With the addition of Finnick and Gale, I had two more allies on my side, aiding me with whatever Plutarch had planned and also the possible aftermath of such discovery. With nothing else to do while Haymitch accomplished what he had to do with surveillance, we had all the time to finally catch up. Finnick continued to play a dangerous balance game with my chair, which I secretly hoped would fall. Gale continued standing, an angry glower on his face. It had been so long since I had seen either of them, but Gale's company set my anxiety high, making my palms sweat involuntarily.
I couldn't help but look at Gale's hands wrapped around his biceps as he tapped his thumbs rhythmically on the bulging muscle. Like when you have a song stuck in your head you cannot seem to get rid of. His hands were massive compared to mine, with veins going in every direction until they all met at the back of his wrist. Looking at them gave me flashbacks to the way he held a bow and arrow. Strong, and unflinching. And then I remembered how they felt in mine. And on my cheek as we shared a kiss. Soft but rugged and calloused. With his size and strength, you would assume him to be a brute, but even standing at six feet-three inches, he could easily sneak up on you as his footsteps were nearly silent. All traits I had shared with him during our time in our forest. Traits I knew I wanted in my future partner.
"I can't believe Plutarch is actually a mole," Gale said with a concerned look, breaking me out of my mind and making me blush in embarrassment at the thoughts.
"Believe me," I said back, "It's a shock to us all. And now it's crucial to find out who all this information is going to."
"Who do you think?" Gale said, his voice deepening and sending goosebumps up my back.
"I-I-I have no clue," I answered back, stumbling over my words. Gale gives me a perplexed look, eyeing me to see I was telling the truth as he did so many other times in the woods of 12. "I'm not lying. You think if I knew what he was doing I'd hide it from you, of all people."
Why was his presence making me so nervous?
He steps closer to me with only a few inches separating him and I, his eyes searching for any sign of doubt or deception. Even though it felt like ages since we explored our forest back in 12, his olive skin still smelled of oak and hickory. It's like it was now engrained into every fiber of his being, and part of me wanted to embrace him, fully succumbing to his woody aroma. His aura reminded me of simpler times. It reminded me of 12; of the place that mother, Prim and I once called home and the times that I thought were hard. That paled in comparison to this now.
He lets out a frustrated sigh and turns his face away from me. He takes a few steps away and my breathing returns back to normal. I had been holding my breath without realizing it.
"There's been so much going on that it's getting harder and harder to find out who's truth worthy and who's not," he says, rubbing the back of his head. I cannot help but notice his hands once more.
"It's now us, Haymitch and Johanna versus Plutarch and whomever he's with.," I reply back.
"Do you trust both of them as much as you trust us?"
"Without a doubt. Haymitch has shown me that Plutarch can't be trusted. But he is crafty and possibly knows much more than he is putting out. We need to keep a close eye on him. He is dangerous and should be treated as such, no matter the circumstances."
The explosive sound of something slamming against the floor shocks me and I inadvertently jump into Gale's chest. The chair that Finnick was on had finally succumbed to his weight and balancing antics and had left him sprawled on the floor, with various wooden pieces under him. Gale clutches me in his grasp and draws me in closer. The oak and hickory smells flood my nostrils and send my brain into a near-euphoric state. All the memories come flooding back as I close my eyes and place my hands on his chest. One lands on his heart, and I can feel his heartbeat in my palm. It's calm and evenly paced, just like it had been when he kissed me the first time. I look up to him and he looks down to me, and our eyes meet each other's lips. His are full, plump and glossy as he licks them in anticipation. I close my eyes again and begin to feel myself be drawn in. Suddenly, a familiar face fills the void of my imagination: Peeta.
He's young and red-faced in front of his family's bakery. Mrs. Mellark had just struck him, and the bruise was already beginning to form on his cheek. I was sitting by their garbage, my emaciated frame keeping me from standing up, while the rain pounded down onto the dirt below me. Mud caked my clothes and face, and I looked as if I could die at any moment. Peeta noticed me, but his mother was too busy badgering him to do the same. She shoved the two burnt loaves into his hands and hurried back into the bakery. That burnt bread. It was the start of our long and complicated relationship, even before the 74th. And whether I realized it or not, me and Peeta were destined to be.
I snap back to reality and open my eyes. Gale's lips are inches away from mine, and they had just momentarily grazed each other when I push away from him. He opens his eyes, a look of bewilderment on his face.
"What happened?" He asks.
I sigh loudly. "You know what Gale. You know we can't do this. Not again."
"But-But I love you Catnip."
I look him in the eyes, the same grey eyes that once enticed me with unknown feelings and emotions. I knew where my heart belonged and where it was meant to be. And it wasn't with him.
"I know."
His face goes from surprised, to angry, and finally content in a matter of seconds. "I understand."
"A little help here." In the midst of everything, Gale and I had forgotten that Finnick had fallen over. Gale rushed to his side to help pick him up while I stood frozen. I had finally solidified my feelings for Peeta once and for all. Nothing stood between us now.
Gale has just risen to his feet with Gale's aid when the door opens and Johanna comes in, sweaty and breathing erratically.
"Johanna? Whats-" I start to say.
"Haymitch is in trouble," she says, and I immediately snap to attention. "I was headed to the cafeteria when I noticed him talking with two guards. I stood out of site and overheard them telling Haymitch he needs to follow them back to Plutarch's quarters. Haymitch was reluctant to say the least and that's when one of them pistol-whipped him, knocking him out. They dragged him away, and he dropped this before they did so." Johanna raises her hand and inside is a note that simply says, "Contain The Spark" in big, bold, ugly handwriting. Definitely Haymitch's' penmanship.
I grab the note, confused at its meaning. "What do you think?" I ask out loud to no one in particular.
Gale and Finnick share a look at the note and a shrug of their shoulders. I look over to Johanna and she wears the same confused look.
"No clue, but we don't have time to sit and think about it. We need to go now. God knows what happening to Haymitch right now."
"Take the lead Johanna," I say as the guys trail close to me.
"Wait. There's something I need to do with this first," she says, and snatches the note from my hand.
"But-" I begin, but she's already beginning to sprint down the dark hallway.
"I'll meet you guys there," she interject as her footsteps trail off.
"Well look like it's just us then," I say to Finnick and Gale.
"Nope," Finnick says pointing to something behind me. "You're forgetting someone."
I turn back to the door and there stands Peeta. His face looks fuller and brimming with color, a drastic difference from what he looked like the last time I saw him. His skin was no longer pale and ridden with bruises and scars. Those blue eyes seemed to shine brighter than before. They had life behind them, and once they met mine, there was a sense of familiarity behind them. My body could not help but lunge into his and he wraps his arms around my waist and chuckles softly. Behind me, I feel Gale's eyes like daggers into my back. Peetas warmth is different than that of Gale's and even more welcoming. It's like I belonged here.
"What'd I miss?" He asks.
I fill him with all the details, including Haymitch's abduction. At the end of it all, he stands and reaches his hand out to me. "So what are we waiting for?"
Authors Note:
The conclusion is slowly dawning upon us! Where do you think this story will be going? Feel free to leave a review of what you think will transpire. Thank you all for the continued support and love!