An Heir's Legacy

Lucy Gray looks around the hob. She needed to find a shirt for Julian to wear today. He had fine enough pants and shoes but all of his shirts were discolored and ripped from his boyish games he would play with other children. She hated this, yet she put on her bravest face to ensure that Julian stayed calm. The sweet boy would always stress when his mom was upset.
It had been 12 years since his father left. Now he's the President of Panem, just like he always wanted to be. He made is intentions clear when he said that he wanted to make The Hunger Games his top priority of his presidency. He was most definitely doing that, forcing everyone to watch the games, making children market themselves to receive any type of help in the arena, oh god, the arena. Now a theme accompanied each year. The betting as well, it made her sick. She was just happy she was out of it, she hid herself well among the faces of district 12. She moved back when Julian was 2, only being truly free for such a small amount of time. However, she was safe in 12 now, the citizens of 12 overthrew the Mayor. No one liked him or his policies, the peacekeepers even joined in with the citizens. Lucy Gray made some money doing small shows at the Hob and performing at weddings. It was enough to get by, and Julian never complained. Him with his bright blond hair and big brown eyes. He was a perfect mixture of his parents. He stood out in 12 though, no one had hair as blinding as his. He even went through a few years of bullying for it. However, he overcame, embracing his locks, it helped that he started growing some muscles from puberty. He was still a boy but could hold himself in a fight, and knew how to handle a knife well. He lied to his mother, telling her it was only because he wanted to learn how to catch food if needed but he really learned so he could protect her. He knew that she performed in front of drunk men and wanted to protect her if anyone were to come at her.
Lucy Gray stopped as something caught her eye. A beautiful dark green shirt that was sure to fit Julian perfectly.
"How much for it?" She asked the lady at the stand.
"That's 20" she said with a nod. Lucy Gray looked down in her bag. She knew she only had 17, could she maybe give a sweet performance to make up for the last of it.
"I only have 17, anything I can do for you to make up for the last of it?" She asked.
"No, that fabric was expensive, I'll take nothing less than 20" she said crossing her arms.
Lucy Gray rolled her eyes and turned around. The other shirts were cheap and would only last Julian a month tops. She looked around some more and noticed some peacekeeper men shopping around. Maybe she could give them a little flirt for the $3 she was missing. She walked over to them.
"Hey boys, don't I remember you from my performance a couple weeks back?" She said teasing. They both turn and smile once they see her face.
"You remember us?" One of them asked blushing. Lucy Gray placed a hand gently on the man's chest and took a step closer.
"How could I forget a handsome man like you" she said. The man flustered around, not knowing what to say.
"Hey, could you help me? I need $3 for an item I desperately need. I'll pay you back for it, I'm good on my promises" she said giving him her best doe eyes. The man smiled while his friend shook his head. He knew she was playing his friend.
"Yeah, I'll help you out. As long as you sing a song about me at the next performance" he said reaching in his pocket.
"You got it darling" Lucy Gray says smiling. He gives her the money and she walks back to the stand.
"The green shirt" she says laying down $20.

When she gets back to the house she sees Julian and his cousin Boyce, Maude's son, running around. He's only 4 so Julian knows to play gentle with him.
"Momma!" Julian called out once he noticed her walking. He ran up to her and gave her a big hug.
"I woke up and you weren't there. I didn't know what happened" he said squeezing tightly.
"I'm okay, I had to get you a new shirt" she said revealing the green shirt she had picked.
"I like it, but you scared me. I thought you got taken by 'keepers or someone bad" he said.
She admired that her son wanted to protect her but even if she got herself into trouble she wouldn't want Julian to see it happen. He was too precious and sensitive. She was scared that if she were to leave him while he was young, he would turn into someone like his father.
"It's okay Jul. I'm here and I'm okay" she said brushing his blond locks. She crouched down to his level, not that there was much height between them.
"Is this about something else Julian. Are you nervous for today?" She asked at his level.
"Yes. I know there's nothing I can do but that man scares me so much" he said burying his head into his mom's shoulder.
"What man?" She asked confused.
"President Snow. We learned about him at school this week. My classmates made fun of me because I looked like him. I don't want to be anything like him" he said holding back tears.
Lucy Gray didn't know how to respond, she had never told Julian about his dad. He never questioned it, some kids had two parents and some didn't. He didn't know how babies were made so he didn't question anything. It also helped that plenty of kids in his class were getting raised by only one parent as well. She didn't think now was the right time but he was going to find out soon that babies get made between a man and a woman. A man helped make him, what would she do once he found out. She promised that she would always tell him the truth if he asked. She looked at him and gave him a serious look.
"Julian we need to talk. There is something you need to know because you're old enough" she said. She grabbed his hand and started walking with him.
"We're gonna go for a walk Maude. We'll be back well before the reaping" Lucy Gray calls out to Maude. Julian and Lucy Gray start walking into the meadow behind their house. They make their way to the willow tree and sit on the rock under it.
"You deserve to know all of this because it makes you, you. You're a special boy Julian, no doubt about it. Have you even wondered about why I have dark hair and you have bright blond hair?" She started. He looked at her confused and shrugged. She nodded and continued the talk.
"Your dad had blond hair, just like yours. And his face kinda looked like yours too" she said giving him a small smile. Julian looked shocked, he never had heard a word about a father.
"Why isn't he here" he asked. Lucy Gray looked down holding back tears. Julian saw this and started comforting her. He wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm sorry momma" he said.
"No Jul, you need to know... Your dad is a complicated man. He was from the Capitol, that's where we met. He saved me there and then came to 12 to be with me. We got mixed up in some bad things and had to leave 12. He didn't know that I was pregnant when he left me" she said. Julian looked upset.
"He left you! I hate him! Is he still in 12? I'll hurt him for what he did to you!" Julian says standing up and pulling his knife out. Lucy Gray rolls her eyes and takes the knife out of his little hand.
"He is not here. He went back to the Capitol. Even if you saw him again, you couldn't hurt him Julian. He's too powerful" she said placing the knife on the rock. Julian looked at her dumbfounded then started putting pieces together.
"Snow?" He asked quietly looking at his mom's face. The tears she had been holding back the whole time broke loose.
"I'm sorry I never told you sooner Jul" she said letting tears flow down her cheeks.
"I understand momma. He is evil, I don't want him to be my dad" he said grabbing her hand.
"I don't need a dad, I have you. You're the best mom I could get" he said smiling at her.
"How did I get the sweetest boy" she said pulling him in for a hug.