The decent into hell is easy( Finnick Odair)

Hope is stronger than fear

Two days had passed since we'd obliterated Two, since Katniss had been sent to the hospital with a bullet wound since I'd chosen who I was going to spend the rest of my life with; short as it may be. Coin had kept everyone busy during the day. Trying her best to keep everyone occupied with wedding planning and the next strike we would make. The nighttime was the only peace many of us got anymore. Sitting in the empty cafeteria the silence was almost deafening but it reminded me that I was still alive in a weird way. Closing my eyes it didn't take long for the images to start playing in my head.

*Flashback*

Striding into Snow's office he had called me in a lot lately, a pattern I recognised as an attempt to control me. Give me too much freedom and I'd break the chain. Keep me on a long leash and I would have no choice but to comply. It was something he did with a lot fo the other Victors but for most of them they came willingly. Out of fear or respect, I didn't know.

"Miss Monroe, thank you for coming on such short notice" Standing to greet me he held out his hand, an offer he didn't extend to many. Shaking it lightly I took the seat opposite.

"Well, when four peacekeepers show up at my house unannounced how could I have refused?" Chuckling softly he pushed a bowl of almonds towards me, clear white just like the roses he masked the scent of poisen with, the scent of decay and death.

"Yes, well I apologise for the abruptness of our meeting but it is of the utmost importance" It usually was, or at least it was what he considered to be important. I couldn't usually care less about anything that he or any of the Capitol freaks had to say. " You are special Miss Monroe. I would be a fool to ignore it. The power you hold is more than that of past victors.  You mean a lot of things to a lot of people. I hope I am not overstepping the mark when I say that maybe a match could make you something greater"

"I'm sorry?" What did he mean a match?

" You currently, are obtainable if that makes sense. You cannot be fully admired if people think they can have you"

"A thought process that you have helped instil" I knew what he did to some of the victors, the attractive ones, the ones who still suffered mentally to the point they felt they had no choice. I wasn't one of those people and I had nothing else to loose. There was nothing that had ever made me want or even need to walk that line, not like some of the others.

" Not on you. And I would like to protect you from these thoughts. It would elevate you to a god-like status. You would become unobtainable, almost like a myth" The tone of his voice, the words he was using told me what I needed to know. I would not have a choice in the matter, he had already chosen someone for me to be chained to for the rest of my life.

"Who is he?"

"The next tribute from District Two" He wasn't even a victor, or anyone that could actually be useful. he was just a tribute from 2? My face must have given away my disgust as Snow quickly to explain the situation. " He's been training all his life, ensured to be the Victor there is no doubt"

" Two was supposed to be the winner in my games, then I cut his head off" Smiling at the President he shrunk back into his seat remembering the brutal and bloody battle that had taken place on the second to last day. He had hunted me but I had been aware. We'd fought for hours, each taking their turn to run and hide but in the end, he messed up and I took the kill shot that was always going to be mine

"You do have a flare for the dramatics" Standing up he pulled a file from out under his desk and handed it over to me. Opening it a picture of a blonde-haired blue-eyed boy looked back at me. "His name is Cato Hadley and you're going to marry him"

*End of flashback*

Feeling a shove on my arm the images faded away as the light off the counters flooded my vision. Looking up Katniss was staring down at me, her eyes sunken and raw from the antibiotics but at least she was alive. "Hey"

"Sorry, I just saw you asleep and I didn't want you to spend the night in here"

"I wasn't asleep, just thinking" Motioning for her to take a seat she did slowly, wincing as her wounds had pressure put on them. "Why are you out of the hospital room?"

"Couldn't sleep"

"Which time?" I asked

"What?

"Which games were you thinking about?"

"Ours. The first day you told me you'd killed out of necessity, it's what made you different from the others. You said that it was you or them and you chose yourself"

"I did" I remembered, it was just after we'd all fled from the Cornucopia. I was looking down at the bloodbath praying that Johanna wasn't amongst the fallen.

" I've never seen you think of yourself since" Raising an eyebrow she pulled at the hem of her sleeves. " Everything you've done has been to save someone else, or to make them happy. I've watched your sacrifice your own happiness for everyone else. What changed?" Of all the questions she could have asked this one would never have crossed my mind.

"I guess I found something worth fighting for. How's Peeta?"

"He visited me the other day, he didn't say much but it's a start"

"He'll get there Katniss, you just have to give him time" But how much time would remain to be seen. It was going to take a lot longer than a few weeks to reverse the damage that had been done to him. Seeing the distress in her eyes I did the one thing that I wish someone had done for me when I had been hurt and lost. Taking her hand I squeezed it gently so she knew that she wasn't alone. It was an easy thing to believe when you were stuck in a place that was unfamiliar to you and at the best of times, hostile.

"It should have been you to lead this rebellion. You always make the right choices, you know what to do and say and when to. I mess up"

"Which is what makes you human, it makes you relatable. Believe me Katniss. Nobody can do this as well as you can. You evoke emotions that I never could, they all know I what I can do, they're scared to listen to my words incase I make them do something they don't want to do"

"I'm not scared of you" Pulling the corner of my lip up I needed to hear that. Whilst most wouldn't say it to me I noticed the drop of their gaze when I walked in, how they'd turn away if I got too close. I knew what people whispered about my in empty halls. "For the longest time I thought you hated me though"

"Why?"

"Because of what I did to Cato"

"You did what you had to do to survive, we all would have done it and anyway he's here now so technically you didn't kill him" Once I had hated her for it, wanted to rip her apart for what was happening but now I just felt sorry for her. She was just a kid thrust into a world she didn't belong in, I knew what that felt like.

"He really loves you, I can see it. He'll die for you"

"It wont come to that"

"How do you know?" The truth was I didn't, I just assumed that I'd go first. I was the one who was impulsive and reckless, Cato at least thought things through before he did them. I acted first and asked questions later.

"Because I wont give him the chance"