Finding the Missing Piece: Book 2

Chapter Nintey-Nine

Peeta POV- (The night Katniss left to come home)

I haven't been this far away from Katniss, ever.

I haven't gone this long without seeing her since either, well besides our fight but we were at least in the same town.

I miss her so much.

I miss her so much that my heart aches for her smile and laugh and sweet warmth.

That perfect smile she gives me when she sees me or when I tell her I love her.

The tightness of the grip she has on my body when we hug or sleep.

I haven't slept next to Katniss in days.

I haven't heard her laugh longer.

Katniss POV-

(On the phone with Bristol, on the way home)

"Hey, Kat! How is everything, sweetie?"

"Bristol, it's been terrible." I tell her truthfully.

"Aw. Kat, why?"

"Well, you know how Peeta sliced his fingers open a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah." Bristol pipes.

"Well, he ended up with blood poisoning..."

"Oh my gosh, that's terrible. Is he okay?" She asks pitifully.

"Yeah, now. But I stayed at the hospital two days before they'd let me see him or even tell me anything about his condition. A nurse snuck me into his room at one point, I stayed for an hour then another nurse came and said I had to leave." I begin.

"And? What happened after that?"

"I told him it'd be okay, and he was trying to get up and he was still extremely weak and had all these wires hooked to him and stuff so I set my hand on his chest to keep him down."

"And then what?" Bristol asks, in suspense.

"He got mad and swung his hand at my arm and hit me. I walked out after that."

"Oh, Katniss. I'm sure he didn't mean to do that. Please, don't tell me you left him?" Bristol whines.

"I did, well not left. I left but I went to my mom's in District 1. I just talked to him earlier and I decided to leave then. I've been gone for awhile. I just talked to him earlier." I say, in a daze.

"Katniss, you're not going to want to hear this but I'm saying it anyways..." Bristol begins.

"Okay." I say letting her continue.

"You shouldn't have left."

"I know that."

"I understand that you were upset when he hit you but I know he didn't mean to do it. He wasn't all there, I'm sure. Blood poisoning messes with your head."

"He was foggy before he went into the hospital and didn't seem to be completely there when I saw him."

"Exactly. He was probably on a lot of pain medicine on top of that and he was scared. He was probably upset because you were the only familiar thing to him."

"I know, you're right. That's why I'm going back home."

"Peeta would never hurt you on purpose. I know he gets flustered at times, he may yell or lose his patience but he would never do it without cause. I'm sorry but I lived with your for a few months, you're not exactly the easiest person to live with." Bristol says.

"I know that I'm not. I miss him so much and I know I shouldn't have left. Anything could've happened while I was gone and I'm glad it didn't but I was dumb and I was trying to prove a point. That's why I left."

Bristol sighs, "You were upset. Leaving the room or the hospital for a bit would have been acceptable. Leaving town, eleven districts away, that wasn't." She scolds me.

She's right.

I could've easily taken a break from him in Twelve, that way I could've been there in case something happened.

"I had already decided after it happened that I wasn't going to leave for good." I explain.

"You still shouldn't have gone all the way to One. I can't imagine how much of a wreck he his right now."

"Well, if it helps anyone, I've been just as much of a wreck."

"So, you told him that you were coming home?"

"Yeah, I decided to call him and just as I was about to, he called me. It's the first time I had talked to him since it happened though he called me probably 80 times and sent me a thousand texts."

"Oh, Katniss." Bristol says, disappointed.

"I know, I'm horrible. I should've at least told him where I went but I'm not exactly the nicest person." I admit.

Bristol snickers, "Well, I know that Peeta still loves you and he's just going to be glad you're safe. Even if you did decide to leave him, he wouldn't blame you. I'm sure he's devastated by what he did. As long as you are happy though, Peeta doesn't care about himself, you know that."

"That's why I could never leave him. I could never go through with it no matter what he did. I love him too much. Not that I wouldn't threaten it but I would never go through unless he wanted me to. Only if he would be happy." I tell her truthfully.

"Yeah." Bristol says softly.

"Let's just forget for a moment how awful I am and focus on someone better. How is the baby?" I ask, changing the subject.

Bristol thinks a minute before speaking, "She's good. We only have about a month left."

I smile to myself, keeping my eyes on the road, "That's great, Bristol. I can't wait to see you and meet her." I add in.

"We can't wait to see you either." Bristol says in a baby talking voice.

I laugh, "You still think she'll be here by the wedding?"

"Oh, yeah. Most definitely."

"Good. I can't wait but I'm not going to get too excited about the wedding. It may be pending after what happened between Peeta and I."

"He's not going to postpone the wedding and neither are you." She says.

"Maybe I can find her a cute little dress to wear to the wedding."

"That would be cute. I bet she'd love that." Bristol laughs.

We both know she probably won't like being all fancied up.

"I should've came to see you when I went through earlier." I say regretfully.

"It's okay. I know you want to get back to Peeta as soon as possible. You could've spent the night with me though."

"I know but I'll be driving all night so I can be home by three or four or so. I left at about ten this morning, so hopefully."

"I'm sure, just be safe. Text me when you get back home." Bristol says.

"I will. Go get some rest because after awhile, you won't be getting any." I tease.

"Okay, Mom." She laughs.

"Okay, I'll talk to you soon. Bye."

"Bye, Kat." Bristol says and we hang up.

I continue driving all night and all the way to District Twelve.

The last District in Panem.

But it is home.