AN: I feel I have lost a lot of readership on this story and for that reason I have decided to bring it to an end. I hate drawing things out anyway, so, there will be this chapter, an epilogue and that will be it! :)

If you haven't seen my new Hunger Games one shot; The Knackers Yard, i'm going to shamelessly promote it ;)


I was attached to a box frame, my hands above my head, pulled tight to make sure I couldn't sag if I passed out from the pain. A brace around my neck so that I couldn't move my head. A blindfold across my eyes so that I couldn't see what was going on. A wire piece placed in my mouth to keep it open for the surgeon. All upon a stage with hundreds of thousands of eyes watching the whole humiliating situation. Tears of shame began to seep through my eyes as I heard the President step up behind me.

"Don't be afraid to scream," he whispered sadistically before turning to the crowd. "This!" he bellowed into a microphone to be heard, "is what happens when you try to defy me! This is what happens when you run away from duty. This, is what I will do to every single person who stands against me!"

The crowd let out a deafening roar of approval as more tears fell from my eyes, making the blindfold itch against my skin, my mind going back to just an hour ago.

There was a sharp swift kick to the back of my ribs, making me cry out in surprise. The owner of the boot snickered. "I told you she was awake, Onyx!" he called behind his shoulder. I turned to face him, my eyes widening as I realised what this meant for me. "Someone has a little date with a surgeon," he smirked down at me, clearly enjoying every sadistic thought running through his mind.

Grabbing my arm he pulled me up roughly, causing me to cry out in surprise at his roughness. He chuckled again, giving me a little shake, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction again. If only I had my bow, he wouldn't be laughing so hard then. I glared at him, putting every little bit of hate I felt towards him and the new president into my glare. If looks could kill, he would have been dead in an instant. Snickering to himself again he began to tug me down the hallway.

"We'll see how much fight you have left in you when you are mute."

Things had escalated rather quickly after that. I had to hand it to the president, he moved quickly when he wanted to make a point. And now there was nothing I could do but wait for my fate. The only thing I could take comfort in was that he hadn't been able to get a hold of Finn and the others.

"Now, Miss Mellark, I will give you one chance and one chance only to redeem yourself. Where are Mr Odair, Miss Odair and Mr Mellark?"

I laughed in his face. I couldn't help it. I had to keep laughing. Did he honestly think that after everything I had done to protect them that I would give them up now? Just to save my tongue? He was mental.

I felt a sharp stinging pain in my cheek as my face whipped to the side. He had backhanded me! He had actually hit me! I turned back to him, already feeling a bruise forming, and glared at him long and hard. "Even if I knew, I would never tell you," I sneered, spitting in his face.

I began to tremble as I felt someone come up in front of me, the crowd continuing the jeer loudly. I would assume they had side cameras trained on me, projecting to the crowd exactly what was going on. Cold fingers reached into my mouth before pulling my tongue out and I couldn't help it. I started whimpering. Screw being strong, I couldn't deal with this. I felt him drag the scalpel teasingly across the top of my tongue and tracing my lips for a moment, giving the crowd a show. It was then, just as he began tracing my lower lip that a gunshot went off like the crack of a whip. Loud and instantaneously silencing the crowd. The scalpel sliced through my bottom lip, pulling a line down my chin before whoever was holding my tongue suddenly let go and crashed at my feet. Screams suddenly rang out through the crowd and I could feel myself treble again, but this time, in excitement. I knew what was happening. I could feel it in my gut. They had come for me.

Another shot rang out but I could hear it hit the wall before the crowd began screaming and scrambling around, almost as if they had been broken out of a trance. I began to tug on my bindings hoping beyond hope that I could get free. Even though I knew it was useless. I had tried that already. My heart started beating faster, no one was coming to untie me. Why weren't they coming to untie me? Was it some sort of sick joke by the president? Was he giving me one last bt of hope before crushing it?

That was when I felt it. The soft brush of fingers against my head where the blindfold was, and suddenly, everything was bright. I squinted against the light, my mum's face coming into view as she reached up to get my hands out of the cuffs binding me to the damn box frame. Once I was free, I collapsed into her arms, my legs no longer able to hold me up from relief. Another gunshot rang through the stadium I was in. I looked around wildly whilst mum took off my neck brace and wire mouth piece before ushering me down from the stage. She transferred me to someone else, but I wouldn't let go, grabbing onto her jumper for dear life. "She needs medical attention, NOW!" she shouted before the other person pulled me into their arms and away from everything that was happening into a hovercraft. The last thing I remember before passing out was Finn's voice telling me I was safe.

My head felt like it was full of cotton wool. Everything was hazy and what little I could make out going on around me I couldn't see because it felt like my eyes were glued shut. The one thing I did know for certain, though, was that there was someone sitting beside my bed, holding my left hand tightly in theirs. I could feel lips murmuring against my knuckles but couldn't quite make out what they were saying. I fought against the heaviness and forced my eyes open, just for a second, but it let me know who was sat there at my bedside. Finn.

Suddenly, everything came back in full clarity. Sitting in Finn's arms, him kissing me, being captured by peacekeepers, being tormented by the president, almost having my tongue cut out... My free hand, as if it had a mind of it's own, flew up to my face where it traced along the cut that had stitches running all the way through it. My eyes flew open, all the cottony feeling in my head gone as I turned myself away from Finn's prying eyes. I had almost had my tongue cut out, and to prove it I was going to have to live with the scar as a daily reminder of what could have been, instead of being able to forget about it. Just like my parent's and their scars.

That's when I remembered mum saving me. I slowly turned my head back to Finn, keeping my hand over my scar. "Where are mum and dad?" I whispered.

"Still chasing down the president. They told me to bring you here to get stitched up whilst they finished the war, again." I nodded slowly, turning my head again. "Rosie, you know that you're still beautiful, right?"

Tears gathered in my eyes as I felt him move around the bed so I was facing him. "You are so beautiful to me, and I know that this is a highly inappropriate time to be saying this but, no matter what you decide about us, just know that shows so much more than a failed attempt at having your tongue cut out. It shows courage and bravery and one hell of a fight. You were captured because of me, and I'm truly sorry for that, I hope that one day you can forgive me. But know this, what you did every day out there in the woods for us showed just how much of an amazing, protective and brave person you are."

"Where are Jacob and Azure?" I whispered, not having the strength to come to terms with everything he had said just yet.

"Getting dinner, Mrs Everdeen said she would bring them back soon." I nodded slowly staring at Finn. He looked so hopeful yet so crushed at the same time.

"Finn?" He turned his head to me, slowly, wondering what I was going to say. "I forgive you." He smiled brightly, leaning towards me before thinking better of it and just smiling. I reached for his hand and brought it to my lips, wincing a little as my mouth pulled on my cut but pressing my lips to his knuckles anyway and giving a half smile so as not to pull my stitches. "I decided...before everything, that I want to give it a chance... on one condition?"

"Anything," he breathed, not believing his ears.

"We stay friends no matter what."

"Deal," he said leaning forward and pressing his lips gently to mine, not pushing the stitches. Just the simplest of touches, but it still screamed a thousand words to me.


AN: Hope you enjoyed, Please review! :)

and check out the knackers yard! ;)