This is a Christmas present for Forestchild777. It's about Haymitch's return and his reunion with his girlfriend, who was killed two weeks after he was crowned. Sorry if it's not the best!

ELEANOR'S POV

I stand with my hands on my little brother, Marcus's, shoulders. Actually, I'm squeezing his shoulders in excitement. In a matter of moments, the train doors will open. And I will see Haymitch.

It seems surreal. Being reaped is essentially a death sentence in my district, especially with double the tributes to kill.

But Haymitch is smart. He's always been smart. He is the second person in the history of our district to win the Hunger Games.

The train rolls into the station and I'm quite literally bouncing with excitement.

"Relax," says Marcus. "He's still the –"

I don't stick around to hear the rest. The train doors are opened. I run straight through the crowd of cameramen and into Haymitch, tackling him to the ground.

"Whoa!" he shouts. He looks evil – like he's going to pull out a knife and have at me – until he realizes who it is. "Eleanor, what's wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Ha, ha, very funny!" I snap. But I'm not mad at him. How can I be? "You're so mean, Haymitch! You go off to the Games and you come back here –"

"I missed you," he says, setting his hands on either side of my face. "And since when do you call me 'Haymitch?'"

I stand up and help him to his feet, too. No sooner has he risen than his mother and brother, Fenris, tackle him.

Marcus parts the crowd with his cane and reaches out with one hand until he finds my sleeve. See, Marcus is blind, and after our parents died, I've devoted myself to keeping him alive.

"How's he look?" Marcus asks. "Any major scars?"

"He looks wonderful," I say quietly.

Marcus makes a choking noise. "Be more obvious, Eleanor. Please. Be more obvious."

I playfully elbow him. "You shut up, or I'll push you right in front of that train."

"No need for violence," he says. "Lead me over to Fenris and Mrs. Abernathy, and you and Haymitch can get all lovey-dovey in private."

Just before sunset, Haymitch and I head into the woods and end up by the lake. I stick my feet in, eager to escape the July heat. Haymitch squats just at the water's edge and starts tossing stones.

"What's on your mind?" I ask.

"Just glad to be back," he says.

"You're a horrible liar, Haymitch," I say.

He smiles and turns to me. "Not really. I can lie to anyone about anything. Except you."

"Then tell me what's on your mind."

Haymitch sighs. He scoops up a handful of rocks and begins to sift through them. "Everything's different. My mom. Fenris." He looks up sadly. "You."

"Nothing's different about me," I say defensively. "You're the one that's different, Mitch."

"I know," he says. He drops his rocks into the lake and puts his hands against his skull.

"Mitch?" I scoot closer to him.

He turns to me with tears in his eyes. I pull him into my arms and he buries his face in the side of my neck.

"It'll be okay," I say as he sobs. "It's over now, Mitch. Things will be better now."

But even I don't believe that. Nothing will be okay. Nothing will be better.

Haymitch wraps his long arms around me. "I love you, El."

I swallow. "I love you, too."