26

Unlike when we left District Twelve, there's not much fanfare when we get ready to leave the capitol. I say goodbye to Tomoyo and my prep team and Sakura says goodbye to Demetrius and her own prep team. Then we're ushered onto the train, but not before Tomoyo pulls Sakura aside and whispers something in her ear. Sakura nods, though she looks like she finds it hard to believe whatever Tomoyo said to her before getting on the train. Then we begin to pass through the underwater tunnel that begins to take us away from the Capitol.

Sonomi is accompanying us back along with Clow, who must return to District Twelve also. For the first time since we got out of the arena, what and how much we eat isn't being controlled, and we're allowed to have whatever we want for dinner. However, I'm starting to feel like myself again after weeks of worry, fright, and fatigue so I don't eat much. Sakura doesn't either, I notice. After we eat, we sit in front of the television to watch a replay of the interview. Halfway through, Sakura gets up, goes to her room, and doesn't come back. She doesn't even come out her room again until the train stops to refuel, at which point we're allowed off the train for some fresh air.

Even though I detect she's angry with me about something, we walk together, side by side down the track. There's no need to keep up the pretense of a romance anymore with no cameras to watch. There was a time where I would shrug off Sakura being upset at me and just wait for her to get over it, but that was before the Magic Games. Everything's different now.

"What's wrong?" I finally ask.

"Nothing, Yue," Sakura says quickly.

"You're lying."

Sakura huffs and then says, "Just leave it alone, Yue. I don't want to talk about it."

"Too bad."

Now her anger towards me is visible as she says, "You're really an idiot sometimes."

Her mood swings are confusing and for a brief moment I wonder if I was this moody when I was her age. I have little right to be talking though, since I've been the equivalent of an emotional train wreck for the last few weeks but the Magic Games would do that to anyone. And something tells me this isn't just something to do with her age. Something's genuinely bothering Sakura.

"What have I done to you?" I say trying to remember if I've said anything harsh to her recently but I can't recall. I've been much more conscious of my words to her lately.

"The interview!" Sakura exclaims.

"What about it?" I ask starting to feel frustration bubble up within me at her. "We agreed to it before. What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing," Sakura says, turning her back on me and leaning her hand against a tree. "It was perfect. That's the problem."

I sigh trying to stay calm, but Sakura always manages to test my patience. "You're not making any sense."

"That's rich coming from the king of not making any sense," Sakura snaps.

That comment helps everything come together. Now I know what's wrong with her and now I wish I hadn't asked. Sakura would have gotten over it eventually… Maybe… I'm not sure. An issue like this isn't something anyone just gets over.

"If it was going to be too much for you, you could have told me before and we could have come up with something else," I snap at her. And she says I don't communicate.

"I thought I'd be okay. I mean… I didn't think… We didn't have a choice. And it wouldn't be so hard if you were different on the cameras than you are when we're alone, but you're not! You're exactly the same!" Sakura says and she looks like she wants to stomp her foot and throw a temper tantrum like she used to when she didn't get her way as a child, but she's restraining herself.

I roll my eyes. "I'm hardly the same on camera as I am when I'm not."

"Maybe around everyone else, but not around me," Sakura says. "No one sees the things I see. You never saw the way you looked at me until you saw it on television. You never even knew how much you cared until the Magic Games. And you still haven't figured it out because you're not sure if it was real or not."

Considering that I haven't had a moment to myself since the Magic Games began, Sakura's being as unfair to me as she thinks I'm being to her. But I have a feeling saying that will just make us both angry, so I say, "I'm not making you any promises, but you at least said you'd wait for me to think about it."

"I did. I am. But you don't make it easy," Sakura says and then mutters under her breath, "This is what they agreed to last time."

I don't think she intended for me to hear that. But I did.

"Who's they?" I ask.

"Do you remember what you said right before we got out of the arena? The cameras didn't pick it up on the recap."

I shrug. "Not really. The end of the Magic Games is a blur."

Sakura sighs. "Then don't worry about it," she says and starts to head back to the train.

When we're back on the train she goes back to her room and closes the door, though I don't hear it lock. That gives me two options. I can ignore her and hope that she comes to her senses later or I can go sit with her.

Clow comes up next to me. We weren't exactly quiet when we were outside, so undoubtedly he heard us.

"Trouble in paradise?" he asks.

"Always," I mutter, my decision made.

When I close the door to Sakura's room behind me, she's lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Rather than ask for permission to join her, I simply lie on the bed in the space next to her. She doesn't look at me, but I can tell what she's thinking.

"We live in the same house. What's the point of avoiding each other?"

"You'll have your own house in Victor Village," Sakura points out. "I thought you'd like the chance at being alone all the time."

"If I want to be alone, I'll go to the woods," I reply. "I'm not going anywhere, if that's what you're worried about."

"Wouldn't surprise me. You don't necessarily like confronting your emotions."

"Only for you," I admit.

Out the corner of my eye, I see her smile and nothing else is said between us for the remainder of the trip. Sakura eventually falls asleep and true to form, I don't fall asleep until it's almost time to get up, at which point I go to my room to freshen up and put on new clothes. Then I meet Sakura in front of the doors to the train as the station at District twelve shows up.

"For the cameras?" she asks, extending her hand.

I smile a little at her. "If you were nervous, all you had to do was ask," I say taking her hand. But what I don't tell her and what I'll probably never tell her for a long time if I'm honest with myself is that she never has to ask to begin with. I'll always hold on to her.

AN: Yes! Yes! Yes! It's over! It's really over! Not just this story, but my school career. I did it. And since I'm in such a good mood and today is my birthday, I'm going to post this chapter even though I was going to hold out just to see if I would get a second review. I did hold out for three weeks though, even though this chapter has been sitting on my computer ready to be posted for over a month now. I've even started making plans for the sequel which this chapter helps to lay the groundwork for. However, I will say this:

The response to the end of this will decide whether or not I even bother to write the sequel, let alone put it up. Yes I write for myself and I wanted to see where a Hunger Games/CCS mesh would go, but now that I see where it can go, a lot of my enjoyment stems from readers reactions. So I guess what I'm saying is yes a sequel is in the works, but whether I'm done with it any time soon is based solely on how much readers want this and I can only assume based on reviews. Then again, maybe you guys are as busy with school as I've been. I'll figure it out I guess. Until then, I think I'll wander back into the Star Wars fandom for a while.

I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until next time, Lady Dae out!