Continuing the Lives of Katniss and Peeta

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 23

I awaken Rose at 7:00 a.m. to help me prepare for Peeta's birthday. I plan on cooking breakfast without burning it, bringing all of us to the pond, have a picnic, stay till dark and watch the stars, then go home. Rose wanted to make a birthday card. When I help her get all the art supplies we have lying around the house, I set up to make breakfast. I'm going to make eggs and bacon and toast. Should be easy enough. To the sound of Rose drawing, I begin my cooking journey.

"Mommy, what is daddy's favorite color?"

"Orange" I say, without hesitation.

I finish the breakfasts without any interuptions or burns. Rose puts her card in an envolope and helps me with mine. I decide to get a plain piece of paper and draw / write his favorite things. I write in fancy, black, cursive letters; Happy Birthday, Peeta! After that, I write some of the things we quote to each other that is important to us. Rose reads my writing out loud every time I finish a quote.

"Always."

"I'm more than just a piece in their games"

"You love me. Real or not real?"

"Real"

"I wish I could freeze this moment right here, right now and live it forever."

"I just want to spend every last minute of my life with you." (( Or something like that :3 -Hannah ))

"Because ... because she came here with me."

"I love you."

That is my final and most recent quote. I love you. Then I just draw random doodles and sign my name in the fancy cursive at the bottom. It's time to wake Peeta! I motion Rose to our bedroom door and I open it quietly to see he is still sleeping. I go to the bed, lean over and kiss him on the cheek. He smiles and his eyes flutter open.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Daddy, happy birthday to you!" Rose screams.

"Happy birthday, Peeta." I whisper.

He hugs me and Rose and gets up out of bed. He smells the food and sits at one of the chairs with food on it.

"You did all this for me?"

"Of course we did!" I say.

He bites into the bacon and laughs. I begin frown. Why is he laughing?

"Of course you can cook bacon, Katniss. It's meat."

"Actually, I cooked the whole thing!"

I put my hands on my hips and stand up tall, my chin in the air. I stick out my lip and put on my heroic stance. He laughs and continues eating.

"Thank you so much guys! This is one of the best birthdays ever! I'm glad I have my family to spend it with."

I begin to cry because he doesn't have his family to spend it with. Their dead. DEAD. Because of me. He walks over to me and asks why I'm crying.

"Because your family isn't here .... to celebrate your birthday. I ruined that too! I ruined everything in Panem all because they couldn't let two people win for one year. ONE YEAR!"

Peeta hugs me.

"But my family is here. Right here. None of that is your fault."

He points at Rose and I.

"But you had a real family! Blood family and I killed them all! I caused your parents and 3 brothers death! I did this!"

He continues to hug me and begins to whisper in my ear.

"Katniss, none of this is your fault, at all. Rose is my blood family and as far as I'm concered, you are just like my blood family if not closer. Don't worry about them, alright? At least not today. You'll make me upset seeing you upset. "

I nod and wipe the tears from his face.

Rose screams;

"Alright! Card and present time!"

We all sit on the couch and watch Peeta open Rose's card.

"Wow! You made this? It's amazing! You have some great artistic talent! Thank you!" Peeta says to Rose.

I show him my envalope with the card inside and he opens it and tears up.

"Thank you so much, Kat."

"Your welcome."

Peeta hugs me and then suddenly jolts back. I sit there, very confused as he slaps me hard on my cheek. It throbs and he screams about me being a mutr again. He is having another episode. He explodes upward and Rose screams. Peeta looks at her and grabs her.

"NO! LET GO OF HER, PEETA!"

"You care about her, huh? Well I guess I should fix that!"

I'm terrified now and Rose looks at me in horror. I come at Peeta and kick him in the stomach, but nothing happens except the bad. He throws Rose into the wall, headfirst. She's unconcouis and then something hits me over the head. Peeta's slamming something on my head.

"No. Stop." I say weakly.

I'm on the ground and losing consoiuness fast. Right before I pass out I hear the real Peeta screaming Rose and my names. Rose is still unconouis when I lose mine while hearing a frightened and screaming Peeta. His cries echo through my brain as I fall "asleep".

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Sorry i haven't been uploading! I'm on vacation! That KS for the feedback, that's what has kept me going! There wouldn't be this update tonight if I didn't read the feedback from last chapter!

Peace, Love and Hunger Games,

Hannah <3