Epilogue—10 years later
"What do you think of this one?" Cinna says, fastening the clasps in the back of my dress. It is a simple black dress with a fire, starting at my heart, off my left shoulder. I twirl around a few times.
"I could dance in it," I tell him.
"That's a yes, then," he says with a smile. Cinna is dressing me for the Public Address tonight. Peeta and I need to make an announcement to Panem. "Your hair needs some help," Cinna snickers.
"Oh, shhh…" I tell him. "I'm thinking about getting it cut to shoulder-length. It hasn't been that short since I was four. Speaking of being four, I've got to check on Seraphina."
I leave my bedroom and walk into the playroom. Seraphina is looking through some picture books on her own. I can tell already that she's going to be the scholar of the family. Cinna even got her a pair of glasses for her fourth birthday to give her an intelligent edge. Why couldn't my hair be more like her's? She has beautiful blond hair, the same shade as Peeta's, and it's pin straight. I wish my hair was as manageable.
I turn around to leave the playroom and call out for my husband. "Peeta!" I shout.
"Over here," he calls back.
I find him squashed in our small powder room. I squeeze between him and the wall and give him a kiss. He's fixing his tie. I help him with it. After all these years, Cinna still designs our clothes and we are still the "fiery" couple. Seraphina and Aiden's names reflect that. "Have you seen Aiden?" I ask Peeta as I finish his tie.
"No… why?" he asks.
"Why? Because the Address is in less than half an hour and all five of us need to be in those couches looking neat and tidy at least five minutes before it begins!" I say.
"I'll get him…" Peeta says with a sigh. He steps out of the bathroom and calls, "Aiden Gale Mellark!"
"Coming!" a call comes back. Within moments, our eight-year-old son is standing at the powder room door.
"Good hustle," Peeta says, patting his shoulder.
I wipe off a few hairs from his jacket. "Please don't ruin this outfit, Aiden. Cinna just made it for you," I tell him.
"Alright," he says, looking into my eyes. It's those blue eyes. Aiden has them, Revelyn has them. It appeared at first that Seraphina would have them, but her eyes changed to brown a few days after she was born. Those blue eyes pierce you in a way. Aiden reminds me so much of his father.
"Revelyn!" I call up the stairs. "It's time to go!"
Revelyn Rue Mellark is just about the prettiest girl I've ever seen, and I don't say this only because I'm her mother. She has her hair in curls today. Cinna called in a hair stylist to do her hair just for the Address. She steps down the stairs in her red dress and makes a statement. I take a moment just to appreciate her beauty before going back into the playroom to get Seraphina.
When we reach the theater, the cameramen direct us on how to sit and face the cameras. I've done it many times before, so I know what we're supposed to do. It's mainly for the benefit of Aiden and Revelyn. They count off on their fingers and then we're live.
"Good evening, Panem and Happy 10th Birthday! It has been 10 years since the Capitol has been defeated and the Districts abolished. The Hunger Games are long since over, but on our 10th birthday as a country, we thought we'd tell you a little bit about what was masked in the Hunger Games," Peeta says.
"This is the first time we're sharing this information with anyone outside the inner trust circle. It is time you knew what really happened 10 years ago and the 75 years before that. You see, in the real world, there are very few blood-thirsty malicious people who are taken into the Hunger Games to kill. What then is the motive in the arena? The will to stay alive? The pressure of the viewers? No, ladies and gentlemen. Drugs. The Capitol had so many of the tributes on drugs, while several others had things whispered to them using bugs in their ears," I say.
"In fact, I was one of those people. At the beginning of the 74th Hunger Games, I received a drug which heightened my emotions and gave me a greater reason to kill. I felt that death was normal and expected. I felt the need to kill. The bugs were also implanted into people's heads. They whispered things at convenient times to the tributes. Most of them never spoke about the bugs, thinking that they were probably crazy and hearing things. That's one reason why I never told anyone about it. I didn't want to appear crazy," Peeta says.
"So during the 74th Games, rebellion was just about to break out. The genius behind setting it loose was Melanie Donner Undersee. She convinced our District escort to rig the Reapings with Peeta's and Prim's names and enlisted a rebellious designer to make statements for us. She implanted the mockingjay rebellion symbol through her daughter giving me a pin as my district token. She had a romantic affair with a District 12 former victor, Haymitch Abernathy, and convinced him on ways to coach us and direct us in the arena," I say.
"We thought it was time that everyone knew the truth," Peeta finishes.
We wait a few moments looking at the screen before I say, "Our country has had the roughest history of any country in the world. The number of helpless children killed in the Hunger Games over 74 years is absolutely outrageous. Over 1,700 children died as a result of them. The death toll in the District 13 War was over 2,000 people. And for what reason? To demonstrate the power of the Capitol? The Capitol has fallen. The deaths are behind us. Let us celebrate!" I announce.
The Address ends we are released from the theater. I hurry home to prepare for having Prim, Madge and Posy over for dinner. Prim has become one of the most successful doctors in Panem, but she doesn't own a big fancy house and neither does our family, even though Peeta is President. Madge adopted Posy Hawthorne after Gale passed. She remains a widower of ten years and thinks of Gale every day. We have a memorial for him in our background. I visit every Sunday and say a prayer for him.
Johanna and Morrison married a few years ago. They don't live too far from us. Morrison runs and operates his own coffee shop. He called it "Jamie's Place" and he bakes all of the bread and serves the coffee. Johanna happily does nothing except wake up to the smell of coffee. They are the strangest couple you could imagine, but somehow, they remain happy together.
Peeta became the country's President when my father resigned two years ago. My dad is now living 15 minutes away from Prim in a small cottage, retired and content. You would think Peeta would have many responsibilities as President, but somehow he manages to balance the country with his family life and painting. It is still his passion. The only artwork we have in our house is his. They are individual masterpieces.
Cinna practically lives with us now. He's always around and we have great fun with him and the family. I can look forward to every night because my husband is always there for me. He is never too busy to spend time with me.
Some nights though, I'll fall asleep and have nightmares remembering the troubles of the Games, the war, the arena. I have been scarred for life by the horrors the Capitol has placed upon me. It is constantly unbearable looking back at all the blood that was spilled to get me where I am now. I am eternally grateful to those who have given their lives for the rebellion, for the country, for me. I will never forget them.
Many nights, after I've tucked Revelyn, Aidan and Seraphina into bed, I'll step outside and climb a tree. That's where I'll meet Gale. He comes for me sometimes and whispers to me through the wind. He always says the same thing. "I love you, Catnip. Be strong." And I am… for Gale.
I remember a time when I thought there was no hope for the future. Now I'm in it and the future is as bright as it gets. My work is done.
Fin.
A/N: Wow. It is finally over *tear*
Thank you soooo much for your continous support for this story. I couldn't have done it without you.
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signed,
sparksflying