Chapter 3:
Siblings Together Once Again
*Katniss POV*
I sat on the couch in the unfamiliar room. Prim was sitting in a chair across from me, her hideous cat hissed at me as he made his way to the open window, and my mother was making tea in the large kitchen.
Prim was telling me about her life during my absence. She talked about doing what I told her about selling the cheese she makes from her goat's milk. She talked about her friends, anything she could think of before getting to survival and the games.
Gale did as he promised. In the beginning he brought them game and stayed with them to watch the games at night, until I had found Peeta. Then he just made brief appearance stopping to drop off enough game for a few days before returning. Prim talked about the baker coming by when mother was out with patients, how he brought her warm bread.
"On the last night we all gathered in the square to watch, everyone." She said with tears in her eyes. "We all cheered when we thought you and Peeta were safe, and then they changed the rule… The whole square went silent. When you pulled out the berries, I thought you were going to die…" She was crying now, sobbing with large tear drops running down her face. I moved from my spot on the couch and across the room hugging her close.
"I'm alive, Prim."
"I'm so sorry," Before I could ask why she continued. "It was supposed to be me, you lost Rue, and you got hurt, and it should have been me!"
"Shh," I shushed her rocking her close. "I'm glad it wasn't you. I'm okay, and Peeta's okay. Everything is okay." I lied to the innocent girl in my arms. Snow was angry. I had committed an act he saw as dangerous to the Capitol. Prim didn't need to know that. I held her close and sang to her like I did before I left for the games after she had a nightmare.
Soon she was asleep in the chair. I placed her down and grabbed an expensive throw off the back of the couch to drape over her. My mother came in soon after and placed the tea on the mahogany coffee table.
She saw Prim asleep and awkwardly said, "I… I need to check on some patients in town. I'll be back in a bit." With that she hurried from the room, never looking me in the eye once.
The evil cat had moved to sit on the edge of the chair watching over Prim as she slept; at least he was good for something. I moved to the window and stared at Peeta's house, being without him had me feeling very alone. I sat and started to count the minutes until the stupid party…
*Peeta's POV*
I looked over to Ryelee who had a grin on his face. With our parents out of the house the mood lifted instantly. It was less awkward, and defiantly less hostile. Graham led me into the kitchen, pulling a little too hard at first and tripping me, until we finally reached a round table. He sat me down and pushed some warm rolls in front of me before they both joined me at the table.
"Does it feel weird, missing a leg?" Ryelee asked not-so-subtly as Graham shot him a look.
"Better than being dead," I said biting into the fresh bread. "I think it makes me look like a tragic hero." I said trying to joke with them after weeks apart.
It got a smile out of both of them and a smart comment out of Ryelee, "Good thing you came back with a girlfriend."
"Yes," Graham said adding to the conversation, "When do we get to meet our new sister?"
I smiled thinking of her, "You'll see her tonight."
"We've seen her many times. In a tree, in a cave…"
"Tomorrow probably," I said. "I think I'll invite her and her sister over here to bake for the day, relax."
"Tomorrow it is." Graham said, "Maybe I'll bring Melanie by." Ryelee groaned at the name.
"Melanie? The furniture maker's daughter?" I asked briefly remembering seeing the girl around the town.
"The very same," Graham said.
"They started dating not long after you left. She was comforting him apparently, it's sickening."
"You're just jealous," Graham said to Ryelee. "Even Peeta's got a girlfriend."
"Yea a seam girl mom will…"
I let out a growl that sent shocked looks across my brothers' faces, "Watch it."
Ryelee put his hands up in surrender, "I was just saying mom wouldn't approve, you know I'm not like that."
"Sorry," I said as there was a knock at the door. I got up shakily still adjusting to my leg and felt Graham following me to the door. I opened it to find Haymitch leaning against the house.
"What are you doing here?" I asked as I let him in.
"Effie sent me," He said with a smirk. "She is on her way to torcher your girlfriend, I volunteered to come and bring you a message. She wants you ready in an hour. You are to put on the clothes she has set aside for you in the closet and be at Katniss's door in one hour. No later or she will come and find you."
"Alright, I'll be there."
"See you at Katniss's in an hour," he said waving to Graham as he exited the house.
"You better get moving," Graham said showing me up the stairs to the largest room- my room. "There's a connecting bathroom as well." He left to go make Ryelee get ready as well.
I looked in at the clothes similar to the ones I wore being interviewed by Caesar Flickerman after the games. I closed the closet door heading into the bathroom to take a shower, less luxurious then those at the capitol but still a big improvement for anyone of district twelve.
*Katniss's POV*
For someone looking out the window I really should've seen whoever was knocking at the door approach it. I didn't, so when the noise reached my ears I cautiously went to the door stopping to smile reassuringly at Prim who was woken up by the noise. I have never been so relieved to see Effie in my entire life.
"Are you ready for our big, big, night?" She asked with a bright smile, in a different but equally bright outfit as she was in this morning.
I smiled tightly as she led my sister and I upstairs pushing us into our rooms and telling us to quickly shower. The warm water and cherry scented suds were relaxing, but Effie was quickly banging on the door telling me that I had an hour.
I dried quickly, applied lotion and put on the warm robe. When I excited I smiled at the scene in front of me.
"Well, the pleasure to meet you is all mine Miss Prim," Cinna said extending a hand to my little sister who was sitting on the bed in a similar robe.
"Cinna!" I said happily hurrying to hug him. He spun me around and kissed me cheeks, "Effie said you wouldn't be able to make it."
"I didn't want to get your hopes up in case I couldn't." He said pulling back to smile at me. Effie excused herself downstairs reminding us we were running out of time.
Cinna wasted no time opening the garment bag Effie had placed on my bed earlier. He pulled out a soft yellow gown too small for me.
"I would be honored if you would wear this gown tonight, Prim." He said treating my sister like a princess. She smiled widely at the dress. The fabric was soft and the color of evening primroses. It had inch wide straps and a straight neckline with a high waist. There was a darker yellow ribbon across the waist and a fabric primrose flower to the side. The dress flowed out landing just above the knee.
Smiling she took the dress from Cinna along with the matching shoes and hurried into the next room to put it on. Cinna pulled out another gorgeous gown meant for me. It was gold, the color of my pin. It was a sweetheart neckline and stopped just above the knee. The top was a darker gold, and the bottom was a lighter, flowing skirt I knew would be comfortable. He paired it with dark gold jewelry and heels that I could manage.
He helped me into the dress and shoes just as Prim came back into the room. Her soft yellow dress looked good against the dark gold in mine. He did light makeup on both of us. He put Prim's hair in soft curls, before doing elaborate braids in mine. He finished just as there was a knock on the door.
We all went downstairs. Peeta smiled at me when I got to the bottom. His outfit was similar to the one from our last interview, his shirt matching my dress. We met in the middle of the room and he gave me a light kiss before grasping my hand.
"Cinna it's good to see you again," He said shaking his hand.
"You too Peeta. Portia sends her best." Peeta smiled at this before giving my sister many compliments.
"We need to get going!" Effie said always sticking to the schedule. Everyone started out to the car but Peeta pulled me back.
"You look stunning," He whispered in my ear, kissing me one more time before leading me out to the car with the others.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review :)
