Author's Note: One of my favourite characters to write and we get another approach to District Twelve beyond Katniss. Lots of other victors are mentioned by name here and I'm aware the story is very much in my own 'victor universe', so if anyone has any questions or wants to see more of a particular character, let me know. 😊

….

Commitment

He was adapting to their new regime. He had cut back on his alcohol intake, but his hands were still shaking. The boy thought he had cut him off completely, but Haymitch knew that might kill him before they even reached the Capitol. So, he hid some of his bottles, Plutarch had sent some whisky and he had received more wine from Chaff.

A lot was resting on his shoulders. He had double-crossed them both. The girl thought he would volunteer if Peeta's name was called. But the looks she gave him when his knives rarely met the target were telling. He was still strong, but Peeta had the energy and endurance for another arena. The boy thought he would once more put his efforts into Katniss, with no outside loyalties. But, as ever, it was more complex.

Peeta was the more observant. He had probably suspected that bigger things than them were in the works, although he did not fully understand. Haymitch would never let him know, never put that responsibility on his still-growing shoulders. It was partially why the boy would have to return to the arena.

But Plutarch would take care of that. The boy could not be left to mentor, it would be too difficult. Haymitch knew both slips of paper in that reaping ball would bear his name, it would suit Snow too well to hear the name Haymitch Abernathy called for a second Quarter Quell. But it should be obvious to all that Peeta would volunteer, and who would Haymitch be to get in the way of the tragic story he would need to spin once more.

He had told them that if there were rebel efforts in the works, he had no interest and that what people were whispering about would be too dangerous. Twelve had to act as one, not in splinter groups that would be easily crushed. The boy would figure out later, far earlier than Katniss would, that Haymitch had been up to his neck in rebellion for twenty years.

The lone rebel figure in Twelve and hadn't that been a lonely place? It still would be. Twelve was not ready. He knew what the Hawthorne boy and some of his friends down the mines were talking about. But a small group from Twelve alone, disorganised and under-resourced, without the collaborative efforts of the other districts would end in disaster. He had been trying to slip Hawthorne hints when he could. Trying to tell him to wait, to hold off until the other districts had taken up arms, to wait until all of Twelve were behind him, but Haymitch didn't think he quite understood.

But he would have to. Hawthorne's family would be shot otherwise. Conditions in the mines would worsen and the Capitol would somehow find new lows of poverty to sink Twelve into. Never mind the danger that would be at his own doorstep. Hawthorne has already been at the whipping post. The girl would be under even deeper suspicion and there would only be so much he could do. The boy needed to understand, they had to wait.

It had been a difficult message to convey on the Victory Tour. The entire tour had simply been difficult. Drama followed his victors, and the girl could not fully understand what her life had become and what it would be like for the years ahead. There was Effie too. Excitement, schedules, and planning, pulling off the perfect performance. Their success and the smooth running of the tour was a matter she seemed to have taken personal responsibility for. Underneath her usual chatter, Haymitch realised she knew more than she was letting on. She had some understanding of just how precarious their position was.

He had secret discussions with Cinna, notes passed under tables, trying to get a word to each other out of the earshot of others. It had been tiring and he was officially barred from seeing the other victors. Snow did not want the chance for his troublesome pairing to be seen mingling with the others. He wanted to contain her. It was just too bad that many of the victors had long had other ideas and could no longer be caged in.

It began in Eleven with a server passing him a note just as they were beginning dinner with the Mayor. He was going to have to excuse himself at some point and be discrete about it with Effie watching and peacekeepers everywhere. Cinna would help cover if needed, he was proving ever reliable and could be trusted to do what was needed.

They were being rushed through the meal and on their way given the day's earlier events, so Haymitch picked his moment carefully and excused himself to the bathroom where he found Chaff waiting.

Haymitch laughed quietly, "This going to become a pattern?"

Chaff laughed back, "Probably, I'd get used to strange meetings in the Mayors' toilets if I were you."

"How did you get in here? The whole place is crawling!"

"Seeder knows one of the staff members who is being paid for their discretion. But we need to be quick. How bad?"

"Twelve? The usual. The mines are dangerous, productivity even lower, quotas higher, people still poor. Me, it's tense. You saw the mess earlier, so you get the gist."

"I don't envy you. But you know how things are here then. I don't even have to try with the agitation anymore. We're having to hold people back, but I'm not sure how much longer we can keep things together. Isolated uprisings, general chaos, and reprisals galore. Will you be ready?"

"Twelve won't be. Beyond a small few, there's no energy, nothing organised. I'm sorry, but I've got to tell you how it is. I'm more than ready but I can't drag Twelve with me."

Chaff nodded, "We can pull them along. There's a bond now, an understanding that Eleven and Twelve can help each other. If Eight is ready, and from the hints on the news, they are, there will be more of a push for Twelve."

"Or the peacekeepers come down harder. Keep people compliant."

"Your people are going to have to wake up. We have the girl, and our friends to the east."

"It's better than nothing. But she's conflicted. On the way to understanding but not quite there."

"They can't keep them away from us forever, we'll help. The boy?"

"Smarter. Plays the game. But she's his weakness."

"We can work with that. But we're all in in Eleven. It's got to happen soon."

Chaff pulled Haymitch in towards him, knowing neither could linger any longer, "It's good to see you. Shame I can't see your two. But hang in there. Let Mags know and we'll sort something out. Send the rest our love, Seeder told me to say that of course. Orchard isn't well but don't you worry about that, we're taking care of him. He's safe. I'll let them know you're managing."

With that, Haymitch hurried out and gave his apologies to the Mayor. He saw Effie giving him a pointed look and knew he would need an excuse, something about stress would do.

It was much the same in Ten. Another bathroom break and this time, a meeting with Adan. Haymitch was surprised to not find Maria. But Adan was the quickest runner and would be able to fit through the outside window the easiest without alerting peacekeepers. He said that Ten needed a push, something to kickstart a more concerted energy. There were plenty of people preparing but entire sections of the population were still to be convinced. They liked Katniss and her sister, but they needed something more.

It was worth a try in Nine, at least to keep up appearances that he couldn't get through a dinner without needing a bathroom break. Haymitch had half hoped to find Barley waiting somewhere. He was the one that could be swayed most easily out of Nine's four victors. But nobody. He had a few moments away and then returned.

Eight was a powder keg. If Eleven was unstable, there would be no way to contain District Eight for much longer. It was Cecelia's husband Merino who met Haymitch in the Mayor's bathroom, Cecelia unable to leave the children, Woof or Cotton for too long. The message to pass on was not unexpected. The uprising was happening now, it would take only the tiniest of sparks for a full-scale revolt.

The sheer anger in Eight would drive the rebels forward. It was taking all their efforts to keep some sense of containment around those closest to them. They could not afford for Cecelia or Paylor, their leader, to be uncovered just yet. But things were so tense, a curfew had been imposed and there was always shooting in the night. Merino was planning on spending the night in the bathroom or somewhere else hidden in the Justice Building to avoid that danger.

The news was true about Seven. Uprisings had begun across different lumber crews and a wave of reprisals beckoned. Mags would be encouraged that most of the west would be on side. It was Blight who cornered Haymitch this time, although he mentioned that Linden had hidden in the crowd to get a look at the two new victors and Johanna had been hiding in a nearby tree during the day's events.

Poppy had also hidden in the crowd in Six. She had a morphling deal to make for Claudia and Levi so thought she should stop by the main square on her way and blend in with the crowd. She also had to make the trip out to meet Haymitch in the evening, with Claudia and Levi passed out, and Max, unwell but in better spirits, taking up watch at home. Poppy was confident her people could hold Six until the right moment. Reprisals could be catastrophic with morphling rampant, accidents constant and agitated peacekeepers waiting to act at the slightest disruption to productivity.

It was another cursory break in Five. Hal always directed his anger in the wrong direction and Luna and Porter were wrapped up in their own worlds. Still, Haymitch needed to keep up appearances.

Finnick and Mags walked through the front door in Four. Only the Mayor was unaware of their presence, the district's victors managing to staff almost the entire household with their contacts to quash the influence of the Mayor himself. Finnick pulled Haymitch into a side room and the three of them shared a quick drink.

"We have control here," Finnick said.

"Lucky for you," Haymitch quipped. "But seriously Eight and Eleven are ready. No push needed, it could tip over tomorrow. Ten needs a push. Seven will go easily if they see others pick it up and Poppy can hold Six until its time. No luck in Nine and Five."

"Twelve?" Mags asked.

"No chance. Too dangerous. It's all or nothing and we don't have everyone." Mags nodded and took Haymitch's hand.

"Yes, I'm ready. Been ready for years. But it's no good me on my own." He paused for a moment, "How are you all, we've heard about the… poor weather."

Mags laughed and Finnick spoke up, "Terrible yes. And sometimes the catch just seems to be misplaced and isn't that just awful for the Capitol? But truth is, the crews don't have to do much. Capitol demand means there's not much left. No chance of meeting quotas anyway."

"Always been greedy. But seriously, the catch is 'misplaced'? You've got the peacekeepers on side too, haven't you? They're turning a blind eye," Haymitch laughed, and Mags laughed harder in return.

"Of course. She's running a full-scale operation," Finnick said, pointing at Mags.

It was the same story in Three. Halley had conveniently spent the day with the Mayor under the guise of tutoring his grandchildren and simply stayed behind to talk to Haymitch. Three was ready. Their Mayor was their rebel leader, somehow clinging onto his Capitol-supported role. Beetee and Wiress would do whatever was needed of them and Pluto had steady contact with Thirteen. Haymitch relayed what he had been told, what Thirteen needed to know, knowing the room was not bugged, at least whilst Halley was present.

Haymitch didn't know what to expect from District Two. But his usual bathroom break saw Lyme catch him on his way past and haul him into a side room.

"How-" Haymitch began.

"District Two comes with privileges for its victors. Nobody thinks anything of my presence. I was running errands and simply passed on a message about the Institute to the Mayor. I won't be doing dealings in a bathroom next to a toilet."

"So, it's still just you?"

"Malachite and Mason will do whatever I tell them when the time comes. Baria could be pushed. But it's going to take a lot to catch on in Two. I have my people, there are lots of us, but nowhere near enough, not yet. Two will be divided when it happens. Will be difficult to avoid civil war."

"Will it be enough if everyone else has already turned?"

"We'll be last. I doubt you have much from Nine and Five, but they will catch on quicker. Loyalties unfortunately run deeper here. Capitol ties are too strong. They've done a number on our psyche."

"You've seen through it."

"I know. But things are different here. People have more to lose. I know that's not easy to hear, especially after you've been to Four and I know Mags is running a tight ship. I can't describe it, it's just different and that's the way it is."

Haymitch was thankful for Lyme and her tireless efforts, but it was still disappointing to hear. In One, nobody came to meet him, but he received a note which lifted his spirits as they got closer to the Capitol. Written in code but he could make out Gem's writing. She, Gloss, Cashmere and Aria were likely to end up on their side. District One's victors would be split down the middle, but it's more support than he had thought. It also seemed that Gem thought they could rely on what appeared to be the musicians, miners, artists, and the craftsmen were also turning. The rebels also had money behind them. It was good news before they reached the Capitol. Plutarch would be happy about that.

Haymitch recalls passing on information to Plutarch amid the parties and final events in the Capitol whilst trying to keep watch over his victors. They were all nervous and he could do without any slip-ups. Thankfully, Effie was around, and he was able to have important conversations without interruption.

But now, plans had changed. His friends' lives were upended and he was not going to be able to save all of them. Word was steadily making its way to him, with everyone knowing he would be watched closely.

He was committed, had been for years and now it would separate him from his friends, those who he could rely on the most. Chaff and Seeder would be going back, and he could see Mags volunteering when Annie's name was inevitably called.

Plutarch had managed to hint there would be a breakout of sorts, but when? Ideally, it would be before anyone sets foot in an arena, but Haymitch knew that was not likely. Any intercept on the way to the Capitol or the arena itself would bring in those not involved and peacekeepers and Capitol personnel who would be hostile and dangerous to the cause.

He was going to have to watch whatever played out and then they would strike at what would be the right moment. Haymitch was sure he was going to hate it, but it was the way it had to be.