Chapter Eighteen

A/N: Thank you to Lya200 and rish22 for reviewing the last chapter.

Morning had come, or what Abby thought was morning. It did not seem to have been long since darkness had enveloped the Arena. But perhaps that was just her imagination. She had been trapped in the space for so long that she didn't know what was day or night anymore. She just knew that when it was dark, it was safer to leave the cave than when it was light, to avoid being seen by the band of warriors who still wanted her and her friends dead.

However, there was something different in the air that day, something the child couldn't quite put her finger on. She had felt this way a few times in the past, she remembered it well. Twelve times, to be precise.

It was her birthday. In all the chaos and confusion of the Games, Abby had pushed all the elements of her life outside the Arena to the back of her mind, knowing that any distraction could potentially get her killed, but with the peace and tranquility of the morning, she had remembered.

'Thirteen years old.' she thought, and she drifted a little further into the safety of her mind. 'If I win the Games now, I'll be the youngest to ever do it, by a long shot.'

But then, she remembered the terrible truth that Alex had told them last night. If she was going to win, she would have to watch all of them die, or even kill them herself. The idea took all the sweetness of this special day from her, leaving only a bitter taste and a hint of iron. The taste of blood; the blood she would have to spill to leave this place.

Slowly, she turned her head, her eyes resting on each of her companions, one by one. They were sleeping, defenceless. She could kill them easily if she wished to; she could get it over with, before the time came when she would be forced to do it. But no matter how she tried to envision herself slaughtering her comrades, she could not do it. Harry was the son of a couple that her parents had always thought of as their dearest friends, Belle the little daughter of another, and Costa was the niece of the girl her mother had held in the Arena as she died. And Alex... she could not imagine herself killing Alex. Never.

Shaking her head to scatter her thoughts, Abby turned to face the Arena again, sighing loudly. She had never truly known how horrific the Hunger Games would be until she was in it; all the stories and the videos and the pointless trivia they had learnt in school about the Uprising, none of it did the experience justice. From what she had heard about the Games, she thought it would be difficult. But she had never expected it to tear her apart in this way.

"Happy birthday!" came an exclamation from behind her, but Abby did not jump at the sudden sound. After all this time living on edge, she was constantly listening out for any sign of danger, and so her friends creeping up on her no longer shocked her in the least.

"I don't really feel like celebrating." she commented dryly, still staring straight ahead even as she felt Alex seat himself by her side. "Not when I could be killed at any moment."

"I told you before; I'm not going to let you die." Alex told her. His voice held the same lack of emotion as hers had done, but Abby could sense the strength and passion behind his words. He was staring intently ahead, his brow creased, as if he were visualising an enemy coming towards them; imagining himself cutting them down.

"Why not?" she asked, the words falling from her lips before she could stop them. She saw the look of confusion blossom briefly on the boy's face, but it faded quickly enough, his features once again schooled into neutrality.

"Ever since I was a child, people have been whispering about taking the Capitol down, ending the Hunger Games once and for all. They just never knew of anyone who could accomplish it. Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, Johanna Mason, Gale Hawthorne... they all fought in the Second Uprising, alongside my parents. They had the strength to fight the government then, but no one thought they could do it again; not without help, to give the people something to fight for. We needed a new Mockingjay, a symbol to inspire people to fight, to finally end it all. And the first time I ever saw your face, I knew it was going to be you. So that's why I have to keep you safe, Abby. You're the Mockingjay now, the only one who can end it all, and I am going to protect you with my life."

When Alex's great speech had ended, he fell silent, breathing heavily as if he had run a marathon. But there was something about his posture that seemed as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Unfortunately, it had now been rested on Abby's, as she realised the true extent of her importance in the great revolution to come.

"How do you know I can do it?" she asked, the volume of her voice so low that she could not be sure he had heard her. However, when his hand came to rest on her upper arm, stroking gently, she felt a warmth of comfort spread through her veins. It was all the answer she needed.

They had only a few minutes before the others would wake and they would be forced to move again, to try and locate the Careers to end this once and for all. They had only a few minutes of tranquility left, before chaos would overwhelm their lives. And those few minutes were blissful and important, a time that both would remember for the rest of their lives.

And as they came to an end, Alex leaned over, wrapping his arms around Abby and placing a chaste kiss on her lips. Her first kiss; the most important kiss she would ever know.

A/N: So, this was a bit fluffy, but it will get more action-based in the last few chapters. Please review!