The first thing my brain registers is warm lips on mine. I know it's Peeta, even if I'm still half asleep, and I automatically start kissing back. My tongue slips into his mouth on its own accord.
"Mmmm," I moan.
He rests his forehead against mine. I keep my eyes closed, still savoring the tingling in my lips.
"Good morning, Kat."
"Good morning, honey. For the record that's one of the best ways to be woken up."
"Good to know," he smiles, giving my bare shoulder a kiss. "We gotta get going though, we're getting picked up at eight. I already called down for some breakfast to be brought up. I'm going to go hop in the shower."
My eyes shoot open and I just raise my arms up towards Peeta. He gets the hint, taking me in his arms bridal style and moving us towards the bathroom. I lay my head on his shoulder, noticing we're both still naked from last night's activities.
"Peeta?" I ask quietly.
"Yes Katniss?"
"Do we have time, um, for maybe a quickie?"
"If we integrate it into our shower, sure. But you have to promise we'll be relatively quick, honey."
I frown but agree to his terms. I can't resist him anymore. It's like a drug. No matter what he's wearing, and especially if he's not wearing anything, I just want to wrap my legs around him and feel him fill me up. I'm insatiable. Peeta finds it hilarious, as he can barely go an hour without me mauling him. Not that he's complaining.
Peeta sets me down gently in the shower and flips it on. We mutually decide to take care of our carnal needs first, so we go about our business. We haven't had sex in the shower in a few days, so it's quite pleasurable. I'm louder than normal, as we are writhing and bucking faster than we usually do, and I can only hope this hotel has good soundproofing.
"Wow, Peeta, that was…..um….explosive," I grin.
"Yeah, you were quite – vocal," he smirks.
"Can't help it," I shrug. "I have an irresistible husband."
He smiles and kisses me softly.
Peeta starts out by washing my hair, massaging my scalp like he usually does. He knows how much I love it. He washes my body quickly but sensually, spending a lot of time on my ever-growing belly, kissing it at least twenty times. I return the favor, washing his hair and body. I get him to sit on the edge of the tub and I remove his prosthetic. I gently scrub the stub, cleaning and massaging it. Ever since we got married, I've taken this on as my job. At first, Peeta tried to tell me I didn't have to, but I would just shush him. I'm his wife. It's my job to take care of him, I told him.
We dress, in causal clothes, as we have no earthly idea what this meetings about. I wear a pair of specially designed jeans that I'm actually able to fit in. I put on a black maternity blouse, and braid my hair into the single braid that Peeta loves. He's also wearing jeans, and a blue button down shirt.
Our food is delivered, and we sit down to eat. I notice there's a plate of cheese buns on the table.
"Peeta, how did we get cheese buns here?"
He blushes a bit and shyly looks down at his hands.
"Peeta….," I warn. "Tell me, honey."
"I talked to the chef last night," he admits, still looking at his hands. "I told him how to make them."
I'm stunned.
"Wha – what?" I stutter. "Why?"
"I know you hate being here just as much as I do. It's been a crazy, emotional few days. I just wanted to give you a little reminder of home. To let you know that I'm always thinking about you, and I can't wait to get back home and live our lives."
"Oh, Peeta," I cry. I feel tears at the edge of my eyes. He always does these small things, that he thinks are never big deals, but they are. I wouldn't even think of them, but to him, it's routine. He doesn't expect any thanks, he just wants to do something nice for me.
He just sheepishly shrugs, taking a swig of his orange juice.
"Thank you," I tell him honestly. "I – I – I know they're just cheese buns, Peeta, but it means a lot to me," I sob softly. "You really are the best man I know. You always do things like this for me, and I never do anything for you," I cry.
"Are you kidding?" He looks me dead in the eye. "Kat, you're almost six months pregnant with our twins. You don't have to do anything for me. You're giving me the greatest gift of all – you and our children. A life with you is more than I ever could ask for or want."
And there he goes, doing it again. Taking a small, seemingly insignificant moment and turning it into something magical. Now I'm full on crying. He kneels in front of me and I wrap my arms around his neck.
"I love you so, so much Peeta. I really do," I sob. Damn hormones.
"I love you too Kat. More than I ever thought possible," he tells me.
We finish our breakfast with smiles and laughter. The chef did a great job with the cheese buns, I tell Peeta, but it's not the same. When he makes them for me, I can feel the love with every bite, I explain. He beams at me.
Soon there's a knock on our door and we answer it together.
"Mr. and Mrs. Mellark, are you ready to go?" It's a well-dressed young man in a black suit. He doesn't look like a typical Capitol resident, he actually looks normal.
"Yes, we're ready," Peeta speaks for us. He takes my hand and we follow the driver to the elevators.
He leads us through the lobby and outside to a waiting limousine. He opens the door for us and Peeta helps me in before he climbs in after me. When the door is shut, I notice that all the windows are blacked out. Plutarch doesn't want us to know where we're going. This is serious.
"Peeta, look at the windows," I point out.
"Yeah. I guess Plutarch is paranoid or something."
"I would be too if I was secretly running a rebellion while I was Head Gamemaker," I deadpan.
"Good point," Peeta laughs.
We drive for about an hour until the limousine stops. The door is opened, and we appear to be in an underground parking garage. I have no idea if we're even in the Capitol anymore. The driver leads us to a plain looking door and presses the only button next to it.
It dings, and slides open, revealing a finely appointed elevator car. We step in, and the driver turns to leave us. There are no buttons in the elevator, and no visual aid to alert you to what floor you're on. When it starts up, I feel that we are going down, not up.
Finally, after about twenty seconds, we stop. The elevator dings again, and slowly slides open. I almost faint at who I see standing on the other side.
"Haymitch?" I croak out.
"Surprised, sweetheart? Didn't think I'd let you two have all the fun, did ya?" He teases.
"Haymitch, what's going on," I demand as Peeta and I step out of the elevator into the bare hallway.
"You'll find out soon enough, kids. Keep an open mind, and listen to everything that's said. This is important, got it?"
Peeta and I nod in understanding and follow Haymitch, hands firmly grasped together, my other hand over my belly.
He leads us to end of the hallway where there is only one door. He opens it, revealing a large, well-furnished room. In the middle are a number of chairs set up in a circle. Most of them are already occupied. We appear to be the last three people to arrive.
"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Mellark! Thank you for coming," Plutarch excitedly says when he sees us. He shakes our hands giddily. "Welcome, welcome. I'm sure you have questions, and I assure you, everything will be explained in time. Please, have a seat. Mrs. Mellark, we have provided a very comfortable chair for you. If you need anything else, please do not hesitate to ask."
"Thank you, Plutarch," I smile. "And thanks again for that balm you sent Peeta. As you can see, it worked wonders." Plutarch looks at Peeta's cheeks and smiles.
We go to sit down and look around the room. I only recognize a few people.
The first I remember is Finnick O'Dair. He's very handsome. He's from District 4, an he won the Games a few years ago. He was sent a trident as a gift, and dominated the rest of the Games. He's sitting to, and holding the hand of, Annie Cresta, who won the Games after him. She's also from 4. They flooded her Arena, and she won by default, being the only Tribute who knew how to swim. Rumor is she went crazy after the Games, but she looks normal to me, smiling softly at Finnick.
I also recognize Johanna Mason, who is a Victor. She's from 7, and she won by brutally wielding an axe. She is looking at me with slight disdain, scoffing at my belly. I cover it with both hands.
The rest of the people I'm not sure about. Some of them look familiar, but I can't remember where I've seen them before. We all must have something in common, or else we wouldn't be here.
"Very well, let's get started," Plutarch says, sitting down in the last open seat, directly to the left of me. "First, let's go around and introduce ourselves. Please say your name and if you'd like, your District."
He points to the man sitting to his left.
"Beetee, District 3."
"Wiress, District 3."
"Chaff, District 11."
"Johanna Mason, District 7."
"Finnick O'Dair, District 4."
"Annie Cresta, Distrcit 4."
"Mags, District 4."
"Haymitch Abernathy, District 12."
"Peeta Mellark, District 12."
"Katniss Mellark, District 12," I say. Then, to lighten the mood, I point to my huge belly. "Eve Mellark, District 12, and Joshua Mellark, District 12. They'll join us soon enough."
Everyone laughs quietly at my joke, and I notice most of the women looking on in longing.
"Now that we're all more familiar, let me explain why you're all here," Plutarch continues. "You have all won the Hunger Games before." That's where I've seen them! I should've known, seeing as the three of us, Finnick, Annie, and Johanna are all here. "I have spoken to each of you, and you have all expressed interest in helping the Rebellion in some way or another. First, I would like to thank you all for your bravery and dedication to our cause. We wouldn't have asked you here today if we didn't believe that you truly can make a difference, and help rid this country of evil once and for all."
That's what Peeta and I thought this was about. The Rebellion. We haven't heard much since we talked to Plutarch, and we have been wondering if they'd forgotten we told them we'd help. I guess not.
"First, we need to discuss the upcoming Quarter Quell, seeing as how all of you are mentors."
"When is Snow reading the card?" I ask.
"Tonight," Plutarch answers. "But I already know what it says," he reveals. "As Head Gamemaker, I had to know, you see."
"Well, don't keep in suspense big guy," Johanna nudges.
"Very well. Katniss, Peeta, this is what I apologize for. I know that you two especially will be affected emotionally by this. I tried to get the to change it, but they refused."
He takes a deep breath and sighs.
"This year, the Tributes will be Reaped, two from each District, one boy and one girl, from children aged seven to eleven."
Everyone collectively gasps. I grip Peeta's hand hard. Can they do that? Make seven-year-olds fight to the death? It's sick. Absolutely sick. I rub my belly instinctually, renewing my vow to my children to do everything in my power to rid the world of these sadistic games.
"Can they do that?" Finnick asks angrily.
"Yes. The Capitol does what the Capitol wants. But I'm afraid that's not all."
Everyone goes silent, waiting to hear more bad news.
"President Snow has decided, in order to make the Games more 'entertaining', to discourage alliances, and to force Tributes to fight against their District partners, there will be no death announcements in the Arena. The Tributes will not know how many other Tributes are alive or who is already dead. It's sadistic, I know, but Snow was set on it."
I gasp and my hand shoots to cover my mouth. This is crazy. I would've gone insane if I hadn't looked up in the sky each night, praying that Peeta's face never appeared. Every time it didn't, it gave me a tiny piece of hope, and motivated me to fight that much harder to get us home.
"Now, I have spoken with my colleagues about this extensively, and we have come up with a feasible plan," Plutarch says. We all look to him expectantly. "We expect all of you to mentor your Tributes like usual. Do not let on that you know anything. It is imperative that the Capitol believes you are following their script. Mr. and Mrs. Mellark, I already know that you will be excellent at this deception. You both did a wonderful job on the Victory Tour convincing Snow."
"Thank you," I softly tell him.
"Anyways," he continues, "unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about the children actually going into the Arena. That has to happen. There will be a bloodbath, regrettably. However, if everything goes according to plan, on the morning of the second day, we will attack the Arena using hovercrafts and ground troops. We expect the Capitol to shut down broadcasting immediately, so Beetee has devised a system where the cameras on all our soldier's helmets and all our hovercrafts will override the Capitol's broadcasting system and we will be able to show Panem what's really happening. We are going to rescue as many of the Tributes as we can. We expect the Capitol to send in troops, which is why we're sending our own."
"Excuse me," Peeta interjects.
"Yes, Mr. Mellark?"
"Where exactly are you getting troops from? I only see a few people in this room, and we're all expected to be in the Capitol mentoring."
"Yes, you will be in the Capitol. We will have hovercrafts standing by to evacuate you. As for the troops I spoke of," he takes another deep breath before looking around at all of us, "they're from District 13."
"WHAT?" Almost everybody yells at the same time.
"Yes, I am telling the truth. The Capitol has been lying for seventy-five years. 13 was destroyed, but the survivors went underground. They've been building and re-arming, waiting for the right time to attack. I've been in contact with them for over ten years. When we evacuate everyone from the Arena and all of you from the Capitol, we will retreat to 13 to regroup, then the war for freedom will begin."
"What about our families?" I ask. "When Snow finds out we're helping the Rebellion, he'll go after them right away."
"We have already thought of that, Mrs. Mellark. Your families will all be evacuated to 13 the night before the Arena is attacked. We will get them in the middle of the night, as to not arouse suspicion. By the time the Peacekeepers realize they're gone, it will be too late."
I let out a sigh of relief, as does everyone else. Our families will be safe.
"I also need to speak with you about what will happen when we arrive in 13," Plutarch says to the group. "As you are all Victors, and public figures, we would like for you to appear in a few Propos. These will consist of you talking about why you joined the Rebellion, what you think of the Capitol, and your thoughts on the Games. Is everyone in agreement about this?"
It doesn't seem like we have much of a choice right now, so we all nod. I know that I can always argue about it later, though.
"Now, are there any questions at this point?" Plutarch asks.
It's silent for a few seconds as everyone looks back and forth to one another. Finally, Peeta speaks up.
"Can we really win?" He asks quietly.
"Yes," Plutarch answers. "We have a very good chance of winning."
"Plutarch, I'm not asking if we have a good chance of winning," Peeta says frustrated. "I refuse to risk the lives of my wife or my children for a cause that has no chance of succeeding. If you tell me we can win, and I believe you, then Katniss and I will be your staunchest supporters. But if you have reservations, tell us now."
I rub the back of his hand with my thumb, letting him know I'm behind him all the way.
Plutarch sighs deeply.
"Yes, Mr. Mellark. We will win this war."
A few other questions are asked, none that are very significant. Plutarch dismisses us, telling us to spend some time to get to know one another. We will be working together closely in the future, he tells us. We will have another meeting in two weeks, but that one will be using video conferencing that Beetee will set up in everyone's District.
Peeta and I make our way around the room, meeting everyone. Everybody seems very nice, all of them very congratulatory on my pregnancy, and happy to find out that we're having twins. I keep forgetting we haven't announced that publically yet.
Finnick is a riot. He's very funny. He makes Peeta and me laugh, and Annie is obviously head over heels for him, as is Finnick for her. The four of us agree to meet up soon and have a 'double date'. Finnick asks Peeta if he's afraid of him stealing me away from him, and Peeta surprised everyone by simply saying, 'Finnick, I guarantee if you even tried, you'd have an arrow in your ass before you could finish her name'. We all burst out laughing.
Beetee is the last person we meet. We talk to him for a few minutes, and I honestly don't understand ninety percent of the things he's saying. Oh, we speak the same language alright, but he's talking about quantum mechanics and holographic teleportation. Huh?
We're about to make our way to the exit when Beetee stops us.
"Katniss, Peeta, can you please come with me? There's something I want to give you."
"Sure," Peeta smiles.
We follow him down a hallway and he opens the door to a small room. We walk in. Inside, there is a large metal table. On it, there is an almost full arsenal of weapons. Off to the side, I see a prosthetic leg.
"When Plutarch told me you two were joining us, I got an idea. Peeta, I have made a new leg for you," he says proudly. He picks it up and shows it to us. It's beautiful. "Not only will this be more comfortable and easier to get on and off, it will also weigh considerably less than your current prosthetic."
"Wow, Beetee, thank you," Peeta says in awe.
"Oh, I'm not finished yet," Beetee smiles. "See everything on this table?" We nod. "I have designed everything here to fit inside your leg." We gasp. That's just not possible. "Yes, I assure you it's very possible. The inside is hollow. There is a hidden button on the side coded to only your two's DNA. When you activate it, the arsenal will slide out and become available to you."
"You're kidding," I mutter.
"I am not, Katniss. Let me walk you through everything. First, I have built you a new bow. You are just magnificent with a bow, Katniss. This is similar to the one you used in the Games, but I have made it lighter, and compactable. See? It's able to fold down to about a tenth of its original size. There's a specific spot for everything in the leg, and I have already made sure it all fits, and it still weighs less than your current leg. Next is your quiver. I have designed a few different foldable arrows for you. There are regular arrows that just have titanium tips. I also designed special explosive tipped arrows. They'll take down a hovercraft with ease. Lastly, I thought it would poetic if you had a few arrows that were tipped with Nightlock. I'm sure you can figure out why. I also have added two concentrated Nightlock pills to the arsenal, just in case. Next, we have your sidearms. Both of you have one, and they are of course matching, and have your initials inscribed on the barrels. I have provided you with thigh holsters as well, and extra magazines. I have also included a number of knives of various shapes and sizes, all with sheaths that can be attached to your tactical vests. There's also a full first aid kit, including a compact defibrillator, and an emergency radio to contact District 13 from anywhere in Panem. Lastly, I have provided you with night vision, infrared, and heat sensing goggles. They have heads up displays that can tell enemy from foe, and assist in aiming. They also have beacons so that you can know where each other is at all times, and see one another's vital signs. Obviously, you have throat microphones to talk to each other."
"Why?" Peeta asks. "Why are you giving us all this?"
"Because we're in a war, Peeta," Beetee says. "You never know what can happen. I want you to be able to defend yourselves and your children at all times. Consider it a gift to start our long, prosperous friendship."
"This is amazing," Peeta mutters. I nod my agreement, still in awe.
"Ah, I forgot to tell you about the leg. I made it from the same material hovercrafts are made from, so it is super light and bullet resistant. I have redesigned the top to make it more comfortable to wear. Also, I have designed a buffer inside so that if anybody tries to see what's inside using any kind of imaging, all they will see is metal. Us three are the only people that know what's really in your leg, Peeta. I also built you an identical leg without an arsenal for everyday use."
"Thank you, Beetee," I say honestly. "You didn't even know us, and you did all this for us."
"Of course. It is nothing, really. I had fun designing it."
Beetee spends the next twenty minutes showing us exactly where everything goes, and, to our disbelief, everything fits perfectly inside. Peeta puts it on for the first time, and I can see from his facial expression that it's already better than his old leg.
"Kat! It's so comfortable! It's not chafing or causing any pain!" He exclaims happily, joyously pulling Beetee into an awkward hug.
"That's great, Peeta," I tell him smiling. "You're like a walking cornucopia."
"Yeah I guess I am," he agrees. "But if it will keep our family safe, I'm all for it."
"Me too."
We say goodbye to Beetee and profusely thank him again, and go find Haymitch. He's sitting on a couch talking to Plutarch, and it seems like we're the only people left here. I look at my watch, and realize we spent over an hour with Beetee.
"There they are," Haymitch grunts. "What, did you find a bedroom and have a quick romp? Couldn't wait to get him back to the hotel, sweetheart?"
Peeta and I haven't discussed whether or not to tell Haymitch yet, so I play along.
"Yup. He rocked my world," I say with a smirk, giving Peeta a kiss. Plutarch smiles awkwardly, Haymitch frowns.
"Whatever. Let's go. I'm hungry. Your mom and Prim are waiting for us to eat lunch."
Beetee gave us a large black backpack to carry the extra leg and Peeta's old one in, and he slings it on his back as we follow Haymitch out. I can already tell that Peeta is walking easier. We'll have to test out how he runs when we get home.
We are brought back to our hotel in the same blacked out limo, and we meet up with my mom and Prim in the lobby restaurant. They ask us about our meeting, but we stay tight-lipped, telling them we'll discuss it at home. We're far too exposed in the Capitol.
After lunch, Prim insists on taking a tour of the Capitol, so she, my mom, and Haymitch take the limo. I'm exhausted from the morning's surprises, so Peeta and I make our way up to our suite and collapse in each other's arms on the bed.
We wake up a few hours later and just relax, talking through everything we've learned today. Plutarch assured us the audio in our room is blocked, as it is at home. We can talk freely. We woke up this morning with no idea about any of this. Now, we're part of an actual Rebellion. We both agree that this is one of the sickest Games yet, making such young children fight for their lives. We lament that we can't do anything about it until they're already in the Arena. But Plutarch is right, we need the Capitol to let down its guard, and during the Games, everyone is distracted.
Peeta and I also discuss mentoring, something we've been avoiding talking about up until now. We knew it was going to be torturous, but now, it's almost unfathomable. How am I supposed to teach a ten year old how to fight for their life? How am I supposed to, in good conscience, let them go into the Arena? Peeta reminds me that we'll rescue as many of them as we can, and that we aren't the Capitol's puppets anymore. That makes me feel a little better, but not much.
We agree that when we get home, we need to start training. Although I'm pregnant, I know I can still shoot, and I'm going to teach Peeta. We both need to learn how to use handguns better. We decide that we'll only train at night, when we know we're alone. Beetee built in sound suppressors to our guns, so we know they won't be heard. He told us he'll send us some targets to practice with as well.
Soon, dinnertime rolls around, and as we're leaving soon, we just order some food up to our room while we pack. Peeta does most of the packing while I eat most of the food. I feel guilty, but not guilty enough to stop.
After we're ready, we meet everyone downstairs and pile into the limo with all of our luggage. Soon we're at the train station loading onto our private train.
Peeta and I retire to our cabin and get ready for bed. It's been one heck of a long day for both of us, and the twins were especially active all day. Peeta sits and rubs my belly then my back for a long time, calming me down and making me feel great. I return the favor by massaging his leg, and I notice there's already less swelling and redness than usual. Thank you, Beetee.
We climb into bed and fall into each other's arms. I'm exhausted. Peeta isn't wearing a shirt, though, and he knows what that does to me. Sneaky, sneaky husband.
"Peeta?" I whisper.
"Hmm?" His voice is muffled by my hair.
"Did you not wear a shirt on purpose?"
"What do you mean? I almost never wear a shirt to bed," he says softly.
I roll my eyes.
"Either way, it's turning me on, Peeta."
"Kat, I thought you were exhausted," he points out.
"Well, get over here and wake me up, husband," I grin.
"You sure?"
I scowl at him in the dark cabin.
"Peeta, if I have to ask again, my boobs are staying in my bra," I threaten.
He doesn't respond, but is kissing me in a second flat. I've figured out his weakness!
"Peeta?" I whisper in between kisses.
"Katniss."
"I love you. Forever." I tell him, giving him a fierce look in his eyes.
"I love you too. Always." He always responds the same way.
A/N: So, they're not going into the Arena! When thinking about where I wanted this story to go, and going back and reading some of the chapters, I realized it would be unwise for Snow to force the Victors back in, especially if they're brand new parents. Well, he probably wouldn't care about that, but still. So, I discussed some ideas with Ripe, and this is what we came up with. I hope it generates some interest. Sure, I just laid out the Rebel's plan, but when has anything ever gone according to plan for Katniss and Peeta? What will really happen during the Quell? Stay tuned to find out.
Also, Katniss will give birth about a month before the Quell.
I need some advice on the next chapter, which I'll write in the morning. I was going to skip forward a few months, maybe all the way to Katniss going into labor. But when I wrote about Finnick and Annie and Everlark planning a double date, that seemed like it would be fun to write. What would you guys prefer? I could write the first half of the chapter about the date, and then skip forward in the second half. I don't think I can stretch it out for a full chapter, though.
Anyways, thanks as always for the reviews, PMs, and encouragements. I truly appreciate it.
Keep reviewing and reading. Hasta manyana.
