"Moooom! Daaaaaaaaad! We're baaaaaaaaaack!" Estelle and Noah called as they burst into the living room of the District Three suite. "OOPH!" They were wrapped in a hug by their father who was half laughing and half crying.
"Dad, what's wrong?" Noah asked concerned. "We trained hard."
"I just missed you, buddy." Beetee answered truthfully.
"Yes, and sponsors." Wiress began before receiving a glare from her husband. "Beetee, I want to be honest with our children -"
"So we don't have to always be strong?" Estelle finished. Nodding, Wiress beckoned them to the couch. "Mom, what's up?" her daughter asked as she and Noah stood in front of their parents.
"As always with District Three, your sponsors come from the technology sector: patent officers, the Department of Communications, the Department of Technology, and Department of Defense." Beetee explained. "They made a deal with us. They want -" A sob rose in Beetee's throat before he could continue.
"Three." Wiress whispered before taking her children's hands as tears streamed silently down her face.
"Days." Beetee finished through a sob. "Three days in the arena before they will even give you one cent of sponsor money."
"But - Dad, you're confident we can make it - or are you not?" Estelle asked ending on a harsher tone than she had wanted.
"We are, Estelle, sweetie. We are confident. It's just not fair. It's - imagine if Mr. Meyer at the Academy said he would award you fifty points per calculus problem you solved." Estelle nodded. "But imagine you had to solve three problems perfectly before he could give you the points."
"I would hack into my calculator." Noah pointed out.
"That's not the point, Noah." Estelle shot back. "Mom and dad are upset because the sponsors aren't playing fair."
"I know." Noah replied. "I was just trying to make a joke." His eyes blazed with determination and the weight of a burden no thirteen year old boy should have to bear. "That's why we have to show them. We have to show them we can live for three days."
"I know - I know you can make it, son. I know both of you can." Beetee began with his voice wavering. "Kids, we just wanted you to know what all of us are up against. So we can work together." Sniffling, Wiress stood up and wrapped her children in a hug.
"You can - you can -" As if she was urging her strength into them, she gripped their shoulders. "You will - you will. Live." Beetee wrapped his family in a hug as they clung to each other before shooing the children off to change into their pajamas and shower.
Their evening progressed much like it did in their home in District Three. Instead of pouring over inventions and the children's Engineering Academy homework, the inventing family was working hard on Hunger Games preparation. All four Teslas sat around the dining room table with their notebooks. Engineering paper littered the surface as Wiress and Beetee explained various traps. After an hour, Estelle and Noah began drawing their own shelters and traps for their parents' review. Only after Gearton cleared his throat and knocked on the table did they put away their study materials for the meal that had been ready for a good half an hour before the inventors noticed.
"Mom, can you look at my -" Noah asked in between bites as he held up a drawing on engineering paper.
"Ew, Noah! Gross! You're spitting mashed potatoes everywhere!" Estelle yelped.
"Don't talk with your mouth full, son." Beetee automatically corrected.
"No one's watching, and Xersius has to eat in his room. You said so. Remember?" Noah replied as Xersius walked down the hallway toward the elevator.
"Actually, Xersius eats at the bar in the Training Center and will meet with your parents after your dinner."
"Thank you." Beetee said firmly before the elevator doors closed.
"Well, what if you're eating in the Games? Are you gonna show Panem your 'see food?'" Estelle asked sarcastically.
"No, I'm just going to show you -BBLAGH! Mooom!" Noah yelped as Wiress had wiped his mouth as soon as he stuck out his tongue to reveal his half-chewed meal.
"No teasing - eat please." She directed.
"Told you." Estelle muttered under her breath.
"You too, Estelle." Tears streamed down her eyes even as she smiled at her children dutifully clearing their plates. At meal times, she could pretend they were back home, however, the Capitol surroundings reminded her that she had a little more than a precious 48 hours with them before the 74th Hunger Games began.
"Did everyone eat their plates of food?" Beetee asked as Estelle finished her last bite of meatloaf. "Good. Your mother and I will be at a meeting. We'll be back in about an hour. Gearton, can you wipe down the table so the kids can do their homework?" Nodding Gearton cleared the table and began wiping it down.
"Missed a spot!" Noah giggled before Estelle kicked him under the table. Chuckling, Gearton rubbed Noah's nose with the washcloth. "Hey!"
"Now kids, I mean it. I'd better see a strategy plan by the time we get back." Beetee instructed as he and Wiress placed their notebooks on the table and their kids grabbed theirs.
"We'll make you proud, mom. Dad." Estelle said hoping her reassurance would take the sadness from her mother's large eyes.
"We already are. So proud." Memorizing her children's faces brightening as they began a project, Wiress took Beetee's hand. "Never forget that." She glanced toward the dining room at two figures bent over their notebooks as she headed toward the elevator and blew two kisses into the District Three suite before the doors closed.
"The Head Gamemaker has requested a meeting with you." Xersius announced as the two Victors entered the lobby of the Training Center. "He wants to discuss your children."