I'm back! Sorry about the wait! School's been crazy! But now, i'm on winter break, so I can write a lot more! Here's chapter 29, and I hope ya'll enjoy! DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Hunger Games

I wake up and I find myself half dressed, strapped to a cold metal table in a room that reeks of chemicals. I feel a faint throbbing in my muscles and also feel very cold. I slowly turn my head to look at the IV that has been inserted into my right arm and is pumping me full of a clear liquid; saline most likely.

I tug slightly at the restraints around my wrists, but they're unrelenting. I do the same with the ones around my ankles, but the same happens. I decide then to relax and feel the calm hum of pain medication seep through my veins. I listen to the slight buzz of the fluorescent lights above me along with the purr of the hovercraft motor.

It can't have been too long since we were pulled out of the arena. The last thing I can remember is feeling the claw wrapping around me. My head is beginning to throb from my thinking, but I don't want to go to sleep. I just lay there and wait until a medical technician comes in to check the various monitors scattered about the room.

He sees that I am awake and speaks into an intercom on the wall. "Clove is awake. I'm giving her a small tranquilizer to prevent any violent attacks before releasing her restraints." He speaks, and then is responded to by a gruff sounding man. "Ok, we'll send the boy in shortly" the man's voice comes through the speaker.

It sounds oddly familiar, but I'm too weak to think of it. The medical tech reaches into a drawer and pulls out a syringe with a long needle and walks towards me. He pulls the protective cap off of the needle, flicking the plastic part to release any bubbles. "It won't hurt but a little bit." He says as he wipes an area of my neck clean with alcohol.

I feel the cool needle sink into my vein with a small pinch, and then everything becomes fuzzy and calm. "How do you feel?" he asks cautiously. "I feel…like I'm in a haze." I respond, blinking rapidly to try and make the blurred vision disappear. "Good, you're calmed then." He says as I feel the restraints release from my ankles and wrists.

I attempt to sit up, but have no strength in my abdomen for some reason. "I can't sit up." I say, hinting at the fact that I need help. He says nothing, but places a hand on my upper back and abdomen and slowly helps me up. "Thank you." I say plainly as he removes his hands from me. I look around the room, massaging the knots out of my neck and shoulders.

I hear light footsteps and doors sliding open and when I turn around, the man is gone. I'm sitting alone in a cold room, still immensely confused about the rule change in the games. There must have been a huge desire of the public for not just one, but two victor couples. "This is messed up." I mumble to myself, shaking my head.

I again hear the doors open, followed by a heavier set of footsteps. "Clove?" The hoarse voice speaks, just barely above a whisper. I turn to see a much slimmer Cato with his hair long and shaggy. "Hey" I say with a small smile and he approaches the spot where I sit. "You look like crap" he jokes as he places strokes a finger all over my shoulders and arms.

"I know, right?" I say self consciously. "But, I've never seen you look more beautiful at the same time." He says as he pulls my lips to his. I smile slightlyas he pulls away. "They'll heal. I'm sure they'll have some kind of medicine to heal any mark on the body waiting for us when we get to the Capitol." I say, tracing scratches and bruises down his face, neck, and collar bone.

"I don't want them to take them away…" he says. "I want to have the reminder of how I earned them. I don't want to forget." He tells me placing his hands on my waist to carefully place me on the floor. I look up to him and know we will never be the same again, but I wouldn't have it any other way. He tilts his head slightly down to kiss me gently, and then carefully kisses a scratch on my neck.

I just wrap my arms around his waist and try to cling onto something, I'm not sure why though. He releases me, and takes my hand to lead me out of the room. We step through the doors and I'm greeted by Brutus and Enorbia. "Good job darling. You did it." Brutus says, while kissing my cheek quickly. Enorbia envelops me in a hug, and I feel that we now a have special bond that only another victor could share. She's become my surrogate mother.

"Thank you." I mumble, still feeling weak from the sedative. "We'll be in the Capitol in a few minutes. Just try and relax for a while." Brutus says, guiding us to seats very similar to the ones used to take us into the arena in the first place.

We arrive in the hangar as two medical teams come to meet us at the ramp. They sweep Cato and me away to go and make our bodies perfect, but Cato and I have already agreed not to let them take away the scars. When I tell my team this, they protest dramatically, but know I won't relent on my decision. I do however; allow them to set a cracked rib, which I have no clue where it came from, back into place as well as stitch up and of my major open wounds.

When the medical team is done, my prep team enters in with squeals of joy and tight embraces. They pull and tug on my hair, trim my nails, wax me completely and apply almost bare makeup on my face. They then help me dress in a loose fitting shirt and leggings. When they're done, Enobaria comes and guides me back to our room.

Cato and I aren't allowed to see each other until the "big reveal" tomorrow on live TV. As I close my eyes to go to sleep, I think about how the games made me cold. I remember not feeling a thing after murdering several innocent children. Now I truly believe that I'll have no feelings for quite a long time.

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Ok! Now, I realized I forgot to post the thank you's from the last chapter. I'm going back to do them shortly! I hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter and i'll update again soon! I sure hope ya'll are still with me! If soi, let me know! You have no idea how encouraging just a few words can be :) Have a Merry Christmas!