I'm sorry it took me long to post this chapter, it will be bigger then the other.
I'll try to post another one very soon.
I hope you like it.
Thanks for reading :)
I wake up feeling the happiest girl in all Panem. My hands run through the bed but find it empty. Thinking that he's probably in the kitchen, I quickly get up, pick up his shirt, dress it and head downstairs.
Following the delicious smell I find Peeta facing the stove, he's preparing our breakfast in nothing but his boxers, what a view! I sneak up and hug him from behind.
"Good morning" I say kissing him in his neck. He turns around to face me and gives me a kiss in return. "Good morning honey" he says smiling like he's the luckiest man in the world.
"So, what do you have planned for today?" I say as we seat and start having breakfast. "I have to help out my parents at the bakery, but I think I'll, have the afternoon off!" he says "Why? What would you like to do?" he adds. "Nothing much, I just we should talk to Haymitch to plan our strategy for the Victory tour, it starts tomorrow…" it's not like I want to do it, but my last conversation with Haymitch left me thinking about Snow and what he might do if we don't accordingly to what he's expecting.
"I know, I have been thinking about that too, how about we invite him to dinner tonight?" he asks, "Yes, I think that's a good idea, if he's not too drunk" I add and he smiles, but his smile rapidly turns into a sad look.
"I'm sorry but I have to be going" he says walking over to give me a goodbye kiss, "I'll see you later!"
"Goodbye Peeta, see you soon" I say returning his kiss.
Once he goes away I get up and start cleaning the kitchen – What am I going to do all day?- I think. I get dressed and leave Peeta's house and decide to walk over to Haymitch's to invite him to dinner.
I find him passed out drunk on his kitchen table with a nearly finished bottle in one hand and a knife in the other.
"Haymitch wake up!" I yell, but it doesn't work. I find a stick and poke him with it "Wake up!" Finally he opens his eyes "Sweetheart, to what do I owe this unpleasant surprise?"
"I came to invite you to have dinner with me and Peeta tonight" I say "Oh you and bread boy together? What's that? Did the boy finally convince you to stay with him?" he says. "Shut up, it's only to discuss the victory tour" I haven't talked to Peeta about us so I'm not saying anything, at least not now.
"And what do we have to plan?" he asks "I don't know, maybe what to do during the tour, I don't not give Snow any reason to hurt the ones I love…" I reply almost shouting. "Ok sweetheart, call down, I think we can do that. I'll be there" "Try to sober up, I wouldn't ask you if we didn't need your help."
I get up and leave his house, my next stop is the seam and I decide to visit Hazelle. I like her, she's a strong independent woman. When her husband died at the mines she took on the hard task of providing for her family, with Gale's help of course. She could have just shut herself like my mother did, but she kept going and that is why I respect her.
She smiles when she sees me coming through the window and comes to open the door.
"Come on in Katniss, would you accept a cup of tea?" she asks. "Yes, thank you Hazelle" I reply sitting at the small kitchen table. "So how's the life of victor treating you?" she asks while putting a cup of very hot tea in front of me.
"Well, it's good to finally be able to feed my family without having to worry, how are things around here?" I know they are having more difficulties now that the head peacekeeper has taken away the little freedom we had.
"Not good, the money Gale makes at the mines isn't enough to feed all the family and with this new commander around nobody risks giving me clothes to wash" she sights "I don't know what we'll do if it keeps like this" Without a second thought I take a bunch of coins from my pocket and put them in her hands. It's not fair for them to go through so many difficulties when I have so much and can easily help.
"Oh Katniss thank you!" she says grateful, unlike Gale she has no trouble accepting help. "it's nothing, please let me know should you need anything" she nods "I have to be going now, the tour leaves tomorrow and I have a lot of things to take care.
She hugs me "Thanks once again Katniss and enjoy the food" "Absolutely" I say.
I look at the clock, it's almost four – I think – I should probably head home, my mother will be hurried I haven't gone home since yesterday. I head home but decide to stop by the bakery to buy some bread and to see if Peeta is still there.
I see Peeta's dad at the counter when I enter, when he notices me he gives me a wide smile.
"Katniss, Hello"
"Hello Mr. Melark " I say smiling "Is Peeta here?" he is still smiling when I answers "Oh, yes, I'll go call him!"
We make small talk while I buy some bread and wait for Peeta to come. There's a look of surprise when he first notices me, but it's quickly replaced by a wide smile.
"Katniss!" he says as he makes his way around the counter to come give me a hug "What a nice surprise!" He's about to kiss me when his father comes out of the kitchen with a bag in his hands.
"There you go" Mr. Mellark says handing me the package "The cookies were actually made by Peeta!" He says with pride in his eyes. "Thanks, then I know they will be delicious" I say smiling at them both. I accept the package and in return hand Peeta's father the corresponding money.
He smiles at me and it is then that he notices how close Peeta and I are of each other. "You know Peet , if you want you can leave now, There's not much movement, I can take it from here" Mr. Mellark says winking at Peeta.
"Thanks dad" Peeta says planting a small kiss in his father's forehead. "I'll came by tomorrow morning before I leave to say goodbye"
"See you tomorrow son, goodbye Katniss, have a nice trip" "Thank you Mr. Mellark, goodbye!" I say.
We leave the bakery and head to the Victor's village. "I went by Haymitch's today" I start, "He agreed to come to dinner and talk to us about our strategy" I say "Good, did you tell him anything about us". "erh, no… "I don't know if it's a good idea to start telling people, if Snow finds out it can give him even more leverage over us.
"I know what you're thinking, but I don't think it'll hurt if Haymitch knew, I think it might actually help planning our strategy" I think about that for a second, "you're right" I tell him, of course Haymitch has to know, he is our mentor after all.
Once we get to the village I start walking towards my house, "I need to drop these" I say pointing at the bakery bag "and take a shower, I'll be over soon" I tell him.
"ok, don't take too long, you should ask your mother and sister to dinner as well" He gives me a kiss and walks to his home.
Prim notices me the second I enter the house. "Where have you been" she ask me. I swing the bag in my hand "Cookies, they're your favorites" A smile grows on her face and she practically yanks the bag of my hands. "Thank you" she hugs me and quickly puts one cookie in her mouth.
"So, How did it go last night" of course she wouldn't let me escape from that. "it was fine, we talked and worked it out" I say "And…" She really won't let that go. "And what" i say trying to make it seem like I'm not understanding. "Are you together?"… "yes" I sight.
She starts jumping up and down "Yes! I knew it! I knew it! I'm so glad for you both Katniss!" she says "Finally! I was starting to think you lost your mind!" "Thanks little duck, I'm happy too!" I say and give her a hug.
"Where's mom?" I ask, "in the Kitchen, why?"
"Peeta is cooking dinner tonight and wants us to come, since we'll be leaving tomorrow I think it's a good idea." "ok" she simply says.
I find my mother mixing herbs on the kitchen table. She looks up when she sees me. She tells me she was worried about me and relax her by saying I was just visiting some friends to say goodbye before the tour. I also inform her about the dinner Peeta is throwing and she agrees to come.
Once all the explanations are given I go to my room, get myself ready, and leave for Peeta's house informing my mother the dinner hours.
He opens the door as soon as he hears the bell, and I fall into his arms. "So, are they coming for dinner?" he asks "Yes, and Prim already knows about us, I almost didn't have to tell her, she already knew" I say smiling. "She's a very smart girl, like her big sister" He simply says. He takes my hand and drives me to the kitchen, when he tries to let go of my hand to look at the dinner I don't let him, I start by kissing his lips and slowly make my way to his throat. It is then that he realizes what I'm trying to do.
"Not now" he says "Haymitch, your mother and sister will be over soon, save it for tonight" he says. I try to look disappointed which doesn't take much!
Finally they arrive; first my family and then Haymitch who surprisingly sees very sober. We make small talk while we eat and when we get to dessert Haymitch looks really bored. "So will you finally tell us that you are together or do we have to continue pretending like we don't know?" I immediately kick him under the table, almost as quickly as my face turns red. "What? I'm not stupid" he continues.
"I'm very happy for you too!" my mother finally breaks the silence "I've always liked you Peeta" she continues "Thank you Mrs. Everdeen, I promise you I'll take very good care of Katniss" Peeta replies.
After dinner Prim and my mother say goodbye leaving me, Peeta and Haymitch alone.
"So Effie will be here first thing in the morning with your stylists and your prep teams" Haymitch starts "After that you will have a small interview with Cesar to mark the beginning of the tour and then we'll go straight to the train" A small interview? I wasn't expecting that. A neither was Peeta "An interview?" he asks.
"Yes, 5 minutes tops. I suggest that you two show affection for each other, little touches and kisses will be fine for now" it doesn't seem very difficult though I hate doing it for the cameras.
"Fine" I say "we can do that" Haymitch gives us some more advice and then leaves us alone.
"I know, I wish we didn't have to go through this, but at least we will have each other" Peeta says trying to comfort me. "I know, having you there with me is the only thing that will make it bearable" I kiss him briefly "I have to go now, my mother won't like me not sleeping at home again" I hate making him sad, so I add "But you can come too, she didn't say anything about you sleeping there, and I really don't want to sleep alone tonight" a smile is immediately back on his face.
When we get to my house both Prim and my mother are already in their bedrooms so we walk silently to my bedroom. We get into bed and I hug him resting my head on his shoulder.
"It'll be fine honey, whatever happens we'll have each other" he says trying to relax me.
"I know I wouldn't want anybody else with me there, just you" I say and it's true, I don't to be apart from him anymore. I look at his eyes and smile.
"I love you Peeta"
"I love you too Katniss, very much" he kisses me and strokes my hair until I fall asleep.
I wake up to a confusion of noises and voices. I search for Peeta but find his side of the bead empty. There's a note where is body should be.
Good morning Kat,
Went to the bakery to say goodbye to my father. Be back soon!
I love you,
Peeta
Not little after that Effie bursts into my bedroom.
"Wake up Katniss, today is a big bid day" so it begins. "Good morning Effie" Right after her my prep team gets into the room. They all hug me and kiss me and say how much they missed me. They may be futile and childish, but in their heads they love me and want the best for me. They're silly but they're good people and I love them, so I let them turn me into a little capitol doll. The bath me, remove all hair from my body, apply lotions, paint my nails and braid my hair. Then they give me my clothes for today, they are very simple actually, just a shirt and pants and a fur jacket.
After getting dressed I head down stairs, I see my reflection on a mirror when I leave my room and I'm actually not that bad!
I hug my mother and Prim and say goodbye and then turn around to see Cinna. I throw myself into his arms, he's the only person from the capitol who I truly missed.
"Cinna!" I say! "Hello girl on fire" he says smiling, I want to continue talking to him but Effie interrupts us.
"Attention, everyone! We're about to do the first outdoor shot, where the victors greet each other at the beginning of their marvelous trip. All right, Katniss, big smile, you're very excited, right?" I don't exaggerate when I say she shoves me out the door.
For a moment I can't quite see right because of the snow, which is now coming down in earnest. Then I make out Peeta coming through his front door. He's so beautiful dressed very similarly to me.
My face breaks into a huge smile and I start walking in Peeta's direction. Then, as if I can't stand it another second, I start running. He catches me and spins me around and then he slips — he still isn't entirely in command of his artificial leg—and we fall into the snow, me on top of him, and then I kiss him with so much passion I forget we're not alone! Ceaser interruptus and asks some questions, we answer the best we can and just like that the interview is over.
"We're on a schedule!" Effie says as she waves at us "Everybody in motion, we're out of here In 10".
The rest of the day is a blur of getting to the station, bidding everyone good-bye, the train pulling out, the old team — Peeta and me, Effie and Haymitch, Cinna and Portia, Peeta's stylist—dining on an indescribably delicious meal I don't remember. And then I'm swathed in pajamas and a voluminous robe, sitting in my plush compartment, waiting for the others to go to sleep. I know Haymitch will be up for hours. He doesn't like to sleep when it's dark out.
While I wait in my room for Peeta I remember my last conversation with Gale and that he did have something to say to me. These last days went by so fast I didn't have time to talk to him, when I went by his house he wasn't there and he didn't search for me after that either.
I wonder what he wanted to tell me…
I'm still thinking about Gale when Peeta enters my room. "What's wrong?" he asks.
"Nothing, I just remembered that Gale asked to talk to me before I left for the tour, but then he never came to see me so we ended up not talking." I say " I was wondering what he wanted to talk to me about" Peeta looks at me like he knows what Gale wanted to say, but he doesn't say it.
"Don't worry, you can talk to him when we get back" he says "Now come here, we've spend almost all day apart and I didn't like it" it's true with all the preparation and filming we almost didn't spend any time together. I move close to him and kiss him "I missed you" I say.
"I missed you too" he says. I start to kiss him and then move my way to his neck, "I know we're not alone, but…" he immediately knows what I want and before I know it my pajamas are next to me on the floor.
"we better not do any noise, we don't want to sock Effie" he says and I giggle. I quickly take his clothes off and position myself on top of him.
I start moving up and down on top of him and look into his eyes. He grabs my hips and helps me move on top of him. We pick up the pace and soon after that I can't help myself and let out a moan followed by him as we finish.
Effie doesn't look happy when she comes to wake me and sees us sleeping together, but she doesn't say anything.
Peeta kisses me and goes to his bedroom to get dressed. I also get dressed and leave for the restaurant cart.
"Good morning sweetheart, where is bread boy?" Effie probably told him that she found us sleeping together. Everybody is already there, except for Peeta, so I seat down as well. "He's getting dressed, he should be here any minute now" I say not caring if the rest knows if we're together or not.
Not long after that Peeta joins us and we start having breakfast. Haymitch mocks Peeta for taking so long but he doesn't respond.
Effie gets Peeta and me together and goes through the day's program one last time. Our entire public performance will be staged outside on what Effie refers to as the verandah, the tiled expanse between the front doors and the stairs that's shaded by a roof supported by columns. Peeta and I will be introduced, the mayor of 11 will read a speech in our honor, and we'll respond with a scripted thank-you provided by the Capitol.
As the train is pulling into the District 11 station, Cinna puts the finishing touches on my outfit, switching my orange hairband for one of metallic gold and securing the mockingjay pin I wore in the arena to my dress. There's no welcoming, committee on the platform, just a squad of eight Peacekeepers who direct us into the back of an armored truck. Effie sniffs as the door clanks closed behind us.
The truck lets us out at the back of the Justice Building. We're hurried inside. I can smell an excellent meal being prepared, but it doesn't block out the odors of mildew and rot. They've left us no time to look around. As. we make a beeline for the front entrance, I can hear the anthem beginning outside in the square. Someone clips a microphone on me. Peeta takes my left hand. The mayor's introducing us as the massive doors open with a groan.
"Big smiles!" Effie says, and gives us a nudge. Our feet start moving forward.
This is it. This is where it all begins. Peeta takes my hand and gives it a small grip to comfort me. We walk up to the microphone and Peeta stars talking. I'm so glad he's here with me; I wouldn't be able to do this if I was alone.
I look around and find Rue and Thresh's families standing outlined from the crowd, I small tear runs down my face as rue's face stares back at me. She was so innocent and I couldn't save her… I notice her mother staring at me and I mouth a silent I'm sorry. She nods and I move closer to Peeta. He finishes his speech, looks me in the eyes and kisses me. The Mayor of 11 thanks us and we get back inside the justice building.
"How are you?" Peeta asks me. I'm about to answer when Haymitch starts shoving us up the stairs, "Not here" he says. He leads us to a storage room. "This is so hard, and so wrong" I say "Rue was just a child she didn't deserve this, it's not fair" I start crying. Peeta hugs me "Please Haymitch, helps us, just help us get through this trip" Peeta begs.
"This Trip? Wake up boy, this will never be over, you two are mentors now, which means every year you'll be interview, people will want to know about your life as a couple…" oh no… "This will never end will it?" I ask. "No" he simply says but comes forward to pat my back in a tentative to comfort me.
"Well then I hope our behavior today was enough to keep Snow happy" I say finally.
"I think so, but I guess we'll find out soon" Haymitch says.
We stand in there for a moment in silence realizing the true meaning of being a victor until Haymitch interrupts our thoughts.
"Come on. We've got a dinner to attend," he says.
We are led by our teams to separate rooms in the building where they Prepare us to the dinner. My Prep team looks very excited to be a part of the party and try to guess what will be served. I don't even pay attention to what anyone is doing to me until I'm about to leave and I see myself in the mirror. A pale pink strapless dress brushes my shoes. My hair is pinned back from my face and falling down my back in a shower of ringlets.
Cinna comes up behind me and arranges a shimmering silver wrap around my shoulders. He catches my eye in the mirror. "Like it?"
"It's beautiful. As always," I say.
"Let's see how it looks with a smile," he says gently. It's his reminder that in a minute, there will be cameras again. I manage to raise the corners of my lips. "There we go."
Effie runs through the evening's schedule, then tosses it aside. "And then, thank goodness, we can all get on that train and get out of here," she says. "Is something wrong, Effie?" asks Cinna. "I don't like the way we've been treated. Being stuffed into trucks and barred from the platform" she says.
The dinner goes by uneventful and at precisely midnight Effie finds us and leads us back to the train. I glad to be able to finally leave this district; something tells me that this will be the worst.
I walk into my room with Peeta behind me hugging me. I'm so distracted by his kisses that I almost don't notice the rose present in my night stand. I immediately froze and Peeta looks at me. "What's wrong?" he asks.
"Look" I say pointing at the nightstand. We get closer and see that near the rose is a small velvet box and a note.
Peeta picks it up and reads it out loud.
Dears Ms. Everden and Mr. Mellark
Please be sure to do it on your next interview with Ceasar
President Snow
Do what? I ask myself, Peeta looks at me confused. I look at the small velvet box and open it.
Inside protected by a small pillow I see an engagement ring.