Sienna Asher, District 12, 15

Two days after the finale- June 22nd, 85 ADD (After Dark Days)

I woke up.

I didn't know where I was. My last memory was of blood and salt and blackness, and I had no idea how much time had passed.

I blinked slowly, looking around the room. I was in a hospital bed, a blue fleece blanket pulled up to my chest. The walls were bare except for one window off to my left. It was filled with clouds. There was a door to my right. I twisted my neck behind me to see walls of cabinets and medical equipment, including the multiple IVs currently in my arms.

Just then, the door clicked open, and a young woman stepped into the room. Her blonde hair was pin-straight and her makeup pristine, and she wore a pearl necklace. It took me half a second to pull my thoughts back together and remember who she was.

Aurelia.

"Well, isn't it your lucky day," she said, walking over to the side of my bed.

"Lucky?" I asked. It took some effort to get the word out; my mouth was so dry.

"Apparently, it's your birthday or something," she said. "So happy birthday."

"Thanks?" I said. I tried to think back, count back the days. "How long has it been?"

"It's June 22nd. Since you won, you've been asleep for two full days," she replied. "Lost a lot of blood. Heavy internal bleeding. Almost died."

"Oh," I said, not sure of what else to say. Having all of her attention on me was a foreign feeling. Besides, my birthday didn't feel so important right now. The memories of the arena were slowly beginning to trickle back. It wasn't a sensation I was enjoying.

Salome.

Aurelia crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at me. "Hmm," she muttered.

I sighed. I wasn't in the mood for her games. "What?"

"I've been thinking," she said slowly, drawing out her words as she thought.

Jess.

"Thinking?"

She tapped a finger to her lips. "I watched you in the arena, you know. Everyone will say otherwise, but I did. I just needed to do it alone."

"Okay," I replied. Something inside wondered when she'd actually started paying attention, because it wasn't anytime before the Games started. After the Bloodbath? During the last day? I didn't have the energy to ask, though, so I let her continue.

Ianto.

She gave me a look I didn't fully understand. "If you wanted to go for the manipulation strategy, you could've just told me. I could've helped you with that."

"Manipulative?"

Aurelia rolled her eyes. "You had everyone wrapped around your little finger, Sienna. You tricked everyone into letting you win."

Levi.

"I didn't trick them," I said.

"Call it what you want," she said, waving her hand dismissively.

"I just wanted to go home," I said.

Aurelia shrugged, but her eyes didn't leave my face. "If you say so," she said. "Or maybe you and I are more alike than I thought."

Cal.

"You chose to go to the arena," I said, my cheeks hot. "I didn't."

"The outcome was the same," she replied evenly. "Anyway. I'll see you again tomorrow. You have an interview coming up."

I opened my mouth to respond, but Aurelia had already turned on her heel and slipped out the door. As soon as she left, a doctor walked in and began asking me a million questions about how I was feeling. I answered them until he mercifully left me alone with my thoughts.

Salome. Jess. Ianto. Levi. Cal.

I wanted to cry, but my eyes were as dry as bone. I had nothing left to give. I settled for curling into a ball and burying my face in my blanket, my shoulders heaving, until I fell back into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Senna DiCaprio, District 8 Mentor, 22

About six weeks later- August 14th, 85 ADD

The paperwork was finally completed, processed, and approved. As far as I knew, things like this normally took much longer, but it appeared that the Western District Orphanage didn't experience many adoptions.

The elderly receptionist in their tiny front office gave me a warm smile as I stepped in. "Welcome back, dear," she said, her voice gravelly but kind. "Today's the big day, yes?"

I nodded. "It is."

"I'll go fetch him," she said.

"It's all right. I can find him," I assured her.

"If you're sure," she said.

"It's no problem," I assured her. She gave me another smile, and I returned it with a little wave as I stepped through the side doorway into a common room. Inside were several children, most of them on the older side, but they all went silent once they noticed me.

"Owain?" I asked.

A thin teenage boy with a shock of red hair stepped out from the group, holding a ragged suitcase.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked.

His face broke out in a shy smile, making the freckles around his eyes crease. "Yeah."

If I couldn't save Levi and Ianto, I had to make sure they'd be able to rest in peace together.

Owain slipped his hand in mine, and we headed home.

*Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you to TheWatcherofTheVoid, glimmerglint, TyrantrumofAstora, chcolate, wiifan2002, evilpencilbox, averyrandomauthor, ParadigmofWriting, theflowercrowns, G00N, MoonlightSalsa, Tyquavis, ladyqueerfoot, Penguin Parade, Miss Hourigan, and StephenSwiss for submitting your kiddos to me. I loved them all, and thank you guys so much for reading, reviewing, and trusting me to tell their stories.

Thank you to timesphobic and sherezade for betaing/all of your advice. You guys were so helpful with some really difficult chapters, and I am so appreciative.

This has been a wild ride. Thank you all for coming along for the ride. If you're interested in joining me for the next one, all info is on my profile. The first prologue for Gilded Cage should be up in a few days, and wow I'm so excited. I hope you guys decide to sub, as I'd love to have you all again. The chapter after this is mostly summary stuff, along with some other fun things as well.

I guess this is the end. It's still surreal.

Love you all,

-rising-balloons*