Hi! It's me (obviously) again with the second chapter of Broken and rebuilding! If you're here right now, thank you so much for reading the first chapter and giving this fic a chance! Hope you like chapter 2!
-Catswithclaws13
Thanks to jtotten0158 for posting the first review! I'm glad you think it's good!
DISCLAIMER: Suzanne Collins own all the rights for the Hunger Games, I am merely a fan writing my take on it!
I wake up at 8, to an amazing smell from the kitchen. I can't identify the smell, it's something I've never smelt before, even during my time at the Capitol. Pulling on a dark green hoodie over my pajama shirt, I eagerly make my way down the stairs to the kitchen area. I enter to see Peeta, completely oblivious to fact that I just came in. He's working his magic at the stovetop, frying something. I cough, hoping to get his attention, but he is so immersed in his cooking, he doesn't even realize. I decide to speak, eventually.
"Peeta? It's me, Katniss." I say, more shyly than I usually do. He whips his blond head around quickly, registering my sudden appearance.
"Oh, good morning Katniss. I'm making a special type of pancakes. They're called crepes. I put blueberries in them." He tells me. I see something next to the frying pan, in a pot, like soup. Whatever it is, the smell of crepes mixed with that boiling substance is great.
"What's in that pot? It smells good." I ask him.
"That is a sauce-type thing to go on the crepes. It's also made of blueberries. And Katniss?" He stops suddenly, almost needing my approval to continue on.
"Yes?" I answer. I hope he is okay and didn't have a hallucination lately.
"I… Um… Planted some flowers this morning outside in the garden. Primroses, in her honor. They're not grown yet though, so if you don't want them, I can dig up the seeds. Katniss?" He says to me, noticing my shocked expression. I feel like I'm about to cry, but I'm grateful for him thinking about her.
"I think that it is a great idea to honor Prim. I miss her so much, Peeta. But if she had to die so young, the least we can do is remember her. She didn't deserve to die.". Suddenly, my face contorts into a look of rage and the tears start falling. "It should have been me. Peeta, it should have been me! Rue, Prim, Finnick, Boggs, Castor… I should have just eaten those berries." I rant on, heavy tears falling from my eyes. Peeta, who just took up his crepes, quickly stops what he's doing and hugs me with his flour-covered hands. I sob into his shoulder, for what seems like hours, before I think about my selfishness. Peeta has lost his whole family, tons of friends, and even his own full mind. He's been home one day, and all we've done is talk about my tragedies. He's had the same amount. I pull away.
"How about we try those crepes now, huh?" I say to him through a watery smile. He nods his pale head and gets two plates from the cupboards, along with utensils. He brings the platter of crepes to the dining table, and sitting next to him, I dig in.
"Wow! Peeta, these are the most amazing things I've ever tasted! Thank you so much for making these!" I tell him, forgetting about my minor meltdown.
"I'm glad you like them so much, Katniss. Do you want more?" He asks, ever so polite. How is it possible for a person to be that calm after their mind being warped? After losing their loved ones? Apparently Peeta has some secrets in this department.
"Yes, please. Also, how was your treatment? Did it go well? I swear, if they did hurt you, I will kill them." I say to him, with my tone escalating quickly.
"The treatment was really good, actually. They extracted approximately 90% of the venom through multiple surgeries and special concoctions to make it come out through urine. It was with their weird Capitol magic. Well, not magic, but you know what I mean." He tells me. I nod my head, while stuffing my face with crepes.
" Well, I'm glad that I don't need to kill anyone. I just want some peace. Will you still have… Moments? Like, um.. where you hate me?" I say in a small voice, hoping not to trigger him. He seems unfazed though, which is a good sign.
"That's the bad part. The hallucinations will not be as occurring as before, so not too many. If triggered though, it is probable it may occur. The doctors told me to tell people that if I get one while they are around, they should leave and call the new emergency services here in 12. The number is just 433." He informs me. That is useful to know, definitely.
"Thank you for telling me that, Peeta. Do you want to hear the details you're still fuzzy on from the end of the war?" I ask. I'm secretly hoping that he'll say no, because I don't know if I'm ready yet.
"Um, I would, if you're okay with it. Like who died and how? What happened with you at the end? That stuff." He says to me. I brace myself for the long recounting of the end. We head over to the deep red sofa.
"Okay, so what happened, in summary, is that we lost many people, like Finnick, Boggs, and many more members of our squad, around the end. Pretty much everyone. Me and Gale left Tigris' shop, and went into the crowds evacuating in the Capitol to the mansion. There, after the Peacekeepers took the Capitol children up front, district 13 bombed the Capitol, in the form of Capitol hovercrafts. I think most people in the area died, with rebels, Peacekeepers, Capitol children and the rebel medics. Like Prim. Then, when I was supposed to execute Snow, I shot my only arrow at Coin, who then died. I was avenging Prim and the people she killed just so she could win. Most of the bombed were children and people on her side, Peeta! And she just killed them. She was no better than Snow." I tell him. By the end of the explanation, my eyes are watery. I can see Peeta is also holding in tears. I embrace him gently.
We hug for a while, just sitting on the sofa, silently sobbing into each other's shoulders. That's when I realize just how much I really do need Peeta. We are so broken, but we can help each other cope. No one understands the trauma the Victors have all been through, well, the few of us left anyways.
We spend the rest of the day baking, meaning Peeta bakes while trying to teach me. Which is probably the hardest thing he's ever done. The only skill I have is hunting. We make cookies, muffins and even the same style bread he threw in the rain, all those years ago. Just, you know, not burned and wet from rain. As long as I have a friend like Peeta, I can have a steady life. I hope I can help him too.
Alright, so that's chapter 2! Sorry if the wait was too long! I've been busy. You probably don't care, but I sprained my ankle a month ago, and haven't been skating since. I went back Monday, but I also had two tests this week, so that room time! Please review! I need your thoughts!
-Xoxo, Catswithclaws13