A/N: I'm sorry this is a late update. Recently, I've been having trouble turning my thoughts into words. but don't worry, I promise to make the next update earlier. Just to clear up some confusions, the prologue was a flashback of when Heather was thirteen years old. There will be some book following after this one that talks about Heather during the 74th Hunger Game and the rebellion, they will too start with a flashback from Heather's childhood. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

The little guy was at it again.

He was screaming his head off, turning red in the face from how much crying he did. Heather knew what he wanted but she couldn't give it to him. Not until Cyan came here to feed him. He should have been living with the Pitbergs, June's birth family, not with her. But she was too selfish to let him go. Now Cyan had to move with them, not that Heather minded, in order for Luke's feeding time to make sense. Apparently, the whole going back and forth wasn't working.

Ever since she called Finnick after having enough of those nightmares, things have been a little better for her. Surprisingly, talking to him was easy, and he understood how she felt with her loss and nightmares. She knew that she had Haymitch to reach out for but he wasn't in a good place to help her.

It had been two months since her hunger games ended and still, there were requests for her to go to the Capitol. It was like Snow's threat all over again. Except maybe less worse.

"There, there, little guy," Heather rocked him. "Cyan will be here in no time, and then you'll have all the breast milk you want."

Thankfully, the baby started to cry less and Heather hoped that rocking him worked. However, it didn't as he just stopped to throw up on her shirt then proceeded to cry again. To make things worse, he grabbed on her hair really tightly for a baby his age to the point that it started to hurt her scalp.

When Cyan entered the house with a suitcase by her side, Luke had the decency to stop crying when he saw her. Cyan raised her eyebrows when she saw Heather's current condition and said, "Need help?

"Yes, please," Heather responded with a pout.

To be honest, Heather never liked her but it's not like she had any choice. She should be thankful that Cyan agreed to feed Luke alongside her son, and she did. Still, that didn't change her feelings towards the woman. Just like the people from the merchant section, Cyan was blessed with fair hair and skin. She was the kind of person who couldn't keep her mouth shut yet she managed to lure others' secrets to spread them around.

Heather knew this from experience because it was her that told the people of her blindness. At that time, Heather didn't care about people finding out but it wasn't Cyan's right to broadcast news that wasn't hers to share.

Handing over Luke to her, Heather searched for the one-year-old boy that usually accompanied Cyan wherever she went. "Where is Marlin?"

Cyan sighed, "I tried to bring him here but he threw a tantrum. Apparently, he wants to be with his dad."

"I see. Well, I'm going to go upstairs to take a shower. You know where Luke's room is, right?" Heather asked her. After seeing her nod, Heather went ahead to her room to grab a green dress then headed to the bathroom connected to her room. Truth be told, Luke's room was her room. Heather knew it was absurd, but she couldn't help but feel afraid for him when he slept far away from her.

Over the past days, Heather developed a good relationship with dresses. Turns out, they weren't that bad. They were easy to put on, they looked good, and, while it was hard to, it didn't take a lot of time cleaning them. Once inside the bathroom, Heather immediately took off the dress she was currently wearing and threw it into the bucket of clothes that she had to wash tonight.

When she stepped to shower, she started to go through the list of chores that she had to do. Besides laundry, she had to cook tonight for her and Cyan, clean the remaining rooms she had yet to enter, shop for food, knit winter clothes for Luke because she didn't trust the clothes in District 12 to keep him warm enough, and she also had to check on Haymitch and make sure he was alive.

How he survived living alone all these years without her was astonishing. The first time she set foot in his house, she almost had a stroke from how dirty it was. She found the man himself on a floor, covered in vomit. Thankfully Luke was with his uncle, so she spent the rest of her visit cleaning his house and she woke him then told him to shower while she made him a decent meal. Haymitch looked disturbed at first, not because he found her annoying, but because she did all of this for him. Heather could see that in his eyes, he didn't want her to go all through that trouble for someone as worthless as him.

It pained Heather to see someone she cared so much about feeling that way. She wished to make him see the kind of person he truly is. Sure, he was always drunk, grumpy, and hard to be around but he was also loyal, unselfish, and intelligent. So, while she also had to balance her list of chores, Heather had to find a way for Haymitch to love himself.

Heather sighed in frustration, faced her head upwards and let the tiny warm water drops hit her face. There was no point in stressing herself right now. She could almost hear her father saying, stressing keeps you from doing the things you're supposed to be doing at the moment. She had to stop thinking and instead work through her goals step by step. It was noon, and she had enough time to complete those tasks.

Getting out of the bathroom, Heather came across Cyan putting Luke to bed. The other girl must've heard her coming as she turned around. She didn't look surprised at Heather's presence at the room because most newborns slept with their parents. Cyan and Blaze probably did the same with their son, Marlin.

"Do you want to go see your room?" Heather broke the silence between them.

"Sure," answered Cyan.

Before they got out of her room, Heather grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her wet hair the way Sorrel taught her. She ignored the strange look she was receiving from Cyan while doing so. She gestured for her to get out before leaving the door slightly open so they could hear him if he woke up.

Excluding the living room, kitchen, and dining room, there 8 rooms and 3 bathrooms in her house. One of those eight rooms was a small room that she turned into a storage room that had all her cleaning supplies. Another room was a study, full of books that Heather has yet to read. Since Cyan was going to stay with her for Luke's well-being, it made sense to have her into the room next to theirs. Even though it was big and luxurious, Heather had never felt more alone than she was at her house. It never felt like home.

Cyan's look of awe when she saw where she was staying brought a smile to Heather. However, it soon vanished the moment she noticed the look in Cyan's eyes. Envy. It was one of those ugly monsters that Heather hated. It was the same monster that plagued most of her childhood and what prevented her from making friends.

"Um, I'm going to do some cleaning around her," Heather informed her. "Feel free to do whatever you want with the room, and there's food in the fridge if you ever feel hungry."

The room had a queen-sized bed with a golden headboard and two armchairs surrounding a coffee table. The walls were painted in light beige and there was a painting of a beautiful woman walking in a garden. The closet and drawers were made of dark brown wood which was all the room needed to give out a sense of royalty. There wasn't much to change with the room, but Heather just said to make Cyan feel the hospitality.

Heather gently closed the door and leaned against it. She took a deep breath and tried to stop the emptiness in her heart. Sadness overwashed her and filled every cell of her body. All she wanted to do was go throw herself into a bed and cry herself to sleep. It seemed that no matter what happened, people will only choose to overlook her flaws and assume that she was perfect.

But she couldn't just waste time and pity herself. She had more important things to do.

After cleaning the two remaining rooms and doing laundry, the sun was already setting down. Heather walked downstairs to the kitchen, fully intended on cooking dinner. Her body tensed when she heard Luke's crying, but Cyan was quick to tell her that she was going to tend to him. Heather smiled gratefully at Cyan's retreating form before going over to the kitchen island.

She got a large piece of beef out and cut a small part of it. Once the rest of the beef was wrapped in plastic, she put it back in the refrigerator then went on to chop the slice she got out into tiny pieces. It wasn't long before those same tiny pieces were deposited into a hot pan filled with a gravy-like sauce that also contained chopped broccoli and onion. The divine smell that came out of that mixture immediately relaxed her.

Heather didn't know why but the odour of food always put her in calming good. Even the sharp scent of spicy dishes would quell down her agitation.

When it was done, she served the food in two plates before putting the rest into a glass container that she would eventually give to Haymitch later on. Normally, she'd just invite him over, but she didn't think Cyan and her former mentor would get along. Heather placed the dirty used utensils in the sink and got rice from the fridge to heat up. "Cyan, dinner is ready!" Heather called out.

Ironically, Cyan didn't come until everything was set at the table. Her ponytail, which used to be neat and tidy, had a few hairs escaping from it. Still, she didn't appear tired. Heather, on the other hand, was exhausted to the bone. The moment her butt touched the chair, her muscles relaxed which made her slightly moaned. She blushed when Cyan looked at her after hearing the sound emitted from Heather.

It's not as if she could help it. She's been up on her feet all day, and to finally rest her body for the day brought a huge relief to her. On the bright side, she had nothing to do tomorrow but to cook and Heather was going to take advantage of the books in her study.

Cyan looked like she wanted to start a conversation but stopped herself after witnessing how weary Heather was. Instead, they sat and ate in complete solitude. Just as Heather was about to get up and clear the table, a hard and loud knock came from the door.

Without hesitation, Heather raced over to the door and opened it. On the other side of the door, she found a tall teenage boy who towered her. He had a sculpted face that was beginning to develop facial hair. His sharp grey eyes were as frantic as a rabbit caught in a trap. It took Heather a moment before she found the name for the face.

"G-Gale, wow, you," Heather struggled to search for words to describe the boy before her. It was so surreal to see him all grown up like this. The last time she saw Gale Hawthorne was in school two years ago and the last time she interacted with him was during his brother's, Rory, birth four years ago. At that time, he was a cute little boy who was shorter than her. Now, he was taller and good-looking. However, before she proceeded to babble more about how much of an adolescent he'd become, she inquired about his presence in a worried tone. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

"M-my mother," he paused as though the ability to speak was stolen from him and he was trying to retrieve it. "H-her water b-broke."

Heather's eyes hardened at the revelation and when she opened her mouth, she spoke in an authoritative voice. "Get inside, I just need a few things then we'll be on our way."

"Cyan! Can you please bring a glass of water to the front door!"

Heather didn't give Gale a chance to protest by running upstairs to grab the aforementioned items. She quietly entered her room, careful not to wake the tiny body laying on her and took the tote bag that was in her closet. She put in the bag a pair of scissors and towels from the bathroom. They'd have to stop by the apothecary to buy a baby clamp and gloves. So, she grabbed her purse along with her.

Gale had a cup in his hand that was unfortunately filled with water. Heather narrowed her eyes at him and stated, "We will not leave this house until you drink."

She knew that it was irrational of her to say that, but the boy looked scared. She couldn't blame him, childbirth had claimed so many lives, including her mother. While she was upstairs, Heather recalled that Mr. Hawthorn was one of those who were killed in the mines two months ago, so most definitely, it became Gale's job to look after his family. If that was the case, then his brothers couldn't see him like this. It would only make them worry more. Drinking water usually helped with stress, so she hoped that it would work for him.

After Gale complied with her threat and followed her order, they got out of the house after Heather told Cyan to take care of Luke while she was gone.

"I still need a few things so we'll have to stop by the apothecary," Heather informed him on their way to the town. "Don't worry, I'll pay."

"You don't need to, Blaze already owes me something," Gale told her. Heather wanted him to elaborate more on the top but thought against it. If Gale didn't want her to know, then she would respect his decision.

It was clear that Blaze was surprised upon their arrival. His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion as his blue eyes moved back and forth between the pair of them. However, time was in their favour, so Heather ignored the strange looks Blaze was giving him and walked directly to him.

"Ather!"

Turning around, Heather noticed the fair-headed toddler who called out her name. Marlin was giving her a toothy smile from his baby chair. She smiled back and offered him a wave before focusing on his father.

"Hi Blaze, can you get an umbilical cord clamp and pair of gloves?" requested Heather.

Blaze seemed to want to inquire about her order as he started to open his mouth but instead, he immediately shut it after looking at Gale. Curious, Heather looked at the male beside her who was giving Blaze a dirty look. It was long before Heather had the items she needed in a paper bag in her hand.

The more closer they got to Gale's more, the more he became a nervous wreck. Although he avoided eye contact with her, Heather could still see his trembling hands. So, when they arrived at the Hawthorne's doorstep, Heather took Gale's hands in hers before they could reach the doorknob.

As expected, Gale was puzzled over Heather's sudden actions. "Gale, I want you to close your eyes and take a deep breath."

Gale looked as if he wanted to protest, so Heather said in a soft voice, "Please."

Finally, he followed her wishes. "Take a deep breath. Relax your body and mind. Put your troubles and worries in a boat and let it float away. Inhale. Exhale. Think happy thoughts. Everything is going to be alright," Heather said in a soothing tone.

After a moment or two, she told him to open his eyes. "It's just, what if things go wrong, and I lose both of them."

Gale didn't know what came over him that caused him to confess his feelings. But Heather was so understanding, kind, and genuine. Not telling her how he felt was even crazier than telling her.

"What if things went our way," she argued. "I know that horrible events have been happening to the point where we always expect the worst. But we don't have to. Expecting a better result is the same as expecting a bad one. That's the thing about life, it's unpredictable. But what can we do but live it? We got to live through the bad and good and accept change when it happens. We have to at least try to make the best out of everything. Now, I need you to put a brave face on so your brothers won't have to unnecessarily worry, okay?"

Although he was shocked at Heather's last line, Gale nodded and opened the door to his house. The faint cries of agony that belonged to Hazelle Hawthorne radiated throughout the house. A little boy, after hearing the door being opened, emerged out of a room and ran straight to Gale. It was dark so Heather couldn't see him, but she assumed that he was crying from the sniffs that she heard,

Heather had been in Hawthorne's residence before during Rory's birth. It was no shock the house was as dark as the sky, the electricity in the Seam was always bad that they had to use candles most of the time. The kitchen and living room were connected and there were two rooms in total. One was upstairs while the other was on the ground floor.

"Where can I find the candles," Heather asked Gale as he lifted his younger brother. He pointed at the cupboard in the kitchen area. When she opened, she found a bunch of candlesticks with a matchbox inside as well. There was already a used candle that was in a holder so she took it and lit it.

Nearing the two boys, Heather's theory was proven correct as she saw Rory's red eyes. She gave the four-year-old a small smile and offered him a hand to shake, "Hello Rory, I'm Heather, you might not remember me but that's okay. You were just a cute little baby back then."

Rory looked at his brother for his permission. It was only when his brother nodded in approval, that the little boy hesitatingly reached out his hand and shook hers. His hand was dirty, but it was still soft. Slowly, Rory was beginning to return her smile. However, this nice moment was soon cut short when they heard Hazelle's cry of pain. Immediately, Heather stepped forwards and went into the room where the woman resided.

Hazelle was laying in a bed, breathing heavily and her face was a bright colour of pink. Vick, Gale's other brother, was by her side, holding her hand. When Heather looked at him, she caught a glimpse of fear in his eyes but he didn't show it on his face. Her heart swooned at the boy's bravery.

"Hi Hazelle," she greeted, grabbing the attention of the mother and her son. Thankfully, Vick seemed to recognize her and moved away from the bedside when she neared it. "How many contractions have you had by now?"

"S-six," she responded. Slumping down after having an intense contraction occur to him. Putting her things on the floor, Heather ripped out the paper bag and wore her gloves.

"May I?" Heather asked as she crouched down near the woman's legs.

Hazelle nodded and spread her legs for her. Heather moved her head at Vick when she saw Gale at the side of the door, silently urging him to take the boy out. Once Gale took him, she lifted the skirt of the dress and took her fingers at Hazelle's vagina to see how dilated her cervix was.

Unfortunately, it didn't look like Hazelle was going to give birth any time soon as her cervix was barely dilated to 3 centimetres. "Sorry, Hazelle. The baby is not coming out anytime soon," Heather remarked.

Hazelle nodded understandingly before calling out, "You can come in now boys!"

Rory was the first to enter as he raced over to his mother to give her a hug. His hair, which was in serious need of a haircut, covered one of his eyes as he started to quietly speak to Hazelle. Gale silently followed after him and took one of his mother's hands.

Feeling someone tugging at her dress, Heather looked down at a nervous Vick. "Is my mom going to be okay?" he timidly asked.

"Oh, your mother is fine, dear" she spoke in a soft reassuring tone." Her body's not ready to push the baby out yet, that's all."

"Is that bad?" he continued to inquire.

"No, it's completely normal," she answered. She could see his satisfaction with her response as his body became less dense.

Suddenly an idea came to her. "Hazelle," the family looked at her as soon as she spoke, anticipating her next words. "How about we take a walk, it might help."

Hazelle looked conflicted at Heather's suggestion. The thought of walking with an ache between her legs didn't seem like a good idea, but she trusted Heather. After all, she knew what she was doing. So, in the end, she nodded hesitantly.

"Gale, help me pull your mother up. Vick, Rory, can you go fill a bowl with water and bring it," Heather assigned the boys each a task. Vic nodded, took Rory's hand, and got out of the room.

Heather and Gale helped Hazel slowly out of the bed until she stood up with either of them at both her sides. When the younger boys returned, they also started to walk around with their mother.

Hazelle was a lucky woman. Even though she lost her husband, she was still surrounded by her sons who loved her dearly. It was clearly presented in each of their worried faces. Although she was in pain from having contractions, she was still able to walk. They would stop every time she would have a contraction. Of course, they didn't walk much because she was still in pain. So, she paddled like a toddler learning how to walk. but it was still something and how they couldn't help but admire her.

Suddenly, Hazelle stopped moving and they thought that she was having another one of her contractions. Turns out, that wasn't the case as the woman reached out for Heather's arm, holding it tightly. "I- I think the baby's coming," she said while panting.

Wasting no time, Heather went down to look under Hazelle's dress. But she then remembered the boys were still in the room. However, as she turned to them, she heard Gale order them to get out. So, she continued with what she was doing earlier and lifted the dress upwards. Terrifyingly, she saw the tip of the baby's head coming out of Hazelle's vagina.

"Gale, I want you to hold your mother from behind," Heather ordered him calmly as she reached out for her bag, which was thankfully nearby. " Hazel I know it's a lot to ask, but can you squat slightly?"

Heather pulled out a pair of scissors, a towel, and the baby clamp. With help from Gale, Hazelle got into the position Heather wanted her in.

"Okay, start pushing on the count of three. 1, 2, 3!"

Hazelle's piercing scream filled the house as she pushed. With encouraging words from both Gale and Heather, the woman was able to continue to pull until the baby was out from her body. Heather could see how tired she was, and for a second, she thought that she wouldn't be able to make it. Maybe walking wasn't a good idea. Why didn't she have to suggest that again? It was all her fault.

Eventually, all these thoughts disappeared as she held the crying baby that came out. Quickly, she tied the cord, clamped it, and cut it with the scissors. The baby continued to cry loudly as Heather started to clean her with the water from the bowl.

Hearing their new sister's wails, Vick and Rory opened the door, cautiously entering the room while Gale helped their mother to the bed. After wrapping her in a towel, Heather offered the mother her daughter

"Congregations, it's a girl," Heather informed them.

Hazelle looked so exhausted. With a flustered face, the only indication that she was still alive was how she was breathing heavily. Thankfully, she opened her eyes and extended her hands weakly towards the baby. Heather carefully placed the baby girl in her arms.

Immediately, her sons surrounded her to catch a glimpse of their new-born sibling. Bright smiles decorated all their faces.

"She's so beautiful," Rory exclaimed.

"What are we gonna call her?" Vick asked his mother.

"I-I don't know," Hazelle said. "Do you boys have any suggestions?"

After seeing them struggling to find a good name that suited their newest member of the family, Heather thought of a name that might work out for the girl. "How about Posey?" she suggested.

"Posey," Hazelle thoughtfully muttered to herself. "I like it."

"Me too," Vick agreed.

"Me three," Rory added.

They all turned to Gale. The older boy rolled his eyes and chuckled. This was the happiest Heather had seen Gale be. "I like it too."

"Thank you, Heather," Hazelled presented her with a bright smile. "You have no idea how grateful we are that you were here, and I'm sorry for ruining your dress."

Heather frowned and looked down at the skirt of her dress which was covered with blood. "Huh, didn't notice that," she waved it off as if it wasn't a big deal. "Don't worry about it, it's okay. Besides, I'm always happy to help in any way I can. Which reminds me, I'll be back in a few days to check on you and little Posey. If you guys had any problems whatsoever, feel free to stop by my house."

"Thank you," Hazelle said again, getting teary.

"Don't mention it," Heather told her as she packed her stuff. "It's the least I could do for you."

"Let me walk you outside," Gale got out of the bed and walked out with her to the front door.

"Gale, I was serious back there," Heather said as she stood by the door. "I know that we're not well acquainted, but I want you to come to me if you have any complications. I promise that I'll always be there for you."

He glared at the ground and sighed, "Why, why do you want to help us?'

"Because you remind me of someone," she confessed.

"Who?" Gale asked after a moment.

"You're looking at her right now," Heather answered. It was true. Just like her, Gale lost the person he was depending on and he was now responsible for taking care of his family. The only difference is, Heather had the means to look after Luke, but Gale didn't.

Then, Gale did something unexpected. He hugged her. Goodness, he was strong. She slowly lifted her arms from her sides and embraced him back. "Thank you," he said. "I'm afraid that this is all I can say to you."

"And it's more than enough," Heather assured him.

Pulling away, she kissed him on the cheek and exited their house. After all, she still had a grown man to feed.