Stay with me, Katniss? Always, Peeta

by everlark4ever75

This is my take on how the Mockingjay reunion should have taken place. Peeta is taken by the Capitol and comes back not hijacked. Peeta and Katniss meet each other again. But something happens to one of the characters.

Do not think of Gale. Do not think of Peeta. Making knots. We do not want dinner. Fingers raw and bleeding.

Finnick's finally gives up and assumes the hunched position he took in the arena when the jabberjays attacked. I make a perfect noose. The words of "The Hanging Tree" replay in my head.

I give up on continuing the knots and take the same hunched position, my hands on my face. My finger nails dig into the skin on my face but I don't stop. I keep thinking about not thinking of Peeta and Gale, it gets worse. I start to sob. What if I don't see them again?

Stop Katniss! Don't do that to yourself. That's when I realise, I am in love with Peeta Mellark. I can't believe that I took until he was captured and possibly dead to realise. I can't believe myself but the only thing I can think of if Peeta and that The Boy with the Bread may be dead, the boy I am in love with, dead.

I release grip of my skin and look up to find Finnick's seaweed coloured eyes staring at me.

To break the tension and to possibly stop myself from thinking about Peeta's possible death, I ask a question, "Did you love Annie right away?" "No" A long time passes before he adds, "She crept up on me." I searched my heart, but at the moment the only person I can feel creeping up on me is Snow.

We don't talk for a while after that. It must be midnight when I stop staring at the wall and place my hands on my face again, digging my finger nails into my skin.

About an hour passes by when Haymitch pushes through the door. "They're back! We're wanted in the hospital." My mouth opens with a flood of questions but he cuts me off. "That's all I know."

I want to run, but Finnick's just sitting there, like he's lost the ability to move.

So I take his hand and lead him like a mother leads a child. Through Special Defence, into the lift, still holding Finnick.

The lift goes this way and the other, then when it finally reaches the hospital I run out with Finnick dragging behind me. The place is in an uproar, with doctors shouting orders to the wounded being wheeled in through the halls in their beds.

We're walking along when we spot an unconscious emaciated young woman with a shaved head. Her flesh shows bruises and oozing, which make me want to throw up. She is Johanna Mason. She actually knew rebel secrets. At least the one about me. And this is how she has paid for it.

I look around and catch a glimpse of Gale, stripped down to the waist, sweat dripping down his face as a doctor removes something from under his shoulder blade with a long pair of tweezers. He's alive, wounded, but alive.

I call his name, and start towards him but a nurse pushes me back and shuts me out. "Finnick!" something between a shriek and a cry of joy. A young woman with dark hair and green eyes, runs towards us. I forgot I was still holding onto Finnick.

"Finnick!" and suddenly, it's as if there's no one in the world except these two. Finnick lets go, crashing through space to reach each other. They collide, enfold, lose their balance and slam against a wall, where they stay. Clinging to each other becoming indivisible.

A pang of jealousy hits me. Not for either Finnick or Annie but for their certainty. No one seeing them could doubt their love.

Boggs, looking a little bit worse for wear but uninjured, finds me. I look behind me to find Haymitch looking back at me. He must have been following Finnick and I this whole time.

I turn back around to find Boggs in front of me. "We got them all out. Except Enobaria. But since she's from Two, we doubt she is being kept hostage anyway. Peeta's at the end of the hall. The effects of the gas are just wearing off. You should be there when he wakes." Peeta. The boy I love. Alive. Maybe not well but alive and here with me in Thirteen.

Away and safe from Snow to do anything else. Here. With me. In a minute I will come face to face with the boy I love, I will be able to touch him and make sure this isn't a dream. See his smile. See his beautiful blue eyes. Hear his laugh and hear his voice. I turn around to Haymitch. "What are you waiting for sweetheart? Come on."

He says, who care what I say? Peeta will be ecstatic no matter what I do. He'll probably kiss me anyway.

I wonder if they will be like those kisses on the beach in the arena. Those ones I haven't dared myself to consider this upcoming moment. When I approach the door it has a glass panel, I can see him. He is already awake walking around. Pacing. I catch a glimpse of his blonde hair. I missed his hair.

A trio of doctors are pacing around him telling him to sit down, I can hear them getting louder as I approach the door. Peeta screams at the closest doctor "Where is she? Where is she?"

I push the door open and the door creaks, the doctor's heads jerk around towards me but I don't care about them. Peeta's head whips around and catches my eyes. Those blue eyes locked on mine.

I study Peeta he is thinner and has bruises all over his face and arms. He looks terrible but I can still see him. He is mine. "Peeta!" I shriek, it comes out croaky. "Katniss!" His voice. That was it I could not wait another second.

I push through the door and jump into his arms. My arms lock around his neck and then fall down to his back stroking it to make sure it's him. It is. Not a dream. He is here. With me. His arms are around my waist.

His arms become tighter pulling me in closer. My head is placed in the nook between the edge of his shoulder and neck. Perfect. I feel perfect. I pull my arms out still keeping my waist where he hold me, and my hands clasp around his neck.

I push my head towards his with no regrets. My lips lock with his. This is now the perfect moment. We are together. Here together.

My lips break off and I say "Oh my god Peeta. I have missed you so much. I love you Peeta. I love you" He looks at me stunned. I have never said I love you to him before, but it made the moment perfect. "What?"

"Peeta Mellark I love you! I'm sorry it took for you to be taken for me to realise, but Peeta I love you" He pulls me in and kisses me passionately. I keep it going until I can't breathe. "I love you too Katniss. I love you" he pulls me in closer and closer saying I love you until he reaches my mouth again.

Nothing is ever going to get in the way of this again. My hand slides up to his hair and I push my finger through his hair. He grabs the ends of my hair and strokes his hand through it still keeping one arm wrapped around my waist we start to move backwards until we hit a wall with tremendous force but I don't care.

I'm just letting myself enjoy this reunion. No caring about anyone else. I don't care for Gale anymore. Only Peeta. Just Peeta and I. No Gale and I. Peeta and I only.

He pulls away and starts to kiss my whole face. He finds my fore head kisses it once and leans his head on it. He yawns. "Are you tired?" I ask as I pull away. "Sorry Katniss, but I am really."

I couldn't blame him I had not slept in days. I had no slept properly since Peeta was in the Capitol. "It's ok Peeta. Do you want to lie down?" "Yes." Haymitch must have walked out, because he was no longer there. And neither were two of the doctors. Just the one who was looking at some paperwork.

Peeta pulls his arms away from me, but I grab is hand and lace my fingers into his. We walk over towards the bed when the doctor catches us moving. "Mr Mellark you are fine to sleep if you need. I will be in my office if you need anything ok?" he directs the last bit at me. "Thank you doctor." He walks out leaving just us in the room.

We walk over to the bed, Peeta leaning on me stumbling every few steps, he must be weaker than I thought. We make it to the bed and he grabs the railing and falls onto the bed. I find the sheet edge and Peeta slides under it with quite a struggle but I help him in every way I can.

His head softly touches the pillow and he lets out a small sigh. "I'm going to go find a chair ok? I'll be right back." "Katniss don't be gone for too long ok?" He grabs my hand and stares me in the eyes. "I won't, two minutes max. I'll be back." I lean in and kiss him on the lips and I pull my hand away and walked out.

I walked out into the main part of the building it had calmed down heaps, people were just casually walking around tending to patients.

Finnick and Annie were still being indivisible making out against the same wall. I walk a bit further and I find a chair and grab it. I start to walk back when doctors start rushing around more than before I met up with Peeta. All rushing in the way of Peeta's room. I start to run, pushing the chair out of my way.

I start pushing through anyone that got in my way. I pushed the door open and everyone was crowding around Peeta's bed. I yell out Peeta's name. Haymitch turns around and walks towards me. "Katniss. Get out now." He starts pushing me towards the door "Why? What's going on? Someone tell me? What's going on Haymitch?"

I push him off of me and start running towards Peeta's bed. I see Peeta laying their still as anything. The machine he was somehow connected to next to his bed was flat lined. His heart had stopped again. I start to cry out, tears everywhere.

Peeta's name being called out everywhere. "Katniss he had a heart attack, when you left a nurse came in and he started to have a heart attack and the nurse called the doctors. I was with one of them when it happened so I followed knowing you would be here." A heart attack? Why would Peeta have a heart attack he was only seventeen. "What? How did that happen? I was only gone for like a minute. I should have never left."

Haymitch didn't respond. So I started to look anxiously about what was happening. A doctor started to do CPR on him. Pushing his chest up and down again and again. He was still not responding. Haymitch pulled me against his body shielding me from the thing that was happening next. I didn't even know what happened after that. I was still crying covering Haymitch's top with tears.

The next minute I hear Peeta yell. "Where's Katniss? Where is she?"

I pull out of Haymitch's grip and run to him. Pushing nurses and doctors out the way. When I see Peeta he is sitting up on the bed holding onto the railing so hard that his knuckles were white. "Peeta, I'm here. I'm here."

I yell out to him getting into his view. He lets go of the railing as I get to the side of the bed he lunges towards me wrapping his arms around my neck. "Peeta I thought I lost you. Your heart stopped again. Don't do that to me." I sob.

He just holds on to me. And I hold on not letting go. "Peeta has suffered many attacks in the Capitol, which have caused his heart give in many times which over that time have given him a heart condition, which caused the heart attack." The doctor that left us alone says.

Oh my god, my Peeta has a heart condition. I start to cry even more. Surly his top will be covered in tears.

I pull away so his fore head and rest on mine. Haymitch comes to my side placing his hand on my back. "It will be ok sweetheart. I promise." I look at him and I can see the hurt in his eyes. Haymitch takes his hand off my back and starts to evacuate all the doctors and nurses except the one.

I was happy that the crowd was gone. I push my lips to his making sure that he knows that I am here and here to stay. I am never going to leave his side. Haymitch enters again with the chair I went out to get. I break apart from Peeta when he places the chair next to me, so I can sit on it. "Thank you Haymitch. For everything." "Don't worry about it sweetheart." He says with a wink.

He walks over to the doctor and takes his arm and leads him to the other side of the room, I presume talking about Peeta's new known condition.

I take the chair and pull it underneath me. "Don't you leave me again Katniss. Don't you ever leave me."

I look Peeta in the eyes and say "I will never leave you Peeta. I love you and I always will." Peeta lets his head fall down to mine. He lock his lips to mine and puts his hand on my cheek. He pulls away and looks at me.

"Stay with me Katniss?" I look at him and place my hand on the one that isn't on my face and whisper "Always. Always Peeta."

We lock lips. I never want to unlock them. His hand reaches back to my hair and runs his finger through. He breaks apart and lies his head down on the pillow. I get out from the chair and brush my fingers through his hair. Slowly and gently.

I can't help myself when I yawn. "Katniss? Are you tired?" he asks. I forgot about my lack of sleep. "A bit, I haven't sleep in days."

He reaches to the edge of the sheet and welcomes me in. I do not deny getting in, because I really need the sleep. He moves over to the edge and I slip in under the sheet, and snuggle up to Peeta. My hand falls onto his chest gently keeping in mind what I saw just a few minutes ago. His arms grab onto me and hold me close to him. I am never leaving his side.

That's all I can think at the moment. I will stay with him as long as I can.

He strokes my back and says in a whisper "Katniss I love you."

I look up at him and he kisses my fore head. I catch his eyes, those beautiful blue eyes and say "I love you with all my heart Peeta."

He gives a smile which is the biggest smile I have ever seen. I reach up to his lips and kiss them again. I break away and close my eyes. His breathing slows down and he kisses my fore head one last time for that early morning.

His breathing becomes slow and in a repeating pattern, I knew he was asleep. Haymitch and the doctor must have slipped away because when I look to the other end of the room no one is their except a nurse who must be here to stay and look out for Peeta.

Excusing her from my view it was just Peeta and I. I look at him once more and see him sleeping peacefully, just like on the train for the Victory Tour. I close my eyes and the last thing I think about is Peeta and I. Together forever. I fall asleep on his chest, with is arms around me. Protecting me from the world. The last thing I remember is hearing his heart beating.