Changing the Game

by always-andshewrites

This isn't just Katniss & Peeta's story. Come join the ride with Madge & Gale, Haymitch, Effie and so many more...in a world where Katniss's dad never died in the mines. Where he makes the ultimate sacrifice in hopes of a better future for all of Panem. Conspiracy's, secret alliances, supernatural objects and psychic connections. A HG rewrite. Told in multiple POV's.

20. A Story of Two Sisters

Changing the Game

Chapter 20 : A Story of Two Sisters

| Peeta |

"We are only sixteen years old Katniss, no one is going to make us get married. I tell Katniss, trying to offer her some comfort. Caesar's comment about wedding bells sent Katniss straight to The Medical Bay after passing out on stage; in front of the entire nation. Six hours and several vials of blood later, the doctors came to the conclusion that she "simply just had a panic attack."

"Peeta, I—"

"Stop it Katniss, you're becoming off-kilter. Let's just focus on getting the hell out of here and making it back home. I think we will both feel so much better once we put a few hundred miles between us and The Capitol."

"You're right Peeta, I'm spiraling. Do you have everything?" She quickly changes the subject as I walk over to the dresser, looking through the drawers one last time, making sure I didn't leave the extra sleeves for my leg or my spare prosthesis. I arrived in The Capitol with nothing but the clothes on my back, and I do not want a single reminder of the place that mutilated me, tortured us, and ended the lives of twenty-two other children.

"I'm good, what about you?" Katniss scrunches her nose up, her entire face contorting into a mischievous grin. "What?" I ask her, wondering what she is up to.

"I took the pajamas." She confesses, scrunching her shoulders as if she has done something wrong. I hate to admit it, but the pajama's they gave us did happen to be amazingly soft, and Effie did say that we could take anything we wanted…

I open the drawer back up and grab the pajamas, shoving them into my bag. "Oh, what the hell? It's the least they can do after..." My voice trails off, not wanting to complete the thought.

Hand in hand, Katniss and I exit the room and find Effie and Haymitch sitting on the couch.

"We're ready." I tell them.

Haymitch jumps up at the sound of my voice. "About damn time." He scoffs, but his scowl doesn't match the look in his eyes. He almost looks sad to leave, but why?

Effie plasters a smile on her face, but like Haymitch, her smile does not meet her eyes. What is going on with these two? Haymitch and Effie lead us from the suite, making our way to the train.

"EFFIE! Effie, darling!" We all stop, bumping into the other like dominos when Effie turns to look back, curious to see who is calling her name.

"Hello Nicodemus, Fiora!" Effie gushes with what I have come to learn is her "fake-sponsor-smile." Effie turns to us and I see a glimmer of worry pass her eyes. "My wonderful Victor's, this is Nicodemus and Fiora Primrose Arveaux; the generous sponsor's who aided in the possibility of that magnificent feast you received in your little love nest!"

"Yes, children, the china you received was a replica of the china from our wedding!" The woman, Fiora, brags to us.

"Primrose?" Katniss repeats, lifting her eyebrow uncertainly.

"Yes darling, your sister and I share a name, it was as if it was fate! I mean, what are the chances of someone from your district using a name as eloquent as mine?"

'Pretty high if you are from Twelve.' Katniss quips and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to prevent my laughter from erupting.

"Come on guys, we're going to be late." Haymitch says, but then sends me a murderous glare, urging me to do something; but what?

And then it hits me. "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Arveaux, for your contribution to our picnic; Katniss and I surely would have starved if not for the generosity of sponsor's such as yourself." I placate them, sticking my hand out in thanks.

"Oh, don't be silly! It was our pleasure, simply our pleasure, right Nicky?" Fiora says, offering me her hand, but not in the same way as I was. I am confused, what does she want me to do with her hand? Quickly, Haymitch comes to my rescue and takes Fiora's hand, placing a kiss it and she blushes.

"We really must be on our way, don't want the train to leave us." Haymitch says and the sponsor's are on their way.

Cinna and Portia are waiting for us at the train station. Before we board the train, Cinna hands me a box wrapped in shiny gold and silver paper, and I smile, thinking how it reminds me of their eyes. "Wait until you get home to open this okay?" Cinna whispers into my ear.

"Goodbye my beautiful Victor's! I shall see you in six month's time. Now, when you get into your new homes there will be a directory with my telephone number. Please do not hesitate to use it at any time!" Effie tells us after giving us both a hug.

Last night, Effie informed us that if there is anything we need that isn't available to order, to just give her a call and she will make sure we get it. I am not sure what we could possibly need, but I thank her anyway, thinking that it was a nice gesture. Effie has changed so much in the span of only a few short weeks.

"We're going to have a telephone?" Katniss asks, and I wonder if those are bugged too; I would not put it past The Capitol; if they put one in my leg, why wouldn't they put them in our phones?

"Of course, darling!" Effie wipes her tears, shooing us onto the train. I am more than shocked when Katniss and I get on the train and I look out the window to see her and Haymitch with their arms around each other in what you might call an embrace. I turn my head to meet Katniss' eyes, lifting an eyebrow up in surprise.

"On the flip side, they could barely tolerate being in the same room with the other just a few weeks ago, and now... I think they just might be friends."

"Who woulda' thought?" Katniss chimes, staring out the window next to me.

"District Twelve, here we come." I say aloud after the train blows its' whistle.

Katniss and I find the room we stayed in on our way here and decide to take the other room for our ride back home. Even though Katniss' room was where we shared our first kiss, when I step inside, I am flooded with a familiar anxiety, reminding me of going into the arena.

After tossing our bags into the room, we head back to the meal car to have dinner with Haymitch. He is already there, along with our food.

"I was hoping for some more of that lamb stew." Katniss groans in disappointment.

I lift the lid, and although it is not lamb stew, it still looks succulent. It is some kind of meat; chicken perhaps; covered in some kind of creamy sauce with potatoes and a few other items I do not recognize. I grab one of the rolls, dip it into the creamy sauce and bite into it.

"This is pretty good." The T.V. is on; playing a rerun of our first post arena interview with Caesar. I try to tune it out, while we eat mostly in silence until Haymitch speaks up.

"Kid, you know you can't be going around telling people you can hear each other in your heads, right?" All the color in Katniss' face drains, her face twisting into an irritated scowl.

"There are no listening devices in here, we can speak freely." Haymitch says, shoveling another bite of food into his mouth.

"You told him?" Katniss accuses, shoveling another forkful of food into her mouth.

"Not exactly."

"Wait, you were serious?" Haymitch interjects, pushing his plate back, his curiosity piqued.

"You can't tell anyone Haymitch, we do not want anyone to know." By "anyone" she means "The Capitol".

"Prove it." Haymitch challenges us.

"Okay, ask me a question privately, any question you like. I will tell Katniss and then she will say it out loud. But it can't be something stupid like, 'What's your favorite color, or food' because we already know all that." I tell Haymitch after thinking how best to prove that we have simply just not lost our marbles.

"Okay, I'll play." Haymitch says with a grin, still not wholly believing us. Then he leans over and whispers into my ear. "Tell the girl when we get home that her friend; whatsisname'; Gale, or whatever, is now her cousin."

I pull back narrowing my eyes at Haymitch. "Huh?" He nods, meeting my eyes, looking quite serious.

'Uh… Haymitch just said that when we get home… um, somehow Gale is now your cousin.'

"Gale is not my cousin; we aren't even related!" Katniss alleges.

"What the hell! That has got to be a… a coincidence." Haymitch guffaws in disbelief.

We spend the next hour or so playing this little game with Haymitch where he whispers something to me or Katniss, and then we tell the other silently, proceeded by saying it aloud to Haymitch.

"I'm still not sure if I completely believe it, it just seems… made up, I guess. But this is good. Yes, this is very good." Haymitch walks over to the bar and grabs two bottles of spirits, pocketing one of them for later and opening the other, chugging nearly a quarter of the bottle right there.

"See you kids in the morning." He says before disappearing into his room.

Katniss and I help the attendants clear our mess from dinner and then head to our room.

"I'm going to take a shower and put those pajamas on." I tell Katniss, eager to wash The Capitol from my body.

"I think I will too." She says casually. I rummage through my bag and grab the pajamas, a pair of underwear, a clean sleeve for my leg, and then head to the bathroom. I decide to keep the leg on this time, if I am taking a shower and not a bath, it should be fine.

On second thought, not submerging my prosthesis was probably just a cover story The Capitol told me so that it would not drown out their listening device.

After adjusting the water and removing my clothes, I step into the hot, steamy shower and just let the water hit my face.

I turn around, placing my hands against the wall to allow the water to hit my back and close my eyes, savoring the sensation of the hot jets pounding against my muscles. Shower's feel so good and part of me secretly hopes that my new home is equipped with one... or better yet, hot water. After a few minutes I hear a noise and open my eyes.

"Wh—what are you doing in here?" I wipe the water from my face and rub my eyes, wondering if I am dreaming. Because when I open my eyes, Katniss is standing in front of me; completely naked.

Granted, she is facing away from me, but she is here. And holy hell if she isn't the most beautiful sight I may have ever seen in my entire life.

With her back facing me, she backs up into the stream of water, drenching her hair. "I said I wanted to take a shower too." She says, as if it is the most casual of statements. She grabs the shampoo bottle and squeezes a dollop of the fragrant substance into her palm, rubbing her hands together before slathering it in her hair. It takes a moment for me to get over the shock that she is actually in here with me, but when I finally come to my senses, I pull her body in front of me, still facing away from me though; and then bring her arms down to her sides and take over washing her hair; massaging her head in the process.

"Oh wow, that feels incredible Peeta." She says, releasing a throaty moan, which, in turn, causes a twitch in my cock. 'She can't do that or...' I think to myself as a shiver runs up my spine. I list all the ingredients followed by the steps in making cheese buns to distract my mind from being aroused. After rinsing her hair, she turns me around to do the same for me.

She is right, it feels almost euphoric to have someone massaging your wet, soapy head in the shower. Once our hair and bodies are washed, I wrap my arms around Katniss, pulling her close, but still never facing the other.

We stand in the shower like this until the water runs cold. Twenty minutes, thirty even, and she feels so good in my arms with no barriers between us; her bare skin, naked against mine. When the water runs cold, we take that as our signal to get out. Katniss steps out first, wrapping herself in a towel. I give her a minute before I step out, enough time to wrap herself up.

As much as I hated all the walking Corinne forced me to do, I am thankful for it because I am finally starting to get the hang of walking with my new appendage. I am careful not to trip and cause a repeat of the other night, not wanting to relive through that humiliation again.

Once we are dressed, we head back into my room. Katniss goes straight to the bed, pulls the covers down and we crawl into the bed and under the silky sheets. I pull Katniss close to me, but after being skin to skin in the shower, the thin fabric of our pajamas suddenly feels like so much, causing me to let out an exasperated sigh.

"Peeta?"

"Yeah?"

'I love you.' Just those three simple little words sends a shiver surging throughout my body and a smile on my lips.

'God, I love hearing those words.' I tell her, unable to conceal the massive grin from my words.

'I promised, didn't I?'

'Promised what?'

'Before you went to the feast, I said if you come back to me, I promise to tell you every day.'

'Katniss, you don't—'

'I want to Peeta, because I mean it.' I pull her closer and lean up to kiss her temple.

We lie there in silence for a good half hour, just savoring in the comfort of each other's arms before Katniss speaks ups.

"What are you thinking?" She asks, hugging my arms that are wrapped around her middle. Should I tell her that these pajamas are too much, and I just want to lie here, naked in this bed with her. It has nothing to do with sex, but I am too embarrassed to bring it up, so I tell her what has been on my mind heavily since the moment I woke up in the hospital.

"A few things."

"Uh-oh."

"No, it's nothing bad. It's just... well, everything is going to be different when we get home, we're victor's now. When we get home, our home won't be our home anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... by the time we get home, the movers will have already moved everything into our new houses." Houses. Plural. Hers and mine. Hers. Mine. Separate.

"Peeta, I promised you I would never let your mom hurt you, and—"

"I've given this a lot of thought and when we get home, I am going to tell my parents that I prefer to live alone. I just... I don't want my mom living in my house. She is probably pretty angry at me anyway, you know from 'the story'. But what I am most worried about is you. I mean, us."

Katniss flips her body around so that she is facing me. "There is nothing to worry about Peeta."

"Yes, there is Katniss. I will have my home, and you will have yours." Her eyes widen and terror overtakes her face at the mention of our separate homes. Does she feel the same as I do? "Katniss, I..." I pause for a moment, not sure how to word this without seeming like an insecure, pathetic... boy.

She closes her eyes, shaking her head and then opens them back up to look at me, her eyes now full of tears. "I don't want... I can't... Are you saying that you need space Peeta?" Her bottom lip quivers and I realize what she thinks I was trying to say. I lift her chin so that she is looking into my eyes, just as a single tear glides down her cheek.

"No Katniss, no, no, no. It's actually— it's the opposite. I don't... I can't... I don't want to be apart from you... I just... I wasn't sure how to say it without seeming… I don't know, pathetic and insecure." She releases a sigh, overcome with relief and pulls me in closer to her. "But... what if your dad... your parents won't let us?"

"No one is keeping us apart Peeta. Never again." She swears, curling into me and wrapping her legs around mine.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0

| Katniss |

After waking up in the middle of the night, thirstier than I have felt since the arena, I sneak out of Peeta's arms and wander through the train, looking for the car where I can find something to quench my thirst. As I creep silently through the darkened hallways, I hear the faint hushed whispers of a man's voice coming from one of the rooms.

Curiosity get the best of me, so I tiptoe up to the door, placing my ear against the cool surface to hear what they are saying. The first voice is definitely Haymitch's, but the second voice… is familiar. It takes me a moment to place it as my father's voice. Why is Haymitch talking to my dad?

"Dylan, we will be home in two days. I suggest you figure out what to tell her, because she is going to find out one way or another."

"What am I supposed to say Haymitch? 'Oh sweetie, it wasn't a fluke that your sister's name was called at the reaping, it was actually planned that way, and I was the one who told them to do it!' Does that sound about right Haymitch?"

What? No, that can't be— it's not—, he wouldn't— he couldn't. But I just heard it with my own ears. Could my ears be playing tricks on me? No, I know what I heard. Aghast by this new revelation, I take off in the opposite direction back to my room, completely forgetting about my dry mouth.

"Peeta, Peeta wake up!" I whisper loudly, shaking Peeta's shoulder to wake him.

"Katniss, Katniss, where are you? Katniss!" Peeta screams out for me, seeming to be stuck in a nightmare.

"Peeta, wake up Peeta, it's not real. You're having a nightmare." Peeta slowly opens his eyes, paralyzed from the vivid images in his mind. He is upright in a matter of seconds, wrapping his arms around my neck.

"Thank God, I thought you—" He says shaking his head. But then he looks in my eyes, having noticed the panic on my face. "What's wrong?"

"Peeta, my dad, Haymitch… They… He…"

"Slow down Katniss, take a deep breath and tell me what happened." Peeta tells me, placing a finger to his lips, reminding us that we are not alone.

So, that is what I do.

0 - 0 - 0 - 0

| Haymitch |

After hanging up with Dylan, I hear the distinct sound of feet pounding down the hallway and figure I better check it out. I crack my door open and poke my head out to see my kids storming up the corridor, headed straight for my room. The girl is seething, her face red with rage. She storms past me and into my room, the boy just behind her. Once the boy is all the way inside, she slams my door and then faces me with that ever-present scowl plastered on her face.

"What the hell?" I ask.

"NO! I will be the one asking questions." Oh shit, what does she know?

"Okay, but not here." She seems to understand that it is not safe to speak freely in here.

"When?" I look up at the clock; it is 4:45 in the morning, which means the train will be stopping for fuel in about an hour.

"Train stops in an hour. The weather is nice, so how about you guys join me for some fresh air?"

After close to half an hour of the three of us sitting in silence, I notice the familiar glances between the two and wonder if they are doing that thing again. That talking without words thing.

"Cut that shit out." I tell them.

The boy turns his head to me, "What?" He asks, feigning innocence.

"You know what."

Finally, we hear the whistle blow, letting us know the train is slowing down. I lead the way off the train, and when I reach the bottom step, I remember the boy's leg has a listening device in it. When I turn around to tell him leave it on the train, he is already hunched over, removing the blasted thing. Katniss hands him a pair of crutches and the three of us go on a little stroll.

The doctor who gave Peeta his leg is an old friend of Portia's and somehow got the message to her about the boy's leg. If we deactivate it, The Capitol will know that either someone told us, or figured it out on our own, so for now we have to conscientious with our conversations. For now.

"What do you want to know?" It takes us a little longer than I had hoped since the boy is on crutches, cutting our time in half. But once we are far enough from the listening devices, I stop, turning to look at my kids.

"Everything." Peeta says.

"Well, 'everything' is kind of vague, kid."

"I heard you Haymitch, on a call with my dad. Is it true... did he... did he know Prim's name would be called… and— and did he tell someone to do it? Please tell me I heard him wrong—"

"Sweetheart, your dad; he really wanted to be the one to tell you... but yes, you heard right."

"WHAT THE HELL? How could he, why would he, does he realize, did he think, no, no, no, this isn't... this can't be happening. Why would he do this to me?" She sputters the words out so fast; I have a hard time keeping up with her. She paces back and forth, tugging on her hair, while she mumbles something I can't quite make out. I think she might be losing it.

"Katniss, calm down, let's hear what Haymitch has to say." Peeta tells her, but it doesn't seem to do any good. Oblivious to his vocalizations, Peeta balances on one leg, grabs her shoulders, and looks into her eyes. He doesn't utter a single word to her, but whatever he does, it has the desired effect of calming her down.

"Okay, I'm okay... I'm good." She rants, halting her pacing.

"It's really not your dad's fault. This is bigger than us, sweetheart. The people who set this in motion, they... they saw something in you, something powerful and special and they knew they needed you. You have the ability to move a nation, to unite the districts—"

"United in what?" The kid asks.

I am silent for a brief moment as I contemplate what is safe enough to tell them. "To end the games." Is all I offer them. Too much information could be dangerous. "Your dad told them it was okay, but only because they were going to do it with or without his permission. Without it, he would be left in the dark. The most important thing is that you guys made it out of there alive and are going home. But you kid, well, no one expected you."

"Who is they?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know." I lie to them, knowing it is too dangerous for the girl to know everything. If Snow were to find anything out, all he would have to do is threaten her little sister and she would divulge all of our secrets. The boy on the other hand; I do not doubt that Snow could torture him to no avail and the boy would not give anything away.

"Well, did anyone think to ask me if I wanted to do this? I want to know who is calling the shots in MY life… in mine and Peeta's life. It's not right Haymitch."

"It's—" I begin, but am interrupted by the train whistle blowing, letting us know it is time to head back.

"DAMMIT!" She screams out, disenchanted with our lack of time, and the three of us make our way back to the train, not speaking another word about it for the remainder of our trip.

0 - 0 - 0 - 0

| Prim |

"I believe that is the last box, Miss Everdeen." The mover-guy from The Capitol tells me. They arrived yesterday to inform us that Katniss provided her consent for us to live with her and they were instructed to assist us in transferring all of our belongings into Katniss' new Victor's home.

I was not surprised in the least when I heard from Madge that Peeta did not give the movers his permission for his family to move into his new home. I would not want to live with Mrs. Mellark if I had a choice either.

"Thank you, Mr. DaHari." I tell him, hoping that I pronounced it right. People from The Capitol sure do have the weirdest names, but then again, perhaps they believe my name is strange.

"If that is everything then I will be on my way." Mr. DaHari tips his hat, casting a nod toward dad.

"Yes sir, it is. I appreciate all of your help." Dad says after scanning the room once, and then picking up his notepad to scratch the final item from his list.

It's not like we have a lot of stuff, but the items that we do own have great sentimental value. When mom left her merchant life to be with dad, she came with nothing but the clothes on her back. Dad however, inherited quite a lot of "junk"; as mom calls it, from his parents after they died.

"It was a pleasure Mr. Everdeen." He says before heading out the door, and he sounds like he actually means it.

I have been keeping myself busy, intentionally avoiding being in the same room as my parents, afraid that one look at me and they will know I overheard them. Madge made it clear that I must continue playing the role of "doe-eyed, naïve little sister."

But I am in awe of this immaculate house; I think we could fit five of our homes from the seam into just the space they call "the den."

Our new home is a giant two-story mansion with an attic and a basement, so it's kind of like four-stories, if you think about it.

When you come in through the front door, you walk into the foyer, which has a coat closet on the left and a little nook on the right to keep your shoes. Mom will love that.

Once you pass the foyer, you walk right into the "living room", which has a sliding door that leads to the "den." There is a bathroom in-between the living room and the den that connects the two rooms. It even has two doors, so you can go out either one, depending on which room you want to go in.

On the other side of the den is the biggest kitchen ever, with a fancy stove and a double oven, and so many cabinets. If it wasn't so beautiful, I would be so overwhelmed with all the different cabinets drawers; there are too many choices and I do not think we have enough stuff to fill even a quarter of it up. I wonder if Peeta's home is the same, and if it is, he is going to fall in love with it the moment he sees it. There is a door in the kitchen that leads into a fenced off back yard, as well as another door that is like, half the size of a normal door leading to our basement. Needless to say, I have not had time to check everything out; yet.

A winding staircase wraps around the kitchen that leads to the second floor with nothing but bedrooms. There are four bedrooms, dad says one for each of us and we will use the extra one to see our patients in; kind of like an exam room. Each bedroom has its own fully furnished bathroom, and the best part is that we have electricity and hot water every single minute of the day.

After I unpack a few boxes, I glance over to the clock and see it is almost time for the train to arrive.

"MOM! DAD!" I scream from the top of the staircase. "I'm gonna go find Madge, we will meet you at the station!" I race down the steps, taking them two at a time and fly out the door, still in disbelief that this is actually our home. Victor's Village is a gated off section, I guess like a community. There are eleven other homes here, all unoccupied except for the one that Peeta will live in, and Haymitch's.

"NO RUNNING DOWN THE STEPS PRIMROSE!" I hear mom yelling out to me just as the door slams shut behind me.

Victor's Village is closer to town that the seam is, so it takes me half the time to get to Madge's house. When I reach the front door, I am stunned when I hear the most beautiful music playing and close my eyes before knocking, soaking up the transcendent melody.

"Hey Prim, are you ready?" Madge says, looking up from the piano when Rose opens the door.

Once, I called Rose the maid, which earned me a most ferocious death glare from Madge, followed by a stern talking to. I will not make that mistake again, clearly Rose and Madge are very close.

I am so excited; I am nearly jumping out of my skin. "Sooo ready! Agghh! I can't wait to see Katniss! And Peeta too!" I tell her, half bouncing, half skipping my way to the train station. I am so distracted by how excited I am, that I almost don't notice how on edge Madge appears.

"Was that you?" I ask Madge on our way to the train station.

"Huh?" She questions me, confused.

"The music I heard, was that you playing the piano?"

"Oh— Yeah, it was."

"It was beautiful really beautiful Madge; I am so jealous of you right now."

"Oh, thank you. It calms me, playing the piano is... I don't really know how to explain it, but, I don't know, I guess it just makes me feel better. I guess that sounds kind of crazy, huh? And... Maybe I could teach you sometime—if you'd like."

"It makes complete sense; the piano is your woods. And, oh yes, yes, yes, please! I would LOVE for you to teach me!"

By the time we reach the train station I am still a bundle of nervous energy, causing the Peacekeepers to cast me a concerned look; I bet they are questioning my sanity.

I guess they would not know the excitement and pure joy a younger sister shows on the day her sister comes home from winning the games, since we haven't had a winner since Haymitch.

Since I am the beloved sister of one of our victors, I am escorted (with Madge by my side) to the front of the line where we wait for my parents. Gale and his family are not far behind us; for some reason Olive and Tangie thought Gale was Katniss' cousin, so we are just going with it.

Mom and dad find us not long after The Hawthorne's arrive, followed by Peeta's dad and his brother, Rye. I wonder where Mrs. Mellark and the eldest Mellark boy are? Shouldn't they be here to greet Peeta?

"Prim honey, calm down." Mom says, resting her hands on my shoulders in an attempt to halt my bouncing.

"I can't help it mom, I'm too excited."

After an hour of anxiously and impatiently waiting for the arrival of the train, we finally hear the whistle, letting us know it is just around the corner. Finally, the train arrives, and it feels like it takes forever for the doors to open, but when it does, I see my beautiful sister standing next to an equally handsome Peeta. Haymitch exits first, balling his fists up and raising them in the air; in victory, causing the entire district to erupt in an echo of cheers and screams.

Our entire district came out to witness this moment; it is the first time in twenty-four years that Twelve has had a victor. But not only did we get a victor, but for the first time in the history of the games, we brought BOTH of our tributes home.

"Let's give it up for Haymitch Abernathy, the very first, the ONLY mentor to bring BOTH of our kids home!" Mayor Undersee yells into his microphone, and the crowd erupts in howls and whistles, cheering for Haymitch. Wait, what did he do? It was Katniss and Peeta who made it out of the games. And they only made it because they outsmarted the Gamemaker's. Anyone who knew my sister and Peeta prior to the games, would know that asking them to kill the other would be like asking to touch the moon; it would never happen.

Haymitch takes the microphone from Madge's dad, "No Ric, it was all them; they did all the work... I give you... The VICTORS of the seventy-fourth annual hunger games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark!" Everyone is screaming and chanting their names when they exit the train hand in hand. They bring their clasped hands over their head and for some reason, it makes everyone go a little crazier.

"Come this way Prim, I know a short cut." Madge tells me, grabbing my hand. We tell mom and dad we will meet them back at Madge's house, and Madge leads us through the crowd of people, twisting and turning, going this way and that way until I feel like we are lost. But before I realize it, I am looking into her backyard.

0 - 0 - 0 - 0

| Katniss |

"My gods, I am so glad that is over." I complain to Madge after the victory dinner is over. To say that it was uncomfortable sitting at the dinner table for almost three hours with Peeta's mother sending me evil glares every few minutes is an understatement. What is it with that woman, why is she so angry all the time? I wonder what happened to her to make her the way she is.

Madge leads us up the stairs and into her room and I kick my shoes off before we stretch out on her bed. It feels like ten years instead of around a month ago the last time I was here. No, it feels like an entire lifetime ago; or like… someone else's life.

I reach down to my chest when I feel a pinching sensation and see the clip on the back of my mockingjay pin is poking through, brushing against my skin. I remove it and open my hand to Madge. "I thought you might want this back." Her eyes narrow in confusion, which confuses me.

"I gave it to you; it is yours now. I am not a taker-backer." She says playfully, pushing my hand away.

"You don't want it back? Madge! I can't keep this; it has got to be worth so much money... I mean... it's solid gold!"

"It was a gift Katniss."

"Are you sure Madge?" I ask, drawing my brows together. An image flashes in my mind of a dying Thresh, and how I gave this pin to him to watch over him, and how I was so scared Madge would be upset with me for giving it away.

"Yes Katniss, I promise." She reassures me, taking it from my hand and pinning it back to my shirt, as if to prove her point.

"What you did for Thresh, Katniss; it was so—"

"Where did you get it from anyway?" I cut her off, not wanting to talk about my time in the arena.

She is taken aback and looks at me quizzically. "You mean... you don't know? I shake my head; know what? Madge gets up and walks over to her door, carefully clicking it shut as to not make any noise. "He didn't tell you... I figured he, I mean, I thought..." Madge sputters, returning to the bed, crossing her legs when she sits in front of me.

"Who didn't tell me what?" I inquire, my interest piqued.

"It belonged to my aunt; my mother's twin sister." She begins, and I rummage through my mind, searching for any memory where Madge may have mentioned an aunt, only to come up empty.

"I didn't know you had an aunt." I confess, hoping that she didn't tell me, and I simply forgot. I am not proud of it, and it makes me a terrible friend; but I am not the best listener, my mind is constantly wandering all over the place.

"I don't... well, not anymore." She states, reaching over to her nightstand and grabs her notepad and a pen to doodle.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"I never knew her, but thanks all the same. She died before I was born."

"What happened to her?"

"She died in the quell." Again, I scan through my memories while my mind does the math; the last quell would have been the fiftieth games, which was when they sent twice as many tributes into the arena. And then it hits me.

"Haymitch." I gasp, covering my mouth with my hand.

I stretch out on Madge's bed, laying on my side and hug one of her pillows while I listen intently as she tells me the story. A love story: a story of two sisters who loved each other so much; two sisters who were like night and day. One sister was timid and frail, the other brave and fearless; a girl who went into the games to protect her sister, and like me, she outsmarted The Capitol by volunteering for her sister right under their noses.

If I am shocked when I learn that her mother and aunt switched identities, I am completely flabbergasted when she gets to the part about the actual "Grace" being Haymitch's "childhood sweetheart". That my pin, which once belonged to the love of Haymitch's life, was originally Haymitch's grandmother's.

When Madge is finished telling me the story, I pull her into my arms, wrapping my arms tightly around her tiny frame. While I was in the living nightmare of the actual arena, Madge was in her own version of an arena. She cries into my arms and tells me about everything that happened while Peeta and I were gone. Peeta! Where is he?

'Peeta? Where are you, are you okay?'

'I'm okay Katniss, I'm sitting outside talking to my dad. Are you still upstairs with Madge?'

"Oh, thank God, I thought—" I blurt out, not realizing I said it out loud. Madge raises an eyebrow, looking at me as if I have finally lost my marbles. I reach over and grab her notepad and pen and begin writing the words I want to say, but fear that even her room may be bugged.

'You are going to think I am crazy when I tell you this, but... I was talking to Peeta. We can hear each other in our heads, since the arena.' Madge leans over to watch me write, reading as I write the words. She goes bug-eyed after reading the words, but she doesn't look at me like I'm crazy.

When I told Madge about me and Peeta being able to sense the other's feelings after the tree incident, she made it clear that she did not believe me; claiming that I was only denying my feelings for him.

'Let's talk about this later, okay?' Madge scribbles on the notepad and I nod my head, not in the mood to write a novel tonight.

'Yes.' I confirm for Peeta.

I spend another hour with Madge in her room and away from the camera's; or at least I hope so. I meant to ask her if she knew about what my dad did but decide against it after everything she revealed tonight.

Timidly, Madge tells me about hanging out with Prim, and the conversation they overheard from her father's office. I assure Madge that I am not mad at her; If Madge knew what they would have heard, I know without a doubt Madge would kept them both out of there.

I can tell Madge is keeping something from me and I finally weasel it out of her.

"I um… I got my first kiss." She tells me, bashfully looking down to her fingers.

"I thought you said you were waiting for Gale to get off his high-horse?" I joke around with her, but then it hits me, causing me to suck in a deep breath. "OH MY GOD! IT WAS GALE!" Her face is red as the strawberries she loves so much when she nods.

"I better go find Peeta. And the rest of my family. They want to give me the grand tour of the new house." I finally tell Madge, not wanting to leave and give her a hug before I make my way downstairs, looking for Peeta.

0 - 0 - 0 - 0

| Peeta |

"Dad, can we talk?" I corner my dad once the victory dinner is over and most everyone has left. Those of us who remain are either mingling with the locals or helping to clean up. I saw Katniss go upstairs with Madge, so I know she is safe, giving me some time to talk to my father. My mother bolted the moment dinner was over, not even bothering to tell me goodbye, much less hello. Sadly, I am not the least bit surprised, but that doesn't make the pain in my chest hurt any less.

"Sure, why don't we step outside for some fresh air?" I follow him outside and we sit on the porch swing. I have been dreading this conversation all day, but it is something that must happen.

Dad rocks us on the swing and I find the swaying motion rather soothing. "Dad… I… I'm not sure how to say this, so I… I'm just going to say it. I— I don't want mom living with me. I don't mind if you and Rye come, but I do not want mom there. Besides, I mean, she didn't even speak to me, not once the entire night. The last time she spoke to me was… in the Justice Building, after the reaping." There, it's out… I got it out, I said it.

"I figured as much when I saw Katniss' family with the movers and no one had come for us. But Peeta, I—I am so sorry… After you told Katniss that story; when you guys were in the cave… it— it was like the missing puzzle piece… everything finally made sense. And son, I am so sorry that I didn't realize it sooner, that I did nothing to stop her abuse."

"I don't blame you dad, you didn't know. I mean, how could you have known when I lied to you all of these years… I— it's not your fault."

"I appreciate that son, but it is a father's job to protect his children… and… and I'm just sorry. But about the living situation— I'm actually glad you brought this up because when it became clear that you and Katniss were coming home… This was a tough decision son, but it had to be done. Your mother, Rye, and I, well… we just can't leave the bakery right now. And Victor's Village is clear across town, and if we all came over there with you, we would just lose valuable time. I don't want you to be alone—"

"Leave her dad. Leave her and you and Rye can move in with me. I know she hates me, and wait, what about Graham? He wasn't here tonight… is he—"

"He has made his mind up that you fabricated that story… and when everyone around here realized what your mother has been doing to you all these years… all the black eyes, busted lips and sprained ankles were finally explained, and well… everyone has kind of shunned her. They seemed to have forgiven me, but her, well not so much. There was a rumor floating around that some of the merchants even refuse to sell to her."

"Why?" I ask, wrinkling my forehead and narrowing my eyes.

"Because they care about you Peeta, why else?" He says, ruffling my hair.

"They do?"

"Of course, they do. Who wouldn't?" Dad stops the swing to face me. "Come here son." He says, opening his arms to me. I allow him to hold me for a moment, savoring the feeling of a loving parent's arms. I have come to accept the fact that my mother will never reciprocate my love, and I am okay with that. As long as I have Katniss, I do not need anything else.

"You'll come over though, right? And I can still help out in the bakery?"

"Of course, I will come over. What would you think about… Saturday— No, Sunday dinners? I'll come over and cook something up… maybe invite Katniss and her family every so often?"

"That sounds great dad. And dad?" I chime as he gets up to go back inside.

"Yeah, Peet?"

"I love you." He walks back over to me, leans down, wrapping his arms around me and then places a kiss to my forehead.

0 - 0 - 0 - 0

| Madge |

Once everyone has left after the victory dinner and the house is finally empty, I help Rose get the house back in order. At last, we are alone. All of our guests from The Capitol are finally gone and I feel like I can actually breathe again. Once Rose is happy with the state of the house, we go to our separate corners of the house, ready to enjoy some much needed peace and quiet. Except I cannot relax. My parents are leaving tomorrow, and I am terrified it will be the last time I see them.

I do not want to sit in my room alone, wallowing in my own self-pity, so I slide my slippers on and make my way downstairs to dads office. Tiptoeing down the hall, as to not wake my mother, I give myself a pep talk, trying to talk myself into having the courage to confront my dad.

I am just a moment too late, because when I open the door, I catch a brief glimpse of dad slipping through the space where I know the hidden doorway is; the one that leads into the tunnels. 'Good, maybe I'll finally get some answers.' I tell myself while I wait in the office for another minute or two, giving him a head start to wherever he is going; and whoever he is meeting.

I feel my way down the dark corridor that eventually leads deep into the woods of Twelve, careful not to make a sound. I must have caught up with dad because I can see the faint glow of the lantern he carries, barely lighting the way.

When I hear the whispers of two people, I duck behind a giant rock to conceal myself.

"Thank you for meeting me tonight, Amy. Were you followed?"

"Of course, not Ric, I'm not stupid. I am quite capable of slipping past security." This "Amy" tells dad. They talk for a few minutes, their hushed whispers too quiet for my ears to pick up.

Suddenly, there is a tickle in my nose, and I hold my breath, trying to hold my sneeze in, but it is of no use. Dad says I have something called "allergies", because when I sneeze, it is usually a round of at least fifteen before it's over. I count seventeen sneezes before they stop, followed by dad's angry outburst.

"Dammit Marjorie, what have I told you about coming down here!" I reveal myself from behind the rock, feeling my blood beginning to simmer.

"You've been keeping things from ME, and I want to know what it is. Who is this?" I demand, pointing to the woman.

"Well, I suppose you will find out soon enough anyway." Dad sighs, sounding exasperated. "Madge, this is Amy—Amnesty Heavensbee, but you will know her as Poppy Kadinski. She will be the interim mayor while your mother and I are— away." Poppy steps out of the shadows and extends her hand to me. I take it and look up into her eyes. Who is this woman, and why does her other name sound so familiar?

"It is a pleasure to meet you Madge, your dad has told me so many wonderful things about you." She gushes, and even in the darkness I can see the genuine smile that encompasses her face.

Warily, I take her hand, giving it a shake, "Um… Thanks?" I say uncertainly.

Poppy is beautiful from what I can make out in the poorly lit tunnel, she has raven black hair that hangs loosely just above her shoulders, however, she looks rather plain for someone from The Capitol. Her almond shaped eyes are a deep mahogany, accented with the longest eyelashes I may have ever seen. And considering that the lighting is rather poor in the tunnels, that is saying something.

"Madge, you cannot speak a word of this to anyone, and I mean anyone." Dad warns me. "Poppy is an undercover rebel that President Snow thinks he has in his pocket. Her father is Plutarch Heavensbee, the soon to be Head Gamemaker. But Snow doesn't know that she is his daughter."

"What— How?"

"It's a long story sweetie, but her husband; is Raven Kadinski of the Kadinski Empire and he too, is an undercover rebel disguised as one of the most prominent sponsors for the games. They, along with their daughter—" Dad turns to look at Poppy for confirmation, "—Kismet, right?"

"That's right; Raven and Kizzy will be accompanying me to Twelve, we are scheduled to leave tomorrow afternoon. We most likely will not arrive in Twelve until the following day though.

I look at my dad, my eyes full of tears, wanting; no, needing so badly to know the truth. "Dad… You and mom, — you aren't coming back, are you?" Dad closes his eyes, him mouth forming into a firm line.

"Probably not honey." He says, opening his eyes when he tells me this. It's what I wanted; the truth, but now that I have it, I want to take it back. I don't want them to leave, I don't want to say goodbye to my parents.

"What if you just don't go?" He pulls me into his arms, holding me tight for a moment.

"I wish, Madge. You have no idea how badly I do not want to leave you." Pulling back from our embrace, he places his hands on my shoulders and his eyes bore into mine. "But you are going to be just fine, do you hear me? You are the strongest person I know and there are so many people here in Twelve who love you and who will help you." The tears stream unwillingly from my eyes and I just can't seem to make them stop.

"Madge, I need to talk to Poppy so, I need you to go home okay? I will meet you there shortly." Unable to form any words, I simply just nod my head.

"It was nice to meet you Poppy, I will— I will see you soon, I guess." I tell her, giving her a smile and straightening my hunched over shoulders before turning around and heading back the way I came.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0

| Katniss |

"Katniss honey, stop, where are you going?" After the victory dinner, Prim dragged me home, eager and excited to be the one to give me a tour of the house. It set off a domino effect, reminding me how I got it in the first place, which then caused me to remember what I overheard on the train. I went into "my room" and started packing a bag for Peeta's house. Even if I wasn't mad at my dad, I am certain I would not let Peeta stay in that giant house all alone; to deal with his nightmares by himself.

"Don't act like you don't know why I'm mad!" I yell at my dad, opening the drawers of my new dresser and blindly shoveling items into my bag. Where did all of these clothes come from anyway?

"Katniss, please honey, let me explain; it's not what you think."

"You put me in that arena! You told… whoever it was that it was okay for them to call Prim's name, how could I EVER be okay with that?"

"Katniss, I am so sorry, but please let—"

"NO! GET AWAY FROM ME, GET OUT OF MY ROOM, I DO NOT WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE RIGHT NOW!" I scream at him, slamming the drawers shut and head into the bathroom.

The bedroom door swings open, and I see mom looking rather disheveled. "Dylan, can I have a minute with Katniss?" Dad sighs, exasperated with his efforts and leaves the room. Mom shuts the door behind him and sits down on my bed, patting the spot next to her.

I hesitate for a moment, but then decide to submit and plant myself next to her.

"Katniss, I know you must be angry—"

"ANGRY? ANGRY? I am not ANGRY, I am furious, I am outraged, I am… AGGHH. How could he do this to me mom? Why? And what if I—" I stop myself, afraid to say more in case my house is bugged.

"Mom, I… I need to go, Peeta is waiting for me."

"About that; do you think it is wise, for you guys to spend the night together?" I glare at her, my eyes flickering with rage and then zip my duffel bag closed, not caring if I have everything I need. The only thing I need is Peeta.

"Mom, it's not like that. Peeta and I… We survived the games together, we have been by each other's side almost every single second since we left Twelve, and… and Peeta's the only one who understands. I just… I just need to go; I don't want to talk about this anymore. And— it's just two houses away, so it's not like I'll be that far."

"Okay honey. Can we bring you guys some breakfast in the morning?"

"Who is we?"

"Just me and Prim. Hazel mentioned stopping by, but… not dad, if that's what you are worried about."

"Okay, fine." She scoots in closer to me, wrapping her arms around me, and then places a kiss to my forehead.

"I love you Katniss, and I am so glad you are home. Tell Peeta we love him too, we didn't get a chance to speak with him tonight, okay?" I welcome her embrace, relax my body and match her stance.

"I love you too mom, and I will." I am thankful when mom walks me down the steps and through the back door, allowing me to avoid dad. I just can't deal with him tonight.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0

| Peeta |

"Are you okay?" I ask Katniss once she is safely inside my new house. Mansion is more like it.

"No, I am not okay! How could he do that to me... To Prim! I mean, what if..."

'Is it safe to talk in here?' She finishes silently. Haymitch told us that three out of twelve of the Victor Houses are without surveillance and he would make sure one of us got into at least one of them. I am more than thankful that it is my home.

'Yes, but we can never be too careful.' I tell her.

'Peeta, what if I hadn't volunteered for Prim? Then what?'

'Then she would still be coming home to you, you have to know that.'

'But then... No Peeta, I can't— NO. That is not an option.' But we both know it is true. I would have made sure Prim came home to Katniss.

"Come sit down, Katniss." I tell her, pulling her to the giant sofa in my living room. This house is way too big for one person, I am going to have to make some changes to make it feel like a home. She follows me to the couch, and lie here, snuggled on the couch in each other's arms. For a flicker of a moment, as I stare into the fireplace, watching the flickering flames, I think everything is going to be okay. And it is; at least for the rest of the night.

The next day, Katniss brings it up again; her dad. She is so angry and cannot seem to let it go, much less forgive him.

'It's not right Katniss, what he did, but I get it. I can see his side, I mean, from his perspective.'

"Seriously, Peeta! You don't actually mean that, do you?" She says, standing up and yelling at me.

"Calm down Katniss, I am not saying what he did was even remotely alright, but I get 'why' he made the choice he made." It was an impossible choice.

"CALM DOWN? CALM DOWN? YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?" She screams and the tears begin streaming down her face.

"You were supposed to be on my side, Peeta!" She glares at me, and then runs out the front door, slamming it shut behind her.

Crap, what just happened? What did I just do? I stand up to go after her but forget that my prosthesis isn't secured to my leg and fall flat on my face. All alone. Dammit.

0 — 0 — 0 — 0

| Madge |

"You'll call me as soon as you guys get there? And if you make a stop somewhere that has a phone, you'll call me then too?" I ask dad as soon as we leave the house. Rose and I walk mom and dad to the train station this morning, and I am terrified this is the last time I will see them. I never got around to confronting my dad, having run into Poppy in the tunnels caught me off guard.

"Yes honey, I promise!" Dad tells me.

"Here mom, let me carry that for you." I tell mom and take her suitcase from her hands.

"Thank you, sweetie." We are a little early arriving at the train station, allowing us some time together before their departure. The four of us share a bench, and I squish myself between my parents, like I did when I was a little girl. Afraid it was my last night with my parents, I spent the night with them, falling asleep in their bed, sandwiched between them all night.

"MADGE!" I hear my name and turn my head in the other direction to see Gale.

"Hello Gale." Mom and dad both say when Gale joins us on the platform.

"Hello Mayor Undersee, Mrs. Undersee." Gale says, tipping his head.

"It's Ric, Gale." Dad says, offering Gale a smile.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting. So, you guys are headed to The Capitol, right? For that experimental treatment thingy?"

"That's correct." Mom confirms.

"Well, good luck and I hope it works." Gale says enthusiastically. After I told him my suspicions, he was skeptical and still does not believe my theory. Then again, he does not know how sinister President Snow is, and to what extent he will go to end someone who defies him.

Finally, the train arrives, and I give each of my parents the longest, biggest hug until they are prying my fingers open, removing me from them. They get on the train and the door shuts, sealing them inside. I am absolutely terrified, wondering what is going to happen. Will they get into an unfortunate accident, will The President lock them in a cage and torture them? I just don't know, and I am scared to death.

We watch the train leave, but I refuse to go anywhere until I can no longer see any remnants of the train.

"Madge, I'm going to go back to the house, I've some things I need to get caught up on." Rose tells me, standing up to leave.

"Okay Rosie, I'll be home soon." I tell her.

"I'll walk her back home, ma'am." Gale tells Rose, causing a suspicious smile to form on her lips.

I never take my eyes off the train, not for a second as it pummels down the tracks. Every second that passes, I get more relieved and more scared all at once.

"Madge, they're going to be okay, you'll see. Come on, let's go."

Hesitating for a moment, no longer able to see the train, I decide Gale is right. "Okay." I tell him, taking his hand. He guides me down the steps and we make our way back into town.

Two weeks later and I still have not heard from my dad, I begin to make myself crazy with worry. Everyone tries to reassure me that they are okay, just busy with this "treatment." But I know otherwise. My dad would have called me the moment they reached The Capitol.

It happens on a Tuesday when I am at school in the lunchroom; eating all by myself because Katniss is no longer required to come to school. Darius, one of our Peacekeepers, and the only one I like enters the lunchroom, headed straight for me. He doesn't have to say a word, I can see it written on his face. Because when someone delivers the news of a loved one dying, there is this synchronized look on their face. When he is about ten feet from me, our eyes meet, causing me to begin vehemently shaking my head. The tears are streaming down my face before he even reaches me.

"Madge, I have—"

"No, no, no, no no!" I scream, covering my ears with my hands. If I do not hear the words, then they are not true. Hearing it makes it real, and I do not want it to be real. He only speaks louder and there is nothing I can do to prevent the sound of his voice from penetrating my ears.

"I'm sorry Madge, your parents were in an accident— equipment malfunction — no survivors — Sorry for your loss." Is all I hear. He gives me a sympathetic smile before turning to leave.

Dropping to my knees, I let the sobs out, lying down in the cafeteria floor, clutching my hands to my chest from the pain.

I am suffocating, I cannot breathe. I do not remember who picked me up from the floor and carried me home; but I wish they would have just left me there to die.

A/N: OMG, I truly cannot believe I made it this far! It's the final chapter of the first story, and I could not have done this without all of YOU guys! Without your support, dedication & love, this would not be possible, so THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! I am already working on the next one, but I want to get a good chunk written before I start posting chapters. Going week to week with just 1 additional chapter written literally took up every spare moment of my life. Not that I mind, it's just that there just doesn't seem to be enough minutes in the day.

I have gone over this chapter so many times, and I am still not 100% happy with it, but then again, I am terrible with "endings". I have a clear idea how the next one is going to go, but if anyone is interested, I am still searching/looking/wanting someone to beta, or simply just someone to read over it once before I post it.

I guess that's it, I hope you will travel with me through the next story, which I am almost certain will be called "Shades of Nightlock" (But that is not certain yet) I guess…just follow me/subscribe and you will get updates for the new story!

I hope everyone is being safe, wearing a mask, washing your hands and practicing social distancing, (even more so) with the holiday's just around the corner!

Don't forget to leave a review!

3 Muah!