Damn, is killing off a character all it takes to get some reviews...I'll consider that for next time...
Anyway, I appreciate all of it. Thanks again.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just working with the idea.
After a five hour ride through the middle of nowhere, Katniss finally reaches the gas station. She gripped the wheel tight again, trying to calm the shaking of her body. She didn't cry, she held it back as she exited the car and walked to the trunk.
She reached in for her bag and there, in front of her, was her breaking point. She couldn't hold it back anymore. She fell to her knees in the heartache. There, next to her bag was Peeta's bag. He should be here, she thought. This was so wrong. When had things taken such a turn? He had just told her he loved her and she…
"Oh god," Katniss cried. It was all so clear now. Her current situation just made up her mind for her. The pain surged through her body. If the pain was any indicator of how she felt about him, she loved him. No way she would feel this way if she didn't love him. The pain was just as bad if not worse than the one she felt when her father died. It hurt so bad. She loved him and he would never know because he was gone. He was dead.
"Are you okay, Miss?" A man Katniss hadn't noticed is standing next to her wiping his greasy hands on a rag. She drops her head, hiding it so she can wipe away the tears.
"What song does the Mockingjay sing?" The man looks at her curiously.
"Is that a trick question?" He laughs. "I'm not sure, miss, but maybe my boss knows." Katniss stands up slowly and grabs both bags from the trunk. "You sure you're okay?"
"Fine." With that she walks into the convenience store.
"Can I help you, Miss?"
"What song does the Mockingjay sing?" The man is taken back by the question. He swallows thickly before responding.
"It will sing whatever you sing." He clears his throat before coming from around the counter. He goes to the door and shouts out to man from earlier. "Take over for me."
"Keys to the truck." He asks her.
"Why?"
"That car sticks out too much. I'll hide it once I show you where you're staying." She gives him the keys, then follows him out. A small path behind the store leads them to a small wooden cottage. It's a cozy little house. Discrete, which was important.
Katniss drops her bags by the door and takes a seat on the couch.
"So, will Mellark be joining you?"
"No." The tone in her voice told him everything he needed to know.
"Oh, man." He sighs. "Damn it, Peeta. He was a good man." The man clears his throat. "At least he's with his family now."
"Yea. Can you leave me alone?"
"Okay. I'll be back later to check on you." The man turns and leaves. Katniss stands and picks up Peeta's bag from its place by the door. She sighs heavily as she opens it.
The first thing she finds is a handgun, similar to the one he had used to show her how to shoot. She picks it up and places it on the table in front of her. The next thing she pulls out is a dark blue t-shirt. It brought a smile to her face as she remembered the last time she saw him wear it.
Flashback.
"Try this one!" Peeta tells her while he hands her a cookie. She takes one bite and her eyes light up.
"Wow! What is it?"
Peeta laughs, "It's chocolate chip!"
"Oh. Well if you didn't just feed me a bunch of weird tasting cookies..."
"Sugar, pecan, and oatmeal are not weird." He chuckles. "I take it you didn't like them then?"
"Oh no! I loved them! My taste buds are on overload."
"That's good! I'm making a cake, too!"
"What?! I thought you didn't like to bake anymore?"
"It doesn't hurt as bad anymore. It kind of makes me happy. It's like I get to be with my father again." Katniss watches as he makes his way to the kitchen. She quickly follows him and embraces him. She rests her head on his back. He turns in her arms and rests his head on the top of hers. Katniss takes a deep breath and is instantly hit with the smell of all those cookies, flower, and vanilla.
"Keep baking then. I'll be your test dummy."
He laughs at her. "I'm going to make you fat!"
Katniss laughs now, "I thought so! You want to make me so fat that I won't even be able to walk!"
"Sedentary." He whispers and they both laugh.
"Oh, really?" Katniss gives him a devilish smirk. "You look good in that shirt."
"What? How'd we go from fat to flirting?" Peeta says in between laughter.
"You didn't let me finish..." She clears her throat. "You look good in that shirt, but..." Katniss reaches behind him, grabs a handful of flour, and throws it on him.
Peeta coughs and sneezes as the flour gets all over his face. Katniss can't stop laughing at the mess that is Peeta at the moment. Once Peeta stops his fit, he gives her a death glare. Katniss stops laughing.
"You know, throwing flour is the biggest insult to a baker." Peeta says.
"Sorry." Katniss tries to keep a straight face, but her smile is creeping through.
"Oh, you should be sorry..." Peeta say as he grabs a can of whip cream and starts to spray it all over Katniss. She screams in delight as she tries to wrestle the can away from him.
After her unsuccessful attempt at stopping Peeta, he throws the now empty can to the floor and holds Katniss tight to him. She kisses him passionately before pushing him off of her. She uses her finger to take some the cream off, then sensually draws it to her lips. Peeta watches, completely mesmerized by the way her finger lingers in her mouth and the way her cheeks suck in as she licks off the cream. Katniss goes to do it again, but Peeta stops her. He pulls her finger to his mouth instead, mimicking her actions. He bends down and starts to lick the cream off her face. She pushes him away, while wiping her face.
"What are you a cat, Peeta?"
"Meow, meow, baby." Katniss starts to laugh at him.
"You are so cheesy!" Katniss throws her arms around him.
"You love it!" He chuckles before capturing her lips. They crash to the floor in a heap of flour and whip cream.
Katniss brings the shirt up to her face, inhaling deeply. Though the shirt was clean, she could still smell the flour on his shirt. She quickly strips off her shirt and puts on Peeta's t-shirt. The shirt was way too big for her, but she didn't care. She took her jeans off as well and went to lay down on the bed. She curls up into a ball, hoping that sleep would come.
A knock on the door brings Katniss back to life.
"Miss?" The man from earlier opens the door. "I left your meal out here for yesterday, but it's untouched. You need to eat, Miss."
"Why do you keep calling me that?" Katniss says groggily.
"We never got to introductions."
"That won't be necessary." Katniss throws the sheets over her head.
"He said you didn't cook and that if you wouldn't eat to force you."
"Who?" She mumbles under the sheets.
"Who do you think..." Her heart swells at the thought of Peeta. She chokes back the tears as she peeks from under the covers.
"What else did he say?" Katniss asks.
"Come out and eat and I'll tell you." The man shuts the door, leaving her alone. She slowly trudges out of bed and takes a look at herself in the mirror. It had only been a little over a day since she'd been there and she already looked a mess. She had bad bed hair and her cheeks were stained from crying. She cleaned herself up a little, redid her braid, and threw some jeans on. She didn't want to take Peeta's t-shirt off yet. She wasn't ready for that.
Katniss takes a seat across from the man. He moves a plate of food in front of her.
"It's Katniss, by the way." He smiles at her.
"Plutarch." Katniss makes a face.
"What kind of name is that?" The man chuckles.
"What kind of a name is Katniss?" He tries to get her to smile, but nothing. "Just call me Paul." Katniss picks at her food.
"So, Paul, how long am I going to be here?"
"The initial plan was for the FBI to be notified if you ever went too far from your place in New Jersey." He hesitates before continuing. "I think Peeta was going to handle all of that. I'm not sure how it works now that he's gone."
"He didn't say anything? Leave instructions?"
"He was smart. I'm sure the FBI is on their way as we speak."
"Did you know him well? Peeta, I mean."
"My baby nephew. Well, my only nephew." He takes a sip of his drink. "Well, not really my nephew, but I loved him like one."
"You're Haymitch's brother." Katniss says knowingly.
"He told you then." Katniss takes a spoonful of her food in an attempt to not cry. Paul eyes her curiously. "You really cared about him." Katniss throws her fork down.
"What does it matter?! He's dead!"
"And he would have wanted this..."
"What?!" Katniss angrily shouts at him.
"To see the woman who loved him fall apart. Give up. That's what Peeta Mellark would have wanted." He says in a calm voice.
"I love him and he never knew. I love him and now I can't imagine life without him. All I want to do is sulk and not live anymore. I've become my mother!" She pushes the plate of food away in disgust. "How the hell did you know how I felt anyway?"
"You don't think I can't see that you've been crying. Or the way you're trying to hold back more tears. How you tense up when I say his name or how strongly you react to his death."
Katniss thinks backs to that day she woke up in his arms after her nightmare. His words resonated in her head. It hurt so incredibly bad. How would it be possible? She closes her eyes tightly.
I love you. Even in death. Live the life they couldn't. Be happy.
She couldn't hold back anymore as the tears fell freely now. Peeta wouldn't have wanted her to be like this. Not Peeta. He didn't deserve to be dead. He was only protecting her. He had escaped fate once before when he didn't go to the mountains with his family and it had finally caught up with him. Katniss held her stomach tightly. She suddenly hoped that maybe, by some crazy chance, she was pregnant; that Peeta would live on through her. But then she cried harder as she knew there was no way. He, in particular, had always been so careful whenever they had sex. She once tried being spontaneous and caught him in the shower. She didn't know where he had got the condom, but she had been grateful, then, that he was being so cautious.
But now, she had nothing. Nothing but his bag from the trunk and the shirt off her back.
"Katniss, please eat something." Katniss stands.
"I can't! I just can't! It's my fault he's gone! You should hate me! I hate me!"
"Katniss please-" A pounding on the door causes them both to become alert. Paul quickly stands and pulls a gun that's tucked into the back of his pants. More pounding. He goes to Katniss and pushes her into the bedroom. "Go!" He whispers harshly. "If you hear shots, go through the window. The car's out that way." He hands her the keys. The pounding gets louder and more forceful. Whoever it was, was throwing all their weight against the door.
"No!" Katniss whispers back.
"What?"
"No! I'm tired of running! And I'm pretty sure I have no where left to go!" Katniss tries pushing past him. Paul doesn't budge. She reaches for his gun instead and Paul pushes her back some.
"What are you doing?!" He whispers at her.
"I'm not running, so I'm killing whoever that is!" She reaches for the gun again.
"Do you even know how to use this?!" Katniss doesn't answer; she only continues to go for the gun. That's when a bullet goes through the lock of the door. Both Paul and Katniss initially flinch at the sound. Whoever it was, wasn't giving up. All Katniss knew was that someone else was going to die.