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The next morning, Katniss awoke in bed alone. Panic surged through her body as she padded the spot in the bed where Peeta should be. When she realized he really wasn't in bed, she started to think that maybe it was all just a beautiful dream; the reality being that was Peeta was gone. She refused to believe it as she threw the sheets off her body and ran out of the room.
There was Paul, seated at the dining room table and most importantly, Peeta. He turned to see her rush out in only his long t-shirt. Her body collided with his as he turned. Katniss threw her arms around his neck, which caused for her shirt to ride up, revealing her underwear. Peeta's hands were instantly on her ass, trying to keep it covered with his hands. He scowled at Paul who was staring at them.
"Turn around, old man!" Peeta yells.
Paul just shrugged and went back to reading his paper. "She's much too young for me, kid."
Peeta squeezed Katniss tightly into him. She gripped onto him for dear life.
"Hey, you alright?" Peeta asked with concern.
"I thought something had happened to you. I freaked out." Katniss whispered against his chest.
"I got hungry." He chuckles. He kisses her forehead, then leads her to the table. "Sit." He pushes a plate of food in front of her and hands her a fork. "Eat." He kisses the top of her head and turns to leave. Katniss jumps up, pulling Peeta down to her in a passionate kiss. She moans against him. Peeta pulls away with a chuckle. He kisses her back down to her seat. "Eat. He tells me you haven't been eating." Peeta kisses her hand and goes back to the kitchen.
"I wasn't going to do all that to make her eat, I'll tell you that!" Paul says with a smirk. Katniss smiles shyly at him from across the table.
"I'd kill you if you did!" Peeta yells from the kitchen. He walks out moments later with a plate of his own. He sits next to Katniss and watches as she basically devours the food on her plate. "She really wasn't eating!"
"I told you! Stubborn to all hell, that one." Paul says.
"Don't I know it." Peeta whispers. He stands and kisses her head lovingly. "Juice?" Katniss only nods. He comes back with a pitcher of orange juice. He pours her a cup and watches as she chugs it down in record time. "Slow down!"
"I'm hungry!" Katniss tells him.
"It's all going to come back up if you don't slow it down."
Katniss slows down. "Fine. I'll compromise." Katniss mocks. Peeta only shakes his head at her. She smiles at him.
"So what's the plan today, Peeta."
"We leave in a few hours. The plane Haymitch is sending should be here early tonight. We get on it. Katniss testifies and this nightmare is all over."
Katniss drops her fork. The clanging noise makes everyone look at her. "They set the trial date?"
Peeta grabs her hand reassuringly. "Yes. The day we got separated, they set the date and Haymitch was set to take you out later that day. That's why they took such dramatic measures. It was a last resort."
"How do we know this will all be over, Peeta? How do we know that once I testify I won't still be in danger?"
"It will be over. Snow's biggest mistake was riding everything on his own shoulders. We take him down and his whole operation topples over. Not to mention, everyone's scared of him. He leads with fear which is effective until you're eliminated from the equation. Once he's gone, we'll have people running to us by the masses with testimonies. This will be all over."
"I don't want this to all to be over." Katniss tells him shyly. He meets her eyes and smiles at her.
"I'll still be here, beautiful. I love you and I'm not going anywhere."
"I love you too Peeta." He grabs her hand and pulls it up to his lips.
A few hours later, they are saying goodbye to Paul. He wishes them the best as they hit the road for the airstrip where their plane will be waiting.
Katniss eyes Peeta curiously as he drives them to their destination.
"What?" Peeta asks, feeling her eyes on him.
"I was just wondering how you're feeling."
"I'm fine, Katniss. That cream you put on me yesterday really did the trick. Lucky for me, they were just bruises and nothing else."
"Oh." Katniss tucks her hands into her lap and drops her head.
"What is it, Katniss?"
"It's my fault, Peeta. It's my fault you're hurt, that you almost died."
"Hey! Don't say that! It is not your fault any of this happened. I need to protect you. I would take a million beatings if it meant protecting you. I'm not afraid to die if it means making sure you are safe."
Katniss reaches for his hand which is resting on the center console. "I don't want you to die for me, Peeta. I need you. I can't do this without you."
"You won't. I need you just as much as you need me. I promise you, Katniss. I won't let anything happen to either of us." Katniss holds onto his hand with both her hands. She stares at his profile with a smile. She can't help but reach for his cheek. She caresses it gently making Peeta smile. Katniss wondered what Peeta would think if she told him how she wanted to actually be his wife. Or the thought she had about having his child. But that would be too much, for both of them. Neither of them had been looking for any of that. They would have to take it slow, one day at a time.
Not too long after, Peeta pulls past a metal fence. He drives a little further and a plane comes into view. Peeta pulls up to the side of the plane and steps out of the car. He runs over to the passenger door and lets Katniss out. They grab their bags and start up the stairs to the door of the plane.
"Agent Mellark!"
"Agent Hawthorne!" He meets them half way, taking their bags as they ascend.
Once on the plane, Agent Hawthorne let's the pilot know that they are ready to go. Katniss takes her seat while Peeta greets the other agents on board.
"Agent Mason." He shakes her hand.
"Why so formal, Peeta?" She smiles at him suggestively.
"Well, Gale was like 'Agent Mellark,' so I was like 'Okay, we're playing the agent game.'" Peeta says with a laugh. "How are you, Johanna?"
"I'm good." She strokes his chest. "You look like you've seen better days."
"I had a run in with a hit man, so…Yea…" Johanna grabs his arm and leads him to a seat.
"Relax. Okay?" Peeta smiles and nods at her. She laughs as she messes up his hair playfully. She walks away, leaving him alone. He turns happily over to Katniss who squints her eyes at him and frowns.
"What?"
"You two are friendly." Katniss tells him.
"She's like that with everybody!" He says with a laugh. "Katniss, you're not jealous are you?"
"Don't flatter yourself, Peeta." Peeta laughs , but Katniss isn't amused. She crosses her arms over her chest in frustration.
"Hello." A deep male voice from behind, surprises them both. Peeta is instantly on his feet, protective of Katniss from the stranger.
"I don't believe we know each other…" Peeta tries.
"Forgive me. Agent Thresh. I've just been assigned to this case." They exchange handshakes. Peeta eyes Thresh suspiciously. Something was wrong, his gut told him so. "Is something the matter, Agent Mellark?"
"Do we know each other?" Peeta asks.
"I don't believe so…"
"Hmm," Peeta grips his hand tightly, then releases it.
"This must be Katniss." Agent Thresh goes over to Katniss.
"Hello." She says. Peeta doesn't like the way Agent Thresh looks at Katniss. His gut was screaming at him, but what could Peeta do. He took his seat between Agent Thresh and Katniss.
Peeta deepens his voice, "She's my responsibility. I'll take care of her." Agent Thresh nods at him and takes a seat further up from them.
"You're not jealous are you?" Katniss looks at Peeta with a smile. Peeta's face is serious as he stares daggers at Agent Thresh. "Hey?" Katniss grabs onto his arm, forcing Peeta to look at her. "What is it?"
He leans into her. "Nothing." He gives her a quick kiss.
But it was definitely not nothing. He'd seen Thresh before but couldn't place him. He works at the FBI…we probably just crossed paths. It was his rationale's thinking but the other side of Peeta, the side who was taught to question everything and not believe in coincidences, was telling him otherwise.
"So…" Agent Hawthorne takes a seat opposite Katniss. "I'm sorry for being kind of a jerk to you before…"
"What?" Katniss says with a slight chuckle. "When were you a jerk?"
"In the beginning." He gestures with his hands. Katniss only turns her head curiously at him. "I thought you were kind of intolerable and…I was wrong to do that…"
"Uh, well I kind of was. I mean, you didn't catch me during the best of situations. Besides you were just doing your job." She tells him. He nods.
"You know…if there was one thing…I thought you were cute." He rubs the back of his head shyly. "Or are!" He quickly rephrases. Katniss smiles at him before she turns to look back at Peeta, who is glaring at their interaction.
"Agent Hawthorne-" She tries.
"Please, call me Gale." Peeta snorts next to her. Katniss hears him mumble Gale mockingly. Peeta snatches one of the magazines out of it's cubby next to him and begins to angrily read.
"Um, I guess you're kind of cute too…" She wasn't sure how to handle the situation, but awkward always worked.
"Are you serious?!" Peeta yells making both Katniss and Gale turn to him in attention. He looks up at his audience. "These two are back together?!" He turns the magazine so they can see. "Nobody else cares?! Fine!" He growls as he tries to divert the attention away from what he was actually upset about. They turn back to continue their conversation while Peeta huffs and broods in his seat. She's doing it on purpose… He tries to calm himself.
He turns towards them with a death glare when he hears Katniss let out a giggle. Gale's showing her some trick and he's…Peeta narrows his eyes, touching her? Peeta clenches his jaw and cocks his head in annoyance. He shuts the magazine and throws it down. He tries to leave when Katniss grabs his arm, forcing him back down.
She slips her hand into his and brings it up to her lips to kiss it. "Yea, this whole thing has been very unexpected. In more ways then one." Her eyes catch his. Peeta smiles back at her sweetly before he kisses her on the lips.
"Wow, Peeta. Didn't think you had it in you." Gales says. They sit in an awkward silence until Gale clears his throat. "Well…let me go check on Johanna." They watch him head towards the front.
"Did you have fun with that?" Katniss turns to look at Peeta. "The whole messing with my head thing…" He continues.
"I'm sure…" Katniss pauses. "He's like that with everybody." She gives him a cheeky smile before she lifts his arm and throws it over her shoulders.
"Alright. I get it." Peeta tells her. He looks forward and catches the eye of Thresh. Peeta narrows his eyes at him. Thresh is looking between him and Katniss; particularly at their hands clasped together. "What are you looking at?!" Peeta snaps. Thresh forces a smile before he turns back. Agent Thresh did not sit well with him.
Few more chapters to go...