EPILOGUE
PEACE

6 YEARS LATER

PRESIDENT Paylor had been commanding Panem peacefully for years. When there was no one left to lead after Coin's demise, the remaining Victors elected Paylor as President, and the citizens of Panem seemed to be happy with the choice since then. Unlike Alma Coin's plans, Paylor abolished the Hunger Games, had the old arenas dismantled, built memorials to all of the fallen tributes, and even pardoned Katniss for Coin's assassination, deeming her mentally unstable. She did so much in so little years, more than Snow had done in his twenty-five.

Along with Plutarch, who worked as her Secretary of Communications, they were able to establish that republic government the former Gamemaker had promised after the Capitol's defeat. Panem finally existed in a relative state of peace. But even years later, citizens still remained on the edge of their seats. They waited for the pin to drop, expecting the worst was yet to come, even in Paylor's blissful rule.

People still managed to find happiness, though, in the darkest of Districts and in the rubble of their own rebellion. The land would never be the same again, but some of the rebellion's survivors got together to salvage what was left of their Districts and gave the dead their proper burials. In Seven, trees were sprouted from where the deceased was buried, and survivors used the wood to rebuild homes and shops that were lost. They could never go back to normal, but at least they could make do with what they had.

Years later, Finnick Odair and Bex Nassar were married in what was left of District Seven. Bex had only agreed if they had a ceremony in the same spot her parents were married: in the woods behind their old shack. She was surprised that she was still able to find it, and completely untouched by the devastating bombs Snow had rained down on her District.

Phoenix had designed a gown reminiscent of her mother's own dress from old photos. It was made of all lace and silk with a wide, open V-neckline and long, lace sleeves. Phoenix had decorated lace across the neckline and skirt, and even placed a slit in those long sleeves. The train dragged at least two feet across the ground, and the veil – oh, the veil. It was made from the same lace and framed her face so nicely. Her hair was left in delicate waves, spilling down the open-back of the dress.

Their vows were somewhat of a catastrophe. They did their best to mash their District's traditions together, but the ceremony was definitely more Seven than it was Four, and Finnick was more than okay with that. While he took the customary route of likening marriage to a sea voyage and their relationship to a thunderstorm, Bex compared their love to an evergreen tree that grew year-round – changing, but always growing back. Finnick slid her mother's emerald ring on her finger and the choice was sealed. They were never going back.

With the District Seven wedding song bringing everyone together, dancing with Finnick on that day felt like when they had danced in her living room all over again. He held her close, allowing her to rest her head on his bicep. This was what true peace felt like. Bex almost couldn't believe it as she scanned the grass, watching all her friends gather around. Johanna and Phoenix were dancing together, along with Annie and her husband. Keaton was sharing a beer with Plutarch, who managed to push aside his secretary duties for today and celebrate. Even Katniss and Peeta stopped by for a few hours. Bex had never seen more love in one place than that day.

She wished Nico could've been there, and her parents. Even Iliana. As well as any other innocent souls that were lost during Snow's reign. But they were all at peace now, just like Panem.

Despite her worry for Keaton, he urged her to move on from Seven. "It's time to see new places after all you've been through," he declared. Bex didn't want to, but she figured it was time to finally let Keaton be out on his own. The bombs hadn't touched the old Victors' Village, so at least he had a huge home to stay in. Maybe he'd find a partner someday and he could start a family. That manor held so much sorrow and fear. It deserved to be filled with a little happiness.

Finnick and Bex moved to District Four. After all these years, the District was only partly rebuilt from the bombings, but nothing could kill that beautiful ocean. They bought a refinished home by the water, where they were woken up by the sound of waves crashing against the sand every morning. Finnick liked to walked with her across the beach and even taught her how to swim. But sometimes, it was enough to simply stand by the shore, the water just reaching their ankles as their hands interlocked, just as they were currently.

Bex cupped a hand over her eyes as the morning sun rose over the horizon. Finnick looked over at her, eyes crinkling at the sides. He looked older now since they got their freedom. They were both now in their early thirties and it was starting to show on their faces. Finnick never seemed to care about his appearance now. He didn't need to keep himself looking younger for the strangers he used to pleasure. But he was still one of the most handsome men Bex had ever seen.

She turned to him when she felt his stare on her and quirked a brow. "Yes?"

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, expression muddled.

She exhaled, "It's kind of depressing." Silence passed between them, drowned out by the gentle caress of the ocean. "Sometimes ... hearing the waves in the night gives me nightmares. It reminds me of the Quell. I'm not scared of the water anymore, but the sounds just remind me that everything that happened to us was real."

Finnick tightened his hand around hers as she shook her head.

"I almost can't believe how long it's been since we've had a Hunger Games." She glanced at him. "Do you think it will last?"

"I hope so. I want to believe it will."

Bex smiled softly. "Me too," she whispered, her free hand brushing against her abdomen. "But what if they do?"

He raised a brow. "Do what? Come back?"

She nodded.

"Then we'll deal with it," he promised. "We'll leave Panem behind. There has to be something else out there, beyond these waters."

"I just worry about the future." Bex turned back to the sun and squinted her eyes. "We've survived to worst. But who's to say they won't return just because we're finally at peace? What about the anticipation of the future?"

Finnick grabbed her chin then, forcing her stare to meet his. After all these years, butterflies beat against the walls of her stomach every time he touched her. "It will all be okay. As long as we are together." He leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead. When he moved away, his dimples appeared around his grin. "Why so much talk of the future?"

Bex bit her tongue, afraid of the next words that would soon spill out. Recently, she had been feeling very nauseous in the mornings, extremely lightheaded, and her shirts just weren't fitting right. When she visited the local healer and he told her the news, she was unsure whether to jump for joy or breakdown and cry. Not knowing what the future would hold or how she could care for something so small were such scary things.

She huffed out a sigh. "Maybe it's because I'm pregnant."

Finnick's smile grew even larger than before. Before he could speak, Bex continued on and glanced towards the ocean, "And maybe it's because I'm so terrified of bringing a child into this world, where I'm skeptical if the peace will last, where I've seen and had to do such awful things. We don't know what will happen or what the child will think of us, how it will feel having two trained murderers as parents –"

He grabbed both of her cheeks, grazing his thumbs underneath her eyes before the tears could fall. Bex rubbed underneath her runny nose. "Shh," he muttered, "that does not mean it will not love us any less. We are survivors. And that's exactly what this child will be too." He smiled genuinely, and it was such a beautiful sight that Bex felt like crying all over again. "I love you, Bex Odair, and so will this child. Never forget that."

Finnick connected their lips as Bex laced her arms around his neck. They stumbled into the tranquil ocean, allowing the water to lick at their thin clothes. Bex giggled against his mouth and kissed him again, tasting the saltwater on his lips.

Waiting for the future felt like playing with fire, but they would get through it. Finnick was right. They were survivors, not murderers. They had survived the fire and came out stronger.

The future was terrifying, but there were always worse games to play.

THE END

WOULD IT BE ENOUGH IF
I COULD NEVER GIVE YOU PEACE?
— TAYLOR SWIFT