Changing the times of laughter,
waiting for a happily ever after,
trying not to think for too long,
trying just to keep so strong.
A/N--Hey there! I'm going to be very, very busy this month, so this may be the last update for a while! Sorry about that, but there isn't anything I can do about it. I'm impressed that I found the time for this one!!! I'll keep you posted on when I think I'll have time, on my profile, so check it out occasionally, or leave me a PM!
Disclaimer--Never,ever,ever,after. Smiles, and tears, and all the laughter.
Enjoy :)!
"Well now!" Cinna says, clasping his hands together and inspecting the four members of Peeta's family. "It seems we've a bit of a dilemma here."
Katniss notices the various reactions of those positioned in front of Cinna, Portia, and herself. Pane looks upset, but there is a fiery spark in his eyes, and he is also compliant to Cinna. Mrs. Mellark, being her usual self, refuses to make eye contact with anyone, and when someone addresses her directly, she ignores them. Matza seethes in the background, avoiding conversation, but snapping at anyone who tries to talk to him, including his father. And the oldest Mellark boy sits in a state that seems almost catatonic. He doesn't answer when you talk to him, but not because he is being difficult; he just isn't with you. He stares off at nothing, and twitches occasionally. Katniss wonders if someone gave him shock therapy, or if he just isn't strong enough to handle the ordeal.
"You see," Portia continues for Cinna once he cuts off. "The President expects you to look fabulous for your...interviews later today. Usually, whoever our project is helps us along a little. Here...well, I'm sure you realize the deteriorated state your physical appearance is in."
This gets a reaction out of Matza. He points his gaze straight at Portia, bears his teeth, and growls. An actual growl, out loud, spit forming at the corners of his mouth. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You've obviously been here a while," Portia smiles at him sympathetically. She has to act like this, because they know that either the President himself, or one of his lackeys will be watching this room from a screen; the camera in the corner is trained directly on Portia, Cinna, and Katniss, and they can't get away from it without looking suspicious.
"And we don't have the prep teams we usually have, when designing for Tributes, et cetera," Cinna continues, not quite getting the happy-go-lucky tone of voice that Portia had mastered. "So I'll be taking Mr. and Mrs. Mellark with Kandace, and Portia will be taking Challa and Matza."
Where is he going with this? Katniss wonders, still not aware of what the plan is.
Matza struggles against Portia, but after a few minutes, she calls in Neroe and he restrains the boy's fight. Neroe the Superhero, Katniss thinks sarcastically. Challa goes willingly, looking at his feet, and the four of them exit the room. Katniss has no idea where Portia is taking the boys; hopefully far away from the Capitol.
Cinna smiles encouragingly at Pane, and he gets up, taking his wife by the arm and leading her away. They follow Cinna out of the room, and Katniss follows them. Mrs. Mellark turns around and sneers at Katniss. "Kandace, huh?" she spits. "Stupid name for a stupid girl."
Katniss doesn't respond. It stings a little, but she knows that Peeta's mother is a complete witch, and nothing is ever going to change that. She didn't change when her son nearly died many times over, she didn't change when he came back, she didn't change after standing in front of a firing squad, she didn't change after being detained in a Capitol facility, she isn't going to change for anything at all.
"Kandace?" Cinna asks, smiling backward in Katniss' general direction. "Down that hall is the room where Portia is. Be a dear and go ask her about the toffee, would you? Then find Neroe. Thanks, hun."
Katniss is extremely confused, but she smiles at Cinna, bobs her head in compliance, and enters the hallway he indicated. It's dark in the hallway, because only a few of the lights are on. She sees Portia entering a room, and closing the door behind her. She walks towards it, and a few seconds later, the door reopens and Neroe walks out. "Oh, Neroe!" she calls, getting his attention.
He smiles at her, and walks towards her. "I just have to stop by and ask Portia a quick question, then I need to talk to you." She smiles at him, shoving her chest out a little bit. It makes her sick, but it's the best way to assure results. He looks down, not focusing on her eyes.
"Of course, Kandace," he says, licking his lips. "I'll be waiting right here."
Katniss suppresses a shudder and walks into the room that Portia, Challa, and Matza are in. As soon as she walks in, she throws a hand up to cover her eyes. Both the boys have their shirts off, and are in the process of taking off their pants. After a second, Katniss realizes that Kandace probably wouldn't be embarrassed by this, since she's been working as Portia's assistant for a while, and would be used to naked bodies.
"Excuse me," Katniss says, lowering her hand and looking pointedly at Portia. "Sorry to interrupt, but Cinna sent me to ask you about the toffee."
Portia's face lights up in recognition, and she holds up a finger to Katniss. "Come in here for a moment, would you Kandace, dear? I'll just be a second boys, go ahead and put on those robes."
Katniss follows Portia into the designated room. She immediately realizes why Portia chose this room, because it has the same private interrogation room that had been in the Mellark's holding room. "Katniss," Portia says once she closes the door securely behind them. "I hate to ask you to do this...and Cinna really hates to, but this is sort of important. There's a reason we dressed you like that today." She puts a hand over her eyes, seemingly ashamed to look Katniss in the face.
"It's okay, Portia," Katniss says warily, wondering where she is going with this.
Portia clears her throat, standing up straighter and looking Katniss in the eyes. "You need to convince Neroe Turbina to make a slip in the processing papers for the Mellarks. It's not much of a plan, I hate to admit, but it's what we've got."
"What do you mean?" Katniss asks, not understanding.
"Give him this, say that it's the release forms for the costumes. Really, it's the release forms for the people. I'm taking the boys out as soon as they get changed, and Cinna should already be gone. If Neroe decides to check over the paperwork, you need to convince him otherwise."
Katniss thinks that this is a good plan; except for one part. "How am I supposed to convince him that?" She asks with her eyes closed, already knowing the answer.
Portia has the decency not to respond to that. "You don't actually have to do anything, Katniss. Just flirt with him a little. Besides, it will be Kandace, not Katniss. You'll do great, I know it." Portia bends down and kisses Katniss on the cheek, handing her the release forms as she does so. "I'll meet you outside in ten minutes. Good luck."
Katniss takes the papers, also taking a deep breath, then she plasters on a completely fake--and not at all realistic--smile, and marches out of the room, head held high. She walks right past the Mellark boys without blinking in their direction, and out into the hallway, where Neroe stands in front of a half open doorway, leaning against the frame.
Katniss plays the part of a Capitol bonehead; pretty and stupid. She looks around awkwardly, waiting for him to address her. "Kandace, over here," he purrs, waving her over. She flashes him a smile, and walks towards him, all the while trying to keep herself from throwing up.
"Neroe..." Katniss purrs back, trying to sound sultry. She can't tell if she is succeeding or failing horribly, but this is the Mellarks best chance, she supposes, and she has to at least try her best. "Neroe the superhero. You're so strong." She smiles at him, wrapping her arms around one of his biceps. Bile washes up into her throat, but she pushes it back, determined to do this right.
"Kandace...Remiss Kandace, give me a kiss." He grins at his witty rhyme, and leans in to kiss her, but she pulls back. Unfortunately, the only back she can go, is into the room. She steps inside, trying to act coy rather than nauseous.
"I need you to sign and file some papers for Portia." Katniss gets right down to business, hoping to get it done with before Neroe realizes how pathetic of a flirt-er she is. "Could you get that done quick for me?" She bats her eyelashes, and is sure she looks stupid.
Neroe eats it up. "Of course, beautiful," he says, looking down at her chest again. "Let me just look these over..."
"It's just a costume release form, saying that the Mellarks are properly outfitted, yadda, yadda," Katniss says quickly, drawing his eyes away from the papers. "Nothing you need to worry about. I'd like to get it done quick, though, so there's more time to..." She giggles, filling in the space. Ew, Katniss Everdeen does not giggle. But nevertheless, she is surprised at how well it works.
"Of course, Kandace." He licks the tip of a pen, flipping through the papers without reading them, initials in a few choice spots, then signs at the bottom. "Now..."
"Could you file it really quickly first? I don't want it to get ripped or anything. " He smiles at her, and starts walking out the door. "I'll be waiting," she says.
As soon as he's gone, she counts to ten, trying not to gag, then sticks her head out the doorway, looking down the hallway on each side to make sure he's out of sight. Then she quickly exits through the hallway, back down the elevator and out the way she came.
Standing out in the parking lot, are Portia and two very handsome, very unrecognizable teenage boys. Katniss smiles at Portia's skills in the art of making people fabulous.
"What do you mean you want to come?" Gale whisper-yells at Madge, his voice steely and cold. Madge looks taken aback. We are standing in the Meadow, behind Katniss' old house. It is far away from others here, but still a perfect entryway to the forest. I'm ashamed to say that I couldn't talk Madge out of coming with me, so here she is, making both Gales' and my life hell.
"I want to help look for Prim. And I want to see the forest. I want to go out there, Gale. You have no idea how long I've wanted to follow you out there. You and Katniss, I mean." Madge blushes after adding the last part, as if she forgot to mention it. It makes me wonder, a bit, what Madge is really thinking. She's not an open book like some people are; she's very hard to read.
"It doesn't matter what you want, Madge. I'm not taking the Mayor's daughter out of District 12, no matter what she says!"
"Not taking the Mayor's daughter, or not taking me?" Madge asks, her lower lip quivering, and her eyebrow cocked up a bit. It is a very contradictory position that her face is in; fierce and scared all at once.
"It doesn't matter!" Gale yells, turning around, then turning back to face us, his eyes dead set on his own way.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I say, confused at the direction this conversation is turning. "Am I missing something here? What's the difference between Madge and the Mayor's daughter? You are the Mayor's daughter."
"Just admit it Gale!" Madge screams, her eyes starting to fill up with tears. "It has nothing to do with who my dad is! You just won't take me out there because it's me, and you're in love with Katniss!"
I expect her to turn and run, here, but she doesn't. She stands her ground, her eyes boring into Gale's. His lower jaw drops open in surprise. "That's not it, Madge," he says, his voice soft and soothing. "It's not because of you. Really, I wouldn't take anyone out there. It's different for Peeta. He's practically Prim's family, they know each other so well. I don't want you to get lost or hurt out there. And...and that's final!" He stomps his foot on the last sentence, as if he were afraid that he had started to sound like he was relenting.
I stand in awe at this exchange that has just happened in front of me. I've never known it before, but I think that Madge likes Gale. And it almost seems, that if Gale didn't have Katniss, he might like Madge back. But the fact remains that he loves Katniss, and when you love a girl like Katniss, you can't like any other girls that way; not the way that Madge likes Gale.
Madge's tears fall freely now, and she turns without a word, walking back towards civilization. I stare at Gale, trying to read his expression. "It's none of your business," he says icily, before I can even ask him a question, then he ducks under the fence, and starts entering the forest without me. I have no choice but to collect myself and follow him, right away.
"So, Gale," I say after a few minutes of silence, trying to make conversation. "Got any weapons that would actually do me some good?"
Gale smiles, and I know that I've hit on a point he is comfortable discussing; my inferiority. "Sure thing, Bread Boy. Let's see what I've got...knife-comma-butter...pin-comma-rolling...ing-comma-frost..."
"Frosting isn't two words!" I interrupt him, but I'm laughing, and he starts, too.
"I've got a bow, and I've got some knives. I don't think you can shoot a bow, can you?"
"Not very well," I admit. "I can handle a knife well enough, though."
"All right, then. Knife-comma-butter." He shoots a smile at me, and I see that wisp of friendship in him that we might have had if we weren't both madly in love with the same girl. It's almost nice out here, if I don't think about the fact that Prim is missing.
"Where do you think she is?" I ask, worried. She could be anywhere at all by now. She might not be anywhere. She might be...she could have already been killed at this point, if I'm being honest with myself. I swallow hard, trying to find my breath. I can't imagine little Prim dead. No one could; everyone loves Prim.
"She's fine, Peeta," Gale says, as if answering my thoughts. "You don't know her like I do. I've known her for so many years. I could feel it if she was gone."
I look at Gale, wanting to believe him, but skeptical. "Everyone always says that they'd know, but no one ever does." I close my eyes briefly, and almost fall, but Gale catches my arm, holding me steady.
"You don't think that if Katniss..." He drops my arm, and glares at me. "Are you saying that if Katniss died, we wouldn't know? I'd know. You might not, but I would!"
"I was talking about Prim," I say, my voice quiet, but he's done talking to me now that I've set him off.
We continue are search, in not-so-amiable silence.
Prim's breaths come fast. In, out, in, out. She tries to scuttle away from the growls and the moans, but her back soon hits a wall, and she knows she is trapped. She can't get up; she is bleeding too badly. Help me, please, Prim thinks, but her thoughts muddle up inside her head, and soon she isn't thinking anything.
Then hope comes back; that light in the endless darkness. Only this time it is much closer. The flashlight beam shoots it's way past her closed eyelids, making her see red. She wants to open her eyes and get a better look at Hope, but she can't because it is too bright. She shields her hands with an arm, whispering quietly, "Hope?"
Then she hears a booming laugh. "No, little girl," it says. "My name is Borus. But you can call me Hope if you'd like!" The light moves away from her lids, and she opens her eyes to see the laughter. Hope is flashing against the other side of the cave, and the laughter--Borus--is surrounded by wild things that Prim can't think of a name for. Some kind of beasts a mix between a dog and a lynx; a bird and a beetle; a bear and a fox.
"What are they?" she asks in awe. These hideous creatures that she's never seen before, they seem to be following silent commands from Borus. Staying back when he puts a hand up, sitting when he gestures for them to do so. Prim's mouth hangs slightly open.
"Oh, these little beasties?" Borus asks with another booming laughter. "They're mutts. Capitol muttations. I call 'em Beasties, in general. But this here one is named Figgy, this one's Jellum, and this one's Rae."
"You named them?" Prim asks, surprised at the strange names, but more surprised by the fact that they had names at all.
"Why of course I named 'em, hunneh, they're my pets."
A/N--Anyway, since I figured it would be a while before another update, I didn't leave you on a Cliffie :). Aren't I nice?
I really don't like Nero the Superhero. He's a jerk. Mm. Any comments on Neroe, the Beasties, Borus, or anything else? How 'bout Madge and Gale *raises eyebrows twice*. Fun stuff!
REVIEW!