Chapter 21: Resistance
Katniss' mother leaves the next day and promises to be back for the wedding. It is two months away and there is still so much to do.
"Peeta?" Katniss calls out to him in the garden. He has decided to take the morning off work to spend it with Katniss and Prim.
"Uh huh" Peeta replies distractedly.
"I am thinking about going out for a walk to Prim's grave. Do you want to come with me?"
"You get Primrose ready and I will be there in a few minutes" he says.
Katniss goes up the stairs to get Prim ready. She is just beginning to stir in her cot.
"Hello, Primrose" Katniss says.
Prim gives her a big smile and goos at her. She is such a happy baby.
When Peeta is ready, and after Katniss has fed Prim and put her in a sling on her chest, they head off to the graveyard. It is a lovely Summer's day and an easy walk. The flowers are blooming, the birds are singing and Katniss has her two favourite people in the whole world with her. It's a perfect day.
As they get closer to Prim's grave, Katniss can see that something is wrong. The flowerbed on the top of the grave has been disturbed. Some of the flowers have been pulled up and flung off to the side. They are now lying lifeless beside it. Katniss can't understand who would do something like that. Then she sees what has replaced the flowers and is stopped in her tracks. All the breath is suddenly sucked from her lungs. There is a rose bush in full bloom. Not just any rose bush, but a white rose bush, shimmering in the sunlight.
Peeta sees it at the same time and rushes over to the grave to pull it out by the root. He flings it as far away as possible and turns back to look at Katniss. The colour has drained out of her face and she is trembling. He can see the terror in her eyes.
"Peeta" she whispers, almost inaudibly. "It's happening again".
Peeta grabs Katniss just as she begins to slide to the ground. Prim starts to cry and Peeta loosens the wrap and takes Prim in his arms before laying Katniss gently on the ground. He tries to create a breeze on her face with the shawl to help bring her around. Who would do this?!
Peeta remembers that the peacekeepers who had tried to hijack him when Katniss was pregnant had not been caught yet. Gale had had told him they were probably deep underground. Many of them were trained military personnel who knew how to remain undetected for months, even years. Unfortunately, on the night of Peeta's hijacking, they'd had plenty of time to escape. Peeta wonders how many dissident Peacekeepers are still part of the current force. He knows Gale is going to see Paylor soon to get an update on the situation.
At the same time, Peeta can't help feeling this is different. The roses were Snow's signature and Peeta remembers it is not only disgruntled members of Alma Coin's force they have to worry about. There is also the Capitol Resistance. They would be aware of Snow's predilection for roses, white roses. Katniss hated them and would not allow Peeta to plant a rose of any colour in their garden. Now someone had planted one on top of Prim's grave!
Katniss begins to come around.
"Katniss" Peeta begins.
"Oh, Peeta" she says. "What is happening? The last time he left roses for me I thought he was going to kill you!" Katniss cries. She was thinking back to the bombing of 13 and how Snow had dropped thousands of roses on top of the rubble. It was a warning to her. It was a warning that someone she loved was going to die.
"Katniss, it's just a rose bush. Maybe someone planted it there thinking Prim would like it, or as a gesture of condolence". Even as he says this, Peeta knew this isn't true. It is a threat. A very veiled, but very direct threat to Katniss and those she loves. He has to try and reassure her.
"Peeta, you know that isn't true! No one here would disturb Prim's grave. They know how much it means to me. We have to go and tell Gale". Gale still being in District 12 provided Katniss with some comfort. He would always look out for her, for them. Hopefully he had his finger on the Capitol pulse.
Peeta helps Katniss up and they make their way back to the town centre. Gale is in the barracks and is surprised to see the whole family walk in. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" he says cheerily.
Then he sees the haunted look in Katniss' eyes and realizes they are not there for pleasure.
Peeta begins "Gale, we went out to visit Primrose's grave and it was disturbed. Someone had removed some of the flowers from the top and replaced them with a rose bush".
"What kind of rose bush?" Gale asks hesitantly.
Katniss replies "A white rose bush. The kind that Snow kept in his garden. He is dead, but he is still threatening me". Katniss' voice rises along with her fear.
"Katniss" says Gale "we don't know who put it there or why. It's better not to jump to conclusions. I will look into it, I promise".
"Please, Gale" Katniss pleads.
Gale hasn't seen her this vulnerable in a long time. She really is afraid and that monster Snow is the one who created this fear in her. Killing him wasn't enough, thinks Gale. It will never be enough.
"Thanks, Gale. We would really appreciate that" says Peeta. Every time they think they have thrown off the yoke of Snow, the Games, the Rebellion, something comes back to haunt them and tries to destroy their happiness. Peeta is not going to let that happen this time. They have been through too much already.
Peeta takes Katniss back to the house and sits her in the parlour. Prim is crying again because she is hungry so Katniss opens the buttons of her blouse to begin feeding her. The look in her eyes tells Peeta that she is far away from Prim, and from him. She is back in the meeting with Snow prior to the Victory Tour and he is telling her she had better convince him. Or people were going to die. People she loved.