Disclaimer; I own nothing to do with the hunger games or the last of us.
I'm also sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes.
The few remaining.
Prologue.
Peeta's pov.
I sigh, rolling the window up on my ford pick-up, the stifling mid-night heat causing the sweet rolling down my back to stick me to the dirty, brown leather seats. Patched and worn, just like the rest of the pick-up yet it does the job of getting me from A to B and other tasks that's needed of it and the fact remains that with my current wage I don't even come close to being able to buy a replacement. Not that life for us is hard, we get by... just and any money I do save goes to my family so that they can enjoy themselves, myself included for one thing I learnt about my... shall we say troubled upbringing is that family comes first, my wife and child's happiness and safety comes before anything else. The complete opposite to the house I grew up in, which brings me back to now. The pedantic voice of my older brother Rye droning onto me through the mobile but honestly I drowned out the sound of his voice nearly a mile back only offering a gruff grunt at the appropriate times because every month or so we go through the same routine of him begging me to come home or at least tell him where I live. I lost contact with them when I ran at fifteen, now at the age of twenty-one I haven't been back to my home-town and I plan to keep that hell locked there away from my family.
"Peeta!" jerking the phone away from my ear, guessing that the need for Rye to be shouting at me was I'd completely ignored him.
"Rye, quiet down. It's nearly Mid-night!" I whisper yell at him angrily over the mobile. We live in a quiet neighbourhood and shouting carries for a distances. "I'm home-"
"Which is where Peeta! It's been five fucking years and nothing, not a visit, letter or anything! Christ tracking your number took me a year, then I learn you have a family, a wife and daughter that we've never met! What was it a one night stand and you did the honourable thing-"
"Fuck off Rye! Don't even say anything to that liking again... you... know why I will never subject MY wife and daughter to that hell-hole I climbed out of. So do me a favour and don't call again!" ignoring his hastily apologies I hang up, blocking his number to stop the number of texts I'm sure would litter my phone otherwise. I'll probably speak to him within a month or two but at this moment I can't even think about him or the rest. Stuffing it back into my pocket I look up at the house through the windscreen. The single story house, light cream with the sky blue door. Our small green lawn in-front, wild flower planted and maintained around the edge but also with a small number of child toys littering the lawn. The mess, though knowing I will clean it still brings a smile ghosting my lips at the thought of my little girl playing in the sun with her mother. Again something I missed in my youth along with my father but something that fills my daughter life both her parents being there as much as possible. Stepping out the car, pushing closed the door I walk the short distance up the path to the house, my breathing and whole demeanour changing into a relaxed state with every step closer. It's the effect of the people inside that have that effect on me and from the soft glow coming from behind the window vales I'm guessing my wife is still awake.
Unlocking the door, quickly closing it behind me and kicking off my dirt ridden boots, dumping my rucksack at the door I go to enter the living-room only for the door to swing open and the arms of my wife wrap around my neck.
"Your home! Finally..." as she nuzzles into my neck, I release a relaxing sigh noting again the calming effect my wife has on me.
"Sorry I was home a bit before but the call took up some time." I explain, this in return causing her to pull away slightly giving me a worried look.
"Everything go ok." she asks, the worry evident in her voice.
"I'll let you know next month." she understands, this not being the first time and she being the only person outside of my family and a select few, most not of my choosing that know fully about my... childhood.
"I love you..."
"I love you to Clove Mellark." the name always bringing a smile to both of us as I lean down to catch her lips in a heated kiss. As soon as our mouths touch, my tongue runs across her bottom lip begging for entrance to which she happily obliges. The soft groan, moan of pleasure emanating from both of us as our tongues meet and start the dance for dormancy mine winning out in the end before I start to trail a series of heated, nip kisses down her throat, sucking lightly just above her collar-bone.
"mmmmh... as... as much as I would really like this to... ha!... continue your... your daughter is in the next room." Clove manages to slip out before gripping me tighter. I groan knowing I need to stop and calm myself before going into the living-room.
"Nice Clove could have warned me..." I sigh out, she laughs and tells me that she wasn't the one who started it and I can't fault her there. Taking a few moments to collect myself I brush into the living area, my eye's landing on the soft form of my little angel slowly rising from her sleep.
"Mfhffff..." mumbling as she slowly sits upright, Clove sitting down next to her and helping her before her sleepy, bright silver, blue eye's lock onto me popping open.
"Daddy!" she scrambles about, holding her arms out open to me as I walk over and pick her up. Hugging her tightly as she hugs back, her little arms encircling my neck. Bouncing her lightly in my arms I pull back a little to look at her.
"What's my little princess doing up so late?" I question her, getting a toothy smile in return and a squeal.
"Home for Daddy!" I smile back down at Ellie Mellark. Nearly three years old she can talk simple sentences, though she may still get the punctuation wrong we both can understand her meaning. Tracing her face lightly I brush some of her curly, deep strawberry blonde hair out of her eye's. A mixture of both her mothers and i's hair but my curls. She likes to keep it short, mimicking her mother's style. Her eye's, those deep bright blue eye's laced with silver are from my side of the family, my great granddad and something that Clove and I are extremely happy about. She was the perfect combination of both of us and we strived in life to give her the best of the world.
"Mummy! Giwft!" she demands, turning that glare she inherited from her mother to her mother as I look at her confused about the gift.
"She wanted to give it to you today, you who keeps on forgetting what today is." she smirks holding a small rectangle box out to me, hastily wrapped with sticky tape all around it. Ellie style. I smile looking at them both, today is my birthday and it's not something I choose to remember because of the fact it's the anniversary of when I ran away from home but for my family I'm willing to go along with it. For Ellie, anything.
"For me! thank you both!" sitting down on the sofa, Ellie remaining in my lap as Clove joins us.
"Open daddy!"
"Bossy boots." I smile back at her, just like her mother Ellie seems to having taking to bossing us around, even though I don't mind I'm well aware that she has me wrapped around her fingers.
"Thank you both." I tell them, not planning to take my time on opening it but with the amount of tape covering it it takes awhile. Finally getting into it, much to the amusement of Clove I pull out the plain white box before opening it to find a pocket watch laying in the centre of the box, the small golden chain wrapped up next to it. Carefully I take it from the box, staring at it. The golden circular watch, noting the intricate design around the edge of frame. Opening it up and blasted back to my childhood, the watch I had received from my grandmother during her will. It was a favourite of mine, something that had belonged to my grandfather and I always would have him show it to me. The intricate design of the working mechanisms inside as all the clogs turned together. I had lost it, not misplaced but rather it had been taken from me and destroyed as punishment and had been a horrible blow to me. Clove knew the story and how I always sought a replacement and here I held one in my hand, not completely the same but close enough to remind me of that gift and different enough to know this came from my family. Looking on the inside of the case I see the engraving on the metal.
Peeta Mellark.
Worlds best daddy.
Love Clove and Ellie Mellark.
"Daddy like?" Ellie questions me, as I turn and smile brightly at her and Clove before kissing her forehead.
"Daddy loves." I confirm for her, earning her biggest, brightest smile ever and a hug from both kissing Clove and whispering my thanks she nods. We spend only a small time, enough for me to drink a cup of tea, the watch always remaining in my hand before Ellie has nodded off back to sleep and I carry her to her bed, softly closing the door after tucking her in. walking back to the kitchen, Clove standing by the sink washing the dishes I walk up behind her my arms wrapping around her waist as they slowly rub and caressing her taught stomach, burying my head in the crock of her neck.
"Peeta... these dishes need washing... mmm..." her protests die in her throaty moan, as she presses back into me. Grinding hard against my strained member which only spurs me on and I growl back at her not intent on letting anything stop me from ravishing the petite beauty in my arms. She turns into me, whispering sexily into my ear before biting the lob sending shivers coursing through me.
"Someone else can do the dishes, we... need... a hot... steamy... shower..." each word punctuated with a nip before sucking on that sweat spot just below my ear. I have to swallow the moan so as not to wake Ellie up. Lifting clove into my arms, her legs instinctively wrapping around my waist I carry her towards our en-suit. Lips connected and duelling tongues trusting into each others mouths as her hands roam over my torso and start unbuttoning my shirt. Soon, a trail of clothing from the kitchen to our bedroom we're both stripped naked our whole bodies pressed together with cloves back against the cold, hard tiled wall. The door closed I turn the shower on and begin my assault on her body, Clove as equally as me in my arms in pleasure. A perfect ending to my birthday.
I'm not sure what wakes me, eye's snapping open, mind and body alert and pulsing but laying completely still, clove semi-naked, only the both of us bothering to put our underwear back on and she's wrapped around me my arms encircling her. It completely foreign to me and I hate it, the feeling of being unsafe in your own home, one should never have to have it but the reason for the uneasiness is soon heard.
"DADDY!" the blood curdling scream of my daughter calling out through the house as I throw the covers and Clove off me and bot for the bedroom door. Clove quickly trailing behind as she scrambles of the bed. Rushing towards Ellie's room, the door breaking off the hinges as I shove through it I come to the living horror scene in-front of me. My daughter, cowering and crying in the corner while a darkened figure illuminated only by the weak hall light stumbles, as though drunk towards my daughter. Rushing forward I grab the figure by the shoulders, turning him and shoving him back into the wall.
"Get the hell away from my daughter!" Clove rushing in behind me and over to Ellie.
"Mommy!" as Clove scoops Ellie into her arms only to scream at me.
"Peeta!" turning only to be met with the snarling, drooling mouth of the figure, the man. Arms out griping me vice like I struggle with him to the ground while all the time he says nothing but looses snarls, growls and snaps his jaw at me. Trying his hardest to clap down on my neck. Using my forearm to hold his head back my hand reaches out to grasp anything at hand closing around a ball-shaped object.
"Arrrg!" rolling us both over and the few wrestling moves that I remember allow me to pin him underneath me, knees on his chest I don't even think as I rear back and slam the object repeatedly, over and over into the side of his head. My arms fall weak, limp by my side as I drop the shattered remains of the snow-globe that I used. Standing and stumbling away from the remains and back into the hall, the loud, mind splitting ringing that sounds in my ears finally ends.
"Peeta... Peeta!... PEETA!" my mind snaps back to the presence and I jump to rush towards Clove and Ellie.
"You OK? Ellie? Clove?"
"We're fine, scared but what the hell was that Peeta! That man... he was... he was trying to bite you, to bite Ellie... his face..."
"Shhhh... I know but we need to get somewhere safe." nodding I lead them both back into our room, closing the door behind and locking it.
"Get dressed..." the go to it while I enter the bathroom, viewing my body, my chest, face covered in splotches of blood. Matted into my hair I quickly step into the shower, watching the blood pool and drain away at my feet before quickly dressing.
"Come on..." Clove dressed and Ellie still in her night-clothes as I refuse to let them anywhere near her room. We get out and into the living-room, Clove turning the t.v on which stops us both at the picture and voice.
"The infectious disease that has spread like wildfire across the country, has broke out among most populated areas. Residents are advised to look and secure all windows and doors, stay inside until the national guard evacuates everyone. Anyone bitten or knows of anyone bitten should secure the right away and make their way to the designated secure, safe zones."
the loud explosion behind her cuts the camera feed of and we feel the rumble from the hospital where they where filming.
"Damn... we need to get out of here... Now!" they don't answer verbally but nod in agreement as we make our way outside towards the pick-up. Making sure Clove and Ellie are safely in I make my way to the driver's side only then noticing then the old-man on his lawn, staring at the fire that rages in the distance.
"Haymitch!" turning the old drunk looks back towards me and motions towards the ball of flames.
"Did I wake up in a war, what's going on kid?" waking over the street I grab his arm, ignoring the resistance and dragging him towards the pick-up.
"We're leaving, need to get somewhere safe."
He doesn't answer but slides into the passengers front seat, taking the time to greet Clove and Ellie. We all see him as part of the family, Haymitch Abernathy having helped us out on more than one occasion with all different kinds of things from baby sitting to leading me a few dollars when needed and me and clove both look out for him, him looking out for us.
"They Ok?" he questions as we rumble down the back roads of the county, looking for a safe, quiet and remote route to get the hell out of dodge.
"Woke up to Ellie screaming, one... one of those things somehow got into her room. Window I think but she was scared Haymitch, I was to... the thought of loosing her, either of them... it's enough to destroy me."
"You did good kid, you look after your family better than anyone I know... we'll get out of this." I nod accepting his response but keep focused on the road stopping at the hill-top to lay eye's on the small town laid out below. Flashing lights, and fire all around.
"This is the only route... we need to make it through."
"Stop for nothing, for no one kid... you got that piece I gave to you?"
"Under the chair." he reaches under, pulling the lock box and I hand him the key as he opens it up and loads the revolver. Looking ahead I drive us towards the town, the fires roaring above us on the tops of some buildings slowly and carefully we come upon it. Looking around seeing the people, cars all alike us in trying to reach the safety of the military checkpoint on the bridge across the town. Seeing the chaos of life without control around us we're reminded how fragile the system of control, power and order is as we see the looters already hard at work breaking into all unsecured stores.
"GET OUT!"
my head snapping to the side, vision for a second turning into a blacked blanket as slowly everything returns. Dazed and confused I feel myself being tugged, ripped both ways.
"Kid DRIVE!" I don't look, just react slamming my foot on the gas pedal as the engine roars to life and sends us flying down the street. Who ever was trying to steal the pick-up from us disappearing as with most of the details is see. Only a blur remaining but not so much that I can't see the huge black rectangle heading right towards us. Just within those last few second I hear the screams of everyone in the pick-up only for the black object to swallow me, the pick-up whole and everything returns to darkness. The sounds of crunching, twisting metal and shattering glass fill my ears before everything stills and I'm left in the blackened silence.
"Da... Daddy!" the cries, sobbing hiccups of my daughter calling out to me through the darkness bring me back to reality. Her tiny figure next to me, her little hands pushing against my face and chest as the tears stream from her deep silver, blue eye's. Looking over into the back I see Clove, a small lick of blood coming from a small but nasty gash on her forehead.
"Shhh... I'm OK, we're both OK." running my hand gently over her face, brushing away the tears she still cries burying her head into my chest as I hug her back, if only for a second to allow Clove to gather herself before passing a reluctant Ellie over to her.
Looking around, the pick-up on its side the passenger door above me open and Haymitch gone I also look out the cracked windscreen to see the horror scene unfolding outside. The black object that smashed into the side of us, a bas lays burning on its side bodies lay strewn across the road but the more I look the more I see and it. The bodies trying desperately to claw their way from the burning inferno but also the snarling infected that are rushing into the fires. The screams and cries of the victims as the infect bite and pummel their faces, their bodies ripping them apart before moving onto the next. Kicking out twice with my feet, the windscreen falling away into a crumpled mess as I get myself, clove and Ellie out.
"PEETA!"
just hearing her in time to feel the arms of an infected gripping onto my shoulders. Swinging around, elbow raised it connects with his face, hard. As we both stumble apart, the infected regaining faster than any normal person would after that blow he jumps me again. I start to stumble backwards, my foot catching on something as we both tumble to the ground, rolling with the infected coming to a stop onto of me. Pinning me he rears backwards, arms raised, fists clenched and ready to bludgeon me to death though it never comes but the loud ringing I heard earlier does. The infected man's head exploding to the right of me as Haymitch appears.
"Come on kid, Get up!" grasping his hand and letting him haul me to my feet I spare a brief glance at the man on the ground, still twitching even with half his head missing.
"Lets go!" grabbing onto Clove's free hand, the other holding Ellie close to her as we run away from the carnage, away from the infected as they rush after everyone. They don't discriminate against anyone, man, woman, children they attack emotionless, grabbing, biting, ripping as everyone slams into each other to escape from them. Quickly we run, me gripping Clove's hand tightly as I pull them forward heading down the street getting closer and closer but see stop dead with the sight that greets us at the end. Three emergency vehicles, flames pouring from them as the freely rush down the street before crashing into the cinema at the end of the street. A ball of bright inferno fire erupting from the front building with a heat I could feel from back across the street. Not only that but seeing the hoard of infected rushing down the street, clashing into the group of survivors and recovering quicker only to turn on them and start their slaughter.
"Haymitch! we need to get out of here!"
"The alley!" I don't question his choice, we just run heading down into the darkness as a large group chases us. Bursting through the gate, Haymitch quickly shoving the side dumpster across it barring the infect from following us, if only for a minute or two.
"Lets go!" more running, breathing hard we come across a side fence showing the street and the remains, screaming remains that litter the street before turning their hungry eye's onto us.
"Kid!" passing the fence, the hoard breaking through the fence and start running at us. We move, as faster as we can cutting through the back gate of a wooden picket fence and bursting through the back door of a pub. I swing Clove out in-front of me, pushing my back against the door trying my best to hold it against the growing pressure as the infected pile up against the door.
"Kid move!" glancing at Haymitch, he's pushing the pool table towards me. I stay against the door as long as possible moving only at the last-minute but even the added weight the door bounces open and closed. Haymitch quickly putting his weight against it.
"KID! GO! NOW!"
I don't answers him back, I don't look back as I lead Clove and Ellie out the front down and down the embankment next to the bar. Haymitch's conversation with me from when we first met replaying in my mind.
"Family is the most important thing in the world, you protect your family with everything you have." we where family and as I run, dragging Clove and Ellie I know Haymitch is protecting his family, us and I'm protecting mine. It's the only reason I try my damned hardest to ignore the sobbing cries coming from Ellie as she calls out for her uncle Haymitch. The roar river next to us the horizon is brighter with the view of the bridge coming into view just above the next hillock but we stop short at the sight we come upon.
A soldier, a normal expected sight at the checkpoint area but standing over the dead body of a small kid is what stops us.
"Stop! stay right where you are!" instinctively I place myself in-front of Clove and Ellie, shielding them from the soldiers sight. He looks us over before taking a slight step towards us.
"You infected?... Bitten!?" he raises his rifle higher, I raise my hand before calmly speaking.
"We're fine, not infected or bitten... we're just trying to get to safety." taking a small step forward.
"BACK UP!" his rifle pointed right between my eye's before radio in.
"Sir I've got three survivors... yes sir... sir... they've got a child... yes sir... I understand... yes sir." he starts raising his rifle, shaking his head before muttering a sorry.
"Wait... just wait a second... Clove RUN!" turning to shield her as the rifle roars to life behind me sending bullets flying towards us.
"AHH!" as I feel one bullet tear through the side of my thigh, clove and Ellie's scream fill my ears as I fall taking them tumbling down the embankment towards the river line separating from Clove Ellie. Rolling over I only have time to notice the soldier appear over me, his rifle shoved in my face, closing my eye's I wait for the rifle to go off but then there's that familiar ringing of an old sound I remember. Opening my eye's Haymitch stands above me, the soldier I see is laying with large pool of blood collecting around his head.
"Haymitch..."
"Oh no..." my eye's go wide and the horror takes over at what I see he's looking at. Clove and Ellie.
"CLOVE! ELLIE!" rushing over to them, Haymitch with me as I reach for them both. Clove still hugging Ellie I roll them over.
"No... no... no, no, no, no, no, no!, no!, no!, no!" struggle against Haymitch as my hands clutch at them , stained with blood as he tries to pull me away. My screams of pain from my shattered heart echo into the night.
3 years later.
"Daddy..." the quiet whispers of my daughter breaking me from the nightmare of my reality. That night always replays in my dreams at night, during this time now more than ever as we get closer to its anniversary. The anniversary of my wife's death, a day that I though I lost both of them but found I still had my little Ellie. She had survived, Clove taking the bullets while shielding Ellie though Ellie did suffer a small graze she had to suffer the same fate with me knowing that her mother was gone and it almost destroyed us both but we recovered, we survived. Now 3 years later, Ellie almost turning six she's more like a very young teenager in how fast she's had to grow up to survive in the world we remain in. She reminds me of Clove nearly every day that passes.
"Dad... we need to get moving." I nod giving her a hug as we shoulder our packs and sling our coats on before quickly eating a tin of canned food each. We're living in the remains of Manhattan a safe zone created after the whole world lost its shit when the infection went global. Origin unknown, the government knew nothing and in its blunder it gave rise to GovCore. The newly installed dictatorship controlled by the shadow head only known as Snow, he rules with an iron fist crushing any rebellion, infection outbreak or anyone that doesn't follow his set ways. It's what makes our job, smugglers even more dangerous and harder but it gives us food on the table and money.
"How did you sleep..."
"Fine daddy, dreamed again. About... about mum... uncle Mitch... I miss them daddy." wrapping her in a hug I kiss her forehead, knowing just how she feels. Haymitch stayed with us for nearly a year but the ironclad rules GovCore installed made him move and at the time it was just to soon and Ellie was just getting over Clove's passing and beginning to learn survival skills. Haymitch moved out east somewhere, I've been meaning to pack up and Ellie and I will try to find him when the time is right.
The buzzing sound of the GovCore alarms making everyone know quarantine is over, we're free to move around we get ready to leave.
"Where we heading today?"
"Cash wants to meet up with us today, something about Roberts."
"Right... let's get moving. Stay close."
"Always do dad." Smirking at me because she and I both know that between the pair of us we survive and Ellie has grown in the last two years to help and protect me as I do her. I promised Clove that I would always protect Ellie and I'll keep that, which brings me to may last thought I normally have before leaving to go out into the ruined world on a run.
Anyone threatens the safety of my little Ellie... I'll kill them.
A/N; so I thought of this while playing the last of us and somehow I came up with this concept for an Everlark mixed in.
I hope that people enjoy this because the game was amazing and I want to write this story perfect, which means that updates will not be regular but they will come within (hopefully) about 2 weeks of each other. I just want to get them right before posting and hopefully with this one that slightly mirrors the prologue I've done that.
Next chapter we'll meet some more members including the Mockingjay (Katniss) and we'll learn how the cure plays in between the three of them.
Anyway I'll see you all next time.