A/N: Hey guys! Yay! A new story! I'm super excited about this one and hopefully it will be a lot better than Here With Me. If you haven't checked out Here With Me, check it out and let me know what you think. As of right now it is not finished but it will be soon.
I am so glad to be starting this new story and I hope you all like it!
This story begins after Katniss returns from her Victory Tour.
The Hunger Games. The biggest hell hole of my life. It left me with nightmares that I knew would haunt me forever.
When I returned home, I hoped and prayed that things would still be normal. And for the most part, it was. The only differences were, my mother and sister and my best friend, Gale, and his family had full stomachs when they went to bed each night. We lived in the Victor's Village that was at least three times bigger than our old home. I didn't like living there but my mother and little sister, Prim, loved it. They had a big kitchen and we each had a queen size bed to sleep in every night. Our own beds. But sometimes I hear Prim crawl in with my mother. That is usually on the nights when I have my nightmares. They don't even check on me anymore when they hear me wake screaming. They know that it will pass and that I will soon find myself back asleep or, if it's early enough, out in the woods hunting for our next meal.
Gale works in the mines. He's been working there for over two years now. And I hate it. It reminds me of my father and I know it reminds him of his. But he says he has to keep food on the table somehow. He's so stubborn sometimes. He knows that I have more than enough money to support both of our families now but he won't have it. He's too good. He wishes to do all of the work himself. He thinks that only he should be allowed to support his family. But his opinion doesn't mean shit to me. That's why I've been giving his mother money while he's at work.
Hazelle sees me through her kitchen window and smiles as she wipes her hands on a dry dish rag.
"Hey, honey!" she greets as I enter her home. I smile back in greeting.
"Katniss!" I hear, just as my boot touches the dusty floor of the kitchen. Little Posy Hawthorne comes barreling into the room with her arms flaring from side to side. She hits me with full force and almost knocks me to the ground but I recollect my balance and gather her in my arms.
"How is Ms. Posy today?" I grin.
"Perfect," she exclaims and she jumps from my arms and sprints back into the other room.
"She's gonna be a handful to her teachers next year," I comment to Hazelle.
"Yeah," she replies. "I'm trying to get her to run some of it off before she starts school but I don't know if it's working." She giggles slightly.
She places some tea on the table and pushes me into a chair. "Drink," she insists. "It's freezing out there."
"Yeah, I know," I reply. "The clouds are scaring me. I think we'll have another snow storm soon."
She nods but doesn't reply as she turns back to the stove. Whatever she is cooking smells delicious.
"Rabbit stew?" I ask. She nods again but, like before, doesn't reply.
I sigh and reach into my bag. I pull out the smaller bag that I keep the coins for Hazelle in. "Here," I whisper. I place the bag on the table.
She turns from the stove and just stares at the bag and sighs. "Thank you, Katniss." She takes the money and stuffs it behind a drawer that she says Gale never goes in.
"Would you like another rabbit to put in the stew?" I ask.
She smiles. "That would be wonderful," she replies. I reach into my bag and grab a small rabbit. I had already skinned it out in the woods this morning so it was ready to be cooked.
"Gale will find out one day," she comments.
"Gale will get over it if he does," I reply.
"Gale will get over what?"
Hazelle freezes and I sigh and turn towards the door. My best friend, Gale Hawthorne, stands at the door.
"What are doing here?" I ask. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
"Have you not looked outside, Catnip?" he retorts. "It's pretty much a blizzard out there."
He sits beside me at the table then eyes me and his mother. "If I find out what?" he asks.
Hazelle and I exchange a glance before she finally sighs and walks over to the drawer.
"Hazelle!" I exclaim.
"I can't lie to my son," she replies.
"You've been lying to him for months," I retort.
"Months?" Gale asks but we ignore him.
"He's never directly asked me until now," she says then pulls the bag out.
"What's that?" Gale asks and Hazelle throws it on the table. We all hear the clink that it makes as it hits the table and Gale instantly knows what it is.
"Yours?" he asks as he turns to me. He's mad.
I sigh and nod giving him the same frustrating look that I am receiving from him.
"Dammit, Katniss!" he exclaims. "How many times do I have to tell you? I support my family; not you."
He stands from the table. "And you, mom."
"I know how you feel, Gale. Your father felt the same way. He felt like he had to be the main supporter of the family just because he was the man of the house. That's why I had never had a job until he died. He wouldn't let me. He spoiled me. He told me that if he had anything to do with it, I would never work a day in my life. And I didn't until he died. You have the same will of your father. That's what scares me the most." Tears are running down Hazelle's face now. Gale takes her into his arms.
"Me too," I add. "You remind me of my father also. He was strong and brave. My mother worked but it was her family's business. When they disowned her for marrying my father, he swore that he would take care of her."
I walked over to them and joined there hug.
After the "fight" Gale and I ran out to the woods so we could prepare for the impending snow storm that was bound to hit any hour.
"You guys should come stay with us until the snow storm ends," I suggest.
"Naw, we'll be fine," he replies.
I turn to him and glare. "Gale."
He turns to me and glares back. Mockingly he says, "Katniss," in the same tone.
"I'm serious, Gale. It's obvious this snow storm is going to be the worst one we've had in while. I just don't want you guys to be cold or hungry. Our house is stocked with food. Just come stay with us," I plead.
He sighs. "Fine," he replies.
I smile triumphantly. A white rabbit then runs right out in front of us and I take it down in one shot.
"So how long have you been giving us money?" he asks suddenly.
"Since I got home," I reply quietly. "I was just so scared for you guys. I didn't want you all to starve."
"We wouldn't have starved, Katniss. We would have figured something out," he says.
I shake my head.
An hour later we head back to Gale's to get his mother and the kids. Gale explains what we are doing and they all pack bags to last for a couple of nights just in case. We walk down to the Victor's Village and just when we enter my new home, the snow begins. Big fat snow flakes fall from the sky and immediately stick to the ground.
"Katniss? Is that you, honey?" I hear my mother's voice from the other room.
Honey? Something's not right. I instantly stiffen.
"Yeah, it's me," I reply shakily. Gale seems to have picked up on my mood and is now just as still as me.
I take my boots off at the door and everyone fallows my example. I take small steps toward the living room but before I get there I turn my head to see Gale at my left flank just like always. He could feel the tension in the house too. The family behind him looks confused and slightly terrified.
Gale nods his head to me and we continue our hesitant steps to the living room. I know something is wrong the moment I see the white Peacekeeper uniforms.
Why are they here? Do they not see that there is a huge snow storm about to barrel down on all of District Twelve?
"Hello," I say.
"Ahh, Ms. Everdeen," one of them says. "We've been waiting on you for quite some time."
"I apologize for that," I reply even though I could care less if they waiting a thousand years for me. "I was picking up some friends of mine. We invited them to dinner."
He nods, clearly not giving a flying flip what the hell I was doing.
"There is someone waiting for you in the study down the hall," he continues. "Please follow me."
He leads me down the hall as if I don't know where my own study is. He opens the door and the most evil thing in the world is waiting for me. President Snow.
He grins at me. "Ms. Everdeen. Please have a seat."
"President Snow," I swallow hard. "It's nice to see you again." I sit down in the chair across from him.
He's still grinning as he says, "See? That's what I like about you. You lie to people to make them feel good. But I see right through it." He's not smiling now.
"Why are you here?" I ask rudely.
"I was just going to inform you of some new laws that will take affect in the coming days of Panem," he replies.
"New laws?" I ask.
"Yes," he say. "I will be announcing these new laws to all of Panem next week but I have been visiting each victor that does not have a-" he pause and gets a thinking look on his face.
"Hmm, what would you call it? Companion? Yes, a companion of some sorts."
"Companion?" I ask. "You mean boyfriend or girlfriend or husband or wife?"
"Yes," he replies and the grin comes back. "You see I feel that the victors that do not have companions will be the most affected by the new laws that are about to take place."
He stops for a minute and dips a cookie that is in front of him into his cup of tea. I takes a small bite them places the cookie back on the plate. He smiles at me.
"In order to continue The Hunger Games what must we have, Ms. Everdeen?" he asks.
I frown, "Children?"
"Yes, children. But in order to have children you must have?" he asks again.
"A-" I pause. "A "companion" as you say."
"Yes, a companion. There will be two new laws for Panem that will go in affect tomorrow."
I shutter as I stand in the middle of the square the next morning. Not just because of the cold, the snow storm wasn't as horrific as Gale and I had predicted. But we did believe that it would be worse tonight.
I was shaking because of the announcement that I knew President Snow was about to make. He had stayed the night in the Justice Building and would, for the first time, would be making a huge announcement for all of Panem in District Twelve.
"Hello, people of Panem," he began. "I report to you from District Twelve for the very first time. I have a huge announcement to make in regards to some changes that will be made around Panem. From now until forever any woman over the age of sixteen must be married by her eighteenth birthday. If she is not she will suffer the unknown consequences. We will find out if you are unmarried. This law is the same in regards to men except, men must be working in their District's main resource facility before they are married but must be married to a woman by the age of twenty-two. Because this law is just now coming into affect, some men and women are already over the age to which they are required to marry. Therefore, they will be given one month to be married. Your fellow Peacekeepers will be visiting homes in exactly one month to check your status. Thank you, Panem. And may the odds be ever in your favor."
A/N: Soooo? What do you think? Let me know in a review!