After Mockingjay.

Chapter 11: Relief

Dearest Katniss,

First of all, I apologize for the awful display of violence at what was supposed to be an endearing night. I knew I should have hired more guards! Luckily no one was (seriously) injured at the wedding. So far, I know that all of that chaos has been edited out of the footage, which will be aired sometime next week! I know – time flies when you've got deadlines!

Anyway, all this about destruction and chaos is not what I am writing to you about. Instead, this news is much more exciting.

So, after nearly a year of bartering and bantering with Capitol producers, I have finally received the permit to create the new hit show; District Melody! And guess who's going to be singing in the very first episode?

YOU!

That's right. Mrs. Katniss Everdeen-Mellark will be preforming a self-written song in the new Capitol, to be broadcasted in every district! You must be positively shaking with joy – I know I am!

Now that the program is just starting to kick off, it will still be a while before the show is ready to air – but until then, all you need to do is practice that misty voice of yours, and be at the ready for when I contact you next!

Hope you are enjoying your newlywed life,

Plutarch Heavensbee

I have no idea what to think after I read the letter. There are multiple swirls of emotion in me – the most prominent one is exhaustion. Why can't we just be left alone? After everything that has happened, shouldn't we get the choice to live our lives as we want to; in peace?

But it's not like I can say no.

Peeta's breath rustles my hair as he leans in and reads the parchment over my shoulder. I feel him sigh when he's done. "Well."

I wait for him to say more, but he doesn't. I let the letter flutter to the tabletop. "Well." I say, grimacing. "I don't really think I have a say in this at all."

"I'm sure it's not as bad as it sounds," he tries to reassure me. "Plutarch often blows things way out of proportion."

I feel my stomach clench, remembering what he said. Singing? In front of the entire country? Being the Mockingjay and doing the propos was enough…but actually getting on stage, and doing something that had brought me comfort when I felt like I had nobody? That's different.

But it's not like I could say no.

I sigh and lean against Peeta, a pillar of warmth and support. I feel drained. Even though I only woke up an hour earlier, it feels like a whole day has passed. I want nothing more than to forget about everything – Gale, Plutarch, everyone – and sleep into oblivion. But I still have to call Dr. Aurelius. It was the only promise I had to keep when I left 13, and really the only reason they let me leave. I have to talk to him every couple of weeks, as a part of my ongoing "therapy". As much as I loathe every session, it does bring me a sort of comfort, in a strange way.

"Come on," Peeta says suddenly, squeezing me tighter before letting me go and moving towards the door. "There's something I want to show you."

"Okay," I say. I can always call Dr. Aurelius later.

He leads me outside, where the sun is shining. We make it halfway past our house when a loud squawk permeates the air.

Both Peeta and I watch as a white goose waddles quickly down the yard of Haymitch's house and the settles in the grass, only to be uprooted when Haymitch himself bursts from his front door.

"Come back here you stupid animal!" He shouts, waving a half empty bottle in his hand. The goose honks against and batters its wings.

"Haymitch," Peeta says. "What on earth are you doing?"

He stops, looking at us with bleary eyes. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm chasing geese."

I look over Peeta's shoulder and spot a pen leaning up against the side of Haymitch's house, full of white fluffy bodies. "Are you breeding them?"

"Maybe," he says, taking a swig of his bottle. "But they get out sometimes."

Peeta shoots me a look. "Are you sure that's sanitary?"

"Come on," I pull on Peeta's arm. Surely now Haymitch has gone off the deep end. "Let's leave him to his business."

"I named that one Sir Flanagan!" Haymitch points to the goose grazing in the grass a few feet in front of us. "Come back Sir Flanagan!"

I finally manage to pull Peeta away, and when we're finally out of earshot, he starts to laugh.

I smile and then let him lead me. We step past the border of the forest and keep going, until the trees start to become lush and green. The time flies away as we make our way over small creeks and past giant boulders, until Peeta pulls me to a stop in front of a thick bush.

"Close your eyes," he asks, and I do.

He leads me around the bush and over the forest floor, until I feel the ground become flat. He lets go of my hand, and I open my eyes.

The first things I see are small wooden planks nailed to a large tree, the trunk at least twenty feet in diameter. The second is the structure built in the nest of branches, balancing sturdily on a twine of leaves.

My mouth falls open. The small building is made out of dark wood, with a piece of cloth hanging down that made a makeshift door. The roof is partially open. There's a bridge that connects the crude porch to another, smaller tree with a platform on it.

My hand goes to my throat, my emotions twisting inside of me at this display. My heart beats at a triple pace, and I barely see Peeta move up beside me.

"Amazing, isn't it?" He asks. "I'm actually pretty proud of myself."

Before I know it I've thrown myself into his arms, overcome. "You did all of this for me?" I ask, astonished. I can feel tears prick at the corner of my eyes.

"Yes," he says. "I read about people constructing houses on the tops of trees, and I thought I'd try it out."

My lips wobble. "I…I don't know what to say." It's amazing, spectacular, and words are completely unnecessary. So I have no idea what to do.

"Come on," he takes my hand again and pulls me to the big tree with the wooden steps. "I thought you might be able to climb this tree already, but I'm not as skilled as you, so I made steps."

I quickly pull myself up the slats and onto the deck of the house in the tree. Peeta follows and pulls back the curtain, revealing the small room. A blanket has been laid down on the wooden floor, and there are a couple of rough chairs and a table in the corner.

"Look," he says, and points up.

I tilt my head back. It was afternoon when we left, so it's close to nightfall now. I look past the walls of the tiny house and up to the sky above, which is painted a palate of sunset. The exact color that Peeta described was his favorite, back when we were on the Victory Tour.

"Wow," I say, wanting to spend another moment looking at the sky, but I can tell that Peeta is excited and he pulls me through the door again, to face to bridge. We both cross to other tree with the wooden platform, where I find my bow and a sheath of arrows balanced against the trunk.

Peeta picks up the sheath and lifts it over my shoulders, where it rests and hands the bow to me. Then he points to a space across the clearing, where I can vaguely see a rotation of targets nailed to various trees of different height.

"This is your shooting range," he says, taking an arrow out of the sheath and helping me nock it. I can feel his warmth radiating through my back as I pull back and let the arrow fly, where it sticks in the center of the red-painted target with a thunk.

I am overwhelmed that he'd do all of this for me. How long had it taken to make? How had I not known that he was building this, when I had been sitting at home doing nothing? Only one thing is for sure – it's incredible. And there, standing a dizzying height off of the ground, I can feel our hearts starting to beat in sync.

"Well?" He asks softly as I let my arms drop from my shooting stance and turn to him. "Do you like it?"

I answer with a kiss.

I cannot express how sorry I am for such a late update. It's getting harder and harder to stick with this, you have no idea. Well, I suppose you do.

I hope you liked this chapter. And remember, keep reading!

Anyway, in that between-time writing this chapter from the last, I developed a new Hunger Games story – it's called Reaping Angels, and it's a brand new story set in the Hunger Games world. Please, please, please go check it out. Here's the link s/8393853/1/Reaping_Angels

And please, please, please review!

Here's hoping to see you again!

-Laura