Finding the Missing Piece: Book 3

Chapter Seventy

Peeta POV-

"Peeta, wait." Katniss calls after a few seconds and chases after me.

I stop and turn around, "What?" I ask softly.

"I'm sorry." She says.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I'm not being fair to you or to Bristol, it's just so frustrating for me and I know that I can be a thousand times more frustrating but I don't know how to comfort people like you do." She says.

"That's why we are helping her as a team but I need you to work with me." I say, closing my eyes and trying to be patient.

I don't know what's gotten into her.

"Fine, but you can't tell me you aren't frustrated with the situation." Katniss scowls.

"I never said I wasn't. Katniss, I'm so pissed about the whole thing, especially because he brought us into it."

She shrugs, "I just wish everything was right again. Every time we turn around you and I are fighting or something happens, I don't like it."

I frown, "Maybe we need to go to counseling or something." I throw out.

Katniss looks down, "We don't need counseling, we need to stop being stupid."

"Maybe our recent agreement will help a little bit." I tell her truthfully.

Katniss shrugs her shoulders, "After this blows over, we need to start working on our relationship."

I nod, "I agree but it's not that bad. I mean, I don't know how to explain it. We fight about little stupid things that's all."

"I know, it would help if I wasn't so damn rude and stubborn about everything."

I shake my head, "You're not rude at all. You are stubborn as a mule, though."

This causes a little smile to appear on her face, "I know and I try not to be."

I set a hand on her shoulder, "And you do very good with that but that's part of who you are and I love that part of you, even though it's hard to deal with sometimes."

She gives me a shrug, "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be." I say leaning down and kissing her forehead, "I love you." I say.

"I love you too." Katniss tells me.

"How about you head back up and talk to Bristol?" I suggest.

She shrugs, "She wants to be alone, just let her."

"Fine. What do you wanna do? There's not much, this hotel is kind of boring."

"Let's just explore, I guess."

So we do.

Katniss and I go down the elevator, stopping on every floor.

People stop and goo over Carter, 'our child' as they assume, but we just smile and thank them, there's no point in arguing with them, even though Katniss gets a little frustrated.

"Peeta, look." Katniss says. glancing up at a painting on the wall of the hotel lobby.

It's of a meadow, it has many flowers and one plant in-particular: dandelions.

I don't see why they have that picture here, being Four is near the ocean but it's pretty.

"That is beautiful, Katniss." I say walking over to her, she takes my hand and presses it to her lips and closes her eyes.

"I wish we could go to the meadow." She says softly.

"Why couldn't we? There's one in Twelve isn't there?" I ask, guiding her to face me.

"It's all on private property now. There's no way."

I frown, "We will find you a meadow, I promise you." I assure her.

She smiles a little and nods.

"It's been about an hour and we are kind of out of things to look at and Carter here seems sleepy, how about we head back up?" I suggest

She sighs, "Fine. Are you going to make me apologize?" She asks.

"It's your choice but I think you should." I tell her.

Katniss reaches out and pulls me into a hug, "Okay."

I smile and kiss the top of her head, "I love you."

She looks up and smiles sadly, "Kiss me."

I lean down and press my lips to hers.

"What was that for?" I ask after.

"Because I know we won't be able to be all lovey-dovey in front of Bristol tonight or we shouldn't be."

I nod my head, "Then come here." I say pulling her close to me.

Carter in between us.

I press my lips hard against hers.

The spot tingles, the kiss last for about ten seconds and it's great, we haven't been this intimate in so long it seems, even though it's just a simple kiss.

I pull away first and take her chin in my hand, holding Carter with my other one.

I kiss her forehead, her nose, and then her lips.

Carter let's out a loud, impatient squeal and Katniss and I just look at her and laugh.

"Are you mad because Peeta's giving me more attention than you?" Katniss bends down and talks to her, she just grins.

"Let's go." I say, so we do.

When we make it back to our room we find Bristol in there on the phone, she cuts the call short when she sees it's us.

"Hey." I say, walking in with Katniss behind me.

She bobs her head, "Hey."

Katniss walks over and sits on her bed, "I'm really sorry that I yelled at you earlier." She starts.

It makes me proud that I didn't have to force Katniss to tell Bristol 'sorry' and it makes me proud she's doing it at all.

"It's okay, I know you're just trying to help and I appreciate that. I'm sorry that I'm not being such a good friend to you and Peeta."

I smile to myself and lay a now sleeping Carter in the middle of Katniss and I's bed for now.

Katniss smiles sadly, "We all have our moments, huh?"

"Yeah but I love you both so much and I owe you both so much." Bristol says.

Katniss leans over and hugs her.

I walk over and wrap my arms around them both, kissing each of their heads.

"I love you both and we are gonna make it through this together. You're not gonna do it alone, Bristol." I assure her.

"Katniss?" Bristol asks.

"Yeah?"

"I'm moving back to District 10 to be with my family."