2 month's later
(Peeta's POV)
Winter is falling over the districts. I sit against a tree watching the steam come from my mouth as I exhale. 'Breath Peeta' I tell myself. Nothing has been easy for me the past 2 months. I feel like I'm running after something that keeps getting farther away, and I just keep getting more tired as I peruse it. Command meeting and training should keep my mind focused, but I keep feeling like I'm back in the tribute center. Everyone is arguing and sizing each other up. When we sit for breaks or lunch I can't help wondering if the men and women training alongside me working against the same fight as me would stab me in the back if given the chance. I don't think we're all working towards the same end to this war. But I no longer know what I am fighting form.
Being outside alone helps me think I feel like I'm closer to her out here. I look up at the frosted canopy above me she'd be up there teasing me for not being able to climb. I take out a notebook I snatched from thirteens school supplies and sketch the interwoven branches. Thicker and closer together towards the middle then thinning and spreading out as they reach for the sky. "What are you drawing?" I look up to see a bundled-up Prim holding a blanket and a thermos. I hold out my notebook to show her the tree branches. "Whenever I see trees I think of her too," she sits and fans out the blanket over our legs. "Tea?" I nod "Gale told me during your run along the woods you ran into them and didn't come out so I thought I'd come check on you," she hands me the lid full with warm tea.
"I couldn't breathe,"
"Why?" she asks
"I feel like I'm being trained for another game," as soon as I say this a weight feels likes it been lifted off my chest. "I don't trust any of them,"
"Do you trust me?" I nod "Haymitch?"
"Yes,"
"Gale, Finnick, and Joanna?"
"Of course,"
"Then just worry about us, and don't think about anyone else," she takes my hand "You're not going into another one of Snows Games, you're the game maker this time," she shrugs "That's how I see it,"
"I don't know what I see anymore, but thanks, Prim,"
"Anytime," we sit for a little while looking into the woods. It's like we've dissolved into the tree animals run across our path and pay no mind to us. "I understand why she loved it out here," I look to Prim and tears are dripping down her cheeks I wrap my arms around her as she silently cries. At least Prim still feels the pain that hasn't left me for 2 months. Everyone seems to have forgotten about Katniss. They've just moved on and I can't even begin to comprehend how to do that or why I would even want to.
Back in my compartment, I lay on my bed. I can't help but think of the what ifs, so I wonder what if Katniss was alive what we would be doing. I let my mind wander.
"Let's skip the propos,"
"We can't Katniss," we'd lie on the bed together.
"Why not I can think of plenty of other things we could do,"
"What do you recommend?"
"Peeta?" Creseda calls from the other side of the door ruining my daydream before it got good. The peaceful feeling that had just enveloped me evaporates almost as fast as it had come.
"What?" I spit at the closed door, as I bury my face in the pillow.
"I'm sorry it's time to film of you heading to the capital…you need to get dressed," I reluctantly get up. 'You're going to the Capital and going to kill Snow then you can go home,' I get on my Jabberjay uniform then head to the hanger where I find Finnick, Gale, and Haymitch.
"You ready boy," I nod he comes closer to me "You know you don't have to-"
"Yes, I do," I glare at him, then head onto the hoverplane. Gale and Finnick follow buckling themselves in beside me.
"It's the same scenario from training. Finnick you're in charge of POW's Peeta, and Gale you find the President. In and out simple, and little room for mistake after today we will have the Capital,"
"And Snow will be dead," I say looking out the window as we rise off the ground. The three of them go quietly. "What?" I shoot at them
"Nothing…I just thought I was the psycho killer," Gale snorts out.
"What that supposed to mean?" I feel my anger building in my chest. If I wasn't restrained I would've marched straight up to Gale and punched him in the face. He thinks cause he's been in a war he knows anything about killing. Taking planes down and blowing up mines is completely different then using your bare hands. He knows nothing.
"Nothing Peeta," Haymitch glares at Gale "Relax save your anger for the Capital," I slump back in my seat and continue staring out the window. After a few hours, we're in the Capital, and the invasion begins.
Landing on the roof we move quick and fast to the stairs. Gale and I take two groups of 10 on separate routes to the Presidents study. We take out about twenty Peacekeepers, but there are less than we anticipated. Something feels off. We anticipated being met with hoverplanes and hundreds of Peacekeepers. The spotless and beautiful mansion is so quiet and peaceful that it sends a shiver down my spine.
"This doesn't feel right Haymitch," I say into my headpiece. "There should be more the closer we get to the study,"
"Just focus Kid it's not over yet," Haymitch is right. Anyone or thing can pop out in a second if we aren't prepared. when we come to the study we arrive at the same time as Gale's squad, and there are about fifty peacekeepers waiting. After two casualties on our side, a few minor injuries, and a bullet graze to my own arm all the Peacekeepers are dead. We head for the door.
"You ready?" Gale asks.
"I've been ready for two years," I kick the door down only to find the study completely empty. Anger boils inside me "Haymitch!" I yell into the headpiece "He's not here" I kick a small table with a vase and a stack of books across the room. "Shit. Haymitch where is he?"
"He must have escaped through a hidden escape route,"
"How did we not know about that!" I demand.
"Peeta," Gale says sternly "Stop we knew this might happen," I use all my energy to keep myself from punching him in the face. "What do we do now Haymitch?"
"Head down 15 floors, and help Finnick he's found a POW, but he's under fire,"
"Come on," I yell at the soldiers around me. I run out and lead them to the elevator, and soon we're in the deepest part of the Presidents mansion. The elevator doors open and gun fireflies in and 2 soldiers fall. We rush out returning fire. "Finnick?"
"Over here," he fires from behind a door. Within 5 minutes the remaining peacekeepers are dead.
"Its clear Finnick," Gale says. Finnick comes out of one of the rooms with a dripping wet body. "Are they dead?"
"No…She's just unconscious she tried to stand and passed out,"
"That's a girl? Why is she wet?" Gale asks in disbelief. Looking down at the woman in finicks arms there were no physical feminine features to her fragile broken body.
"Yes. They shaved her head, and she's barely been fed so she's extremely skinny, and they were using water torture on her"
"She looks soo…"
"Broken," I finish the cuts and bruises that liter her face, and body make her look like a broken doll with a bunch of cracks. Whoever she is she unrecognizable with the number of injuries she has. Her nose looks like it's been broken more than once. Her left eye is so swollen who knows if she can open it let alone see. Apart from the fresh purple bruises the rest of her face and body is a sickly yellow color from the healing ones. There is not an inch of unharmed skin "Here I'll take her upstairs and see what Haymitch wants us to do with her," I wrap my arms under her body and lift her out of Finnicks arms and try not to think about how week and fragile she is. When I get in the elevator she starts to stir a whimper is just audible when she parts her lips. "Shhh its ok, you're safe now. No one will hurt you anymore," without opening her eyes her swollen lips form a small relieved smile. Then she falls back into unconsciousness she feels so cold against me I hold her tighter trying to make her warm hopefully I am not hurting her at all. I scan her face she was probably a pretty girl before the capital got hold of her, I can't help but wonder what she did.