20. Interview

                                    

                                          

Another 2 months had passed, and Emory was finally showing. She and Enobaria moved into the District 5 floor of the Tribute center. She went to an appointment and found out at 19 weeks that she was having a boy. In her head she thought that Alex Layland was the father, but in her heart, she knew that wasn't true. 
Every day, Emory would go to the hospital and help Peeta and Johanna. Peeta was making amazing progress, Johanna however, was constantly having to be drugged back to sleep. 
It was finally time for the interview with Caesar and Peeta. Thankfully, Emory wasn't showing too much so she put on a looser dress than normal. It had a gold belt, resembling her dress from her victor interview. 
She sat in a room with Peeta and Caesar. Peeta and her were wearing matching outfits to resemble the unity of the Capitol. The camera's started and they gave Caesar a signal.
~
District 13, during dinner. 
The T.Vs turned on and the Capitol logo flashed across the screen before Caesar's face showed up. 
The camera's started and they gave Caesar a signal, "Hello. Good evening. And a big welcome to all in Panem. I'm Caesar Flickerman. And whoever you are, whatever it is you're doing, if you're working, put down your work. If you're having dinner, stop having dinner. Because you are going to want to witness this tonight." He paused for a moment, "There has been rampant speculation about what really happened in the Quarter Quell. And here to shed a little light on the subject for us are two very special guests. Please welcome Mr. Peeta Mellark and Miss Emporia Faklum." The camera stretched to show both faces. Katniss got up from her seat as did Finnick. "Peeta, Emory, a lot of people feel as though they are in the dark."
Peeta nodded, "Yeah, I know how they feel."
"Now, so set the stage for us. Talk us through what really happened on that final and controversial night," Caesar asked. 
Emory started talking first, "Well, first off, you have to understand that when you're in the Games you only get one wish. It's very costly."
Katniss walked closer to the screen, "You're alive," she whispered, staring at the screen. He was alive, being used as a puppet for the Capitol. 
"It costs your life," Caesar clarified.
Peeta shook his head, "I think it costs more than your life."
Caesar looked confused, "How do you mean? What's more than your life?"
"I mean to murder innocent people, that costs everything that you are. For Emory, I know she was much younger than I was. So, you hold on to that one wish. And that night my wish was to save Katniss. I should've just run off with her earlier in the day like she'd wanted."
Caesar interrupted him, "But you didn't. Why? Were you caught up in Beetee's plan?"
Emory turned to him, and she grabbed his hand. Finnick closed his hand into a fist.  "No, I was caught up trying to play allies. And then they separated us and... that's when I lost her."
"I didn't know what was happening," Emory added in. "I was just so ready to get out of there. I was guilty, I trusted almost everyone in there, Beetee was a family friend, Finnick helped me after my games, Johanna–" Emory closed her eyes. "I wanted to go back home, to my husband, I wanted my life back, I didn't stop to think that they had a different motive than me."
"And then the lightning hit... and the whole force field around the arena just blew out," Peeta said, looking up, remembering it. 
"Yes, but, Peeta, Katniss is the one who blew it out," Caesar reminded him.
"No," Peeta got restless.  
"You saw the footage."
"No, she didn't know what she was doing," Peeta got angry and Emory shushed him a little, rubbing his arm. "Neither of us knew there was a bigger plan going on. We had no idea."
"You had no idea?" Caesar repeated.
"No."
He sighed, "All right. Well, Peeta, there are many who find this suspicious to say the least. It seems as though she was part of a rebel plan."
"Do you think it was part of her plan to be almost killed by Johanna?  Or for Emory to try and kill Enobaria, our friend? Or part of the plan to be paralyzed by lightning? No, we were not part of any rebel plan. We had no idea what was going on!" Peeta insisted. 
Caesar stuck out his hands in an attempt to calm him down, "All right. I believe you, Peeta Mellark."
"Thank you, it seems like not many people do these days," Peeta joked, and he and Emory chuckled. 
"And I was going to ask you to speak about the unrest, but I think you might be too upset."
"No, I can."
Emory turned to him, "Are you sure?"
Peeta nodded his head, "Yeah, absolutely. I want everyone who's watching to stop and to think about what a civil war could mean. We almost went extinct once before. And now our numbers are even fewer. Is this really what we wanna do? Kill ourselves off?"
Emory took over, "Killing is not the answer. Everyone needs to lay down their weapons immediately."
Everyone went up in an uproar, "Traitor!"
 "He's not one of us!"
"She's a puppet!"
"This is treason!" Emory insisted. "You're hurting innocents."
"Are you calling for a ceasefire?" Caesar asked them. 
"Yeah. We are," Peeta confirmed.
"Enobaria is as well," Emory told him. "Us victors, we stand together! United!"
"You're a puppet!"
"Hang him!"
Peeta took over again, "I want everyone to stop the senseless violence. This is not the path to change."
"Traitor!" Katniss started to run away from the uproar, she couldn't hear it for much longer. Finnick punched a wall and headed away from the dining hall as well. 
"It's not the path to justice."
~
Caesar thanked them for coming, "of course," Emory smiled at him. "It's always been a pleasure." She told him, standing up and shaking his hand. Peeta shook his hand as well. 
Peeta held out an arm from Emory and she took it as they headed back to the District 5 floor. "Are you sure you don't want to stay in the penthouse?" Emory asked him.
He shook his head as they got in the elevator. "Too many bad memories. How are you holding up about Evan? You two were very close."
Emory sighed, "I don't even know if he's alive or if he knew anything, but I'm not ruling it out just in case."