Salutations readers!

So in this chapter we will see Mags and Dash return home to District four.

After this chapter I'm planning a time jump of six months so I can cover part of Mags' first year as a mentor!

Don't worry, I won't whisk her and Dash away to the Capitol again too soon, I'm going to have her meet his family before then, learn who Chloe is, and...possibly another surprise.

Anyway! So here goes, as always, let me know what you think in form of a review, they are always wanted and loved, I adore hearing from you guys ;)

Oh! And if any of you cared to know, Mags' full name, "Magarida" actually means "daughter of the sea" which is SUPER cool if you ask me ;)

I actually usually pick names for characters because of their meaning. But anyway, moving on!

Chapter Sixteen: Falling.

My family is waiting for me at the train station, Becky is there too, and Cedric. I was startled by his presence for a moment, before my brain remembered he wasn't a threat.

I can't help noticing the lack of people there to greet Dash, but my family greets him just as fondly as anyone else.

"I missed you."

Felix murmurs into my hair, holding me tightly in his arms. I smile and brush my fingers through his hair.

"You've already said that about a hundred times."

His arms tighten around me for a moment before he releases me.

"Well, I really missed you."

I loop my arm around his waist and rest my head against his chest.

"I missed you too. A lot."

He wraps his arm around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head.

"Well, you're home now."

"Hey Mags!"

Felix releases me just in time to be practically tackled by Leroy.

"Whoa, watch it. You're not so little anymore."

He straightens up quickly and steadies me.

"Sorry, I'm just really glad you're back."

I stretch up on tiptoe and kiss his cheek.

"Yeah, me too. Becky!"

I smile and give her a hug.

"It's good to have you back Mags."

Over her shoulder, I watch Felix walk up and give Dash a brief hug, pulling away, he slaps his shoulder and looks him right in the eye.

"You okay?"

I see him mouth. Dash shrugs, and glances at me.

"Glad to be home."

"Hey baby girl."

My attention is pulled away from the boys, as my father comes up and his arms swallow me up in a hug.

"Hi daddy."

He plants a kiss on my cheek, the short stubble on his chin tickling my skin. I giggle and brush my fingertips against his rough cheek.

"Your beard tickles."

He smiles and taps the end of my nose lightly.

"You used to run away when I threatened to kiss you because of it."

I smile.

"I remember."

Cedric walks up and gives me a smile as my dad moves towards Dash.

"Hey Mags."

I return his smile.

"Hey Cedric, how have you been?"

He shrugs.
"Oh, fine. You?"

I don't bother lying to him like I do with everyone else.

"Not that good. Everything's been hitting me pretty hard, I'm just glad to be home now."

He nods.

"Well, we're glad you're back too."

A moment later the small group on the train station decide to head back to our house. Felix tells me goodbye, giving me a kiss as he explains that he only had an hour off work so he could welcome me home. He promises to stop by my house later in the evening as he leaves for the docks.

I'm about to follow my family, when I hear a small voice say my name, and I turn around, frowning slightly as I search for the source of the voice. I freeze as my eyes land on the mop of black curls and the electric blue eyes.

"No..."

I whisper, my hands beginning to shake as I take a step back. My mind battles with itself, the rational half telling the warped half that Will is dead, and I should not be seeing him on the train station. My warped half however, is pushing hard, using my nerves against me.

"Mags."

I feel a strong hand on my arm, and I look up at Dash, tears in my eyes. He doesn't say anything, the muscle in his jaw flexing as he puts his arm around me.

"Come on, let's get you out of here."

As he leads me away from the train station, I cast a glance back and the tears escape my eyelids.

"I shouldn't be seeing him..."
I murmur, feeling a sob building in my chest, making my shoulders quiver. Dash cuts down a side street, and walks me into the dunes, stopping once we're away from the town. Wordlessly, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his chest, rubbing my back comfortingly as I cry.

"Why do I keep seeing him?"

I ask, choking slightly on the words. The pain building until my knees give out and I sag in his arms. He sits with his back to a large dune and pulls me onto his lap.

"I still see Felix's sister. All the time."

I sniffle and lift my head.

"Really?"

He nods, brushing the hair out of my face and wiping my tears away.

"Really. You remind me of her, especially when you go into big sister mode."

I take a deep breath and rub my eye.

"Felix tells me that too."

I sigh and lean back against him, idly tracing patterns in the sand.

"You know, don't you?"

His fingers trail after mine in the sand, following my movements.

"Know what?"

I sit up and turn to face him.

"That I'm not okay."

He frowns slightly.

"None of us are."

I shake my head.

"But I mean really not okay...I don't think I'll ever be okay again. And you know it."

He doesn't say anything. He doesn't have to, he knows that I'm right. Slowly, he reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a glass paperweight. I take it, and a small smile creeps across my face.

"You remembered."

He grins and pulls a small book from his other pocket.

"Of course I remembered. It was my idea after all."

I take the book and examine it.

"You stole a book?"

He opens it and points to the inside cover.

"Check it out. 'To my good friend Laertes, a great man, and even better President, lovingly, Amila.' She was the President's fiance way back when."

I raise my eyebrows.

"Was?"

He shrugs.

"She uh...died. A tragic accident really."
I can tell by the way he says "accident" that her death was anything but. I turn the book and scan the title.

"The History of the decline and fall of the Roman empire?"

Dash nods.

"Rome was this great city in ancient days, but like all great empires, it fell. I figured this would be symbolic."

I hand the book back to him and he stands up.

"Come on, let's go."

He pulls me to my feet and leads me through the dunes. After twenty minutes of walking, we come to a hill, and after climbing this, we stand atop the rocky cliffs.

"Calypso's cliff. As good a place as ever."

Dash says, leading me over to the edge. I hold the paperweight in my hand, staring at the image of the Capitol, then I pull my arm back and fling it out and up. It sails in the air for a moment, before falling and shattering against a rock, tiny shards of glass raining down into the water, winking as they catch the setting rays of sun.

"Good thing no one swims here."

Dash says with a grin. I laugh, feeling as if a weight is lifted from my chest. I just destroyed the image of the Capitol, and it felt amazing. Dash holds the book out to me.

"Hold onto the back cover."

We rip the book in half, and proceed to turn the pages into paper airplanes and fly them out into the ocean. Finishing by chucking the book remains into the sea.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I feel amazing."

I laugh and give him a hug.

"Me too. Thank you."

He nods.

"That's what I'm here for."

I suddenly realize something and straighten up.

"We should go, my family will be worried."

Dash shrugged.

"When I saw you were having trouble on the train station I told your dad that I'd take care of you."

I relax slightly.

"Oh...okay."

Dash stares at the setting sun, his eyes faraway as the sun rays reflect in his gray eyes. I inhale the sea air deeply, and close my eyes, absorbing the last warm rays before the sun sinks into the ocean.

"Hey Mags?"

I open my eyes and turn my attention to Dash.

"Hmm?"

He hesitates for a moment.

"Before my games, when I still lived with my family, when I still had a life...I was going to marry Chloe."

My eyes widen in surprise, but I don't say anything, letting him continue.

"I was just a kid...but I knew I wanted to marry her."
He chuckled and shook his head.

"Only fifteen years old, I had all these big plans. I never even thought..."

He sighs and his shoulders sag.

"I didn't think I would get reaped. Naivety of youth I guess."

He straightens up and gives me a small smile.

"So now you know who Chloe is."

I can't help asking, even though I hate myself for needing to know.

"What happened to her?"

He shrugs.

"Nothing. Once I won, well...I decided it would be better for everyone I loved if I just...pulled away. So I did, and so did she."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

He thinks for a minute.
"Um...I don't even know. A few years. I haven't even seen my family for quite some time."

I frown.

"Why?"

He turns to me, and the pain in his eyes causes my heart to ache.

"Because it's for the best."

I shake my head.

"No it's not. It can't be if it hurts you."

"Well it's the best thing for them. Because of what I do in the Capitol...I can't explain it to them, I could never explain it to Chloe. Even if she has forgiven me after all these years, we could never have what you and Felix have."

I flinch slightly and tears well in my eyes at how ragged and pained his voice is when he says this. He can never have what Felix and I do, and it kills him. What if I'm forced into prostitution as well? Where would Felix and I be then? I begin to understand why he's distanced himself, but I still know it's not the right thing to do.

"I think you should go see them."

He looks slightly surprised.

"Think of Pearl, she needs her big brother, your mother needs her son, that's the right thing. No matter what you think, family is the most important thing we have, and we need to cling to it. Because before you know it...they could be gone."

I try to blink back the tears as I continue.
"Every night before I fall asleep, I replay every single time I behaved badly towards Will, every unkind word or act, every time I made him cry. And it kills me over, and over, and over again. I pretend to be asleep until I know everyone else is, and then I cry myself to sleep. And I'll be damned if I let you neglect your little sister just because you think it's for the best."

His eyebrows raise in surprise.

"Mags..."

I take a deep breath and hold up my hand, cutting off whatever he was going to say.
"Don't say anything. Just go and see your family."

A small, amused smile dances around his lips, he tries to suppress it as he nods.
"Alright. First thing tomorrow I'll go see them."

I nod, satisfied.

"Good."

"But you're coming with me."

My eyes widen and my jaw drops open.

"What?"