Hey everyone! This is my first hunger games fan fic and I'm really excited! Now, according to the books Snow had a granddaughter at the time of the war but I've changed that into a "normal" family; aka wife and kids. That should be the only direct challenge to the text, everything else just expands on the unknown :D

Enjoy and R&R!

Chapter 1: The Truth

Remember what Katniss told you to do. Breathe. Think what you know.

My name is December Snow. I prefer just to be called Ember. I am eighteen years old. I live in the new district 12 next-door to Haymitch. I'm supposed to be keeping him sober, and he's supposed to be taking care of her and me. Neither of us can take care of ourselves, let alone the other. The war ended one year ago. I loved a boy from District 11 who died in the Hunger Games. They are no more Hunger Games. My father was president of the old order. He died from choking on his la...

Laughter. I can barely say it in my own head, no chance at all of speaking it out loud.

My father was president of the old order. He died from choking on his la... from screaming my name. I left my father to die. I killed my father.

I felt the pain begin once more in my head, a constant throbbing pounding my forehead. Quickly draining the water glass on the coffee table, I shut my eyes once more hoping to block the pain.

My name is December Snow. People call me Ember. My father is... was...

My hand swept the glass from the table onto the carpeted floor. Through the window I could see Peeta tending to the Primrose surrounding Katniss's house... Their house... Whatever one should call it.

My name is December Snow. Real

There are no more Hunger Games. Real.

I am in love with a dead boy. Real

My father killed him... Real.

I killed my father... Real.

This was the easy way, to simply tell myself what I believe. Nothing about the slight chance my father didn't order Thresh's death, or the fact that Coin bombed that group of kids, and that my father couldn't control the Rebel crashing my sister's skull. Especially that he didn't love me, that's my favorite lie; the one where I meant nothing to him and more importantly he was nothing to me. Then, each reason they give for his almost execution at Katniss's hand makes sense, so does the fact I left him there in the end.

"Get up." The gruff voice surprised me, forcing me to leap from the window seat. "Aurelius will be here in less then an hour. I thought I could trust you enough to pull yourself together."

"I thought that was tomorrow!" Haymitch grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the stairs.

"Well, you were wrong. I don't care if you are more depressed more then ever, but today you are going to convince them all you aren't. I'm sick of these visits and all the people who tag along and the cameras. You are going to get rid of them."

"What about Katniss? They come to check on her being crazy, not just me."

"She is crazy, but that's why she was our Mockingjay, she does the insane. And Katniss wants them out too so she'll play the game thinking it's her own. And she's recovered since we got here, you haven't changed."

I could still see Peeta tending to the bushes through the front window. "She has him. You know she still gets her moments but he is always there holding her, isn't he? Who do I have?"

Haymitch was silent for a moment, watching me carefully. "I'm in no way the best for you, but you have me. And now I'm telling you to go change and fool them all."

"And exactly how do you purpose I do that?"

"By being the you everyone loves, the ones who used to be called rebels and the old Capitol people. The girl tragically torn between two worlds, each side seeing the one they want." Haymitch handed me a single red rose he had waiting on the kitchen counter. "Go cause a stir."

Out of habit more then will, I took the rose, tossing him a quick kiss with a smirk. The only sound I heard was his laughter as I headed back upstairs.

I couldn't tell what possessed me to pull the hidden door on my closet open; digging through the clothes I wore each day until last year, until the war.

My hand grasped a slippery top of silk gold along with a pair of shimmering black shorts. Quietly I pulled the clothes on, absentmindedly twisting my pale blond hair into an elaborate braid circling my head.

"I found these downstairs." Haymitch tossed me a pair of heels and a tube of lip paint.

I sighed as I caught them. "You need to be louder when you walk. I'm sick of you sneaking up on me." He remained silent as he shifted through a box of jewelry on the dresser, in search of one certain thing. I wasn't surprised when he pulled the small gem from its pouch, the ember glistening in the light from the window.

My fingers traced the corner of my eye, searching for the small indent that would reveal the spring. I pressed it lightly, catching the small ball of skin colored clay in my hand. Haymitch passed the small gem, a large smirk imprinted on his face. It felt natural as I popped it into place, the only thing that fit the hole perfectly. He directed me to the mirror, tucking the rose into my hair, the same way he did the morning of the Quarter Quell; the morning I tried to play the Games and lost.

"Do you think he is watching us, knowing how much I wish he was here right now?"

"Maybe, but I do know that Thresh knew how much you loved him going into the games. No matter where he is now, he still loves you." It was the first time Haymitch directly responded to my questions about him and I had to pinch my hand to stop from crying.

"Get used to it sweetie, the questions about him won't just disappear into thin air today. Panem wants answers from you more then anything. Caesar is coming with them and he loves talking to you just as much as Peeta."

"One day I'll tell them all the truth on camera, when they can't stop me. I'll tell everyone about Thresh. About my father, the way he loved my mother and she hated him. How he loved me more then anything in the world. I'll tell them that Thresh's death wasn't at Cato's hands, that my father arranged it all. Then I'd tell them my father didn't put Cory with those other kids that he ran in. And in the end, I killed him."

He kissed my cheek lightly, grasping my hand with the same ferocity he had since I could remember him in my life. "You do that little one. I'm sick of living their lies for you." I should have known that all along Haymitch knew the truth more then anyone. He also had believed me when the rest called me insane.

"Good afternoon Panem!" Caesar's voice was as booming as it had been each year in the capital. "We are airing this special program today because my crew and I have the special privilege to be in District 12 with not only our favorite star-crossed lovers, but with December Snow, the only surviving member of that once royal family."

It took more effort then I could manage to not sock him in the head as the cameras turned to me. He didn't have to remind me in that way that I had no one left.

"Did you miss me?" I almost gasped as the words slipped from my mouth, as if I still was the girl who became famous with that single phrase. I saw Haymitch stationed behind the cameraman, smiling wide.

"Of course, especially as the questions surrounding you are numerous lately. I think Panem wants nothing more then the simple truth from you."

I paused for a moment, darkness coming over my face no matter how I tried to keep it light for the cameras. "Then they can't want the real truth, that's anything but simple. There are parts I'm not even sure of myself."

Flickerman wasn't even slightly fazed, as if he had rehearsed all my answers with his. "Let's start with Thresh. At first we all believed you to just be betting that he was the one to survive. Then after the 74th games, we noticed a slight change in you as preparations for the Quarter quell began, in your enthusiasm. There were signs, but no one saw it until the rebel broadcasts during the war. Now, the passion you felt for each other sprung up quickly, only having a few days before he went into the arena to get to know each other. Would you call it love at first sight?"

The first secret they wanted, the secret of how much longer I knew him and all the nights spent under the stars in District 11. Haymitch simply nodded for me to go on.

"Sure." My voice sounded calmer then I felt. "Let's start with the night I met him." The night that everything changed, and then I hadn't even realized the truth he had told me.

Thanks for reading! Please review!

I know this chapter was a little jumpy, sorry!