The Beauty Beneath The Beast

Chapter 8: Peeta

"It was you," Katniss says.

"What are you talking about?" I ask her.

"Eleven years older," she says. "Your taller and your hair is shorter." She gingerly touches my face. "But those are the same eyes of the boy who gave me the bread. I don't know how I didn't see it before."

"Well in your defense," I say. "I didn't really look like myself."

"You never intended me to know this," she says.

"Would you have believed me if I told you?" I ask her.

"I don't know," she says. "I'm not sure of anything anymore."

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

"The curse is broken," she says. "How?"

"I had to fall in love," I say. "And that person had to return that love."

"I thought I lost you Peeta," she says. "Prim's dead. You're all I have now. I'm all alone. My sister's dead. She's dead!" Katniss slumps to the ground and starts sobbing. I kneel beside her and pull her into my arms.

"Shhh," I whisper. "I know it hurts. Worse than any wound you'll ever receive. But we can't change the past. We can either run from the truth, or learn from it. But we can't change what's already happened." She doesn't say anything. She just lets me hold her as she cries. Her cries eventually quiet, and she lifts her head. "You okay?"

"I will be," she says. "Not yet, but I will be." Suddenly a bronze head peaks out at us from inside. Katniss stares at him for a moment before se recognizes the unmistakable playful green eyes. "Finnick?"

"I hoped you'd recognize me," He says. Katniss pulls herself from my arms and hugs him. I stand and Katniss pulls away. Finnick hugs me and I laugh.

"What's this?" I ask him.

"I'm just so proud of you," he says. "My little Peetie Pie got the girl. I've taught you well." He holds out his arms and flexes them. "It's good to have these back."

"Yeah," Katniss says. "I'm sure those are the only things."

"Finnick?" a woman's voice says. I look to see a small redhead in a maids uniform comes out.

"Annie," I say. "It's very nice to see you again." She's Finnick's wife. She was one of the many who were too scared to come near me when I was that creature. She stayed at the opposite wing of the castle, but I know Finnick visited her often.

"Annie, this is the lovely Miss Katniss Everdeen," Finnick says. "Katniss, this is my wife Annie."

"It's lovely to meet you," Katniss says holding out her hand.

"The honor is all mine," Annie says. "After all, without you, we wouldn't be human again. The last petal fell when we changed back."

"Petal?" Katniss asks, turning to me. "What is she talking about Peeta?" I gently take her hand in mine.

"Come on," I say. "We need to talk." She quirks an eyebrow and allows me to lead her inside. I'm about to take her to my studio when I hear a high pitched voice behind me.

"Katniss! What on earth happened to your hair!" Effie screeches. She walks past me and picks at Katniss' hair, which has fallen out of the elaberate style she had it in.

"It's fine Effie," she says. "I'm not going anywhere and I don't think Peeta minds." Effie turns to me and slaps my arm.

"I expect you to take better care of this girl from now on," she says with a stern look that slowly turns into a smile. "Come here, give your Aunt Effie a hug." She pulls me into a hug that reeks of perfume and other beauty products.

"It's nice to see you as yourself again," I say. Effie pulls away and points a finger at Katniss.

"I will not warn you again about your manners," she says. "And you'd better take a bath before bed."

"Yes Mam," Katniss says.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if Sae has anything in the kitchen. I haven't eaten in years," she says. Her heels click away as she shuffles to the kitchen.

"I think I like her better as a wardrobe," Katniss says.

"Be nice," I say.

"I'm kidding," she says."Now before she interrupted us, you said you needed to talk to me."

"Yeah," I say."Follow me." I take her up to the large windowed room where I do most of my painting and sit down next to her on the small couch.

"What do you have to tell me?" she asks.

"We almost ran out of time. The spell was connected to an enchanted rose that would bloom until my 25th birthday. After that, it started to wilt. Once the last petal fell off the steam, there would have been no way to break the spell," I say.

"So the dinner was just a last ditch attempt to make me fall in love with you?" she asks looking hurt.

"No," I say. "It wasn't that. I was going to tell you I loved you. I just, I couldn't," I try so hard but I can't find the words.

"You couldn't say it. You didn't know what I'd say back," she says. "You were afraid of me. Of what I'd say."

"Yeah," I say. "I guess I kind of was." She laughs softly as she smiles at me.

"I was too," she says."I've loved you for a while now, I just didn't know how to say it. I've never been in love before, I just don't understand any of this."

"I've loved you for a long time now," I tell her. "Since that day in the rain when I saw you outside the bakery."

"Prim wasn't an accident was she?" Katniss says. "You captured her on purpose."

"She wandered here looking for shelter," I start. "I recognized her and tried to help her, but she was so frantic that she fainted. I have a magic mirror that allows me to see whatever I desire. So I looked for you through it and I saw you looking for Prim. So I came up with a plan to get you to stay here with me. I knew you wouldn't let Prim stay here. I know it was evil and I'm disgusted with myself for doing it, but I was desperate. I'm sorry. I'm the reason she's dead." Katniss looks down at her hands. She gets up and starts to walk out of the room, but stops at the doorway.

"I don't blame you Peeta," she says. "But I want to be alone for a while. I'll see you in the morning." She walks out, taking my heart with her.