𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐑 || 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

❝i vowed not to cry anymore if we survived the great war❞

ISLA WAS SITTING IN HER BED WITH LEXA IN THE CHAIR BESIDE IT. They moved her into an actual room instead of in the middle of the chaos where she was earlier. She was laying down and getting some rest while they slowly eased her off of her medication.

The Armada woman ran her fingers along the scars, burns, and bruises on Isla's arm, and her heart broke with every mark that she saw and felt. She whispered, "What did they do to you?"

"Nothing that won't heal," Isla responded, shaking her head. Sure, she had had some nightmares about the times that she spent in the Capitol, but she knew she was going to be fine now that she was safe and with Lexa. She shook her head and grabbed the woman's hand before she guilted herself to death. "I'm glad it was me. I don't know what I would do if it was you in this bed."

"But I cut your leg in the arena," Lexa reminded her, gesturing to the covered leg that was a lot worse than the other one.

Isla then added, "You were saving me."

"And yet you were still the one who ended up being tortured by Snow," the Armada groaned, and she put her head in her hands. Isla reached over and rubbed her shoulder, letting her know that she knew that it was not her fault. It wasn't either of their faults. It was Snow's. Lexa sighed and looked back up at her. "I missed you, a lot."

"I missed you too. Wait, here's your bracelet," the blonde girl remembered, and she began to slide it off her wrist to return it to its owner, even though it was in pretty bad shape, before Lexa stopped her.

She shook her head. "Keep it."

"No, I can't," the Angler woman insisted. She remembered the story that the girl from District 6 had told her in the arena, and she felt awful for taking such a hopeful thing from her. "It gives you hope."

"Well, now, I have something else that gives me hope," Lexa replied, and Isla had to look down at her hands to try and hide the blush that crept up on her face. It was so cheesy, but for some reason, it sounded amazing coming from the beautiful woman's lips.

He grinned and calmed herself down before looking up again. "How's everyone else doing?"

"Johanna is eating all that she can. Finnick and Annie are being a very happy couple in the supply closet," the brunette woman informed her, making a face as she said the last part. She had mistakenly walked in on them when she went to get the blonde girl some pillowcases.

"Ew," the Angler woman responded with a grimace before smiling slightly, happy that the couple was reunited after everything that they had gone through. "I'm happy for them, though. And Peeta? What? What happened to him?"

She remembered how he had acted when the Peacekeepers brought him back, and she frowned when the other women answered her, "He's okay, but they did something to him in the Capitol. He's not himself. He seems to be all right with everyone else, but he attacked Katniss when he saw her, almost killed her."

"Oh, my God," the blonde girl breathed out. Peeta seemed scared and traumatized when he came back, but he was not aggressive toward her or anyone else at all. He held her hand for hours. Peeta had never been a very violent person.

"They're working on him now, and she's okay," Lexa assured her before she had a panic attack and ripped all of her stitches. "But they don't know how to fix him."

Isla paused for a moment, thinking about what she could do to help her friend. Peeta had not been aggressive toward her, and maybe talking to someone that went through the same pain as him would help. "Can I see him?"

"I'll talk to someone and see," the brunette responded with a nod.

"Thanks," the Angler answered. Lexa leaned over and kissed her, and even though this was about the third time that they had kissed, it felt so normal. The Armada woman stood up and leaned over the bed to deepen the kiss, and Isla pulled away ever so slightly to ask, "Don't we have an assembly to go to or something?"

Lexa waved her off, placing her hand on the girl's waist as she climbed onto the bed and kneeled over her. "That's not for a few more hours. I think we have time."

A few hours later, Isla was in a wheelchair pushed by Lexa as they stood in the giant hall and looked up at President Coin. She was a very regal-looking woman, Isla thought. He seemed like she knew how to take charge, which explained why she was President.

"Good evening. Yesterday, I authorized a covert rescue mission inside the Capitol. I am pleased to announce that the Victors have been liberated! Let this day mark an historic change. With The Mockingjay and the Victors beside us, we have sent a clear message to the Capitol. That we will never again endure injustice. Today, a day on which we reunited family, friends, and loved ones. Let all of Panem come together. Not to battle for the amusement of the Capitol. But to join hands in this fight.

"Let today be the day we promise never to give up, never to give in until we have made a new Panem, where leaders are elected, not imposed upon us. And where the districts are free to share the fruits of their labors and not fight one another for scraps! This new Panem is on the horizon. But we must take it for ourselves. The road there leads through the sharp mountains and deep ravines of District 2. There in the heart of Panem's steepest mountain range lies the Capitol's principal military facility. We can conquer this stronghold because we are one people, one army, one voice. Because today is our new beginning. Today we have freed the Victors. Tomorrow, Panem!"