Hello humans! Another chapter where Rueby is six, and Nicky is around four. The support I've gotten for this story has been FANTASTIC! I'd like to give a HUGE shoutout to JustEatonDauntlessCake64 and BookLover2000! Thank you so much! And a special thanks to rachelmx, thank you so much for your kind review! It really means a lot! special thanks to BooksLover2000 for reading all the way through, it's greatly appreciated.
Happy reading.
Katniss hummed slightly as she washed the dishes after Peeta had made yet another brilliant breakfast. He'd since gone to the bakery until at least three.
She wasn't aware of what she was singing until she stopped to yell at Nicky in the other room, who was horsing around. The music rang in her ears in a somewhat deafening way.
Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when again they open, the sun will rise.
Here it's safe, 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 again it's morning, they'll wash away.
Here it's safe and here it's warm
And here the daisies guard you from every harm
And here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
Over and over they played in her head. She couldn't get rid of them and she was so stiff, she couldn't move if she wanted to. She wanted to run, to just forget about the memories this song brought. But she couldn't.
Her daughter tugged on her shirtsleeve. "Rue-" she choked. "Rueby, what is it baby?" She asked in a forced manner. Rueby didn't seem to notice the hurt behind her mother's words and said, "There's a man. At the door. Mama, he looks mean." She said. Katniss grabbed a kitchen knife. "You answered the door to a stranger?" She hissed. "I tried calling you but you didn't answer me." Rueby said, looking at her strangely. "Get Nicky and go play hide and seek in my room. That'll be..." She paused for a minute. "The plumber. The washer's broken." She lied. Rueby grinned and ran into the living room to grab Nicky. Katniss went to the door, clutching the kitchen knife hidden behind her back.
There was a peacekeeper at the door. She leaned on the wall and faced him, still holding the knife. "Mrs. Mellark?" He asked. "Yes?" She asked. "I'm here about your mother," he began. "I haven't heard from her in years." Katniss said before he could proceed. "I know. But, she's sick. We don't expect she'll live much longer, and she's requesting you." Katniss held her breath. "Oh," was all she could manage. It wasn't like they were close, they hadn't had a normal conversation since... Ever. But "She requested to see you, and your children. If you'll allow that." He said. "I'll give you time to process this. But the train is leaving tomorrow." Katniss nodded, and after he left, she slid down the wall and felt tears run down her cheeks.
She was alone.
An all too familiar feeling.
Katniss sat on the front porch six hours later. After sending the kids to nap two hours previously she had positioned herself to wait for Peeta. She held the baby monitor in her hand with direct feedback to Rueby and Nicky's room. She didn't hear a peep from them, though she was sure Rueby was awake and looking at her picture book.
Peeta had drawn it for her when he found out Katniss was pregnant, and had made one similar to that for Nicky. With Mrs. Everdeen being the last remaining relative on either side of the family, Peeta had insisted they at least inform her that she was a grandmother, while in no uncertain terms made sure she knew she wasn't welcome. It had taken a lot for Katniss to forgive her mother for abandoning Prim and herself the first time. After the war she couldn't bring herself to face her mother after the war. She had gone to district twelve and her mother in the Capitol, from what news had made it to her, her mother was trained to be a doctor and eventually head doctor in her time.
Now she was dying, and she had to make the decision between letting her die alone, and going to see her. "Katniss?" She was torn out of her state to see Peeta approaching her. "Hey," she said, kissing his cheek. "What's wrong?" He asked. "Come inside." She said.
He followed her, dreading whatever news he would get. She started some tea on the stove and sat across from him at the counter. "So a peacekeeper came to the house earlier," she began. His eyes widened. "He said my mother sent him." She continued. "She's dying, Peeta. She wants me and the kids to go and see her." She said bluntly. "Katniss..." Peeta began. "Are you going to do it?" She shook her head. "No. I don't want to go, she's never been there for me why should I keep this up. She doesn't need me anymore." She sighed, staring out the window and wiping tears out of her eyes. He went around the table and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
She cried into his shoulder while he rubbed her back. "She's my mom." Katniss said finally. "I have to. I have to go." "You don't have to do anything, Katniss." He said. "Yes I do. But, I'm not bringing the kids with me." She decided. He nodded. "I understand." She sighed and stared at her hands clasped on the table. "She's my mom." She repeated firmly.
Over the rest of the day, Peeta helped Katniss pack. When night came, and the kids were asleep, Katniss pulled out the old sketchbook she and Peeta has spent hours on hours making. She flipped through the old, frayed pages, looking at he old pictures, which now included Finnick, Mags and Prim. Peeta stayed by her the whole time. Until they fell asleep on the couch, the book still in hand.
Katniss sat quietly on her seat on the train, rubbing her hand on nervously on her suitcase. She hadn't seen her mother in near a decade, and now she only had a few minutes until she'd see her again. She had packed the small sketchbook Peeta had drawn pictures in, including Katniss holding Nicky for the first time, Rueby and Nicky jumping in mud, Katniss sipping mint tea in the morning, wearing a simple t-shirt and leggings, with Nicky holding his arms up to her.
She intended to show this book of precious memories to her mother. All of these drawings were photos, but the drawings added a sentimental touch.
While Katniss didn't trust her mother, and couldn't love her. She had taken on the head of household when she was young, and had accepted she was responsible for her mother. Which has influenced her decision to visit.
When she arrived in the Capitol, a place she had not visited for years, she was immediately lead to a tall apartment building by the peacekeeper, taking the elevator that she had once so enjoyed, but now barely noticed, to the top floor.
The peacekeeper left her at the door, with her suitcase in hand, she took a minute then knocked. A young girl with blonde curly hair and blue eyes opened the door. "You're Katniss?" She asked. "Yep." She said. The girl grabbed her arm and pulled her into the apartment, down the hall and to a bedroom.
Right before they entered the girl fixed Katniss' hair out of her face and took a handkerchief out of her pocket and wiped her face. "Alright. Don't raise your voice or add any stress to Mrs. Everdeen's environment. Do not open the curtains or turn on the lamp." She ordered before allowing Katniss into the room.
She had never seen her mother so pale or wrinkled. But, a lot could change with a persons appearance in ten years. She sat down next to the bed where Mrs. Everdeen was sleeping. She pulled out the sketchbook and hugged it close to her chest, waiting for her mother to wake.
After about half an hour she started to stir. "Katniss?" She asked softly. "Hey," Katniss greeted. "You came?" She asked. "Yeah, I came." Katniss said, taking her mother's hand. "I didn't think you would. I- I really messed up with you." She pulled herself into a sitting position. "I should've tried harder to be your mom when it counted. Now I'm barely part of your life." She said.
Katniss sighed, there was no argument in that. But this wasn't the time to point that out. "It's in the past. "I'm a mom," Katniss blurted out. Mrs. Everdeen smiled. "I know, did you bring them?" Katniss shook her head. "I- I didn't want them to come. Only know you when you're sick, I didn't want them to remember you like this." It wasn't a total lie, but now was not the time for truth.
"I name them Finnick Deen, And Rueby Prim." She said quietly. Her mother smiled. "I brought pictures." She opened the book to the first page, and showed it to her mother.
"They're beautiful." She said, touching the paper gingerly. "Um... Rueby just turned seven, and Nicky is two. They both like baking like their Daddy, and Rueby can shoot a target. Not very well, but she's learning." Katniss said. "Katniss, I don't want to just talk about them. How are you?" She asked. "I'm... Okay. It's been ten years, I'm managing." She said. Mrs. Everdeen smiled. "You're brave, you'll manage until there's no one to be brave for." All her life, she'd had to be brave, but now, she had even more to be brace for. People still depending on her, but she wasn't alone anymore. And she'd never be alone again.
"Will you be staying long?" Mrs. Everdeen asked, attempting to sit up. "I— I don't think that's a good idea. Peeta's alone with the kids and Haymitch is supposed to take Rueby, so I can stay for a couple of days." The sun was setting outside Mrs. Everdeen's window, and the girl in charge had just informed her that she had to leave.
"I'll come back tomorrow." Katniss offered. Her mother nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow." She affirmed. Katniss would be staying in a hotel not far down the street, where her bags had been taken hours previously. Instead of calling for a ride she simply walked. She already had the key so when she went in she simply took the elevator and found her room on her own.
So far, no one was aware that she was in the Capitol. As she was pretty well known, the press would have a field day if and when they did find out. So for now the staff had not been informed who would be staying in their room and the manager had promised to keep his mouth shut after a wordy call from Haymitch.
Katniss closed the hotel door and laid down on her bed, closing her eyes for a minute before she picked up the phone and dialed her home number. The person who picked up wasn't Peeta but Rueby. "Hello?" She asked. "Hey, Rueby, it's mommy. Is daddy home?" Katniss asked. There was silence on the other end for a minute and then she said, "Um... Nicky wants to talk to you." She said. "Rueby don't put Nicky on the—" Katniss began quickly. "Hey Mommy!" Nicky shouted. "Can you hear me?" He shouted. "Yes, I can hear you. What's going on? Did uncle Haymitch come over? Where's your dad?" Katniss asked. "He's not home and uncle Haymitch is in charge." Nicky said in a normal voice. "Finnick Deen! We aren't supposed to tell her that 'cause she's not supposed to worry about us."
Katniss sighed and put her face in her hand. "Finnick, put Haymitch on the phone." She sighed. "He doesn't want to talk." Nicky said. "Tell him mommy said if he doesn't get on the phone in ten seconds I'm going to—" "Hey Sweetheart, I understand you want to talk to me?" Haymitch asked. "Haymitch what are you doing to my house?" She asked. "Nothing! Everything's fine!" He exclaimed. "Uncle Haymitch! The sink is overflowing! Should I leave it or turn it off?" Rueby shouted. "Turn it off!" Haymitch shouted. "Oh my God, Haymitch do I need to come home?" She asked.
"Nope. We're having a grand time. Peeta'll be home soon I'll have him call you back then. Love from the kids." There was a click that meant the conversation was over. She sighed. "Haymitch…" She muttered. She threw the phone across the room and let it hit the cushioned chair. "Please don't die." She whispered.
Peeta called her later and assured her all the things that Haymitch had said. Basically, the house would be in ruins when she got back but they were all alive and that's what mattered. Somehow, during the night, someone had informed the press that she was staying in the capitol and within a matter of hours someone had recovered footage from a security camera of her walking into the hotel. She'd emailed Peeta and told him to check out the news and he'd replied with a picture of Nicky and Rueby pointing at her on the TV in the basement.
Within the hour the tear-jerking story of her reasons in the capitol had been released and by morning it was decided that she wouldn't be able to walk to see her mom the next day. So when eleven thirty rolled around the next day, there was a car waiting for her as well as a crowd.
Peeta's POV
"Rueby, please get off the coffee table." Peeta begged. He had been alone with the kids for the whole day and things were going terribly. Nicky was singing at the top of his lungs some song that was incredibly stupid and Rueby was making a big mess with torn up paper from the computer room. "Daddy! I'm being artistic! My teacher says art is a very special thing and different to all people!" She exclaimed. "Not on the coffee table!" How on earth did Katniss keep these little demons under control?! They even seemed polite when she was around. "Daddy!" Rueby whined, running into the other room.
"Nicky cut that out!" Peeta shouted. Nicky stopped singing and stared at his dad for a minute. Then he simply started singing again even louder. "Daddy! We're out of food!" Rueby screamed. Peeta groaned and picked up the house phone. He dialed the number to Haymitch and silently prayed that he found his old friend sober. "Hello Sweetheart," Haymitch greeted, sounding normal enough… He deemed it appropriate to invite him over, something Katniss had decided they be careful on, and was grateful now for that.
"It's not Katniss. Katniss is in the Capitol, because of a family emergency, and the kids are completely out of food and the kids are completely and totally out of control and can you watch them for half an hour while I go to Sae's to get dinner?" He asked in one breath. Haymitch was silent for a moment then sighed and muttered an "alright,".
When he arrived three minutes later and Peeta immediately ran to Sae's, arriving in ten minutes, managed to get four meals in six minutes and walked home in twenty, half the time that had been doubled when walking with soup. He opened the door and walked through the door to find Rueby and Nicky sitting on the couch quietly. When he asked them what they were doing they simply shushed him and told him they weren't supposed to talk.
He raised his eyebrows at them but proceeded to the kitchen, which had bubbles overflowing from the sink and crumbs all over the place. Haymitch showed up with towels and said, "Ah, welcome back." He said. "How did you get the kids to quiet down?" He asked. "My amazing persuasion skills, Katniss will want you to call her back, the last phone call maybe didn't go so well… But also I don't think she was expecting much." Haymitch said. "Tell her I've taken care of the kids and they've promised to be good." He said, patting him on the back and handing him the towels.
Peeta called the kids in for dinner and scrubbed the floors clean before returning to his now cold soup. He noticed that Haymitch had taken his own, and remembered to call Katniss. As usual, he assured her everything was fine and they were having everything was going well. She didn't believe him, and for good reason. But seemed to accept the children and Peeta would be alive when she returned and that, in however many pieces, there would be a home as well.
Peeta hung up the phone and tucked the kids in, going downstairs and cleaning the living room "thoroughly". However hard he tried he wasn't good at cleaning, while he was fantastic at cooking and emotional support. Eventually he climbed the steeper than usual stairs, noting vaguely how quiet the children were being, and then proceeded to kick his shoes off and bury himself in the blankets on his bed, only to find Nicky was there and pushed him onto the other side, falling into a deep sleep. Only to be woken the next morning by Nicky who needed breakfast, and they were out of food.
Katniss' POV
As it turned out, being the Mockingjay was something that wouldn't soon be forgotten, and doing anything without having someone getting excited. After all these years, no one had forgotten the war, or at least Katniss' role in the war. She couldn't go anywhere without being drowned in the crowd, so she couldn't buy her own food, buy a souvenir for her kids, who would likely never go to the Capitol until they were at least adults… Which was mercifully far away. So her mother's caregiver, Zani, took care of every meal and picked up a necklace for Rueby and a ball for Nicky.
So Katniss wound up sitting with her mother and trying to tell her all about the kids late in the evening. "Rueby is getting really good with her bow. Peeta didn't want her to learn how to shoot but eventually settled on letting her start when she turned five. She doesn't show much interest in it but Nicky is going to be a natural, I can tell." She said, smiling at the thought of her son shooting. He looked so much like his father, yet was so much like her. Stubborn and bullheaded.
Rueby was so like Prim it hurt. Sweet and thoughtful. "You're going to teach your children to shoot?" She asked. "Mm hmm, and they'll be hunting when they're ten." She said. "Katniss…" Her mother began. "It's a very important skill." Katniss explained. "What are you talking about? They'll never have to worry about money!" Mrs. Everdeen criticized. "We've decided not to leave them any money." Katniss muttered. "Why not?" She demanded. "We want them to make their own way in the world." She explained calmly. "It's not that easy! What if they can't find a job?" Her mother demanded.
"It's not as hard these days. They could do anything they wanted in any district. And if they can't it's not like they won't have anywhere to go!" Katniss exclaimed, flaring up at her mother. "Oh so that's your plan? To be selfish with you money and leaving your children to starve?" Katniss stared at her mother for a minute. "Mother! What the Hell is wrong with you? At least I'm there for my children. I'm not a stranger to them who forces them to look after me. At least they have a chance in life!" She exclaimed, jumping to her feet. She glared at her mother for a minute then sighed. "I'm leaving." She muttered, grabbing her bag and exiting the apartment, her mother calling after her.
She pushed through the crowd of reporters outside and ran back to the hotel. When she arrived back at the hotel she immediately picked up the phone and called Peeta. She explained the entire situation to him, "Wait, wait, wait. Calm down, Katniss." He said. "Don't do something rash. She's your mother, and you don't want that to be the last thing you remember of her, right?" He asked. "It's not like I have many fond memories with her…" She began. "Katniss. She tried to reach out to you. You can at least go in, fake a smile, apologize and tell her you have to go home because of some emergency." He says. "But Peeta," "Katniss, if for no one else do it for her. She hasn't had a family for twenty years. She's just worried about what will happen to them after she's gone, and she doesn't want her grandkids to be left alone. It's perfectly natural."
Katniss sighed. "I'll sleep on it." She muttered. "Thank you. Goodnight Katniss, Love from the kids." He said. "Love you. I'll see you day after tomorrow." She said.
The next day Katniss woke up, stopped by a store and picked up some flowers, and brought them to her mother's apartment, also carrying her luggage. Ignoring the reporters yet again. She walked into the elevator and rode to her mother's floor, and went in to apologize. It was going to be brief, but she genuinely did mean it. Peeta made a lot of sense, and she decided she agreed with him.
She opened the door to her mother's apartment and walked in. Only to be stopped by Zani, whose eyes were pink and was sniffing. "Hello, Katniss." She said. "Hey," Katniss greeted awkwardly. "What's wrong?" She asked. "Your mother…" She trailed off. Took a turn for the worst last night. She died early this morning.
Katniss covered her mouth with her hand. "Al- Alright. Umm… Thank you." She said. "I've, I've got to go. See ya," She muttered, turning around and setting the flowers on the table and composing herself and walking to the train station. She waited for an hour before the train arrived. She pulled her suitcase into her compartment and rode home, only letting a few tears slip down her cheeks, she didn't feel that much pain for her mother's death as she had for others. The woman who had raised her gained as much remorse as Katniss had felt for Rue, who she had known for only weeks before her death, than her mother. She shook her head slightly, deciding it was best not to compare the two.
I would like clarify that I have not finished with this story. I just took down all of the short chapters and combined them into one giant chapter. It's just more convenient for everyone involved. You guys are amazing, thank you for sitting through this incredibly long process of getting this short story done. It means a lot!