Deep in the Meadow

|3| To the Capitol

Knock, knock
I hear the Hawthorns knock on our door.

"Adam!" Willow cheers, racing to the door.

"I'll get it." I tell Peeta and meet Willow at the door.

I swing it open and see Gale and Jena standing there. Jena holds two year old Adam in her arms.

"Katniss." Gale says when we meet gazes. He takes a step forward and wraps his arms around me. I return the hug and remember the times in the Seam, when Gale and I would meet in the woods. Then.... the time we kissed. And how we were the best of friends. We still are best friends, but since we are both married now, we don't get in touch as much.

Gale pulls away and grabs Jena's hand.

"Adam has been excited all morning about going to Willows house." He exclaims kissing Adams forehead. Adam just buries his head in Jena's shirt shyly.

"Why don't you come on in? Willows been excited all morning too." I say stepping aside and motioning for them to come inside. I smile at Jena and Adam. Adam giggles and hides his smile by tuning the other way.

As they settle on the couch Willow brings Adam one of her many, many, toy stuffed kitten.
He smiles and climbs off of Jena. They run off to Willows room giggling.

"It's nice to see you guys again." Peeta declares putting Rye in his play-pin.

"Well we couldn't turn down a chance to help you guys out. Plus Adam has been ecstatic about seeing Willow again ever since we were here last time." Jena answers.

"I'm guessing you guys got the message from the Capitol too?" Peeta asks sitting on the couch along with the rest of us.

"Yea. We figured that's one of the reasons why you invited us over. We figured that you guys wanted to go to the Capitol to see if it's really true. If what the Capitol threatens is really true." Jena answers.

"You knew that we were going?" I ask surprised.
Gale smiles.
"Well, I know you. And I know you would do anything for the protection of Panem. And when the message came through I was expecting you two to make the first move and see if the mutts and Paylor's death were real. When we got the call, I told Jena exactly what I thought you were going to do."

"Well I guess you were right." I say.
Jena looks me in the eyes.
"You do know what your getting into, right?" She asks.
"You guys could be sending yourselves to a death sentence."

"Well if they capture me, they get what they want and won't harm Panem." I tell her.

"What if they capture Peeta?" She asks.
I look over at Peeta sorrowful. If they capture Peeta I don't know what I would do. I can't go through the pain of him being at the Capitol again. But I know I can't persuade him to stay home.

"We don't have to worry about that. We're staying together." Peeta interjects. I lock eyes with him and see a determination hidden behind the light blue irises.

"Mommy! Mommy look!" Willow cheers as she comes out of the hall holding her kitten toy. Adam follows gripping her other stuffed cat. She has wanted a cat since I told her about Prim's cat Buttercup. I'm not quite sure where Buttercup went. Probably at a lost animal shelter. Or dead.

"Meow, meow" she says mimicking a cat sound.

"Meow" Adam copies and giggles. He runs up to Gale and makes the cat climb his leg.