So sorry it too so long... I've been distracted by other fictions I shouldn't be writing until I finish up one of my other tales...
I don't own the Hunger Games, I just like putting the characters in strange situations and go, "How will this person act" then share it with the world.
"Well, are you at least using protection?" I rolled my eyes, Prim wasn't one for keeping secrets.
"I'm on the pill," I shrugged looking over the half wall as Prim talked Peeta's ear off endlessly while they watched the Nationals unfortunately beat the Phillies into submission.
"Katniss," she hissed, at least my mother knew, from years of working in hospitals, how to keep important conversations between two people, "What if they put you on an antibiotic in the hospital?"
"They didn't… I checked my medical records," I tore up lettuce with my hands for a salad, "What? I needed to make sure they didn't give me anything that might interfere with my shooting…"
"Is that really what's important to you?" here we go again.
"Right now mom? Yes, my job is very important to me, and I need to be able to perform my job or people could die," she bristles a little, my tone just sharp enough to get my point across.
"You love him…"
I gulp, "Love isn't an emotion I can afford to feel right now," I continue to tear at lettuce, "Or ever for that matter," I add in a low voice.
"What about family? What if he wants to settle some day?"
"Then he's free to procreate and settle where ever he wants," Idly I chop a carrot, "Mom, I'm twenty-two, I have a great job where I can only go up, I'm helping people… Breeding and marriage are the least of my concerns," my mother just rolls her eyes, she want's grandchildren, I don't want children. Italian women, even southern Italian like my mother, wanted grand babies like a fat kid wants chocolate cake.
She'd have to wait for Prim.
"I'm going to go sit down…" I told her, knowing I could use my injured leg as an excuse to sit with my boyfriend. I pressed a hand to it for good measure, earning a sympathetic frown as I hurried to the couch. Ok, maybe I was sore, but not from my leg.
I rested my head on his shoulder, inhaling deeply as I took in his scent.
I wasn't in love… Was I?
"Hey babe," he kisses my cheek, "You feeling ok?" I nod, smiling.
"Just a little sore," I pat my leg hoping Prim will keep her mouth closed.
"Aw come on!" she slouches, "Mom! I'm going to be a National's fan now!" she shouts into the kitchen.
"You can tell that to your father, he'd roll over in his grave if you told him that."
"Could be worse! Could be the Yankee's," my eyes fid the worn leather armchair no one ever sits on.
No one could ever fill the void in that chair. A warm hand covered my cheek, thumb stroking lovingly as it brushed away tears I didn't realize I was crying. Peeta said nothing, he didn't pry, Peeta never pried into her life, he waited for doors to open.
530
The numbers threatened to bore a hole in my mind. How was it already 530?
I was big spoon tonight, well, more like the little spoon that happened to fall behind the big spoon. I slipped out of bed undetected, my lover still breathing evenly and heavily. Unfortunately I bumped into the corner of the bedframe not only shaking the bed but earning a loud curse that jolted Peeta from his slumber.
"Wha… Morning already?"
"Go back to sleep babe, I'm just going to take my test…"
"Want me to go with you?" he yawned, rubbing his eyes.
"No, I'll be back after lunch. I don't want you to waste your day waiting around for me to fail…"
"You're not going to fail…"
I stepped into my sports bra gingerly pulling it up over my stiches, "I'm completely out of practice…" I grumble sliding my underwear up my legs. Peeta watches as I set my case on the bed sliding the dials on the lock to the appropriate numbers so the easily forcible locks would spring open.
"Impossible, you just took a break…" he yawns reaching for the phone to order breakfast.
"Something's... not right here…" my gun wasn't sitting nicely in the case.
I pull the gun out, the weight awkward in my hand since there's no barrel, nestled under where the stock just sat was a blood covered book.
To Kill a Mockingbird
I pick up the pages, once soaked with Rue's blood, flipping idly through them when a card falls out, the Ace of Spades.
Do not use until you see the whites of their eyes.
-Major Abernathy
"Seems major has a plan forming… Would have been nice for him to tell us" I set the book down, afraid to damage it. The major wanted me to use this in the trial somehow, but not until I saw the whites of the defenses eyes…
"Not until they're close or seem to be gaining the upper hand," Peeta flips the note over several time before taking the book and putting it in his bedside table, right next to the bible, "I thought this was lost in the rubble…" I close my gun case after determining my eyes were still not what they were pre concussion, not terribly off, but enough to drive me insane, fill me full of anxiety.
Peeta is already in the bathroom when I slide down my underwear, "I didn't know we were at this stage of our relationship, urinating in front of each other," he towels off his face as I roll my eyes.
"What, I had to go and I wasn't going to any of the other bathrooms, what are you, crazy?"
He shrugs, toothbrush in his mouth before opening the cabinet under the sink setting my box of tampons close to the toilet.
Now THISwasn't a stage we were at in our relationship, "Turn around!" I shriek.
"Katniss, I've seen you naked before… and very bloody,"
"Peeta, turn around… Now," he rolls his eyes, back now to me as I take care of this embarrassing mess. Hey, at least I know I'm not pregnant, "Ok, we're good," I tell him after flushing and putting my underwear back on, "Crisis averted," I try to not show my absolute embarrassment, my pure horror that he had to see that.
He kisses my cheek as I brush my teeth, "Katniss, don't worry about it, I've see you near death and soaked in your own blood, this is nothing," I nod slowly, still embarrassed.
"What to wear today…" he teases as I throw on fatigues, I had to be in uniform for my test today.
"How about nothing?" I lean back in the bed and tuck my shirt in, lifting my hips up with my back and legs when I need to get the back, "Then I can come home and you can comfort me… oh wait. Damnit!" I hiss.
"Hey, I can still benefit from this situation," I button up my fly and side my feet into my well-worn boots, my eyes never leaving his.
"I will… Consider your proposal," I slid my belt through the loops adjusting it only slightly inwards, since leaving for Iraq I had taken off a good deal of weight most likely through sweat, "Model's should try this…" I said outloud.
"Try what?"
"Sweating their fat out through their pores, I'm down a few pounds," I threw my fatigue jacket over my shoulder and grabbed my gun case.
"You'll do great," he's in only his underwear, I'm in full military garb, what an odd pair.
"If you say so," I feel a twinge of cramping which'll just prove to be another distraction.
His firm hands are on my shoulders and he forces me to look at him, "I don't say, I know…" he kisses me with a ferocity that makes me want to hop back in bed and see if we can replicate the feeling over and over until we're out of breath and our lips are bruised, but I have to go.
"Be good while I'm gone," he hands me my case, they'll have to inspect it to make sure I'm not cheating somehow, but I used the same gun in my test last time.
"No promises…" he walks me to the door, hand in my pocket every few steps grabbing at my backside, "Hey Katniss…"
"Hmm?" I ask checking to be sure I have my wallet, papers and military ID.
"Shoot straight," I stuck my tongue out.
In Iraq everyone's life is in danger 24/7, it builds a sense of unity not found in Quantico. Not to say there isn't a brotherhood here, there's definitely a social ladder.
I walked in line with Colonel Boggs which seemed to perturb him beyond the way he bristled when he found out Staff Sergeant Everdeen was a woman, he idly chatted with me before we reached a dead end, "Back up to the line, cover your left eye and read the bottom line," vision test. Oh joy.
"Do you wear glasses and or contacts?"
"No, sir." I take a deep breath, I can make up the bottom line as always, I'm relieved but a lot of the letters could look like other letters at this distance. I needed 20/20, "Papa, Foxtrot, Charlie, Zulu, Delta, Tango, Lima, Echo," he nodded.
"Other eye," he pulled down another chart.
"Alpha, Oscar, Xray, Yankee, Foxtrot, Papa, Echo, Romeo, Juliet."
"Well, that's the easy part," his back was to me and I rolled my eyes. No shooting would be the easy part, "Did you study, Sergeant?"
"I figured my real life experiences would be enough, is it written and physical again?"
"Of course, we have another actual class taking the exam at this time."
"Want them to show me up?" I smirked.
"Please, because secret service would have just some scrub with the gun pointed at Snow," he opened the door, inside the small class room were stereotypical Marines. Shaved heads, muscular builds, all weighing twice as me easily, not a single woman.
"And our final victim," I set my unlocked case on the desk up front for inspection, and took a seat up front, all of the men were Lance Corporal's, the lowest rank allowed to undergo sniper training, and here I was a Staff Sergeant who would most likely be tested for Gunnery Sergeant the second we got to Baghdad.
I didn't have my jacket on, for all they knew I could have been a starry eyed Corporal just like them, "Bring your own piece? What afraid their big bad guns here will kick your little shoulder too hard?"
"No, the Remmy's they have here have nothing on my Barrett."
Boggs was already in my case, screwing on my barrel, "Beautiful little number you got here, Everdeen…"
"Thanks, she's my baby," he examines the trigger guard, the bolt everything.
"Never have kids sarge, this baby's scuffed and scratched, you should get a new one when you get back to Fallujah…"
I rest my elbow on the table, my chin in my palm, "Thanks, but she survived a building falling on top of her, she'll survive Baghdad… Or where ever the hole I'll be stationed in is…"
He just sighs, "Now this is a real weapon, you jackasses would be honored just to hold something like this," he puts my gun away but not before looking through my scope, "Beautiful…"
The written test is easy, calculating gun positions based on wind speeds and distance, random situation questions, naturally I was the first one done having done this exam before.
"Have a seat outside… Looks like you scored better on your written than last time… One hundred percent Sergeant Everdeen," he shook my hand, last time I got two questions wrong.
It takes about a half hour for the class to finish and join me outside for the physical portion, as always beginning with a mile run, which in the hot June sun and disgusting Virginia humidity I naturally lead the pack, the big burly men carrying more weight than my lithe limber body.
Finally we're up to the practical, "Any volunteer's?" I know what's coming, "Let's go in order… Smallest to tallest," I roll my eyes and step forward.
"You could have just said ladies first, sir," my case is already out here, beautiful and ready for me. I slap the magazine in, earning a few wolf whistles, and my personal favorite 'I'd let her handle my gun anyday'
"Your target is a middle aged female," I screw on my silencer, "Confirmed location," here's the corny part, "one thousand yards from your current location, you may take the shot prone, seated or standing. Be advised that this is timed and-"
The gun is at my shoulder before he's finished giving me my orders. I see "her" a dummy surrounded by "civilians" I aim for the kill zone in the head, flick my gun off safety and take my shot before he can finish talking.
"Target neutralized," I turn my gun back on safety as he fiddles with his computer probably hooked up to the now dead dummy.
"Right between the eyes... Get in that blind and await further orders," it's hot in there, kind of smelly form disgusting man, but I can sit down, "Alright, your next target follows the same route between Fallujah and his home outside of town every day. He has with him his two daughters and wife, though is wanted in connection with an IED that destroyed a convoy four days ago… What is your course of action?"
"Eliminate my target," I see the dummy standing profile to me, two smaller dummy's 'holding its hand' while a fourth follows behind. I take aim, the target only about a thousand feet ahead of me. I squeeze my trigger.
"Very good Everdeen, come back to the rest of the group," I throw my gun on safety again.
"And that boys is how you become certified as a Scout Sniper… Well, one of the ways. Dismissed Everdeen," we salute, "And do a good job Monday, don't let a student of mine get away with cold blooded murder."
"Sir, Marvel was one of yours?"
"He was in your class Everdeen."
I had to get back to DC, I had to tell Peeta. Instead I called him as soon as I got situated.
"Peeta… I think I found our second secret weapon…"
He was groggy, having been woken up by the hotel phone ringing, "What's that babe?"
"Marvel was in the same sniper class as me. The second he brings up anything about training… OOoooh."
"Well, tell that to the Prosecution, they're coming to the hotel to meet with us in an hour."
"What? That's supposed to be tomorrow!" I throw my weapon in the back seat and turn the car on.
"They needed to meet with us as soon as possible to get our plan of action… You're driving, I'm going to let you go babe, drive safe."
"I will."
"Also, great job on your test…" I smiled a little. How did he know?
Authors Note: No Katniss and Peeta are not having the babies yet. It would mess up the whole story D: This isn't about Katniss and Peeta making a family, it's about them fighting a war and finding themselves/ each other. Babies may come, just not at this juncture. Next chapter starts Marvel's trial, some familiar faces come back! Soon they're back to the war where the real fun begins! Let's see if we can bring this to 150 reviews or more? It won't make me update faster, well… It might remind me to write the next chapter faster.
HERE'S A PREVIEW:
We stood there as the judge entered; camera crew's planted around the room trailing his entrance, following his every move like my rifle on a target's path, waiting for a clear perfect shot.
"You may be seated," the bailiff told us. Peeta and I were the only two in Dress Blues, Marvel and the three witnesses for the Defense having been discharged and stripped of all titles. I didn't pay the best attention to the defenses opening statement, or even the prosecution, I just stared.
This man killed Rue, this man took what Peeta fights for away from him… I thought over and over.
"We call Staff Sergeant Katniss Everdeen to the stand," I'm pulled from my trance and rise, the bloody book tucked away safely in my coat pocket, my hat under my arm.
"Raise your right hand," the bailiff commanded, not bothering to bring a bible. I made it abundantly clear that I was not swearing on a book that didn't hold any power over me, instead he brought out a code and conduct book of the state of Maryland, laws that held much more power over me than some scripture of a religion I didn't follow, "You do affirm that all the testimony you are about to give in the case now before the court will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; this you do affirm under the pains and penalties of perjury?"
I nod slowly, "I swear."
He nods, "You may be seated," my eyes find Cato, Clove, and Glimmer, all three staring at me like I ruined their lives. They did this to themselves.
I look at Marvel's fancy attorney, apparently his father was loaded, enough to buy a team of lawyers to get his son off a murder charge. We had what I saw and Peeta's way with words.
Heh… Now I know how David felt.