My prep team has taken me back to beauty base zero but they are leaving me there for the moment. Apparently Cinna doesn't want to touch me until just before the cameras start rolling to keep me as fresh as possible, I'm not arguing and just glad to be away from my three personal torturers for the moment.
Peeta has already escaped his by the time I pull away and manage to make it to the kitchen. As I enter he smiles at me and everything melts away from me, crossing the room I let him fold me into his arms as I breathe in his scent and let it steady me.
"Ready for all of this Katniss," he asks me his lips pressed against my hair, "we're going to have to be on guard the whole time," he whispers and I close my eyes as I take in what he's saying.
As always he's hit the nail on the head and I cling to him a little desperately for a moment, before I allow him to detangle himself.
We stand for a moment; I lean against the kitchen counter while he simply stands with his arms crossed watching me. I don't want to look at him but I can't help it, I've been dreading this moment dreading the reality of what we have to do hitting home. I don't know if I can face all those people in the different districts, face the families of the children I killed or helped to kill or simply were part of the whole Hunger Games. Rue flashes in my mind and I close my eyes tight as I try to fight back the shakes that I know are threatening. Instantly he's there wrapping himself around me as always ready there to take care of me.
"We can do this," he whispers and I know he's trying to convince me, and most definitely himself.
I nod and pull myself together, we have to put on our game faces now, we are going to be watched from now on.
Just then Effie appears in the doorway clearing her throat to bring us to her attention. We turn to look at her but I don't pull away what's the use any more everyone knows now, I just hope we can keep them from manipulating us.
"It seems that we have an unscheduled stop first before we get started," she looks at me then and I can almost see the worry in her eyes, "they are waiting for both you and Peeta at your home Katniss and I suggest being prompt," with that she turns on her heel and is gone.
I look up at Peeta, his bright blue eyes full of concern, and we both contemplate what it could be for a moment. But instead of thinking about it, I take his hand and lead him out of the back door away from everyone else waiting in the front of the house. We quickly circle around Haymitch's house to find that my back garden has peacekeepers crawling all over it. Their white clad bodies' pull me up short for a moment but Peeta simply grips my hand tighter and pulls me towards the house.
When we enter the house its deathly quiet and we head straight for my study that I haven't used much in the time since Peeta and I finally came together. There is a guard at the door and he simply nods as he pushes the door open and steps out of our way.
Peeta enters first pulling me tightly against his back and I grip onto his shoulder to steady myself as I step in behind him. At first I don't see anything then my eyes settle on the man sat behind my desk. For a moment it's as if someone is playing a horrible practical joke and then I realise that everything in front of me is real, that indeed President Snow is sat there. He rises to his feet as we enter and stop dead not sure what the hell is going on.
"Ah there you two are please come have a seat," he holds a hand out to indicate the other chairs someone has pulled in front of the desk and I bristle at him inviting me to sit in my own chairs, but Peeta's grip on my hand stops me.
Taking a deep breath I step forwards, Peeta still in front of me as if he could protect me from this man. There's a strange scent permeating the air and it only takes me a moment to lock onto the rose at his lapel. I can tell that it must have been genetically enhanced since it smells so strongly, so very sweetly even over the distance between us, but there's more to the smell then just the rose and I can't think of what it is.
We sit down but don't lose the grip on each other's hands and President Snow takes this in with his cold calculating eyes, "good I had worried this was going to harder than I'd like," he says nodding to himself and I have no idea what he's going on about.
"I'm here to discuss a matter that is of utmost importance. Obviously you are about to embark on the victory tour and that is all good and well, but we need something more from you than from the previous victors," he looks at me then and I realise he's addressing me more than Peeta, "your little trick with the berries has caused quite a ripple through the districts and it's your job to fix it."
Swallowing hard I could feel the bile rise in my throat, what the hell was I supposed to do. Peeta was tense next to me and I can feel the tremor in his hand as he tries to will me not to do anything. I wish I could tell him that I'm not that stupid; instead I lock my jaw biting my cheek to keep from doing anything.
"I need everyone to see those berries as the desperate act of a girl trying to save the boy she loves, not say the beginnings of an uprising," I bite my cheek even harder then, I had never seen it as an uprising all I had ever wanted was to save Peeta and myself.
"Because right now that is the stirrings, how was it this little girl went against the capitol and won," he looks intently at me then and I feel as if I should be burning to an ember, "so we are going to convince them we let you live simply because you are in love. We will be the good guys out of this and you are going to do all the work."
He looks at our hands then, at Peeta's knuckles that have turned white since he's clutching my hand so tightly.
"I see that I needn't have worried after all, that the reports of your romance haven't been exaggerated. Keep it up," he rises to his feet then and Peeta and I are following his lead, "I wouldn't like for the people you love to be hurt simply because you can't follow instructions."
For a moment we both pause unsure what to do, then Peeta is moving slightly as he pulls me against his body.
"We don't need to act, we are in love and we can let everyone see that," his voice is so steady that I'm proud of him, but I can't help but curling my fingers into his shirt with worry.
"I can see that Mr Mellark, but know this, if you do not succeed then you will need to be punished. Make them believe, make then love you, or you will bleed for this," with that he walks around the table and taking my hand presses his lips lightly to the back of it.
"Please make sure you do your best Miss Everdeen, we never had any fear that Mr Mellark could carry this, but you on the other hand are the weak link," this close I can feel his breath on my face and suddenly I know what the smell is, it's blood, and it's on his breath.
I want to shiver and pull my hand from his grasp but instead I level my gaze with his and take a deep breath, "you have nothing to worry over Mr President," I'm happy with myself when my voice doesn't waver.
He nods once and with that slips past us leaving us alone to contemplate what has just happened.
a/n hope we've all had some good holiday. thought i'd get this chapter up since I'll be back at work for a few days and just in case I can't get another up for a little while. Hope you've been enjoying it but I havent really been feeling the love, would love to know what people think of my writing since I've had troubles before. Let me know even if its not a review even if its a pm would be fantastic to know I'm on the right track. Newho hope you enjoyed this and I have a few longer chapters coming up real soon xx