There were so many people at the station when they arrived. Haymitch could see a mask fall over Peeta's face. Before they pulled in, the newest Victor looked worried, even a bit scared. But as soon as the train stopped he plastered on a smile that might have looked real if Haymitch didn't know better. Peeta was a natural with people, he was just terrible at keeping his mouth shut when he should.
"Why does everyone look so funny?" Ivo asked, looking out the window at the citizens of District 12. They were at their best, but their faces were still dirty, hair shaggy and cut oddly. To a Capital child they must look a sight.
"Maybe to you they look funny but to me it's home," he growled, not being able to help himself. The child really was Effie's. She always acted like she would catch something when she came for the Reapings. If he were honest with himself, he knew why he didn't want to get attached. There was no way Ivo wouldn't get his name drawn during either his first or last Reaping, things seemed to work out that way. Knowing Snow, he would make Effie do the deed herself. Haymitch had promised himself a long time ago that he wouldn't care about anyone, so nothing could be taken from him.
Ivo looked at him with a little fear in his eyes and went to stand on the other side of Peeta. That was followed by a glare from Peeta. "I won't be told how to act by a twelve-year-old."
"Thirteen."
Soon they were standing in front of several types of people from District 12. There were the richer ones, like the Mayor and some that gained their riches by hurting their own. Then there were the people from town, more so than any of the rest probably because Peeta was from town. Then there were the poorest, people from the Seam. They were smiling and yelling congratulations to the boy. After all, this year they wouldn't starve because of him. It had been much of the same for himself, but he stopped listening when Beata, his own escort, told him about his family. She had known since before they left.
Haymitch did notice a woman holding a small baby, looking sadly at them. He had seen her before in the Justice Building. That was the mother of the girl tribute, Shelda. The woman kept her distance and after a moment turned around and left.
"MOM!" He heard Peeta yell excitedly..
As Haymitch turned he heard a loud slap followed by a gasp from the crowd then deathly silence. The thing that surprised Haymitch the most was how Peeta didn't make a sound, there was not even a grunt when her hand connected. A red hand mark was already blooming on his cheek. Ivo whimpered beside him. The boy was so used to seeing violence and death, but it was just a show to him. Seeing someone actually getting hit scared him.
The woman had made a huge mistake though. She was used to abusing her son, something he noticed early on while speaking to the boy. But she didn't just hit her son now, she hit a victor, it was a crime punishable by twenty lashes and a huge fine that no one besides a victor in the districts could afford.
Two Peacekeepers grabbed an arm each.
"What do you think you're doing? Let me go! I can discipline my son any way I see fit. He's only twelve."
Haymitch laughed. "He's thirteen and a Victor. That means you can't touch him; I hope you don't mind the whip."
She gasped. "You can't be serious."
"I don't want her hurt. Please," Peeta begged the Peacekeepers.
Rolling his eyes, Haymitch grabbed Ivo's arm and pulled him away, he wouldn't be needed for the homecoming. He couldn't watch the teenager beg for his horrid mother to be released. She didn't deserve him as a kid.
"Daddy?" Ivo said, causing Haymitch to stop.
"Who told you to call me that?"
"N-no one," the boy whimpered. Haymitch didn't think he could feel more of a monster than he already did.
"How about Dad?" It would be a compromise.
The boy gave a hesitant smile and nodded. "Dad?"
"What?" He hated questions.
"Why did that lady hit Peeta? She shouldn't do that; my mommy says Victors are above repost."
"Reproach." Haymitch sighed. "That was his mother," he said, not answering other question.
"My mommy would never do that to me. It's not nice."
Haymitch did everything in him not to say what he thought about Ivo's 'mommy.' The woman never cared she was taking children to their deaths. She always acted like it was such an honor. Well, she didn't have to ride back with what was left of their bodies. She didn't have to tell their parents about their last hours before the games. Answer questions like…did they eat well? Did they get to enjoy the Capital? Were they scared? Of course, they were scared. He would have to visit Shelda's mother after the people stopped celebrating. It was the last thing he could do for the children he couldn't save.
"Where are we going?" Ivo asked.
"My house." It was no home, just a place to pass out.
"Is it nice? Do I get my own room? My friend Misen said that he has to share his with his brother. At my mommy's I have my own room but when she's home I sleep on her bed with her. I miss her when she's gone." The boy stopped walking and his face paled more on his already pale face. "Am I ever going to see my mommy again?"
"Maybe," Haymitch told the boy. He was not one for false hope. But the boy probably would in six months when she came for the start of the Victory Tour.
The rest of the walk was in silence, just like he liked it.
"Wow!" The boy said as they walked through the gates of Victors Village. "Is one of these yours?"
"Yeah, kid. Come on."
As they walked several things bounced around in his head. First, he didn't think he had any food of any kind in the house. Second, no one had cleaned it in years, and there were empty bottles everywhere.
When they walked through the door he saw the boy's face fall. It wasn't easy to see because he liked to keep the curtains drawn, he liked the dark. It was where he felt most comfortable, that way you could hide in the shadows.
"It smells yucky," Ivo said.
"Get used to it. I'm getting a drink."
No matter what he had said, they took his mother away. Now he was on his way to Victors Village because the Mayor insisted. His brother only spoke to him for a moment before he had to go back to the bakery. With his dad and oldest brother in the Justice Building lock up, his middle brother was the one left running it. Now even more that his mother was going to wherever they are taking her. Darius, a new Peacemaker, pulled him to the side and told him to let it go. He said it would be worse for his mother, father and brother if he caused problems. Said he would just have to let their punishment stand. That if he did, soon they all would be out of there with no deaths.
It was hard to just leave them but what was he supposed to do, he was only thirteen. As he entered his new home he should have been happy. Not only was he alive but he had one of the houses that all the kids dreamed about. He wouldn't have to worry about only getting stale bread to eat.
Peeta knew he was much luckier than most of the kids. The kids in the Seam would love stale or burnt bread. That made him remember the burnt bread he threw to Katniss when they were younger. They had just been eleven. The beating from his mom should have been a deterrent but he knew if he had the chance he'd do it again. After all, he's been in love with her since he was five…but no one would find out. She liked Gale anyway; he was older and bigger. Seam stayed with Seam and Town stayed with Town. Except when Katniss's mother left Town to be with her dad who was Seam.
The house was bright, and everything was extremely clean. They must have had someone come and clean it after he escaped the arena. After checking the kitchen, he found it fully stocked with food. So much food that would feed so many families for almost a year.
There wasn't anything that made it feel like home though. In his room he had some old toys that his mom said he was too big for. There were also some books. Also, there were some weights his brother gave him to work on his muscles. Even without weights he could lift a lot, but it didn't show. He wanted to be big like his brothers, everyone knew they were strong. He didn't care if people didn't think well of him or thought he was weak, but if he were stronger he could help more people.
After a few hours he was creeping himself out. He had never been so alone; the house was completely empty. Peeta decided to make Ivo a cake for his first day in 12. An hour later he was waiting for someone to answer the door at Haymitch's. When no one did he let himself in.
It was dark, no surprise there, but he didn't see anyone or hear anyone.
"Haymitch? Ivo?" he called out. There again was no answer. Setting the cake down on the bottle covered table, he went looking for someone. He found Haymitch passed out in what he guesses was his bedroom. It was filthy and his mother would have lost her mind if she saw a mess like this.
After twenty minutes of looking and calling for Ivo, he was worried. Running back up to Haymitch's room he tried to shake him awake.
"Ivo is missing," he said, shaking Haymitch harder.
Nothing he did woke the man, so instead of wasting more time he ran downstairs and out the door. He would find Ivo himself.
It was nighttime when Haymitch woke up. It was always bad when he returned home from the games. But this is different from every other one because he brought one home…with no help from him.
Guilt started to eat away at him, he had explained enough to Peeta that he thought he understood how dangerous it was to say anything against the Capital or Snow. Haymitch had been alone when he came back, his mentor was no help, so why should he help anyone else?
"Damnit," he cursed before getting up and wiping his mouth. First he would have to get Ivo and make him a room. At least all other bedrooms were clean because he had no need to go in there. They might be a little dusty, but he could hire someone to clean them. There is no shortage of willing people to work for what money they could get. He always paid generously because he remembered how much his mother worked just to feed them. His father had died of a blood infection when he was young.
Going downstairs he looked for Ivo where he left him, he wasn't there. After searching all other rooms, he thought the boy was hiding from him.
"Ivo? Get out here now." There was no sound. He had already failed at taking care of him. Well, he never promised Effie anything.
Sighing he new he would need help to find him. Might as well ask his new neighbor. Outside he could see the difference in the two houses. His was dark, dirty with things he'd broken on the ground. Once a year he lets a man from the Hob come and get the broken stuff. The man fixes it and sells it to people from Town.
Then there was the newly occupied house, all the lights were on, and everything was clean and tidy. When he got to the door he heard laughing, children laughing.
Anger filled him, he was worried while they were over here playing. Instead of knocking he opened the door without care.
Once inside he smelled food, the aroma was better than even the Capital had. What he thought was Ivo and Peeta laughing wasn't. There were children everywhere, aging from toddlers to older than Peeta. He didn't recognize anyone. Well, maybe one or two. There was a teenage boy he thinks he saw at the Hob a few times. Then a woman from the Seam that does about any job she can get. She was in the kitchen with two other women and a man. They all looked Seam, but he didn't know them by name.
"Haymitch, glad you could make it," Peeta said, smiling at him.
"What is going on here?" Haymitch asked angrily.
"Well, I went over to your place to give Ivo a cake I made him. He wasn't there so I went looking for him. I found him in the Seam, he had gotten far. Mrs. Hawthorne had found him and was keeping him safe. I met some others there. That's Mrs. Vaughn and Mr. Vaughn," Peeta said pointing to the other two adults, both rail thin but looked happy enough. "I invited them all over for a party. Mrs. Hawthorne said she would cook because I don't really know how."
Haymitch grabbed Peeta's arm and pulled him outside. "What the hell were you thinking?"
Of all the idiotic things the kid could have done this was one of the worst.
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you think I don't help the people of the district because I don't care? Because I'm just a lush? No, I do it because we are watched all the time. If I were seen helping the citizens out, it proves that they need helping. It says to the public that what is happening to them is not right."
"It's not."
"We all know that, but we leave it unsaid because starving is a better off death than Snow will give anyone who challenges him."
"But I'm not challenging him. This is just a party."
"Parties are for people in the Capital and when they drag you around to all the districts. We can't mingle with these people."
"Why?"
Haymitch dragged a ragged breath in. "Because if we do it will get them killed. You're a Victor now, it's a life doomed to loneliness and darkness, get used to it."
"But other victors have families, they've talked about them on the programs."
"Those all were Capital approved and you don't want to know what you have to do to get the Capital's approval for it. Take my advice, cut your family out of your life too. They can't use what you don't have against you. The second you stepped in that arena you were no longer a kid. The second you stepped out, you were bought and paid for…get used to it." He knew he was being cruel but the kid needed to learn before he had the deaths of people he actually cared about on his conscious. "Send my kid back over. End it now."