AUTHORS NOTE: O.K. people, this chapter is going to be a little different, as it is going to be split into two different points of view—Finnick and Mrs. Everdeen. I might add a third, Gale, if I feel like it. Ah, the joys of been an author. Anyway, on with the show...

Making sure that the soup was at a low heat, Finnick started to make his way through the house. The table was set: check. Granddad Haymitch sitting in a corner, drinking from a bottle he thought no one else could see: check. His mom and sister making the finishing touches to their appearances: check. But no sign of his dad. Finnick grabbed the bottle from his grandfather, and lightly danced out of reach as Haymitch reached for his knife on impulse, but once his eyes locked on Finnick's face, he stopped. His eyes focused on the thin, hardly noticeable scar that ran from Finnick's ear, down his jaw, to his chin. A relic from the time Finnick had stood to close after he had woken Haymitch up. It had brought on a massive argument, and Finnick knew his granddad had never forgiven himself for it.

"Not until after dinner," Finnick said, waving the bottle as he made his way up stairs to his parent's room, a huge smile on his face. Once he arrived at his parents room, still swinging the bottle loosly from his hand, he found his father putting on his new prosthetic leg.

"Come on, you son of a bitc..." his father started.

"Hey dad, the soup has arrived, and what would mom say if she heard you cursing in front of me?"

Peeta Mellark stood up, and grinned at his son. "You are joking, right? You and your mom taught me some of the best swear words I know. I'm betting you got them off Haymitch."

Finnick grinned at his father. "When are the guests arriving?"

"Eight thirty. But, before they arrive, I want to have a talk with you. Haymitch says you ran into Gale Hawthorn's daughter. Anything you care to say?"

Finnick's grin disappeared and he groaned, his mind wandering back to a smiling face with dimples. "We just said hello dad. Nothing happened."

Peeta eyed his son, grim faced. "Listen, Finnick, I have nothing against Gale's children. If there was something more, maybe and offer?"

"It was just politeness dad, an offer to show her around that's all."

"Alright," Peeta said, and just when Finnick thought he would give him one of his pearls of wisdom, he added "hand me my pants would you?"

(Mrs. Everdeen's POV)

It had been too long, Mrs. Everdeen knew, far too long. She had been so caught up in her own grief and inability to face the district that it had never occurred to her how Katniss would feel coming back here. Nothing could stir her out of her misery or make her realise what she was missing- not the wedding invitation, not the news that she had grandchildren, not Gale, not even poor, broken Annie Odair with her young son, begging her to return to her daughter. She knew that once a year, every year, Annie and her son went to visit Katniss and Peeta, and that once the restriction on Katniss staying in District Twelve was lifted, they had returned the visits. For years, the photo's Annie brought her and the bi-monthly phone conversations with her daughter satisfied her.

She was selfish, she supposed, to be coming back now. Gale had gotten a promotion, and would be moving to the Capitol, and she would be only able to visit. It was with this news that the realisation had hit her. She was sixty-six, and that was retirement age in Panem. She still had three months to go before she had to move out of the state owned apartment she now lived in, and she had nowhere to go. Gale's wife did not want her around- she made Peeta Mellark's mother look like a saint. His kids were teenagers, and did not care about, or did not understand, her predicament, and she knew that Gale was tired of looking after her, even if he would not say.

Mrs. Everdeen was staying at a rented room above the hob, and she was now walking to the Victors Village, separate to Gale and his wife, who were staying with Gale's mother. It was not hard for her to find the house; her feet carried her there automatically. Judging by the lack of a fancy car, Gale had not arrived yet. She walked slowly up the three steps to the door, and paused only a moment before she rang the bell. The door opened almost immediately, which stunned Mrs. Everdeen.

She found herself face to face with Haymitch Abernathy, who was, judging by the way he stood, only half as drunk as she remembered him getting.

"Oh, it's you," he slurred. "Finally come back to do your parental duties? Your about thirty years to late!"

"Granddad," a voice called, "be polite."

"That was polite. If I told her what I really thought, your mum would lynch me for teaching you some new swear words."

A young girl materialised beside Haymitch, and shooed him back into the living room. The girl was a younger version of Katniss, but with blue eyes. It had to be Primrose- she looked exactly like the photo's Annie had taken of her. She smiled warmly at the guest at the door.

"Please, come in. Mom will be out in a minute."

Still smiling, Primrose guided her grandmother into the sitting room, where Haymitch was trying to grab a bottle from the upraised arm of a guy who had at least four inches, and a hundred and twenty pounds, on him- Finnick, Mrs. Everdeen guessed. The photo's Annie had shown her had not done him justice. He was bigger, and far more handsome in real life, his eyes alive with mirth as Haymitch cursed him out of it for holding off on the liquor. But the mirth left his eyes when they found her, his smile disappeared, and he didn't notice when Haymitch got hold of the bottle, muttering that he was not going to face tonight sober. He looked like he was going to say something hurtful and cruel, but a voice interrupted on the scene.

"Mom?"

A/N: So, what do you think? Should I continue? Let me know...