A/N hey, Brighton here. This is a songfic based on Carrie Underwood's "Just a Dream". Don't ask me how I thought of this, because I have absolutely no friking idea. Btw, One f-bomb. Thought I should warn you…. Enjoy.

Once Again, I am not Suzanne Collins and all recognizable characters are hers. Sorry for not being that awesome ;)

It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen

All dressed in white

Going to the church that night

She remembered that day perfectly. After 2 weeks of a blissful engagement, their wedding day had finally come. Everyone who were like family to Katniss and Peeta had showed up to watch them get married. Johanna, Annie, Haymitch, Effie and even her mother were present.

She had his box of letters in the passenger seat

Before he had proposed, Peeta had been in the Capitol receiving treatment for his hijacking. He was gone for two weeks and every day, he had sent Katniss a letter telling her how much he missed her and how much he loved her. She always had at least one of those letters with her at all times.

Sixpence in a shoe, something borrowed, something blue

Her wedding dress was amazing. She had managed to find one of Cinna's dresses he had made her for before the Quell and she was ecstatic. Following old world wedding traditions, she had borrowed a pair of blue high heels from Johanna, of all people, who insisted that she follow that tradition as she shoved the shoes in Katniss's hands.

And when the church doors opened up wide

She put her veil down

Trying to hide the tears

Oh she just couldn't believe it

She really hadn't believed that day had come. Even after a slow rebuilding of their relationship, along with many days of hate and fear that followed nightmares and flashbacks, it was a surprise to Katniss that they had come this far this fast. When she saw Peeta looking incredibly happy with a glow in his eyes as Haymitch walked her down the aisle, she couldn't contain herself. Silent joyful tears slid down her face as she had slowly approached.

She heard trumpets from the military band

And the flowers fell out of her hand

When they had said their 'I do's' and the priest had pronounced them husband and wife, Katniss had entered a paradise of bliss. As he had kissed her, Katniss knew there couldn't be a moment more perfect than this. She had just married the love of her life, and everyone who had loved them and been there for them in the past was there to support them. She had lost her bouquet somewhere while being congratulated over and over again at the reception. Katniss hadn't cared, she was happier than she had ever been in her life.

Baby why'd you leave me

Why'd you have to go?

I was counting on forever, now I'll never know

After a year of marriage, bliss and pure joy, Peeta started having more and more flashbacks. The doctors in the capitol told them while they were treating him that Peeta would have to deal with flashbacks the rest of his life, but not as severe. But not like this. These new flashbacks were twice a day, on a good day. They had no choice. Peeta needed to go back to the Capitol and talk to those doctors.

I can't even breathe

It's like I'm looking from a distance

Standing in the background

She remembered having trouble breathing when she heard the news. The doctors did a CAT scan and found that all the venom had not exited his body, like it was supposed to, but had collected in his brain and created a massive tumor. He only had a few weeks to live. She had screamed and screamed horrible things at the doctors, but none of it made any difference. Peeta was going to die.

Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now

This can't be happening to me

This is just a dream

The doctors had given him some medication to help with the flashbacks. It wouldn't cure him, but only subdue them so Katniss could bring him home to say goodbye. The whole train ride home had felt horrible with the constant presence of death looming over them, but Katniss knew that she had to make the best of the last weeks they had together. Once they got back home, Katniss and Peeta had never left each other's sides. They picnicked in the Meadow, attempted to bake together, laughed together, made love every night and made sure to say I love you every day. The whole ordeal was sad, yet comforting to think that she had those weeks to remember him by. Those last weeks had felt like a dream.

The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray

Lord please lift his soul, and heal this hurt

I'm not here. I'm not here. Katniss had thought this over and over again, but it was still true. She was still here at Peeta's funeral service. Everyone had shown up: his doctors, her mother, Annie and her son, Johanna, a sober and somber Haymitch, Delly and so many others who had met him and cared for him. In a cruel twist of fate, she also noticed the priest from their wedding was the one who led the service. It was beautiful today, with a sunset in the background of the meadow, where Peeta would be buried and also the resting place of his family. He would have loved the color, Katniss noted about the sunset.

Then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard

They sang some random church hymn that Katniss never remembered hearing before. Not that she would want to hear this song again. It would forever be marred by being sung here, with her husband's casket in front of her and the congregation with tears in all of their eyes. Hers hadn't been dry for days, even when he was still….. Alive.

Then they handed her a folded up flag

And she held on to all she had left of him

Oh, and what could have been

It was customary that anyone taking part in the war in any way would receive a Republic of Panem flag and a medal of honor for their services when they passed. Two soldiers laid the flag over his casket, saluted and then started folding the flag up neatly. When they handed it to Katniss with the medal draped over, it seemed every ounce of water in her body had come together to spill over as her silent sobs she could no longer contain. She gripped that flag as tightly as she possibly could, as if she would feel his strong arms wrap around her one last time. Why did you leave me? She silently asked. We should have grown old together. We could have had everything, even children. It's too soon…

And then the guns rang one last shot

And it felt like a bullet in her heart

As a final salute to Peeta, the soldiers fired blanks into the air. With an ache in her heart, Katniss felt as if one of them had shot her in the heart. She wished they did. It would be less painful than she what she already felt and she would be with her husband forever. But he would want her to move on. With a heavy heart and a wave of nausea in her stomach, which had been happening a lot lately, she watched as they buried the one she had loved the most. Now she really wished she had been shot.

Baby why'd you leave me

Why'd you have to go?

I was counting on forever, now I'll never know

The service was over. Everyone was inside Katniss's house, eating sandwiches and comforting each other. It was odd, some were laughing at moments they had with Peeta and others smiling, but no one could shake the melancholy atmosphere. Katniss thought she was drowning in it. As she sat by Annie and her mother on the couch, she remembered something. It was two weeks after they were married. They had just finished dinner and were sitting on the couch with her head on his chest and her legs over his.

"Katniss" he smiled down at her. "I was just thinking…. We're married now."

She had looked up at him bewildered "I knew that… I was there at our wedding and so were you."

"What I meant was, It never sunk in until now." His voice seemed to be in a far off place. "I have this whole life planned for us." Katniss rolled her eyes. "I'm serious, it's perfect."

"You promise?" She heard herself barley whisper.

"I promise." He whispered as he drew her in for a kiss.

I can't even breathe

It's like I'm looking from a distance

Standing in the background

Despite everyone in the room hugging her, asking her questions, complementing the service, Katniss felt as if she were somewhere else. She felt as if she was slowly dying along with her husband. Gale was right when he said Katniss would choose whoever she couldn't survive without, because now it felt as true as a knife in her side. Oh how words of the past will haunt her.

Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now

This can't be happening to me

This is just a dream

For some insane reason, Katniss looked at the door every 5 seconds or so. She expected Peeta to walk through that door with a cake he had spent hours icing, give her a kiss, and start talking to everyone in the room. But that was stupid; he wasn't ever going to come back. Ever. She may smile as she talks to her mother about the catering, laugh as Johanna told her a story about one of her and Peeta's conversations at the wedding, but she was damaged beyond repair. This wasn't happening.

Everyone had left, except for Annie and her mother who were staying with Katniss to keep her company. After they had finished cleaning up, Annie realized Katniss was nowhere to be found. She handed Finn to Lorraine, and told her she would go find her. She ran outside to the Meadow, the one place where Katniss could possibly go now. When she got there, Katniss was sitting at the headstone, not crying, not talking, but just sitting.

Katniss's head suddenly snapped up. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. I saw some primroses and dandelions and I just thought-"Her voice was caught by a sob and Annie rushed to hug her. "I just thought… what would have happened in our future?"

Oh now I'll never know.

Everybody's saying he's not coming home now.

"Katniss…." Annie crooned. "You don't think I don't know what you're going through? Cause I do! Every thought going through your head right now went through mine the day of Finnick's funeral!" Annie was yelling at this point and gripping a startled Katniss's shoulders. "I was so sure he was so sure he would walk in smiling and laughing….. But he didn't and Peeta won't. I was pregnant with Finn too, so it felt 10 times worse because I had to live with how he would never meet his son."

This can't be happing to me

Katniss smiled sadly. "You're right. I should've talked to you. I'm sorry. It's just hard you know? We knew each other for nearly a decade, but I will always treasure our year of marriage. A year. I'm 22 and I'm a fucking widow!" The tears have come now, angry and hot. She took a deep breath and continued. "This is hard… Annie?"

"Yeah?"

"I realized something….. I'm late."

"It's his last gift to you. Cherish it." Annie kisses the top of her head and hugs her once more as the young widow cries into her shirt.

This is just a dream.

A/N yeah, I know, it's really depressing. But I wanted to do a tragic loss story that wasn't Finnick and Annie, because, let's face it, been there done that. Please Review! I'm thinking about doing something besides one-shots but that has to wait until my exams are over :P