The corpse of the past

Chapter 49: Caesar

Chapter 49

-Katniss-

Peeta won't stop apologizing. He just continues and continues, when Stella can't hear that is.

And now we're backstage to the show. Peeta and I have like always our fire theme. Stella has her new golden dress we bought for her two days ago.

I'm still a bit dizzy, but the doctors stitched me up when we arrived. I just told them that I had slipped and hit my head on something hard.

No one can ever know that Peeta has his flashbacks. I'm not ashamed over it, and neither is Peeta, but no one would understand. That's just it. They wouldn't understand.

I feel a pare of arms wrap around my waist.

I lean my head against Peetas.

"Katniss I'm so sorry for what I did", he says and I hear the sorrow in his voice.

I turn around in he's arms.

"Peeta, stop it! I mean it, stop it!" I say. "You have nothing to be sorry about, so please just let it go, okay? You're not to be blamed for anything, so just stop it, or else I'm gonna be angry".

Stella runs up to us.

"I don't want to go up there", she says with her face in Peeta's shirt.

"Oh but we'll be right there with you, sweetheart", I say, stroking her hair.

"The whole time?" She asks.

"The whole time", Peeta says.

She smiles.

We hear Caesar when he shouts to the audience.

"And here we have them, the star-crossed lovers and their adoptive daughter Stella!"

"Here we go", Peeta mumbles in my ear and I kiss him before we take Stella's hands and walk out on the stage to a screaming crowd.

We're greeted by Caesar and we sit down in the love seat.

Stella sits between us and take both our hands and squeezes them hard. She's scared. This is all knew to her. I had hoped that we would't have to do this. But of course I totally forgot about Caesar. Stupid me. Like always.

"So, Katniss and Peeta, what do I say first ... I didn't expect this", Caesar says and looks at Stella.

"Yeah well, we didn't either at first", I say.

I tell the story with Greasy Sae, and that after she died Peeta and I had been taking care of her a bit. And we decided to adopt her, because we love her and care so much about her.

"We couldn't see anyone else as her parents, it just feels like it's meant to be you know", I finish.

Caesar, has always been a bit of a drama queen. Or scratch that, a big drama queen.

So what do you think he's doing now?

Well to spear you the thinking part, I may as well just tell you.

Caesar is crying. As well as the rest of the audience.

"Yeah, it's like faith wanted us to take Stella under our wings and take care of her", Peeta says.

"And how about you Stella, you feel like this is right in every way?" Caesar asks.

Stella nods.

"Yeah ... I've always felt ... drawn to mommy and daddy, although back I just called Katniss and Peeta, but that doesn't feel right anymore", she says. "They're so much more, they are my parents, it doesn't matter if it's by blood or not".

And that's what makes my eyes spill.

I didn't know that Stella felt that way. She never told us that. Why didn't she?

"Yeah, you do seem like a really happy family", Caesar says. "So you're all happy how it turned out in the end?"

"Absolutely", Peeta says. "To not be with Stella, that would only feel wrong, like something would always be missing".

"Any plans on giving Stella a sibling?" Caesar asks winking at me and Peeta.

"Not at the moment no, but you never know what the future holds", Peeta says.

But I do know. I don't want that. And Peeta knows that. It just wouldn't sound right in Caesar's ears, or the Capitol peoples ears. They wouldn't understand, so Peeta really do say the right thing here.

"How about you Stella, would you want siblings?" Caesar asks, giving me a teasingly look.

He's kind. Yes. But he really can be a bitch as well. He did that on purpose.

I give him the evil eye.

"Yes, of course I would, I would love to be a big sister, that would be so much fun", she says and the audience goes: "Awww".

And I just wanna slap Caesar. How am I suppose to tell Stella that it's not happening?

Oh god, why did he say that?

Because he wants us to have children of our own one day. I know that he wants that, but still it would be mine and Peeta's decision, not the entire Panem's decision.

"I do see Finn as my little brother though, he's the sweetest", Stella adds.

"Finn Odair?" Caesar asks.

"Of course, I teach him to dance, he always stands with his small feet onto mine, and I move around, he loves it, he laughs and giggles", Stella says, and I smile at the thought.

It's true that Finn loves it. He always wants to dance like that, even though Stella tries to teach him to dance on his own as well.

Stella contines to talk about how much she loves and adores little Finn.

Caesar seems really interested in Stella.

I'm just waiting for this to end so we can go back home. I don't want to sleep here, I just want to get back on the train and back to District 12, that means that we will have to sleep on the train of course, but I don't care, I don't wanna stay a second longer than needed.

And after a while we're done.

Finally.

Peeta takes me and Stella back to the train where we wait for Annie.

But on the train we find Plutarch.

"Hello you two, thought you could run away without saying hello?" he asks laughing.

I just smile.

Of course I don't have anything against Plutarch. I just forgot about him. But I don't want to tell him that. So I don't.

"Hey, no no, we knew you would find us, right Peeta?" I say looking at him.

Peeta also forgot. I can see that at him. But he gets it and plays along.

"Yeah, and here we are!" He says.

And now we're stuck for the night as well.

Great.

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🖋1083✒️

Hey guys.

I know that this chapter was not exiting at all, I know that, but how did you like it?

I really want to know, so please tell me guys :)

Please vote and comment to tell me what you thought about this chapter guys, I would be so happy if you did :)

-Josephine xx