Epilogue:

Six Months Later

"I should have known I would find you here."

I glance over towards the door as I head down the range to grab my spear out of the target. Bulls eye, just like the previous ten throws today. Still, there's just something mind numbing about just going in and hitting targets, something I especially need today when we leaving in a few hours to head to District Eleven and the start of my Victory Tour.

But the person standing there makes me come to a stop.

"Maylene," I say quietly, completely shocked to see her standing there. Hard not to when I haven't seen her once since I returned. Both of us have done a great job at avoiding the other.

She starts walking towards me, face full of hesitation and determination. "So you leave today?" She asks as she reaches a few feet away from me, stopping and just staring at me. I nod my head, even though everyone knows the tour is starting today. Preparations have been going on for weeks now for the celebration when we get back. "I remember the day I left. I was really looking forward to getting back to the Capitol. Claudia was so nice and actually called me frequently, checking in and asking how we had adjusted to life away from our father."

"She hasn't called me," I respond as I finally grab my spear before returning it to the stand.

"Guess she likes me more," Maylene responds, a hint of humor in her tone. But when I turn to look back at her, the humor is all gone, leaving behind only sadness. Sadness that I caused.

"I'm sorry."

Maylene shakes her head at me as a tear slips down her face. She wipes it away, letting out a small scoff. "Don't apologize to me. We're both victors and know that 21 of the kids aren't making it out."

"I was still the one to kill him," I answer her, feeling my throat tighten in pain that I had been able to start to slowly push aside over the past six months.

"And he very nearly killed you," Maylene sighs as she sits down on the bench nearby, patting the spot next to her. I hesitate for a few seconds, still unsure why she has sought me out today. But I finally take a seat next to her and we both stare in front of us for a minute. "I wanted to come and talk to you before you left on the tour."

"We haven't talked since before the Reaping…" I say, unsure what else to tell her since she already told me not to apologize for killing Lance.

From the corner of my eye, I see her nod her head in agreeance at this. "Yes. I didn't really want to talk to you for a while after you got back. It hurt too much to even think about seeing you and being reminded that he's gone. But you also didn't try to talk to me."

"I wanted to," I say quickly to defend myself and she glances over, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "But my Grandma suggested that I wait until you came to me to talk."

"She's a good woman," Maylene mutters and I find myself nodding my head in agreement. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her. "She actually came by right after you won to see how I was doing."

Now this surprises me. Not that Grandma would do that, but that she hadn't told me. I let out a sigh at this, "She's a very good person. She never deserved to be sent into the arena."

"Most of them don't," Maylene responds sadly and I know she's thinking about Lance.

"Lance didn't deserve to be sent either," I say suddenly, needing to let her know that I wish he wasn't sent in.

Maylene stares at me, her expression unreadable. "Are you saying you did deserve to be sent in?"

"I would rather someone who trained and wants to be there be sent in," I answer her, thinking about what could have happened in the Reaping. "We could have had a twelve-year-old with no desire to ever train and volunteer go into the arena instead of me. But Lisia made sure that didn't happen."

"What?"

I shake my head at her, silently begging her not to ask more. It was stupid of me to even say that much. "Please don't ask any more about it or tell anyone."

I watch her for a few seconds and see the exact moment in her eyes when she figures out that Lisia rigged the Reaping for me and Lance. Rage sparks in her eyes before quickly being extinguished, replaced with sadness. "Well, there is nothing we can do to change the past. I guess…I don't know exactly why I found you today. I just knew I was finally ready to talk to you. And…well, I guess I don't blame you for what you did. But obviously I still wish my brother was alive today."

We sit once more in silence for a minute and I can't help but realize how relieving it is to know that Maylene doesn't absolutely hate me. For months, I've been filled with guilt over Lance and wanted to say something to her, yet everyone told me not to approach Maylene. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For talking to me," I respond, trying to give her a small smile. "I still feel so guilty for what I did, not just to Lance but everyone in that arena. But it's nice to know that at least one of the seven families I'm about to face doesn't blame me."

Maylene purses her lips at this as I think about the upcoming tour, feeling dread at going to One and Seven especially, because I killed both tributes in those Districts.

"I've heard what you've been doing with the top five," Maylene mentions and I look over at her curiously. "It's good to know someone cares about our mental health. I think they'll be prepared this year."

I let out a shaky sigh at this. Just last week, Kat decided with the other victors – even asking me, despite me only winning a few months ago – who will be volunteering. The two don't know yet, and won't know until after the victory tour is over. But I can only hope that something I'm telling them helps them out. "I'm worried for them."

"So am I," Maylene says, surprising me a little since she hasn't been in the training center since I won. "It's why I can't mentor. I don't think I could handle knowing these kids for years and then watching them die."

"I don't want to mentor ever," I mutter, shaking my head even at the thought of it.

"Well luckily for us," Maylene starts, giving me a small smile, "There will always be someone else to mentor."

"Glacia?" A man calls out from the door and we both look over to see Darach standing there, looking unsure if he should be interrupting. I smile over at him and he takes a few steps in. "Maylene. Good to see you."

"You too," Maylene answers and turns to me as Darach approaches. "I should get going. But…if you would like to talk more when I get back, you're more than welcome."

"I will," I tell her honestly as she stands up. I smile up at her, genuinely happy that she did stop by today and feeling significantly less guilt. "Thank you."

"Have fun on your tour and I'll see you at the festival," Maylene nods her head at me and then nods at Darach before leaving us behind, both a little confused about that happening.

"Well, I came to see if you were ready to head home," Darach starts and trails off, staring at the empty door Maylene left through. "But I wasn't expecting that."

"Neither was I," I tell him as I stand up, turning to look up at him. "But I'm glad she did talk to me, even if for only a few minutes." I let out a sigh though, still dreading going on the tour and seeing the families of the kids I killed. "When will I stop feeling so guilty about everything? Or stop waking up every night from nightmares of being turned to stone or of losing and watching my family react?"

Darach just shrugs at this, sticking his hands into his pockets. "I still every once in a while wake up from a nightmare of me burning in the lava and hear the screams of the one who was killed in it. But eventually the pain dulls and you just kind of get used to it always being there."

"But it never goes away?"

"Not really," Darach shakes his head at this and a rare bit of pain and sadness cross his face. "But, it's worth it to see new victors return home, especially when you were the one to mentor them."

"Victors like me?" I grin at him and elbow him, getting a small chuckle from him.

"Yes, victors like you," Darach says, a smile forming on his face. "But now, my victor, we must get going or we're going to face Flannery's rage if we're late."

"We certainly wouldn't want that," I respond as we start walking towards the door but I let out a sigh at the thought of the victory tour. "Can we just skip the Districts and go right to the Capitol? Or better yet, just stay here in Two?"

Darach laughs loudly at this, making me smile a bit. "I agree with you there. But there's no force of nature that will stop Flannery from dragging us onto that train."

I just shrug, knowing he's right. We'll just have to wait for the enjoyable party back in Two. But as we leave the training center and start walking the short distance back home, I start grinning up at Darach as an amusing thought passes through me. "Hey Darach?"

Darach starts shaking his head as soon as he sees the look on my face. "Whatever you're going to say, I don't like it already."

"Are you going to dance with me at our party?" I ask and start laughing when he grimaces immediately. I elbow him in the side, enjoying seeing him look so miserable at the thought of dancing. "Come on, it's tradition for mentors to dance with their victors. Weren't you just saying a few minutes ago how you like getting victors like me?"

"There is nothing you can do that will get me to dance," Darach responds, voice devoid of emotion and face looking as miserable can be.

"Oh I'll find something," I assure him, already starting to think of ways to convince him. He grumbles something, only making me chuckle. "Well Darach, you have twelve days to practice your dancing."

"I'm not dancing with you," he stubbornly responds to this. "Why don't you focus on getting through the tour instead?"

"I am," I tell him as the Victor's Village comes into sight in the distance. "I need something to look forward to at the end of this tour so I don't feel immense guilt in the Districts."

Darach lets out a loud sigh at this before finally looking over at me. "Fine, but only one song. And I'm only doing this because I told you we would get through this together and I'm sticking to my word."

"Thank you," I say, growing serious at what he said. I reach out and take his hand, so grateful that he's stuck by me through everything since we've returned. He flinches at my touch at first before relaxing, giving it a small squeeze before smiling at me. "You have no idea how helpful you've been."

"Well, I made another promise to your grandmother to watch out for you when we returned," he says, leaving me surprised for a second time today about something Grandma did. "And I promised myself that I wouldn't abandon you. I saw throughout the games how they were changing you, and I knew I needed to help you. So we're doing this thing together."

I nod my head at him, not quite knowing what I deserved to have someone looking out for me as much as Darach does. Maybe something good actually came out of all this pain and guilt from being sent into the Quarter Quell. If I hadn't been picked, who knows what I would be doing now? And who knows what Darach would be like? Probably still keeping his emotions locked up, refusing to let anyone in. Just as much as he's helped me, I've somehow helped him.

But…I have no doubt that the next few days and even years are going to be incredibly tough. I absentmindedly touch the scar on my side, nearly faded from the Capitol's technology, but still present, at my request. One last physical reminder of what I went through. And surely if I can survive the injury and nearly bleeding out, I can survive the guilt plaguing me. But luckily, I won't have to do it alone. I know I have Grandma, my mother, Darach, Roxanne, and now maybe even Maylene standing by me. I give Darach's hand another squeeze and I smile up at the man who helped me escape the arena.

"Together."

Well, here we are, the end of Glacia's story! I'm so happy with how this story turned out and really enjoyed showing how Glacia can change from a strong, stubborn volunteer to this broken victor who has realized that the Hunger Games were not what she anticipated. Glacia is probably my favorite of my own tributes I've ever written, so it's a little sad to see this story come to an end. But of course, this won't be the last of Glacia that we see.

Thank you for reading through this story, especially if you've read both Glacia's and Lance's. I really hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. And if you enjoyed these stories, I really hope you'll check out some of my other stories I have going on right now. I'm not stopping anytime soon with writing Hunger Games stories. And you might just get to see our victor in a future story.

Well, thanks again for going along on this crazy ride with me!