Finding the Missing Piece: Book 3

Chapter Fifty-Two

Katniss POV- (A few days later)

"Katniss, will you come here, please?" Peeta hollers from the back door.

Since I was doing dishes, I wipe my hands off on my pants and walk over to the back door to see what he needs.

"Yeah?" I ask, walking onto the back porch.

"Sweetheart, didn't you say that Prim had a cat?" Peeta asks.

I nod my head, frozen.

"She did, he ran away a few years ago. Why?" I ask, my heart racing.

Did he find him?

What is going on?

"Come here." Peeta says, taking my hand.

I shakily take his hand and we walk around the house, "Peeta, if you found a dead cat I don't want to see it." I say, pulling away from him.

Peeta laughs a little, "Just come here." He says dragging me along.

That's when I see him, in a little carrier.

Alive.

Buttercup.

The cat my sister thought was gone so long ago, the cat she cried about when we couldn't find.

My hand goes over my mouth as tears immediately threaten to spill out of my eyes.

Peeta grips my hand tightly and puts his other hand on my back as I sink into the ground on my knees, Peeta kneels down beside me.

"You said his name was Buttercup. This is Prim's cat, right?" Peeta asks, hope in his eyes.

I wrap my arms around him and bury my head into his chest, he sits down in the green grass next to me, "It is. It's him." I say crying, both happy and sad tears into his shirt.

"I was at the store this morning and I saw a flyer, someone was giving him away. They had a back story and it said he just appeared a few years ago, the person who had him lives a few blocks down, Katniss. I just hoped and hoped it was the right one." Peeta tells me.

"Oh my goodness, Peeta." I cry, hugging him tightly.

"You're okay with it, right? I thought that having him here, if it was really him, would help you." Peeta says.

I look up into his worry-filled eyes and nod, "It's him, it is really him. Thank you." I say, wiping my nose with the back of my hand.

Peeta gives me a little smile, one of those smiles you give when you don't know if you should be happy or serious. I let out a laugh, "Ugh, how has that stupid thing survived?" I laugh.

He laughs, "The lady who had him was older. I bet he got lots of food."

"Why didn't she want him anymore?" I ask stuffily.

Peeta frowns, staring back behind me, at Buttercup, "She said she was getting too old to take care of a cat."

I nod, "I can't believe this, Peeta."

"I bet Prim helped out with this little miracle. I bet she did it for you." Peeta says.

I smile, "I'm sure she did, even though she knew I hated him." I laugh.

Peeta gives me a smirk and I pull him into me, for a kiss, "Thank you so so much." I say, somewhat excitedly, mostly shocked.

He smiles, our foreheads pressed together, looking each other straight in the eyes, "I love you."

I throw my head back in a joyful laugh, "I love you too."

Peeta smiles, "I guess we have a new family member then?" He says.