Chapter 10: Lucy Gray

HAYMITCH POV
I glanced over my shoulders, trying to be invisible. I made a promise and I intended to keep it. Blue and I were starting something, I couldn't name it, and I didn't want to jinx it, but I can feel something for the first time in three years. Passing the Hob, I saw Hattie watching me and quickly diverted down an alleyway. Nobody could see where I was going. If I led anyone to Lucy, Blue would never forgive me. I waited in the alley a few minutes and then snuck back out, making my way to the electrified fence. I looked around, careful to make sure I wasn't being followed, and then raced through the fence and out of sight, heading for the lake.

"Haymitch, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon. Is Willow okay?" Lucy smiled as she greeted me. She was lakeside, picking flowers.
"Blue is good, she just needs some clothes. She asked me to come and grab a bag of her things" I replied, accepting Lucy's hug when she wrapped her arms around me.
"This way" she told me, leading me towards a cabin nearby. "You care for my granddaughter" Lucy smiled, her eyes proud.
"She's strong, and brave and so beautiful" I acknowledged.
"She is" Lucy agreed, "which is why I'm going to ask you to do something" she continued, opening the door to the cabin and allowing me inside first.
"Anything." Lucy closed the door behind us and motioned to the couch, where we both sat down.
"Protect her, even from herself. Willow will try and stop the Games by any means necessary. Snow will kill her if she interferes with his plans. Snow got his best friend killed because the man tried to stop the Games. Snow's best friend thought the Games were barbaric, and he was killed for it" Lucy told me, tears welling in her eyes.
"Blue and I both want the Games over, I promised Lenore that I would do what I could to end them-"
"And look what happened to her" Lucy argued, the comment feeling like a slap to the face.
"I didn't know it was poison, or I never would have fed her the gumdrop" I whispered.
"Is Willow coping at the new house?" Lucy changed the subject.
"She seems a little…lost. This is her home, and she can't risk staying here because of the Peacekeepers" I admitted, "I hurt her too" I whispered, ashamed. Lucy needed to know.
"What do you mean, you hurt her?" she asked, concerned.
"I was having a nightmare, she woke me. I sleep with a knife under my pillow, and I cut her face" I replied, "I didn't mean to, I was scared."
"Is she alright?"
"She insists that she is. The wound didn't need stitches. But I feel so guilty" I confessed. Lucy put a hand on my shoulder and sighed.
"I'm coming back with you, I need to see her" Lucy insisted, standing and walking to one of the doors. "I'll pack some of her stuff and then we'll go."
"It's not safe for you" I pleaded, not wanting to put Lucy at risk.
"I dare Snow to try me, last time he ended up with a snake bite" she snapped, disappearing into the bedroom.

LUCY POV
Walking through the streets of District 12 felt different than it had 43 years ago, so much had changed. Haymitch insisted on carrying Willow's bag, and I trailed along behind him, keeping my head down to avoid being spotted by Peacekeepers. I knew he was trying to protect me, and I understood that it was because of his feelings for Willow.
"Lucy?" someone asked, stepping towards us. I ducked my head and ignored the voice, Haymitch and I walking a little faster until we reached Victor's Village.
"This one here" Haymitch directed me to his house and opened the door for me to enter first. "Blue was having a shower when I left, she might still be upstairs. If not, then she's in her room; the second door on the left" he told me. I nodded and took the bag from Haymitch, going upstairs and spotting the empty bathroom. I looked to the right and saw a bloodstain on the carpet, that must be Haymitch's room. I knocked on the closed second door on the left and it opened.
"Gran?" Willow's wide eyes greeted me. I pulled her for a hug and then handed her the bag of clothes.
"I had to see you, Haymitch told me he hurt you" I told her. Willow shook her head.
"It was an accident, I knew he had the knife. I should've given myself more space to back up. But I didn't see the knife quick enough" she explained, defending Haymitch. Willow was lovestruck, that much was clear. I just needed to make sure she was safe.
"He's not stable, you need to be careful" I warned.
"He's agreed to slow down with the drinking, we're going to heal together. We're going to try and recover, together. He's a good person, Gran. He's just in pain" Willow insisted. I rested a hand on her bandage, gently peeling it back.
"It's going to scar" I pointed out, covering the wound again.
"Accident" she growled out. I nodded my acceptance at what she was saying. As concerned as I was for her safety, I understood that she was old enough to make her own decisions. If she wanted to pursue a relationship with Haymitch, despite his shortcomings, then I would support her.

WILLOW POV
After getting dressed in jeans and a clean shirt, I headed downstairs to see Haymitch and Gran talking at the dining table.
"I'm trying to do better, to be better. For her" Haymitch told her.
"Don't break her heart, Haymitch" Gran pleaded, her hand resting on his. Haymitch nodded, and I walked over to the table, taking a seat beside Gran. There was a knock at the door and I glanced to Haymitch, neither of us were expecting a visitor. I took Gran's hand and pulled her to her feet, intending to hide her, but she pulled her hand away once she was standing.
"I'm not hiding in some closet" she told me. Gran looked to the door as Haymitch opened it, and Snow was standing with a smirk on his face.
"It's been a long time, Lucy Gray" Snow greeted her with a smile, stepping inside the house, and Haymitch shut the door behind him. I stood in front of Gran, but she moved me aside.
"Not long enough, Coriolanus" Gran glared, her hand on my wrist. Haymitch moved to my right, and Gran remained on my left. "How's your arm?" she taunted Snow, a smirk on her face. Snow rested a hand over the snake bite that had been Gran's parting gift to him.
"Where have you been hiding, Gray?" Snow asked, curiosity in his tone.
"Why are you here?" Haymitch asked Snow, stepping forward to take Gran out of the limelight. Snow looked to Haymitch and smiled.
"A Peacekeeper alerted me that someone had spotted Lucy Gray in the town square. I had to come see for myself that the little snake had come out of hiding" he replied, his eyes locking back on Gran's, if looks could kill, Gran would be dead. Gran stepped within reach of Snow and rested a hand on his cheek.
"I have no reason to hide anymore. Nadia is long gone, and Willow is a Victor. She survived your Games, just like I survived the Capitol's" Lucy told him. Snow shook off her hand and grabbed a fistful of her greying hair. Haymitch and I jumped forward, trying to get Snow to release her.
"I could easily kill you" Snow growled in Gran's face before releasing her to Haymitch's arms. He pulled her away from Snow and sat her at the dining table before walking towards me to have my back. Snow glared at me, breathing heavily.
"You wonder why I want nothing to do with you" I snarled at Snow. He raised a hand to strike me, but Haymitch grabbed his wrist.
"That's enough" Haymitch warned. He slid something into my hand and I raised it at Snow. Smiling when I saw what is was, a ring dagger.
"I think you should leave" I told Snow, placing the dagger against the wrist Haymitch was still holding. Snow's eyes went wide before his arm sagged in Haymitch's grip and Haymitch released him.
"This isn't over" Snow snarled at me, "I'll make sure you regret this" he warned before leaving us.

Lucy had made her way home an hour after Snow left, wanting to ensure she couldn't be used as a weapon against me. Haymitch had escorted her and then sat beside me on the couch the moment he returned, holding me against his side and playing with my hair in an attempt to relax me.
"He was here, Haymitch" I breathed, keeping my head resting against his chest.
"She's home safe, and we both had our heads on a swivel to make sure we weren't followed. Lucy's safe" Haymitch promised, then kissed my temple.
"We need to stop the Games, they can't continue" I insisted, sitting upright and twisting to face him.
"How can we stop them? We need someone on the inside. You had the perfect plan, but you just couldn't defeat the careers early enough for it to be effective" Haymitch explained, "as mentors, we don't have the power to pull any strings. Not with just the two of us." I sighed, knowing he was right.
"What if it was a reaping of all Victors? We could convince them, or at least most of them. We could end the Games" I brought up. Haymitch shook his head.
"They won't reap Victors" he said simply.
"Maybe if we cause enough trouble" I shrugged, offering the option.
"Or Snow will kill the rest of the Covey, Burdock and his wife" Haymitch argued. I sighed in defeat.
"Then what do we do?" I asked in exasperation.
"We keep surviving" he said simply. "You stay alive, and we train the kids that are reaped so they have a higher chance of surviving. If they seem capable of screwing over the Gamemaker or Snow, then we give them the option. We silently fight, so we keep ourselves and our loved ones safe" Haymitch explained, stroking my untouched cheek.
"You pushed everyone away, you could fight loudly" I whispered. He shook his head.
"No, I can't" he argued, his voice soft. He showed a half-smile.
"Why?" I asked in frustration, "there's nobody left to be used against you." He left out a huff of a laugh.
"Yes there is, Blue" he insisted, cradling my face. "There's you" he told me, then his lips met mine.