Ethan?

He was back in that forest, the same one where he had died over and over. The one covered in his blood and the blood of others. Ethan's head snapped around, looking for where his attackers would come from this time. He lasted longer each night but he could never stop his death, no matter how fast he ran or how hard he fought, he still ended up on the floor of the forest with his blood dyeing the emerald grass crimson.

However, Ethan sensed that something was different this time. There was no noise. No leaves crunching under his attackers feet. No whispers being carried in the wind and no metal scraping on the ground to taunt him about his impending death.

There was just silence.

"Hello brother dear."

Ethan's blood turned cold as the familiar voice rang in his ear. Alesia always turned up at the end, when he was seconds away from death's door. So why was she here now?

"You're wondering why I'm here?" Ethan opened his mouth to retort but Alesia cut him off. "I know everything Ethan because this is all in your head. Your mind created me. Your mind brings me here to watch as it makes you squirm and suffer because you can't live with what you did. This is why I'm here now, not at the end of your life. I saved you Ethan, I've saved you time and again when you've been bleeding out on the grass. I drive away the Reaper's victims. They are the manifestations of your guilt and fear, you can't run from them. Not anymore. You need to face them if you want to move forward."

The boy laughed but there was no humour behind it. This wasn't the boy that was chased through this forest night after night by onyx shadows, being hunted. The Reaper never was the prey, that was Ethan Wynters, the pathetic little boy that he was. The Reaper hunted and he always got his prey in the end. And right now, his prey was standing right in front of him.

The Reaper tilted his head slightly, "Ethan might not be able to but I definitely can. This is what I am Alesia. Just like you, Ethan's mind created me. You said that you're the manifestation of his guilt, well I'm made up of his darkest parts. His anger, his arrogance. He wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for me. You wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for me."

"Nice to finally meet you Reaper." Alesia only nodded with a small smirk before her eyes turned deadly serious. "Do you think I want to be here? Watching as Ethan gets butchered night after night by the ghosts of the people you killed. We live and die by that boy. I'm here to try and help him get past his grief, something he needs to do if he wants to get better and start to like himself."

"Why would I want him to get better? I need him to keep giving me control, that is how I survive." The Reaper stepped closer so that he and Alesia were nearly nose to nose. "And that leads me to you. His guilt and fear turns him to anger, that is where I take control and I don't need you to try and fuck it up by spouting your high road bullshit during your late night therapy sessions with him while he sleeps. I do the things that Ethan thinks of doing but hasn't got the stomach to follow through on."

Alesia took a few steps backward, her eyes analytical. "So what happened on the roof in the Capitol then? He was full of guilt then but he didn't give in to you. He stood on the edge of thay roof, ready and willing to take his own life because he couldn't and didn't know how to deal with his guilt." Her tone then went as cold as ice, making sure that the Reaper got every word that she said, "The only reason that we're having this conversation is because Johanna Mason got there in time and pulled him down. Not because of me or you."

The Reaper snorted loudly at the mention of Johanna. He hated her. She was trying to make Ethan better, to make sure that the boy always has someone in his corner, someone who could understand him. The Reaper needed Ethan to be angry and the best way for that to happen was for the boy to be seperated from Johanna.

However before the Reaper could fire back his answer, Alesia finished it.

"This is where we part Reaper. I hope I never have to see you again because you don't deserve Ethan, the boy that he used to be and the boy he could still become, you parasitic fuck."

---

Johanna

The victory tour was finally here. Well finally would be the wrong word for it. She hated it with a passion.

It was another part of the neverending puppet show that was the Hunger Games. The victor went around the Districts giving a speech and indirectly shoving the fact that they were still alive down the grieving families throats.

Three years ago, it was her in that spot, having to give the shittest speeches imaginable to a disinterested audience and trying not to break down in the process. Then she got the offer from President Snow and her life turned upside down overnight.

Now it was pretty boy's turn. Ethan was the closest thing she had to a friend. Blight got drunk too often and was incoherent at the best of times while the rest of the victors were complete and utter arseholes. But she just clicked with Ethan, she didn't have to be the cold bitch she was with everyone else. They brought each other out of their shell and the two laughed and teased the other as much as they could, granted most of the teasing came from Johanna. After nearly three years, she forgot that being alone wasn't the norm.

Then came Ella's training. She would only intervene when she thought that Ethan had missed something important but other than that and the odd spar with Ethan, she was content with just watching. It pained her greatly to see them as it brought back memories of her family that she had pushed down for years. However she couldn't help but like Ella's charm and youthful optimism, which contrasted greatly with her and Ethan's pessimistic views on life.

She wandered over to Ethan's new home in the Victor's Village that was right next to her's. Every house was built the same, the only thing that made them different was the decoration on the inside. Johanna's was a reminder of her family and her loss as she and her mother designed it to be a family home.

Johanna quickly shook her head before opening the front door. She couldn't get caught in her own head, not on this tour. Ethan would definitely need her during this and she needed to be able to focus properly.

"Johanna?" Ella's voice rung out from across the living room with what looked like some sort of homework in front of her.

"Where's your uncle?"

"In bed. He hasn't been sleeping well so be gentle with him."

Johanna only snorted before she headed upstairs trying to find the boy. She opened the closed door, which by using the process of elimination she had figured out to be Ethan's room, only to find him fast asleep.

Johanna smirked, he looked so peaceful despite the obvious bags under his eyes. She walked silently towards the bed before she yanked the duvet off of the top of the younger boy's body. "Time to get up."

The boy only turned on to his side. "Piss off mother." He muttered sleepily while hugging the pillow tighter.

Johanna laughed causing the boy to turn back around when he figured out that it definitely wasn't his mother. "Oh, it's you."

"Yes it's me. Do you even know that Ella's downstairs?"

Ethan blinked, surprised at the new information before he looked at the clock on his bedside drawer. "It's half 10, she should be at school. Why the fuck is she downstairs?"

Johanna only sighed and shook her head. He didn't even know what fucking day it was. "It's saturday, pretty boy."

"That would explain a lot."

"Now get up and get washed, your styling team will be here in about ten minutes."

"Styling team?" Now Ethan really did look confused.

"It's your victory tour." Johanna spat the latter words coldly.

Ethan's only response was to pull his pillow on top of his head and groan. "Can you tell them to fuck off? I'm not ready for this shit."

"No."

"Please?"

"Still no."

"I'll do anything Jo."

Johanna slightly smirked at those words, leaning down so she could whisper in his ear. "What you can do is get the fuck out of bed and get ready. I'm not dealing with a whiny brat for the next week."

"You've been dealing with it for nearly six months now, what's a week more?" Ethan answered smartly.

Johanna grabbed onto Ethan's auburn curls before she dragged him out of bed and towards his bathroom, while Ethan tried to break her grip. Stopping just outside the bathroom door, she let go of his hair. "Now clean yourself up. Or do I have to do that as well for you."

There was no smart arse response from Ethan this time, only a meek nod before he silently went into the bathroom.

Johanna sighed. This was going to be a long week.

---------------------------------------------------------
An update after nearly two months. I sprained my wrist so I had to rest it before I could get back to writing this.

Feel free to vote and if you need anything explained about Ethan or this story, don't hesitate to ask.

-Danny