Now we discover Katniss' reaction! Muahahahaha! And nobody told me what they expect... =( So I'll just be weird and do a bunch of different scenarios and then pick one, and you'll know which one I pick because it'll be the one I post... yeah...
DISCLAIMER: If I owned the Hunger Games, Gale would go die in a puddle (no offense to Team Gale peoples) and then end up with Madge. But then Katniss would be completely different and Peeta would still have his leg... And Finnick wouldn't be half naked all the time. So I don't own it! *sob*
ENJOY THIS CHAPTER! =P
KPOV
Those words turned my world upside-down. Then it crashed and burned. And then I felt like flying. They found him? They found him! How? Why didn't Haymitch tell me? When did they find out? I want to ask Jarrod all these questions, but I just can't speak. It's too hard. I'm speechless, for the first time since my father 'died.' I always used to know what to say... what changed? Peeta... THEY FOUND HIM! The news hits me like a ton of bricks every time. They found him! I can feel the smile on my face and the tears in my eyes. Why am I crying? Am I happy or sad?
"When did they find out?" I finally manage to ask.
"Less than an hour ago. Haymitch told Ava and Ava told Rei and several others, then Rei told me and I found you. By the way. Where have you been?" he asks.
"I went to Haymitch's house a little over an hour ago, and I've been wandering around since then. Where is he?"
"Ask Haymitch. He knows. Everyone else just knows that they found him." I'm running off before he finishes his sentence. I have to find Haymitch.
"Haymitch!" I call, opening his door and running in. "Haymitch. Where are you?"
"Katniss," he sighs, walking up to me. "We have some news."
"Haymitch, where is he? What can we do? How? When? Please tell me!"
"Calm down, please! Honestly... They found him by hacking into the Capitol's database where they keep track of all the tributes with trackers in their arms. Our team restarted Peeta's and found his coordinates. We're tracking his movements right now," Haymitch hesitates, and my gleeful smile falters.
"Haymitch? There's something wrong, isn't there?" I whisper.
"Yes, Katniss. You see, the chip also reads heart rates, blood pressures, etc. It reads levels on anything vital to life." He pauses again, and my smile turns into a frown.
"And?" I ask, suddenly worried.
"In the past hour, Peeta has died three times. He's alive now, but shaky. He's strong, he has a reason and a motive to live, but we're afraid that it won't last long." Haymitch says quietly. I'm sobbing before he even finishes.
"It's all my fault," I whisper. "All my fault... It's my fault..."
"Katniss, you can't believe that! It's not your fault he's there. It's your fault he's still alive..." Haymitch trails off, lost in thought.
"He can't love me now," I whisper, wondering why I said that, of all things. Why would I care? I shouldn't, should I? It's just something I've grown accustomed to in the arena... right?
"Don't ever think that, Katniss, promise me!" Haymitch says urgently, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me.
"Why shouldn't I? He has every reason in the world to hate me!" I sob. I don't know why. WHY won't he get out of my head? Why can't I just sit still for one minute and forget him? Why don't I want to forget him?
"If that's true, Katniss, then I have something else to tell you. If he has every reason in the world to hate you, then he has every reason in the universe to love you," Haymitch said, standing up and walking to a bookcase. Beside it, there is a picture of a tree. I stare at it curiously, until I see the small silhouette of a mockingjay in its branches flash green when Haymitch pokes several spots on the picture. The bookcase slides left and Haymitch steps in, motioning for me to follow. I take a second to marvel at how cliché it seems, but I follow him nonetheless.
What I see is astonishing. The room is one big screen with several sections where all you have to do is touch it and it will click on something. The screen is divided into sections being used for everything from surveillance cameras to public television. Haymitch points to one with a picture of Peeta's face on it and statistics next to it.
"These are Peeta's vitals and his coordinates. Right now he's somewhere near the edge of the Capitol, right where District Three would start," Haymitch points at several different things on the screen, and I quickly commit them to memory. "And this," Haymitch says slowly, "is Peeta's heart rate." I look at the screen and see the little blips every millisecond. I know instantly that Peeta is scared, and it aches.
Why does it always have to be someone I lov - I mean, care for?
So I know the whole bookcase thingy was way too cliché, but still! And were you surprised? I hope you were... I'm not good at surprises... IF YOU REVIEW I'LL GIVE YOU A VIRTUAL CHAPTER 11! ;)