To everyone continuing to follow this story, I just want to take a moment to give a quick thank you! I know that this story has undergone many changes include added chapters and some drastic rewrites (though minimal plot changes) and I appreciate your patience and support!

That being said, I ask that you kindly vote if you are enjoying this chapter and this story and comment your thoughts and opinions. If you ever feel as if this story is getting boring or if your losing interest, please, tell me why. Though I know it's impossible to please everyone, I want my story to be meaningful and I want my abilities as a writer to grow and be challenged. 

Take care and stay safe! ~CANGEL

***

Scarlet Wolfe

     Without a word, Scarlet pushed against the door, feeling it stick to the door frame, as if it hadn't been opened in some time. Oh, this was promising. She rolled her eyes as she shoved the door the rest of the way open with her shoulder, grunting from the effort.

     Inside, it was warmer than being outdoors, but that was solely due to the protection from the wind instead of any actual heat. The air was thick with dust and an almost musty sort of smell tickled her nose. A few candles burned around the shop, dimly lighting the small room.

     Scarlet pressed her nose into the fabric hanging from the wall and breathed in, pleasantly surprised that the fabrics seemed to be well maintained and cared for, despite the poor conditions of everything else.

     As she moved further into the store, she found a young girl sitting behind the counter, lost in a book. Cadmium's friend? Scarlet approached, her irritation spiking at the lack of service or acknowledgement.

     It probably wasn't intentional, with the way the door was stuck, Scarlet assumed they didn't get many customers, but with the ruckus of opening the door, her attention should have been gained.

     Scarlet cleared her throat, tapping the wooden counter with one of her black-tipped nails.

     The girl's head snapped up, a practiced smiling forming on her face. Thin black hair and dull blue eyes stared back at her. Scarlet didn't know the girl's name, but she could tell the moment the girl recognized her.

     Fear froze her expression, her polite smile twisting into a fearful grimace.

     "Cadmium?" The girl finally managed to choke out, her face white as she looked from Scarlet to her brother. A faint red blush colored her cheeks.

     She rolled her eyes, done with this entire day.

     "What are you doing here?" The girl asked Cadmium. Her brother might not like the girl, but it definitely looked like she liked Cad.

     "We need clothes." Scarlet cut in, tired of being ignored and talked around. She was, after all, the one with the money. The girl swallowed so heavily that Scarlet could see the movement of her throat column as her eyes locked on Scarlet's black, pointed nails.

     Her lips curled upward as the Wicked Wolfe persona flared to life. She didn't wear the metal mask—that she only wore when she was forced to by Verra—which seemed to be any time she was on camera and exposed to all the other Districts. Here in District 14, it seemed she was free, more or less, to act however she wanted.

     But she couldn't change the bright golden wolf eyes the Capitol had altered her hazel ones too, and she couldn't change the claws that they had given her. Wherever she went, no matter what she wore, Scarlet would always be seen as the Wicked Wolfe. The line drawn between who she was and who the Capitol had created was blurring together with each passing day.

     She stopped tapping and slammed her hand down on the counter suddenly, leaving her palm stinging with the force. The girl jumped backward, nearly falling over her little wooden stool. She would have, if Cadmium hadn't leaned across and grabbed the sleeve of her shirt, holding her upward.

     Cadmium shot Scarlet an irritated glare and mouthed. "Knock it off." As if she were the problem.

     Scarlet rolled her eyes back at him.

     Maybe this family was different with Cadmium. Maybe the girl empathized with his pain. But the girl was no different toward Scarlet than any other citizen of District 14. Fearful and weary.

     "Clothes?" She repeated, as she circled her hand, indicating the fabrics around her. "Can you help us with that, little girl? Or should I go somewhere else?"

      Scarlet tossed the sack of coins onto the counter. The girls' eyes latched onto the bag on the counter. Scarlet didn't miss the familiar gleaming greed shining in them.

     Different? She met Cadmium's eyes. Cadmium, you're so much smarter than this. Of course, Scarlet didn't say it out loud, but she thought it so loud that there was no way he would have missed the meaning in her disappointed look.

     "My grandfather runs this shop." The girl answered, her eyes on Cadmium. "I'll go get him."

     "What's the quality of his work?"

     "His work is his life. He stitches everything by hand and tailors them to exact measurements or specifications. My grandfather said this store was really something special, 10 or 15 years ago. But the Capitol fads changed so much that it's hard to keep up with the place. That and he's gotten so much older, so he can't do as much as before..."

     Scarlet wished the girl would have just stayed mute.

     "Go get your grandfather, girl." Scarlet said, interrupting her never ending words.

     "My name's Aurora."

     Scarlet didn't answer Aurora, biting back the 'I don't care', that nearly slipped out. She spun around and turned her attention to the fabrics hung on the wall.

     With the coins on the counter, and the fabrics in front of her, Scarlet decided she wouldn't hold herself back. She was done watching her family spend her own money while she only used it sparingly.

     Scarlet ran her fingers down the different materials that hung in their shops. There were so many choices to make, Scarlet didn't even know where to start.

     She wanted something warm. A thick coat that could keep out even the most bitter winds. Big enough that she could grow into it, but not so big that it swallowed her whole. Fur on the inside that would feel soft to her skin. Or perhaps just on the collar of the coat and the sleeves? Scarlet wasn't a fan of the fur sticking to her skin if she ever broke a sweat.

     She wanted something thin and light, too. For the summer months, when the wind wasn't as bitter, and the sun shone more than it hid behind clouds. In another three months' time, District 14 would be as warm as it would ever get. The snow grew wet and packy. A light jacket to keep the wind off her skin would be enough to keep the cold away.

     After a few minutes of browsing, Scarlet turned her attention back to the front desk area. Cadmium leaned against the wall, with his feet crossed and his hands in his pants pockets, eyes closed. Did he seem more tired today than usual?

     Scarlet couldn't tell. She shared a room with him and slept on separate sides of the same bed, but there was a distance between them that she hadn't been able to bridge since she'd come back from the Games. His eyes didn't hold hate or fear or anger. He had lost a brother, but he, and he alone, seemed relieved to still have a sister.

     In his hazel eyes, she saw secrets. She saw an obsession forming. A craving. Scarlet had briefly considered that her baby brother had gotten hooked on alcohol like their father was or into morphling, but he didn't act like those strung-out junkies, and he was far too controlled to be drunk.

     He was home most nights, and most days he was with her. But there were nights when Cadmium didn't come home until dawn. Those nights, Scarlet tossed and turned and paced the room as she waited for him to come back home and only when he stumbled in with dawn peaking over the horizon, crawling into bed next to her, did she finally fall asleep.

     She didn't know where he went on those nights. She wanted to know but could never voice the question. She wasn't sure she wanted the answer.

     Letting out a breath, Scarlet walked back to the front desk and leaned against it, waiting.

     She felt the soft thudding of footsteps as people approached and she looked toward the back door as it opened, revealing Aurora, followed by a small, brittle, old man with a poorly crafted cane in one hand. White hair sparsely covered his head and wired glasses covered his blue eyes with the wire wrapping around his overgrown ears.

     The old man's clothes were old and worn and no where near the quality of the fabrics he offered in his own store. Scarlet didn't know why he wouldn't make clothes from the fabric he had when it was clear that he was not selling much of it. If he dressed better, then maybe the few people that could get clothes or fabric would buy from him instead of the other places in town.

     Her fingers toyed with the pendant at her neck. The one that never, ever parted from her. Her Arena token. A gift from Cadmium. A reminder of her Scarlet's Wave and all that she had lost.

     Warm blue eyes met hers. Scarlet dropped her hand to her side and found herself unable to hold his gaze for long. She looked away, instead, turning back to the fabrics on the wall.

     "I hear you need some clothes." His lips curled up with his words, not a trace of sneer or reluctance that normally followed her presence in a store.

     She nodded, a pinched brow and a frown marring her face. She wasn't sure she liked the way he looked at her. It made her defenses slam up and her hackles raise.

     Despite that, she forced out, "For me and Cadmium. I don't care about the price. I have money—" She gestured toward the pouch still sitting on the counter. "If it's not enough, I can bring more." She turned toward the clothing, fingering a bright green fabric, the color reminding her of a certain Victor she was trying hard to forget. "Any color but this one." She said, as she turned back to the old man.

     He still was looking at her with that warm smile she didn't understand. She didn't know how to react or what to do with it. She didn't know why it made her so uncomfortable—well, she did. No one smiled at her anymore. Not even Cadmium.

     Only Finnick—

     "—I want three shirts, three pairs of pants, two dresses—any color but red—and a thick winter coat made, along with a thinner coat. The same for Cadmium—minus the dresses, of course." She forced out, before thoughts of the Victor filled her head. While they hadn't parted on bad terms, thoughts of him always made her confused and irritated. So she planned on avoiding everything to do with him. It was easier that way.

     "Of course, we would be happy to assist you with that, ah...Scarlet—Ms. Wolfe."

     Ms. Wolfe.

     Her lips curled up in amusement despite her apprehension.

     Scarlet nodded to the counter with her pouch of money. "Let me know if you need more. I have plenty now. Buy more fabric if you need it."

     She watched carefully, searching the elder's face for the familiar greed and desperation that was so common in District 14.

     He finally glanced over at the pouch of coins on the counter and then looked back at her with a half-smile. "That's too much, my dear."

     His eyes held a subtle sadness that she didn't understand, and his words weren't what she was expecting.

     "What do you mean?"

     He took only a few coins from the pouch, leaving the rest untouched. "This will be enough for everything you've requested."

     That troubled her, so much so that she almost thought she had misread them. Except Scarlet was far to skilled to mistake voiceless words coming from a person's mouth. Especially when they were talking face to face with her.

     She watched the girl, Aurora, pull at her grandfather's worn sleeve, whispering something in his ear that Scarlet couldn't see.

     The old man cut her off with a sharp look. "Enough, Aurora."

     For a man who looked like he was two shakes and one good wallop away from dying, his voice could sure pack a punch when he wanted it too. Even though she couldn't hear it, there was a power in his voice that demanded attention.

     "We may not control what the future holds, but we can always choose how we respond to it. Greed won't bring back the things we've lost. No matter how long it takes, the wheel always turns, good things will come our way again."

     Scarlet's jaw tightened. Conflicting feelings welled up inside her at his words. They were meant for Aurora, but they pierced through Scarlet's defenses just the same.

     She couldn't help but feel like there was some plot she was missing. Some underhanded scheme meant to take advantage of her. "I want quality work." She said, breaking the quiet of the room.

     The old man shuffled forward across the floor. She stood where she was, waiting with weariness as he approached. His weathered hands gently took hers, his head dipping in a slight bow.

     She thought he might even shed a tear, as he raised his head up, meeting her eyes once more without the barest sight of fear or distaste. "The first Victor from District 14 deserves respect. And our gratitude."

     Her chest tightened uncomfortably. She pulled her hand away, unsure how to respond. Respect? Gratitude? No one else had bothered. Why would he?

     Scarlet didn't bother to hide her furrowed brow or her confused glance back as she walked toward the front of the store. As far away from the strangely kind old man as she could get.

     She didn't understand the old man or the way he was treating her, or even the way he ran his shop. No wonder everything was falling to shit.

     Once a good distance away, she turned back around to see Cadmium conversing with the old man as he had his measurements taken. It didn't feel right not to know her surroundings, but at the moment, it felt even more uncomfortable to look at the old shop owner.

     So, Scarlet turned her attention back to the shelf on the far wall of the shop nearest the front windows. Framed photos sat there, covered in a heavy coating of dust so thick, the images couldn't be made out. She grabbed one off the shelf and wiped it away with her fingers.

      She stared at the photo with a frown. Photos were so rare in District 14, that she suspected not every family had even one.

     But Scarlet could swear, as she stared at the young blonde woman holding two chunky newborns in her arms and a man standing stoically next to her, that she has seen this photo before. Scarlet couldn't remember where though. Her own family didn't have any photos, having been too poor to get them taken, so it hadn't been there. But where?

     A hand covered her shoulder. Scarlet jumped, turning around fast, her hands rising to fend off an attack. She paused when she realized that it is only the old man. He wasn't looking at her, but at the photo she held in her hand. Scarlet handed it to him, wiping it clean with tender care.

     His fingers brushed across the glass, wiping more of the dust away, before setting it back on the shelf.

     He looked back at her. That tenderness lingering in his eyes. "My son. And two of his children."

     Scarlet looked at the picture. "Your grandson? The one that died in the games?"

     His eyes grew sad, and she bit her tongue. It was stupid to mention the dead. She should have known better. He didn't say anything, as he picked up a different frame from the shelf, wiping it clean with the side of his palm. A boy, older than her, stared back at her. Black curls and light eyes stared back at her. A soft smile on his face.

     "This is Barren Fox. He died in the 64th Hunger Games. He was seventeen years old then."

     Scarlet remembered the games though she had only been nine years old at the time. Her mind didn't allow her to forget, though Scarlet could no longer recall the specifics as she hadn't thought much of the boy or girl, she remembered that that had been a hard year in District 14. She remembered the hunger that had gnawed at her insides, and she remembered digging in garbage bins for scrapes to feed a seven-year-old Cadmium and a five-year-old Honey. That was the first year she'd been lashed by Peacekeepers.

     Stealing garbage to survive.

     The man continued, his words pulling her away from the past. "No, these children stayed with their mother and her husband." Nothing new there. Something in her expression must of given away her train of thoughts because the man gave her a knowing look as he let out a sigh. "I didn't agree with everything Hale did—probably spent most of my life—and his—yelling at him, trying to get him set on a better path—but Hale just wanted more..." The man sighed, his lips turning upward as he placed the photo on the shelf. "Well," he said, giving the top of the photo frame a light pat. "He's been dead for near ten years now. It's time to let him find peace."

     She glanced at the photo on the shelf one last time, before turning away from them.

     "If you'll step over there, toward the desk, Ms. Wolfe, I'll be right with you to take your measurements."

     "Alright, Mr..." Scarlet's voice trailed off as she realized that she hadn't gotten the man's name.

     Embarrassment for her own lack of manners heated across her face, but the old man didn't even pause as he answered, "Mr. Fox."

     "Alright, then. Mr. Fox." Scarlet found herself repeating with a soft smile toying on her lips.

     The old man might be playing her, but Scarlet couldn't help liking him. The quiet assured way he held himself was so unlike anything she'd ever seen before in District 14, who were normally angry, defiant, greedy, and selfish. Scarlet Wolfe included. Survival of the fittest ruled the hearts of every citizen here.

     As Scarlet got her measurements taken, she ignored the smug look etched on Cadmium's face, as he stood back against the wall without speaking.

     She wouldn't admit he was right because she still didn't completely believe it. But there was something that called out to her, saying not to let the Capitol win. Not to let Panem win. She wasn't in the Games any longer. She could still trust. People could still be good.

     She would give the old man one chance. But just one chance.

     What did she have to lose anyways? 

--------

Okay, The next chapter is a doozy. There is no sugar-coating it, but there will be a trigger warning at the beginning. You don't have to read it, as there will be non-explicit referencing to the following event that will still allow for readers to understand the plot of the story for this Character. 

The exact warnings will be at the top of the next chapter. What I will say right now, is that this next chapter is dark. It's horrible. It makes me, the writer, feel helpless and disgusted and so, so sad. 

Unfortunately, I am a person who believes that while there are amazing people in this world, there are also very horrible and disgusting people in this world as well. 

Know your triggers. Know your limits. Take care of yourself and stay safe! ~CANGEL