I wrote a thing…for Comment Fest,- a Canon AU please go and read Igniting Sparks : A what if trope - what if nobody watched the games and the 74th games were the last ones.
I should’ve called this the voyage home but instead it’s called igniting sparks here’s a snippet-
“While there will be no press at your arrival, the residents are quite excited to see you today. So, I beg you to please act like dignified children. You will be staying in the Mayor’s Mansion for the next week. The homes in the Victor’s Village are nowhere near sanitary.”
Haymitch snorted.
“Your house is in a particular state,” Effie said. “We thought at first to house the children there with you, but we discovered that it wasn’t fit for pigs.”
“You should know,” Haymitch muttered.
Katniss snorted out loud which earned her a deadly glare from Effie. She turned her head and noticed how Peeta's shoulders shook. His face was red, as he tried not to laugh at Haymitch's jab.
Effie smiled tightly as she spoke, “The children will stay with the Mayor…”
“Um,” Peeta began. “Wouldn't it make sense for us just to stay with our families until we know where we want to live.”
“Well that certainly is a good suggestion, however…” Effie however was cut off by Haymitch.
“The kid is right, Trinket,” Haymitch said, pouring some brown alcohol into his cup of tea. “I bet Sweetheart is anxious to see her sister.”
All eyes turned to Katniss. She nodded. Her worry shouldn't have been Peeta, it should have been seeing her sister.
"I…” Effie stammered. “...forgive me Katniss, I did not consider you would be anxious to be reunited with your loved ones.”
“I'd like to see my brothers. I became an uncle while we were away.”
“I wish we had the media present, that reunion would have been so lovely,” Effie sighed.
Katniss was glad there wouldn't be any reporters present. While she did volunteer for her sister, Katniss did not want the specter of the Hunger Games to dictate her life. She loathed the public spectacle the ex-President tried to make of her life and Peeta's. Thankfully, the man had become gravely ill right as Katniss gave Peeta the nightlock berries, trying to save both of their lives.
“Fine, the children can stay with their families. You, however, will stay here with me on this train!” Effie stood up and triumphantly walked out of the dining car.
Haymitch turned pale.
Katniss couldn't help herself and laughed. Upon hearing her laughter, Peeta laughed as well.
“Brats!” Haymitch muttered under his breath before leaving them behind.
Peeta wiped his face as they stopped laughing. “Man, he’s got it bad.”
Katniss frowned, when Peeta wiggled his eyebrows. She wasn’t following what Peeta was suggesting.
“Come on, you can see it right?”
“See what?”
“How much they like each other!” Peeta exclaimed, rolling his eyes as if it was obvious.
“Like each other?” Katniss couldn't help her astonishment. “They hate each other. They're always bickering!”
“Exactly, they like each other, but they don’t want to admit it,” Peeta said, picking up his cup of hot chocolate and sipping it.
Katniss looked down at her plate, a little weirded out about Haymitch and Effie. It was too weird. Yet again, it couldn’t be true, but they sure did watch each other. Katniss sighed.
“So what do you think about what Effie said?”
“I don’t know,” Katniss replied. Truthfully she wasn’t sure what to make out of the idea of living in another District. She was struggling with how to bring up what happened in the Arena with Peeta.
“I’m going to talk to my family, see what they say…maybe you could talk to yours too.”
“What if your family wants to leave the District and mine doesn't?” The question flew out of Katniss's mouth. Although she was confused about her feelings, the idea of leaving him behind and being separated from him didn’t feel right.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe we can do it together, you know, talk to them at the same time?”
Katniss nodded. She didn’t say much afterward, only stared out as the scenery flashed by the windows. They were almost home. She could see the blue crest of the mountains and the rolling hills of the woods she hunted in as she drew closer to home.
Effie and Haymitch were once more bickering. Peeta shot her a look, and she rolled her eyes. The train began to slow.
“Children, children, please gather round, we are approaching the station. Katniss dear, why didn’t you choose one of the lovely things Cinna designed for you?”
“This is my maw’s dress,” Katniss said. “It’s special.”
“Oh, I never realized you were so sentimental.” Effie sighed, “You’re just like a piece of coal put under pressure that turned into a precious pearl.”
“Some Capitol education you got, pearls don’t come from coal,” Haymitch snorted into his flask.
Effie reached out and snatched Haymitch’s flask away. “Whilst you are living on this train with me, I have one rule, No drinking.”
Katniss turned her face away. She wasn’t going to get in trouble with Effie again or Haymitch for that matter.
“As much as the dress is sentimental, I implore you, to please put on one of the outfits Cinna designed for you.”
Katniss wanted to protest but she caught Haymitch shaking his head no. “Fine,” Katniss muttered.
—-
Please go and read some really good stuff is on there!