A/N: Okay, so a few notes before the chapter. I am in the hospital right now, because while I was out of town on a field trip, I fell off of a skateboard at the park and fractured my hip. Of course, they helicoptered me back home and I am currently getting care, but my chapters are late because of this. Also, I know this chapter is rushed but that's because the hospital's internet connection goes off at 11 mountain time to ensure that patients are getting a full nights rest. So I apologize. Thank you and continue.
Chapter Seven
Back in District 12, Ivy and Haymitch manage to find some sort of schedule again, and albeit it's a different one, it becomes a comfortable one. Of course, they were uneasy, at first, after the incident on the train ride but once they got used to each other – and other's bodies – they were unable to help themselves any longer. Haymitch had not been lying to Ivy when he said if they started something like that, he wouldn't be able to stop. Ivy now knew she would never want him to.
She was at Haymitch's home more often than not, only ever returning home occasionally to retrieve an item or some more fresh clothing. Eventually though, she ran out of clothing to move into his home. At first she said she was only staying to help him clean his house, and she slept in the guest room. But Haymitch found himself slipping into her bed – or her slipping into his – more and more often, and soon she just began sleeping in his room. Even though they never did much sleeping at all.
Madge was another new factor of their lives. Of course, she was uncomfortable with the idea of them at first, but once she realized there were more benefits than downsides to their relationship, she shrugged it off. She began returning at her normal time every Sunday – and sometimes she would come on Friday nights and stay until Sunday's – and she still brought them jam, bread, berries and Haymitch his alcohol. She loved staying with them, and had even asked if she could move with the couple once she was ineligible for the reaping. They were still thinking on that one, though.
Another great positive after her tour was that Ivy no longer heard from Gale. According to Madge, he had totally forgotten about Ivy and was dating the cobbler's daughter, Delly. Also according to Madge, Gale had gotten Delly pregnant and they were expecting a baby boy soon. Ivy couldn't be happier for them. Hell, she was finally happy. Or at least, as happy as she could be for someone who was being sold the highest bidder when she returned back to the Capitol to mentor.
-x-
While Ivy naps on the couch, Haymitch and Madge wander through the more bustling part of the city. It's a Sunday – most of the miners are off today, so the streets are full of families and eager miners willing to trade for some food and supplies for their families – and Madge has to return home tonight but she disclosed a very important piece of information to Haymitch the previous weekend and has dragged him down to the town for a cake.
"Her favorite kind of cake is marble," Madge explains, pushing open the door to the bakery. The bell on the door dings, but over the loud laughing in the kitchen, she's not sure anyone heard. "And her favoriting icing is butter cream and her favorite color-"
"Is fuchsia," Haymitch interrupts the girl. "She told me that much."
"Yup. Peeta!" The youngest baker boy, Peeta Mellark, appears around the corner. His blue eyes sparkle with mirth and surprise, and he quickly fixes the curly blonde locks into something presentable.
"Hello Madge," he says with a big grin on his lips. "Hello Mr. Abernathy."
"Hi Peeta! I need a cake for a friend," Madge says, tapping her nails against the counter. They shimmer with a gold nail polish, a nail polish that Ivy had a loaned to her from her vast collection. Peeta raises an eyebrow, but retrieves a notepad.
"Is it a cake for Katniss?" He asks, and Haymitch notices the boy's excitement peak a little – if that was at all possible. Madge shakes her head, the blonde ponytail swaying as she does. His face falls a little, but he brightens up again before Madge can catch it.
"No, I'm afraid not. No, it's for Ivy! Remember her?" She asks, leaning forward. Peeta nods and he gets this faraway look like he's reminiscing.
"How could I forget? She was my first girlfriend after all, and she set her best friend to kick my ass after I broke up with her… and then two years later she won the Hunger Games. Yup, I remember her. Why do you need a cake for her?" Haymitch chuckles lowly at the story, but then remembers that she killed her best friend and suddenly the story is sadder than it actually is.
"It's going to be her seventeenth birthday today," Madge explains. "And it's really important she has a birthday party. At least, it's important for me. So, can you have a cake done by seven tonight and be at the party? Don't come too fancy, but wear something nice."
"Sure, I'll come. I'll bring the cake too. Is there anything else you'd like to have at the party?"
"Can you have your father make three dozen cheese buns?" Haymitch asks. Peeta and Madge turn to him, eyes raised. He had certainly not mentioned three dozen cheese buns when they were making the preparations, and Madge had asked him countless times if he had wanted to add anything.
"Cheese buns are her family's favorite, they're for after the party," he adds hurriedly. "I'll pay you the same amount as I'll pay the actual store for them if y'all get it all done by tonight and I'll pay your mother triple for everything." Peeta's eyes widen at the medium sized purple pouch of money that he sets in the glass countertop.
"Everything will be ready," he nods finally. Haymitch nods and Madge signs off on the order before they exit the bakery, on their way to the seamstress.
.-.
After a day full of purchases and invitations – Madge had gotten both herself and Ivy hair ties to match their outfits - , they come to a stop at the sweetshop. Taking a deep breath, Haymitch paces outside. Madge had decided it would be best if she went in first and gathered the family, and then he went in and explained everything.
Even still, when the door opens and Madge beckoned him in, he almost had a heart attack. But he had decided when Madge brought up Ivy's birthday that he needed this. He needed to let her family know what was going on, and he needed to ask for this too. They had only three hours until the party started, so he decided to make everything quick.
He explained everything – why she had to get rid of them, why she had been so closed off, why she had been so cruel, why she had never retuned – and then he finally told them of what she had spoken of with the President. As a final part, he explained to them about their relationship.
Ivy's youngest brother, Thicket, yelled at him. Called him a 'pervert' and a 'child molester' and stormed off angrily with vows to ruin Haymitch Abernathy's life. Her oldest sister, Jasmine, is equally disgusted and follows Thicket to go make sure he doesn't hurt himself or somebody in his rage.
But her parents and the rest of her siblings don't react as harsh. Of course they voice their uneasiness about the age difference, but once Madge and Haymitch explain to them everything in less blurred lines, they grudgingly accept the relationship. Of course, they were all more distressed at Ivy being sold for their life sake.
Well all of them except for a girl in the corner with a frown on her mouth. She was sitting on the floor, listening with a furrowed brow. She looked like an exact copy of Ivy – light, blonde locks and sparkling silver eyes – but she looked much angrier than Ivy did. Much angrier and much sadder.
"She deserves it," the girl says coldly. "She deserves what she has coming to her. I hope those men use her within an inch of her life." Haymitch almost stumbles back at the anger in her voice. He wants to say something to her, but he thinks he needs to let her parents speak to her on this matter.
"Cayenne," Ivy's father, Mr. Pagan says sternly. "Sweetheart, you don't mean that. That's your twin, that's your other half. Your Morning sister."
"The Morning sister that abandoned us to save her purity! And now that she's slept around and gave it up easy to her mentor, she isn't so upset about being sold and she wants us to come back. Well I say fuck her. I don't want anything to do with Ivy. Not anymore."
"Cayenne-" Her mother speaks up this time, but Cayenne stands and marches up the stairs, probably to her room. Haymitch and Madge exchange upset glances. They'd really hope the entire family would attend the party, but it might just be better to start small.
After trying – and failing – to call her back, the Pagan parents turn to both Haymitch and Madge.
"We'll be at her birthday party. Thank you, Mr. Abernathy and Miss Undersee for inviting us," Mrs. Pagan says. Haymitch clears his throat and tells Madge to wait for him outside. Then he pulls Ivy's father aside, and whispers something in his ear. The man – that is actually three years younger than Haymitch – grins wildly.
"Yes, Mr. Abernathy. The answer is yes."
-x-
Ivy startles when Madge and Haymitch enter the house. Haymitch immediately rushes into the guest bedroom with certain bags, and puts the others in the kitchen. Madge grabs Ivy's wrist and forces her to the guest bedroom in the bathroom.
"Let's take a shower," Madge says immediately when the door is closed and then she begins undressing. Ivy stares at her wide-eyed before yanking her wrist away in surprise.
"What's gotten into you, Madge? What's going on?" Ivy asks an eyebrow quirked. She places the back of her hand against her friend's forehead with a curious expression, but the other girl laughs.
"I'm sorry, that sounded wrong, I don't mean it in that way. I meant we need to hurry and shower, and you can't leave this room yet because Haymitch is making you something so we're going to share a shower. I promise we don't have to touch or look at each other, but we need to be done really soon so we have to go together."
"What's going on?" Ivy repeats, but begins to remove her shirt and pajama bottoms. Madge turns on the water and turns her back to finish undressing, turning over her shoulder to talk.
"I'm not sure, you know," she lies. "Haymitch just told me not to let you leave this room until seven o' clock, and he said make sure you look decent when you do but not too Capitol."
"I'm very confused," Ivy replies. "But Haymitch is a confusing man so… sure, why not?" It doesn't take long for the girls to shower; they just quickly scrub down and wash their hair. What does take long is finding the perfect outfit for Ivy, seeing as all of her dresses are either too outlandish or not the right color. For some odd reason to Ivy, Madge wants her to wear a dress that's her favorite color.
But soon, they do find a dress. It's a pretty fuchsia color that has a lot of movement in the skirt of it. It twirls and sways like water, but when it goes towards her bodice it tightens around her waist and breasts. And in the back, the neck line dips all the way down to right before her underwear would be revealed. The dress has short sleeves and a bit short as it comes up a ways above her knees. But Ivy fills it out perfectly, and looks beautiful in it.
Madge's dress however, is a pretty light blue color that is more like a sundress. It's crisscrossed in the back, with straps instead of sleeves. They both look really nice in their outfits, and once they both find the right shoes – four inch heels that are the same color of her dress for Ivy, and white flats with a bow on the toes for Madge – they both settle down to do their make-up.
Ivy is adding a matte pink lipstick when Haymitch knocks on the door, donned in a tan button-up and a pair of nice jeans and shoes.
"You look beautiful, Ivy," he says, kissing her forehead. She blushes lightly, seeing as she still wasn't used to him complimenting her. "Madge is supposed to bring you into the living area at seven, everything is set up. Don't worry, sweetheart," he adds before turning to leave. "Nothing will happen." Ivy nods, and doesn't ask questions. If he says nothing is going to happen to her on Madge, then she trusted him.
As the two girls stand in the mirror, Madge begins to tear up. Ivy frowns and turns to look at her, seeing as Madge only cried when she heard of the mine explosions – and everyone cried when they heard of the mine explosions – or when a tribute died.
"I love you, Ivy, you know that right? You're the sister that I – and I know its cliché – never had," she says with a sniffle. Ivy refrains from rolling her eyes because she knows that if Madge is crying, she's serious.
"I love you too, Madge," Ivy glances at the clock. "It's seven now." Madge nods, turns and blindfolds Ivy before leading her into the living room. The birthday only knows they're in the living room because she's memorized the format of this house from top to bottom. In case of emergencies, she needs to know where she is.
"I'm going to remove the blindfold, but don't open your eyes," Madge whispers. When the blindfold is removed, she counts to three before telling Ivy to open her eyes.
"Surprise!" Yells out half of the seam and merchant kids, as well as her family. Ivy screams – believing she's hallucinating – and faints on the spot.
