The hallways were practically deserted. Everybody was to their specific place already. Nobody lingered the halls for long and those who did quickly learned not to. She was the only one who was immune to the constant stares at chatter. She didn't care about the stupid schedule imprinted on her arm. It had absolutely nothing to do with her plans.
She was scheduled for Lamaze training. It was a class dedicated to breathing exercises during the birthing experience. Sophie didn't remember much of her first week there. She and the baby were still dazed from the lightning hitting the tree and everything else that followed. But she did remember attending a few of those classes. The only thing she learned was that she couldn't stand the attention or the constant fussing over. She was completely fed up with the multiple "Good Morning, Sophie" and "How is the baby doing today?" statements. Everyone had a special interest in how her child fared and she was sick of having to sick there and take it. Every time she missed something on her schedule, somebody would drop by her apartment to ask how she and the baby were doing.
"I noticed you weren't at your exercises this morning, is everything okay?"
"You're not feeling ill again are you? The doctor would be more than happy to give you more of those sleeping pills."
"You shouldn't be anywhere near the weapons, a woman in your condition. It's bad luck for the baby."
She felt trapped and nobody seemed interested in letting her out.
She spent most of her time making clothes for the baby. She didn't know what it was, boy or girl. But she was determined to keep that baby away from everybody in the District. She didn't care if Haymitch Abernathy told her it was the safest place in the world for Nate's baby. She wasn't going to let those grey mutts anywhere near her child.
Okay, mutts was probably too harsh. It wasn't exactly their fault. They had to live their lives by a schedule if they wanted to remain out of the Capitol's radar. President Coin had them all convinced that looking alike was a necessity as well.
President Coin was almost as bad as President Snow.
Sophie finally reached the end of the hall and breathed a sigh of relief. The door wasn't under lock and key as usual. It was only a few people meeting today, nothing too serious. President Coin didn't want to admit it but she wanted to keep Sophie's progress a heavily guarded secret. Only a fortunate few were ever allowed into these meetings. All of them were involved in the plot right from the start. Plutarch Heavensbee, for example, had to be constantly reminded that her child's condition was always good even when the reports were bad. The morale of the entire rebellion depended on her baby apparently.
Her hand was on the knob when her ears picked up a few important things.
"Sources say the boy is being held somewhere in Snow's mansion."
Sophie didn't recognize the voice that spoke. It was raspy and sounded like gravel. There was a lot of slurring as well. It made the man sound as though his tongue was almost removed. A pain filled the pregnant woman's chest as thoughts of the Avox boy Nate befriended ran through her mind. They found his body among the rubble of the last torture chamber they invaded.
"It would be completely pointless to send a rescue mission that far into the Capitol." That voice was Alma Coin. It sounded sweet on the surface but the slight wisps of air she wheezed revealed the cold interior she truly had. "The boy would be moved before we could even begin penetrating their first line of defenses. NO, that won't work."
"It doesn't matter anyway." That was Jimmy. He sounded so broken and defeated. It was almost as though he had completely given up on ever seeing his son again. Why would he do that? She had just forgiven him. How could he give up hope now when she needed it most?
"Snow wants a one on one confrontation with Sophie," he said, "The source is either lying or heard it from somebody for that very purpose. He wouldn't want Nate anywhere near his granddaughter."
"Right," Coin said, "I'd forgotten she was around the same age."
"It almost makes you wonder how he could stomach the tradition of slaughtering innocent children for so long." That gravelly tone was Eliot. When did he start attending meetings? The last she heard, he wasn't even allowed out of the crazy ward.
"Almost."
Sophie had to stop herself from gasping in dismay. That tiny whimper of a voice belonged to Parker, her Parker. The girl said she had to go to training with Alec. She even left with the boy. What was she doing in a private meeting with the people she despised just as much as Snow himself? Why?
"That doesn't matter." Of course, Haymitch Abernathy would be the one who would invite her as a courtesy. He was more scared of the little girl than anybody else in the District. He probably knew what really went through her mind better than the rest.
"What matters is what we're going to do to get the rest of the champions back," he said.
"Heavensbee, what's your opinion?" Coin asked.
There was a moment of silence. Sophie could almost picture the way the fat man would move around the table. His oversized belly would dart from side to side while his tiny mouth frowned in thought. Then his eyes would grow wide and the words he'd chosen would pop out.
"Aimee Martin, Tara Cole, Nate…" he sighed, "We don't exactly know what kind of torture he has planned for them. His plans for Nate are especially concerning."
"President Snow will kill him eventually," President Coin said.
"No," Jimmy replied, "as long as Nate is alive it is more torture for Sophie. His goal is to make her suffer."
"But why?" Parker asked.
"Because she carries the child of freedom in her womb," Haymitch explained, "Nate and Sophie were the spark we were waiting for. President Snow and the rest of the members of the rebellion view that baby as a symbol of hope, the victory of the rebellion. If that child dies, hope will die with it. Snow knows this."
"He wants the baby to never be born," Jimmy agreed, pain and worry thoroughly engraved in his voice. He sounded decades older than he was. It was clear the stress of everything was finally doing him in. He was just as close to losing everything just as she was.
Tears formed in the champion's eyes as his words penetrated. Her hand found its way to the baby and her emotions couldn't be contained anymore. She rushed into the room and grabbed onto the first thing she could. The next thing she knew, a teapot was smashed against the wall and several eyes were on her.
"He's not going to kill my baby," she growled.
Her brown eyes were focused solely on President Coin and her calm exterior. Did the woman have any emotions? She talked about killing Nate as if it was a social event. Like Nate's life was worthless and unimportant compared to her plans.
She felt Eliot's arms wrap around her and almost lost it right then and there.
"Nobody's going to let him kill your baby, Soph," he said.
She decided to allow her anger to focus her thoughts. She spun in Eliot's arms and pushed him roughly away. It wasn't fair of her. He was going through the same thing she was. He understood her better than anyone now. But she needed her space and she was so sick of being coddled and treated as though she were a delicate flower. She needed to do something other than cry and mourn.
"Quit coddling me!" She screamed, "I'm so sick of being coddled. Just tell me everything you know about Nate. Will I be able to see him again?"
"That's-"
Jimmy cut Coin off with a simple look. His blazing blue eyes, eyes Nate inherited, conveyed every ounce of hatred he had. Then he turned his head towards Sophie and gave her the sweetest smile he could. Nate did that when he was about to lie.
"You're going to see him again, Soph," he said, "Don't you get yourself in too much of an uproar. He'll be fine. You just make sure that baby of his is well taken care of."
She almost called him on the lie. She really wanted to. But she couldn't quite bring herself to do it. Jimmy wasn't just trying to lie for her benefit. He was doing it for Parker and everybody else in the room too. Jimmy Ford was trying to convince himself as well.
"Come now, Ms. Devereaux." President Coin smiled at her and it looked fake and untrustworthy. She held out her arms like she was actually welcoming a new friend. "You need to concentrate on bringing that baby to full term."
"And what exactly are your plans for my baby?" Sophie hissed.
For some reason she didn't trust the District Thirteen President. There was something in the woman's eyes. The glint told her she was up to her own agenda. There was too much interest in her baby. Nobody was going anywhere near her child. She would die first.
"What's so important to you about my child's survival?" She finished.
"Your child will be born free of the capitol's influence. It will never be a victor." President Coin replied, "It will be the first of many born in freedom."
"And the ultimate puppet for your own uses," Sophie growled.
She was just about to leave the room when somebody ran in. The guy bumped into her and didn't even have the decency to apologize. Ordinarily she would be disgusted by that act, but she loved the lack of attention. She hated being stared at as though she was some entity similar to President Snow. She was nothing like that bastard.
"Madame President turn on the television now!" He said.
Sophie liked him immediately. Alma Coin wasn't used to be ordered around. How she handled it would be quite entertaining. But she didn't look upset. Instead she obeyed the order and ignored the phrasing. She turned the television on and narrowed her eyes in confusion.
It was nothing truly important. It was just some weird commercials of miscellaneous arena battles. The Capitol banner was shining brightly in the background. The announcer was in the middle of saying something about the status of the war in District One.
A pang of guilt hit Sophie directly in the chest. Her parents were probably suffering greatly. It wasn't fair that she would never be able to see them again. Her siblings would still be alive. They were still young enough to fight in the arena… should the rebellion fail.
But the image changed and Ceaser Flickerman appeared with his bright white smile and yellow hair. He greeted everyone with the same energy he did every time he appeared before an audience. But there was something in his eyes, a tiredness she had never seen before. There were wrinkles around the edges of his eyes. Apparently the rebellion wasn't as in the Capitol's favor as they thought.
"Hello everybody," he said, "I'm Ceaser Flickerman. We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast to give you an exclusive."
He gestured offstage and the camera panned to the left. There was a black current onstage that had never been there before. Flickerman put his hands on it and started explaining its importance.
"Right behind this current is a very special guest with an extremely important message for all of the districts… not just the Capitol," he said.
Then the camera zoomed in on his face. He was explaining the reason for this message. Everybody in the room was freaking out. President Coin was ordering people to turn the televisions on immediately. Jimmy was turning up the volume as the camera panned across the audience. They were all cheering and jumping up and down in triumph. Then the camera returned to the stage in time to reveal that the curtain had been removed.
Nate appeared on the screen.
Jimmy threw the remote, or dropped it. Sophie wasn't quite sure. She just remembered watching Parker gasp and hearing Eliot curse. She was standing in front of the television in seconds flat. Her hand flew to the image of Nate on the screen.
He was alive.
That was the only thing she could truly wrap her head around. His eyes looked bloodshot. His hair stood on end. She could tell despite the cameras and makeup that he hadn't been sleeping. There was a subtle twitch to his fingers only those who knew him would notice. His head kept jerking around, looking for an enemy in the crowd. He was frightened.
"Nate, what are they doing to you?" She whispered.
The camera returned to Ceaser. He grabbed Nate's arm and gently guided him to the very couch she and Nate sat on during their victory so long ago. Ceaser was patting his leg and then Nate's in quick succession. Then Ceaser's arms rose high up in the air and the crowd fell silent.
"Now Nate," he said, "I know this has been tough on you most of all. Sophie appears to have aligned herself with the rebellion and against President Snow."
"No!" Nate's answer was automatic, panicked. His voice cracked on that one small word. He looked on the verge of a mental breakdown. "No, she was taken. She would never…"
Ceaser patted his hand comfortingly. "I know it's hard to believe," he said, "but she was the one who shot the arrow in that arena."
As if on cue an image of Sophie and her much smaller pregnant belly appeared on the screen. She was very clearly pulling back the quiver of the bow and releasing it. The arrow disappeared and the image fizzled away. The crowd was booing, some were crying. Ceaser hushed them before anything bad could happen.
"They made her do it," Nate replied, "I'm sure of it."
"There, there." Ceaser sounded like a ringmaster talking to a tiger. His hands even shook every time he touched Nate gently. He seemed afraid of what he was about to say next. "I'm certain that's true. They did take her away during the ruckus that followed. Now, I'm to understand you have a special message to everybody watching… including the rebels?"
Of course he had something to say. It was the only reason he was on camera. Nate's blue eyes were shaking with unshed tears and Sophie's heart broke a little more. She wasn't there to protect him, to nurture him. President Snow was free to do whatever he pleased and she was stuck in District Thirteen until the baby arrived. Tears filled her own eyes at how helpless and dire their situation was becoming.
Maybe fate really didn't want them together after all.
"Yes." Nate licked his bottom lip. "I have a message."
He licked his lip again and turned his blue eyes toward the camera. Sophie felt as though he was once again peering into her soul. She felt the familiar tug at her heart at the way he looked towards the camera. There was that old glint in his eyes. His jaw was set in a determined line, his lips in a frown.
He would not be persuaded.
"I want this war to end," he said, "I want everybody to lay down their weapons and stop this fighting. No more deaths should happen. Nobody else needs to die. There has been enough blood spilt in all of the districts. Please, stop fighting."
And that was it. The camera zoomed in on Nate's face, showing his sincerity in every word. Then the cameras faded to black and he was gone. There was nothing but black and white snow on the screen. Nathan Ford was gone.
"No!" She whined.
President Coin sounded even less pleased.
"Dammit," she growled, "I should have seen this coming."
"They had the boy call for a ceasefire," Heavensbee sighed.
Eliot said his own version of that. Only he used far more choice words than were warranted. Parker at least had the decency to look confused and concerned.
A roar of chatter and chaos erupted behind Sophie's back. Yet she couldn't pay them any mind. Her attention was solely on the television and the lack of Nate upon it. She didn't know what else to do. Nate just told them to lay down their weapons and stop fighting.
"They've turned him against us!" Eliot yelled, his rage finally becoming known. At least he was starting to sound like the old Eliot again.
"We can still turn this around," Coin said, "This is not the end. This is merely a minor setback."
"What are we going to do, Haymitch?" Parker asked, "Nate would never betray us."
Sophie turned around at the Seam girl's words. She opened her mouth to speak. She even tried to muster a reply of agreement. But she was still too stunned to comprehend what just happened. The baby wasn't helping either. It was kicking wildly.
"Sophie?" Jimmy asked softly. The horrified expression on his face said it all. Heck, the horrified and disgusted looks on everybody's faces said it all.
The brunette just stared at the different volumes of betrayal in complete horror. Her stomach leapt up into her throat from her own emotions of betrayal and disgust. Even the child was having trouble with its father's stunning statement. The District One champion rushed out of the room as quickly as possible. She ignored Parker's look of concern. She whizzed past Eliot's comforting arms. She raced from the cunning clutches of stupid President Coin and the rest of her rebel forces. The young girl leaned up against the wall and breathed against the pain and the tears. Nate betrayed her.
How could he do that? She thought in complete and utter misery. How could he demand the rebel forces to lay down their arms and end the war after everything they had been through?
Sophie couldn't understand it. Nate had always been on her side where the Capitol was concerned. Why was he changing his mind now? How could he ask her to just stop fighting for him? He had looked so pale and weak. His eyes hadn't even had their usual luster. The way his mouth twitched looked like he was being tortured. And that was when Sophie figured it out. They were torturing Nate into asking the rebels to stop. They were hurting her champion, her love, her husband.
The child within the poor girl's stomach seemed to be in agreement over the horror that was taking place. Pain was erupting from Sophie's spine at the horrible thought of Nathan's torture. The stress of the whole event and the way the entire room turned against him hurt the District One champion more than she could possibly have known. The child was twisting and twirling away in agitation and pain was filling every other thought within the young girl's mind. Her legs were shaking and her stomach felt on fire. Sophie felt the continuous spasms up and down her spine as if her body was ripping in half. The turmoil of her child's agitated movements and her own mind's horror and what was happening to Nate were too overwhelming for her body to handle. So she did the only thing she could do.
She screamed.
%%%%%
Nate watched the video footage from the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games in unhappy fascination. Sophie was standing up with her swollen belly finally visible in its development. She was holding a bow and arrow tied to some cord and pulling it back to shoot. Then she loosed the arrow and Nathan felt a pinprick in his right arm just as a memory was beginning to form in his mind.
Sophie was kindly placing plants all around his wounded shoulder. If he squinted just right he could even see the tears shimmering in her eyes. No, she wasn't crying over his bleeding mess of a shoulder. Sophie's perfectly white, perfectly trimmed teeth were slowly growing into razors and digging into his flesh with joy. Her teary eyes were red with dark blood lust and a thirst for more of his screams.
Nathan fought against the evil image and the screams wanting to flow from his throat. He couldn't control the single wet drop falling from the corner of his eye.
