Sometime between the train leaving District 12 and Peeta and Prim staring wordlessly out the window, their mentor made an appearance. Dirty, unshaven, and smelling of stale alcohol, he took in his tributes for this year. Two merchant kids, by the looks of their blonde hair and blue eyes. They looked better fed than most of his tributes, which wasn't saying a lot. They would still be significantly smaller and weaker than the Careers. While he was observing them, Peeta and Prim turned around and were met with the sight of their poor excuse for a mentor. Haymitch adverted his gaze, instead focusing on the array of liquor bottles sitting in a tray of ice on the table. Prim and Peeta turned to each other, not sure what to do. Introduce themselves? Peeta cocked his head towards Haymitch, indicating that they should sit down and get to know him. In spite of his appearance and blatant alcoholism, he was their bridge to the outside world during the Games. It was his job to talk them up, and secure sponsors with deep pockets who would be willing to send them gifts during the games. Both tributes made their way to the table in the middle of the room, which was overflowing with food. They sat down, taking their pick from the buffet before them. Once they were settled, they turned to Haymitch expectantly. After a few beats of silence, Peeta cleared his throat. "So," he began, "what's the plan?"
"The plan?" Haymitch responds, taking a swig from a glass with amber-colored liquid.
"Yeah, you're our mentor, you're supposed to help us, give us advice for the Games," Peeta insists, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
Haymitch ponders this for a moment, before leaning in and says, "Want some advice? Stay alive." He then starts convulsing in laughter, which makes Peeta see red. Before he can do anything, Prim speaks up.
"Please, Haymitch," she begins, looking her mentor in his gray eyes. "We want to try. I promised my sister I would try to make it home. Please help us try." At this point, Haymitch truly takes Prim in. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought she was nine or ten, not twelve. He recognizes her from his brief outings in town. She's always with an older girl, apparently her sister. Everyone seems to care for Prim though, their faces lighting up when they see her, the baker even sneaks her cookies on occasion. Her two blond braids stir something in him, reminding him of another blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl in braids who was reaped for the Games, who also wanted to get back to her sister. Haymitch couldn't save that girl. She haunted him in his dreams for almost twenty-five years now. But this one… maybe this one he could save. It was his job, after all. Maybe the girl who haunted his dreams would forgive him them. With a deep sigh, he concedes to his tributes wishes.
"Here's the deal," Haymitch begins, "You let me do my thing, and I'll help you, okay? Peeta gives him a curt nod. Prim face lights up in a smile, and it warms Haymitch's bitter heart. He understands why this girl is cherished in a place as desolate as District 12, why the baker sneaks her cookies when he can. She's a beacon of hope and light in a place so trodden down with despair.
"First things first, we're gonna pull into the Capitol in a day or so. You'll immediately be taken to your stylists. You're probably not going to like what they do to you, but just do what they tell you to do. They're getting you ready for the Tribute Parade. I'll meet up with you before the parade starts to let you know how to play it. For now, eat, rest, we'll watch the recap of this morning's Reapings when they play." Both tributes nod, and with that, Haymitch stands up and disappears through the back of the train car. Peeta and Prim look at one another, not sure what to say. They weren't sure what caused their mentor's sudden change in heart, but whatever the case, they were thankful.
"We should go rest for a little bit before we watch the recaps," Peeta suggests, and Prim nods. The weight of the day was resting heavily on her small shoulders. Both tributes walk to the back of the train, where there is a corridor that contains multiple bedrooms. Prim smiles at Peeta before entering the first room she reaches. Tears in her eyes, she crawls into the bed's soft covers and lets the train's soft movements lull her to sleep, the exhaustion of the day taking over her body.
When Prim wakes up, Effie is knocking on her door, telling her to get ready to watch the Reaping recaps. It takes her a second to reorient herself, remember where she is. She isn't in District 12. She's on a train to the Capitol, where she will most likely die. She drags herself out from the protection of the bed covers and makes her way to the train car that has the TV. Effie sits on the couch, looking chipper as ever. Peeta sits on the other side of her, while Haymitch sits on a lone recliner across the room from them. Prim takes her seat between Peeta and Effie. As if on cue, the television begins to play the recap of today's reapings across the Districts. There are a few notable tributes. The Careers were older, bigger, and stronger, of course. Specifically, the boy from District 2. He was probably three times the size of Prim. She shuddered at the thought, the thought of her return home looking pretty bleak when compared to this towering, muscular boy. The rest of the tributes look fairly normal, and then there's the District 11 recap. The boy is also gigantic, but that's not what catches Prim's eye. What does is another twelve-year-old girl, similar in stature and build to Prim. Except when this girl's name is called, there's no fuss, no older sister willing to lay down her life for the little girl. The thought breaks Prim's heart. Then there's the clip from District 12. Prim's name being called, Katniss pushing her way through the crowd, Prim refusing to let her sister take her place. Then Peeta's name is called. Then the seal of Panem, and the screen goes black.
"Well," Effie chirps, "I think you've certainly left an impression on the Capitol already! A girl as sweet as you, and then insisting to go into the Games yourself! I'm sure people will be tripping over themselves to sponsor you!"
Prim smiles at her escort. Behind her scary white makeup and peculiar Capitol accent, Prim felt that her escort was really trying to help her out. "Thank you, Effie," Prim says, placing her hand on top of Effie's. Effie smiles back at her, before standing up.
"Alright you two, you should be off to bed! When you wake up we'll be in the Capitol, and it will be a big, big, big day for the both of you!" Prim is quick to listen, making her way back to the room she slept in before. But Peeta lingers for a bit until Effie goes, leaving just him and Haymitch. His mentor cocks his head at the boy, seemingly annoyed that his tribute is getting in the way of his alone time.
"Listen," Peeta begins, "the girl that tried to volunteer for Prim? That's her sister, and I promised her that I would do everything to get Prim back home. I don't care what you have to do, but I need to get Prim back to 12. Do you think we can make that happen?"
Haymitch looks Peeta up and down. It's not often one of his tributes comes to him beginning to get the other tribute back home. "The sister, she your friend? Girlfriend?" Haymitch inquires.
Peeta laughs bitterly. "No, I don't even think she knew who I was until today. But I haven't been able to get her out of my head for years. I know that there's no chance of me getting home. But if I'm helping her out, do you think we can get Prim home? The Capitol will love her, I'm sure you know that. And she helps her mother, the healer, back in 12, so she's pretty smart. Is it realistic to try to get her home?"
Haymitch was already working through everything in his head. The story he can tell to the sponsors, how Peeta can play his interview, how he can get the entire Capitol wrapped around the little girl from District 12's finger. A twelve-year-old had never even made it close to winning before. But maybe if they played it right…
"I can't promise anything, but we'll give it our best shot, okay?" Haymitch finally says. Peeta exhales in relief. Of course, Haymitch can't promise Prim's life, once they're in the Arena there is only so much he can do. But a promise that they'll try, that's more than he could have asked for. "Thank you, Haymitch," Peeta says, then retreats back to the room where he'll attempt to sleep tonight. He's not expecting to get much of it.
In the room across from him, Prim also lies awake in her bed, waiting for sleep to overtake her. But it won't. Despite the heavy exhaustion that takes over her entire body, her thoughts keep her preoccupied. Was it just this morning that she was home in District 12? That she shared a bed with her mother? Prim wonders what Katniss and her mother were doing right now. Did they eat any of the dinner that they had prepared before the Reaping, or were they not able to stomach it? Was Buttercup still awaiting her return? Despite their volatile relationship, Prim hoped that her cat would sleep in Katniss's bed, protecting her from the night as he had done for Prim. The thought comforted her just enough to let the empty embrace of sleep take over.
Back in District 12, where coal dust settled onto every surface, a small house in the Seam had its curtains closed tightly. The fish stew prepared for that evening sat untouched on the table. One bed sat empty, while the other one was occupied by three bodies. Katniss and her mother, holding each other for the first time in many years, their cheeks red and blotchy from crying. And at the foot of the bed, an ugly, orange cat, waiting for his girl to return home. He didn't know where she went, but he could sense something was off. So, until his girl came home, he would sit with the two women his girl loved, protecting them from the night.