A/N: Hi guys, I hope you enjoy my version of the end of the book!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story except the small changes I made to the plot line.
"Greetings to the final contestants of the Seventy-fourth Annual Hunger Games. The earlier revisions to the rules have been revoked. Closer examination of the rule book has disclosed that only one winner may be allowed. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor!" Claudius Templesmith's voice boomed all around us and I turned to face Peeta. Throughout the Games, I had been fighting for my life, I had sacrificed everything. Being here at the end of it all, especially when I didn't think I would ever make it this far is overwhelming. I this moment I think of Prim. Her beautiful face crestfallen, tears running down her cheeks, horror, pain and fear clouding her beautiful blue eyes. Each of these expressions foreign on her usually cheerful face. I remember the promise I made, I told her I would try to win, do everything in my power to win. And I did. Even though that meant using Peeta.
I looked at his face, blood and mud smeared all over it and his blonde hair disheveled. I looked down at the quick work of the tourniquet around his bleeding leg and noticed that without the arrow it wasn't helping much. We needed this to be over. His leg needed medical attention and he would only get that if we finished this.
Was I okay with this? Was I okay with either of us dying? No.
But in that moment I thought, was it actually because I wanted the Capital not to win, not to be able to depict what happens? Was showing the Capital that they don't always get there way all I wanted to do? That's when I looked at him again the boy I risked my life for, the boy who risked everything for me countless of times, the boy who I swore I would not get attached to, the boy I used to survive and the boy who I, without even realising it myself, fell in love with.
He stood there with his arms open, his discarded knife lying on the ground, his piercing blue eyes staring into my own and I knew I couldn't do it. With the sudden realisation of my growing affection towards him, I knew I couldn't kill him.
"Just do it Katniss" He said stepping closer to me and putting his hand on my own. He pulled on the bow in my grasp and tightened my grip as he pulled it up towards his heart and took a step back. "Shoot me and go home to your family."
"No." I said harshly, throwing the metallic object to the ground, I pulled the arrows from my back and discarded them alongside the bow on the grass. I moved toward him and placed my hands on either side of his face and stared into his eyes. "No." I said, softer this time, "I won't do it, not now that I've finally realised how much you mean to me" there was obvious confusion on his face as he knew that in the arena, all that I have been doing was a lie, but this, this was sincere. I knew that he loved me, at first I thought that this was all a ruse that I had joined in on, a strategic tactic that no one had done before. But as we played the game I realised that his feelings were true, that his actions meant something, and I needed to show him that mine did too. I leaned forward and placed a kiss on his lips. Even though we shared many kisses throughout the games, none felt like this, none held as much passion or as much love as I placed in this one. When I finally pay broke the kiss, I didn't move away, with my hands still placed on his cheeks and my forehead resting on his, I whispered, "Please don't make me choose, because now, it'll always be you."
I did not care that millions of people were watching this intimate moment between Peeta and I, all I could focus on was him and the prospect of not having him in my life anymore. "Your family needs you, your sister needs you Katniss" Peeta told me.
"I know, but I need you." I said firmly, I would not give up on him. I knew everyone watching was holding their breaths, watching, waiting to see what the star crossed lovers were going to do next, how they were going to get themselves out of this one.
"Please Katniss you have to do this they have to get their Victor, you have to go home, you deserve to go home" Peeta told me as he turned away and picked up his knife.
"You deserve to go home as much as I do and I refuse to kill you, you can't make me and I won't let you die. I can't live without you anymore you made damn well sure of that." I said as he placed the knife in my hand I turned it around and pointed it toward my heart. Peeta snatched at the knife, knocking it from my grasp and letting it fall to the floor again.
"Katniss, I've waited years to tell you how I feel, I wasted all that time not owning up to my feelings. It's my fault that I've done this to you, I should've kept my mouth shut, then this dilemma wouldn't be happening." He said breaking eye contact with me. I placed my fingers on his chin, bringing his eyes back up to my own. I shake my head, I am just about to reply when he cuts me off.
"Katniss, if only one of us is allowed out of here then I'm willing to give myself up to let you-"
"But Peeta, I'm not willing to give you up and there's no way you're leaving this arena without me, we both go together dead or alive." I said as I look around, trying to find something that can help. I remember the Nightlock berries, I pulled them out and held them in front of me.
"No Katniss" He said putting his hand on top of mine blocking the berries from view, as if to protect me from them. I put my hand on top of his and stared into his eyes.
"I don't care, it's you and me or neither one of us." I told him and he lifted his hand, I poured half the berries into his palm, still looking into his eyes. I leaned in and placed another firm and confident kiss on his lips, which was the complete opposite of what I felt, I was terrified, I wasn't sure what would happen but all I knew is that I would be with Peeta forever and that was all that mattered.
"I love you, you know that" I said, even though it was my first time saying it, it felt right in my mouth. I placed my hand on his face again. My thumb tracing circles on his cheek, I could feel tears forming in my eyes and I willed them away but they came anyway. Peeta lifted his hand and brushed them away.
"Yeah I know, I love you too" my heart flipped as he said those words to me, hearing them for the first time after my realisation. "ready?" He asked and I nodded. I took a deep breath, not knowing if I would be dead in a few seconds, but as long as I was with him I was content. I held out my berries and Peeta did the same.
"One" I said raising my hand to my lips.
"Two" He said doing the same.
"Three" We both said at the same time and we placed the berries into our mouths, then we heard the familiar voice of Claudius Templesmith again.
"Stop! Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victors of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen! and Peeta Mellark! I give you- the tributes of District Twelve!" We spat out the berries and washed out our mouths at the lake and I ran towards him, my Peeta, the boy who saved my life and I knew then that everything was going to be all right. I ran into his arms, almost knocking him over as he was on unsteady feet, I had the love of my life to keep and I knew he wasn't going anywhere, I was going home and we were going to live happily ever after... Hopefully.
A/N: Thanks to all of you who read this. There may be some of you who have seen this story before. I wrote this story ages ago, when I was younger and my writing capabilities weren't as good, and so I thought I would re-upload it and make some of the changes I wanted to it. Your advice and comments are welcome. Have a great day :)
