CHAPTER 51
PLAYED FOR FOOLS

3 WEEKS LATER

BEX felt an intense throbbing in her temples as soon as she opened her eyes. They fluttered for a moment, squinting, before closing again. The lights brightening the room were almost too intense. She didn't understand it, and no matter how many times she attempted to look, her mind begged her not to. The throbbing traveled down to her closed lids and felt like a pumping heart.

And then she heard a familiar voice say, "You're awake. Gods, you're awake."

Bex had been rubbing at her nose when the person spoke. Her hand felt numb and she could just feel the pads of her fingers. As soon as the words were released, her eyes shot open. She then squinted again and turned to see Finnick on her right.

He looked like he hadn't slept in days. His face was lined with worry; his crystal clear eyes were bloodshot from dry tears. In one of his hands was a knotted rope. He gripped her hand in the other. She pursed her lips, too awestruck to say a word, and swung her head around the room. She was back in the hospital, sitting comfortably in a cot.

She felt like retching. Nausea clawed up her throat from the bright lights. Bex closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples, but she still hardly felt a thing. Pointing to the light switch beside him, she asked, "Can you turn that down?"

He quickly got up and turned the switch down low. A dark orange hue engulfed the room as he sat back down, refusing to leave her side. Bex blinked and felt the nausea drift away, but the pounding in her head would not cease.

"Thanks," she exhaled, and then her brow knitted. "Am I still in Thirteen?"

He nodded, holding her hand tighter. "Yes. You're lucky to be alive. We all are."

Her stare shifted and she looked off, memories flashing through her head. They were doing a propo ... and then there was the ticking ... and she got Cressida to cut ... and then she found the –

"There was a bomb," she whispered, looking back at him. "A bomb went off as we were filming that propo –"

"I'm surprised you even remember after what happened. You saved me."

She felt the IV in her left arm tug a little as she sat up and adjusted her pillows. "How long have I been out?"

She watched the way he swallowed hard. Finnick muttered, "It depends. You've been in and out of consciousness for about three weeks, but this is the most you've talked."

Her eyes went wide. "Three weeks?!"

"Bex, you hit your head on a bunch of rocks. You suffered an extreme brain injury." He sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "You were unconscious for ten days. They suspected a coma, or it was your body's immediate reaction to trauma. But then you woke up during a CT scan, and they discovered swelling in your brain. They sedated you immediately and you had to go through two surgeries for them to stop the swelling."

She arched a single brow and touched her forehead. "I feel ... a little nauseous, but ..." She shook her head. "I think I'm fine."

"You're not fully recovered, but you're functioning at least." Finnick got to his feet. "I should go tell a nurse that you're awake –"

A gasp escaped her lips. Bex yanked on his hand before it could slip away, and he stopped in his tracks. When she looked down, she noticed the various scratches and bruises etched on his knuckles and exposed skin. "Is this from the bomb?"

"No, I ..." He averted his eyes. "I wasn't here for your two surgeries. I was just informed of them yesterday when I got back." A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and just a simple expression made the anxiety in her stomach diminish. "You kinda missed a lot when your brain was all swollen."

She cocked her head to the side. "Tell me."

"I have to get a nurse." He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Then make it brief."

Finnick chuckled before sitting back down on his stool. "I don't know if I can."

Once he started talking, Bex could see why he struggled with keeping it concise. So much had happened over a short time span. Finnick went on to explain how Thirteen has successfully returned the Victors from the Capitol, how Peeta Mellark's mind was severely hijacked from Snow's torture, and their methods to recover his memories that were buried. He told her about joining the ranks of Squad 451 and his journey into the Capitol with Katniss. They had gone with fourteen people in their group and managed to take over the city with only Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and him left, as well as half of Cressida's film team. They had been so close to getting to Snow, if it weren't for the explosives that he sent. Bombs disguised as sponsor gifts rained down in front of the President's mansion, killing so many Capitol children, and then there was the second wave that murdered their own rebel medics.

But they still took over the Capitol. The rebels won. It was a tale fit for a hero – the rebellion's heroes.

Bex almost didn't believe it. His words were like something out of a story. But his scars and wounds were evidence of all that he'd been through. And he was still here, holding her hand.

"I almost didn't make it out alive," he said, "but there was one thing pushing me forward."

The smirk playing at his lips made her frown. "Don't say it was me," she groaned.

"Well, it was. Deal with it." He rubbed the back of his neck and giggled. When his laughter died down, he reached out and played with a stray strand of hair in front of her face. "I just ... I wanted to get back to you. We're free now."

Once those words left his lips, Bex couldn't help but feel an automatic weight lift off her shoulders. President Snow wasn't gone yet, but his reign of terror was. They could be people again. Not Victors, not the Golden Boy and Flower Girl, just people. They had freedom.

Bex brushed her numb fingers over his cheeks, simply relishing in him being so close. They leaned in at the same time and their noses grazed. Bex could already taste him from just skimming her lips over his. And just as Finnick edged to close the gap, a shout resonated from the doorway.

"YOU'RE AWAKE!"

The two Victors immediately separated, and Bex whirled around to see her brother, cast on his right arm and bandage stuck to his nose, standing in the doorframe of her room. She chuckled when he started limping over to her, flailing his arms, and then he was barreling into her. They embraced tightly for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

This was what freedom would be like.

━━━━━━

A week passed with nurses monitoring her every move, checking her vitals each hour. Finnick hardly left her side except when he worked his shifts in the evenings. Eventually, Bex had been brought into another CT scan. The morning she was informed of it, her palms were drenched with sweat and fear plagued her insides. She was terrified to know what the results would be. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck inside for any longer.

The process took about twenty minutes, and only an hour later, her nurse relayed the good news. The physicians had found no new swelling in her brain. Despite the numbness still fading in her fingertips and the slight sensitivity to light, Bex was functionally normally. "You're still recovering though. Even your back suffered a little during the fall. It'll be a while – maybe a few months – until you're fully okay again," the nurse explained, wiping sweat off her brow. "You Victors seem to have good luck. Not many people would survive a head injury like that."

Bex would beg to differ. She didn't deliver a rebuttal though; she was just excited to finally leave in one piece.

She wasn't given a clean jumpsuit on the day of her release. Bex had raised a brow at the clothing choices waiting for her at the end of her bed: a dark, green turtleneck with gold glitter woven into the fabric, alongside a black jacket and pants. A note sat on top from Phoenix with the words, Shine on, Flower Girl, written in his own personal scribbles. The outfit was suspicious, but she didn't think much of it and pulled it right on.

Keaton was waiting for her and walked her out, arm in arm. He looked so much better now: his face had filled back in, his bruises were almost healed, and his hair was cut back to its normal short style. He still winced whenever he walked and held onto his chest, where one of his ribs had been removed, but he was still better. That was all she could've asked for.

Bex sighed happily. It felt good to lean on him for balance. She was still healing and a little woozy. This was the most walking she'd done in weeks, but she knew she could always lean on her older brother in any situation. He'd do it willingly.

Her body also gyrated with excitement. It was around noontime, which meant Finnick was already taking his lunch in the mess hall. She couldn't wait to surprise him and hug him to her heart's content. She wanted to kiss him like a normal person, feel his arms around her without the fear of someone seeing. They could do anything they pleased now that Snow was no longer in power.

At the end of the hall, waiting in front of the elevator, was Plutarch Heavensbee.

Bex knew this couldn't be good. Her heart sank deep in her chest.

As they approached, Bex tried to tug on her brother's arm and make a beeline around the Gamemaker. But he stopped her by holding up a hand and laid it flat against her arm. It was a calming gesture, but Bex still didn't like it. Her brow narrowed as she shoved it off.

"I need you to pack a bag," he said gently, ignoring her aggression.

She released a fake laugh. "No best wishes? I did wake up from a severe brain injury, you know because I did one of your propos."

"You know I never do anything to put you in harm's way. It was an oversight. I never thought something like that would happen," he replied. "I swore on my life that I would help you, Bex."

Her nostrils flared. She kept her mouth in a thin line, not saying a word, and looked to her brother, who was just as stunned as she was. Finally, Bex huffed, "Well, I can't pack a bag right now. I'm going to see Finnick."

She attempted to walk around him, but again, he stopped her. "Don't worry, he'll be going with you." Plutarch smiled kindly. "President Coin is requesting your presence in the Capitol with the rest of the Victors to witness Snow's trial and execution. You'll be staying at his old mansion for a few days."

Bex grimaced. "I'd rather not."

"C'mon, Bex, make it easier on me." He quirked a brow. "It's your President's order, remember? Not mine, if that makes you feel any better."

It doesn't, she thought.

Bex closed her eyes for a moment, sighed heavily, and then glanced at her brother. She remembered all the times he would scream and rage at her for leaving on Capitol business, but this time, Keaton beamed. Because now, he didn't have to worry if she would come back. President Snow was practically dead by this point, and his younger sister was safe.

Keaton patted her shoulder. "Do what you need to, sis. I'll stay back here." Before she could pull him back, he was already slipping out of her grip and walking to the elevator. He gave Plutarch a curt nod before exiting.

Once the elevator shot away, Bex turned to Plutarch with a deep frown. "I just got out of the hospital and Coin already wants me on Victor duty?" She crossed her arms. "Reminds me of Snow's persistence."

"Don't be like that," he replied.

Bex was still glaring.

Plutarch finally sighed and lowered his voice, "If we're being honest, I don't exactly agree with it either. But ..." He pointed to the elevator arriving back down with his thumb. "Can you please pack a bag? A hovercraft is waiting to leave."

She groaned before walking away. Perhaps Plutarch was right. Now wasn't the time to be difficult, seeing as she finally got the one thing she'd been praying for all these years. But she couldn't silence the voice in the back of her head questioning Coin's ways. As she stuffed her duffle bag with clothes conveniently laid out in her pod by Phoenix, she wondered if Thirteen's President planned to take over all of Panem once Snow was gone.

Bex didn't quite think that was so out of character for her.

After descending several flights of stairs to the ground floor, she tugged her duffle bag to the hangar. There was no one at the entrance of the hovercraft to greet her. She was so used to seeing Bogs, but it seemed he hadn't made it out alive with Squad 451. Her face drained of color at the realization, and she hoped it wasn't that apparent as she entered the hovercraft.

"You're here."

Suddenly, Bex was elated again at the sight of Finnick Odair. His dimples were on full display for her, sending her stomach into knots. She grinned big and sat in the open seat on his left. Strapping herself in, she scanned the rest of the Victors already seated.

Beetee sat in his wheelchair on Finnick's right, strapped to the wall. Annie and Johanna were in the seats across from them. Enobaria was present, sitting on the far end of the hovercraft, away from everyone else. She looked livelier than Bex currently was, but her eyes lacked the normal viciousness. Keaton said her teeth had been plucked out too. No wonder she was keeping her lips in the sealed, thin line.

Everyone was there besides the Victors from Twelve. Bex assumed they might already be in the Capitol. Katniss was probably going to be the star of the execution, but Peeta may not be attending because he was still recovering from the hijacking. Bex was recovering as well, but no one seemed to really care that much. She scoffed internally at Coin's demands.

It took longer than normal to fly to the Capitol, due to the weather. They landed right in front of the gates of Snow's mansion – now their home for the next few days. The ground was covered in a blanket of snow. Bex almost mistook it for ash.

When the Victors walked out with their bags, they journeyed across the frozen lawn to the mansion. Finnick put his arm around Bex's shoulders and she reached up to grip his hand tightly as the cold overtook her. They tried scrambling to the mansion as quickly as they could, but they were careful not to slip on the ice covering the stairs that led to the front door.

Bex looked up at one point and saw the window Snow liked to look out from at parties, where he would watch his attendees. He could observe everyone up there. It was a perfect vantage point to see if everything was going as planned, if his Victors were staying in line. So many times had she met his eyes from up there and felt totally penetrated by his intense stare. Bex shivered now, but she wasn't sure if it was from the cold.

As the Victors finally stepped inside the mansion, they were immediately greeted by a friendly face. Bex recognized her as Commander Paylor from District Eight. She watched a few of Plutarch's real-time propos, where the commander had been seen on the frontlines of District Eight's revolt. Paylor almost looked too young for her occupation. Her dark, youthful eyes matched her even darker hair. She shook each of the Victors' cold hands as they entered, introducing herself.

"I'm very happy that you all came out for this. I realize how troubling it is to still have to come to the Capitol, but your presence is truly needed." She said, raising her gloved hands to the two staircases enveloping the large foyer. "There are many rooms available on the second floor to accommodate you all during your stay. President Coin and I will be in touch when we need you. Thank you, Victors."

Bex stepped over to the left staircase, following Finnick's lead, when Commander Paylor said, "Miss Nassar?"

She turned her head without hesitation. Even Finnick stopped at the first step.

"Can you take a walk with me, please?"

"Um – sure," Bex murmured, glancing at Finnick with a muddled expression.

He smiled and lifted the strap of her duffle onto his shoulders. She didn't even need to ask. "I'll take this," he offered, "and we'll meet up later."

She nodded, hesitating with nerves, before turning on her heel and trailing Paylor. The commander took her in between the two staircases, leading her towards the center of the mansion, where a long, dining table sat. In all her years visiting the Capitol, Bex had never seen anything so posh and extravagant. If you were rich, it could really go a long way.

Who was going to inhabit this place now? Coin?

"It's good to meet you, Miss Nassar," Paylor said softly, bringing Bex out of her thoughts. Her eyes flickered to the commander immediately.

"You, too, Commander," she replied. "Plutarch spoke nothing but the best of your work in Eight. I saw you in the propos."

Paylor grinned, flashing her teeth. "I heard you survived a bomb attack. I'm very glad to see you're okay."

Bex stiffened for a moment at the memory. "So am I," she frowned. "If you don't mind me asking, Commander Paylor. What is it exactly you need me for?"

"It's not what I need you for," Paylor paused. "It's someone else."

They halted in front of a large window pane, and in the center of that, a glass door with a gold trim. Bex looked out at the broad view of Snow's illustrious backyard, where she once danced the night away with men she didn't know and eventually took back to a hotel, where she always allowed her freedom to die. This place used to be decorated with strobe lights and fancy dinner placements and Avoxes in ornate makeup looks. Now it was simply covered with snow. How fitting.

Bex narrowed her eyes, stepping closer to the glass. She could already feel the cold radiating from it. Rubbing at the foggy window, she finally noticed the large greenhouse sitting on the right side of the yard, tucked away in the corner. Bex had never seen it before, not even at Snow's parties. Heaps of snow and ice crystals adorned the roof, while two guards stood outside the perimeter.

"Who's inside that?" She asked, finding her voice.

"We're keeping Snow there for the time being. He asked for it, to be with his most prized possessions before his trial." Paylor exhaled through her nose. "He's asked to speak with you."

Bex turned to the commander with a knitted brow. "Why?"

"Hell, if I know," she muttered, looking out at the greenhouse. Paylor then gripped the Victor's shoulder and squeezed. "It's your choice. You don't have to see him, but if you do, know that the guards will not hesitate to protect you. You're completely safe here, Miss Nassar. You're free."

Bex looked back out at the greenhouse, watching the tiny droplets of slush gather on the glass roof. She shivered from the cold as it called out to her, begging her to go out there, but she was immobile. She hardly wanted to move.

A beat of silence passed. Commander Paylor's eyes averted to Bex as she swallowed hard. Finally, the Victor tugged on the gold handle and walked out into the freezing winter.

She walked slowly towards the wide building, hesitating with every step. The snow made it hard to walk, even with her boots, and her piercing anxiety wasn't exactly helping either. It pleaded for her to go back, run away, find Finnick. But the bitter cold had a voice of its own, and it sang to her. She couldn't just stop now. She had to keep moving forward.

The guards were already opening the doors as she neared them. Bex formed her hands into fists and stomped forward. She looked over her shoulder, spotting Paylor in the window as she nodded towards her. Bex faced the greenhouse again, and with a nod of her own, ventured inside.

She almost jumped as the doors shut behind her. Bex slowly proceeded inside the greenhouse, careful of every step. The air wasn't as cold as outside, but she wasn't exactly warm either. She scanned the building, but all she could find were white rose bushes around every corner. Some even wrapped around the pillars and reached towards the ceiling. It all looked so ... hauntingly magical.

Bex approached the first bush in the center. She plucked a blossoming white rose. The petals were as soft as the skin of a peach, and the color looked so pure and crisp as if nothing bad had ever touched it. Bex sighed longingly, remembered when Iliana used to say how beautiful they looked against her dark hair.

"Remember when those roses were all that you used to wear?"

Bex almost dropped the flower as she turned abruptly at the voice. Snow appeared from behind a tall bush and hobbled over to the fountain that sat in the middle of the greenhouse. He marveled at the water spurting out from the fish statue before sitting down on the white brick edge.

She didn't say a word.

"Iliana's idea, I heard," he continued, huffing as he took a seat. "To connect us. Such a clever stylist, always good at her job."

Bex pursed her lips. "You killed her for it."

Snow shook his head. "Well, what was I supposed to do, Miss Nassar? Allow her to continue using floral imagery to hint at my demise? You and I, and even Iliana, knew how that would end." He paused, the ghost of a smile appearing on his wrinkled lips. "I'm glad you found your way here to speak with me. It was one of my dying wishes."

He then ripped a handkerchief from the breast pocket of his silk robe, coughing violently into it. As he set it down on his lap, Bex couldn't help her interest and peered over. The delicate fabric was spotted with deep crimson. She swallowed hard. Was Finnick's claim about the mouth sores really true?

She lifted her eyes to find his already pinned on her. "You once said that the Capitol has always given me so much. I thought it was time to return the sentiment for a few minutes." Bex twirled the rose in her hands and stepped forward. "Or maybe it was just morbid curiosity."

Snow tilted his head to the side, studying her fake smirk for a short second. He could see behind it. Even at his old age, he was still the cleverest in the room. Bex's mouth formed in a line.

"I must say ..." He finally muttered. "I am very sorry for all the hurt I caused you in this war –"

The rage inside of her was explosive. It only took seconds to bubble towards the surface, and venom was suddenly spilling from her mouth: "You kept my parents imprisoned for years and finally killed them when you captured my brother –"

"But I did warn you, didn't I? I asked if you wanted to be in a real war, Miss Nassar, and you gave me no answer. A real war was what you received."

"I don't forgive you. Whatever you say holds no merit." She scoffed and directed the rose at him. "I used to think that you just hated all the Districts, and you know what? I get it. I would hate the people who tried to overthrow me too. But you killed your own kin. I was told you killed Capitol children and citizens. How can you even look yourself in the mirror?"

"How can you have an opinion on an event where you were not present?" He smiled the tiniest bit. "You weren't on the front lines. How do you know what's the truth?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Because Finnick was there and I believe what he told me."

"Mr. Odair didn't even realize what was happening when those bombs dropped. One after the other. Neither did Miss Everdeen. It was so wasteful, so ... unnecessary."

The rose in Bex's hand lowered to her side. Her brow arched inquisitively, but her mouth refused to utter a word.

Snow looked off. "Anyone could see the game was over by that point. I was even going to issue an official surrender when they released those parachutes."

"They? It was you," she accused.

"I'm not above killing children, but I am never wasteful. I take life for specific reasons. There was no reason for me to kill all those Capitol citizens. They weren't rebelling against me. Why would I kill them?" He coughed again, this time into his sleeve. Blood began to stain his teeth. "It was a masterful move on Coin's part. You know, dropping the bombs in a Capitol hovercraft. And then the second explosives going off minutes later, killing her own medics. Very calculative. It turned the last of my guards against me. Do you know it aired live? There's a particular savvy in that, isn't there?"

Bex's jaw clenched. She couldn't believe it. His words held no truth; they never would.

"You're lying," she whispered.

"Why would I go to the effort of doing that on my death bed?" He raised a white brow. "I think my failure was ... in being so slow to grasp her plan. Make no mistake – she intends to take my place now. These things happen in war."

Her teeth ground together. "Are you trying to play me for a fool? I've spent the last eight years analyzing your tricks and moves. I know when you're scheming. If you mean to make me believe that Coin was the one to drop the bombs, I'm not having it. She's the leader of the rebels –"

"And rebellions, my dear, always end in death. More death than we account for. Presidents are most likely to commit war crimes ... because we know we can get away with it. I should know. " He looked at her again. His shoulders sagged as he sighed. "This is no scheme, and I mean you no disservice. Not anymore."

Bex couldn't take her eyes away from his. They were so beady, so bright, as if the irises were made of pure ice. Her free hand formed into a fist as she contemplated what to say. But there was nothing. A part of her ... believed him. Maybe a part of her already came to the conclusion.

"Alas ..." He cleared his throat, eyes narrowing on her. "I had been watching young Katniss Everdeen this whole time, and you all ... you had been watching me. We were distracted. I'm afraid we've all been played for fools, Miss Nassar."

She swallowed hard and looked down at the rose in her hands. It still looked so delicate and pure in her hands. It was the juxtaposition that had her reeling. Being recognized as the Flower Girl all these years, symbolized through white roses and beautiful purity, when she was actually a killer. The same hands that held these flowers and shook people's hands also killed children. No matter how many roses were placed in her hair, she'd never be a saint.

And no matter how many he placed on his lapel, Snow wouldn't be one either.

Maybe they had more in common than she thought. After all, they were fools together now.

Bex lifted her head and strode over to the elderly man. He didn't move; he simply watched her from his seat on the fountain. She reached out and dropped the rose on his lap. It landed on his bloody handkerchief, staining the white petals a gruesome red.

"Have a nice rest of your life, Snow," she whispered before walking out the door.

━━━━━━

A/N: GOD THAT WAS A LONG CHAPTER 😬 almost 5k words??? sometimes I just can't shut up

I'm sorry if some people are upset about the time jump and me cutting out the last part of MOCKINGJAY/the siege against the capitol, but I have my reasons! we all know exactly what happens in the siege on the capitol and snow's capture, and it's very much centered on katniss and her journey. I really didn't want to take that away from katniss and her development, so I decided to leave bex out of it. plus, I don't think bex would've wanted to join squad 451 anyway, after what she experienced during the visit to her own district. it would've been pretty boring to just have her around thirteen. so that's why I did the time jump! she also wouldn't have been able to heal from a brain injury very fast, so I thought this was a good route for the story

there are only 2 chapters left! these last few chapters will all deal with the end of MOCKINGJAY, snow's execution, and how it all ends. I hope you guys are as excited as I am! 😁