One shot for Taylor.
Pairing: Everlark (Or Peetniss)
Peeta Mellark sat by the edge of the bed. He'd been in the hospital for the past week now, hunched over and silent. His son and daughter would come and go, as would other old friends of the Mellarks. Annie, Johanna, even Gale had popped in the day before. He said nothing, just sat there for a moment before leaving.
So now there was no one in the hospital room but Peeta and his wife. Katniss who was always so much stronger than him, and now she lay there. Silent. Unmoving. The same she had been since she collapsed. He could remember it now. They were in their kitchen, everything fine. They were talking about this season's herbs when there had been a loud thump and the dish that she had been holding had fallen.
She doesn't have much time left.
That's what the doctor had told him when she had first come in. But she had made it so far, right? So she could last just a bit longer.
It's not like they didn't know this day would come. The day when one of them left the other.
"Peeta, if I die before you.." She had said. They were sitting down on their front porch bench. He had taken her frail, wrinkled hand in his own and kissed it softly.
"Don't speak like that Katniss." He murmured, looking up at her. Her thin, gray hair was pulled back in a long braid. Like it always had.
"Peeta, there will come a day when one of us leaves the other."
"You don't know that Kat."
She glared at him with her ever sharp eyes. "Anything could happen." She looked back out to the soft, rolling herbs that now encompassed District 12. "Just promise me something, Peeta. Please?" He squeezed her hand, nodding.
"Anything."
She took a deep breath. This was clearly something she had thought of before, taken time to word in just the right way. "We need to promise each other that if one of us dies first that we won't give up. We'll keep on living. Until we are reunited."
"I promise."
"Good. So do I."
A soft noise broke Peetas thoughts. Looking up from his gnarled, old hands he found himself looking at Katniss, who smiled sadly. "Peeta." She whispered, holding out a hand for him to take. He took it, looking down at his wife. It was strange how time suddenly seemed to rewind for them. Just briefly he could see Katniss the way he first saw her in the Games. An Angel. And as Katniss looked up at Peeta Mellark she saw him as he always was. Her solid rock. For that briefest of moments, they aged backwards. The room was suddenly full of all of those that Katniss had lost over the years. Cinna was sitting in a chair, smiling at her while he etched out the perfect dress. Haymitch and Effie, arguing over his drinking. Her Mother and Father. Finally reunited with each other. Finnick holding out a sugar cube for her. Rue, dancing and singing to make her feel better.
They all moved suddenly, to let a small girl walk through. Her hair was braided into two small braids, and she wore a familiar dress. "Katniss." She said, her blonde hair shining in the sudden white light. "It's time to let go." Prim Everdeen held out her hand.
"Can't I tell him goodbye at least?" Katniss demanded, looking wildly at her friends. They all looked sadly back at her.
"It's your time." Cinna said, taking her hand.
"We're all here with you." Rue added.
"I won't leave. Not without saying goodbye to him." Katniss said, shutting her eyes. When she opened them they were all gone, except for Peeta who stared down at her. "Peeta.."
"I'm here Katniss." Peeta said, squeezing her hand gently.
"Stay with me." She whispered hoarsely.
"Always."