Why Does Daddy Hit You?
Chapter 9

Alec's POV:
I wake up in Uncle Haymitch's bed. But….I fell asleep on the couch. Why am I in here? I turn my head to see Rye sound asleep beside me and Mavis lying at the foot of the bed. I slide out of bed trying not to wake either of my brother's up and make my way into the living room. Before I exit the room I check the time. The clock reads "3:27 AM." So it's way too late to be up. I walk into the living room to find Mommy sitting on the couch with Peeta except Peeta is asleep and shirtless, with his head in Mommy's lap. Uncle Haymitch is sitting in a chair. "Mommy." I say. She looks at me and Peeta's muscles tense. She raises a finger to her lips to tell me to hush so I just stand there looking at Peeta. Mommy leans down and starts whispering to Peeta. The only words I catch of it are "I love you." So Mommy does love Peeta? I'M CONFUSED HERE! I look over to Haymitch for some guidance but he just points to the kitchen. I raise an eyebrow and walk over to the kitchen but what I see when I get in there shocks me. A girl with choppy brown hair was standing over the sink washing dishes. She turns her head to look at me and I see her smile. She has dark green eyes. Did Haymitch have a wife that I didn't know about? "Hi. I'm Johanna Mason. And before you ask, no I am not Haymitch's wife. Effie Trinket is. But she's in the Capitol. I'm from District Seven and Victor of the Sixty-Ninth Hunger Games." Johanna says. So she wasn't Haymitch's wife. "Are you going to hurt me?" I ask. She shakes her head. "No. Why would you ask that? I'm nothing like Gale. I'm more of a nice badass." She says. I back away into the living room just in time to hear a door open and shut then to see Rye standing beside Mommy looking at Peeta. Haymitch looks at me and smiles. "Uncle Haymitch…" I whisper and climb onto his lap. "Hey kiddo." He whispers and pats my back. "Mommy, is Peeta going to be okay?" Rye asks. Mom looks at him and nods.

Rye's POV:
Thank God that Peeta's going to be okay. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have a kind father-figure. Mommy says that these use to happen a lot but she thinks they're better now. "Daddy…" I say to Peeta. His eyes shoot open and look at me. "What did you just call me?" He asks. "Daddy." I reply. He smiles and tries to sit up but Mommy pushes him back down. "No Peeta, you need to rest." She says. "I'm okay Katniss. Really." Peeta says to Mommy. She hesitates for a minute but finally lets him up. "Daddy." I say and hug Peeta. He slides an arm around my waist and I just sit there. He smells like cinnamon. Why does he smell like cinnamon? "Why do you smell like cinnamon Daddy?" I ask. Mommy and he smile. "Peeta used to work at a bakery, Rye." Mommy says. "Still do. They rebuilt it." Peeta says. I snuggle into him more. "Katniss," Peeta says. She looks at him. "You love me? Real or not real?" He asks. "Real." She says and kisses him.