I forgot to write the disclaimer...whoops! Anyways, this will go for the entire series of chapters I write.
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING you recognize. Everything here is borrowed from Suzanne Collins or the Hunger Games Movie, produced but Lionsgate. This disclaimer goes for the ENTIRE story. Any songs I mention in here DO NOT belong to me unless specified. So basically, the only thing I own is the plot and my own writing, but none of the content…if that makes sense.
Anyways, thank you so much for the reviews that you guys have given me!
Secondly, this is going to seem kind of rushed up until they go into the Games. Sorry, but that is how it is.
These chapters are longer than the ones I normally write, by more than a thousand words...so it might take longer to update, but right now, with it still being summer vacation for me, they might get up quicker!
"Make sure they remember you."
-Haymitch
Effie and Haymitch lead us to the main cart of the train.
I took a moment to examine Rye.
He and Peeta had the same eyes. The same, beautiful blue eyes.
Where Peeta had thick blond hair, Rye had thick brown hair with some highlights. He was stockier than Peeta was, but it could just be because he was older then Peeta would ever be.
Ever since Peeta's death, Rye and I had been semi-close. He would come in and check in on Roan every couple of days or once every week, even babysat when I had to go to school, since, as a Town kid, he didn't have to work in the mines.
Sometimes, he would even sneak a cookie or a piece of a cake (not even stale!) to Prim or I.
In a way, he was kind of like the uncle that we would never have.
We all awkwardly sat down at the table together, just staring at each other.
Haymitch looked sober, more sober than I ever saw him before. He had almost an energy to him.
Rye finally had enough of being eyed, and said, "So what's the game plan."
Haymitch sat back, looking at Rye thoughtfully.
"We are going to keep you alive."
The way he said it didn't seem sarcastic. It sounded like a promise.
That night, I walked into the room to find a small crib built into the bed. There is no wall with the mattress connecting to the big bed, but three walls to keep the baby from rolling away.
I laid Roan down and looked around. On top of the dresser is a box of disposable baby diapers, the ones we can never afford.
I change Roan, his soft babbling making me smile.
He had his small, pudgy hands curled up in fists, waving them around, kicking his small legs.
After nursing him, I curl up on the bed with him in his attached crib. He's asleep instantly, after I sing to him and rub his stomach.
I lay down next to him, just watching him.
Before he was born, I never wanted kids. I never wanted to get married. I never wanted to fall in love. It only lead to hurt and death.
When I found out I was pregnant, I didn't know what to think. I wasn't going to give up the baby, but I was so confused and hurt.
When Roan was born in a flurry of pain and pushes, I took one look at his face and fell in love.
Before, when I thought about myself, I thought about a stone, a hunter, someone who kept surviving.
After, I was a mother; one who would do anything to keep her son safe.
That moment, I steeled myself.
I was going to do everything necessary to get home to Prim, Roan, Gale, and all my cousins.
I couldn't leave Prim; I was all she had…Mom must have conked out, and she had no survival skills.
Roan…he needed me there. He needed his mother.
Gale was my best friend, my cousin…he needed my help keeping out family alive.
I wasn't going to let them down.
I was awoken the next morning to Effie's shrill voice, screeching like the chalk on a blackboard back home.
"Up, up, up! It's going to be a big, big day!"
Roan jerked and then let out a whimper, which would turn into a full blown cry if I didn't calm him down.
Jerking out of bed, I rubbed his side fiercely, calming him down to sleep one more time.
Letting out the breath I didn't know I was holding, I got dressed in tight black pants and the boots from home. A long sleeved sweater got thrown on over it, and then I looked to the other side of the room, where baby clothes were.
Smiling wryly, I realized that Haymitch must have done something to make sure that baby clothes were around for Roan.
Peeling him out of his clothes and changing his diaper, he woke up a little, eyes still glazed. He put his small fingers to his mouth to suck on for a while.
I couldn't resist a girly smile when I saw all the clothes I could dress him in.
Choosing a blue one-piece and a deeper blue pant set, I cuddled him to my chest, opened the door with my hip, and went to the dinning cart.
Haymitch was there, and so was Effie, dressed in an obnoxious yellow ensemble today.
Rye came in the other door, rubbing his eyes, blond hair in tuffs around his head.
"Good morning! Now, there is a lot to cover today before we get to the Capitol. First things first-"
Haymitch cut her off with a hand, and her face was so affronted looking that I had to stifle a smile.
Roan sat on my lap, facing out, making funny little noises, slightly muffled by his fingers still in his mouth.
I spooned a little bit of everything onto my plate; it seemed like a good idea to put on some weight before the arena.
Roan made some more noises, his free hand making circles in the air.
Cooing a little back to him, I dunked my pinky into my applesauce before offering it to his small mouth.
I watched with some humor as he made a cross-eyed face and smacked his lips. He had no idea how to eat really. That would come in a couple of months.
There was silence at the table, and I looked up, suddenly bashful.
It wasn't uncommon for a woman in her late teens to have a child. I was a special case in my district, but no one commented, not even some of the more obnoxious boys at school.
I knew at the Capitol though, they didn't have children until later. Didn't want to ruin their bodies.
Effie looked at me in what looked scarily like pity. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, before saying in a voice not as shrill, "How old is he? What's his name?"
"His name is Roan Peeta Everdeen. He's two months old."
Rye's hand stiffened on his fork.
Haymitch sighed, taking a long swig of what looked like just plain orange juice; I guess he was making good on his promise to stay sober.
"OK…I'm going to give you advice on how to stay alive…but we're going to be pulling into the train station and brought right to your stylists. So, all you need to do is just go along with them, and for the love of god, do not protest."
That didn't sound too appealing to me.
"So, you're going to watch Roan?"
Haymitch smiled at me, a sardonic smile, but still with a hit of warmth.
"Yes, I am."
Roan, like he knew we were talking about him, shook around his fists, his smile still in place.
Effie seemed torn for a moment, like she wanted to say something that went against the grain for her personality.
What came out of her mouth shocked me.
"May I…May I hold him?"
Haymitch's, as well as mine, mouth dropped open, shock evident in both of our faces.
Her face dropped a little, and she made a move like she was going to get up, before I jolted up, my mouth working to say, "Yes…thank you for asking."
Effie's face lit up, and I slowly passed Roan over to her.
For a moment, it looked like he was going to cry, but then Effie started swaying, making little cooing noises, which still carried her Capitol accent.
Roan looked at her with befuddlement on his small face, but then he graced her with a gummy smile, and then commenced trying to grab her earrings or her necklace.
Rye smiled at me from behind Effie, his face saying it all; no one could resist Roan.
As soon as we pulled up to the train station, I was whisked away, along with Rye. Haymitch and Effie were left alone with Roan, and I was a little afraid at what was going to happen to him.
Locked into a plain white room, three people came flying in, looking like a flock of multicolored birds.
"Hello there! I'm Venia," said a woman with aqua hair and elegant gold tattoos over her eyebrows. Motioning to the man with with orange hair and bright purple lipstick, she said, "This is Flavius."
"And I'm Octavia," said a plumpish woman whose skin was a creepy shade of pea green.
I smiled at all of them, trying to keep my hands from shaking. For being from the Capitol, they actually didn't seem half bad.
Those sentiments went out the window when I had the fifth strip of my hair ripped off.
"Sorry, sorry! But you're just so hairy!"
I rolled my eyes and braced myself on the table.
Octavia smiled at me, looking genuinely apologetic.
"This is the last one."
For the past three hours, I had been 'prepped,' which basically meant that I was waxed of all hair except for on my head, and even that had been put through some kind of weird washing.
With some cooling lotion on, Flavius clapped his hands.
"You look marvelous darling!"
I smiled at them, not finding it in me to hate my shallow prep team.
I was annoyed with them for putting me through this though. It was painful.
"Let's go get Cinna now!"
The three of them scrambled for the door, air kisses left behind.
I pulled on my robe, a little embarrassed to at my nakedness.
I had gotten semi-over it.
After I gave birth to Roan, I had my mother teach me some basic healing. I had tried to lock away the squeamish girl I had been. I still wasn't so good I didn't blush when I saw a patient naked.
Shaking myself out of my digressing, I waited for the mysterious Cinna to come in.
When he did, I was shocked.
I had been expecting some kind of Capitol altered freak; someone who had gone through more plastic surgeries than I had fingers on my hands.
What I got was a young man, with dark brown hair and tanned skin, not the fake colors or paleness that was most common here. More startling, he was dressed in plain black clothes.
Apparently, the only concession to self-alteration seemed to be the gold eyeliner applied in a light hand, which brought out the gold flecks in his eyes.
He reached out a hand, and I shook it.
"Hello. I'm Cinna, your stylist."
"Katniss," I said, shaking his hand.
Cinna nodded to me. He motioned me over to the table, where a plate of fruit, some dipped in chocolate, sat.
I wondered what it would be like…to be able to call up food at the push of a button.
To not spend all the time in the forest, looking for food, trading and trying to survive…would I be able to spend more time with Gale, with Roan? Would Roan even be around right now if I didn't stoop to such low levels to keep our family alive?
The thought of not having Roan now that I had him seemed unbearable, and I quickly pushed the thoughts out of my mind.
Cinna stared at me, his face blank.
"I'm sorry."
I raised an eyebrow at him.
"For what?"
"The fact that you have a son and you're being forced into these Games."
I let out a wry smile.
"I wouldn't change him for the world Cinna."
Cinna's face stayed blank, but his eyes softened.
After having some more fruit (which tasted out of this world), Cinna lead me to the other room, where my costume was laid out.
I furrowed my eyebrows. It looked like just a plain black leather suit, with knee high boots and a cape, a small tiara on a pillow above it.
Cinna must have seen my face because he let out a chuckle.
"What is District 12 known for?"
"Coal…," I trailed off. Normally the tributes were dressed in coal miner's clothes, sometimes even covered in coal dust while being stark naked.
"And what do you do with coal?"
The understanding, as well as the horror, must have been plain on my face.
"You light it on fire."
Behind this mask of a semi-normal human lurked the soul of a madman.
"Where the hell is Haymitch? Isn't he supposed to be here to save us from this?"
Rye was dressed in the same getup as I was. The tight leather made him look thicker, more stocky. I had been embarrassed to look in the mirror, because my newly expanded chest seemed even larger.
I rolled my eyes, looking around.
"Haymitch is in charge of my son, I don't want him near us."
Rye laughed a little, before giving me a hand up into the chariot, which was decorated in flames.
I hadn't been done up with a lot of make-up, which was a good thing, because I think I would have sweated it all off.
Cinna and his partner stylist, Portia, came over, fake synthetic flame in their hands. He swore up and down and left to right that it wouldn't hurt us, but for some reason, I was still skeptical.
When the cape was lit, I couldn't believe it. There was no heat, only a faint tickling sensation, like the kind you get on the back of your neck when you think someone is watching you.
Rye reached out his hand, and without thinking, I grabbed it.
I could only imagine how this might look…like we're lovers, like we have a son, and we had the unfortunate luck to be thrust into these games.
It was never like that with Rye and I. I mean, I'm sure one or both of us thought about it once or twice, but he was too much of my brother. He was there for me and Roan, always; for crying out loud, he held my hand when I gave birth to Roan.
It seemed fitting that (as friends) we held hands going into this.
The minute we went down the street, the crowds went wild.
Pulling from somewhere deep inside myself, I pasted on a fake smile, letting the adrenaline make the tremors and self-consciousness fade away.
The crowd screamed, threw roses and other little trinkets at us.
Then the chariots were pulled into the circle, President Snow beamed down at us with his puffy lips the color of blood.
I tuned out of his speech, choosing instead to look around at the competition.
I had seen them at the recap of the reapings.
The tall, lanky arrogant boy from District One, the small but deadly looking girl from District Two.
My heart clenched when I saw the little girl from District Eleven. She couldn't have been older than Prim, and not that much taller. Hopefully, the tall, dangerous looking boy who had also been reaped from her district would protect her.
Soon, I was jolted back into reality when the horses received some kind of silent signal to turn and and bring us back to the Training Center.
Once inside, our prep team came flouncing around us, yelping about 'what a splash!' and 'no one will ignore you now!'
Cinna and Portia sprayed something onto our headdresses and capes to put the flame out.
Rye dropped down from the chariot and then helped me down.
Effie flounced over, giving us tight hugs, tapping us on the nose while she went on and on about how we did such a good job, like we did more than just stand in a chariot and wave.
"And the hand holding? Perfect! Makes us look like a team!"
Rye raised an eyebrow at me. I understood the gallows humor behind it.
How were we supposed to be a team when only one winner could be crowned?
When I cast a look around, I had to stifle a laugh.
Haymitch was walking to us, after finishing talking to another mentor who was laughing at him also.
Strapped onto his chest was Roan.
Roan seemed perfectly happy with his new best friend. Haymitch looked disgruntled, but behind it, I could tell he liked being with Roan.
When he came nearer, I laughed out loud, reaching out to play with Roan, who was strapped back to front with Haymitch.
"I have to say, you two look like you're having a lot of fun."
Haymitch rolled his eyes, showing me how to unstrap him.
Once Roan was out of the little holder, her laughed and tried to grab at my hair, which had been pulled back in an intricate braid with some bits hanging off of it.
Rye reached out for Roan and I passed him over, laughing at the faces that he was making for Roan's entertainment.
Suddenly remembering where we were, I looked around, noticing that we had been the center of most stares.
The other district tributes looked at us in jealousy and contempt. We had literally out shown them all.
The large volunteer tribute from two, the one with blond hair and striking blue eyes, stared at me with a mixture of admiration and hatred.
Flinching back, I took Roan from Rye's grasp and held him tighter to me, before following the others up to the penthouse, where we would be housed for five days and six nights before we would be sent to the arena.
Before we would be sent to our deaths.
The next chapter is in the works! Please keep reviewing :)
And yes, the information about how Roan came to be, will come up soon!
And I think the general consensus is that Peeta is his father...well, we will have to find out!
Also, I love the whole Haymitch with the little baby carrier strapped to his chest...OMG, I died laughing...
