If Fire Caught

Chapter 11: Katniss

I'm woken up early to get ready for the interviews and I keep feeling nervous. My interview isn't as big a deal as Peeta's will be. But that doesn't mean I'm not afraid I will slip up.

My prep team, who are usually loud chatter boxes, are nearly silent as the work on me. Very suddenly, Octavia breaks into tears and Viena gives her a stern look.

"Remember what Cinna said," She says.

Octavia hands her scissors to her and hangs her head as she leaves the room. Flavius and Viena continue, applying soft makeup and painting my nails. Suddenly, Flavius accidentally brushes my stomach just as my child decides to kick. He starts sobbing loudly and Viena shoos him out.

Viena works fast and quietly. When I'm almost done, I watch her wipe a stray tear from her face. She finishes pinning my hair in place and does a once over of my makeup. Before she leaves, she gently takes my hands in hers.

"Before I leave," she says. "I want to tell you what a pleasure it's been to make you look your best. She gently kisses my cheek, being careful of my makeup, and leaves before I can say anything in response. A few moments later, Cinna comes in with a large black dress bag.

"Is that mine?" I ask him.

"Yes," he unzips it and reveals one of the many wedding dresses I was forced to try on when it was the Capitol's event. "Our protests were ignored on this one."

"He's turned my wedding dress into a funeral shroud," I say.

"I'm sorry," he says.

"I know it's not your fault," I say as I allow him to slip the smooth silk material over my body. I instantly feel the dense weight of the dress. "I don't remember it being this heavy."

"I had to make some last minute alterations," he says. "You know, to hide the little one."

"Okay," I say.

"Just don't lift your arms until you twirl," he says.

"I'll be twirling again?" I ask.

"I'll give you a signal," he says and I nod. He wraps an arm around my shoulder." Come on, its time."

I follow him out and see that Peeta is dressed in the kind of suit they wear for the weddings here in the Capitol. He pulls me into a hug and holds me close.

"You look beautiful," he says.

"You don't look to bad yourself," I say back.

"I think you look ridiculous!" a female voice behind me says. I turn around to see Johanna Mason, dressed in some sort of tree bark designed ball gown.

"It wasn't Cinna's choice," I say "President Snow insisted." She walks over to me and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and straitens the pearls around my neck before whispering in my ear.

"Make him pay for it," she says before winking at Peeta and walking away. Peeta and I stare at each other, rather confused by her actions.

The interview are rather interesting. Each of the victors seem to be stoking the fire that I started last year. Cashmere and Gloss, brother and sister who won in back to back years when I was little, talk about how tragic it must be for the Capitol to lose its victors. Beetee comments that if the rules of the Quell were written, couldn't they easily be changed. Finnick reads a poem to his one true love in the Capitol. Johanna lets out a few choice words towards them that I'd only heard once or twice in my life, not five times in a sentence. When it comes to my turn, the crowd is absolutely hysteric at the sight of me in my wedding dress.

"Katniss," Caesar says. "I know a lot of us are a little disappointed that we couldn't attend a certain wedding." The crowd roars in agreement. "Now if I'm correct, this is the dress you would have worn on that day, Yes or No?"

"Yes," I say. "President Snow thought it would be appropriate for you guys to get to see it."

"Well as usual, President Snow was right," he says and the crowd cheers. I see Cinna moving his finger in a circular motion and I know what he's saying. 'Twirl for me.'

I take a step forward and spin. My dress becomes engulfed in flames and when I stop the crowd gasps. I look down and see that the thick white silk has been replaced by black feathers that still gracefully cover my child, hiding him from sight. The only white that remains are the white patches on my sleeves. Or should I say my wings.

Cinna has turned me into a Mockingjay.

"Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire!" Caesar says as the buzzer sounds leaving no room for questions, although I think the point was made. I'm something the Capitol never intended to exist. But the position I was put in created me.

Peeta goes on stage after me and Caesar asks him different questions. When he says how sorry he is about the wedding, I hold my breath as Peeta responds the way we planned.

"We already married, in a secret ceremony ," he says and he goes on to explain the toasting process. "We wanted our love to be eternal. We knew there wouldn't be a toasting here so we did one on our own. We aren't legally married, but we are married to us."

"Well surely you two are happy for the time you had? Caesar says and Peeta nods.

"I wouldn't have any regrets if it weren't for," he pauses, looking at me as though to ask me if I'm totally sure I want him to say this. I nod and place my hand over our child.

"If it weren't for what?" Caesar asks.

"If it weren't for the baby," he says finally.

And just as the words leave his mouth, the fire the other victors had been building explodes into a raging inferno.