Hey guys sorry it took a while to write this chapter. School's been very hectic lately and I've been really busy with projects and homework but now I'll give you a chapter that is a bit longer than usual.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
(May's POV)
My mom pulls my dad up from his hiding spot and begins to help him to the river to clean off and I cringe.
"Can't we fast forward a little bit?" I look over to Ali and Lars and I can see they like hearing my dad cry in pain about as much as I do. I fast forward a bit and see my dad is well on his way to being completely shirt and undershirt have been removed but they might still have to-
"I need to look at your leg first." I cover my eyes as my mom begins to remove my dad's pants, face burning. This is too close to reality for me at the moment.
I only open my eyes when I hear Ali shriek and Lars gasp, "Oh GOD!" Driven by curiosity, I foolishly open my eyes and see the nastiest cut I have ever seen. It is on my dad's thigh and you can practically see the pain radiating off of the enormous cut. I mom fumbles and I can tell she is really lost in what to do and is probably making it up as she goes along.
"Why don't we give it some air and then . . ." My mom says uncertainty.
"And then you'll patch it up?" My dad offers, and I smile at his attempt to help her.
A few minutes after watching a cute yet depressing conversation between my parents my mom pulls out that poor girl Rue's backpack.
"Here, cover your self up with this and I'll wash your shorts."
"SKIP!" I practically scream as I fast forward to a part of the tape where one of my parents aren't naked. I turn back to face a chuckling Lars and my face only makes him laugh harder. I'm sure you can see the embarrassment radiating off of my face.
I stop when we see my dad start to stand up with the help of my mom. I wince when I see pain replace the serenity that had thankfully made it's way to his face. He cries out and I have grown frustrated with the pattern. Every second one of my parents aren't screaming in agony, they are usually asleep or naked. My parents try to walk but my dad can't go far. I have tears streaming down my face at having to watch him in so much pain. Both my mom and I can tell that if he doesn't stop he is most likely going to black out. He sits down next to the water and tucks his head in between his knees, trying to block out the building pain. She looks for shelter, a way to keep both her and my dad safe and hidden from other tributes. She finds a cave. My mom soon turns it into a makeshift home with pine needles on the floor of the cave and a somewhat wall of vines to conceal themselves from animals.
"Katniss, Thanks for finding me." My dad starts.
"You would have found me if you could."
"Yes. Look if I don't make it back-" My mom cuts him off.
"Don't talk like that. I didn't drain all that pus for nothing." She says, and I chuckle softly.
"Seriously dad, your always so quick to give up..." I say to myself, though I am sure that Lars heard me.
"I know, but just in case I don't-" My dad pushes. My mom pushes a gentle finger to silence him.
"No, Peeta, I don't even want to discuss it," She tries, but my dad seems to feel like he needs to say something important. At the moment I am leaning as far forward as humanly possible without actually being flat on my stomach.
"But I-" He continues, and then- I let out a squeal, Ali shrieks in excitement and Lars just sits there with a small smirk on his face. My mom kissed him! Right in the middle of his, 'just in case I don't make it' speech!
"You're not going to die. I forbid it. All right?" I giggle at my mom's words. She still often talks like that to my dad, like just last month she 'forbade' him from taking my brother to get a haircut because apparently she owned his curls.
"All right." My dad whispers, and Lars grins.
"See how easily you can get a guy to shut up with a kiss?" He asks mischievously, his question subtlety directed towards Ali. The two of us both turn red for different reasons, and I am not the one blushing.
(Katniss's POV)
By the time me and Brogan come home it is around 12:30. I am fully aware that we are the only two people in the house. I hang my keys up and drop my purse by the door as usually and set to make Brogan lunch. Per routine I grab the bread, turkey, cheese, and ham and start to make his sandwich. I let my mind wonder. Brogan's word in the car and my contorted flashback of my first games during the game of laser tag as kind of put a damper on things. But everything Brogan said was, is, true. May has been avoiding speaking to me or even making eye contact with me for over a month, though it feels like a lifetime. I miss my girl. I liked how we could hang out as friends but still have the secure relationship a mother and daughter should have. And now because of me it's all messed up. She is probably afraid of me. No doubt the school has taught about my ability to shoot an arrow. She most likely thinks she should sleep with one eyes open. That I could hurt her. This burden of not knowing how my own child feels about me is slowly killing me. No. I can't think like that. I have Peeta and he has me. But May was just starting to become someone great, her own person. And now she has closed herself off to Peeta and I. Even Brogan has found himself in the middle of the crossfire. Is there anything I could do t-OW SHOOT!
I am brought back to reality after I feel a burning pain coming from my finger. "Mom!" Brogan yells. "Mom! Are you okay? Oh no.." The knife I was holding is placed on the counter top and the end of the blade has been splattered with blood. The bread on brogans sandwich has also started to change it's color around the area a drop of blood fell.
"Oh, Brogan! Your sandwich! I'm so sorry!" I say frantically as I start to suck on my bleeding finger.
"Who cares about my dumb sandwich, go put a bandage on that cut!" I nod and turn to walk to the bathroom. Behind me a hear the rustling of a garbage bag and I know Brogan has thrown out his ruined lunch, definitely for the better. I reach the bathroom and open up the medicine cabinet. I grab the bandages, cursing myself for being so easily distracted. I wash the finger with cold water and apply the white bandage. I look at my self in the crystal clear mirror and sigh. I look fine. Except for my stormy grey eyes. My eyes almost look as wild as when they took Peeta away in the first games. I wash my face and take a few more seconds before I head back out there.
"Brogan?" I ask loudly.
"In the kitchen mom." I nod to myself and turn the corner in to the kitchen. Brogan sits peacefully at our usually meal table. A sandwich sits in front of him.
"Aw, I'm sorry Brogan, you know, about your sandwich." I say genuinely, but he waves the gesture off.
"Mom, I don't care about a stupid sandwich, I care that you are okay." He says, and I smile, Peeta and Brogan are so alike. They both care more about if someone is okay than they care if something of theirs is ruined or broken. They're both so selfless. Even if it is just a sandwich.
"Besides, look no harm done." He says gesturing to his new sandwich. I nod and make my way to the living room. I sit down on one of the couches and decide to read my memory book. Over the years Peeta has helped me learn to accept and understand that the deaths in this book were not my fault. Rue died a brace young girl and I helped make her passing a peaceful as possible. Finnick knew what he was getting into when he joined the star squad when we went into the Capitol. Prim died doing what she loved: helping others. I have learned I need to accept the deaths in our pasts and be grateful for the lives we are surrounded by in the present. I now have two unbelievably beautiful children. My mom is still alive and helping people in the new hospital in district 4. Haymitch and Effie are practically best friends. Effie had a baby with her new husband a few years ago, and Haymitch has learned to open up and loves company. Effie was even able to get him to control his drinking. And of course I have Peeta. My handsome, kind, intelligent, creative, husband whom I love and who loves me. If it weren't for him I probably would have died during those weeks alone in the district after I killed President Coin. I love my family and I could not be more grateful.
I close the memory book with a sigh that shakes my entire body. Then I get an idea that my help put a smile on my face. "Hey Brogan, I'm going next door to grandpa Haymitch's house!" I yell on my way out the door.
"Okay." He responds. I softly shut the door and head to Haymitch's house. Unlike when the revolution had just ended Haymitch's house no longer reeks of alcohol and trash long over due to be disposed of, his house now breaths life. After I married Peeta our love seemed to have a big impact on him. Add in our children and he almost became the typical grandpa. He only drinks on special occasions and Peeta has taught him to cook for himself almost every night. I knock and open the dark wood door, not waiting for a response.
"Haymitch! It's me, Katniss" I yell as I walk through the entrance.
"I'm well aware sweetheart, only you would practically burst through the door like that." He chuckles, but he quickly stops when he sees my serious expression. "Hey, Katniss. . . you okay?" He ask, concern twisting his features. I nod and we both make our way to the humble dinning table he has in his kitchen. I sit quietly in the old chair and play with the loose threads on my jacket.
"Even though I try to ignore it and remember to think of a positive future, I can't get over the fact that May is still avoiding Peeta and I. She is always out of the house by the time I get downstairs, way earlier than when she needs to get to school. She barely speaks during dinner, and she is constantly somewhere during the weekends. I don't know what to do." I start. I finally look up from the threads to look at his face but he is almost expressionless. I take a deep breath in to relieve my frustration before I say something I will regret in the next second. I wait a few more moments and then finally Haymitch speaks.
"Katniss, I think May just needs time." I start to open my mouth to protest, that she has been given plenty of time, but he cuts me off. "Yes, I know it must feel like it has been forever already, but trust me sweetheart, something like this could take a while to sink in." He finishes calmly.
"I guess, but I feel so helpless, is there anything I could do that would help her open up to us?" I sigh. Haymitch looks at me straight on, with sympathetic eyes, and shrugs.
"I don't know. The best thing you could do is try to talk to her as much as possible I guess." He says quietly. I visibly slump and decide to accept that things may never be the same in my family. For better or worse I don't know. Thank Haymitch for his advice and let myself out. I walk contently along the empty street noticing the the slight chill that flows through the November air. The dead leaves crunch beneath my feet and I decide I need to talk to Peeta now.
I make my way through the town and soon a enough find my way to the bakery. I open the door and the soft ringing of a bell greets me.
"Peeta?" I call out to him. I wait a moment but I am finally met with Peeta's wonderful face.
"Hey." He says simply. He leans over the counter and gives me a quick kiss, which I gratefully return. Peeta gently pulls back his eyes wide with concern and he grips my shoulders. "Hey, Katniss. Are you okay?" I give my head a slight shake and Peeta sighs and lets go of my shoulders. I make my way over to the other side of the counter and follow him to his work room. I love this room. When he first rebuilt the bakery he added this room so he would have a place to focus when he had big orders. He does most of his beautiful frosting work here. That's not the reason I love it though. This room is just breath taking. He painted the walls a soft orange, his favorite color, and painted on some whimsical tree silhouettes in the corners. And on the back wall he has painted a beautiful sunset, one that reminds m of the one me and Peeta watched on top of the tribute center before the Quarter Quell, all those years ago. He motions for me to sit down in a soft leather chair that is place in one of the corners of the room, under one of the painted trees. I watch him work with his masterful skills. This order, he tells me, is for a couple in district 7. The three tiered cake is not a traditional white, but not of Peeta's cakes are. The first layer is decorated like a beautiful woods. Pine trees, and oak trees, and even willow trees fill the space in an lovely style that only Peeta could do. The second layer is surrounded by simple cutouts or the couple love story. Apparently the groom caught the bride when she fell out of a very tall free, and then a few months later she killed a bear with an ax after it went after the groom. Soon enough they fell in love and the rest is history. The top layer is the only semi-normal thing about the cake. The bride and groom stand together on top of the cake but that's where the normality stops. The bride sits gracefully in a willow tree with a teasing smile pointed at the groom who stands at the base of the tree grinning.
Peeta basically just needs to finish a few more details on the bottom layer with the trees, which is good because the order was due to be delivered tomorrow afternoon. We sit in a comfortable silence for a few minutes but I'm not surprised when Peeta begins to talks.
"So did you and Brogan have fun today?" That is something I can answer.
"Yeah, he had lots of fun. I found him talking to a couple of girls." I say slyly.
"Really," Peeta says grinning "and what did he say when you talked to him about it?"
"How do you know I talked to him about it?"
"Katniss..." He looks at me with a look that clearly says come on Katniss, I know you and he is probably right.
"Okay okay," I relent, "he said that they were just a couple girls from school."
"And what do you think?"
"I think he is quite the popular one, especially with the girls. Oh Peeta he has taken after you!" I tease. Peeta snort and shrugs but doesn't deny it to my slight annoyance but I decide not to think into it too much.
"Katniss calm down, he is twelve years old. I think we will be able to get by for a little while longer." I nod.
I take a deep breath and prepare myself with what I know has to come next.
"Peeta, I had a flashback today." That surprised him. He drops his bag of frosting and quickly walks over to me with wide eyes.
"When?" He mumbles.
"During the laser tag game." He nods, like this is enough explanation for him but I continue, "but it wasn't really a flashback I guess. It was more like a dream, or a nightmare." He gives me a reassuring smile and squeezes my hand. "Are you gonna ask me what happened?"
"Not unless you want me to." I shrug and drop the subject and Peeta doesn't seem to mind. Then a thought works it's way into my mind.
"Peeta?"
"Yes Katniss?"
"When did you have your last flashback?" I say suddenly. If Peeta is surprised by my question he doesn't show it.
"I thought Annie told you. A couple of weeks ago when I went to four to see her...why?" He says sheepishly and my face darkens with shame. I didn't want him to go to that sad place.
"No reason Peeta. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." I say and he nods curtly. I slowly stand and walk over to Peeta. He barely notices me. I gently gab his face and turn his head towards me. All I see are his beautiful blue eye. Sometimes I get lost in them. Light and dark blues swimming together in perfect harmony creating his wonderful orbs that I love to stare into. No trace of the dark hijacked eyes that replace his own. I let out a sigh of relief and unconsciously run my hands through his thick, golden curls.
"It's fine," He says, "go ahead, I won't stop you." I nod and take a deep breath.
"Peeta... May knows about our games... but how much longer do we have until she learns what happened after the games, specifically the Quarter Quell? How much longer till she finds out about your capture and-" my voice breaks as I dare to speak the foul word, "-torture...and what about p-p-PRIM! WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN SHE FINDS OUT ABOUT PRIM!" I am pretty much hysterical now but my sobbing does nothing to stop the strong, warm arms that are my favorite place to be. Wrapped up in Peeta's wonderful, muscled arms that have driven away nightmares and have held me and my happiest times. There is no place I would rather be. I never want to move. We don't, at least for a while. Until his gentle voice breaks through the silent air.
"It's okay Katniss. Everything is going to be okay." He whispers into my ear. "She will eventually find out from school about what happened, but Katniss, shouldn't we tell her first." It's more of a statement than a question but he still waits for my answer. I resentfully pull away from my safe haven and look up at the owner of the arms... and nod.