Caesar Flickerman stood in his room, a bottle of pills and booze sat on the table before him. Thirty years under the thumb of President Snow was long enough. Tonight he would be interviewing Azura Monet but who was he kidding, he knew it was Peeta Mellark, he wasn't stupid. In fact he knew that Plutarch was a rebel leader and had let the truth slip on purpose. After all his time being the face of the Hunger Games he knew that the Districts would have enough and rebel again. Maybe Snow would be able to squash them by announcing the Hunger Games over. That was never going to happen though, next year there would be twenty four new kids fighting to kill each other. Then the year after that and after that and no matter how much he drank or how many pills he downed he would be there interviewing each one. Even the shyest ones he was able to get something out of them and hopefully get them sponsors, that had been his own little way to help the kids. It wasn't enough though and he knew it. This year he made a decision, this year if Azura won he would ask questions that might bring Peeta back out. Of course he asked about a girl back home during the first interview so maybe what little he remembered from the last Hunger Games. Something about songs, or bread, Peeta had been a baker's son after all. What did it matter anymore, what could the Capitol do except what he had been trying to do for the last several years, kill himself.
"So Azura, how does it feel to be the number one most anticipated Victor ever?" Caesar asked as he sat across from the newest Victor looking immaculate in a freshly tailored white suit. From his shoes to his tie not a speak of dirt was visible, which his stylist had perfected for him. There was a smile on Azura's face which never actually full. Clearing his throat he fidgeted a little bit.
"Pretty good Caesar. Although I wished it ended differently. I never wanted to face off against Topaz but she should have had an honorable death not how Adonis did it," his lips curled into a small snarl at his former friend's name.
"Indeed that was quite a surprise however from our position it looked like he was going to kill you first."
"In my sleep like a coward, she was probably in his way. There were no volunteers this year because we all wanted to be here. To us the games are a privilege, a way to show that we fight for honor." It was good words for Snow but not the direction Caesar wanted so he pushed it in another direction.
"What an alliance you had with your female friends from One. From the very beginning it was expected to be a One on Two finish. Odds favorites were you and Topaz from One and Brutus and Scaeva from Two, then you and Brutus. Then you managed to get the drop on Brutus while Phila took care of Scaeva. Was that a secret alliance that no one knew about?"
"No, that was just a coincidence. I thought they were close as I heard running and then her scream. I was in that lobby or something when I saw Brutus backing up towards that window. I had my knife and decided that I might as well take the chance." On the screens there was a shot of Azura moving up to the window and reaching through, then it switched around to see Brutus' eyes go wide as a knife went through his throat.
"While you did that Phila was killing Scaeva with her own knife. It was quite a surprise that such a brutal killer came from Three instead of the other districts." Now the screens focused on Phila's journey, the girl she killed during the cornucopia, another boy a bit later, being the bait to get Undine killed then her betrayal of Gauss. Finally her attack at Scaeva, from her point of view to the final battle with Azura. "What did you think of her?"
"I didn't, she was in my way of going home with the honor of being a Victor. I bet you want me to speak about how she was just a kid, a murdered kid and that may be what you or others think from your homes. In the arena we have alliances but in the end they are all obstacles in the way of victory."
"And if it came down to only you and Topaz?" Azura was quiet for a bit.
"I've now seen some of the games now, Brutus and Scaeva's conversations before the ambush. That would be how it would have ended if I had anyone else against One I was going against. Divide the weapons, set a difference between each other and then whoever wins, wins. An honorable fight using all of our might." Highlights of Azura during the games followed by the deaths of all the other tributes were played as Haymitch and Katniss watched from their seats in the front rows. Katniss felt Haymitch's grip tighten and she knew that Peeta was saying everything wrong making it harder and harder to figure out how to get him back. Suddenly Snow was out there with a crown on a pillow. Azura was taller so he didn't stand but bowed his head as Snow crowned him.
"All of Panem, it is my pleasure to introduce Azura Monet, the Victor of the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games and the third Quarter Quell." The Capitol crowd went wild as the smile didn't fall from Snow's face before the lights dimmed out.
There wouldn't be a shared train home, Portia and Effie would be the ones to take Azura home to One. Katniss and Haymitch would see Azura again though, when it was time for the Victory Tour. After that the only time would be in the Pit during the next Hunger Games. That was the only time Katniss would have to get reacquainted with this new Peeta and try to get him back to her. It was only in the time that he was gone and then just out of reach did she realize that ever since he saved her life she had fallen in love with him. Even if she didn't understand what love was for the longest time that one act of kindness was all it took. A week after the games Katniss called Effie to get information on Azura's return.
"His parents, the Monets, were there of course, lots of hugs, kisses and tears. Instead of going to the Victor's Village though he met with all the families of the other tributes, even Adonis's which you remember betrayed him during the games. He attended every funeral, spoke about each of them." At Effie's words Katniss clenched her eyes closed to prevent the tears but failed. She could hear Effie whispering her trademark tuts but trying to comfort rather than scold since the call was a video call and she could see her young Victor. It was not sorrow but hope Katniss felt as it sounded just like something Peeta would do. Her loving boy with the bread, kind and honorable was in there somewhere.
When she accepted Peeta's death before the reapings Gale had approached her and asked if she could move on. Of course he was asking for himself but the games had changed her. His speeches in the woods about defeating Snow and the Capitol, about killing peacekeepers became clear to her now and she knew he was so naive. It was so different hand to hand she had experience at the feast in her games. Thresh had saved her life but didn't kill Clove as Cato arrived and attacked him. It was up to her to defend or defeat the agile girl from Two, or leave the pair to kill Thresh. Thresh managed to keep Cato at bay while Katniss got the upper hand and drove a knife into Clove's gut. In a roar of rage Cato spooked Katniss into the woods while killing Thresh. Instead of going after Katniss Cato sat with Clove until the cannon sounded.
In the end Katniss turned Gale down, she couldn't be with anyone untouched by the games. Unable to let anyone else become affected by her nightmares. Even then she refused to risk it knowing that she would be pressured to have children and that those children would be reaped. Later that evening she sat with Haymitch in the garden behind the Victor's Houses using a communicator to speak with Plutarch away from any listening bugs.
"Do we even want Peeta back?" Haymitch asked to which Katniss seemed to choke on her own spit coughing hard before gathering herself.
"What?"
"It's just in the last games Peeta only got one and a half kills. The girl from eight at the campfire and Frankie from five. I believe you called her Foxface. Azura brutally killed five, the games change people and maybe Azura, as a tribute built by Snow, will hold it together better. Will Peeta be able to hold onto sanity knowing he directly killed that many kids? If you really do love him you'll really be star-crossed lovers now. One from Twelve and the other from One." Plutarch loved the idea, Katniss looked forlorn. Hanging up on Plutarch Haymitch looked at Katniss.
"Do you love the boy? No cameras around here just you and me so tell me the truth." Katniss sighed.
"I think I do, only after he died did I come to realize how much he meant to me. A lot of the time in the arena was just for show, but before the basket of food arrived. He got to me, if that makes sense. I understood how much he loved me and I started to feel something back."
"And when you saw Azura for the first time?"
"At first I was angry, angry for being alive and lying to me, but only for a moment as I knew he wouldn't willingly abandon me like that. Then we met him and I was just more confused. Then the way he acted towards us, towards the Games."
"Snow had half a year to mess with Peeta's emotions and memories. Then used his connections to get certain people in One to acknowledge his position in One. The Monets agreed to make him their son, the training center forged records of his life there. Remember what Lace said, that she knew him her whole life?"
"She lied," Katniss whispered.
"Doesn't matter, she's dead, they all are. Try to get through to him on the Tour, Plutarch is going to have his people dig to find out what they can about what Snow did to Peeta. Once we learn what happened we can make a plan."
"That's how it's always been for you Haymitch? Always coming up with a plan, using me without telling me?" she looked hurt and felt it. He should have trusted her to be strong enough to handle the knowledge of Peeta when he first found out. Would she have handled it? That was taken from her without her consent. "I'm going to use my own plan for now and if you don't tell me the moment to get new information, I'll do the same to you." Keeping her cards close to her chest the only goal she had was saving Peeta even at the cost of her own life she owed him that much when he decided to kill himself so that she could win.
AN – Here's the end results of the 75th Hunger Games
Ending Deaths
District One:
Adonis – Dead Day 4 – 5th place
Atlas – Dead Day 1
Azura – Victor
Lace – Dead Day 1
Taff – Dead Day 3 – 8th place
Topaz – Dead Day 4 – 6th place
District Two
Brutus – Dead Day 4 – 3rd place
Scaeva – Dead Day 4 – 4th place
Xiahou – Dead Day 1
Servilia – Dead Day 2
Flamma – Dead Day 2
Agis – Dead Day 2
District Three
Guericke – Dead Day 1
Luigi – Dead Day 2
Gauss – Dead Day 3 – 7th place
Joule – Dead Day 1
Phila – Dead Day 4 – 2nd place
Paloya – Dead Day 1
District Four
Sidion – Dead Day 1
Crantor – Dead Day 2
Strabo – Dead Day 1
Siren – Dead Day 1
Undine – Dead day 3
Huriat – Dead Day 1