Mockingjay part 2

Chapter10

I wake up still naked. Peeta is not beside me. I get dressed and comb my hair then head downstairs. "Peeta?!" I yell. "Up here!" He answers. He is in Willows room dressing her. "Why are you dressing her so early?" I ask. "Plutarch called, there is a broadcast in the Capitol we are needed for." He says. I'm immediately confused. What would they need us for? "Well what for?" I ask Peeta. He shrugs and says, "he said it was a surprise," I roll my eyes and grab Willows bag. "So when is the train coming?" I ask Peeta, he says at 9:00. It is 8:32. "Peeta! We gotta go!" I run to our room and pack up my things into my bag. That's when I hear it.

Willow is scream crying and I hear a loud yelling noise. Peeta. I have to protect Willow no matter what. I run into her room and take her from the table we change her diaper on. Peeta is clutching the end of the crib in a major death grip. "AHHHHHHHH" he screams. I take Willow downstairs and out the back door. We sit in the meadow. Willows face is blotchy and red, tears streaming, though the wailing has stopped. I rock her and kiss her forehead over and over tears falling from my own eyes. This has only happened one other time, the flashbacks. A whole hour passed till he stopped that time. But this time we have Willow. And it is just too dangerous to last too long. The screaming has stopped after 20 minutes. I stand up and take Willow inside. I lay her on the couch and call Effie. I tell her to postpone the train for an hour, she agrees.

I quietly walk up the stairs and down the hall. I had closed the door when I took Willow. I slowly turn the knob... What if he is still silently freaking out? I may be putting my life in danger, but I have to know if he is ok. I open the door and slowly walk in. Peeta is curled in a ball behind the crib. His eyes are wide open and pure black, he is shivering. "Peeta..." I say quietly. I crouch down beside him and gently stroke his hair. His fist tighten and I step back. He let's out another wail, then shivers dangerously. His eyes change to normal but he is still shivering. "Peeta... God, what happened?!" His entire hand is drenched in blood. Then I smell it. The mixture of the ugliest things on earth. Blood and roses.

I look out the window and see two roses growing beside the house. The window was open, causing the two terrible odors to mix. "Th-th-the r-r-r-roses, my h-h-hand." He coughs out. Snows scent must have triggered the flashbacks, causing the horrific screaming. I run downstairs and grab something to wrap it in. When I walk back in he is standing, holding his bloody hand in the other. "There is a jagged edge on the changing table. I tripped and it jabbed into my hand." He says shakily. I take the hand in mine and hold it gently, walking him to the bathroom. The water washes the blood and I can see the wound clearly. It is on the side of his palm. I rub some ointment on it and wrap it.

I take a shower while Peeta watches Willow. I can hear her crying and Peeta trying to comfort her. She must be afraid of him now, ever since that episode. She stops after a while and I hear Peeta sigh and sniffle. When I get out of the shower I wrap a towel around me and walk out to see Peeta crying. "She's scared of me Katniss! I'm supposed to protect her from scary things! Not be one!" He crys. I look in his blue eyes and see desperate longing and fear. "Hey, it's ok. He's not gonna hurt you, he loves you..." I say, caressing her dark curling locks. She makes a little sound and cuddles close to him. I smile, taking Peeta's face in my hands and kiss him. "C'mon, we gotta go. The train gets here in ten minutes." I say, smiling. I put on some clothes, braid my hair, and grab my fathers hunting jacket to comfort me in the Capitol.

Willow wears a berry colored crinkled dress. It is plaid with a bow at the waist. Her shoes are white and she wears a sun hat that matches the dress. It is Peeta's favorite outfit of Willows from Prim's old stuff. It is warm outside for April. We walk towards the train, passing the bakery. Peeta goes there a lot, but hires people to work for a good wage, but they have to be good bakers. We get to the train station, Effie and Haymitch are not there. I ask the driver and he says they got on and went down the hall and to the right and that she had a basket with something in it. I hand Willow to Peeta and tell him I'm checking to make sure. "Effie?" I ask into the hall. "Just a minute dear!" She calls. I wait outside the door and she opens it slightly. "Yes?" She says. "Um... Where is Haymitch?" I ask as cooly as I can manage. "Is he in-" she cuts me off saying, "NO!" I jump a little. "Mama?" I here from the door. Who was that?! Were they speaking to Effie?! There is no way... "Who was that?" I ask, "um...." A little girl, about two years old with blonde hair and green eyes, pushes open the door and makes Effie stumble.

"Misty, go back in." She says in a hushed voice. "Peeta!" I say, not thinking about it. "No, no. That's not necessary... I'll explain." She says, leading me through the door as Peeta comes rushing with Willow. "What is-" he cuts off noticing Misty. "You come too..." Effie says. Haymitch is sitting on the bed with a glass of water in his hand, sober as ever. "What did you do?!" He asks Effie. "They need to know... I'm sure they already do." She says. Misty is trying to reach Willows foot. "Please do not do that," Peeta says with a smile. Effie tells us that misty is her and Haymitch's child, two years old as I guessed. "It was an accident really, it was in the Capitol while you were pregnant. That is why he was gone so long, I was pregnant with her. He felt bad I suppose. I would never have thought of hooking up with Haymitch..." Effie says. Peeta makes a face implying he is disgusted. "Oh like your so innocent! I can hear you two through the window! It is absolutely disgusting!" She says. I spit the words out before thinking, "we are young! You are like 40!" I feel bad the instant I say it. "Well! I am 37 beg your pardon! And I only did it ONCE!" I knew what she was saying, so I fired back angrily.

"I am not a slut! I'm in love with Peeta and have every right to be! You just made a split second decision!" I yell. "It is gross that you have the will to say that and "make love" every night! Positively disgusting!" She says. I step back... "I do not!" I cry taking Willow from Peeta and running away to my room. When I'm there I curl up in bed with Willow and listen to the yelling. "I love her! How dare you speak to her like she's some type of prostitute and I'm a regular costumer! She is a wonderful mother and is nothing like that!" Peeta yells. I like how he is defending me, he always has. Willow crinkles her face and I place my hands over her ears. "Maybe I love Effie!" Haymitch yells. There is a time of silence as everyone takes this in. I hear walking down the hall and Peeta comes in saying, "did you hear all that?" He asks. I nod and he comes and kisses me on the chest, bringing me into his strong hold. I ask him what happened after Haymitch said that. Peeta tells me Effie asked "you do?" Very quietly. Haymitch replied with a nod, Effie kissed him and then Peeta left.

All I say is, "ew." Peeta nods and cuddles with Willow and I. I fall asleep in his arms and dream of prim. When I wake I hear talking from the dining car. I hear Johanna the loudest, "thanks for putting that image in my mind!" She says. They must be speaking about Misty. Peeta is gone, so is Willow. I get up and comb my hair. While I'm in the bathroom, I splash my face with cold water and lather it with complimentary lotion. I examine myself. Am I like how Effie said? Maybe. I never thought I would have children at all, so, sex would have been out of the question. Now it's happened more than 10 times. most to get Willow...

In the dining car, Johanna and Annie talk about their life at their homes, Peeta, Effie, and Haymitch don't seem to be on speaking terms. I sit next to Peeta who is holding a riled up Willow. She is drinking a bottle of my breast milk and shaking it everywhere. "No, no. Come here." I say, picking her up. I kiss her forehead and hold her close. I don't even notice until now that everyone is looking at Willow and I. "What?" I ask. Johanna answers, "it's funny. That your a mother of a living child. Not as weird as Effie and sprinkler over here. She is more than just a little misty..." I laugh and hold Willow up. Annie's son, Finn, looks at her and reaches, trying to touch her. When Annie pulls him back he giggles and smiles a wide smile at Willow.

When we finish eating dinner, we head back to our rooms. Willow, Peeta and I dress into pajamas and play silly little games with Willow that our parents played with us when we were her age. She smiles and giggles at us and Peeta tells her a story, then I sing her to sleep. Tomorrow we are stopping in district two to pick up Enobaria. Gale called and said to stop by and talk to him. I agreed. I want to see Gale. Peeta and I go to sleep in each others arms. I wake up screaming from a nightmare about Effie killing me as a sacrifice to those I loved who died, for her daughter. Peeta kisses me on the lips, I think about who I was before the games, during, the rebellion, after, and now... I'm so different. I don't quite know if I like this different. I like being a mother and all, but... is it Peeta who has changed me? No. He is the same. Right? Yes. Its me who is different... I gave my body away to Peeta. that is what made me different. I've decided I liked me before the games. I have accepted and admitted I love Peeta. This is not a bad thing. I need to accept my new life that has brought me peace and happiness.

After I wake up screaming Johanna comes in our room. "God, who's screaming bloody murder?!" I raise my hand, indicating it was me. "oh, well it looks like you woke the kid up. and Finn is crying his head off, you better apologize to Annie in the morning." I didn't realize till now Willows whimpering, and Finn's crying. "I will," I say. getting up to pick up willow. Johanna nods and comes closer. "your little sister, Prim, she looks like her a lot," she says. "ya," I say solemnly. "see you in the morning, brainless," I smile at her insult and take willow to bed with me.