KATNISS:
Peeta walks ahead of me. I catch up with him and grab him on the shoulder. "Peeta, I didn't mean that, alright?" He turns around. Now I can't believe I'm saying this. "I-I'm," I try not to stutter, "I'm sorry."
He sighs. I can see he's battling within himself. The hi-jacked and the one I love. He wraps his arms around me and let's me stay there for a while. We should probably head to the Command Center; the meeting will be starting soon. But I'm exhausted, and so is Peeta. And even as he's holding me in his arms, I fall asleep.
I wake up in a hospital bed, similar to when we were cooped up in 13. Wait, we are in 13. I hear someone walking near me.
"Finally! I thought I'd have to pour nightlock down your throat."
I weakly smile. "Good to see you too, Johanna."
She smirks and sits in a chair next to mine. "You know, I thought I'd never have to do this again."
"What?"
"Have to look at you and wonder if this will be the last time I'll see you lying there. Barely breathing. Your face so pale. Almost dead." For the first time, I think I hear sympathy. Not a lot, but some. "I remember back in the jungle, the fear that fell over the trees every night, boom, boom, boom. Like clockwork, just as Wiress said."
"A lot of insight from the girl from District 7. And thanks, but I'm not close to dying."
She frowns and tousles my hair. "Whatever." She gets up and walks to the door. "I'll tell Peeta that Mrs. Mellark is awake." She opens the door and walks through it. Then peeks in and smirks. "Oh, and congratulations on having a real baby!" She slams the door so loud everyone in the hospital can hear.
I feel myself frowning at will. So, I guess Haymitch told her too; or maybe Peeta. If it's Haymitch I'm really going to kill him. If it's Peeta, well, I can't blame him. I guess I'd be excited too if I weren't lying on a bed wearing a hospital garb. Although I'm still tired, I want to find out what's really going on. It's ridiculous how little we all know. I want to talk to Peeta, but I feel my eyes closing again.
I am awakened by a nudge.
"Hi." It's Peeta.
"Hey." He presses his hand in mine and I feel all warm inside.
"So, how are you feeling?" He says, breathing in.
I blink slowly. "Good, I guess. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I'll try not to do it again."
"You liar." Peeta smiles.
I laugh and his smile widens. I love that.
"So do you have any more details about what's going on?" I ask.
"Well, they've taken over District 1 and 2 but there's resistance in 3. I think that's where they want us."
My heart skips a beat. 2? That's where Gale is. And my mom.
"Peeta….." I pause, scared to ask.
"Yeah?" he says.
"Were they able to evacuate the people from 2?" I say.
"Most of them got out. In fact, I think some of them are on their way here now." Peeta, seeing the worried look on my face, adds: "I'm sure your mom is fine."
"You're right," I say, "I'll try not to worry. So, when am I getting out of this prison?"
"You mean hospital?" Peeta laughs, "The doctor says he'll release you soon."
"Good," I say, "This place comes with too many bad memories."
After that, the Doctor releases me, just like Peeta said. Peeta and I meet up with Haymitch and Johanna, and we walk to the elevator. We are sent several feet deeper into the ground, and my ears crackle and pop at the sensation of my body moving farther from the sky. I see Johanna making eyes at Haymitch. Sometimes I can't believe I actually slept in the same room with her. But I guess that's what friends do. Even after all these years, I still think of Beetee and Johanna as my allies. But Peeta, Effie and maybe -just maybe- Haymitch as my real friends. Or actually more like family. Then there's Gale, who I'm still trying to forgive for the hurt he caused me. Sometimes, I remember Prim, who went to help those wounded children, and was killed for it. By his bomb. Then, it seems impossible to forgive him. But after five years, although the pain is still here, I'm not angry at Gale anymore. After all, he never meant to hurt Prim. It was Coin, the vicious President Coin. I hope Paylor is one-hundred times better.
We get to our floor and walk to the Command Center. There is a large black oval table with eight chairs and a large one at the end. Sitting in it is President Paylor.
"Hello, Miss President," I say with a grin.
She smiles and stands to greet each of us. "Good to see you too, Soldier Mellark." I wince, but make sure no one sees.
I sit in the chairs between Peeta and Haymitch. Johanna sits in the one across from me. The door opens and I the hear more people walking in so I look up. Great. It's Enobaria. And then I feel bad about myself when I see Annie Odair, holding the hands of her baby. Well, not really a baby. He looks about five years old. Has it really been that long? Five years?
He looks so much like his father. The only difference is that this one has chestnut brown hair, like his mom's. I think she's getting better, now that she has the best doctors and counselors in all the Districts. At least, she doesn't cover her ears or have this frightening look on her face anymore. It's her son that takes my breath away. He has his father's sea-green eyes, the tangled locks of hair, the chiseled face, and even at the age of five, he has the 'Odiar' good looks.
President Paylor smiles at him and shakes his hand. "Hello there. I'm President Paylor; what's your name?"
He swallows but confidently says, "Andreas Odair."
"Andreas. What a nice name," I say. What am I, a grandmother? "Like your father's." I add.
"Hello, Katniss," Annie says timidly, sitting down next to Johanna. Johanna stills gives her the dirty look but I see Annie doesn't take notice. Andreas sits snugly in her lap and watches each of the tributes, and widens his eyes at Enorbaria's fanged teeth. I am glad Annie doesn't congratulate me about the baby. Nice to know Haymitch didn't tell someone. As soon as I can talk to him alone, I'm gonna kill him for telling Peeta. And then I'll find out how he knew anyways.
I am pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of President Paylor's voice.
"No doubt you are all wondering what's going," she says, a very serious expression on her face, "Some of you may know our circumstances already, but in this meeting, I'm going to tell you exactly what happened from the very start."
Finally. Someone giving us the story. The details.
"The Capitol never detected the planes until it was too late," she continues, "There were armored cars full of soldiers. They caught us off our guard, and we were totally unprepared for the onslaught that followed their arrival. Many of us, however, were able to get out on time. I went directly to District 1 from there. I arrived here three days ago."
"But 1 isn't that far from the Capital. Why didn't you go farther to 10 or 11?" Peeta asks.
"Because," Paylor answers slowly, "My regiment and men are still in the Capital."
"What?" Johanna stands up from the table, her face flushed and her knuckles white. I'm about to do the same and walk out this whole meeting.
"What are you saying, President Paylor?" I ask, hesitant.
She sighs. "It means you'll have to return to playing Games. Again."
I feel my head spinning. I look around the room at everyone's faces. Enobaria has this look of defiance, while Johanna is spewing words out of her mouth─ and she looks like she might kill someone. Annie's blocking her ears, her eyes squeezed tight. Finnick's poor son looks like he's about scream or cry. Enobaria start yelling about killing whoever's in charge. Someone has to do something.
I look at Peeta, whose face is as pale as a sack of flour and his lips are quivering. I don't think I've ever seen him so scared. Except during the first Reaping of the 74th Games, and then when Snow pronounced that tributes would be returning in the Quarter Quell. I grab his hand, holding it tenderly with mine. He slightly nods and kisses my hand.
"Wait!" Peeta stands and holds his free hand out. "Please, we can't create our own chaos when the world has theirs."
"Peeta's right," President Paylor stated. She brushes off her military suit and looks at each tribute in a hard firm glare. "Now, I want each and everyone of you to listen." She eyes Annie Odair's son. "Even you, Andreas." She breathes in and begins:
"Last year, we found readings that incoming objects were heading toward the western territories of Panem─"
"Wait, you knew they were coming for months?" I ask, my anger burning inside. Is she going to be like Coin? Scheming and plotting behind our backs?
"Yes. I know we should have evacuated the Capital, but just as they suddenly appeared they disappeared off our radars." Paylor finally takes her seat and looks at each and every one of us. "Now, when I mean back to the Games I don't mean we'll be reenacting the Hunger Games. What I mean is we'll begin your training in three weeks and after your six month training, you'll each be commanders over one station."
I instantly want to scream out 'No!'. I am not leaving Peeta to go be a commander where I can't protect him. What if his mind snaps, and I'm not there to help him? My thoughts are interrupted by Haymitch's voice.
"But what if, Miss President, some of us in incapable of training," He says, in that know-it-all voice. I know who he's talking about. Annie and me. He thinks Annie will snap and I'll push myself to limit with this baby. I'm really gonna kill him now. I stomp on his foot, digging my soles into his toes. He bites his bottom lip and digs his fingernails into my left arm. I stop my stomping and he stops his squeezing. I think we both get the picture.
"Luckily," I say, "I think we are all capable of training." I want to insert 'Except maybe Annie', but that might be too mean.
"Except for Beetee that is," Johanna says.
"Speaking of Beetee, where is he?" I ask.
Paylor says, "Oh, well he wasn't feeling well. Headaches, you know."
I glance at Haymitch and nod at Paylor. "Ah, I understand."
Even though I say I believe her, Haymitch knows I don't believe Paylor, and neither does he. Beetee is our friend, a genius and I'm sure that if he was needed, he'd drag himself to the meeting. He and Wiress are the only reason that Peeta and I are alive today.
President Paylor dismisses the meeting and says they'll be another tomorrow. Once we're out of the Command Center, I tell Peeta I'll be a minute. As soon as everyone is out of sight, I turn to Haymitch.
"You don't believe a word Paylor said about Beetee, do you?" he says.
"Not a word." I reply.
He shakes his head in disgust. "Something's going on here, and I don't think any of us are supposed to know a thing about it."
