Protecting a Family (Hunger Games Fanfic)

Chapter 8

Haymitch's POV

It's the Eve of the dreaded Hunger Games, and I have never been closer to using the knife I sleep with to actually do some harm. But then I remember Katniss and Ivy, without me, who would they have to protect them? I scored a 6 for my evaluation. Katniss scored a 7. I am weak. We have our interviews tonight, and my plan is simple, put guilt into everyone's minds. When it comes time for breakfast, I leave my room and see Katniss in front of me.
"Good morning, sweetheart," I said to her, walking up to her so I can put my hand on her back.
"Hi," she said simply in response.
"Stressed?" I ask simply.
"When am I not?" She responds.
I sigh in response. My mind goes back to the day she told me she was pregnant. Something about her nervousness then compared to now was all too similar. I was the first person she told, as if I would know how to raise a baby? I hardly know how to handle myself as an adult. Soon we hear shouting from outside our windows on the 12th floor. Katniss and I look towards each other before we look out the window and onto the street. There are protesters. They're shouting to cancel the games. The Peacekeepers are out there, but they would never shoot any rounds at the Capital's people. Now, in 12, it would be very different.

I turn to Katniss, "Don't get hopeful, sweetheart. They aren't going to shut it down."
"I know... but it's amazing to see..." she responds.
I look down at the people, before looking back at Katniss. This girl cannot die in that arena. She's too important. I turn my head to Peeta who comes up behind us, and looks down at the crowd. Peeta pulls Katniss into a hug from behind, and I decide to walk away. I go to the dining table where Effie is awaiting.
"Good morning, Effs," I say simply.
"Haymitch, could we talk alone?" She asked.
"I don't see why not," I respond. She takes my hand and pulls me away from the dining room. In fact, we go to the spacious bathroom and she shuts the door behind us.

"There's a plan to get Katniss out of the arena, the head gamemaker, Plutarch, had an extensive talk with me early this morning. District 13 is alive. They're going to take Katniss and her family to be safeguarded, and when the time is right she will be a symbol of a revolution. But I told him to recover you too. Johanna Mason, Finnick, Wiress and Beetee are in on the plan. They are your allies. They will make sure Katniss stays alive."
"And Ivy," I point out.
"And of course Ivy," she then adds.
"What about you?"
"I'm leaving for 13 right after the games start. I'm going to 12, and they'll take me to 13 from there."
"What about Peeta?"
"Since mentors are required to show for the games, he's gonna be recovered after Katniss is. A whole day after. That's the best they could do." Effie looked in the mirror, not wanting to face me as I spoke.
"Damn it, Effie, Peeta is supposed to live!"
"And so is Katniss! And Ivy!"
"The Capital is gonna take that boy the second hell breaks loose. Katniss can't be living in an eternal hell because her husband died when I told her he would live, that's not a burden she can handle, and neither can I!"
"Haymitch we are all making sacrifices for them. We will recover Peeta as soon as we can."
"What if they don't want to? Katniss is the one everyone wants their hands on. Not Peeta."
"Then she convinces them."

I roll my eyes and run my hands through my hair, "The first half of this plan is fine, we will get Katniss and everyone else out. But the other half... I'm disgusted by it."
Effie defended herself, "It was all Plutarch's plan. None of it was mine, Haymitch. He didn't give me any room to talk. I'm simply the messenger."

I walk out of the bathroom angrily and I walk back to my room. I'm too upset to digest food. Besides, I have to digest this plan now. In that moment, I regret volunteering for Peeta. He would've been taken out of the arena too. But then I think about how Katniss would've never forgiven me for it. I try to fall asleep.

Katniss' POV

The interviews are right after dinner, so when I walk to the dining room table for dinner everyone is already there. This is my second to last meal. I really need to make it count.

I look around at everyone. We all look so worn out, we are all dreading the exact same thing. I take some food and begin to eat. Peeta is to my left and he watches me, he's not hungry. I know he wishes he could be the one to go in the arena, but he is much safer outside of it. I don't eat because I want to. The food that I shove down my throat it does not settle in my stomach. After just a few bites I put my fork down and lean back in my hair, holding my stomach.
"Katniss.. are you alright?" Peeta asks.
"My stomach just hurts," I reply, "I can't eat anything else."
Haymitch and Effie look over at me. I look down at my plate of food, "I'll eat something after the interview... when I'm less nervous."

An hour after dinner we're taken to the studio to get ready for the interviews. Cinna and the style team have taken me to get changed, and I see that my dress is white, and not what Cinna would've ever wanted for me.
"What's this?" I ask.
"Your wedding dress. Snow wants you to wear it," Cinna replies.
"What is Haymitch wearing?"
"He's wearing a charcoal suit, we had to keep on the 'wedding' theme."
"This is hideous."
"We made some adjustments, don't worry."

They get me dressed in the wedding dress after they do my hair and makeup. It makes my stomach almost disappear, Snow's trying to get the fact that I'm pregnant out of people's heads. As I am fully ready to go, I turn to Cinna, "Will I be twirling tonight?"
"Yes, but save it for the end, and don't twirl too hard."
When we leave the dressing room, I see Effie outside, and she turns to me, "Oh Katniss, you look gorgeous!" She exclaimed, rushing over to me so she can take my hands.
"Thank you," I respond to her. I see Haymitch and Peeta talking behind her. Haymitch is dressed in a suit, not the first time I've seen him in one, but this one was really fancy. Too fancy for him. I see him turn to face me before his head turns back to Peeta. Haymitch soon walks over to me, "What is this get up?"
"Snow wants me to wear 'my wedding dress'," I explained.
"What a joke," he said, chuckling a bit.
Peeta looks over at me. "Well you look pretty."
"But he's hiding it," I said, "the goal was to make it obvious that I'm pregnant."
"Of course he's trying to hide it, it's Snow," Haymitch said. Soon we hear Caesar Flickerman start the show, and Haymitch and I are asked to lineup, while Effie, Peeta and Cinna make their way to their seats.