Here's the next chapter! Longest one yet:) The next chapter is the last chapter...I'm sad to say. But on the bright side, I get to start the sequel! I will also be doing a few other Hunger Games fanfics while working on it, I hope you guys will read them as well! I will put more info on them at the start of the sequel (which I hope you all will read) I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks to all who are following this story, have it as a favorite, and reviewed! You all are the very best:)
Clove's POV
The bright whiteness of the room I awaken in is so blinding that I shut my eyes immediately. Slowly I reopen them and adjust to the light. My head feels groggy and there is a shallow throbbing in my abdomen where...
I am alive. I did not die. Which means Cato must be dead.
My arms and legs wrestle against their restraint. All I want is to find Cato. Find the person responsible for all of this. I want to find and kill President Snow. Sobs rack my body as I wail Cato's name over and over. Something cool runs through my arm. I have trouble staying awake.
I move in and out of conscientiousness, waking up only to be sedated once again. Finally, after I've lost track of how many times I've awoken, I open my eyes to find my restraints gone. My body feels perfectly fine as I sit up and swing my legs off the bed. Clothes have been laid out that look exactly like the ones I entered the Arena in. Cautiously I dress in the outfit and look for a way out of the impenetrable room. A wall, or door I guess, opens to reveal a sparkling hallway. I hear the voice of Brutus and Enobaria. There's Lucy's and Vinear. And then I hear it. That deep tone with the right amount of cockiness masking tenderness.
I turn the corner to find my mentors, stylist, escort, and husband smiling at me. Without blinking an eye, I rush into Cato's open arms. There I remain, breathing in his sweet and musky scent, listening to his breathing, pressing my ear up against his pulsing heart that I was sure I'd never hear again.
How can this be? How can we both have won? Brutus tries to gently tug me from Cato's arms, but I just hold on tighter. I feel that if I let go, he will be taken away from me forever.
"Clove, sweetie, it's okay. You're okay," Cato murmurs. I look up into his clear eyes. They aren't as innocent as they once were. They look more wary and aged. But they still have that shine, that sparkle, that lets me know Cato is still my Cato.
"What happened? Why are we both still alive?" I ask, tears starting to threaten.
"I'll explain everything soon alright? Right now, let's go get some lunch. How does that sound?" Cato says. I nod my consent and compromise for just hold Cato's hand.
Our little entourage heads towards our quarters at the Training Center, where we lived just about three short weeks ago. Still afraid that Cato may be taken away, I make him sit on my bed while I change in the bathroom. When I come out, I find him staring off at some far off point, crinkles of concern written all over his face.
"Cato, are you okay?" I question, sitting down next to him. He shakes his head and smiles down at me, that distant look lingering in his eyes.
"I'm perfect now that you're awake," he states. "Let's go eat lunch, and then we have to prepare for the Victor interviews tonight."
We enter the dining room, where our stylists, mentors, and Lucy sit waiting to eat the piles of food before them. Cato pulls out my chair for me and I almost decline, scared our love might be revealed to our group. But then I realize that they witnessed our wedding; they know our 'secret'. So I sit and slowly nibble on the food. My stomach feels queasy after just a few bites. It must've shrunk during the Games.
Cato and I remain silent during the meal, just squeezing each other's hand under the table. Our team chatters around us about our victory, they interview tonight, their favorite parts of the Games. I ignore them and just hold on tighter to my husband's hand.
When everyone has finished eating, we Cato and I head to the elevator with our stylists. I am horrified to leave him to get ready, but Vinear coaxes me away and promises to hurry. My prep team talks my ear off about how famous I've made them: the assistant stylists of the Victor of the 74th Annual Hunger Games. They do my hair loose, flowing down my back in gentle waves. My make-up is extremely natural, the only obvious part being my golden eyeliner. The team finishes up by putting a neutral color on my uniform nails. They give me kisses on the cheek and overdramatic hugs, then leave for Vinear to put me in my dress.
"I'm very proud of you, Clove," he says while slipping the garment on over my head. My eyes are closed under his instruction, the inside is silky and cold.
"Thank you very much," I reply.
"Open," he commands. I look into the mirror to find a simply phenomenal dress hugging my small frame. Golden satin down to my knees that curves against my waist sparkles in the dim room. The top of the dress has short, tight fitting sleeves. My make-up compliments the design perfectly. Vinear's eyes shine with joy in the mirror's reflection. I turn and give him a short hug.
"Thank you so very much, Vinear," I whisper. He just smiles and guides me onto the elevator. A car awaits us and takes us to the City Circle for the interviews. Enobaria finds me behind the curtain a few minutes before show time.
"I'm proud of you, girly," she declares sternly and gives me a hug. Just as I pull away, she whispers quickly into my ear. "The Capitol isn't too happy that both of you lived. It's not that big a deal, but just be careful, okay?" She pulls away and smiles. "You look fantastic. Have fun, I'll see you afterwards." She bounces off to the audience.
How did both of us win? I'll ask Cato again later. I didn't think about the Capitol up until now. They must be upset that they're plans were defied. Enobaria said it wasn't that big of a problem though, but-
My thoughts are interrupted by the curtain rising. The deafening roar of the crowd echoes intensely in my ears and I throw on a smile. My eyes find Cato standing next to Caesar Flickerman in front of a red velvet loveseat. He looks so handsome in his dark brown suit, hair slicked back. Taking deep breaths, I walk across the stage, hug Caesar, and sit down to begin the interview.
Cato's POV
Clove bounces on stage in a shimmering golden dress that makes her look divine. She gives a quick hug to Caesar, then sits down next to me on a plush loveseat. Her hair cascades itself down over her shoulder, tickling the back of my neck when I scoot closer towards her.
The powder blue host cracks a few jokes, asks us a few questions, and then it is time for the real show to start. As the lights dim, Clove cuddles into me and hides her face in my chest. She has been worrying me since she woke up. She had trouble letting go of me and even made me go in her room for her to prepare for dinner. It scares me not knowing how much the Games changed her. She used to never cry, never show fear or heartache. But now here my wife sits whimpering in my arms. I know I have to do all I can to make her feel safe from now on, which we aren't after both living when one of us is meant to be dead.
The gong rings out on the screen from the start of the Hunger Games. I watch Clove throw knife after knife, Marvel jabbing spears, myself slicing through the throats of innocent people. That's when I realize that I'm not prepared for this. Clove isn't the only one these Games changed. With every child I watch myself kill, I feel the weight of their blood building on my back. I watch Marvel kill the girl from Eleven and Katniss cry over her. I watch Clove and I get married. Clove takes her head out and watches that part with a smile. The audience is hysterical with the romance, women crying and fainting. I watch Thresh bash that horrid rock into my wife's skull. Then later I watch her kill him in his sleep. Shock shudders through me when I see her lift her knife to her neck in the firelight next to his dead body. Her words from right before we killed Katniss and Peeta play back in my head.
"Clove, are you going to tell me what happened last night, or am I going to have to just keep worrying about you?" I ask as gently as possible. Her big brown eyes move their focus to the sky, then to the field where Thresh resides.
"I killed Thresh," she simply states, eyes still on the rolling grass. Shock hits me. She what?
"You killed Thresh? You went by yourself to kill Thresh?" I stutter. She could've died. She could've been fatally hurt. I could've never seen her again.
"Look, I got up in the night, went to his camp, and killed him. I'm fine, I didn't get hurt. It's over." She snaps tersely. I'm taken aback by her outburst.
"Okay. I'm just worried about you. You seem…not yourself. Are you sure you're okay?" I ask. I enfold her tiny hand in mine.
Still not looking at me, her free hand stoking the knife in her belt, she answers me coldly.
"I will be soon."
She had been planning to kill herself. That's why she stuck that knife in her stomach at the end of the Games. I almost cry at knowing she's that hurt inside, that she is that mad at herself for killing those people. The end of the Games replay comes to a close with me thrusting Peeta's knife into my chest, Clove calling out for me to stop.
The faces of every tribute I killed flash before me. I push them out of my mind when Clove pulls herself away from me, trying her best to look strong. I can't let my victims get the best of me. I have to be strong for my wife, whatever else we go through. Caesar leads us to up to a balcony where President Snow stands waiting, holding one crown. The crowds, along with us, stare at it confused. Then he twists it, making the two halves come apart into two crowns.
I stand tall while he firmly places it on my head with a devilish smile that I return. His breath smells like the air after the bloodbath, making me remember that I am a murderer. I turn to watch him crown Clove. She almost cowers away from him, anger and fear in her eyes, then stands straight while he adorns her with the golden crown that matches her dress. We bow and blow kisses to the audience, then we are shuffled into a car to take us to the celebration feast at Snow's mansion.
So many faces flash by, so many congratulations are given, too many hands are shaken for me to remember barely any of the evening. Cameras blind us in every direction we turn, and the people become stranger with each passing hour and drink they consume. Finally, just as the sun begins to rise, we are taken back to the Training Center and told to rest before our final interview.
Clove gives me a hug before heading to her room. I throw on some shorts and a t-shirt, then crawl into bed. Even with so much on my mind, I easily fall asleep. I'm awakened by Clove opening the door and hopping into bed beside me.
"You okay?" I ask her. She just wraps her arms around me and shakes her head. "What's wrong, Clove?"
"Cato, tell me how we both won," she demands with a shaky voice. I sigh and think of how to tell her without scaring her.
"Well, after I...you know, tried to...um," I don't know how to say it.
"After you tried to kill yourself," she finishes.
"Yeah, that. After that, we were both pretty much on the edge of death. They brought us both up into a hovercraft, seeing who would die first. They ended up just saving us both because if they would've waited any longer, they wouldn't have a Victor," I finish.
"Is the Capitol mad?" Clove asks after a pause. I flash back to the conversation I had with Brutus. He said that Snow is furious we both lived. I won't let her know this though, maybe if we lay low after we get home, nothing will happen.
"We're going to be just fine," I say hesitantly. A soft rapping sounds on the door.
"You two need to get ready for the final interview. Your stylists are waiting," Lucy announces. We stand and walk together to the elevators in our pajamas. I walk with Clove to her prepping room, then head over to mine. My prep team babbles on and on, while I ignore them and think longingly of getting to go home with my wife tomorrow.
The next chapter will be the last, I hope you will read it! Please review! And if you do, please tell me if you plan on reading the sequel, I want to know if it is actually something worth pursuing. Thanks for reading!