Willow and Rye

Two

Peeta and I pack our things and head straight to the train station, knowing that it will take at least twenty hours to get to the Capitol. We say a quick goodbye to Haymitch, who's not happy to have our company as he's already in bed at seven pm and basically shoos us away.

Peeta carries our bags and I carry Buttercup, who I don't like to leave home now as he's getting older and it's harder to keep track of him when he leaves the house. We board the Capitol train that's been waiting for us for half an hour, and settle in for the night in the room that used to be mine on our rides to the Capitol before the games. Setting our bags in the closet, Peeta helps me settle in to bed and cuddles up against me, pulling the covers over both of us.

"I love you." I sigh, closing my eyes as the train lurches into motion.

"Real or not real?" He chuckles.

"Real, I would think you would know that by now." I smile.

"Maybe I just like to hear it sometimes." He shrugs, leaning in to peck my forehead.

~•~

When I wake up the other side of the bed is empty, which must mean my husband has already gotten up and is searching for something to do on the train. I struggle to sit up for a moment but eventually get to my feet and walk into the bathroom. I take a shower, pressing random buttons as I've become accustomed to, and step out smelling like cranberry, which makes me suddenly nauseous as the train comes to a stop for a few minutes and I find myself doubled over the toilet. At least I was already in the bathroom. When I regain control of my stomach again I stumble out of the bathroom and program the closet for a comfortable outfit. Peeta re-enters the room just as I'm pulling my shirt over my head and the train begins moving again, quickly picking up speed.

"Sorry I left, Buttercup was whining like crazy outside the door so I tried to find him something to eat." Peeta says, returning to my side and hugging me from the side before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and helping me out of the room.

"Sorry you're stuck helping me limp around." I sigh as he sets me on the couch in the living room. I notice Buttercup eating out of a bowl in the corner of the room.

"There's nothing else I'd rather be doing." He smiles, handing me a plate with a slice of apple pie on it. "I love helping the mother of my child waddle around."

"I can waddle perfectly well on my own." I laugh, knowing that's not at all true. I can't do anything on my own anymore. It's a miracle I was able to take a shower. "I feel like I'm dying though."

"Don't die on me." He says, brushing a strand of hair out of my face.

"I'll try." I chuckle. "No promises."

~•~

"So, she's in your old room in the training center, just got here. The rebels took longer than expected picking her up." Paylor says.

"Alright, what's the situation and what options am I presenting to her?" I ask. "Also, it may me good to know her name."

"Her name is Emery. The situation is complicated. Some of the rebels don't want to see her make it to the Capitol reaping, want the entire Snow family dead whether they're innocent or not. We brought her here to protect her, suspecting that if we let her roam the streets she'd be taken out by rogue rebels. Her options are to be released, though we can't guarantee her survival, or head back to District Twelve with you and your husband." She says hurriedly.

"You want us to take her to Twelve? You could have mentioned that over the phone." I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"I apologize. There wasn't time. I needed you on that train ASAP." Paylor apologizes.

Suddenly, her communication device goes off on her belt and a panicked message comes through it, claiming that Emery is about to jump out a window. I rush through the living room of the penthouse suite on the twelfth floor of the training center as fast as I can in this state and push open the door, revealing the bare room that used to be mine. A teenage girl stands by the window that she's broken, looking like she's psyching herself up to jump.

"Stop!" I yell over the wind whipping through the broken window and into the freezing room.

She pauses at the sight of me and I'm enough of a distraction that she doesnt notice the guard who snuck in behind me with a sedative until the needle is in her thigh and she slips down to floor, unconscious. I bend over, hands on my knees as I breathe heavily, trying to catch my breath. Emery seems to have a death wish, maybe I won't end up taking her to twelve after all.