and titles?

Effie and Haymitch hurry us into the building where we will be staying for the next week, where the training will take place in the huge basement. We rush into the elevators, all five of us and the ride up to the penthouse is quiet. When we get to our floor, three Avoxes are ready and waiting to be given commands, if any. Gale looks at them and snorts, then turns to Effie, "Where's my room?"

She points to her left and he stalks away from us. Haymitch calls after him, "Be back down here in an hour, we have to go over some stuff!"

"Yeah right." We all hear him say back. Peeta shrugs and walks towards what will be our room and I follow him.

"We'll be back; I just want to get changed." I tell Effie before she starts going into a rant about how rude Gale is being.

She sniffles and nods. "Of course, Katniss. We'll see you both back here in one hour. Cinna and Portia will be here then too. I don't know who they have assigned to Gale yet, if they've even bothered with a real stylist or just an assistant. I'll go find out while you two rest."

I nod to her and then to Haymitch, who goes over to where there is already some snacking food and beverages waiting. It won't be long before he's wasted again.

An hour later, Peeta and I head back down to the dining room, where a feast is waiting for us, as well as our stylists. Effie is seated, talking to Portia and Haymitch is drinking some blue concoction. Cinna gets up from his seat and gives me a tight hug, as does Portia to Peeta when she sees him.

"I'm sorry you had to come back for this. As much as I want to see you, it would never be for this." He whispers to me, sadness in his brown eyes. Cinna has always been so nice to me and never fake like so many of the other Capitol people. "How are you dealing with this?"

I take a seat, between Peeta and Cinna. Taking a look at Peeta, then back at Cinna, I answer, "One day at a time. We trained a little and I taught Peeta how to hunt, but he drew the line at climbing trees after he realized he was afraid of heights."

"Hey, no one needs to know about that, Katniss." Peeta warns me, but his tone is light and I know that in this room, with these people, he isn't really embarrassed. Gale hasn't come down yet and I see that they either didn't send him a stylist, or they haven't shown up either.

"So, who's going to be Gale's stylist? One of you?" I ask as an Avox serves me some roasted meat and potatoes. It smells wonderful, probably tastes just as good.

"No, I sent her up to talk to him. They should be down soon." Effie answers instead. She looks down at her plate, "Was he always so rude to people?"

I can't help the smile that comes to my face. If only she knew how just last year about this time, we were making fun of her and her accent. "Not really, he just doesn't like most Capitol people."

"Why not, we're humans too?" She questions.

Do I tell her the truth? No, better not, Effie can be very sensitive when it comes to things like this. "I'm sure he's just jealous of how much better everything is here, that's all. No one has to suffer here like we do, did, at home."

She nods, "Well, that explains a lot really. But he should be more courteous of other people's feelings. And he won't get any sponsors if he keeps sulking like that."

"Yeah, so everyone keeps telling me." Gale complains as he walks in. Behind him is a petite woman who looks like she's seen one too many tanning booths. She's practically orange and her hair is an annoying shade of purple. I'm not sure of the look she was going for.

I look at Peeta and he's trying his best to suppress a laugh, so I kick him. That worked well as he scowls at me. Whispering to me, "Why'd you do that?"

"It's bad enough he has an orange as his stylist, let's not rub it in." I whisper back, rubbing his leg so that anyone watching us thinks we're not talking about anyone else. "Let's eat, this looks too good to waste."

He nods and takes my hand, kissing the back of it. I can feel the blush on my cheeks and it's only because there are so many people around us. When we're alone, it never bothers me. "It does smell good. Maybe when we get back home, we can try to make it."

"I thought the whole point of these games was so all but one person dies." Gale interrupts his voice rough and cold. I have to admit, since the whole incident, I hadn't talked to him and I don't know what he would have sounded like to Peeta, but this is not the guy I used to hunt with.

"There is absolutely no harm in thinking that there will be two Victors again this year, Mr. Hawthorne. Hope is not a bad thing to have going into this." Effie informs him.

He shakes his head at her, poking at the food on his plate. "Whatever."

"I am quite tired of your pessimism, Sir. You would do well to remember that they won last year and know a bit more than you at how to play the game." She reiterates with a huff. "I realize no one likes you right now because of what you did to Katniss as well no one should, but that doesn't mean you'll die right off. You hunted with her and you know plenty about survival in the forest. Let us show you how to survive the Capitol."