Companion

AN:

Peeta gets immersed in orphanage life in District 12. Gale pays a quick visit.

Words in bold are from the original Hunger Games book series.

Special thank you to my dear friend, GinnyGinervaWeasley, for betaing my story.

P.S. I love the Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins owns everything!

CHAPTER 2

The walk to the orphanage was quiet. Peeta observes the district, not seeing it well in the dark early morning when he came. The field is filled with dandelions, cosmos, and wild herbs. The sky, clear with only a few wispy clouds. The beautiful and calm Sunday morning warms his soul, and he oddly feels at home.

Stores line the town streets, but nothing is open. Only Ripper from the train station is selling. She says it's a service she provides to passengers from the train. She was Peeta's company when he arrived at two in the morning, and he was thankful for the one-sided conversation. Ripper sure has a lot of odd stories.

The orphanage sits near the edge of town, and behind it is the meadow leading to the woods. It's one of the big concrete structures in the district, but it encapsulates warmth and life. Plants and flowers line the walls, and trees with wide canopies provide shade from the sun. There's a thriving vegetable garden on the east side, and a basketball court, and a big yard on the west. Natural playthings abound. Tree stumps for hopping and sitting, wind chimes that tinkle softly with the wind, swings under apple trees, two tree houses - one for younger children and one for the older ones, a seesaw carved from long logs, a small water fountain, and a bridge for crossing a small pond. It's filled with wood from the forest, collected and made to be playthings and spaces. The older teenagers lounge on benches reading books or just chatting. Some help with gardening while others are playing basketball. The orphanage, impossible as it may be to believe for such an institution, has the feel of a home, Peeta thought.

Sae sits by the kitchen counter, peeling potatoes. There are pots on the stove where lunch and dinner are simmering. The scent of deliciousness constantly envelops the room as the aromas meld in the stews.

"Sae," Katniss greets her old friend. "Peeta Mellark is here looking for you."

"So you found her house, eh?" she asks quickly, flashing him with a somewhat naughty grin.

"Yes. How are you, Sae?" he greets with lightness, then steps forward to give her a big hug. Sae cups both his cheeks with her potato wet hands, but he doesn't protest. She's family to him.

"Come sit. Sit," Sae tells them eagerly and hands them knives and chopping boards to help her cut vegetables.

"So, what's the verdict?" Sae starts questioning. "Does Katniss here have to move out? She never did take care of that house. Too damn busy here to care for her own home."

Sae is right. Katniss' house is used only for sleeping and keeping her belongings. She would ignore most of the things that malfunction in her house unless it's something that can cause it to vanish into piles of smoke and rubble. She never grew up in luxury, and the little things do not bother her. She knows how to make do, and she pours her energy into the orphanage and the children.

"You still remember how to cook, dear?" Sae says and changes the topic. Katniss is relieved that Peeta didn't have to share the problems in her house. She won't hear the end of it if Sae finds out how badly her dwelling really is.

"Yes, Sae. How could I forget? You make the food in Thirteen ten times better," Peeta answers genuinely with a bit of a chuckle, almost like there's a hidden secret among them. There's vibrant energy between the two, and they exchange conversations like close family checking up on one another. Katniss has never seen this side of Sae before. And Peeta? She thought he was all right. Sae seems to trust him well enough, and she completely trusts Sae. Once everything is cut, Sae puts Peeta to work, cooking the stew. It's a thick rabbit and barley stew, paired with a side of green salad from the garden. When Katniss deems the two not needing her help, she leaves them to cook and checks up on the children instead. She finds Annie sprawled on the floor of their room, finishing her drawing with her friends. How she loves seeing them happy.

Lunch was organized and chaotic at the same time. Everyone gets their meal while loud chit-chats abound. The voices resonate wildly in the room, filling it with young life. Peeta sits beside Sae, and they never stop their conversation. Sae kept Peeta with her the whole day, and he showered her with his sunshine smile. She gives him a tour of the orphanage then takes him around town, the energy of the old lady seeming to be in overdrive after seeing the young lad. Peeta was glad for his friend. He helped her with dinner after, washing the tall pile of pots and pans to spare the old lady from any more work. He had always been gracious and kind, fiercely loyal to those he cared for.

"So, how long are you staying here in Twelve?" Delly asks Peeta after the kitchen has been cleaned. They all gathered around the table for evening tea. Delly, Christa, and Lindy are all too curious about the golden-haired engineer from Three and made sure that they all meet him before the day ends.

"A week," Sae answers with a sure voice. "He has work to do at Katniss', and I need his help with something in my house. The washing machine is on the fritz. You're staying for a week."

"Sae ..." Katniss begins to counter, but Sae dismisses her with a wave of her hand.

"Could you get a week off from work?" Sae asks Peeta directly, then double taps her wooden spoon on the table.

Peeta laughs lightly, amazed at his old friend. "It should be okay," he says. "But I need to call, just to make sure."

"Good," she supplies. She shifts to Katniss, "Show him the phone in your office, will you?" She sounds like the boss, and truth be told, she somehow is. They all respect the old character, and she has always done right by them.

Leaving their tea, Katniss takes Peeta down the hall to the office. It's not really her office, but she uses it most of the time to do the books. The room smells like old paper mixed with pine, comforting and warm, Peeta thought. Katniss stays outside the door while Peeta makes the call.

"What did your boss say?" she asks once he exits the room. There is no way he could possibly stay for a week, she assesses.

"Beetee said it was okay. I just have to call again in two days and on Friday for a scheduled team meeting, but other than that, I could stay," he says easy enough, and like a shot, she throws away her initial thought.

As they return to the kitchen, they hear loud laughter and snickers. It's usual on Sunday nights, but Katniss can't help but think that something is up. They are laughing too musically for her liking.

"What's the verdict, dear?" Sae asks immediately, a little too jolly from twittering with the girls.

"It's okay. I could stay."

"Good. I'd give Beetee a call if he didn't let you." She taps her wooden spoon on the table again as if to say that she will pick a fight using it on Beetee if he doesn't oblige. That would be an amusing battle - wooden spoon versus force fields. Old versus new.

"You work for Beetee Latier?" Lindy asks. She admires the genius victor.

"Yes, he does," Sae answers. "Now, you go on back to Katniss' and rest. I'll see you in the morning for the washing machine."

Peeta's eyes widen in protest, and he begins to mumble. For the first time throughout the day, he is losing his cool with Sae. He would never entertain such a thought and would never want to intrude in someone's home, more so, Katniss' home. Sae, however, just cuts him off. "She has a lot of room in that victor's house, and Lindy sleeps in the spare room here. We'll ask around town tomorrow for a room to rent, but tonight you're staying at Katniss'."

"I could just stay on one of the couches here. I really don't mind," Peeta says confidently, but there's a hint of pleading in his voice. Sae couldn't possibly be serious.

"You make no sense, dear. Why stay on a couch when there's a perfectly comfortable room and bed waiting for you? You're tired, and you're not thinking straight, dear." Sae stands up, taps Peeta's head with a wooden spoon, then cups his cheeks with her strong wrinkly hands, "Don't argue, dear. Just rest." Peeta couldn't protest after that.

Sae kisses everyone on the forehead and leaves for home. Peeta offers to walk her, but she argues, saying that she is only eighty and not blind. The women knew better. Sae never lets anyone help her out unless she asks for it. She is stubborn and tenacious that way.

"I'm really sorry about this," Peeta says as they walk the dirt road to Victor's Village. His voice is thick with an apology. "When she talks to me like that, she knows I can't refuse."

"We know better than to argue with her," she replies casually, and a small smile forms on her face. "You'll get into more trouble if you did. She might ask you to stay for a month if you did."

They both laugh. It's nice to laugh with someone while under the stars, Katniss thought. She has taken this path a thousand times, always quiet and alone, and the moment now is new for her. Once in the house, Katniss shows Peeta his room down the hall from hers. All the rooms are big and garish. The wallpaper and furniture are intricate and dark-colored. She shows him the bathroom, gives him fresh linens, and hands him his dry shirt from the fireplace.

"If you need anything, I'm just down the hall. Feel at home." The words roll off with a weird taste from her mouth. She's never had anyone else in her house for seven years.

"Thank you, Katniss. Good night." Peeta's voice is as smooth and warm as silk ribbons and hot chocolate.

"Good night."

Peeta slips on a pair of plaid boxer shorts and a simple white t-shirt, thankful that he brought more clothes than he thought he would need. He settles into the soft mattress, covering himself with the lavender-smelling blanket and hugging one big pillow over his chest for comfort. Sleep overtakes him quickly.

About midnight, Peeta hears Katniss screaming from her bedroom. He bolts upright, shoving the blanket off the bed, throwing the pillow aside with unnecessary force, and running barefoot down the hall. He hesitates to enter her room, but when she screams again, he twists the doorknob to let himself in. He didn't quite know what to expect but was relieved to find her on the bed and not hurt.

"Katniss ... Katniss ...," he says softly at first while kneeling beside her bed. When she doesn't wake, he shakes her shoulders. His movement, not strong enough to hurt her. He would never hurt her. "Katniss, wake up. It's just a nightmare," he says over her sleeping form.

It takes a few tries before she opens her eyes. They're wild and dilated. Her breathing, ragged and heavy. Her hair, matted and unruly from being pressed and rumpled on the pillow. Through the pale light in the room, Peeta could see the pained look on her face.

"You're safe. It's just a nightmare. You're in your home in District 12. It's me, Peeta," he coos, noticing her eyeing him. He stands up from where he kneels to give her some space, feeling self conscious about his intrusion. "I won't hurt you."

"I'm sorry," she says slowly. It comes out raspy after she started breathing regularly again. In her daze, she manages to recognize the blue eyes and kind face that meets her. "I had a nightmare. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. You're okay ..." Peeta tries to soothe her, but he doesn't know what to do. "I'll get you some water, okay?"

Katniss nods.

Water helps, and she goes back to sleep. Peeta tucks her in then returns to his room, saddened with what he had just witnessed. He lays down on the bed and stares up at the ceiling, trying to calm himself and make sense of the transparency and realness of the pain that he saw in her eyes. Just when he is about to doze off to sleep about two hours later, he hears her screaming again. The screams are twice as loud as before, and he runs to her room, and this time he is not as gentle in getting her to wake up. He holds her shirt covered-shoulders firmly but not enough to hurt her. He needs her to wake up, so she doesn't hurt herself with all her thrashing.

"Katniss! Katniss! Wake up. You're safe. You're safe," he kept repeating.

She lets out one loud scream, then whimpers and slowly opens her eyes. There was nothing she could do to stop her tears from falling, and she sobs while Peeta holds her in his arms. There are no words to describe the hell she was trapped in while asleep. Peeta likewise could not find his voice to comfort her at that moment.

They sit on the bed, Peeta enveloping her with his warmth, willing away the pain and sadness in her being, and Katniss letting herself cry out in his embrace. When she calmed down enough, Peeta tucked her back under the blankets. She refuses the glass of water this time but watches Peeta as he brushes her hair over the pillow. He takes her hands to place them on her chest, but she unconsciously entwines her hand with his. She closes her eyes, and her soft breathing follows. She doesn't let go of his hand.

Peeta sits down on the floor beside the bed, his hand extending up to the bed to hold Katniss' hand. He leans his head sideways to sleep, his back resting on the nightstand. It's comfortable enough in his exhausted state, and he falls into slumber, depleted from everything. His last thought before sleep overtakes him was how Katniss, the victor and war hero, is still suffering from the war and the games every night.

The nightmares stop, and Katniss wakes up to Peeta still holding her hand. She studies his sleeping position, untangling her hands from his as she stands up, then she covers him with her blanket before leaving the room to go hunting.

"Hey," she greets as she comes to the kitchen after her hunt. The woods always renews her, saving her from many restless nights. She looks at him as if he just slept over and last night didn't happen. "That smells good."

"I hope you don't mind. I found bacon in your icebox and couldn't resist," he says, then pats Buttercup who is sitting happily by the sink. "I think Buttercup likes it too." Somehow, he smiles a million sunshines towards her, and something inside of her melts, like hot tea over cold ice in the summer. His smile is also renewing in the morning.

The orphanage feels different on Mondays - everyone is in classrooms studying, the older teens are at the local high school, and a few apprentices around town. Katniss teaches knitting in the morning and woodworking in the afternoon, busying herself with working with her hands. Peeta stays with Sae as she shows him everything that needs repairing around the orphanage. There was a lot.

"Thom and Timothy never stay long enough to fix anything that takes more than an hour," Sae complains. Peeta is repairing a television while she watches, sitting relaxed across from him in the common room. "They're always following their girlfriends or playing basketball. District work tires them enough not to help much around here."

"It's specialized work, Sae. Not everyone knows how to repair electronics," he assuages her.

"You know it. Then they should know it."

"Sae …"

"I know. I know. I'm too hard on them."

Peeta chuckles. "You think?"

"Are you almost done? There's more to fix in woodwork."

True enough, there is more to fix in the big, pine-smelling classroom. Drills, a jigsaw, a router, an orbiter, and a table saw. They should have been repaired a long time ago. But there was no one in town knowledgeable enough to fix them.

Students begin entering the room, picking out their projects while Peeta works in a corner. "Just stay there," Sae says as she stands. "They could work around you. Katniss won't mind." She then leaves him and says she needs to take a long nap. Her old bones were not as good as they used to be, Sae explains.

The students seem to know what they have to do, and Katniss goes around the room giving individual help. The room is loud with all the sanding and cutting with power tools. She glances over at Peeta sometimes, who is busy fixing one piece of equipment after another. Elrick, one of her students, has taken an interest in what Peeta is doing and is sitting beside him. The dark-haired, brown-eyed young man stopped doing his project and is helping Peeta with the repairs. Katniss lets him. He is a quiet fourteen-year-old, who keeps his head buried in books most of the time, so it is good that he somehow found a companion.

The students leave the room, but Elrick lingers until he remembers it's his turn to help in the cafeteria for dinner. He doesn't want Delly looking for him again. He already got scolded once when he forgot his shift because he was reading about electromagnetic induction and how motors work. He loved science and dreams of being a scientist one day.

"You need some help there?" Katniss asks Peeta as she sits across the wide woodwork table. She brushes the sawdust off of her clothes, cleaning herself up. It does little, but she never really minded. "Sae is really making you work, isn't she?"

He smiles at her, looking up from what he is doing to find her giving him a friendly grin. "She always filled my days with work in Thirteen. She wants everything fixed."

"How did you and Sae become so close?" Sae is so easy around him, and she talks a lot when she's with him.

"It's our time in Thirteen, I guess," he begins to explain. "I got assigned in the kitchen, and I worked with Sae. She made everything so interesting and difficult all at the same time. Things in Thirteen were so efficient and monotonous that she did everything to stir things up," Peeta describes happily. "Sae says Thirteen sucks the spontaneity out of her. Her troubles often involve an accomplice, and I was her captured partner."

"How did she manage to do that?" Katniss asks, smiling a little before grabbing a brush, this time to clean sawdust off the tables. "I mean, you don't look particularly mischievous."

Peeta laughs. "Oh, she's very convincing. She can make the life out of you just flow right out. " He is picturing Sae now, an apron wrapped around her waist, poking everyone with her old wooden spoon just to get a quick and cheeky reaction.

"There's no arguing with her, too," Katniss says with a chuckle. Since when did she chuckle like that in the wake of strangers?

"Yes," he says straight out. "But Sae genuinely cares. I just lost my family coming to Thirteen, and she understood how I felt. She was there for a lot of us, so we put up with all her stirrings."

Katniss was about to ask him more questions, curious about their friendship and history when she suddenly heard her name being called out. "Catnip!" Gale greets with his familiar tone, and he straightaway appears by the door.

"Gale?" Katniss greets him in wonder. She gives his best friend a big hug. "What are you doing here in Twelve?"

"Do I need a reason to come to my home district?" he says teasingly and hugs her back. His body is more chiseled than it was the last time she saw him. Gale hasn't visited in over a year, his position in Panem taking up most of his time.

"Yes," she reminds him. Gale doesn't just randomly visit.

"Well, you're here. That's reason enough," Gale says confidently before spotting Peeta across the room. "Who's he?"

"Oh, sorry," Katniss mutters, then walks Gale towards where Peeta is seated. Peeta stands up to greet him, wiping some grime off of his hands on his jeans. They're almost the same height if made to stand toe-to-toe. Gale is a few inches taller, but their shoulders span the same width. "Gale, this is Peeta Mellark. He is from District 3. Peeta, this is Gale Hawthorne, my best friend."

They shake each other's hands, Peeta extending his hand first. Gale tries to hide his thoughts behind his polite nod, but his grip is more protective than welcoming. He gestures Katniss out of the room so they can catch up. She obliges, glancing over Peeta as if to invite him out. Peeta just points to what he is doing in answer. He knows when he is not welcome.

Peeta eats dinner with Elrick and Sae, the teenager asking all sorts of questions about electromagnetic fields, circuit building, and force fields. He talks a lot and has good knowledge for his age. Peeta entertains him, seeing the genuine interest in the young man. Elrick reminded him of himself when he was studying. Katniss, on the other hand, stays with Gale and Annie. Annie mostly shared stories from the day. The conversation is easy, light, and cheerful, the five-year-old mumbling about flowers and foxes.

Despite protesting more than yesterday, Peeta gets sent back to Katniss' for the night. Sae never did look around town for a room for him, arguing that there is really no need for one. Peeta couldn't win the argument. It was closed even before he began to give his two cents on his own sleeping arrangements. Nobody else protests, but Gale keeps eyeing him as he walks with them back to Victor's Village. Gale can't pinpoint his unease. There is something about Peeta's name that is unsettling for him.

"You want to come in?" Katniss offers her best friend.

"Nah, Hazelle is probably already looking for me. I said I would just drop by to say hi, but I ended up staying until after dinner. I better head home," he explains while lingering by the door. Peeta had already gone inside. "You know how my mother gets. I'll see you in the afternoon tomorrow?"

"You know where to find me. Good night, Gale."

He gives her a tight hug before whispering in her hair, "Good night, Catnip." They can never be as close as they used to be, but moments like that bring back familiar feelings that both comfort her and make her shiver.

Peeta had just put down the telephone when Katniss came to the living room. Some of the parts for Katniss' house will come with the delivery train tomorrow, and he will install them.

"Do you want some tea?" Katniss offers. Their conversation was interrupted earlier, and she is eager to continue.

"That would be lovely. Thank you."

"Sugar?"

"No, just plain, please." He never takes sugar with his tea. Katniss comes with a pot and two sets of cups. They settle in front of the brick fireplace, warming their palms with the tea as they relax for the night.

"Did you always live in District Three?" Katniss starts the conversation. Sipping tea in the evening is another treat for her. "How did you know Beetee?"

"Hmmm …" Peeta answers before sipping his tea. The warm drink crawls down his throat, relaxing him.

"Come on, humor me," she coaxes, and she gets a smile out from of him. She realizes that she really likes his smile.

"I used to live in the Capitol," he answers. "My father is friends with Beetee and Wiress. Wiress used to teach me about math and science when I was young. She taught me that one is the biggest number." He laughs as he recalls. "Wiress. She is something special, and I loved her."

"And Beetee?"

"I came from a family of engineers, and Beetee sort of fit right in. There's so much about my family Katniss, but I'll tell you about them some other time."

Katniss nods. He'd already shared that he lost his family in the war, and she didn't want to push. She knows firsthand what it is like to need space when things hurt. "What's it like living in another district?" she says to change the topic.

"I like it. I don't think I could ever live in the Capitol again." Peeta pauses after. "I was a Capitolite, Katniss. We supported the games, lived for it, put bets on district children. It was just awful."

"But that's not you now, is it? You don't think like that anymore?" she asks and studies his reaction intently in the orange glow of the fireplace.

Peeta shakes his head while still looking at his cup of tea. "Never," he says softly, meaning his one-word answer deeply.

"Then you are forgiven," Katniss says with a tone of certainty. The answer takes Peeta aback. How could she just wipe his slate clean so easily? You are forgiven. Her words ring over and over his head. "Move forward. Help build a better Panem," Katniss continues. "Tell me about your team in District 3."

They make leisurely conversations, sharing their lives in their own districts. It's almost midnight when they decide that they both need to go to bed. Sleep came quickly enough for both of them but so did Katniss' nightmares. Peeta is by her side like the night before. But this time, he doesn't leave her like the first time. He settles down on the floor beside her bed, and Katniss slowly reaches for his hand. When she finds Peeta's right palm, she brings it to her cheek like a familiar, warm pillow. She didn't think much of her action. It felt like a natural act in her sleep-deprived state, meant to bring peace when she needed it most. Peeta lets her, allayed that he could offer her some small net of safety in her ocean of pain.

The morning after, Katniss wakes up to find Peeta on the floor. One of his hands entwined with hers, and the other rests on his knees to support his head. The position cannot be comfortable, but somehow he is deep in sleep. She envelopes him again with her blanket and leaves for the woods.

Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think.

More revelations are in the next chapters.