Summary: Katniss Everdeen thought they were just her imaginary friends.
Turns out, they were very real—and dead.
An Everlark take on the movie "Heart and Souls."
The Ghost of You
This was his last job.
Haymitch Abernathy brushed back his raven locks with a fine-toothed comb before zipping up his leather jacket. The jacket was his dad's and, once upon a time, was a rich chocolate brown. Now, it was rough and worn and looked more like manure brown.
However, Haymitch loved the old thing. It reminded him of better times. Times when his family was fed and clothed. When his mother still laughed. When he used to smile. Before Snow had taken it all from their family and left them to starve.
When his dad got sick, it was the end. His mother was gone in a scant minute followed by his brother during the harshest winter their city ever experienced.
Rubbing his palms together, Haymitch looked up at Snow Mansion, searching until he found an easy spot and began to climb.
"Johanna, this is the chance of a lifetime!" Ryan yelled through the crowd. "You have a great voice, and there's a scout here."
Johanna Mason looked around the club, her heart racing seeing the rowdy partygoers. When her younger brother invited her to the newest club in the city, she readily agreed. They hadn't seen each other in weeks with him in college and her working double shifts at a nearby diner.
"Is this why you invited me?" she asked, glaring at him. "To get me to sing on Amateur Night?"
"You're talented," her brother replied frankly. "Dad left you his prized guitar for a reason and it wasn't because he wanted it to sit in the corner of your living room."
"I'll just mess up." Johanna looked at the singer crooning 'Blue Moon' on stage despite the booing. "I can't—"
"Please." Her little brother looked at her, dark eyes pleading. He reminded her so much of their mother and Johanna felt her resistance wavering. "I just want to hear their song. You know this time of year reminds me of them."
"Well…I'll have to grab Dad's guitar at my place—"
"I'll go grab my car," Ryan told her excitedly.
"You have friends meeting you here," Johanna told him. "It's just a quick trip to my apartment. I'll be back in ten minutes." She stood and kissed him on the cheek. "Stay put and I'll be right back."
Taking her coat, she weaved her way through the crowd and out into the frigid air.
It wouldn't take very long to get to her place.
However, she had no intention of performing tonight.
Instead, Johanna walked to the corner stop as a bus stopped in front of her.
The door opened and the driver gave her a slick smile as she walked up the bus steps to pay her fare.
"Leaving the party already?" Her eyes went to the name badge: Heavensbee. "Pretty thing like you?"
Ignoring him, Johanna placed her money in the fare slot before heading to the back of the bus.
Haymitch hobbled toward the young woman waiting on the park bench.
The job was a bust.
As soon as she spotted him, the woman shot up from her seat and rushed over to him.
"Did you get it back?"
He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Effie. There were alarms everywhere and I tripped a wire. Snow had security on me immediately and I just barely made it out—"
"So, that's it then? My grandmother's locket is just gone?" The woman suddenly shoved him. "I trusted you, Haymitch! You were my friend and you let Snow get his hands on the one thing in the world that meant something to me!"
"I'm sorry…I am—"
"You are nothing but apologies! You know nothing about friendship…or trust…or love." Effie stared at him for a long moment, as if she was seeing him for the very first time. "And I thought…I thought—" She stopped; her eyes rimmed with tears. "It doesn't matter now. I don't ever want to see you again."
"Effie, I wanted to get this right," Haymitch pleaded. "Start new."
"You go on and do that," she said. "Without me."
Effie turned away and he watched until she disappeared down the sidewalk.
"I'm going to make things right."
Reaching into his pocket, Haymitch lit a cigarette, taking long, deep drags until the bus stopped and its door opened.
"You can't smoke that in here!" the driver yelled.
Tossing it onto the concrete, he stepped onto the bus.
"One more song, Granny!"
Mags tucked the little girl into the bed, covering her with a thick blanket. It was getting to winter and soon enough Rue would need warmer coverings for her bed along with a new jacket. However, she would gladly do it for her granddaughter, the last of the family that she had left.
Her husband was gone years ago followed by her son and daughter-in-law when Rue was three. Times were much harder since then, but seeing those sweet brown eyes stare up at her made every toil worth it.
"I have to go to work soon, sweet girl." Rue pouted and Mags couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, one more song. Close your eyes."
"Goodnight, my angel
Time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day…"
Mags saw her granddaughter's breathing relax as she fell asleep. However, she kept on singing, not minding that she'd probably have to rush to catch the bus to get to work. She did janitorial work at an office building downtown. It was grueling but paid well enough to keep her and Rue fed.
"Goodnight, my angel
Now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry
And if you sing this lullaby
Then in your heart
There will always be a part of me…"
"Annie, what are you doing here?"
Finnick Odair stepped out of the mansion, closing the door, and silencing the sounds of the party inside. He adjusted his bowtie as he stepped off the porch and joined the pretty, dark-haired woman waiting at his walkway.
"I needed to talk to you." Annie quickly turned to the car waiting for her before returning to him. "I have to leave."
"Leave?" Finnick walked over, his hands going to her shoulders. She sagged underneath his hold. "What's going on?"
"I just had to say goodbye," she replied, backing away. "I couldn't leave without telling you that…that I love you."
He started at her words.
They fell fast and hard during the summer and as autumn rolled in so had reality.
They were from far different worlds. It was obvious in the threadbare thinness of her white dress and the sharp quality of his suit.
"I don't understand," he told her. "Why are you leaving?"
"I'm…I'm pre—"
"Finnick, darling? Where are you?"
He turned to see Cashmere, the daughter of one of his father's colleagues, waiting for him at the open door.
"I was stupid for coming." Annie's green eyes swelled with tears. "How could I think that someone like you would want someone like me?"
"Annie, I—" Finnick began.
However, the words seemed stuck to his throat.
She held her hand up. "Don't."
Backing away towards the car, Annie stared with those wide, accusing eyes.
'Coward!', they screamed out at him.
He was.
Mags wrapped her coat tightly around herself as she stepped onto the bus and paid her fare. The bus was empty, save for a young woman sitting in the back and a dark-haired man in a leather jacket.
Heading down the bus aisle, she sat across from the young woman, greeting her with a smile.
'Just a few hours,' Mags told herself. 'Then, I'll be back to my angel.'
It took Finnick less than a second to realize what a colossal mistake he made letting Annie go.
Quickly, he rushed out onto the street searching to see what direction the car had taken, and found the road empty. Looking at the mansion, Finnick felt his stomach turn at the thought of stepping into that house and trying to forget Annie.
"I love her—fuck. What did I do?"
Without another thought, he threw off his jacket and bowtie before running down the road.
Finnick didn't know where she was going but he knew where he could find out.
Her apartment downtown.
It was only a bus ride away.
"The baby's coming!"
Mace Everdeen turned to his flushed, panting wife in the passenger's seat. Evie's water had broken only minutes ago, and they were twenty or so minutes away from the hospital.
He placed his hand over hers. "Just breathe, sweetheart."
"Trying, but I feel like this baby is coming out soon!" She gripped his hand tightly. "Oh, here comes another one—AHH!"
Without another thought, Mace pressed his foot to the gas.
It was the longest shift of his life.
Plutarch Heavensbee was coming off a double shift with the current bus route being his last. However, there was nothing that he was coming home to except for an empty fridge, a TV with no cable, and a twin bed.
At least during his work hours, he got to observe the comings and goings of the passengers.
Like the handsome bronze-haired man in the dress shirt and pants. He stared out the window, looking every time they stopped. Obviously, the man had never been on a bus until now.
Then, there was the cute brunette in the back with the bangs and the bobbed hair. She just stared ahead, chewing on the ends of her hair. He immediately knew that she had no destination; she needed to get away.
The petite older woman was obviously going to work. Her hard-soled shoes spoke of some sort of labor job and her grey hair was pinned back for what he believed would be a back-breaking shift.
Then, there was the guy in the leather jacket. He looked tough but his grey eyes showed regret. He was tracing a name on the window with his finger.
Something that started with an E…
Heavensbee stared at his rearview trying to read the man's words.
He didn't see the car speeding down the street or the fact that he was beginning to swerve into its lane.
"We're almost there, Evie!" Mace told his wife. "Just hold on, sweetheart."
His wife raised her finger in front of her. "Mace…"
"What honey?"
"The bus!"
It happened in a flash.
Heavensbee swerved, barely avoiding the station wagon. However, he miscalculated and couldn't avoid the overpass. The screams behind him flooded his ears and he realized that his own shout had joined theirs.
His eyes darted forward, and he saw the road in front of him.
The sound of a crash…
Then silence.
"Hello, baby…" Evie brought the wailing newborn to her chest. "I'm your mommy!" She looked at her husband in the driver's seat, staring in wonder. "Come meet your daughter."
"She's gorgeous." Mace's hand brushed over the dark, matted hair. "She's got my coloring, but that face is all yours."
"I can't believe I gave birth to her in a car," Evie said with a laugh.
Mace gave his wife a kiss, his eyes still on the newborn.
"At least her birth story won't be boring."
"What happened?" Finnick pushed himself out of the bus' broken window, sitting on its roof and looking around. His eyes went to the older woman being helped by the brunette who had been sitting across from her. "You two alright?"
"I think so," the brunette replied. "I'm Johanna."
"Finnick." He looked to the older woman. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, son." The woman patted her grey hair. "Not a scratch on me." She gave him a kind smile. "Mags."
"I'm going to need a drink after this!" The leather jacket guy pushed himself out of the bus to join them. "Haymitch."
They all introduced themselves once more.
"What do you think is happening?" Mags stared down at the obliterated mass of metal that was their bus. "Are we…?"
"I think we're dead," Johanna said slowly. "No one could survive this crash."
They stared at one another in shock.
"Aren't we supposed to be going somewhere?" Finnick suddenly asked. "Like a light or what-not?"
"I have a granddaughter," Mags cried out. "I can't just leave her!"
"And my brother is still waiting for me at the lounge!"
"I have to get Effie's necklace back!"
"Annie, I have to find her!"
"What's happening?" The bus driver suddenly rose from the bus. They watched as he floated over the quartet. "Where am I going?"
He flew higher and higher…faster…and faster.
Until the driver shot up like a bullet, disappearing into the starry sky.
Haymitch shook his fist at the air. "Why the fuck does he get to leave?"
He was answered quickly as he, along with others, rose into the air.
Johanna looked at them anxiously.
"Is this it?"
"I don't know," Mags replied, her blue eyes filling with tears. "My angel…"
However, they weren't going up.
They were going forward.
"What is happening?" Finnick cried as they sailed through the air.
The quartet sailed forward bypassing the crowd of people gathering to look at the bus accident…the police cars heading off towards the scene…then suddenly into a lone car parked haphazardly along the sidewalk.
"Where are we?" Finnick asked.
"A station wagon," Haymitch informed tersely.
"Boys," Mags chided, her eyes on the front seat. "Look!"
"Are babies supposed to look so…slimy?" Johanna asked. She watched as the baby's mother let her suck on her finger. "Oh! It's kind of cute."
Finnick looked at each of them. "But why are we here?"
Haymitch shrugged.
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see."
Five Years Later…
Her parents named her Katniss.
Mace was an outdoorsman, and the four learned this during Katniss' first year of life when he had strapped the baby to his chest for a trek through the woods. Against their will, they had to follow as he pointed out various trees and plants to the grey-eyed baby.
"You see this, sweetheart?" He pointed out the tall flower with white petals. "This is your namesake. As long as you can find yourself, you'll never starve."
The quartet had no idea why they were connected to Katniss.
However, there were worse places they could be.
In the meantime, they enjoyed watching her grow over the years, and to their delight, she was wholly aware of their presence. Mags and Finnick played peek-a-boo with her when she was in her bouncer. When Katniss started the process of walking, Johanna and Haymitch placed bets on how long she'd be on her feet.
If she cried, Mags would sing the same song that she had to Rue. It broke her but seeing Katniss fall into a peaceful sleep brought her out of the melancholy.
"I don't want to go."
Katniss stood with the quartet in the schoolyard. Around them, children ran and screamed as they made their way to their class groups.
"I feel you, kid," Johanna replied. "They're disgusting." She grimaced. "That one is picking his nose!"
"Yeah, boys will do that," Finnick said. "But check out that teacher—" He wolf-whistled at the blonde woman gathering some older students. "—I'd love for her to teach me some anatomy."
Haymitch grinned. "Like you'd know what to do with a woman like that."
"Let's focus," Mags called out. "This is Katniss' first day of preschool." She leaned down to the girl in her red gingham dress, her hair plaited in two neat braids. "I want you to have fun and learn. Also, try to make some friends."
"I don't need friends," Katniss reasoned. "I have you guys!"
"Yes, Katniss, but we're talking about friends who haven't gone through a voice change," Haymitch replied with an amused smile.
"But they don't like to talk about fun things," the little girl told him. "All they want to talk about is dolls."
"Little girls like dolls," Finnick said. "Why don't you?"
"Because they're boring," Katniss emphasized the last word, her little mouth rounding. "I'd rather play in the woods."
"Then find someone who likes to talk about the woods," Johanna advised.
Katniss pouted. "Like who?"
The woman looked around before pointing towards a line of trees at the edge of the yard. "That boy."
They all looked to the blond boy perched on a bench with a pencil and paper in his hands.
"Go on," Mags urged. "He looks like he needs someone to talk to."
Katniss blew out a breath.
"Fine." Together, they walked up to the boy. He was so engrossed in his drawing that he didn't notice her. "Hey."
The boy looked up and a small gasp escaped Katniss' mouth.
He smiled, his blue eyes were bright at the sight of her. "Hello."
Finnick leaned towards Haymitch. "Katniss is going to eat this boy alive."
Mags whipped around and glared, silencing the man immediately.
"I'm Katniss." She sat down next to him. "Do you like the woods?"
"I've never been," the boy replied. "I'm Peeta."
One Year Later…
"Can I tell you a secret?"
Peeta turned off the flashlight that he was shining against the small tent before looking at her.
"You're my best friend," he told her. "Of course, you can tell me."
"It's so tight in here!" Haymitch grumbled from where he squatted in the tent.
"Haymitch, stop complaining." Johanna sat comfortably across from him. "Or you can stand outside with Finnick."
Katniss leaned towards her friend.
"I have friends that no one can see but me." She looked at him warily. "You believe me, right?"
"Of course, I do." Peeta stared solemnly. The boy always had a note of seriousness in him, which was surprising for a six-year-old. However, he and Katniss quickly became friends, so the group thought nothing of it. "What are their names?"
"Well…Haymitch is one. He's tall and has the same color hair and eyes as me." He's sitting in the corner next to you all squished."
Peeta shifted and looked around at the corner. "Sorry, Haymitch."
Haymitch straightened his legs. "It's okay, kid."
"He said it's okay," Katniss reported. "Then there's Johanna. She has hair up to here." The little girl pointed to her chin. "She's smaller than Haymitch and has the best voice. Sometimes, she sings to me—when she's not cranky."
"That's accurate," Finnick said as he suddenly appeared in the tent. "She needs a minute."
"Finnick looks like Superman—" Finnick puffed his chest. "—but when he's not in the suit." He quickly deflated. "He has reddish hair and green eyes. There's a girl that he likes named Annie." Finnick looked to the other two in the tent. "I'm not supposed to say her name around him. Sorry, Finnick."
He smiled. "It's fine, doll."
"Wow." Peeta looked around in amazement. "That's really cool!"
"The last one is Mags. She's like my Granny." Katniss drew her knees to her chest. "She's sad today though."
"Why?"
"Today is her granddaughter's tenth birthday," she explained quietly. "Can invisible friends cry?"
"I don't know," Peeta replied. "But it would suck to not be able to."
Katniss' eyes went to the opening of the tent. "I wish there was something I could do…"
Peeta went quiet for a moment before looking at her.
"There is something we could do—come on!"
Grabbing her hand, the two rushed out of the tent and climb the stairs to the back entrance of Katniss' house.
"What are those two doing?" Mags asked from her seat against the tree.
Johanna joined her. "Katniss is worried about you."
"Sweet girl." The older woman's eyes went to the house. "Sometimes I think we're doing more bad than good for her. I can tell her parents are worried." The two men sat down. "Now that Evie's having another baby, it might be time for us to just move on."
"Where would we go?" Haymitch said brusquely. "We're glued to her for some reason!"
"Plus, I don't want to leave her," Finnick said. "She's our girl."
"What will we do when she gets older?" Johanna asked. "When she's a teenager and wants privacy?"
"We'll cross that road when we get there," Haymitch told them. "Let's just hold off for a while, okay?" The back door opened and closed once more, and the kids rushed down the stairs. His gaze went to Katniss talking excitedly to Peeta. "Right now, I think she needs us."
"Where is she?" Peeta asked.
Katniss took his hand, leading him over to the trees before sitting in front of Mags.
"Right in front of us."
The boy looked around before Katniss moved his face—she had no qualms with bossing him around—until it looked like he was staring right at Mags.
"Hi, Mags." Peeta smiled. "I know it's your granddaughter's birthday." He presented his other hand revealing a yellow cupcake. "My dad and I made cupcakes and I thought that we could sing Happy Birthday to your granddaughter. I think that wherever she is, she might hear us."
"Katniss, he's a sweet boy," Mags said in a choked voice. "Yes, let's sing happy birthday to Rue."
"You never told me her name," Katniss said in surprise.
"For a long time, it was too hard to say her name." She smiled gently. "Let's sing."
Katniss nodded and took a deep breath.
"Happy birthday to you…happy birthday to you…" she sang. Peeta joined in and soon the rest of the group were bellowing at the top of their lungs. "Happy birthday to Rue…happy birthday to you…"
Evie joined her husband, who was looking out the kitchen window in amusement.
"Are they singing to the tree?" she asked with a chuckle.
Mace put an arm around her, kissing the top of her head.
"Kids."
"You leave him alone!"
Katniss threw her fist, landing straight into the boy's abdomen. Around them, a crowd of children gathered chanting and shouting. Some were in Katniss' favor while others, mostly the boys, shouted her opponent's name.
Cato, her third-grade adversary, doubled over. "I'm telling on you!"
"I'm telling on you first!" Katniss looked over at Peeta, who was currently sporting a bloodied lip. "You hurt my friend!"
"Watch out, Katniss!" Haymitch called out. "He's about to rush you!"
The little girl turned just in time to see Cato lunge. She narrowly avoided him, instead crouching and sweeping her leg.
The boy's feet flew in the air, and he hit the ground hard.
"Haymitch, we shouldn't be teaching her violence," Mags scolded.
"That little jerk was about to hurt her!" Finnick argued. "She has to learn how to defend herself against chauvinists like him."
"And he pushed Peeta first," Johanna pointed out.
"What is going on here?" A woman pushed through the crowd—Principal Coin. "Miss Everdeen, why is Mr. Graham on the ground?"
"That tyrant bitch Coin," Haymitch growled. "She's all about the money. Richie-rich Cato will get off scot-free for sure."
"I was defending myself and Peeta, who Cato pushed first," Katniss argued.
"That doesn't matter," Coin told her. "I will be calling your parents along with Mr. Mellark's."
"Surprise, surprise. No mention of calling Cato's parents," Johanna said with a sigh.
"To my office, Miss Everdeen and Mr. Mellark, now," the principal said. "I will be there after I call the nurse for Mr. Graham."
Katniss marched defiantly in the school building along with Peeta, but not before giving Haymitch a thumbs up.
"That's our girl," Haymitch told the rest of the group smugly.
"We're lucky that Cato's parents aren't pressing charges," Evie said quietly. "But Peeta's mother refuses to let them see each other apart from school. This is going to break Katniss' heart."
"And what was all this talk about her imaginary friends?" Mace added. "Apparently one of them taught her physical combat. Principal Coin thinks she may need psychological help!"
"She's an imaginative kid," her mother replied. "There's a lot of stuff on television where she could've learned that from." Her hands went to her full belly. "Maybe it's the upheaval of having another baby?"
"Don't say that." Mace went to his wife. "I know Katniss is excited. She's going to love her little sister."
Evie sighed. "It might soften the blow of losing Peeta as a friend."
The two continued speaking not even noticing Katniss sitting on the stairs with Johanna.
"Come on, sweetie," Johanna said softly. "Let's go to bed."
Together, the two walked into the soft green bedroom where the rest of the group was. Haymitch and Finnick sat on her bed, watching the small television that Katniss' parents had put into her room. Mags sat in the alcove, staring out the window. They all turned seeing the two enter the room.
"How much trouble is she in?" Haymitch asked worriedly.
"Let's not talk about it now," Johanna replied before turning to the little girl. "Into bed, Katniss."
Katniss listened dutifully, slipping under her quilt. The group gathered around her. Each one swept a hand over the little girl knowing, despite being unable to touch her, that they wanted to give her some sort of comfort.
She pulled the quilt to her chin. "Does this mean Peeta can't come over and play?"
Mags nodded. "I'm afraid so, love."
Her tiny mouth quivered. "Am I a freak?"
Finnick scooted close. "Why would you say that Katniss?"
"I heard some girls in class saying that I was a freak," she whispered, her grey eyes wet. "Nobody but you guys and Peeta like me. Now, I don't even have him."
"Don't worry about what other people say," Haymitch told her. "Everyone is so afraid to be different, but that's the way God made us. And one day, you and Peeta will be together again."
"When?"
"When you're old enough," he replied. "Then, no one can stop you from being together."
Katniss yawned. "Okay…" She turned to Johanna. "Can you sing to me?"
"Sure." Johanna sat down. "Close your eyes."
"I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed…"
This song was one that Johanna often sang in her apartment, her father's guitar in her grasp. Her mother used to sing this song to her, and eventually, she learned it, hoping to one day sing it to her child.
She didn't know when she had become so afraid of what other people thought of her singing ability. It had happened little by little until Johanna was so insecure that she ran from her brother and a stupid Amateur Night.
Right into her demise.
She closed her eyes, feeling her eyes well. "I hope you dance... I hope you dance…"
"Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along…" Haymitch and Finnick joined in. "Tell me who wants to look back on their years…and wonder where those years have gone…"
Mags went to Johanna's side and the younger woman put an arm around her.
"I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance…."
The quartet sang long after Katniss fell asleep, and in the end, the last note came out as a collective sob.
Johanna turned to them, quickly wiping her eyes.
"We have to disappear, don't we?"
Mags pulled her into a hug.
"I'm afraid so."
They argued past midnight on the roof of the Everdeen house, trying to figure out how to tell Katniss that they were leaving. Then, it turned into whether it was a good idea or not.
"It's not healthy for her to have us around!" Mags pointed out. "She'll be grown up soon enough."
"She needs us, Mags!" Haymitch told her. "We can't just abandon her. She's already losing Peeta—"
"But she'll never be normal if we're around!" Johanna yelled at the man. "How will she date or fall in love with us in tow?"
"Fine!" Finnick bellowed, his green eyes furious. "Let's wake her—" He quickly drifted down into Katniss' room, his chest clenching seeing the little girl sleeping so peacefully. "Katniss…wake up, baby girl."
Blinking sleepily, Katniss opened her eyes and smiled at him.
"Finnick…" she slurred, her eyes still half-closed.
"Sweetheart—" Finnick clenched his fist, gathering himself. "We have to go."
That woke Katniss immediately. "Go where?"
"It's just our time," Mags said, sitting next to her. "You're going to be alright, darling girl."
"NO!" Katniss' chin quivered. "Did I do something bad?"
"You didn't do anything bad," Johanna choked out. "This is for the best."
She reached for the little girl, only to have her hand go through the girl's cheek.
"Be strong, Katniss."
Johanna took a deep breath…and disappeared before the little girl's eyes.
"Johanna…" Katniss sobbed. "Come back…"
Finnick knelt in front of her, swallowing harshly before giving
"You're always going to be my girl, you know that right?" She nodded. "Keep me right here." He pointed to his chest. "Until the right guy comes along."
Then he faded into nothing.
"Katniss, I'm no good with goodbyes," Haymitch said gruffly. "So, this isn't goodbye, but see you later. Do great things and live your life. I won't ever forget you."
"I won't forget you, too," Katniss wept.
With a blink, the man disappeared.
"Love—" Mags called softly. "Lay down." The woman smiled softly, her heart breaking as Katniss settled back onto her pillow. "In the morning, we'll be nothing but a dream and that's okay. I just want you to know that I'm so proud of you. You're smart, strong, and brave." She gulped down a sob. "And now I'm going to need you to be extra brave."
Leaning down, Mags brushed her lips just along the girl's forehead.
"Now, close your eyes."
Katniss followed.
"Goodnight, my angel."
Twenty years later…
"I'm tired of that argument!" Katniss Everdeen yelled into the phone. "Tell him that I need that pitch by this afternoon. It's his balls on the line—"
"She is always on that phone," Mags grumbled. "And she never calls her parents."
"The woman has things to do, you know," Haymitch said as they followed their charge down the street. "How else do you think she got up in the corporate world?"
"If only she got laid once in a while!" Johanna groused. "Might loosen her up a bit."
"Also, let's be honest," Finnick said. "That last one was kind of a dud. They were out of her room in four minutes flat."
"Well, that's two minutes more than the guy before that," Haymitch pointed out.
Katniss hung up her phone, only for it to ring again.
"What?" She slowed down. "Sorry, Prim. I've been busy…Mom's birthday? The cake? Oh, let me check with my assistant to see if I'm free." There was a pause followed by a loud ramble of words from the other end. "Okay, I'll go! And yes—" Her eyes went to the bakery that they were passing. "—I'll order a cake. Bye."
Hanging up, Katniss tossed her phone into her bag before stepping into the bakery. The interior was nicely decorated with warm wood and greenery hanging along the front windows. The soft white walls were lined with landscape paintings.
"I'll be right out," a voice called from the back.
Katniss looked around, her eyes suddenly going to a painting of a large tree. The signatures were indecipherable but looking at the other paintings, it seemed that they were done by the same artist.
This painting, however, the tree in it looked like the one at her parents' house—
"How can I help you?"
She whipped around to find a golden-haired man approaching her. He was in a fitted white shirt, and khakis hidden underneath the apron tied around his waist.
The man stopped. "Katniss?"
"That's me…do I know you?"
Stepping closer, Katniss examined him. He was medium-height and broadly built, nothing out of the ordinary.
However, his eyes. They were extraordinarily blue.
Her mind drifted to a memory of a lone boy sitting by a line of trees.
His eyes were an entrancing blue and so deep that her young self couldn't help but gasp—
"Peeta?" she cried. "Oh my God!"
"I can't believe it's you!" Peeta pulled her into his arms in an embrace. To the surprise of the quartet, Katniss didn't push him away instead pressing her nose into his shoulder. "I always wondered what happened to you…"
"Holy shit, that's Peeta?" Johanna said, rounding the handsome man. "He grew up good!"
"Lifting all those flour sacks, I suppose," Haymitch replied. He smirked, watching the two. "I guess Katniss doesn't shy away from everyone's touch."
"Peeta moving away so suddenly after their separation messed our girl up," Finnick remarked. He was the most protective of Katniss especially as she grew up. "She wasn't the same after he left."
"Nor when we left," Mags added. "However, I don't think we have to worry about her being alone anymore."
"Peeta's much better than that last boyfriend of hers," Johanna replied.
"Yeah, he kissed his biceps more than her!" Finnick mimicked the man, flexing his biceps. "Which one makes me look more cut—this one…" He smacked his lips to the left bicep. "…or this one?" Another kiss to the right. "God, I hated Marvel."
Haymitch watched the two friends talking excitedly. "Let's hope she doesn't fuck it up with Peeta."
"She looks all lit up inside," Mags gushed. "Imagine their children!"
Johanna looked at the art on the walls. "He's talented. I mean he was always drawing Katniss." She smirked. "You think that Katniss would be down with modeling?"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Finnick said. He moved around the room, his gaze going to the front windows. "What—guys?"
They all turned to see a bus heading straight towards the bakery.
Johanna gasped. "Oh my God…is that—"
The bus was suddenly inside the bakery, half of it sticking out of the front of the bakery.
Katniss and Peeta were totally unaware, both sitting at the table next to the tree painting.
The four quickly gathered in front of the bus doors.
It abruptly opened, revealing the bus driver that killed them.
Haymitch lunged. "You bastard—" Finnick caught him before he could even take a step inside. "If it weren't for you—"
"Hey! I'm paying my dues!" Heavensbee protested. "At least you got a chance to finish things up! So, hurry up and get in, I have more people to pick up!"
Johanna peered at him. "What do you mean finish things up?"
"You know…" The driver looked at them incredulously. "Your unfinished business? The thing that you would've done if you had a chance before you…"
"And how exactly were we supposed to do that?" Finnick asked.
Heavensbee rolled his eyes. "Your conduit, of course."
"Do you mean…" Haymitch looked to Katniss. "…her?"
"Of course," the driver said. "Now, get on!"
"No one ever told us about this," Mags informed him.
The man looked shocked.
"No angel came down?" They all shook their heads. "Well, someone up there is messing up."
"We need more time," she continued. "Please. I need to find my granddaughter."
"And I need to finally get the balls to perform!"
"I need to get Effie's necklace back!"
"I need to tell Annie…that I've always loved her."
"That's really nice and all," Heavensbee said. "But I have a lot of stops to get through—"
"You killed us," Johanna pointed out. "You owe us this!"
The man sat back for a moment in thought.
"Okay," he finally answered. "I'll do some of my pick-ups and then come back for one of you. Then, so on and so on…I advise that you make it quick. It will only be so long till the big guy gets upset."
The doors closed and the bus drove forward disappearing to the back of the bakery.
"I opened this place up a few years ago," Peeta told her. "I've been moderately successful." He beamed at her. "But what about you? Besides still being beautiful, you're also a total boss!"
Katniss blushed at his words, her stomach fluttering at the intensity of his gaze. What the hell was going on? She could barely get her words out while they talked, the closeness of Peeta overwhelming her.
"It's not as fun as you think," she said. "And well, it can get monotonous."
"Why don't you shake things up a bit?"
"How?"
"Let me take you to dinner." Peeta flushed. "I mean if you want."
"Like a date?" Oh God…now she was red. "Not that I'm implying—"
"Yes, like a date." His hand reached for hers, but he placed it down just a short of their ring fingers. "I've never forgotten you, Katniss."
"I tried to forget you," she admitted. "Because it hurt too much to remember."
"Now there's nothing and no one that can keep us apart," he told her, his eyes soft. "I intend to keep you now that I've found you."
Katniss scoffed. "I found you. Your bakery, at least."
Peeta grinned. "Touché."
Her phone beeped and Katniss reached for it.
"Oh shit, I'm late for work!" She stood abruptly. "I have to go!"
"Wait—" Peeta went behind the counter before returning with a brown bag. "Your favorite."
"Thanks—" She took the bag and kissed his cheek. "I'll talk to you later!"
Rushing out of the bakery, Katniss let out a breath.
"Did I really just do that?"
"KATNISS!"
The woman was completely unaware, driving in silence towards her office.
"Screaming at her won't help," Haymitch told Johanna, who sat in the passenger seat. "She's closed us from her mind. Remember all that therapy?"
"What do you suggest then?" she retorted in exasperation.
"Maybe we should try screaming all together?" Finnick suggested.
"Okay, on the count of three," Mags said. "One…two…three—"
"KATNISS!" Nothing. "KATNISS!"
"We're not connected to her!" Johanna groaned. "How do we get her attention?"
"We have to make her remember us somehow," Finnick said.
Mags sat up from her space between Haymitch and Finnick. "How about singing to her?" She looked at Johanna. "Give it a try."
Johanna nodded, taking a breath before turning to Katniss.
"I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed…"
They waited for a moment.
Haymitch groaned. "She didn't hear us—"
"I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean…" Katniss suddenly sang, her voice entrancingly melodic. "Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens…promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance…and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance…"
"She heard us!" Mags said excitedly. "Let's try calling her name again."
"KATNISS!"
This time, Katniss frowned, pulling at her ear.
"What the hell?" she muttered.
"Katniss, love?" Mags called out. "Can you hear us?"
Katniss stiffened, her eyes darting around until they landed on her passenger seat.
Suddenly, a dark-haired woman materialized in front of her.
"Hey sweetheart," Johanna greeted, a relieved smile on her lips. "We missed you."
There was a moment of complete and utter silence.
Then Katniss let out an ear-piercing scream.
END OF PART ONE
If you didn't know, one of my favorite movies is Heart and Souls, and I think the first movie I watched with RDJ. Besides it being in San Francisco, I just think it's such a fun plotline and very heartwarming.
I'm not a horror movie gal, but I love me some supernatural ish.
Anyway, I've strayed a little bit from the plot, but overall, it's the same.
I don't plan for this be any longer than two parts thus the length of this first installment.
Songs:
"Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel) – Billy Joel
"I Hope You Dance" – Lee Ann Womack
As always, feedback is always welcomed.
Happy Halloween!
Till the next part, JLaLa