Disclaimer: I claim no ownership on the characters or world I'm borrowing for this fanfiction. Never was mine, never will be.

Author's Note: This story starts a year after the assassination of President Coin/President Snow. At least for now, it'll be told from Rory Hawthorne's point-of-view but the main focus will be on Gale Hawthorne and Johanna Mason. I hope you like it!

Chapter One: Man of the Family

"Rory!"

I nearly jump out of my skin when Haymitch Abernathy shouts my name across his yard. The Hunger Games may be over and the rebellion may have ended a year ago but the man still scares me sometimes. I adjust the strap on my game bag and grip my bow tight. "What?"

Apparently annoyed that I don't run right over to him, he groans loudly and crosses the yard to meet me. "You could've met me halfway, boy," he mutters.

I shrug. "You need the exercise. What do you want? It's cold and I've been in the woods all day. You didn't lose Katniss again, did you?" I really hope he hasn't lost Katniss again. She's much better than I hear she was when she first got home but he and Peeta still freak out whenever she's gone in the woods too long, or whatever their definition of too long is. I always end up going to look for her, and usually almost getting shot for my trouble.

He shakes his head. "She's in the house. Has been all day. I need to talk to you about something, as you're the man of your family now."

"If I'm the man of my family now, how about you don't call me boy," I snap. I don't particularly want to be the man of my family. Life is better now that we've moved back to District 12 and there's no more Seam, but Gale - the coward who can't even face us more than to use his connections to somebody important to get us a house in the Victor's Village - should be the man of the family. "Can't you talk to my mother about whatever it is?"

"I could talk to her, boy," he says, putting emphasis on the word no doubt only to irritate me, "but I didn't think you'd want her to know just yet that your brother is in jail."

I almost drop my bow. Blinking slowly, I look over my shoulder at my house. I can see Vick in the window. "Not Vick?" I manage to croak.

"Not Vick," he repeats. "I think we both know who I'm talking about."

I put the end of my bow on the ground and lean on it, sort of like a crutch. "I thought he was some big hero that everybody loved who could do no wrong."

"Drunkenly shoving women off fifth floor balconies tend to change the opinions people might have of the drunk doing the shoving." He crosses his arms against the cold and braces his legs. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this way but I figured blunt would be best."

I nod, but it isn't necessarily in agreement. It's hard to get my mind around what he said. The smartest thing to do seems to be to repeat it. "Are you telling me Gale was drunk and shoved a woman off a fifth floor balcony?"

"I am," he says, and I don't miss the regret in his voice.

"Is she dead?" I say very slowly, or at least that's the way it sounds to my ears.

He shakes his head, and I feel stupid with relief. "No, she's not dead. She's hurt but she's alive."

"Did he mean to do it?"

"Doubt it. Speaking from experience, alcohol and being blind drunk with it makes you do idiotic things you probably wouldn't do otherwise. Point is, Rory, that he did it. So he's in jail." He sighs loudly, my shaken mind weirdly mesmerized by the frosty cloud that escapes from him. "Doesn't help, though, that he pushed a victor off a balcony. You know, one of just seven of us left alive."

I need to sit down and the bucket Posy must've been using to make a snow castle seems as good a place as any. It makes me much shorter than him but I don't care. He said Katniss was in the house so it's not her. That leaves Annie - and I will personally throttle him if he hurt Annie, Johanna, and Enobaria. I kick my boot against the closest snow castle, collapsing it quickly. "Who?"

"Johanna Mason." He holds up his hand when I start to say something. "I don't know what happened between the two of them or why she was in District 2. The fact is that it happened."

I shake my head, trying to get the fuzziness out. "What's going to happen to him?"

"Don't know. I imagine it'll be up to President Paylor in the end, and probably depend on what Johanna says happened - not that it could've been her fault."

I stand up and square my shoulders as best I can. "I know you're telling me because I'm apparently the man of the family now, but I don't know what you want me to do. How am I supposed to tell my mother this?"

"I'll tell her," he says more gently than I expect, "and I don't really want you to do anything. I'm telling you in case you might want to go to Two and see him."

Oddly, I do want to go to Two and see him. It's very strange, when I've tried so hard for the last year to resent him. If he's drinking that much, he's suffering. What he did to Johanna is still inexcusable, but I know he's feeling it now. "I'd be allowed to see him?" I ask, not even caring that I'm giving away how I feel about it all.

"Yeah, I'll get you in. What are the chances your mother will want to go along?"

I shrug. "Vick's got bronchitis bad and it looks like Posy played outside today but she was coughing this morning. She'd probably at least be convinced to stay home with them even if it isn't her first thought."

He nods and blows on his fingers. "Good enough. I'll talk to her now. Be ready to leave on the train in the morning. You'll have to travel alone. That alright?"

I flex my jaw, and feel silly for it. "I'm the man of the house, aren't I? Of course it's alright."

He nods once and walks toward the front door of our house.

I take the opportunity to slip into the back door, startling Posy who is eating a cupcake clearly made by Peeta and meant for dessert. I put my finger of my lips. "I won't tell but if Mom notices one missing, you're on your own."

She sticks a frosting covered tongue out at me but grins in agreement. "Is that dead stuff in your bag?"

I tell her I'll be right back, thanking her for reminding me that I actually got the stuff for Katniss - who is planning a special stew for Peeta for tomorrow - and hurry back outside and to her house. She still doesn't talk much to many people so she doesn't ask any question when I hand off the stuff and disappear again. No way in hell am I going to be the one to tell her about Gale and Johanna. And given the sort of happy look on her face, Haymitch hasn't told her yet either.

By the time I get back, my mother is fighting back tears but tells me she's glad I'm going, even if it is alone. Haymitch reassures her that I'll be fine and that I'll be travelling on a government issued pass so no one will give me any trouble. Then, after dinner, I get a long lecture about making sure I eat enough and call when I get there. Vick's jealous I get to go and nobody tells Posy anything.

Haymitch signs the pass, because he's apparently still got some importance in the government, and writes out directions for me to follow when I get to District Two. He's sending me straight to Enobaria, which is a little alarming in and of itself, but he tells me that the few victors basically have the run of the country and she'll get me where I need to be. He's already talked to her and told her I'm coming. The crazy woman who tears out throats with her teeth probably isn't the best tour guide, but she's what I've got.

All around, it's best this way.

I'll be the man of the family if I have to.

I don't particularly want to, but I will.

After all, I don't have a Reaping to fear anymore.