Thank you for all the positive reviews! The Reapings are over and I am so happy about it. Moving right along, here is the train ride chapter. Unfortunately for some of you, this chapter does not use any of your characters directly. This chapter is dedicated to our wonderful victors. I also decided I needed to give Bella a better problem and I love the one I gave her. It should prove to be interesting…now on to the chapter!

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District 2 Victor: Season Vitale's POV

Loneliness is a drinks best friend I conclude as I swallow the last sip of my cocktail. I knew I would be stuck waiting for my tribute for over an hour. I also knew I would get a bitchy girl two years in a row even after I specifically asked for the male. It is all just my luck.

My mind swirls with thoughts of just leaving and it just swirls from the alcohol. I am just about to call the waiting game quits when my not so lovely tribute decides to join me. I give her my coldest stare before putting my glass down in fear that I might hurl it at her. Antonia Sinclair, let's see if I can hate you more than Livia Drusus.

Anna looks at me to begin though I am expecting an apology first. I can see there is no chance of me getting one though as she just sits and stares. Finally I let out a heavy sigh and begin. "Wonderful that you decided to show," I sneer at her while picking up my papers. I had gone through trouble of devising a whole angle for her, but I see she doesn't care. "Any reasons? We are on a train; I can't see what would have kept you."

"Let's get one thing clear: I have absolutely no respect for you. You're just another washed up, alcoholic victor who will probably just waste away like the rest," she says with a scowl. "I have already made up my own angle. I am going as myself."

"That is going to get you really far," I say sarcastically.

"You won," Anna retaliates. This girl is good, that is clear. Her boldness is something new though. Livia didn't come out and say. Livia was one of the girls who would lie straight to your face then the minute your back was turned she would start stabbing at, using words and on some occasions real knives. Anna was the kind that seems to say it like it is. I don't know if that is a step up or step down.

I take a deep breath in, one that only shoots a wave of pain into my temples. "You can't just be yourself. Being you just doesn't cut it, especially not in the Careers. You need to be better," I tell her.

I am so ashamed of myself. Two years ago I was sitting in this very spot refusing to put up with the crap my own mentor was telling me. Now I was reprimanding a girl for wanting to be herself. What king of despicable person have I become? Anna is right and I guess Livia was right in her own sense. I am just one of the main stream, Capitol made victors.

That is not going to cut.

"No, forget everything I just said. Be yourself and don't let anyone tell you what is right and wrong. The girls from 1 and 4 will be fake, just to warn you. The girls my year were just exceptions. Don't trust them with your life. I have one more rule: don't trick anyone. That will just get you a knife in the back or if your lucky, chest."

I take one look at Anna and see her actually smiling. "You know, I think we might be a good team after all. Congrats, you just earned back some of my respect. Just one thing, I can't promise I will follow that last rule. Isn't that how you get ahead and win?"

I have never felt so much pride and so much hate for once person in my entire life. But she is right, this will be a great team after all.

District 3 Victor: Bella Cauthen's POV

My pen taps a speedy pace as I wait for my first ever tribute to enter the car. In front of me is a clean piece of paper with only one scrawled line on it. Well, it is more like one scrawled word if anything. It just said, "Survive."

I door slides open just as my pen pace retreats a level that would hurt anyone who stuck their finger near it. My pen stops as soon as I hear the slam of the car door. I look up to see the new District 3 male tribute, Miles McCarthy. His face still has a few traces of tears in the form of vibrant red streaks down his face. He did strike me as the sort who would cry. After all, his sister is in the Games too.

"Let's get this over with," he mutters as he takes the chair across from mine. I guess that rules out a more charming image. I would cross that option out if I had a list of options. This boy may be the most unlucky tribute in the Games with me as a mentor. Well, he could be Knox's tribute…

I immediately snap in to focus when my mind mentions Knox. I still can't wrap my head around what had happened to him. My friend was so romantic and sweet, maybe a bit stupid at times, but still full of sense. Now he is a lost cause, one I can't fix. What I need to do is fix my tribute.

"So, what kind of strategy were you planning on…" I abruptly stop talking when I see the disapproving look he is giving me. I furrow my eyes at him. "What?"

"You spent far too much time with Careers. In case you forgot, you're from District 3. That means you can't plan, you just survive." Last year if someone had told me this, I would have hit them on the spot for shamelessly bashing my District like that. This year is different. I know District 3 needs to survive. I know we are no match for the Careers. I just didn't want my tributes to succumb to that.

"I'm sorry. I have no idea what to do. I don't know why the Capitol insists on making all new victors mentors their first year," I admit. To my surprise, his face softens at my confession. I take note that he is much cuter that way. If only I can get him to be happier for at least the time in the Capitol…

"Don't worry, I won't judge. I watched your Games and you went through tons. I wouldn't blame you if you don't know what to do now," Miles says with a smile. "I am not supposed to make your job harder. I apologize."

Now I am so confused. The boy just pulled a total three-sixty on me. He comes in all snappy and angry and now he is apologizing for making my job harder? I knew his sister had some type of personality disorder, but I didn't think he had it as well.

"Okay…why don't you just tell me about yourself so I can get idea of who you should be allying with," I say, picking up my pen to write.

"Well, my sister is on the Games with me so that will probably get some supporters. I don't know how that will go with allies though, me pairing up with a little girl," he tells me. I scribble a few things on my paper, but I am too deep in thought to know what I am writing.

Miles is far smarter than anyone gives him credit for. He seems to know what will get support and what will get allies. Hell, I didn't know that when I went in. I guess I shouldn't compare to my own Games though. I had a whole alliance already set up for me. Still, he seems to know a lot more than I did going in.

"I have a question. How do you…"

"Know all these things? I have taken lots of notes over the years. I am quite the unlucky person in case you haven't noticed. I know what will get people in you favor," Miles says with a faint, but distant smile.

Smart, cute enough, and somewhat of a hero, I might actually have a fighter for my first tribute. Sure, his sister might bring him down, but who doesn't love a brother/sister pair? Maybe I can bring my first tribute ever home.

"Well, it looks like we have your angle," I say more to myself with a knowing smile. However, I notice Miles is smiling as well. To my shock, he takes my hand in his and looks straight into my eyes.

"I'm glad you're my mentor and not some older victor. I think this will be better than you think," he says with a larger, more full of happiness smile. He drops my hand and gets up to leave. Before he opens the train door again, he turns to me. "I was routing for you the whole time and not just because you were from my District."

Miles walks out of the train car and I hate myself for watching him go. I have to stay focused on helping him win. I don't think I could bear watching a boy with such beautiful, blue eyes…I shake the thought out of my head all at once. I have to stay focused on getting him out alive. For him to live of course, personal reason aside.

District 5 Victor: Knox Overstreet's POV

My back aches even as a soft bed lies under it. My head pulses with a familiar headache, but this is not from the drugs or alcohol. This is a really headache. The really kind haven't shown up for me in awhile.

This is my first year mentoring. I think that really just hit me. A year ago today I was that tribute, scared for his life. Now I am mentoring the guy filling my shoes. But who says he is going to follow directly behind me. I am just worried I will get him killed.

My mouth is so dry as I try to swallow back the worry and fear. What has my life become that I have to push back the emptiness and self-loathing. I used to feel so alive and now I just alone. Bella is gone. I try not to end all my problems with that conclusion, but sometimes I just can't help it. I think the train is rattling my head, making me unable to think straight.

A sharp knock hits my door, so curt my mind thinks it is the escort. However, when I hear the door click open and look up, I see it is Dexter, my first tribute and most likely first screw up. He seems afraid like he should be, but not of the Games, but of me.

"What?" I snap, my head throbbing too much to form a semi-polite sentence. The poor boy only backs up more at my question. But I have learned the hard way that you can't take back what you say or do so I let the moment pass with out an apology.

"I thought you w-w-were supposed t-to mentor m-m-me," he spits out with trouble. I had no idea the boy had a stutter. That is not something that will be good for interviews or alliances for that matter. I was just worried about screwing up a normal kid. Now I have to worry about a socially awkward stutterer. Doesn't my life just get better and better?

"I guess I am," I say with a sigh that sounded more like a lazy groan. I sit up fully from my position and look the boy straight in the eyes. He looks so helpless it makes me want to scream. "Look, I don't really know how to help you. In case you haven't noticed I am new at this. Sorry if you wanted an experienced mentor though I doubt you'd get any in District 5."

The boy's head just bobbles up and down. This is the first time I take notice of his red hair which isn't common for District 5. It is very eye catching. Hopefully a stylist can work it to the point it actually looks good for some sponsors. That is just a fading hope it seems. The boy's looks seem to be the least of his problems.

"Look I would love to tell you what I did to win, but I don't really know what I did to win. I don't even know who I was back then. I wish I was still him, but I'm not and you need that boy mentoring you not me."

There I said it. He may be the first person who I have ever told even half that story to. Of course, he only hit an inch below the tip of the iceberg. The only person I think could get farther is Bella or maybe…no, it is too late for that.

"I d-d-do know who you were b-b-back then and you're right, I w-w-would much rather have him m-m-mentoring me. You are s-s-so screwed up, you know that? The whole D-D-District thinks you're screwed up. I w-w-would find that old boy f-fast because at this rate, I d-d-don't think you'll last the y-year."

If my headache wasn't so violent, my eyes would be the size of a child's ball. I can't believe it. No, not that the whole District was ashamed of me, I knew that well enough. I just can't believe Dexter. Did the boy with the nervous stutter just come out and bluntly tell me I was a disrespected by everyone and I should clean up while I still can.

But all at once Dexter's moment strength is gone. Instead, an even more nervous boy stands before me, cowering away towards the door. "I'm s-s-s-s." He doesn't even get the sorry out before he is out my bedroom door with his tail between his legs all the while I am still trying to make sense of what just happened.

Whoever that boy who had just stood before me was, I need to get him out for good. I might actually have a champion after all.

District 12 Victor: Storm Loret's POV

Season, I need you.

Those are the words I am desperate to yell into the receiver of the phone, but my fingers refused to dial. My heart may be reaching out for her, but my brain is still rejecting the very thought of her. I feel it running reason why I should never see her again, but heart just won't listen. I need her so much.

I prayed harder than I ever did in the arena not to get Azrael to mentor. I practically begged Haymitch to reconsider taking Vina, but he wouldn't budge. Even Haymitch, drunk on liquor, knew Azrael is completely and utterly insane. And not in a good way, like there is ever a good way. He is insane in the Marina way.

I contemplate running for my room and skipping my session with him entirely. Considering I heard he is somewhat of a hunter, I sure he can strategize himself. However, my feet keep me on the ground. I can't escape from this.

I know I can't when the door opens and reveals Azrael. I gulp down my fear and bring myself to slide into the chair across from him. I put on my best lying face, but I am no Elena Lovitz. I can tell by the way he is smirking maliciously he knows I am scared of him. I just pray I won't be the only one who fears him.

"Azrael" I start, zeroing my eyes in on a piece of paper so I don't have to look him in the eyes. "I was thinking for your strategy we use your…well…"

"I'll make this simple for you," Azrael says in a deep voice. I can tell he is leaning in to whisper his secret strategy, but I refuse to tear my eyes away from my paper. "I'll just kill them all off one by one."

My ears feel ready to bleed after listening to him say that. His words are like nails on a chalkboard, slowly scratching their way down to create the largest amount of torture. How did I ever get sucked into this? These are the moment where I wish I didn't stall Elena after all. How much better my life might be.

I clear my throat loudly and pull at the collar of my shirt, exhibiting only a tiny bit of the awkwardness and fear I am feeling. "That is a legitimate strategy. However, you also need to bring in sponsors. We need to also get a likeable angle…"

"No," Azrael says abruptly, cutting me off. "My dark lord hates the souls of shameless people pleasers. I will cause everyone to fear me. That is how I will do it." His sharp response is followed by a quick exit, leaving my confused, but at the same time relieved. He is gone for now.

I just don't know what to do anymore. I can't deal with him alone. I need someone to listen to my problems. I need Season back. But I know even if I beg, she won't listen to me. I am sure by now she has grown an anger for me. Why should she take me back after I screamed at her for everything she did and didn't bother to see her side of the story? How the years have ruined everything.

What have I gotten myself in to?

…

Did anyone catch what Bella's problem is? This will definitely by causing some problems. Season has evolved so much from that anti-social Career girl in the 76th. At least she is trying to turn her life around.

I know this chapter didn't really have your tributes, but the victors don't get many POVs as the story goes along. Next up is the chariot rides! Reviews truly make my day. Peace Love, and All That Jazz.

-Emma