The End of the New Beginning (a hunger games fan fiction)

Chapter 9

Peeta takes random objects and hurls them across the room, shattering them. I grab Bry and Theo. Peeta throws himself on the ground and puts his hands tightly over his ears. He squeezes his eyes shut.

"STOP IT! STOP IT! ITS NOT TRUE! ITS NOT TRUE!" he yells. He falls to his knees and burys his face in his hands, and lets out an agonizing scream. Haymitch pats his shoulder as the flashback passes over. He still doesn't calm down, but I know one thing that will. I walk over to him causiously and try to soothe him.

"Shh, Peeta its okay, I'm here, I'm here." I whisper. I massage his clenched fists and kiss his cheek. He begins to stutter, trying to talk.

"P...President Snow k...killed Katniss....real or n..not real?" he stutters. "Not real Peeta, I'm right here." I say softly, brushing blond curls from his face. He looks me in the eye, and he begins to take deep breaths. His eyes are full of fear and venom, but they begin to return to their natural blue softness. He's still shaking, and I embrace him. He continues to shake, and I softly kiss his neck. I begin to get up, but he holds me tighter.

"D...Don't go." He chokes out. "I'll never leave you, Peeta." I say, and step back so I can look him in the eye. "Ever." That seems to calm him, and he slowly stands up. The venom has compleatly drained from his eyes, and hes back to normal. He helps me up and kisses my head. He looks around, and notices the children watching him, very frightend.

"Oh no." he whispers. "Did they...see?" He asks, burrying his face in his hands. To my horror, the kids look at Peeta and hide behind the door. "Children, its okay!" Effie says, following them out the door. "Need some time alone?" Haymitch says. I nod and he leaves. I take Peeta's hand and lead him to the back of the train, outside. We stand outside silent for a while, watching the train tracks get smaller and smaller as we enter a tunnel. For some reason, I begin to cry.

"Katniss, what's wrong?" Peeta asks, taking my hand. "It's just...you don't deserve what Snow did to you. Even though he's gone, the effect he made is still here." I say, anger rising in my voice every second. He takes me in his arms. "But it turned out okay, didn't it?" he says softly, and gives me a genuine smile that makes me melt in my chest.I smile and we sit on the floor, our feet swinging off the edge, wrapped in eachothers arms. We watch the sun slowly go down, and Peeta begins to talk.

"I wish I could--" but then he stops himself, and begins to laugh. I know what he was about to say, but I just reply, "What?" He smiles. " I was about to say, I wish I could freeze this moment right here, right now, and live in it forever. But then I realized--" I innterupt him. "That those were your exact words you said in the Quarter Quell." I finish for him. We both smile. "Exactly." he says. There is a long pause.

"Is it true?" I ask. "What?" Peeta says. "That you wish you could freeze this moment right here, right now, and live in it forever?" I say with a smile. He grins. "Always." We both lean in, but are innterupted by a little knock at the door. Theo's head pops out.

"Theo, I'm so sorry you had to see that." Peeta says, and his face falls. "It's okay Daddy, Mommy told me and Bry da story. But Bry's mad." Theo says. "Mad?" I ask, letting his climb into Peeta and I's lap. He traces my mockingjay pin with his finger, "Yes, at Snowman for making Daddy go through that." Theo says. "Looks like we have another Rebel growing up." Peeta says, laughing. I roll my eyes. I always knew that Bry was confident and stood up for what she believes in, but I don't need another war starting.

"And Theo, I said a man named Snow, not Snowman." I laugh. "Well, I like Snowman better!" Theo says. "Well he doesn't deserve one of your cute little nic names!" I say, poking his stomach. He giggles and we all start laughing.

A few minutes later, Bryory walks in. She runs to hug Peeta. "One day, I'll kill that Snow." she says. Peeta immediatly starts laughing. "See? I told you shes a replica of you Katniss!" Peeta laughs. "Oh, and Theo isn't an exact replica of you?" I say. We look over at Theo, and catch him picking his nose. Peeta rolls his eyes and I laugh harder. I look at Bry. "And don't worry sweetie, I have your request done already." I laugh. "Well technically not. Your mother was about to kill him, but the way he died was a mystery." Peeta says matter-of-factly. I give him a look and he grins. Bryory looks at the sky, deep in thought.

We all sit together here now, looking at the sun go down, like a normal family for once. Oh, how my Prim would have loved this. Peeta points at something in the distance. "Thats district 4." He says, and the kids grow wide eyed. District 4 has always been a beautiful district. It won't be long till were in the Capitol for the interviews. Suddenly, Haymitch walks in.

"Hey, it's the Mellarks!" he says grinning. I can tell he's drunk and I roll my eyes. "The interviews are in about an hour, so don't get your braids in a twist." He guffaws, clearly proud of that one. Bry purposly shakes her braid around. Then she laughs, and so does everyone else. Exept Haymitch. He glares at her and begins to take a sip of wine. I set Bry down on my lap and begin to redo her braid.

I don't do a difficult fishtail braid like the stylists do. I just do a long regular braid down her back. Peeta smiles.

"Good, I much prefer the Katniss Everdeen braid." he says. I look to the ground and smile. Then, I realize how...funny this is. Katniss Everdeen. The Mockingjay. The Rebel. The Leader. The Girl on Fire--is sitting here peacefully, braiding her own child's hair. All of those names, fighting, war, The Hunger Games, danger, surviving--are all second nature to me. Then i realize how nerve-wracking this is. We are going to the Capitol. Paylor has it under control now, but there are still thousands of people there, that hate me and mourn for Snow. Thousands of people who only stopped fighting because they were forced to surrender. And we haven't set foot in the Capitol for ten years, so Paylor must think that calmed down now, that the citizens of the Capitol wouldn't try to kill us.

But she's wrong.