Archive of Our Own

This is an alternative universe take on Lucy Gray and Coriolanus Snow’s ending. There is no betrayal | no pain | no loss | no evil | just love prevailing and the right decisions. And most of all a love story as perfect as perfect can be.

| ❆♪❆♪❆ |

~|after|~

The months after the games, instilled a sense of calm into her life, that she didn’t think she’d ever felt before. Lucy Gray was a different person after the games, that much was clear, but so was Coriolanus.

She could see it in the way he smiled more, and how he laughed and laughed at Maude Ivory’s jokes even if they were the worst jokes she’d ever told.

She saw it in the way his face had softened, and his eyes had become bluer than she’d ever seen them.

Living in 12, leaving the Capitol, it had given him a new sense of purpose, and he worked, and sang, and he told her that he loved her at least fifty times a day.

Lucy Gray didn’t have to wonder if he loved her, or if what they had was one sided. Unreciprocated.

Because she never climbed into an empty bed.

She never woke up only wrapped up in her sheets.

His arms were always holding her close.

| ❆♪ |

Lucy Gray never thought she’d get married. She had added it to the list of impossible things that were slowly coming true, just like the fact that Coriolanus lived with her in 12 now, that he’d chosen to love her, and that he’d chosen her.

The proposal was a surprise to say the least, but Lucy Gray couldn’t have imagined a better moment than what Coriolanus had chosen.

—then

“Maude Ivory! Will you please slow down!” Lucy Gray called out for her cousin, one hand was gripping a picnic basket, the other holding up her skirt, her guitar was thumping on her back, and she tried not to run so fast; she could hear the giggles of her cousin floating through the summer air.

When she finally got to the riverbank, she couldn’t help the smile that formed on her lips seeing Maude Ivory on Coriolanus’s shoulders, picking fruit from one of the trees.

His eyes caught hers, and as she finished laying the picnic blanket down, she half smiled at him, because seeing how amazing he was with Maude Ivory made her hope that one day they could have children of their own.

A little girl with his beautiful blonde curls that he was letting grow again.  

A little boy with his eyes, and his curls, except in a perfect mix of brown and blonde.

And then maybe a sweet little girl to complete them, who looked just like her, except for her beautiful, big blue eyes that would get her everything she ever wanted.  

Eventually, Maude Ivory got off of Coriolanus’s shoulders and after begging to go swim in the lake, Lucy Gray had caved and with strict instructions to not go further than the little dock, she watched the young girl take off her dress and run into the glistening water.  

She couldn’t complain much though because it meant Coriolanus joined her on the picnic blanket, one hand gently cupping her cheek, his lips inches from hers, and she had the most perfect view of his blue eyes.

“She loves you; you know. You’re her favourite person now, I think she’ll have something to say when we move into a place of our own. I think she’ll need a room to stay in.” Lucy Gray gently kissed Coriolanus before she moved her head into his lap, intertwining their fingers, listening to the gentle sounds of nature that surrounded them.

“Well, I love her too. She’s the sweetest girl ever, and she has certainly stolen my heart. She can have a room if she so desires, and she’ll be welcome anytime, but if that’s the case we’re going to need five rooms at least.” Coriolanus watched as Lucy Gray furrowed her brow and looked up at him with an apprehensive smile.

“Five rooms?” Lucy Gray whispered, urging him to explain.

“Well, our room of course. Maude Ivory’s room. Then three rooms for our children,” Coriolanus confirmed, and when he saw the tears well up in Lucy Grays eyes he wondered if he said something wrong, “I’m sorry if that was the wrong thing to say.”

Lucy Gray shook her head, unable to find words in that moment, because he had been thinking about it too, their little family, three sweet little children to make them parents, and she reached up to pull him down for a kiss.

“Three children…it sounds perfect.” She finally spoke, and then turned for a brief moment to check on Maude Ivory, who was now sat on the dock, her legs dangling in the water, her blonde hair moving with the wind, and Lucy Gray gave her boyfriend one last look before she got up and slipped out of the purple dress she wore nearly every occasion she could, it held a lot of memories and it made her feel wrapped up in them when she was wrapped up in the fabric.

It took her seconds to reach Maude Ivory, and she picked the young girl up and then took her hand as they both ran the length of the dock, jumping into the water.

This was so very nearly something she’d lost, if she’d have died in the games, she would’ve left behind so many people, so many memories. Getting out, winning, had been the biggest blessing because it had brought her right back home.

The Covey was her home.

12 was her home.

Maude Ivory was her home.

Coriolanus was her home.

The valley, and the hob, and the meadow and the lake and the fields filled with so much beauty, were where she felt safe.

Safe and sound.

As Coriolanus watched his girls in the water, his hand found the little wooden box that he had been carrying for just over two weeks. Inside sat a small ring, nothing too extravagant because he knew that that wasn’t something she would want. She liked the sentimental pieces of jewellery, that meant something, so when he had first found his mother's wedding ring, he’d kept it safe, and now he’d settled in 12 one of the first things he’d done was ask Tigris to send it.

The gold band was a little tarnished but overall, it was in good condition, and the gem, the oval diamond in the middle of the band, looked like it held intricate designs much like a snowflake, and he knew that Lucy Gray would love it.

He hadn’t been putting it off as such, but the moment he asked Lucy Gray to be his wife needed to be a moment that was perfect for them both. And of course, he’d asked Maude Ivory for her blessing as soon as the ring had arrived.

The girl hadn’t been able to contain her excitement, and he’d had to usher her out of the house and on a walk just to let her get her energy out of her system.

Coriolanus couldn’t wait to have a family with Lucy Gray, but for now he’d settle for making her his wife, and becoming part of her family, part of the Covey. Part of the huge, circle of love.

—

The morning spilled into the afternoon, and Coriolanus was still waiting for the right time, and when he saw Lucy Gray coming back from picking flowers with Maude Ivory on her tail, huge bouquets of daisies, baby’s breath, tulips, roses and primroses in her arms he just knew that it was now.

The perfect moment.

And then there she was, stood in front of him, a flower in her hair tucked safely behind her ear, the smile she was wearing was enough to make him smile too.  

“I have something to ask you Lucy Gray,” Coriolanus started to speak, his voice cracking as he tried not to sound as nervous as he felt, and when he watched Lucy Gray put the flowers on the ground and stand back up he pulled the ring box out of his pocket and got down on one knee, “and I have been waiting for the perfect moment for a while now. But I know that that’s not what’s important. Not really. It just matters that I get to do this.”

Lucy Gray couldn’t stop her gaze from moving between Coryo’s eyes and the beautiful engagement ring that sat nestled in the wooden box.

“Lucy Gray Baird, you had my heart the moment I saw you step out of that carriage at the station, I didn’t know it then, but you did. The odds were against us, definitely not in our favour, and when I thought I was going to lose you without even getting a chance to have you, I was so ready to give up hope at ever being happy. But then you won, you won the games, and you came back to me. You let me come to your home and meet your family and you let me love you. You showed me that the Coriolanus I was didn’t have to be the Coriolanus I became, and you made me a better person. There is no greater feeling than knowing that you are mine and I am yours…the only way it could get better is if I could eventually call you my wife. So, Lucy Gray, will you marry me?”

Lucy Gray struggled to stop the tears falling, but as Coriolanus took her hand and steadied her, she let out a sob, but the smile was permanently on her lips.

“Yes…” she whispered, nodding and feeling the tears fall down her cheeks, “yes of course I’ll marry you Coryo.” It was as if everything was slowly falling into place, and she watched as Coriolanus gently placed the ring on her finger.

She pulled him up, wrapping her hands around his neck, and gently she pressed her lips against his, looking into his perfectly blue eyes, remembering the first time she’d ever seen them.

Oh, how everything was so different now.

Maude Ivory was clapping her hands together and she wriggled her way in between them and the three of them hugged her.  

“You knew didn’t you Maude Ivory?” Lucy Gray gently rubbed her thumb across the young girl's cheek, over her perfect freckles, wiping away an eyelash.

“I did! Coryo told me a few weeks ago, and I kept it secret. Does this mean there’ll be a wedding? And pretty dresses? And singing?” Maude Ivory started getting giddy again.

“Yes, there’ll be a wedding and pretty dresses and singing sweet girl,” and Lucy Gray looked up at Coryo, whose face was the picture of happiness, and with one final kiss, Lucy Gray watched as he whisked Maude Ivory away and started to chase her through the meadow.

She dropped onto the picnic blanket, and her hand sat in her lap, the ring glistened in the afternoon sun, and she smiled softly as she let her body relax into the warm grass.

Everything was falling into place.

—

| ❆♪ |

Lucy Gray hadn’t wanted to spend too long on their wedding, not because she wanted to rush everything, even though she was a little bit anxious to finally be Lucy Gray Snow Baird, but she was terrified that something would come along and ruin everything for them so in the months following summer, Lucy Gray would spend all of her evenings after working and spending time with the Covey sat at the kitchen table planning.

Tigris was making her wedding dress, and she was incredibly grateful and excited for the beautiful gesture offered by Coryo’s cousin, so it was one less thing she needed to worry about.

But as much as she was worrying, every couple of weeks she checked off another thing on her list.

• Flower arrangements. Check.
• Music. The Covey Band. Check.
• Bridesmaid. Maude Ivory of course. Check.
• Coryo’s suit. Borrowed from Sejanus’s mother who had given Coryo lots of Sejanus’s old clothes when he went off to be a medic in District 7. He was still planning on coming to the wedding. Check.
• The venue. The meadow for the ceremony, the Hob for the reception. Check.

The last thing that sat on her list was one arguably the most important, and she had no idea what she was going to do, but she needed to check it off before it drove her crazy.

After the whole month of September was spent throwing up every morning, and on account of her clothes getting tighter, and her body changing, she’d gone to the doctor, and he’d confirmed that she was in fact pregnant.

It was a surprise. A good surprise. But it all seemed out of order, and she felt so out of control and overwhelmed that she hadn’t even thought about telling Coriolanus.

Their wedding was due to take place on December 12th and if the calculations of the dates were correct, she’d be four and a half months pregnant when they got married so there’d be most likely no way of hiding it.

The planning had gone on until the last hour of light disappeared, and she hadn’t realised she’d been sat in the same spot for hours until Coriolanus walked through the door and brought her out of her thoughts.

“Lu? It’s late. Why are you still awake?” Coriolanus dropped his work boots by the back door and then padded across the kitchen floor until he could kneel down in front of his fiancée.

The nickname that he’d given her, was something she didn’t think she’d ever get used to, because he made it sound so angelic when he called her Lu that she’d had a hard time not letting him call her it.

“Wedding planning and checking things off of the list, and I can’t sleep without you, you know that.” Lucy Gray closed the notebook and then gently rubbed the pad of her thumb over his cheek, swivelling in the chair so she was face to face with Coryo.

“Well, come on then. Sleeping is next on your checklist.” Coriolanus didn’t even give her chance to stand up, he simply scooped her into his arms and carried her up the stairs.

Lucy Gray usually got annoyed at the fact that Coryo felt the need to carry her to bed like a child, but after the long evening, she didn’t argue and instead snuggled close to his chest.

He tucked her in, and when he started to walk away, she frowned.

“Where are you going?” She asked with an impatient tone, because she hadn’t seen him all day and all she wanted to do was curl up in his arms and sleep.

“To say goodnight to Maude Ivory. I won’t be long.” Coriolanus smiled, and the soft glow of the candle captured his eyes perfectly, he walked out of their bedroom and down the hall, and Lucy Gray knew that she couldn’t wait to see him become a father.

When he finally returned, arms and legs tangled together, and Lucy Gray fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.

—

It happened less and less often nowadays, but the nightmares still came, and they still left her thrashing and screaming as she tried to wake herself up.

It still left Coriolanus aching for his love as he tried to coax her awake, and it never got easier seeing the tears stream down her face.

“Lucy Gray, you’re safe, come on wake up sweetheart.” Coryo whispered softly, gently stroking her arm and trying to get her to open her eyes.

When she did, she clung to his shirt and buried her head in his chest, inhaling his scent and allowing it to envelope her completely.

“I made it out of the arena. Real or not real.” Her cracked voice filled the quiet room and Coriolanus pulled the blanket over them both and settled back against the pillows, knowing that she would need the reassurance, and the little tactics they used worked so much better now that she’d established something that worked.

“Real. You’re home, safe, in 12 with me and Maude Ivory and the Covey.”

Lucy Gray nodded and mumbled something incoherent into Coryo’s chest.

“We’re getting married in three months. Real or not real.” She finally moved so she wasn’t almost suffocating herself, and she kept her ear pressed against Coryo’s chest so she could feel his heart beating.

“We are. At the meadow, and then we’re going to celebrate with everyone at the Hob. We’re going to be husband and wife.”

It was a split-second decision that Lucy Gray didn’t even know she was going to make, but then she just felt the words falling from her lips.

“I’m pregnant. Real or not real.” She whispered into the darkness, and when she felt Coryo shift, and then his hand moved to lay on her stomach, she melted.

“Real?” Coriolanus replied, with a little bit of hesitation, and a little bit of excitement.

“Real.” Lucy Gray confirmed, and she let out a combination of a squeal and a laugh when suddenly Coriolanus was on top of her, his thighs straddling her waist, and she let her eyes adjust to the dark so she could just barely see the outline of his face.

“You’re not lying to me Lucy Gray?”

“No, not lying. We’re going to have a baby.” Lucy Gray confirmed, and when Coriolanus finally kissed her, she felt like the luckiest person in the world.

As they both got comfortable again, Lucy Gray didn’t expect Coryo to still have his hand on her belly as they drifted off to sleep together, but she enjoyed feeling the warmth of his hand, his fingers so gentle against her skin.

A little family.

Their little family.

A chance she never thought she’d have.

| ❆♪ | the wedding | ❆♪ |

For the first time in years the snow fell in the early days of December, and it looked like the impending wedding day would be celebrated with the snowflakes dancing around them.

Everyone that was special and loved by both Lucy Gray and Coriolanus were in district 12 by the 10th of December, and after a day of catching up with everyone and sharing the news of their pregnancy with Sejanus and Tigris, the wedding day came by quickly.

Lucy Gray woke up with Maude Ivory curled up on Coryo’s side of the bed, and she smiled knowing that she had probably worried that she’d have struggled without Coriolanus even for just one night.

“Hey sweetheart, wake up.” Lucy Gray ran her fingers through the young girl’s hair, briefly turning to the window and smiling when she saw the flakes of snow swirling around.

“Is it today? You’re getting married today?” Maude Ivory whispered in her half-asleep state and Lucy Gray glanced at her dress, hung against the wardrobe door.

“Yes, Coryo and I are getting married today. Come on let’s go get some breakfast and then we can get ready.” Lucy Gray got up and slipped one of Coriolanus’s shirts on, an item of clothing that only just hid her growing belly.

They were almost halfway through the pregnancy, and Lucy Gray couldn’t wait for spring to arrive with their little baby.

Breakfast was a hurried affair, and Lucy Gray immediately went upstairs to start working on her hair, thankful for Tigris’s help with Maude Ivory who absolutely could not sit still.

Lucy Gray hummed the melody for the song she’d written for Coriolanus, and she couldn’t wait to share it with him.

“That’s a beautiful melody Lucy Gray. Is it for anything special? Also, Maude Ivory is downstairs helping make her bouquet up.” Tigris stood in the doorway, and Lucy Gray turned around and gave the young woman a smile.

“It’s for Coryo, I wrote him a song for our first dance. Which, ironically, was easier than writing my vows. Thanks for helping me out with Maude Ivory, she’s such a sweet girl but she’s a handful.” Lucy Gray pinned the final piece of hair into place and then stood up.

“You truly are amazing; he’ll love it I know he will. And it’s my pleasure, she’s a sweetheart. I bet you and Coryo can’t wait to have a little one of your own? He’s so excited to be a dad.” Tigris walked over and took her dress from the hanger, and slowly Lucy Gray removed Coryo’s shirt and her pyjama pants, the silhouette of her new body was taking her a little bit longer to get used to, but Coriolanus reminded her every day that she was beautiful, and she was growing their miracle.

“He talks to my belly every night, telling them all about the past. The world. The games, and our love story that followed. They’re going to love his voice; I just know it.” Lucy Gray knew that when she started feeling the baby move that they’d go crazy for their daddy’s voice.

Tigris helped her into her dress, and she couldn’t quite believe that she was wearing something so beautiful.

“You did a wonderful job bringing my vision to life, I love this dress so much Tigris thank you.”

“It was a pleasure to make it for you, and I’m glad I could make adjustments in time, you’re a beautiful bride Lucy Gray. Now, let’s go and get you married.”

—

Maude Ivory led the three of them, and they were followed by the Covey, and at her request, Tigris was going to give her away.

The youngest, soon to not be, Covey child took pride in her duties as bridesmaid as she walked down the makeshift aisle in the meadow and dropped the white rose petals on top of the fresh snow.

Everyone found their seats, and Lucy Gray only had eyes for Coriolanus, who was stood by an archway decorated with Katniss flowers, and in the haze of soft snowfall, her eyes met his.

Those perfect blue eyes.

Tigris held her arm as they walked down the aisle, and then she was there, stood in front of Coriolanus, her fiancé, and soon to be her husband.

They joined hands, and she had to resist the urge to kiss him.

“Hi Lucy Gray.” Coriolanus whispered, only seeing her even though they were in front of a fair amount of people.

“Hi Coriolanus, you look so handsome.”

“And I have no words for you sweetheart, that dress, your hair, our sweet little baby you’re showing off. I cannot wait to call you my wife.”

After the more intricate details of the marriage were laid out, it was time for them to exchange their vows and for once Lucy Gray had decided she wanted to go first.

“Coriolanus Snow, I’m not sure I could ever have enough time or words to say just how much you mean to me. How you saved me, in more ways than one, and how everything has just fallen perfectly into place since I met you. Watching you love not only me, but my family and my home, has been a blessing, and I know that the rest of our lives together will only mean that our love grows stronger. I’m excited to become your wife, but most importantly I’m so ready to start our next chapter. I’m ready for our family, and I’m ready to see you become a father to our little baby. Loving you is the easiest thing for me to do, and I know that it’ll only get easier as the years go by. I love you Coriolanus.”

Lucy Gray gently wiped away the tear that had fallen down his face, and when he leaned into her touch her heart skipped a beat.

Coriolanus cleared his throat and held back the tears, knowing there would be time for that after.

“Lucy Gray, never before I met you did I think that I deserved love, that I deserved to love. But the day I met you, and I welcomed you to the Capitol, and I saw the way you looked at me in a way no one else had before. You looked at me like I was a human, and not a mentor, or the son of my father, who’s reputation I would never live up to, that I never wanted to. You looked at me like I was enough for you, and I knew then that to let you go would be the most foolish decision. So, I decided that I would do my best to make sure that didn’t happen. It was hard, so damn hard, but when I got to go home with you after the games, when I got to see the person, you were when you weren’t fighting for your life. I only fell for you harder. Thank you for loving every single part of me, for accepting my flaws and the parts of me that I find hard to love. Thank you for saving me, and for being my family, for giving me a family. I love you Lucy Gray and I’ll love you forever.”

Lucy Gray didn’t even wait for the officiant to pronounce them husband and wife before she leaned forward and pulled Coriolanus to her level so she could kiss him with an intense passion that almost wasn’t appropriate for their first kiss as a married couple, especially not in front of children, but they both practiced restraint and pulled apart before it got too heated.

—

Vows had been hard for her to write but the song she’d been working on for their first dance had flowed so effortlessly, and as they headed hand in hand towards the Hob with everyone else chatting behind them in a group, Lucy Gray couldn’t wipe the permanent smile off of her face.

Even though everyone’s cheeks were pink from the cold, the warmth in the Hob got everyone back into high spirits and whilst they both said hello to everyone and had a moment to themselves, the Covey band played some of their usual songs to fill the air.

“Do you want your wedding present now?” Lucy Gray whispered; her hands were drumming gently on Coryo’s leg as she listened to the Valley songs melody.

“You didn’t have to get me a present, you are something else Lucy Gray. My wife. But yes, please.” Coryo kissed her, and then she got up from her seat and walked over to the stage just as the song ended.

Standing in front of the microphone, everyone turned to look at her and she waved shyly, blowing Maude Ivory a kiss.

“Thank you to everyone who made today special for myself and Coryo, we all appreciate you sharing our special day with us. In true Baird, and Covey fashion I felt like aside from growing a whole human being, that the most perfect gift for my husband was to write him a song. So, my love, this is for you.” Lucy Gray took the guitar from one of the musicians and then she settled it around her body and started to strum.

—

“Everyone's born as clean as a whistle—
As fresh as a daisy,
And not a bit crazy.
Staying that way's, a hard row for hoeing—
As rough as a briar,
Like walking through fire.”

“This world, it's dark,
And this world, it's scary.
I've taken some hits, so
No wonder I'm wary.
It's why I
Need you—
You're pure as the driven snow.”

“Everyone wants to be a hero—
The cake with the cream, or
the doer not dreamer.
Doing's hard work, it takes some to change things—
Like goat's milk to butter,
like ice blocks to water.”

“This world goes blind
When children are dying.
I turn to dust, but
You never stop trying.
It's why I
Love you—
You're pure as the driven snow.”

“Cold and clean,
swirling over my skin,
you cloak me.
You soak right in,
down to my heart.”

As she sang that line, she handed the guitar back to one of the others and got down from the stage, and immediately Coryo walked over to her and he pulled her close, and she looped her arms around his neck and started to softly sing the rest of the song.

“Everyone thinks they know all about me.
They slap me with labels.
They spit out their fables.
You came along, you knew it was lying.
You saw the ideal me,
And yes, that's the real me.”

“This world, it's cruel,
With troubles aplenty.
You asked for a reason—
I've got three and twenty
for why I
Trust you—
You're pure as the driven snow.”

“That's why I
love you—
You're pure as the driven snow.”

—

Everyone’s applause was barely heard because Lucy Gray and Coriolanus Snow were lost in each other’s eyes, completely unaware of anyone else around them.

They were all each other needed.

The rest of their evening went by quickly, but so many memories were made.

Lucy Gray got see Coryo dance with Maude so many times that eventually she fell asleep across two chairs completely exhausted.

She got to dance with Sejanus and Tigris, and then spent the last hour of the night just swaying on the dance floor with her husband.

“Thank you, for a beautiful day. I couldn’t have wished for anything better.” Lucy Gray whispered into her husband's ear before letting her head rest on his chest.

“Thank you for saying yes. For giving me a chance and for loving me Lucy Gray Snow Baird.” He sealed his display of love with a kiss, and simply held his wife close to him.

| ❆♪❆ |

| meadow dove snow baird |

The rest of the pregnancy after the wedding seemed to fly by, and it was spent preparing their new home, all five bedrooms and all, for the newest arrival.

Lucy Gray would constantly sing to the little baby in her belly, and she watched them move more and more as they grew.

It was the way she watched Coryo whisper to her stomach in the morning before he went to work, and how he calmed the baby down in the evenings that made her heart feel so full. He truly loved her, and their baby, and it was all she could ever ask for.

Her name was decided the moment she was born, on an early spring morning in April.

They’d taken a few days before her arrival to themselves, and Lucy Gray had never felt so prepared for something than when she had to give birth to their first child.

Coryo was there, for every single minute, holding her hand and giving her space when she needed it, but mostly his words of encouragement were what she needed to get through it all.

So, when they finally got to hold their daughter, a sweet little girl with all of her daddy’s features, and her brown eyes, they finally felt like a piece of their puzzle was finally fixed into place.

“Hey there sweet angel,” Coryo watched in awe at the infant laid in his arms, and as he settled on the edge of the bed and watched his wife, as beautiful as ever even in the moments after childbirth, and he reached out for her hand, “I’m your pa, and this is your mama. And we love you Meadow Dove, so very much.”

Lucy Gray knew, that at seeing her husband hold their daughter and speak so softly to her, that they couldn’t justhave one.

| ❆♪❆♪ |

| gem aster gray snow baird |

Two years after their daughter was born, Lucy Gray found out she was pregnant again, and even though it was a little bit of a shock, neither her nor Coryo found that they were as scared as they had been the first time round.

Their daughter, she was this perfect combination of them both, and she caused all kinds of trouble in the Covey family, but already at 2 years old she was showing interest in music, whether she was just interested in the instruments or the melody of the music, it was a sight to see how she danced on her wobbly little legs around the Hob when the Covey band performed.

At around the sixth month mark of her second pregnancy, Lucy Gray decided that they wouldn’t be waiting to decide on a name for the baby, which she was adamant was a boy.

So, she came home with determination from the seam one afternoon to find both Coryo and Meadow Dove sat in the kitchen, the blonde-haired toddler asleep in his arms as he wrote a letter.

“This little boy needs a name,” Lucy Gray announced, watching Maude Ivory run into their kitchen with a smile and her friend attached to her hand, and all Lucy Gray did was smile back, “and before you argue with me Coriolanus Snow, I’m his mama, and I say he’s a boy.”

Coryo watched his wife, and the minute her hands rested on her hip, and on her belly, he knew better than to respond with anything but a smile and agree.

“If you say so sweetheart. Now, whilst our little Dove is napping, we can for sure try and figure out his name. Let me go and put her down in her bed.” Coryo carefully got up and walked out of the kitchen slowly, and Lucy Gray sat down at the kitchen table and her eyes landed on the guitar leant against one of the chairs.

“Where did this come from?” Lucy Gray inquired when Coryo walked back into the kitchen and pressed a kiss to her lips.

“Oh, she was fussy earlier and I was going to try and learn how to play so I could calm her down but I gave up. You make it look so easy!” Coryo sat down beside his wife and gently pushed against her stomach, earning a kick back.

“Nuh uh Snow, you’re not tormenting him, he’s already keeping me up all night because you won’t stop getting him to kick me. Pick the guitar up and we’ll learn a song.” She stood up and went to get one of the other guitars they had and then sat back down, barely able to set the instrument in her lap because of her stomach being in the way.

“Okay, so what song do you want to learn?” Lucy Gray felt like she was giving lessons to one of seam children, but it was sweet that Coryo wanted to learn.

“Gem of Panem, my grandmother used to sing it all the time.” Coriolanus watched as his wife’s expression faltered, and he furrowed his brows.

“What? Is something wrong.” He asked a little softer this time and went to rest his hand on her knee.

“Gem, our Gem. What do you think?” Lucy Gray weighed up the name, it was sweet and gentle, and perfect for their son.

Coriolanus couldn’t quite find the words to express how he felt, but he knew that he was laden with so much love for his wife in that moment.

“Gem Aster Gray? Because he needs a piece of his mama in his name.” Coriolanus suggested what he thought was an innocent thought, but when he saw her eyes fill with tears, he immediately abandoned the guitar and walked over, kneeling down in front of her.

“I love you Coriolanus Snow, more than anything in this universe. Thank you.” She kissed him gently, and then a little more firmly, until he had pulled her out of the chair and wrapped her up in his arms.

They were interrupted by Maude Ivory carrying Meadow Dove, but that didn’t matter because their son had a name.

The rest of her pregnancy, Coryo would sing Gem of Panem at every single moment he could, and it only further solidified his name as the final months went by.

Lucy Gray was right of course, because when their son was born in the late hours of March 14th, no one was shocked at the announcement that they’d had a beautiful baby boy.

His hair was brown, but his eyes were blue, as blue as his fathers, and every bit as entrancing.

How he got his name, was a sweet tale that became a story that was told every year on his birthday.

| ❆♪❆♪❆ |

| valley blue snow baird |

Their final baby, born four and a half years after her sister, and two and a half years after her brother, was the final piece of their puzzle.

Choosing her name, was the easiest of them all, because it became apparent pretty early on in her pregnancy that the only thing that settled the little girl, was the Valley Song.

They had her first name chosen from pretty much the halfway point, but it wasn’t until she first opened her eyes that her middle name was chosen.

All because of her eyes.

They weren’t as sharp, nor as bright as her fathers, they didn’t share the same hue as her older brother, they were a blue that could only be described as sapphire.

Of course, they could change, but Lucy Gray didn’t seem to think they would.

Only a few hours after her arrival, she was as unsettled as any baby could be, but it was only when she laid the tiny baby on her chest, with Coryo gently stroking her downy cheek, that she started to calm down.

Their two other children were asleep in their bed, and Lucy Gray hated hearing the soft whimpers of their youngest daughter so as she had done, so many times before, she started singing the Valley Song.

—

“Down in the valley, valley so low,
late in the evening, hear the train blow.
The train, love, hear the train blow.
Late in the evening, hear the train blow.”

After the first verse, her husband joined in, and immediately the tiny baby stopped crying and fell asleep.

“Go build me a mansion, build it so high,
So I can see my true love go by.
See him go by, love, see him go by.
So, I can see my true love go by.”

“Go write a letter, send it by mail.
Bake it and stamp it to the Capitol jail.
Capitol jail, love, to the Capitol jail.
Bake it and stamp it to the Capitol jail.”

“Roses are red, love; violets are blue.
Birds in the heavens know I love you.
Know I love you, oh, know I love you,
Birds in the heavens know I love you.”

—

Valley Blue was born on a cool September evening, and she was the image of her mother, but her eyes, were almost as blue as her fathers but they were hers in their own way and they didn’t know it yet, and nor did she, but they were going to get her out of so much mischief as she grew up.

Their family was small, but it was happy, it was enough, and it was theirs.

Nothing would ever be able to replicate the love Lucy Gray and Coriolanus Snow had for each other.

And nothing would ever be as strong as the love they had for their three amazing, pure, beautiful children.