Here is the shortest chapter yet, not even 2,000 words, but it is very sweet, I think. Hope you all enjoy!
MeaganOneDirection: You're reviews are so sweet! I love them! I hope Katniss and Peeta will get together soon, but this chapter you will see what Katniss has her mind on.
hungergamesgirl999: Glad to hear it :)
TheWomanWhoCodesAndWrites: We get to see Katniss' priorities in this chapter... so yeah... I really don't like Annie's mother at all.
TARDISRose: I know right?! I love her and Finnick so much... Oh thank you so much! That is so sweet! :D
Mikey Jacquez: Well I'm glad you like it :) Isla is crazy!
Mikey Jacquez: I laughed at the Rory and Prim part... because yeah...
MiaBelles: Yay cookies! I think I know who your next hugs go to... lol :D
Catching Fireflies: I love Annie and hated having to do that to her. Her and Finnick are perfect together, I think.
axes tridents and snares: We get to see a lot of Jo this chapter, actually. I hope you like it :)
pumpkinking5: I wanted to add some Everlark, and I thought that would be a good way to start. I hate how Annie's mom is. I imagine her as like a perfect supermodel jerk lady. The social worker will come in maybe four more chapters...? I am glad you liked the sea scene.
SecretsandSugarCubes: I'm glad you liked it! :D
MahoganyMagic12: I'm glad you liked how I used your idea. It was fun to work with :) I wanted it to be real, so I'm glad it came off that way.
TurtleThompson: Review is Juliet approved ;)
messygreenroom: Aww thank you! Glad you thought so :)
StarBright18: I completely agree with you! She is a jerk!
Addicted2-Your-Story: Annie's mother is very blunt and doesn't hold back, and Annie is very modest and sweet, so it isn't a good combination... Glad you like :)
Y.O.L.O So do it right: Really fun idea! If it comes to that, I may do that :)
Alexandra Jackson rocks Hades: Hi Leo! I'm glad you liked it and I hope Lexi didn't kill you :)
MewWinx96: I hope your thumbs heal! :D Annie liked the hug :) Glad you liked the little bit of Everlark. Go ahead! Shank her all you want. Finnick also likes hugs :)
UntilTheCannonSounds: I'm glad you liked it! I wanted to do a high school fic for a while, but thought I would include it into this.
Chapter 12- Memories of Our Dads
Katniss
Shortly after we saw Finnick and Annie leave for the beach, Effie and Haymitch dismissed us. Peeta, Jo, Gale and I all walked upstairs and pulled out our games. I was battling the final gym leader in Johto when Johanna spoke up. "Guys, what are we going to do? Like, if the rest of our parents find us?"
I look at her questioningly but Gale is the one to speak up. "What do you mean, if they find us?"
Jo shrugs. "I mean what if they find us here and try to take us away, like Annie's mom is doing? What if they actually take us?"
None of us know what to say. There is so much that could happen. If my mom came back for Prim and I, I would be distraught. The traitor left us for dead as soon as dad died.
We were always a happy family. The four of us would always go out and have picnics, do trips over the weekend and always let one another know how loved we are. It was a normal day when the impossible happened.
"Primrose Everdeen! Wait up so I can catch you!" The nine year old kept dancing out of my grip as we danced around the mountain. Mom and Dad decided we were going to go camping on the mountain. We do this about once every six months.
"Can't catch me Katniss!" She ran around the rocks, jumping over them with ease and skill. I followed her around each dark gray rock. It was refreshing to be in the cool crisp air that was on top of the cool mountain.
We were running and jumping, playing, just outside of the sight of mom and dad when I heard my baby sister scream. "Katniss!"
"Prim?" I go to the rock she just jumped over. I could see her stuck. She was standing on ice of a reservoir found on the mountain. The ice was slowly cracking, making little options for her.
"Katniss, help!" Her blue eyes were bug and panicked. I didn't know what to do.
"Dad!" I scream at the top of my lungs. He would know how to save my sister. "Dad! Help!"
"Katniss? Prim?" I can hear his voice calling for us, trying to reach us. I get on top of the rock we just jumped over. "Katniss! Where is Prim?"
I jump off the rock and land on the narrow strip of land between the rocks and the little pond. "She's stuck on the ice." I must look terrified. I let my dad envelope me in a short, reassuring hug.
He then looks at the ice and holds out his arms for Prim. "Prim, walk to me, very slowly."
Prim tried to take a step, but as soon as she puts her foot down, the ice starts to crack. "Daddy, I can't!"
Prim looks terrified and is not stable enough to walk. "Prim, don't worry. I'm coming." He takes off his jacket to lighten his weight and drapes it over the rock beside us.
Dad seems to know what he is doing, but how, is the ice going to hold him? It can barely hold Prim. He steps onto the ice carefully and it doesn't crack. He makes his way to Primrose and holds out a hand for her to take. She takes it with one pale lavender gloved hand. They walk slowly, letting the ice absorb their combined weight and hold them up. After an eternity of waiting, they eventually make their way to the small strip of land where I am standing. I hold out my dark green gloved hand out to Prim and she takes it, and I pull her up. Everyone lets out a sigh of relief when the ice disappears. "Dad!" He fell through, and we can see it wasn't a shallow pond, but a valley filled with the snow melt from last year, frozen over, very thin.
We tried to get him up, waited as he sunk into the water, and waited long after the bubbles stopped coming up. I put on his jacket, grab Prim's hand and walk back to mom, tears streaking down our faces.
That night, I go to say goodnight to Prim as I always do, but her bright twelve year old face is down cast. "What's up, Little Duck?"
She looks saddened and starts to cry. I pull her in close. "What's wrong?"
"Katniss, it's my fault!" I kiss the top of her head, knowing what she means. "Katniss, he wouldn't be dead if it wasn't for me."
"That is a lie, Little Duck. Dad knew what he was doing when he went in to save you. If he didn't love you that much, he wouldn't have saved you. Besides, I'm the one who insisted we played chase. If it is anyone's fault it's mine." I let her cry some more, holding her close to me. Rue is fast asleep on the opposite bed, so she doesn't hear Prim's and mine exchange.
"Katniss, why did mom leave us? Did she not love us anymore?" That is what I think, but I never tell Prim that, because it would break her heart too much.
"Not at all, Little Duck. It is because she loved father too much. She saw he was gone and when she looked at us, she saw him. When she lost him, her heart broke too much. Maybe one day, she'll come back for us."
Prim shakes her head. "I don't want her to come back. I don't want to leave this place."
I kiss her head one more time. "Neither do I." I tuck her in under the soft covers and let her start to drift off. "Goodnight Primrose."
"Goodnight, Katniss." She falls asleep and I walk up to my bedroom, where Johanna is still missing.
Johanna *dedicated to MiaBelles for the idea*
Shortly after we saw Finnick and Annie leave for the beach, Effie and Haymitch dismissed us. Peeta, Katniss, Gale and I all walked upstairs and pulled out our games, but there was a question that refused to leave my mind. "Guys, what are we going to do? Like, if the rest of our parents find us?"
No one looks me in the eye, but they look up, confused by the question. "What do you mean, if they find us?" My boyfriend asks.
I shrug. "I mean what if they find us here and try to take us away, like Annie's mom is doing? What if they actually take us?"
Gale pulls me in for a hug and whispers in my ear. "They won't."
Easy for them to say. They left by force and had nowhere else to go. I left by choice and stole my little brother to take with me. I can remember the day I left vividly.
I am in mine and Toby's bedroom. Everyone is playing poker games, letting themselves get consumed by their drinks. I am showing my five year old dark haired brother how to kick butt. I am holding up a pillow for him to high kick. I don't want him to get hurt the same way I do. That is when there is a knock on the door. I throw the pillow down and make Toby and I sit down. I wait for the sick man to come in and molest me once again. My mother is the one who comes in though, covered in bruises.
She knows what happens to me at night, when dad's friends come over. She tried to stop them once, but wound up in the hospital for a week. She just acts like it doesn't happen now. I shouldn't hate her for it, but I do. "Johanna, Toby, get in pajamas and go to bed."
I sigh and do as she says. If I can fall asleep fast enough, maybe the men will not come in and torture me. What am I hoping for, though? They will anyway. They always do. Mom closes the door and I help Toby out of his clothes and get into his nightwear. "Jo?"
I crouch down so I'm facing him. "What's up, little man?"
"Are the scary men going to come in and go to your bed again?"
I shrug. "Yeah, probably."
He looks saddened by the news. "I don't want them to. They hurt you, don't they?"
He looks like he is about to cry so I dab his tears away with the hem of his shirt. "Hey, I'll have none of that. Would anything be able to hurt your big, strong sister?"
Toby shakes his head and I smile. "Good job." He starts to go to his bed and I start to think out loud, my voice barely above a whisper. "Sometimes I wish we could leave."
"Why can't we?" I am surprised to hear Toby respond. I say the same thing every night. I don't know why we can't. Mom and Dad won't go looking for us. I'd be amazed if they even made a phone call.
"You know what, Toby, we will!" I grab the biggest backpack I own and the biggest one Toby owns and fill it with our underwear, clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste. I start to go to the door and Toby goes to follow, but I stop him. "Wait here, I'm going to get us food and water and money."
I creep over to the kitchen, not seen by anyone and grab the can opener and several cans of food out of the pantry, along with a small thing of plastic spoons. I go to mom's purse, which she keeps in the kitchen, and dig out her credit card. I won't use it often, just when we really need it. I heard of a place by the coast where they take abused kids that have nowhere else to go and don't go into Foster care. That is where Toby and I will go. We will escape from the beasts that hold us captive.
When we are ready to go, I pick up Toby and put him out the window with our backpacks. I am too big to go through the window, so I'll have to risk the front door. I open the door when the biggest of dad's friends sees me. "Hey, Hanna! Let's have some fun."
I start to run away from his grasp, when he grabs my long, red braid. "Where are you going, little girl? I want to have some fun."
"Let me go!" I bring up my leg and kick where I know it'll hurt and run out the front door, where Toby is waiting. He seems to want to walk, but I grab his hand and we run, fast and far away from where we once were.
I am downstairs in Toby and Vick's bedroom, where Vick is fast asleep. Toby was too, but I woke him up. "Hey Toby."
Toby blinks away the sleep in his eyes. "Are we running away again? I don't want to. I like it here."
I shake my head. "No, we aren't leaving this place. I just wanted to know," I let myself think of something to say. "How was school?"
He tells me tales of his teacher, getting into trouble and several other stories anyone else would be bored by. Because these stories are from my brother, they are the best things ever.
I eventually tell him goodnight and go to my room, where Katniss is fast asleep.
Special thanks to: MeaganOneDirection, MiaBelles, Mikey Jacquez, Natura Nature, SecretsandSugarCubes, SibunaChika1227, StarBright18, StayAlways, axes tridents and snares, Anarchy Girl, Catching Fireflies, TARDISRose, Alexandra Jackson rocks Hades, Kyranoel, Fire Kitty 12, MewWinx96, babymcflurry, .krause, cutegirlems, Y.O.L.O So do it right, lole12312, Cinna's Bird, MahoganyMagic12, Random person in wonderland, RiderArya103, SparksFly'SkyHigh, Addicted2-Your-Story, AnotherDawnLikeOurFlag, TurtleThompson, messygreenroom, PerfectionIsFlawed, come burn with me, hyllia14, Lizzie6410, Steven Garrett, Kirihito Mai, RunnergirlI, hungergamesgirl999, UntilTheCannonSounds and Yasie for adding this story to their favorites! I love you all!
Also, thanks to my 52 amazing followers! You all rock!
-Juliet