Finding the Missing Piece: Book 2

Chapter Sixty-Six

"What is that?" Peeta asks, standing next to me.

"It's an old house, more like a shack. My dad and I used to come here all the time." I say.

Peeta looks at me and gives me a sad smile, "It's really beautiful out here, Katniss. I'm sorry I was afraid."

I nod but keep my gaze on the house.

Nothing has changed about it.

Nothing.

Just the weather, that's all.

And, my dad is gone.

I haven't gone inside since he passed.

Suddenly, I feel like a thousand pounds weighs my chest down at the longing I feel for him.

Then, I feel strong arms wrap around me and I feel as if I'm a kid again, allowing my dad to protect me from the cold. Only, the arms are more comforting yet, not the arms I want around me in this moment.

"Are you okay?" Peeta asks, concerned.

I nod my head at him, "I'm fine." I shake my head, trying to push it all back.

Peeta puts his hand on my shoulder, "You sure?" He asks.

"Yes. Let's eat." I say, plopping myself down right in front of the lake, by the waters edge.

Peeta sits down next to me and opens the picnic basket, pulling out two thermoses of hot soup and a large flask of hot tea.

Peeta hands me a thermos and I dig in.

"This is really good." I say, looking back at him.

Peeta smiles, "Thanks." He says, sipping his soup.

I look down into the crystal clear water and then to the edge, "Look!" I say in disbelief.

Peeta jumps up, frightened.

I laugh.

"What?" He asks.

"I was just gonna say it's a 'katniss'." I snort.

Peeta sits back down and examines the little white flower and arrow like leaves.

"That's the plant your named after?" He asks curiously.

He knows I'm named after a plant, just like Prim was but didn't know what a katniss looked like.

I nod with a wide smile, "Yes, I haven't seen one since I was little." I say, wondering how its even alive in this cold.

Everything else that showed any sign of life out here is dead for the season.

Peeta examines it, "It's a beautiful little thing."

I smile, "You know, you can eat them." I inform him.

Peeta chuckles, "Eat you?" He asks.

I laugh and push him over, "You're stupid." I say.

"Really though? You can seriously eat them?" He asks.

I nod my head and uproot the flower.

I hand him the tuber, "It's good."

"We used to eat them all the time, they're perfectly safe." I say, sipping the last of the hot soup into my mouth.

Peeta continues to examine the root and gives it confused looks.

"You cook it. I'll show you how to make them if you want. Now that I look around, there's at least four more we could get." I say.

Peeta nods, "That would be different to try." He says, interested.

I laugh, "So, I was thinking about yesterday..." I start.

Peeta nods, "And?"

"I think that we should get River more than just socks." I say, taking a drink of the hot tea, handing it to Peeta after a second.

He sips, "Well, of course we are gonna get him more than that." Peeta says.

"He is a really sweet man." I say softly.

"He has a very big heart." Peeta says.

I look down in the water to see my reflection and it reminds me of my childhood.

With my dad.

We would always look into the water at ourselves, make funny faces to make another laugh.

I smile at myself, at the memories.

I pick up a little rock and toss it across the waters top.

It skips and comes to a stop about half way before sinking into the water.

"What are you thinking about?" Peeta whispers softly.

I look up at him, "Everything." I state simply.

My mind keeps shifting back to all the years I've been alive.

My childhood and my teenage years too.

Memories of my dad and mom coming here or when it was just my dad and I here. Prim never got to come out here outside of the womb but she never wanted to anyways. My mind flashes to the many times I've come out here all alone, to think. Or to cry.

I think about Peeta and I and about yesterday's happenings.

All of them.

"Can I teach you how to shoot?" I finally blurt out.

Peeta nods and stands up.

He helps me up and I pick up the bow off the ground and the quiver.

I walk towards a tree that is about five feet wide and extremely tall.

"Okay, you're going to aim for this tree. I'll do it first." I say.

I take several steps back until I'm standing about twenty feet away.

I pull an arrow from the quiver and load it in my bow, I aim and shoot.

The arrow lands in smack dab in the middle of the trunk, the shaft unbroken.

I pull another arrow and hand the bow and arrow to Peeta.

"Okay, close one eye and aim." I say and he does.

I smile, "Okay, open. Now, you're going to pull the string and the arrow back at the same time. Hold tight then when you feel like you have enough pressure to back it up, release the arrow." I say.

He shoots.

The arrow lands a little bit higher than mine but still hits it.

"Good, just a little lower next time." I say, handing him another arrow.

He reloads the bow and shoots again, spot on this time and I'm a little jealous at how quickly he caught on.

It took me years and years of practice to get half as good as I am now.

"Peeta, that was perfect!" I say excitedly, hugging him proudly.

Peeta grins confidently, "Really?" He asks.

"Yes, you did great. I'm a little jealous!" I say truthfully.

"Why's that?" Peeta laughs.

"It took me forever to learn."

"You were also little." He laughs.

"True." I say, smiling.

Peeta and I continue to shoot for a few more hours. We pick four more katniss tubers and put them into our basket but then, all hell breaks loose.

Well, if hell was cold.