A/N: this is my first fanfic.. please be gentle.. my apologies for any grammar mistakes. English is not my first language.
all characters belong to Suzanne Collins
The first thing I remember after the quarter quell is waking up in the hovercraft. After Haymitch told me what had happened, I attacked him again. I remember him grabbing me and then everything went black. The next time I woke up Gale was there and told me about the destruction of district 12.
I was so exhausted; from the games; the drugs they gave me; and all the emotional stress I was under.
The third time I woke up, I was in a different room. I kept my eyes closed and just listened. The first thing I noticed was the silence; I could no longer hear the humming from the engine of the hovercraft. The second thing was the steady breathing next to me.
"I know you are awake, Girl on fire" said a deep voice; I thought I would never hear again. I sit up quickly and look around until I finally find the friendly green eyes. "Cinna" I whisper and can feel the tears in my eyes. "I thought you were dead" my throat is dry and my voice hoarse. Cinna gets up from his chair and sits down on the side of my bed and take my hand. "So did I" he says with a small smile. "Snow's men attacked me just as you went in to the arena. But just as you were gone; Plutarch's men came and rescued me." Cinna dry a tear away from my cheek, and I give him a hug. Soon a nurse come in and tells us that Haymitch want to talk to us. My whole body instantly tenses and Cinna notice. When the nurse leaves; Cinna look at me. "Don't be mad at him Katniss. He did all he could to get you all out; I was with him on the mission to retrieve you all. I saw how broken he was; when the capitol got to Peeta and Johanna before us" I swallow hard and nods to him. I don't now if I can forgive Haymitch; but I know that Cinna would never lie to me, so I trust him.
The door opens once more, and in walks Haymitch. He stops as soon that he sees that I'm awake. "Hallo Katniss" he says and gives me a sad smile. "Why did you save me first, when you promised me that you would save Peeta?" I ask bluntly. Haymitch looks down at his hands as he walks to the end of the bed. "Because… b-because you are my daughter" I just look at him with open mouth. Just as the silence begins to become awkward, I start laughing. Cinna and Haymitch just look at each other and then back to me. But when I look at Haymitch again and see the look in his eyes, I stop laughing. "You can't be serious" he gives a solemn nod and then I start having trouble breathing. The little machine that is connected to my arm starts to beep. Just as Haymitch take a step towards me; the doors burst open, and two doctors and my mom runs in. I start to get dizzy and the doctors push Haymitch and Cinna out of the way, to check on me. They inject me with something, that should help me calm down; and after some minutes it starts to work.
As soon as the doctors are out of the room; my mother is at my side. Cinna give her a chair to sit on and stand behind her; while Haymitch is at the end of the bed. "Is it true?" I ask my mother, who nods. I look back at Haymitch who look more vulnerable, than I have ever seen him. "Let me tell you a story sweetheart." He starts, and now he has my full attention. "25 years ago, I won my games. I cheated the system and refused to be a capitol puppet. So when I came home; my entire family and my girlfriend was dead. I was heartbroken and alone; until an old friend came up to me, when I was in town. He knew what had happened to my loved ones, and why. We started to hang out again, but away from the Victor's village and the town. We crawled under the fence and hunted, like we used to. Only a few knew that we were friends; your mother was one of them. After some years I started to like your mother and so did Thomas Everdeen. Your mother and I started dating for a very short time; but then she got pregnant. I knew that, the second Snow found out, you and your mother would be killed. That is when we asked Thomas to help us. He married your mother, knowing that she was pregnant with my child. And when you were born; he claimed you as his daughter. I watched you grow up from afar, and when I could I would send a little food over, or new clothes, and even some medicine. But when he died in the mines, I could no longer send you stuff. People would notice if you got things that your mother couldn't afford. So when I was sick I would go to your mother to get treated, or buy your meat through people at the hob. And when head peacekeeper Cray found out that you hunted outside the fence; I bribed him, and paid a lot of money to keep him away from you and Gale. The year you turned 12 and were in your first reaping, I was more drunk than I had ever been before. I was so afraid that your name would be picked. And the year when Prim's name was drawn; I knew that you would volunteer. I was scared and proud at the same time; and I know that Thomas would have felt the same way."
When Haymitch was done talking; he was crying, and so was my mother. I on the other hand, just stared into the air; not really focusing on anything. I could feel my mother take my hand, but I just pulled it to me so she no longer could hold me. I lie down in my bed and pull the covers up to my chin. "Please leave" I whisper as my eyes start to sting. Cinna takes my hand and give me the little pearl that Peeta gave me. I hold it in my hand as tight as I can. When I hear the door close behind them, I start to cry.
Thank you for reading. this may turn into a longer story, but for now it is just a oneshot.