I'm doing this collection of oneshots as they come to me. It's gonna center on Peeta and Katniss' lives as parents. As usual, don't own anything you may recognize. All rights to Suzanne Collins.

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Introduction to the Games Part 1

Class is boring, as usual.

Mother says we're lucky we get to learn things other just than those related to coal mining, which was what she grew up with, but it doesn't mean it's all interesting.

Panem History is just about the worst of them all. The teacher, Mrs Simmons, is an old lady originally from District Five, with frizzy red hair and a wheezing speaking voice. She enters the room and doesn't waste time in opening her book.

"Turn to Chapter Seven, children," she says. That's another thing. She insists on calling us children. My little brother Dylan is a child. I'm not. I'm eleven years old this year. Daddy says I'm practically grown up.

"Last week we discussed the rebellion nearly a hundred years ago known as the Dark Days," Mrs Simmons begins her lecture. My seatmate Arista giggles. She always finds it funny when Mrs Simmons speaks.

"Lira," she says, nudging me.

"Hm?" I leaned closer to her, still trying to make sense of the lesson. Mrs Simmons talks about a punishment for the rebellion now.

"Lillian Mellark! Arista Cartwright!"

The two of us jump at the sound of our names being called. We look at each other sheepishly as the class begins to laugh.

My name is Lillian Aurora Mellark, but almost no one calls me that. My Dad though he'd be funny when I was little and started to call me Lira, a combination of the first and last syllable of my name. Mother wanted to call me Lily, but Daddy says that even she couldn't argue that I just don't look like a 'Lily'. Eventually everyone started calling me Lira. It was far easier for me when I was young and just learning how to write my name.

"Please listen to the lecture. Especially you, Lillian. You might find this interesting," she adjusts her black-rimmed glasses and continues to read. "Where was I? Oh, yes. The Dark Days angered the Capitol. The twelve remaining Districts were punished with an annual event called the Hunger Games, to remind them that they are under the mercy of the Capitol entirely."

The Hunger Games. It sounded familiar. I think I've heard of my mother and father talking about it with old Haymitch Abernathy once, but Mother saw me eavesdropping and immediately sent me to my room.

I look at Arista, the silent question in my eyes. Why would this interest me in particular?

"The Hunger Games is basically a game of survival, where a girl and a boy aged twelve to eighteen, from each District are picked via a lottery called the Reaping. They are called Tributes, and they are sent to an outdoor arena to fight to the death until only one remains as Victor." Gasps erupt from the girls and even the boys look horrified. I couldn't imagine it.

"The Hunger Games continued for seventy-five years. Every twenty-five years, a special Games, called Quarter Quells, are held, which included a twist in the reaping for the Games. In the twenty-fifth, the Tributes are elected by the Districts. In the fiftieth, twice as many Tributes are chosen. Haymitch Abernathy won that. In the Seventy-fifth and last Games, the Tributes are Reaped from the existing pool of Victors."

A heavy silence follows this. This is unlike anything I've ever heard. I couldn't imagine teenagers going in and killing each other. I wonder what it was like for my parents, waiting for someone to be picked to go to the Games. Were they frightened?

And Haymitch… is that why he spent his days drunk?

"The Seventy-fifth Games didn't have a victor as the rebellion broke out while the Tributes are in the Arena. And District Twelve has the honour of producing the last victors of the Games. This pair won the Seventy-fourth Games together."

"Wait," says Henry Blythe, raising his hand, "you said there can only be one victor. How did they win together?"

"This pair threatened double suicide. So instead of having no victor, the Capitol allowed two," I notice she's giving me an amused look. I have a feeling in my gut that I am not going to like what she will say next.

"The last victors of the Hunger Games are Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark."

I look down on my book and started flicking through the pages. I found the chapter on the Games and surely enough, at the bottom of the page showing all the past Victors, were the names Katniss Everdeen-Mellark and Peeta Mellark.

Katniss Everdeen-Mellark, the page reads, volunteered in place of her sister and won in the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games. Reaped a second time in the Seventy-Fifth Games. Eventually led the second rebellion. Peeta Mellark, won the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games and volunteered in place of Haymitch Abernathy in the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games. Part of the rebellion.

Everyone looks at me in awe and I start to feel heat rising in my cheeks. I get annoyed. Why are they giving me such looks? Because my parents outlived twenty-two other people, possibly killing a few along the way?

"Katniss and Peeta were the only pair ever to win the Games. A rule change was announced halfway, saying that District partners are allowed to win together should they be the last Tributes standing. But it was revoked when it came down to the two of them. Their defiance sparked the rebellion and because of this, they were both sent back to the Arena the next year," Mrs Simmons looks at me with a curious expression. Was it pity?

My parents. Sent to an arena twice to kill each other. I couldn't imagine it. My calm, collected father and my sensible mother, who have never even raised a hand against me or my brother. Was that the reason Mother screams in her sleep or why there are times when Father looks like he's in extreme pain, clutching the back of the chair?

"So that's why it's called the Victor's Village, and why they've always lived there!" Arista exclaims. I shoot her a dirty look and she hushes, looking embarrassed. I give myself a mental kick as I realize she's right. I can't believe I didn't make the connection when they started mentioning Victors.

They continue discussing the Games but I'm not paying attention anymore. I couldn't imagine my parents as killers. Mother is a hunter, but she never kills without reason. And Daddy killing somebody just sounds absurd.

I need to get home.

Finally the bell rings and I say silent thank you that Panem History is our last class for the day. I bolt out of the door and walk over to the other side of the building to wait for Dylan to come out.

"Now, everybody, don't go picking on Lira Mellark, do you hear?" I hear someone say loudly. I turn to see Acantha Holden and her friends all looking at me with those stupid smirks in their faces. I glare at her and she pretends to wince in fright.

"Oh, I'm so scared right now, someone save me!" she gives a false shriek then her expression changes to one of certainty. "How do you feel now, Lira? Feeling ashamed to know the truth about your parents? Or feeling proud of the fact that they were once murderers?"

Murderers. The term struck me like a knife. My parents aren't murderers.

"Leave Lira alone, Acantha!" Arista comes to my rescue, as she usually is. "If it weren't for her parents, you would be on your way to a Reaping!" She said the last part in a softer tone as there are younger kids looking in.

"Oh yeah? From what I heard, it was her parents' fault too, that less than half of District Twelve survived. Wasn't it her mother's fault this District got bombed anyway? Most of my family died in there!"

"Shut your face, Acantha," I growl at her. I don't like what I'm hearing. I hear "ooohhss" among the crowd that gathered around us.

"Or what?" she moves towards me, her blonde hair swishing in the wind. "Or what, Mellark? You'll send your Mommy to kill me?"

That is it.

I don't remember what happened after that. Everything went by in a blur. All I can recall is Acantha's screams and the catcalls of onlookers.

The next thing I know, I'm in the Principal's office. My parents had been called in and my mother took Dylan home while my father stayed with me.

"I'm so sorry, I assure you that she'll never do that again," Daddy says. He's been apologizing for me for the past ten minutes. He looks at me expectantly. "I'm sorry too. I won't do it again," I say grudgingly. But I can't help but add, "But I don't regret it."

"Lillian Mellark!" I know he's angry now.

"She provoked me!" I tell him.

"What did she do, sweetheart?" he asks me, his voice more gentle now. A good thing about Daddy is that he never stays angry for long.

"Can I tell you later?" I plead. I don't really want to talk about it in front of the Principal.

"Of course," Daddy replies understandingly. "Is she going to receive punishment for this?" he turns to the Principal. I had almost forgotten about him.

"This is her first offense, so I'm letting her go with a warning. This is strange, Lillian, you're normally one of the behaved students," he says, looking at me.

"It won't happen again," I tell him quickly.

He sighs. "You may go. Thank you for your time, Mr Mellark."

Daddy nods and leads me out of the office. We walk in silence but I notice he isn't heading home.

"Daddy? Home is this way," I point out the path leading to the Victors' Village.

"I know. We're going to the Meadow," he answers simply.

"Oh," was all I can say as I follow him out.

Once we get there, he sets himself down, having a little difficulty because of his prosthetic leg. I had to wonder, was it because of the Games that he lost his leg?

He pats the grass next to him, which I take as an invitation to join him.

"Lira, why did you do that?" he puts an arm around me. I couldn't look at him. "You never get into fights."

I keep my mouth shut, not knowing how to respond. What can I say? It was nothing, Daddy, I just learned that you've killed people before!

Urgh. Even in my head it sounded wrong.

"Lillian Aurora Mellark." Wonderful, he's using my full name now. "You tell me right now or I'm marching you to your mother and let her deal with it."

I don't know what made me blurt it out, but I did.

"We learned about the Hunger Games today."

A surprised look crosses Daddy's face for a moment before it becomes an understanding one.

"I see."

"Have you… have you killed anyone in the Arena, Daddy? What about Mother? Tell me the truth, please."

He takes a deep breath. "I have," he says finally. "Unintentionally, in the first Arena, but not in the second. Your mother and I, we went into that second Arena focused on protecting the other."

I finally look up at him. I can see the sadness in his eyes.

"I hope knowing that wouldn't change your views of your mother and me," he tells me. Change my view of them? I can't say I'm not bothered by it, but nothing can change the fact that they have been nothing but great parents to Dylan and me. Nothing can change the fact that I love them both with all of my heart.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask softly.

"Your mother and I wanted to tell you at the right time," he says. "We want to make you understand it in a way that won't make you scared. We want you to get courage from what we went through."

I understand what he's saying. When I was younger, I used to ask them why we were the only people in the Victor's Village. Haymitch told me once, in the middle of a drunken stupor, that it was because my parents had more money. I never thought more about the name. I thought it was nothing of particular significance. And my parents make quite a bit of money from the bakery my father runs in town.

I never once imagined that all of the comforts I experience now came at a heavy price on my parents' behalf.

"Daddy," I speak up, plucking a dandelion and twirling it between my fingers. "I got into a fight because Acantha called you murderers. I got angry because she doesn't know anything and yet she talks like she does."

"Do you think we are?" he asks me.

"No," I reply truthfully. "Never. I love you and Mother, Daddy. Nothing changes that," I hug him. "I just wish you'd tell me so I understand."

"We love you too," he says as he strokes my dark hair.

"I want to know what happened."

Daddy looks at me for a moment. I know he's having an internal debate. I hold my breath.

Finally he sighs and says, "We'll talk to your mother."

I nod and we get up. He puts his arm around my shoulders as we walk back home.

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Note:

-Katniss and Peeta's daughter is named Lillian Aurora. I don't know why I called her Lillian. I guess I just liked the name? I wanted to call her Lily but it didn't feel right to me. I wanted her name to have some relation to a flower at least. Aurora means dawn, and I guess it's only fitting that she's named that after everything her parents went through. And that her birth symbolizes a new beginning for Katniss and Peeta. Her nickname Lira was something of an accident. I was flicking through a name dictionary for music-related names and the name Liron, which means 'my song' in Hebrew came up. Just a few names later was the name Lyra ( which means Lyre, an instrument), so I mixed it up since Liron sounded male. I wanted to have music in her name since her dad took note of her mom's singing voice when he had a crush on her for the first time. I made a list.. I had about ten names related to music, but I wanted something that sounds strong. How else would the Mockingjay name her kid? ;)

-Her brother's name is Dylan. I just like the name. Haven't figured out a middle name yet. If you have any ideas, I'm all for it.

-Acantha means 'thorns' in Greek. Tch. Explains her sucky attitude.

REVIEW PLEASE! The talk with Katniss will be up when I get on with it. Reviews mean a quicker update.