Chapter 10

A/N: So very, very sorry for the long delay. It's been a dry well of ideas this entire month and I apologize for the long wait. With some effort, I've written the final chapter of the story and hope it meets my readers expectations. I truly appreciate all of you who have read and reviewed my story and wanted to tell you all that without your reassuring comments, I wouldn't have been inspired to keep on writing. Sorry for getting sentimental there… but thank you and I wish you all well! Enjoy! (Hopefully)

Katniss and Clove's eyes met and every emotion that a human could possibly experience ran through the two of them all in one instant. Clove's breath stopped in her throat as Katniss' intense gaze appear to bore straight into her soul. Katniss held her bow tightly in her quaking hand as they stared silently at each other for what felt like forever. Clove dug her fingers against the dirt beneath her - unsure of whether or not to run or stand her ground.

"What are you waiting for?" Peeta whispered urgently into Katniss' ear. "Kill her and we can both go home."

Katniss continued to stare silently at the weakened Clove in front of her and tried her hardest to push away any sympathy she harbored for the girl. Katniss thought it would be easier to hate Clove after all she had done, but love was an emotion not so easily discarded, Katniss realized.

Clove clenched her jaw and waited for the blow that would end her life. She looked at Katniss unwaveringly - communicating with her eyes as memories of their time together in the games circulated both their thoughts. Clove's eyes started to water as she realized that she really did love Katniss, despite everything they put each other through. Clove became saddened as she realized her love for Katniss was too late. If only they had more time. If only they never got sucked into the cold cruelty their world had become. If only… was all that echoed in Clove's head. She hung her head sadly and started to sob - an action she rarely displayed to anybody. She cried for her own self-pity, she cried for all of the fallen tributes, she cried for Cato, she even cried for her father, but the person she was crying for the most was Katniss.

Her sobs echoed throughout the shell of the Cornucopia and resonated from every major television screen throughout the capital and homes of the districts. Her tears reflected those of all who've been wronged and never received the justice they so very well deserved. Audiences were amazed at such passionate emotion coming from somebody who was supposedly born and bred to be a heartless, killing machine. Their perceptions on Clove were altered as they realized the sobbing girl on the screen was just like any other young teenage girl - scared and confused from discovering for the first time how terrible the world can really be.

Katniss felt a lump in her throat as the sounds of Clove's sobs filled her head and broke her heart. She walked haltingly towards her.

"What are you doing?" Peeta said in a hushed whisper.

Katniss ignored him and continued towards where Clove huddled herself on the ground. Katniss could see her body was shaking and covered in many cuts and bruises. Clove appeared to be at the end of her rope - there was clearly no fight left in the girl. She gingerly touched Clove's shoulder and she flinched from the sudden contact. Clove looked at the glint shining from Katniss' eyes and realized she was crying too. Katniss embraced her tightly in a hug and cradled her head against her shoulder. Neither one of them said a word to each other as they held onto one another for what may be the very last time. Clove didn't want the moment to pass them, so she relished every second of it - the warmth of Katniss' body enveloping her own tired and battered one, soothed her aching head. "I've loved you the very first moment I laid eyes on you fire girl," Clove confessed from the deepest reaches of her heart as she remembered how she saw Katniss for the first time and the intense feelings of both fear and excitement at seeing such rare beauty. From that moment on, the fire in Katniss' soul captured Clove's heart without any intention of dwindling away. "I hated you for it," Clove chuckled as Katniss remained silent, but listened intently.

Peeta was still standing at the entrance at the Cornucopia staring confusedly at Katniss and Clove hugging each other as Clove whispered things into Katniss' ear. With each passing moment, it became clearer to Peeta that Katniss and Clove appeared to have had some kind of relationship with each other. His stomach churned in disgust at the thought of Katniss and Clove together. His own personal feelings for Katniss caused him to become enviously enraged at the sight before him. Katniss is mine, he thought adamantly. We're the star-crossed lovers from the same district, we're the couple everyone is rooting for, we're the ones who'll be going home together! His mind echoed angrily. Katniss and himself were so close to gaining victory in the games, and some career tribute from District 2 wasn't going to stand in his way.

Katniss smiled sadly at Clove's confession as she gripped onto the shaking girl tighter with every sentence that passed from her lips. She couldn't bear hearing the sadness dripping from Clove's voice as she told her that she loved her.

"Please, don't hate me," Clove whispered like a child begging for forgiveness, causing Katniss to look at her in shock. Clove felt her chest constrict from the pain she was feeling as she gazed longingly into Katniss' sad eyes.

Katniss couldn't believe Clove had ever thought she hated her. They may have both tried to inflict harm towards one another, but they both knew they never could fatally harm one another. They couldn't deny the growing love that had developed between them as their connection grew stronger from the memories they weaved together during such tragic moments. Their relationship was special and different, and that was what made it true.

"Don't ever think I hate you," Katniss said sternly as Clove closed her eyes contently from Katniss' response. "I love you, Clove," Katniss whispered and kissed Clove's forehead gently. Clove sighed with a mixture of both sadness and contentment. She burrowed her face into the crook of Katniss' neck and inhaled her earthy scent deeply - relishing the lovely aroma and the safety she felt being in Katniss' arms.

Katniss heard the sound of faltering footsteps approach the two of them and looked up to see Peeta glaring down at them with his fists balled up tightly. He appeared to be shaking in an uncontrollable rage. Katniss stared at Peeta's darkened blue eyes and saw tears starting to pool inside them. He didn't say a word and only looked at Clove and then back at Katniss with an eyebrow raised questioningly. He looked at Katniss for an answer and she shook her head yes - confirming Peeta's assumption of the relationship between her and Clove.

Peeta felt his heart squeeze painfully as the silent response he received from Katniss confirmed his worst fears. He had thought Katniss truly loved him as much as he loved her. She was the only shining light of hope he had found in the games. Now, finding out it was all a lie, snapped any sane thought that may have ran through his head. His anger was rising at a dangerous rate as he became blinded from the barraging emotions of envy and pain. He grasped the sides of his head and whimpered softly like a little child.

Katniss looked on at Peeta's emotional breakdown and felt the devastating guilt wash over her entire body and soul. Clove's mouth hung open in awe at the scene playing out in front of her. There were strained noises coming from Peeta's throat similar to an injured dog whimpering from pain.

"Please, Peeta…,"was all Katniss could say as Peeta hid his face behind his quivering hands. Katniss could see tears falling freely from behind his hands as his muffled sobs were the only sounds heard in the cornucopia.

Clove felt a foreboding sense of dread befall them as Peeta's continued silence grew more and more eerie. He continued to hide his face behind his hands without saying a word - like a faceless mask of death.

After an excruciating length of time, he removed his hands from his face to reveal a set of emotionless eyes paired with a blank expression. His once, shining, bright, blue eyes were now dulled as if he had no soul. He looked at Clove and Katniss with the same expressionless stare, but it was his voice when he spoke that sent shivers through Clove the most.

"The only reason why I wanted to survive the games was so I could go home with you - you were the only thing that kept me going, Katniss," he said in a voice devoid of any kind of emotion. He spoke in a flat and monotone manner that made him seem like an entirely different person. He stared at Katniss unblinkingly as a heavy silence fell on them. "Now I've found out it was all a lie. What's the point of winning now?"

He looked at Katniss as if waiting for an answer, but Katniss could not find anything to say except, "I'm sorry, Peeta…" was all she could think of to say.

"Sorry…" Peeta repeated dully. "When has the word 'sorry' ever fixed anything?" he said and reached into his pockets for something.

Katniss immediately pulled herself and Clove up off the floor as soon as she saw Peeta go into his pockets. She knew he had a blade in there.

He pulled it out and continued to encroach the two girls. "I guess I'm going to have to kill you both," he said flatly. "I may even slit my own throat after I'm done just to give a big 'fuck you' to the Capitol." His eyes remained darkened as he walked closer to them.

Clove wasn't going down so easily and moved herself in front of Katniss to protect her. Peeta's eyes flickered with anger as his eyes fell on Clove. "I'm going to kill you especially slow," was all he said to her.

"I'd like to see you try," Clove said with more bravado than she was feeling. She was unarmed and greatly injured - her chances of besting Peeta were slim to none. Clove felt Katniss grip Clove's shoulders, not in fear, but to gain her attention. Katniss still had one more arrow left, and she knew it was up to her to end Peeta's life.

She stepped back in front of Clove with her bow readied and aimed at Peeta's heart. Peeta stopped in his tracks and Katniss thought she saw a hint of sadness pass momentarily in his eyes. Her hands shook slightly as tears blurred her vision as she steadied herself. She held onto the bow tightly and remained aiming at Peeta's heart. The boy in front of her was no longer Peeta, but a deranged sociopath and it saddened Katniss that she couldn't see the kind and caring boy she grew to care for just one last time. Without warning, Peeta charged at Katniss with his blade ready to strike, but Katniss was too quick and released the arrow.

The arrow struck him right on target, causing him to fall in an instant. Katniss could see him take one last breath and exhale it slowly as the life seeped out of him. A single tear fell from his eye and landed on the ground beneath him. Katniss knelt down to close his eyes and tried her hardest not to break down and cry.

Clove walked over to place a comforting hand on Katniss' quavering shoulder. Just as soon as Peeta passed away, a loud voice boomed throughout the arena. It was Caesar's. "Congratulations to the winners Clove, from District 2 and Katniss Everdeen, our fan favorite, the girl on fire from District 12!"

Katniss and Clove raised their heads towards the sky in disbelief at what they were hearing.

"You two girls have gained the favor of audiences across our nation and have earned the right to go back home to your families! Once again, congratulations to the true star-crossed lovers of the 74th Hunger Games!" his voice boomed and echoed as he congratulated them both with gusto and his voice disappeared as quickly as it came.

Katniss and Clove stared at each other in shock at the surprising news and embraced each other in sheer relief. Their love for each other poured forth from their hearts as the tragedies they've had to endure for the past three days lifted from their shoulders. Clove held onto Katniss tightly and couldn't believe the girl in her arms was alive and with her through it all. She looked into Katniss' shining eyes and held her face in between her hands. "We did it, fire girl," Clove said lovingly as she kissed her lips softly. Their kiss was both filled with joy and sadness as the memories of their fellow tributes and the love they found in each other remained etched in their hearts in a bittersweet victory.