6 months later

"Don't," Taiya complained as she flinched away from Seneca when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Tay," he said quietly. "You've had enough."

"You're not the boss of me," she slurred as she drank her next shot.

"Hey," he said soothingly as he tried to hold her hands, only for her to yank them away. "I know you're struggling, but this won't help you. Trust me."

"You don't know what I need. You don't know me."

"Yes, I do," he replied.

"No! You…" Taiya began angrily before being cut off by Johanna.

"Can't you just let her do what she wants tonight?" she snapped at the man angrily as she stood in front of Taiya, blocking her off from Seneca.

Taiya turned back to the bar and dropped her head into her hands. Seneca watched her sadly. "I just want to make sure she's ok," he said quietly.

"I'm with her, she'll be fine," Johanna rolls her eyes as she signals the bartender for another drink.

"Getting her drunk isn't helping," he tried to reason and Johanna snorted.

"Of course it is. The more you drink the number you get."

"It's not a good coping mechanism. Just let me help," he pleaded.

"Don't you think you and your kind have done enough?" Johanna growled, grabbing Taiya's hand and pulling her away.

"How ya doing Annieeee," Taiya smiled as she fell down onto the couch beside the girl.

"Taiya!" Moxie chided. Moxie had been sitting on the couch with Annie all night, trying to coax the girl up to greet people. But Annie was not stable. She hadn't been since she returned from the Games. She'd sometimes close her eyes, cover her ears and whimper, other times she randomly start laughing or fall into a stupor.

Snow had been careful with his wording that day Taiya had realised. He promised District 4 would have a victor. He didn't specify who. The dam in the arena had broken, flooding the entire forest. Only Annie had the swimming skills to survive, she was incidentally made the winner. At least that's how it appeared to the rest of Panem. Only a few victors and Snow knew the truth of how that dam broke. It had resulted in the disgrace of Hamlet Gaul, the Head Gamemaker who had immediately been fired. Leaving the role open for a successor, who was quickly named to be Seneca Crane. Seneca had done his best to help her cousin and friend in the Games, but now that he was Head Gamemaker she resented him. He would be in charge of overseeing the deaths of 23 children each year. It was disgusting.

She'd done her best to push him away. But the attachment and adoration he'd developed for her over the years stopped him from leaving her. He was understanding and tolerant of her moods, which only annoyed her more. It'd be so much easier if he tired of her and left her in peace. But instead, he insisted on helping her, monitoring her to try and stop her from falling further into despair. He arranged walks in the gardens of the Capitol to get her out into the fresh air. He hosted game nights for her and his brother in his apartment. She was obligated to attend, but her acting skills had significantly decreased.

"Taiya, you are drunk!" Moxie hissed. She had her hands full lately. Annie was unstable and barely able to complete her victor obligations, and Taiya was on the verge of embarrassing herself in the Capitol. Managing them had not been easy. She'd had to partner Finnick with Annie, and Tyler with Taiya in order to keep the girls under some form of control. But as soon as they'd gotten to the party, both Tyler and Finnick had their own socialising to do. Before Moxie could suggest a game plan to Taiya at the start of the night when she was still sober, the victor from District 7 had run up, grabbed her hand and dragged her off to the bar, leaving the District 4 escort to babysit Annie, who'd since refused to move from the couch.

"I am not drunk," Taiya hiccuped.

"Taiya," Seneca cautiously approached the trio and Taiya took an angry breath.

"Manners!" Moxie warned. "Greet him," she jerked her head towards Seneca.

"Hey, Seneca!" Taiya greeted with an insincere, wide smile and Moxie let out an audible groan.

Seneca crouched down in front of Taiya. "I'm not trying to make you angry," he said quietly to her, not wanting to be overheard by the gossipy escort. "I'm just trying to make sure you're alright. Look, why don't you come and sit with Romulus and me for a bit? He hasn't seen you tonight."

"How about," Taiya whispered as she moved forward. "I get another drink," she dismissed, standing up and walking around him, straight towards Haymitch, who was standing with Chaff by the bar. "Hello boys!" she greeted.

"There she is," Haymitch smiled, flicking his hair out of his eyes. "My protege," he joked. "Where's the peacock?" he asked looking around for Finnick. "He's been nearby the past few times I've seen you."

"He has a prior engagement," Taiya replied as she pulled his drink towards her.

"Nah uh," he tapped her hands, reclaiming his drink. "Go get your own sunshine. What about the axe lover?"

"Johanna? I lost her. I looked everywhere."

"Everywhere?" Haymitch smirked.

"That's what I said! Everywhere."

"How about how there?" Haymitch asked, turning Taiya around.

"Joseph!" Taiya yelled as she spotted her friend.

"Tayden!" Johanna yelled back as she ran to the table. "I looked everywhere for you!"

"Me too!" Taiya laughed as she pulled the girl into a hug that was very much not appreciated because she was promptly shoved away.

"Thank you, Haymitch!" Taiya smiled. "You're my favourite."

"And don't I know it," he smirked as he tilted his glass to them.

"Taiya, come on, please," Seneca pleaded with the drunk girl.

"No," she pushed his hand away. "I just want to hang out with Johanna."

"She's passed out in the corner with Haymitch. I've got to take you home. Please just let me."

"I don't want to go home," she moaned as her eyes started tearing up.

"Hey," he comforted, laying a hand on her cheek. "Why not?"

"I have nightmares," she confessed and he nodded.

"I'm sorry Tay," Seneca said. "I wish I could help that. But for now, please, just let me take you home."

Taiya looked him in the eyes before eventually conceding and nodding her head.

"Thank you," he smiled softly, as he placed a hand on her waist to help support her. He was fulling expecting her to shove him away. This was the most she'd let him touch her in months.

As he was leading her out of the party, Tyler aggressively came to stand in front of them. "Where are you taking her?"

"Home," Seneca explained.

"Not a chance," Tyler shook his head.

"Not like that!" Seneca corrected immediately. "Look she's so drunk, she's going to pass out soon. I'm just going to take her back to the Tribute Centre and make sure she gets home ok, then I'll go home by myself." Tyler looked Seneca in the eyes, trying to ascertain if he was telling the truth. "I just want to make sure she's safe."

"Ok," Tyler nodded. He believed Seneca. It was clear he sincerely cared about Taiya. He truly just wanted to make sure she was safe.

"Thank you," Seneca nodded back at the victor, as the pair reached an understanding. Seneca moved to continue walking out of the party.

As they passed Tyler, Taiya giggled and poked her finger into his side, making the man jump and Taiya giggle even louder.

"Get her home," Tyler rolled his eyes with a small smile.

Seneca kept walking with her out of the party, just before he left, he surveyed the room one last time and saw what he was looking for. Finnick was watching them like a hawk. He'd noticed the victor watching Taiya multiple times throughout the night. He was hoping he had misread the situation after her cousin's death, and that it was just a friend comforting her while distraught, but the more he watched the pair, the bigger his doubts grew.

"Which room is yours?" Seneca asked as he walked through the door to the District 4 apartment.

"That one," Taiya pointed to a door. Seneca walked towards it and opened it before sighing. "That's a coat closet."

"Yep," she giggled as she stepped backwards. "Ah too funny," she sighed before tripping and landing on the floor. "You pushed me!" she accused.

Seneca smiled softly as he helped her stand. "You know I didn't. Come on, let's get you to bed. Can you tell me where your room is?"

"To the left," she pointed and allowed him to help her down the corridor. "This one," she sang as they reached her door.

"Alright," Seneca opened the door and helped her in and sat her down on the bed. "Ok, what do you need? Pyjamas? Where do you keep those?"

"That drawer," she pointed out. He walked towards it and pulled out a pair of pyjamas and handed them to her.

"It's a bit messy in here Taiya," he smiled as he looked around. He'd never been in the apartment before, but she had clothes strewn all over the floor.

"I didn't get to clean," she shrugged. "Besides, it's not all my mess," she said nonchalantly and he froze.

"No?"

"No, I'm going to change in the bathroom," she said, standing up before stumbling slightly.

"You're alright," he sighed as he steadied her. "Call out if you need help."

"You got it," she slurred, shutting the bathroom door.

Now that she was behind the door, he had a chance to look around the room. He picked up the clothes on one side of the floor and hung them up in the closet for her. Walking around the other side of the bed, he grabbed a top from the floor and held it up. This was much too big to be hers.

She opened the door to the bathroom and came back out and collapsed onto the bed. "I am so tired," she groaned into the pillow.

"I know," he nodded as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "Hey Tay, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she nodded drowsily.

"Who's is this?" he asked, holding up the top.

She smiled as she looked at it. "Finnick's. He always leaves clothes on the ground. Goodnight Sen, thanks for walking me home," she said quietly as she shut her eyes, already falling asleep.

Tears pricked Seneca's eyes. He was right. He hadn't wanted to be, but he couldn't see any other reason. But he did know Taiya well enough to know she wasn't a cheater. There had to be something else going on. Something he wasn't aware of, and he was determined to find out what.