Hello all.
Someone over on Tumblr asked: In MJ, after Katniss finds Buttercup back in District 12 and has her meltdown over Prim finally, it says she passes out (near the couch, I believe, where she was helped to, ) and regains consciousness in her bed that night. Is it canon that it was Peeta who did this? Greasy Sae? How did she get to her bed? dropofjupiter asked.
This is what I think happened...
I own nothing, and this is canon... and of course thanks to the wonderful norbertsmom for beta-ing!
Her screams echo across Victor's Village.
Greasy Sae grabs him, stopping him from crossing the yard. "Let the girl start her grieving. This is the most I've heard from her yet."
Peeta breathes hard, another nightmare, trying to grab a hold of him. A nightmare planted of fire, ashes and cries. He grips the sapling that is starting to bud on this early spring day. The false memories fade, and he can finally breathe again. The fleeing thought that this spring day would have been a day that the old Katniss would have loved helps him to focus again.
His eyes focus again when she stops screaming. The village is silent but for the pitiful meows coming from her house.
Sae gives him a nod and holds out a hand for Beth, her granddaughter, to take. They shuffle back towards what is left of Twelve, murmuring something about getting to their house before the sun sets.
The sun starts to dim, he slowly walks up her front stairs, careful not to make them creak. The great window looks into her living room and he can see Buttercup sitting there beside Katniss. Katniss doesn't move from her place on the floor, even though he meows pitifully.
Peeta turns the knob, and smiles when it turns easily. He eases the door open, not wanting to scare her, but also wanting to announce his presence.
He watches them both for a moment. Buttercup watches him to see what he will do. Still not sure exactly what he is doing, Peeta steps in and shuts the door behind him. He steps closer and she still hasn't moved.
He can see how wet her cheeks are, and his heart hurts when he realizes that it's probably her tears. Her breath catches in her slumber, and there is a shadow of a memory from where they were small. Katniss had fallen down at school, and started crying. She had snubbed then too, not wanting the other kids to see her crying.
He slowly takes off her boots and sets them beside the front door where he knows she sets them. Buttercup meows at him again, and he answers, "I know, Buttercup. Let's get her upstairs so she can get some rest."
He rolls her gently, so he can get a hold of her and stands slowly. He isn't as strong as he used to be, but it is too easy to pick her up.
He slowly goes up the stairs and sees all the doors that before everything happened were always open. Now they are closed in her house too. Going to the only one open at the end of the hall, he remembers that this is her room.
He sets her down gently on the bed. Before he can cover her with the blanket at the bottom of her bed, there is another fleeing memory of them sharing this very bed, working on the Everdeen plant book. He is grateful that Snow didn't mess with those memories, too.
Katniss exhales, and snuggles into her pillow. He reaches for the faux fur blanket when Buttercup jumps on the bed beside her. Peeta arranges the blanket over her and hesitates for a moment. He watches her sink deeper into sleep, and he presses a kiss on her temple.
"Watch over her Buttercup." He feels a cold breeze, and shuts the windows she had opened earlier. It's early spring after all, so it still gets very chilly at night in their mountains.
Peeta pauses at the door and looks back at Katniss and Buttercup. Buttercup does his customary three turns to get comfortable, making Peeta smile when he hears the purrs.
He leaves her house with a new smile of hope that has never been there before.