Thank you so much for the positive feedback. Love it, and your support. This one is going to be the big reveal you're waiting for. And I know you have a guess, but it's probably wrong. I did make a tiny foreshadow already to who it would be. So this is the last one I'll be posting for a bit. I'll put the next one up in a day or two but not just yet. I want to leave you with a little cliff hanger and give myself sometime to make a few changes. Oh and yeah, there are still Peacekeepers if you didn't catch on to that ~Creative
Chapter 10…I think
Katniss' POV
There are Peacekeepers shoving me and Sawyer and Prim into a car. It's been two days and nobody has seen Peeta. I'm worried sick. I hold my stomach and wonder…where is he?
"What's going on?" I demand. "You're local Peacekeeper will explain inside the train," says one Peacekeeper. We run onto the train hoping Peeta will be there. No such luck. And to make matters worse, Gale is running towards me. I find myself hugging him. I don't know why and I can't pull away. "What's going on Gale?" I ask softly. "Come with me, I'll explain to you," he says nodding to me. I leave Prim with Sawyer and follow Gale to a compartment. He slides the door shut.
I watch him tap around the walls with two distinct fingers. "What are you doing?" I ask with confusion. "Making sure it isn't bugged. Now what I'm about to tell you…well you can't freak out until I finish," he says quietly, looking away from me too. I promise him I won't and he sits me down.
"After Coin and Snow were killed I went off to District 2. And when I was there a guy approached me. His name was Milton. He told me his brother fought in the 74th Hunger Games…Cato. So he said that he was going to kill everyone responsible for his death and make the Capitol children experience all that he and his brother did. But I knew that he'd blame you for it. So I asked what I had to do to keep you safe. He said all I had to do was help him get the person he blamed the most…Peeta."
My throat is white hot with words of fury. I don't know what to say to him. I don't know whether to kill him with the knife or fork. But before I get the chance, he continues to explain more. "But as things went on, I saw how happy Peeta made you. And after the accident with your mom, I knew I never would. So I went along with him and kept telling him I would. But I didn't plan on helping him. Well he was smart enough to figure that out. And when he did, he took matters into his own hands. So I think he took Peeta. But I don't know where and I need to keep you and your family safe. I'll get him back for you."
Again I find myself hugging Gale. I don't know why and I can't pull away. I have to trust him but I don't know how far the trust will extend. "Can I meet her?" he asks curiously. It takes me a minute to realize he's talking about Sawyer. I give him permission and follow him out to where she and Prim sit. He walks over to her carefully. He's careful about his approach.
She puts her tiny hand out to him. This is a different gesture for him. "Hi there, I'm Gale." He gives her a warm smile. "I'm Sawyer Primrose Everdeen Mellark," she announces. He looks taken aback. I chuckle a little but Prim sticks her head up proud of her student. "Are you going to bring my daddy back?" she asks fearfully. "I'm going to try my best."
Gale helps us bring our things into our house. I even let him bring some of his things over. But he's to stay in the guest room. I don't not when this Milton guy will come for me or if he'll come for me. After an hour of playing with Sawyer, Gale insists on putting her to bed. I don't like this because Peeta tucks her in every single night. Even if he's away he calls her and tells her a goodnight story while I put her to sleep.
But Sawyer inherited my stubbornness. She insists herself that Gale puts her to sleep. When Gale returns to the kitchen with Prim and I, he hands her a small golden box with a necklace in it. "Happy late birthday, little duck," he says with a smile. This makes me smile. For the first time in a long time I'm not seeing Gale Hawthorne the boy who hates the government and plots people's downfall. I'm seeing Gale Hawthorne, my best friend.
"Gale…you don't think he…he kill…killed Peeta do you?" asks Prim. I didn't even consider this. "No I'm certain he didn't. He's most likely going to drag it out. And he probably won't even lay a finger on him until it's put in the news. So I contacted Paylor and said that not a word is to be realised to the media until I give the signal," he says abruptly positive.
His positivity is reassuring. But I can't sleep. I have such horrible nightmares. Actually they're more theories. But it is still horrible. And Peeta isn't next to me to make them go away. At one point through the night, Sawyer came in crying. And I had to try and calm her down. Next came Prim crying about how nice Peeta was and how he was her best friend and he was so caring and he doesn't deserve to die. Of course I concur but she doesn't make me feel better.
The three of us sleep in the giant bed that is missing something. It's missing Peeta.