Author's Note

I do not own the Hunger Games.

"It's all gone," Wendy whispered, looking at the burnt remains of their former home. The houses on either side were blackened and crumbling, the windows cracked by the enormous heat, but theirs was gone.

Gone.

"How could this happen?" asked Skyler in a very small voice.

"Well, one small spark-"

"We have absolutely nothing," said Mercury, picking his way through the debris.

"Children, children! I can assure you you have nothing to worry about!"

"Uh huh," mumbled Amira, shifting Soleil against her hip and looking across her gathered siblings, habitually running a head count.

"Now, do come along! Until I can find out whether you have a next of kin guardian, you will be staying at the District Five Community Home!"

"Yay," said Mercury dryly.

"Don't be like that Quinn!"

"Mercury."

"I'm sure everything will be sorted out posthaste." He smiled at them. "Posthaste means-"

"We know what posthaste means."

"Ah. Good. Come along then; come along. Quickly now!"

Venus herded Genera and Quinn ahead of herself, steering them towards the car whilst balancing Cosmo against her hip.

"Burn," Genera said sadly.

"Yeah Genera," Blaine agreed. "Burn."

The children piled into the car. It wasn't really big enough for all of them, and they were all squished up and sat on top of each other. Aimee held Breeze tight, biting back her tears. She wanted to cry, but Amira and Blaine and Wendy looked so strong and confident. Mr. Pollux climbed into the driver's star. "Now, say goodbye to your home children."

Many of the children were unable to look back at their old home, now ashes and dust and rubble. Aimee, Jupiter, Skyler and Breeze did look back.

"Bye house," said Aimee.

"Bye house," said Jupiter.

"Bye house," said Skyler.

"Buh ho," shrieked Breeze.

They arrived at the Community Home in a whirlwind of chaos and tears.

"Don't wanna!" Genera was shouting.

"No!" shouted Soleil.

"Gack!" Cosmo shouted in agreement.

"No no no!" Breeze screamed, determined not to be outdone.

"But why do we have to go here?" Quinn whined.

"Now Jupiter."

"Quinn," Amira corrected tiredly, but Mr Pollux didn't seem to hear.

"The Community Home will provide a nice warm home for you children. Why, in time, you might even come to see it as your home."

"Never!" screamed Genera.

"Why can't we go home with you?" asked Skyler. "You know us."

"Oh Blaine," he sighed.

"Skyler," he said.

"Eleanor and I would have loved to adopt you. But, well, unfortunately, there are rather a lot of you, and we simply don't have anywhere near enough room for all you. You are to stay here while I check up on whether you have any surviving family members."

"We understand Mr Pollux," Amira said. "My siblings and I are simply distraught at the situation."

"Oh Wendy," he said, reaping a hand on her shoulder.

"Amira," she said.

"Don't worry. Everything is perfectly under control."

No, she thought as she drew in a deep breath, nothing was under control. Not the situation, not their lives, not even her younger siblings, who she was supposed to be caring for but who were currently running riot on the street around her.

"I hope you're right," she said finally.

"Of course I'm right. Now, I have many things back at the the office I need to shift out, so why don't you and your siblings see yourselves inside?"

Amira sighed heavily, shifting Soleil against her. "Yes Mr Pollux."

Mr Pollux returned to his car and climbed inside. "Goodbye children! Be sure to behave! I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Goodbye Mr Pollux," said Aimee.

"Goodbye Mr Pollux," said Jupiter.

"Goodbye Mr Pollux," said Quinn.

"Pah," said Breeze.

The siblings watched the car pull away. Amira turned back towards the Community Home. It was grey, like all buildings in Five, blackened by soot and ash, with narrow, high slatted windows.

"Well," Blaine said, "I guess we better go inside."

He and Amira gathered up their younger siblings. Wendy held Genera and Quinn's hands; the triplets held hands while Venus carried Quinn; and Skyler took Aimee's hands while she carried Breeze. Then the siblings slowly made their way up the steps of the Community Hall.