Real? or Not
Summary: Love leaves a memory no one can steal. Is this still true after Peeta's been hi-jacked by the capitol? Can their love remain intact for their assumed happily ever after? Or will the capitol's intentions win after all? Oneshot.
Disclamer: I don't own any part of The HUNGER GAMES... :(
Rating: T for Teens
"Death leaves heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."
PLEASE READ!
The story starts at Peeta and Katniss's "reunion" in Mockingjay. I've only read it once, so I'm going to make up the small details. The second part of the story is when they go back to district 12. And the last, is the epilogue of years later.
Peeta's P.O.V.
I blink my eyes several times, to adjust to the bright lights above me. I gave the room a once over, looking from left to right. The intense bright white of the walls and metal furniture are stinging my eyes giving them a light sheen of liquid that I have to rub away with my sleeve. Where was I? Who am I?
Right. Peeta Mellark.
Great, one less thing to question. Now, back to observing my location. Suddenly, the white sheet hung in front of the door fluttered, and in came a woman with a light colored nurse uniform.
"How are you doing, Peeta?" She asked in a kind tone.
"Good, I guess, where am I?" It felt like someone was pounding my head with a hammer. I know that these were called headaches. I've had one before, when I was 8. But that was nowhere as severe as this one.
The nurse must've noticed my distress because she reached into her pocket and pulled out two beige colored tablets and handed them to me along with the glass of water on the counter next to my bed.
"You have a visitor," the nurse told me. I wonder who it was. Maybe it was my father. Or maybe- The door creaked open, interrupting my train of thought.
It was a girl, with long black hair, braided to her side. She was wearing hunting boots, a jacket, and dark green pants. On her face, she wore a grin. My gaze trailed up her face and I could see a thin scar along her jawline. Then, a moment later, my blue eyes met her grey ones.
And that's when it happened. It was like I blacked out, or instantly fainted. Images blurred past me, and suddenly I was in a sandy area full of trees. I heard a rustle, and crunch of leaves. Turning around, I could see the figure step out into the clearing. It was her. She whipped out her bow with a grim expression, pulled back and shot. I was too shocked to move. It was a moment of silence, followed by a scream of pain, which I realized, was mine. I clutched my leg and looked at her. I noticed that she was looking behind me. I turned my head back to glance at what she was staring at.
It was my father, mother, and two brothers. Arrows came flying throught the air and just as they hit my family, all four of them dissappeared. She looked toward me with a malicious grin, her eyes narrowed as she came toward me. The air around us had suddenly turned cold and just as she neared me, the girl's figure dissappeared. What was left was a mutt. The capitol's creation, designed to kill. Her vicious grey eyes seemed to penetrate my skin as she stepped forward, a dagger in her hand. She brought her hand down and-
My eyes flew open. Every thing was black at first, but my eyes finally cleared up. The girl was still staring at me. And I realized I was staring back.
"Katniss," The name that I didn't even know I knew slipped from my mouth. I stood up as a wide range of emotions flooded through my system. I looked down at my leg. It was metal. It was true. She shot my leg. She killed my family.
She ran towards me, her arms open. She was going ot kill me.
No. Katniss. Katniss. The name runs through my head. And I was pulled from this life once again.
I see Katniss and myself in a small cave. She's treating my leg. And suddenly, the image dissappears and I see her and I kiss on a stage. I could hear the audience clap in approval. I would never kiss her. But I love Katniss. This isn't right. I don't know what to think.
Before I had enough time to sort out my thoughts, I was pulled back into reality. Katniss was in front of me, arms still stretched, as if expecting me to hug her. I wanted to. The other half of my thoughts gave up, as one dominated overpowering the other. I reached out my arms as if to hug her back, but closed them in the middle, squeezing her neck. She choked and screamed as I choked her, grasping her neck tightly. I felt hands drag me away and caught a glimpse of a doctor's white coat before I was injected by sleeping serum. My eyes closed as I fell back into the grasp of darkness.
I've been going to therapy with in the capitol for three months now. Yesterday, I finally gathered up the courage to watch the 74th Hunger Games and the Quell tapes, and it has helped a lot. Memories have been flooding back every hour since then. I remember who I am. I remember Katniss. And I'm ready to go back to District 12 where I belong.
Katniss's P.O.V
I know Peeta has returned from the capitol last week and I have been trying to work up the courage to go see him. Seeing how it went 3 months ago when I went to see him, it has really dropped my confidence level. Katniss Everdeen. The Mockingjay. That's what everyone calls me. Yeah right. I can't even go to see Peeta. I know that he has gone to therapy, and wouldn't hurt me, but something stops me everytime I take a step out the door.
Greasy Sae comes over every morning to fix breakfast, and every morning she brings her granddaughter with her. I always make an effort to talk to her, something the old Katniss would never do. Somehow, it makes me feel closer to Peeta. I knew he always wanted children.
Peering out my window to Peeta's house, I can see that he is in the house. I can see someone moving around, due to the curtains swishing about and the occasional shadow appearing on it.
I sigh and walk into the kitchen. I sit down on one of the metal chairs with a clumsily cushioned seat and nibble on some bread in the basket from this morning. The doorbell rings followed by a series of random knocks, and I sigh, knowing it's Haymitch. I scoot out of my chair and went to let him in. To my surprise, he was not alone.
Behind him, stepped out a blonde haired and blue eyed boy. The boy with the bread. Peeta. He looked unsure if he was welcome.
"You gonna let us in or make us stand outside?" Haymitch pushed me aside and entered. Normally, I would've pushed him back, or make a snide comment but, today, I just let him pass. I'll get him back for that one later. I stepped aside for Peeta as he took a step into the house.
"Well I'll leave you kids alone. Don't break anything." He winked at me and dissappeared into the kitchen.
After the intial greetings, we sat down on the couch and talked. He told me about his life in the capitol, and how he spent his days. I didn't have much to say , so I just listened. I doubt he would want to hear about my hunting days anyway. Halfway through our conversation, he put his hand over mine. And I let him.
One year later
"How was Haymitch?" Peeta called from the kitchen, as I plopped down on the worn down couch.
"Same drunken mess he was last time," I replied. Peeta walked in the room brushing flour off himself, and taking off his apron. "I had to pour a bucket of water on him, just to drag him to the table."
"Sounds like quite the feat," he chuckled.
I got up from the couch and put on my hunting boots.
"I'm gonna go see if I can catch some rabbits for tonight. The weather's getting cooler and they're all in their burrows," I complained. Now that we have won the Hunger Games, and have gained wealth, we do not depend on my hunting for food. In winter, Peeta and I have grains. Not the kind of grain I used to get from the tesserae. It's the expensive kind that I used to see in the fresh loaves of bread from outside the bakery window. The kind that would get your mouth watering from miles away.
"Can I come too?" Peeta asked already putting on his jacket. I knew there was no use in denying him of it now. I walked out the door with Peeta trailing closely behind me.
We walked past the fence that had not been taken down despite the Games' ending. I had brought Peeta out here before. The first time, he had created so much noise, it scared away all the game. But I couldn't blame him. It was hard for anyone new to this to be this quiet, especially with his metal leg. He was better at it now. Even as quiet as me. He even managed to climb onto low branches as I latched onto some a couple feet higher than him.
As I searched for any game that happened to come running by, Peeta fell captivated by the colors in the sky. Sunset. Peeta said it was like a giant painting, with many colors, some that weren't even found in a normal paint palate. We were both silent the entire time we were out here. Firstly, because we didn't want to scare away the game, and secondly, because we were both trying to soak up all the peacefulness that was only found in the woods.
After about half an hour, I had caught 3 rabbits and 1 squirrel. I motioned to Peeta that we were leaving.
When we got to seeing distance from the fence, Peeta suddenly stopped walking. I turned around to find that his head was turned away, and his figure seemed to be visibly shaking. I could see that his teeth were clenched. I knew what this meant. He was having flashbacks, or "shinies" as he called them. I returned to his side and put my hand on his arm hoping to snap him out of it. His episodes were in less frequent intervals now, a vast improvement from the time gap when he first arrived home from the capitol. Then, he had them every couple of days.
His arm swung out to fling my hand off his arm, causing me to fall over and drop the game. I hissed in pain as I felt jagged rocks jab into my thigh. His hands were clenched on either side of him, and I waited for him to calm before I gathered the game and stood up.
"Katniss, I'm so-,"Peeta began.
"No, it's fine," I silenced him hoping to make him feel better.
"No, it's no-, shit - I'm sorry Katniss," He stuttered over his words. Then he turned and ran, quite fast I might add, with his metal leg. I watched as his figure grew further and further into the shadows, when finally, he vanished all together.
I was too stunned to move. After a few moments, I collected my thoughts, and walked steadily down the narrow, dusty road, towards the direction where Peeta went.
I made my way to the Victor's Village which was sadly only inhabited by Peeta, Haymitch, and I. As soon as I got through the door of the house, I left the game at the entrance, not caring about the mess it made. I called Peeta's name repeatedly. No answer. Maybe he was upstairs and couldn't hear me.
Halfway up the stairs, I heard the slight sound of the door creak. That's what years of hunting does to you. You hear every small sound everything makes. I hurriedly made my way back down the stairs.
It felt like massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders when I saw his head of blonde hair. I thought something had happened to him. My smile was instantly wiped off my face when I saw him carrying bags.
"Where are you going?" I asked him.
"I'm going to go back to my house for a while," He replied. Ideally, Peeta and I had been given separate houses. Going back and forth between houses had become a big inconvienience so we decided to live in the same house.
"But I- I'm fine," I insisted desperately.
"I know, but what if that happens again? What will happen when our child is born?" Oh right. I forgot to mention that I'm 2 months pregnant. Peeta had done the impossible and convinced me to have children.
"I just need a little time, I'll come back." And with that, he left. I'll come back he had said. He'll come back. He is going to come back. The words became a repetitive chant in my head as I exited the room.
6 years Later
Peeta had come back as promised. A few months later, our baby girl Primrose Rue Mellark, Rose for short, was born. Two years following that, Hayvey Cinna Mellark was welcomed into the world. We were the world's happiest parents. I know, big surprise, Katniss Everdeen, a happy parent. Dispite the fact that a few years ago, I had refused to have children. The moment Rose opened her eyes and looked at me, my opinion changed completely. Especially after seeing Peeta's overjoyed face.
I am now remninscing about the times in a small plastic chair under the shade of a tree. I watch Peeta running around, chasing the kids in a field of green. Peeta's episodes are less frequent now. Sometimes, the time gaps between them are over a year. He even learned to mask them from when they happen in front of the kids. My nightmares have mostly gone away too.
Every night, as we lie in bed, Peeta whispers in my ear, "You love me, real or not real?"
And I always whisper back,"Real." Then he wraps me in his arms, and any trace of a nightmare vanishes.
And I know that our love is real. Definitely real.
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