Sorry for the delay, but this is the last official chapter. I'm thinking of writing an epilogue. I'm working on it so it's more of a definitive thing than an I'm thinking about it...
Really can't thank everyone enough for all the ongoing support. Hope you enjoy the conclusion. Thanks again.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just working with the idea.
When Katniss' eyes open, she's staring at her lap. She instinctually tries to move her arms but they don't budge. She turns her head over her shoulder and even though her vision is somewhat fuzzy, she can make out that her hands are bound together behind her back. It's a futile attempt when she tries to pull her hands apart. So instead, she tires to stretch her legs, but again they're tied up as well.
"Well, looks like sleeping beauty is finally awake." Katniss turns her head up to the figure. Finally, her vision starts to cooperate when it focuses on Thresh standing by the door.
It had all went to hell after Johanna and Cato left with Peeta. Less than an hour later, she heard gunshots from the living room. Before she even had time to react, the door to the bedroom swung open. Katniss had tried her best to keep him off but Thresh wasn't a small man. Her struggle was instantly halted after she felt a needle prick the skin of her neck. She remembered only blackness after that.
"What the hell are you after?" Katniss yells.
"It's not me who wants anything to do with you." He gives her a smirk that makes her uncomfortable. "But we'll get to that shortly." Thresh approaches her and kneels in front of her. He eyes her curiously while Katniss gives him a death glare. He reaches for her chin and Katniss instantly flinches. He laughs. "I can see why Peeta likes you."
At the mention of Peeta's name, Katniss begins to struggle violently in her chair. "Don't you talk about him! Don't even say his name!"
"Feisty. Now I can see why Snow likes you." Katniss stills. Her eyes go cold as they meet Thresh's. He smirks at her again before standing and walking back to the door. The door swings open just as he reaches it and in walks the man they were just talking about.
"Miss Everdeen. So nice to see you again." Snow closes the door behind him and makes his way over to her. "You've caused me some serious trouble. You know what?" He turns to look at Thresh who still wears his smirk. "I was actually worried about going to jail." He laughs as he walks over to Thresh and shows him his hand. Thresh pulls a gun out from behind his back and hands it to him. "That's not going to happen again."
He points the gun at Katniss. Even with the inevitability of death literally staring her in the face, Katniss refuses to back down. Not in the office and not here. She wasn't going to beg for anything.
"We could have been great together. Our relationship would have been based on trust and honesty. And do you know why?" He looks to Katniss. "Because we would have agreed to not lie to each other." The hammer clicks and then a huge bang is heard. Thresh's and Snow's demeanors change instantly. Snow heads for the door with the gun and looks back to Thresh. "Wait here!" Snow tells him before he leaves.
Katniss watches as Thresh starts to frantically yell into his walkie-talkie in attempt to try and figure out what the hell is happening. Katniss knows she only has a limited amount of time to try and figure out how she's going to get out of this mess. She struggles again, but it's in vain. The ropes are tied too tightly as they burn her wrists in her attempt. She stares at her tied legs when she suddenly remembers the knife Peeta gave her, which she had tucked into her boot just like Peeta had.
She scoots down in her seat trying to get as close to the ground as possible. Her legs swing back as she reaches for the knife while keeping her eyes on Thresh. She almost drops the knife when the door swings open again. Katniss desperately cuts at the ropes on her hands just as Snow walks in breathlessly.
"Take care of her." He tells Thresh. The door closes again leaving Thresh and Katniss alone again. Katniss notices that Snow never handed Thresh back his gun. He clenches his fists as he approaches her.
"I guess I'm going to have to do this the old fashioned way." He tells her as his hands go for her throat. Before he can reach her, Katniss pulls the knife from behind her and stabs him in the neck. Thresh's hands are at his wound trying to stop the bleeding, but his biggest mistake is pulling out the knife as the blood comes out even faster. His neck holding is of no use as Thresh falls to the ground, his body pooled in his blood.
Katniss reaches for the knife hesitantly as it's covered in blood. She cuts the ropes around her legs and heads for the door. She cautiously opens it and peaks her head through to see if anyone is around. When she sees no one, she gently closes the door and starts walking down the hall. As she reaches the end, she has to hide suddenly when several men run past her in panic. When she steps out, a hand covers her mouth and an arm wraps around her waist.
Suddenly, Katniss has had enough. She puts all her weight into pushing and pulling against the man. Katniss flips him over her shoulder. Just as she's about to run the other way, weak voice makes her stop.
"Wait." Katniss turns back and finds Peeta laying on the floor.
"Oh my god, Peeta!" She kneels down next to him as he sits up. "Are you okay?"
"It hurts more with the Kevlar." He groans as he massages the bottom of his back. Katniss helps pull him up. "Knocked the air out of my lungs. Taught you too well." Katniss wraps her arms around him and gives him a deep kiss.
"What are you doing here?!"
"What do you think?! Come on!" He grabs her hand and keeps them moving. They make a few turns before Peeta stops them. He peaks over and notices a guard keeping post at the exit. He whistles to get his attention.
"What are you doing?!" Katniss whispers harshly. Peeta only puts his finger to his mouth in a "be quiet" gesture. Peeta grabs the guard just as he's about to turn the corner. Katniss watches as Peeta chokes him out and the guard falls to the ground. Peeta takes the hand gun from the guard and hands it to Katniss. He pulls his own gun out and leads them out of the building. Explosions and gun fire greets them as they open the door.
"What the hell is going on Peeta?" Katniss asks.
"Rescue mission. Let's just say Haymitch's friends got a little carried away." They keep walking through. Luckily, all the chaos is isolated in another section which allows for an easy escape to a wooded area just behind the compound. Peeta pulls her through the woods, then stops suddenly.
"What?" Katniss asks.
"Just straight in that direction is Johanna. She's waiting for you just out that way. Go!" He pushes her in the direction.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Katniss asks him.
"Katniss, I have to go back."
"Why?"
"You know why. This has to end. I have to end this." He tells her.
"Peeta-"
"Katniss, Snow's never going to stop. He's never going to stop coming after you and I can't have that!" He grabs her hands. "I love you. When I said I would never let anything happen to you, I meant it. Now, please Katniss…" He tries pushing her in the direction again.
"Peeta! No!" She struggles against him.
"Katniss, understand-" Peeta can't finish as Katniss jumps into his arms and collides her lips with his. When she pulls back, tears stream her face.
"Peeta, I love you." She kisses him again. "I can't lose you!"
"You won't." He pulls her into a hug. He closes his eyes as tightly as possible trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall for him too. "Katniss-" She kisses him again before she turns and heads in the direction he wants.
She walks for a couple minutes before the pain makes her stop in her tracks. She had already gone through the feeling of losing him; she couldn't bear it if it was real. She wipes the tears away and clutches the gun in her hand tightly. The faster she got there, the faster it would be over and she could see Peeta again.
Just as she was about to break out in a run, a gun shot goes off behind her. Katniss turns to look in the direction she had came from. Another gun shot rings out. They're too close for her not to worry.
Instead of running towards Johanna, Katniss sprints in Peeta's direction. She freezes when she sees Snow with his arms wrapped around Peeta's neck.
"Katniss, we have to stop meeting like this." Snow chuckles.
"Katniss," Peeta groans as he struggles against Snow.
"Got your boyfriend." Snow tells her as he kicks Peeta in calf. He groans in pain. Katniss looks down and notices that he's been shot there. She raises her gun at Snow. "Now, now…" Snow pulls Peeta up some to shield himself. "We wouldn't want anything drastic to happen."
"Shoot him." Peeta groans out. Snow chuckles as he kicks Peeta again. He shouts in the pain and Snow has to readjust Peeta against him again.
"You're not going to do anything, are you Katniss?" He kicks Peeta once more and Katniss' aim steadies. Peeta groans as he tries to lowering Snow's arms from around his neck. His pleading eyes meet Katniss.' He's asking her for something that she's not sure of. Peeta tugs at Snow's arms again, hinting at something Katniss was not sure she could do. He makes it a point to rub his chest, pointing out the bulletproof vest. Her eyes plead with him. There has to be another way.
Snow doesn't particularly like their exchange so he kicks Peeta's wounded leg once more but it doesn't end there. Snow reaches for something in his pocket. Neither one of them knows what it is but they don't get a chance to find out before Katniss takes her shot.
Snow yells in pain as the bullet pierces through his arm and Peeta fall to the ground. Snow can't believe what just happened and Katniss has no time to care when Peeta was lying motionlessly on the ground. Katniss takes one final shot and snow falls to the ground.
Katniss runs over to where Peeta lay on the floor. She frantically runs her hands over the bullet hole in his vest. She finally finds the straps to the vest and rips them open. Katniss throws the vest out of the way and rips his shirt open. There was no blood or hole but there's already a bruise on the left side of his chest. She wants to start crying as she looks at what she's done. Her hands find their way to cup his face.
"Peeta…I'm so sorry. Please, wake up." Katniss places a hand over his heart. She feels it's still beating but he's unresponsive. She kisses his cheek and Peeta groans. "Are you okay?" Katniss asks him.
"Ow." Peeta rubs his chest then looks at Snow's dead body.
"Great shot! Right between the eyes." Katniss embraces him in a tight hug. Her hands caress the back of his head. She places a kiss on the side of his head.
"You said I wouldn't lose you…" She whispers to him.
"I would have had him!" Peeta tells her. "You distracted me by NOT listening and coming back!"
"Bullshit! He would have killed you!" She presses his leg and Peeta flinches in pain. "I'm sorry. For that and for shooting you." Katniss hugs him and kisses the top of his head.
"You saved my life." Peeta whispers to her as she cradles his head.
"I owed you." He kisses her quickly before trying to stand up. Katniss helps him stand as the bullet in his leg makes it difficult to do it on his own. They continue to slowly make their way towards Johanna.
"You're sure I can't get you a job working with us?" Peeta ask her with a smile.
"No."
"Because you have some serious moves, baby."
"Your moves."
"Badass!" He tells her with a laugh. She looks up at him with a serious face. "What?"
"I don't even want YOU to do it." Katniss tells him honestly. Peeta sighs heavily. "I mean, look at you, Peeta!" She almost yells as she points at his injuries.
"You're worrying about me?"
"Always." Katniss says. "Is it always going to be like this?" Peeta pulls her in tightly.
"I promise that it won't."
When they make it to Johanna, she's about to say something when she takes a look at Peeta.
"What the hell happened?!" She almost shouts as she helps take some of Peeta's weight off Katniss. Johanna looks over his injuries then presses on the bruise on his chest. "Again?"
"Shh!" Peeta tries.
"Again?!" Katniss angrily looks at Peeta. "This isn't the first time you've been shot?!"
"Katniss," He coughs as he limps his way over the backseat of the car. "Yes." Katniss looks over at Johanna who shakes her head at her.
"It's not? What's the average, then?" She looks to Peeta for some clarification.
"To his defense," Johanna perks up. "The last time was a 'wrong place, wrong time' kind of thing…" Katniss takes her seat next to him and slams the door closed.
"Katniss…" Peeta reaches for her hand, which she reluctantly allows him to hold. "It's part of my job."
"I don't know if I can sign up for this…" She turns her gaze from the window to him.
"I told you, Katniss. It won't always be this." Katniss doesn't look convinced. "I promise. I'll quit. Right now, if you want." She sighs.
"I couldn't make you stop doing something that's so important to you."
"You're important to me." Peeta scoots closer to her. He wraps an arm around her and she leans against him. "I love you."
"I love you too Peeta." They share a sweet kiss.
"You guys are sickeningly disgusting." Johanna shakes her head as she drives them to the hospital. Peeta laughs against Katniss lips before capturing them in a passionate kiss.
"You know I'm always going to hold it over your head that you shot me…" Katniss pushes him away playfully.
"You told me to!"
"I said no such thing!" He kisses her again. "But I love how you listened to everything I taught you."
"You're welcome. Where do we stand now that this is really over, Peeta?"
"First, we're going on a date." She smiles shyly at him. "Then, you're actually going to marry me."
"Just like that?" Katniss asks. "You're not going to ask?"
"You want me to ask?" She shrugs at his question. "Okay…will you marry me?"
"Yea but-"
"Then that's that!" Peeta kisses her cheek and she laughs. "I know the way I say it, makes it sound like this is all a quick thing but we'll do everything when we're ready."
"I'm ready." Katniss says and it makes him smile. "I want to be with you Peeta. I want to sleep with you forever."
"Oh god!" Johanna says as she turns up the radio.
"Yea, Katniss. TMI!" Peeta teases.
"You know what I mean!" Katniss laughs. "I can't sleep without you anymore. I had nightmares that night at your uncle's."
"You thought I was dead."
"I always have nightmares." She confesses to him. "Until you started sharing my bed. They disappear when I'm with you."
"I didn't know that." Peeta pulls her in tighter. "I'll always be there."
"And I'll always love you." Katniss says with a kiss.
"Alright, Whitney…" Peeta jokes and she shoves him away. "I love you too."