Ricochet

Chapter 8: Goodbye

Author: Carla, aka cali-chan
Rating: Most likely PG-13. Nothing worse than what's in the books.
Genre: Adventure/suspense/drama/romance... again, pretty much what's in the books.
Pairings: Peeta/Katniss, Rory/Prim... and probably others. You'll see soon.
Canon/timeline: Same-context AU- this fic still happens in the same world as THG, but the actual events in the books never happened. I'm adding about five years to the characters from the age they were at the beginning of The Hunger Games. Katniss is 21.
Disclaimer: Yeah, just let me go get my transfer laser and switch bodies with Suzanne Collins. Until I find it in the mess that is my room, anything you can recognize belongs to her.

Note: I've never really tried this before (and I'm sure it will eventually come back and bite me in the behind), but each chapter will be from the PoV of a different character. You should be able to tell whose PoV it is fairly easily, though.

Note 2: Um, you might wanna have some tissues at hand. Just sayin'.

Summary: "Primrose Everdeen." This can't be happening, Katniss thought. She desperately pushed through the crowd. I volunteer!, she wanted to scream. I volunteer as tribute! But she couldn't, because she wasn't eligible for the reaping anymore. There was nothing she could do.

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Prim still had not processed what was happening when her and the boy tribute were led to the Justice Building by a group of Peacekeepers, and thrust into separate rooms. She barely paid any notice. She was still thinking of Katniss, of what might happen to her because of her outburst in the square.

It made her anxious. Katniss had always had a temper, and she didn't really know how to talk to people sometimes. Usually, when Prim was around, she did fine; even if her temper flared for some reason, she managed to hold back because she didn't want to upset her. And when things got tense, Prim could always try to smooth things out. But now she wouldn't be around- her breath hitched as it hit her that she might never come back- and what would happen to Katniss? She might get in trouble. She might just give up on District Twelve altogether and run off into the woods. Prim didn't want that. She wanted her sister to be happy, even if she wouldn't be around to see it.

She wiped tears off her cheeks as she looked around the room. She had already cried too much; being such a crybaby wasn't going to help her. If it had been Katniss, she knew, she would've held back the tears. She had to be strong, not just for herself but for her family. They'd be coming in soon and she didn't want to upset them even more.

The room she was in was big, and more luxurious than anything she had ever seen in her life. Flowy drapery hung from the walls, thick carpet covered the floors, and polished wooden furniture, upholstered with a plush red fabric, was evenly distributed around the space. She sat on the couch, running her hand over the velvet, feeling the softness. It was obviously designed to feel opulent. It only made Prim feel absolutely alone.

Her resolve not to cry broke the moment the door opened and Rory strode in. "I'm so sorry." His voice was breaking even before he got to her, and she let out a sob as she got up from her seat. But then his arms were engulfing her, and the smell of him- like fresh air, like home- wrapped itself around her. "I'm so sorry," he repeated, burying his face in her hair as she clung to his shirt, his only good shirt that she was now painting with tears. "I should've volunteered, I wanted to, but I just- I froze, I just didn't- and when I tried, the crowd, and then Vick was holding me back..."

She shook her head emphatically against his chest, trying to tell him that wasn't what she wanted, she never would've expected him to do that, but he was too upset to accept it. "Maybe I still can-" She felt him pull away, like he intended to run outside and tell the Peacekeepers to take him instead of the other boy.

She pulled him back to her, almost scared of letting him out of her reach. She needed him to be here, holding her, for as long they could manage. "No," she finally found her voice. "You can't volunteer. I asked Vick to hold you back if this happened," she confessed. They had promised a long time ago that they wouldn't volunteer if the other was reaped, but she always knew Rory would hardly think of that promise in the moment. And she was right.

She cupped his face in her hands, so that she could look him in the eye. "Listen to me," she started, but his expression almost stopped her in her tracks. He looked absolutely devastated. He wasn't crying, but looked on the verge of it, and it pulled at her heart because she hadn't seen him cry since the day his father died, so many years ago. But here he was, falling apart in front of her and she felt herself falling apart right with him.

Lifting her head, she pressed her forehead against his, and let out a tremulous sigh. "You have to stay here," she let out, willing her voice not to waver. "You have to stay here and take care of your family. Can you do that for me?"

"You're my family," he replied at once. There was no hesitation in his tone, no doubt, like it wasn't even a question in his mind, and Prim thought she would never love him as strongly as she did right then, a feeling so real it was almost tangible.

She kissed him, just a brush of her lips on his, so soft, but full of emotion because she loved him, she loved him so much. "I know," she told him, in between sobs. "But that's why you have to take care of Hazelle, and Vick and Posy. You have to make sure they're alright because they're my family, too. And I need them to be okay. And I need you to be okay." She kissed him again, this time almost desperate. "Please tell me you'll be okay."

He was shaking his head even before she finished speaking. "I can't. I need you, I-" He cut himself off, like he just couldn't bring himself to say what he'd been about to say. Drawing in a shaky breath he cradled her jaw, fingers caressing her neck up to her nape, and tangling in her hair. Then he leaned in and kissed her, deep and powerful, like he was pouring all of himself into her.

She gave all of herself right back. There were still so many things she wanted to tell him, but if this was the last time she would be with him, all she wanted was to show him how much she loved him, and this was the best way she knew how. She wrapped her arms around his waist and stood on her tiptoes, trying to pull him as close as she could. She'd always felt safe in his arms and she needed that, needed to feel completely safe for the last time in her life.

The feeling was short-lived as there was a sudden pounding at the door; surely Peacekeepers letting them know that Rory had been in there for way too long. They separated reluctantly and he made to leave without another word, but before he could turn around she grabbed his hand to stop him. "I love you so much," she finally said, in a choked whisper, wanting him to keep that one truth with him even if they were never to see each other again.

He didn't say it back, but his eyes told her more than those three words ever could.

She let go of him and he walked to the door, which was already open. She could see Hazelle and the kids waiting to come in. When Rory walked by, his mother tried to touch him, tell him something, but he dodged her grasp and took off in a run, in the opposite direction.

She didn't even have time to pull herself together before Posy barreled into her, muffling her sobs against her chest. Vick had to put his arms around little girl as well because there was no other way to hug Prim with Posy in the middle. "You gotta try your hardest to come back, Sis," he requested earnestly. She nodded and assured him she would. He squeezed her a little harder for a moment, then let go, standing to the side to let his mother pass.

Hazelle didn't hug her; instead, she brushed a few strands of Prim's hair back, softly. Prim trembled. The small caress reminded her of how much she missed her mother, and how much she wished to have her here, with her, in this most terrifying of moments. Hazelle seemed to understand that. She kissed Prim lightly on her temple and smiled through her tears. "You've made Rory so happy," she started. "And I want you to know that, in every way that matters, I consider you my daughter."

The words hit her like a hammer to her heart. She would try her hardest, but she was going to her death; they all knew it. She wouldn't come back to District Twelve again. She would never marry Rory. Yet there Hazelle was, letting her know that a signed sheet of paper and a slice of toasted bread didn't make a difference for her and her family. She was so overwhelmed, the only thing she could do was sniffle and mouth a "thank you."

Hazelle kissed her again, on the side of her head, and turned to try and pry Posy away. "Come on, honey, we have to go." She lightly pulled at the girl's arms. "There's not much time and there's still a lot of people who want to say goodbye to Prim."

The girl shook her head so emphatically, her ponytail went swishing from side to side like a whip. "I don't want to go," she sentenced, with a pout. She looked up at Prim, a frown framing her teary gray eyes. "I don't want you to go," she added, tears like pearls dropping down her cheeks.

Prim felt her heart break all over again. "Oh, sweetie," her breath came out in a sigh. "I don't want to go either," she admitted out loud, for the first time since her name was picked. It hurt. "But hey," she started, trying to sound more upbeat as she released Posy's grip from around her waist. She knelt down so the girl would be looking down at her instead of up. "You're going to keep the boys in check while I'm away, right?"

Posy sniffled a couple times, then shrugged. "Someone has to do it," she mumbled, almost resigned to her "terrible" fate.

Her expression made Prim laugh. "I love you, Posy."

The girl threw her arms around Prim's neck and hugged her tightly. "I love you too, Prim," she said, still sniffling. After a moment she let go, and heeded her mother's request to follow her and Vick out of the room. She gave Prim one last, sad wave before the door closed behind them.

In the few seconds she was alone, she took a moment to wipe off her tears and try to compose herself. She knew she would end up sobbing again anyway, but she was already so exhausted of crying. Her chest felt like someone had filled her lungs with lead and she was pretty sure that wasn't going to go away anytime soon.

She was just about to sit back down on the on the couch when the door opened again and someone unexpected, but not unwelcome, walked in. "Madge!"

"Hi, Prim," the older girl gave her a smile. Small and somewhat pained, as expected in the situation, but Prim appreciated it. Despite their social differences, Madge was unfailingly nice, and a good friend to Katniss. Prim would always be thankful for that. Madge came closer to her, a certain urgency in her steps. "I know you weren't expecting me, I'll be brief. I just wanted to give you something."

Prim wanted to assure her she didn't mind her coming to say goodbye, but before she could, Madge was pulling something out of her pocket. "They let you take one thing from the district to the arena. A keepsake, to remind you of home. Will you wear this?" She showed her what she was holding- a golden pin, round, in the shape of a bird in flight. A mockingjay, she realized, fleetingly remembering her father from the stories Katniss used to tell her about him before bedtime.

It was a very simple piece, but beautiful. "It belonged to a relative of mine," Madge explained quickly. "She was... in the same situation you are right now," she added. Since District Twelve had only ever had two victors, neither of which was female, it was safe to assume this relative of Madge's had died in the Games. But she didn't voice that out loud.

Prim was getting choked up again, and couldn't really reply to Madge's request, but she came up to pin the little golden figurine to her dress either way. "She was strong, and she had so many people who loved her," she continued speaking about her relative in a soft, dignified tone. When the pin was securely fastened, she smiled at Prim again. "So when you're in the arena, I want you to look at this pin and remember that. Let it give you strength, because you have people here who are waiting for you."

Prim's lip trembled. "I will," she said, feeling touched. Madge leaned in to give her a small hug, then walked out of the room as briskly as she had come in.

A few seconds later, Peeta walked into the room. He, too, was carrying something for her: a small red bag, which he handed to her as soon as he was within arms' length. "I made these for you. I was going to give them to you after... after," he explains a little choppily, and she understood he meant after the Reaping, if this hadn't happened, if she hadn't been chosen. But there was no point in thinking about what-could-have-beens now. "I know they're your favorite."

She opened the bag to find four sugar cookies, frosted in white, an exquisite design of a different flower piped onto each one. The kind she'd always thought were too pretty to eat, but were too delicious not to. "I know you'll be given plenty of food in the train," he added, "but I figured I might as well..."

She shook her head, not letting him put such a considerate detail down. "No, they're perfect," she told him. Those cookies meant so much more to her than anything the people from the Capitol could give her. She looked up at him, anxious. "Is Katniss okay?"

"She's upset," he conceded, looking like he wanted nothing more than to be able to tell her Katniss was alright. But they both knew she couldn't be. "But she's calmed down a bit," he appended, trying to make her feel a little bit better about it. She took that to mean she wasn't swinging punches anymore. "I don't know if they'll let her come see you," he continued. "She's not exactly in good standing with the Peacekeepers right now. Is there anything you'd like me to tell her?"

His words saddened her, the idea of not being able to see her beloved sister one last time almost too foreign to comprehend. "Just tell her I love her," she whispered weakly, daunted by the idea of not being able to tell Katniss directly just how much she meant to her. She knew; of course she knew. It was in every day they depended on each other, every moment they spent together, every word they said. A bond so powerful, it was like a lifeline. Yet not being able to just tell her that day, in these circumstances- she felt the weight in her chest grow heavier and heavier, almost cutting off her breath.

Peeta nodded, silent as she inhaled deeply, trying to regain her balance again. He kept his eyes on her, patiently, probably thinking she was on the verge of hyperventilation. She bit her lower lip hard, to keep from bursting into tears again. She had to be strong. Katniss would want her to be strong. "Peeta," she started, once she got a grip on her emotions. "Please, keep talking to her, every once in a while. It's good for her. I know she doesn't really show it, but she likes talking to you. Please, promise me," she requested, pressing the little bag of cookies to her chest.

He smiled a little, sadly, like Madge had. "I will," he promised her, sincerely. He opened his mouth to say something else, but closed it a second after, and she wondered what was so hard for him to say. But then he started again. "Prim, I..." He took a deep breath before finally coming out with it. "I'm in love with your sister," he professed, and it only took one look at him to know it was the truth.

She couldn't say she was surprised; the thought had crossed her mind before. Peeta was nice to everybody, but there was always a special glint in his eyes when he talked to Katniss. He seemed drawn to her every time she was near. And he tried so hard to make her smile; he probably thought it was subtle, but Prim was good at reading people and she recognized true affection when she saw it.

"I'm glad to hear that," she told him, meaning the words. As far as she was concerned, Katniss deserved all the love in the world. She didn't know if her sister returned the feeling and she wasn't one for meddling, but inwardly she wished he would tell her. It was good for a person to know they were loved, and all she wanted was for Katniss to be happy.

She hugged him, arms tight around his waist as she often did when she visited the bakery, and then he walked out, standing to the side to let the last of the Hawthornes in before disappearing into the hallway.

Gale made his way into the room, as always, all long strides and practical advice. They didn't have much time. "Okay, Prim. Listen," he started, holding her by the shoulders so as to make her look at him straight on. "You stay away from all of them, as long as you can. You're smarter than the whole bunch of 'em. I can tell you that without a doubt, and I haven't even seen them yet." That made her chuckle.

He remained serious. "Find water. Get whatever food you can from plants- I know you know plants better than anyone else, but either way, test everything before you eat it. If you're not sure, leave it. Find shelter, if there's any. You just take care of you, alright? Let them kill each other off while you're far, far away and safe." He exhaled heavily. "You'll have to confront them eventually, of course, but this is your best bet."

She relayed to him that she understood. It didn't made her feel much better; she still had no chance of winning, but she would try her best not to let him down. He enveloped her within his arms and her slim frame disappeared into his easily. "Please take care of Katniss," she asked him, because she knew he loved her sister as well. "She's going to need you more than ever. Make her happy."

He didn't respond- maybe he believed such a promise went unsaid, or maybe he, like all the others, didn't want to admit out loud that she wasn't going to make it. It could be either reason. He simply dropped a kiss on the top of her head, much like Hazelle had. "Give the Capitol hell, will you?" he muttered, his chin resting on top of her head, like he would sometimes jokingly do, just because he was taller. She almost smiled; the idea of her giving anyone hell was silly. But she appreciated his intention. "And come back. For Rory."

The reminder brought forth more tears, ones she couldn't hold back, as Gale walked out of the room briskly. She dropped to the couch, feeling like she weighed a ton, like she simply didn't have enough willpower to move anymore. Wetness poured down her cheeks unbridled, wetting the skirt of her dress as well as the red velvet covering of the back rest as she buried her face in the plush fabric.

She hugged her knees as she waited for the Peacekeepers to come in and take her to the train station. She wished she could be outside. If she was going to get one last hour in Twelve, she'd rather it be where she could breathe in dusty air that always smelled of coal, look at the flowers in the meadow or hear children rowdily playing on the dirt roads of the Seam. That room, as elegant as it was, felt completely alien to her, almost like she was no longer in her district.

But of course, she would only be allowed to take one last glimpse of her home through a window, as she took a one-way train ride away from everything she had ever known.

She heard the door open behind her and she tried her best to wipe her tears with the back of her hand before standing up slowly. She turned, fully expecting to find the Peacekeepers ready to lead her out of the room, but her eyes widened as she saw who the hurried steps on the hardwood floors actually belonged to. "Katniss!"

Her pace was quick and from her expression she seemed anxious. For a second Prim thought she had sneaked into the room and was worried, but then she dismissed the idea; there were two armed Peacekeepers stationed outside her door and they wouldn't ever just leave it unattended. They had to know Katniss had come in. She didn't know how she had convinced them to let her in, but she hoped she hadn't landed herself in even more trouble just to talk to her. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't have-"

Her words were cut off when Katniss resolutely walked up to her and threw her arms around her shoulders, hugging her tightly, desperately. Prim hugged her back, her hands fisting on the fabric of her sister's shirt. She knew it was folly, but the thought crossed her mind that if she clung to Katniss hard enough, they might not be able to separate them.

Her eyes fixed on the Peacekeepers who had, indeed, walked into the room right on Katniss' heels. One of them put down his weapon for a moment. "That's all you get. Come on, time's up," he stated, in a deep voice that, frankly, scared her a little.

Katniss seemed not to have heard the man. Instead, she reflexively pushed Prim's head so that her face would rest against her neck, much like their mother had done when she was little, and she wanted to keep Prim from the worst of the Games, even though they were forced to watch the carnage. Katniss's hands were trembling, much like their mother's used to. It brought her back to a simpler time, to the warmth of family- only this time, Katniss could not protect her. She would have to face the horrors of the Games first hand, and she would have to do it alone.

"I'll get you out of this," she heard her sister say, out loud, and the cold certainty in her tone put her immediately on edge. Normally the Peacekeepers wouldn't care for such a seditious declaration, but on a bad day, they were well within their rights to take such words as treason and have the culprit punished severely. And Katniss's scene at the Reaping ceremony pretty much guaranteed it wasn't a good day for Peacekeepers in general.

She pulled back from the tight embrace, panicked. Her sister's gray eyes were wide, but focused. She could already hear the Peacekeepers starting to move toward them. She gasped. "Katniss! No. There's nothing you can-"

She didn't let her finish. Her arms gripped her shoulders, much like Gale had, only tighter, almost in a spasm, but she held Prim's gaze without flinching. "I will get you out of this," she repeated, marking each word as if she meant to leave no doubt for whoever was listening. Prim was about to reply something, anything, through the knot that had formed in her throat, but just as she opened her mouth she felt Katniss be pulled harshly away from her.

The Peacekeepers grabbed her, one on each arm, much as they had in the square, and pulled at her forcefully. She tried to keep her hold on Prim as long as possible, her fingers clinging to the fabric of her sleeves, then her collar, and lastly the pin Madge had given her, a last ditch effort to hold on. It didn't work; the latch on the pin gave way and the force of the guards' pull propelled her backwards, the golden ornament still in her hand as they dragged her to the exit.

Prim watched the scene in stunned silence, holding her breath without even realizing it. "I'll get you out of this! Prim-" was the last she saw and heard of Katniss before the large, polished wooden door slammed closed with painful finality.

That's when her knees finally gave out and she fell to the floor. All she could do was cry and pray that her sister wouldn't do anything stupid.

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Author's note!-

Um. There, there. -Awkwardly pats readers' heads-

I know many of you were expecting Rory to volunteer. Sorry about that. I had to tease about it on principle, but it really was never in the cards for him, even from the beginning. But don't worry (?), I've got other plans for him.

Sorry this chapter took so long to get done. I really meant to have chapter 14 done really quickly, but-but-but then all the movie premieres! And my beautiful, beautiful cast! And the interviews, and the sneak peeks, and-and-and... well, let's just say I spent more time on Photoshop than I did on Notepad this week. But you know what, I really think I can't be faulted for being late with this chapter. With all of that going on, how could I ever be expected to think of anything else but the movie and how EPIC it's going to be?

And on that note, I'm just going to warn you while I can: since the movie's coming out this Friday, you probably should not expect me to update this until AFTER the weekend, at the very least. Just the sheer excitement is going to have my head all over the place, and then when the movie actually premieres I expect I'll be going to the theater four times a day every day for the rest of the weekend, so I don't anticipate I'll have much time to write, let alone upload a new chapter. But don't worry, you'll all be too busy flailing over the movie to even worry about this fic and my lack of updating. ;)

Thanks so much for all the support, guys! I hope you liked this. The next chapter is coming from an all-new PoV! Can you guess who it will be? Be sure to let me know in a review! =)