A/N: Two chapter update! Yup! Mrs. KTstoriesandstuff is almost done with phase one of cleaning up her husband's former man-cave and has some time to devote to Fanfiction :)
"Hon?" Looking up from the pile of newly oiled and cleaned equipment, Wiress smiled as Beetee's shadow filled the doorway. "It's time to go."
"I got about half of these cleaned – the parts that were too rusty –" She gestured around the room at rusty parts scattered about. Standing up, she allowed Beetee to take her hand. "You are walking – "
"Yes, the chair was too bulky to maneuver into the room. Slowly now, I'm still getting strength." Dropping his voice to a whisper, he leaned closer to his wife. "Haymitch, Plutarch, and Boggs agree with you, love. Coin will spare Katniss. She won't send her to the Capitol. Yet. Hon, no matter what she decides, we will protect her. All of us." Wiress nodded. They froze when two District Thirteen soldiers met them outside the door.
"Mrs. Tesla, you may wheel your husband back to your barracks. You both will stay there for the next twenty-four hours." The Teslas didn't resist knowing Coin had to punish them for Wiress' outburst. As Wiress parked Beetee's chair against the wall by their bed, she felt a ball of fur brush her leg.
"Oh, hello. Running away again, are we?" Mrs. Tesla chuckled picking up Buttercup who mewed in her arms. "Where's your favorite human?"
"Not far." Primrose Everdeen giggled as she approached the Teslas' row of bunks.
"Prim, don't let him wander all over!" An irritated seventeen year-old's voice called down the long hallway of the barracks.
"Kat, it's ok!"Prim replied as Wiress laughed at Buttercup who was gently kneading her shirt. Gently, she handed the warm yellow mottled furr-ball to Prim. "He got bored so I let him wander around."
"I ran out of batteries. So he couldn't chase the light when I teased him." Katniss replied rolling her eyes while showing Wiress a standard black flashlight issued to every family in District Thirteen upon their arrival in the bomb shelter's barracks.
"We have extra." Beetee piped up from the bed. Looking up from a worn computer language manual, he smiled at the young victor. "Hon, get her two double D batteries from my bag on my chair.I always have some with me." Beetee explained. "In fact, do you want me to grab you some extra batteries from the equipment room so you can play with – what's the little guy's name?"
"Buttercup!" Prim replied enthusiastically. "Pleeeeeeeeeeease, Katniss, Please please pleeeeeease?" As if on cue, Buttercup mewing joined Prim's pleading.
"Fine." Katniss grumbled. "Ok, people like watching me tease that damn cat. Thanks, Mr. Tesla."
"No problem, girls. No problem." Beetee replied. "How are you girls holding up?"
"Mom and I are cleaning the infirmary down here and we even redid the medication charts because the print wore off of most of them." Prim piped up excitedly. "Knowing how different facilities are set up is important for me to learn as a doctor!"
"Very nice, dear!" Wiress gasped enthusiastically as she wrapped Prim in a hug. "Oh, I bet your mother is so proud!" Prim grinned in response. "And you, honey, how are you?" Wiress pulled Katniss into the hug.
"Fine." Katniss whispered. Nodding, Wiress rubbed Katniss' back to relax her tense muscles. "I –" Tears came to her eyes.
"Oh sweetie, he warned us. And he will feel your love." Wiress whispered as Katniss clung to Wiress shirt and sobbed. "Prim, you can take your cat and play with him if you want, Katniss will be ok with us." Prim gave her older sister a hug before skipping back to her area of the shelter.
"I'm – sorry –" Katniss choked out after several minutes of sitting on the Teslas' bed crying in Wiress' arms.
"No, it's ok. He'll feel your love."
"How do you know?" Katniss asked wiping her face on her sleeve.
"I felt Beetee's when I was in the Capitol too –" Wiress began looking lovingly at her husband. Sensing someone else near their bed, she gave Katniss one last hug. "Are you ok to go to your sister now?" Katniss nodded. "You're a strong Mockingjay. Everything will be ok and we'll win." Wiress and Beetee wisely lay down and closed their eyes as President Coin walked by their area. After a few moments, they heard her footsteps echoing down the hallway. If asked, they would tell her they were encouraging their Mockingjay to stay strong. They had to for the revolution, and they had to as parents who wished their own daughter was still in their arms.
