Helena couldn't sleep that night, tossing and turning as fear filled her. Her mind flashed to all the gruesome ways that she could die in that arena and how her papa would be forever alone. She didn't want to leave him. Unable to fall asleep, the girl got out of bed and stumbled towards the kitchen, where she overheard a conversation between Haymitch and Ambrosia.

"You really ought to get some sleep tonight, Haymitch." The escort spoke, her voice less pitched than usual. More genuine. "Are you sober?" She asked. Haymitch sighed. "Basically. Mostly. Had to honour my pledge to our tributes." He paused for a moment. "Besides, tonight is not about booze. It's about bread and circuses."

Ambrosia seemed confused. "Somebody asked a Roman emperor once, 'How do you get a public to give up all its rights without a protest?' And he said, 'Easy. Just give them bread and circuses.' " Haymitch told her. The escorts eyes went wide, and she looked around apprehensively. "Haymitch! Govern yourself! People could be listening..." She whisper-shouted, a hushed warning.

Helena ducked behind a potted plant as Ambrosia stormed off. Haymitch slammed his hand on the table and signed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Helena sqeaked at the loud bang, alerting the past Victor to her presence. "Helena, I know you're there. Get in here." Her mentor commanded. The girl shuffled towards the room and stood with her head down, embarrassed that she got caught.

"Why are you awake?" Haymitch asked her, his voice concerned. "I-i couldn't sleep." She responded. Haymitch looked at the 12-year-old and saw the fear emanating off of her. "Let's get you some warm milk." He said, trying to distract the girl from her thoughts.

He made his way over to the stove and put a pan on the hob. Heading to the fridge, Haymitch grabbed the bottle of milk and poured it into the pan. Helena stood there awkwardly. "You can sit down, you know?" Haymitch told her. She shuffled towards the stools at the breakfast bar and took a seat. She watched Haymitch as he worked, observing how calm the man was as he prepared the milk.

Once the milk had warmed up, Haymitch had poured it into two mugs, sliding one across the breakfast bar towards Helena. He grabbed his own mug and sat next to the shaking girl. "Talk to me, Lena. Why can't you sleep?" Haymitch already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from her. The girl looked at her milk, watching as the bubbles on the surface disappeared. Her body began to shake.

"I don't want to die, Haymitch. Please don't let me die." Helena squeaked. Tears began to flow from her eyes, and her body began to shake. "I'm terrified, Haymitch, terrified of dying and leaving those I love behind." The mentor continued to listen as the girl cried. "Every time I close my eyes, I see all the horrific ways in which I could meet my end. I see all the ways Papa will lose his little girl. It's like it's stuck on loop, and I don't know what to do. " She hung her head as she cried.

Haymitch looked at the girl, pain and sadness well inside of him. The hardest part of being a mentor, Haymitch thought, was watching children after children go into that arena, fearing not for their own lives but how their deaths will affect their families. Some affraid of how their families will survive without the food they gather, some thinking how their families would probably be glad their gone. It hurt Haymitch, seeing the kids endure what he had gone through. That was why he drank. To numb the pain. To dull down the sharp edges of the memories that still haunted him.

He pulled the girl towards his chest, holding her in an embrace. 'So much for my promise not to get attached.' He thought as he comforted the girl. Helena cried into his chest, her hands grasping as tight as possible. "Please, Haymitch, I don't want to die." She begged. The mentor couldn't take it. "Shhhh, you're not going to." Haymitch said. "I'm sure you'll have brought in tons of sponsors, then I'll have plenty of resources I can send. I will do anything in my power to make sure one of you makes it out." He reassured.

The 12-year-old continued to cry into Haymitch's shirt, though her tears began to subside. "You mean it?" She asked apprehensively. "I mean it. Now drink your milk before it goes cold." He told her. Helena nodded, wiping her eyes before drinking her milk. The two continued to talk until Helena let out a yawn. "I think it's time for bed, don't you?" Haymitch questioned. The girl nodded sleepily and hopped off her stool, following Haymitch as he escorted her to her room.

As they approached, they ran into a panicked Cole. "Haymitch, I can't find Helena. She's not in her -" That was when he saw the girl besides Haymitch, eyes puffy and tear stains down her cheeks. "Oh..." Cole's panick subsided almost immediately. "Uhm... Goodnight." He said awkwardly before returning to his room. Haymitch squatted down to Helena. "Goodnight, Lena, try to get some sleep, okay?" He said. The girl just nodded, tiredness overcoming her. She went into her room and collapsed onto her bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

Haymitch watched for a while before leaving, closing the door behind him. He sighed. In a few hours, both Helena's and Cole's lives would change forever, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.