A/N: Sorry for missing an update. I was at a music festival all weekend, and we're redoing my room, and I had a lack of inspiration. But thanks for sticking with me anyway!
For the next little while, updates are going to be rather random because of vacations and such. Sorry in advance!
I don't own the Hunger Games, sadly.
Once a Baker, Always a Baker:
I can't explain how I took the news. It came as a shock to everyone, I think. No one thought that we would be able to get District 2 on the rebels' side so quickly. So I guess I was surprised. But what really got me was that Katniss got shot in the process. Served her right. I hoped she was seriously injured. For a few days, that was all anyone would talk about in my little room.
I'd decided to stop calling my room a cell. The people here are genuinely nice, mostly. The little girl with blonde hair never came in again, though, and I still can't figure out who it was. It was starting to drive me crazy.
They only showed me videos a couple of times. The doctors were saying that I was getting better, but I didn't feel much different. I guess that I'd decided that Katniss didn't burn down Twelve, but that doesn't mean she wasn't responsible for this war and all of my pain.
Anyway, Doctor Aurelius came to visit me, and I was glad. I hadn't seen him for a while. Alone, anyway. He was always around, but there were other people too.
He rolled his usual black chair around to face me. "Hello. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Yeah, Doc. I was beginning to think that you deserted me," I responded, with a wink.
"See? Why can't you be charming all the time? It seems that I'm the only person you're nice to," he said, returning my wink with a scowl.
"Hey, I'm plenty nice. I've stopped giving everyone death stares." I leaned my head up against the back of my lounging chair and stared at the ceiling. "The only people I'm not nice to are the ones who are rotten anyway."
"Peeta..." he began.
"Don't even, Doc. You're never going to convince me that she isn't evil."
"That isn't what I was going to say. I was going to suggest that you give her a chance. Now that she's back, you could talk to her."
"I don't want to. It's as simple as that. She's the reason my family and friends are dead. You don't understand that – they're ALL DEAD!" I jolted my head up and stared into his eyes. They showed empathy, but I didn't want any of it. I leaned my head back down.
"I know I can't ever understand, Peeta, but I do try. And the team of doctors here think that it's in your best interest to have a conversation with her."
"Whatever," I reply, trying to appear nonchalant. But now that he's suggested it, I can't escape the idea. At first, I thought I didn't want to see Katniss, but I realized that they were suggesting something that could be a wonderful opportunity for me. I could let Katniss know how much I didn't like her, and maybe even do it without physically hurting her. I'd think about it later, because the doctor's voice drew me out of my thoughts.
"So there's one more thing we need you on board for, Peeta," he began, using his careful voice. He only uses it when he's worried that I'll freak out about something, so it worries me.
"Okay, shoot," I responded, trying to sound cheerful.
"The audience in the Capitol loves a good wedding. And this one is going to show that even though there's a war, we can still enjoy ourselves because the Capitol doesn't control us."
"What? I am not marrying anyone!" I don't know why I jumped to this conclusion. Something had gone off in my head; a vague memory. Am I married? I didn't think so, but just in case, I'd better not get married.
"Oh, no, Peeta. Not you. Finnick and Annie. We would like to you to decorate the wedding cake," he said with a smile. "It might be good therapy," he added quickly. He was trying to rein me in, but I didn't mind.
"I guess I could. I'm probably the best guy you've got for the job."
"Definitely. Plutarch just got allowance for the cake from the president, and so it's baking right now. You can start tomorrow, and you have a week." On that note, he smiled at me and left the room.
I couldn't believe that I was being given the opportunity to decorate a cake! I mean, eating pudding on my own was a fairly big accomplishment. But this was a whole new level of trust. The doctors must really think that I'm getting better. And I'm honoured.
I start to plan how I'm going to decorate such a huge cake, but my body has other ideas. I fall into a restless sleep with only a short dream.
"...two Tributes from the same District will be allowed to win the Games! May the odds be ever in your favour!" The loudspeaker crackled and lost its life.
In the distance, I heard a woman's voice faintly call, "Peeta!" Silence followed.
She was coming for me. She wouldn't want to kill me now, because it didn't make sense. Why kill me if either way, she would win? But Katniss is greedy. She would have wanted the fame and glory all for herself. I had no doubt about it. But Katniss did pay attention to logic. Maybe she would find it in her heart to spare me.
I tried to roll over for the millionth time, and failed yet again. If Katniss does come for me, maybe she'll make me better.
I can't believe that I went from hating her for maliciously dropping a trackerjacker nest on me, to depending on her for my own safety.
I've lost my pride.
I wanted to thrash and break out of the cuffs that kept me to the chair to get to Katniss, but I could barely move. I hadn't even opened my eyes. I didn't want to feel ashamed that Katniss controlled me. I wanted to rip her head off. It felt like a natural instinct, like I was born to end her life. But I knew that I had to wake up sooner or later, so I forced my eyes open to escape my dreams.
I woke up and looked at my wrists. They were completely bruised from my thrashing and pushing, and they hurt. I tried not to look at them, so I turned my attention straight forward.
I was facing a wall of white. Only this time, it wasn't my cell. It was a cake. A gigantic, four-tiered mass of deliciousness, just like the kind that used to be in the windows at the front of the bakery in District 12. Although those used to be smaller. I wished that I could eat it – and I almost took a handful – until I remembered that my arms were still strapped down, and I was supposed to decorate it, not eat it. Dang.
The door flung open and in strode a familiar face. "Well, I haven't seen you in a while, have I?" he asked, taking Doctor Aurelius' usual seat. He didn't belong there.
"Haymitch, what are you doing here?" I demanded angrily, remembering that he had kept quite a few things away from me.
"Oh, please. As if they weren't going to save the mentors when they blasted the arena sky-high."
"They shouldn't have." I continued to glare at him.
"Well aren't you a ray of sunshine. Lover boy, what's eatin' you? Angry, as usual? You seemed pretty upset while you were sleeping," he asked me in his usual teasing voice. I found the words to exclaim my anger. Even though he was kidding, I responded seriously.
"No! I'm perfectly fine! You just never told me anything! Why didn't you save me? Or tell me the plans?" I was yelling. Then I lowered my eyes. "We were a team," I continued, mumbling.
Haymitch had the good sense to lower his gaze as well. He seemed almost ashamed. "We didn't tell you or Katniss anything. After the arena exploded, you two would be the first that they were after." He took a deep breath, and looked back up at me. I had resumed glaring at him. "We tried to save you both, but you were too far apart. The Capitol scooped you up, and we managed to grab Katniss."
I had nothing to say. I was still blazingly angry, but I knew he was telling the truth. I sighed. "So why are you here, Haymitch?" I asked, returning to my first question.
"Well, I already did my first job. Talking to you." He looked up and to the left, trying to remember. "I'm supposed to help you with the decorations of the cake by telling you what the wedding is going to be like. Did you have any ideas?"
"It's District 4, so, sea stuff."
"That's really going to be helpful," he smirked. "You might want to get more specific."
"Well, what's the wedding going to be like?" I asked, trying to conjure up a picture in my head.
"Kids are singing a song, there'll be dancing, the decorations are simple, and there are a couple of District 2 traditions. I'd focus on District 2, though."
"Water? A beach? Flowers? Sea animals? Sorry, that's all I've got."
"Ehh, works for me. I don't really care; it's not my cake."
"Right. So can I get started?" I asked. I was eager to get going, because it meant that I'd have to be let out of my handcuffs. Plus, I hadn't frosted anything a very long time.
"Yeah, I guess so. Let me go grab your security guards," he responded, and left the room.
I knew it was too good to be true. I was going to be under heavy lock and key. Oh well. Seeing Haymitch wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, so this would be fine.
Within minutes, I was given bags and bags of multicoloured frosting. It was sweet butter cream, one of my favourites. I can't deny that I was having the time of my life. I only finished part of a tier that day, but it gave me hope. I felt like I was back to normal; I didn't have a care in the world. All of the concentration that I had been missing for weeks came back to me, and I frosted like there was no tomorrow.
But there was a tomorrow. And I frosted. For an entire week, I frosted that cake to perfection. It was the hardest I'd ever worked on a cake in my life, but it was entirely worth it. Haymitch promised to take a picture of Finnick and Annie's expressions when they saw it, and I couldn't wait.
The last day of frosting, I took a step back to admire my handiwork. The cake was beautiful. The first thing you notice are the blue-green waves that were topped with white. They looked so realistic that I was afraid to get wet. Then there were fish, sailboats, seals and my famous flowers. I had never done anything other than flora before, so it almost looked like someone else had done the rest. But the flowers were my trademark, and I hoped that the people from District 12 would recognise them.
Haymitch comes in shortly after to have a look at what I've accomplished. He whistled. "Just like old times, huh?"
"Yeah," I responded with a smile. "I guess so."
"It looks great. Everyone will love it."
"That's what I've been hoping all along."
"Well, it's going to be a surprise. Not very many people know about it, and everyone will be shocked."
"Good."
There was an awkward pause in our conversation, until Haymitch spoke up again. "Right, then. See you."
"Haymitch, wait," I called. He turned around to face me. I took a breath, knowing that what I was about to say could change everything. I had been doing a lot of thinking about what Doctor Aurelius had said, and I was going to take that leap of faith. "I'd like to see Katniss again."
I wanted to get down to the real reason I was mad at her, because maybe it would help me to talk to her. The videos that they showed me of us together still confused me, and I wanted someone who was there in person to clear them up. Sadly, Katniss was always the only one there.
He looked a bit shocked at first, but his face melted into a smile. "I'll make it happen," he said, and walked out of the room. Two attendants followed him out, wheeling the cake with them to prepare for the wedding, which was the next day.
As I sat alone in my room, I only knew one thing for sure: I was going to talk to Katniss.
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