Fighting (Sequel to Fate)

Chapter 3

Katniss P.O.V.

"Absolutely not."

"Please, Haymitch," I beg. "I have to do something."

"But why this?" he asks. "This isn't going to accomplish anything."

"I have to see it for myself," I say. "I need to know how much damage was done."

Haymitch shakes his head. "It's not safe, Katniss."

"Nothing we do is safe."

"Katniss, Snow could send in Peacekeepers at any moment."

"You can send someone with me if you want, but I have to see Twelve."

"Fine," Haymitch sighs after thinking it over. "I'll try to work something out with Coin."

"Thank you, Haymitch," I say sincerely. He nods his head.

"But Gale goes with you."

"Okay," I reply.

"And you don't need to be on the ground for more than ten minutes."

"Okay."

"I'm serious, Katniss," he says. "It's not just you anymore."

"I know," I say as I lay a hand on my stomach.

"I'll let you know something first thing in the morning," Haymitch tells me. "Go get some rest."

I nod, and start back to my room. Once I get there, I lay down on the bed and take a deep breath.

I know it doesn't seem like much, but I have to go back and see what's happened to my home.  Even if it is just ten minutes. Maybe once I see it, I can come to terms with it and move on.
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I wait by the door like I was told to. Haymitch somehow talked Coin into letting me go see Twelve, but I'm grateful for it.

"Ready to go?" I turn to see Gale walking down the hallway.

I take a deep breath and nod my head. "Yeah."

"Come on." I follow Gale down numerous hallways and up many steps. I almost tell Gale to stop and let me go back to sleep. I don't know of it's the baby, or the fear of what I'm about to see, but my stomach does not feel good at all.

But I'm not going to let it stop me. I have to go now. I may not get this opportunity again.

Once we reach the hovercraft, my legs feel wobbly. I have to stop and lean up against the wall. My heart feels like it's pounding, and I feel like I can't breathe good.

"Katniss?" Gale says worriedy.

"I'm alright," I say. "Just give me a minute."

"You don't have to do this," he tells me. "I know you think you have to, but you really don't."

I take a deep breath to calm myself down. "Let's go," I say. I walk ahead of Gale, and we sit down in seats beside each other. I close my eyes and try to relax as I feel the hovercraft begin to take off.

"Not too late to turn back," Gale reminds me.

"Yes it is," I mumble. "You're not going to talk me it of this."

"Katniss, I know you and Peeta are married now, but I still care about you," Gale tells me. "I'm just looking out for you."

"I know," I say quiety as I look away from him. Neither of us say another word until we land.

"Remember, Katniss, we only have ten minutes."

"Yeah," I say. "I know." We landed in the middle of town, and I have to turn my head when we pass where the bakery once stood.

"Lead the way," Gale tells me. So I do. My feet carry me towards the Victor's Village, and I can't believe it when I see all the houses still standing.

"I wonder why they left it," Gale says from behind me. I don't answer. Instead, I walk towards the house that Peeta and I shared. Our home.

I walk through the front door and take a deep breath. This is the only place where I can't smell smoke and smoldering debris.

Maybe if I imagine it hard enough, everything will go back to normal. I slowly go through each room, trying to savor the feeling of being home. But Gale's voice lets me know I should hurry.

"We have five minutes."

"Okay," I say as I nod my head. "I'll hurry." I go upstairs and look around. I don't exactly know what I'm looking for, but I feel like Peeta left something for me.

I glance into his art room and feel my cheeks heat up. Most of his paintings are of me, but there's a couple that  I don't recognize. Both are of a baby girl with dark, curly hair. I can't help but to smile.

This must be his prediction of what the baby will look like once they are born. Obviously, he's hoping for a little girl.

I start feeling weak again, so I lean up against the wall.

"Katniss," Gale says. "We should leave." I shake my head.

"Wait a minute," I say. "One more thing."

"We have to hurry."

"I know," I say. "But Peeta and I already bought some clothes for the baby, and I'll need them in case the baby is born before we leave Thirteen." I go across the hallway to the room we were planning on converting to a nursery.

I open the door, and my knees really do give out this time. I hit the floor and start bawling.

Peeta already had a nursery set up for the baby.

Gale kneels down beside of me and helps me up. I look around the room, knowing we only have seconds.

The walls are a light grey, but the back wall is painted a mint green color. Of course Peeta would pick a color that could be used for either a boy or a girl.

"Katniss, we have to go," Gale says.

"I have to grab some clothes for the baby."

"There's no time," he says. "Come on," Gale grabs my arm, but I pull back when something catches my eyes.

A white envelope sits propped up on the changing table with Katniss written across the top of it in Peeta's handwriting. I quickly go over and grab the envelope before Gale leads me out of the house and back to the hovercraft.

I clutch the envelope close to my heart, hoping that we land in Thirteen soon so I can read it.

"I think we have a stow away," Gale says. I raise an eyebrow at him, and he nods his head towards the corner. I turn to see the little furball that Prim loves so much curled up in the corner. I roll my eyes and shake my head. Stupid cat.

"Will Prim be allowed to keep him?"

"I don't know," Gale says as he shrugs his shoulders. "I don't see why not."

"I'm surprised he's still alive," I say. My fingers keep working at the seal of the envelope, but I'm trying to wait. I want to be alone when I read what may very well be Peeta's last words to me.
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It takes a while for me to find time to read the letter. I dropped Buttercup off with Prim, and Mom wanted to know how the trip to Twelve went.

Once I got back to my room, I immediately fell asleep from being worn out and weak from the baby. Afterwords, Prim talked me into eating something.

Now, I sit on the bed with the white envelope clutched in my hand. I want so bad to read it. But I can't. I feel like if something did happen to Peeta, and I opened the letter, then I'd have nothing new from him except the baby. I decide to wait until I feel like the moment is right.

So instead of opening the envelope, I fall asleep while holding it over my heart.