Trigger warning: slightly sexual content at the beginning of the first POV.

Maysilee Donner, aged 16

She's always had pretty good odds.

Maysilee doesn't believe in odds. She knows the second she turned that slimy Peacekeeper wench down because she wouldn't let him anywhere near her sister and she was just too good to sleep with him for one night, only one night baby...she's not saying he had a hand in her sentence because he wasn't high enough on the totem pole to do such a thing.

But no good deed goes unpunished.

They call her all sorts of things behind her back. Slut. Whore. Prude. Bitch. All because she's too good for any man's dick or any man in general. She's quiet and stubborn, but she doesn't give the aura of shyness and sensitivity like her sister. She's a Merchant bird and the richest one at that, so automatically, the Seam people hate her guts.

Three out of the four doomed children from District 12 are from the Seam. There's tiny 12 year-old Filly Golfinner, who looks like she hasn't eaten in days. 14 year-old Keegan Hollybrock, who locks himself in his room with his tears. Sullen, surly Haymitch Abernathy, who scowls at Maysilee as she ever so gracefully sits down across from him.

"This ain't no coach for a princess," Haymitch snarls.
"I'm not a princess."
"You could've fooled me."

Maysilee fans herself with her hand. He was expecting a spoiled rich daddy's girl? Oh, she'll give him one alright. Her odds are probably sinking with each passing minute so she's gonna raise a little hell with what she has left.

"You must think I'm incapable of a lot of things, Abernathy. I'm just too good to get the blood under my nails and cut the heads off Careers, right after I've ripped their throats to shreds. The odds were supposed to be in my favour, weren't they? After all, I'd never need to buy those disgusting tessarae lumps to save my family."

"You must know how hard the struggle is." Haymitch's voice is beyond tainted with sarcasm, which slowly drips from his ever sickening tone.
"Everyone who's born in District 12 will be buried in District 12 eventually. What good is material wealth anyways?"

They're alone. Maysilee has had her doubts about the safety of being alone in a room with such a foul-mouthed man, but she isn't afraid of Haymitch Abernathy and he clearly wants nothing to do with her. God knows where their escort is and frankly, she doesn't care. She also has no time to worry about Filly or Keegan.

Selfish, spoiled, stubborn thinking. In another world, she'd be punished for her deeds.

In Panem, her good deeds will get her killed, where it be District 12 or the Hunger Games. Maysilee has learned this the hard way, building up her stone wall and her shields that can't slip, won't slip, as she navigates her daily life and won't even let herself cry in the privacy of her own house. She stands in front of Madeline Donner, too good for this sinful earth, who she will never let be corrupted by anything.

Now that Maysilee's gone, who will protect Madeline?

"Everything in Panem sucks and we all die in the end." Haymitch sucks in his cheeks, as if he's just eaten a foul and sour lemon. "I guess you ain't so bad, princess. Not as bad as the rumours say."
"Rumours?"
"I...uh, I assume you know..."

"You really shouldn't believe everything you hear." Maysilee doesn't exactly mean to scold Haymitch like he's her kid, but that's the way her tone came out, a lot harsher than she had intended. Whoops. Haymitch's eyes narrow and for a second, she's expecting a turret of colourful profanity raining down on her, but he simply relaxes instead.

"Perhaps I was a bit too cruel when I first judged you, princess. My apologies."
"And I suppose I did the same thing."

So they've worked a mutual agreement to disagree. Maysilee's decided that maybe Haymitch is okay in her book. They're not allies or friends, by a long shot. But she supposes she won't kill him if they bump into each other in the arena.

Wait, what? What happened to good deeds?

They never go unpunished.

So the smart thing for Maysilee to do is to tear Haymitch Abernathy to shreds because that's one less tribute between her and survival and going back home to Mommy, Daddy, and Madeline. She can't afford to let her shield crack and the stones become loose because all she needs is one little push and the wall will come crashing down.

God damn her to the depths of hell if Haymitch of all people is that push.

She can't go around refusing good deeds forever. She can try and shut herself away, but those annoying, altruistic saints...they just wanna be there for you, Maysilee! They wanna show you they care! They wanna be that shoulder you can cry on because sometimes you simply just can't take it no more.

Haymitch snorts and it's particularly amusing to Maysilee. "Well, I'm bored. Wanna watch TV or something?"
"Sure." Maysilee supposes she doesn't have to hide in her wall forever. "I'd like that."

She's rooting for Haymitch Abernathy if the odds don't go her way and she's eventually punished for all the good she's done in this world.

Katniss Everdeen

She sits in a rocking chair, staring out of the window in the room where her children used to play, but now has become storage for all the baby junk. Baby junk they grew too big for, some of which belongs to the tiny human in her arms although they can afford the much newer models.

It's a chilly autumn night, and it will only get colder from here. She doesn't feel cold. Katniss Everdeen (she loves her husband with all her heart, but she has no intention of ever taking his last name and he was perfectly fine with that) is holding her first grandchild for the first time.

He's quite big for his size, only two weeks old. He's got murky blue eyes, sure to grow grey when he gets older. His face shape is almost identical to that of her daughter and for a second, she imagines she's holding a different baby instead, all those years ago. That baby is gone now, replaced by a sunny young woman watching her mother and her son from the doorway.

That woman, who frolicked to District 8 to chase her dreams, returning after a few years attached to the hip of a redheaded fellow who would become Katniss's son-in-law after a few years more. She celebrated life with her new beau and has just produced life of her own.

"Isn't he adorable?" Sage asks, placing a hand on her mom's shoulder. "Look at those eyes."
"He looks so much like you, baby."
"And his dad. We think he's gonna get the red hair when he gets older. Old enough to grow hair, at least."

Katniss hugs the cooing baby closer to her chest. "Little duck, he's beautiful."
"I know."
"I love him already."

Sage laughs. "And you've know each other all of what, an hour? But I think he likes you too!"

At that moment, the baby in question grabs the end of Katniss's braid and tugs as hard as he can. The two women both laugh as Katniss quickly untangles her grandson's hand from her hair. "Okay, I've had enough. Take him back."
"Awwww, Mom! I'm sure he didn't mean it."
"Oh, he did. Look at his face."

The baby coos slightly and Katniss scrunches up her face. "Actually...he needs a change."
"Oh yes. I'll go take care of that."

Katniss is soon alone, slowly rocking back and forth. She picks up a warm mug of tea and gently sips on it, the steam curling upwards in front of her face. Her grandson is gone, probably fussing as his mother changes him, but she doesn't feel any colder. Not in a house filled with so much warmth.

She thinks of years ago, when she believed she'd have no future. When she expected to be another tally among the dead. A tribute lost to the Hunger Games, a Victor slaughtered for trivial enjoyment, a mockingjay martyred by rebels for a selfish cause.

But she's gone back home. Married the boy with the bread. Began a new routine, tainted with tradition. Had one child, then a second. Watched them grow and have kids of her own. Laughed when she was happy, cried when she was sad. Held Peeta close so they could both support each other at night.

She probably wouldn't have come this far if Peeta hadn't been there to comfort her. Or if she had been there to comfort him. They bring out a Katniss who's compassionate and selfless, lying in bed next to a Peeta who's clever and determined.

A girl on fire and a dandelion in the spring.

Sage is back, this time without a baby. "Sorry Mom. I had to go put him down for a nap."

Katniss runs a finger along the rim of her cup. "Are you excited? Now that you've finally got a kid of your own?"
"It's nothing like what I expected. Everything is unpredictable. And people are already asking me if I'll give him a sibling! Imagine that!"

"Take your time," Katniss says calmly. "No need to rush things. If you only want one child, then I see no problem with that. But I know you, and I know that you have the love for a thousand children." She runs a wrinkled hand across Sage's cheek.

"Do you remember what it was like when you had me?"
"I was very scared, little duck. I was beyond terrified. I thought that I would never be able to protect you, that I'd lose you. I'm beyond grateful that you got to grow up in a world with no Hunger Games."

"You and me both, Mom."

Their talk is interrupted by a shrill whine coming from another room down the hall. Sage huffs and gets to her feet while Katniss just chuckles.

Followed a slightly different format by including Maysilee, but she's always been a neat character to me. And writing young Haymitch is so much fun.

Next chapter will be the last one!

-Vr