Chapter Ten: Your Hands Can Heal
A/N: So here it is, the final chapter of the trilogy. I know it isn't long, in fact it's quite short. But this was basically tying up loose ends and giving Finnick and Elethea's story a sense of finality. To those who've been with me since the very beginning - thank you so much. I seriously didn't know whether I'd be able to finish this trilogy, but it's with everyone's support I've made it here. I really hope the end isn't too shabby!
Elethea's POV
Mum cries when I return to District 4, wrapping me tightly in her arms and holding me close against her as she did when I was a small child. I cling to her and relish in the sense of comfort I feel, in her presence, in this place I can safely call home. Never again will I be called into the Capitol to watch teenagers being brutally murdered and to satisfy the whims of wealthy men. Never again will I be subject to the kind of abuse that only other Victors can understand.
Paylor has become the new President of Panem. I haven't interacted with the woman much, but I know enough about her to tentatively assume she will be a good leader, better than Coin at least. With Coin, we would only have been exchanging one dictator for another. Panem doesn't need the lesser of two evils. Panem needs true liberation, and I believe in Paylor's power to deliver that.
Now that we have time for peace, I find it's time for reflection. I set up a makeshift grave for Leon, something that brings me semblance of closure. My little brother has been dead for years, but I've never felt that I've been able to move past it. Now, with the feeling that he's here with me still, I can finally smile instead of cry when I fondly remember our childhood years.
In the months to come, I hope to visit the other Victors. Gloss in District 1, to try and ease the shame he feels about what happened in the Capitol, to remind him again that it isn't his fault. Enobaria in District 2, to drink and play card games, to pretend as though we're old friends because we're no longer enemies. The others too eventually, the non-Career Victors. But first I need my chance to settle into District 4, to truly live here like I haven't been able to do since I was fourteen years old.
I spend time with Annie too, who seems to be getting a little better each day. Like the rest of us, she's come to realise she no longer needs to live in fear, although old habits die hard. Some nights she sleeps in my bed with me, and I put my arms around her and hold her close as she cries through her nightmares. That is now the main part of being a Victor – supporting one another, helping each other to heal and grow after all the trauma we've experienced.
My mum doesn't understand, but she finds that being there is good enough. She'll make us food and help bring laughter to our lives once again. Having her there, in the same world but not entirely a part of it, is a soothing balm at times. She too is still hurting after Leon's death, but I know as a family, we can overcome anything.
Finnick's POV
I know exactly where to find Elethea when she's troubled. Walking down the dunes, sure enough, there is a dark-haired young woman with her back to me, watching the waves lap against the shore. The wind is whipping her hair across her face and I have to call out to her before Elethea turns to look at me. There are tears trailing down her cheeks, but her gentle smile tells me that they are tears of happiness. We will never be enslaved again, and Elethea is relishing her freedom.
"It's beautiful," Elethea exhales deeply, rubbing her arms as she glances back at the ocean. I stand beside her and for a few moments there's a comfortable silence as we take in this place, once a safe space and now something far more beautiful. She steps forward to dip her toes into the water, her eyes fluttering closed.
"He would be proud." The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. I know that some part of Elethea will always ache for Leon. The death of her younger brother is one of many wounds that will never heal, but I need her to know that we've found peace now. If Leon was alive, no matter Elethea's potential dark decisions, he would be happy with the outcome.
"I often wonder how it would've gone if he never died." Elethea's voice is soft, and I reach out and clasp her hand in mine. She links her fingers through, gripping on tightly. Perhaps I'm her lifeline, because she's definitely mine. "If he was standing here with us now."
It's an alternate reality we can never contemplate because of the pain it brings, the thought that Leon might be here skipping stones across the waves and teasing our every romantic interaction. I loop my arm around Elethea's shoulders and tug her close, kissing the top of her head. She wants to be happy, but she needs to know it doesn't have to happen overnight. Healing of all wounds takes time, and it's something we both have plenty of now.
What happens next is something I've considered for a while, but it never felt like the right time or the right place. I bend down on one knee beside Elethea, taking her hand in mine. With my free hand, I reach into my pocket and slide out a box, flickering it open to reveal a white-gold ring embedded with pearls. Elethea's eyes widen and she puts a hand over her mouth.
"Elethea Ambrose, will you marry me?"
"Finnick," Elethea whispers, the word thick with emotion. I watch her and hope this wasn't a mistake, because I love her and want to spend the rest of my life with her. She nods emphatically, and the tight knot in my stomach at the thought of rejection eases. She pulls me up and into a tight embrace. "Yes, of course I will!"
I hold her close against me and slip the ring onto her finger. There's something warm and happy inside of me now, something I haven't experienced in a very long time. True joy is hard to come by when you're practically the Capitol's slave, but we've been liberated. I don't know what exactly the future holds, but if it's anything like this, I'll be content. All I need is the woman I love, those closest to us, and a peace that lasts forever.