Tortured but Together (A Hunger Games Fanfiction) [UNDER EDITING]

Chapter Thirty

A/N: Usual PSA that the Hunger Games characters belong to Suzanne Collins and not to me. Also, we're in the endgame for this story, I'm planning to make it 40 chapters long and so it's about 3/4 of the way through!! I am planning on making a sequel and I'll put more info about that in future chapters!! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!!

(Katniss POV)
What could Peeta and President Snow be talking about? My only thought is that it's something about me, and that makes me nervous. Is President Snow warning Peeta of what new torture is lined up for me if I step out of line? Saying I'm a bit paranoid would be an understatement.

Deciding to put on a change of clothes, I walk over to the wardrobe and look for the least extravagant outfit I can find. Which is no easy task, people in the Capitol tend to have...interesting choices in terms of fashion. Flipping through outfit after outfit, I can't help but laugh a little bit. Bright colors, intricate patterns, and impossibly tight waistlines, and of course none of it looks like it would fit me.

I'm about to give up, until I see a green long sleeve shirt and some nice black pants tucked away at the back of the wardrobe. It's not the height of fashion or anything, in fact it's quite simple. Getting dressed and sliding into some boots a lot like the ones I would wear back in district 12, I turn to look in the mirror. Quickly braiding my hair, I get ready to go find something else to do, but I turn back one more time. Except for the haunted look in my eyes, I look like myself, I look like Katniss Everdeen.

Despite the situation, I let myself crack a small smile. For this small precious moment, I'm not the girl on fire, I'm not the mockingjay, I'm just me. The idea feels quite liberating, and I even let myself imagine that I'm back home in district 12. I'd walk to the Hob and sell the animals I'd hunted to Greasy Sae, I'd have a view of the Seam where children would dig in the dirt for trash and hopefully even something to eat...

District 12 was far from perfect, but it was my home, for better or worse...

A sharp knock at the door snaps me out of my nostalgic mood, and I force myself to focus again. This isn't district 12, it's the Capitol, and one wrong step here would get me killed before I could blink.

When I answer the door, I'm not at all surprised to see several peacekeepers standing there. It's not like anyone else would come to visit, I don't exactly have a lot of friends here. "Am I going on air already," I ask.

"Yes. That's why we're here. Follow me and we'll lead you to the prep room Miss Everdeen." Not even so much as a hello, but what else should I expect? It's not like everyone here is going to be rolling out the welcome mat after all. Sighing, I follow behind them to get prepped and preened by a bunch of people I don't even know...

"Alright, Miss Everdeen needs to be camera ready in three hours, get to work," the peacekeeper says before he just abruptly walks out. I get the feeling that he isn't one for small talk.

"Miss Everdeen, please take a seat, we have to get you ready now." I nod, scanning the room quickly to see if there's anything out of the ordinary. When they start to look impatient, I take a seat. At least there's nobody here with a lab coat on, the ones who hurt me always have lab coats.

Just as they're about to start though, I hear three people rushing over in my direction, all of them in ridiculously high heels. "We're here to prep Katniss!"

"Miss Everdeen already has us as her prep team."

"Not anymore! Orders came from President Snow himself, now scooch!" I recognize that voice...

"Octavia?"

"Oh dear, what did you do to your nails?! And yes I'm happy to see you too Katniss! Tell me, how does it feel being back in the Capitol?"