-Katniss—

In the morning, Katniss attempts to lift her body of the bed, but a weight pulls her down. She sees Gale's head resting on her chest. The memories of last night flooded back in a tidal wave. Then she realised where they were. On the train going to the capital. Her movement caused Gale to stir. He moved to face Katniss and kissed her on the forehead. After this display of affection giggles could be heard outside Katniss' room. The two victors look to the door, only to see Elizabeth piggy-backing Ryan standing at the door watching. When the two tributes see they have the mentor's attention the run. Well Elizabeth does. Ferrying Ryan along with her.

"You know, I think they have a publicity plan ready." With Gale's remark Katniss laughs, as in proper laughter for the first time in months.

Effie is ready and waiting, already lecturing the two tributes about running around in the carriages. Katniss and Gale walk in attached by the hip. As soon and Ryan sees them, he shrinks back behind Elizabeth, causing the mentors to laugh again. Elizabeth is smirking at Katniss. Effie is the only one who doesn't understand what is going on. Once everyone is seated at the table which still has the marks from when Katniss stabbed it the first time. Gale runs his hand over the dint. "I've always wondered why this is here." He states like it is a simple fact. Effie doesn't hesitate to explain how Katniss was the one to stab the precious mahogany table.

Once the breakfast conversations get boring, it's time to talk strategy. They have agreed on an entrance for the chariots and a game strategy. Stick together, stay away from the cornucopia! By the time they have finished discussing such matters the capital rolls around the corner. "Go, wave at them." Katniss says, acknowledging Haymitch's words towards peta. "He knows what he's doing." Too bad he didn't do enough to stay alive. Gale notices Katniss' distant behaviour and nudges her arm and points at the two tributes making faces and waving at the crowd. Effie sighs as Gale and Katniss laugh at the kid's innocence. Then again there are much worse games to play.

When the train stops at the station, the group is swarmed by peace keepers. Escorting them to the designed areas. The tributes to the preparation stations and the mentors and Effie to their level of the building. The three await to see Cinna and the other designer. (A/N: sorry I don't know the name of Peta's designer) once the tributes have been guided to the chariots Gale and Katniss take their places as spectators in the stands.

The drums start, seemingly interrupting the darkening sky as the lights come on. The chariots role out one by one. Starting at district one and ascending to district twelve. Elizabeth and Ryan come out; their lower halves submerged in flames. As they planned Elizabeth is giving Ryan a piggy-back. The audience cheers and awws. At the moment district twelve is once again the crowd favourite now running three years.

Last year Gale and Prim, showed how close they were by gale having one arm around Prim's her shoulder. At one-point Prim even kissed gale on the cheek. Showing their until now sibling like love. Once all the chariots have met at the end of the lane an echoing voice booms across all of Panem. "Welcome to the 76th hunger games." The audience applauses their president. Snow continues his short uninspiring speech. "May the odds be ever in your favour." The chariots ride off to their original positions, that had gone well. Now all that was left was the interviews and the actual games.

Cinna had been preparing Elizabeth's costume design for months, he only needed the size and it was currently being made, as it has been for the past couple days. The strategy was to pass of Elizabeth and Ryan with a sibling love kind of bond. The chances of the audience believing that was high, really high. The capital fell for anything. And that meant anything. So, the next day—after a rough night of sleep from all of the personal staying in the district twelves level—was spent waiting for the big night. The tributes were quizzed by their mentors on all the basic questions Cesar was likely to ask them. By the time it was time to prepare for the interviews, the two menacing tributes had Effie in tears. Their Sibling act was apparently the best she'd ever seen. In Effie's own words 'the sponsors will be lining up around the block.'

"Katniss let's go." Gale nudged Katniss' upper arm and in a way ushered her to the elevator. This act of affection again left Elizabeth and Ryan in fits of immature giggles.

"Oh, whatever they're in love. Move along." It was Effie's words that caused everyone to blush. This situation left Katniss leaving the elevator with a smile on her face, quickly wiped off as she remembered the task at hand.

The crowd gathers and takes their seats, when the lights go out the applause begins. Cesar takes the stage and the applause booms out, across the stage and across the districts.

"Hello Panem." His hearty voice full with as much energy as his Fluro green hair. Once he raises his hands to stop the applause the audience falls silence, the suspense killing them – you could say – of what was to come next.

The interviews have begun. District one and two charming the capital with their supposed charm and manner. The district three tributes pulling of the screw the hunger games kind of tactic. Four, the we're in love. And Five – with both tributes are eleven – pulled of the I'm young and innocent. The rest of the districts just tried their best to convince the sponsors to sponsor them. Until, district twelve came out. "Ladies first…" Caesar calls out to Elizabeth, her nerves suddenly disappearing. As Katniss watched her walk out, perfect posture and a flawless greeting. Katniss smiled approvingly as Elizabeth's eyes searched the audience.

"Hello Caesar, it's a pleasure to meet you in person." She smiles so sweetly the whole audience awws as one.

"Well hello, Elizabeth. So, I have to ask, your district has quite the tradition of flames on clothing. Do you have any on display for tonight?"

"Yes. I do actually, this dress is just so wonderful. Cinna is the most amazing designer. But yes, I have the flames on tonight. Would you like to see them?" Before receiving an answer, Elizabeth stood up raised her arms and the lower half of her body was engulfed in the most realistic of flames. With that the audience went wild.

"Wonderful, wonderful. Now Elizabeth in all seriousness, what do you think about h=coming to the games with such a young tribute."

"Caesar it pulls my heart strings, it truly does. Honestly, I don't think I could bear to see him go in the games. I've only known Ryan a couple of days but really, he's already like a brother to me. So, all I want to do is to keep him safe. Whatever it takes." (That's an Avengers Endgame reference.)

"That is so sweet of you, but unfortunately this interview has come to an end. Everybody, Elizabeth district twelve." He pauses for the audience to applause. "Now our male tribute from district twelve… Ryan."

Ryan shuffles onstage, his suit looking ridiculous on his scrawny body.

"Hello Ryan. Now it says here in my cards that you where reaped last year as well. Is that true?"

"Yes, unfortunately I was reaped last year as well. Obviously, Gale volunteered for me. I couldn't be more grateful then but now he should have just let me go in. I would have died, and he wouldn't have had to go through the trauma."

"That's very insightful of you…" Ryan cut him off.

"The only reason he volunteered is because of Katniss' sister. Gale volunteered to keep her safe. It's cruel, the games are tearing families apart." Caesar stared at him.

"Thank you, Ryan, this interview has no time left but I'm sure the capital wishes you luck. Now you may have noticed that there was only one – male – tribute from district ten and that's because something has happened that has never happened before. We have a volunteer from the capital!" The audience gasped as a whole.

"That's right. And it is none the less, president Snow's granddaughter." If the crowd wasn't already so shocked they definitely were now.