Searching for a Myth

Safe and Sound

Ian's POV:

-A Month Prior to the reaping-

Yes, it's true, Lavina and I moved back to four. She insisted for the benefit of my mental health, knowing I wouldn't last long back in thirteen. We do miss everyone else so much, we just had to leave. One of the main cons was that baby Hope would have to survive the reaping.

Currently, I'm 27 and Lavina's 31. We adopted a daughter shortly after we left, and in some way, she saved me. Her name is November Black-Summers, Nova for short. We adopted her from an adoption center in district two, and that was one of the best thing's we've ever done.

November has beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes, quite unusual from everyone else in district 2, where she was born. She has crystal blue eyes, she doesn't look like either of us, but that's okay. Nova is 11, but turns 12 next week, and Hope is almost 14.

Lavina is out with Hope roaming around our lake. Since we're from four our house has a lake on our property. November really reminds me of both Amber and Lily. She is strong, considerate, courageous, strong-willed, confident, and selfless. It's as she would do anything for us, we raised her right.

Breaking my thoughts, I hear Hope run through the door, holding a fishing pole with a fish attached to it, "Dad! Dad! I caught a big fish!"

She's technically a teenager, but she's honestly so sweet and still acts childish around me. The pole has a pink toned fish dangling from it, looks large enough to feed our family.

I smile, picking her up, she's still rather short, she's around 4'10, and I smile, "Guess you caught dinner Hopey."

She smiles, as I drop her, "I'll help mom cook it then!"

Hope always helps around the house, she helped raised Nova when me and Lavina couldn't.

Lavina walks towards the kitchen and begins preparing the fish, Hope follows her around like a lost puppy, eager to help. I can't imagine losing Hope or Nova. This will be Nova's first year in the reaping, I'm just still terrified after Lily and Sam were killed in the games.

Nova and Hope both train together, it's quite cute honestly. Hope's ideal weapon is to throw knives, she tried to get Nova to be good at it, but we quickly learned she's horrible with blades. She knows plenty of survival skills, and if she had to choose a weapon, it would be a bow and arrow, she's actually pretty good.

I love both my children so much I'm terrified of losing them to the games. Nova is just too young, as well as Hope. Nova could get easily slaughtered by one of the larger tributes, but her very petite frame and agile speed could help her out. While Hope would probably pull a district 6 and hide, but I'm not sure.

To be honest, I don't want either of my kids to ever have to kill someone, I know I know I'm a hypocrite, as I killed the Shadow Hunter to save Lavina, some peacekeepers to save everyone else, and the murderer of Amber; to save myself.

My two daughters enter my vision, jumping with joy, "Dad! Dinner is ready!" They exclaim, I'm so happy they're so close and love each other dearly.

I walk up to my beautiful wife as I watch our two daughters sit down. I stare into her eyes, which are rather close to mine since we're within an inch with eachother.

I smile, "We raised them right."

She nods, "Yes we did."

We talk about everything over our salmon dinner, our family is rather adoreable and close. Lavina is a great cook, while I'm not the best....

After Dinner, we watch television for a few hours, I suddenly remember that this year is the second quarter quell, so we'll have a special twist this year, they haven't yet announced it, and I'm not looking forward to it.

Lavina shrugs, glancing at her watch, "It's getting rather late, Ian, go put Nova to bed."

I nod, sighing, "Okay." I hold out my hand motioning for her to to grab it.

She whines, "Dad, I want a piggy back ride!"

Nova's really small, so I can still pick her up, I lean down and she jumps on my back, wrapping her arms around my neck. I begin spinning around with her on my back, and I hear giggling from the whole family.

I run up the stairs, with her still on my back and open the door to hers and Hope's bedroom. They share a bedroom, but Hope gets to stay up later since she's older, and we need to talk about stuff Nova can't listen to.

I lay her down in her bed, tucking the cool blue covers over her small frame, she smiles and I sit by her on the bed. By the girl's nightstand, we placed a picture of Me, Lavina, Lily, Amber and Peter when I was 14, right before Lily and Sam were sent into the deadly games.

Nova's little fingers lightly touch my wrist, which is now covered in a small tattoo. It's an infinity sign, in one side it says "Amber, Sam, Lily.", representing my deceased family and friends, and the other side says, "Lavina, Nova, Hope." representing my family today.

She then points at the picture, specifically at Lily and Amber, "Who are they?"

I smile, wrapping my arm around her, "Oh, the little one is your Aunt Amber, she's my baby sister. The other one is your Aunt Lily, Lavina's baby sister, you remind me of both of them."

Her eyes light up, "When can I meet them?"

I glare at the bed, not looking at her, "You can't, atleast for awhile."

She questions, disappointed "Why."

I sigh, "That's a story for another time, November."

She whines impatiently, "Tell me now!"

I shake my head, fighting back tears, but she can't tell, I get up off the bed, and kiss her forehead , "Patience is key Nova, I love you."

She nods, before shutting her crystal blue eyes, "I love you too Daddy."

Chapter by Jus_167