Disclaimer: The Hunger Games Trilogy is property of Suzanne Collins. This is a parody fanwork by fans for fans. No money was made off of the creation of this fanwork.

The Ten Unwritten Rules of Being a Hunger Games Victor

By Fanfic Allergy

Rule Nine:

I stepped out of the hospital wing of Thirteen with relief. I was getting heartily sick of them. and I was grateful that I'd only had to spend a night there after the events that had happened in District Eight. Still, I wasn't sure how to take Peeta's broadcast last night. But I was grateful that Finnick had thought to hide the fact that we'd seen it.

I looked around and somehow wasn't surprised to see Haymitch lounging against the wall. "Come to steal my breakfast? Too bad I already ate it."

Haymitch shrugged. "Thought I'd walk you to your next meeting."

"No meeting, I'm supposed to take it easy," I countered. "Doctor's orders."

"And you're planning on following them?"

"I don't see why I shouldn't," I said. "It's not like I'm doing anything useful. I don't even know what's going on in the other districts."

Haymitch shot me a sharp look and I cursed my runaway tongue. I was supposed to be pretending that I hadn't seen the interview last night. That I hadn't heard Peeta's traitorous words or seen his haggard appearance. "So what are you planning to do?" my mentor asked slowly.

I shrugged. I didn't really know what I was planning to do. I wanted to go hunting. I wanted to force Coin into telling more of what was going on. I wanted to do something constructive.

I wanted to save Peeta.

The thought flitted across my brain and I knew it was true. I missed him and I hated him being in the hands of the Capitol.

Haymitch must have been watching me very closely because he said without any preamble. "Rule Nine: Don't get too attached to anyone or anything unless you are willing to lose it or them. The Capitol can and will use them to try to control you." Then he turned and started to walk down the hallway away from me.

Staring at him blankly, I couldn't stop myself from blurting out. "You can't just tell me that and walk away!"

"Sure I can, sweetheart. Just watch me."

"But shouldn't you be waiting until Peeta's around?" I half-asked, half-demanded.

"I can tell him all about it some other time," he replied, his back still turned on me. "It looked like you needed to hear it now."

I couldn't argue with him. He was right, I did need to hear that now. I knew that the Capitol was using Peeta to manipulate the revolution. To manipulate me. I couldn't fault Snow for using him like that, I'd given him the ammunition, after all. It was only common sense that he'd use Peeta against me. Seeing him so damaged, broke something within me.

"Katniss! Katniss!" A woman's voice called out behind me and I turned to see Cressida running down the hall toward me.

I turned back just in time to see my mentor turn the corner and escape any more discussion of rules or the Capitol. With a sigh, I greeted Cressida who explained that she wanted to me to come record a few things for the next propos. I agreed, not because I thought it would do anything to help the war. But because it would for a few moments get my mind off of Peeta and the way the Capitol was breaking him.

At least that's what I hoped would happen.

AN:

And we've time-skipped into Mockingjay. This scene takes place right at the beginning of Chapter Nine there and it sounded like something that Haymitch would say to Katniss. Especially after Peeta's second interview. This section is a little shorter, but the time period that I am shoehorning this into is pretty small. That and without Peeta to talk about this with, I didn't think that it would need to be dragged out. Katniss and Haymitch get each other. Peeta doesn't always get them.

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