Chapter 2

At work the next day Katniss sat at her desk reading over the suspect's file some more when her boss slipped into her office. "Everdeen!" he boomed, "Had some time to think about the Mason Case, I see?"

"Yes, sir," she mumbled without looking up at the man.

"Well?"

"I'll do it," she said with determination in her voice. She glanced up from the pages and smiled slightly.

"Fantastic! I knew you'd come around. Okay, okay, let's talk details, let's do some housekeeping. Alright, as you read in the file the suspect is well, suspected," he laughed at his choice of words, "to be hiding out up in Canada. I'll arrange a flight for you this Thursday, how's that sound?"

"Well... I knew that she was there but I didn't know I was going to be actually going to another country, I mean I have to tell Peeta and I... I don't know..."

"Relax, it probably won't be for very long, you're the head agent on this case, Everdeen, I need you up there as soon as possible."

"Is anyone else going to be working on this with me?"

"Not at the moment, but if you need backup you can give me a call and I'll send somebody up, okay? So I'll have a flight for you on Thursday, I'll keep you updated with the schedule and itinerary and all of that, nothing to worry about. Why don't you take tomorrow off to pack and prepare yourself and your fiancé? This is gonna be big, oh hoho, I have a good feeling about this one."

"Yeah... Sure that will be fine, okay thank you."

"Sure thing, and as we receive information we'll send it over to you and you can contact us here at the office if you need anything, alright?"

"Yes."

"Okay, okay. I've got a good feeling about it!" he chuckled and left the room.

The agent stared out the window, this whole thing was happening so quickly, her heart raced as she continued to study, research and take notes on the subject. The case was consuming her already and it had only barely just begun. She studied the pictures, stared into Mason's dead brown eyes for minutes at a time, they were deep and reminded her of the forests from back where she used to live. Her hair was disheveled in some of the pictures, but not a strand was out of place in others. Her nose was small and pointy, her thin, red lips always smirking or smiling as if they were closed doors and everything Katniss needed to solve the case was locked behind them. Her mouth curved down when she smiled, her small white teeth peeking behind her lips, she didn't look dangerous, but she didn't exactly look meek either. One article in her case file explained she got away from detectives by putting on an act of weakness, hiding behind a delicate facade, this was crucial information to keep in mind.

Katniss spent the entire next day packing up her things and studying more and more about this woman. She scarfed down an entire loaf of Peeta's homemade bread while pouring over the pages, God she was going to miss that bread.

"So, when will you be back?" asked her fiancé.

"Oh, I don't know, they said I shouldn't be gone for too long."

"Where exactly are you going, again?"

"I'm not really supposed to tell anyone that, sorry."

"Oh. Well, I'll miss you."

"Yeah, I'll miss you too. I won't be gone long, don't worry, okay?"

"Should we still keep planning our wedding? I mean I know we haven't picked out a date yet, but.."

"We'll plan it when I get back, or I can try to call you?"

"Okay, that would be good..." he sighed running a thick hand through his short, blonde hair.

"Yeah," she smiled sincerely at him. His face was full of doubt, he looked lost. The girl went over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, she was very good at being consoling and motherly. "Hey I should call my sister..."

"Oh, yeah, you should go do that. Do you want me to finish packing for you?"

"No, that's alright. Thanks for dinner," she smiled once more and left the room.

She picked up the phone hesitantly, she knew her sister worried about her a lot, especially with her line of work. She didn't want to concern her, but talking to her younger sibling always helped when she was nervous about a case. The ringing of the phone echoed through her ears until finally she heard a gentle voice on the other end.

"Hello?" said the voice.

"Prim?"

"Katniss! Hi, how are you? How's Peeta? When are you getting maaaaried?" she chimed.

"I'm good, he's good. Oh boy, we don't really know yet but when we do I promise you'll be the first one to know about it."

"Yes!"

"How are you and mom?" it was just the two of them living alone together now, Katniss and Prim's father had died years earlier and Katniss had recently moved out to the city. She felt guilty leaving them, but she made sure to check in regularly. Their mother had become despondent after the loss of their father and it more of the sisters taking care of their mother rather than the other way around.

"I'm okay, and mom is... she's fine."

"Make sure she takes her pills every night."

"I do... I do."

"Good, you're so brave, Prim, it'll be okay."

"I know, Katniss. So what's new?"

"Nothing much, listen I called to let you know I'm going on a trip tomorrow. So if you need anything, just call here and talk to Peeta. I don't know when I'll be coming home, but I promise it won't be long. I miss you both so much..."

"Alright, I will. Where are you going?"

"I can't say, you know the rules you silly little duck."

"Haha yeah... We miss you too... I miss you."

"Don't worry, just take care of yourself now."

"I am. Katniss?"

"What is it?"

"Be careful, okay?"

"I will! I will be super careful, just for you, Prim."

"Okay, good."

"Well, I'd better go finish packing, I love you."

"I love you too! Come home and visit soon."

"I will, I promise. Bye."

"Bye!"

Katniss hung up the phone and looked at it with a hint of melancholy, she longed to see her little sister sooner. She got up, wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and got up to finish her luggages. Soon, everything was packed and placed neatly by the door, all ready and waiting to be carried away in the early hours of tomorrow morning. Peeta put a hand on her shoulder and started to say something but before he could she exclaimed, "Oh wait! I forgot something," and sprinted into their bedroom. She returned seconds later with something clutched tightly in her fist.

"What did you forget?" he asked.

"My mockingjay pin."

"Oh, right your good luck charm."

"It's not exactly a good luck charm..."

"Well, you know what I meant."

Katniss's mockingjay pin was a small golden pin with a sharp-looking bird on it. She'd gotten it at a flea market when she was younger and brought it with her everywhere ever since. "Here," offered the boy as he took the pin from her and fastened it to the exterior of her suit case. "For safe travels." She nodded at him.

That night, the two of them hopped into bed, Katniss turned over on her side to face the wall and started to try and fall asleep. But she couldn't, her head was buzzing with excitement about the adventure she was about to embark on. She twisted and turned under the sheets, her body squirming and shuffling around.

"Katniss?" whispered Peeta.

"Hm?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine... I just, I can't sleep..."

"Come here," he sighed as he pulled her towards him into his arms. He began to massage her shoulders and kiss her neck. She calmed down a little, his kisses became wilder.

"Peeta..." she protested as he slid his hand up her nightshirt. "Peeta, stop."

"What's wrong?" he asked, pulling away.

"I'm just... I don't want to do this right now."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No, of course not," she said. "Just... I don't know, I have to get up early tomorrow and I have a lot on my mind right now, okay?" she excused.

"Uh, yeah. Okay, good night then, Katniss."

"Good night."

The morning crept into the bedroom, slowly weak sunlight dripped onto the bed and the sleeping girl awoke. She groaned and turned over, there was no one in the bed next to her. She got up and drifted into the kitchen to find Peeta cooking breakfast.

"Morning," she yawned.

"Morning, big day today."

"Yeah, I'd better go get dressed."

"Okay, the eggs are almost done."

She slipped on some clothes, pulled her hair into a braid, and went back for breakfast. She toyed with the food on her plate, poking the yolks on the sunny-side up eggs until they burst and swirling her fork around in the yellow liquid.

"Toast?" offered her fiancé.

"No... thanks."

She finished and got up from the table, "Well I think the taxi-cab is outside waiting for me," she stated. He pulled her bags over to her and walked her out the door and accompanied her down the elevator. The golden-colored cab was parked right in front of the apartment building, she hugged Peeta and they dumped her luggage into the trunk.

"Well," she began, "Good bye!"

"Bye, be safe."

"I'll be back before you know it. Here I go..." and with that she disappeared into the taxi and it drove away down the hectic city street. He watched the yellow car vanish into the mass of traffic, he watched her vanish too.