Always: A Hunger Games Fanfiction

Chapter 72

***5 years later***

Katniss

It's been 5 years since the last Games. Haymitch's winning streak continued when one of his female tributes was crowned victor. It came down to Daisy, my tribute, and Johanna's tribute, Kent. Kent ended up killing Daisy. I still remember the sadness I felt in my heart while I watched her die. There was nothing I could do. And Haymitch's tribute, Yellow Farhand stabbed Kent repeatedly until he finally gave up and died. Yellow is now 20 years old, still living in the Capitol, probably with a family.

After the Games were over, we were sent back to 13 for a few months while the Districts were being rebuilt. Finally, they sent us home. I live in a house similar to my old one after the Games. It's still in the secluded part of town; The Victor's Village. Peeta lived next store but he spent more time at mine than he did his, so after about three months we decided that he could come live with me.

Gale is in District 13 with a new wife. Her name is Daphne, I think. I even think he has a kid. Finn ended up surviving in the end. Now he's with Annie back in District 4. He's about six now. Haymitch still lives next door. He hasn't given up on his drinking yet. I haven't seen Effie for a long time, but every year she comes back to gather us for a memorial of our dead loved ones in the Capitol. Johanna is in District 7. I didn't even bother to ask her what she did in her free time. I'm not sure I really want to know. And I'm here, in District 12. For the most part, it's all rebuilt again. There hasn't been any threat or war or anything for five years, since the last one. "Katniss. Are you ready?" I look up to see Peeta standing in front of me. I nod.

"Yes," I say quietly. Peeta smiles reassuringly and he takes my hand. He asked me to marry him last month. My initial reaction was pure fear. I did want to marry him. More than anything, but I was so afriad of losing him, just like everything else. I said I'd think about it. I remember Peeta's face when I said those words. I'll never forget it. For the whole rest of the night I felt a terrible guilt in my chest. But that isn't what pushed me to say yes just the next day. It wasn't out of guilt. That night I had one of my worst nightmares. It was about Peeta. It usually is. But when I woke up screaming, Peeta's arms were open to comfort me. He held me for the rest of the night. And as he held me, I realized that Peeta wouldn't leave me. Ever. And somehow, if he did, he would do anything to find me again. So that morning, we were walking silently into town. I took him to my father's spot in the woods and I told him one word; yes. His face lit up like the Capitol at night. He picked me up and spun me around. I giggled practically the whole way home, which was strange for me. Peeta brought out a whole different side to me and I liked it.

"Yes. I'm ready," I say. Today we have an interview to announce our engagement to Panem. Our real engagement. At first I declined the idea right away. I don't want other people to be constantly barging in on our lives. But Effie showed up yesterday and practically forced us to say yes. So here we are today, ready to board a train that will take us to the Capitol where we'll be interviewed. Yesterday Haymitch prepped us. He said that they'll ask why we lied about being engaged before. And we have to say that we were, but I ended up calling everything off the night the Quarter Quell was announced. And Peeta told everyone because we didn't want to upset them. Still, I hate lying. I hate these roles we continue to play, but it's not as unmanageable anymore. They leave us alone most of the time, besides when we have to go be interviewed again for the memorial in the Capitol, but that's only once a year so I learned to deal with it. "You okay?" Peeta asks. I smile weakly and nod. I know after I marry him, he'll want kids. I can already see it. He always stops and smiles and plays with babies when we pass them in the District. I just put on a fake smile and stand by awkwardly. I still don't want kids, but I know Peeta does. But I do know that he won't force me to do anything I don't want to do, and I'm grateful for that.

"Oh! My two victors! You two are just so. . ." Peeta and I pause in front of Effie outside. "Perfect."

"Thank you Effie," I say. "For everything." She smiles a genuine smile. Not a fake Capitol one.

"Thank you, Katniss," she says quietly. Even though I'm not sure why she's thanking me, I nod anyway. "Well! We'd better get on that train! Don't want to risk being off schedule, now do we?" she asks, suddenly back to the old Effie. I nod and Peeta and I follow her to the train station.

There are some people from the District waiting there, although I'm not quite sure why. They smile and nod at us, as if giving us approval. I smile politely and board the train. I see Peeta wave to someone and follow through the door after me. "I wish we didn't have to tell the world about this," I say, as the train begins moving. I turn to the window and watch District 12 disappear into a grey, fuzzy image behind us. Peeta grabs my hand and lightly squeezes it.

"Me either," he says. "But we both know they'll never leave us alone." I can see District 11 ahead of us. I swallow and feel Peeta squeeze my hand. I feel a longing in my chest. "Katniss. It's okay." I nod and close my eyes. Memories of the Victory Tour come flooding back to me. I see the old man who whistled Rue's song. The old man who gave me the three-fingered goodbye. The old man who was shot by Peacekeepers before my eyes. I see Rue's family with tear streaked faces. Her little brothers and sisters who looked so much like her. For all I know, they are all dead by now. I open my eyes again. It must have been a while because we're now entering 11. But it's different. There are no guards; no Peacekeepers and gates surrounding the District. Just wheat fields and surprisingly healthy people working in them. I smile and think about how happy this would have made Rue. The fighting is over. It's finished.

I turn away from the window and back to the towers of food before us. I touch none of it. I don't feel much like eating. I sit down beside Peeta on a velvet couch. "Prim would have been eighteen..." I whisper. Peeta nods and wraps his arms around me. I feel tears brim my eyes at the thought of that. Eighteen years old. I can't even imagine that. Rue would be about seventeen or eighteen too. Ruth would have been sixteen. I can still see all of them clearly. I can see their faces, hear their voices so perfectly in my head. I don't think I'll ever forget. A long with Finnick and even Gale. He's not dead but I haven't seen him in so long. The real him. The one who was my best friend, and hunting partner. "Peeta have you forgotten anything from our past before? Important things, I mean."

"No. I don't think so, but if I forgot about something, I'm not going to know now," he says. I nod. "Why?"

"I don't know. I want to forget a lot of it."

"Me too, but I don't think that'll happen. At least we have the good things to remember."

"It's hard to think about the good things when most of it is bad."

"I still remember you singing the Valley Song when we were little. I remember your two braids and you running home after school. I remember the day your dad died."

"Me too..." I whisper. He laughs slightly.

"I remember that day because I wanted to go up and say something to you so badly. If I did, it probably wouldn't have mattered though. There were a lot of people who said sorry. But the whole day, I was at war with myself. I wanted to go up to you. To do something. But I never did," he says. I smile at his story. It makes me happy that he's loved me for so long. I wish I could return the favor, though. The first time I knew I might love Peeta was in the cave in the Games. When I felt that spark inside me. The one I feel every time Peeta kisses me now. The feeling I will never, ever forget.