It was Haymitch who found her in the street, still sobbing. Despite his drunken state he picked her up hauled her into his house. Once in, he marched her to the kitchen sink. "Wash your face." He instructed her, she did so and the cold water helped bring her back to reality slightly. He sat her down at the kitchen table then took the seat opposite her. Then he just watched her as she tried to swallow her tears, waiting for her to talk. Finally she leant across the table and took his liquor, taking a huge sip, she spluttered and then tried again, this time taking smaller sips, she grimaced at the taste, but she needed something to take the edge off her current reality. When she started to feel woozy she pushed the bottle back over to Haymitch. Swallowing hard, she began.
"I'm in love with Gale." She wasn't sure how to go about telling Haymitch the situation, so this was as good as any place to start.
"I think half the town already suspected that sweetheart." He replied, still just watching her. She looked down at the table.
"There's cameras in the woods that I didn't know about, and so they, the Captiol, saw Gale and I… in the woods… together." Haymitch nodded slowly. She was glad at this moment that they understood each other so well as she was not about to start spelling anything out for him. "And then President Snow talked to me at the party, and he said he'd kill Gale, unless I went with Peeta… he wants to film it and sell it." Tears began rolling down her face, she felt so cheap and dirty at this moment, Gale was right, she was a slut.
"He's been known to do worse." Haymitch told her shortly, and then waited, sensing her story wasn't over yet.
"And then Gale walked in on Peeta and I… and I ran after him and tried to explain… but he wouldn't let me and now he hates me." She sniffed loudly, the tears coming faster now. "And Peeta heard the whole thing, so now he knows I was using him… So aside from the fact that I've hurt everyone concerned and they both hate me, I've ruined the deal I had with Snow, so now he'll kill Gale anyway." She barely choked this out before she dissolved into tears.
Haymitch let her cry for a while, considering how to respond. He wasn't really surprised, luckily the Capitol had no leverage over him because they had already killed everyone he cared about, but he knew that many other victors were forced into doing all kinds of things to keep their loved ones alive. "This is how they treat all the victors that they have any leverage over," He told her finally, "hold threats of death over their families and lovers heads, force them to do anything they want." Katniss looked up at him with bloodshot eyes.
"I guess you never really escape the games." She said, her voice shaking.
"I suppose not." Haymitch did not judge her for her actions, simply pitied the girl, pitied all the victors, despite fighting to the death for their freedom, they'd always be the Capitols toys. The Capitol needed to remind even the winners of who had the power. "Go and shower, sleep, and then in the morning go and speak to them."
Katniss shook her head, "I cant -"
"You have to." Haymitch cut her off. "This isn't just your life you're playing with. Try to be honest with them, you should know by now that lying to protect people only hurts them more sweetheart." He had a point, as much as she dreaded seeing either of them, she owed them that much, in fact she owed them much more than that really. She sniffed, rubbed away her tears with the back of her hand and got up to leave.
"Thanks Haymitch." She said in a quiet voice.
"Well, what are mentors for?" He replied sarcastically, taking a swig from his bottle. He watched her as she stumbled out of his door, she might not be as likeable as Peeta but that didn't mean he didn't feel responsible for her. He was their mentor, and she was right, the games never truly end.