A/N: This chapter will be about Katniss going into the hunger games alone; some of the characters will be changed, sorry. I don't know all of them. Peeta's mom is nice! She never beat him and she is loving and caring! Also the plot will be different of course, sorry about that too. It will start when Peeta finds out that Katniss is going back in.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Some characters and direct quotes come from the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.
Katniss's POV
A few hours after Peeta went into work for the day, I walked into town to get some bandages and medicine, because we were out. After I had gotten the medicine, I was passing by Peeta's family bakery and decided to step into say hello. Peeta was behind the counter filling out a receipt.
"I will be with you in a minute." Peeta said, not looking to see me yet.
I nodded wordlessly and after a final few numbers, Peeta looked up.
"How can I- Oh, hi Katniss," Peeta recognized me. "What are you doing here?" He smiled.
I shrugged. "I was just picking up some medicine and bandages and decided to come see you." I smiled leaning over the counter and he caught my hint to kiss him as he lead over as well and over lips touched.
"I am glad you came by." Peeta whispers as he pulls away, he gets up disappears into the back room for a second, and came back with a piece of bread that had cheese on top of it, my favorite. He hands it to me. "Take this, you look hungry."
He was right; I was very hungry as my stomach growled.
"Thank you." I replied, pulling out my wallet.
"Katniss, you know I am not going to let you pay for that." Peeta said pulling out his own wallet and placing money into the register. I hold out his hand and place some money into it.
"Then it is a tip." I smile as I curl his fingers around the money and kiss him before he can protest. "You know I am not going to let you protest." I whisper against him kissing his cheek.
Peeta sighed, "I know." A customer walked in and we broke apart. "I'll see you at home, love." He told me, grabbing my hand and kissing it before he started to help the customer. I smiled at him.
No one made me as happy as Peeta Mellark does. He makes me smile every time I see him. Blush when I kiss him and giggle when he smiles at me. I am like a teenager with a crush. I laughed at that thought because I was a teenager with a crush.Peeta and I were both seventeen but it was more than a crush. We were in love and would always be in love.
Picking up the bread he gave me, I walked out of the bakery; smiling like a loon while I walked down the street of the town. I took a bite of the bread and marveled again at how great of a cook Peeta was.
Of course, he told me that I was a great cook as well. I smiled at the memories we have of cook-offs in our house. We would laugh and tell our partner that they were the better cook. Peeta always said that I was better and I would never agree because Peeta had always been a baker and his food proved it.
Two people in all white uniforms and heavy looking guns interrupted my thoughts. They blocked my way to my house and then one of them shoved an envelope in my hand before walking away without a word.
Silenced with fear, I open the letter.
Dear Miss Katniss Everdeen,
I have some good news and some bad news. You are going back into the hunger games, for the Quarter Quell. I sincerely do apologize for this. The good news is that well only you are going in and not Peeta Mellark. We thought this would make you slightly happy.
From,
Your gracias President Snow
I stared at the letter, frozen. I was going back into the Quarter Quell. I was going back into the arena. Without Peeta? That did make me happy but sad. There was no way he was going to allow this.
Clutching the letter tightly, I ran back to the Mellark's bakery.
"Peeta!" I yelled running into the bakery. "Peeta!" I screamed, completely cutting everyone in line, and clutching his arm not wanting the tears to fall
"Katniss! I'm sorry, customers. Katniss, you can't just -Katniss, what's wrong?" Peeta asked worriedly, noticing the tears in my eyes. "Mom? Will you take these people while I talk to her?"
"Of course, honey." Mrs. Mellark who was rubbing my back ran behind the counter to the register. Great. Now my first impression on Peeta's mom is that I am some kind of freak that cries and cuts people in line. She is going to hate me.
Peeta took me into the backroom as the letter started to burn in my hand. I ignored it for now though. Peeta sat me down on a bench and bent down in front of me, placing his hand on both my shoulders.
"What's wrong?" Peeta asked.
"I'm sorry about your mom. I didn't see her." I apologized as my tears fell.
"It's alright, Katniss. She loves you because I love you." Peeta hushed me. "No, what is wrong?" He asked urgently.
I started to cry hysterically as my head fell on his shoulder and he hugged me and rubbed my back in comfort.
"They are sending me back in, Peeta. They are sending me in again." I choked out, his shoulder getting damp as I cried.
"Shhh. Katniss calm down and explain. Who is sending you into what again?" Peeta asked calmly, his hands moving in circular motions on my back.
I took a deep breath trying to calm myself, "President Snow is sending my back into the Hunger Games for the Quarter Quell." I told him, watching his facial expressions.
Peeta's eyes announced what his mouth couldn't and that is that his emotions were sad, angry, and confused.
"Who told you that? Why do you think that? Why would you be, you already won!" Peeta's questions started quiet but he ended up yelling.
"When I left here a few minutes ago, some soldiers came up to me and handed me this letter from President Snow." I replied handing him the letter, could it really be a mere five minutes ago that my fate was announced for me?
Peeta's hands were shaking as he read the five-sentenced letter. Peeta crumbled up the letter after he finished and threw it across the room, what with Peeta's anger the paper caught flame. He then grabbed my arms.
"You are not going in again, Katniss. I will not allow it." Peeta yelled, terrifying me as his hands heat up around my arms.
"It is President Snow, Peeta; he wanted me dead ever since I pulled out those berries." I told him, shifting uncomfortably from the heat.
"I don't care that it is President Snow! We almost ate those berries together. At least we should go back in together!" Peeta screamed.
I was frozen in fear, staring into his now fire blue eyes as he shook me. I was terrified never seeing this side of my loving, compassionate, caring Peeta before.
"Katniss, you are not going back in!" He yelled again.
"Peeta, you are burning me." I was only capable of uttering a whisper.
Peeta's eyes flashed to pain and he let go of me immediately staring at the now red burned spots that were where his fingers were. He backed up to the other side of the room and his head fell into his hands.
"Katniss, I am so sorry." He whispered. "I was just so mad, I hurt you. I told you I would never do that. I am so sorry."
I got up off the bench and crossed the room to my beloved Peeta and removed his hands from his face and made him look at me. He had tears in his eyes.
"Peeta, it is okay. I am not hurt. You were just mad. It's okay." I told him, giving him a brief kiss. When I pulled back, a tear fell.
"I can't let you go back in, Katniss." Peeta whispered, laying his head on my shoulder.
I couldn't respond, simply because I did not know what to say. I didn't know why President Snow hated me so much. Actually, I did but I didn't know why he was holding a grudge simply because I could not live without Peeta and he couldn't live without me.
"Peeta?" A voice asked from behind us. I turned my head around to see Peeta's mother standing in the doorway. "Katniss?" I tried to step away but Peeta kept me in his arms.
"Yes, mother?" Peeta asked reluctantly.
"I was just going to make sure everyone was alright." Peeta's mother, Raiko, replied and I saw Peeta's two older brothers; Connor and Ryan behind her.
I felt rude by just standing there and not introducing myself so I walked over to the family.
"Hello, I am Katniss Everdeen." I say to all of them.
"Greet to meet you, Katniss. Finally," Raiko replied. "I think I should thank you, because you saved my Peeta. My name is Raiko Mellark." She smiled at me as she hit her oldest sons.
After staring at me as if I were the President, Connor was the first to speak. "Katniss Everdeen! With my brother? Wow! Great to meet you and umm," He hugged me, "if you ever get tired of Peety make sure you look me up." He whispered in my ear and pulled back winking.
"Great to meet you two?" I replied taking a step back that would land me in Peeta's arms once again.
Ryan ruffled Peeta's hair before speaking, "Great job, Peeta. She is beautiful and brave. Excellent work in the Hunger Games, Katniss, it is lovely to meet you." He kissed my hand.
"Thank you, Ryan." I replied blushing.
Ryan Mellark had brown hair and the same blue eyes as Peeta's. He was taller and leaner than Peeta as Peeta was sturdier. Ryan's personality was a lot like Peeta's, he was a gentlemen, kind, smiled about anything, and could talk to anyone; very social.
Connor Mellark on the other hand, looked almost identical to Peeta but the parallelism stopped there. He was arrogant, self-confident, unmanly and babyish. I remembered when Peeta's family came to greet him after we won last year. The first thing he said to Peeta about winning was that he could have done it in his sleep.
As for Raiko, she had brown hair like Ryan and hazel eyes. Raiko had a kind smile, heart-shaped face, and a very-motherly persona. She had a similar personality as Peeta and Ryan which made me wonder where Connor got his arrogance.
Silently, she healed my burnt arms with her neutering abilities with a blink of an eye. I thanked her quietly to which she nodded winking at me.
Peeta glanced at me before responding to Raiko's earlier question, "Everything is not alright. Katniss got a letter from President Snow saying that she had to go back into the games for the Quarter Quell." Peeta announced wrapping his arms around my shoulders.
They all gasped.
"Why would they make you do that, honey?" Ryan asked. In a weird way, I liked how he called me pet names they were of comfort and not of affection.
"There was no explanation." I replied sadly.
"That is not fair; they can't just send you in –"Raiko started.
"She is not going in again." Peeta said firmly.
"Peeta, dear, I know you don't want her to go in, but we can't just deny the President." Raiko said rubbing Peeta's arm lightly.
"We have before, as soon as we pulled out the berries." Peeta argued.
"Peety, but this is President Snow we are talking about. He refuses to help District 12; he refuses to feed, cloth, or even fund us some money. He will refuse your pleas." Connor said negatively.
"I don't care, Connor. This is a life or death situation! Katniss has already won! Why would he put her back in?" Peeta screamed as Connor's leg caught fire.
I placed my hands on Peeta's face and tried to calm him, successfully. Connor's leg flame went down slowly and he was unharmed. Suddenly, Haymitch ran into the back room with a beer bottle in his hand.
"I just heard the news. Sweetheart, are you alright?" Haymitch asked, slurring slightly.
"She is not going in!" Peeta yelled again. "Why would she go back in, Haymitch?"
"They do this sometimes; to see if the winners can prove they are winners and win again. I was worried about this happening when both of you won last year and I knew that they would put Katniss back in to test her and her love for you." Haymitch explained. "However, this year they are more lineate because you can win in a group of three."
"Why would they test Katniss? Why not both of them?" Raiko asked.
"Because that would be too easy; with Peeta in there as well, that would be too easy for them to be in love again. " Haymitch said, spinning to face her.
"Why though? Why would they guess my love if it is true?" I asked hopelessly.
"Sweetheart, look at the facts, President Snow is lonely, unloved, and doesn't know a beetle from a giraffe. He doesn't know love. You do." Haymitch told me laying a hand on my shoulder although; the hand was more to steady him than to comfort me. Peeta and Ryan helped him to the bench to sit him down.
Haymitch continued, "Now you go out there and you win with the male tribute from 12." We all gasped, cutting him off.
"Has he already been chosen? Maybe I could volunteer for him." Peeta said.
"Who is it?" I asked urgently, praying it would be someone who liked me.
"A male named Michael Rodgers." Haymitch answered. Damn it.
"Great, absolutely fantastic," I muttered sarcastically. "He hates me."
"Why?" Ryan asked curios.
"My best friend, Jennifer Bates, that's her ex boyfriend and Jennifer, made me break up with him for her." I started.
"And?" Connor asked.
"How do you know he hates you?" Raiko asked.
"He through a shoe at my head and told me he hated me." I shrugged.
Raiko and Connor nodded, "That is unfortunate."
"Then, make him love you. Make him want to save you. Or make new alliances if you have to." Haymitch ordered me. I nodded.
"He threw a shoe at you?" Peeta asked angrily.
"Where does he live?" Ryan demanded appearing beside Peeta. I liked how Ryan acted so gentlemanly and like Peeta. Connor just stood there, unfazed.
"Can I go on the train with you?" Peeta asked Haymitch.
"Of course you would," I muttered they all turned to me, confused, "Well he is my mentor now, isn't he?" I explained asking.
That took a minute for them to sink in with them.
"Yes, I suppose I am." Peeta smiled at me, placing an arm around my shoulders.
"We have to go now." Haymitch told us.
Peeta seemed to face the facts as we hugged his family, met up with Michael, and boarded the train with Effie.
"What about the reaping?" I asked Effie as she showed me to my room, crying; from me being in again.
"It already happened, when you opened the letter it was recorded and as for Michael he had to go to the actually reaping." Effie replied, in her green wig glory.
"So Peeta couldn't volunteer?" I asked angrily. Effie nodded sadly.
The plan was so evil it made me want to scream. They gave me a letter so that I would run to Peeta and stall him while they pick the male tribute. Disgusting.
"I'm sorry." Effie sniffled her apology.
I shook my head, "I should have seen it coming." I said as I hugged her.
After we hugged for awhile and Effie cried on my shoulder apologizing every ten seconds, Peeta came to the room.
"Katniss? We need you in here." Peeta called to me before taking one of Effie's and my hand's to lead us out to the living room part of the train.
We walked into the living room to find Haymitch sitting across from Michael with a two chairs on either side. Just like last year, when Peeta and I first met Haymitch. Now everything was so different, of course. Peeta was teaching me and I was the tribute again.
I glanced at Peeta but he just gave me a sad smile and led me to the seat beside Michael and sat across from me. I took a deep breath before sitting down, willing myself to keep calm.
"Oh great, Katniss Everdeen is my partner?" Michael asked out loud, clearly angry.
I gave him a smile, "Yes, I am happy about this too." I replied sarcastically.
"Enough." Haymitch ordered we turned to him. "You two do not have to be friends. There is nothing saying that you two have to work together."
"Good, because I am not working with this criminal." Michael announced.
"Oh, like you are a ray of sunshine." I fired back slumping back in my chair.
"I said enough." Haymitch glared at me as he said this. "I know the circumstances are bad but can you at least pretend to like each other, you have enough fighting to do on the arena." Haymitch stopped us.
"I'll train Katniss." Peeta says. I look up at him and I know he is wondering the same thing, what can he train me? I learned everything he did last year. But I nodded.
"I'm not sure how I feel about that, but okay." Haymitch nodded. "You two better be working."
Peeta laughed without humor, "We will be."
Michael scoffed. "Let's all pretend that is real." He got up and patted my shoulder.
"That's it." I jumped out of my seat and gave him a perfect kick to the temple.
"Katniss!" Peeta yelled but it was too late; we were already fighting.
Effie screamed as Michael grabbed a knife from the table and tried to stab me but I dodged it easily. I sent another kick into his chest. There was suddenly a gun shot through the roof. Haymitch was standing in the middle of the room with a gun pointed at the ceiling where a bright sunshine was coming through it.
"Walk away sweetheart!" He commanded me. I turned to him in amazement. "Walk away Katniss!" He demanded.
I looked between Peeta and Haymitch and then turned away huffing my annoyance and walked into my room, as the door opened without anyone touching it. I ignored that and sat on my bed willing myself to calm down. Peeta placed a hand on me and rubbed my back. He curled me up so that I was wrapped in his arms in his lap.
While I calmed down, I rubbed the leather necklace that Peeta had given me during the first Games. Peeta watched me as I did this and I gave him a brief kiss, but that brief kiss turned into a heated kiss and after a minute or two I pulled away. Peeta laid his forehead on mine.
"Katniss, you can't do that." He scolded me.
"I don't care if he talks about me, if he talks about you, Peeta, I am going to kill him." I told him.
Peeta smiled, seeming not being able to help himself, "As hot as that is, I can handle myself and without hurting people."
I rolled my eyes, "I know how do you do that?" I exasperated truly wondering.
Peeta laughed, "I don't know. I don't mind when people talk about me, the same as you, when people talk about you…" Peeta trailed off, getting mad at the thought. I kissed him.
"As hot as that is," We laughed as I quoted him, "I suppose we are just way too protective over each other."
"I believe that is a good thing, love." Peeta replied lovingly.
"I do too." I told him as I realized how close we were and I kissed him again.
We kissed for a few minutes and Peeta pulled away looking around the room, seeming to be thinking about something as one hand was in his pocket. He slipped me off of him and I felt rejected until his kissed me for a searing but brief kiss. Peeta took my hands and smiled.
"Katniss Everdeen, ever since I first saw you I loved you. I thought that your beauty lit up a room and your smile could wake the dead. Then, last year, I was the happiest I have ever been in the Games because for once we were actually talking. After that, you told me that you loved me when you found me hidden as a rock, words couldn't describe my happiness.
"I love you so much and every day I thank God because you wake up next to me. So," Peeta took a deep breath and sank to the floor on one knee, "Katniss Everdeen will you give me the honor of marrying me?"
The ring was the most beautiful sight I ever saw, except for maybe Peeta. It was a small circular diamond that was surrounded in a square of diamonds and then the band was in a beautifully sculpted with different shapes of diamonds all around the band. The beauty never stopped, just like Peeta's. Every inch of him was gorgeous. (A/N: If you would like to see it there will be a picture on my profile.)
I noticed then that I never said anything, "Yes, of course I will." I nodded the tears falling freely. I bent down to kiss Peeta before he slide the ring on my left hand fourth finger. "It is so beautiful. I love it." I gasped. "Thank you."
Peeta laughed, "No love, thank you."
A/N: Thanks for reading! So how did you like it? Tell me please! I need to know! Haha. Have a great Easter! I love you all!
VMars lover thank a lot! I hope you liked this chapter!
