Noah's brown, wavy head lifts up from its place in his book when the doorbell rings. His eyes stare hopefully at Johanna as she passes through the family room. Ruffling his hair, she offers him her best smile. Darting up from the worn, leather couch he bolts to the door.

Upon opening it, Noah's face skews with fear, confusion and disappointment. Johanna tries to pick him up but he squirms away from her grasp and races down the hallway, slamming the door to his bedroom.

Haymitch is not the man he wants to see.

"Hi there."

"Hey," Johanna murmurs, running a hand through her hair and looking down at her socked feet.

"Some mood he's in, huh?"

"You don't know the half of it," Johanna sighs, stepping aside letting Haymitch through the door. At times like these that there is nothing she wouldn't give to get Finnick to come home early.

"Enlighten me," Haymitch says with a smile while opening up the box of donuts he brought and flopping onto the vacant couch.

Swinging her legs over the warn out arm rest, Johanna joins him before grabbing a beer.

"He gets this way every time Finnick leaves of his 'business trips'. Doesn't talk, barely eats, and if it weren't summer vacation, I wouldn't have been able to get him outta bed." Johanna takes a look sip from her drink.

"Ah."

"Yeah," Johanna grumbles. "A pain in my ass. Makes babysitting twice as hard."

"I would imagine…" Haymitch nods absentmindly. His eyes shift away from her as he takes a small bite from the donut.

"Okay, what did I do?" she narrows her eyes and sits straight up against the back of the couch. "Did I say something? Am I not being a good enough Aunt to him? Parenting is hard-work, asshole, so stop judging."

"I'm not saying it isn't hard work," his voice dips low. "But I know you, Johanna. Communication isn't your strong suit; though what the boy needs right now is someone he can talk to. Someone's he's comfortable with."

"I fucking live with him!" she shouts. "I make that kid's breakfast, do his laundry, occasionally even clean his room and take him out to play ball hockey on Sundays. I'm pretty damn sure he's comfortable!"

"Would you lower your voice, sweetheart? No wonder the kid doesn't trust you. Do you always scream like this?"

"Fuck off!"

Haymitch blinks.

Getting up from his seat, he shoves his donut in his mouth before taking the nearly full box and heading off down the hallway.

"Where are you going?"

"To feed a starving child."

Johanna rolls her eyes causing Haymitch to smile as he knocks on the boy's bedroom door. "Hey, munchkin I brought donuts, you want one?"

Neither of them hears the floor boards creak or Noah's bed sheets ruffle.

"Kiddo, your Auntie Jo is worried about you, would you please open the door? She just wants to talk." Haymitch tries again.

This time, they hear the light padding of bare feet, the turn of the lock and Noah pops his head out from behind the door. His eyes are puffy and red, pajamas soaked in sweat and a small urine stain. When those short arms of his shoot up into the air, Johanna doesn't think twice about picking him up and holding him tight.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Auntie Jojo," Noah sniffles, wiping his running nose on her shirt.

"It's okay, hun. It's okay. Let's get you cleaned up and then we'll get donuts for dinner and watch TV until your Daddy calls."

Noah nods. The smile that stretches across his lips is the first one she has seen all week.

Turning to back to Haymitch, embarrassment flushes its way onto her face. Leaning down, he places a kiss on her forehead.

"Good thing I brought my bag of tricks," he smirks. Johanna shoves him as she rolls her eyes bringing a deep chuckle from his chest.

She wasn't going to deny it nor was she going to openly admit it, but she was glad he came around today.