The Victor -Pollux-

Epilogue

Seven Years Later

The grass was greener than it had ever been. Crops now grow in fields across the District. Throughout the years, things have changed. The grass buried any remains of what was left behind.

The arenas were gone. All of them have been torn down. The Hunger Games were now just stories of the past. It's better for everyone that way.

Life kept going. People moved on. People began to forget. Carson would never forget what happened, but carrying on was the best way to honor the memories of those who were no longer here. It was better to live for the dead. That way, their memory wouldn't be forgotten. She no longer hid from the world. Instead, she embraced it.

It gets easier each year.

Carson Sage changed more and more as time went on. Before, she was cold. She hated the world and the pain it brought. Now, she was warm. She felt the warmth the world had to offer.

Pollux and Carson stayed in the Victors' Village. It was home. Eventually, the empty houses began to accommodate others. Cressida eventually decided to give up directing and join them. Without anywhere else to go, she found a home in the District. Annie joined them as well. District 4 never felt like home without Finnick.

They were happy.

Happiness. That was an emotion foreign to Carson for so long. Now, she found herself rarely feeling anything else. It wasn't easy. The nightmares were rare now, but when they did occur, Pollux was always there. He would always be there, and for that, Carson was thankful.

The weather's warm. It was well into Spring. The flowers were in full bloom in the garden that Pollux set up a few years back. They bring color to the house, making it feel more like home. More often than not, there's a vase of fresh flowers on the living room table.

Most days are easy. They help out when needed. They venture around the District when they can but mostly tend to the animals.

The Spring weather urged them to spend time outside. Rather than waste the day, they set up a picnic blanket in a meadow not too far from the house. The woods are to the right, and the cows are to the left. It was a place Charlie would often play. It always felt safe.

Carson watched the scene in front of her with a smile. Pollux was on the ground, two boys running around him. He's trying to explain something to them, but they're not paying attention. They laughed as Pollux sighed, shaking his head at them.

At first, it was scary, the idea of having children. Carson never wanted kids, not with the games and not after losing her family. When she learned they would have them, she was nervous. Pollux eased her fears, promising that nothing bad would happen. The entire time, Carson was terrified. That fear doubled when she learned there were two. It wasn't until she had them, the twins, that she felt the fear leave her. One boy with blond hair and blue eyes. The other with brown hair and a face full of freckles.

Atlas and Wurren were five now. They were a handful, especially when they learned to walk. Running was an entirely different story.

At first, naming them was hard. They tossed around many names. Finnick. Castor. Cole. Charlie. It was Carson who decided against naming them after someone they lost. Instead, she suggested something different.

She suggested names from stars and moons that were printed in the books Charlie loved. The night Pollux returned to her and they sat under the stars was the first time she realized how remarkable life truly was.

That was the night everything changed for Carson. When her life truly started.

But that was so long ago.

Carson was pulled from her thoughts when the baby in her arms began to cry. "Oh," she spoke softly. "Shh, it's okay." Her arms gently rocked her. "It's okay, Olive." The baby stared up at her, blue eyes barely open. "Don't cry, my love. It's okay." The sound of her voice was always enough to calm her. "Don't cry." Olive stopped crying almost instantly. "That's it, my dear." Carson smiled down at her. "You're okay. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." She meant it. She would never let anything happen to her children.

Her children don't know the horrors their parents once faced. One day, they will learn about the past.

Carson will one day tell them about the bad and the good. The people who fought to better the world. The people they would never get to meet. Carson won't let her kids grow up to be afraid of the world. She wants them to be brave, like Charlie. Like Finnick. Like Castor. Like Pollux.

Like her.

She knows they will be.

Looking back up, she watched as Pollux picked up Wurren, twirling him around as Atlas screamed in joy. As he set him back down, he caught her eye. Pollux smiled, but his attention returned to the boys as Atlas jumped into his arms.

They play in the meadow by the trees and the cows. They play freely and without fear. They'll eat the dinner that's packed in the picnic basket and watch the sunset over the horizon. After, they'll fall asleep under the night sky.

Then, they'll go back home.

Her home with the green door.