Chapter 38. The Gathering
Things in Bonum and the rebels' house seemed to remain relatively calm and uneventful over the passed month. Peeta had still remained in the hospital, unheard from by the other rebels in the house and Hazelle's trial date still went unannounced. In fact, the general lack of any communication with the government and soldiers under President Odoacer was overall suspecious. Chaff suggested perhaps that the President didn't find the rebels trustworthy after what happened, but the topic was quickly silenced for the Hawthorne siblings' sakes. Still, the silence was a growing concern among the other odd behaviors of the government.
By now, the Justice Building should have been restored yet the structure still remained in shambles. The grounds had barely been touched other then when the deceased were cleared from the debris but no reconstruction had began. The President had just began to use the Tele-Comm building for meetings with his council, as Beetee informed the group during one's days visit when his area was needed by the officials.
But the silence was soon broken late that evening with an echoing knock at the front door of the rebels' home. Almost immediately, Katniss answered the door. With her throat completely healed and being completely well rested, all thanks to Gale, she was one of the most desperate for news. She was sick of waiting around with nothing to do. She just wasn't built for domestic duties and, if she had to clean another plate or make another bed, she was going to scream.
Standing at the doorway was one of President Odoacer's soldiers, bundled with his hood up. "Miss Everdeen, President Odoacer requests you and all other able bodies of the household for a private meeting at the Tele-Comm building."
Katniss held in a jump for joy. Finally, all the training she had been doing in the woods with her arrow and gun might be paying off. She forced herself to remain stoic, however, as she nodded. "Alright. Immediately?"
"Yes. I will wait here for you to gather and prepare."
"Okay. Thank you. You can come in, if you'd like," Katniss felt bad for him, standing out in the snow, but didn't await his reply. She left the door open and immediately ran up the stairs to gather everyone, borderline excitedly.
One by one, the group began to gather into the living room. Everybody with the exception of Effie, Vick, Posy, and Serena made their way into the living room, including the now crutched Cinna. Of course, he didn't expect himself or Portia to go on the actual mission, but to just offer their insight of the workings of Panem's Capitol.
Katniss walked back down the stairs with the last person, Rory, following behind her, slightly grouchy from being awoken from his nap. Katniss walked back to the door and looked at the soldier. "Ready."
The soldier nodded towards them before opening the door. "Please follow me. There are a few others we will be collecting before going to the meeting."
Katniss felt curious but she nodded regardless, knowing she would see as they walked. There was no hesitation before she followed him along with the rest of the rebels. The walk didn't take very long as their destination was on the way to the Tele-Comm building. But the eyes widened of many surprised rebels when the soldier stopped at the Medical Center. It seemed that the soldier or somebody else had informed the doctors of the meeting ahead of time as both Delly and Peeta stood at the front doors, waiting.
Peeta looked almost normal, the crazed look long vanished from his blue eyes and his medical wounds healed. There were a few scars between his eyes and temples from his first procedure and his skin had a yellowed tint to them from the morphling he had been under. However, he stood without weakness or assistance and, when his eyes fell on Katniss, they weren't filled with fear. They were, however, coated with nervousness as he bit his lips together. Everybody's prescense seemed to shake him slightly, though he tried his hardest to pass it off as chills from the weather.
Delly seemed to avoid everyone's eyes, but especially Gale and Katniss's. Katniss, however, couldn't care less. Her eyes didn't stray from Peeta as her smile slowly widened. She knew he was well if the doctors were allowing him to come with them and, while she was nervous for his safety, she couldn't help but be excited that he wasn't scared of her. "Peeta."
Peeta grasped the front of his fur coat tightly. It had been an entire month since he saw Katniss and made that promise to her. In all the time he spent trying to piece together his real memories from the fake ones, he had almost forgotten what her voice sounded like and what she looked like when she wasn't sad, scared, or, in his false memories, angry. He fought the urge to grasp on to Delly for support - he knew the girls weren't too fond of each other, that much was obvious enough even to him - as he let out a small breath he didn't know he had been holding. "K-Katniss."
"Can..." Katniss trailed off before holding her arms up slightly. Her cheeks were pink, her voice shy. She wasn't afraid of him, but she didn't want to be attacked either. "Can I...?"
Peeta stared back at her, a burning sensation in the back of his eyes as he felt honored that she even wanted to be near him after the pain he caused her, let alone to touch him. He gave her a small nod. During his stay, the Bonum doctors had managed to find and reverse the genetic experimental procedures the Panem government had completed on him. In fact, they had done so during the first procedure, showing just how much more advanced the country was then Panem when it came to their medical practices and why Bonum bargained for it in their one-hundred year long treaty. He still had impulses, but as long as he had the mental stability to push them back, he could control himself.
Katniss instantly broke away from the group. She wanted to sprint toward him but she didn't know if it would upset him. She couldn't, however, stop herself as she got close to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, standing on her toes and pressing her face against his shoulder as she began to shake. It had been long, so long, since she was able to hold his body against hers, yet she was surprised that he felt the same. Strong, broad, and warm against her own small body and it caused warmth to blossom in her stomach. Delly kept her eyes turned from the couple, knowing she couldn't risk the anger, not now when she was so close to the Capitol.
At first, Peeta's mind went blank at how to react. Her reaction was far from what he was usually comfortable with, but he didn't mind it. In fact, he enjoyed it. He brought his trembling hands down, wrapping them around Katniss's shoulders timidly, his motions filled with uncertainty as if any sort of affectionate body language was new to him. She let out a shaky sigh. Katniss felt his hesitance, but she still didn't release him for a long moment. She wanted him to know she forgave him, that she loved him, and was still willing to protect and do everything she could for him.
She fell back off her toes after a moment and slowly slid her arms from his neck, down his arms. She squeezed one of his hands, their signature form of affection, before giving him a watery smile. Upon feeling her hand in his, Peeta couldn't help but let a small smile escape his lips back down at her. However, he caught sight of the other rebels from the corner of his eye and his face instantly reddened. He turned his head in their general direction, scratching the back of his head with his other hand. "Uh, h-hey everybody."
"Welcome back, Mellark," Haymitch replied with a crooked grin as Katniss turned her eyes back toward them as well. He had instantly forgiven Peeta, quicker than even Katniss had, although he was still uncertain if he should be on this mission.
Peeta's eyes immediately went on Haymitch, his smile becoming a little more nervous as he spoke with slight hesitance. "Haymitch... how have you been?"
Haymitch's smile didn't falter. He wanted to be sure the younger man understood he was forgiven but didn't want to be cheesy about it. "Good. Good, looking a right sight better than you, anyway."
Peeta's eyes stayed on his former mentor for a long moment before his nerves vanished, understanding.
"With everybody gathered now, we should be heading off to the meeting," the soldier interrupted. Haymitch tore his eyes from Peeta's, back to the soldier, before giving a small nod. Katniss, however, didn't release Peeta's hand. She didn't want to and, quite frankly, didn't know if she could.
As the soldiers led the rebels into the underground level of the Tele-Comm building, it was soon made clear where all of President Odoacer's focus had been these past thirty days instead of rebuilding the Bonum landmarks. In the brightly lit, large meeting room, the walls were covered with maps, reports, and images all detailing every bit of significant Panem geography, history, and present news story. The President himself, now surrounded by a council of twelve new members whom all were recognizable as soldiers at one point during the missions, stood circled around an empty table, waiting for them. Among this council of officials stood Commander Paylor.
The President awaited everyone to take their seats patiently. Once they were, his throat cleared as a signal of the meeting's start. "First, I apologize for the lack contact we have had with you all, but my council and I have been busy making preparations for the mission we will be discussing during today's meeting."
As the rebels settled down to listen to President Odoacer, Haymitch turned his eyes toward the information on the walls. He had a feeling he knew what this mission was and he felt excitement as well as nervousness rise in his chest. The President continues. "This is no hoax nor trick this time. Your next mission will be an infiltration of Panem's Capitol Justice Building and assassination of President Coin."
"Called it," Haymitch suddenly said before he could stop himself, turning his eyes back to the President. He did have the decency, though, to look ashamed at his unprofessional outburst and for speaking out of turn.