A/N: Continuing this story is at the top of my list for the break :) enjoy, readers, and comment if you are able to. Thank you all for the patience because it really means a lot to me. Enjoy!
~3smyle~
It turns out that District 13 doesn't end with the winding tunnels of the underground world. A sloping pathway from the south end of the district leads to an area of low, domed buildings extinguished from view due to their location in the woods.
The vines elaborating the side of one of the buildings' wall catches into my hand as I rub it smoothly between my fingers.
"Where are we?" I question, looking up at Finnick. He smiles minutely and glances up.
"It's only name is New Haven. It's the main headquarters of everything secretive." He suddenly grips my arm and leans close to my ear. I can't explain how much I miss having his secure company.
"But I should think that is the least of your problems at the moment," he breathes into my ear. I shift my head to stare at him blankly. He straightens up and lets out an exaggerated laugh.
"Haymitch wasn't all too happy to find out you were missing. Neither was your mother. And we just got information that Gale was captured, leaving all the blame on your precious shoulders."
"Crap," I sigh, already visualizing Haymitch's deadly stare when I see him.
Finnick leads me into the largest musty building, grasping my shoulders tightly for a second as if in reassurance.
"I noticed your tummy's pretty big for just a couple-weeks-old fetus," Finnick jokes, giving my shoulders another squeeze. I slink out of his grip and make my way to the end of the main lobby. Maple doors at the end of the room draw me in as I grind my teeth from Finnick's words. I halt before the doors and stand straight in a determined manner, pushing open the set of enormous doors without stupid Finnick's consent.
And my legs nearly give way.
Set out in front of me is an at least twenty foot-long conference table with filled seats on both sides. My eyes widen in astonishment as I take the crowd in. I make an "o" with my mouth, and am just about to walk out of the room (thinking I was mistaken), when a cocky, yet familiar voice rings from the end of the table.
"Well look who came for a visit. Not planning on leaving soon, are you, darling?" I search the unknown faces until the beaming face of Haymitch emerges.
"Hey," I say so weakly and in such an embarrassed way, I can feel the awkwardness rise in the room.
"Well you aren't going to just stand there. Take a seat," Haymitch mocks. The heat rising to my face is enough to ignite my venomous tongue. But I hold the comments back, deciding to toy with him as he does with me.
"Don't worry, I wasn't waiting for your permission," I call out, loudly and unmannerly pulling out a nearby seat to pluck myself on. I take a peek at Haymitch, noticing his darting eyes. This isn't good.
"No, I don't think you need it. You never seem to need my permission for anything, considering you blindly ran out of the ship and got one of our most needed members, Gale, caught by the Capital because of it." Haymitch eyes me steadily. I grip my seat between my fingers, letting out a gasp of air to calm my nerves. Gale's imprisonment could have hardly been my fault. I never wanted him to follow me.
Or did I?
"Well maybe if you made yourselves more useful—."
"Don't waste yourselves. Empty words hold empty meaning." The thunderous voice that cuts me off nearly makes me jump. I glance up and catch the eye of a man I don't recognize. I squint to study him, considering the fact that he is seated on the other end of the meaninglessly long table.
"Allow me to introduce myself, Katniss Everdeen. I am Garren Heavensworth, ex-mayor of District 13 and present leader of our cause." The man has a goatee of pure white and the hair on his head marks the same color. His wrinkled eyes hold a sharp blue color, stinging me with memories of Peeta. I take in a short breath, the bruise in my heart swelling in spasms.
"You must have already been enlightened about our plan if I am not mistaken?" Garren finishes the last of his question in a nearly hushed voice, placing the spotlight on me. I shake my head slowly, quickly glancing Finnick's way, before Garren continues.
"Well that is very well fine. But let me first introduce you to the crowd in front of you."
After naming each person, most of them already forgotten in my mind, my eyes waver on a few I keep in thought. For example, my mother, who is seated beside Haymitch, has her eyes set on my rounded belly. I cringe, imagining what it must have felt like to be told that her daughter became pregnant, even if it wasn't through the common way. Plutarch and Beetee are also seated in the room, as well as many district mayors and some people I can easily spot out as, strangely, Capital inhabitants.
Every eye is on me now as I nod slowly, taking in the crowd.
"We received news about your pregnancy by Capital means," Garren states, his eyes quickly darting to my stomach. By the look of many of the people's faces, I can tell they aren't too convinced about my Capital theory.
"Yes, the Capital used Peeta's news against us." The shuffling of uncertain persons nearly puts me on edge. Garren holds a twisted look to his lips as his eyebrows raise. I rise from my seat and hold my fists at my side.
"Listen, I didn't come to poke fun at this whole scheme we are planning to pull off. If you guys aren't willing to believe what I am insisting on, then I don't see what my presence is adding to this gathering. If Peeta and I did kick it off, then I'd come out and say it. I wouldn't be embarrassed to admit to something as serious as this. So unless you all plan to sit here and enjoy the view of my large belly, I demand some collaboration or we aren't going to get anywhere with this. I want this problem solved as much as you all do!" I glance around, wishing I didn't explode like that. It was Peeta's gift to string perfect words together, not mine. But with everyone staring at me like this, I decide to add the last part in, no matter how much it kills me.
"And the President is planning on birthing this baby on a certain day, because it's growing at an irregular rate, much faster than a normal baby. Right now the fetus is a couple months old and I've only been pregnant for three weeks."
The silence in the room is inevitable. It feels like everyone held their breath, including Haymitch. Tears well up in my eyes and I force them back, not wanting to appear any weaker than I am to these people. From the back of the room, I see my mother who is holding the side of her seat. She holds her tears back as well, knowing she must stay strong.
"So please, we all need to stick together in this because overthrowing the Capital isn't some joke. It needs each and everyone one of us," I finish.
"Thank you, Katniss. You may take your seat now. Speaking for all the individuals in this room, I give my apologies for any misinterpretation we may have shown." Garren smiles warmly at me as I take my seat.
"Now, Katniss, we have many plans waiting to take action. But before we carry them out, it would be efficient to run them by you," Garren states. I smile lightly as he continues by waving his hand in the air. Everyone seems to hold this as normal, but I sit and wonder what he is up to.
Suddenly, from an open window planted on the wall in front of me and behind Garren, a bird emerges.
Its black form swoops down on queue as it settles on Garren's fingertips, gazing at me with a cocked head.
My jaw drops. It can't be.
"Familiar with this mockingjay, I perceive, Katniss?"