Sooo... Just a very short third chapter before I start the Games themselves, and I'll try to keep this a weekly thing - on Saturdays -, but I'm lazy and busy, so I don't promise anything...

May the odds be ever in your crying favor!

Chapter 3

Today.

The single word kept ringing in Donna's head. Today. She tried to push it away by violently shaking her head, obviously to no use. Today.

In a few hours, she'd be thrown somewhere - she had no idea where - and forced to survive.

For her first Games she'd thought that it would be, in some twisted way, exciting to be in there, in the show she'd been watching since forever. Never mind the kill or get killed part, she was on TV! But after she'd seen the true nature of the Games, she was totally weary about going in again.

She was good, obviously, but some of the other Tributes were pretty damn amazing, and most were just astoundingly brutal. She still stood a good chance of winning again, but it would be tougher now, and she knew that.

Despite herself, she thought of all the other Tributes that, not unlike her, were a nervous wreck right now. Would she be able to kill them? Obviously, as she wasn't any sort of idiot, she'd killed her way out of the other Games by throwing heavy rocks to the heads of the two remaining Tributes, but she wasn't sure if she could just do it again, take someone else's life - for nothing. Only that bitch Irene. That woman's attitude had annoyed Donna profoundly since the beginning, and her interview had been simply outrageous. That one, she could easily stab.

Someone knocked on her door and she sighed in deep annoyance before she reluctantly got up and answered whatever idiot it was. She was surprised as she saw her District's other Tribute, the Doctor or something. He'd tried talking to her in many occasions before, but she'd tried to be brief and rude, so he wouldn't try it again. She was hoping to make it clear that she didn't want any friends in the Arena, and definitely not him; why would she want a coward, a man who'd somehow found a way to escape Panem after his victory, as an ally? And besides, it's not like she liked him or anything! He did not make her take in a deep breath and want to ruffle his already unkempt hair every time he showed up, and she was sure of that. She was!

She waited impatiently for him to say something and he, apparently, did the same. Well, she would not start a conversation when she was the one who had to get up and open the door, so they remained like that for a few awkward seconds, until the Doctor shifted on his feet, apparently deciding to break the silence.

"Um… Hello" He spoke in a sort of low, awkward voice, though there was an obvious smile at the corner of his lips as he looked at her. Cute, she thought, then mentally reproached herself about a thousand times. She mumbled something that must – or at least should - have sounded like a 'hey' under her breath, not looking him directly in the eyes.

"Yeah, it's just- just so you know Lestrade's looking for you. About, you know… the Games" His voice had raised a bit, and his eyes still hadn't left her face. That was one of the things she noticed about him. The other was a bit more annoying, as he wouldn't stop making these weird faces when he spoke. She kind of liked it actually – no, she didn't!

She rewound his sentence and turned her mind's attention to what he had actually said: if Lestrade was looking for her, then the Games should be starting soon. Why else would her mentor call her just like that? She didn't even like him…

Donna quickly mumbled a 'thanks' before pushing past him towards the apartment, closing the door behind her. As she turned away from the door, she bumped headfirst into him, and very quickly, awkwardly apologised.

"No, no! No problem, really!" Strangely, he was laughing, and even she felt a smile coming up, but quickly pushed it back. "It's… Donna, right?"

And for the first time, she raised her head and looked at him directly. She looked beneath his slightly arched eyebrows, and couldn't help but to get lost in his eyes. "Yes… Yeah, it is. Donna Noble…"

She didn't know why she was telling him this, but he didn't seem to mind. He smiled a bit, then eyed her completely. His expression suddenly became a serious one. "Eh… Listen, I don't even know you, but anything can happen out there, so… Good luck, Donna Noble!" And he opened an enormous grin, as if what he'd just said was an award-winning speech.

Sincerely, Donna was offended. She lifted an eyebrow at him before snapping an answer.

"Oi! And you think I'll need any? Well, thanks a lot, Mr. I-Like-To-Give-My-Opinion, but I guess it wasn't really necessary!" She regretted the words as soon as she'd said them, but it was too late, and the Doctor was already conjuring a disappointed, hurt, and mostly just angry stare. He rushed out of the room without a word, leaving her there. Alone. Like she would be for the following weeks – and perhaps the rest of her life. But then, maybe that was also included in the following weeks…

(**********)

"Sally Sparrow!" Cinna sang from where he perched against the table. Sally had barely entered the room and already he walked towards her, smiling delightedly.

She couldn't help but to smile back. She was usually weary towards others, but one could only be so self-protective when it came to Cinna. In just a few days, he had found a way of bringing long-lost joy upon her.

"Almost time, huh?" He tried to make small conversation - to keep her busy, probably - as he retrieved her Tribute jacket from where it hung on the wall behind the table.

"Yeah..." She breathed, pretending to be nervous. Of course she wasn't really; she didn't need to be. She wasn't sure that she would win, but there was chance, and she'd be happy to make top 5, at the least. Cinna smiled sympathetically at her as he wrapped the jacket over her shoulders.

"Look at you" He was beaming father-like as he finished dressing her up in gear. "Announcing our Victor from District 12!" He mimicked Claudius Templesmith's voice, and she couldn't help but to laugh. Happiness, she thought. So strange at this point in the Games.

She fumbled in her jacket's pocket for a moment, knowing what was there, and found what she was looking for: Larry's photo, her District token, the only thing she'd actually wanted to take with her to the Arena. She stared at him for a while, wondering where he was right now, what he was doing, if he was worrying about her. Did he even think she'd come back? She thought so, but wasn't sure. She grimaced sadly; she'd miss him so much if she didn't... But she couldn't afford to think like that, at all.

Suddenly, a female voice echoed across the tiny room: 30 seconds. She sighed; it was time.

Cinna hugged her, adjusted her long ponytail one last time, and then they sadly said their farewells. 10 seconds. She looked around the small room one last time, thinking of everything she was gambling here, before hastily stepping onto the cylinder. The glass closed in around her. After a few seconds it started to rise, and she found herself surrounded by darkness.

She didn't know what she'd find when the light seeped once again through the cylinder's glass, but she knew one thing: she was ready.