Description : This is a one shot to how Mrs. Everdeen felt the night Katniss was taken to The Hunger Games. She speaks to her dead husband who she loves.
A/N : This my one shot on how I thought Mrs. Everdeen took Katniss volunteering.
She volunteered. I should've have known as soon as Effie Trinket, the District 12 escort, called out "Primrose Everdeen." It was hard enough to see the face of Prim when her name was called but now I watched as her big sister, her role model, volunteered for her place. The crowd is in shock. Nobody knows what to do, so I kiss the tips of my three fingers and put them in the air. A salute, a thanks for saving Prims life. Others in the crowd join me and tears fill in my eyes.
Effie moves to the boys and pulls out a name, : "Peeta Mellark."
Mellark.
I know that name.
I searched the crowd the see the baker, Stephen Mellark, staring right back at me. I knew from the first day of school Peeta loved Katniss, because he looked at her with those same eyes his father used to look at me with. I could have had it all. Lived in the town, married a succesful baker, but that was until I met Sean Everdeen. Sean had these grey eyes that could pull you in and his olive skin matched his dark brown hair. But I didn't fall inlove with him because of that. I fell in love with him because when he sang, even the birds stopped to listen.
Katniss looks so much like her father, it hurt me. When Sean died in a mining accident, a part of me died with him. I have never loved a man so much in my entire life. I remember wainting to see, to see if this man would come back to me. When he didn't we left.
Months I blocked out my children, not being able to move, talk, or do anything. I felt empty. Incomplete.
We were ushered off into the Justice Building to say our good-byes to Katniss. Prim runs into the room crying and I stand there watching her hug her. It broke my heart, Katniss did everything to take care of this girl while I was gone, and now she was leaving. Katniss moves on to me, telling me not to block out Prim and that I have to live for her, I promised her I would.
The peacekeepers came in telling us to leave and I wanted to scream at them, cry at them for taking away my oldest daughter. Prim takes my hand and we walk down the street in silence. Tonight other families will celebrate that there children weren't reaped. But not us, mine was.
We reach the dirty Seam, where it is the poorer part of District 12.
Prim runs inside grabbing her cat buttercup, Katniss resented the cat, but I didn't mind it.
I walk into the kitchen and I prepare a soup with the squirrel Katniss hunted us earlier. I called Prim in for dinner and we ate in silence.
I looked at her sad face, one that resembled me so much when I was her age, we both had out blonde hair and blue eyes, and pale skin, very much different to what Katniss and Sean looked like.
"Its time for bed baby." I said to her and she nodded, I walked her to the shared room and tucked her into her bed and sang to her a lullaby I heard Katniss singing to her this morning.
Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your eyes
And when they open, the sun will rise.
Here it's safe, and here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when it's morning, they'll wash away.
Here it's safe, and here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
My voice isn't as sweet as Sean's and no where near close to as soft as Katniss's but still Prim drifts off into a light sleep.
I get up and head over to my mattress, I lay on the bed and I stare at the ceiling. Replaying the events of today. It must have been a while because now Prim was shaking me.
"What?" I asked softly.
"I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you?"
"For sure sweetie." I open my arms and she snuggles into my chest and I place my chin on the top of her head.
"Hey Sean." I begin my voice is shaky and I don't know why I am talking to him but it feels so right.
"Katniss is the bravest girl I know, she reminds me so much of you, she kept Prim alive, she did it. She volunteered for Th Hunger Games." I took a couple of deep breathes before I continue.
"You know I miss you so much, I miss the way you would come home and rub coal dust on my face and kiss the tip of nose." I laughed shakily tears streaming down my face. "I miss the way you used to sing to the girls, making everything so calm. I am sorry for all the times w have ever fought, I know it wasn't right, but thats what you do when you love someone, you disagree. I dream of you almost every night Sean. The way your eyes would sparkle when the girls would run up to you when you got home from work, or the gleam of excitement you got before going into the woods for hunting, the way you liked the danger so much."
I closed my eyes a few more tears streaming down my face and I breathe in trying to steady my voice.
Its a few minutes before I can speak again,
"I saw Stephen today, remember how you beat him up when we were 16 for him telling me he likes me?"I chuckled, "While he had a boy, 3 of the actually, but the youngest Peeta, he loves Katniss you know. I know you wouldn't of approved. But he loves her. He saved us once you know, he gave Katniss bread after you left me because I couldn't do anything to keep us alive. I miss you so much. I will never stop loving you, you are still the only one for me, and I can't wait to see you again, but it will be a while, but we will be together again." I finished speaking.
A few more tears fell down my cheeks and I guess Prim wasn't sleeping she wiped away my tears and got up grabbing the picture of Sean off of the mantle and putting it in between us.
"He isn't gone mother, he never will be." She said and I smiled kissing her cheek before closing my eyes and drifting off into a peaceful sleep.