Pure as Snow: A Do-Over of Corio and Lucy Gray's love story

Chapter Ten: Deadly Night Shade

"Corio..." Lucy Gray's voice whispered as she shook him awake in the dead of night. "Corio..." she said again. 

"Lucy Gray" He said wiping the sleep from his eyes. 

"Do you hear that?" She motioned for him to listen carefully. He could hear crackling in the distance. It was getting closer the more they listened. It sounded like fireworks going off in celebration of what they did not know. Corio looked at Lucy Gray. 

"Fireworks? At this hour?" He looked at her with confusion.

"I don't believe that's what it is Coriolanus." She got up from their bed and walked into the hallway. That's when the sound grew in volume. Coriolanus was taken back to his childhood when the rebels planned a sneak attack in the dead of night. They managed to burn half of the Capitol to the ground before the sun had even rose. 

"Rebels?" He asked her as he buttoned his shirt. Lucy Grey didn't like the word. But she knew she was going to have to get use to it not having the heroic meaning she once knew. She just nodded with a sigh and pointed out the window. He walked up next to her and saw the building across the street, it was on fire. 

"War isn't coming Coriolanus, it's here." Lucy Gray pointed to the broken window on the first floor. "I think someone ran by and threw a bottle of something through the window." She said looking at her boyfriend with concern. Within minutes of the smoke rising in the air, the city wide alarm began blaring. Coriolanus had only heard it one other time in his life. It was the last time he saw his father, it was the last time his world had made any sense at all. 

"That noise...it's the war alarm. We have to get to the Citadel at once." Coriolanus said as him and Lucy Gray rushed to dress and were out the door before Grand'mam or his cousin had time to ask questions. The Capitol was going on lockdown, Corio recognized all the signs he once saw before. Bars on the windows of stores, curtains closed...darkness spread throughout the city where there was once so much light. Lucy Gray tried to keep pace in her heels as they sprinted up the stairs of the Citadel only to be greeted by Peacekeepers.

"Dr. Gaul, she'll want to see us." Lucy Gray blurted out.

"Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray Baird." Corio said giving them a proper introduction. "Director of the Games and Reptilian Care Coordinator. Both in the War department." He continued as the explosive sounds seemed to move closer. Within in a few minutes they were cleared to enter, stripped and given knew uniforms. Dark red...another sign of war. Lucy Gray and Corio followed a guard down a winding hall to an elevator. 

"Dr. Gaul will meet you in the war room." He said as he sent them down the elevator. 

"The war room...it's begun." Lucy Gray sighed. Coriolanus wrapped his arms around her frame. 

"Nothing will happen to you. I promise you that." He said as he kissed the top of her head.

"But what will become of you Coriolanus Snow, you're General Crassus Xanthos Snow's son. A first born and breed military leader. If you're chosen to lead this war, what hope do we have of an end." Lucy Gray said trying to hold back her tears. She was right, Coriolanus couldn't deny his legacy and he would have no choice in the matter but to fight. Innocent people would lose their lives and he would have before blood on his hands than before. 

"I asked this of you once prior Lucy Gray, I told myself I would not make light to ask again. But it's done me no good in the past to not to be absolutely sure about something." Coriolanus sighed. "So please be as honest and forthright as you can with me." Coriolanus held Lucy Gray's hand as he spoke. "More people are likely to die, innocent people. The blood will be on my hands if Dr. Gaul chooses to have me take over if another war is starting. I have to know, will you not be able to look at me the same. Will you love me less? It's alright if the answer breaks my heart. Heartbreak is something I have learned to live with." Coriolanus held his breath waiting for Lucy Gray's answer.

"Coriolanus Snow, you have asked me this question before. You have told me I am free to go if that is what I so choose. You never gave me an ultimatium and that is why my choice was always you. More people are likely to die, innocent people...yes that's true. But you are not an evil person, your father was not an evil person. You are a product of your circumstances and you've done everything to stay on the side of good. I can assure you I've waivered, especially after my time in the arena. I know killing Sejanus wasn't your intention when you sent that information back to Dr. Gaul. We all do things for survival we would not do if we had any other choice. You and I are survivors Coriolanus. And I'm more in love with you in this minute. Than I was when I saw you back in 12 a year ago. Blood on your hands...is blood on mine. We will make it through this. We will make Panem ours one day. And there will be nothing to stand in our way future  President Snow." Lucy Gray kissed his lips as the doors to the elevator opened.

They were in a part of the Citadel they had never seen before. A part that never existed to Coriolanus even when his father had worked here. "Welcome to your new office, and living quarters lovebirds." Dr. Gaul smirked as she showed Lucy Gray the lab where the snakes were being kept and Coriolanus' war room office was set up next door. Beyond the labs and the office was another room which opened into a small apartment with a bathroom and a kitchenet.

"We'll be staying here?" Lucy Gray asked.

"Yes for the forseeable future little Gray...it seems a war is starting and we've been notified of a credible threat on your head. We assume it has to do with your Capitol boyfriend. A gang of rebels from District 12 broke through our guard wall and have taken down half our peacekeeper division. This message was brought to the Citadel." Dr. Gaul said as she handed Coriolanus the letter.

CAPITOL BOY

WE'RE COMING FOR YOUR LUCY GRAY

PANEM WILL BE NO MORE, THIS IS THE START OF A WAR TO END ALL WARS

That is barely legible who knows what nonsense their talking about. It could be a prank." Coriolanus argued with Dr. Gaul as Lucy Gray grabbed the note from his hand. She cleared her throat loud enough to get their argument to stop.

"This is credible...group of rebels in 12 the ones Sejanus got himself mixed up with. The only thing that frightens me about this hand writing....it's Billy Taupes and he was killed by Spruce." Lucy Gray said.

"Oh child, you have much to learn. You're both safe here but Coriolanus...you'll be asked to report to General Huff within the coming weeks if a war is imminent like we believe it to be.

"That symbol there...district 12...its a rebels mark. The mockingjay I knew it well." Lucy Gray sighed.

"I'll do whatever it takes to protect Lucy Gray....and Panem." Coriolanus said.

"I know and that is why you're both here. We'll keep her safe if you need to be away. She's of great use to us with her skill set. A very smart girl, you've entangled yourself with. I cannot say the same for that Clemesia." Dr. Gaul laughed as she left Corio and Lucy Gray alone to get settled.

"You recognized the symbol?" Coriolanus asked Lucy Gray as she put some tea on the kettle of their kitchenet. 

"I did...seen Billy wearing the pin too. I never got mixed up in the rebellion. I was too worried about the Covey and taking care of Maude Ivory. Putting food in our stomachs was more important to me than an uprising. And still somehow because of that no good Mayfair I got myself wrapped up in it." Lucy Gray was tense as she sat down on the bed next Coriolanus.

"If he is alive, I will see to it. If he is not I will find out who made the threat and dispose of them also. Don't worry Lucy Gray, not a hair on your head will go misplaced with me there." Coriolanus assured her. Lucy Gray squeezed his hand. 

"I know that to be true Corio, but please be careful. Our time apart has never bode well for either of us." Lucy Gray began to cry. Coriolanus pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, he noticed his father's initials sewn into the corner of it. Smiling he used to it to wipe Lucy Gray's tears. He realized in that moment, this was how he could continue his father's legacy with pride. Crassus died a martyr. But not Coriolanus...he would rise from those ashes victorious. 

"Lucy Gray...we will win this I promise." He said as he kissed her hand. 

"We..." She looked into his eyes and half smiled.

"There is no me, without you." Coriolanus choked back the tears he'd been holding in. He wanted to be the hero in Lucy Gray's story and put her first always. But he had a feeling he was going to have no choice but to play the villain in the days that followed, because power and love never quite mixed well.