AUTHOR'S NOTE

I wrote this as part of A candle for the Caribbean antology. It has been edited since, just a little. Hope you like it.

WARNINGS

Natural Disaster, Canonical Character death

DISCLAIMER

I do not own THG characters nor Collateral Beauty.

CHAPTER 3 – LOVE

Dear Love ,

Goodbye .

Katniss

She did not wanted to be standing here. She was afraid of what the outcome of her visit might be and she was more afraid that she will make things worse than they already were. Katniss was now outside Peeta Mellark's apartment.

Katniss reminded herself that this was the last one. She was making amends, and she left the hardest one for the grand finale. It had been a year since she started taking therapy seriously and she was amazed of how much progress she had made. But Dr. Aurelius had told her that there was even more to cover and she could never be free of her baggage if she did not close her unfinished business with Peeta. She had not seen him in all this time, turns out he is much better at avoiding someone than she is.

She wanted that freedom, had worked hard for it, so she squared her shoulders and knocked at the door. A faint call of "coming" could be heard from the other side and no long after, Peeta was in front of her. Grey Henley, faded jeans, ashen hair and blue as the ocean eyes.

"Have you come to finish me off, sweetheart?" He asked without a trace of malice in his voice. After everything he still didn't hate her.

"Hi Peeta, hmmm no… I have come here to apologize." That surprised him, if the raised eye brow meant anything, but he did not interrupt and let her continue. "I was rude and unfair to you. Dr. Aurelius thinks I was in need to put the blame on something and the easiest choice was you – as I was not expecting to meet you ever again –, sort of a coping mechanism. I understand now how that was not fair from my part and when you materialized in front of me, well, I just exploded. So, sorry."

"Wow, Katniss. I never expected for you to come and apologize, but if you really mean it, yes, apology accepted." She was very relieved of his answer. But there was still one more thing she needed to say.

"I have one more thing to say." She inhaled deeply before saying the next words, the ones that she had come to accept after nine years.

"Thank you for saving my life. I thought for I long time I owed you for that, but it was your choice – you knew you were risking your own life, or in your case the leg. I don't felt guilty anymore; and I am no longer wasting the time you presented me."

"I am glad to hear that." Peeta said with tears in his eyes.

"So, I will see you around then." Then she turned and leave, with a freer mind and less burdened heart.

KPKPKPKPKPKP

It was three years before they saw each other again. They both worked for the same company and were paired together often, product of their Earth Science and Geology masters. There was no longer animosity between them and Katniss had to admit they made a really good team. This companionship in the work place slowly evolved onto a tentative friendship and, by the end of their first year, she was sure he was one of the best friends she ever had.

He was funny, easygoing, attentive and really creative. His hobbies included painting and baking and she could spend a whole afternoon watching him doing just that. She had taken into archery and hiking, and he sometimes went with her to practice or take one of the easiest paths along the surrounding parks. They also traveled a lot together to oversee the projects they were working on. They were both single, having broken up their respective long-time relationships just before taking this job; that's why everybody in the office thought them a couple after seeing them always together. But they did not give it too much though, at least, not her.

One night, when they were out with some colleagues, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Peeta blurted out what could possibly be the bomb that ended what they had both built over the last year. He told her she liked her, a lot, and maybe 'like' was not accurate term either, he might even be in love with her.

"How could you say that!?" She angrily stated. He could not love her, not when she spent half her life blaming him for something beyond his reach. She was unlovable, she had said Love goodbye.

"How could I not, Katniss? I found you interesting, funny, kind, smart, beautiful. I like spending my time with you, even if you are just staring at me while I bake or paint. There is no one I want to share my day with more than with you and I know this we have could be extraordinary if we are brave enough to give it a chance." She was speechless, she could not form a coherent thought and she needed to get out of there, now!

The train car was almost empty and she was glad she could be left alone with her thoughts.

"I don't know what to say to you, you dismissed me so easily – just with a single word – but I never left you." A sort of beautiful woman dressed with a flowing skirt and red cardigan, brown eyes that matched her shoulder length hair and with a heavy English accent was seated in front of her; and was talking to her if her intense glare was any indication.

"Do I know you?" Katniss asked a little suspiciously.

"You do know me, but you have tried to ignore me and even acknowledge I even exist or existed as part of your life." Recognition flashed in Katniss eyes when they landed on the third note that the woman was holding in her hands, the one she had used a black paper for and addressed to Love.

"You left me! You left the moment Death took her away. You have never shown your face again, so don't blame this on me!"

"I was there all the time! You can be so blind sometimes! I was in your anger, in your grieve, in your pain. There could not be either if not for me. I was also there when you wanted to heal and started to hope again. I am in everything. And I wont leave you, not for even one second!" The woman was now in her face, the words were not loving, but passionate, full of something from what the threads of life are created.

But Katniss was not backing against her beliefs that easily.

"Your friend Time already told me the truth. Nothing lasts forever."

"You should already know that is not true. Because Love, Katniss, transcends everything. Even Death."

KPKPKPKPKPKP

She found herself again outside Peeta Mellark's apartment. And when he opened the door she blurted out what she wanted to say since the moment he asked her for more.

"Turns out I am capable of Love. I want to give us a chance. I want extraordinary!"

And as they kissed, she was grateful that Death, Time and Love had found her worth saving.