"Prim!" I call once more. I hear a soft tapping as she runs from room to room, trying to keep hidden. I run after her and peek in the room she's supposedly in. "Primrose Everdeen, come out right now!"
I'm getting tired, so I sit down, leaning on the wall for support. "Prim!" I call out one last time before I give up.
I hang my head in shame and defeat. I may have survived two Hunger Games, Kept Peeta alive with me for both, Defied the Capitol, lead a rebellion to unite all districts and bring down the Capitol and succeeded, and killed President Snow, who supposedly killed Prim but apparently didn't but I can't even find her in a game of Hide and Seek.
I stare at the wall as the memory came rushing back to me.
I was walking in the courtyard, thinking about what would happen after I go back to District 12. I looks down and stare at the snow, the color starts changing in my eyes after staring at the same patch of snow for a while. I blink and rub my eyes and stare at the snow. It has a slight tint of red. Blood. I follow the tracks over to a mint plant. I heard a soft gasp and I peeked through the leaves. It was a little girl. Very frail, with blond hair and blue eyes. The skin is pale and I stare at her. She has the merchant look upon her, she's probably from 12 and a daughter of one of the apothecary people.
I gasp as I recognize the face. "Prim?"
I stare at the blond haired girl.
"Hello Katniss." She says and coughs a little.
I lift her from the bushes and tell one of the rebels to bring her to my mother.
A soft laugh brings me back to reality. I bolt up to my feet and instinctly crouch down. I follow the sound and it brings me to the door of Prim's bedroom. I stand up straight and stare at the door. I take hold of the door knob and turn it slowly, trying not to make a sound but the springs and gears betray me and squeak loud enough to stop the laughing. I hear the tapping as she tries to hide. I take my chances and push the door open as wide as it can. I hear a loud bang and then a shout of pain coming from behind the door.
"Oh my gosh." My eyes widen, Prim stops in her tracks on her way to her closet. Her eyes wide, indicating that I did something wrong. I slowly, cautiously walk in the room to look behind the door.
"Oh my gosh, Peeta!" I shout, a terrified look flashes on my face but then I see the smile in his eyes as he looks up at me from his position. Crouched down, clutching his stomach and his forehead. "Are you ok?"
He looks more amused than hurt now.
"Oh wow, umm, don't answer that, that was stupid of me." I say, ushering him onto Prim's bed. Prim heads out to the kitchen to get ice and some cloth, I sit on the side of the bed.
He looks at me with those beautiful blue eyes of his and what else could I do but look back? We just stare at each other, totally fine with silence. I brush his hair away from his face with my hand, over and over until it's only for touching him. His hand finds mine and stops it.
"I'm ok." He says, smiling at me softly. I bring my hand down but he doesn't let it go.
"I have the ice." Prim says, walking toward us with two bags of ice and two pieces of cloth. I watch her as she folds a piece of cloth and lay it on the bruised part of his forehead then putting the ice on top of the cloth and doing the same with his stomach.
"Thank you." Peeta says, wincing as the cold seeps through the cloth.
"No problem." Prim says, flashing a smile at us then bouncing off somewhere and returning with a chair. She sits on it and watches us.
"What were you doing here so early anyway?" I ask, trying to ignore Prim.
"I.. Forgot." He says, smiling sheepishly at me.
"I don't believe you." I say playfully. "I didn't hit you that hard."
"No really, all I remember is I was at your door, it was open so I just walked in." He says. "Then, I was looking for you but I found Prim instead, she was running from room to room on her tip toes, crouched down and acting very suspiscious. She saw me and told me to be quiet. I asked her why, she said you were playing hide and seek so I followed her to her room, quietly so I didn't make a sound."
I burst out laughing at this part. "You? Didn't make a sound?"
He tried to appear offended but gave up and just smiled with pride. "I know, it was easy actually, all you have to do is step with your heel first."
"Ok, so, then what?" I asked, stiffling a laugh.
"Well, we passed by you staring at the wall in front of Prim's room, well, I walked in front but you weren't paying any attention, like you were in a trance so I carried Prim into her room and we sat there waiting for you to find us, but then, Prim checked on you again but you were still in a trance, we started wondering about what you were thinking, then we came up with really.. Crazy ideas and we laughed. But then we heard the doorknob turn so Prim froze and I hid behind the door and Prim ran to the closet. But you pushed the door open and I got hit." Peeta said, grinning now.
"Well, are you ok now?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Prim removed the ice bags and the pieces of cloth from him and threw them in the sink in her bathroom.
"Wanna play hide and seek with us?" Prim asked, coming back from the bathroom.
"On one condition." Peeta sat up.
"What's that?" I asked.
"I'm it." He said and turned to the wall and started counting while Prim and I laughed, stumbling to get out of the room.
Prim and I split up at the end of the hall, I ran to my mother's room and climbed her double doored closet and lay flat on top of it. I could hear footsteps outside the door. It was too light to be Peeta's.
The door opened and Prim went in. I let my hand fall over the top so she could see me. "Prim." I whispered.
"Oh Katniss." She said, she climbed up onto the closet with me.
"We can't both be here." I said, she shrugged. "Ok, fine, I'll see you at the end point." I say before jumping down. I ran out the room and to the kitchen, we had a really huge cabinet on top where we can't find anything to put in there, so I climbed up onto the table top then jumped into the cabinet. I closed the door slowly.
"Ready or not, here I come!" Peeta said, then I heard him go from room to room. I heard Prim's squeal as she was lifted from the closet top. I heard Peeta and Prim walk into the kitchen, I held my breath.
"Oh Katniss, come out, come out wherever you are!" He chanted.
You'll just have to find me, I thought to myself. They started opening doors, looking under tables and chairs then they came toward the cabinets.
"You don't think she'll fit in here, do you?" Peeta asked. Prim laughed.
"Katniss can fit in anything." She claimed. Peeta opened the doors. I shrunk back into the wooden wall that was meant to keep the doors proportioned, Peeta opened my door and looked inside. Our eyes met.
"Come out of there, Katniss." He laughed. "You'll hurt yourself."
I sighed in defeat. I struggled out of the cabinet, barely getting my head out. "I can't, I'm stuck."
Prim burst out laughing. Peeta tried to pass his laughing for a cough as he stretched his arms inside and grabbed my waist, pulling me out. I stayed in his arms for quite a while.
"You can put me down now." I said, exasperated.
"Why? Is it bothering you?" He smirked.
"Yes." I said.
"Then no." He checked the clock. "Prim, it's way past your bed time."
"Fine, Goodnight, Peeta." She said, hugging his waist. Then Peeta lowered me a little so she could kiss my cheek. "Goodnight Katniss." She said before walking off to her room.
"You too, Mrs. Mellark." He smirked at me, I smiled. I slung my arm around his neck and lay my head on his shoulder. He lowered his head on mine so our foreheads were touching. "It's time for bed for you too."
I raised my head so my lips touched his and I kissed him and he kissed back. He rocked me, singing my lullaby. I closed my eyes and sighed. I longed for moments like this. A time when I know I'm safe.
Deep in the meadow Under the Willow A bed of grass A soft green pillow
A time when I know I have everything I will ever need.
Lay down your head And close your sleepy eyes And when again they open The sun will rise
A time when I know I have everything I will ever want.
Here it's safe Here's it's warm And here the daisies guard You from every harm
A time when I know Peeta is safe.
Here your dreams are sweet And tomorrow brings them true Here is The place where I love you
A time when I know Peeta loves me and I love him back. "I love you too." I say, before going to sleep.
I wake up from a dreamless slumber. I stretch and roll out of bed.
Thud.
I land on my back, the soft carpet breaking my fall. I sit up and walk downstairs, following the smell of breakfast.
"Goodmorning, Sunshine." He says, opening the oven to get the tray of whatever delicacy he's conjured up.
"Morning." I say, smiling sleepily.
"No nightmares tonight?" He asks, setting the bread on the cooling rack. I watch him as his hands tilt the tray.
"Nope, and you?" I ask, looking up at him.
"No." He grins as he looks up at me. "But I did have this dream, I was baking this big, round, flat bread. It had tomato sauce and cheese and meat and vegetables. And it smelled heavenly."
I grinned, it's always good when Peeta gets food dreams. I look at his creation and raise my eyebrows. "Is this it?"
"Yeah, It's not goat cheese, this cheese is made of... Cow milk. Mozzarella, they call it." He says. He must've had a dream about North America.
"Yeah? Were you able to taste it?" I asked, I've always wanted to learn about what they ate before.
"Well, no, I woke up when I took a bite." He said, a little disappointed. The bread has cooled and he cut two pieces and hands one to me.
I take a bite when he does and my eyes widen. "Oh my gosh."
"Wow.." Peeta said. "This is good. Mm.. I should get Haymitch."
He goes to my phone and dials Haymitch's number.
"This is Peeta... No... Yeah.. You have to come over...Yes... Uhuh.. Ok.. See you soon." Peeta says and hangs up. He looks at me and my face is stuffed with the rest of the piece he gave me. I watch him eat the rest of his and we hear a knock on the door.
"I'll get it." I say and bounce over to the door. "Goodmorning Haymitch."
"Morning." Haymitch says and walks past me as I close the door behind us. "So let's taste this new.. Discovery."
Peeta hands him a piece of the bread. Haymitch stares at it, smells it then takes a bite.
"Wow, what is this?" Haymitch says.
"They call it Pizza." Peeta says and gets another slice for himself. Prim bounces into the kitchen in her night gown and bare feet.
"What smells good?" Prim says, yawning. She holds out her hand, palm up as Peeta places a slice in her hand.
We spend the rest of the morning talking and laughing and eating while Peeta writes down the recipe.
"PEETA!" I cry. I don't know if I'm happy or sad or angry.
"Yes? What's wrong?" Peeta darts in the room and to my side as soon as he heard the cry. I lean in over the toilet and feel my insides drain out through my mouth. A small gadget clutched in my hand. I lean my head on the cold porcelain. I look at the contraption and check the box.
Two lines.
"What happened to you?" Peeta cries. His eyes blink back tears.
"I.. I'm.. I'm pregnant." I say. I watch as his face displays emotion after emotion, then finally settling on delight.
"That's.. That's great!" he says. He holds my hair up and then helps me clean up.
He leads me to our bed in fresh clothes and sits at my side, brushing the hair out of my face and singing my lullaby.
"It's gonna be ok." He says, laying down next to me. "You're gonna be a great mother."
He kisses my forehead then pecks my lips and then goes down stairs to share the news. I fall asleep.
I hear laughing as Peeta and our daughter, Primrose Rue Mellark, pick dandelions in the meadow. I watch them, sitting on the blanket that Peeta set down and I take out a cheese bun and nibble on it. I smile, Peeta catches my eye and picks our daughter off of the grass and brings her to me.
"Mommy, Daddy says you're good at singing." She says. Little Primrose Rue, age 5.
"I'm not that good." I say, stealing a glance at Peeta. "Your father, he sings too."
"Can you sing for me, Daddy?" She says, sitting down.
I laugh as Peeta considers this. "Ok, I'll sing a special song. A song I sing for Mommy." He looks at me, eyes filled with compassion and love.
"They don't own me I'm not a piece in their games Can't control me They're the only ones to be blamed I'll never break down I won't give up this fight I'l give them nothing, nothing, nothing Ohh, ohh Just one kiss and I will be hooked to her fire Her flames are surrounding me now As we watch as they light up the sky We must stand up and fight Cuz this love is not a game to me We'll survive and start an uprising You can ignite, you can ignite Stand and fight, stand and fight Don't cave in, don't cave in So let the games begin Notice me cause I've been here all along I've been waiting Since you sang me your song It's our moment to turn things around And show them something We're nothing, We're nothing And now our star crossed love has materialized We've locked our fate right here, right now Just one kiss and I will be hooked to her fire Her fllames are surrounding me now As we watch as they light up the sky We must stand up and fight Cuz this love is not a game to me We'll survive and start an uprising You can ignite, you can ignite Stand and fight, stand and fight Don't cave in, don't cave in So let the games begin She doesn't know the effect she can have No she, no she doesn't know, doesn't know The effect she can have Just one kiss and I will be hooked to her fire Her fllames are surrounding me now As we watch as they light up the sky We must stand up and fight Cuz this love is not a game to me We'll survive and start an uprising You can ignite, you can ignite Stand and fight, stand and fight Don't cave in, don't cave in So let the games begin" He finishes and looks up at me. My eyes betray me and let's tears stream out. Primrose Rue doesn't seem to notice and claps.
"Thank you, thank you." Peeta says, humoring the child as he pulls me closer and hugs around my waist. I bury my head in his chest and let the tears fall.
We finish the food and walk back to our house in the Victor's Village. We send her to play with Prim in the next house. I moved in with Peeta when I got pregnant.
"Are you ok?" Peeta asks.
"Yes, but.." I stop unable to explain. My hand falls onto my stomach and I look up at Peeta.
"Oh.." He smiles.
"It's a boy." The doctor smiles up at me.
"Oh Peeta, what are we gonna name him?" I ask.
"We'll think about it." Peeta says. He kisses me then we go home. Primrose Rue will definitely love having a baby brother.
A thin wail could be heard through the night. My eyes widen and my grip on Peeta's hand tightens.
"What will you name him?" Peeta asks, calmly now.
"Finnick Gale Mellark." I say as the baby was handed to me.
"That's a beautiful name." The nurse commented "Finnick Gale.. How do people think of these names."
"Thank you," I say... "What's your name?"
"I'm Stellar Luna." She smiles. "It means star moon."
"That's a nice name." Peeta says. Then we look at the baby, it opens its eyes and revealed two glassy gray orbs.
I fall asleep as they take the baby from me.
I scream, my throat hurting, head throbbing, hair sticking to my face with sweat leaking from every pore, desperate for anyone, anyone at all to hear me.
Peeta bolts up beside me, immediately throwing his arms around me, comforting words stream out of his mouth.
My cry gets stiffled by the lump in my throat and I let out a sob as it rises and melts into tears.
"It's ok, it's alright. We're safe, no one's gonna hurt us." He says and I look at him, my tears streaming. "Shh, it's ok.. Don't cry." He says and wipes my tears away.
"P-Peeta?" I ask.
"Yes, I'm here." He says, pulling me closer and I cry on his shoulder.
I calm down and relax. I spend the rest of the night tangled in his arms as he sings to me.
"I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go When all those shadows almost killed your light I remember you said don't leave me here alone When all that's dead and gone has passed tonight..
Just close your eyes The sun is going down You'll be alright You and I'll be safe and sound.."
His voice fades and he falls asleep beside me and I fall asleep too, his voice echoing in my head.
Times like these are the reasons that remind me, I have something to live for. Times like these remind me, I love Peeta.. And he loves me back. And no matter what he does, he's constantly pulling at my bowstrings.