Hayffie - Their story

Chapter 12

Peeta's point of view

After dinner everyone went back to the living room. The dinner itself went really well even when Zoe managed to get the contents of her bowl all down herself.  For most of them though, dinner was a chance to let everything sink in.

We are all talking and planning about what we are going to do next. Gale and Joanna can't stay in 12 for too long because Gale promised Beetee that he would go help him on some sort of design and Joanna insists of going with him, but they want to make the most out of their impromptu visit to 12.

I see Effie standing near the corner speaking to Zoe and I decide to go and talk to her as she seems a bit left out.

"Hey Eff you ok?"

"Thanks Peeta I'm fine. I just think Zoe needs to be put to bed is it all right if I take her upstairs quuckly" She says whilst rambling quickly.

"Yeah that's fine Effie. Also, you do know you can come and talk to me or Katniss whenever you want. You don't have to worry about it". At this point I see a small some creep across her face as she picks up Zoe and carries her to bed.

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With everything that's been going on at the moment Katniss decided that there needed to be a girls shopping trip. I don't know where she got this idea as she doesn't believe in shopping for anything but necessities, but today all the girls are going shopping together, which leaves me, Haymich and Gale to supervise the kids.

Haymich comes over to mine to look after Zoe as he still doesn't feel confident when it comes to looking after Zoe. I think she's really good for him though because he is starting to act a bit more like a normal human and less like a robot. Also, she is helping him to kick the drinking habit. From what Effie has told me he hasn't had a bootle in a week and that is a mighty achievement for him.

Gale promises to pop around later but he says he has something important to do first so we let him go off. Zoe is good with Fin.  Even though she's  not much older than he is she just goes and sits next to him sometimes and tries to play with him. The only problem is he is still to young to be able to play to the standard which Zoe wants and he sleeps more often which is good for me as I'm not really sure how to handle such young children.

After they both nod off to sleep Gale arrives back at mine and by the looks of it, there is a storm brewing. Gale sits down and gives us each one of the hot cheese buns he brought from the bakery. We sit there eating them quietly for a couple of minutes.  That's when Haymich starts talking.

We all sit joking around for a bit when the thunder comes. We don't get thunderstorms that much in 12, but when we do the are pretty bad. I know that the girls will be home soon as they wouldn't want to be caught out in the storm. The is a sudden burst of lightning quickly followed by the rumble of thunder. Next thing I know both Zoe and Fin are screaming.

Haymich's point if view

The storm started and things started kicking off from there. Zoe and Fin started screaming and before I know it Zoe is in my arms sobbing.  I stand there bouncing her up and down. I think she is too old for this but I'm not too sure. I look over to see Gale holding Fin. I know he's good with children because I used to see him with his sister Posy. Peeta is nowhere to be seen.

After about 5 mins the children have stopped crying. Fin has gone back to sleep but Zoe is laying resting her head in my shoulder. Peeta hasn't reappeared but I can hear him on the phone now. Effie and the others still haven't returned but, considering Effie's capitolness I don't expect them to be home for at least another hour or two.

Peeta gets off the phone and he looks flustered. He starts running about trying to pull on his shoes whilst simultaneously trying to put on his coat. He finally pauses for breath when he call out

"Bakery...Emergency. .....Gotta run........home soon......bye" then the front door shuts.

Me and Gale don't really know what to say to each other.  We have never really had a proper conversation which wasn't to do with the rebellion so we just sit there awkwardly for a while before the phone starts ringing.  Considering we are still in Peeta and Katniss house we decide it's not our place to answer it. We let it ring until it cuts off. Fin is starting to stir so Gale goes to pick up his dummy. Just as he stands up the phone starts ringing again. He just looks at me and tells me to answer it. 

I place Zoe on the sofa and tell her to stay there and head to the dining room. The phone is still ringing by the time I get there so I answer it.

"Hello may I ask who's calling?" I ask timidly

"Haymich it's Peeta, there's a blackout in the majority  12. Just spoke to Beetee and apparently the storm also occurred in 3 and and it knocked out the main power supply to 12. Just though I would let you know that they are going to cut out the rest of 12's power within the hour so I going to be held up at the bakery a bit because we have a lot of products which need to be refrigerated so I need to sort something out. The girls are on their way home with perishables which you can eat for tea. Tell Katniss not to wait up please, you know how much she worries. See you whenever we get the power back" and he hangs up.

Just what we need, a blackout.  I go back to the living room to see Gale feeding the children and inform him about the subsequent blackout. He groans and we sit trying to get in as much TV as possible. That's when the door opens and the sound of Joanna cursing spreads through the house.

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So, what do you think? This is a bit of a filler chapter and I apologise for taking so long. The next chapter should be up soon. Thanks to all my readers I really appreciate it.