— — —
Kai bit the inside of his cheek, a sense of urgency entering his system. He had every reason to worry, but that didn't make him feel any better. Neither did Johanna, despite her having already told him that everything would be fine.
"You really think he's ready for this?" He asked, meeting Haymitch's gaze.
"He's gotta be." Haymitch responded, bringing his hand up to adjust his beanie. "He knows who he is and you—in part—are to thank for that."
Kai shook his head, gripping the steel countertop. "No. No, I didn't do anything. Peeta knows who he is, he just needed to be reminded."
"Which you helped him with." Johanna voiced.
Kai locked onto her light eyes and let out a breath. Maybe she was right.
Haymitch shifted his attention from the oh so fearless girl to the Winterton boy. Something about the way she was potently staring up at him made a shred of curiosity prick in his chest. He didn't know Kai as well as his sister just yet, but he knew Johanna. And he knew exactly why the two of them were acting the way they were.
Them? That was the thing he'd least expected.
Either side of his mouth curled up in a grin, causing Johanna to lift her chin. "I'm sorry. Is something funny to you?"
Kai turned to him, brow raised.
"No. Not at all." He remarked, burying his suspicions and exhaling. "Look, what you did for him helped. He needed a friend to remind him that who he was was still there, just beneath everything they'd done to him. And Coin thinks that bringing him and having the people see him on our side will gather..." He waved his hand around in the air for emphasis. "Morale or something. I don't make the rules, however damn stupid they may be. All I know is that Peeta is the least of their worries right now."
"Besides, do you really think Peia or Sawyer or— hell, Gale, will let him hurt Katniss? No. It's not happening." Johanna pointed out.
"I know that. I just don't see why they had to blindside everyone. It's bullshit." Kai continued, lightly throwing his hand up. "I don't like Coin. I don't trust her."
"Well, it's a good thing we don't have to like her." Haymitch agreed, taking a step closer. "But she's on our side. For now, it's all we got. And we have to trust in that."
Kai slowly nodded his head, a gradual conformity to his movements. "Okay. I can do that."
Haymitch considered the boy, arms folded across his chest. "How're you two doing?"
Johanna's straight expression turned humorous. "After our luxurious stay in the Capitol? Oh, well, Haymitch, it was wonderful. We had parties and—"
"And could use a drink or two." Kai interjected, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the counter. "Coin sure knows how to run things here though."
Haymitch grinned. "That she does. Didn't think I'd have to be sober through this war, but here we are."
"Busted out of the hospital to find nothing. Not even one drop." Johanna echoed.
"Shit way of running things in my opinion." Kai quipped.
Haymitch met his derisive gaze once more, a smirk finding its way onto his face. He'd stolen the words right out of his mouth. He already liked Peia, but Kai? Kai was just like he imagined he'd be and nothing close to like he'd thought all in one weird, confusing way.
And somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew they'd be good friends.
✯✯✯
He'd known this mission would be dangerous, but one thing Sawyer hadn't accounted for was having to deal with Gale. All. The. Time.
It was no secret he didn't like him, but the kid never left Katniss's side. Ever. Despite it being his duty to protect her, there was something else. Sawyer knew that he was in love with her, but the way Katniss reacted and responded to that?
Gale was just another weed in a field of poppies.
Sawyer tore his gaze from the whispering pair, shifting his attention to his daughter. She'd just given her propo and they were holed up in an abandoned building for the time being. The streets were like a minefield, ready to go off at any moment, so crossing it was near impossible— at least for the next little bit.
Peia held one of her obsidian blades, the weapon being continuously spun in her fingertips as she sat. Anything to keep herself busy while they waited. Finnick was talking to Boggs a few feet away, which left her to fidget. It was true when she said she couldn't sit still long enough to not join the action.
Sawyer's gaze was focused on her rather than her knife when he spoke. "You did good. I'm proud of you."
She lifted her head, locking onto his dark eyes. "All I did was expose Snow for who he truly is. They deserve to know what he did."
Sawyer leaned forward, head beginning to shake. "That doesn't mean that it was easy. You're strong, Peia. So strong."
She felt her heart pang in her chest. "You know, I thought losing mom and losing Everett would kill me. And then I lost Kai and—" She let out a quiet breath. "And that did kill me. But...But losing Rhett? It hurts. It really, really hurts, dad."
Sawyer's gaze softened, pain showing through its dark hue. "I know, baby. I know. But it's supposed to hurt. If it hurts, it means you care. And it'll take time, but we'll heal. It won't be easy, but it comes in waves. Some days we'll drown, others we'll float. And that's okay. That's healing."
"We'll do it together then." Peia remarked, placing her hand atop his.
The sound of a vehicle speeding down the street suddenly echoed through the air. Everyone instinctively stood, heads turned towards the door.
"Is that Peacekeepers?"
Boggs said nothing as Jackson lifted her walkie up to her mouth. "451 to base. We've got a truck coming in from the south. Over."
Peia came up next to Finnick, curiosity brewing in the bottom of her stomach. Whatever the commotion, threat or not, they'd take care of it. They always did.
"Stand down, everyone. It's friendly." Jackson announced, lowering her walkie and placing it back inside her pack.
Finnick just glanced at Peia before the two of them and Sawyer followed everyone else outside the building. The engine only became louder until the truck appeared on the road. It reached them momentarily, coming to a gradual stop. One of the soldiers climbed out, making his way to the back.
Peia lifted her chin, attempting to see what was happening, but it was useless. She couldn't see anything. As the back came open, though, Peeta stepped into the clearing.
Katniss grabbed one of her arrows from her sheath, but didn't load it as he started towards them. Guards flanked either side of him, his head pointed down on the road. Everyone waited in earnest anticipation, more than confused as to why he was there.
As he neared them, Sawyer's brow knit together.
My name is Peeta Mellark. My home is District 12.
Why did that sound so familiar? Why did those words seem to mean something to him? Then it hit him. One of the first few days back, his youngest son had told him how he'd kept as much of himself as he had after four years in the Capitol. And to do that, he would remind himself of who he was. Over and over and over again until it stuck.
'I am Kai Winterton. My home is District 4.' Those were the words he'd heard his son say once or twice since he'd been rescued. Even now, those words meant something. And by some haunting coincidence, Peeta had found the same.
Katniss lifted her bow as Gale raised his gun.
Sawyer's rifle was pointed on him in an instant. "Stand down."
Gale met his protective gaze, eyes narrowing. "What are you gonna do? Shoot me?"
"Keep your weapon in the air, I might."
Finnick immediately stepped forward, hand raised in front of them. "Okay, stop. Everyone relax."
"What are we doin'?" Boggs questioned, turning back to his second in command. "Jackson, cuff him."
Peia took the remaining steps to Katniss, placing her hand on her shoulder as she lowered her weapon. "Hey. I have your back. That hasn't changed. You're safe."
Katniss hadn't taken her eyes off of him. Not once. "Am I?"
As the girl sauntered off, Peia couldn't help but glance back at Peeta. He'd gone through hell and back. She knew that better than anyone else here and yet, he was being treated like an animal. It wasn't fair. He didn't ask for this; none of them did.
So why treat him like nothing more than a Capitol mutt?
✯✯✯
Peia had first watch that night. And as all things played out, so did Katniss. In all honesty, she figured Katniss had asked for that rotation. They'd been through more than most together and she trusted her. What Peia didn't trust was how she felt about her ex-fiance.
He'd tried to kill her after being rescued, but that wasn't him. Not really. Peeta had been torn apart over and over to be reconstructed into the perfect pawn. His actions had been ones created and forced into his mind by Snow. Peia realized that because she'd witnessed their love in the Games. Peeta had loved Katniss and deep down, she believed he still did.
A love like that isn't just snuffed out.
"It's not his fault, you know. What happened to him." Peia clarified, voice soft against the harsh silence consuming them.
Katniss pulled her gaze from Peeta's sleeping face, locking onto her dark eyes. "I know. But I can't trust him."
Peia nodded her head. "Kai would be able to explain it better, but when we were in there..." She paused, eyes closing as the memories flashed in her mind. "I didn't go through what he or Kai went through, but I understand what Snow did. He's still in there, Katniss."
"How do you know that?"
"Because of Kai. And because of Thresh." Peia pointed out, shaking her head. "He told me the less he was taken, the easier it was to distinguish. Time—"
"And can he? Distinguish." Katniss clarified.
Peia raised her brow. "He was tortured for years, Katniss. It isn't that simple. All of those memories, he lived. They both happened to him, but yes. He can distinguish. Not always quickly though. Sometimes he has to think about it. But yes."
Katniss didn't say anything momentarily, her walls beginning to falter. She was silent for a few more seconds before she lifted her head. "I'm sorry about your brother."
Peia felt her heartbeat slightly raise at the mention of Rhett. "It's just one more thing fueling my fire to kill Snow. Everything that's coming, he deserves."
Katniss slowly turned, locking onto the figure of Peeta. Her cold eyes locked onto his, a sort of shock entering her system. He was awake. And he'd been listening.
"We've been here before, you know." He voiced, causing Peia to shift her attention to him.
"What?"
"That look. I've seen that look." Peeta recalled, sitting up. "You're trying to decide whether or not you should kill me."
"I never wanted to kill you." Katniss admitted.
"I saw it with my own eyes. In the first Games."
"In the first Games, I thought you were trying to help the Careers kill me." She pointed out, keeping her gaze on him and only him. "After that, I always saw you...as an ally."
"Friend, lover...victor, fiance...enemy, target, mutt. And now ally?" Peeta listed off, voice getting progressively louder with each name. "Yeah—Yeah, I'll add that to the list of words I use to try to figure you out."
Peia glanced to her left as Finnick sat up, rubbing his eyes with his fingertips. He'd been next to her this whole time, only now just waking up at the intensity that had risen.
"I'm sorry." Peeta murmured, dropping his head. "I—I just can't tell what's real and what's made up anymore."
"Then ask." Finnick interjected, forcing him to meet his gaze.
"It's what Kai does." Peia echoed.
"Kai." Peeta repeated, eyes narrowing. "He came...He came to see me. Twice. He—He wanted to help me."
"Because he knows what it's like to have his memories replaced. The things he told me—" Peia felt a lump form in her throat. "Snow tarnished what little life he'd lived and warped everything he'd ever known."
"And when it gets too hard to separate the two on his own, he asks." Sawyer piped up.
"Who would I ask?" Peeta questioned.
"Us." Peia answered, leaning forward. "We were allies before all this, remember?"
"You called...You called me 'Dough Boy,' right?"
She had to smile at that. "Yeah. You saved my life in that arena."
Peeta seemed to register what she'd said, but didn't say anything. His gaze quickly became uninterested, fixated on something miniscule as he spoke. "Your favorite color is green."
Katniss's expression faltered. He was talking to her.
"Is that real?"
"Yeah. That's real." She murmured, voice strikingly quiet. "Yours is orange. Not bright orange. Soft, like the sunset."
Peeta kept his eyes on her. "Thank you."
"You're a painter. You're a baker. You always sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar in your tea. You always double-knot your shoelaces." Katniss suddenly stopped at the sensation of tears pricking her eyes. "You're right. I can't do this." She announced, grabbing her things and walking off into another part of the room.
Peia turned back to Peeta, a semblance of understanding lacing her tone. "Time. You need time...to heal and to get better." She paused, a ghost of a smile finding its way onto her face. "I won't lie; it's not gonna be easy. It'll come and go like the tide. Some days you'll float, and others you'll drown. But that's part of healing. It has to hurt because you care."
Peeta found it in himself to smile— if you could even call it that. "Thank you."
As everyone settled back into their spots where they would sleep, Sawyer felt content. It didn't matter that Snow had taken from him time and time again. His family had overcome and they had fought back. They had survived and only grown stronger. Snow was wrong. The Capitol had no power left. Not anymore. His merciless reign would be over before they knew it.
And if Katniss didn't ensure that future, he would.