Pregnant in the 75th

19. Ask me to die

I sigh, "I said I love you Effie."

"Awww see you can be cute sometimes," she says excitedly.

"Yeah ... Yeah OK."

"But good. I love you too Haymitch. I better go before they cut off the phone lines for the announcement. Bye sweetie!" She calls before puting the phone down.

"Bye gorgeous," I call but she has already put down the phone. I walk over to my chair and turn the television on with the remote before walking to my liquor cabinet, "I have a feeling I'm going to need a one of these." I say before placing a few ice cubes in a glass and picking up a bottle and taking it back to my chair.

Snow is stood on a podium with the presidential crest on it with a small wooden box lay in front of him. A memory I remember all to well from the president at the time of my own games, of course little did I know that I would be going in to the arena the last time I saw this. He pulls a key out of his pocket and unlocks the box before lifting up a small yellow envelope which causes the crowds either side of him to go wild. You have to worry about these people its like all they live for is the games, I even think this about Effie some time. "In this, the 75th Hunger games and the third quarter quell ..." He breaks the presidential seal on the envelope and opens it up and grin on his face as he does so, of he is happy it can not be good, "As a reminder, that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of the Capitol. On this, the third Quarter Quell game, the male and female tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of Victors in each district."

I throw my glass at the television screen causing it to shatter and cover the floor. Plutarch said he had this sorted not that he was going to send half of his men into the games! The whole part of being victor was being able to live in peace and not having to think about being reaped for the games, well now this is just a joke! Putting a group of friends in the arena to fight each other to death is not exactly my idea of fun!

I grab a glass and pour myself a new drink, downing it in one before refilling my glass. I don't plan on being anything near considered sober by the end of the night.

I don't seem to have much luck with quarter quells ... Alive for two. A tribute and luckily a victor in one and a more than possible tribute for the second. The odds really aren't in my favour.

My thoughts are interrupted by banging on the door,"Great. Here's where I get asked to die."

"Haymitch I know you're in there I need to speak with you!" Peeta. What a surprise. He's probably here to rant about the announcement.

"Come in boy."

The door slams open cracking against the wall it has been pushed with such power, "That was staged! That snake has had this planned this from the beginning! He knew that no matter what we did on the tour we could solve nothing and he knew Katniss would have to go in to the games this way!"

"Peeta calm down!" Be shuts up immediately, "There is nothing you can do for her by shouting and yelling."

"You're right. I need you to help her in the games." I trybto speak but am cut off, "you know what you're doing to get sponsors and I would be no use on the outside, I need to be in that arena with her its the only way I can protect her. I will volunteer in your place that way at least one of us will come back, all I ask of you is to get the sponsors for her I won't need them nor do I want them. Ok?"

Not quite what I was expecting to hear. I was waiting to be told to go in to the arena and die to get Katniss home so they could live happily ever after, or something childish like that. I'm actually quite proud of the boy.

"Ok son. I swear I will do everything I can to get her out of there too." He seems a little taken back by calling him son. I meant it endearingly but the truth is them two nutcases really are like my own kids.