Author's Note: Hello Mockingjays. So THIS IS IT! Last chapter for "My Dandelion from the ashes". This chapter is going to be a little longer than usual since I have to wrap it all up. Thank you for all of you who read and reviewed, it meant a lot. PLEASE GO CHECK MY NEW STORY!. So, one last time….Here is chapter 45. Enjoy.
I don't own The Hunger Games
Chapter 45
Katniss's POV
I wake up with the sun streaming through the open window. I stretch my hand to touch the other side of the bed but find only cold sheets.
"Peeta?" I call worried. I'm not sure we will ever be able to get over the fact that there are no more games or war to tear us apart. There are no more people hunting us down, ready to kill us or worse. I call again but still there is no answer. Determined to know where Peeta is I get up and find myself one of his boxers and a shirt long enough before I make my way downstairs. The smell of fresh baked goods tells me exactly where Peeta is and what he is doing, like always. I walk to the kitchen, making sure to not make any noises, and lean against the doorway. I watch as he moves around the kitchen without even noticing I'm there. He looks so happy it makes my chest swell with a not so familiar feeling. Could it happiness? Peace? I'm not sure.
"Morning…" I say. He turns around startled but opens a big smile once he sees me. Peeta makes his way to where I'm standing and takes me in his arms.
"Morning there beautiful." He gives me a sweet kiss on the lips.
"I see you have been kind of busy."
"Just preparing you some decent breakfast. Fresh bread, eggs, bacon and of course, your favorite cheese buns." I smile brightly; I can't wait to taste his deliciousness again.
Peeta makes me sit on one of the chairs as he finishes our food and places both plates on the table. I tease him about not having to be as caring and careful after last night. If something were to happen to me it would have happened already. He apologizes profusely for "being rough last night" and makes up for me with sweet kisses and caresses.
It is early afternoon and Peeta and I are cuddling on the couch. We kiss, we hug or just enjoy each other for as long as our peace will last. I just hoped it would be a little longer.
"Hey there lovebirds. Open the door." Haymitch yells from outside. Peeta sighs before leaving me on the couch to open the door. I make sure to fix my hair, that my sweet boy ran his hands through and made a mess out of it, and make myself look presentable.
"Sweetheart, hope I'm not interrupting anything." Haymitch smirks. I glare at him but he just ignores me as he sits on the couch across from me. "I have something important to talk to both of you about." Peeta sits next to me and wraps his arm around my shoulders. I freeze. Last time Haymitch had something to talk to us about it was about…about…
"I know what you are thinking Sweetheart and sadly you are right. It is about Gale." My hands start shaking and I feel myself breathing hard. "He is still in jail, and I'm guessing he will be for some time. They are transferring him to the Capitol, where they will decide what is going to happen to him, to sum it up." Peeta's grip on my shouder tightens; he plants a gentle kiss on my temple.
"And what does that have to do with Katniss?" Peeta asks.
"He asked to talk to her before he is moved."
"WHAT? NO! OF COURSE NOT, HE IS COMING CLOSE TO HER AGAIN." Peeta yells. He stands up and starts walking around the living room.
"I know boy, that is what I thought. I just thought that Katniss, or even you, had some things to tell him before he goes. Remember that he is behind bars and he can't hurt her anymore." Peeta sits down on the sofa and places his head on his hands.
"I do have some things to tell him. You know what? Tell him we are going!" I stop listening to the conversation after that. What did he just do? Peeta is making me go see Gale without even talking to me about it first.
I wait until Haymitch leaves to slam the door and run back to the living room.
"What the hell was that?!" I scream at the top of my lungs. Peeta looks up at me, confused.
"What are you talking about and why are you screaming?" he asks calmly.
"You told Haymitch that we are going to talk to Gale without even asking me first? Peeta, you know exactly what he has done to me." There are hot tears streaming down my face and my entire body is shaking.
"Of course not! I'm going to go talk to him, you will stay away from this."
"No! Peeta you won't do anything. I'm so done with all this; I want to move on from this chapter in my life. I just want to forget" I start sobbing harder and my legs go weak, making me fall on my knees. Peeta is by my side in seconds holding me to him.
"I never meant to upset you Katniss. Please don't be mad at me. I was just so angry and I need this opportunity to let go of all that has happened. Please baby, I never meant to upset you." He whispers in my ear, rubbing my arms soothing and holding my body against his. It takes me a couple minutes to calm down enough but when I do I realize how stupid I've been acting.
"Do you think it would be better to talk to him?" I ask, my voice still a little unstable.
"I think it is just a way to wrap this up forever."
I don't know how he did it, but Peeta ended up convincing me to let him go which opened a new discussion about me trying to convince him to let me go with him. It took us hours and more hours of yelling at each other and holding each other for us to get into a agreement. He was going and so was I.
We decide to get this all over with the next morning. So as the sun is still rising we are both up and dressed, ready to face this nightmare one more time. I walk to the justice building holding to Peeta for dear life, last night was a very tough one for me which lead it to be the same for Peeta. I had a nightmare in which Gale had an alliance with the peacekeepers and as soon as both Peeta and I were close enough they attacked us, killing Peeta right in front of me. I try to convince myself that it was ridiculous and that it would never happen, but I'm still shaken and scared.
Peeta opens one of the tall concrete doors for me and I go in, not daring to take another step before he has entered and offered me his arm again.
"Are you sure you want to do this baby?" Peeta asks me. I just nod. "Remember what I told you okay?" I nod again, not being able to find my voice. I play in my head all the things Peeta have told me since yesterday "You will not go", "Okay, you will go", "We will be okay", "I love you" and "I have a surprise for you after we get this over with". I guess those are what he is talking about. I've been so haunted by the nightmare that I completely forgot about the "surprise". I'm starting to get curious.
" and , Good Morning. Please follow me." One of the peacekeepers greets us. They still wear the same white uniforms, except now they don't wear helmets and they are actually peacekeepers, not terror providers.
We walk through a dark gray hallway. Everything in this place reminds me of district 13 and it doesn't help my fragile state. We stop in front of a metal door.
"He will be waiting inside. He is handcuffed and tied to the chair he will be sitting on, so you are completely safe. I was asked to make sure the conversation is completely private, so it won't be recorded or watched. If you need anything just scream and our entire unit will be there." Both Peeta and I nod. I take a deep breath as the peacekeeper opens the door. There he is, Gale Hawthorne. My once best friend, hunter partner, now probably my worst enemy. The man who stole from me the only thing the Capitol couldn't, the only thing I was proud I could keep safe. He looks destroyed to say the least.
"Hello Hawthorne." Gale looks up surprised after hearing Peeta's voice, I'm sure he wasn't ready for this. Peeta wraps his arm around my waist, bringing me impossibly closer to him, claiming his territory. I lay my head on his shoulder and wait for any reaction from either side.
"I wasn't expecting you. Well, actually I thought about the possibility." It's Gale's reply. He looks straight at me, straight into my seam gray eyes, same as his.
"Hello Catnip."
"You don't dare to call me that!" I hear all the anger I'm feeling inside in just that one sentence.
"Well, I have to admit I was actually surprised when they told me this morning that you had agreed to talk to me."
"I was the only who agreed" Peeta cuts in.
"Yeah, of course. As you both may know, they are moving me to the Capitol, where I will wait for my trial."
"Yes, we are aware of that." I respond.
"So I guess you came here to say goodbye." Gale smirks. Who is this person sitting in front of me and where is the strong yet good friend I once knew?
"I came here to look one more time in the eyes of the man who turned our lives upside down. You will pay for what you've done Gale, that is all I wanted to make sure you understood. You are lucky you had someone to stop me cause I would've happily watched the life leave your eyes as I made sure you paid for every single tear I had to see stream down Katniss's face, for all the pain she felt." I look wide-eyed at Peeta, where is this side of him coming from? Peeta was always the best of us. I silently thank the person who held Peeta back that day; I don't know what could've happened to him, to us, if he actually killed Gale. It would haunt him forever.
"You should've done it Mellark. I may not even be alive enough for you to have this opportunity again. The opportunity to…"
"Why Gale?" I cut him off. Both men turn to look at me.
"What Katniss?" He asks.
"Why did you do that? Why would you hurt me like that?" I try to keep myself steady. I can't let Gale notice my body and my voice shaking, or the tears fighting to stream down my face.
"You chose this on us Katniss. I could've made you the happiest girl alive, but you refused to let him go."
"It's called love!" I say, a little louder than I intended. I wipe a single tear as it escapes my eye.
"It's called dependence. I thought you were strong Katniss, independent. Now look at you! He made you into some sort of doll, you live your life for him."
"You are wrong Gale. Peeta made me into a better person, a better version of me. You will never know what it feels like because you don't love anybody. I love him Gale and I always had, I'm sorry for the moments when I led you on. We were never meant to be." I don't have the strength to stop the tears this time as they run down my cheeks.
"You should've loved me! We were meant to be together. I helped you survive." Gale yells. A peacekeeper walks in telling us the visit time is over. I look at Gale one last time before I turn my back to him, take Peeta's hand and walk out the door. On the last second, before the door closes, I hear his voice for the last time "I hope some day you can forgive me." And it is done.
We walk back through the same gray hallway, someone dragging me by the hand. Forgive. Forgive me. I keep replaying his last words in my head.
"We made sure to keep the trial in private. Nobody in the Capitol or any of the districts will know what happened, I assure you. I hope you two will finally find some peace." I just now noticed that the peacekeeper guiding us out was Cristobal, Greasy Sae's friend who helped us with the plan.
Peeta drags me through the doors of the Justice building and as soon as I step outside I'm covered by the warm sunlight, and an overwhelming sensation of freedom. I'm free because I looked into Gale's eyes and asked the question that had been in my mind since that night. I'm free because I know that he will pay for what he did. I' free because now I know that he may, deep down, be sorry for what he did. I'm free because I may, in the distant future, forgive him. But most of all, I'm free because I can close this chapter in my life and move on with my true love.
"Hey, are you okay there?" Peeta's soft voice brings me back to the present.
"Yes, yes I am. Now, how about that surprise?" Peeta smiles at me and takes my hand, leading me through the town, which is still being rebuilt, straight to my beloved woods.
"Peeta I…" I choke on my words.
"I know you've been scared to come back here after everything that has happened to us. But I want to give this gift back to you. This is your sanctuary. I'm here with you and we will get though this. Katniss, will you come to the woods with me?" he asks. Peeta knows me too well and he knows how much I miss the woods, my home. I nod and we walk under the fence and through the meadow. Peeta stops under a willow tree and sits down on the grass, bringing me to sit down with him. He reaches for a picnic basket that was hidden behind the tree and places it in front of us.
"I wanted to spend a day with my love." He says. I smile at him, surprised. He reaches for the basket and takes out a plate full of cheese buns, two cups and a bottle of champagne.
"Peeta, this is amazing. Thank you." I place my hand on his cheek and turn his head so I can kiss him. He pulls away, gives me a kiss on my nose and opens the champagne. We slowly eat the cheese buns and drink a cup each.
After we are both satisfied, Peeta wraps an arm around my shoulders and lays my head on his lap, caressing my face and playing with my hair while I try making a crown with the little flowers on the grass.
"That looks lovely." Peeta says once he sees what I'm trying to make. He takes the "crown" from me and places it on my head. "Now you look even more beautiful." He says, making me blush.
"Thank you Peeta." I say, looking up at him.
"Katniss…" Peeta begins. He moves my head from his lap softly.
"What is it?"
"I wanted to ask you something." I nod and wait for him. He looks nervous as he reaches for something in his pocket.
"Katniss." He begins.
"Yes Peeta?" Suddenly it seems obvious what he is about to do. My vision is becoming blurry and my heart tightens.
"My Mockingkay, I've loved you since the first day I heard you singing in class when we were 5 years old. Since that day I can't stop thinking about how I want to spend the rest of my life with you, to call you mine. Life has brought us together and even though it seems selfish of me, I couldn't be more thankful. We have been through two Hunger Games, a war, hijacking and more suffering. We have seen each other at our worst and best. My love for you only grew stronger and stronger by all the circumstances. Katniss, I promise to love you and support you and be by you side for the rest of our lives. If it depends on me, I will bring a smile to your face everyday and make sure you will know what truly happiness is. Katniss Everdeen, will you be my wife?" He opens a black little box and revels a perfect ring with a pearl in the middle, surrounded by small diamonds.
"It's beautiful!" I gasp.
"It is the pearl I gave you in the Quarter Quell." He whispers. "They gave it to me after you left the Capitol to come back to district 12. I also have the locket, which I asked to remove Gale's picture and replace it with one of mine." He laughs. " So, back to my previous question?"
I smile sweetly and look straight into his deep azure eyes. "Yes, Peeta Mellark. I will marry you." He stands up, bringing me up with him, and swings me around. We smile, laugh and kiss before Peeta lets me stand on my own feet again. He gets down on one knee and takes my hand, slides the ring on my finger and kisses it. Katniss Mellark; the promise of a future with my boy with the bread. A future of hope, happiness and peace.
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Today is the big day. Today is the day I'm marrying Peeta Mellark. Today I will become Katniss Mellark. All our friends from district 12, my mother, Haymitch, Johanna, Beete, Effie and even Annie and her newborn son are here for our weeding, which will take place in the justice building. Then Peeta and I will come to our house in the Victor's Village and have our private toasting; then we will be officially married. I also have a big surprise for Peeta. After all the starvation and stress my body went through I was incapable of reproducing, my menstrual cycle stopped completely. Now, after almost 2 years since the end of the war, I'm finally able to give this blessing to him. Peeta guarantees that we are safe now and that nobody will ever be able to hurt us, or our children. He will keep us safe and sound.
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It's been 3 years since Peeta and I got married. I'm 7 months pregnant to a little girl we are naming Willow. Our little hope. I have never seen Peeta so happy. He caresses my belly and talks to our baby whenever he has the chance to. The first time she moved inside of me I was consumed with terror. But Peeta was always here to hold me in his arms and tell me that everything will be okay, and we are safe. I believe in him, Peeta will never let anything harm me or our little Willow, and I will never let anything harm him.
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Willow is 3 years old and here I am, caring our little boy Rye. We couldn't be happier with our little girl. The second time around has been easier for my pregnancy, but the fear of losing any of the most important people in my life still haunts me. I still have the nightmares that visit me most nights, but I have my boy with the bread to get me through them reminding me that what we have is ours and nobody will take it from us.
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Some days still bring darkness and terrors. Some days Peeta has mild flashbacks, but he will grab the back of a chair and bring himself back to reality as I watch over our kids. Today is my turn; Peeta has been taking care of our children by himself the entire morning as I grieve on the couch in our living room. He brought me food and drinks, taking care of me even when I abandoned him. I dreamed about Prim yesterday, and it broke me. I miss my little sister so much and it hurts, like someone is cutting my heart in small pieces. But I have to be stronger now, there isn't only me anymore, I have a family who needs me. Little Rye, who is barely 5 months old, Willow, who just turned 4 and my husband Peeta. I remind myself that Prim would want me to be happy for them. So I gadder all the strength I have and make myself go to the kitchen, where my family is having lunch.
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The days like today are the ones that remind me why I am still alive. We are in the meadow, Peeta is sitting next to me as we watch our children play. Willow, our little girl with dark hair and blue eyes who is now 6 years old, and Rye, our blonde gray eyed baby boy who is only 2, run around, not knowing that they are playing on a graveyard. We have few days like this since Peeta rebuilt his family's bakery in the same spot the old bakery once stood. Sometimes I bring Willow to the woods with me, teaching her to shoot only targets with a bow, while Peeta and Rye bake for the entire District. I still miss my sister and all the people we lost but as the years go by it seems to get more and more bearable, like I feel their presence with me and they are happy to see what I have become, what we have become. I fear the day I will finally have to tell my children about the games and the rebellion and why they are known as "the children of the victors". But for now I just want to enjoy the sound of our children's laughter and the feelings of my husband's lips on mine as we enjoy our little private moment.
"I love you Peeta Mellark." I whisper against his lips.
"I love you Katniss Mellark." And our lips crash together again. Just me, the Mockingjay, and My Dandelion From the Ashes.
_The End_
So this is it my amazing readers. Thank you. Thank you so much for those of you who have been with me during this journey since the beginning and those who reviewed almost every single chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. If you want to, leave me your final thoughts and I will be happy to read them. ALSO, PLEASE GO CHECK MY NEW STORY, "SHINING LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS"! My take on Mockingjay if Peeta wasn't hijacked and Katniss realizes sooner that she loves him. I will be rereading this story and fixing major mistakes so you are welcome if you want to read it again. God bless all of you! See you next chap….Oh wait never mind. See you at "Shining Light in the Darkness".
By: FireBurnsBrighterInTheDarkness