Deleted Scenes: There's Always a Way

(This angst is brought to you by the letter A, for Anna. Thanks Anna!)

The tears in Clair’s eyes had yet to depart as she stood rigidly in the hallway of the District Seven Justice Building. Her eyes were fixed blankly on the door that led to the room, where Cerulean was taken. Her heart was still hammering in her chest, the moment that she heard his name called was the moment her world stopped turning, and it still hadn’t started back up again. She knew it wouldn’t until this was all over… and Ceru returned to her.

There was still so much she hadn’t told him.. so much she needed to tell him. But his parents were taking forever.. his mom could take all the time she needed, she deserved it, she just hoped it wasn’t his good for nothing father that was taking up all the time. He was probably telling Ceru just how unlikely it was that he was ever going to get home.

Then the door suddenly opened and Mr. and Mrs. Elpharae walked out, the woman was sobbing into her husband’s arm, while the man was straight-faced, only a look of hopelessness on his face as he comforted his wife. The two departed without even giving Clair a glance, she didn’t look at them either until she heard Mr. Elpharae utter something.

“Do you want me to start cleaning out his room…?”

Clair’s blood ran cold, and then it started to boil. How could he say that? How could he say such a thing about his own son. Her teeth clicked together and she began to step forward, her hands balling into fists, until she was stopped.. What was she gonna do? Really. Hit him? Yell at him? No.. apparently she was going to do nothing. Ceru was always the one to help her keep her momentum.. But now..

“Go ahead in.”

Clair’s attention snapped toward the Peacekeeper by the door and she quickly drew herself away from the parents, and quickly toward the door. She slipped inside and when her gaze fell upon the tear-stained face of her best friend.. She let out a sob and held out her arms, quickly pulling him into her. Her heart shattered when she felt him return the embrace desperately, clinging to her as if she was the only thing keeping him grounded… like he was the only thing keeping her grounded.

“I’m so s...s..orry, I’m so sorry..”

Clair quickly pulled away then, her trembling hands still holding onto shoulders as she stared into the bright blue eyes that gave him his name. She stared in disbelief, shaking her head.

“Why are you sorry? What the hell do you have to be sorry for!”

Ceru shook his head, his gaze shifting downwards briefly as he bit down on his lip. Clair had seen him do so many times, when he was trying to stay calm for her. Her heart broke when he reached up and quickly brushed the tears from his cheeks, looking back up at her again. His expression and eyes were calmer, but the stutter that he took on when he was upset and not focusing as much on speaking betrayed his true emotions.

“I wanted to be th..there for you..”

More tears began to flood Clair’s eyes and she quickly shook her head. He was crying because he was being taken away from her? Because he couldn’t protect her? This wasn’t about her! This was about him! A deaf boy being taken away to a deathmatch with other people who could hear, with mutts who could hear! A whole world he was about to be thrown into and he was already at a disadvantage, not just his hearing, but his heart. Cerulean couldn’t kill anybody! If the fact that he couldn’t hear wouldn’t kill him, the fact that he wouldn’t want to hurt anybody would. It wasn’t fair!

“It’s okay, Cerulean.. It’s okay.. I’m fine…”

He nodded, still biting his lip before he lowered his head and looked away from her, a small sob escaping him and Clair quickly tightened her grip on his shoulder, placing her hand on his cheek gently and tilting his head up to look at her. She wanted him to understand.. That she was okay.. But when his hand moved up to gently hold onto the hand that was currently keeping him looking up at her, she knew that no. She wasn’t okay.

“I promise, I’ll try r..really hard… m...maybe Camellia will want to be allies.. she’s strong. I know she is… Maybe we can do some of it together.”

Clair nodded slowly, a sniffle escaping her, but she wasn’t really listening. Not really. He needed to say what he needed to in order to keep himself optimistic. But the Gallen girl… yeah she could maybe help out. Maybe he wouldn’t be alone…

“I know you will.. I know you’ll come home, that you’ll be okay..”

Her voice broke in the last part of her sentence and she quickly wrapped her arms around him again, holding on tightly to the last remaining light of her life. And then she pulled away.

“Ceru.. I need you to know something… I…”

Clair watched as the door opened, she broke off, and the look of confusion in Cerulean’s eyes shattered her heart.

“Time’s up.”

She quickly grabbed onto his shoulders, and stared at him for another long moment.

“I have to go now.. But remember you’ll be alright. Okay? Just remember that..”

Cerulean glanced over his shoulder then toward the Peacekeeper and his breathing hitched, his grip on her hand tightened briefly then he turned back to her with the forced calm expression and he let go of her hand hesitantly as she began to walk away.

She kept her eyes on him for as long as she could, and just as the door closed she watched his hands come up to form a heart over his chest as tears filled his eyes again.

“Cerulean-”

The door closed.



Clair couldn’t help the startled scream that escaped her as she took a step toward the TV, the sound of her mother’s feet rushing into the room could be heard, and there was a hand suddenly squeezing her shoulder. Her mother was beside her now, with bated breath as she watched the boy from District Two charge at Cerulean, who was once again, unable to move.

It was cruel- it was too damn cruel. It wasn’t fair!

But then Clair’s hand shot up to her mouth as she watched Camellia Gallen put herself between Remus and Ceru, the war hammer in hand. A chill ran through her tense body as she watched how fiercely the girl fought against him.. The power to protect. She had seen it in Cerulean plenty of times… and she wasn’t surprised that Camellia wielded it as well. She wondered if she was thinking of Syca.
But as the rapier pierced her chest, Clair gave a small cry of despair, her arms wrapping around her mother who tensed silently, her gaze glued to the screen. But that was when she heard the crack, and her gaze flickered back up to the screen.

Cerulean had killed someone… to try and protect Camellia.

“Okay… okay, Ceru, now go.. Please go, she gave you a chance!”

Clair pleaded quietly at the TV set, her heart dropping as she noticed his hesitance, and then he picked up Remus’s supplies and ran. Clair’s vision swam, she could’ve fainted with relief, her mother’s grip on her shoulder loosened, and the two stood in silence for a long moment, watching on as the horrible ‘Feast’ continued. And with Camellia’s cannon, her mother sank to her knees, her hands folding in front of her and her head bowed. She always prayed for the District Seven tributes… the ones who died. But she seemed to be especially intent on praying for Camellia.

Clair knelt beside her for a moment, staring at the screen, her body still trembling with fear and anxiety, despite Ceru’s escape… But she couldn’t just pray. She had to do something. She quietly got up, grabbing her jacket off the back of the couch, and with a deep breath, went for the door.

She had to go see the Gallens… she had to thank them. She had to mourn with them. She owed it to them for Camellia.

She had saved her light.