Charred Roses

this is a cato/ katniss story. Rated T, but if you think I should change the rating please let me know. Love y'all! Enjoy!

I don't own the Hunger games. all character credits go to Ms Suzanne Collins.

Chapter 1: Acceptance

I'm warm. That was the first thing I registered when I came back to consciousness. I was cocooned in blankets and on my body was a thick, warm nightgown. I shakily raised my hand in front of my face and spot a tube protruding from my wrist has been pumping some sort of clear pale blue liquid into my body. I'm scared. I tried to sit up, but there's some sort of restraint around my hips. I wriggle desperately, trying to get of the bed when some sort of hidden door in the wall slides open and the avox girl walks in with a tray which held a bowl of clear broth, a cup of orange juice and a bowl of apple sauce. Her face reminds me of everything that the drugs have caused to slip my mind so far… the games, Prim, Gale, the fact I'm going home, Peeta… "Peeta! Where's Peeta?" I croak. She just gives me the tray and a sad smile and shakes her head. What? What does she mean? "Haymitch! Haymitch!" I begin screaming for my mentor so he can tell me whats going on…at that moment the blue liquid suddenly shoots back up the tube, into my veins, into my bloodstream and suddenly I can see orange trees and purple rivers and overly bright, too bright to be natural stars and giant mockingjays, but when they sing its Rue and Prim and My mother and My father and they're telling me to fly away with them…

I slip in and out of my sleep. I am only awake for about 5 minutes maximum and when I begin to think they've finished, I can leave now, that liquid enters me and I am about as awake as a corpse. This happens at least 5 times until I note that that the restraint has disappeared and I can get out of the bed which has been a prison. I swing round and carefully place one foot on the ground, then the other and shakily stand up. I thump on the wall from which the Avox girl had walked out of, and it opens. I see Haymitch, and Effie, and Cinna, and for a moment I'm almost happy.I'm alive. I'm going home. I run at them and launch into Haymitch's arms and he whispers "Nice job sweetheart" Effie's hysterical, babbling on about pearls and pressure and coal, and Cinna just hugs me. I notice Portia's absence and say, guilty "Where's Portia? Is she with Peeta?" And Cinna's arms go limp and Effie stops babbling and Haymitch steps forward and says "Peeta's dead, Katniss." "No. Your lying" I stammer and he shakes his head. I flee to my room and try to sort out the jumbled mess in my head. Peeta's dead apparently. But I was so sure that someone was on that ladder that took me out of the arena , holding my shoulders and telling me it was okay. Maybe, I think, If go through the entire games in my head, from the minute I got to the Capitol the second I was lifted out of the arena, I can remember.

So I lay down and closed my eyes, and lose myself in memories