I have an announcement! This will be the last chapter of this story (I know it's sad) but I have good news. The SEQUEL will be up early next week, most likely Monday! I will update this story so that if you have favorited or alerted this you will know it's up. Which brings me to gushing about you lovely readers-thank you so so much for everyone who reviewed, favorited or alerted; you guys are amazing and I love all the support that you have given me on this crazy idea I had one day. For now, I hope you like the last chapter! Enjoy :)
The recap begins with a view of the reapings, and the first thing I notice is that they spend a little extra time on District 2 with Cato lunging forward to volunteer. They also show the girls of our district in full, with Prim being called, Katniss volunteering and me pulling Prim off of her. Well I think I know how this recap is going-they're going to focus on Cato's revenge and Katniss overcoming it.
And then I hear the last thing I ever thought I'd hear in this recap during the reapings. Ceaser's voice comes on as Katniss climbs the stairs to take her place on the stage at the reaping.
"Now Gale, do you believe that Katniss can win?" Ceaser's voice asks. What the fuck? I'm truly confused about this, so I look over to where Ceaser is sitting next to us in his chair and he's smiling at the screens, not me. What? But then I hear myself answer.
"Absolutely. She's smart, talented, and has wicked aim with a bow. And I'm not just saying that because I love her. She also never breaks a promise, and not only did she promise me that she would come home, but her sister as well." My voice answers, and suddenly I know where this is from. They're taking lines from my interview with Ceaser after the video was shown? That's never happened before in a recap, but I guess this is a different sort of situation.
Upon hearing my voice, Katniss turns her head to me with an expression of confusion. Evidently Haymitch didn't tell her the little detail of me doing an interview. Guess that's my job now. I put my face close to her ear and whisper, "I had to do an interview after the video was shown."
I pull away and I can tell that clarified a lot of her confusion, but she still looks a little uncomfortable-probably because I was singing her praises. Or because I said that I loved her. Or because she's well aware that it's not normal for something like my interview to be in a recap. I guess she sees where the theme of this recap is going like I do and we both turn back to the screen.
The recap goes like normal for the first half hour or so after that, with the Opening Parade, some bits of training, and the scores of some of the major competitors like the Careers, District 11 and District 12. Then we go to the interviews, and they show Katniss's almost in full. When she gets to the part where Ceaser asked her if she and I were more than best friends and she says no, I hear my voice once again.
"Katniss and I have been best friends for years, long before we began dating." My voice informs, and I can feel Katniss getting a little tense. It's actually starting to annoy me too that they are using all these lines from my interview in this recap. They shouldn't be there in the first place. Although it's actually helping us probably so I shouldn't complain too much-I just wish we had a heads up.
After the interviews, it only gets worse-they show the damn video from the roof. Katniss gets very tense as she watches it for the first time, her eyes going a little wide. Even though she knew this video existed and was shown across Panem, it doesn't make her any less embarrassed to see it for herself. In fact, I'm a little embarrassed as well but mostly I'm pissed. This has nothing to do with her Games-in fact they shouldn't have even been allowed to put this in there. I mean yes, it goes with the theme that they are taking in this recap, but this has to be crossing some sort of line.
The audience awws and squeals as they once again see their favorite new video, and Katniss turns to me with a demanding expression, the questioning evident in her eyes, Did you know this stuff would be in here? they ask me.
In response I give a slight shake of my head, my eyes showing my annoyance and anger to her. No, but when I find out the bastard who did this…
She gives a small nod and her demanding expression turns to one that matches mine Right-I'll help you get them back.
I nod in response and we both turn back to the screens, piling up our ammunition for the bastards who agreed to use all this extra stuff that we will probably never find. The bloodbath takes a while to get through, as they go through all the deaths there. Then they show the Careers confusion as to why the cannons going off that disappears when Peeta walks out of the Cornucopia, knife in hand. Katniss, seeing for the first time as to how the hell Peeta got in with the Careers, watches with interest. She recoils slightly when Peeta kills the District 4 boy, amazed that he did it so quickly and seemingly without a second thought. When they show Cato claiming that he wants to kill her for revenge, she turns to me once again, asking with her eyes, He knew on day one about the video? I shake my head a little in response and with my own expression tell her No, you'll see.
I can tell that she wants more from me, but she's drawn back to the screens by the piercing scream of the District 8 girl as the Careers wake her up to kill her. She does pretty well with the deaths and events up until they show Peeta's death. She looks visibly uncomfortable and I can tell she's filled with dread and guilt upon seeing it with her own eyes. I too am swept with guilt once again, especially with his last words, He needs you. Katniss doesn't turn to question me this time like I suspected she would, but I can tell that she's trying to understand what it means. Does she get that this was the turning point? That this is when the whole mystery thing started until we showed the video? I don't know, but I'm guessing I'll find out later.
They show her with Rue and the conversation they had about Peeta soon enough and they take another line courtesy of me to go along with her hiding our 'relationship.' I can tell it unnerves her how easily it seems like she's playing along with that even if the couple thing isn't real and she didn't know anything about it, but she doesn't comment.
They show Rue's death in full, and Katniss gets to sing her entire lullaby. Like the Mentor Room when it actually happened, the room is silent and I can tell it's still giving Katniss a hard time. I pull her a little tighter to me and she buries her face in my shoulder for a few seconds, letting herself squeeze her tears onto my shoulder instead of showing the cameras before turning back to the screens. She notices that they don't show the flowers like she probably suspected, and I can tell it sort of annoys her. I whisper in her ear, "All the mentors saw the flowers. They'll tell others." She turns to me with a hopeful look, and I give her a quick reassuring smile.
The rest of the recap goes on without much insight from my interview, and they show the last day's action in full. I see how Thresh died by Cato's hands, Cato unhanding his scythe out when Thresh almost fell and plunging his sword into his chest before he could react. Cato with a look of pure anger as he sees Clove taking what was supposed to be his revenge and pulling her up just to decapitate her. Cato's entire story of why he was getting revenge on me. Trying to kiss Katniss, to which when she sees it again she gets very uncomfortable. Katniss slipping her knife out of her belt just to dig it into Cato's stomach, allowing her to get away. And finally, Katniss's arrow going into Cato's chest that ended the Games with her victory.
The crowd cheers loudly as the lights come on again in full, and I see Seneca Crane, the Head Gamemaker come out with a smile on his face and a pillow with a gold circlet walking towards us. When he's in front of the chair that we are sitting in, Katniss gets out of my lap and stands up for him to place the crown on her head. She gives the cameras a big smile and waves to the crowd, and Ceaser gestures for me to get up as well. I take Katniss's other hand that's not waving and we exit the stage together, letting go as soon as we're off camera. Katniss lets out a sigh of relief as we walk towards the elevator. I'm not sure how happy I am that she's relieved. Was it really all an act? Did she really not feel something in that kiss? Well, I guess I sort of did this to myself-after all, I did tell her that it could only be for the cameras. Stupid me.
We go up to dinner and we don't get a chance to talk because we are met by a crew of people congratulating her and hugging both of us. And after dinner we all go straight to bed because it's getting late. I really need to talk to her, but I guess I can't right now. I wonder if the nightmares are keeping her up already-if they are, I don't want to take any of that precious sleep without dreaming away from her because it doesn't come nearly as often as it should.
The next day is Katniss's interview, which means I technically don't have to do anything but show up behind the cameras when Ceaser is talking to her. I get up early with the intent of talking to her before she goes to the Remake center, but am disappointed to find that she's already left our floor for there. I let out a frustrated sigh and eat breakfast and then I wander around the Training Center before I have to go to the interview area. Somewhere along the way I run into Finnick, to whom I give a smile as greeting.
"Hey Gale, how's it going?" he asks with his own warm smile.
"I don't know. Are you supposed to be going home with a Victor?" I tease, playing naive.
"Well I think so, but I'm not sure. Especially if it's your girlfriend." He replies with a playful smirk.
"Yeah I guess you are." I respond.
"How's it going with her?" he asks seriously, all teasing gone.
"Better than I expected, but I really don't know how it's going to affect us." I tell him honestly.
"Well that kiss looked pretty real to me last night-maybe you're in for a nice surprise." He says hopefully.
I sigh, "I just-I just really don't know. I can hope for that but I'm not getting my hopes up."
"So you mean…you don't think it worked?" he asks vaguely, but I know what he's really asking. He wants to know if I think that Snow is still going to have that talk with her about appointments. Thus far it hasn't but there's still time before we leave on the train after her interview. After all, if she gets called in right after it there's nothing I can do about it.
"Actually I think it might have. But maybe he's waiting until after the interview to make sure?" I tell him my fear.
"I hope not." He replies, and looks at the time, "Well I have to get to my train, but I'll see you in a few months at the Victory Tour!" he exclaims as he walks off.
"See you then." I grin, and walk down to the interview area. When I get there Katniss hasn't arrived yet so I just kind of walk around the room idly for a while. When Ceaser comes in adjusting his suit he sees me and smiles, but he can't do more because that's when Katniss comes in. She's in a mostly black dress but it almost looks like it's cracked fabric, because it looks like a reddish orange fire is glowing in the cracks pushing to get through. When she sees me she gives me a smile, but I can tell by the look in her eyes that something is bothering her. Shit, did Snow get to her before? She sees my panic and knows immediately what it is so she shakes her head with a reassuring smile that's telling me No not that. I'll tell you later. I instantly calm and she goes to sit in her chair for the interview opposite Ceaser's.
The final interview is only an hour long, but it seems longer than that. At least for me it did, and I'm a slightly better talker than Katniss in front of a camera so to her it must feel twice as long. But at least this time when Ceaser asks her hard questions that she doesn't want to answer it's easy for her to find me, unlike the interviews before the Games. Plus this is the last thing she has to do here in the Capitol before we go home, so that's a nice reward at the end if she can just get through it.
Ceaser first congratulates her on her win, and then he delves into the questions for her. He asks about Prim, whom she honestly can't wait to get home to. He also asks about Rue, her only ally in the Games as well as about Cato. And bringing up Cato means discussing his failed revenge, which of course brings up the topic he wanted to discuss most-me.
She does a pretty good job with it but for half of them I can tell that she can't look at me to answer them, whether it be embarrassment or what I don't know. He asks her a really hard question about Peeta at this point as well, one I was sort of suspecting because I'm actually curious too as to what the fuck she'll say.
"So Katniss, we all know that you were supposed to be one of the star-crossed lovers back when you were hiding your relationship. Can you tell us what happened there?" Ceaser questions, leaning in with his chin resting on his fist in curiosity.
"Yes, Peeta…well let's just say that I didn't see that coming from Peeta at the interview. I had no idea that he had feelings for me, and I wasn't interested so it made it hard. So after the interview we let him in on the secret and he claimed he wouldn't say anything. Only-" Katniss answers slowly, controlled. She must have realized that this was coming and thought of something to say.
"Only he sort of let the ball drop." Ceaser finishes for her.
"Exactly. But I didn't know that so I still hid it in the arena." Katniss claims.
"So is that why you still denied it on the last day with Cato? Even when he knew everything because of the note he was sent?" Ceaser asks.
She nods in response, "Yes. Well honestly, I thought he was making it up that he knew. It wasn't until he mentioned the roof that I realized that he actually did know."
"I see. Well our time is up, but I wish you a happy victory and good luck with your relationship."
She thanks him and Ceaser signs off. Once the cameras are off, Katniss gives me a relieved smile and comes over to me. She raises one eyebrow to ask Well? How did I do?
I give her a reassuring smile, "You did great Catnip."
"Good. Now what?" she asks.
"Make it to that damn train as fast as we can." I say, and then lower my voice, "Let's not give him a chance for a meeting."
She looks a bit concerned by that, but determinedly she follows me to the door where the car will pick us up. As soon as the glass from the outside is visible I take her hand in mine for appearances sake (on her end, I don't mind one bit) and we smile and wave for the cameras on the way to the car. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding when the car door shuts, and give her a hopeful grin. Only about four more yards to walk onto the train and we should be in the clear.
We do make it to the train, and as soon as the doors close Katniss and I look at each other triumphantly and with relief she hugs me. Effie turns around and smiles when she sees us.
"Alright you too that's enough for now-let's go to lunch!" she exclaims, much to Katniss's embarrassment. We weren't doing anything that we didn't do before the Games, but since Effie thinks the relationship is real she thinks we're being conservative right now. I roll my eyes and we follow her to lunch.
After Katniss is done eating she excuses herself to go change. Before she goes, she gives me a look that says Come in a few minutes. I give her a slight nod to tell her I will and she leaves the room. While I'm waiting I get another drink, and after about five minutes I excuse myself as well, going immediately to Katniss's room.
I knock on the door, but after she doesn't answer for about a minute I let myself in. The door to the 'balcony' outside her room is open and I find her there, leaning her elbows on the ledge. I follow suit, and she begins speaking without acknowledging me.
"I saw your interview." she states.
"And?" I reply. She heard half of it at the recap; I don't know why it's so damn important for her to tell me that she saw the whole thing.
"When you said that you…loved me. You weren't lying." she almost whispers, finally looking at me. When my eyes meet hers, I see something like confusion, bewilderment, and curiosity all at the same time.
I sigh before answering honestly, "No I wasn't lying. I wish you hadn't found out like that."
She looks almost surprised at my easy confirmation, though she shouldn't be. She hesitates before answering with a hint of uncomfortably, "I…don't think I understand."
"I know you don't." I reply. And I get it-she never expected my feelings to be real. She thought that I was just playing along too, a desperate attempt on my part to get her out of the appointments. Maybe she thought that I might like her seeing as I told her I kissed her without knowing about the cameras before the Games. Or maybe she even thought that it was a spontaneous thing and I just couldn't stand the thought of losing her, which is true too. But she would have never in a million years have guessed that I truly love her.
She's silent for a moment, and then questions me, "So…what now?"
I think about that for a moment-I don't want to scare her off, but all the cards are on the table now. "Guess we'll find out." I reply and we both go back to staring at the world flashing by for a long time in silence.