Finding the Missing Piece: Book 6

Chapter Ninety-Nine

Katniss POV-

"Peeta, what are all these people doing here?" I ask him, my heart racing.

I've seen them all in pictures and my wedding video but I have no idea who they are and they're all crying.

I turn around and I feel like I'm gonna pass out-I try to escape up the stairs but Peeta grabs my hand and stops me, "They're all here to say goodbye." He says.

I shake my head, I can't face them.

It was scaring me enough having to face my children, let alone all my old friends.

"Peeta, I don't even know if I'm leaving this town yet. I don't know what I'm going to do or where I'm going. And I don't know these people and I told you it was gonna be hard enough for me." I tell him frantically, beginning to cry.

"Just tell them goodbye and then you can leave. You never have to see these people ever again." He mumbles to me.

"I can't believe you're doing this to me." I mumble to him angrily.

"Look at all these people who care about you and half of them don't even live in town anymore." Peeta tells me.

"I don't care. I don't know these people, Peeta." I snap.

"The door is through them so if you want to leave you have to go through them. Just get it over with. These people have all stuck by you your whole life. They deserve a goodbye too." He tells me.

He's right.

It's the least I can do and apparently they all meant something to me before.

I compose myself and I turn around and start further down the stairs and Peeta follows with my luggage.

I make it to the bottom of the stairs and Peeta stands behind me as they all stand up and wait for their turn.

A brown haired girl comes up first, she takes my hand and then hugs me, "I couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye." She says, she's crying hysterically and I can't look at her.

I nod my head and she pulls me into a hug and so do two other little girls.

She hugs me for a really long time.

"I love you, Katniss. You will always be my best friend." She starts, trying to bring herself to finish but she's crying hysterically.

I try to hold back my own tears even though I have no clue who she is.

She sniffles, "Thank you for everything that you've done. For always saving me and the girls and for being there when I needed you. You've been the best friend and I will never forget the things you've done for me." The lady says.

I smile sadly and she pulls away, Peeta's cousin comes behind her, patting her shoulder.

"I couldn't have done any of this without you." The woman cries, burying her face into the mans chest.

"Goodbye, Katniss." Peeta's cousin says, smiling sadly.

"Goodbye." I say.

I look down at the little girls who are still hugging my legs and I see the older one is crying hysterically, "I-I love you, Aunt K-Katniss." She sobs.

I kneel down and I embrace her and the other little girl who I'm assuming is her sister.

"It'll be alright." I tell the older girl but I don't even know why she's crying.

We must've been really close.

It breaks my heart on the way out Willow and the little girl hug each other, both of them crying.