Fallen Flower(G.H)

Chapter Thirteen

I wake up to find myself clean and scarless. I try and sit up but something stops me. I'm strapped down. I sigh and lay back down. I close my eyes and fall asleep again. I wake up and I'm free to move. The avox from before the games sets a tray on my lap. It's a tiny portion and I frown. Surely they should be feeding me more. I start eating and find myself struggling to finish the portion.

"Where's Gale?" I ask once I'm done. She shakes her head and leaves quickly. I'm naked and I groan in frustration. The door opens again and Haymitch comes in. "Where's Gale?" I repeat immediately.

"He's okay. President snow wants you two to reunite at the recap tonight." Haymitch says. I sigh.

"When is that?" I ask.

"Soon. Here's what you're going to wear. I'll be outside." I climb out of the bed and find my tribute outfit on the bed. I change into it and can't help but shudder slightly. I step outside and Haymitch leads me to the elevator. As we rise through the levels it makes me think of all the dead tributes. A little over two weeks ago, every floor had at least four people filling it. Now it was just us four. Everyone who had been reaped or volunteered was dead. For no reason other than entertainment.

"They're angry with you Sam." Haymitch says quietly. "You showed them up at their own game. You're outburst when Rue died didn't help much either." He says.

"They won't hurt anyone will they?" I ask quietly. He sighs and shakes his head.

"No they probably won't. Just make them believe your story. You were trying to come home with the man you loved." He says. I nod. I can do that. "You couldn't bare loosing him."

"I couldn't." I answer. Haymitch nods. He takes me to Cinna and my prep team. My prep team prepares me quickly and Cinna pulls out my dress. I change into it and look at myself in the mirror. The confident girl from before the games is gone. Instead I look young. Maybe fourteen. Innocence seems to be the name of the game. My hair is curled and my makeup is minimal. My heels are gone and instead I'm in a pair of soft leather sandals. I'm led to the mirror and the dress looks like candlelight is flickering up my body. I'm my actual height of five feet. Gale will tower over me like he normally does. He's at least a foot taller than me which makes somethings awkward.

"You're radiant." Cinna says. "Remember smile. You've won. That's half the battle."

"It never end does it? I'm never going to leave those games." I look at him hopelessly.

"No you've left those games." Cinna says. "You've won. Keep your chin up and your head down. You and Gale got lucky."

"Thank you Cinna." I breathe. He smiles and fixes a mockingjay pin on my dress.

"You are a mockingjay Sam. Make them hear you." Cinna smiles. I nod and let him lead me to the car. I step into the car and it drives me to the same place we had the interviews. I'm taken under the stage and glance around hopefully. There's a wall up and I'm assuming Gale is behind it. The prep teams go out first. Then the designers. Then Effie. Then Haymitch. Finally us. I'm in a tube like I was for the games and for a second I hyperventilate. I can't be back in the games. But I'm on stage in front of a screaming crowd. I glance around and see him. My feet can't help it and soon I'm catapulting myself at him. He catches me and kisses me deeply. I kiss him back clinging to him tightly. He holds me tightly keeping me dangling above the ground. We keep kissing and sink to the floor. We're desperately holding onto each other and he's kissing me everywhere. He's holding me tightly and burying his head into my neck. Our tears are both hitting each other's skin and our own.

"They told me you were fine but I didn't believe them until I saw you." He whispers.

"Come on you two." Ceaser says chuckling. Gale carefully scoops me up and carries me to the couch. "You two caused quite a stir here."

"Thanks Ceaser." I giggle. "I guess I'm just a mockingjay." Gale buries his head in my neck to hide his laugh. Mockingjays are a slap in the face to the capital.

"We're just lucky to have each other." Gale answers sneaking a kiss onto my neck.

"Let's watch the recap." Ceaser says. We turn and watch it. I see all the deaths, I see me find Gale, I watch the three of us nurse him back to health, I see me betray him, I watch me go to the feast, I see Clove die and Cato beg her to stay, I hear him tell her that he loves her, that he needs her, I see Rue die, they skip me covering her in flowers and yelling at the capital, I watch me stumble back into the cave, I see Gale wake up and start trying to wake me, he's begging me to stay alive, I wake up and we're together, we've got a fighting chance at winning, I see Cato and Thresh fight, I see foxface eat the berries, I watch the finale, I watch me pull out the berries, you can see the desperation in my eyes, I'm a girl in love and you can tell, them we've won. "Congratulations you two." Ceaser says.

"Thank you." Gale answers.

"Sam, what was going through your head when you pulled out those berries?" Ceaser asks. I look at Gale.

"I thought I was going to lose him. I just wanted to get him home and he wasn't leaving unless I was with him." I answer gazing at Gale.

"Gale, what were you feeling when you woke up to find her with that head wound?" He asks.

"I thought I lost her. I was terrified she was gone and I wouldn't be able to see her in her wedding dress, I wouldn't meet our first child, I wouldn't be able to see our daughter in a wedding dress, I thought I lost my whole future." Gale answers. He's staring down at me.

"Sam, you did this thing throughout the entire games, you broke off twigs and left them on the ground. What was that for?" Ceaser asks.

"Gale and I knew we'd have a hard time finding each other, so the night before the games we came up with a way to leave a trail for the other one so we could find each other." I say. "I knew he'd find me. He always does." The crowd practically melts at that.

"Now it's time for the crowning ceremony." Ceaser stands as President Snow comes on stage. Gale and I both stand and Snow smiles. He breaks the crown in two and sets one half on Gales head.

"Careful miss Mellark." President Snow whispers into my ear. I force a smile at him and nod.

"Thank you President Snow." I answer. We're soon brought back to the training tower and I'm kissing him pushing him through the door into his room.

We've got one more interview and we're done. We're dressed for the interview and by the middle of it we're happily chatting.

"There is something I'd like to ask." Gale turns to me and gets down on one knee. I cover my mouth. Mainly because we've done this before. "We've already done this once but after the games I feel like it's necessary to ask again. Samantha Mellark will you do me the honour of becoming Samantha Hawthorne?" Gale asks.

"Yes." I say immediately. Gale kisses me and Haymitch gives us a thumbs up once we come up for air.

Soon we're on the train heading back to district twelve. We walk to the back of the train and find some couches to curl up on.

"Let's stay in one house on our own." Gale says. "My family, and the Everdeens."

"And Peeta If there's room and he wants to." I answer.

"And Peeta." Gale agrees. He smiles. "But seriously move in with me."

"Okay. You and me in a house together anything could happen." I smirk.

"With you and I, anything could happen at anytime." Gale answers kissing me quickly. I laugh and cuddle up to him.

We leave the train at twelve and I see the Hawthorne's and Katniss. Then I see Prim. Peeta. Mrs Everdeen. My dad. Before I can help it my feet carry me straight into their arms. Gale is right behind me. He hugs them all tightly and we're all crying.

"We made it." I sob.

"You made it." Katniss sobs back. We hug again laughing and cheering.
-END OF BOOK ONE-