Catching Fire: You and Me

The One Shot Series: Childhood

6 Years Old

"Mommy, I don't like wearing dresses." I fluff the baby blue hem of my skirt and almost trip on the train. 

"You should be happy, Father gets you nice things." Mom says.

"But he's not my real dad." I huff.

"Yes, he knows that. But he still loves you, Katniss." She tries to smile.

"No he doesn't." I say disgustedly. "He told me he hates more than he hates District 13." I state, quoting his exact words from the previous day.

"He said that?"

"Yes." I confirm. "If he doesn't like me, why does he make me be his daughter?"

"I never know." She concludes.

"Katniss." President Snow walks into the room, looking like he's just smelled something bad. "You're going away."

"Going away, where?" I ask cluelessly.

"France."

"What?" Mom gasps.  "Why would you send her out of the country?"

"I'm angry at you, and it's too difficult to keep her hidden away all of the time." He says cordgially.

"Where's Franks?" I ask nervously.

"It's France, honey." Mom says.

"It's far far away. Across the ocean." He explains. "I'm sending you there so that you'll become more aware of how to be a leader. Hopefully if you are ever to return to Panem, you will understand how things happen here."

"Should I be scared?" I turn toward my mother.

"I'm not sure." She says warily, with hollow eyes. 

"Your middle name. Remember it." Snow says sternly. 

Catillia. That's my middle name. 

Why would I need to know that?

"I would wish you good luck, but I don't particularly care."

I can feel the tears streaming down my face as im pulled from my Mother and shoved in a hovercraft. 

 8 Years Old

"Alistair, give it back!" I cry as he holds my doll high above my head. 

"I don't have to give it back!" he says. "I'm older, I win!"

"Your only two years older than me!" I cross my arms. "I'm your girlfriend, you have to be nice to me!" 

"I don't have to be nice to you! You're stupid!" He tosses the doll across the room and it lands in front of a 5 year old Micaela. 

"Alistair, your mother's here to take you home." Diessa stood behind my "sister" at the doorway with a displeased face. 

She crosses the room, coming right up to me. "Hello, Catillia." She smiles and hugs me tightly and warmly. Almost as if she was actually my mother. 

10 Years Old

"Catillia, what are you doing?" Diessa asks me.

"Drawing a picture to send to my mother." I say gripping to the pencil. 

"In French darling. It's not normal for you to speak in English. People don't know who you are around here."

I sigh. "Je suis un dessin d'envoyer à ma mère." She smiles. "Better?"

"Better." She agrees. "You say you want to send that to your mother?" It looks like she's biting back tears. 

"Yes. I know she must miss me." I say staring down at the sketch of a shining Capitol, sorrounded by barbarish Districts. 

"And what is the picture of?"

"Panem." I point to the mansion in the center. "That's my house." I move my finger over to a shack in District 12. "And that's my daddy's house." 

"It's beautiful." She pats my shoulder and sits beside me at the table. "Do you want to go back there?" 

"Sometimes. I want to see my mother. But I don't want to see Mr. Snow. I wish my mother could come here."

"I bet should would enjoy that..."

19 Years Old

If only I wouldn't have been so oblivious back then. 

Maybe then I would have realized that the woman holding close to me in that palace was actually my mother. 

If only things hadn't gotten so out of hand. 

But I'm thankful.

Mostly for Peeta. But for other things as well- like my children. 

I never thought things would be this way. 

But I guess the important things in life are the ones we don't expect.