***Disclaimer; I don't own it. Wish I did.***
***Still rated M for a reason***
Author's note; Since I only received three reviews I've decided to make the next chapter the final chapter. It will be a long one but nesscessary for the story.-Enjoy.
Song suggestion; "We Shall Be Free" Garth Brooks.
Return of the Mocking Jay
Chapter 4
Moving On
Two Weeks Later, District Twelve:
Aries is in awe has sees the lodge for the first time with Katniss. The lodge is the same as the houses as Victor's Village but bigger & based on the one just outside of the capitol. They have gotten everything done for the District including a new Mayor since Mayor Undersee is retiring this year & is moving to Distirct Four.
Katniss & Aries were able to remain friends after what happened the last time. Inside though its killing Aries not to tell her that she doesn't that much time left here but he keeps his word for Cato's sake. The group start going to the train when gunshots rang out just missing Katniss. No one was hit, this time. Haymitch makes a call to the President.
"No one was hurt Mam but it's clear the Mocking Jay is still the target."
"Okay when she get to Eleven there will be a detail for her & one at each of the houses to protect her from here on."
With that, where ever Katniss went her detail was in tow. This didn't help her complete her mission. So instead she had the Town Hall meetings where everyone can have an input to get the job that Paylors needs done. Most of the Capitolist by then moved to District Twelve then promptly took over the district starting with the campain, to banish the Mocking Jay from there. She was in District Seven when a Hovercraft came, got her & her party fo rthe emergency hearing in Twelve.
When she had to return to Twelve for the hearing, her biggest advocates were there too. One of them being President Paylor. The Capitolist stated if they can be kicked out of their homes, the 'Mocking Jay' the scurge of the rebellion can be banished from her home since she voted to have their children in the games. Paylor stated;
"To the "Victor" go the spoils. You all thought nothing of sending in 24 kids every year with the exception of the Second Quarter Quell where you sent in 48 kids of 'district' birth to be slaughtered. You told us 'to the victor go the spoils'. Not fun when it became your turn to be on the receiving end of this. And for the record there was nothing wrong with Coin's platform. The 'Mocking Jay ' Volunteered again to take her out to save your children with MY permission after the murders of Victors, Peeta Mellark, Annie Otair & Enobaria Wise by Alma Coin to prevent another war! The districts went through 75 years of the games, you of capitol birth 2. Katniss even through herself in danger rescuing four of the younger children from the blast of the third ringer. Now ALL of you should be thanking her for those 24 children's lives & FOR ALL not to be subjected to the arenas ever again. Now who is going to 'banish' the Mocking Jay from her home?"
Over half still did. At this Katniss got up & spoke;
"The only reason I made that dreadful mistake was for my sister Prim. Who was killed helping the Capitolist children. I didn't know then that it was Coin. I didn't know until after the second arena. By then I had lost everything who meant the world to me. I lost Prim, my mother & I lost Peeta all because of Alma Coin. If I knew then what I know now, Coin would never been sworn in because I would have killed her instead of Snow. Yet you, NONE OF YOU ever thought to even apologise to the people nor their families whom you USED HAS YOUR entertainment. For this country to work, we have to do this together, as one. We have to learn from our mistakes & move on. If we do not learn from history, history is bound to repeat itself. "
The vote was just under half. At that point Haymitch weighted in;
"Okay ENOUGH OF THIS DAMN FOOLISHNESS! Now I claim VICTOR'S status. If the Mocking Jay goes so does every program for this district & Tweleve gets leveled. That's right since those of district had to build their homes & businesses, so DO YOU! Also I will personally level every single building before leaving the distirct for good. I went with the Mocking Jay on the vote too. You do it to her you're going to have to do it too me dipshits."
They all looked at him in amazement with his admission has Haymitch continues;
"That's right I will move to another district & have NO representative for Twelve in the government for what YOU allowed to happen for the last 75 years. Try getting anything from the government then. I'll be the first to tell you the winters are very hard in these moutains. Like Snow who rather see everyone starve almost to death before sending a third of the 'required' supplies for the districts here. Katniss has never used her status as a Victor. So I fucking dare you all, GO THERE, I DARE YOU! ! Because if you want to go there WE can AND BELIEVE ME I WILL!"
Only because of Haymitch was Katniss allowed to stay in twelve with certain stipulations. She can never live inside Twelve's gates which was fine by her. In other words they didn't want her here & they were going to shun her when she was in residence until she got he hint moved from there permanently.
Since they pulled that stunt Paylor & Haymitch pulled some stunts of their own. When they try to contact Haymitch he slammed the door in their faces. When they had needs for the government Paylor made sure they only got the bare basics minimum, no luxuries at all.
But that's another story.
Two Weeks Later, Capitol;
Aries returned to the academy to start his teaching appretticeship year. Katniss promised to have him over for dinner sometime. All was well for their friendship.
Yet that night in a dream, Aries saw his brother, Cato.
"Cato why are you here?"
"Waiting Aries. She still has some light left."
"Why can't they let her live? Hasn't she suffered enough?"
"It's the price she has to pay for volunterring for Prim, Lil Brother."
"But she avoided over a million deaths in four districts plus the capitol Cato with what she did. That has to count for something good. If I'm on 'borrowed' time then take me now."
"It doesn't work that way Aries. Yours isn't borrowed, its a gift from her so use it wisely."
Then it dawned on him;
"She knew. All this time she knew."
"No. She knew about Snow's plans to nuke the capitol & the districts. That was why she went in. Katniss still doesn't know about living on borrowed time Aries."
"Who are you waiting for Cato?"
"The Girl on Fire. I'm her guide. Look at her candles then, you'll understand."
With that Cato disappears as Aries wakes up to his alarm for the day breathing heavy in a cold sweat. Then & there Aries was determined to make sure Katniss lived to the fullest with the time she had left.
Katniss was at the President's mansion going over what is nesscessary for the districts when Haymitch called. Twelve has rioted. Seems the former Capitolists didn't get what they wanted & decided to take over everything. Paylor responds with marshall law enforcements within 8 hours. All citizens of Twelve are to be inside by sundown until 7am further notice.
"They're going to be harder than I thought Madam President. what's it over this time?"
"They want the luxuries of the Capitol, to bring you up on charges of treason against the country & for Coin's murder. It's too dangerous for you to go there."
"I have to. It's my home. Okay tell them they get one luxury item for the district but to do that they have to drop the charges aginst me, period. See where it goes."
Paylor thought about it;
"What if they try to bring you up on charges again?"
"Tell them they have to 'completely drop all charges NEVER to be brought up again."
"That's perfect but Katniss they still want your blood."
"President Paylor if it happens it happens. I'm not going to hide the rest of my life from them."
In a televised transmission to the citizens in twelve's Mayor's office, the Presdient of Panem lays down the law. She gave them until 9 am tomorrow for their answer. Later that night Paylor receives a call from Haymitch whom they begged to be their representative.
"Madam President I don't know what you said to them but they've been begging me to talk to you for the last half hour. They're going for it. Everything you want down the line. No banishment of Katniss, no more riots & for their luxury item, electricity. We seem to keep having probelms with brown outs it in town & where most of the Capitolist live."
"Good & Haymitch I get on the horn to Five & let the power plant worker know they can turn on plant four again for district twelve."
"That's dirty pool mam."
"Thank you. A girls' gotta do what a girls' gotta do, Mitch. Thanks again."
"Not a problem."
Paylor hangs up & muses;
"Those pampered dingbats."
After that all seemed well. However when Katniss returned home the people there avoided her & gave her wide bearth. Only those who knew her from childhood or, the games ever talked to her. Haymitch & Katniss worked hard to get the district going again to where it was before the rebellion. To blend both cultures of the Capitolist with the rest of the district. Katniss still didn't think she was worthy of redemption. Yet when asked by anybody who ever met her how would they describe the Mocking Jay in one word.
They all would say brave.