I slowly open my eye. I remember hearing Adrien yelling at the president and both of us on the hovercraft. Fuck, we're going to be in big trouble. Sorry for the bad language. I look around me and only see white. A piece of the white wall opens and Finnick walks in. He looks really happy.
"Congratulations, you have won the hunger games, Diana. Also, you won the hearts of all the people in Panem. Coming close to death for Adrien was just amazing," Finnick says.
"So, I'm alive?" I ask him.
"Yeah, we never thought of him making a deal with the president for both of you to win though. I guess we had a flaw in our plan," Finnick says. He walks over to me and sits on the bed with me.
"What happened to my arm? My left one," I say.
"They had to cut it off and give you a new one. Well, a robotic one. Go ahead and look," Finnick says. I look down at my arm and see metal and wires formed into the shape of an arm.
"It looks so different but feels the same," I say.
"Yeah. I did ask the doctors to keep your scars. I thought you would like to have them so you can look scary," Finnick says. I just laugh. I did want to keep my scars. Good thing Finnick said something.
"Thanks. How is Adrien?" I ask him. He turns his head away from me.
"He is fine. A little tired because they have to keep sedating him so he can't come to find you. That boy got both of you in big trouble you know," Finnick says.
"I know. I will take the blame though, I was the one who wanted to kill themself first. It looks like an act of rebellion by trying to die like that," I say.
"Yeah we screwed up," Finnick says. I look at him and he looks like he was crying.
"What's wrong?" I ask him.
"I was a little scared for you. I know we decided to kill you but when I watched you die I just felt so guilty. I went to Effie and told her what we did. She began crying and hugging me and telling me that we did the right thing but it didn't feel right. You have been unconscious for two weeks. Your parents have been so scared. They even said they would sneak onto a train to get here and see if you were okay," Finnick says.
"Wow, my family cares for me that much," I say.
"They were a total wreck. Hearing you say those things about them and your last words. They were going crazy. They kept calling me making sure Effie was okay with what she was doing with the two of you. They love you a lot," Finnick says.
"No, they don't. My mother is scared of me and my father just cares about me a little. He would rather have a dead daughter than me," I say.
"That's not true," says a very familiar voice. I look around and find an avox walking in with a tablet in her hands. My brother, mother, and father are on it.
"We love you so much, Diana. Never doubt that. I am so sorry that I was so scared of you. When you volunteered I was freaking out about losing my amazing daughter. When we got a call from Effie about that boy from four choking you in training I got so scared for your safety that I fainted in your father's arms as Effie told us this. I only stayed away from you when you were mad was because you remind me so much of my arrogant self that got us into the mess of the rebellion. We do need you. Since you and Adrien won the games I have been thinking about how much of me and your father I see in you. I am so happy that you are alive and my daughter," Katniss says in tears of joy over the screen.
"D, if you died then a part of me would die with you. I am your twin. Always remember that I love you more than anyone. WE are connected," Finnick (the brother) says. I touch the screen and look at my parents and my brother. I start crying and Finnick (The cousin) wipes away my tears.
"Peeta, do you have anything to say?" Katniss asks her husband. Peeta is sitting with them, very still with a look of disbelief on his face.
"I don't know what to say. My daughter went into the games to save the one she loves. You make me think about myself when I went into the games but you went one step farther than I did. You were on the verge of death. You scared me so much. I can't see my life without my wonderful, brave, smart, daughter," Peeta says.
"Dad, that's so sweet. I promise never to say anything like that again. I miss all of you so much. I will be home soon," I say. I blow kisses to them and they blow kisses back. Finnick ends the call and the avox leaves the room.
"Thanks for setting that up," I say to Finnick. He smiles and hugs.
"Calix is going to come in soon and get you dressed. The victor ceremony is at two," Finnick says.
"Okay. Thanks," I say. Finnick gets off the bed and leaves. I sit there and work with my new hand till the door opens and Calix comes in.
"It's great to see you, Diana. Alive," Calix says.
"Thanks. So what is my outfit like?" I ask him. He opens a bag that was behind his back and takes out an ocean blue dress with long sleeves, blue heels, long blue gloves, and a gold belt.
Diana's victory outfit
I slowly get out of bed and almost fall as my feet touch the ground. I have not walked in two weeks. Calix helps me into the outfit and when we finish with the dress, gloves, shoes, and belt Calix pulls out a locket with the engraving of a bow and arrow out from his pocket.
"My locket!" I say with joy. Calix smiles and puts it on my neck.
"You made it out my goddess of the hunt," Calix says. I smile and we hug. A little while after Effie walks in and escorts me out into a room that looks just like a launch room. I close my eyes and let the flashbacks start-up and die down.
"Are you alright darling?" Effie asks me.
"Yes, I'm fine. I just feel like I'm going in all over again," I say.
"Well, you're never going to have to go into the games again. When you get up there just be happy to see Adrien but don't show your new arm. He doesn't know. We want you to reveal it when Ceasar asks you what they did to your arm," Effie says.
"Got it. I am just ready to get this done and over with so we can go home," I say.
"You will but just remember, you have now won and are the only Victor's of your district so you will be mentors till you can get another kid to win and you both share the responsibility. I will help you of course," Effie says.
"Thanks, Effie for everything," I say. I go over to her and hug her. She is a little surprised by my act of affection but she hugs me back. She leaves with Calix and I am alone in the launch room. I go over to the wall on my right and lean my head against it. I feel drawn to the wall as if there is someone behind it connected to me. I hear as my prep team and Adrien's prep team are being brought on stage, then there is Finnick? They allowed him to be part of our victory ceremony. Then there is Calix and Adrien's stylist. I get on the launch pad and look up with a serious face. I rise slowly and when I get up to the top I am showered with light. I hear people cheering and clapping. I look to my right and find Adrien looking at me from his launchpad. He has his hand on his mouth in disbelief.
Adrien's victor ceremony outfit
I run over to Adrien and he runs to me. He wraps his arms around me. I grab his face and kiss him.
"I...I...I watched you...you die while the doc...doctors helped heal you. I thought... I thought I would never see you again," Adrien says with a sob.
"Do you think I would leave you when you worked so hard to keep both of us alive," I say. We kiss repeatedly, but right as we are almost about to make out on TV again, we hear Ceasar crying. We both look at him and glare. Effie shows us to the love seat they have for us. I take my shoes off and cuddle up next to Adrien. He takes my left hand and slowly begins to pull my glove off, but, he doesn't see the metal arm yet because of my long sleeves. I pull my hand back and pull the glove back up. He looks at me confused but I just kiss his cheek. We begin to watch the recap of our games and we watch our reaping, the parade, and the interviews. Everyone in the audience is already crying. I just roll my eyes at those idiotic people. We watch each other run away from the cornucopia and how I make my way through the bloodbath and I can see Adrien's face fill with astonishment. It then skips to the confrontation with the career pack. We watch as I kill all of them but go down the tree to fight Griffin on my own. Adrien begins to cry at the sight of me being knocked unconscious and dragged by Griffin. We then go through Adrien's allies with Emer but they show how Adrien is yelling my name in his sleep. I feel so bad for him. I kiss him on the forehead and look into his eyes. We both look back at the screen and watch my fight with Griffin by the river. Everyone gasps when they see me get free and start fighting Griffin but some cry out when he scratches my stomach and back. I hear Adrien cry out too. I look at him and he has this guilty look in his bright green eyes.
"Don't blame yourself for this. I am fine, I promise thanks to you," I whisper to him. He smiles sadly at me and we begin to watch Emer's death and I begin to cry. It's my fault that kid is dead. I wish I could repay him in some way. I feel Adrien squeeze my metal hand and I squeeze back as light as I can. I'm still trying to get used to this strong metal hand thing. We watch the rest of the recap from watching Adrien saving my life in the cave and my crying in the cave and apologizing for deciding for him. We get to the last battle and you watch me inject my arm with the first injection. Adrien looks at me with terror in his eyes. I look at him sadly and wipe the tear off my face. We relive our final word and the recap ends with watching me get pulled away from Adrien and Adrien screaming at me to fight to live when my heart stops five times. When the recap ends, Finnick brings a box of tissues over to us and begins to walk away when Adrien gets up from the seat and goes up to Finnick. He straight up slaps him in the face.
"Why did you let her pull you into her plan to kill herself. You should have told her it was a bad idea," Adrien says while raising his voice.
"We did it for you dude. I knew she loved you so much and could not see you dying so we planned to have her die for you and for her to tell my father how much my mother and I love him," Finnick says. I walk up to Adrien and turn him towards me.
"Do not blame my cousin, please we can discuss this on the train. Or at home when my parents lecture me about it," I say. He nods his head and we head back to the love seat. Ceasar is sitting in a seat across from us. We sit down and begin the interview.
"So, Adrien, how does it feel to have Diana alive when everyone believed she was going to die before she got to the doctors?" Caesar asks.
"It feels amazing to have Diana with me at this very moment. She is everything to me and I can't imagine living without her. When I watched the doctors take her away I couldn't bring it to myself that they were trying to save her. But we always find a way," Adrien says. We look at each other and almost everything melts away except Adrien.
"So, Diana, we know when Adrien fell in love with you was when you were four but when did you fall for him. You told the world you trained yourself from a young age to push away feelings but when did you realize you couldn't push away your feelings for Adrien?" Caesar asks.
"There is this spot outside of the seams and at the edge of twelve full of trees. I promise it's not past the fence. The fence by that part of the district is a little unsafe though. We were around the age of nine. I was going on my afternoon run and I heard a scream. I went running toward the scream and I carried my weapons with me on my run because the run was something my parents insisted I do and I climbed a tree and found a wild dog going to kill a boy my age with blond hair and bright green eyes and I used my weapons to kill the animal. The boy was hurt so I jumped down from the tree and take out a bandage from my bag. I took care of his wound and I told him to change it about three times a day. As I walked away he said something to me," I say. I look at Adrien and he smiles.
"The boy said wait what is your name. Diana told the boy she couldn't tell him her name but she gave him the first letter. D. The boy said back that his name was Adrien and thanked her for saving him," Adrien says. The audience gasps at our story.
"That was when I fell in love with Adrien," I say.
"What a wonderful story. Diana, I have been meaning to ask you, what is the story on your left arm. The paralyzed one. Is it still paralyzed or did something bring it back?" Ceasar asks me. I look down.
"My arm wasn't able to be brought back after the damage I did to it. Adrien, you wanted to pull my glove off earlier, why don't you do it now. I won't stop you," I say. I look away and feel the glove get taken off my metal hand. I feel my sleeve being pushed up my metal arm and I look at Adrien. He has tears in his eyes. I stand up and hold my arm up for the whole country to see. The audience gasps for the tenth time and I look back at Adrien and his head is in his hands.
"This is all my fault. It's my fault, my fault," Adrien says as he hits his head with his hands. I run over to him and hold his hands with mine.
"Hey, look at me. It's not your fault. I did this to myself. Blaming yourself isn't going to work because I already blame myself. If I had injected myself sooner I could have died and you wouldn't be here blaming yourself for my own actions. Don't blame yourself. Please, for me? Please," I say. He looks at me and just nods. I lean in and kiss him.
"Thank you so much for watching, let's now introduce our wonderful president. President Alma Coin," Ceasar says. We all stand and the president comes out with two kids carrying pillows with two crowns. The president grabs one and comes up to me. She puts it on my head and just stares at me.
"You are so much like your parents. I better watch out for you. Your victory comes with a price young lady," president Coin says to me.
"I will pay that price if I must," I say. She glares at me and gives Adrien his crown.
"I am proud to announce the victors of the 99th hunger games. Diana Melark and Adrien Paix," The president says. She walks off stage and I grab Adrien's hand and hold them up in the air.