Special thanks to Norbertsmom for betaing...& Huges Thanks RaeRVT85 for corky idea & 567 for the brilliant idea about bark information your comments and reviews spur me on to write. Hugs and kisses.
Poor Gale, Delly has broken up with him...meanwhile Katniss and Peeta are meeting up in closets...as for the Citizen well you never know where it will show up
A Few Weeks Later
There was a fresh coat of snow on the ground tonight and it was snowing lightly outside. It was the beginning of March and Rye was tired of the snow. At the beginning of the week, he'd been stuck for two-and-a-half days as a blinding blizzard raged in the district. Despite spring being just a few short days away, it hadn't stopped snowing. People were saying this winter wasn't going to stop, others claimed this was a punishment from the Capitol, while others thought spring was sure to come.
Rye crept home from the training. He was sore from the combat lesson. Darius was rough, but it was necessary to learn different styles of hand to hand combat for when they eventually went head to head with a Peacekeeper.
There wasn't any moon outside as he jumped over the fence. Once in his backyard, he breathed easily, he was safe. He used his training and used the steps in the snow that were already formed to cover his tracks. It was as he reached the back door he heard a slight noise. Ducking behind a snow pile Rye watched and grinned when he recognized the long braid of District Twelve's most alluring huntress coming to see his brother. Rye decided to wait until Katniss got inside of his brother's room before attempting to move.
Across the way, Katniss slipped over the fence her feet fell in the soft billowy snow. She covered her tracks as she walked in the powdery snow.
Most of the residents of District Twelve were nestled in their beds even though it was only around nine-thirty at night. Tomorrow was Sunday and many of the residents did not work, even some of the business in town closed in this weather.
The only ones that were up and about were the Peacekeepers. Katniss wrinkled her nose at the thought of the faceless men with mirrored helmets. They added an element of foreboding. More Peacekeepers arrived just three weeks ago. The old guards were moved, and Cray was dismissed. The newer ones went by a Roman numeral stitched into the forearms of their white uniforms; these men were robotic in the way that they patrolled the district. Their presence made many nervous. Katniss and Gale had to be very careful as to their hunting when the weather permitted. Yet unable to withstand another day stuck in her home, her mother told her to go see Peeta. With her mother's blessing, she snuck out of her house despite the cold and the threat of being caught by the Capitol policing agents.
Katniss headed for the one place she found rest. The Mellark's back yard was quiet. The pigs were snuggled into their pen, a small hut that provided them warmth. The tree was coated with snow. The clouds up above aided in her ability to move about in the shadows.
Katniss stared up at the tree that led to Peeta's window. She had trouble sleeping. Actually, she had not slept in three weeks. Katniss was desperate and currently unable to think coherently. She rubbed her arms, her breath coming out in puffy clouds. It was freezing outside. The winter was always the harshest. Whenever the power went out to the district she and Gale ventured into the forest but they were not always successful. Sometimes they caught the odd winter animal but that was all. Katniss was hankering for a good bowl of Squirrel soup.
But this year it was not solely the hunger Katniss had to worry about. It was her sister, Primrose. She had been having nightmares but nothing like this. When January rolled around things in their home changed. Her sister slowly realized that she was going to be twelve soon and her name was going to be added to the reaping bowl. The reality was too much. Primrose had not been able to sleep a full night in months.
She often clung to their mother or to Katniss in the middle of the night.
Prim tried to act bravely during the day. It was at night that her true fears were manifested. Every child in every district lived with this thought in their mind. It was true that a grand majority simply lived out their lives. In District Twelve many ignored the actual idea of the reaping, others did not care. Yet for someone as compassionate as her little sister, it affected them worse.
Primrose woke up with the worst of nightmares of being called, of dying in the Arena and worst of all of having to take a life. Primrose was a healer she could not fathom taking a life. A few weeks ago Gale tried to tell Prim killing a person was a lot like killing an animal. She did not want this for her sister. Seeing Prim in such a state caused Katniss to lose the ability to sleep. She tried to speak to Gale at Vick's birthday.
He was as dismissive as the first time and began to rant at the Capitol. He said things not even Katniss would say. Gale bet this year there would be two more Seam kids going into the Arena. She stood up to him and they fought, yelled, and raged at each other outside of his house. He argued that there were more Seam kids than Merchants and therefore the odds were not in favor of the Seam. The more he spoke about averages and how unfair the system was to his friend and family the angrier Katniss became. Tired of his rhetoric she shouted he had a stick up his butt and it made him as bad as the Capitol for hating Merchants.
He growled for her to shut up and it scared her but she did not cave to it. She reminded him she was half-Merchant. Then Gale uttered 'Merchants loyal to the Capitol hardly ever get reaped' and this took root in her gut. It was a well-known fact Gale disliked the Merchant's who abused the power they had, and she retorted he didn't know anything about Merchants and all he did know he found between the sheets. She accused him of sleeping with every single Merchant girl she could think of, but when she mentioned Dely, Gale looked at her funny. His eyes grew glassy and his face became unreadable. He told her to take it back and she refused. Gale stormed away. That was the last she'd seen of him, but what he said about those loyal to the Capitol not getting reaped grew into horror as she recalled her nightmare.
Peeta wasn't loyal to the Capitol.
Animals had instincts and they fled whenever they perceived danger. Katniss had that overwhelming need to flee. Katniss felt it was not just Primrose who she had to be worried about. Come the beginning of the summer this reaping was going to be devastating for her. She kept her fears quiet though. Tonight their mother gave Prim sleeping syrup to calm her down and make her sleep.
This made her feel better knowing her sister would get rest. However, Katniss did not want to spend another night awake. She hadn't had a good night's sleep since she slept alongside Peeta. That night she felt safe, free to truly relax. She had not felt this way since her father was alive.
Peeta chased her bad dreams away. That spoke volumes to Katniss but she did not understand what it meant. Things of this nature always confused Katniss. So she returned and every time Peeta was waiting but she never stayed the night again. But the desire to feel that peace again overrode all of the walls she had put into place to avoid this. Swallowing, she pushed back her sentiments. Crying was a useless waste of time. She quickly climbed up the tree. She needed the security of Peeta's arms. Whenever things became hard and she could not go to the forest she came here.
Katniss sighed as she crept on the thick branch toward his room. The path was familiar to her now. She crept along the tree branch length until she jumped into his room. Today was his birthday.
March 14, also known as 3.14, pi day. Katniss found it appropriate that Peeta was born on a day that sounded like pie. She made him something.
Peeta was fast asleep when his bed dipped. He opened his eyes and at the sight of the slight shadowy figure at the foot of his bed Peeta sat up. "Katniss?"
"Shhh..." Katniss hushed. She did not want to wake up his family. His mother was the one who insisted on putting up the fence. Saying she was tired of seeing the Seam Trash who went through their garbage cans during their winter like cats.
"Sorry, what's wrong?" Peeta whispered as he sat up rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He often told her he couldn't believe it had only been a few months ago he was sneaking into his home when he saw her flying out of the tree. Ever since then they became friends. They learned so many things about each other. Peeta was patient whereas Katniss was not. He was a pacifist and she was a fighter. She loved the spring and he the fall. He liked the cold she detested it.
Katniss sighed heavily, her limbs were trembling at this point. Her fatigue and everything she held in all this time was caving in on her.
"Katniss," Peeta said, pushing his blond hair away from his face. He sat up straighter in his bed. "Katniss you don't look okay."
He was right. She seemed frailer. She looked like she was about to burst into tears. She watched Peeta immediately become concerned. Katniss never cried.
"I am worried," Katniss whispered.
At first, she was embarrassed by what happened that fateful night and refused to speak to him. Yet she could not go without seeing him. It was secret she even hid from Gale. But Peeta won her over. Peeta's innate goodness overcame her initial skittish behavior. He began to wait up for her with something for Prim or even just to talk. His offering of friendship meant the world to her. There were times she could not speak to Gale because he would get so angry and after his last statement Katniss did not want to bother with him. But as she discovered from her late night rendezvous with Peeta during the past months, Peeta on the other hand listened and his advice was always sound.
"What are you worried about?" Peeta was curious; he couldn't keep it out of his voice.
"Prim is turning twelve and her nightmares are getting worse."
Peeta understood immediately what Katniss was speaking of, the Reaping, it was slowly becoming the topic of conversation as it approached. "She might not be picked. She will only have one slip in the bowl."
Katniss nodded. Peeta was correct, but her anxiety did not die down.
Peeta was able to recognize the look on her face. "You're not convinced."
"No."
"Why not? Tell me what's going on." Peeta balanced his arms on his legs.
"I've got a gut feeling, Peeta like something is going to go wrong and not just for Prim."
Peeta rarely frowned. Katniss instincts were normally spot-on; he wondered who else she feared for. It had to be Gale, the guy she was always with. It was the one subject that he dared not broach. Peeta was afraid she was going to tell him Gale was her boyfriend. Carefully he asked, "Is it, Gale?"
Katniss remained mute. Slowly his gentle patience won out. Peeta was slow to anger. He controlled it even though he did snap every once and awhile. Katniss shook her head no. She opened this door and now was afraid of what was going to happen.
"Then who do you have a bad feeling about?"
Katniss did not want to say. But he sat there looking at her expectantly.
"Katniss, I am sure everyone is going to be alright." Peeta gently put his hand on top of hers.
She blurted, "You, I think something is going to happen to you."
"Come here," Peeta offered, hoping she would take his offer. Katniss could be stubborn when she wanted to be. Peeta was afraid she would simply disappear and never speak to him again.
When she leaped into his window and woke him up it was because she needed him. All that hard work led to this. Katniss easily moved into his arms. He was amazed that she allowed for a friendship to form. She did not make friends often. As far as he could see her only friendships consisted of Gale and Madge, the Mayor's daughter who she hardly ever spoke to. Peeta settled up against his pillows and Katniss twined herself around him.
The moment his arms went around her Katniss felt relief. She could not understand what magic they contained, because not even getting hugged by Gale had ever felt this good. She rested her head on his shoulders.
"Katniss, nothing is going to happen to your sister or to me." It did something to him to know she was worried about him.
"Peeta, there is a chance you can be reaped just like Prim." There was more Katniss wanted to say to him but couldn't.
"But really the odds are in our favor. I don't have as many slips as other kids." Peeta knew Katniss had a lot of slips. If anyone should be scared it should be him. He could lose her in the Games. Peeta knew if she ever got Reaped he would volunteer and do his best to keep her alive, even if it meant his death. Katniss was someone who deserved to live. She was so special yet she couldn't see it.
"The odds are never in anyone's favor, Peeta."
Peeta sighed. "Why do you feel this way?"
"Peeta look at all of the Peacekeepers that are in our district. We are not exactly the rebellious type. Something is going to happen. I just know it." Katniss whispered. "The fence is on. The only time it's off is when the power goes off or a branch falls on the line."
Peeta turned his head to look at her. In the winter they never turned on the fence. There was no need for the exorbitant use of power. He couldn't keep his surprise from his voice as he replied, "Really?"
"Yeah, I was going to check the traps, before the weather got bad but couldn't. The fence has been on for the past two days."
"Even through the blizzard we just had?"
"Yeah, that's the crazy part. Why turn on the fence during a blizzard? No one goes out, everyone stays in. I don't know Peeta, with more Peacekeepers arriving every day I feel like something is going to burst."
"What would you do if the fence went off?"
Katniss breathed in the scent of him, dill, cinnamon, and bread. "If I could, I would run away into the forest, put you and Prim somewhere safe."
"You want me to go with you?"
Katniss looked up into Peeta's eyes. "Of course, I couldn't leave you behind. I wouldn't do that?"
"I just thought with your family and Gale's it's a lot." Peeta shrugged.
She sat up and placed her hands on his shoulders as if were the most natural of gestures. "No, you wouldn't leave me behind? Well, would you?"
"No, if I had to leave I wouldn't leave any of you behind."
Katniss harrumphed as she settled her head on his shoulder.
Peeta smiled. "Wouldn't the Peacekeepers find out?"
Katniss frowned "A lot of families die in their homes during the winter because of hunger."
"But how could we make me disappear? I am sorry to say that even though my family wouldn't miss me, nobody needs me."
Katniss gripped his arm suddenly realizing that she needed him. It went beyond the debt she owed him. "Don't say that."
"It's true Katniss, I am the runt, and I should have died a long time ago."
Katniss sat up and hushed his lips with her fingers. "You're not the runt, you're special," Katniss lowered her eyelashes. "You can come with us and if you want, I don't know would your family come with us?"
"No, my mom and my older brother, they support the Capitol. My dad doesn't have it in him to walk away. Rye might, but then again he might not." Peeta reasoned, and this was despite what happened to them all those months ago.
"Then you could just fake an illness and come out to my mother's to heal." Katniss thought quickly. "There are herbs that could make you look sick. We can say you passed away and you can hide with us." Katniss looked at Peeta in his blue eyes. "Never again say that you should die, or that you are not needed Peeta Mellark. Do you understand?"
Peeta nodded then slowly grinned the way only he could smile. "So we are doing this? We are leaving?"
Katniss nodded, then yawned. "I am going to tell Gale."
"Okay," Peeta said thinking. He looked down at her face. "Do you want to stay with me tonight?"
Katniss nodded.
"Okay let me get you something to wear," Peeta said sliding out of bed. The look Katniss gave him made him chuckle. He quickly found one of his shirts and shorts.
"Here you might like this one."
Katniss looked to the green shirt. This was one of their first conversations when she started popping in on him at night. "You don't forget."
"Nope, you haven't forgotten my favorite color have you?"
"No," Katniss grabbed the shirt and shorts. "Orange," Katniss paused feeling the softness of the worn shirt. "Like the sunset."
"Just checking, making sure you're listening." Peeta grinned.
Katniss could not help the smirk that crept up her lips. "And how do I like my tea?"
Peeta made a face of disgust. "With lots of milk and sugar. I still don't understand how you can ruin tea like that."
A giggle escaped her lips, at Peeta's reaction and response. She quickly scowled then spat, "You haven't lived until you've tasted one of my mother's poultices, then you'll be more than happy to sweeten and lighten your tea with milk."
"Stop being uppity and get dressed, unlike you I need my beauty sleep." He turned around while she changed.
These were the moments that Katniss loved being with Peeta. He was so good and just charming. She didn't agree with his statement. She was nothing special to look at, but he was very pleasant to behold, thought she would never admit to it and would shoot someone if they called her out on it. "I am good."
Peeta turned around and could not help his smile when he saw her hair was unbound. Katniss always wore her hair in a braid, and he liked it a lot but he always tried to picture what she would look like with her hair loose. She looked stunning with her hair cascading down her shoulders and down her back. Her silver eyes looked like pools of moonlight as she stared at him. She held a card and a small box.
"Happy Birthday."
"You didn't have to get me anything," Peeta said sliding onto his narrow bed.
Katniss fixed him with a look.
"You made me a card?"
"And paint, the primary colors, red, yellow, and blue." Katniss hoped he liked his gift. He gave her a look that caused a blush to appear on her face. Katniss felt self-conscious."What?"
"If I tell you what I'm thinking, you are going to get angry," Peeta said, hiding his smile.
Katniss smiled at his comment. She was used to him making comments that would have made her feel uncomfortable if Gale would have said them. "I'll allow it."
His eyes shined even in the dark.
His ruddy face became red. "You look pretty with your hair down."
If anyone else had said this Katniss would have had an issue with it. Before Darius was forced to retire he had done the same thing at the Hob in front of Gale and neither one of them liked it one bit. Gale became angry because he thought Darius was being fresh. Katniss did not like it because she was not that type of girl who thrived for men's attention. However, she didn't mind Peeta thinking of her as pretty. Katniss leaned in toward him, giving into the temptation that began in that janitor's closet.
All of her life she had never wanted to kiss a boy. But she wanted to kiss Peeta. She leaned down unsure of what to do. She quickly pressed her lips against his but as she lifted her head. Peeta followed her lips and his hands cupped the back of her head.
Their breaths mingled and Katniss gasped at the sensation of his lips gently pressing and moving up against hers. A sharp small noise came from within her. Her lips parted slightly as he swiped the tip of his tongue over her lips. Her arms wrapped around his as they fell backwards. Her mouth opened and that was when the kiss took on a different turn. It became wilder, hungrier. Peeta pinned her to the bed and she did not mind.
Katniss breathed harshly as they stared at one another.
Peeta swallowed thickly as he moved forward. His nose bumped up against hers. He grinned, feeling elated. Katniss was his first kiss. Her face was flushed and her silvery eyes glowed.
A surprising smile spread on her face. Katniss did not feel ashamed. She definitely did not regret kissing Peeta. His lips pressed up against hers again sweetly. Katniss sighed when he lifted his head. She hugged him.
"We should get some sleep."
Katniss nodded.
They snuggled into each other. Katniss rested her head on his shoulder, his hand over hers.
"I'll wake you up in the morning."
"Okay," Katniss breathed out feeling herself being pulled to sleep.
"Katniss."
"Yes."
"Thank you for making this the best birthday ever."
From underneath the bed, Corky popped out. His little tail swished about in an aggravated pace. He looked to the small hole by the headboard where he and Shirley had settled in. Their den was warm and cozy enough for him but it wasn't good enough for Shirley. Her round little body was uncomfortable in the nest and she wasn't eating.
Corky needed to get tree bark for her, the only thing that kept her happy. Since the window was left open Corky made his way to the outside. He made several trips inside with pieces of bark for Shirley. She sniffed the bark and her little nose crinkled as if this wasn't what she wanted. He needed to find something for his mate. Corky left Shirley's side determined to find something she would like. Jumping from one tree branch to the fence he jumped on top of the house next door, the place the talkative blond human resided.
His ears twitched as he heard snow steps crunching on the ground. Scampering closer he watched as the back stone wall moved. Curious Corky scampered down as the wall slid back into place. The wind blew and pushed him inside.
The den-like cavern was warmer than the outside. Corky hid in the shadows as he watched the stranger make strange noises with a human device. Looking around Corky saw a scrap of paper on the side, he quietly ran to it. Taking it in his paws Corky knew this was the very thing Shirley could use. In the bakery paper was a prized commodity. Corky saw another scrap and picked it up as well.
The stranger stood up and the wall opened up. Corky waited for the right moment before making it out of the den. This stranger smelled of evil. Not even his pet's mate smelled like this. Carefully Corky made his way back to safety. He ran into his den when Shirley saw the paper her small face lit up with cheer. She crumpled one sheet of paper and put it behind her back, the other she used as a blanket.
Glad that he had satisfied his mate he snuggled in next to her, the babies were soon to be born. Once his children were born he wouldn't be able to leave the nest because tending to his little ones was going to be a full-time job.