14: Thoughts

Haymitch POV:

I've been sitting in front of the screens in the mentor room for the last sixteen hours straight. Normally my tributes would have died by now or I could neglect them for a few hours sleep, but Katniss and Gale are too important. Finally, the chance the rebellion had been waiting for: a spark.

And they've finally started to show some proper love. Gale was always in it, but Katniss.. She was stubborn. But when she threw herself at him to save him from the fireball.. Genius. And then the kiss, the way she leaned into him and the way he asked for his sponsor money to go to Katniss. The cheers across the Capitol for -what was it- Kale, I think, were astounding. She deserved a reward.

I pick up the sponsor magazine and leaf through to the medicines section, taking a swig of vodka as I do so. Not enough to get me drunk, but enough to take the edge off things. To forget about the Quarter Quell, to concentrate on this new hope for the rebellion. I quickly find what I am looking for, wincing at the price.

A bottle of Capitol burn medicine. It takes up nearly half of Katniss' sponsor money and would normally be well out of range, even for a career. But these two are something special, something new. Money doesn't matter, I decide. Then I pause to scrawl a note before hitting send.

I watch the screen intently as the silver parachute floats down to Katniss and Gale. She grabs it and opens it quickly. The note is pushed aside by Gale to see what it is. His face relaxes in clear relief and he begins to gently apply the salve to her leg and hands, taking care not to hurt her. Once he is done he picks up my note.

"That's what you need to do for him, Katniss. Save each other. They love it," he reads out, looking slightly confused. I feel like smacking him on the head, could my message have been any clearer?

"The Capitol," Katniss explains patiently. Now that girl actually has her brain turned on. "They love us, that's why they sent us the medicine."

Gale's expression morphs to understanding. "They can't love you more than I love you Katniss. To them you're the girl on fire, but you'll always be my Catnip above all."

Catnip? I laugh at his nickname, gaining a few curious glances from the other mentors. Most just see us as a threat, eleven actually seems to understand their love. Brutus, Enobaria, Cashmere and Gloss are disgusted by the idea that tributes in the games could be anything more than just allies. Idiots.

I take another swig of vodka and relax back in my chair. Hopefully my reckless tributes will actually be able to stay out of trouble for a day, or at least a few hours before they begin their attack on the careers. An attack that will fail seems to be the general opinion in the room. I doubt it. Seeing Katniss in training and Gale in his private session has shown me that they aren't normal. They've the skill of careers and the attack will be with their chosen weapons.

It's the District 5 girl I worry about. No proven skill and will probably only get in the way. Gale only allied on a whim, I think in disgust. So she can steal and looks smart- is smart, I correct, remembering her plan that probably will save them. But as an ally in a fight.. Not one I would chose. To small to be of much use, unless she can throw knives or something.

The District 5 victor, Elena, is it? No, that doesn't sound right. I begin to feel slightly dizzy and regret drinking so much. Electra, that was it, approaches me. Dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep are clear, probably under my eyes too. "What do you want?" I ask bluntly.

"An alliance," she replies. "Our tributes are allies now, so we need to work together."

I laugh hollowly. "The only reason you want to work with me is for sponsor money," I state. "Katniss and Gale actually have decent reasons to work with Aravis. She's smart and cunning and might be able to throw knives. What can you offer me?"

She hesitates, probably wondering how to answer. "Insight into Aravis' plans," she responds finally. "Advice on what to send. Time to sleep." Electra sounds almost as desperate for sleep as I do, because the other District 5 victor left when his tribute got killed.

"And I'm offering you money, insight, advice, sleep and a say in what I spend," I reply. "Sounds like you get the better deal."

"Try it for a day," she offers. "And you can have a bigger say."

"Damn right," I mutter. "My tributes, their money, my decisions."

"So is it a no?" she asks, looking at the floor.

"One day," I growl. "Advice only. Wake me if something happens."

"Deal," she says.

At last, I can sleep safely. She won't betray me, she hopes for some of my sponsor money. Maybe her girl will get some now that she's allied with the star-crossed lovers of District 12. I snort at the nickname before collapsing back in my chair to sleep. Been awake for 36 hours, with the help of a Capitol drug, caffeine.

Seneca POV

"Seneca?" Plutarch asks me from his desk. I walk over to the head of mutts and see what he wants. Plutarch is probably the game maker I trust most, he's shown a flair for designing creative muttations in the past. I have a plan for this year, a secondary climax to the games involving a completely new mutt, but I doubt he's done with that yet.

"Yes?" I ask, glancing down at his screen. It shows a glowing mutt design, not the wolf-mutt that I requested, but I can't really tell what it is. "What's that you've come up with?"

"It's what I wanted to show you," he says, a hint of pride in his voice. "Something I've been working on in the past few years which I thought would be appropriate considering recent events in the games."

Something Plutarch created? I didn't know that he made things in his spare time; I thought this was just a job for him. Though I guess being in charge of mutts demands extra time outside work, as does being head game-maker. A million ideas run through my head at home and are discarded before the final arena idea comes. "So?" I ask, a hint of impatience in my tone. "What is it?"

"Oh yes, I should have explained. It's a muttation using a fox as the base design. Elongated claws and teeth, excellent trackers. Sly and unseen until they're right on top of a tribute. Can it be used?" The pieces click in my head. Foxface. Sly and unseen. Cunning. A mutt that is completely appropriate for these games, assuming Foxface lives through the career attack.

"After Aravis, or 'Foxface' I assume?"

He nods. "After the career attack, I was thinking. Maybe a day after, when they've all settled down."

I smile slightly at his timing and wonder whether to tell him about my plan for the games. I would say I call Plutarch a friend, one of the few people who are my friends. "I have a plan for the Games too, soon," I admit. "Come into that side room, we should have time before the careers find each other and meet at their camp again."

He follows me into the small room where we keep spare screens and some spare equipment. "So what's the plan?" he asks eagerly.

"Rule change," I respond.

"Rule change? But you can't change the rules, they've been in place for.."

"Seventy four years, I know," I cut him off. "I'm not actually changing the rules. But the tributes and audiences will think I am. There can be two Victors, if they are from the same District. Think about how much emotion that will bring in combination with the star-crossed lovers."

"I see," he says. "And at the end, if they're the only two left... You announce that there has been a mistake and there can only be one winner?"

"When only Katniss and Gale left, yes, the rule change will be announced. And we can see how far their love extends."

"I wonder if they'll die for each other?" he asks.

"Perhaps. I feel slightly sorry for them you know. To have such hope then have it torn away."

"Seneca?" he asks, confused at my change of topic.

"It's not their fault," I continue, "that they were born to filth. And when something rises from the ashes that the Capitol adore: their love, it seems a shame to kill it."

"Perhaps," he agrees. "I didn't know other game-makers felt guilt as well."

"Not often," I say. "But sometimes, before I go to sleep with my wife and children, I wonder about what the tributes left at home. Here, it's being pushed in my face. But it's a job. No feelings. No weaknesses."

"I agree Seneca. Just a job," he echoes.

Rory POV

Sitting in school for the past few days has been horrible. I wanted to just stay home and watch Gale or hunt, but mum says that I should at least go on some days to get my mind of it. I think she just doesn't want me hunting because she thinks it is too dangerous. Gale never got caught.

Thinking of Gale just brings back memories, him teaching me about plants, showing me snares and playing with me in the forest. And he may be dead soon. The thought of Katniss brings up feelings of resentment in me. If it wasn't for her volunteering for Prim, Gale would never have had to go. But the way she saved him earlier today made me rethink this.

It wasn't her fault, I know Gale would volunteer for me. And she saved him. But then, if it wasn't for her he may not have needed saving. My feelings towards Katniss are so confusing that I just decide not to think about her. Gale joining the careers was something I never expected. He's always hated Districts 1 and 2 for being 'the Capitol's lapdogs' as he put it, but now he's made an alliance with them.

I know he only did it to survive, but the very idea of doing that goes against what I remember of Gale. It hurts that he's been forced to change because of the Capitol and the Games. That he thinks more of Katniss than he does of me, a malicious voice in my head whispers. You hate that he picked her over you.

I try to tell myself that that's not true but I know deep down that the voice is right. He abandoned me and mum and Posy for Katniss without even thinking twice, it seemed with the speed at which he volunteered. I sigh and walk out of the classroom. The teacher doesn't question why, and I run through the corridors out of the school.

I inhale a breath of fresh air and set off towards the forest. The cool breeze and quiet calms my nerves as I run through the trees, almost silently, just the way Gale taught me. Part of the reason I love the forest so much is because it's away from all of the screens and people looking at me with pity. Somewhere I can forget about the Games.

Of course another part of me wants to sit there, my eyes glued to a screen watching Gale. But watching and knowing that there is nothing I can do is pure torture. Watching the fireball come down upon him and thinking that that was the end, before Katniss pushed him aside. But I should have known that wasn't much to worry about. They never kill off such an important tribute when they're not looking like that, they want a slow, dramatic death, often involving mutts.

But the main reason I like coming to the forest now is because it's going against the Capitol laws. Rebelling, if only slightly, to show that I won't just do what the Capitol wants me to. I check the snare line I set this morning, and smile with satisfaction at the end. Two rabbits and a squirrel. A good catch.

Turning around, I head back to 12 to sell one of the rabbits and the squirrel at the Hob. As I near the black market some of the traders nod at me with respect or give me pitying looks. I remind them of my brother, I realise. We do look alike, I suppose, with our brown hair, grey-blue eyes and tanned skin.

"What will you give me for a rabbit and a squirrel?" I ask Greasy Sae.

"For you, Rory Hawthorne, £30 and a bowl of my stew to eat here."

"You don't have to be so generous to me," I respond. "Just give me what you would give me normally. Send the rest to Gale if you want to help."

"£20 and the stew. I'll add the ten to the Gale Sponsor Fund."

"Thanks Sae," I reply gratefully, handing her the animals. I spoon the stew into my mouth as I leave the hob, the money in my pocket and the other rabbit carcass in my hand. It tastes good, I remember Gale once brought me a bowl from here after we went hunting together.

I glance at one of the screens as I go past and see the face of Cato, the District 2 tribute with Marvel, Mara and Clove. Katniss and Gale still aren't back, but I'm not to worried. If anything happened they would have been on TV and one of the people in the Hob would have told me. Cato opens his mouth and speaks. His sentence chills me.

"I don't trust them. Katniss and Gale. They're planning something. But we'll be prepared. And they will die."

xXx-X-xXx

Ok, so there's the chapter on thoughts. It was quite a hard chapter to write, Haymitch is so unpredictable and I don't feel I've done him justice. I decided not to do Cato, but we'll see a lot more of him next chapter. Hope you liked it though, and if you have anything to say about the chapter, please review and thanks to all of my reviewers and followers so far.

-MoonOfPluto