Hey readers, thank you for the love of reviews, following, and favoring. All I can say for the next few chapters, some crap is about to go down and let hell break loose! I was going to save this little secret for the end but… I'M GOING TO WRITE A SEQUEL TO THIS STORY! Surprise! I have one titled in mind what do you think of the title, The Healing Process?
Here's Chapter ocho (eight) of Lost Love
Peeta's P.O.V.
My hand is locked in hers on the ride home and use my left thumb to gently rub her right hand in small circles. I looked down to see her head on my shoulder and this feels so right.
"Where have I been all this time?" Katniss asked being confused.
I kissed her forehead and leaned my head against her forehead. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you." I stated.
A few minutes later our ride comes to a halt and we both looked out seeing our house.
"Glad that you kept the house in shape." My wife stated.
I laughed a little and grabbed out my wallet. "You think I would let it rot? I had my father and brother's to keep an eye on the house while we were away in Afghanistan." I looked at her again then looked forward to the driver. "How much do I owe you man?" I asked him.
The cab driver turned his head to face us. "Fifty-five dollars and eight six cents there fella." He answered my question.
I go through my wallet opening it and pulling out a hundred dollar bill, handing it to him. "All yours partner." I said with a small smile.
Katniss sat up straight and looking around the seat. "Crap! I left my purse at Archer." She sighted.
"It's alright and you don't have to pay, I got this and you. Have a good night." I leaned over opening the door for Katniss and seeing her getting out of car. I followed behind her.
"Thank you and you two stay warm!" The cab driver telling us good night and I closed the door behind me. The cab leaves the sidewalk.
We both started walking towards and I dig through my coat pocket for the house keys putting the key into the keyhole and turning it and then opening the door. I stepped aside letting her enter in first she walks inside and I follow behind her closing the front door behind us. I took off my shoes and coat taking off my coat, I then walk over to the coat closet getting a hanger to hang it. I turned around seeing Katniss already taking off her boots quickly and having her coat in her hand walked over to the coat closet, she grabbed a hanger, placed it on the rack, she grabbed my hanger, and then closing the door.
"I was going to take your coat for you Katniss." I stated with a small sigh.
"It's alright, being here again is normal to me. You know I don't like you waiting on me like some princess." My wife looks at me and leaning in to kiss me twice before she pulled away. "Want any tea? Or hot chocolate." She asked.
"I know you don't and let me take of the drinks. Please, make yourself a home." I suggested for her to relax.
"Race you to the kitchen!" She said winked at me as she ran towards the kitchen. I can hear her opening cabinets. "WHERE'S THE HOT CHOCOLATE POWDER AND MUGS" My wife asked yelling from the kitchen.
I shook my head and laughed. "Chocolate's in the kitchen closet and the mugs are in the cabinet on top of the microwave." I answered her question.
"THANK YOU!" Katniss yelled back as I can hear her opening cabinets and opening the fridge.
I make my way towards the living room and taking a seat on second sofa across the coffee table then grabbing a blanket near a basket by the sofa. I pulled the blanket over my feet and waiting for my wife to come back so I can tell her more of what happened. To be honest, I'm not sure how she's going to handle the news even though she has her full memory back and when she finds out that she was pregnant; that will break her heart. It broke my heart when I was told and to this day I couldn't even tell that she was pregnant.
'Dear god, give me the strength to get through this including going to court and putting that bastard in jail.' I prayed in my mind and hope for the best.
I hear footsteps walking towards the living room and seeing Katniss holding two mugs in each of her hands. She walked over to me and taking a seat next to me, she puts her legs on the couch. I pull some of the blanket to cover my wife legs as she handed me my mug. We both drink our hot chocolate to warm us up from the bitter cold and we both placed them in front of the coffee table.
"So, what happened to me?" She ask me looking dead into my eyes.
I straighten up as I turned my body for my left arm getting into the cushion and looked into those sliver eyes. "Six years ago, you and the Star Squad 451 went out on a mission since nine the morning. I didn't know what was going on since I was doing kitchen duty since my leg was cut off. Everyone in the army base a mission to do either to protecting those who weren't with the Taliban and fighting with the Taliban army. I don't remember what time it was but I'm sure it was before midnight." I stopped and leaning over to take a few sips of the warm liquid to have my voice from being dry. I quickly put the mug back on the table and getting back to my place on the sofa. "I remember cleaning up the kitchen and coming to my tent to relax but I wanted to relax until you came back to base not more than ten minutes, Commander Paylor wanted to speak to me. She took me outside and told me this in her own words saying this "I hate to be the one to tell you this Soldier Mellark. Katniss and her squad were attack by the Taliban army as soon as they were coming back here, to camp. Soldier's Boggs, Jackson, Homes, Mitchell, Odair, Leggs 1 & Leggs 2, and Soldier Hawthorne are wounded but some have survive." Then I asked her about you and she answered "She didn't make it. I'm sorry Peeta. We tried everything we could to save her." I finished the words with tears running down and I look to see Katniss was crying too being in shock with her hand covering her mouth.
I placed my right hand on her knee.
"You remember Haymitch right?" I asked her and she nodded my head answering my question. "He had a friend of his to dig up on what happened to you after you were 'dead' to me. Turns out that your squad hit a land bomb while coming back to camp, there was an impact that killed half of your squad and a couple of people were burned." I take her right hand and pulled her sleeve, I still kept my eyes on her. "When you had short term memory, you told me that your right side had suffered a thirty degree burn." I see my wife's expression and her eyes widen being in shock that her right side of her body is somewhat normal with the skin grafts that has replace her original skin. "Haymitch's friend also found out that you, Finnick, and Gale were the only ones that survived; everyone else didn't. Finnick suffered but he recovered and that night still haunts him to this day. Gale had a few burn marks but still has his own issues and a developing agenda. You were in a coma for two weeks and from the doctor's note back in the Middle-East in the army, they wrote 'If she doesn't wake up in the two weeks; we'll pull the plug on her.' In some miracle, you woke up right before they were going to end your life. From the doctor's notes that you had short term memory and they were going to notify Paylor about you being alive but Gale somehow paid off one or many doctors to have you declare dead illegally to me and he pulled it off. That son of a bitch." I shook my head and reached back towards my cup. Then the corner of my eye I see Katniss reaching her cup also and we both took a couple of sips before talking again or should I say, me talking. "As soon as you woke up, you and Gale retired right away and moved to here in New York. There are records that he paid for your skin grafts, rehab for you to walk again, and adjusting back into society just keeping a close eye on you when you go places. Fast forward to two years later that you guys got married." I gestured to her left ring finger and seeing my wife looking at the two wedding bands she has on her; her engagement ring and her wedding band. I can see the anger in her eyes as she uses her right fingers taking off those rings and throwing them fiercely at the fire place.
"THAT SON OF A BITCH! BASTARD! HE WAS SUPPOSE TO BE MY BEST FRIEND AND THIS WHAT HE DOES TO ME!" Katniss yelled out her anger as she grabbed her hair.
"That's not even the worse part Kat." I spoke in a soft voice and prayed she doesn't slap me or hurt herself.
"HOW MUCH DAMAGE COULD HE HAVE DONE?! I MEAN, HE HID ME AWAY FROM FOR NOW SIX YEARS AND NOT TELLING ME ABOUT BEING MARRIED TO YOU OR ANYTHING!" She stated still being angry with a harsh tone in her voice as she looks at me.
"There was also a note that you were…. You were seven weeks pregnant when Star squad 451 hit that landing bomb." I said with my eyes closed and dreading to see Katniss reaction knowing this might send her over the edge to kill him or worse.
Katniss's P.O.V.
"So, what happened to me?" I asked being dead serious looking into his eyes.
I listened to every word Peeta has said and I remember being Afghanistan of course and going on missions every day. I remember that dreadful day when the Taliban army attack us, killed half of the citizens and cut Peeta with a poison sword. I thought that day would be my last with him, even worse, I thought he would hate so much on that day, and every day I blamed myself because of what happened to him. The name 'Star Squad 451' doesn't ring a bell to me; all I remember was Boggs, Finnick, the Leggs, Peeta, and Gale. I kept my focus and attention on Peeta. I can see the emotion in his face that he's about to break down and when he mentioned about half of my team was killed. 'Oh my god, I can't believe it.' I mentally thought to myself with tears starting to form in my eyes and I cried for my team for being killed. I placed my hand over my mouth to cover my sobs, my pain for that night, and myself. I looked up to seeing Peeta in tears then seeing him looking at me. I can tell right now he's in pain just by telling me of what was reported to him.
My husband placed a hand on my knee and knowing I had to keep calm.
He asked me if I remember Haymitch and I nodded my head. Of course I remember him, he became a father figure to both of us and I trusted him since I became a little bit of a smartass when I first started training in the army. 'Wait? I was declared dead? What the fuck is wrong with the system? Why would they do that to me?' I asked myself being shocked. We were blindly attacked while coming back to camp. I'm still listening to Peeta's very word and afraid of what he'll say next. The bomb that killed my squad and hold on, we were on fire? My ears perked up as he mentions I have a third degree burn on the right side of my body. I looked up at him being confused and seeing his hand taking my right hand then pulling up my sleeve and showing the proof of my wrist to my forearm looked a little odd to me. My eyes widen in fear being in complete shocked. I placed my legs in front of my chest and kept my attention to my husband. Also saying that I had short term memory loss and that explains why I can't remember anything Peeta's saying to me right now. 'The three of us made survived? Finnick survived? Oh thank the lord and I wonder how he's doing minus the fact that evening still haunts him. Gale made it but only a few burns and I was in a coma for two weeks?' I let his words sink in with my heart falling into my stomach being in fear. Thank god something woke me up from almost being really dead in this world. I'm horrified to hear that the doctors were going to report that I was alive but Gale somehow paid off to keep quiet about me being alive. 'I really can't believe he would do that to me. Was I just a prize to him, just because I dated Peeta? The doctors must be sick in their fucked up heads to actually agreeing to this and knowing they will not only lose their jobs but their medical license also.' I said being disgusted mentally in my mind and leaning over to the coffee table taking a few sips and I felt the shift into the furniture of my husband also taking a sips. Then we both placed are cups back on the coasters and getting back into our previous position being comfortable again.
I sat up straight when Peeta said that after I woke up, Gale and I moved to New York. Are you kidding me? Gale. He knew that I was married to Peeta and he didn't bother to say or have the heart to say that I was alive. He's beyond a sick bastard. 'Wait, he paid for my skin grafts and rehab? I guess he has some heart but not a soul if he kept me away from everything.' I lightly shaking my head feeling my anger slowly rising in my soul. I can't believe that Gale would do this to me. Married? I'm married to Gale? I looked at my left ring hand and seeing my engagement ring and wedding band, in gold. 'That bastard!' I yelled in my mind then I take my right fingers to take off the rings and throwing them fiercely into the fireplace.
"THAT SON OF A BITCH! BASTARD! HE WAS SUPPOSE TO BE MY BEST FRIEND AND THIS WHAT HE DOES TO ME!" I yelled letting part of my anger out and I grabbed my hair instead of my skin.
"That's not even the worse part Kat." Peeta spoke softly being careful with his words.
"HOW MUCH DAMAGE COULD HE HAVE DONE?! I MEAN, HE HID ME AWAY FROM FOR NOW SIX YEARS AND NOT TELLING ME ABOUT BEING MARRIED TO YOU OR ANYTHING!" I stated still being angry as if venom came from my mouth as I looked at him.
"There was also a note that you were…. You were seven weeks pregnant when Star squad 451 hit that landing bomb." He said closing his eyes in fear and saying those words were like poison.
My jaw dropped as I got up from the sofa and I felt walked over to a wall. I look for a point then I balled my right fist tightly and hitting the wall twice. I screamed out my pain and felt tears coming my face. I slid down to the floor and cried my heart out. 'I was pregnant and Gale didn't tell me? How could he do this to me?' I pulled my knees to my chest, placed my head on top of my knees with my arms around them, I cried.
"Katniss, I'm so- so sorry. I didn't know you were pregnant either. You didn't show it when we were in the army." Peeta spoke softly to me with a broken voice and I felt his footsteps towards coming towards me.
I could hear him sitting next to me and felt his arm around me. I can hear Peeta sobbing a little bit and I could feel his right hand sliding down my back and rubbing small circles on my back to confront me. I pulled my head up with on top of my knees and turned my head to face him seeing tears staining his face.
"Why are you sorry? We did have sex when we had that one day off and it happened." I pointed out the truth. "I remember being sick in the mornings for the past three days. I went to the infirmary and told them what I had, they gave me a blood test and five minutes later; they told me I was pregnant." I said being serious with my husband being shocked. "I didn't know what to do? Tell you or tell Haymitch to tell you. I was freaking out! I was in shock and I didn't know what to do with myself. Sure, I wanted to be a parent but not bring a child into that environment." I shook my head remembering that day and continued. "I was going to tell you six weeks later because I didn't know how to break the news to you. I've never been scared before but this scare me the most." I pointed out his anger.
"Kat, how could I be mad at you? How?" Peeta looked at me serious with our eyes locked into each other again. "I should have asked if everything was alright. I mean, the mornings when I saw you, your face was pale as white sheet and thought you were going through a headache or something about Prim." He shrugged his shoulders. "You know back in twelve if a woman becomes pregnant they don't show-""Until they're in their second month and that's when they start showing." I finished the sentence and I look over to see him nodding his head.
"Do you have a Lawyer on your phone?" I asked getting up from the floor and grabbed his hand to helping my husband to stand up.
"Of course I do. What do you want to do now?" Peeta asked me with a hand on my right elbow.
"Get that son of a bitch arrested, take his ass in court, and to make sure he stays in jail for the REST of his life. Also a divorce from Gale." I stated being serious.
My husband nodded his head and got his phone from his pocket.
"Trust me, you're going to love the Lawyer. If she had an axe, she would aim it directly at him. Her name is Johanna Mason and she's a bulldog in the courtroom." He said with a small smile.
"Get in contact with her right now and I'm going to use the phone in the kitchen to call the police and report on Gale." I said looking at him and leaned forward to kisses him twice. I felt Peeta kissing me back with passion and pulled away. "How's that for a tease?" I winked at him then walked into the kitchen.
"And that's why I love you, Girl on Fire." I hear him chuckled just a bit.
I made it to the kitchen and walked over the phone by the backdoor. I picked up the phone handle and dialed 911. "Hello? Yes, I like to file a report and an arrest on Gale Hawthorne. He has manipulated me for the past six years and has taken advantage of my condition; I have or had short term memory loss. We were in the army back in Afghanistan. What year? Two thousand and ten." I said being serious and strong. "Where he lives? House number is 498 at Victory Village. Thank you." I hanged up the phone.
"Thank you Johanna. Please let us know about the court hearing and date." Peeta said being thankful and can hear him coming towards the kitchen then hangs up his cellphone. "She's looking over at our case right now including the information I told Johana and also told her to call Haymitch to send out that email information he found out from his friend. Gale will be out of our lives for good." He stated walking over to me and puts his hands on my hips.
"I hope so too. I can't believe I ever trusted him." I said shaking my head and felt his hands on my hips. I looked up into his eyes. "I trust you even when they ask you to either pull the plug on me or no." I said with tears in my eyes and being sincere.
My husband wiped my tears with his thumbs and his lips made his direction towards my lips. I kissed him back with passion again and putting my hands into his blonde locks. He gently but slightly forcedly put his tongue into my mouth and I allowed him. I put my tongue into his mouth as our tongues danced. Peeta picked me up and placed me on the counter top. I let my hands roam down towards his shirt, gesturing him to take his shirt off. He got the hint and placed his hands over mine helping him taking off his shirt then placed his hands on the bottom of my shirt and helped me taking it off. I raced my hands down to my jeans to take them off shaking them off and I look down seeing Peeta taking off his jeans then cupped my chin with his right hand breathing heavily. "Are you sure about this?" He asked me.
"Hundred percent." I answered catching my breath and pulled his lips against mine.
Gale's P.O.V.
"Hey Kat, when are you coming home? I'm worried about you because of the weather and the phone line Archer is down. Please call me when you get this message." I hanged up the call leaving her a fourth message and sighted.
I have been pacing around the living room for the past five hours and not hearing anything from my wife. As of right now, I'm scared to death on what has happened to her and I have no idea where she's at. 'Maybe, I should go search for her?' 'No! She only said she'll call if she's in the hospital or car accident. Katniss has been strong as long as I've known her.' I mentally argument with myself and I look out the patio doorway and still seeing the weather about to worse with more snow coming in.
I sighted becoming more worry and my anxiety kicking up from not hearing back from her. I look down at my phone and begin to text my wife again.
"KATNISS. ARE YOU OKAY? PLEASE CALL ME RIGHT NOW! I'M WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU." I pressed the text button on my iPhone 5s, I grabbed the bottom of my phone, and begin hitting it against my left palm trying to calm my nerves.
'Glimmer! How can I forget?' I mentally slapped myself as I unlocked the screen quickly and going through the phonebook to see her name. I clicked on her name and wait for her to answer my call. "Come on, pick up damn it!" I yelled becoming impatient and went to voice mail. 'SON OF A BITCH!' I yelled in my mind shaking my head and kicked my right foot in mid-air then slamming it down to the ground.
"Hello, this is Glimmer Grammar. I'm sorry that I missed your call. Please leave your name and number after the tone and I'll be sure to call you back. Thank you." I mouthed fuck silently and cleared my throat to leave a message. "Hey Glim, have you seen Katniss? Is she with you? I can't get a hold of her and she doesn't have her phone on her. Please give me a call when you get this. Thanks." I hanged up the phone and placed it into my jean pocket.
I can't take it anymore. I have to go out there and bring my wife back home. I dash going up stairs putting on a red hoodie, putting a pair of boots on my feet, and walking over to my nightstand draw where my black beanie laid. The doorbell ring twice with a couple of knocks following it. 'What the hell? That can't be Katniss, is it?' I asked myself as I ran back down the stairs to answer the door. I opened the door and I see two male police officers at my door.
"Are you Gale Hawthorne?" A Hispanic officer asked me.
"Yes, yes I am. Is there a problem?" I answered his question followed up with my question.
"You are under arrest of manipulation of Katniss Everdeen-Mellark and corrupting the military system." An African American with a British accent said addressing my crime as he grabbed my right wrist to my back with my left wrist following behind then putting handcuffs around them.
"Wait, what? What are you talking about?" I asked pretending and being shocked that I'm being arrested in my own home.
"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say will be against you in the court of law. If you don't have an attorney, you will be provided with one." The officer with an English accent said handcuffing my rest behind my back and being pulled outside with the Hispanic officer closing my front door.
"I have a Lawyer and I want my one phone call to be him." I said being serious as they bought me down the steps and looking to see the other officer opening the back door.
The African American officer put his hand on top of my head guiding me to duck my head down as I got into the cop car. I look out seeing my neighbors being shocked, confusing, talking to one another, and wondering why I'm being under arrest. He closed the door behind me then I closed my eyes, sighted. I'm royally screwed right now. I have a feeling that Katniss remembers everything right now and probably hating my guts as we speak. If this does go to court then that's where I will confess that I did it all for her, to have a second chance with her. Thank god I have Plutarch Heavensbee as a Lawyer and can only hope I can walk out of the courtroom as a free man.
Peeta's P.O.V.
I woke up from my nap and looked down to see Katniss head on my chest with the blanket covering the both of us. I checkout my surroundings and looking to see that we both made our way from the kitchen countertop to the living room couch were I told her everything. I breathed out with a smile on my face, this is the first time I ever had sex in about six years. It felt so damn great; twice in the kitchen and twice right here for thirty minutes each. I stretch my arms out then I felt Katniss snuggling close to my body with her left hand on my right side of my body and felt her breast on my chest. I slowly wrapped my left arm around my beautiful wife, leaned my head forward to kiss the top of her head.
"You're still beautiful Kat." I whispered lightly not wanting to wake her up and gently played with her hair. I wish to pause this moment right now and forget about everything else in the world.
Katniss light moans trying to wake herself and shifts her body slightly. I felt her upper body moving up to face me and I get to see those sliver eyes again. Those eyes I can stare all day and never get bored of them. "I uh… can't remember the last time of ever having sex with you, but, you still go it." She said laughed a little and stretch her neck out to kiss my jaw line to my check and then twice on my lips. I kissed her back in return by kissing back on her lips down to her neck and shifted my body down to kiss her collarbone then to finish off her chest. I heard her moan and I love to hear the sound of it.
"You make me weak at your touch." My wife said as she breathed out and slightly sitting herself up with her right elbow.
"Good. Because they're plenty of more where that comes from." I said with a smirk then turned my body to my left to face her. "Are you ready for court?" I asked her.
She shrugged her shoulders then answered. "As ready as I'll ever be and wonder what else he had to hide besides me losing her child." Katniss replied being blunt.
Next time on Lost Love Chapter nine…
Katniss walks in the courtroom with Peeta behind her and their lawyer; Johanna Mason as they make their way to the front of the room and walking towards the table on their left. Gale walked inside of the room with his lawyer Plutarch Heavensbee as the two men walk to the front of the room then walking to the table on the right.
The brunette young woman walked over to her former best friend and slapped him across the face. "YOU SON OF BITCH! YOU LIED TO ME! HOW COULD YOU?! I TRUSTED YOU, I TRUSTED YOU WITH EVERYTHING I HAD. WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?" She yelled with venom coming from her mouth as she starts hitting him.
Peeta rushed over to pull his wife away from Gale with her wanting finish the first round on him.
"I DID WHAT I DID BECAUSED I LOVE YOU KATNISS. YOU SHOULD HAVE MARRIED ME, NOT THAT WHIMP!" The brunette young man yelled answering her question.
"You're full of shit there Hawthorne, full of it! You even lied about telling her ONLY family that she's dead and you didn't want them to contact you!" Peeta said raising his voice being serious bringing up another fact as he held his wife's wrists.
"YOU TOLD MY MOTHER AND PRIM THAT I WAS DEAD? YOU MOTHERFUCKER, BASTARD, TRAITOR!" Katniss yelled again as stomped her feet wanting to knock out Gale to the ground.
A guard comes out from the door of the wall being dressed in a uniform. "All rise for the Judge Cornelius Snow." He spoke on commanding with his hands at his side.
Everyone being on their feet as the seventy nine year old man comes from the doorway with white hair and bread went down to his chin. He walked up to his seat and stood for a second. "You may be seated." Judge Snow said to everyone as they seated. The white haired man looked at the guard as he handed him a file and opening up. His blue eyes scan the pages quickly then looking up. "Peeta Mellark & Katniss Everdeen-Mellark verses Gale Hawthorne. Manipulating on Mrs. Mellark's condition." He turned his face to the left as he looked dead into Mister Hawthorne eyes. "This is very serious charges here Soldier Hawthorne, how do you plead?" Snow asked.
Gale got up from his seat and fixed his suit. "Not guilty." He said being serious.
I'm so sorry BEYOND sorry for not updating before the twentieth; classes have started including homework too. I would never dream of not finishing this story. I'm trying my best not to drag this story to long and trying to wrap it up (but not too fast.) Hoped you guys loved it and see you guys next time.