➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳
Dove stood in the bathroom door's frame, waiting for Ohan to decide whether to decorate her arms with extra feathers or to leave it as it was. Snow's assassination day was finally upon them. And while Katniss got dressed with the help of her prep team and Effie, who had barely survived after being imprisoned in the Capitol during the rebellion. Dove was being dressed by Ohan and Delia, since her prep team had not escaped the wrath of Snow. They were, sadly, all dead.
"I say you leave it as it is," Johanna commented mockingly after taking a quick glance at what was happening. Ohan mainly huffed playfully in reply and concentrated on the feathers again. "I brought what you wanted. And an extra one in case you miss. This was Beetee's creation. I think you'll like it."
"Beetee's creation?" Dove repeated with a soft chuckle, doubting how or why would Beetee help them create weapons to kill Snow in another way from what it was planned. "How in the world did he create this now?"
"Oh, no. Muscida sneaked this out of Thirteen's weaponry before coming here. From what she found out, it can become a full length trident by only pressing this button," Johanna said, pointing at the only button that the black cylinder had. "It seems he was still developing it when we were risking our necks here."
"He could have at least said something about this. It would have been such a convenient way to carry the tridents without worrying about the guns." Dove muttered, hiding the knife Johanna had given her inside her right boot, while she hid the cylinder in a made-up belt's pocket.
"I'll just say it one more time, just in case. Don't go psychopath while or after killing him," Melo spoke up from the bed, where he sat next to Finnick, who watched amused at the interaction.
"If you continue being this annoying, I might actually go full psychopath," she mumbled, not loud enough for them to hear.
"Did Gale see us as some kind of errand girls or what?" Dove heard her older sister complain while walking inside the room with Annie, who was holding a stealth with only one arrow.
"Just one arrow? Is it because Katniss is already shooting, so they don't care if I miss?" She asked with a hint of amusement while lifting the stealth from Annie's hands. "And why are you whining so early in the morning, Angel?"
"There's some kind of important meeting and all victors are demanded to attend," Angel stated, causing everyone in the room to look at her, surprised.
"Is it like some kind of propo to show all the remaining victors before the assassination?" Melo asked, getting up from the bed to walk towards the centre of the room, where the group now stood.
"Not sure. But you should get going," Angel said, guiding them until the door, where she promised to be near in case they needed her. After giving Annie a lick peck, she was forced to step back while the victors entered the room.
"What's this?" Katniss, who had just entered as well, asked. The room contained a simple round table, where many seats had been displayed for the victors. Only Haymitch, Enobaria, Beetee, and Peeta were seated, while the others took the first seat they saw.
"We're not sure," Haymitch answered. "It appears to be a gathering of the remaining victors."
"We're all that's left?" Katniss questioned, taking a seat between Dove and Ron, who had a tight grip on Librae's hand, as if he was fearful of something bad happening to them.
"And half of us are Ogilvy," Johanna pointed out with an amused chuckle to Melo, who laughed at the realisation. The Ogilvy family was the one with most victors. To top it all alive.
"The price of celebrity," Beetee said, while the doors opened again to reveal the older victors. Mags, Muscida, Theo and Rhett entered the room, which meant there was no one else left to arrive. Those were the last victors alive. A total of sixteen people.
Dove didn't hear any further, although it looked like Beetee was explaining how victors had been killed by both the Capitol and the rebels themselves. She couldn't register everything at the time. Her head was too focused on the white rose Katniss had left on the table. The rose that they would make sure Snow wore during his assassination. The rose that she would make sure would be stained in a blood-red colour by the time she let go of the knife.
"She is protected under what we call the Mockingjay Deal," Coin announced, appearing through the door right behind Katniss. "Wherein Katniss Everdeen agreed to support the rebels in exchange for captured victors' immunity. Katniss has upheld her side of the bargain, and so shall we."
Enobaria, who Coin was referring to with the 'she', smiled at Johanna, who didn't seem to like the situation. "Don't look so smug. We'll kill you, anyway."
"Johanna," Melo said with a soft tone, caressing her arm comfortingly to get her from saying anything else.
"I've asked you here to settle a debate. Today we will execute Snow. In previous weeks, hundreds of his accomplices in the oppression of Panem have been tried and now await their own deaths. However, the suffering in the districts has been so extreme that these measures appear insufficient to the victims. In fact, many are calling for a complete annihilation of those who held Capitol citizenry. However, in the interest of maintaining a sustainable population, we cannot afford this." Coin said.
So, what's the alternative? What are you going to propose Coin? Dove thought, trying to figure out Coin's thoughts before she could even announce it.
"So, an alternative has been placed on the table. Since my colleagues and I can come to no consensus, it has been agreed that we will let the victors decide," Coin continued explaining, causing Johanna to chuckle.
"What if we come to no consensus as well? We're sixteen. There might be a tie. Eight in favour and eight against," Johanna pointed out, while Coin seemed to dislike the disruption.
"In that case, it has been decided that Katniss's and Dove's decision will carry the vote. In case the both of them find themselves with different perspectives, I will decide," Coin explained simply before continuing to explain the alternative. "What has been proposed is that in lieu of eliminating the entire Capitol population, we have a final, symbolic Hunger Games, using children directly related to those who held the most power."
So, in the end you'll just decide yourself unless Katniss and I are on the same page, which lucky for you, we are. But, a Hunger Games with Capitol's children? Sure, it sounds tempting, but what did those kids ever do to us? Their parents were the ones who ruined our lives, not them. Dove thought, closing her eyes for a split second to focus back to reality.
A hand laid on her shoulder to make sure she was alright. Finnick, who sat on her left, was the one to be paying more attention to her rather than how the news affected him. She smiled softly, taking the hand off her shoulder to intertwine it with her own as she heard people casting their opinions.
"Definitely no," Theo stated simply after many opinions had been said, which Dove had totally lost count of. How many had voted yes or no? She had no idea. For now, she only knew there was one no.
"Well, I say yes, with Johanna and Enobaria. I want to see them go through our same pain," Rhett said right after his husband.
Three yes, one no. Dove counted in her mind, trying to be mindful of those who seemed to have already said their opinions. Annie, Peeta, Mags and Beetee. None could vote yes for this. They're too kind. So, three yes, five no.
"I vote yes as well," Melo spoke up, being immediately joined by their mother.
Another tie. Five yes, five no. Dove thought, glancing at Finnick, who seemed to be thinking deeply about which side to take.
"No, absolutely not. They're just children!" Ron exclaimed, rather shocked at how the ones left to answer were seriously considering voting yes.
"I'm with Ron. No kid should go through that. From the Capitol or not. Let the kids out of this," Muscida said decisively.
Five yes, seven no. Finnick, Haymitch, Katniss and I are left to answer. If we all vote yes. Those Games will happen. If Haymitch or Finnick abstains, but Katniss and I vote yes, the Games will also happen. And if two of us vote no, the Games won't happen at all. She thought, squeezing Finnick's hand tightly as the realisation that she had to choose hit her.
"No, I vote no," Finnick spoke, although he didn't add any type of speech as some had done. "Dove?"
"I'm not sure . . ." Dove muttered, raising her eyes from the table to look at everyone who had already cast their votes. However, once she had done that, her eyes encountered the rose. So beautiful. So frail. The same rose that had brought the beginning of her nightmares now seemed so tiny. As if it had never been bad news to encounter one. As if the person who wore it had never played with her family's safety. Her sister's safety.
"I'm with the Mockingjay," Haymitch said, causing Dove to return to reality. Everyone was looking at her, waiting expectantly to know what she would vote for. Whatever she chose would decide everything.
"My life has been filled with 'almosts' since before my own games. I almost lost my brother to the Games. I almost lost my sister. I lost the boy I saw as a friend. I lost my sanity. Finnick and I almost lost our lives in the Quell. I almost died from the torture in the Capitol. I almost lost half my family because of Snow's stupid mutts!" Dove exclaimed, rage clear in her eyes as she looked up from the rose. "I vote yes."
"Excellent. Since there was a tie, but Katniss and Dove were on the same page, their decision carries the vote," Coin said. "Now we really must take our places for the execution."
"Dove . . ." Finnick muttered, although Dove just shook her head. She was in no state of mind to explain why she had condemned a bunch of kids to death.
"I'm sorry, Finnick," she whispered as she passed by him to join Katniss, who was giving Coin the rose to make sure Snow wore that during the assassination. "Are you trying to make it easier for me to know where I should aim or what?"
"Well, you've never been too good at archery," Katniss answered with a slightly teasing tone. "The Games won't happen. Coin said she wouldn't announce it until Snow's dead." She whispered, so only Dove could hear.
"So that means . . ." Dove said, receiving a nod from Katniss as confirmation. Of course, if she won't announce it until after. And Katniss will kill her just as I'm done with Snow. The news will never reach the public. Those kids will be safe as long as all victors never speak of what just happened. She realised, chuckling softly before adding. "I feel like I should apologise to Finnick after this. I just deliberately avoided him. It feels weird to be back to almost ten years ago."
"You avoided him?" Katniss questioned, clearly surprised.
"Yeah, I felt guilty for being a victor's daughter with no worries about survival at all while he had just done everything in his power to survive." Dove explained, following some people out of the mansion towards the City Circle, where the execution would take place.
Katniss and Dove stood behind the doors as everyone took their places outside. As Finnick passed by her side, she sent him an apologetic look, which he smiled at. Not needing to use words to tell her that everything would be fine.
With the roar of the crowd, the two girls knew Coin had appeared on the balcony, which meant it was their turn. Effie and Delia, who were behind them as moral support, patted their backs before they took off through the doors, being received by the deafening roar of the crowd.
They turned to their side and waited as Snow was being escorted out of the door and secured to a post. "No wonder they only gave us just one arrow," Katniss muttered, seeing as Snow couldn't be more than ten metres away. "Not even you during the Quell could miss this shot."
"You want to bet?" Dove asked mockingly, taking the bow to position it, just like Katniss did. "From now on, act as if anything that I'll do wasn't planned. You have no idea what I'm doing, OK?" She whispered, before releasing the arrow to hit over Snow's head on the post.
Within seconds, she was in front of him, the knife ready in her hand. With a swift movement of her hand, she aimed for his jugular vein, cutting him enough to cause deadly bleeding, although not in less than three minutes. Dove stared for a quick second as the rose became red thanks to the running blood that reached its white petals before stabbing Snow in the heart.
She stepped backwards, admiring the scene, while the crowd was silent, probably out of shock. Once she reached Katniss, her hand went to the cylinder in her belt, and nodded towards her friend, who nodded back before getting her bow ready.
One second, the cylinder had become a standard-sized trident. And the other, the trident pierced Snow's chest while Katniss's arrow, which had been launched at the same time as the trident, pierced Coin's.
Both Presidents collapsed, one over his chains, and the other over the side of the balcony. Both dead. Gone forever, without the opportunity to hurt anyone anymore. Finally, Dove felt as if she could breathe again. She was free.
"Goodnight," she heard Katniss whisper to her bow, which went still right after. She raised her left arm to her Mockingjay outfit and twisted her neck down to rip off something off of it, although she couldn't as Peeta covered it with his hand before she could bite it.
"Nightlock," Dove whispered in realisation. Katniss had just tried to kill herself. Understandable since she had just killed Panem's current president. Although she went to stop her as well, she couldn't move. The hand she had raised to help Peeta was covered in blood.
Not only that, but the entire outfit. Her sleeves, even the right one which she hadn't used to stab Snow, were full of blood. Without looking, she could tell she had fulfilled the promise she had done to Johanna. There was a pool of Snow's blood. And by the crowd's stunned silence during the assassination, she had given her a great show.
Two arms were carefully wrapped around her, making sure she didn't react badly to the touch out of shock. As always, the soothing words of her husband found their way through the million of worries that clouded her mind. Although, they did little to keep her from hearing how soldiers took Katniss away, without being able to do anything for her.
"Was it a good show?" Dove muttered after all victors were escorted back to their rooms inside the mansion. The City Circle was in an uproar, so it wouldn't be safe to be outside at the moment.
"Johanna seemed pleased," he answered softly, helping her take off the bloodied costume once they were in the bathroom.
"But you weren't," she pointed out with the same tone as him while cleaning the blood that covered most of her body. Even her face.
"I was scared of how that could affect you. Although, I knew you needed to do it," he breathed, helping her get the blood off of her hair. "At least now we're free. No Games. No threats. No missions."
"I do have a mission. One last mission before I can finally let everything behind," Dove said, making sure no blood was left on her body or hair before wrapping a towel around her body.
"And what would that last mission be?" Finnick asked, seating on the side of the bath while she sat on the floor in front of him. He took another towel and a hair dryer and began to dry her hair.
"To take Alder's remains to the sea. I'll go to Twelve before going back home and bring him with me. I promised him I would show him the sea, and I'm going to fulfil that promise," Dove stated, getting up from the floor to face him. "Once that's done, I'm going to spend the rest of my life fulfilling the promise we made on our wedding day. You and I, together. Caring for the other. Loving each other. Doing stupid things together. For the rest of our lives."
"The latter does sound like a plan I'd love," he commented lightly.
"First things first," she said, lifting her hand in front of him. "Snow's dead. We're both alive and safe. I want my necklace back."
"By now, I think I've been wearing it more than you have," he laughed, taking off the necklace before putting it on her himself. It was quite convenient that the necklace didn't have a chain or anything that could get tangled in her hair. If not, that would have taken much longer than it had. "Beautiful as always, freckles."
"I'd like to say thanks, but I think you were talking about yourself, blondie," she teased, giggling slightly at his playful, outraged expression. They stared at each other, trying to hold back their laughter, until they couldn't any longer and burst out laughing.
When sunset arrived, both were still confined in their room. Not being able to see their family, although the people who came by to give them trays of food, assured it was just a temporary measure that would be lifted in no time.
With the last rays of light peeking through the windows, they decided to lie on the bed. Rest until morning or news came, whichever arrived first. Dove went back to her habit of using Finnick as a pillow and let the night make its appearance.
"I'll go with you. To Twelve. Back Home. Till the world collapses. I'll always be with you," Finnick whispered, tilting his head to watch Dove as she raised hers to look at him.
"You're not getting rid of me, either. After all, we made our vows, until death do us apart. And maybe not even then. Who says one can't keep their marriage in the afterlife?" Dove commented, kissing him before letting exhaustion and relief take over her body.
➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳➳