"Katniss, take your sister outside and play." The little girl blinked at her mother's unusually sharp tone. She grasped Prim's hand and dragged her outside. Prim ran to play with the chickens in the yard, squealing with delight. Katniss smiled but turned back toward the house and crept closer. She could plainly see her mother and father through the window. Her mother looked angry about something, while her father reached for her hands, pleading. Katniss glanced at Prim once more and saw that her sister was happily running through the yard, so she crept closer to the open window.
"-can't believe what a fool you're being, Ash! How could you do this to us? To your daughters?"
"It's because of them that I'm doing this! Violet, please, everything I've done, I have done for those girls."
"Don't you DARE say that. You're going to get yourself killed! And for what? For your daughters?" Katniss gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth, ducking out of
sight.
"You think they will appreciate it when they have no father to come home to? This is all Haymitch's doing, isn't it? I knew he was a bad influence!"
"This has nothing to do with Haymitch. I was the one who asked Haymitch to come to a meeting! Maysilee's death hit him pretty hard."
"It hit all of us pretty hard! But that's the way things are, Ash! The way things have been for many, many years."
"And you just want us to stand back and take it? Watch our daughters put their names in the Reaping Bowl when they're older? If I have a chance to stop that from
happening, I'm going to do whatever I can."
"You're just one man, Ash. What can you possibly do?"
"Whatever I can," Ash Everdeen repeated. "I'm going to take the Capitol down. I love you, Violet, but I have to do this. I'm sick of watching our children starve to death. There isn't enough food, even with the game I bring home from the woods. I'm even thinking of taking Katkin to the woods with me so I can teach her some things."
"You want to teach a ten year old how to hunt?"
"She needs to know how to keep herself alive. You know how she is with nature. She's a little forest sprite. If anything happens to me, she can help you with Primrose. She's a fighter, our little water flower."
"And what about me, Ash? What do you think will happen to me if they catch you?"
"Vi." He reached for her again and pressed his forehead to hers. Katniss watched as her mother slumped forward in her father's arms.
"You mean everything to me," she sobbed. "I can't imagine life without you."
"Nothing will happen," he assured her. "But if it does, I want you to be ready. I want you and Katniss and Primrose to leave 12."
"And go where?"
"Just over the border is-"
"No," her mother said sharply, drawing away from him. "I don't want to hear anymore of your fantasies about destroyed districts. We wouldn't last 2 days out in the wild, Ash. We're not going anywhere."
"Vi, it IS real. And they will welcome you. Please, my love, if something happens to me, I want you to take the girls and run. Haymitch will go with you. He will tell Katniss everything when she's older."
"I'm not going anywhere with Haymitch Abernathy! And I'm not leaving my home. My parents will help, if something… damn it, Ash, stop talking like this! Just say you won't do any more of those recordings. No more meetings. I mean it."
"I'm sorry, Violet. I can't make that promise. My song has set Panem ablaze and I want to see the flames destroy the Capitol."
"Those flames will destroy you and everything you hold dear," she said desperately. "Ash, please. I can't lose you. We can't lose you."
"Katty!" Katniss spun around at the sound of her sister's cry. Prim had fallen, apparently having tripped over a chicken, and was clutching her bleeding knee. She wasn't crying but her face was screwed up in a pout.
"It hurts, Katty." Katniss knelt beside her sister and stroked her hair.
"You'll be ok, Prim. Let's go back inside."
"Here we go, up you get," a deep voice said as she felt both of them being lifted. She blinked up at the man, her father's friend from Victor's Village. He smiled down at them and gestured toward Prim.
"You get her inside to your mama, ok? She can look at that knee." Katniss cocked her head.
"You want to talk to Daddy?"
"I'll see him later. I'm sure he wants to spend some time with his little girls," he smiled and nudged Katniss. "Take care of yourself, sweetheart." She helped Prim hobble up the steps and Katniss looked back at Haymitch one more time. He smiled and waved before he headed toward the path out of the Seam. She stuffed her hand in her pocket and gasped as she found two peppermints. She looked back at Haymitch but he was gone. He had been sneaking her mints since she was 5. She stuffed one into her mouth, then handed the other to Prim, who squealed and forgot all about her injured knee. When the front door opened, their parents flew to their sides, their argument all but forgotten.
"Daddy. Daddy!" Katniss kicked and Peeta gasped as he caught her foot in his shin. Wincing, he sat up and peered blearily at the sleeping girl beside him. She writhed and tossed her head and he hastily patted her cheek.
"Hey, Katniss. You're ok. Wake up. It's just a dream." She gasped for breath as her eyes shot open. She sat straight up, nearly knocking him in the chin.
"It's ok," he said hurriedly, reaching for her. "You're on the train with me."
"But… my dad was just here!" Peeta's brow furrowed.
"No love. You were dreaming."
"He was right here! He was talking to my mother and Haymitch… Haymitch snuck me a sweet."
"Haymitch sneaking sweets? Now I know you're dreaming."
"Peeta, I saw him!"
"Ok, ok. I believe you. What did he say?" Her face screwed up in concentration.
"I don't remember. But my mom was upset. I was really young. Dad was… she was asking him not to do something. And Dad was telling her to… leave 12." Peeta's eyes widened.
"It was just a dream, Katniss. Come on. Let's go find something to eat. We still have awhile before we're back in 12." Katniss frowned as he dragged her from the compartment, ignoring her growling stomach.
They found Haymitch in the dining car, with a glass of dark liquid in his hand. Peeta rolled his eyes as he moved toward the buffet table but Katniss plopped into a seat in front of the Victor. Haymitch blinked in surprise then drained his glass.
"We need to talk."
"Give me a chance to wake up, sweetheart. I've only had one glass and I need at least two more before I deal with your yammering."
"You weren't this mean to me when I was young." She could tell she had surprised him. She nodded and leaned back in her chair.
"You even snuck me peppermints when my mother wasn't looking." He tapped the glass with a long finger.
"Huh. Don't remember that."
"Yes you do," she shot to her feet as he rose from his chair. "You were my father's best friend. You kept an eye on Prim and me. And my mom didn't like you."
"Not many people liked me, sweetheart," he scoffed.
"But she thought you were a bad influence on him. That you were the reason he was doing… what he did."
"Train's stopping to refuel. Let's take a walk." Katniss glanced back at Peeta and nodded, letting him know she was ok. He gripped his plate but watched her step off the train behind Haymitch without a word.
Haymitch kicked the pebbles as they walked, his hands shoved into his pockets.
"Where did all of this come from?"
"I don't know. I had a dream… about him. I don't remember all of it but mom was upset. I was supposed to take Prim outside to play and I listened at the window. And I think it really happened. Mom asked him to stop and he told her he couldn't. She said he would get himself killed." Haymitch sighed.
"Ash hated keeping anything from Violet. Much like Peeta has trouble keeping secrets from you. But when he finally told her, she was furious. Said he was an idiot and nothing would come from it. He showed her a few of his recordings and it just made her more angry. Violet left everything behind to be with your dad. I think it scared her more than anything that she would be left with nothing, if something happened to him."
"She loved him," Katniss said fiercely.
"Yeah, she did. And he loved her. But he also loved his country. His district. He wanted to make a difference and he knew how dangerous it was." Katniss crossed her arms and kicked at a flower. Too late, she noticed it was a dandelion and felt a tug in her heart. She scowled at the weed and turned back to Haymitch.
"Did Dad ever mention anything about us leaving 12?" He raised a brow.
"Why do you ask?"
"I think he wanted her to take us… to 13. I remember something about it in my dream." Haymitch cleared his throat.
"I don't want to speak badly of your mother, Katniss. Ash loved her something fierce and believed she would stand by him in the rebellion. But that woman failed you.
I don't think Ash ever imagined that she would just… die inside and leave her girls to starve. I get that the grief hit her hard but she still had daughters to take care of and she didn't. To top it off, she didn't do as Ash asked. He wanted you all to be safe and asked for me to take the three of you to 13 if anything happened to him."
"So why didn't you?"
"You know what your mother was like after he died. I couldn't reach her. No one could. I even thought about taking you girls myself but call me a coward, I didn't want to be accused of kidnapping. And we weren't anywhere near ready to come forward about the rebellion. Taking you and Prim away from 12 would have alerted the Capitol and they would have known something was happening. They would have retaliated and maybe even burned 12 to the ground, like they tried to do to 13. I went over and talked to Violet many times but she never heard me. After she started to get better, I tried again. Said it was what Ash wanted and she yelled at me that it was my fault he's dead. Said I wouldn't go near her girls. So I kept my distance. Watched you hunt and keep your family alive. When 13 came forward and proposed an alliance, I knew it was time to tell you. I waited, though, and watched things get worse in 12. Peacekeepers came and went and then the whole thing with Cray and… Darius blamed himself. He said he was the one who convinced you to go through with the contract. And he was only saying that because he knew Peeta would be back in 12. When we heard that Cray had you, we tried to come up with a plan. Luckily the Mellarks had us covered but we didn't know that at first. Darius felt awful."
"Prim was the reason I went through with it," she said stiffly.
"I know that. But Darius just wanted you to realize it wouldn't be a bad thing. He loved Rosalie, and he knew Peeta had fallen for you years ago. When Darius toasted with Rosalie, they burned the contract too. They'd already agreed it was a lifetime commitment, not some Capitol-created ploy. I guess Thread told Snow about your contract, the papers being kept at the Justice Building and all that. That's why Snow asked Peeta if it was real or not." Katniss chewed on her lip, thinking about the contract. What would Peeta say if she suggested they burn it? She could see how much it hurt him when she brought it up. With that piece of paper out of the way, maybe she could finally tell him that she loved him. That it was real to her.
Her eyes met Haymitch's and it dawned on her how similar they were to her father's.
"You'll come with us? To 13?"
"I promised Ash I would look after his girls," he said softly. "I've done a lousy job, but I'll be by your side in 13. I'll help you become the Mockingjay, if that's what you choose."
"And what if it's not?"
"Everyone has a choice, Katniss. Even you. I realized that after you and Peeta left yesterday. We can't force you to do this. No one can. It has to be your choice and yours alone. But just know that your father was determined to make a difference for Panem. You could make a difference. With your help, we could actually overthrow the Snows and take back to the Capitol. Actually give the people the power, instead of one family and their sick followers. Unite Panem into one country, instead of just 13 districts."
"I just don't know, Haymitch. How am I supposed to do all of that by myself?"
"You're not by yourself. You have me, and a husband who would do anything for you. You have a sister who worships you and friends who would fight by your side. And you have a country of people who remember the Mockingjay, who remember the little girl who sang by his side." Her eyes widened and he nodded.
"We recorded quite a few of Ash and you singing together. You didn't know what you were singing, I don't think, but it touched people. Violet was livid when she found out we were using you for the videos. Peeta asked how everyone knows who you are. The country has seen you, Katniss. If they see what you have become, it might be enough to stir them into a frenzy and make them fight."
"First we have to convince Mom and Prim to come with us to 13. And after what you've just said, I don't know how easy it will be to get Mom to leave 12."
"You're not a little girl anymore, Katniss. If it comes down to it, you can take Prim to 13 yourself and leave Violet behind. I know that's not what you want but if Violet sacrifices all we have worked for-"
"You'll sacrifice her," Katniss said coldly. "We aren't sacrificing anyone, Haymitch. Not even my mother. So forget it." He nodded, clenching his jaw.
"I'll get them to leave. Snow said we have a month to get everything in order."
"We need to leave as soon as we're able. Once we're gone from 12 and off his radar, Snow will start to look for you. And he will know that you're a part of the rebellion. He will come after you in whatever way he can."
"So we can't leave anyone behind! We have to take them all with us! The Hawthornes, the Mellarks, Sae, the Undersees-"
"We can't take that many people with us," he said gently. "Not yet. It would look too suspicious, if everyone started to disappear. Travel from district to district is banned, except in special circumstances. You know that."
"We can't just leave them behind! If you want me to try to save Panem, I'm going to start with my own district first!"
"I understand, Katniss. Let's just figure out how to leave 12 undetected. And work on getting your mother and sister to come with us without a fight."
"Haymitch… how is all of this going to affect Peeta? He's a Captain now, I mean, he will be in direct contact with Snow. And they're going to be watching him closely."
"Peeta will be fine. Once he gets to 13, he can get rid of the title, if he wants. He'll be by your side so I don't imagine he will much care whether he is a peacekeeper anymore or not. Felix already said if he makes it to 13, he will deny ever being a peacekeeper. Lyme wants him to stay in 2 and keep close to Snow as long as he can. We talked about having Peeta do the same. But," he held up his hand, seeing her about to protest. "We decided it would be better to keep the two of you together. You're obviously stronger together than apart. Snow knows this, which is why he is telling Peeta to take you away. Coin wants us to move fast, though, so let's get back to 12, start packing, and decide on a game plan. Ok?" Katniss nodded and he patted her shoulder.
"I believe in you, Katniss. Cinna's name for you isn't a mistake. I think you're gunna be a girl on fire indeed."
She followed him back to the train and was not surprised that Peeta was waiting for them just inside. She squeezed his hand to assure him everything was fine and he held up a plate.
"Thought you might be hungry." Her stomach growled and he raised a brow with a smile.
"Thank you," she took the plate and Haymitch grunted.
"Think I'll take my refreshments to my room."
"You don't have any… Haymitch, you should eat something," Peeta called after him. Katniss smiled as he rolled his eyes.
"You want to eat in the dining car or our compartment?"
"Let's go sit on our bed. It's more comfortable." He nodded and held both plates so Katniss could slide their compartment door open.
Peeta wanted to ask Katniss what had happened with Haymitch but he knew they had to keep their conversation limited.
"Did you enjoy your walk?"
"Mm. Yeah, Haymitch and I talked about the Victory Tour and how long it would be. He thinks I'll really like living in 2. Though I was thinking 4 could be nice too." Peeta tried to find any underlying meaning in her words but couldn't. He took a bite of his roll and nodded.
"I've heard 4 is beautiful. Finnick invited us to visit sometime. Apparently people live right on the ocean. No mountains in sight but water that goes on for miles and
miles."
"You can't swim," she teased him. "Do you think it's a good idea for you to live near the ocean?"
"You can teach me," he said gently.
"Where would you like to live, Peeta?" He reached down and wrapped his fingers around hers.
"As long as you're there, I really don't care what district I'm in. Home is with you." She wanted to cry at how easy it seemed, for him to love her. How beautiful words were when they slipped from his silver tongue. She opened her mouth, willing the words to come, but an image suddenly overtook her mind and fear choked her completely.
"Have a good day little Katkin. I love you!"
"I love you, Daddy!"
Smoke filled the air, choking the citizens of District 12. Miners stood around, silent tears streaming down their faces as they waited for news.
An older Peacekeeper pulled Katniss out of class. What had she done wrong?
Her father was dead. There was an accident. Many miners were dead.
She needed to tell her sister herself.
Did her mother even know?
The Peacekeeper had cold eyes and an even colder touch as he patted her shoulder and walked away.
Daddy. The strongest man she knew. Dead.
She couldn't believe it.
Katniss choked back a sob and her eyes shot open to find a very concerned Peeta in front of her.
"Are you alright?" She nodded but couldn't speak. His hands went to her face and he leaned close.
"Katniss, what is it?"
"I keep seeing… I just… so many faces and voices. Everywhere." He pulled her in his arms and rubbed her back soothingly.
"I'm here," he kept saying. But it only reminded her of moments when she used to climb into her father's lap and he would hold her close, whispering in her ear that he was there and he wouldn't ever leave her.
People leave. Her father, her mother, and one day, Peeta would leave too.
She bit back the words that she wanted to say, that had very nearly come out, and she leaned back to rub at her face.
"Do you have to go back to work as soon as we get back?" Peeta's brow quirked at her oddly abrupt shift in conversation.
"I'll go in tomorrow morning. And then the woodworking meeting tomorrow night."
"Maybe I'll have Prim over while you're at work so she can help me pack our things."
"The good thing is I just moved back to 12. So my things are still in boxes. I don't really have that much anyway."
"That will make the move easier," she shrugged. "Once we decide where we are going."
"Maybe we can talk to Mayor Undersee," he said softly. "He has been to multiple districts. See where is his favorite."
"Well wherever we live, I hope there is cheese to make cheesebuns." She held up a dry roll and wrinkled her nose. Peeta chuckled and cupped her chin.
"Doesn't matter which district we are in, Katniss, I will keep you well supplied with cheesebuns."
It was late when they pulled in to the station. Haymitch kept close to Peeta and Katniss as they collected their bags.
"Captain Mellark, I would appreciate a Peacekeeper escort to my house." Peeta looked surprised but nodded slowly.
"Of course, Victor Abernathy."
"Captain Mellark," a smooth female voice came from behind him. Peeta let out a relieved sigh when Purnia saluted him.
"Good evening, Purnia. Thanks for being here to greet us."
"Of course, Captain. Burns and Pickens are on duty as well. We will escort you and your wife to your house, sir."
"Purnia, you can escort Victor Abernathy to Victor's Village," Peeta said quickly. "Burns and Pickens can come to the Peacekeepers Barracks with Katniss and me."
"As you wish, Captain."
"Grab a bag, Purnia," Haymitch tossed the Peacekeeper his duffel bag, and she scowled.
"Mister Abernathy, isn't this a bit much for a few days in the Capitol?"
"When you're a Victor, sweetheart, there's no such thing as too much. See you tomorrow, Captain!" Purnia raised a brow at Peeta as she turned and followed the Victor to his home. The other two Peacekeepers seemed rather flustered around Peeta, even bowing instead of saluting.
"Pickens," he said gently. "We went through training in 2 together! I'm still the same Peeta."
"Lieutenant is one thing, sir, but Captain… that's another altogether." Peeta looked slightly uncomfortable as he helped the soldiers with their bags and started off towards home.
As soon as they were inside, Peeta locked the door tightly and set the bags down. Katniss yawned and stretched but Peeta looked wide awake.
"How about a shower before bed?" Without waiting for an answer, he dragged her upstairs and into the bathroom. He quickly turned the hot water on and turned back to her.
"Sorry. Until we can check the house to make sure…"
"I understand. So Purnia is ok."
"It would seem so. Although I'm sure Haymitch will think of an excuse to make her stay near him, until we can be sure she is safe."
"I wonder if she knows about Darius." Peeta winced.
"I want to ask around about Rosalie. If Purnia saw them both before we left 12, then something had to have happened to her in the Capitol. And I'll tell Duartyr he needs to find her."
"What kind of man harms a pregnant woman?"
"What kind of man slaughters children on live television," he fired back bitterly. Katniss's brow raised in surprise but she nodded. Peeta ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.
"I didn't really mean we had to… I mean, I brought us in here so we can talk. If you'd like to shower first, I can just-"
"Peeta," she rolled her eyes impatiently. "Are you going to act like nothing happened between us in the Capitol?" He looked uncertain.
"I didn't know if…I mean, so much happened in such a short time. It's all sort of like a whirlwind dream. I wasn't sure if… maybe you'd want to forget it happened."
"Of course I don't want to forget," she said crossly. "And I'm a little offended you think I would." He looked abashed and rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.
""Please don't think I'm underestimating you. I'm actually underestimating myself. I still have to pinch myself when you're here in front of me, telling me you want to be with me. It's unreal."
"No," she moved closer, so their faces were inches from each other. She reached out and slid her hands under his shirt, making him gulp audibly.
"It's real," she whispered before sliding the shirt over his head.
They held each other under the stream of hot water, Peeta's hands resting just under her breasts. She could feel his want for her but neither of them moved to do anything about it. She let him hold her, their minds and hearts racing and trying to enjoy the simple moment while wondering what the days would bring.
It's a short one but I wanted to post before Christmas! Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! XOXOX
