Rising

Chapter 3 - Finnick and Prim

I love my children. Sitting here with Peeta I can't believe how muck Prim and Finnick have grown. Yes I named them after my sister and friend. I believed it only fair that memories of them were carried down to the next generation as they both had fallen victim to not only the capital, but to what I believed was a righteous rebel cause. It isn't only a reminder for generations to come though, its a reminder to me to be careful who I trust and don't believe everything I'm told as well as to help stop the nightmares I get almost every night of shooting Alma coin before seeing Coriolanus snow die. It's not like I regret either of their deaths, but I can't stand killing others and neither can Peeta. We still haven't recovered from our time in the two games or the fight that occurred after even though that was now 11 years ago. At least Peeta has his memories back now.

Anyway, back to Prim and Finnick. Prim is the youngest, she's only 7, and her older brother (11) is so protective of her. Peeta says that he can't help but remind him of me when I was that age and my father died. This worries me as I don't want Finnick to be like me. I want him to be free and run wild and not have a care in the world. I don't want him to be constantly looking over his shoulder, carrying the weight of looking after his mother and sister I don't want him put through it. I know how tough and horrible it is. I know from experience.

We're living back in 12 now but its no longer separated from the rest of Panem. Its no longer just used for mining. Yes, it is still the main mining area of Panem but that's just how it is geographically and no one is forced to work in the mines or even in their own district. Everyone is allowed to use the trains now - obviously you must pay a fee though. I am still a hunter but no longer because I have to survive and I no longer have to hide my sales from the peace keepers. I am a well respected trader across the whole of Panem with people all over coming to buy my meat and berries for their shops. I tend to not sell to individual families but if I can see a family is struggling -  however rare that now is in new and improved Panem - I will sell them some meat for a reduced fare, or if the insist on paying the full amount I'll slip them some extra. Of course if they refuse that as well I will not force it on them as I know how it feels to not want to be in anyone's debt. I was in Finnick's debt when he died, he saved peeta in the arena and he saved me. I owed him my life, and then he died to give me time to save myself and the country. I still regret that I never repayed that debt. That's another reason I named my son Finnick.

Me and Peeta still live in one of the houses in Victor's Village and so does Haymitch but the others are full of the other residents of 12 while we rebuild with better quality houses. 12 is no longer just residents of 12. There are residents of 13 here, 5, all the districts, even some old residents of the capital have moved here and chosen to work in the mines. Everyone gets paid fair wages now; enough to live, not just enough to survive. There are shops like the shops in the capital too. Fancy clothes, jewellery, restaurants and clubs. And they are not just for the rich and privileged anymore, they are for anyone and everyone now that there are fair wages to pay with.

A/N:

Sorry this chapter is just a filler chapter and short but there are gonna have to be a couple of these before I can get the actual plot started cause I need to describe the situation and introduce you guys to the kids. Also..... I MANAGED TO GET IT UP ON CHRISTMAS DAY LIKE I HOPED (just). YAY!