Epiphany

by SFCBruce

Sequel to Absolution. Katniss Everdeen, the reluctant Mockingjay and the living face of the Rebellion, and Peeta Mellark discover the true horrors of war, and eventually find themselves joined by a most unlikely ally in their fight against the Capitol. A/U, mature themes, occasional strong language, and continuing Everlark.

32. Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

PART I

"Senator Mellark?"

I glanced up from the message I had been reading on my PADD and turned my attention to the source of the voice – President Pullman's efficient, stern-faced secretary. "Yes?" I replied.

"The President will see you now. Would you follow me, please?" The secretary – I remembered her name was Valeria – didn't wait to see if I was following her as she turned and strode down a short corridor. As this was not my first visit to President Pullman's office, I had already begun to stand as soon as Valeria announced that the President was now available to see me. Valeria's efficiency was well known, and I knew that her somewhat abrupt manner tended to put people off, but I learned very quickly not to take it personally. Still, I had to hurry to catch up with her.

Outside the President's office, I was stopped by a pair of unsmiling men – part of the Presidential Security Detail. "Empty your pockets and remove your belt, please," one said as he held out a small plastic tray for me to deposit my belongings into. This did not surprise me. President Pullman had been the target of two assassination attempts by hard-core Loyalists. I quickly complied, but before I walked through the metal detector, I pulled up my pant-leg to expose my prosthetic leg.

"This will probably set your machine off," I said apologetically.

"We know, Senator," the other man said. "Please step over here and I'll use the wand on you."

Sure enough, the wand squawked loudly when it passed over my leg, prompting a closer examination. A moment later, satisfied that I didn't have a weapon secreted in my prosthesis, I was waved through to where Valeria was waiting by a closed door. As I approached, she opened the door and said, "You're scheduled for twelve minutes, Senator."

"Thank you," I said with a smile, and stepped through the door into the personal office of the President of Panem.

President Pullman was already rising from her chair as I entered. "Senator Mellark," she said with a smile, "thank you for taking time out of your day to see me."

I shook her hand and returned her smile with one of my own. "It's my pleasure, Madam President."

Pullman ushered me to a chair in front of her desk. "Please, sit," she said as she moved behind her desk. As we sat she said, "I'm glad we got this chance to chat before the official ceremony. I must admit, for someone that only reluctantly assumed your office, you made very compelling arguments to the rest of the Senate for the construction of the Triad hoverport."

I shrugged. "It's easy to be convincing when you believe in something strongly enough. And last winter's heavy snows really limited both road and rail traffic into the Triad. We needed a workable alternative."

"Still, I was impressed," Pullman said, and then sighed. "Every district has their pet projects, and we struggle each year to make our budget. It was a surprise that you managed to get a majority in the Senate to vote yes on your hoverport construction appropriations bill."

"I have Haymitch Abernathy to thank for that," I replied. "He's taught me a great deal about navigating what he calls 'the corridors of power.'"

Pullman chuckled. "No doubt he has." Her chuckled died away as she turned serious. "I wish there was some way for me to convince you to run for a full term in the Senate."

I shook my head. "I made a promise to Katniss, Madam President. Besides, you have me for a few more months. There's plenty of time to find someone that actually wants this job."

"That's the problem," Pullman said. "There's really no one else in the Triad District that I would consider to be a good candidate for the office."

"Madam President," I said, "when I was training to volunteer for the Hunger Games, Haymitch was my Mentor, and he would always hammer home the most valuable piece of advice that I received. He said, 'Boy, if you wanna stay alive, you gotta think outside the box.' Well, that's exactly what we must do here. In this case, we need to think outside the Triad. If there's no viable candidates inside the Triad, then we need to look outside. After all, the Triad is composed entirely of refugees from other districts. It's not as if we have a district loaded with old and powerful families that all want to suck at what Haymitch calls the 'power teat.' We need to find the right person, even if that right person doesn't yet live in the Triad."

At this, Pullman smiled mysteriously. "Perhaps you're right. We're just not looking in the right place." She chuckled again. "I must say, Senator Abernathy has a somewhat colorful way of getting his points across."

At that moment, there was a quick rap on the door, followed by the door opening slightly. I turned to see Valeria lean into Pullman's office slightly. "I apologize, Madam President. But you requested to be informed when Miss Blackstone arrived."

"Ahh, yes," Pullman said as she rose to her feet. Turning to me, she said, "I'm afraid we have to cut this short, Senator. Sperantia Blackstone is on my staff, working out of the Office of District Resettlement. She's been working on some options to expedite refugee resettlement into new districts. Valeria will give you the details regarding the appropriations bill signing ceremony." She extended her hand. "I trust you'll be heading back to the Triad after the ceremony?"

I shook her hand firmly and replied, "Yes, Madam President. I still have a business to run there." I paused, and then added, "I didn't know Sperantia was on your staff. I still find it difficult to believe that she's old enough to serve in government."

Pullman smiled. "She's twenty-two, Senator – the same age as your sister-in-law. By the way, I understand that Primrose has started her residency at Victor's Mercy. Please congratulate her for me when you see her."

I shook my head. It seems like yesterday that I was standing with the other District Twelve sixteen-year-old boys listening to Effie Trinket read Prim's name on Reaping Day. "I'll be seeing her tonight at dinner, Madam President. It will be the last chance for Katniss to spend time with her sister before we head back home."

"Well, give her my best," Pullman said, and then added, "now, if you'll excuse me –"

Before I could respond, Valeria had stepped in and was very efficiently propelling me back towards her desk, where she quickly outlined the sequence of events for the next mornings' signing ceremony. I only half-listened as she spoke – after all, I had the complete schedule in my hand. My thoughts were already turning towards home and getting back to the familiar smells of my bakery.

But first, I said to myself, dinner tonight with Prim Everdeen and Rory Hawthorne.

PART II

As it happened, there were six extra guests for dinner at Prim and Rory's small apartment. The unexpected presence of Haymitch and Effie, along with the late President Coriolanus Snow's granddaughter-turned-rebel Andromeda and her "significant other," July Barrow, as well as Sperantia Blackstone and my fellow Rebel Victor, Enobaria of District Two, necessitated us all taking dinner informally in Prim's living room. The dining room table was simply too small to seat us all.

Andromeda and July were most definitely Panem's "odd couple." Andromeda – "Meda" to her friends – had, until her defection to the Rebellion, lived a life of luxury and privilege as the granddaughter of President Coriolanus Snow. On the other hand, July had been raised in District Twelve's Community Home – a place where the best treatment that a child could expect was indifference, where hunger was a way of life, and where even a lifetime of toiling in the coal mines of Twelve was considered an improvement. Until the Rebellion, there was no way that the world that Meda lived in would have ever crossed with July's world. They were as opposite as two people could possibly be – and it was very clear that they were both deeply in love with each other.

The pairing of Sperantia Blackstone and Enobaria was another surprise. Sperantia, or "Speri" to her friends, had also been born into wealth and privilege. Her father had been one of Coriolanus Snow's most trusted ministers, and Speri herself been a hard-core Loyalist. She had been captured during my rescue and gradually, over the next few months, her eyes had been opened to the realities of how harsh life in the districts had been for everyone not fortunate enough to have been born in the Capitol. Enobaria had been another surprise. She wasn't just a fellow Victor, but a Career Victor originally from District Two. She had trained for the Hunger Games from a young age and, like Speri, had been a hard-core Loyalist – totally dedicated to serving the Capitol and President Snow. The Rebellion had changed all that when Enobaria, along with other Victors, had been arrested early in the Rebellion. As many Victors were actively siding with the Rebels, President Snow had ordered the arrest of all Victors, including those from the Career districts – a decision that did not sit well with Enobaria, and one that caused her to re-examine exactly where her loyalties truly were.

Enobaria, along with District One Victors Gloss and Cashmere, as well as District Seven Victor Johanna Mason, had been imprisoned with me at the time of my rescue. Taken to District Thirteen, they had all ended up supporting the Rebellion. By the end of the war, Enobaria had begun a romantic relationship with Lieutenant Jackson, a District Thirteen soldier that Katniss and I had worked with extensively during the Rebellion. Jackson had been killed in a terror attack conducted by the former Head Gamemaker, Seneca Crane – an event that sent Enobaria into a deep, lengthy depression. I was surprised, then, when Enobaria and Speri showed up for dinner. Their relationship was quite obviously romantic, and Enobaria's appearance had drastically changed since I had last seen her, over five years ago. Her teeth, which she had sharpened after her Hunger Games victory to give her a more predatory look, had been restored to their normal human appearance.

As it happened, Prim and Rory's unexpected guests would not be the only surprise in store for us that evening.

---

"Never thought I'd see the day," Haymitch Abernathy said laconically, "where Enobaria would be sittin' on the floor, playin' with another Victor's baby."

I chuckled. "Times have changed, Haymitch," I observed. Haymitch and I were standing outside Prim and Rory's apartment, watching Enobaria play with Violet Rose, to my daughter's immense amusement. Hard to believe that this is the same person that won her Games by literally ripping out her opponent's throat with her teeth, I thought.

Haymitch sighed. "That they have, boy. That they have." As he spoke, Effie Trinket-Abernathy, now visibly pregnant, entered the room where Enobaria and Violet Rose were playing. Haymitch and I stood on the patio watched through the sliding-glass door as Effie, with some effort, dropped to her knees and joined Enobaria in playing with my daughter.

"So, I hear you're headin' back to the Triad?" Haymitch asked casually.

I nodded. "Just as soon as Pullman signs my appropriations bill tomorrow. Katniss and I want to get back home. How about you and Effie? You've been away from Twelve – I mean, 'Everdeen' - for a lot longer than you usually are."

"I know. It's – Peeta, Effie's doctors don't want her traveling. You know, what with her miscarryin' before an' all. Just a precaution, they said." Haymitch paused for a moment. "Pullman's assigned me hovercraft priority, so I don't have to waste time traveling by train."

"But Effie's okay?" I asked, concern creeping into my voice. "I mean, that's what you wanted to talk to me about, right?"

"Yeah, she's fine," Haymitch replied. "And no, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

It was my turn to sigh. "I'm not standing for re-election, Haymitch."

My hunch turned out to be accurate. "Peeta," he began earnestly, "you got a real knack for this sorta thing. Your hoverport appropriations bill – you pushed that through like a veteran."

"With your help," I pointed out. "So Pullman better find somebody soon. I made it clear when I took this job that it was temporary."

"We did find someone," Haymitch admitted. "The question is, did we find someone that the folks in the Triad will vote for?"

"'We?'" I echoed. "Since when do you get involved in another districts' election?"

"Poor choice of words," Haymitch muttered, and then added, "Look. What you did – well, it's unheard of. You know how hard it is to get anything passed, dealing with the personalities from the other districts? And you did it on your first shot!"

"Like I told Pullman earlier," I said, "you have me for a few more months. If you have some pet project that you want my support on, you got it. But that's it. I want to go home, Haymitch! I want to just be a baker." I paused for a moment and then added, "So, who did you find that's willing to stand for election?"

Before Haymitch could answer, the door slid open. "You two need to stop talking about work," Effie chided us gently, "and come back in. Prim has an announcement that she wants to make and wants everybody to hear it all at once."

I grinned at Haymitch. "She knows you too well." I gestured towards the open door. "Age before beauty, Haymitch."

Haymitch snorted dismissively. "Kiss my old ass, boy," he muttered as he brushed by me and through the door. I ignored him and followed him through the door. I was curious about this announcement that Prim wanted to make.

---

"First of all," Prim began, her voice quavering slightly – whether from nerves or something else, I couldn't tell, "I want to thank everyone for being here tonight. As you know, I'm now officially a resident at Victor's Mercy, so I'll thank you all now in advance if you remember to please address me as 'Doctor.'"

We all laughed, and Prim seemed to relax. Katniss stood and hugged her sister tightly. "Then I'll be the first," she said as she gazed fondly at Prim. "Congratulations, Doctor Everdeen."

Everyone applauded at this, and it was Prim's turn to hug Katniss. Stepping back, her eyes glistening, she said, "I love you, Katniss. Thank you. But the real reason I wanted everyone here tonight is to let you all know that you won't be able to call me 'Doctor Everdeen' for much longer." She turned and smiled at Rory. "Soon, I'll be 'Doctor Hawthorne.'"

Katniss actually squealed in delight at this revelation, and moments later both Prim and Rory were deluged with hugs of congratulations. "Have you set a date?" Katniss demanded.

"September 24th," Prim replied with a smile. "Here, in the Capitol." She paused and touched Katniss's cheek with the tips of her fingers. "Katniss, I know how much you hate coming to the Capitol –"

"Not for this," Katniss said firmly, and then added, "does Mom know?"

"Not yet," Prim said. "I wanted to tell you first."

"I'm glad you did." Katniss smiled and turned towards me. "We'll need to come back no later than a week before. September 17th at the latest."

"I'm sure I can make that work," I said with a chuckle.

"I can too," Andromeda piped in. I glanced back at her quizzically. "What I mean is," she continued, "is…well, July and I have news of our own. We're relocating. Moving out of the Capitol – to the Triad."

This was most definitely unexpected. "When?" I asked.

Andromeda smiled nervously at me. "We're leaving on the same train as you and Katniss. Tomorrow."

Katniss looked puzzled. "I didn't know that you had a sponsor in the Triad," she said. Due to the increased popularity of relocating to the Triad, a law had gone into effect the previous year that required every person or family unit have a sponsor before their application would be considered.

Andromeda looked slightly uncomfortable. "We have a sponsor," she explained nervously. "But not in the Triad."

"What Meda's tryin' to say," Haymitch cut in, "is that her move has been approved by President Pullman, after bein' sponsored by a member of the Senate – namely me."

"It falls under the new law," Andromeda explained quickly. "A sponsor may be a member of the Senate if nominated by a member of the current president's administration."

"Then who –" I began.

"I nominated Meda and July," Sperantia Blackstone said firmly. "We need her in the Triad. She is willing to go."

Realization suddenly dawned on me. "You're going to run for my Senate seat in November."

"Well, you've said many times that you don't want it," Andromeda said defensively. "Plus, I need to work on clearing the Snow name. This is the best way that I've seen so far."

Katniss shook her head. "It'll never work," she said. "There's no way anyone in the Triad – or anywhere else, for that matter - will vote for a Snow." She looked at Andromeda apologetically. "I didn't mean any offense, Meda. But you of all people know what the Snow name means."

"What it meant, you mean, Katniss." Andromeda stood up and raised her chin defiantly. "My grandfather and my father did a lot of damage to my family name. I never realized that until…well, until I met you and Peeta. You two opened my eyes to a lot of things that I never really understood."

"Mine too," Sperantia added. "Much more than Meda. That's why I nominated her and July for relocation to the Triad."

"Don't be so sure about Meda's chances, Sweetheart," Haymitch said. "A lot more people look at her favorably than not. Plutarch Heavensbee's propos durin' the war really gave her a great image." He grinned at Andromeda. "People remember that."

Katniss didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. Doubt was written all over her face. Hell, even though I was very fond of Andromeda, I had my doubts about her chances. Still – the Triad was what Haymitch called a "melting pot," with residents from virtually every district in Panem, including the Capitol. Maybe, just maybe, she had a decent shot. One thing was certain, though – my days as a Senator would soon be over – one way or another.

PART III

Andromeda Snow's arrival in the Triad, and her subsequent announcement that she was running to fill my soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat, did have one effect that no one had anticipated. Residents of the Triad that had never seemed to be interested in holding public office were suddenly registering their candidacy for my seat. Within two weeks of Andromeda's announcement, no less than five other candidates had registered. It seemed that not enough people remembered Plutarch's propos, while too many people still had a sour taste in their mouth whenever the name "Snow" was uttered.

Andromeda was undeterred. She set up a small office near the new train station and campaigned from there. She also started a business out of the same office with July Barrow, repairing small electronic devices, such as PADD's, portable phones, and computers – skills that July had begun to acquire in District Three, and honed over the last several years in District Three. The business did surprisingly well despite the upswell of opposition to Andromeda's candidacy. Electronics production in District Three was still unable to meet the growing demand, and, until Andromeda and July opened their shop, there had been no one in the Triad with the skills to repair those vital electronic devices. July's skills filled a need, and soon he and Andromeda found themselves with a steady stream of customers.

Still, despite the initial success of their business, Andromeda and July found that many Triad residents were, at best, cool towards having Coriolanus Snow's granddaughter living among them. Katniss and I did what we could to ease her transition from Capitol dweller to life in what essentially a frontier district. We both openly endorsed Andromeda's candidacy for Senator and managed to get the endorsements of some other respected members of the community, among them Doctor Josephus Picardo and his wife, Cashmere; and Delly Cartwright. But, as the months passed, it seemed that Andromeda's election chances were not improving the way that she had hoped. There were just too many people opposed to the idea of a Snow holding any sort of public office.

That all changed two weeks before Election Day.

---

The first winter storm to hit the Triad arrived in late October. It blew down from the mountains and turned our pleasant late-fall warmth into a frigid, snow-covered expanse literally overnight. No one was prepared for it, even though we had received warning from the weather forecasters in the Capitol that it was coming. It had simply hit us too quickly.

Nevertheless, the storm didn't deter Andromeda. We had made plans to discuss last-minute campaign strategy over dinner with Katniss and me before the storm started, and, to my surprise, Andromeda showed up at our house, on time, to do just that. The only change was that she had come alone – July had been delayed at their shop due to a sudden upsurge of work and had thought it best to pass on dinner and concentrate on his business.

Andromeda, Katniss, and I got right to work as soon as we finished dinner, our only interruption coming in the form of a phone call to Katniss from her sister, Prim Everdeen-Hawthorne. The call was brief – Prim was just calling to check and see how we were weathering the storm – but, as soon as the call was over Katniss did happen to catch an update on road conditions in and around the Triad. West Road, the road that I drove every morning to go to work in the bakery, was going to be closed due to weather within the next hour. That information prompted Andromeda to cut our strategy session short, and she left soon afterwards.

After Andromeda had left, Katniss and I busied ourselves with getting Birch and Violet Rose ready for bed and cleaning up the dinner dishes. In other words, our typical evening routine. Afterwards, I busied myself with checking some messages that had been sent to my senate e-mail address. I was reading a message from Haymitch, who felt it necessary to remind me of the fact that I would still hold the office of Senator until my successor could be sworn in the following January – a not-so-subtle dig at my having missed two recent votes – when my phone rang.

"Hello, July," I said cheerfully when I saw his Caller ID pop up on my phone. "You missed a good dinner tonight. Katniss bagged a couple of nice rabbits earlier this week, and –"

"Is Meda still there, Peeta?" July asked anxiously.

"No," I said, surprised. "She left almost two hours ago. She's not home?"

"No, and she's not answering her phone." The worry was evident in July's voice. "I called the Peacekeepers. All the roads in and out of town are closed. They said they have plows going in town, but they won't start clearing the roads out of town until morning."

"Listen, July," I said firmly. "Don't you try to go out looking for her in this blizzard. I'll call the Peacekeepers. Maybe I can shake something loose there. The roads may be closed for the rest of us, but I'll bet that at least a few Peacekeepers are out on patrol. I'll call you back as soon as I get off the phone with them. Okay?"

"Okay," July replied doubtfully, and then added, "Peeta? I'm worried."

"I know," I murmured. "Just sit tight. Talk to you in a bit. Bye." I broke the connection without waiting for a response from July and punched the number for the Peacekeepers.

"Did I hear right?" Katniss asked as the phone began to ring. "Meda never made it home?"

I nodded and held up one finger in a "wait" gesture as a clipped, business-like voice answered my call. "Triad Public Safety Department. Officer Stevens."

"Officer, this is Senator Mellark," I began. "I'm calling about an overdue person –"

---

For the fifth time in as many minutes, Andromeda Snow second-guessed her decision to try to drive back to town from the Mellark's home during a blizzard.

Her windshield wipers were going full-speed as she leaned forward, straining her eyes to see anything that would tell her that she was still on the road – a patch of asphalt, a sign, a kilometer post – anything that would help her pick her way back into town. But the blowing snow was relentless – the thick, wet flakes silently impacting her windshield – and, despite her car's heater going full-blast, Andromeda felt the arctic cold seeping through the metal and glass.

Andromeda was so focused on keeping her car on the road and moving steadily forward that she didn't even notice the headlights of an oncoming vehicle until it was much too late for her to do anything other than gasp in surprise and stiffen in anticipation of the inevitable collision. Her car collided sharply with the oncoming vehicle with a sickening crunch, and Andromeda felt herself flung forward against her shoulder harness a split-second before the airbag inflated so forcefully that, to Andromeda, it felt like someone had punched her hard in the face. She sat, stunned and dazed from both the crash and the inflating airbag, as her car spun sideways, bounced twice, and stopped moving.

Andromeda wasn't sure how long she sat, barely conscious and unmoving, before she realized that her car was no longer running, and it was getting cold. She felt dizzy, and she was aware of a salty taste in her mouth. Gingerly, she touched her face, wincing with pain, and her fingertips came away wet. Andromeda couldn't see much in the darkened interior of her car, but she knew that the wetness on her fingers must be blood. Her blood. She groaned softly, the sound magnified in the absolute silence following the crash, and she began to grope around in the darkness for her phone. It was during her search that she became aware of a sound coming from outside her car. A familiar sound that seemed so out-of-place in her current situation.

It was the sound of a child crying.

Andromeda peered through her cracked windshield and was just barely able to make out a dark shape to her front. The other car, she thought. There's a child inside the other car. Andromeda tried sounding her car horn to let whoever was in the other vehicle know that she was there, but no sound came from repeated taps on the horn button. She then tried flashing her headlights, but they weren't working either. The crying grew louder, more insistent, and Andromeda knew that she only had one other option.

She had to leave her car and see if she could help whoever was in the other vehicle.

Andromeda took a deep breath, grasped the door handle, and pulled. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the door move to her touch. Not jammed, she thought with satisfaction as she pushed against the door. She grunted softly with the effort – the door wasn't jammed, but the frame had been damaged, and it was difficult to open – but she finally managed to force the door open. She gasped as the frigid air hit her and she clumsily unfastened her shoulder harness and staggered out of the relative warmth of her car into the growing blizzard.

Andromeda swayed as a wave of dizziness swept over her, and, for a moment, she thought that she was going to faint. She grabbed the door tightly, shut her eyes, and took a few careful deep breaths until the dizziness faded to a point where she no longer feared fainting. Andromeda opened her eyes slowly and squinted into the darkness at the dark shape of the other vehicle. The crying had faded to a few choked sobs, but it was enough to guide her, and she carefully picked her way to the driver's side door. Her feet and fingers were already growing numb from the cold by the time she felt the door handle in her grasp. Using both hands, she grabbed the handle and pulled – and nothing happened. The door was locked from the inside.

Andromeda groaned in frustration. She tapped on the window and called out, "Can you hear me? I can't open your door – it's locked!"

There was a new sound coming from inside the vehicle – a truck, Andromeda now realized – and a man's muffled groan joined the child's sobs. "Hello?" Andromeda called out again while tapping on the window once more. "Unlock your door!"

"Hush up that racket right now, boy," a man's gruff voice commanded. The child instantly complied, the sobs vanishing, to be replaced by shuddering gasps and sniffles from the child. "Enough of that crying," the man grumbled, and then, louder, said, "who's out there?"

"Andromeda Snow." Andromeda paused, and then added, "We…we had an accident."

"No shit," the man's voice said wearily. "Hang on," he added, and Andromeda heard the passenger side door unlock. "Go around to the other side," the man ordered.

Andromeda hesitated. "Just unlock your door," she said, "so I can get you and the boy out."

"I can't," the man said thickly. "I think my leg's broken."

What do I do now? Andromeda was shivering with the cold and was fighting another wave of dizziness. She could scarcely feel her feet and it took an effort to move her fingers. "Better hurry, girl," the man said weakly. "You're gonna freeze standin' out there."

Doing something is better than doing nothing, she thought. "Okay," she called out and began to feel her way to the other side of the truck. So cold. So cold. So –

Her fingers brushed against the passenger door handle and she gripped it with both hands and tugged. Like her own door, it was difficult to open, and would only open part-way. Andromeda barely fit through the opening and breathed a sigh of relief when she managed to pull her legs into the truck and close the door behind her. She sat for a moment, shivering, and worked her fingers to regain some feeling in her frozen hands. "S-s-s-so c-c-c-cold," she muttered through her chattering teeth.

A light hit her in her eyes, and she turned, eyes narrowed against the glare, towards the driver. "Wha-?" was all she managed. The light snapped off instantly.

"Sorry," the man muttered. The light snapped back on, this time pointed away from her face, and Andromeda could see that the man had a small flashlight. In the dim light Andromeda could barely make out the man's face. Even though his brow was furrowed in pain, there was no mistaking the bushy auburn beard and the shock of unruly hair.

"Dog Johansson," Andromeda said softly. Dogwood Johansson, formerly a District Seven lumberjack, was Andromeda's chief rival for the soon-to-be-vacant Triad senate seat.

"Baby Snow," Dogwood 'Dog' Johansson said tiredly. "Your granddad did his level best to off me during the war. You here to finish the job?"

"That's not fair," Andromeda protested weakly. "I sided with the Rebels!"

"Yeah, yeah," Dog replied dismissively. His breath was clearly visible in the rapidly-cooling truck cab. "All that don't mean shit right now. We'll freeze to death by mornin' if no one finds us quick. What the hell happened to your face?"

The thought of them freezing to death caused Andromeda to shiver, and not with cold. "I don't know," she replied absently. "My air bag inflated when you hit me. I think –"

"Whoa!" Dog snapped. "You think that I hit you? Missy, it's the other way around!" Suddenly he stiffened and stifled a yelp of pain.

"What difference does it make if I hit you or you hit me?" Andromeda said sharply. "Here we are. We need to keep our heads. Give me your light." She held out her hand expectantly.

"Why?" Dog asked suspiciously.

"I want to look at your hurt leg," Andromeda explained impatiently. "Now give me your light!"

"So now you're a doctor?" Dog muttered as he reluctantly handed the flashlight to Andromeda.

Andromeda ignored the remark and bent forward. Dog's right leg appeared fine, but it was obvious that his left leg was the one that was injured. The shin was twisted unnaturally and there was a large lump under Dog's trouser leg. Gingerly, Andromeda ran her fingertips over the lump, causing Dog to gasp in pain.

"Watch it!" Dog said through clenched teeth.

In response, Andromeda held up her fingers. Her fingertips glistened in the dim light. "You're bleeding," she said accusingly. "Why didn't you say something?"

"It's nothing," Dog lied. As Andromeda watched, the dark stain on Dog's trouser leg spread. Andromeda didn't hesitate. She unbuckled her belt and pulled it off, and then passed one end under Dog's leg just above the knee. She then inserted the free end of the belt through the buckle and carefully pulled it tight, earning her a new gasp of pain, and some choice words, from Dog.

"What…what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Dog grunted.

"Trying to stop the bleeding," Andromeda muttered. She handed the free end of the belt to Dog. "Keep that tight," she said. "If you let go you'll bleed worse than you are now."

Dog glared at her but said nothing. He grasped the belt and pulled as Andromeda dropped to her knees on the floorboard and shined the flashlight under the truck seat. "Aha!" she exclaimed after a moment. She reached under the seat and pulled out a long screwdriver.

"What's that for?" Dog asked as Andromeda straightened up.

"I'm going to use it to tighten my belt on your leg," she explained. Carefully, she slid the screwdriver under the belt and began to turn it slowly, tightening the belt even further, and then wrapped the free end of the belt around the screwdriver handle. It was a sloppy job, but the best that Andromeda could manage with her numbed fingers. "Let me know if you feel it loosen," she said.

"Where'd you pick up that little trick?" Dog asked, and then added, "Probably not from your grandpa."

Andromeda ignored the veiled insult. "It's called a tourniquet. I learned how to put one on when I was working in the hospital in District Thirteen, during the war."

"I know what it's called," Dog muttered. "I seen a few myself durin' the war."

The child, who had silently watched with wide eyes, finally spoke. "I'm cold, daddy."

Dog slid an arm around the boy's shoulders and pulled him close. "I know, Gunner. Daddy's cold, too."

"Wait a minute," Andromeda suddenly said. "I just remembered something." Steeling herself against the cold, she opened the truck door and slid out. "I need your light again," she said as she grabbed the flashlight off the seat and, ignoring Dog's protests, slammed the door.

It was even colder than before as Andromeda made her way back to her car. She moved as quickly as she could, forcing one of the back doors open, and shined her light onto the back seat. July had recently gotten a pet – a small black dog that he had named Coal – and had covered the back seat of their car with a blanket to protect the seats from Coal's long, black fur. Andromeda grabbed the blanket off the seat and clutched it triumphantly. She then made a quick search of the front seat, and quickly found what she was looking for – her phone. Her elation at this find quickly faded, however, when it was apparent that the phone was dead.

Still, she now had a means to keep them all a little warmer than before. Maybe, just maybe, they had a now had a chance to survive this artic cold until dawn. Quickly, she made her way back to the truck and slid back into the cab with her blanket. "Here," she said as she handed Dog the flashlight. She unfolded the blanket, pulled it over all three of them, and hoped that it would be enough to stave off the cold that was now causing them all to shiver uncontrollably.

The blanket was an improvement over what they had before, which was nothing at all, but the cold still managed to chill them all to the bone. "I found my phone," Andromeda said after a few minutes. "It's dead. Broken."

"Hmmph," Dog grunted. "Figures."

Andromeda was sure that there was some sort of veiled insult in Dog's one-word reply. "Where's your phone?" she asked defensively.

Dog hesitated for a moment. "Mine's dead too," he finally admitted.

"Figures," Andromeda muttered. She pulled the blanket up higher to try to cover her nose and mouth after she spoke. It didn't help.

"What's that supposed t' mean?" Dog asked sharply.

Andromeda chuckled humorlessly. "It means that you can dish it out, but you can't take it. You need to grow a thicker skin if you want to be a senator."

"How would you know, Baby Snow?" Dog muttered. "How would you know what I can and can't take?"

Gunner, sandwiched between Dog and Andromeda, had been quietly listening to the exchange. "Is this that girl, daddy?" he asked in a small voice. "The girl that you hate?"

"Don't say hate, boy," Dog ordered, his voice tinged with embarrassment. "I told you before that ain't a nice word."

Andromeda sighed and shook her head. "All these years since the war and you're still teaching your son to hate," she said sadly.

"Didn't you hear me correct him?" Dog snapped.

"That's beside the point." Andromeda stared at the windshield, now completed covered over with snow. "Children learn from their parents. How are you going to cope with having to deal with Capitolites if you're a senator?"

"The Capitol ain't in charge anymore," Dog pointed out.

"True," Andromeda admitted, and then added, "but most of the people that run the bureaucracy are from the Capitol. They're the only ones that have the necessary training to keep the government operating. And you'll have to deal with them every single day – if you're elected."

"Oh, I will be," Dog said confidently. "This country don't want another Snow with any authority."

"I'm not running for senator because it gives me 'authority,'" Andromeda said softly. "I'm running because I owe a lot of people debts that I can't ever repay. So, if I can't pay them back directly, maybe I can repay them this way – by making a positive difference." Andromeda paused for a moment. "Unlike you," she added emphatically.

"I want to make a difference, too," Dog said defensively.

"I wouldn't know it from the way you talk." Andromeda countered. "All you've ever said is how much you want to prevent me from being elected. 'Not another Snow,' I believe is your main campaign slogan. And not one word about what plans, if any, you have to improve life here in the Triad."

"I got plans," Dog said hesitantly.

"We have time," Andromeda replied. "Tell me about them."

"Well…uhhh…I think we need a lumber mill. So's we don't hafta import finished lumber from Seven," Dog said triumphantly.

"A lumber mill," Andromeda chuckled, and then added, "that's your best idea?"

"Well, we need one." Dog was defensive once again. "We can build a lot cheaper if we produce our own lumber, and we can harvest from our own forests." He shifted under the blanket and added, "What's your plan, then, Baby Snow?"

"'Plans,' you mean," Andromeda corrected. "We need a decent hospital. Better public transportation. Emergency fire and medical services. A permanent school. But," she added, as a note of bitterness crept into her voice, "no one wants to listen to 'Baby Snow.'"

Dog said nothing. "All my life," Andromeda continued softly, "I've tried to do the right thing. I just didn't know most of the time what the 'right thing' was. When I was fourteen, I learned that the 'right thing' was not the same as the 'safe thing.' That's when I betrayed my grandfather and helped rescue Peeta Mellark."

"In Seven, we called him 'the Last Victor,'" Dog said, almost to himself.

"I did the 'right thing' when I helped rescue him," Andromeda's voiced quivered as she added, "It cost me my family and almost every friend I had. And I ended up in a district where no one trusted me, and the only friend that I had for a long time was Peeta. And when I went back to the Capitol, after the war…well, the Capitol then was full of Loyalists, and they all hated me – called me traitor…and worse." Andromeda laughed softly, but there was no humor in her laugh. "So don't think that I've had it easy. For years I've been surrounded by people that hate me for my name, or because I'm a Capitolite, or that think I'm a traitor and want to see me dead." Andromeda shifted in her seat as she turned and faced Dog in the darkened cab. "I've suffered. I just don't wear it for everyone to see."

"We all suffered," Dog said, and then groaned softly.

"What's wrong?" Andromeda asked in concern. "Your leg?"

"It's nothin'," Dog grumbled. "Leave it alone."

Andromeda ignored him. "Gunner, can we switch places for a minute? I need to look at your daddies hurt leg."

"Okay," the boy said sleepily. He slid past Andromeda as the girl settled into place next to Dog.

"I told ya, it's nothin'," Dog protested. He winced as Andromeda's fingers softly probed the area around the wound. "Easy!" he snapped.

"It feels warmer," Andromeda said. She placed her palm against Dog's head. A lot warmer than before, she said to herself. "How do you feel?" she asked.

"Like shit," Dog admitted weakly.

"You're feverish," Andromeda said matter-of-factly. A sudden wave of dizziness hit her, and she clenched her eyes shut. Her head throbbed and she tasted bile in the back of her throat. Andromeda took several deep, shuddering breaths and gradually the dizziness abated. "I…I have to go for…for help," she managed to gasp.

"Out there?" Dog asked incredulously. "Girl, you won't last five minutes in that storm!"

"I have to try," Andromeda said stubbornly. "Gunner can't do it. You're still bleeding, you're feverish, and if I don't try you'll most likely die." She threw the blanket off her and shivered as the cold air struck her with an almost physical force. "Are there any homes back the way you came?"

Dog shook his head. "You're crazy. Bat-shit crazy."

Andromeda sighed. "Just answer the question, Dog."

"One, I think," Dog finally said. "A kilometer, maybe a kilometer-and-a-half. It'll be on your left." He shook his head again. "Not that you'll make it that far."

"I'll make it," Andromeda said firmly as she grasped the door handle.

"Wait," Dog said. "If I'm as sick as you think I am, why not just let me die? I mean, I have the best chance of beating you."

Andromeda grinned tightly. "I could ask you the same question. Why not let me go? I mean, you don't think I'll make it, so you think that I'll die out there in this blizzard."

Dog snorted in disgust. "You think that's the only way I'll be elected? If you die?" He shook his head weakly. "Missy, you're stayin' right here!"

Andromeda opened the truck door and cringed as the frigid outside air hit her with almost physical force. "You'll have to catch me first," she said as she stepped out of the truck, and then quickly slammed the door behind her.

Andromeda turned, hunched her shoulders against the storm, and began to trudge resolutely away from the pair of wrecked vehicles. It seemed like forever before Dog's shouted curses and demands faded away, to be replaced by the rhythmic crunch of new snow under her soaking-wet shoes.

---

Peacekeeper-Corporal Flint Stewart peered through the windshield of the tactical personnel carrier and, for the tenth time in the last twenty minutes, cursed the storm, the idiots that decided to drive in foul weather like this, and his commander – in that order. Stewart was a rarity – a pre-war Peacekeeper that remained in the corps following the fall of the Capitol and the establishment of the new government. Even rarer, he had been posted to District One for the duration of the war and had never heard a shot fired in anger. District One had been staunchly Loyalist, and uprisings or other acts of civil disobedience there were rare, isolated incidents. Peacekeepers posted to One actually spent the bulk of their time keeping the peace instead of fighting Rebels, and that had suited Stewart just fine. From District Two originally, Stewart had volunteered for the Peacekeeper Corps out of a sense of duty and a desire to serve. He certainly wasn't a coward, but he discovered early on that he had no stomach for flogging district residents for curfew violations or hanging these same residents for capital crimes such as theft of food. And, once the war ended and the Triad was opened for settlement, Stewart, eager for a change of scenery, had been one of the first Peacekeepers to volunteer for reassignment.

Details like this caused him to have second thoughts.

He had only himself to blame for this detail. The tactical personnel carrier was unsuited for search-and-rescue work – but, with all-wheel drive and independent suspension, the armored truck was the only vehicle that could operate effectively in a full-on blizzard. And Stewart was the best TPC driver in the detachment.

A patch of ice caused the heavy vehicle to skid slightly. Stewart cursed under his breath and tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he guided the truck out of the skid. Not taking his eyes off the road, he spoke two terse words. "See anything?"

His "spotter" – a Peacekeeper equipped with infrared goggles – shook his head. "Just snow. And hey, Corporal – try to keep this beast on the road, huh?"

"Newbies," Stewart muttered. "Why the commander stuck me with you, Applewhite –"

Unlike pre-war Peacekeepers, the majority of which came from District Two, Furrow Applewhite was recruited from District Nine. A good-natured, affable farm-boy, he was the opposite of Stewart's taciturn demeanor. "Aww, Corp…you know you secretly wanted me along," he teased.

"My ass I did," Stewart snorted. "Just do your job, noob."

Applewhite threw up his hands in mock surrender. "Just keeping things light, Corp." Getting no response, he once again turned his attention to scanning the snow-covered terrain to the front and sides of the TPC. He stifled a yawn. "How much longer? My eyes are gettin' tired."

"All the way up West Road to the Mellark's place," Stewart replied. "And no one gives a shit about your eyes –" Stewart stopped suddenly, causing the TPC to lurch and slid slightly.

Applewhite was suddenly alert. "See something?" he asked breathlessly.

"Maybe," Stewart muttered. "Scan infrared from ten to twelve o'clock," he ordered.

Applewhite nodded and began to sweep slowly from left to right. Suddenly, he stopped. "I have a heat source," he announced excitedly. "Eleven o'clock at about thirty meters."

"Just off the road," Stewart murmured. He took the TPC out of gear and set the handbrake. "Okay, noob. Don't get excited. Probably just another false alarm. Still, we need to go take a look at it." He reached back over his shoulder and rapped sharply on the sliding window between the cab and the crew compartment, where a medical team was stationed. "Doc, we're checking something out. Stand by."

"Copy that, Corp," a woman's muffled voice replied.

Applewhite sighed and pushed the goggles up and onto his forehead. "Sure you don't want me to wait here the TPC?" he asked hopefully, even as he pulled gloves onto his hands.

Stewart chuckled and shook his head. "Not a chance. I freeze, you freeze." He jerked his head at Applewhite's door. "After you."

Applewhite sighed again, hunched his shoulders, and opened his door. Stewart nodded, turned, and opened his own door. He winced as the frigid air rushed into the cab. "Let's get this over with, Applewhite."

The two Peacekeepers met at the front of the TPC. Applewhite gestured with the flashlight he clutched in one hand. "That way."

Stewart nodded and began wading through the calf-high drifts of wet snow. "Can't see shit," he muttered. "Noob, do an IR sweep. See if you can get a solid fix on that heat source."

"On it." Applewhite pushed the goggles back down over his eyes. His head briefly swiveled from side to side and then pointed. "There."

"Let's go." Together the pair waded laboriously through the drifts. They were a few meters away from what appeared to be a mound of snow when the mound suddenly moved slightly, and a very human groan reached their ears.

"Holy shit," Stewart muttered as he hurried forward, with Applewhite awkwardly lurching along behind him. The mound groaned again as Stewart dropped to his knees and brushed clumps of snow away to reveal a face that had become very familiar to the residents of the Triad.

Stewart fumbled for his radio and, with trembling fingers, held it up to his mouth. "Doc, this is Stewart. Get out here with your team. We've found Andromeda Snow."

PART IV

The waiting room at Dr. Picardo's small clinic was standing room only, and it seemed that half of the Triad was either jammed inside, or shivering outside, as they waited for the latest update on Andromeda Snow and Dog Johansson.

Of course, waiting room priority had been given to Andromeda's significant other, July Barrow, as well as Dog's wife, Kati. They both paced back and forth – no easy task as crowded as the room was – their faces etched with worry. For Kati, the waiting was doubly difficult. Not only was Dog with Dr. Picardo, but Dog and Kati's son Gunner as well. Katniss was pacing with Kati – we had both Birch and Violet Rose with us, and the baby was starting to fuss a bit – and I could see Katniss talking to Kati in low tones. From Kati's wan smiles I assumed that Katniss was offering her some words of comfort. I didn't know Kati Johansson very well – she was a small, quiet, blonde woman that visited the bakery from time to time – but I knew enough about her to know that she was totally devoted to her husband and son.

The outer door opened behind me, and I turned to see Madge and Finnick enter the already-crowded waiting area. Madge's infant daughter was swaddled in a cloth wraparound that held her tightly to Madge's chest, leaving her hands free. I idly wondered why Katniss didn't use something similar as I watched Madge and Finnick push their way through the crowd towards where I stood with Birch.

"Any word?" Madge asked as she reached me.

I shook my head. "Not yet. Do you have any idea exactly what happened?"

"I spoke with the Peacekeeper Corporal that found Meda," Madge replied. "She was pretty well out of it, but he was able to get from her that Meda and Dog had been in some sort of accident, and that Meda had gone for help." She paused for a moment. "Meda insisted that the Peacekeepers continue down the road to rescue Dog and Gunner also. She'd managed to walk over a kilometer in that storm before she collapsed. Corporal Stewart thinks she was heading for a homestead another couple hundred meters down the road."

"Why risk going out in that blizzard?" I asked in amazement. "She should have called for help. Unless –"

Madge nodded. "Meda's phone was broken – most likely in the accident. And Dog's phone was dead." She leaned closer to me and spoke in low tones, so only I could hear her. "I don't want this to get out just yet, but Picardo called me when they were first brought in and asked that I contact Victor's Mercy in the Capitol and have them send a medical hovercraft out here as soon as possible."

I nodded. "Picardo's good, don't get me wrong," I said, "but I'm sure they need more than what this clinic –"

At that moment, the clinic door swung open, and Dr. Josephus Picardo entered the waiting room. "Governor," he said formally, "if I may add another item to your no-doubt-crowded agenda – we need a second doctor here in the Triad."

"I'll work on that," Madge replied, and then added, "as soon as we get your update."

Picardo smiled tightly. "A fair enough quid pro quo," he said. "However, I think any divulgence of medical information should only be made to July Barrow and Kati Johansson."

At this, I turned and raised my arms. "You heard the doc, folks. Let's clear –"

"Wait," a quiet voice said. I glanced over at the source – Kati Johansson. "I'd like for Madge and Finnick, as well as Katniss and Peeta, to remain. Is that all right?"

Picardo shrugged. "Madam," he said formally, "whatever you wish."

The crowd in the waiting room was surprisingly cooperative, and soon there was just a handful remaining. "Now then," Picardo said. "Mrs. Johansson. Your husband has a broken leg and has lost a significant amount of blood. I've splinted the leg, given him a broad-spectrum antibiotic and a little morphling for the pain, and treated him for exposure. Oh, and he's getting a blood transfusion."

"I didn't know you had a stock of blood," I said.

Picardo grinned tightly. "I don't. Cashmere happens to share Mr. Johansson's blood type. She graciously donated half a liter, which is even now dripping into Mr. Johansson."

"And my son?" Kati asked in a small voice.

"The boy was uninjured in the crash," Picardo assured her. "A bit of exposure is all. He'll be able to go home with you. Your husband will need to be evacuated to Victor's Mercy, however." He glanced at Madge. "When can we expect the medical hovercraft?"

"Any time," Madge assured him.

"Excellent." Picardo gently touched Kati on her shoulder. "I expect your husband to make a full recovery at Victor's Mercy, madam. We simply don't have the facilities here to properly set his leg."

Tears glistened in Kati's eyes. "Thank you," she whispered.

Picardo smiled at her gently before turning towards July. "Now," he said, "about Miss Snow. She has a concussion and a broken nose. Her exposure is more severe than Mr. Johansson's, and her feet, hands, and face are frostbitten. Victor's Mercy can treat her frostbite without having to resort to amputating her toes and fingers – which would have been my only option here," he added pointedly. "This incident really hammers home the fact that we need a hospital, and other physicians, here posthaste."

"I have a few days left in office," I said. "I can get things moving in that direction in the time I have left."

"I have faith in you, young Victor," Picardo said, and then added, "I have to say, if it weren't for Andromeda Snow going out for help, there's a good chance that this entire incident would not have ended very well."

"Wouldn't the searchers have found the accident site anyway?" Katniss asked. "I mean, Meda was found a little more than a kilometer from where the wreck occurred, and on the same road."

"I can answer that, Katniss," Madge said. "Corporal Stewart told me that the weather, combined with how fast the drifts built up, made it impossible for them to move any faster than a walking pace. Until they found Andromeda, they were forced to look at every unusual mound and hump that their infrared scanners picked up. He estimates that they wouldn't have reached the crash site for at least another hour at that rate. Once they rescued Andromeda, they arrived at the crash in about ten minutes, even as bad as the weather was."

"And that was the difference," Picardo said. "Dog was still bleeding despite the crude tourniquet, and he, along with Gunner, were very close to terminal hypothermia." As he spoke, I notice Kati's eyes widening as the realization of just how close she came to losing both her husband and her son hit her.

Doc Picardo noticed Kati's reaction also. "Mrs. Johansson," he said gently, "would you like to come back and see your husband and son? Dog may be drowsy from the morphling, but I daresay your presence will greatly aid his recovery." He then turned towards July. "Mr. Barrow, I'm sure you would like to see Andromeda as well."

"Yes." Kati's voice trembled a bit with emotion. "Yes, I would like that very much."

"Me, too," July said thickly. "I mean, yes. Yes, I want to see her."

"Right this way, then," Picardo said with a smile as he opened the door that led to his suite of exam and treatment rooms and gestured for Kati and July to follow him. Just before he shut the door, he turned and spoke to Madge. "Please let me know the instant that the medical hovercraft arrives."

Picardo didn't wait for Madge's reply. As the door shut, Madge let out a chuckle. "Well, it looks like I have my orders."

Finnick touched her shoulder gently. "I'll check on that for you, sweet," he said.

Madge gave him a quick kiss. "Thanks, love."

After Finnick left, Madge turned towards me. "How far do you think you'll get on shaking some hospital money loose from the Capitol in the time you have left?"

I grinned. "Just watch me."

PART V

"I hate being stuck here," Andromeda groused. "It's Election Day and I can't even cast a ballot!"

It was a beautiful late-fall day in the Capitol. True to my word, I had returned to the Capitol to lay the foundation for the hospital construction legislation for my successor to finish. It had been an unplanned trip – in fact, I had not planned on returning to the Capitol at all, until the near-tragedy on the night of the blizzard, and the glaring necessity of a Triad hospital, caused a last-minute change of plans. And, as Andromeda Snow and Dog Johansson were still both hospitalized in Victor's Mercy, I decided to make daily visits to both a part of my "official" itinerary. Dog was getting along nicely. His broken leg had responded very well to the rapid healing protocols that had, ironically, been developed to treat new Hunger Games Victors that had often suffered serious wounds themselves on the way to winning their Games. He would most likely be discharged and sent back to the Triad in the next day or two.

Andromeda was another story. Her frostbite had been more severe than originally thought. Amputation would not be necessary, thank goodness, but she was still hampered by the tissue regeneration sleeves that she was forced to wear on her hands and feet. As a result, she needed help to literally do everything – to include eating and using the restroom. Couple that with her frustration at being here, in the hospital, while the citizens of the Triad were casting their vote for their next Senator, it was no wonder that she was not in the best of moods.

I tried to cheer her up. "I spoke with Katniss about an hour ago," I said cheerfully. "People back home are still talking about what you did the night of the blizzard. Meda, you may not believe this, but you're something of a hero to a lot of people because of what you did that night."

Andromeda blushed. "I just did what anyone else would do."

"Maybe," I replied. "But the fact remains that you did it."

Andromeda shifted awkwardly in her wheelchair, as she tried to find a more comfortable position. We were sitting on the sun deck of Victor's Mercy Hospital – an area on the roof of the main building that patients and visitors alike used to take in fresh air and sunshine. Andromeda had been provided with an unpowered wheelchair so she could leave her hospital room, although she needed someone to push her wherever she needed to go. The sun deck was practically deserted. Other than Andromeda and myself, there was only other patient that I could see – a young girl of maybe eleven or twelve, her arm in a sling, sitting with a man and a woman that I assumed were her parents. While Andromeda and I talked, I noticed the girl watching us intently.

"Don't look now," I said quietly, "but we have an audience."

"What? Who?" Andromeda asked in surprise, as she swiveled her head from side to side.

"I told you not to look!" I said with a chuckle, and then added, "Never mind. Our audience is coming over."

Andromeda had her back to the girl and her family, so she couldn't see the girl's tentative approach. "Who is it?" she asked anxiously.

"You'll see in a moment," I replied. "Don't worry. It's just a little girl."

The girl sidled around until Andromeda could see her. "Excuse me," the girl said. Her voice had a definite Capitol lilt to it and reminded me of how Effie sounded when I first met her. "I'm sorry for bothering you."

"No bother at all," I said reassuringly. I gestured to her in a "come on" motion.

The girl looked worried as she crept closer. "Are you sure? Mother and Father told me to come right back if –"

"It's all right," Andromeda said soothingly. "You're welcome here. What's your name?"

"Glorious," the girl said, and then quickly added, "but nobody calls me that. Everyone calls me Glory."

"Hello, Glory," Andromeda said with a smile. "I'm Andromeda. But everyone calls me Meda."

"I know," Glory said shyly. "You're the Snow Angel."

Andromeda looked puzzled. "Yes, I'm Andromeda Snow. But –"

"It's what they call you on the holo," Glory explained in surprise. "You mean you didn't know?"

"I've not watched much holo here," Andromeda admitted, and then turned towards me. "Did you know about this?"

"I may have heard it someplace," I replied with a shrug. "I figured you'd hear it eventually."

"It's what they called you after what you did in that Blizzard – the one in the Triad," Glory said, and then added, "when you saved that man and the little boy."

"Well, Glory, you can't always believe everything that you hear –" Andromeda began.

"- but in this case, it's all true," a masculine voice said. I turned to see Dog Johansson, his wife, Kati, and their son Gunner, exit the elevator behind us. Dog was clumsily walking on crutches, with Kati by his side, alert for any missteps that he may take.

I stood as they approached and waved Dog towards my chair. "Please, sit."

Dog shook his head. "Thanks, but no, Senator. I'm up here to stretch my legs, as it were, and to get some air." He turned towards Andromeda. "Missy, I ain't never gonna forget what you done for me and my boy," he said thickly.

Andromeda blushed again. "I knew it was true," Glory said firmly. She turned back towards where her parents were watching. "Mother! I told you it was her!"

At this, both the man and the woman hurried over. "We're so sorry, Senator, if Glory was bothering you," the man said apologetically.

"Not a bother at all," I said with a smile. "She's a –"

"Oh, not…not you, Senator Mellark," the man stammered, embarrassed. "I meant the Senator-Elect here."

"Who?" Andromeda and Dog said in unison.

"Please excuse my husband," Glory's mother said. "He's been following the district elections. It seems that the Triad's returns are coming in quickly now." She glanced first at Dog, then at Andromeda. "You mean you haven't heard?"

Andromeda shook her head. "I haven't been following. Too nervous, I guess."

"Well, then," Glory's mother said, "let me –"

Before she had a chance to finish her sentence, the elevator doors slid open, revealing an obviously excited Sperantia Blackstone, who squealed excitedly as soon as she saw Andromeda. "I rushed over as soon as I heard!" she gushed as she hugged Andromeda vigorously. "A little more than half the polls in the Triad are reporting that Meda has a huge lead over the lumberjack from Seven that she saved during the big blizzard."

Dog showed no reaction at Sperantia's outburst other than an almost imperceptible tightening of his lips. But I noticed – and so did Andromeda. "Speri," she said quietly as she nodded towards Dog, "the 'lumberjack from Seven' is standing right there."

"Oh." Sperantia, obviously embarrassed, turned towards Dog and his family. "Sir," she said contritely, "I'm very sorry –"

"For what?" Dog asked with a laugh. "Speakin' the truth? Never be afraid of the truth, ma'am." He turned and smiled at Andromeda. "Do us proud, Missy…I mean, 'Senator' Snow. And congratulations."

"Thank you," Andromeda said in a hushed voice.

I pulled Sperantia aside. "How reliable is this information, Speri?" I asked in a low voice.

"Solid," she replied. "Not even close. Meda is getting between eighty and ninety percent of the votes cast. The analysts on the holo are saying now that her lead is so big that she virtually has no chance of losing, even if the lumberjack swept the rest of the polls."

I nodded. "Thanks," I whispered. To Andromeda, I said, "I'll be heading back to the Triad in the morning. By the time you get home I'll be cleared out of my – I mean your – offices. I'll help you get settled in." I grinned at her. "You'll have your first test as soon as you're sworn in – the Triad Hospital."

"I'll need a lot of help," Andromeda admitted with a nervous smile.

"You'll get it," Dog Johansson said earnestly. "You'll do us proud, 'Senator.' I know you will."

Andromeda glanced up at the big ex-lumberjack. "Do you think that Panem is ready for another Snow holding political office?"

Dog nodded. "I know what stuff you're made of," he said thickly. "You're one Snow that this country needs."

PART VI

Eleven Years Later

"Dad?"

I looked up from the book in my lap and smiled at my son. "Yes, Birch?"

Birch shifted around uncomfortably. "Can I ask you something?" he finally said.

My son was at that in-between age – no longer a little boy, but not quite a man. A stage in life where he suddenly found it awkward, even difficult, to talk to me about what was important in his life. "Of course, son," I said warmly.

"Why does Mom hunt?" he blurted out. "I mean, we can buy meat in town. Sometimes she and Violet Rose are gone for hours. And if she must hunt, why does she use a bow? Wouldn't a hunting rifle be easier?"

I waved my hand towards the chair next to mine. "Sit down, Birch." I waited until Birch sat before I spoke again. "You know why your mother hunts," I said. "It relaxes her. And, we do eat what she kills."

"But she used to go alone," Birch pressed on. "Now she takes Violet Rose with her all the time."

"She took you a couple of times," I pointed out, while thinking, Is Birch jealous of the time Katniss spends with Violet Rose? "You didn't like it, remember?"

"I remember," Birch said, a trifle sullenly.

"Your mother was about as old as Violet Rose is now when her father started to teach her how to hunt," I said. "It was a skill that kept her, your Aunt Prim, and Grandma alive for many years."

Birch said nothing, but the expression on his face was one of skepticism. "Son," I continued gently, "this world that we live in now –" I gestured with one hand in a broad, sweeping motion "- is very different than the world that I was born into. You've never known hunger, or never having enough of anything, or fear at seeing a Peacekeeper walking towards you."

"We studied all that in school," Birch said impatiently. "What does that have to do with Mom?"

I sighed heavily. "You study facts and figures. But that's all those times are to you." I shut the book that I had been reading and handed it to Birch. "I want you to read this. Maybe it will give you some insight as to why your mother is the way she is."

Birch took the large volume from me. "The Treaty of Treason," he read aloud. "A history of the Dark Days, the Hunger Games era, and the Second Rebellion." He glanced up at me. "I studied all this," he said.

"You studied facts and figures," I said gently. "Read who the author is."

Birch opened the book. "By Plutarch Heavensbee," he read slowly. "With contributions by Enobaria Blackstone, Finnick Odair –" he paused and looked up at me, surprise on his face "- Haymitch Abernathy, Katniss Everdeen-Mellark, and Peeta Mellark." He slowly closed the cover. "I didn't know you wrote a book."

"Plutarch wrote it," I corrected him. "I only provided a few contributions. Like your mother."

"Why do you want me to read this, Dad?" Birch asked softly.

"I took a look at the history textbooks your school uses," I replied slowly. "They get everything right – but there's no flavor to them. No sense of what it was like to live in those times. This –" I leaned forward and tapped the book "- gives you a real sense of what it was like then. Remember, it wasn't all that long ago."

Birch looked thoughtful. Finally, he said, "I'll read it, if you want me to."

"Good," I said, and then added, "one more thing. There are a lot of pictures in this book. They aren't sanitized. Some of them are very graphic. But they're necessary to tell the real story, as ugly as it is." I smiled at Birch gently. "Read it. We'll talk again after you finish. And then, hopefully, you'll understand why your mother still hunts."

---

"You gave him the book? Why?"

Katniss's question was as much a rebuke as it was a query. We were in bed, late that night – the one place where we could be reasonably assured of being able to talk privately – when I had mentioned that I had given Birch the book that Plutarch had written. I had debated with myself on whether to tell Katniss now, or later. I decided now would be better, especially if Birch should ask his mother questions about the contents, rather than me.

"He needs to know about those times," I said simply.

"He does know," Katniss said with a sigh. "The schools teach –"

"Birch can recite facts and figures," I said as I cut Katniss off mid-sentence. "How many Hunger Games there were. How many Victors from each district. How many male versus female Victors. What they don't teach is the fear we all felt standing in that hot sun wondering if Effie was going to call our names. And they certainly don't begin to grasp what it was like for you and me – how I felt when Gale Hawthorne volunteered for me, or how you felt when you volunteered for Prim, or all the complex reasons why I volunteered the next year." I shifted around so I could see Katniss's face. Her expression was neutral, but the set of her mouth and the slight narrowing of her eyes told me that she was upset. I didn't know if it was because I gave our son the book, or whether I was dredging up old memories that Katniss had worked so hard to bury.

"I looked at Birch's history textbook," I continued. "They make us both out to heroes for volunteering. Like we did it for some noble cause."

"I did it to save Prim," Katniss whispered.

"I know," I said gently. "And how scared were you when you were sitting in the Justice Building, waiting to board the train for the Capitol?"

"I –" Katniss paused and shut her eyes tightly, as if trying to hold back the memory. "I thought I would never see Prim, or my mother, again."

"Plutarch's book mentions all that," I pointed out as I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly. "Birch needs to know that. So does Violet Rose, when she gets older and can better understand."

"I should be angry at you," she muttered. "I'll probably have nightmares tonight."

"And if you do," I murmured into her ear, "I'll be right here. Just you are for me when I have the bad dreams."

"That's why I can't be angry with you," Katniss whispered. "Because of that – and because you're right. Birch does need to know. And Violet Rose, too – someday." She sighed again. "I just wish I could forget."

"Not me," I said firmly. "I want to remember. So that it never happens again."

Katniss raised her head and looked at me sharply. "Do you really think it could happen again?"

I smiled at her. "Not with people like you and I still around. Or people like Finnick, and Haymitch, and Enobaria. It won't happen because all of us remember."

Katniss kissed me and then snuggled against me once more. "I love you, Peeta," she murmured.

"I love you, Katniss." And I did – a little more every day.

PART VII

Five Years Later

Inauguration Day.

It was a beautiful January morning in the Capitol. The air was crisp and fresh, and snow glinted off the mountains in the distance. Katniss and I stood on a raised platform in City Circle, along with other invited guests, and waited for the President-Elect and Vice-President Elect to arrive to take their oaths of office. I glanced around at the other guests. Haymitch and Effie Trinket-Abernathy stood to our left. Haymitch, now in his mid-sixties, sported a full beard and his lined face was a testament to the numerous battles that he had fought as a senator – an office that he had only recently retired from. Effie, of course, looked ageless as she clutched Haymitch's arm. She caught my eye and gave me a warm smile, which I immediately returned.

Finnick Odair and Madge Undersee-Odair stood to our immediate right. Madge had stepped down as Governor of the Triad several years earlier. Now, she and Finnick had retired from public life and lived quietly in the Triad with their four children. Also present were Katniss's sister, Dr. Primrose Everdeen-Hawthorne, and her husband, Rory Hawthorne, as well as Dr. Josephus Picardo and his wife, Cashmere. There were others there, of course – politicians and dignitaries from all over Panem – but these people had special meaning to me. These people were my friends.

There were absences, of course. Two were the most notable for Katniss and I. Colonel-President-Governor Boggs, who had been the glue that held the Rebellion together, had died peacefully the previous year. Plutarch Heavensbee suffered from senile dementia and was in a nursing home. It's safe to say that the Rebellion would not have succeeded without the contributions made by both men.

Katniss nudged me and gestured with a nod of her head to the base of the platform. A pair of limousines, flanked by a well-disciplined security detail, had stopped. "They're here," Katniss said unnecessarily.

"I see that, my love," I replied with a wink.

"Well," Katniss said, a trifle defensively, "you seemed to be daydreaming. I didn't want you to miss their entrance."

"For that, I thank you," I said with a smile. "And here they come."

The doors to both limousines opened and their passengers stepped out to spontaneous applause and cheers from the crown. President-Elect Andromeda Snow-Barrow stood for a moment and waved, as her husband, July, and two children joined her on the red carpet. Vice President-Elect Sperantia Blackstone stepped from the other limousine, accompanied by her wife, Enobaria Blackstone. As I watched, Sperantia leaned towards Andromeda and said something that caused Andromeda to laugh, and then both began to ascend the stairs, flanked by their spouses, and, in Andromeda's case, their children.

Once on the platform, both Andromeda and Sperantia quickly greeted their invited guests individually prior to taking their oaths of office. Andromeda gave me a huge smile when she stopped in front of Katniss and me. "Peeta," she said warmly, "And Katniss. I'm so happy to see you! But where are Birch and Violet Rose?"

"Both in the Academy," I replied with a smile. "Birch graduates in June and has been detailed as an Officer-in-Training to the Peacekeeper Detachment in Mason City. And Violet Rose is a plebe. Not even a former senator could get her special privilege to get out from under the thumb of her tactical officers."

"And, as President-Elect, I couldn't issue an executive order to grant them both leave." Andromeda chuckled, and then added, "How ironic that both of your children are training to become Peacekeeper officers."

"It's not the same Peacekeeper Corps that it was back then," Katniss pointed out. "Now, Peacekeepers are respected instead of feared."

"So true," Andromeda said. "You'll both stay for the Inaugural Ball?"

"We wouldn't miss it," I promised. "I do have to ask, though, before you go take the oath – what did Speri say to you a few minutes ago?"

Andromeda chuckled again. "She said, 'I wonder if Panem is really ready for another President Snow?'"

"These are different times," Katniss said. "You'll do fine."

"That's what I told her," Andromeda's husband, July, said. He leaned closer to me and whispered, "Not bad for a community home kid, huh, Peeta?"

"Not bad at all, July," I replied with a smile. I waved as he and Andromeda moved down the line, to be replaced by Sperantia Blackstone and Enobaria.

When Sperantia spoke to me, all she said was, "I hope I'm ready for this."

"You are, Speri," I assured her, and then added, "your father would be very proud of you."

Sperantia's mother and father had both died in a car accident some years earlier. Quintus Blackstone had been one of Coriolanus Snow's high-level ministers and had been instrumental in assisting the Rebellion with the eventual defeat and overthrow of the Snow regime. Although not allowed to hold any type of public office or position of authority with the new government, he was nevertheless instrumental in assisting that same new government in learning how the Capitol bureaucracy functioned, and his death was mourned by the entire nation.

Sperantia was moved by my statement. She blinked back a tear, kissed me on the cheek, and whispered, "Thank you."

Sperantia then moved down the line to speak with Katniss, and I was suddenly face-to-face with Enobaria. "Nice move, Mellark," she growled. "Leave it to you to upset Speri, today of all days."

"I didn't –" I began to say, before Enobaria's face creased in a huge grin and she hugged me firmly.

"After all these years and you still think I'm serious," she said with a laugh. "When will you ever learn?"

After Enobaria moved on, Katniss leaned in close to me and whispered, "What was that all about?"

"Just Eno being Eno," I said with a shrug.

Katniss grabbed my arm and nodded towards the front of the platform. "I think they're about to start."

I watched as both Andromeda and Sperantia walked slowly to the podium in the center of the platform, where the outgoing president – a no-nonsense, somewhat humorless man named Horatio Morgan, from Quarry Mountain – formerly District Two – waited, along with the Chief Justice of Panem. President Morgan stepped to the podium, adjusted the microphone, and intoned solemnly, "Citizens of Panem, please rise and attend the oath of office for our new President, Andromeda Snow."

Katniss and I applauded enthusiastically. When the applause died away, the Chief Justice stepped forward, turned to Andromeda, and said, "President-Elect Andromeda Snow, are you ready to take the oath?"

Andromeda took a deep breath and nodded. "I am," she said in a clear, firm voice.

"Please raise your right hand and place your left hand upon the Constitution of the Republic of Panem," the Chief Justice said. Once Andromeda complied, the Chief Justice began to administer the oath of office.

"I, Andromeda Snow –"

We've come full circle, I said to myself. Once again we have a Snow as President. But this one is different. She was an excellent Senator and she will be an excellent President.

"- do solemnly swear –"

Panem is thriving. The scars of war are healed. The population is increasing, everyone has enough to eat, decent housing, and productive work.

"– that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the Republic of Panem –"

No one is afraid. We are a nation without fear. No more Treaty of Treason. The Hunger Games are a distant memory. We are already entering the second generation of citizens that only know of the Games through what they learn in school. But they learn the truth, as ugly as it is. They need to know the unvarnished history, so they don't make the same mistakes.

"- and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Panem."

As Andromeda spoke the final words, I felt, for the first time since the end of the Rebellion, that we truly have left the old world behind, and were now ready for a new chapter. I applauded along with everyone else as Andromeda was introduced for the first time as President Andromeda Snow. And, unashamedly, I wept – tears of joy dripping down my face as the first notes of the Presidential March swelled up from the band that had been waiting patiently nearby.

I glanced at Katniss and noticed that her face was damp, along with that of her sister, Prim, as well as Effie. The sight made me smile. This right here, I thought, this makes up for everything bad. I thought about the hundreds of people that I had known in my life that weren't here to see this – but, in a way, I know that they knew. They knew and approved.

"Peeta," I heard Katniss say, "are you all right?"

I looked at the concerned face of my wife – the only woman that I ever loved, and ever will love, and smiled. "I'm perfect," I said, as I leaned down to kiss her.

When our lips parted, Katniss said softly, "We should go. We have an apartment set aside for us in the Palace. We need to get ready for the ball now that the ceremony has ended."

I nodded and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. As we walked the short distance from City Center to the Presidential Palace, I said, "It's not just the end of the ceremony, Katniss."

Katniss, puzzled, looked up at me. "What do you mean?"

I smiled again. "It's the end of the beginning." I waved my free arm in the general direction of the Palace. "The beginning for all of us. You, me, Prim, Rory – everyone. And all we have to look forward to is a glorious future."

Katniss smiled and rested her head against my arm as we walked. "In other words," she said, "the odds are now evah in our favuh."

Her Effie-accent made me laugh. "When we get home," I said, "we can start our future off right. Cheese buns and fried squirrel on the menu every day!"

Katniss looked up at me hopefully and added, "And bread?" she asked in a small voice.

"Always bread," I promised.

Katniss was silent for a while as we got closer to the Palace. But, as we fell in the line of people waiting to be screened by Palace security, she asked one final question.

"Peeta," she all but whispered, "promise me that you'll stay with me."

"Always," I said softly, and kissed her once more.

It truly has become a wonderful life.

The End…

Of the Beginning