Well, this is the last real chapter. Next is the epilogue and then it ends. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story.. It means more to me than anything.

If I ever meet Suzanne Collins I'm going to tell her how much reading The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay depressed me, but I'm going to thank her for doing so. Twisted? Eh. I think not :)

xxxxx

Sometimes in life we are given chances and with those chances come new life and the ability to start over. We hold onto what life used to be and sometimes we never learn how to let go. Moving forward is painful after losing so many people that help you become who you are in life. Life. It waits for no man, and I'm glad it doesn't wait for me.

I climb out of Peeta's arms and take the chair to his left. He takes my hand in his large, warm one and I wave over the person calling my name. This new face is wearing a long white coat and I assume he is a doctor. What he wants with me exactly is lost on me. He comes over and sits in a chair across from me, almost in the same fashion as Faye did earlier. I think he knows he has the right person due to my haggard appearance. My assumptions were correct when he announced his title.

"Hello I'm Dr. Cardine, I was your mother's doctor. Katniss I just want to extend my deepest and most sincere apologies to you on the death of your mother." At this I feel Peeta squeeze my hand and I simply nod my thanks unsure of my voice at this moment. I look down and see my fingers intertwined with Peeta's and I feel stronger. I find my voice. "Thank you," I raise my head to actually look at the stranger. "Is there something you need me to do?" I find it odd that my mother's doctor would seek me out when I was already told how she died.

Dr. Cardine is an odd looking fellow with the top of his head beginning to thin and become bald. He looks shrunken over and even older than Faye. The corners of his eyes are crinkled even without smiling, but his green eyes stand out the most against his tan complexion. He looks like he has seen one too many deaths in his years as a physician, my mother is just added to the list.

"Oh no, I just want you to know that I worked with your mother while she was healthy. I just thought that," He has stopped to clear this throat. "I just thought you would like to have her things that were left at her station. No one wanted to take them down, but I felt we had to. She never stopped talking about your little sister, Prim if I am correct." I nod because once more my words have escaped me and if I think about what he said too much I will surely begin to cry. "Well, here it is." He hands me a box that Buttercup could fit in, but it is filled with things. I let go of Peeta and accept the box. I set it on my lap and stare at it. "Thank you." I whisper. He stands and looks down at me with all seriousness, "No. Thank you, Katniss." And at that he smiled and walked away in the same direction that he came.

I look at Peeta, but he's looking into the box trying to see what lies inside. I take a deep breath and peer down at the box in front of me. Peeta gets up and at first I don't understand what he's doing, but then I see him grip a small side table and drag it in front of me to put the contents of the box on.

"I don't think I can.." I trail off. I'm not ready to see my mother's personal things because I was unaware she had any.

"You can. And I will be here every step of the way. If we need to stop, we will but you will never forgive yourself if you just throw it all away." He pleads. Peeta's right, I won't forgive myself if I walk away and never look back.

I set the box on the table where I plan to empty its contents piece by piece. The first thing I pull out makes my heart sink and my eyes tear up. I feel that hole in my chest where my heart should be because of what I'm holding in my hands. It is a small piece of blank white paper that has amateur drawings on it. The first figure is in blue and they are outlined in a type of wax medium, they are the tallest out of all four figures. Next is outlined in purple and they are slightly smaller than the first. This figure looks more like a girl than the first figure which I assume is a boy. The next two figures are in the same purple color, one figure is taller than the other, but still smaller than the second figure. I slowly realize this is a family portrait. Not just any family, but my family. It is then that my tears prick my eyes because I see, in the bottom right hand corner of the page, "Primrose". She drew this and my mother kept it.

I then think of my little sister, which I hardly ever let myself do anymore. I remember her hair down to her favorite pair of shoes. She was my reason for living and at one time she felt more like my own child than my sister. I wanted to protect her, that is why I volunteered at the reaping and now she's gone because of my own rebellion. In trying to protect her, I killed her. No, I can't let myself feel this way. Prim would never have wanted me to cry for her, she would have wanted me to be happy.

Everyone that died for me would never have wanted me to crumble, for their death was not in vain. Cinna knew what he was doing when he put me in that dress that came ablaze. He knew he would be severely punished, he knew he would die for helping the cause. It is the same for Finnick. Never was there a moment I thought he was predictable. The courage and selflessness he possessed still amazes me even to this day. That truly breaks my heart because he was leaving behind Annie and their unborn son. He knew saving my life would mean saving his son's life and that is the ultimate sacrifice. It is nothing compared to what I did for Prim at the reaping.

The people that will forever remain with me are only memories now, but I will hold these memories with me until I die. I will not let them fade because what they did meant so much more than a silly mockinjay. What they did saved us.

I think Peeta understands how I feel at this moment because I feel his arm around me. I turn my face into his shoulder and I cry all the tears I thought were out of my system.

"We can finish looking through this later. We'll bring it back to District 12 with us and you don't have to look at it anymore." He says. I have calmed considerably and appreciate his voice.

"Okay. I want to put this all away," I sniff. "But I want to keep this though." I hold up the drawing and he understands. I fold it back up and put it in my pocket to look at later.

I see over Peeta's shoulder the window and I see the sun is trying to break through the horizon. I know it is time to leave the place of pain behind me and return to the place I call home.

xxxxx

Well, loves, the next chapter is it. It makes me sad to be done, but every story has an end eventually. Thank you all so much for sticking with me through this story. You all have a special place in my heart for every kind word that was said to me. But fear not, I will write another story because I really love these books and there is so much I can do to continue it. I hope to do it justice and now… onto the epilogue.