Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.
We pull up in District 8 little late, but my peach dress is easyto put on, so we make up lost time. Marlin carries to the door of the train while I laugh at the jokes he's telling me. "What did one tide pool say to the other tide pool?" "Um... I don't know." "Show me your mussels." I dissolve into giggles again. I give my speech, and lean over slightly to accept my plaque, because the mayor is like 5'1", and I'm like 5'9".
"Thank you all for making the clothes I have been wearing in the Capitol and on this tour. They're beautiful. Thank you again and have a good year!" I am delerious with joy for some reason. I meet Cecelia, one of the few victors from eight, whose hobby is sewing. I ask her to make me some things. She agrees in a motherly, even though she's only thirty or so. By the end of the feast, I am already looking up to her, because she is the epitome of good motherhood.
When Marlin and I get on the train, I pull him into my room. "I.. I have something to tell you," I say, biting my lip. Oh, to hell with my plan to reveal it in the Capitol, I can't hold this secret from him any longer. It wouldn't be fair to Marlin, not after what I heard last night. "Is something wrong?" he asks worriedly, putting his hands on my shoulders. "No, no, not at all. It's just that..." He looks at me expectingly. "I'm pregnant. With twins. Riverr and Riviera." He freezes. "Seriously?" I nod, laughing. "I was gonna tell you in the Capitol, but I couldn't wait another minute."
"That's... that's great!" He hugs me tightly. And keeps hugging me. "Okay, okay, if you hug me any tighter you'll crush them!" I joke. "That can happen?!" he yelps, letting go of me immediately. "Of course not, silly. But you were crushing ME. C'mon, it's late, let's go to bed." It really is late, so he undresses for bed, because he gets hot flashes if he wears a shirt. I just sit on the bed and stare into space.
"Come on, ViVi, you didn't look away! Where is your decency today?" Marlin asks, mimicking what I had said on the night of our wedding. I grin mischeviously. "We're married now, remember?" We both lay down, my head on his chest. He strokes my hair. "How did we get into this mess?" I am stunned by this question. "I didn't know it was a mess, Marlin!" "No, I mean loving each other in a loveless world like this. I'm not complaining, but how did it even happen?" he asks. "It all came down to that one choice, saving me," I say matter-of-factly.
That's how we met, when I was seven and he was eight. I was drowning, and he saved me. I don't know why I was drowning, because even back then I was a great swimmer, but he had pulled me up onto the beach and given me CPR. I had coughed up almost a half a gallon of water, he had once told me. I had also retched up my breakfast all over him, but he hadn't seemed to mind.
"Why did you save me? We had never met before, why put your life on the line for a stranger?" I ask. "Well, I couldn't let the prettiest girl in District 4 die with me watching, could I?" I roll my eyes and lay my head back on his chest. His rhythmic heartbeat is comforting. Between that and him stroking my hair, I fall asleep quickly. I have a sweet dream, Marlin and I walking on the beach, holding the hands of two little children, laughing and talking. A sweet dream, a dream where the Hunger Games don't exist.
I wake up at midnight to a wet pillow. No, it's Marlin's chest. He's having another hot flash. I shake him awake and get him a cold glass of water from the bathroom. He drains it in one gulp, then climbs into the shower and turns the cold tap on. After a few minutes, he steps out and puts on a new pair of shorts, since he didn't remember to take the FIRST pair off when he climbed into the shower. He towel-dries his hair and lays back down next me.
I put my head back on his chest and feel his heartbeat. Way too fast. I roll over and cross my arms on his chest, then rest my chin on them, so I can look at him. My eyes meet his. "Want to talk about it? You know talking about it helps." "Yeah, I know," he says, covering his face with his hands. "It was the same dream as last night, but this time... they were there." He gestures to my stomach. "And I had a gag over my mouth, and I couldn't seem to scream."
"It's okay. I had a dream about them, too. A good one, though. They had your hair and my eyes." He sighs. "I'm always so worried about you. That Snow will force you to do it, and I'll be powerless to stop him from making you do it." "Are Capitol people really that messed up?" "Yeah, they are." "If it's that bad, why not give in to the dream?"
"A rebellion is coming. I can feel it. I need to be a part of it. For both of us. We've both been pushed to edge more times than necessary. It's time we fought back." "But I don't want a rebellion if it means losing you. Anyway, Finnick says we need a spark. Someone to unite and ignite the districts. Someone who will make the Capitol see all the love they've ripped to shreds over the years. It'll be someone from a poor district, mark my words. Maybe even District 12," I say.
"With that old drunk Abernathy as a mentor? I don't think so." "Don't underestimate your peers, Marlin." "He of all people is NOT my peer, ViVi." "He's been through hell, just like the rest of us. Mags, Haymitch, Annie, Finnick, Chaff, Seeder, Cecelia, Beetee, Wiress, Lyme, you, me. We're all just good people in bad situation." "Yeah, 'cause Finnick's an innocent angel." "You should be grateful to him. He brought you home alive." "Yeah, me and my nightmares." "He brought ME home alive. And it's not his fault that the people in the Capitol treat him like a dirty rag. He only does it so they won't hurt Annie. You'd do the same for me. You already HAVE done the same for me." "Fine. I owe him two things. Your life and mine." "Make sure you thank him tonight."
"Tonight?" "Yeah, it's like one in the morning." "Then why are we awake?" "You had a hot flash, remember?" "Oh yeah..." He pulls me in. We both fall asleep to the gentle rocking of the train.