Chapter 10:
Peeta takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "The highjacking took from me every memory I had of the games, the quell, and knowing you, and turned it into something horrific." If it hadn't been such a serious moment for Peeta, I would have interrupted to point out, the games and quell WERE horrific. As if he could read my mind Peeta says, "And they were... But somehow to me, I could look at the games and the quell as something that brought me something good. Because they brought me you." Peeta takes my hand in his and runs his thumb over my fingers. I blush and look down. "But they replaced those memories with terrible, terrible thoughts." He takes another deep breaths and clenches his jaw. I can see how hard this is for him, but it's not in my nature to comfort. I wish my mother or Prim was here. They knew how to comfort. So this time, I channel Prim and my mother. "Peeta," I say softly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He shakes his head and smiles a tight smile. "I have to tell you if all of this is going to work. They replaced all my memories. I won't tell you how because it would only give you nightmares." My heart pounds and my stomach jumps. He remembers. And even now he's looking out for me. "But it was awful, and when I got back to District 13, I couldn't look at you without seeing every bad moment they had burned into me at the capital. And even during the moments when I was screaming at you, I felt in my heart it was all wrong. But it was like the true me was imprisoned in my highjacked body. And all I want now Katniss, is to shed that body forever, but they made it a part of me forever. That was Snow's final victory." He hangs his head in a defeat. The motion sends pain through my soul, and my next action doesn't need Prim or my mother to make it happen. It comes from the bottom of my heart. Placing my hand on the back of his neck I draw myself closer to him. I rest my forehead on his and kiss his cheek. "Snow will NEVER win," I hiss against his cheek. Snow's very name makes me angry, and when I associate it with what he did to Peeta is only makes me more sure. "We have won two games and a revolution, and we'll win this."
