What if?- A Mockingjay Story

Chapter 47

What if?

What if I shouldn't be doing this? Especially with Sophie. What if I am just putting both myself and Sophie in danger? What if I should just stay away for now? But what if that is breaking our promise? To protect each other. But what if keeping one promise means breaking another? Breaking my self promise to always keep Sophie safe? But what about me? What if something happens to me in this situation? What if he finally kills his target?.... Me

What if? What if? What if....

---

I'm feeding Sophie her breakfast a few weeks later when Haymitch bursts into the room. He seems slightly out of breath, taking a few minutes to lean his back against the wall and catch his breath before saying abruptly

"Pack some things for Sophie"

I stand up from my seat and ask confused

"What? Why?"

He says clearly after finally regaining his breath

"It's the boy..."

Peeta. I feel my heart race all of a sudden, I ask immediately

"Why? What happened him?"

He nods and tells me

"He's having a flashback, for the last while I've heard him smashing things. Effie said you and Sophie should come here, in case he comes looking for you. Then it will be too late"

I shake my head and say to him in protest

"Let me go over there, I can help him..."

Haymitch holds out his hand to stop me from going to the hall and grabbing my coat. He tells me

"There's no point. He's too far gone. And besides, You can't put Sophie in danger"

I look back at her. Happily playing with her teddy in her highchair. But the moment I meet her eyes for no more than a second a horrible image flashes before me. Of Peeta hurting Sophie. I know what Haymitch is saying is right, I can't put Sophie in danger. When Peeta is in the state of a flashback he becomes stronger and much more aggressive. Entering his house to help him without any defence nor weapon is basically suicide. So despite wanting to help Peeta, I pack a bag for Sophie for the day, nappies, toys and stuff like that. We then walk over with Haymitch to his house, Sophie propped up in my arms. As we pass Peeta's house there is no way you could deny him having a flashback as I hear faintly smashing and the strangled screams that come only when the mutt implanted in his head by Snow takes him over.

---

"What do you think of this fabric? It's for the bridesmaids"

Effie hands me a piece of light pink fabric. She has taken advantage of my presence to go over wedding things, since in the last few weeks I have spend almost all day at the bakery. I'm not very good at this kind of stuff but I think Effie asks for my opinion because she has nobody else to. She doesn't know anyone from the district, nearly all the wedding guests that she has invited are from the capitol. Right now I don't really tune in to what she is telling me, all my attention focused on Peeta right now. Sophie is sitting on my knee, humming whilst playing with her teddy. I tell Effie

"It's nice"

Then we hear the front door open, soon to find Haymitch enter the room. I know he went to the hob, but I also know that he listened to hear Peeta on his way back. As he places groceries on the kitchen counter I ask him

"Did you hear him?"

He shakes his head and whilst sitting next to Effie at the table he says

"He's been quiet for a few hours now"