AN: Sorry it has taken me so long to write more of this, I don't really have much of an excuse other than that I am lazy. I need to go to work now but hopefully I'll be able to write more when I get back. We shall see, I really want to get back to updating regularly again.
Katniss POV:
I follow Cinna to one of our spare bedrooms. He tells me to go shower while he puts the finishing touches on my outfit. I nod and head into the bathroom. Slowly I turn on the shower and strip down until I am wearing nothing. I cautiously test the temperature of the water before stepping underneath it.
Once I'm clean I wrap myself in a towel and hesitantly re-enter the room Cinna is in. He glances up at me and holds out a white shirt and plain black trousers. "We've decided on a simpler outfit than usual for tonight's interview." He informs me. I nod and take the clothing.
I can feel Cinna's eyes on my arms as I pull the shirt on but he says nothing and I'm grateful for that. Finally he pulls out a black jacket with the red outline of a flame embroidered onto the side.
"So I'm still the girl on fire." I comment causing Cinna to give me a small smile. My hair is done up into its usual plait and Cinna quickly applies a light amount of make-up.
The interview is going to take place in the living room. A film crew should be there right now setting up our television so Caesar will appear on it. We won't see Caesar in person until we reach the Capitol.
Cinna escorts me to the living room door. Clove's stylist is already standing outside and he tells us Clove is in there. Cinna opens the door for me and pushes me into the room.
I can't help but smile when I see Clove, she's leaning against a wall looking extremely displeased. I notice she's dressed in black trousers and a red shirt, She glances up from glaring at the floor when I approach her and give me a small smile which I return as I join her in leaning against the wall.
A camera crew are setting up cameras around the room and one of them is fiddling with our television. "We're on in 10 minutes." The head camera man shouts and the crew increase their speed.
Finally we're ushered into the centre of the room, Clove takes my hand sending another smile my way just before the television flicks on. Caesar Flickerman beams at us on the screen and cameras surround us. "Here they are the victors of the 74th Hunger Games Katniss and Clove!" He announces as the crowd of Capitol people behind him erupt in applause.
"So tell me how has living together been?" He asks a huge grin plastered onto his face. I glance at Clove who doesn't look like she's going to answer.
"It's been good." I say after a short pause.
"Good? Only good? Come on give us the details!"
I glance at Clove hoping that she will come up with something as I have no idea what to say. "It's been great here in 12. It's different from 2 but I'm getting used to the changes." Clove says, she turns to me a small smile forming on her lips. "I'm just glad I can live with Katniss."
I find myself grinning and I kiss her passionately. I can hear the crowd that's watching us through the television cheering and I reluctantly pull away from her. Caesar asks us a few more questions which we awkwardly answer before the interview ends.
I sigh in relief as the camera crew shut off their cameras and walk off. They'll be spending the night in one of the spare houses in Victor's village and we will all get on a train in the morning that will take us on the victory tour.
Clove takes my hand and leads me towards the door silently but before we can exit we're bombarded by Effie and Clove's escort, Silka.
"You did brilliantly!" Effie tells us, Silka nods enthusiastically and takes Clove's free hand causing her to tense beside me, I glance at her and squeeze the hand that's in mine reassuringly.
"I'm so proud of you Clove!" She beams, Clove just purses her lips and extracts her hand from the Capitol woman's grasp, wrinkling her nose slightly to show her distaste for the woman in front of her.
"We should go finish packing for the tour." I state, giving us an excuse to leave the room filled with Capitol people.
Clove relaxes slightly when we're out of their sight. "Is the whole tour going to be like this?" She sighs when we're in our room, she flops down on the bed. I shrug the interview had been awkward since neither of us knew what to say for most of the questions.
"I hope not but probably." I say pulling a face. I pull out a bag and start throwing in necessities that I'll need. I don't bother with clothes, knowing that Cinna will provide all of our outfits for the tour. Clove sighs and grabs her bag stuffing her few items into it.
"I just wish they'd leave us alone. I don't want to have anything to do with the games anymore I just want to stay here with you." She tells me. I smile sadly and wrap my arms around her, kissing her quickly.
"I wish that too…We have to go though." I pull her close to me and bury my face in her shoulder, savouring the closeness of her.
She nods, she knows just as well as I do that we have to go on this tour. I shudder, I don't want to see Rue's district. I don't want to be reminded of Rue, it will only re-open the wound that she's dead and it's probably my fault. I don't want to see District 1 either, I'm responsible for the deaths of both of the tributes from that district, I shudder, I'm a murderer.
"What's wrong?" Clove asks, pulling away from me to look at me, her eyes filled with concern.
"It's nothing." I kiss her nose and she smiles slightly, her eyes showing that she doesn't believe me. I shake my head not wanting to talk about it and she seems to understand as she captures my lips with hers. A knock sounds at the door and we part reluctantly. When I open the door I find my sister standing there.
"Dinner's almost ready." She tells us. I nod and she leaves. Dinner is an awkward affair, my mother had done her best to cook up a large meal for all the Capitol people and it's obvious from their faces what they think of District 12 food.
Silka keeps giggling about how quaint everything here is and I can sense her giggling is getting on Clove's nerves as her knuckles turn white from gripping the knife in her hand so hard she fixes her escort with a cold glare. I reach for her knee under the table and she looks at me. I shake my head slightly, it wouldn't be good if she threw her knife at her escort like I can tell she wants to. She sighs and turns back to her plate stabbing the slab of meat with her knife probably imagining it to be her escorts face.
The next morning we have to get up early in order to catch the train. It feels like the entire population of District 12 is at the station to see us off although most of the people just watch us from a distance their eyes flicking to Clove unsurely.
The majority of people seem to be used to Clove's presence by now but a lot of them still don't seem to like her being here. I spot Gale standing between two burly miners he sends a small smile my way and I nod in acknowledgement.
I hug my mother and my sister ad stand back while my mother shakes Clove's hand. Prim surprises her with a hug which Clove awkwardly returns causing a few squeals from the Capitol people that will be joining us on this trip. Clove purses her lips and sends death glares to the brightly dressed people as they usher us towards the train.
The train is much like the train that took us to the Capitol for the games. It's just as fancy and has multiple compartments. I sit next to Clove in the TV compartment as Effie and Silka excitedly tell us the plan for the tour.
I spot Haymitch stumbling over to the refreshments table and pour himself a large glass of some alcoholic beverage. He sits down next to Effie while Clove's mentor watches him with a slight look of distaste on her face.
"We will reach District 11 by midday where we will have lunch on the train and you two will meet the mayor of 11 and after lunch you two will spend some time with your stylists and be on the stage for around 5:00." Effie tells us excitedly.
I nod, swallowing the lump that has formed in my throat at the thought of seeing Rue's home. Clove reaches for my hand and entwines her fingers with mine.
"After the ceremony we will spend the night on the train." Silka says, sounding slightly miffed at having to sleep on the train and then we will be off in the morning for District 10, it will be mostly the same routine for each district." Silka beams at us as if we should be excited about seeing the families of those that have died so we may live.
"But you won't get bored with all the routine, from here on it's mostly parties, feasts…" Effie trails off, a smile on her face, "So you two enjoy yourselves, you've earned it!" Effie's smiles widens and I feel the guilt that's been swirling in my stomach tighten into a knot.
"What did you say?" I ask, my voice coming out slightly hoarse with anger. I've earned it? I've killed people, people are dead. People with friends and family that are probably devastated right now. My thoughts drift to Peeta and my insides twist uncomfortably, he didn't deserve to die. He was a nice person, a kind human being that was better than anyone in the Capitol.
"I said enjoy yourself it Katniss, you've earned it." Effie says slightly exasperatedly, I clench my door and look at her in outrage
"By killing people?" I blurt out, everyone is silent and staring at me, Silka looks taken aback while Effie sighs in exasperation. Haymitch watches me with an unreadable expression on his face, I turn to Clove and see understanding in her eyes, she tightens her hold on my hand but I shake my head and pull away.
"Katniss…" Effie says, as if talking to a child who needs a long lecture on how to behave, I don't listen though. I simply get up and leave the compartment heading towards the back of the train. I need to get away from these Captiol people. These people who think that putting children into an arena to die is not only ok but something to be celebrated.
I reach the last carriage, it's a semicircle lined with windows, I stare out the windows for a long moment. Wishing that I could keep walking back to District 12 and into my woods. I watch the world go by for a few more seconds before sitting down on the red seats lining the walls.
Just as I've sat down I hear the door slide open, tensing I stare directly out of the window, not wanting to talk to Effie just yet. "Hey…" I turn when I hear Clove's voice. She smiles at me slightly and sits down next to me holding out an arm to me.
I mouth twitches into a smile on its own accord as I move closer to her, resting my head against her shoulder as she puts her arm around me. "You ok?" She asks after a while, I shrug in response, taking her free hand in mine and placing my fingers between hers.
She pulls my hand up to her lips and kisses my knuckles absentmindedly. "Effie's pissed off." Clove states, I snort in response. I don't care if Effie's pissed off or not. "It's kinda funny actually…Seeing her worked up like that, she's throwing her hands in the air and everything, being really dramatic." I can't help but laugh a little at this I can clearly imagine Effie acting like this.
"I'm glad." I tell her unable to keep the smile off my face as I snuggle close to my girlfriend, loving her presence here. Clove laughs slightly tightening her hold on me. "She shouldn't have said that stuff." I mutter, my voice cracking slightly. "I wish we could've saved her…She shouldn't have had to die, she was too young." I whisper unable to stop my voice from wobbling.
"Are we talking about Rue?" Clove asks quietly, I nod slightly, my eyes brimming with tears but I blink them away, I don't feel like crying. "I'm sorry she died too." Clove says softly, I gulp nodding my head.
"It's my fault…"
"No…" Clove pushes me away so she can look me in the eyes. "It's not your fault, it's the Capitol's fault, it's Snow's fault not yours." She says, looking deep into my eyes until I nod slowly, She gives me a sad smile as tear start to fall from my eyes. She leans in and kisses me until I stop crying.
"I love you." She whispers and I smile kissing her lips passionately.
"I love you too." We sit in silence cuddling each other as we watch the world speed by. We decide not to go back to the compartment where everyone else is, neither of us feeling like dealing with Effie right now.
Suddenly we enter tunnel and I pull away from Clove when I spot a blur that I sort of recognise. "What was…" I frown turning around and I see it again. A mockingjay inside a circle, like my pin, painted to the walls of the dimly lit tunnel. "Did you see that?" I ask. Clove nods, her eyes unreadable as she scans the walls we're speeding past.
Various graffiti is scattered throughout the tunnel, some of it has words but we can't make them out as the train is going too fast. Eventually the train slows when I spot a sign that say District 11. Suddenly I spot words that I can read painted in red onto the side of a train. "The odds are never in our favour." I read, I turn to Clove who's staring at the words and frown on her face.
We stand up and head back towards the compartment when everyone is and arrive just as the train pulls up at the station. "There you are we wondered here you two had gone off to." Effie says beckoning us over she seems to have forgotten about my earlier actions for now.
ant lunch is set out on the table and we sit down to eat. I share a look with Haymitch wondering if he'd seen any of that graffiti but from his bored demeanour I assume he hasn't.
I pick at the extravagant food, I don't really feel like eating, I'm in Rue's district and soon I'll have to face her family and from all that graffiti I can see that Snow's fears of a rebellion are not unfounded, my stomach flutters in fear at the thought of a war breaking out. I gulp and push the plate away from me, I don't think I'll be able to keep it down if I eat any more.