The Wrong Victor

Chapter thirty-three: Peeta

"Everyone gather 'round." Boggs calls us before leaning on the table that holds the holo as it projects the map. "Our teams are drawing closer to Snow. He's called an emergency lock down. Everyone is to make their way to the presidential house where they will let children and women in to stay safe. We have teams ready to infiltrate."

"Okay, why are you telling us? We can't do anything from back here." Gale says obviously pissed off that we aren't in the middle of fighting. I'm sure he would love to go kill Capitol citizens.

"Because we are going to be moving into the city as a protective measure. We are going to be moving close to the presidential house. We move today because they're going to start activating pods out here." Boggs says as he activates something on the holo to show the amount of pods near us and between us and a safe area. "You are not to engage in any fighting with the citizens. We are to hide our faces and keep a low profile while staying safe. Do you understand?"

"So continue to sit back and do absolutely nothing for the war?" Gale asks his arms crossed, his body square, and his jaw set.

"Yes, because our squad is nothing but our victors, a fourteen year old medic, a camera crew, and our decreased number of soldiers." Boggs is obviously agitated by Gale, I mean we all are, but he seemed the most likely to not give a shit about what Gale says.

"Just because I'm fourteen does not mean I don't know how to do my job." Prim argues her arms crossed as she stares down this army commander.

"Prim I emphasized your age because I would like it if you made it out of the war. You're only fourteen. You have your whole life ahead of you. Has nothing to do with your extensive knowledge in healing." I chuckle a little as Boggs has to explain his actions and words to a little girl.

I look over at Katniss who is sitting in a chair staring at the projection. She seems to be more of herself, more angry and ready to kill. However, that could just be her being close to Gale. "How close are we getting?"

"Ideally we won't get too close, but I have a feeling we might end up right at the gate. If that happens I need you to keep yourself together." Boggs stares at Katniss as if warning her not to have episodes.

"Boggs, the warning on your life still stands." Finnick catches our attention and we all turn to the usually fun loving and happy man. "You harm Katniss or you order anyone to harm Katniss and I will gut you like a fish. Do I make myself clear? Not a damn hair on her head will be harmed."

"That's enough for today. Everyone dismissed." Boggs is angry. Understandable. Both Finnick and I have told him threats if anyone hurts Katniss. "We leave in two days. Prim, more supplies of sedatives will be flying in tomorrow. They're going to give you more than enough, just in case."

With that Boggs, the real soldiers, and the camera crew (Cressida, Pollux, and Caster) leave.

I look at the three left here with me and run a hand through my hair. "So, we have a team of people trying to kill Katniss, we have the Capitol trying to kill us all." I say as I sit down next to Katniss. "Once we get where all the other people are, we are free. There will be no pods active where citizens are. We can find a place to hide or we can follow everyone to the gate. We don't need to stay with the people who are ready to betray us in an instant." I whisper to the other three.

"We shouldn't stay with them." Katniss says looking up at me and then at Finnick. "We stay they're going to try to kill me. That or they will keep me sedated or something else. I know I'm not all here right now. I know that. But they're going to wait for their perfect moment or even try to cause their perfect moment to execute me."

"We won't let that happen." Finnick says reaching out to hold Katniss' hand.

"And maybe I deserve it. I hurt a lot of people. I caused this war. So maybe I deserve it, but I don't want to die. Not now." Katniss looks at me and I stare back at her. "I want to be able to make it out of here and be with all of you. Even if I'm punished after this war is over. I don't care as long as I get to stay alive. I'm not normally fighting to live, haven't been for some time. But I want to live. I want to stay with you."

I gently pull her over to me and into my arms. "I won't let anyone hurt you." I tell her as I pulled her on to my lap. I hold her close and tight. "We will keep you safe."

"The moment we get to a safe place I can slip them sleeping drugs." Prim speaks up her voice wavering a little bit she's trying her best to sound strong. "I can dose them all and we can leave. We can leave and find safety on our own."

"Okay." We all agree.

The next day we are all packing getting ready to leave our camp site to go to the inner city. Prim's shipment of sedatives arrived and they appear to be enough to kill Katniss. Jeez.

"They don't want me to live." Katniss whispers as she helps me fold blankets and pack our packs of food to make sure we have enough to go off on our own.

"Hey, I won't let them hurt you." I say gently taking her hand. "Katniss, you're the only family I have left. You, Prim, Finnick, and Annie. You're all I have left. I'm not letting anyone take any more from me. I will fight for you and the others until my last breath."

"You're my family too." Katniss whispers as she plays with my fingers. "I'm.. I'm not mentally all here. I'm still... I'm still broken. But one day, at some point, I'd like to be able to be the girl you remember."

"You don't have to be the girl I remember. You don't even have to love me. I will be happy just knowing you're alive."

"But... but I do love you. At least, I'm pretty sure I love you. I... when you look at me it makes my stomach churn. It makes me nervous. When you stare into my eyes, I feel a connection between us. When you take care of Prim I just feel this happiness knowing I'm not alone in caring for my sister. When we kiss, or when I think about kissing you, I... it makes me happy. I feel to bubble in my chest and I feel happy knowing we're together." She shifts closer to me and gently cups my cheek in her small hand. "Is that love?"

"When I see you smiling, it fills me with joy because for years that smile has been hidden from the world. When I see you and Prim together, I get extremely happy because I know in my heart that you two are my family. When we have simple touches, or I get to hold your hand, I feel over the moon because physical contact with you has always been so limited. So it's a blessing every time I get to touch you. When we talk, I'm reminded how much I love you because I hear you and I see you trying your best to be who you are even if you don't exactly know who that is. I'm reminded of little things you do that just make you you even if you don't remember." I gently pull her into a kiss and hold her against me. I savor the moment, I savor the feeling of her lips against mine. I savor the feeling of her holding my cheek while I hold her waist. When we pull back I smile at her. "When we kiss, I feel like I can do anything because loving you is the best thing in the world. I can't tell you how you feel, but I can tell you that I feel the same way about you."

Katniss smiles and relaxes against my chest humming softly as she plays with my shirt. "Well, then I love you." She whispers against me.

"And I love you." I whisper back kissing her hair. "Why don't we take a break and just stay here for a second?"

Katniss nods and tightens her grip around my waist. "I'd like that."

I close my eyes and just hold Katniss close knowing the farther we go into the Capitol the farther she will become. "So would I."