Part III
"Her Father's Star"
Chapter Twenty One
Walking up to my house in the Victor Village, I can just think about how nice it is to come home to a home cook meal. It is that very thought that lifts anyone's spirit. Looking at the house, and I realized that the house has been well kept. Thinking to myself I wonder, how long have we've been gone? It feels like months but it could be almost two weeks.
Sae just looks at me and then at Katniss and without a word, she just gives us both a long embrace.
"Thank you for bringing her back to me," she says.
"I made a promise," I say. "But you know Liam never left her side."
She then lets us go and sees Liam there and hugs him as well.
It is at that time that I see Katniss give me a small wink and smirk.
"Come inside," she says. "I have breakfast prepared."
Once inside I see that there is enough food for all of us. The smell that comes from the kitchen is so delicious that I close my eyes and just let it take over my other senses. That is of course until I hear someone that I haven't heard in a while.
"Welcome back," I hear. From the kitchen I see Thom walking out. He has an apron and flour on his face, seems like he was either cooking or baking or both.
Thom would be the only person to know that we were on the transport coming home. He is after all the Mayor of District Twelve. Any classified information he would be privy to.
"We are going to get freshened up and put away our bags," I say to the group.
The walk is only a couple of minutes away and by the time we are at the front door you can tell people have already started eating breakfast together.
Inside we find that our little house has been maintained and cleaned. Seems Sae was coming over and making sure that everything was in order for when we got home.
"Finally," she says from behind me.
Turning around I see that her smile goes from ear to ear. It is enough to make me want to just twirl her around. We are finally home.
"Hey I have something I wanted to run by you," I say to Katniss.
She looks up.
"What are your thoughts if I give Sae my old house?" I say. "It would be easier for her in the winter months and well I think that it is the right thing to do."
She smiles and nods.
"I like it," she says.
"It is already cleaned out anyways. Nothing of mines really is there," I say.
She reaches and grabs my hand softly. Her eyes twinkle in the morning light through the closed blinds.
"See this is why I love you," she says. "Because of the things you do for others. You never really think about yourself, do you?"
I don't know, it has always been a sort of impulse of mines. To make people feel good about themselves, to always wanting to help anyone and everyone.
"Don't know, just been inside of me all this time," I say. "Something my father once told me. That we are in this together."
She must know that I meant even back then when the Capitol was holding us all prisoners. We all believed that although we were all separate from each other, that there was a bond that held us all together. A bond that no Capitol, nothing could keep us, even though we never saw what was going on in the other district, it was that bond that kept us from finally dying out and giving up, the bond that we were meant to be free.
She leans in and gives me a kiss lightly on the tip of my nose.
"I love it when you do that," I say knowing full well that she hardly does.
She smiles and walks up the steps with her bag.
"Going to get freshened up," she says. "Be right down in a couple."
Finally sitting down, on my sofa it is enough to get me to finally relax. The weight of the world is finally off my shoulders, for at least a couple of days. Right now all it is just me and her.
The thought lingers in my mind for a little bit. I can hear the water start and I know that she will be only a couple of minutes. Putting up my feet on the coffee table, I think to myself, a couple of minutes of sleep. Closing my eyes, I feel myself quickly drift off to sleep, but nothing comes to mind.
I feel her hands on my cheek and finally my eyes open. I see that my boots are off and a blanket has been placed on me. She sits on the coffee table smiling.
"Hey," I say. "Ready to get breakfast?"
She smiles.
"Peeta, more like dinner," she says.
Looking pass her, I see the blinds have been drawn open and the windows opened letting in the cool wind. I can see the dark sky and finally know for a fact that I have been sleeping the whole day.
"Why didn't you wake me?" I say.
"It is okay, Peeta," she says. "Everyone understood, with what we went through in the arena."
I slowly get up and find that in the kitchen is a pot of something on the kitchen table.
"Sae passed by," she says. "She left us some of the stew she had made for lunch."
She stands and begins to walk towards the kitchen.
"You hungry," she asks.
Standing and walking over to her, seeing her there in the kitchen getting a bowl out of the cupboard. Opening the drawer and grabbing a spoon.
"Just a little," I say. "Did you eat already?"
She turns and places the bowl on the table before going back and getting another two. She sets the table and finally looks up.
"No, I was waiting for you," she says.
The extra bowl leaves me with the question. Who is coming?
"Are we expecting company," I ask.
Looking at her she says that Thom wanted to catch up and had a couple of things that he had to tell us about the next mission. It seems that the advance team had found things to be more favorable and that there are changes to consider.
I immediately think that it could mean that we don't even need to go and that the other team, the Capitol team can take care of it all by themselves. It is wishful thinking on my part. When I press her for details she tells me that she doesn't know anything else, that she is waiting for Thom to get here. He couldn't even bring Millie with him because of the nature of the conversation.
"Somehow, this doesn't sound to be a good news dinner," I say.
She shrugs and tells me that if I wanted to go upstairs and freshen up that she will tell me all about what she did today with me just sleeping there on the sofa.
Walking up the steps I walk in and find that a pair of worn jeans on the bed and a t-shirt. Walking into the bathroom, I quickly take a shower and wash up. It feels good to take a shower in your own home. I think anything really feels better when it is a place that you are familiar with.
After getting the shirt on and the jeans I can hear the door closing downstairs and Katniss calling me downstairs as Thom had just got there.
Getting my shoes on, I walk downstairs and find him there smiling.
"Hey Peeta," he says. "Feeling better?"
"Much," I say stretching. "Nothing a whole day of sleeping won't cure."
He lifts his nose to the ceiling and points it to the kitchen.
"What an intoxicating aroma," he says. "Peeta, is your wife's cooking as delicious as it smells?"
She peeks her head from around the kitchen.
"I don't think that Peeta married Sae," she says jokingly. "Don't think he can handle that one. She is feisty for her age."
He lets out a laugh and then I meet him at the living room. He is carrying an official Capitol briefcase. You can tell because whenever we would have mission briefing that is where they would carry. Those light brown briefcases with the Capitol seal.
"See this isn't a social visit?" I say pointing at the briefcase.
"Didn't she, um.." he starts to say.
Again Katniss peeks her head around the kitchen.
"You know I did," she says. "He is just messing with you."
"Sorry," I say. "Just a little anxious to know what is in that lovely briefcase?"
He looks down and finally smiles.
"Believe me," he says. "It is good news."
"Come on you guys," she says. "Work talk later, can we just have one pleasant dinner without talking about the…you know what."
We both lift up our hands in surrender and walk towards the kitchen where the stew is prepared and presented in a way that makes it even more appetizing.
We all sit down and talk about the new happenings in District Twelve. He lets us know that this would be his last term as a Mayor and that he won't run for another. That he wants to start a family and that the political world is a hindrance on it.
Of course we both agree that if that is what they want to do that it is what they have to do. After a little bit more of pleasant conversation about how prepared the District is this time around for the winter months that finally Katniss couldn't stop from asking.
"Okay, it is killing me," she blurts out. "What news, and how could it be good?"
Thom looks at me, and we both start laughing.
"Wasn't it you that said no work talk?" says Thom.
"No no," I correct him. "She said work talk later. I assume that later is right now?"
She nods and smiles.
"Well," says Thom standing and getting the briefcase. "Like I said earlier, it is good news."
He opens it and finally hands us the reports.
"Preliminary reports show that the arena kill switch is in a remote location that only requires one person to activate it," he says. "I told them that it would require two because one will not go without the other."
That is all that he needed to say. It seems that the next mission the Capitol only wants Katniss to go. It isn't good news, it is horrible bad news. From the look in the face of Thom, it seems that my face isn't showing a sigh of relief but one of terror.
"Peeta, no they agree that you should go," he continues. "They have suspended the whole team, allowing them to not be in harm's way. I know that it is one of your concerns with Liam and April. They have revoked their access to this mission, along with Cressida, Gale, Johanna and Pollux, even Haymitch. The Capitol only wants you and Peeta to go into the arena and turn off the switch."
All I can think of is no backup. We would be alone. No way that Haymitch would go along with this, or even Cressida or Pollux. Liam and April they would hi-jack they way to the site.
"Wait," I say. "We would go in with no support?"
He looks at himself.
"I am sorry, I am not explaining it correctly," he says. "You will be going in with the full support of two hovercrafts, full tactical support."
Looking at Katniss, I don't know if she is agreeing to this.
"They won't go along with it," says Katniss. "You know that right? They will find a way."
He hands one other paper.
"That is the beauty of it all," he says. "They are taking a play right out of the Mockingjay playbook. The mission, the true mission is happening in two days. A good five days before the other team members would even know that you left."
That means lying to them. Keeping them in the dark, of the true intentions of the Capitol, they can dress all they want, and put it in shiny new wrapping paper but it is still misleading friends and even family.
"It will save their lives," he finally makes the argument. "You know the dangers, and well if you could you would have gone to the first arena without them right?"
The air is quiet and cold. There is a hint of truth there. We both look at each other. It is a risk, playing the game of the Capitol. They wanted only her, but knew that she wouldn't leave without me, or let her leave.
"Isn't that what we are all aiming for," he says. "I know your intentions are to spare them all if you could. I know that if she would let you, you would go without her, and I am sorry Katniss, but you know you would do the same. You guys are a package deal, and I made it so that they had to take it as so."
"Do we have a say?" I ask.
He puts the papers back in the briefcase.
"I am supposed to tell them your answer tonight," he says.
I look to Katniss.
"What do you think?" I say.
There is silence again, almost like she is trying to think of something to say. Struggling to find the words to support what she has an opinion of.
"I don't know," she says. She stands up and walks over to the living room. It is a hard decision.
Walking over to her, she just turns to me, trying to find some sort of path to know what is right here. On one side, we do this and no one else is place in immediate danger. The fact that we would have to not tell them is what bothers us the most.
Walking back she looks Thom.
"One condition," she says.
He gets out a piece of paper and pen.
"Okay," he says.
"A video explanation of whose idea it is to be sent to every one of the team members," she says.
"Katniss," Thom starts. "You know the minute we send it they are going to go after you."
That is when I see it. In her eyes a small glimmer. It is quite a smart move, something that I probably would have never thought of. Good thing Katniss is on our side.
"You will send it two days after we are gone," she says. "I don't want them thinking that we left them on purpose without telling them. I want them to know that we did for the right reasons."
He writes it down.
"Can I use your phone?" says Thom. "Have to call them to see if this would work."
We both see him there talking to who knows who on the phone. Saying word for word what our condition is. Finally after a couple of minutes he hangs up the phone.
Turning to us he nods that they have agreed to our conditions.
Thom finally picks up the briefcase and walks over to the door.
"Guys, listen," he says. "I am sorry about this."
We can both see it in his eyes, he is actually being truthful and for that we know that this may have cost him his position as the Mayor. It could have been the reason why he had me included and not just Katniss.
The door closes behind him and finally she turns the lock on the door.
The next couple of minutes are silent and uneasy. She turns to me and finally says.
"Couldn't stay in our world forever," she says with a smile that is all too familiar.
"Katniss, all we have to do is survive for two days after we land," I say. "The tape would be sent, and you know as well as I do, that they will come for us, even if the Capitol doesn't."
She nods.
"That is all I could think of," she says. "It is the only way I know history would not repeat itself."
She places her palm on my cheek. I know what she means. I can see the trembling in her hands; I can feel the fear of remembering such a painful memory. At least we know that they will come for us, and not leave us behind like it happened to me, and Johanna.
This pain she has to let it go. It happened so many years ago, it is time.
"You have to let it go," I say to her kissing her hand. "It wasn't your fault. You can't keep beating yourself up on it."
Her eyes begin to water and I know that it is something that she has had to deal with all these years. Guilt will always be with us. If you aren't careful the guilt will eat you up inside. It was gnaw away very slowly, until it is all you can think of. There are times when I remember that time that I tried to kill her. The guilt of that will haunt me until the end.
"Just two days," I repeat. "We can do this. We just have to survive two days in the arena. Heck we have done two weeks, and even then people were chasing us."
I grab her hand and take her to the sofa. Sitting her down on the sofa we try not to think about it. Instead I tell her that I will be right back and go up the stairs to look for something. I rummage through her bag until I find it there wrapped around a shirt. It seems that to Katniss it is a valuable item.
Walking down the stairs, I see her eyes following me all the way down. Once I show her what I have in my hands she smiles.
We sit there and leaf through the book.
"Hey what about this one for tonight?" she says.
I look at the drawing and think it is a nice one to read.
"High in the sky,
Soaring through the clouds,
A boy and his favorite kite
Flying through with ease
Up and down and even sideways
The boy falls and runs
Here and there and every where
He stands and sees his kite
Going up, and up and up
Higher to the sun it goes
Disappearing into a memory
Of him, with his favorite kite
A boy and his favorite kite."