I settled into my new niche. I wasn't quite like anyone else in Panem. I was a category all my own. I was a Victor, but it wasn't a conventional Games. It didn't have a number. People hardly ever talked about it, since it wasn't as big a deal as the normal Games. Whenever they had to call it something, they called it the Birthday Games.

The other Victors didn't care. We all had so much to be guilty over and proud of that we hardly ever distinguished between ourselves. The Careers tended to stick together, but that was more a personality matter than anything. That and half the others were afraid of them. Cornflower was happy I won- mostly because it meant she didn't have to mentor anymore. I wasn't assuming the worst about her, either. She straight up told me, since she was honest as a spin-shined mirror.

I hadn't anticipated how much I would appreciate being back with Dustin. He was older, sure, but he was always older than me, so I didn't care. It weirded me out at first that he looked a dad and not a brother, but he still acted the same. Before Emma, he was the only person I ever bonded with. Now I had Rose, too, but that was forced. Dustin was my only safe haven, and I treasured my time alone with him.

Rose was very pleased when we moved into the Victor's Village, since it meant she didn't have to come to the shack anymore. I only wished it was quieter. Bambi and Cornflower were always throwing raucous parties.

I was lucky- I didn't have to come up with some bogus talent. As far as Snow was concerned, I belonged to Rose. As far as Rose was concerned, we were best friends. As far as I was concerned, I'd toe the line while I was in the Capitol and I'd relax when I was back home.

It wasn't as bad as I thought being Rose's friend under penalty of death. I wasn't sure why she'd done the whole thing, though. She had to be the most popular girl in the country. She didn't need me.

"So why'd you do the Games anyway?" I asked once while we were coloring together. "You must have a million friends."

"They're not real friends," she said, still bent over a half-drawn castle. "They just want to see my house, or their parents made them come so I'd like them, or they're scared I'll be mad if they won't play." So it wasn't just Snow in there. Rose knew what was going on. She knew far more than her father probably suspected. I should have kept my mouth shut, but I was starting to think Rose wasn't just her daddy's stoolie.

"You think whoever you brought back to life and claimed as a prize would be a real friend?" I asked.

"You pretend, at least. And you won't leave like the others. They always leave when they know I won't get mad, but you won't ever leave, because you're mine," she said.

That's not creepy, I thought. I thought slavery was illegal now. Except Avoxes. They don't count... somehow. But dang, that sucks. You can't get a friend unless they're literally forced? You're the reason I'm alive, even though you only did it for yourself. I can suck it up and play tea party once in a while if that's how lonely you are.

"I asked my dad why you're all so poor in Ten," Rose said. "I was going to ask if he could help. He said it's not his fault. He said it's because you're so simpleminded."

Oh, is that why? I thought. Why don't you tell him to go- That wouldn't solve anything. Rose wouldn't even believe me if I said that wasn't the reason. She was smarter than the grownups knew, but she wasn't going to see through a lifetime of lies because I courageously showed her the light.

"If you had this idiot cat that always knocked his food bowl over, would you stop feeding him?" I asked.

"No," she giggled.

"Then maybe it's not important how dumb we are. We're still hungry," I said.

"Yeah," she said thoughtfully. I stopped there. If I ever did get her thinking against her father, I didn't think he'd spare her out of love. He didn't have any. Rose looked at me with a most peculiar expression. It didn't fit with someone of her stature. She looked vulnerable.

"Even though you have to be my friend, do you like me at all?" she asked. Trust Rose to ask something way beyond my ability to answer. And it had to be an honest answer. She was a smart kid.

"I didn't at first. But I didn't really know you. I may be your kept woman, but you know what? I'm glad it's you," I said. We were in it together. I was stuck with her because I couldn't leave, and she was stuck with me because everyone else left. We were a couple of last resorts, and by default, we were becoming friends.

And now Calvary is in her proper place. By that I mean the Victor's Village, not being with Rose, but she's making that work, too. This was Calvary's story, but I'm happy with how Rose grew too. She's still just a little girl and she's still her father's daughter, but this new perspective is going to affect her. Perhaps there's a reason Snow's granddaughter's mother was never mentioned.

Now that this is complete, next up will be a conventional SYOT. I have the files ready and I'll put up a name as soon as possible so I can add it here.