Thank you for the reviews! The amount of support for this story has been awesome :) This chapter kind of has a cliffhanger feeling, so you've been warned lol.
Enjoy!
Viewing the Games from inside of the District 4 apartment, Libby stared at the TV screen with her hand covering her mouth as she watched a replay of Cristina's horrific death. She cringed when they opted to slow down the video for dramatic effect. The blood splattering all over April and the furious expression on her sister's face as she continuously hacked at the District 2 tribute's dead body scared the crap out of her. She had never seen her so sadistic in her entire life.
"She looks possessed," the eldest Kepner muttered. "That's not April."
Finn stroked his chin and sighed. "It was either kill or be killed. She did her job."
Arizona turned her head away after she sipped her martini. "Oh my, I think I'm going to be sick," she said, shaking her head in disgust. "Be grateful she didn't end up like that tribute from many years ago who turned into a cannibal."
"I just never thought she had it in her to do… that," Libby admitted.
"Perhaps you should have put more faith into your sister," Addison replied with a smirk. "It's always the quiet ones who surprise us the most. April is no different."
For the rest of the day, Jackson devoted all of his time and energy on taking care of April. Since she returned from her unforgettable trip, she hadn't spoken a word and suffered from shock. He had carefully removed her jacket and pants before cleaning the blood from her hands and face with the leftover water they had. After helping her into the sleeping bag to warm up her body, he used snow from just outside of the cave to wash the blood out of her clothes.
By nighttime, she had fallen asleep while he stayed awake to keep an eye on her. Jackson watched the love of his life sleep, wondering what could have driven her to stop talking altogether. She whimpered in her sleep, but she didn't wake up. Whatever happened on the mountains had clearly shaken her up.
Panem's anthem started to play outside, signaling the end of the day and displaying the latest casualties. The pretty boy stood by the cave's entrance and watched the list appear in the fake sky. Callie and Cristina caused him to raise his eyebrows. He frowned at Lexie's portrait and sighed when Meredith was last. Five of them were left. The Hunger Games was almost finished. It could take a day or two to declare the victor.
And he wanted to make sure the victor came from District 4.
Jackson returned to April and was surprised to find her awake. She glanced up at him as he sat down beside her. "Hey, everything okay? I was just checking to see who died," he said, brushing aside strands of her hair from her forehead. The redhead remained silent when she opened the sleeping bag and patted the space next to her. He climbed inside and she immediately rested her head against his chest. "I wish you would talk to me."
"I… I almost drowned," she softly replied.
"Earlier?" he asked, scrunching his face in confusion.
"No. When I was four. My father took Libby and I out to sea on his vessel for the first time. I remember he also taught us how to create nets that day," April recalled. "We were taking a break and Libby and I were standing by the edge. I was too short to see over it, so I stepped onto this stool nearby. I leaned forward too much and fell in. I could hear Libby screaming, but I think my dad couldn't hear her over the machinery he was using in the lower level. Next thing I know, I'm sinking farther and farther down. My father got to me just in time. I've had a fear of deep waters ever since."
He pressed his lips against her forehead. "And that's why you can't swim?"
She slowly nodded. "I never wanted to try after that incident. Even though my parents pushed me to learn how to swim, I would freak out anytime my father brought me to a swimming class. I always made sure to wear a life vest whenever I joined him on his vessel."
"And you wanted to captain your own vessel without knowing how to swim," he noted with a chuckle.
"I enjoyed being out at sea – as long as I didn't end up in the water," she murmured. "But I always felt safe with my father. For whatever reason, I never thought we were in danger. That's how much I trusted him. Not once did I think anything bad would happen to us. Not knowing how to swim makes me look pretty stupid now, huh?"
Jackson smiled, shaking his head. "You're not stupid. You're brave." He pointed at himself. "If I couldn't swim, I wouldn't go anywhere near a boat. I'd prefer to stay on dry land where I know I can't drown."
April closed her eyes as she rubbed her hand against her boyfriend's abdomen. "I feel safe with you too, Jackson."
Wrapping his arm over her waist, he slightly smiled. He wished they could magically teleport back to District 4 where they would be safe and sound together. They could relax on the beach holding each other, go home together without worrying about somebody sneaking up on them and killing them. They could sleep through the night peacefully. The life they should have had.
"Maybe we would be better off if we both didn't win," she suggested.
"You don't mean that," he skeptically replied, pushing himself up onto his elbow and looking down at her. "April, you have to go back home to your father and your sisters. They need you."
"And you don't need me?" April dejectedly answered and frowned. "If we both die, at least we would still be together in the afterlife or whatever the hell happens to us when we die."
"Of course I need you. I love you, but you know we both can't win this and I will always put you ahead of me," Jackson firmly stated, rubbing April's shoulder with his thumb. He watched her shake her head as her eyes swelled with tears. "I hate that we can't be together forever too, but you know it's complicated."
She sat up, throwing her arms up in frustration. "How am I supposed to continue living without you?! You- you make me fall in love with you only to just give up and sacrifice yourself to save me? I don't even want to live anymore after what happened out there on the mountains! I don't deserve to!"
He tried to pull her in for a hug, but she furiously pushed him away. "April-" The pretty boy groaned when she pushed him again. He finally grabbed a hold of her shoulders. "Will you stop?! I don't know what happened to you, but you need to stop talking like that!"
"I felt like a monster, Jackson! I-I let Lexie die because I was selfish in wanting that stupid gift," April angrily said, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. She placed her hands against her cheeks as she relived Cristina's death in her head. "And what I did to Cristina… how I kept hacking at her even after she was dead. I killed her, but I just wanted to keep on going and going until her body was nothing but mush. I'm a terrible person for wanting to do that."
Jackson's mouth partially dropped open. "You killed her?"
She nodded her head in response. "She… she was strangling me and I reached for the axe. Somehow, this adrenaline rush came over me and I got her in the neck. Then she tried to crawl away and I just went crazy on her. I really hope my sisters weren't watching because I'd be frightened of myself too."
"You're not a terrible person, April. C'mon, Yang took pleasure in killing people. That's terrible."
"But… killing her felt good," the tearful redhead admitted. "I mean, I've never felt this way before. So… evil. I almost hate myself for that."
"That doesn't mean you deserve to die." He took her hands into his own, scooting closer to her. "Hardly anybody expected you to last this long in the arena. If anything, people are likely rooting for you to win. You've defied the odds so far and you've proven them wrong countless times. You're a winner in my book. You always were."
April cleared her throat. "But winning doesn't matter if you're not alive with me. You could win and move on to another woman because you're capable of meeting someone better, but I don't have the same kind of luxury with men."
"Someone better? That's bullshit," Jackson scoffed. "Nobody is better than you. I volunteered to protect you, okay? That's how much I love you. I wouldn't be able to trust any other guy to do the same for you."
"What good comes out of it, though? One of us has to die. I don't want you to die and you don't want me to die, so the best option is to die together," she insisted.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. The conversation was going in circles without a resolution. "You know what? Let's get some sleep and we'll talk about it again in the morning. You need your rest."
April quietly nodded, lying back down and pulling Jackson beside her. She laid her head against his shoulder, securely draping her arm over his abdomen. "Remember to wear the body armor," she whispered before closing her eyes.
The pretty boy softly sighed as he covered her smaller body with his muscular arms. "Will do."
The next morning, Finn and Libby were invited to have breakfast with Denny Duquette and Arizona. Neither mentors were sure what the meeting was about, but they hoped he wasn't pulling out of his sponsorship for District 4. The majority of the gifts sent to Jackson and April came from his money. They heavily relied on his services to keep their mentees alive. With only five tributes left in the arena, backing out now would be shocking given the rise in popularity for the doomed lovers.
They sat across from the Capitol citizens in one of their many fancy restaurants. Denny, dressed in a shimmering silver suit, showed off his fake, pearly whites as he smiled at the twosome. "Thank you for joining me this morning. I'm very impressed by how your tributes are performing thus far," he started, folding his hands on top of the table. "I'd like to talk to you about April."
"What about her?" Libby questioned curiously, raising an eyebrow at the older man.
"She's a fighter that one. Your sister is living up to her dark horse title," the blue haired man noted. "And she's an attractive young lady."
Libby slightly furrowed her brow. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Denny smugly smiled at the redhead. "Assuming April wins the Games, I would like to spend a night with her."
She lowered her head as she stared at him dumbfounded. "Excuse me? What do you mean by spend a night with her? No offense, sir, but my sister is eighteen years old and you're… older. Not to mention she's unavailable."
"For now anyway," he corrected her. "Jackson won't be around if April wins. If she wins, she will be the most sought out victor since… well, since you. She'll become the Capitol darling and as your current sponsor, I would like to be the first one in line."
"Oh, you did not just say that to m-"
Finn placed his hand on Libby's shoulder just as she attempted to stand up. If he didn't stop her, she would have pounced across the table and attacked their most important sponsor. "Because the unpredictability of the Games is complex, why don't we wait and see what happens first?" he suggested. "And hypothetically, if April wins the Games, she will be a very busy person immediately afterwards. Interviews, television appearances… no room for dating."
"Ah, yes. She'll be shooting commercials for her very own toothpaste at some point," Arizona added while she petted her fiery red hair. "No time to spread her pale legs for anybody for at least three months."
"Or ever," Libby irritably replied. "My sister is not that type of person nor will she ever be turned into that."
Denny snickered. "This is the Capitol, Ms. Kepner. You should know by now how we treat our victors," he insinuated, reaching across the table and patting the back of her hand. He winked at the annoyed mentor. "Two years of experience under your belt, don't act surprised."
Libby swallowed hard, inhaling sharply. "April is different. She's a better person than I am."
"How about I offer some charity?" he asked, removing his wallet from his back pocket. He pulled out a dozen colorful paper bills and showed them off to Finn and Libby. "Name your price and it's yours."
She pounded her fist against the table. "April is not for sale either!"
Finn raised his hand hoping to calm the situation. "Alright, enough. Like I said before, we don't know yet if April will win the Games. For all we know, she could choose to commit suicide today." Libby smacked his shoulder and glared at him. He cleared his throat before looking back at Denny. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet."
"Or I can pull out of my sponsorship for your tributes," Denny warned. "I see Owen Hunt is still alive in the arena. He could use an unbreakable suit of body armor. The man is lethal enough without much help. Your boy Avery – not so much."
"Are you trying to blackmail us?" Libby retorted.
Denny sipped his juice, then he mischievously grinned at her. "You may be the victors, but the Capitol can still control your fate," he reminded her. "Don't make me regret sponsoring your tributes, sweetheart. One night with your sister and that's all. The date can even occur in your district."
Finn extended his hand out to him. "It's a deal," he agreed, drawing another scowl from Libby. After shaking the other man's hand, he sighed. "But we're allowed to set ground rules, understand?"
"We'll see," he casually answered, stuffing his wallet back into his pocket. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make a phone call."
Libby waited until Denny was out of earshot before she turned to face Finn. "Are you insane? You just practically pimped out my sister to him!" she whispered. "April doesn't deserve this. If she wins, I'm not going to be able to forgive myself for throwing her into the wolves."
He raised his finger in front of his lips, carefully eying Arizona, who was busy retouching her makeup. "Will you relax? Mr. Duquette won't lay a hand on her. I'll make sure of that," he promised. "And we can't lose our biggest sponsor at a crucial time like this. If you want April to survive, you gotta make some sacrifices. I don't like it as much as you do, but we're still playing a game here."
"Fine, but you better be serious about protecting her," she sternly replied, placing her elbows on top of the table and rubbing her temples. Her father would be extremely upset with this dilemma if he knew how the Capitol operated at the conclusion of the annual Hunger Games. She knew April would be devastated as well. "This sucks."
"No elbows on the table, dear. It's bad manners and poor form," Arizona scolded her.
Libby rolled her eyes. "Bite me. You look like a bloody Q-tip," she scoffed, causing the escort to gasp in disgust. She snapped her fingers at the waiter nearby. "I need a drink, please. One with a lot of alcohol."
Slowly waking up from his sleep, Jackson's eyelids fluttered as he lay across from April on his side. His arm had been holding her close throughout the night and they both managed to get much needed rest without any uninvited interruptions. He opened his eyes and stared at the woman in front of him. Their faces were inches apart as she continued to sleep.
Neither of them had showered in days and seeing each other at their worst only made their relationship stronger. He used his fingers to gently brush aside loose strands of her hair from her forehead. Her hair was a mess, yet he still thought she looked beautiful. He loved her face with makeup, but he loved it even more without it. She had always been a natural beauty, never needing makeup to look pretty. He lightly stroked her cheek with his thumb and sighed.
He wanted to spend every last second with her. She wasn't ready to let him go and vice versa.
Maybe dying together was the best option, Jackson thought. He couldn't imagine himself loving another woman more than he loved April. They were each other's first and only love. Moving on without the other felt unacceptable. He continued to watch her sleep until her eyes slowly opened.
"Morning," he softly greeted her with a smile.
April returned the smile as she reached for the pretty boy's face. "Good morning," she murmured, pressing her hand against Jackson's cheek. "How long have you been watching me?"
"Not very long. I just woke up myself," he answered, leaning in for a kiss. "Did you sleep well?"
"Mmhmm," she hummed, sitting up and stretching her arms over her head. "Best sleep I've had in a while. I even had a nice dream for once instead of the nightmares I kept having since I was reaped."
"Oh yeah?" he inquisitively replied, pushing himself up into an upright position. "What kind of dream did you have?"
April shyly ducked her head. "It's… it might be a little weird for you." She nervously chewed on her bottom lip as she fidgeted with the zipper of their sleeping bag. "Umm… we were back at home in District 4, married… with kids. Two boys, one girl. Our oldest boy looked just like you when we were young."
"Kids, huh?" Jackson pursed his lips as he gave himself time to process the idea of raising a family with April. They would have gorgeous children, he thought. His eyes, her smile. They would be great parents together. He would make up for the lack of time his own father spent with him. Thinking about it all made him even more bitter about being a part of the Games. "You'd be an awesome mother."
"Who knows?" she said, quickly shrugging her shoulders.
"No, I mean it. I saw how you took care of Lexie when she was injured. I've also seen you with your little sisters," he insisted, picking up her hand. "You can still become a mother, April."
She sadly smiled at him. "Jackson, I don't want to get into this again. I brought it up last night and we got nowhere with that. Can we just… enjoy our last moments together?"
He moved in to kiss her until they were greeted by the infamous chiming sound from above. The pretty boy stood up and approached the entrance of the cave. He noticed all of the snow had melted, likely done by the Gamemakers overnight. A new silver crate landed close by and he sprinted outside to retrieve it. He carried it into the cave, setting it down in between him and April.
"What is it?" she asked, picking up the note attached to their newest gift.
Savor this gift from home – F & L
Jackson opened the crate and inside were two plates covered with silver tops and a bottle of orange juice. He lifted one of the covers to reveal a meal containing food from District 4 – seaweed infused bread, cooked fish and oysters. "Well, I don't think we can complain about this," he gleefully said.
April licked her lips as she inhaled the aroma of home. Each of them grabbed a plate and started eating without hesitation. They shared the orange juice, barely speaking to each other while they indulged in what could possibly be their final meal in the arena. In a way, having breakfast sent to them courtesy of their district was like saying farewell to one or both of them. Like prisoners prepared for their impending execution, their last meal was always the best one. Neither of them wanted to think about that, though.
Opening one of his oysters with his knife, Jackson cracked a smile from the corner of his lips when he found a pearl inside. He sneakily picked it up with his thumb and index finger before casually standing up. "I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?" She furrowed her brow in confusion when he left the cave without responding to her. "Jackson?"
The silence began to bother her. She thought both of them had learned their lessons about leaving the other partner behind. April set her plate down, picking up her axe as she slowly pushed herself up onto her feet. The lack of response from her boyfriend was nerve wracking. Her worries immediately disappeared when he returned with a smile on his face. She returned to her sitting position, raising her eyebrow at him.
"Close your eyes," he politely instructed with his hands hiding behind his back.
"Excuse me, but you just left me alone without saying a word and now you want me to close my eyes?" she retorted, folding her arms in front of her chest.
"Just do it, okay? I promise it's nothing terrible." Jackson waited for April to close her eyes, then he walked towards her and took a seat behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding up his hand in front of her chest. "Alright, you can open them."
The redhead opened her eyes to find a ring made out of thin twigs with the pearl tied to it. "It almost looks like an engagement ring," she answered with a chuckle.
He smirked as he slipped the homemade ring through her left ring finger. "Maybe it is. And you rejected the first pearl I had for you, so I hope you don't do the same with this one."
Holding up her hand in front of her face, she smiled as she admired the effort he put into making it look like a ring. "It's beautiful. I love it." She turned her head and kissed his lips, pressing her hand against the back of his head as she deepened the kiss. "And I love you."
"I love you too," he murmured against her lips. "Always."
Observing the arena from inside of the control room, Gamemaker Bailey's eyes scanned the multiple screens displaying the five remaining tributes. She paused at the District 4 couple, who were cuddling and sharing kisses inside of their cave. She scrunched her nose and sighed. "So romantic… yet so unbearable to watch," she muttered to herself.
One of the automatic sliding doors opened and President Webber entered the room. All of the Gamemakers greeted him as he approached their leader. "Good morning, Bailey. How is everything going today?"
"See for yourself," she politely answered, gesturing towards the giant screens. Bailey pointed out Alex and Jo, who were busy raiding the cornucopia. She then pointed at Owen, who was in the forest appearing lost and confused. "Hunt had been tracking Kepner's footprints in the snow last night, but he fell asleep before he could find her. I had one of our people melt the snow overnight to throw him off."
Webber chuckled, nodding in approval. "Excellent. How about District 4?"
"Oh, they're sucking face as usual," Bailey answered, rolling her eyes. "However, the more we show these two together the more the Capitol admires them. It's almost a shame their honeymoon phase is bound to end soon. Almost."
"And how do you plan on luring them out of that cave?"
"I will find a way. This arena is rigged with many utilities that one of my assistants can enforce. It's also time to bring these last five together for a final showdown."
The older man nodded in agreement. "Patience is beginning to wear thin with our citizens. They want a victor and now is the best time to determine who that will be," he insisted. He gently patted Bailey's lower back. "I have my entire trust in you that you will make it an unforgettable ending."
Bailey clapped her hands together, smiling brightly at the giant screens. "Oh, I will, sir. Believe me, this year's Games is already one of the most talked about in its history. I guarantee you we will have an epic conclusion to it as well."
"Find anything else?" Jo asked while she watched Alex rummage through the numerous crates inside of the cornucopia.
Because nobody was around to attack them, they decided to steal whatever they wanted. It was their first opportunity to grab anything they could carry since the start of the Games. They had been weaponless for the majority of their time in the arena. Finding an empty cornucopia felt like Christmas for them. They managed to retrieve spears, a small scythe and some throwing knives, along with fruit that hadn't spoiled yet. It was also the first real food they had eaten in days.
"I think we have everything we need," Alex declared, gathering his set of weapons. "So, uhh… do we just stay here or…?"
The brunette shrugged. Since their encounter with a raging April, they hadn't seen anybody else. "We could. I mean, if the Careers are almost all dead. We can take Owen together, right?" She smirked at her teammate. "You, you could just scowl at people and they run away scared."
"Shut up. That's just how my face looks sometimes."
Jo pursed her lips into a smile as she furrowed her brow at him. "Are you taking pride in having a pouty face or are you content with insulting yourself a lot?" she teased, drawling a scowl from Alex. "See! You just did it. I bet you're cute when you smile."
Alex shrugged off her comment and shook his head. "Whatever." He heard movement coming from the back of the cornucopia and slowly took a step forward. "Hello? Is somebody back there?"
After taking another step, a pair of red eyes glowed in the dark area of the cornucopia. Both District 12 tributes stumbled backwards as a black wolf emerged from the shadows. The muttation lowly growled at them as it revealed it's sharp teeth. They backed out of the cornucopia holding their weapons only to be met by a pack of other black wolves.
"Uhh, what are we gonna do?" Jo worriedly asked as the wolves inched closer towards them. She attempted to scare one of them with her spear, but they barely flinched. "If we don't make a run for it, they'll eat us alive!"
Alex threw a knife at one of the wolves, stabbing its side. It collapsed giving them room to run. "Let's go!"
They tried to run towards the jungle, but the pack quickly blocked their path. Forced to move back, they headed towards the forest. Sprinting as hard as they could, the wolves chased them until they passed the barrier of the forest area. It seemed strange that the wild animals suddenly stopped before crossing the imaginary line between the grassy field and the forest.
"Why aren't they following us?" Jo questioned with a puzzled expression on her face. "It's like they're afraid."
"Wimps," her partner scoffed, throwing a knife at one of the wolves. However, the knife bounced off of a force field and nearly stabbed Alex, who jumped away in time. "What the hell?!"
She stared at the barely visible force field confused. "Are we trapped in here?"
"Looks like it," he grumbled, picking up his knife from the ground. "Let's get outta here before they decide to send in the wolves."
While the District 12 tributes explored the forest for the first time, Jackson and April were finishing their breakfast when something peculiar caught their eye – the cave suddenly began to leak water inside. Water started spilling out from various crevices causing both of them to stand up and gather their belongings.
"What's happening?" April gasped, checking to ensure the entrance of the cave remained open. For a second, she thought her biggest fear of drowning was about to come true.
The pretty boy quickly wore his body armor before wearing the rest of his clothes. "I don't know, but it looks like it's a sign for us to leave. Must be Gamemaker Bailey doing this," he stated, stuffing the lantern and first aid kit into their sleeping bag before any of the water could reach it. "Get dressed, so we can go."
Rushing to put on her clothes, April noticed the water coming in faster than when it first started. She got her axe and the bag containing the night vision goggles before walking towards the entrance. "Ready, Jackson?" Her foot knocked over a silver case, spilling out the contents inside. She picked it up, raising her eyebrow at the box of condoms. "Umm… when did we get these?"
He opened his mouth and immediately closed it. "You know… I don't remember," he unconvincingly replied. She placed her hand against her hip, then he sheepishly grinned. "Libby sent those thinking we were going to-"
"Oh, gosh!" she shrieked, covering her mouth with her hand. If she were to survive until the end, she kept a memo to herself to yell at her older sister. Her father likely saw those condoms making the situation even more embarrassing. "Uhh- well- let's go."
Jackson carried their rolled up sleeping bag in one hand and his trident in the other. They left the cave just as it filled up even more with water. Unsure of where exactly to go, he and April freely wandered through the forest. Their conversations were kept at a low volume in case one of the other tributes was lurking nearby. Occasionally, they stopped to take a break, but they started to feel like they were walking in circles.
"This feels pointless," the redhead softly said. "We were purposely forced out of the cave, but for what?"
"People want to see a show. They won't get that if we're all hiding in different places," he dejectedly responded. "Whatever happens… I'll make sure you're alright."
The sky suddenly grew darker and the day quickly changed to night. "Like right now?" April nervously asked, glancing up at the black sky. She swallowed hard as she looked back at her boyfriend. "They're really trying to speed things up, aren't they?"
Jackson let out a low whistle. "Stay close to me." Their surroundings became more difficult to see with less light to work with. He opened April's drawstring bag to get the night vision goggles. "I suppose these will be useful now."
She took the sleeping bag from him, while he put on the expensive equipment. "Do they work?"
He turned them on and despite the green coloring inside of the goggles, everything became clearer for him. "Yup. Let's move slowly, okay?"
Following closely behind him, April kept her eyes and ears open for any suspicious movements and sounds. Her hand slightly shook as her nerves and paranoia kicked in. A possible surprise attack from a lethal muttation made her apprehensive. Sometimes the arena chose to kill off tributes themselves rather than have another tribute do the job, especially if the Games was moving too slow. But as long as she had Jackson by her side, she felt safer than if she was alone.
They stopped in their tracks when they heard a noise by a set of tall bushes. Jackson raised his trident in a fighting stance. "Hold on," he whispered, hoping to get a closer look of where the suspicious sounds originated. He pointed towards a bush moving on its own. "Over there."
She grimaced as he carefully approached the bush. "Be careful!" she quietly called out to him.
Jackson took a deep breath hoping whatever was behind the bush would come out rather than discovering what was on the other side on his own. He held his trident over his shoulder, prepared to launch it if needed. A couple of feet away from the bush, a figure popped out causing him to react immediately by throwing his trident. His eyes grew wide when its edges pierced into Jo's chest. He watched her drop her weapon before falling onto her back.
A cannon fired to signal her death, then Alex emerged from the bushes. He stared at his deceased teammate, his face forming into a scowl. "Dude," he muttered and charged towards the District 4 tribute, tackling him to the ground.
The two men wrestled on the ground, while April watched fearfully. "Jackson!" She tried to help her partner, but Alex kicked her away. She landed hard onto her back, knocking the wind out of her.
The retaliation infuriated Jackson, who threw a hard right hook into Alex's jaw. The latter returned the favor by delivering his own punch into his cheek. April tentatively pushed herself up into a sitting position, wincing from the soreness in her back. Her boyfriend stood up, pulling Alex with him before punching him again. Jackson shoved him against a tree, nearly falling backwards when he received a headbutt from his foe.
April spotted the night vision goggles Alex had knocked off of Jackson's face after he tackled him. She crawled towards it, picking it up and wearing it. With a clear view of the fight between the two men, she watched them exchange blows, but neither of them were close to surrendering to the other.
A fourth figure appeared from behind a tree. Owen grabbed one of his knives and aimed it at Jackson. April took note of it and yelled, "Jackson, watch out! Behind you!"
Hitting Alex in the nose with his elbow, Jackson put him in a headlock. He spun around just as Owen threw his knife and used the District 12 tribute as a shield. The knife lodged itself into Alex's stomach. He groaned in pain as the pretty boy dropped him onto the ground.
Jackson ran towards April, helping her up and leading her away from the action. It took a few moments for the cannon to fire. He knew Alex hadn't died from that lone stab wound, so he let Owen finish his job giving the District 4 tributes time to escape. They found a boulder large enough for them to hide and crouched down behind it.
"Alright, I'm going back to deal with Hunt," he announced, taking the night vision goggles from his girlfriend.
"What?! No!" she panicked. "You can't leave me!"
He cupped her cheeks, resting his forehead against hers. "Babe, there's only three of us left. I have to get to him first before he gets to you. You'll be fine here, okay? We have the advantage here, not him."
She frowned grasping his forearms. "What if he kills you before you can kill him?"
"He won't," Jackson confidently stated. He firmly pressed his lips against April's. "Stay here. I'll be right back."
"At least take this," she advised, offering her axe.
He took the axe, then he stood up. She slowly released his forearm from her grip as he turned to leave, slipping the goggles over his face. "Remember to stay here no matter what happens."
April pulled her knees together against her chest after Jackson left to find Owen. His footsteps became less and less audible and the area around her became dead silent. She chewed on her bottom lip hoping the worst case scenario wouldn't happen. A minute passed, then another and then another. She hated waiting for an outcome. So far, there weren't any cannons, which was a good sign – and also bad because Owen was still somewhere in the forest with them.
Another few minutes of waiting and her head shot up when a cannon fired.
Followed by another.
"Jackson?" She jumped up onto her feet in a state of panic. Her heart pounded fast as she prayed that the second cannon was simply a misfire. She ran around the boulder searching for any sign of her boyfriend and screaming his name as loud as she could. "Jackson!"
The sky changed again, returning to the bright blue sky from earlier in the day. Her screams were interrupted by an announcement from Sydney Heron, one she actually dreaded to hear.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the winner of the 74th Hunger Games. From District 4: April Kepner."
"No," she whispered to herself, tears quickly forming her eyes.
For most victors, they felt like they were on top of the world once it was announced they had won the brutal tournament. Unfortunately for April, it felt as if her entire world came crumbling down.
Let me know what you think please! And keep an open mind, just saying ;D