Fawn In The Dawn | Peeta Mellark

nine

The bunker was silent. So silent, it was almost deadly. The air was still and the room was dark. Occasionally, we would hear loud explosions throughout the time being down here, but those died off slowly throughout the night. Katniss and Prim attempted to keep themselves busy by talking to one another and I just laid my head on Finnicks lap. Not wanting to move, not wanting to speak. I just wanted to dissapear into thin air. To be a fly on the wall where Peeta was, or to find him and run away from all of this madness we were surrounded by. That's what we should have done, ran, made a life in the woods and stayed out of public or the Capitols eye, we could have survived.

"Can I sit?" Kat asked us, as I looked up. Finn nodded and kat sat next to me, replacing my legs over her lap. "Snows using them to punish us. Taunt us, and make us all weak." She sighed, rubbing her forehead. I nodded into Finnick's lap, looking ahead at the floor, wishing all of our pain could disappear.

***

Later that night, Boggs appeared to both Katniss and I. I wound up falling asleep in Finn's bed, so he covered me with a blanket and slept on the floor. I looked down at him, and placed my blanket over his body, and followed Kat and Boggs out of the bunker and into a control room with Coin.

"I need you two to do something for us." Coin began, looking between us two. "I need you both to tell Panem that we survived an attack by the Capitol. Since Panem doesn't seem to know where you've been, Arizona, I figure now's your time to show them." Coin said, as I nodded, agreeing. "Katniss, inform that we have no casualties and we remain fully operational."

"Okay." Katniss and I agreed in unison. Coin looked to me and sincerely began to speak.

"I know I haven't been able to say much to you since you've been brought here. And as I've admired your courage, Peeta has also given us eight extra minutes to evacuate and save lives. That will not go unforgotten." She said, queitly. I nodded and we were now led up a stairwell and to the outside where we faced rubble and mass destruction. Katniss and I looked around us to the fallen rocks. We climbed over some until Katniss noticed the white roses fallen everywhere around us. She lifted one, growing angry. Katniss now was unable to speak.

"He's going to kill Peeta." Kat looked to me. "We need to get Peeta." Katniss said, in my defense. "He dropped these for us!" She shouted, grabbing my arms. I thought back to the white roses my mother always had in our house. Those roses were from the Capitol. A symbol of the Capitol, and Snow's favorite. "I can't do this." She walked back inside and I quickly followed after her.

"Katniss!" I shouted, attempting to protest, knowing we had to do as Coin asked. She stopped and turned to me in the dark stairwell.

"They're doing this to punish you. To punish us, Ari! They're hurting Peeta to get after you!" She scolded me for being naive.

"I know!" I shouted. "Jesus, I know. I'm trying so hard to make it day by day and to keep my mind off what he's going through. I know what he's going through. I was there! It's terrible and awful and traumatizing!" I continued. "So please, stop reminding me."

"Ladies," Haymitch began, interrupting, and we both looked to see Haymitch walking down to us. "Listen, I'm here to tell you both that they have decided to rescue Peeta. Capitols defenses are out on half their system and Beetee is in, so they're going to get him."

"W-what?" I gasped.

"Well, with your written statement to President Coin, since they are in the tribute center, Coin sees this as an opportunity. She knows Peeta is the Capitols weapon, so she's going to get him. And its underway right now." Haymitch informed, causing my heart to beat fasted, and my body to feel warm. "Gale is head of the team. He knew you and Peeta were good friends, Katniss, and to be frank, Arizona, he feels like you have done so much, especially with not killing Katniss in the first games when you had opportunities, so he's owing you one." I smiled at this and my body began to fill with excitement at the thought that knowing soon enough, Peeta would be in my arms once again, safe and away from the Capitol's torture.