Author's Note: The victors are in the Capitol and the lead-up to the Games gets underway.

I've been very busy but I'm just about managing to get chapters out once a week, so please bear with me if the chapters continue to be uploaded at slightly random times!

….

Arrival

In many ways, Haymitch was relieved that their arrival into the Capitol felt normal. Cameras everywhere, lots of shouting that blended into unintelligible screaming and the constant presence of the faces of the Capitol citizens who had fought their way through the crowds to witness their arrival.

Except there were even more people because of who they all were. News presenters holding microphones thrust near his face and expertly batted away by Effie. Thank goodness Trinket was back on form. Her constant chattering, normally hugely irritating, was, for once, entirely welcome and helped prevent this from feeling as bad as it should.

It was his friends who were going to die. They would soon be ushered through the station and into the Remake Centre, where as usual, the tributes would be sent to their prep teams whilst the mentors prepared for their annual Games photoshoot and to meet the first round of sponsors. But this time, their usual group would be split. Half of them would go the way of the tributes, leaving the rest to go into battle to try to save their friends.

….

"Do hurry up!" Diana Treasure shouted to Four's victors. "We are supposed to be walking as a collective. It really ruins the image, leaving me stranded in the gap between you and the Threes."

Behind her, the group made no effort to speed up. Mags walked with Chloe at one arm and Finnick at the other. Coral and Noah walked behind.

"We will not be going any faster. And you should be walking with us, not marching ahead," Chloe snapped.

In front of them, Pluto and Halley heard the commotion and slowed their own pace, gradually closing the gap. Any little sign of solidarity with Mags, they were prepared to give. Beetee had also overheard and met eyes with Coral in understanding, and in the knowledge that they would talk later, just the two of them. The Fives behind them also made a pointed show of keeping to the pace in front of them. They may not be close to Four's victors, but years of sitting alongside them in the Mentor's Centre had built up a strong sense of respect for their peers and the influence they commanded.

….

To anyone unfamiliar, it would have been difficult to tell that it was Cecelia who was Eight's female tribute. She had to coax both Cotton and Woof off the train and through the waving, shouting crowds. Cotton soon became overwhelmed and upset whilst Woof was frightened. Their escort was trying to assist but his attempts were unsuccessful and both victors remained stuck to Cecelia.

Cecelia was trying to hold herself together. She was about to go into another arena, she had been taken from her children and she had to be the one who kept them all together despite her feelings. It was exhausting, yet she could not be angry with Woof or Cotton. It was not Woof's fault that his memories were failing and that he was scared. It was the Capitol that had ruined Cotton's life and mental state too. Simply being back was going to be too much for her victor.

By the approach into the Tribute Centre, Cotton would no longer move without Cecelia pulling her. She had put her hands over her ears to block out the noise and her crying turned into screaming, which further upset Woof.

Noticing this, Linden dropped back. Both Blight and Johanna were alongside their appointed mentors, so he felt free to assist and managed to release Woof's hold on Cecelia and take him under his own arm, reassuring the older victor that he was a friendly face and that they had worked together for years.

Poppy had also overheard the difficulties her dear friend was having, so she left Max with Claudia and Levi and moved to assist Cecelia. The friends had managed to calm Cotton before, so Poppy took one of the younger victor's arms, leaving Cecelia free to hold the other hand and together they managed to walk Cotton inside without further incident.

….

"You can leave me alone," Chaff said. The group had been split and the victor tributes were sent to meet their prep teams.

"But, we need to get you ready for when-", one of his prep team started.

"No. I'm not a child. I haven't been working in the fields either or working anywhere for that matter. Your lot have seen to that."

"It is our job to make sure you are ready."

"And I will be. I will take the bath, like a good tribute, but without you staring at me or touching me. You can go and relax, do whatever it is you would rather do. You're not waxing me, putting any of your lotions on me, or staring at my hand. It's nothing you haven't seen before. We've been working together, rather reluctantly on my part, for years now, and you know I won't be wearing any made-up hand you try to give me. Now leave," Chaff said firmly.

Not wanting to anger the victor, his prep team left but started complaining loudly.

"Oh be quiet," Chaff shouted as they were leaving. "You know what I'm like. If you wanted somebody compliant, you should have asked for Seeder!"

Chaff laughed as they left him in peace. In the next cubicle, he could hear Adan reluctantly putting up with whatever his prep team was trying to do, and Peeta, on his other side, chatting amiably with his team. It was all far more recent for Haymitch's boy, so he could understand the familiarity, and Haymitch had told him that his boy was genuinely (and annoyingly) nice. But Chaff was not like that, not in the Capitol.

….

Cecelia was relieved to have a moment for herself. She let the prep team do whatever they required and blocked out their inane chatter. She did not need to hear their thoughts on the latest Capitol trends, and she certainly did not need to hear their thoughts on Eight's reaping, or the appearances of any of her fellow victors for that matter.

Instead, she enjoyed the warmth of the water surrounding her and the few hours of relative calm she would have before Woof and Cotton were her responsibility again. Thankfully, their escort assisted in taking Woof to his prep team and impressed on them the need to be careful and gentle. The man did have some use some of the time. Poppy had ensured her that she would look after Cotton, and Cecelia saw Maria go to her to assist when they were leaving. Her victor was in good hands. Cecelia knew she could trust them the whole time she was separated from Cotton, including when she was in the arena. She would brief Poppy, Maria and Halley about what she had brought for Cotton and her hopes for a swift and safe evacuation for the woman. They would know what to do and would do the right thing by

….

Wiress and Luna were crying on either side of her, and there was nothing Mags could do to stop them. She hated feeling powerless, and being a tribute was all about powerlessness. But she would take what she could get, in the moments she could, as soon as she was dressed in whatever her stylist had planned for her. She hoped it would be appropriate, in keeping with her usual tastes but she doubted it would be. Still, she was more concerned for whatever they would put Finnick in.

Her prep team worked quietly, and Mags was grateful. She wasn't sure what they made of her volunteering, but she could tell they were uneasy about it. The arena was no place for a woman of her age. It wasn't a place for anybody, old or young, but they held no such qualms about children they did not know. It was too late to lecture them on the morality of it all; besides, she no longer had the words.

She missed Dora. The train journey would have been far easier, and Mags would have felt more comfortable about their plans for the parade. Dora always had the stylist and prep team in order. Diana Treasure was simply not up to Dora's standards and skill. But still, Dora had done the right thing, a brave thing, for she was far better (in District Four's eyes) than those who surrounded her in the Capitol. The rebel cause was improved with her now in Four.

Mags was not one for complaining. But at her age, she found she had various comforts she disliked missing out on. She was not one for entitlement, a prominent Capitol trait by her standards, but there were lots of little things that were not right. Her immediate attention was drawn to the washing of her hair. Chloe would have done a far superior job. Coral too. Her girls took excellent care of her. Neither would have pulled on her hair so uncomfortably tight, her hair was thinning through her eighty years of life, and Dora would have known which Capitol products she preferred. But it was a relatively minor worry, compared to what was to come, and she could ask Chloe to help her after the parade.

But Chloe was already so worried and stressed. Mags did not want to add to her worries by retelling her minor discomforts with all that was about to happen. But they could spend some time together and Mags would try to calm her. Noah was a bundle of nervous, excitable energy, that needed to be channelled in the right direction. He would be busy enough immediately following the parade. Mags trusted Coral to keep a handle on everything. To manage the demands of being Finnick's mentor, whilst calming Chloe's nerves and dealing with whatever Noah got up to. Mags trusted and loved them all and it brought her peace whilst she kept the worries about the parade at bay.

….

"Mona, would it really have hurt you to have helped Cecelia there? You were right behind her. How could you ignore it all?" Maria hissed as she walked past Nine's group to assist Poppy with Cotton.

The mentors would first meet with Plutarch Heavensbee, Games officials and government ministers involved in the Quell and the victors would all pretend to listen. They knew what to do and what not to do, even if it were their friends in mortal peril.

Mona simply shrugged as Maria passed her. Of course, she knew what was happening, but she wouldn't have been able to help. Poppy and Linden did a far superior job, and besides, she had Maizey, Barric and Barley to worry about. She could not add District Eight's victors to her list. Loriana would not let her even if she tried. Mona was being slowly put to bed for the duration of these Games. Her usual kindness, reserved only for those closest to her.

The mentors would have a far briefer stay with prep teams assigned to them prior to the parade and would be given time to visit their assigned floors to ready themselves. They would take the required photos, their official portraits for the duration of the Games and then prepare for the parade. But Maria got the impression that they would rather spend time in each other's company than be alone on their respective floors in the quieter moments, as she and several others would be.

Maria kept young Cotton under one arm, with Poppy holding onto the other whilst they were in the presence of Heavensbee and his accompanying officials. Neither wanted another difficult situation for Cecelia to manage, not with everything she was going through. They were able to comfort Cotton whilst the prep teams ran around them in a flurry and ensured she was not left alone when they went to their floors.

By this time, Halley had also joined them, keen to be alongside Poppy and to support Cecelia however she could. Maria was glad for their presence and the reassurance their familiarity was able to provide Cotton, with Eight's youngest victor remembering the previous times they had been on hand for support.

Maria was pleased they would be present and focussed in the Mentor's Centre too. She needed Poppy and Halley to ensure that as many of them as possible got out safely and with covers still intact as the arena fell. Their steadiness and resolve would be needed when they were under such stress and she trusted them to hold themselves, and the others together. Everything was about to change, and their consistent resolve would be required.