Justice, the 4th hunger games book, the story after mockingjay

Chapter three

Sorry this chapter is short and pretty uneventful but I promise they get better!!

Chapter three

We walk the entire trip hand in hand in silence, both lost in our own thoughts. We settle on a bench and wait for the train to arrive. We are the only ones on the platform, since we are now free to roam between the districts many people prefer to walk than use the train.

Waiting for what seemed like hours but in fact was a couple of minutes, I finally spot the train in the distance and take a deep breath. Watching the train pull into the station, I get up and begin to move towards the edge of the platform. I pause looking back, Peeta hasn't moved, he's still sitting staring into the distance and I instantly know what he's remembering. He was remembering the previous times we were on this train.

Every time we have been here, on this platform, this train, we have been under control of the Capitol, twice going to our deaths, unsure if we were ever going to return. I found out Peeta had no intention of surviving his first hunger games, he was intent on sending me home, he would have died to save me, he planned to right from the beginning, another decision he made on the train.

The second time was for the victory tour where I was supposed to extinguish the flames of the rebellion while Snow knew full well that it was impossible. Then again for the third quarter quell, we both had vowed to ourselves to do anything to get the other home alive, it was just luck that we both survived them. I know if it was solely up to president Snow we would have died when we did the stunt with the berries.

I turned on my heel and crouched down in front of My husband. I held out my hand.

"Together?" I ask, and he looks up at me with a weak smile.

"Together." He confirmed, taking my hand and standing, pulling me to my feet in the same motion. At that moment the train doors opened but to my surprise there was no one waiting to greet us as we boarded. As the train began to pull away we put our stuff in a bedroom and began to look around. It was the same train as before but we seemed to be completely alone. No officials, no avoxes, no Effie...

"Where is everyone?" I ask.

"Maybe they expected us on the later train with Haymitch?" He mused.

It was as good a reason as any, not wanting to press the matter we let it drop and finding a quiet spot at the rear of the train we settled on a couch. Sitting with my legs across Peeta’s lap I was able to cuddle into his side, resting my head on his shoulder, it was very comforting for us both. We stayed like this hours barely talking, unmoving. I spend most of my time thinking about the past, as soon as I stepped foot back on this train all the memories I had suppressed for years, ones that only rarely surfaced in my dreams had come flooding back to my consciousness.

I catch a glimpse of the boundaries of district one, the sun is beginning to lower in the sky, it must be early evening, we will be at the Capitol in less than an hour.

“Peeta?” I ask, breaking the silence.

“Hmm?” He sighs, lifting his head to look at me. I catch his gaze and hold it with mine.

“Whatever this meeting is with Plutarch, I want you there OK? I don’t want you to leave my side ever while we are here.” I couldn’t bear being separated from him whilst in there; there is just too much scope for something to go wrong.

It’s not that I don’t trust Paylor or Plutarch; it’s more of a psychological problem from years of being under the control from the Capitol, more specifically president Snow and then again in district thirteen where I was completely under the control of Coin. I sigh and add. “Please?” I can’t keep the angst from my voice. He lifts his hand gently brushing away a stray strand of hair.

“Of course, I will never leave your side, I don’t think I could bear to be apart from you in that god awful place, even if it is ‘under new management’” I laugh at his analogy, lightening the mood. This conversation seems to have lifted a huge weight from my shoulders. I guess one of my biggest fears is losing Peeta, now I know he won’t leave me – even though I knew this already, it is comforting to hear it. Getting up I wonder over to the window, the mountains are only a couple of miles away; soon we will be there, at the Capitol.

“I hope they don’t put us back in the training centre for the night, I think that will just be the icing on the cake.” I say turning to face Peeta who is still sat on the couch.

“I don’t think they will, as far as I am aware they haven’t used the training centre since we were last in it. It has been reopened as a museum of sorts to remind people of the dark days, I think they have the costumes from the tribute parade of both our games, a few of my paintings and your mockingjay suit is even there."

"There is a photo of every tribute who ever went in with a plaque stating their name, district and how they died. All the victors are in a ‘hall of fame’ type area. I don’t think Paylor wanted anyone to forget us all and what we fought for."

"I don’t think they were ever able to get out my painting of Rue I did either.” He smiles though I’m not sure if I like this idea though this is no time to be thinking about it.

Paylor is just trying to keep the names of the people who died though it also acts as a reminder to how cruel and how much power the Capitol has and how if they decided to they can reinitiate the hunger games and torture all the districts yet again. While I was deep I thought the train entered the mountain side and we were plummeted into darkness. I automatically move away from the window back over towards Peeta. He gets up taking me in his arms, neither of us really like the dark anymore. Within a matter of minutes we are back in the light. Capitol buildings litter the landscape, nothing’s changed, all the buildings look the same if not more extravagant than before. The train begins to slow down as we approach the station and Peeta and I move towards the door. Peeta takes my hand and we step off the train.

I'm not sure what I was expecting but I thought there would be more people here to greet us but instead there a lone figure standing on the platform, Plutarch.

Peeta and I exchange a cautious glance before approaching him, he holds out his hand and Peeta takes it shaking it formally.

“Peeta, Katniss! I’m glad you could both make it at such late notice.” He says before turning his full attention to me. “Katniss, we have a very important matter to discuss before the meeting scheduled for tomorrow, would you care to follow me? you are both more than welcome to stay with me for the night.”

“Thankyou.” Says Peeta and he begins to follow him out of the station dragging me behind.