Life After War (A Hunger Games Fanfiction)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Fifth time today. My phone rang five times today, but I didn't bother to answer it. I don't care who's calling. I don't feel like talking right now. I didn't bother to look at who called, either.

After Peeta's heart stopped, I went straight home afterwards. I couldn't just let my family not know that their father died. I can't lie to them. How long can I keep that up? Not long. I just can't believe this happened. Actually, I can. Anything can happen. And if it's to happen to somebody, it's me. So many terrible things happened to me. Nobody else. Me, me, me, me.

After I spoke the truth, Willow and Rye locked themselves up in their rooms. Haymitch went home, sad and miserable. And I stay on the couch, staring at my hands. I play with my wedding ring. Moving it back and forth. It's beautiful. Diamond. Shiny. Expensive. But then again, we are rich and can afford just about anything. I remember the day I was purposed to, clearly. It was the happiest day of my life, next to the wedding, of course.

It was a sunny and beautiful day. Peeta asked me on a date; it was one of many. I didn't know where he was taking me. He didn't tell me. What he did tell me, was that we were having a picnic. I remember exactly what I and Peeta was wearing. I was wearing a green top and black jeans. I wore the necklace Peeta gave me for my birthday years ago. Peeta was wearing a black loose shirt with a jacket and jeans.

Peeta grabbed my hand and we walked for about 5 minutes. He pulled me to a spot far past the woods where I have never seen or heard of. It was gorgeous. The green grass was soft and not messy with dirt. It was a cliff, where we could see water below. Peeta laid the blanket down beside the cliff and we sat down with our legs swinging off the cliff. We ate and talked. Peeta seemed quite and I was worried. Then all of a sudden, Peeta grabbed my hand and pulled me off the blanket so I was standing. My eyebrows narrowed and I was confused. That was, until he got down on one knee and pulled out a white small box from his pocket. My eyes widened and I shook my head, not believing this was happening. Tears welled up in my eyes. Peeta looked up at me and smiled.

"Katniss Everdeen, I have loved you ever since I laid eyes on your beautiful gray eyes when we were little. It was love at first sight, for me. When I saw you, I knew, that I will always love you, no matter what. So, my love, will you please do me the honor, of marrying me?" He asked, opening the box to show a beautiful engagement ring. It was the pearl, that Peeta gave me in the Quarter Quell. But now, it's a ring.

I looked at the ring. What should I say? Of course, I knew this day would come, and ever since I told Peeta I loved him, I knew that I would say yes. But now, it's really happening. And of course, I love Peeta. But this is happening too fast.

Peeta shifts uncomfortably and I know I'm taking too long. So I give him my answer.

I nod. "Yes, I will marry you, Peeta." I say.

He smiles the biggest smile I have ever seen and I swear it just got brighter around me. I hold out my left hand and Peeta slides the ring on my ring finger. He stands up, grabs my waist and twirls me around. I smile and kiss him. I feel that hunger I felt on the beach, in the Quarter Quell. But then again, I always feel that when I kiss Peeta now. I feel him smile against my lips and tears are coming down my face as I smile again.

And with that, we sit on the cliff, my head on his shoulder and his head on mine, looking at the sunset, holding hands.

I smile at the thought. But my smile quickly fades as I remind myself that Peeta's gone. Dead. Tears come down my cheek and I sob uncontrollably. How did this happen? My love is dead. Because of the Capital. If the Capital hadn't hijacked him, he wouldn't have a flashback. He wouldn't have left me and he wouldn't have gone to District 2, where he got beat up. He wouldn't have went to the hospital and died. He would have been here, with me and his wonderful children. But that can't happen, now.

And then, my phone rings once more. Ugh! I scream in annoyance. Why can't I just die? I think sometimes. I pick up the phone to tell the person calling to stop calling me.

"What?!" I shout into the phone, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Umm . . . Ms. Mellark, this is Dr. Marley," says the voice. "I have been calling several times, but there was no answer."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I say wiping my tears away. "It's just, I'm having a rough day . . ."

"Yes, I know." Dr. Marley says. "And I'm sorry, for disturbing you, it's just, I have some news that I thought you might be interested in."

"What about?" I ask.

"It's about your husband, Katniss." She says.

"What? What is it?" I say suddenly interested.

"Well, you should come over to the hospital. I think we might need to discuss this in person."

"Alright, I'll be there in 10 minutes." I say and hang up before she can say anything else.

I run upstairs and knock on Willow and Rye's door. They come outside seconds later, wiping tears away.

"Kids, get dressed. We're going to the hospital." I say quickly and then run into my bedroom to get dressed myself.

I put on whatever I can find at the moment and run back downstairs, where Willow and Rye are waiting for me. I grab their hands and go to Haymitch's house. I knock hard on the door. Haymitch opens and looks at me, upset.

"What do you want?" He asks rudely. He must've been drinking.

"We need to go to the hospital. It's about Peeta." I breath.

His eyes widen and then he nods. "Alright, I'll meet you there." And then he shuts the door.

I run off to the hospital, with Willow and Rye on my tail. I assume I'm running pretty quick because my kids are trying hard to keep up with me. But I can't wait much longer so I wait for them, pick them up in my arms and run off.

Once I'm there, I let go of Willow and Rye and look around the main lobby for Dr. Marley. No where. So I go to the front desk. The lady there, looks up at me and smiles.

"Hello, how may I help you?" She asks.

"I need to see Dr. Marley. She called me and said she has some news for me." I say out of breath.

"Oh, okay. She's with a patient right now, but I will let her know your here." The lady says getting up from her desk and walks down a hallway and disappears.

Then, Haymitch comes in, almost knocking the door down. He looks around until he spots me and walks over to me.

"What's the news?" He asks.

"I don't know yet. Peeta's doctor is coming now." I say.

He nods. We wait about 3 minutes until the lady at the desk comes back, Dr. Marley behind her. Dr. Marley comes up to me and Haymitch. Willow grabs my hand and Rye grabs her hand.

"Ms. Mellark, follow me please." She says and turns her back to us and walks forward. We follow her until we go inside a small room. It's not a patients room, it has couches and chairs and tables. The walls are white with paintings on it.

"Please, sit." Dr. Marley says as she sits in a chair.

I sit down on the couch, Haymitch on my left and Willow and Rye on my right. Dr. Marley folds her hands while staring at us.

"What is it? What's the news?" I ask her impatiently.

She sighs, and then says, "Your husband is alive."