Thank you for waiting! I've been busy and hit writer's block so hard I think I lost teeth!
It feels like hours, days even before we break apart. Peeta's mouth is slightly agape as we stare at each other. We're so close Peeta barely has to move to kiss me, his arms snaking around my waist as if he's afraid I'll run. Even if I wanted too I don't think I could since my legs feel like they're melting, my stomachis filled with butterflies because Peeta's here, he's so gentle and caring, and I never this magical high to end.
Cray's knocking makes us break apart, scampering to opposite sides of my bed as if we've been burned by each other. "I think it's about time baker boy gets home." Cray doesn't let his words leave any space for argument. When we don't answer the door handle jiggles as he tries to open it, "Why's your door locked?" Cray growls loudly and his footsteps lead downstairs.
I frantically look to Peeta and whisper, "He has keys." Cray hates when I lock my door, "You need to go."
"I'm not going to leave you." Peeta states before standing up, "Who knows what he'll do when I go. Katniss, I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you." Peeta frowns, "Can we go now? You're bags aren't even unpacked yet, we can leave right now." Peeta says hopefully.
Leaving now? My stomach twists with nerves, we're both young, and stupid. So stupid. This is never going to work, Cray will find us within hours, we may not even cross the county line. Oh God, he'll kill me for sure, if I ran away.
"Katniss," Peeta pulls me into a tight embrace, "We can do this, just you and me, promise. I won't let him lay a finger on you, ever."
"Prim too." I whisper, "I can't leave her."
Cray's got to get the keys out of the beaten up garden shed out back with is also locked, so I can't take them. It leaves us an opening, if we hurry, he's probably walking through the dried up plants right now.
Peeta lifts my bags as if they weigh. He knows we're in a rush and peeks out the window, "He just went in the shed out back, You grab Prim and let's get out of here."
There's no time to pack anything for Prim, but she instantly catches onto my panicked motions and cries loudly as I hold her against my hip, she's getting big but's still small enough to carry like this. My head spins as I run out of her room to Peeta in the hallway, Prim's hand grabbing her favorite stuffed cat and her cries echoing through the house.
"Come on." The three of us trample down the steps, Peeta also falls at the bottom but steadies himself on the railing. It's started to rain outside, blue skies turn an angry grey as Peeta unlocks his door, dropping the keys twice.
A bang, loud enough to make me jump startles Peeta just as he gets the door open. Cray stands in the Doorway, his side-by-side shotgun trained on us. Thank God he has bad aim.
Peeta nearly shoves me into the trucks cab seconds before another shot rings out, Prim's crying, Cray's screaming, and Peeta's starting the truck. Everything's moving too fast, too overwhelming. This is a nightmare right? I'm really back at the bakery, not holding a wailing toddler as tires screech against the driveway.
Peeta hits my mother's cheery house shaped mail box as he backs up and speeds down the street.
~BMT~
"Did we really just do that?" Peeta asks, his blue eyes glued to the highway in front of him.
The sun dips below the horizon, painting the sky soft shades of orange, red, and pink. Prim dozes off in my lap, her stuffed cat clutched tightly to her chest and blonde braids coming loose like mine. "I don't know." I state, still shocked but the event's that took place no more than an hour ago.
"Do we go to the police?" He asks, thumbs tapping nervously on the steering wheel."
"No." Looking up from Prim's sleeping face I quietly inform Peeta, "He's got contacts everywhere, I've tried already. When I was younger." I take in a deep breath, "I told a police officer at school, when I was twelve. He seemed worried, but that afternoon I came home and... The cop was sitting there with a smirk on his face." Peeta's grip on the steering wheel makes his knuckles white, "Cray laughed while the guy beat the living crap out of me. "
"That doesn't mean he knows them all Katniss." Peeta insists, "He can't control the whole country. There's always someone who can help."
I don't respond, instead resting my forehead on the window as Peeta pulls into a truck stop. "I told Rye that we we're leaving." He parks in front of the run down motel, it's light up neon sign reads Traveler's Inn and flickers a few times. "He gave me some money, so we can stay away until you figure out what you want to do."
The woman at the front desk eyes us suspiciously as Peeta lays down the money on the cracked counter top, "One room please." He says politely. I stand next to him, Prim drooling on my collarbone I as hold her.
"This your girlfriend?" She asks, obviously searching our hands for rings before frowning, "You usually marry the girl before knocking her up, and so young too." I blush deeply, she thinks Prim is our daughter. "Kids these days."
Peeta doesn't say anything but I see the red staining his cheeks too as he takes the key from her and walks out into the chilly night air. We walk up the stairs, looking for room 204. "Here we are," Peeta smiles, pushing open the door before and holding it for me and Prim.
There's chapter 21, as you can tell this story is going to be hitting the end point soon. Sorry for my horrible writing, I have been having a hard time recently. Anyway, if you want to ask me anything or just chat, come over to my tumblr CryingOverMockingjay, where you can also find my AO3 stories.
As always, thanks for reading.