I don't own The Hunger Games.
Merry Christmas. Due to the fact that I am Hispanic my family celebrates tonight (Dec 24th). We stay up until 12 eat Christmas dinner and then open gifts after midnight. Here is your present enjoy .
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Chapter 7
He needed a drink. He needed one badly. If he tried hard enough he could picture a single glass of molten scotch. Haymitch could taste the liquid; he pretended the water he drank was scotch. He shook his head and looked at the schedule on his arm. He was due for a meeting in the command room. He wore the grey uniform he had been given and the beanie hat. He felt cold most of the time.
It had taken him weeks to finally get inside the meetings. Katniss ignored him most of the time but he had listened to one advice he gave her. "Play nice sweetheart. Do as they tell you and you might yet see the boy."
Peeta was alive. It was why Haymitch had not entirely given up. His hands shook from time to time but Coin nor anyone else think alcohol would help him, how little did they know. It had been about three weeks since Plutarch rescued them. Haymitch had not apologized or spoken to him other than to instruct him how to handle Katniss but that was soon coming to an end.
The Capitol sent footage of both Peeta and Joanna. They were alive, the boy begged Katniss to surrender. Seeing Peeta brought a sense of control out of him. Katniss finally agreed to film the propos and be of any service only if Coin rescued Peeta. Finnick had begged him for Annie and Joanna. Haymitch then talked to commander Paylor. "You need all your victors. Rescue Peeta, Annie and Joanna." It took a while to convince her but she accepted.
That happened a week ago. President Coin put the girl to work immediately. Cressida was unhappy with the initial propos and so was Plutarch. Katniss was furious and unwilling she wanted Peeta with her and was vocal about it. "I can't." Even her prep team grew frustrated with her. They finally called him to talk to her. Plutarch dressed her in a long black dress and wanted a fierce woman. The Mockingjay. His girl was so uncomfortable, out of place.
"Get her out of that dress. Give her a uniform and her pin." He said. The prep team looked at Plutarch who assented
This was his job today. She was to be filmed in district 12's woods. Haymitch wondered who chose the location for the propos. This was the Meadow, most Seam children played there at some point or another. Katniss wore Cinna's warrior Mockingjay uniform. She looked as uncomfortable and plastic as whenever she had to be prompted to do any of these stunts. He could tell it wouldn't be easy for her to do the damn propo. Plutarch signaled for Cressida to stop rolling. Haymitch shook his head.
"Can you hear me?"
He ignored the people in the room who assured him she could. "Sweetheart, can you hear me?" He used the same voice he used when she was attacked by the jabberjays. She nodded. He couldn't see Plutarch smirking or Coin's calculating stare. "I used to play here with my brother." He said softly, somehow forgetting he wasn't supposed to speak about Mathew.
"I played with Prim too. I hid under a honeysuckle bush." She walked to the bush. Haymitch laughed softly. He could picture her, a little girl hiding from her mother.
Mockingbirds flew out of the biggest trees. She got a frightened look in her face. She must have remembered the jabberjays, she could go into terror mode any second.
"Deep in the meadow, under the willow" He started with a raspy voice. He sang softly, carefully as if not to scare her. She trembled and he stopped.
"Why did you stop?" She asked puzzled.
"A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when again they open, the sun will rise." He sang gently, remembering mom, Mathew and Effie.
Katniss looked above and then to the meadow. They sang together, she had a beautiful voice.
"Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you."
He didn't feel the stares. He did not see Plutarch giving the order for Cressida to film. The old victor saw the girl and thought of Effie only. She was gone because of him. All he could think was that she would have loved the meadow during spring. She loved flowers even if she said she liked jewels better. He remembered the first time she smiled at him; a genuine smile. She always said Katniss and him were too alike. They mourned together. They sang for all they had lost. The girl lost her innocence a long time ago but now she had nothing. The place they called home for so many years was gone. They mourned Peeta and Effie; only Peeta was still alive. Effie was gone
"Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away."
The mockingjays echoed the melodies. He sang, forgetting everything and remembering Effie only. It had been years since he sang.
"Here it's safe and here it's warm
And here the daisies guard you from every harm
And here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you." They finished together.
"I miss them." She said brokenly.
He remained quiet. They heard Cressida ask Katniss some questions about district 12. They did not record the message. Katniss was stiff and unbelievable in her role as the Mockingjay. She was so forced, so helpless in her role as the face of the rebellion.
"This is not the girl you promised me." Alma Coin complained. "The deal is off. The districts will not rally behind us. She is nothing but a little girl.
"Put her in the field." He turned to see their faces. Haymitch was sure Katniss would do better in the field. She worked best when she improvised.
"She's not ready." Plutarch said quickly.
"The games almost destroyed her. She can't be active part of the rebellion. I will not risk her." Coin stated.
"I'm not asking you to send her to war zones. Send her to a safe place, outside of 12 and 13."
"District 8." Beetee offered. "There was a bombing yesterday night. Send her to the hospital. It is very unlikely the Capitol will bomb again. District 8 has no military power anymore."
Haymitch could feel Plutarch approving. "Fine, but if this does not work she will come back and we'll find someone else to be our face and get the districts together."
"You will never find someone better." The old victor muttered and left the command room.
Coin refused to let him accompany her. "She will have an earpiece. You will speak to her if necessary otherwise you stay here with us in this room." The madam president Coin did not trust him to not escape with the mockingjay. Haymitch had not made a big fuss. Boggs, the Hawthorne boy and the whole filming crew went with the girl.
The visit to the hospital was a success up until the radars picked up the hovercrafts. Beetee said loudly. "They are aiming for the hospital."
"Take cover now." He said through the earpiece. Katniss and the Hawthorne boy separated from Boggs and the rest of the team.
He had his heart on his throat until she ducked and took cover with the rest of the team. As Beetee announced the hospital was bombed and burned to the ground. Katniss was finally able to articulate the damn propos.
Coin and Plutarch were satisfied with the end results. He took a little bow and left the room. Let them remember who came up with the idea of Katniss being on the field.
For the next couple of months all district 13 could talk about was the Mockingjay and her message to president Snow.
Katniss avoided him more than ever. She refused to look him in the eye and glared at him whenever he crossed her path. He had not talked to her yet, not outside the earpiece and she hardly ever answered back to him.
He was utterly surprised when she knocked on his door. He couldn't sleep more than an hour each night. It was a miracle he was not dead yet, Mrs. Everdeen explained that it did not matter if he didn't sleep because the food they served him was tailored to him so his body could be rested and well nourished.
"Snow is torturing him. He looks weaker, paler, Peeta will not live and I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do. How do I stop this?" She yelled angrily.
Haymitch sat on the bed. "You don't realize how powerful you are do you?" Haymitch grew frustrated too. The damn restrictions and the puppetry, the fact that he had a fucking schedule attached to his arm did not help either.
"I have done everything she's asked of me. I've filmed two propos and there's still not a plan to save them." She paced in front of him.
He looked at her and did something that could break them. "Stop then."
"What?" She asked confused.
"Refuse her. Don't film a damn propo. Let them find another Mockingjay."
"I can't what about the people. District 7 just rebelled. People died because of me, because I sang the Hanging Tree."
He laughed, "don't be so presumptuous sweetheart. Those men and women died because they wanted to have freedom at last. You are a push, the push those men and women needed. That is why they desperately need you to unite them and push them into action, you have done beautifully."
Katniss looked at him. "All I wanted was for Peeta to live and you betrayed me." She spat once more. She looked at him with fury.
"I volunteered to save him. He was supposed to be rescued…"
"With Effie." She said and looked at him. "We saw you in your room."
He feigned puzzlement.
Katniss glared at him. "Peeta wanted to make sure you would protect me in the arena. You were cuddling and she kissed your chin. I thought nothing of it and wanted to get in the room. Peeta pushed me away. We did not talk about it and then in the arena, the birds. It all made sense. I'm so mad at you. She is Capitol and you lo…"
"Shut up. You don't know what you are talking about. Do as I say and now go." He pushed her out of his room.
Their relationship did not improve over the course of the next days. It became outright hostile when the latest Capitol message aired. Peeta looked so frail, he had bruises, and the Capitol did not bother with make up this time. He looked haggard, like a man thrice his age to top it all his eyes looked haunted.
The people in district 13 booed and called Peeta a coward. Katniss looked lost, she looked to the screen only. "Katniss, they're coming Katniss." A peacekeeper hit him with a gun. The screen went black.
"Could it be?" Coin and her minions were on the move immediately. "Get everyone to the lower levels, evacuate the upper levels.
It was all a haze. Suddenly soldiers were pushing him through the big stairs, they must have gone through at least thirty long flights of stairs until they reached the bunkers. The soldiers jammed him and most of district 12 into the small spaces.
He found Mrs. Everdeen, and the Hawthornes. He sat with them. Soon he breathed easier when Katniss entered the bunker. "Where's Prim?"
"I thought she was with you." The woman said fearfully.
"She went back for the damned cat." Just like that Katniss was out the door.
