I almost fall down the stairs I'm moving so fast. When I do make it to the first floor, I realize our house is pretty full. Our friends and family are milling around, obviously worried about Peeta. While I'm incredibly grateful, I have somewhere I need to be.
From the look on my face alone, Annie knows.
"Fin," she tugs on her husband's hand. "Let's go spend some time with our niece and nephew."
"Thanks," I call over my shoulder.
Bounding off our front porch, I discover our lawn is also occupied. There must be fifty soldiers here, and, glancing around quickly, I realize they have ringed the entire house with a perimeter.
"What's going on?" I ask the first soldier I come to, a private. "We didn't order a protection detail."
"You didn't have to, General Mellark," he answers. "We're here because we want to be."
"Please give my thanks to everyone, I have to go."
"Yes ma'am."
I literally run through town, hoping that everyone who is calling out to me understands why I can't stop and talk. It seems like everything is at a standstill in the District.
I purposely avoid even glancing at my mom and Prim's house. The memory is still so fresh, so raw. I doubt I'll be able to go in there for a long time without breaking down at the sight of where I thought I'd lost Peeta for good.
Finally the Justice Building comes into view. The square is eerily quiet and void of anyone.
I almost break down the front door barging through it.
I quickly find the door to the basement and descend the stairs, remembering briefly when I made this same trek to see Gale when he was imprisoned here.
Arriving at the door to the cell block, I'm greeted by two soldiers.
"General," they salute. I return it. "President Abernathy has asked us to relieve you of your sidearm, ma'am."
Haymitch. Apparently he doesn't trust me not to kill Snow. I really can't blame him.
Sighing, I unholster my pistol. I eject the magazine and rack the chamber, catching the bullet that was in it expertly. I hand it over to one of the soldiers.
"I'm afraid I'm going to need your knife as well, ma'am."
Unsheathing it, I hand it to him handle first, just like I handed it to Prim so she could cut Peeta's vest off.
They open the door for me and I step through, only to find Johanna waiting for me.
"Jo?" I question. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought you could use a friend," she mumbles, almost embarrassed.
"Thank you."
She nods and leads me through the halls. I soon find myself on the other side of a one-way mirror in an observation room. It's just me and Johanna. Snow sits in the cell before us. He's sitting in a chair, shackled securely, seemingly emotionless.
"I want to kill him," I mutter.
"I know," Johanna, unlike herself, places a gentle hand on my shoulder. I'm happy she's here with me. "I can't imagine what you're going through Katniss."
I smile sadly at the fact she actually called me by my name. I've gotten used to her nicknames, especially considering she's one of my very best friends.
"I thought I lost him," I whisper, the pain evident in my voice.
"You didn't," she reminds me. "I'm convinced there's nothing on this earth that can take that boy away from you and your kids."
"What do I even say to him?" I ask, motioning to Snow. "I just want to go in there and beat him within an inch of his life."
"Nobody would blame you if you did. In fact, I think most everyone would support it."
I sigh and run a hand through my hair. I must look like a mess after the day I've had.
After a few moments of silence, I decide to get it over with.
"I'll be right here the whole time," Johanna tells me as I walk to the door.
"Thanks Jo."
Taking a deep breath, I steel my nerves as I open the door to his cell.
There's a single seat a few feet in front of him. Without looking at him, I walk over to it and sit down. Raising my eyes up, I see that his gaze is focused on his hands, securely shackled across his lap.
"I suspect you know by now what happened," I begin. "Your plan failed."
He gives me no response, not even an acknowledgment that he's no longer alone in the cell.
"You fucking disgust me," I spit, my anger rising. I wait a few seconds to calm down a bit. "You directly threatened the lives of four innocent people, two of whom are my babies. The only reason you're not dead right now is because I want you to face Panem. I want every person in this country, on both sides, to see what a despicable, evil person you are."
"You're no innocent soul either Katniss."
He whispers it, and I can tell he's not his usual, overconfident, diabolical self. He sounds, well, defeated.
"You don't think I know that? I've killed, yes. I've ordered deaths, yes. But what I've never done is kill for sport. I've never ripped children from their families and forced them to fight for their lives so my pathetic friends can have something fun to watch while they dye their hair. I've never ordered anyone to kill infants."
Truthfully, out of all the evil things he's done, that one makes me almost uncontrollably livid, full of blinding rage. He wanted to make me choose between my life and my children's.
"Do you even care about all the lives you've destroyed? Of course not. You'd need a heart to feel empathy. I forgot you have a black hole where it's supposed to be."
"Is this why you came? To lecture me on morals?"
"No," I shake my head. "I came here to tell you something."
"What's that my dear?"
"You remember my good friend Beetee?" He nods. "He found something interesting the other day."
"What would that be?" He's actually starting to act a little more smug.
"Something you've hidden from everyone, tried to keep a secret. But I know."
He's silent, waiting for my reveal.
"Victoria."
One word. It takes one word to cause fear to creep into his gaze. He looks absolutely stunned.
"You heard me right, Snow. I know about Victoria. Your grand-daughter. I must say, she is quite beautiful."
Beetee had come to us with this a few days ago. One of our advanced recon teams was able to bypass the encryption on the Capitol's network, giving him access to a whole slew of confidential information. Apparently Snow had an affair with a married Capitol woman many years ago. His daughter, who passed a few years back, had a daughter, named Victoria. She lives in a posh penthouse on the top floor of a building in the Capitol, far removed from the Games or the war. Truthfully, she's innocent. I doubt she even knows Snow is her grandfather. But we can't pass up any opportunity to gain leverage on Snow.
"She's innocent," he states defiantly.
I scoff loudly.
"So was Rue," I spit. "So was Foxface. So was Maysilee. You remember her, right? Haymitch's girl? Did you think twice before you murdered her? Why should we spare your grand-daughter when you've taken the lives of countless people's children and grandchildren?"
"You wouldn't," he shakes his head. "You wouldn't kill her."
"I don't want to have to." At least that's honest. "But we will if you force us to."
"She's safe," he says, trying to assure himself more than anything. "She's in the Capitol."
"5600 Triangle Square. 50th Floor Penthouse. Goes shopping with her friends every morning. Always home by six in the evening. Likes to sit on the deck and read at night."
He looks stunned. I watch the realization hit him, his expression and gaze altering. It's the first time I've ever seen a human reaction from him.
"My best sniper team is two building away," I continue. "We've had her under 24 hour surveillance for days. One word from me, Haymitch, or my husband, and she becomes another tragic casualty of the war."
I've actually rendered the silver-tongued Snow speechless.
"But that doesn't have to happen Snow," I tell him seriously.
"What do you want?" He sighs, obviously knowing I have the winning hand at this point.
"Well that's actually quite simple, Snow."
He looks at me with anticipation.
"I want you to go on television and end the war. I want you to tell your troops to surrender. I want peace."
He nods, too ashamed to even utter words of acceptance.
I get up to leave, and he watches me closely.
I walk up to him and he looks up to me, a vacant look in his eyes.
I punch him as hard as I can right in the face. His nose starts spurting blood and he moans in pain.
"That's for threatening to kill my mom and sister."
I lean back a little and kick his right knee with as much force as possible.
"That's for almost killing my husband."
I repeat the kick, this time on his left knee.
"That's for threatening to kill my children."
I wait until I have his full attention again.
This time, I kick him as hard as I can square in the chest. He goes tumbling backwards, taking the metal chair he's shackled to with him.
I squat down next to him before I speak.
"That's for every innocent life you've taken. That's for all the families you've destroyed."
"Please," he actually sounds like he's begging. "Don't hurt her."
"If you hold up your end of the deal, Victoria will be just fine," I assure him.
I stand back up, looking down at the pitiful heap that used to be the most feared man in all of Panem. I've turned him into a blubbering, bleeding, pitiful excuse of a man.
"But be assured of this, Snow. You're never leaving this building alive. The only way you get out of here is in a body bag. That, I guarantee."
I don't look back as I exit the room.
Johanna's waiting for me, an almost goofy smile on her face.
"That was amazing," she says with reverence.
"Jo, I need a favor." She nods. "Get a medic to give him basic first aid. I need to go be with Peeta."
"Of course," she nods. "I'll be by the house later, okay?"
"Great. See you soon."
I'm almost stunned when she pulls me into a hug. Her strong arms grip me tight and I find comfort in my friend.
"Go see that cute husband of yours. I'll deal with this piece of shit."
I'm so amped up from my confrontation with Snow that I have tunnel vision as I make my way home. I give people short, polite greetings, but don't stop. I want, I need, to be with my family.
I stop in the nursery and find the twins asleep. Finnick and Annie are watching over them closely. I kiss my babies and thank the O'Dairs.
Haymitch is still by Peeta's side. I smile when I notice Peeta's awake, and the smile that takes over his face when he sees me almost causes me to faint.
I sit down carefully on the bed, reaching over and running my fingers through my husband's hair slowly.
"How'd it go, sweetheart?" Haymitch asks from the chair he's occupying.
Staring into Peeta's eyes, I grin as I answer.
"I think I might have just ended the war."
