CHAPTER SEVEN:

TRAIN CHAMPAGNE

Coriolanus had hoped the train would rock himself to sleep, and he didn't expect to find himself awake until the morning. However, a sweet, sorrowful voice had roused him from his dreams. A lullaby.

Deep in the meadow

Under the willow

A bed of grass, a soft green pillow...

He cracked open his sleep-filled eyes and found his girl sitting upright, peering out the train window to watch the trees whip by. She sang quietly to herself, a tremor in her voice. The sheets from their bed hung loosely about her bare shoulders and her dark messy curls cascaded down her back. He smiled. He had always found her silhouette captivating. His hand reached out to stroke her arm, discovering her skin ice cold.

"Lucy Gray?"

"Oh. I'm sorry darlin'. I couldn't sleep," she confessed, taking his outstretched hand.

"You're freezing. Come lie down," he ushered her, and she curled up against his chest. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm prickled with goosebumps so to help her gain some warmth back. She had cracked open the window, and the cool breeze had blown into their compartment. He wondered how long she had been up, and why she hadn't sought to wake him.

"Was it a bad dream?" He asked, his lips against the top of her head.

"Yes. But not the usual... not about the games. About the boys," she murmured, desperate to keep her voice steady. Coriolanus felt her shudder in his arms. He gathered her tighter to him.

"I know. I'm so sorry. It should have never happened," he spoke soothingly, but with an edge during his last sentence. He still found it difficult to forgive himself for such a mistake, for it was partially his fault. Never again would he be so foolish.

"Do you-do you remember when your parents died?" Lucy Gray asked timidly. Coriolanus felt a jab at his heart. Her question transported him to a familiar bedroom in his old penthouse, where he remembered his young mother lying beneath a stark white comforter. Her delicate skin had turned gray and glistened with sweat. There was blood soaking the sheets beneath her. Too much blood. Gram'am wasn't quick enough to pull him out of the room before he had witnessed the horror. Her dead body would forever be branded in his mind.

"Yes. My mother. I... I watched her bleed to death. I've told you once before, but she was pregnant and couldn't get to the hospital because of the air raids. You know, during the war," he whispered.

"That must have been awful."

"It was... She enjoyed singing, like you. She used to sing to me every night before bed. She had dark eyes... a kind smile..." As Coriolanus relayed these details to Lucy Gray, a stray tear trickled down his face. He didn't think he would cry about this. He hadn't cried about his mother in a long time.

"She seemed like she was beautiful," Lucy Gray said, her hand rubbing up his back.

"She was," he looked down at her. "Just like you."

Now that Lucy Gray was fully his, he often thought about his duty to her as his father's duty was to his mother. He believed that his father would have gotten his mother to the hospital that night if he had still been alive. But it was the war that had ruined his parents. It had teared his father away from his mother, and they had died without each other. In some way, perhaps he could rectify this through his relationship with Lucy Gray. He wouldn't allow anything to separate them now, and he resolved to strive to keep Lucy Gray safe from any horrible fate like his mother's.

"I will always keep you safe, Lucy Gray," he found himself promising her that night. "What happened to my parents, your parents, your cousins... I won't allow it to happen to you."

Lucy Gray glanced up at him and cupped his jaw in her small palm. The intensity of his blue gaze pierced her, but she found solace in his words. Beneath his sullen ways, his brooding that caused her to wonder about that tormented mind of his never fully revealed to her, she recognized his sincerity, his sensitivity. There was a spark of genuine goodness in him that she longed to lock away and keep safe. Sometimes, she was fearful that she was the only one who could remind him of the spark and rekindle it within him. She always loved it when he bared it for her, just as he did in this moment. Her boy had never failed her yet.

"You protected me in that arena. I know that has always continued since. And I love you all the more for it," she told him, bringing her mouth up to meet his.

In the late afternoon the following day, the train glided into the station at District Two. Lucy Gray had gathered their stray clothes around the compartment and packed them into Coriolanus' peacekeeper's trunk. She didn't have time to bring some of her costumes, so everything she did have fit in nicely with his. Her other personal items and his mother's shawl were in her little bag that she wore over her shoulder. Coriolanus picked up the trunk, and Lucy Gray followed him out of the compartment and onto the outdoor platform. When the two stepped out into the sun, a strong breeze hit their faces. The air was more crisp here, and it was colder than in Twelve. Coriolanus passed his jacket over to his girl, who was shivering in her thin cotton dress.

Two's gleaming steel buildings soothed Coriolanus, reminding him of the architecture from home. Many of the buildings were identical, set in rows leading up to the grand town center large enough to fit the entire peacekeeping militant. Even the district's parks and landscaping were fresh and manicured. The pristine condition and ordered atmosphere clearly reflected its military purpose. It wasn't nearly as grand as the Capitol, but Coriolanus could get used to this place.

Lucy Gray was very quiet as she observed her surroundings when they stepped off of the train. Coriolanus had set her down gently on the pavement, her repaired purple boots a stark contrast of color to the pale concrete. She clutched his hand tightly, trying to come to terms with the lack of greenery and wildness around her. Two looked so... brutal. It smelled manufactured. Where could she go here to take off her shoes and run through the grass? Did they even grow flowers here? Where was she expected to keep a garden?

"We have to head to the Commander's office before we can move in to our apartment. It's about five blocks down that way," Coriolanus told her, pointing down a gray street beyond the station's entrance. She nodded. He noticed her silence and gently took her chin, kissing the top of her forehead.

"I know it's different here, but we'll be alright," he murmured above her before turning and leading the way out of the station. Lucy Gray tried to keep up with his long stride while taking in her foreign surroundings. People were out and about, taking their children for walks or headed to work. They seemed well fed, their faces free from soot, and... they were content? If it weren't for their more simple attire, she might have compared them to those she saw while in the Capitol. So, not all of the districts lived in poverty. She stood in shock for a moment as she watched a young boy speed down the street on a bicycle.

"Lucy Gray!" She turned and found Coriolanus a block ahead of her, waving for her to hurry up. His dreary peacekeeper's uniform nearly blended in with the building behind him. She hurried towards him, and he extended his arm out to her.

"Sorry, I've just been takin' it all in," she said, looping her arm through his. "And you walk too fast," she added, a slight smile on her lips. Coriolanus couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'll try to slow down, my dear."

They approached an imposing multi-story building with a security gate at its entrance. Coriolanus extracted his papers to show to the guard before they were allowed to pass through. They entered a simple lobby furnished with a few waiting chairs. Lucy Gray sat with their trunk while Coriolanus visited with the Commander. She wrapped his jacket tightly around her, sliding her hands into the large pockets. His scent enveloped her, comforting her in his absence. At least, she thought, she wouldn't be alone in Two. Coriolanus would hold her together here. After a while, she began tapping the heel of her boot against the cold tile, coming up with some tune out of boredom. People needed some life around here. Music or some other form of art. Eventually, she'd bring it to them. That would be her purpose here until they made it to the Capitol.

She saw the bright blond head of her boy emerge from the door to her right, his handsome face utterly elated. He looked like a child on his birthday. Close behind him was who she assumed was the Commander.

"What-?" She rose from the chair, her mouth tugging upwards. Her boy looked so silly.

"We won't be staying here, Lucy Gray," Coriolanus burst out, grabbing her hands and kissing her strongly.

"I take it that this is your wife?" The Commander asked with a chuckle. Coriolanus nodded as he approached Lucy Gray and firmly shook her hand.

"A pleasure to meet you, my dear. I'm sure this is confusing, but you and Officer Snow won't be staying in District Two. We've been informed by the Capitol of your husband's heroic act of catching the fugitive in Twelve who invaded the base and caused that awful fire. This led Commander Hoff to discover the inside traitor-unfortunately one of our own no doubt-but either way rebel forces have been suppressed, thanks to him," the Commander nodded towards Coriolanus. "They have come to the conclusion that you both should relocate to the Capitol immediately. A proper reward for this victory," he concluded. Lucy Gray stood there bewildered.

"So... we're going to live in the Capitol now? When do we leave?" She asked, glancing up at Coriolanus, whose eyes were blinking away happy tears.

"Well, today. We're going to get back on the train, if it agrees with you," Coriolanus explained. Lucy Gray tried to make sense of this sudden change. She wanted to partake in Coriolanus' happiness, but she felt uneasy. This was not what she had expected. She had hoped to get her bearings here in one of the districts before trying to fit herself in with the people of the Capitol. She also wasn't quite ready to return to the place where she thought she was going to die.

"She seems to be in a bit of a shock herself," the Commander noted with amusement. "Well, I wish you both the best of luck." He turned to salute Coriolanus before returning to his office.

And then they were on the train again. It was nightfall and Lucy Gray felt the exhaustion creep upon her, but Coriolanus insisted that they celebrate in the dining car with champagne and chocolate. She didn't want to put a damper on his high spirits, so she agreed. However, she warned him that if she happened to fall asleep in the dining car, then he would be forced to carry her back to their compartment.

"I bet you've never had champagne before," he smiled at her, sliding a slim bubbling glass across the table. She gingerly took a sip, appreciating the ecstatic taste. She hoped that it would make her perk up instead of putting her to sleep.

"I like it," she affirmed. She then turned to stare out the window. Coriolanus unwrapped their chocolate, eyeing his oddly quiet girl.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'm fine. I just-didn't expect this. And I'm... worried, Coriolanus. What will they all think of me?" She got out. How ridiculous and out of place was she going to look in a few days when she got off on that familiar platform at the Capitol, wearing only her homemade dress and Coriolanus' peacekeeper's coat. She knew she was going to look poor, dirty, and District to all of them. What had they called her the first time they had seen her on that screen? A runt girl.

"Hey, hey, look at me. You already won them over, remember? Don't forget who you are, Lucy Gray. You could charm the whole world if you wanted to. Besides, I'll help you. I'll make sure that you feel comfortable, that you'll fit in. I'll make them accept you. We're together now, remember?" Coriolanus assured her, taking her hand. Lucy Gray breathed deeply, trying to anchor herself in his touch.

"Yeah, I know... Pour me some more champagne, will you?" She asked, glancing up to discover his loving face.