Reuniting Our Lives

Almost Time

A/N: I'm sorry it's been sooooo long, and that there's a gigantic time jump, but college is super hard, and I've been blocked too. It sucks. So we'll see how this goes.

There's only two months until the wedding. Effie has taken full responsibility and is planning almost the entire wedding. She wants it to be a large wedding that's televised across all of Panem, but I know that Peeta and I would rather have the traditional toasting, and that's it. Neither of us have the courage to tell her, though.

"We just have one more detail to sort out before the whole day is planned; what about the cake?" Effie asks us. Peeta and I look at each other, and I know that he wants to make the cake, but Effie might have a meltdown if we tell her that.

"I drew up an idea for a cake, but I don't know many people that would be able to make it," Peeta says as he slides the drawing to Effie. I haven't seen his drawing, so I have no clue what it looks like. I think that might've been his intention.

She looks at it, and it must be very intricate because she's completely absorbed in the drawing. "I'll have to ask around the Capitol to see if anyone can do this, otherwise, we'll have to choose something much simpler." We all know that simple isn't her style, but she doesn't seem like she'll let Peeta make the cake any time soon.

Effie leaves the room to call one of her many contacts in the Capitol, probably trying to find someone to make the cake, or to make sure the catering is still in order. She checks, double checks, and triple checks every detail for the wedding, and it's gotten to be too much. Every time that she brings up something about the wedding, it makes me want the toasting even more. It would make it so much simpler, and we've gotten Effie to agree to us having a toasting already, so we could cancel all of the formal wedding plans, and still be married.

When Effie comes back, she seems stressed out and disheveled. We're about to ask what's wrong when she speaks up.

"The caterer backed out because he said it was 'too much work' and they're 'short-staffed' for the day. Where am I going to find another caterer in two months? And I have to find someone to make the cake! This isn't going according to planned!" Peeta and I look at each other as if asking if we should ask her to cancel everything. All we do is give each other looks to urge the other on. Then, I notice a new look in his eyes, and I see his eyes dilate to the point where blackness consumes his blue eyes, and fear courses through my veins.

"Effie, you need to get out right now," I say cautiously. She looks at me crouched down on the floor like a hunter stalking its prey, looks at Peeta, and almost begins to scold me for my lack of manners until she notices his eyes. She takes off her high heels to be more quiet and backs out of the house, leaving all of the wedding plans on the table.

Peeta shuts his eyes tightly and grips the table till his knuckles turn white, as if there is no skin and only bone showing. He mutters things under his breath, and I remain on the floor, ready to run if I have to; if Peeta can't control his flashback. His eyes whip open, and shift from black to blue, back to black, and snarls at me like one of the dog mutts in out first games. He lunges toward me, and I run out of the house as fast as I can, toward the Meadow.

My lungs burn with every breath I take, but none of us can afford for the attack Peeta has to become physically violent. He was doing so well, and went eight months without an attack, and only one was this violent since he arrived back in Twelve. I just keep running through the Meadow toward the forest, where I, hopefully, can climb up a tree and be safe from the distorted Peeta that is on my heels, trying his hardest to catch me, and carry out what Snow always wanted; for the Mockingjay to be killed.

Once I get up a sturdy enough tree, Peeta tries to climb the tree, but can't make it very far. He hurdles himself at the base of the tree, and I'm almost thrown off the branch I'm on many times. It goes on until he gets tired, but then goes right back at it when he's regained the fight and the energy to attack the tree some more.

Hours pass until he finally comes back to me, and the sun is just beginning to set below the horizon. I climb down quickly when I hear his heavy sobs, and miss my footing on one of the branches, causing me to fall from twenty feet in the air, hitting branches on my way down and falling in a heap on the forest floor.

The sobs escaping Peeta's mouth grow louder, and he starts to scream my name. I try to reach my arm out to him, but I can't move. He grabs my face, much like I did in the Quell when Finnick revived him, and cries my name over and over again. I can't do anything, and Peeta releases my head and punches the tree, frustrated that he couldn't help me down from the tree. Blaming himself for me being there in the first place. My head falls to the left, and the last thing I see is a lone dandelion sprouting from the ground, it's yellow colour hurting my eyes, and its potent scent burning my nose.

A/N: GUYS. I AM SOOOOOOOO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER AND MAKING THE ENDING ALL CRAPPY AND STUFF, BUT I HAD TO MIX IT UP. I also suck at college, so that's cool. Actually though. I know I failed one of my classes for sure. So, yeah. It's winter break though, so I might be able to update more! I mean, I'm supposed to be cleaning my room and bathroom right now, but I updated instead, so that should tell you something, I guess. YOU ARE ALL WELCOME TO PUNCH ME FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER. K, I'm out.

~Rachel