The Wrong Victor

Chapter twenty-three: Peeta

Today is the big day, well, Finnick's big day. The wedding between Finnick and Annie. Right now I'm finishing the cake. Katniss is in here putting the cheesy bread on trays for later.

"Peeta, we are married real or not real?" Katniss asks as she looks at me.

I finish the wave pattern I'm working on before setting down my piping bag and looking at her. "Not real. I made that lie up for the Quell. We were engaged, but it was fake to try repairing the districts."

"Oh." Katniss looks disappointed as she stares at the tray of bread. "Real or not real you love me?"

I walk over and wrap my arms around her waist pulling her close but making sure my hold on her is loose if she feels trapped. "Real. I love you more than life itself."

Katniss begins to trace patterns on my arm with her finger a faint smile on her lips. "You bake and you double knot your laces. You sleep with the window open. You never take sugar in your tea. You threw me bread when I was eleven nearly twelve." She whispers her eyes closed as she tries to remember.

I nod and kiss her head. "You're right. Do you want me to tell you about you?" I ask.

She turns in my arms and rests against my chest. "Please."

"You're a hunter. You always shoot the animals in the eye for a quick death. You're hardheaded and extremely stubborn, but I wouldn't change you for the world. You care so much for those you truly love." I whisper as my hands rub her back and go over her braid. "And when you sing you have such an amazing voice that the whole world stops to listen. The birds quiet down for you and listen to how beautiful your voice is."

Katniss hums a little before the door opens. It's Prim. "The wedding is starting soon. We should go." She says smiling at Katniss and I.

I untie my apron and hang it up next to Katniss'. I'm so grateful that they have let us have full range of the kitchen at times. Gives Katniss something to do with her hands and gives me time with her.

We walk to the big common area where everyone can climb the stairs and be on different platforms and still see the wedding. I spot Finnick and he's grinning. I walk over and give him a good luck hug before settling in my spot with Katniss.

Then a beautiful melody begins and I can only assume it's from district four. Everyone turns and there's Annie walking down towards Finnick in an emerald green dress that compliments her pale freckled skin and bright red hair.

Katniss leans on me as we continue to watch the ceremony go on. "It's lovely." She whispers her eyes glistening with hope and admiration of the wedding.

Finnick and Annie are wrapped in a net they made together. Their vows are said and they seal the deal with a kiss after rubbing salt water on their lips. Everyone cheers and claps for them.

I only wish it were me and Katniss getting married, but she has to get better before anything else.

Soon the room is covered in a blanket of sound from a fiddler who made it out of district 12 with their fiddle. I gently move Katniss and I out of the dancing zone and clap along side with the others watching the people dance.

"Come on!" Prim grabs Katniss' hands and drags her off to dance. Both of them laughing and smiling.

Katniss is beautiful with her braid flying behind her as she dances with Prim. Her eyes bright with excitement and smile wide on her face. She looks like she's truly 17 years old. She finally looks like a teenager who doesn't have a care in the world.

My side is elbowed making me tense in pain as the elbow pokes my gunshot wound. "Lover boy, why don't you go dance?" Johanna Mason, she loves digging into my wounds to jostle me.

"I would, but bum leg, remember? Besides, I also got shot in the rib cage, that you just so decided to jab your elbow into." I tell her making her laugh.

It's good to see her laugh. When she had gotten back she was a mess. Her hair is growing back nicely and she smells as if she's showered recently. She had been basically drowned and then electrocuted in the Capitol so she didn't shower for months. The hospital staff had to use baby wipes for her. "Go dance, I heard once you're healed you'll be up in the Capitol. That means no Katniss and Primmy until Snow is dead." Johanna snarks.

It's true we've been working out more to get in shape. It started as Finnick, Johanna, and I, but then they hosed her down as part of the training and she relapsed. They deemed her unfit. It's been just Finnick and I training.

"It's not like they're actually putting us on the front lines, Johanna." Finnick and Annie approach out of breath but smiling. "We're just going up there to shoot propos and all that. Staying as far from the real war as possible. So says Boggs instructed by Coin."

"You'll be safe?" Annie asks her voice soft and worried. It's understandable for her to worry about Finnick. They just got married and now he's going off to war.

"We'll be perfectly safe. Peeta and I will be protected by actual soldiers. However, Gale is a part of our battalion so, we might make it out without him." Finnick jokes.

A hand grabs the back of my arm and I turn to see an out of breath Katniss with her hair sticking out and sweat on her brow. "Come dance with me!"

Cheers come from the small group as Katniss begins to beg. "Go Peeta! Peeta!" They cheer for me and I have no option but to go. She drags me to the center and she begins to dance. I try my best to keep up with her. We dance around the circle and in and out. My bullet wound hurts, but seeing her smile and happy like this is worth it.

We continue dancing for three songs before I tell her I need to sit. Immediately she guides me to a chair and I plop myself down. My ribs hurt and I'm out of breath. My leg hurts from moving so much.

Katniss sits next to me rubbing my back and holding my hand. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay." I look at her and she looks so happy, however she also doesn't know what's to come. We leave soon and I don't want to leave her hanging. "Let's go talk somewhere."

We walk out of the main area and make it to the hovercraft doors to go outside. It's a beautiful night outside, but cold. We make it to the river and sit down close to keep the warmth between us.

"Katniss, I want to tell you what's going to happen. You know I've been training. Well it's been put on hold for a bit. Once I'm healed up I'll be out back in training. However, I'm nearly done. In a few weeks Finnick and I and a team will be flying to the Capitol. To do the final battle." I whisper keeping my eyes on her face to understand how she's taking this information. Her eyes are focused and worried as she pushes her eyebrows together.

"It's not safe. You can't go. You can't. They'll hurt you. They'll hurt you and you'll scream. It'll be bad. You can't. No no no no. No you can't. You can't go Peeta. It's dangerous. Too dangerous. Don't go please. Please no." She rambles her hands shaking and flapping as she's beginning to get even more upset.

I gently take her face in my hands and brush over her cheeks. "Hey, hey, I'll be okay. They won't get me. We won't really be fighting. I'll try to call you everyday. Okay? Katniss, it's okay. It's okay. We won't really be fighting. We'll be in the back. I promise." I kiss her forehead, but nothing is working. She's getting too upset. I need to calm her down. I steady her head and pull her closer. My lips press against hers trying to pull her back to reality. Her hands grip my shirt as I pull back to rest my forehead against hers. "Stay with me Katniss. Right here. Right now. Stay with me."

"Always"