Chapter 1
The soft hum of the hovercraft fills my ears. I rest my head on Peeta's shoulders and close my eyes. Thank God. He's here, with me. He's not with Snow, not in the Capitol. I know it's been a couple of weeks but I'm just so….grateful. I can't phrase it any other way.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
2 Weeks Prior
"They're here!" Haymitch burst through the door, interrupting Finnick and I's nervous knot-tying. Both Finnick and I just stare blankly at Haymitch.
"Didn't you hear me?!" Haymitch roared, sounding desperate. "They made it out...alive." As if something clicked I toss my overused piece of rope to the floor and grab at Finnick's hand. Since I'm a little woozy from the news I miss and Finnick, still shell-shocked and not moving, is no help whatsoever. When I finally do get ahold of his hand I tugg it gently towards the door.
Finnick and I maneuver our way around the frantic hospital staff, wounded soldiers, and loved ones visiting patients. I look around my eyes alert when I hear a scream.
"Finnick!" I turn to see a young woman running as fast as she can, through the massive wave of people in our direction. I feel Finnick's hand slip out of mine as he yells back.
"Annie!" The crash into each other quite literally and are trapped in a tight embrace. I smile. 'So this is Annie Cresta? I'll have to meet her some other time.'
I look around frantically for Peeta, whipping my head around so fat I'm surprised my neck is still attached to my head. That's when I spy Gale. He looks well enough. 'He's alive' I think to myself. I take a deep breath but cringe when I see the doctor pulling a shard of glass from his shoulder.
I start to head in his direction when I feel a rough hand pulling at my arm.
"He's here" Haymitch says gruffly, leading me away. We approach a room swarmed by doctors and nurses. I reach for the door handle, yanking it open. The sight I see makes tears fall uncontrollably out of my eyes, and I start to shake.
Sitting upright on the bed is Peeta. His golden locks now joined with dirt and blood, his body bruised and beaten. But as he lifts his head and his crystal blue eyes meet mine, everything fades away. No sounds, no buttons beeping, no machines whirring, no doctors yelling. It's just me and him and no one else in the world. He's here.
As my feet stay cemented in one place I see a whirlpool of emotion flash across Peeta's eyes. They go from exhaustion and fatigue to disbelief, relief, and an overwhelming sparkle of joy. He sweeps the doctors to the side and stands up, shaking.
"Katniss," He croaks. The sound of his voice, no matter how broken it is, breaks the cement holding my feet to the floor and the wall holding back all my pent up emotions. I fling myself at him as his strong arms embrace me.
"Peeta!" I whisper the relief evident in my voice. Tears are pouring over my cheeks like a raging waterfall after a heavy thunderstorm. I feel water hit my shoulder and I know Peeta's tears are also streaming down his face. His arms tighten around me.
"Katniss I can't believe it's you," Peeta whispers into my ears. As I cling to him for dear life I manage to choke out a few words.
"I'm never letting you go again," I declare and press my lips against his.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The doctors had said there was a large amount of Tracker Jacker venom inside of him but they were able to get it out of his system before it inflicted serious damage. I sigh and tighten my grip on Peeta's hand even further. Gale sits, sleeping on the seat next to me. We're going to film propos in the ruins of District 12. Not exactly the greatest day ever.
There's a thump as the hovercraft lands on the ground. As Peeta, Gale, our Camera Crew and I leave the hovercraft I brace myself for the new nightmares sure to join the old ones after today.
My boot kicks up sand as we stand speechless in the middle of Town Square. Ash. That's all you can see. Where my District had once stood has been replaced by ash. My eyes well up with tears but I choke them back down. My mouth sets to a thin line and my eyebrows furrow. Snow. Will. Pay.
I turn around to find Gale and Peeta taking in the sight, their expressions closely resemble mine. I hold onto Peeta's hand and face toward the camera crew. Originally it was just supposed to be Gale and I filming today, but Coin ordered Peeta to go along with us. I still protest because two weeks after being rescued from the Capitol and he's already being forced to face something that even Gale and I, who were not excruciatingly tortured only a couple weeks ago, are not ready to face.
I tried to get him to sit this one out but, as usual, he was adamant.
"So… Where do we start?" I ask cautiously.
"Hmm, I don't really know what's around here so maybe-" Cressida starts before she is cut off by Gale.
"Could we just...look around first?" He asks, or more like demands. Cressida's gaze reflects a soft sympathy.
"Sure," She says. "Take your time, I know this must be hard." She then summons the crew too her. They're whispering but I think I heard Cressida say to film us while we're looking around the district.
I heave a heavy sigh. Can't we have one moment of grieving that isn't broadcasted to all of Panem? Oh wait I forgot. I'm still in this never ending nightmare that started two years ago when Prim's name passed through the shimmering pink lips of Effie Trinket.
I try to ignore the camera crew which I surprisingly succeed at because they keep a very far distance as to not disturb us.
-.-.-.-.-.
Gale, Peeta and I walk slowly around the ruin's of District twelve. Sidestepping around the rubble and through the ash; flinching at every corpse we see, looking away quickly, too afraid to see who it is. We come to the Hob and I notice Gale tense. I'm shaking against my will and Peeta wraps his arms around me in comfort.
This goes on for endless hours, or it seems to be. Finally, we end up in front of the bakery… or rather what used to be the bakery. As strong as Peeta has been through all of this, he finally breaks. He drops to his knees in the dirt and lowers his head. His body is shaking uncontrollably, silent sobs coursing throughout his body.
I bend down and tightly wrap both my arms around him, in an effort of consolement. Peeta is rightfully taking the sight of his ruined house harder than both Gale and I. But that's because both Gale and I have our families with us. Peeta does not. No one made it out. Not his mother, brothers, or his father who was so kind to me. Even though he had heard the news a while back, seeing it was a whole other thing. The sight of his family's burned down shop brings back the blow of their deaths in full force.
I feel Peeta's shaking start to slow and I lift his head and look him in the eyes. His eyes reflect all the anger, hurt, and sorrow he's feeling and I press my lips gently to his. I say no words of comfort, no inspirational speeches because… Peeta knows. He doesn't need that right now. What he needs is something to fall back on - support. And I intend to do everything I can for him.
I gently pull him off the ground and the three of us start walking again. As we reach the district fence I feel something odd within in me. I can't exactly place this feeling, but I don't like it. Everyone proceeds to crawl under the gate and into the un-charred woods that was not affected by the firebombs, much like Victor's Village which still stands.
Some how the camera crew got everything over and now I am headed to the boulder that has always been the meeting place for Gale and I. The further we trek into the woods the more that strange feeling grows. It's almost like sadness multiplied by ten, but…. different.
As soon as we reach the rock a flood of memories come rushing back to me. I'm 11, and now hunting safely along with Gale at my side; I'm 7, in the woods with my father singing songs as we pick edible berries for that night's supper. That's when I place the feeling. Longing.
I want nothing more than to rejoin those memories and feel the happiness I felt. I want to go back to before the games. That morning when Gale and I were picking blackberries BEFORE Prim's name was picked. I want to go back to before the mining accident. My father, mother, Prim and I seated at the table, eating the fresh game and plants from my father and I's haul that morning. My family joking and singing and poking fun at one another despite the world we lived in. I want to go back.
Silent tears stream down my face and I turn away. I feel Peeta's hand gripping my own and I regain my composure. Hurriedly brushing away my fallen tears I turn to Cressida and the camera crew.
"Okay, where should we start?"
-.-.-.-.-.-
We spend the next few hours reliving memories, which doesn't make me even more sad but it cheers me up. The three of us talk about happier times with one another. Gale and I tell Peeta of our adventures in the woods and Peeta tells us funny stories of his brothers and the bakery. Soon I feel a small amount of light in my heart pulling me out of the depression I was in.
We talk joke and laugh, forgetting the cameras are there when suddenly we hear a stick snap. As precaution or for show, Coin has dressed me up in my mockingjay uniform along with my bow and arrows. As a reflex I yank an arrow to my bow and aim in the direction where the noise came from. It's silent and I notice Gale and Peeta have drawn their weapons as well.
We sit there in silence, poised for attack, waiting. Then another stick snaps and I raise me bow up higher. The fog surrounding us blocks our view and we yet to know what is lurking near us. It may be an animal or it may be an ambush.
Another stick snaps and I can barely make out the silhouette of a man. This make me draw my arrow back even further and take a few steps forward.
"Show yourself!" Gale growls. The man continues to walk forward slowly, tripping as if he's hurt.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Peeta calls out, a glare glinting off his poised weapon.
As the fog clears a little bit I start to see the man a little bit more clearly. I blink.
"I said show yourself! Or we'll shoot!" Gale roars. The man's silhouette raises his hands in surrender or he's raising a weapon, I'm not really sure. As he steps into the light we can see clearly what he looks like.
He's limping and has a small knife in hand. His skin is pale and he looks fragile and weak. I rub my eyes. Is this… is this man…. I furiously shake my head as the man steps into a better view.
My heart stops beating in my chest, a scream building in my throat that I can't release. I start to feel dizzy and I hear my bow clatter to the floor and vaguely hear Peeta call me name.
I'm falling and then... it's black.