Disclaimer: The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, two of the best books I've ever read, are owned by Suzanne Collins and I don't have any rights to them except the right to read them and love them. Here's my attempt of trying to continue the story. I'm sure it will pale in comparison to Suzanne's wonderful work, but here goes chapter ten.
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to all of my readers. Thank you all for all of your wonderful words of encouragement and kindness. I can't tell you how much it means to me when I read one of your reviews.
Chapter Ten
It didn't take long until we reached the landing area. Once people started to notice us, a cry went up. Others paused in their work to look up at us too. Vanzant stops and turns to us. "I have to go and notify my superiors and the mayor. Kane will escort you all to the Justice building." She then turns on her heel and jogs away. People call out her name as she passes and she waves at them but continues on.
It's so hard to believe that we're back. We follow Kane through the landing area as another hovercraft unloads. We weave around the people, the carts and the crates and eventually head to where the Justice building is. I see Peeta's look of wonder as he stares up and down and all around. "Pretty unbelievable, huh?" I ask him.
"It's absolutely incredible that they've been down here for so long and on one knew." I squeeze is hand as we walk into the building and back into the conference room we used before. Then I hear Peeta mutter a curse and he's suddenly lurching from me and across the room. I'm so shocked that it takes me a moment to notice that he went after Mayor Snow. A few guards in the room restrain them but I can see the effort it takes from them.
"Peeta, wait," I call out to him as I move around the guards and into his line of vision. What I see scares me. His blue eyes, normally so kind or thoughtful, are full of rage. Tears from his anger rain down his face but he's twisting and fighting the guards every step of the way. "Peeta, it's not President Snow," I try and tell him.
Finally, his eyes focus on me and I breathe a sigh of relief as the rage empties from those blue orbs. "What?" he asks as he blinks.
"It's not President Snow. This is the Mayor of District 13. He's President Snow's brother," I explain as I rub my hands over his tense shoulders. He jerks his arms from the guards, who at a nod from the mayor, let go of him.
"My apologies," Peeta says stiffly as a red flush creeps up his neck. But it makes me wonder just what exactly Peeta went through back in the Capitol to cause such a violent reaction.
"No, my dear boy," the Mayor says. "It's perfectly understandable given your condition. Welcome to District 13. I'm sure all of you would like to get some rest. These soldiers will lead you to your quarters." The Mayor sounds calm but I see his hand shake and I understand that the episode shook him more than he's willing to admit.
As we're leaving the Justice Building, a group of people are waiting out in the front of our dorm building. It's all the survivors from District 12. I hadn't had a chance to tell Peeta what happened. "Peeta," I tell him before we go any further. "District 12 has been destroyed."
His eyes go wide and he looks away from me. "I saw it on television. Snow made me watch. I thought that maybe it had been a trick."
"It wasn't a trick. But there were survivors," I tell him.
He looks back at me and not at the crowd. "Did my family make it?"
"I know your father did, but I'm not sure about the rest of your family."
He nods and grips my hand in his. When we look over, we see Mr. Mellark, the baker, standing across the street with tears streaming down his face. "My boy," he says softly as we reach him. He grips Peeta's shoulders and pulls him into a hard hug.
I look away from the scene and I see my mother. She runs over to me and grips me just as tightly. We look back over to the Mellarks and I notice one of Peeta's older brothers. However, I don't see Mrs. Mellark and the other brother. I see tears running down Peeta's face and I go over to him and wrap my arm around him. "My brother and my mother didn't make it," he tells me. I don't say anything but I let him hold on as tight as possible.
I look up and I see Mr. Mellark smiling down at me. "Thank you," he tells me softly as he kisses my cheek. Then we all break apart. "You must be so tired," he tells his son. "Go get some rest."
The soldiers lead Peeta and the others to the dorm rooms. Peeta's room is right across the hall from mine. I go with him into his room and let the soldier close the door behind us. Suddenly, I feel awkward now that we're alone. I point to the bathroom and I tell him it is a lot like the ones from the Capitol. He gives me a weary smile and then kisses me softly on the lips. "Please don't go anywhere," he tells me.
"I won't," I whisper and he goes into the bathroom. I look around the room and decide to lay down on the bed as I wait for him. It isn't long before I fall asleep to the sound of water hitting the tiled floor in the shower.
When I wake, it is to Peeta jerking in his sleep. I try to wake him up and when he does, I can see the fear in his eyes. I see the pulse jumping in his neck and I wrap my arms around him while he tries to get his breath back. He sniffs my hair as he embraces me and I feel his whole body shake.
I've never had to endure one of Peeta's nightmares. This is a whole new frightening experience for me and I can only imagine the pain and the fear he went through while watching me thrash in one of my own. "Peeta," I say softly. "Do you want to tell me about it?"
I feel him stiffen next to me and I pull my head back to look at him. "What we experienced in the games was horrible, Katniss," he tells me. "But what they did to me… what he did to me, was…" His voice drifts off and I can see his eyes go glazed with the memories.
I want to kill them. I feel all this rage fill me at the thought, at the very ideas, of what they did to this boy who has sacrificed so much, who has become this wonderful and strong man. I can't imagine what it took to break him.
"What did they do?" I ask him. Part of me is scared of the answer and I don't want to know. But, if I can ever help him go past it, I need to know.
He shakes his head. "I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it, Katniss," he tells me. His eyes are dark and in so much pain. All I want to do is ease his pain. I've never been able to watch anyone suffer.
"Whenever you're ready, I'll be here," I tell him and he pulls me in close for a kiss. Then he pulls away and asks me what has happened since I left the arena. I tell him everything from the moment that I woke up until rescuing him.
He's quiet for a while before he says, "Thank you for coming to get me."
"Of course I came to get you. I couldn't leave you behind."
I look up to see his smile and finally it seems as if the darkness is swept away from his gaze. He leans down to kiss me again. But this kiss is different. His lips seem more urgent, and after a while I get lost in his kisses. The reactions I feel in my body overpower any thoughts I have in my mind. Our hands start to roam each other and finally, as we're both breathing heavily, he pulls back. "Now isn't the time," he whispers and I know that he's right. Even though I don't want him to be, I know that he's right.
So, he gathers me close and kisses my head. We pull the covers up over us and just listen to each other breathe. His heart is close to mine once again. We stay hidden in each other's arms until the outside world pulls us out once more.
A/N: Please be kind and review. Let me know what you're thinking. I know you didn't see a lot of action in this chapter, but I promise there is more to come.
