Chapter 44 / Chapter 6

Chapter Forty-Four – Changes / Chapter Six – Changes


Katniss burst into Haymitch's house two days before they were due to leave.

She had gone to the woods after school, as she had always done, and was surprised to find Prim unmoving by the river. The blonde had stood looking straight ahead, eyes unfocused and seemingly unseeing. Katniss hadn't been too worried at first, but when Prim hadn't moved for another hour, she knew something had to be done. She had grabbed her little sister's hand and guided her back to their house in the Seam.

When she had tried to get Prim to change into her public-appropriate clothes, the blonde had vehemently resisted. She tried to talk to her and maybe even used a bit of force, which ended with a knife to her throat care of the very sister she had once called afraid of her own shadow. So she ran.

She headed straight for the man she knew had the best chance of pulling her sister back from the brink.

Haymitch had followed after Katniss had dumped ice water over his barely sober form.

"I know you don't care about anyone, but she's my sister. You helped her survive, please help her live. We can't lose her."

He had pulled on a coat (because shit since when had it become so cold) and followed the brunette to the Seam. Haymitch could feel the eyes on them as they walked. Here he was, their district's first ever victor, following the sister of their only other victor into the poorest part of the district.

Once upon a time, he had lived with these people.

On the same streets.

Oh, how times have changed.

When they entered what Haymitch assumed must have been their previous home, it was to the sight of an empty house.

Panicked, Katniss had looked for her in every room only to find her standing at the back of their house. She stood a few meters away from a large tree, throwing knives. The older Everdeen moved towards her, but Haymitch was quick to hold her arm to keep her in place. From what she had told him, Prim might attack her sister if she were startled.

Haymitch walked slowly towards Prim, making sure to make a lot of noise. He ground his foot in the snow. He whistled a tune. He was behind her, to her five o'clock, by the time she finished with all her knives.

"Want to talk, Angel?"

Prim didn't respond even when he placed a hand on her back. He pulled her into his arms despite the protest of his stiff and underutilized muscles. Maybe he should reconsider the whole drinking himself into a stupor lifestyle. This girl, who was only in her first year of being a teenager, looked as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.

He'd heard enough to know that in some people's perspectives, she did.

Her eyes were vacant as she stared ahead, and Haymitch had to remind himself that she wasn't like him. She was unused to the way the Capitol loomed over everyone. Where he had had years to come to terms with and get accustomed to the silent but powerful way they exerted their power, this was only her first year as a victor.

He knew that nothing got past the Capitol, and that even though Prim hadn't meant anything in what she had accomplished in the arena (and that the decision hadn't been entirely within her realm of control), she would be blamed for it. He had been eighteen by the time he'd won his games, older than even her sister. He'd lost his beloved at the hands of the Capitol, and he'd sworn never to let them have that much power over him again.

But Prim…

Haymitch had taken to drinking after his hardships. He had closed himself off from everyone after his family and fiancée's deaths. He had never been as gentle nor as caring as Prim. He had, his subconscious would argue, but it had been a long time ago. However, even then, he had been older than Prim was, and hadn't been quite as naive either.

His hand moved to hold her around her midsection and then he pulled her close, and she let him. His other arm wrapped around her, and he felt her release a shaky breath before finally leaning into his warmth. He reeked of alcohol, though he knew he would have been much worse off if it hadn't been for Prim taking care of him since their return.

He knew that it was perhaps a bit inappropriate. He had an idea of what the few that saw her entering his home thought of him — of her. And even when they had gone to the Justice Building together, with her having convinced him to venture out much earlier than needed so that they could go to some of the stores in town; even visiting the Mellarks and buying some food from them. Everyone thought she was too good for him; that he was taking advantage of her. And to an extent, maybe she was; maybe he was, but that didn't mean he would stop her.

Primrose Everdeen had done nothing but give and he was all too willing to accept all that she had to offer, but Haymitch wouldn't mind if she did the taking from time to time.

She loosened his hold on her, then turned around so she could wrap his arms around him. Their height difference had her head resting just by his chest, and she listened to the steady beat of his heart. A few minutes after that, Haymitch had managed to coax Prim to go inside and Katniss had left to go hunting.

"I'll take care of her," Haymitch had promised, ushering the brunette away.

The sun had set by the time Katniss returned, bringing with her her lover. Gale was just as concerned for Prim as Katniss was, and the couple found Haymitch and Prim on one of the beds. They sat side by side, Prim's head on Haymitch's shoulder. Katniss could admit that she looked livelier than she had earlier, and a deep sense of gratitude and understanding settled within her for Haymitch Abernathy.

"Yeah?" Katniss heard Haymitch whisper. "And what would Effie do if Cinna had her change her wardrobe?"

"She'd wear a wig that didn't match," there was no laughter, but Katniss could hear the lightness in her little sister's voice.

Prim met her eyes, then Gale's, a smile creeping to her lips.

"Evening, Ducky," Gale winked.

"I got a deer for Hazelle today." Prim said. "Shot him with an arrow on the side then killed him with a knife."

Haymitch's eyes met Katniss'. That's what had triggered her panic attack. Prim's fingers traced a random pattern on Haymitch's open palm, something that Katniss figured she'd been doing for a while by then, with how his hand was beginning to close. Gale walked and stopped in front of Prim. He knelt before her and held one of her hands, his olive coal-covered hands made for a very stark contrast to her pale skin. Haymitch watched them closely, in case Prim reacted negatively.

Prim looked at the man before her. He was every bit the embodiment of the Seam. In his coal mining uniform, he was covered in the soot and grime that came from working in the mines were everywhere. He had some on his arms and face, along with patches of it on his uniform. She thought about Katniss being in the same position, or perhaps something else — learning a different trade like cooking or teaching — and Prim found that she couldn't.

"Sometimes," Gale found himself saying, his grey eyes meeting her blue. "In life, sacrifices have to be made. The deer may have died, but it was to save every other animal there, because in its death, it was able to warn those around it."

Haymitch's fingers twitched. He wasn't in complete agreement of what had been said, but he knew better than to make a scene or question one of the people Prim considered family. He looked back at Katniss, whose eyes moved from Gale to his.

In that moment, Haymitch knew these sisters would do anything for the other. Perhaps even to the detriment of everyone else around them.

Prim had always been the type of person willing to burn herself for those she loved, but Katniss…

Katniss would burn the world for her loved ones.

We can't lose her.


The day before their departure, Cato stood in his old home with his father sitting across him in the study. For the first time in a long time, Cato could see the man that had both ruined and rebuilt the Hadwell name. His hair was a darker blonde than that of Cato's, and his nose sharper and skin paler and less taut. He had fine lines and dark bags under his eyes, but there was no mistaking that he looked far better than he had in years.

Angus had continued working as a weapon designer and then begun to work on returning to sobriety while Cato was in the arena, as some form of atonement that Cato couldn't find it in himself to care about. Truth be told, the younger of the two wasn't entirely aware he wanted a relationship with his parents, let alone want to be reacquainted with any other member of their family.

"I understand that Varian and Zitomira will be joining us on the trip," Angus began, and Cato resisted the impulse to roll his eyes. "Jirair, too, I presume?"

"What are you really getting at?" Cato raised a brow at him.

"Zitomira wants to be the next mayor. This trip is going to be his shot at getting in President Snow's good graces to secure that."

"And you don't want him to be the next mayor?"

"I don't give two shits what he does," Angus said with a wave of his hand. "What I care about is what it would mean to you."

Cato crossed his arms, "It wouldn't mean anything."

"So it would be alright if your uncle went and attempted to connect with the various VIPs and officials that are sure to be there? It would be fine if he or, heck, your cousin approached Primrose Everdeen?"

Say what you did about his father, but Angus definitely knew how to push people's buttons. Cato didn't let it show that he was unnerved, because they already knew his father was right. He didn't want anything to happen to tie Prim to any member of his family except him. She was about as far from what he had been accustomed to. She knew nothing of weapons when compared to the basics that those of her age learned in his district. She didn't care about his name or his abilities. She was unaware of the rumors associated with the Cato Hadwell that had volunteered with his supposed best friend.

"Now," drawled Angus with a smug smirk, "I've gotten your attention. She really is a quick and easy trigger for you. You better work on that."

"And who told you this?"

"No one had to, son."

And so father and son spoke the longest they've ever spoken in nearly Cato's entire life. They agreed that Zitomira was never to be left alone with either Snow or Prim, seeing as he might end up doing something that could reflect poorly not just on Cato, but on the district and his family as well. Jirair, Cato's cousin, was a favorite contender for the upcoming Hunger Games. This made him likely to want to present as a perfect candidate, especially should he be able to meet with prospective sponsors. The Hadwells had always known how to charm their intended. It was Varian, however, that the pair were most worried about. Seeing as she was barely present in Cato's upbringing, and her tender sensibilities, there was definitely a chance that she would clam up and ruin any preparation they've made if people were to ask about Cato's past.

By the time Cato was walking back to Victors Village, he felt more tense and ready to let out some steam in his home gym.

The following morning, as Cato stood with Lyme and his family, all he could think about was that he would be seeing his Primrose once again in a few hours. He was a mix of excitement and anxiety, because in a few hours, he and Prim would be acting for the cameras once again. They may have cared for each other, but they needed to be absolutely mad and desperate for the other to convince Snow.

On another train, as Prim stood by a window, Katniss walked up to her and wrapped her arms around Prim. She looked up at her older sister, who had a small smile on her face and a dusting of pink across her cheeks. Before either of them said anything, Katniss placed her left hand against the glass, so that Prim could see that on her ring finger sat an arrow curved into a simple ring.

"Gale asked me to marry him!"