Oh my goodness, I am blown away by all of my most recent reviews, more than 50 for the last two chapters alone, I love you guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter, please as always read and review.
Suzanne Collins owns the hunger games.
Katniss
Peeta screams in pain, as his flesh gets stripped of his ribs bit by bit, blood everywhere. I watch helplessly, as Hank curses me and the day that he signed my marriage contract. Next Peeta's screams stop, he is dead and the mob of district 12 inhabitants attack me.
I wake from my nightmare with a start and find my hand clutching Peeta's tightly, to compensate for the fact that his is limp and can't squeeze back. It has been three days since the whipping, the longest three days of my life. Not having left his bedside, I am exhausted. I haven't slept for more than an hour at a time and only eaten what Mom and Prim have forced me too.
/
In my mind I replay the hearing and whipping. Having been resigned to my fate, I had just hoped that what Peeta had said about resigning anther contract after his birthday was true. My thought was to take my punishment and if I lived through it…well I had to live through it first. I was in total disbelief when I saw Peeta arrive on the platform hand cuffed; knowing in that instant what was on his mind, to save me. All I could do was watch as the events unfolded, shocked when he told the crowd that I was pregnant.
'He doesn't deserve this!' I wanted to scream as I was being drug off. But when I passed him on the platform, I knew what Peeta needed to hear, and what I needed to tell him, for me as much as him. My "I love you!" was a weak offering for everything that I felt at that moment.
Gale and Haymitch literally had to pull me to the crowd; they held me firmly, as we prepared to watch the whipping. When the first lash landed on Peeta's back, I screamed. Haymitch firmly whispered in my ear. "Your screaming will not help him! Suck it up and be strong for him."
Watching in horror as Green took his time, he deliberately delivered each stroke. When Peeta finally screamed out in pain, I fought the urge to be sick right then and there. The crowd became more and more agitated as the lash tally rose and Peeta passed out, I'd thought that he had died. Gale tried to console me saying, "He's still flinching, he's still alive."
It didn't help.
By the end crowd had been chanting 'mercy' over and over again. Green made his self scarce, as soon as lash number forty landed and he could see the anger rising in the audience. I ran back onto the platform as soon as I was released by Gale and Haymitch, and I took Peeta's hand, to afraid of hurting any other part of him. Relief washed over me when he answered my pleas of "stay with me" with one word and a ghost of a smile with, "always".
Rory had fetched my mom before the hearing and she'd already had all of her medical supplies at hand. She took over the situation; ordering people around and telling us how handle the motionless body.
Peeta was laid with his horrific wounds facing up, and his head turned to one side. He was carried by Gale, Haymitch, Graham and Rhyes back to his bakery apartment, I held his hand the whole way. Rooba guided Hank, following Peeta's motionless body. Johanna had to pull me away from Peeta so he could be carried up the stairs and put in bed, I was frantic, crying and calling for him. Mom and Prim worked on Peeta, cleaning and attending his wounds. The Mellark men and Rooba waited in the living room quietly, tears streaking their faces. Haymitch and Gale paced the floor, passing a flask back and forth between them every now and then. Johanna just held me and tried to reason with me, dragging me into the stairwell, after my mom had sent me out of Peeta's room, so she and Prim could work in peace.
"This is all my fault!" I sobbed. "I should have been the one to get whipped."
"Now you listen here," Johanna demands, apparently tired of me pitying myself. "Brainless, if he hadn't gotten there when he did, you would have gotten worse that a whipping, Green really wanted there to be an execution. Mr. Smooth Talker in there saved your life; you never would have been able to talk your way out of those charges even with Cray on your side. Back in 7, I've seen women your size take twenty lashes, it ain't pretty, and forty would have killed you without question."
My sobs quiet, I looked her in the eyes. Johanna is somber, serious, and then she tells me. "That boy… no, that man, would die for you, he knew what he was getting into when he stepped onto that stage."
She went on to tell me about Gale, Darius and Peeta's plan to save me. I was stunned that so many people were in on the plot.
"This is what needs to happen now," she demands of me. "You're going to march your ass in there, you're going to be clam and be brave for Peeta, he needs you now."
After her speech I dried my tears and reentered the apartment and sat beside Hank who held my hand in both of his. Repeating softly to no one in particular, "He'll be okay!"
And then came to arrival of everybody's least favorite drunk, Mrs Elba Mellark. She burst through the door screaming, her vengeance and pointer finger aimed at me. "You, you stupid, filthy whore, you're the reason why my family has been publically humiliated. I am terminating your contract-."
She is cut off suddenly by her husband who had stood up and took her shoulders in his very large hands and gave her firm shake, startling everyone in the room. I had never heard this mild mannered man ever raise his voice, or say a cross word, but he glared his wife in the eye and yelled within inches of her face. "You will not speak to her in that way! You won't sign anything, and if you do, your sorry, drunken ass will be thrown out into the streets and I will tell every man, woman and child I come across about what a pathetic mother, horrible wife and an overall fucking awful human being you are."
Mrs. Mellark is not a small woman, she towers over me, and is sturdily built, but she looked tiny at that moment. "Hank, I-I I'm your wife." She stutters, shocked at his reaction, this must be the first time that he has fought back.
"And she is," Hank points at me "the wife that my son has chosen. I am a father before I'm a husband, or at least I should have been. I will not watch you bully and berate people any longer. Peeta is here because of you."
"What are you talking about?" she asked confused.
"You told those dumb fucks, Baleys, about the loop hole in the contract, that's what caused all of this. They reported Katniss and Peeta took the blame." His tone was quieter but still scary. "Now if you're not going to be able to sit your ass down, shut the hell up and not be a total bitch, you can't stay. I only want people here who care about Peeta."
For the first time ever I saw an emotion on her face that was not anger, it was pity, although it was for herself alone, I thought. She broke into sobs and ran out the door.
After that we all sank back into an anxious silence, no one wanted to waste energy talking about her. We could hear the occasional moan of pain, and the sound of mother and Prim working. There was a knock at the door, Gale answers it, Madge walks in with a small sack in hand.
"Here, this is some of my mom's morphling, it will help the pain so he can rest." Madge holds the bag out to me. "How is he?"
Prim walks out into the living room, having heard Madge arrive. "He'll live, nothing vital was harmed, and tomorrow we can give him a snow coat that will help. The morphling will help him sleep tonight. He's going to take some time to heal, we're going to make him sleep for the next day or two, so his wounds can set and he can't tear them open again." Prim sounded so grown up, and sure of herself, she is going to be a great healer someday. I on the other hand had been totally useless in helping Peeta; I'm going to make it up to him somehow.
After a while everyone left but my family, Hank and I. Graham, Rhyes, Jemma and Delly were going to take turns going to helping with the bakery. When mom and Prim had done all they could for the night I was allowed to set by his side and hold his hand. Peeta looked terrible, my heart hurt just to see him. I remember his request out in the woods; he had wanted me to sing to him. I could not deny him now; Mom had told me once that people who were unconscious could still hear. So I sang The Valley Song softly into his ear, so not to disturb the other resting in the living room. The room was darkened; the window was cracked open because Hank insisted that it was the way that Peeta slept best. I can't swear to it but I'm sure that I saw him smile.
The next day was filled with snow coats and brief periods of semi-awareness on Peeta's part, just long enough for him to sip water or broth. I was shocked at the number of visitors bringing gifts, they were from the merchant and mining classes alike, I knew that Peeta was well liked but the on slot was overwhelming. Most just left things on the doorstep: jars of jelly, clean bandages, and small crocks of soup. None of the gifts were of great value but I knew that it was more than some could give easily; the prep for the inspector had been hard on a lot of families especially in the Seam.
Haymitch had been visiting when I had questioned about them, gifts, for me, were still hard to receive. "Why are they leaving us this stuff?"
"You two have stirred things up, you've proven that the way things have always been doesn't always have to be. You two don't hide, you aren't shunned like a lot of other couples like you have been. The boy's display won over anybody who hadn't already hadn't been on your side." Haymitch told me.
"What about Gale and Johanna, my parents, and you and your wife?" I asked.
"Johanna an outsider and doesn't count, your mom was disowned by her family and friends, and I was not accepted until Maysilee died." Haymitch sighed and emptied his flask.
I have had a lot of time to think, I've have found myself daydreaming about our future. Peeta's false confession of my pregnancy has made caused images of olive skinned blondes and dark haired babies with blue eyes. Never waiting children before, this stirred up strange feelings within me; I could see myself with Peeta raising a family someday.
/
Now here I sit two days after beating, waiting for Peeta to wake, I'm here alone, Prim has had go to school, mom went home to rest, and Hank is downstairs in the bakery. I sing to Peeta a little louder now; I finally feel my hand being squeezed, the bluest set of eyes I've ever seen finally open and look at me, actually seeing me for the first time for days.
"Hello," I say not sure as to what to say. Then I gingerly kiss his lips, he returns the kiss then winces in pain.
"Oww, uhhh!" he moans then takes a deep breath. "This is not the kind of moaning that I thought I would be doing in this room with you."
I can't help but to laugh, this was so like Peeta, making a joke to make me feel better when he is the one laying in bed injured. "How do you feel?"
"Like I've been through a meat grinder." He groans yet smiles. "How long have I been out?"
"Two and a half days." I tell him softly examining his face, just happy to be speaking with him. "I've missed you."
"You were with me the whole time; I could hear you singing to me. It was so beautiful." He smiles at me in awe.
"You know that I should be really mad at you, for taking the blame, you could have been killed." I try to scold him.
"And you would have been killed, then I wouldn't been able to live without you, you're needed more than I am." He admits softly.
"I need you, I love you. I never would have been able to live with myself if…" I trail off with the treat of tears.
Peeta squeezes my hand and tells me. "And that is why I would do it again, just to hear that you love me."
I feel worse now; I never should have waited to tell him, it shouldn't have taken so long for me to figure it out. I hid my feelings from myself in self preservation, thinking that I could not hurt if I did not love him. "I'm so sorry for this, I was so stupid." I say lowly, resting my forehead on his.
"It's okay, it was just a case of really bad timing." he says genuinely, and then follows more lightly. "Did my little show keep our engagement on? I'm sure that Beth Baley won't want me now, a scar covered convicted law breaker who got his lover from the Seam knocked up. Sorry about that by the way, it was the only thing that I could think of to save you."
"It's okay, everyone who knows us knows it not true and that you said it to protect me." I console him.
"Katniss, I'm thirsty can I have some water?"
I feel like crap again that was the first thing that I should have done. "Of course!"
After Peeta ate and drank then there was a knock at the door. I answered it, to my surprise it was Darius, in plain clothes and carrying a small box with a medical symbol on it. I took him into the bedroom. Peeta's manages to lie on his side and talk to Darius.
"Here is some medicine from the Capitol, it will help heal the wounds faster and will help with the pain, and it should cut the recovery time in half. We would have sent it sooner but Cray thought that we should wait until Green and his people left. You saved Cray's job and more, you know?"
Peeta look confused. "How did I do that?"
"Everything you said during the hearing, about the fences always being on, trees being taken down, people too afraid to barter, Green bought it all. Other people were willing to play along after Cray worked to lessen you punishment, and to save Katniss. We just got lucky though, if Green had any brains at all he might have seen through it, but he's just a stupid Capitol pencil pusher, he doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground. Green is just a dickweed on a power trip." Darius tells us.
"Hey I thought that you were from the Capitol." I say, taken aback by Darius's anti Capitol attitude.
"No, I'm from 2, a lot of us are, that is supposed to be top secret though, most Capitol people are too soft for this line of work." Darius says lowly as if he were trying not to be heard by others.
"During my hearing, I overheard Cray say that there have been problems with rebellious districts elsewhere, is there any truth to that?" Peeta asks matching Darius's tone.
"Yes, we don't know details but there has been trouble in most of the other districts, we don't feel the shortages so much here because of the black market and infrequent enforcement of punishment. The Capitol ignores 12 for the most part; you're small, poor and easily forgotten. There should be an inspection every year at least, but no one wants to come out here, this was the first one in ten years."
We visit for a while longer than Darius leaves. Next my mom comes to check on us. Mom is thrilled to see the medicine and gently applied the ointment onto Peeta's wounds which seem almost instantly better, not fully healed but helped enough that Peeta is gave permission move around the apartment. So I dress Peeta in a pair of pajama pants and drape a sheet around his shoulders, his movements are still stiff from lying in bed for days.
"You can take a shower later, if you're up to it. Just try not to get your back wet." Mom tells Peeta and then goes downstairs to update Hank.
Delly, Madge, and Prim all come to visit next. Delly seems flustered and Madge and Prim are absolutely giddy.
"What's up with you guys?" I ask.
"Delly slapped the living crap out of Beth Baley today!" Madge says proudly. "It was great, and the teachers saw it and did nothing!"
"It was only one slap." Delly admits trying to be serious, but suppressing a smile. "I can't believe that I did that. I had gone up to her to tell her off, I was mad that she had caused my family so much pain. Then she acted like she was the victim, she said that everyone had boycotted her dad's tailor shop and now she had was going to have a hard time finding someone to marry now. And how if Peeta had just enough sense just to screw and not marry seam girls none of this would have happened. I couldn't stop myself I just hauled back and slapped her in the middle of the crowded hall way."
"It was awesome!" Prim says with pride. "Beth's face was priceless. She's going to have a black eye!"
"Serve's the crazy bitch right." Peeta adds with a nod of the head. "Thank you Delly."
Delly blushes and smiles shyly. "You're welcome."
"You haven't heard the best part." Madge says brightly. "My dad and Cray went to Baley's house last night. Dad told them that they had two options: either to compensate the two of you finically and apologize, or Cray would give them a public hearing for bearing false witness, with a possibility of a whipping or time in the stocks! They have until tonight to decide which."
I am floored by what all I am hearing. Delly slapping Beth, people backing Peeta and I, and demanding justice, this is all so surprising to me.
We hear a knock on the door, its Hank and Mom standing in front of a slight, balding man, and Beth, who is sporting a black eye.
Hank turns to Delly and says kindly. "Delly honey, can you take the girls downstairs and watch the shop for me, Rhyes is down there and can use the help."
Delly agrees and takes Prim and Madge down to the bakery.
We are left alone with our parents and the Baley's, I'm sitting on the arm of the chair in which Peeta sets, and we're holding hands. Mom and Hank set on the couch. and Beth stand awkwardly in the middle of the living room, he is nervously playing with his hat in hand, and she stares at floor refusing to look at us.
"We want to apologize for what happened the other day, it was a huge misunderstanding, we just thought that we doing our civic duty." Mr Baley says coolly, this has been a well rehearsed speech.
My mom's face goes beet red and Hank's eyes open big, it is him who responds in disbelief. "Who in the fuck do you think you are fooling?"
"What do you mean?" Mr Baley tries to seem perplexed, and does it poorly.
"For five damn years you've been after Peeta, I told you no every single time!" Hanks answers angrily, it is unnerving, still, to him like this. "It wasn't happen stance that you ratted out Peeta's betrothed a few weeks after find out it was the only path to getting her out of the way? I highly doubt it."
Mr Baley seems beside himself so the he decides to defend his actions. "She's my only child Hank! I want her to have everything she's ever wanted."
"You want to know something? I'm not a toy, I'm a person." Peeta states angrily shaking his fist, and then pulls his hand from mine and eases himself up; I stand at his side so I can support him his hand on my shoulder. "Katniss is the only thing that I ever wanted; I've made that clear to Beth. You, Mr Baley have done a piss poor job raising your daughter; you've done nothing but create one a crazy, selfish pig. Spoiling her has done her no good."
Then Peeta does something totally unexpected he dropped his sheet and turned so that all could see his mangled flesh. Mr Baley turns his head and I can see Beth turn green at the sight.
"It backfired, your plan." I tell them plainly. "Look at it and don't turn away. The sad part is that it looks much better than it did."
There is an uncomfortable silence, and then my mother finally speaks. "What did you come here to accomplish Baley?"
"Beth and I want to apologize on behalf of my family, and to give the kids this." He pulls a small bag out of his coat pocket, it heavy with coins. "It is equivalent to one half of Beth's dowry."
"We don't want your money." I tell him seriously.
"Mayor Undersee said that you'd say that, both of you take it, or Beth and I face a hearing." Mr Baley says pleadingly.
"That's just more incentive not to take it." I say coldly, I would love to see them publically humiliated.
"No Katniss," Peeta puts his arm around my shoulders, to hug me as much as use me as a support. "It's more of a punishment to have her money taken away; everybody already knows what she is. We won't be like her."
Beth stands there, shaking in anger and tears streaking her face. Mr. Baley places the bag in Peeta's free hand, and then nods to Peeta and Hank and turns to leave.
"Wait, we never heard you apologize young lady." Mom calls out in an almost sarcastic tone. "Even my daughters learned better in the Seam."
Her father nudges her with his elbow; Beth glares at us and says unconvincingly. "Sorry."
"That's better you can leave now." Mom sounds satisfied, I've never seen her like this before, and it makes me a little proud.
Baleys turn and leave, when we hear the door shut, we all look at the bag in wonderment.
"Peeta, I don't want it." I tell him honestly.
Peeta weighs the bag in his hand then tosses it to his dad. "I really don't either, but we could use it. We could use some of it finish buying out my brothers' shares, it will help them out too. With the rest we could help others. Prim could have a small dowry, which would piss Beth off to no end, knowing that her dowry was now someone else's." He smiles wickedly.
I can't help but to smile back, he had me convinced. My mom took some coaxing, but Hank and Peeta finally got her to agree.
Mom leaves telling me that I can handle taking care of Peeta myself now, she and Prim have been fighting a series of wintertime ailments and are very nearly overwhelmed. I am to camp out on his couch until he is fully recovered, she or Prim will stop by once a day to check up on him.
Hank follows soon after, he and Graham and Rhyes are helping to move some of his things out of his house, he's going to stay with Rooba for a while.
Peeta and I are left alone; it is different here with a fully alert Peeta. Not knowing what do or say I was relieved when Peeta was the first to speak.
He smiles at me like a little boy that has been told that he could eat cookies for dinner. "Looks like we get to play house and doctor for the next few days."
I can't help but to laugh, I think I know what he means, and I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't looking forward to it too.