The last time we found out who the Citizen was and hell was about to break loose. But what about Gale?
PS I do not own the hunger games ** see the end for notes **Thank you for your continued patience - we're getting to the end ...special thanks to norbertsmom for being an excellent Beta
Buttercup was bored, but couldn't leave the house. There wasn't a hole big enough to fit through to get outside. He sniffed out those tempting little rodents that lived in the bakery, but they were smart critters.
One of them stuck its nose outside of the wall. It was a small scrawny one. Buttercup rolled his eyes at the sight. Its little nose wiggled as it stood before him, its tail wagging. Buttercup turned around giving the critter his backside as he walked away. He turned around when he saw its mother run out and grab the tiny morsel.
Truth be told, he was bored with having to chase his meals. He was getting on in years and all he wanted to do was lie in the sun and have his ears scratched. He was no longer interested in the hunt, especially since nothing was alive to be hunted outside. The unrelenting cold was horrible for his fur. A kitty needed the sun. Vitamin D was a luxury he couldn't afford not to have. Getting up, he stretched and sniffed the window; it was boarded up and it was cold. He wrinkled his nose.
It was colder tonight than the previous night. His nose picked up on the lack of moisture and his ears could hear the rush of the descending temperature. He groomed his ears so that his ears could acutely listen to the woosh of the air as it dropped. Tonight will get colder and he needed to let the humans know it was imperative to stay inside.
"Mrrrreowww," he complained, jumping down.
He walked a little further.
"Mrrreowww," he bellowed again.
None one came. For days this house was filled with people, but tonight he saw the scowling one leave, along with all of her friends, including the male that made her scowl disappear. They looked resigned, much like he did in his earlier days when survival was foremost on his feline mind. Buttercup got the feeling they were out to do something dangerous. As much as he disliked the scowling one, he didn't want anything to happen to her. She, after all, gave him the entrails from her catches. They had built a tenuous truce over the years. If she continued to feed him entrails, he wouldn't do nasty things to her as long as she didn't try to drown him like when he was a kitten.
Buttercup missed the noise of a full house, missed the laughter. His little family had grown exponentially and seeing all of this happiness made him think perhaps it was time he too sought out a partner in life. A feline that would give him little squirmy Buttercups. He stopped and growled, thinking of where the idea originated from. That darned Squirrel, his nemesis had something going.
He was content in his bachelor ways. Content being the center of attention to his angel, and being the sole recipient of the scowling one's delicious food offerings. He had nothing to worry about, not even those rowdy hens held a candle to him. However, seeing the squirrel with his dainty morsels, his progeny, caused Buttercup to think of what his kittens would look like. He wasn't always scarred; there was a time he was beautiful.
Buttercup sniffed the rapidly changing temperature and cried, "Mrrreowww." Not only for the temperature, but because he was lonely.
Though he wasn't alone. His beautiful Angel was with him. She was with other children, though two of them were giants. Then there was the small one, this male looked fragile. Buttercup knew a time when he was fragile.
The human offspring were sleeping. Everything was quiet and the lights in the house flickered. Buttercup harrumphed as he walked up toward the living area. When was this winter going to end? The boredom was threatening to steal another of his precious lives. Seeing his angel, he trotted to her and wound himself around her legs. "Meow," he cried plaintively.
"Awe Buttercup," his angel whispered, scratching right behind his ears.
Buttercup rubbed against her leg.
"What are you doing up?" Prim picked him up in her arms.
He began purring heartily, his angel smelled of mint and sweetness, unlike the scowling one who smelled of blood and the woods.
"I'm so worried," Prim whispered. "My sister, Peeta, Rye, Delly, and even Gale could be in trouble." Prim sat with him by one of the boarded windows.
It was dark in the room.
"I woke up and no one was around, and I found Mrs. Mellark quietly crying upstairs."
"Merow." That woman was crying? That was not a good sign indeed. Why would that woman shed tears?
Prim continued petting Buttercup. His poor angel needed all of the comfort in the world, Buttercup snuggled closer to her.
"Yes, can you believe it," Prim whispered. "Despite all of the horrid things she said about us, she cares."
"Meow," he responded. He wanted to let her know that she had nothing to worry about.
Prim shivered. The wind howled outside. From what she gathered from Mrs. Mellark, her mother, her sister, Peeta, Gale, Delly, Rye, and Mr. Mellark went to take down the government. Apparently, there was a rebellion started by Madge, of all people, and tonight the entire nation of Panem was turning their weapons to the Capitol. Tonight, at the start of the giant freeze they were going to take out the power source for the nation and force the Capitol to its knees.
It was a bold, gutsy move.
It also scared Prim. Freedom always came at a cost. To own something so precious meant sacrifices had to be made, and sadly it meant there was a great possibility she could lose her loved ones. Primrose understood why her sister would be involved. Katniss had this energy about her, always did, that inspired people to fight for more. A lot of kids thought Katniss was inspirational. She broke the rules to survive, and she was smart.
Then there was Peeta who had the biggest heart, and he was someone who would lay his life down for another. He also loved Katniss with all of his heart.
Rye was passionate about equality and freedom, the way he stood up for her family, and cried when Gale and Delly married. That let Primrose know he had a big heart, just like Peeta.
Delly was so sweet and she suffered so much. It was good to see her happy with Gale, of all people. He was once her least liked person, but he'd surprised her by apologizing and then the way he looked at Delly like she was precious. One year ago the idea of cranky, prejudiced, Gale Hawthorne toasting with a Merchant would have been unheard of.
The Capitol tried to break them; they tried to stifle love and kindness and yet she'd seen even Mrs. Mellark change. Her tears were not just for her family, but also for Katniss. Mrs. Mellark said Katniss had the drive to help Peeta steer the bakery into the future. That compliment was a slap to the idea that one group was better than another. They were one district, and she was worried about their little group.
Prim petted Buttercup.
"It's so cold; even with the heat on, it's so cold." She gathered a blanket around them.
Buttercup touched her cheek with his paw. "Meow," he said looking into her eyes."
Prim shivered again.
She could hear the wind blow.
"Something Is Wrong," Prim whispered.
The lights went off and on and Mrs. Mellark rushed out of the room. "Primrose, come with me."
"What's wrong?"
"The electricity that is used in town is going to go down. On this side of town, many have fireplaces either in the main living space or in a bedroom, plus a gas stove. However, upstairs we have a fireplace and a stove. We need to start the wood-burning ovens that can heat up an entire building." The lights flickered again. "We need to make sure the bakery stays warm," Mrs. Mellark said quietly, determined. "There's Andy who needs warmth and when our family comes back, they're going to need a warm place to stay."
"Right," Prim said. "What do I do?"
"Let's start a fire."
Mrs. Mellark led Prim to the basement of the house to where the firewood was stored near the main pantry for the bakery. They began to bring wood up from the basement. When done, Prim could feel how cold the first floor of the house felt.
"I want you to learn the proper technique," Boudica said.
Prim blinked, unsure why Mrs. Mellark said what she said.
"Your sister is going to marry my youngest who will inherit the bakery. No doubt she and Peeta will have children quickly so she might need help one day when she cannot man the bakery. I have a feeling Rye will leave, and my eldest is too enamored with his new family to come see us. So I want to teach you so that if the need ever arises, you will have the foundation."
"Thank you," Primrose said.
"Your welcome and please call me Boudica." She sighed. "Who knows what the future will hold," Boudica said. "I keep hoping we will be free of the Peacekeepers and the government."
Prim was a quick learner and just as the lights flickered out, the bakery began to warm up as the ovens not only heated the main floor, but also illuminated the workspace.
A knock at the door in the quiet of the night caused Prim to feel her stomach drop.
"Peacekeepers," Boudica whispered, frightened.
"No, they wouldn't knock; they would bang on the door," Prim said, moving to the door. Opening it, she saw Delly standing outside of the door. There were four men holding the inert body of Gale on a stretcher.
Prim opened the door.
A rush of cold air entered the warm interior. The light from the brick ovens flickered.
"Prim, we need you," she said. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Your mother said to bring him here so that you could take care of him. They're overwhelmed."
"Quick, put him on the table," Prim said, going to the sink to wash her hands. As the men settled Gale's body on the table, Prim asked, "Did my mother tell you the diagnosis?"
Delly stood by Gale, holding his hand. She hiccupped as she spoke to him in a hushed voice. The light of the flames emphasized how ashen and ill he was.
Boudica lit candles around the room, as she moved around the room when she came close to Gale's body could smell the blood. Blood meant there might have to be an operation and most likely Prim was going to need a bright area to work with. She took a pot and filled it with water and began heating it up. She then turned to let two of the men out while the others stayed behind to assist Primrose.
One of the men said, "Knife wound over the chest cavity. Your mother got the bleeding to stop but she said his lungs were filling with fluid."
Another of the men, holding out a box to her, said, "Your mother said you were going to need this kit."
"Thank you," Prim said, taking the small kit.
Boudica took Delly by the hand. "Come along, dear." Primrose was going to need the space to work.
Delly shook her head, but she said, "I should be here for him."
Boudica watched Prim talk to the men. "Primrose has this. He's in the best hands."
They walked out of the room and headed upstairs. The heat from the ovens made the living space upstairs feel warmer. Boudica sat Delly on the sofa. She wrapped the poor girl in a blanket; she was shaking. She began rocking. Her small broken voice began to sing a song that Boudica hadn't heard in years. Her voice was haunting and her eyes were wide and fixed on the stairs.
"Black clouds are behind me
I now can see a hill
Often I wonder why I try
Hoping for an end
Sorrow weighs my shoulders down
And trouble haunts my mind
But I know the present will not last
And tomorrow will be kinder."
When Delly stopped singing she began crying in earnest. Her heartbreak tore through Boudica. Delly's small happiness was stolen from her and it reflected the real danger of rebelling against the Capitol.
Boudica held Delly tighter until she fell asleep. Boudica also fell asleep knowing the child needed the warmth.
Buttercup jumped on the sofa. He smelled and looked for a warm spot. As he sniffed, he nuzzled Delly's form. There was something different about this human. He sniffed her again and then he recognized the smell. It was the same smell as the women who came to his angel's house.
I wanted to write this chapter for a long time and I had to do some research on Felines - (my grandma used to tell me animals always knew when bad weather was coming...turns out Grandma was right) -Who knew Buttercup had supersonic hearing and senses:
/blog/2019/05/09/can-cats-sense-pregnancy/
/cats/Can-Your-Cat-Predict-The-Weather
Also, I referenced the theme Song Delly has been using this entire fic Tomorrow Will Be Kinder by The Secret Sisters...Happy New Years!