Part 5: End of the Beginning

I sigh as I stand waiting outside the District 12 train station. It's been a week since I returned home to District 2. I spent that week getting to know my new extended family, and to see how my home had changed over the years. The Academy had been turned into the District 2 University, or D2U, as the students affectionately called it. The celebration of Reaping Day was surreal; where the Games were once cheered, fireworks were set off and dances were performed to celebrate the fact that the Reapings are no more. There are now three new holidays in Panem: Reaping Day, the anniversary of the day Katniss Everdeen volunteered for her sister, Mockingjay Day, the anniversary of the day the 75th Hunger Games ended, and finally Victory in the Capitol Day. VC Day celebrates the day the Districts triumphed over the Capitol.

Looking back, I realize that the day when Brutus nearly fell on me was the day Everdeen blew out the force field surrounding the 75th arena. It's strange to think that I was a factor in the Games that would ignite the Revolution. If I had succeeded in killing Katniss, none of this would have ever happened. If Cato and I had made it to the end, one of us would have killed the other. We wouldn't think of the berries. What would I being doing now if I had won? Probably laughing it up with Brutus and Enobaria in my mansion while secretly hating myself, with absolutely no idea of what awaited me upon death. Or maybe I would have fought alongside Lyme during the Rebellion, if it somehow managed to start without Katniss.

I managed to find Cato's family the day after I reunited with my own. It was something between awkward and icy. I wasn't exactly a favorite among Panem's historical figures, and the broadcast of Project Elisha's success and my resurrection has caused quite a stir. Telling them that their son was in Hell and that the project that brought me back might not be able to do the same with him didn't go over that well. At least they don't hate me. Can't say the same about everyone else though.

Ever since the broadcast people have been looking at me funny, both in District 2 and now in 12. Most of them look away as soon as they recognize me. Others, mainly teenagers, glare openly at me but don't say a word. I need to thank Charis for sending Blade along with me. So far the only one brave enough to openly show hostility was a little kid who walked up to me, said I was "a mean and bad person," and then ran off. He likely did it on a dare. Rue's probably getting the opposite treatment. Next to Katniss, she's the most beloved figure in recent history. The tragic victim. Well, we reap what we sow.

"Clove!" someone calls. I look over my shoulder and smile as Rue runs over to me. We hug briefly while Garret and Blade exchange their own greetings.

"So," I begin. "Did you get it?"

She grins and takes an old, weather-beaten book out of her bag. "Yep. That tree grew while I was gone. I had Goliath here yelling at me to be careful the whole time."

"Hey, something happens to you and I get fired or fed to a mutt," says Garret, smiling.

"You got the easy job here, Weiss," snorts Blade. "You get to babysit Panem's sweetheart while I have to be my sister-in-law's bodyguard."

"How'd she take the news?"

"It was pretty funny. Did you know she knocked me down a few weeks before she was reaped, for just flirting with her sister?"

"Hey," I growl. "What you said could hardly be considered a friendly flirt."

"What did he say?" inquires Rue.

"I tell you when you're my age. Come on, let's go pay Katniss Everdeen Mellark a visit."

Blade takes the front passenger seat of the taxi while the rest of us cram ourselves into the backseat. Blade tells the driver the "Victor's Village." I remember that District 12's main industry before the Rebellion was coal-mining. Apparently it's now some kind of manufacturing. We pass a factory and I spy the name "District 12 Pharmaceuticals" on the building's side. The coal miners make medicine now? I wonder how that would have played out with the Tribute Parade during the Games. Dressing them up as pills instead of coal-miners? The mental picture is enough to make me laugh out loud. Everyone looks at me oddly.

"I'll tell you later," I say.

We arrive at the Victor's Village within a few minutes. It's not as big as the one at District 2, just a dozen big houses. There are cars in each driveway. The elite of District 12 must make their home here.

Blade pays the taxi driver and we all troop up to the porch of Number 3. The house is basically the same as the ones in 2, except there are a few children's toys on the front porch. A tricycle, a toy truck, a toy mockingjay.

I stand in front of the door and stare at it for a moment. I can't help but wonder if an arrow is going to fly out and kill me the instant I touch the door. The last time I saw Katniss I was straddling her in the arena, preparing to cut her lips off and mocking her about Rue's death. I was a monster back then. She probably got every weapon in the house out and barricaded her family in the basement the instant she saw the news. I jump when Rue speaks.

"You want me to knock?" she asks. I nod gratefully and step aside. Katniss is likely to give her the red carpet treatment.

A moment after Rue knocks the door opens and a girl, about 10 years old looks out at us. She's basically a miniature of Katniss, only with blue eyes. She studies us for a moment and then asks, "May I help you?"

"Uh, is Katniss Mellark at home? We'd like to see her please," Garret speaks up.

She looks at us rather suspiciously. We're a pretty strange bunch: two adult men wearing guard uniforms, an 18 year old girl, and a 12 year old girl. "I'll go get her," she says at last and disappears back into the house.

I glance back at everyone and smile suddenly. "Volunteers anyone?"

"For what?" asks Blade.

"A human shield," I joke.

Everyone stares at me. "You are just like your sister," Blade snorts. "You both joke when you're nervous."

"I do not!"

Garret raises his eyebrows. "You're about to visit the girl that you tried to mutilate and murder 25 years ago. If you're not nervous, you have a problem."

I just glare at him. That's when little blue-eyed Katniss comes back. This time she's accompanied by a younger boy with blond hair and gray eyes. "She's in the kitchen. Come with me."

We follow them into the house. Nice place. When the Capitol decides to a make a nice place, they sure do. Too bad they also killed 23 kids a year for 75 years. I look at a picture of Katniss's and Peeta's wedding as we pass. They both look like the happiest people in the world. From what I've heard they went through after my Games, they more than deserve it.

We come to the kitchen's doorway and Katniss's children walk through it. Rue and I pause. "You first," I tell her. She nods and then walks through the doors. For a moment I catch a glimpse of two familiar yet different people through the door. Then it closes again. It would be best to give them a moment.

I lean up against the wall and reminisce. 25 years ago, I was able and willing to kill both Rue and Katniss. I had killed in the arena and loved it. I gloated over my kills and fantasized about killing Katniss and winning the Games. When that rule change for district partners was announced, I had started fantasizing about Cato as well. The only reason we didn't play the "star-crossed lovers" deal as well was because, one, neither of us appreciated "mush" that much, and two, we both believed the Games should be won through strength and skill, not putting on a romance show for some rich Capitolites. The night before I died, Cato had whispered to me that we'd make it official after we won. I never figured that Thresh would get to me before I got to Katniss. God must have had a hand in the results of the feast. My focus on Katniss isn't, uh, wasn't like me.

"I think it's alright to go in now," Garret tells me.

I nod, take a deep breath, and then walk through the door. The scene is pretty much what I expected. Katniss is on her knees hugging Rue and sobbing on her shoulder while the kids and Peeta are kneeling beside her in consolation. Both Katniss and Peeta are older since the last time I saw them, no surprise there. Personally, I thought their kids would be older. Then again, with everything I hear they've gone through, bringing new life into this world of ours probably sounded very cruel.

Peeta looks up at me. "Hello, Clove," he says quietly. I remember him at the Cornucopia, how I and the other Careers cornered him, how he talked his way out of getting killed, and then turned on us. I have to say, he is a grade-A liar if I ever saw one.

"Hi-ya Lover-Boy, Katniss." I reply. Katniss looks up at me. I notice that she moves slightly towards her children, though from the look in her eyes I can tell that any hate or resentment she's held towards me is either diminished or gone. I open my jacket a bit to show the insides. "No knives, Fire-Girl. I may never touch one again."

"Good to know," she responds.

Better get to what I came here for. "Katniss, Peeta, everything I did in the arena…I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I know that that probably means nothing to either of you, after everything I said and did. But there it is."

Katniss stands up and looks me direct in the eye. "If you said that to me just after the Rebellion, I wouldn't have believed you." Then her gaze softens. "But I've had more than 20 years to…recover from everything. I don't think we'll ever be friends, Clove, but I accept your apology…and I forgive you."

Peeta stands as well. "Same with me, Clove. It's good to see that redemption isn't impossible, even for the dead."

"It is impossible if you stay dead," I tell him.

"Which brings us to the other reason I came here," Rue pipes up. "Katniss, there is an afterlife. After I died in the arena, I found myself at Heaven's Gates. As for Clove…"

"It's pretty easy to imagine where I wound up," I say.

"Katniss," Rue continues, "I met Prim in Heaven. She misses you…and she's one of the people that have been chosen to come back."

Katniss just stands there. "Katniss?"

"I think Katniss just went into shock," I say. "She ever do this before?"

Peeta's about to answer when Katniss snaps out of it. Sobbing wildly she grabs both me and Rue in a hug. "Thank you, thank you," she cries. "Now my children can meet their aunt."

Never would I have dreamed that the Girl-on-Fire would willingly hug me, though I have to say I'm starting to get tired of all this mush. As Katniss's kids ply her with questions about their aunt, I take a moment to take stock on what I've got. The Games are gone, I'm back with my family, I've made a new friend, and I've accepted the Lord of the Universe as my personal savior. There's just one thing left.

"You're going to melt a hole in that door if you stare at it any harder."

I grunt and continue my staring contest. It's been a month since we got back from District 12 to the Project Elisha facility. Charis was more than happy to get the Bible. She contacted a printing company at District 7 and the new "Charis Snow Edition Bible" will be hitting the shelves in a few weeks. She's also agreed to finance our evangelical outings. She's really taken to what Rue's been telling her about Christ. It's nice when good people with financial power choose to use it for what's right instead of just for themselves.

More in the good news department: Another person from beyond has come back. Circuit Daniels, a tribute from the 72nd Games has returned from Heaven. He and Rue didn't know each other that well but since they've both been to Heaven and back, they've had a lot to talk about. Now that another of the people that Rue said were chosen to come back have, Charis ordered that the remaining Heaveners be fixed as soon as possible while trial and error is used to get those stuck in Hell back. There are those within the Project that will continue to try even after the Twelve are resurrected. That's just human nature for you.

This morning at breakfast we heard that they were going to try someone from the 74th Hunger Games: Cato. It's been hours since then and my stomach is giving me grief about leaving my breakfast half-finished. To distract myself, I start thinking about all the good times Cato and I had before our Games. This time we put laxative in the Academy drink dispensers and got away with it. Another time we put glue in a hat only to find out it was the Head Peacekeeper's. Again we avoided the heat. I smirk as I remember the time we snuck into a broom closet and actually got caught. Now that I think of it, we could've gotten shot for some of the things we did, like when we snuck out of the Academy grounds at night and barely got back in our beds.

Well, at least now capital punishment is only for murder, rape, and kidnapping, not for sneaking out or disagreeing with the government. To think, I used to actually believe that the Capitol and the Hunger Games, was good. I was such an idiot.

"I could grab a book for you," Rue says.

I snort. "Where? This place doesn't have a book anywhere."

"I think I saw something in the lobby. It's called a 'magazine.' "

I sigh. "Go ahead. I'll give it a shot if there's anything interesting."

As she heads out, I glare at the door. I start thinking back to before my trip to that oven. I know that part of my problem, besides being a trained homicidal maniac, was pride. My pride in being a District 2 citizen, my pride from attending the Academy, my pride in being good enough to go to the Games, it was like a drug. And right now, I'm being prideful and stubborn.

I bow my head and start praying. "Dear God, I'm sorry for my pride and for the path it led me on. Lord, just please…bring Cato back to me. He's one of the few people still living that truly understand me. I know that we both deserve what we got in Hell…but please, bring him back. I…I love him. I know that it's not my place to say who you should bring back, but I want him back. Thank you for what you have given me already. In your Name I pray, amen."

I close my eyes and lean against the back of my seat. I relax and before I know it, I'm asleep.

Dreams are funny things; they change in quick and odd ways. I'm having a very nice dream where I'm having lunch with Rue, Charis, Katniss, and a talking mockingjay. At one point the mockingjay turns into a wolf muttation that looks oddly like my sister and President Snow is present on a platter with an apple in his mouth. No sooner does Katniss shoot the apple out of his mouth with an arrow than the dream shifts and I'm looking down on Hell.

It's the same as last time I saw it; people screaming, demons torturing, fires roaring. For a brief instant I think I've come back, this time to stay. Then I notice something. Descending from the ceiling and passing me on its way down is a huge, glowing-blue hand. I watch as it goes down into the howling masses below. It stops, and then starts going back up with something in it. No sooner than it does, than every demon with wings screams and starts flying after the escaping soul.

The hand comes equal to me and then I start moving along with it. I stare into it and right into the surprised/terrified/relieved face of Cato. I begin urging the hand on as we surge through Hell's roof and into the interior of the Earth. Stalvo and Keelrate are at the head of the demonic column and they are angry. I scream for the hand to hurry, to not let them drag Cato back to Hell. There's a moment when he passes through a lava river and the demons almost catch up. This time a few demons stay with Stalvo as we come to the surface. They do not want someone else getting out of their domain. I can the rage, and as we continue to ascend, the despair in their eyes. Apparently Satan doesn't like it when a denizen of Hell is allowed to leave. Finally, we come up on the floor of the facility. The demons' scream of anger is matched only by my yell of exultation and praise.

With a start I wake up and shoot out of my chair, startling Rue. As the magazines she's carrying hit the floor, I charge the door and start banging on it. "Let me in, let me in!" I cry. Someone on the other side opens it and I fly through.

Charis and the scientists and technicians look up at me. "Clove, what are you doing? You shouldn't be in here. We don't know if it worked or not." A monitor starts beeping and everyone jumps. It's a heart monitor.

The see-through wall shows the machine powering down and the table moving out of it. Cato's face appears. His eyes are open in fear and confusion. Some of the scientists start going to the door but Charis stops them. "Clove, he knows you. You go first." I could honestly kiss her right now.

I walk through the door and into Cato's sight. He jumps and stares at me. "Clove," he croaks.

"Cato," I breathe. Then I run into his arms and hold him, hard. He latches on and I think I could stay like this forever. I hear the door open behind me and I recognize Rue's footsteps.

"Praise the Lord," she says simply.

"Yes, praise you God," I whisper.

"Clove, what's going on? Where are we? What's she doing here?" Cato's voice is laden with fear, dread, confusion, and hope, all at the same time.

"It's over, Cato. The Games, the Reapings, Hell. It's all over," I say. Yes, the beginning of Christ's return to Panem is coming to an end. The next stage of my redemption and life has begun.

THE END.