The Hunger Games: Heirs

Chapter Three

Katniss approaches Peeta the following week after days of debating whether Gale or Peeta is lying.

"Peeta, has Gale called recently?" she begins, trying to be subtle, "I haven't seen him in years and was wondering."

"No, I don't think so. Not unless Primrose or Finnick picked up and didn't say anything." he replies casually, "Prim!"

When she comes downstairs a moment later, Primrose is confused upon Peeta asking her about Gale.

"No, I haven't picked up the phone except to talk to school friends. Why?"

"Momma's wondering. She misses her old boyfriend." Peeta says bluntly, with a wink at Katniss that she doesn't understand.

Katniss is taken aback. Why would Peeta call Gale her boyfriend? There was no romance between her and Gale until their kiss before the Victory Tour, and Peeta knew very well why she chose to have a future with him, rather than Gale? And what on earth did he mean by winking? Does he suspect there might be romance between Katniss and Gale, and is handling his suspicions rather, for lack of a better word, weirdly?

Late that night, the Mellarks lie in bed. Peeta is sleeping contentedly, but Katniss lies awake, lost in her thoughts. Unconcerned about waking the children, she speaks his name as loud and bluntly as he did when he declared Gale her boyfriend. He answers immediately in alarm, as he always does when she wakes from a nightmare. His sense of alarm fades as he realizes how awake she is, but by the look on her face, he can tell how important the topic she chose to wake him for is. After Katniss tells him about her phone calls with Gale and Hazelle, and about how weird Peeta's been acting, and how Gale said he has called so many times, and how she doesn't know who to trust.

"Katniss, I don't know where Gale got the idea that he called you several times, but he has only called three times in the past fifteen years. The first time, I picked up and said you were out hunting. I swear I told him the truth. You were. But, the last two times, I had suspicions. I told him you were busy, when really you were two rooms away. I'm sorry I kept him from you. I just can't imagine you with him. I love you too much."

Katniss is mildly angry, but can't help being flattered. In the 20+ years they've been together, Peeta has not once ceased his gentlemanliness and verbal affection towards her, which Katniss finds to be quite rare among long-time husbands she knows. Contented, at least with Peeta for telling the truth, she is able to fall asleep, but the nightmares do come. Peeta isn't able to sleep, and even though he knows about her nightmare, he doesn't want to wake her, because she will never be able to fall asleep. Instead, he scoops her up in his arms and holds her as tight as he dares. She is somewhat comforted, but the nightmare only ends to produce a new one, just like the tracker jacker venom did in her first games. Eventually Peeta manages to sleep, but not until Katniss has stopped thrashing. Which takes close to four hours. That night, Katniss has seen everyone she loves die, been in both of her arenas, choked to death by hijacked Peeta, eaten by both wolf and lizard-human mutts, and Prim. She is everywhere that night. Dying at the hands of Cato, had Katniss not volunteered for her. Being killed by the parachutes. Hijacked by the Capitol and trying to kill Katniss. And all Katniss can think about when she wakes up is why she woke in Peeta's arms, but he didn't bother to rouse her?

The following day, Katniss and Peeta make a plan to call Gale and confront him for his supposed lying. Peeta doesn't want to be a part of the call, but Katniss still has her suspicions.

"Come on, Katniss. You've known him for longer, and besides, it's you who suspects him of lying." That's not entirely true, but Katniss replies with,

"Peeta, please. You don't have to talk, but I want you staying right here in case I need to work things out."

"Fine. Whatever you say." retorts Peeta sarcastically, but he stays and squeezes Katniss' hand while she dials.

"Hey, Catnip! Good of you to call me. I just got back from stopping a military raid. Some lady sliced my arm open. What'd you call for, anyway? Want me to come home so we can talk about Maya?" he asks in a voice that could only be described as Finnick Odair-ish. Katniss pauses and covers the mouthpiece to tell Peeta who Maya is. Peeta widens his eyes in disbelief, but then sighs annoyedly as he realizes Gale intends to be rude. He motions his disapproval when Katniss says,

"Actually, Peeta wanted to talk to you. Here he is." She leaves the room. While Peeta and Gale exchange polite small talk, Katniss can't help her conflicting thoughts. Why should she press Gale for the truth when he's wounded? But suddenly it dawns on her, and she immediately believes it -how could she not, when Gale made it obvious for her so long ago? He distinctly told her that the only time he ever got her attention was when he was in pain. While Katniss wonders if his arm injury could just be a ruse, she hears Peeta yelling in the kitchen.

"You're a liar! How many times have you really called her?" he shouts into the phone. There's a pause. "Once a week?! Dream on. You've only called her three times in the past fifteen years! Just because you've known her longer doesn't mean you own her!" By now, Gale is shouting, too,so loud that Katniss can hear him from the kitchen doorway.

I'm not owned by either of them, Katniss thinks. I'm not an object! Hot, salty tears run from her eyes as she storms through the kitchen. Gale, furious, screams, "Own her! If any of us acts like he owns her, it'd obviously be the one married to her!" Peeta drops the phone in surprise as Katniss yanks her bow off the coat rack, and when it gets stuck, she brings down the entire rack. Plaster from the wall, screws, and pegs crash to the floor with an awful noise, not to mention the ear-splitting thud when the board of wood hits the floor and snaps in half.