I'm sitting on the couch in our living room. But it doesn't look like it normally does. There's toys scattered all over the place. It's simply a mess. Hmm.
"Mommy!" I hear. Wait.
"Mommy! Mommy! Tell us a story!"
I hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet on the hardwood of the hallway, then two children appear in front of me. My breath leaves my lungs. It's Joshua and Eve. But they look like they're about three. Aren't I still pregnant with them? I look down at my belly, and alas, I am pregnant. What in the world is going on?
"Mama," Eve pleads as they each take a seat on either side of me, burrowing into my sides. "Tell us the story about how you fell in love with Daddy. Pu-lease!"
"No Evey!" Josh cutely yells. "Tell us about when Daddy threw you the bread!"
I'm still unable to speak, still marveling at my children. Eve looks like a mini-me, her dark hair even in the same braid as mine, except she has Peeta's deep azure eyes. It's like I'm looking at my husband. Josh looks like a tiny Peeta, but he has the gray eyes of the Seam, like me.
Before I have time to answer, I hear the front door open.
"Where are the squirts?" I hear a female voice call out.
"Auntie Prim is here!" They yell in unison, hopping off the couch and running towards her.
Prim enters the room, and I gasp. It's Prim, my little duck, but she looks older. She looks to be around sixteen. She no longer has the body of a child, but the shapely curves of a young woman. She's stunning.
"Katniss, why are you looking at me like that?" She smiles as she hugs her niece and nephew and gives them each a kiss.
"Um, uh, no reason," I stutter.
I guess I'm in a dream. That's really the only explanation. Well, at least it's not a nightmare, so I'm going to enjoy this. Is this what my future is? Why did this ever scare me? How could I actually tell Peeta I didn't want this before we got married?
Prim sits next to me and the kids curl up on either side of us again.
Just then, I hear the front door open again.
"Kat, I'm home," it's Peeta. My husband.
I lift my pregnant body (still not sure about all that) off the couch and waddle over to him. He looks a little older. He's incredibly handsome, and his muscles seem ever more defined, if at all possible. Fatherhood suits him well.
I meet him in the hallway. His face lights up when he sees me, causing me to smile wide.
"Hey honey, how are my girls doing?" He asks me. He leans into me and we share a tender, sweet kiss. When we break apart, he kneels down and gently kisses my belly.
"I can't wait until she's here, Kat. She's going to be so beautiful. Just like her Mom." He tells me, looking up from his position.
I don't want to ruin the moment with some stupid response, so I just nod.
"Katniss, I love you," he says with conviction as he raises himself back up so we're face to face again.
"I love you too, Peeta," I eke out.
"But Kat, you need to wake up. We're going to be late," he scolds.
"Huh? I am awake," I tell him.
"Katniss Mellark, wake up, come on honey," he says. I hear an echo, and it sounds like Peeta's voice is everywhere.
The world fades to black.
I crack open my eyes, and I'm on my side, staring right into the beautiful eyes of my husband. He smiles wide when he sees that I'm awake.
"Morning, beautiful," he whispers.
"Morning, handsome," I yawn.
"You looked like you were having a great dream. You were smiling."
"I did," I nod.
"What was it about?"
I debate momentarily whether or not to tell him.
"It was us about three years in the future," I tell him. He smiles. "Josh and Eve were there, they were so beautiful Peeta. Eve looks like me but with your eyes, and Josh looks like you but with my eyes. Prim was there too, and she had grown up. She was gorgeous. Then you came home, and you were very handsome, if I say so myself."
"Is that so?" He teases. "So I'm not as handsome now, is that what you're saying?"
"Maybe," I tease back. "Oh, and I was pregnant again. With a girl."
His jaw drops.
"P- p – pregnant? Again?" He stutters.
"Yes," I say unsurely. He doesn't respond, he actually looks kind of panicked. "Peeta," I plead. Uh oh, I feel the tears coming. Great, another mood swing. "Do you not want to have more children with me?" Now I'm full on sobbing. "I knew it. It's because the pregnancy made me ugly, isn't it? You're not going to want to have sex with me anymore. I'm fat and ugly! Look at me! I look like I have a beach ball stuffed under my shirt!"
Peeta is speechless, but only for a minute.
"Kat," he says in that soothing voice that never fails to calm me down. "Relax, honey. How many times do I have to tell you that you are the most beautiful woman in the world before you believe me? And yes, of course I want to have more children with you. It just caught me off guard, that's all. If it was up to me, we'd have the biggest family possible."
"So you'll still make love to me after Joshua and Eve come?" I sob.
"Of course I will honey," he nods enthusiastically. "Don't we have sex all the time now? What makes you think we're going to stop?"
"Promise me. Promise me you'll still find me attractive. That you'll still love me as much as you do now."
"Katniss, you know I'll always love you," he says with determination.
"Promise me Peeta!" I yell through my tears.
"Okay, I promise you. I promise that I will always find you unbelievably sexy. I promise that I will make love to you whenever, wherever, and however many times you want. I promise that my love for you will only grow each day."
"Thank you," I finally smile. "Can we – um – do we have time to have sex before we have to go to court?" I ask shyly.
"Why do you think I woke you up?" He deadpans. I grin.
"Let's stop talking and get more action oriented," I demand.
An hour later, we're showered and dressed for court. I'm wearing a dark blue maternity dress, and Peeta has on his gray suit with a matching blue tie.
"Kat, go on down to the lobby. I'll go get your mom, Prim and Haymitch, and meet you down there, okay?"
"Okay," I tell him. I honestly just want to go down there and sit until we leave. My back has been killing me from sitting in court all day.
I give him quick kiss and call the elevator. I step in and hit the button for the lobby. Peeta is still doing some things in the room, so he'll be a few minutes.
I arrive in the lobby and make my way over to the plush chairs opposite reception. I carefully plop down in one and sigh heavily. I'm not looking forward to another day like yesterday. At least I got my testimony out of the way.
A couple minutes later, a man sits down across from me. He's probably the ugliest man I've ever seen. He's wearing a pink and bright green suit, he has about fifty piercings, his skin is dyed puke yellow, he has on bright red lipstick, and his hair is about fifteen different colors, and looks greasy as is it is combed back.
"Ms. Everdeen, how are you this morning?" He smiles smugly.
I raise up my left hand and wiggle my wedding ring.
"If you know who I am, then you know I'm happily married and that I prefer to go by my married, legal name," I say, trying to keep my cool.
"No matter," he waves me away like he doesn't care. "I'm not here to discuss your name. What I'm here for is to tell you how your evening tonight will go."
"Is that so?" I ask.
"Yes. First, I will take you out to the finest restaurant in all the Capitol. You will wear a beautiful gown that I have selected. Everyone will be so jealous when I appear with you on my arm. After dinner, we will return to the hotel, and make our way to my suite for a nightcap and then we will retire to the bedroom for the remainder of the evening." He smirks.
"You really expect that to work?" I scoff.
"Of course. I will pay you, obviously, and trust me, the sum is very large."
"You do realize that I'm married and pregnant, right? I know that marriage doesn't really mean anything in the Capitol, but where I come from, my marriage is everything to me. I would never even contemplate cheating on my husband, so you can forget it right now and walk away before I get angry."
He just grins again.
"Fiery as always, Ms. Everdeen."
"Mrs. Mellark to you, asshole."
"No matter," he says again with the annoying wave. "Now, about your 'husband', he will never find out about our trysts. I will have a ready-made alibi for you each and every time we rendez-vous."
"You're delusional," I tell him seriously.
"I assure you I'm not," he says indignantly. "And you will enjoy yourself this evening."
Okay, I've had enough. Time to teach this guy a lesson, Katniss Mellark style.
"Fine. Come over here so I can get a good look at you."
He looks like he just won the lottery.
He gets up and stands a few feet away from me, his hands on his hips.
"This is what a real man looks like," he snorts.
I stand up and get close to him. Closer than I'd like to be, but he needs to be brought down a peg or ten. He's smiling wide now, thinking he's actually going to get lucky.
"You are very handsome," I somehow manage to say sweetly. He's putty in my hands now.
I reach up with my right hand like I'm going to caress his face. He looks wildly excited. Instead of putting my hand on my cheek, like I do with Peeta, I snatch his earlobe between my fingers and yank down hard. My left hand grips his right arm.
"Listen to me, you piece of trash," I start. I glance around, and everyone in the lobby has stopped and is staring at me. I give all of them my best Katniss Mellark scowl. They get the hint and move along. "I would never, ever even think about taking you up on your offer. Not only do you disgust me, I have been swallowing my vomit since you sat down. I already puked once this morning, and I really don't feel like going back up to brush my teeth again. Now, you're a real man, you say? Does a real man try and get a pregnant woman to cheat on her husband for money? Does a real man not take obvious hints and move on when said woman is obviously not interested? No, you are not a real man. You are a petulant child at best. You want to see a real man? My husband will be here any minute, and you'd better pray he thinks I've taught you enough of a lesson. You saw us in the Games, I'm sure. You know how strong he is. How much he loves me. What he'd do to protect me. Multiply that by my two children, and you can imagine what would happen. So, not only do I flat-out reject any offer you may have, I never want to see your face again. If I do, I promise you, I will castrate you. You know that means, don't you?" I knee him in the balls for good measure. "Feel that? Those would be gone. Now, scurry along, go schedule a penis enlargement surgery or something. And learn how to be polite to women." I release his ear and his hands go to his crotch. He looks at me with fear. "You're dismissed." I wave my hand in the same manner that he did to me, and he runs out of the hotel.
I sigh. That wasn't how I saw my morning going.
Suddenly I feel two strong arms wrap around me from behind.
"Making friends?" Peeta whispers.
"He was trying to take me on a date," I joke.
"I know I heard what you said to him," he tells me.
"And?" I ask. I want to know if I took it too far, or if Peeta is mad at me.
"He deserved it, Kat. We were laughing, honestly. His face was priceless. He was terrified of you."
I smile. I've still got it.
"Kat, the limo will be here in a few minutes. But there is something I wanted to talk to you about real quick." He moves so we're face to face.
"What is it Peeta?"
"Look, there's a good chance the Judge will deliver a verdict today. I just want you to know that I understand how close you and Gale used to be. I will understand if you get emotional. I won't be jealous and I'll be right by your side the whole time. I promise."
Oh, Peeta. Always so selfless.
"Peeta, that's very sweet, but unnecessary. Remember the day after the attack, when I went to go see Gale, and you told me to get closure?" He nods. "Well, I did. When I left the Justice Building, I left that part of my life behind. I left him behind. He doesn't exist in my mind anymore. Whatever the verdict may be, and hopefully it's guilty, it will be what he deserves for what he did. If I get emotional at all, it will be happiness, because I know he's finally getting what's been coming to him for a long, long time."
Peeta just smiles and kisses me softly. I'm not having it, though. I deepen the kiss, forcing my tongue into his mouth. He relents, and his tongue slips into my mouth. My mind goes blank. I have no clue where I am anymore. All I know is that I'm kissing my husband, and I never want it to end. He takes my face in his hands gently as we feverishly make out.
"Limo's here," Haymitch grunts from behind us.
We break the kiss, and both of us turn to glare at our mentor. He shrugs it off and walks to the door.
We arrive at the courthouse, and the crowd is there again. Haymitch barrels through like the two previous days, making a lane for us. Peeta has one hand in mine and the other on my lower back, guiding me up the stairs carefully.
We sit in the same spots in the courtroom. Everybody trickles in. Gale is led in. He looks furious. I look over to Hazelle, and she just looks sad. Finally, the Judge arrives, and we begin the day.
"The defense may call its first witness," the Judge proclaims.
"The defense calls to the stand, Ms. Sarah Jacobsen."
No. They didn't. They really went out and found the one person besides Peeta's mom who absolutely hates my guts. Great. Can't wait to see what she has to say.
The doors behind us open up, and she enters. She walks confidently down the aisle, giving me a smug, overconfident smile. I scowl at her.
She takes the stand, and begins answering questions. I can already tell she's lying.
"Now, Ms. Jacobsen," the defense attorney continues, "you testified in your deposition that you and Mr. Mellark have engaged in a long term romantic relationship. How long has this been going on?"
Really? They really think this is going to work? Not only do I know Peeta would never cheat on me, I'm fairly sure that I know where he's been every second of every day since we got married. He's usually with me anyways. Not to mention he dislikes Sarah, after the things she said to me at the banquet.
"Since about three weeks after their supposed marriage," she answers, grinning like a fool.
"Please repeat to the court what Mr. Mellark told you about his marriage."
"He told me that he was going to leave Katniss for me. That he had caught her and Gale in their bed, and he'd had enough. That he wasn't even sure if the baby was his."
What?! I'm furious now.
It goes on like this, her lying through her teeth, for another ten minutes. Before the prosecutor gets up, he turns to me, and mouths, 'don't worry, I got this'. I don't know what he means, but I trust him.
The prosecutor stands up, and his first question is a doozy.
"Ms. Jacobsen, you claim to have slept with Mr. Mellark on numerous occasions. Please tell the court where Mr. Mellark's birthmark is located on his body to verify your story."
Got her. Peeta and I already know the answer to this question. He doesn't have any birthmarks.
"Um, uh," she stutters. The defense team is frantically looking through various documents, trying to find anything to help her. "It's covered by clothes, but you can see it when he's naked," she unsurely replies.
"So you've seen his birthmark?"
"Yes, I have," she says, more of a question than an answer.
"Your honor," the prosecutor turns to the Judge. "May I have permission to address Mr. and Mrs. Mellark directly at this juncture?"
The Judge just nods.
"Mrs. Mellark, does your husband have any birthmarks?"
I smile.
"No, he does not."
"Mr. Mellark, are you aware of any birthmarks on your body?"
"No, I have none," Peeta answers honestly.
"Your honor," the prosecutor faces the Judge again, "it is obvious that Ms. Jacobsen has falsified her testimony. I have multiple witness statements about the incident at the banquet, and Mr. Mellark's more than angry reaction to Ms. Jacobsen's accusations towards Mrs. Mellark."
The Judge ponders that, but before he can answer, Sarah yells out.
"But she hit me! When I went to their house to try and see Peeta after the attack, she broke my nose!"
Quiet laughter fills the courtroom.
The Judge turns to her.
"Ms. Jacobsen, did you ask permission to enter their home?"
"Yes, but it's Peeta's house," she tries.
"No, it is not. It belongs to both of them. I have the deed right here. What was Mrs. Mellark's answer?"
"No," she sheepishly replies.
"But you still tried to enter the premises, even after she asked you to leave politely, did you not?"
"Yes."
"Mrs. Mellark had every right to strike you. You were on her property, had asked you to leave multiple times, so you were technically trespassing and harassing her."
She looks crestfallen. But the Judge isn't done with her yet.
"As for your testimony, after hearing the many character witnesses provided for Mr. and Mrs. Mellark, and how the prosecutor proved that you had not indeed slept with Mr. Mellark as you claimed, I have come to the conclusion that you are not telling the truth. Ms. Jacobsen, I hereby charge you with two counts of perjury, lying to a public official, harassment, and trespassing. Guards, please take her to into custody and remove her from the courtroom."
She looks stunned. She thought she'd come in here, lie about me, and get away with it. Now, she's going to jail. Wow, this is awesome. Thank you, Mr. Prosecutor.
After she's led out in handcuffs, during which she won't even look at me, the courtroom settles down.
"Call your next witness, counselor," the Judge prompts the defense.
"The defense calls as our next witness, Mrs. Hazelle Hawthorne."
God, I hope Hazelle wasn't lying to me and Peeta and gets up there to tell the truth. Please.
"Mrs. Hawthorne, what did your son tell you about his relationship with Katniss Everdeen?"
Before she can answer, the Judge interrupts.
"Counselor, this is the last time I'll say this. Her name is Katniss Mellark. You may refer to her as Mrs. Mellark. If you call her by her maiden name one more time, I will find you in contempt of court, and you can join Ms. Jacobsen downstairs."
He nods glumly.
"Well," Hazelle begins, "he told me the same things Sarah said. That he had been having an affair with Katniss. That she planned to leave Peeta for him. He also told me that Peeta started the fight, and he was acting in self-defense, and was put in jail because of Mr. and Mrs. Mellark's popularity."
The defense attorney looks over to me and smiles smugly.
"No further questions, your honor."
"If I may," Hazelle interjects, "address your honor directly?"
"Yes, you may Mrs. Hawthorne," the Judge says. She turns to him.
"Everything my son told me is a lie. I know that now. I went to see him after the attack, and he fed me the same story, about how everything was Katniss and Peeta's fault. I then went to their house to speak with them, and not only were they kind and understanding, they comforted me when I broke down. It is my firm belief that my son, Gale Hawthorne, instigated the attack that evening, and that he is not only guilty of the crimes he is accused of, but he perpetrated them knowingly and with malice."
"Your honor," the defense stands up, "I object to this testimony."
"On what grounds?"
"Um, uh…."
"Overruled."
"Your honor, I vehemently object!"
"Noted, and overruled. Sit down."
"Is there anything else you wish to say, Mrs. Hawthorne?" He asks.
"Yes, I would like to address Mr. and Mrs. Mellark briefly. Katniss, Peeta, I want to apologize on behalf of my family for this mess. I'm sorry you were dragged into this, and I know it's been very hard on both of you, physically and mentally. I want to also thank you for your continued support of my family and me, when you had every right to ignore us, and I wouldn't have blamed you one bit. You are two of the best people I know, and I know you will make wonderful parents. I'm so, so very sorry."
Hazelle leaves the stand and makes her way back to her seat. Before she can get there, I intercept her in the aisle and wrap her tightly in my arms.
"Thank you," I whisper.
"I was only telling the truth," she whispers back. She gives me a kiss on the cheek and moves to her seat.
Gale is on the stand next. Grrrrrrreat.
"Mr. Hawthorne," the defense begins, "please explain to the court what happened on the evening in question."
This is the first time I will have heard Gale speak since I visited him in the basement of the Justice Building. The last thing he said to me was that he was going to rape me.
"I went over there to visit Katniss. We were talking quietly when Peeta came downstairs. He became very jealous, and attacked me. I fought back in self-defense."
I can't believe he's still lying, even after the testimony from Sarah and his mom. Un-be-lieve-able.
"Mr. Hawthorne," the Jude suddenly interrupts before the counselor can ask another question, "we have already established that you instigated the attack, that you were yelling at Mrs. Mellark, and that at this point in time, you and Mrs. Mellark were no longer friends. If you cannot tell the truth, then you will be removed from the stand."
Gale looks absolutely furious. His face is getting redder by the second. Finally, he snaps.
"Are you kidding!" He yells at the Judge. "How much are they paying you, huh!? Did she fuck you too? Is that why you're taking her side? She's a whore! A dirty slut!" He turns to look at me and stand up. The Peacekeepers behind him grab his arms. "Fuck you Katniss! How dare you! All I ever did was love you and this is how you repay me? When I get out here, and you know I will, I'm going to find you, rape you, kill your precious Peeta in front of you and your mutt children, then I'm going to strangle the breath out of you!"
I'm sobbing, and Peeta grabs my head and buries it into his chest. I grasp onto his shirt and let it out. I can't believe he'd say those things.
"Guards, please remove the defendant from the courtroom and take him to the holding cell. He will return when I render his verdict."
Instead of trying to corral Gale, who's still struggling and yelling at the Peacekeepers, they use some sort of stun gun and knock him out. They drag him by his arms out of the courtroom, his legs limply behind him.
After the defense confirms Gale was their last witness, the Judge makes an announcement.
"Now, before I go into deliberations, I will call Dr. Appia to the stand. He is the court-appointed psychiatrist who has studied and met with the defendant. He will report his findings to the court."
The Doctor enters the courtroom and makes his way to the witness box.
"Dr. Appia, please report your findings."
"Very well, your honor. I met with Mr. Hawthorne a number of times in the past two months. Instead of rehabilitating, he has regressed considerably. He has been diagnosed with classic narcissism. He truly believes that he is always right, and does not understand why Mrs. Mellark does not want to be with him. He is convinced that she loves him, and is adamant that if he can't have her, then nobody can."
"Is it your belief that Mr. Hawthorne can, in the future, be rehabilitated?"
"No."
"Do you believe that in the future, Mr. Hawthorne can re-integrate into society and conduct himself as a law-abiding citizen?"
"No."
"Very well. Thank you Doctor, you are excused."
The prosecution and defense present their closing arguments. The prosecution reiterates everything that was said during the trial, making sure to point out that all of the defense's witnesses were either lying or proved their own testimony was false. The defense looks like they don't know what to say, and end up spitting out something about the fairness of the justice system and how everybody deserves a second chance.
The Judge listens intently, then excuses himself to deliberate.
We wait in the hallway outside the courtroom. I sit on a bench, Peeta beside me holding my hand. I rest my head on his shoulder, and he puts his cheek on the top of my head. We both drift off to sleep.
Next thing I know, Prim is shaking us awake.
"Katniss, Peeta, wake up," she says, "the Judge is back. He's going to render the verdict now."
"Okay, little duck," I mutter.
Peeta and I yawn and stand up. He takes my hand as we re-enter the courtroom. Gale is back, but they have apparently given him some sort of gag, as he is unable to speak. He's trying, all right, but it just comes out as muffled grunts. I chuckle to myself.
The Judge enters after a minute and sits down.
"Now, I have weighed all of the evidence, paid close attention to all of the testimony, and took into account the circumstances surrounding this case. Mr. Hawthorne, please stand up."
Gale stands up slowly, looking expectantly at the Judge.
"Mr. Hawthorne, I hereby find you guilty of the following crimes: twenty-two counts of harassment, fourteen counts of trespassing, seventeen counts of disturbing the peace of the District, five counts of assault, five counts of battery, three counts of perjury and lying to a public official, and three counts of attempted murder."
He's guilty! A cheer goes up through the courtroom. Peeta hugs me tightly, and I kiss him.
It's like a giant weight is lifted off my chest. I feel like I can smile again without reservation. I feel safe. All that's left now is the sentencing.
"Now, I will discuss your sentence, Mr. Hawthorne."
The courtroom goes quiet. You could hear a pin drop. We wait with baited breath.
"Mr. Hawthorne, the law states the punishment for your crimes should be that you are turned into an Avox, and spend the rest of your natural life in a prison or labor camp. However, I have taken into account the extenuating circumstances surrounding this case. The heinous crimes which you committed, and the manner in which you committed them, cannot be overlooked. The fact that you knowingly attempted to murder Mrs. Mellark's unborn child is sickening. The law states that I have the right to ignore the usual punishment and deem whatever punishment I find necessary."
He pauses for effect, and I'm on the edge of my seat, gripping Peeta's hand as hard as I can. My knuckles are turning white.
"Gale Hawthorne, you are hereby sentenced to death."
Whoa. I did not expect that. Death? They're going to kill Gale? We knew this was a possible outcome, and I thought that I would be sad if it came to this, but now that it's happened, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy. This means that my family is finally safe. I can sleep in my bed without worry at night. I don't have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life. I truly wish that Gale could live, as he was my friend, but my family's safety comes before everything now.
"Mr. Hawthorne," the Judge continues, "immediately following this proceeding, you will be remanded directly to the maximum security prison in District 2. There, you will await an execution date on death row. You have the choice to be executed by hanging, firing squad, beheading, or electrocution. Guards, please remove the convict from the courtroom. This case is hereby closed."
It's over. This nightmare is finally over. I hug Peeta as tight as I can, and he gives me a sweet kiss on the lips, smiling wide. I give Prim, my mom, and even Haymitch hugs. Haymitch is joyous. I've never seen him smile that big.
I make my way over to Hazelle, and she's understandably shaken. She just found out her oldest son is going to be executed. I envelop her into a hug, and she sobs into my shirt.
"I'm so sorry, Katniss," she sobs. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."
"Shh, Hazelle," I tell her. "There's nothing to forgive. It wasn't your fault. Would you like to join my family and me for dinner? We'd love to have the three of you along."
"Really? You'd do that?" She looks up at me in wonder. It's almost like I'm the adult and she's the teenager.
"Of course, you're my friend. Come on, let's get out of here."
We leave the courtroom as one big family, me, Peeta, Prim, my mom, Haymitch, Hazelle, Rory, and Posy. The crowd outside has heard the verdict and it's like a huge party. When they see us, they go wild.
We eventually make it to our limousine and leave the courthouse, and Gale, behind for good. I sigh. Peeta takes my hand in his. He doesn't try to say anything. He just looks into my eyes. No words are needed. He knows. We're safe.
The eight of us go out to dinner at a nice restaurant, and we improve Hazelle's mood when Peeta and I tell her the news about our twins. She's ecstatic. Posy wants to feel my belly, so I let her, and she looks at it in wonder.
Later, we arrive back at the hotel and all go to our separate rooms. We're spending another day in the Capitol then leaving for District 12 tomorrow night.
Peeta and I take the private elevator up to our room. We quietly change into sweats and tees and collapse on the couch in a heap. He spoons into my back and wraps his arms around me.
"You okay?" He whispers.
"Yeah. I mean, I'm still not sure about how I feel about him dying, but what's done is done. Our family is safe, and that's all that matters."
Peeta agrees, and we spend the next half hour talking about the twins. I just want to forget all about Gale and what he did.
Suddenly, there's a knock on the door from the public elevators. Peeta gets up to answer it, and an Avox enters and hands him an envelope, then leaves.
Peeta walks back over to me and shrugs.
It's addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Peeta Mellark
Peeta hands it to me, and resume his position behind me so we can both read it. I tear it open and hold it up. I read it out loud.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Mellark,
Your presence is requested tomorrow morning for a meeting.
This meeting will be in secret, so you may not tell anyone.
You will meet other like-minded individuals.
I also have some news for you, which I don't expect you'll be happy to hear.
I'm sorry in advance.
I will send my driver to retrieve you at eight in the morning.
I look forward to seeing you again.
Regards,
Plutarch Heavensbee
Peeta and I turn to each other, and gasp. What's going on?
A/N: Uh oh! What does Plutarch want? And is Gale gone for good? I mean, he is on death row now, but who knows what'll happen?
Did you guys like what I did with the trial? I made up the rules as I went, as I figured Panem wouldn't have the same laws and court procedures as America, but I used our system as a loose guide. I had a lot of fun having Sarah arrested, too. Score one for Katniss.
Thank you all for reviewing, reading, and your kind words. I'm glad you like that I made them twins! It's gonna be awesome when she has them, I promise.
Anyways, if I get enough reviews in the next few hours, I might sit down tonight and write the next chapter. I'm formulating it in my mind right now, so the more reviews I get, the more excited I'll be about it.
Keep reviewing and reading! Ciao.
