I truly have no words to explain how much I've missed this and how happy I am to be back here. Posting an update to my longest WIP.
This story has been my constant companion for many years now. Even when I completely stopped writing, it never left my mind. I knew I had left it in a good enough place, but it's still missing the end I so badly want to give it.
So, here I am, writing again. Posting one more chapter. Thank you for your patience, and for all the kind messages you've sent me through the years. They mean the world to me.
And now... here's the long awaited chapter. Hope you enjoy it.
One Victor, CH 26 is ready!
Propaganda.
"Peeta!"
Swiveling around, Peeta barely had time to brace himself against the impact of Prim jumping into his arms.
"Thank you!" Prim squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you for bringing Buttercup back!"
Chuckling, Peeta lowered Prim to the floor. "You're welcome, Prim. I'm sorry you can't keep him in your compartment, but—,"
“Oh, that doesn't matter. He'll be OK. As soon as the kitchen staff realizes what a good mouser he is, they'll fall in love with him. It won't take long before he starts pulling his own weight and, in the meantime, Katniss will have to find him some scraps."
Peeta nodded. It had taken some negotiation with the officers who had greeted his team upon their return from Twelve but, ultimately, they had relented. Buttercup had been allowed to stay outside of the main compound. He would only be admitted into specific areas to work as pest control. But Katniss was authorized to feed him from what she hunted.
It wasn't what Peeta had hoped for, but it was much better than leaving the old mangy cat to fend for himself back in what was left of the Seam.
Peeta tilted his head towards the dining hall. “Are you ready for dinner?"
"Yes! I'm starving!"
Want to keep on reading? You can find the rest of the chapter on AO3 and FF.net
Like my beautiful banner? The lovely @alwayseverlark made it for me. It was ages ago, but I still love it!!!
I'm sure you weren't expecting this one so soon after the last one 😉
Let me know what you think. ❤️
Celebration.
Commander Boggs glanced around the room. “If no one has anything else to add…” Everyone remained silent. “Looks like we’re done here. You’re all free to go back to your schedules, thank you.”
Katniss, Gale, and Peeta waited for the room to clear. They were about to stand up when Cinna and Portia approached them.
“Hey, Peeta,” Cinna greeted. Focusing on the victor’s companions, he asked, “Katniss, Gale, do you have anything pressing on your schedule right now?”
The hunters shook their heads.
“Would you mind coming to our atelier? We could get those fittings out of the way.”
“Sure,” Katniss stood up, “no problem.”
Behind her, Gale grumbled something under his breath, but mimicked her motions all the same.
“Shall I go too?” Peeta asked.
“No,” Portia said, “we’re all done with you for now.” Leaning closer to him, she mock-whispered, “I’d invite you over, but we need to focus on their outfits, and we don’t have enough space to have guests.”
“Fine,” Peeta shrugged, “I can tell when I’m not wanted. I’ll just go look for some noble chore to occupy my time.”
Laughing, Portia patted his back and, with that, the hunters and stylists were on their way.
Want to keep on reading? You can find the rest of the chapter on AO3 and FF.net
Like my beautiful banner? @alwayseverlark made it for me.
I haven’t done this in ages!!! I’m sure no one expects this at this point but here I am again, with a lot more than six sentences from the upcoming chapter of One Victor.
Let me know what you think 😊
As usual, unbetaed and subject to change.
You can find the full fic on AO3 and FF.net
Enjoy!
After all the hubbub died down, Peeta walked the Everdeens back to their compartment.
He was at their doorstep, already wishing them a good night, when Katniss slipped her hand in his and announced, "I'm going to go over to Peeta's for a little while."
Without a word, Prim kissed her sister's cheek and disappeared into their living quarters.
Mrs. Everdeen took a moment to look at her eldest daughter. Her eyes were guarded, but her voice was gentle. "I'll see you later, then." Before closing the door, she added, "Good night, Peeta."
With her family out of the way, Katniss turned to look at him, suddenly worried. "Is that OK? Maybe, you want to be on your own."
"On my own?" Peeta tugged on her hand to bring her closer. "Nu-uh. I'd much rather be with you."
"Good!" Beaming, Katniss lead him the rest of the way.
XXOXX
"Katniss!" Peeta whispered. His voice, firm and urgent, was like a lifeline, cutting through a world of death and destruction and guiding her back into the real world. "Katniss, wake up!"
Katniss woke with a start. Panting hard, she pressed a hand over her racing heart and took stock of her surroundings.
Dim light. White walls. No windows. An ugly coffee table. A leather-bound scrapbook.
Peeta's compartment.
We must have fallen asleep on the couch, Katniss realized.
Peeta's hand on her shoulder was gentle but steady. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms and, without argument, she followed.
"You OK?" he asked.
Katniss pressed her ear to his chest. His heart was beating at the same quick pace as hers.
"It was just a nightmare,” she mumbled into his shirt.
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not really," safely nestled in the cocoon of his arms, she admitted, “it was about Twelve."
Peeta nodded.
It had been a long day.
The visit to their district and all the excitement of the presentation at the public square had drained them.
Back in the privacy of his compartment, they had shared a few kisses, but mostly, they had just snuggled on the couch and talked.
Looking for memories of happier days, Peeta had pulled out the scrapbook he had salvaged from his visit to Victors' Village earlier in the day. Katniss had been delighted to see the pictures from his Victory Tour.
He still couldn't believe how much she remembered simply from watching the daily news reports.
"I wanted to know how you were doing," she admitted, blushing prettily when he asked her about it.
The conversation had been a welcome distraction for their weary souls. But it was getting late and, eventually, they had just fallen asleep.
Sitting up, Katniss stretched her arms over her head. "What time is it?"
Peeta glanced at the kitchen clock. "It's almost midnight."
Pulling up her sleeve, Katniss revealed the schedule tattooed on her arm. The last item read 22:00 — Lights Out. Scrunching up her nose, she asked, "Is there a curfew here?"
"I'm not sure. Want to sleep here? I can take the couch,” he quickly offered.
Looking past him, Katniss sneaked a peek into his room. His bed was bigger than hers. "You don't need to take the couch. There's plenty of room for the both of us over there."
Peeta's questioning eyebrow shot up. "You sure?"
"Yeah." Taking his hand to show she meant business, Katniss stood up and led them to the bedroom. "Come on."
"Would you like to change?" he asked once they were in his bedroom, "I don't have much, but you could borrow my sleep shirt. That would probably work."
Katniss looked down at her crumpled jumper. Changing into something clean and soft sounded like a good idea.
They took turns using his bathroom to change and clean up for the night.
As she waited for him to join her in bed, Katniss buried her nose in Peeta's sleep shirt and took a long, deep breath.
Even through the strong smell of Thirteen's detergent, she could identify the spicy notes of cinnamon and musk she identified as Peeta's.
A smile turned her lips. Being there --wrapped up in his shirt, surrounded by his scent-- made her deliriously happy. Especially when she remembered that just a couple days before, she had thought she had lost him for good.
Before her mind could go down that dark rabbit hole, Peeta came out of the bathroom wearing his pajama bottoms with his uniform's undershirt.
The sudden realization that she was about to share a bed with Peeta --handsome, charming, adorable Peeta-- sent a rush of heat to her cheeks.
Flustered, Katniss looked down at her lap and tried not to ogle him as he climbed into bed with her.
The mattress sagged under his weight and, as soon as she felt him still, Katniss settled in next to him.
After dimming the lights, Peeta slid closer to press a kiss to the crown of her head. "Thanks for being here."
"You're welcome," Katniss said around a yawn. "That's what friends are for."
"Is it?"
Confused, she turned a sleepy eye in his direction, "What?"
"Is that what we are, Katniss? Friends?"
"Well… We are friends," she repeated stubbornly. Even as the word left her mouth, she knew it was wrong.
A soft hum rumbled deep inside Peeta's chest. The mattress shook with his laughter. “Do you normally spend the night at your friends' houses?"
The idea of spending a night in Gale's —or even Madge's— bed seemed so ludicrous to her that she immediately burst out laughing. "No, I don't!"
"I don't either."
The clarification washed over her, warming her whole body with an inexplicable kind of joy. Emboldened by it, she asked, "So, what are we then?"
Propping himself up on one arm to lie on his side, Peeta reached for her braid. His gentle fingers slid down in a slow, familiar gesture that soothed them both. "I don't know. I don't really care about labels, but I need you to know one thing." His heart pounded against his ribcage. She was so close to him that he was sure she could hear it, beating right next to her as he finally admitted, "I'm yours."
Yours. The word enveloped her like a warm embrace.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, a scared little voice began screaming, reminding her that this was exactly what she had vowed to run away from.
What Peeta was offering was the type of bond her parents had shared. The kind of connection that had the power to make someone deliriously happy, but that could, just as easily, destroy them.
Just a few months before, Katniss would have listened to the voice, she would have closed her heart and run away, but it was too late for that now.
Despite her best efforts, Peeta had worked his way inside her heart and had rooted there.
After everything they'd gone through, she wasn't strong —or foolish enough— to try to pull him out.
Unable to deny her feelings any longer, Katniss ran her trembling fingers through his hair. The stubborn wave that insisted on flopping down to his forehead eased her nerves.
"I'm yours too,” she whispered.
Peeta's eyes were wide with wonder. "You are?"
"I am," she confirmed, cupping his cheek and pulling him down for a soft kiss.
XXOXX
The following morning, Katniss woke up with her head resting on Peeta's arm. She didn't know what time it was, but it had to be early. The alarm hadn't gone off yet.
She turned slowly, being careful not to disturb him, but Peeta was already awake.
The sight of his sleepy smile and tousled hair filled her with a kind of joy she’d never experienced before. Warm and delicious, it spread and reached every part of her being.
"No more nightmares?" he asked.
"No, I slept like a log." Stretching out with a lazy yawn, she said, "I should get changed, get back to my compartment before the alarm goes off."
With a soft kiss goodbye, Katniss dragged herself out of bed and began her day.
As some of you may have noticed, this hasn’t been a good year for my writing but, luckily, Camp NaNo has, once again, lured me in. 😊
This chapter is for @greenfaeriefly who sent me a message ages ago. I’m sorry I never answered. I haven’t been around here much, but I’m grateful for your kindness. It’s been a while, but I hope you enjoy this new chapter.
Also, @little-lynx, thank you for sharing all your beautiful artwork with us. I know some pieces are hard to do, but THIS one particular got my mind working. It made me reflect and wonder and it ended up inspiring one of the scenes in this chapter. I know I wouldn't have done this without you. ❤️
Alright, enough intro!
Hope you enjoy 😊
Chapter 25. The Ashes.
The following morning, Katniss woke up to the sound of a blaring alarm.
Startled, she jumped out of bed and reached for the light switch.
A faint light, warm as a gentle sunrise, filled the room. The alarm stopped.
In her own bed, just a few steps away, Prim covered her head with a pillow and grumbled, "What a racket."
Katniss slumped on her sister's mattress; lifting a corner of the pillow, she peeked at Prim's sleepy face. "Did you sleep well, Little Duck?"
Prim rubbed her eyes and yawned. "I was so tired that I could have slept on my feet. You?"
"Yeah, me too." Katniss tugged at one of her sister's messy braids. "We should get ready. It'll be time for breakfast soon."
With the idea of food beckoning, the sisters got ready for their day.
Want to keep on reading? You can find the rest of the chapter on AO3 and FF.net
I feel like it’s been ages since I posted anything! My writing is still going at a snail’s pace, but I finally found it in me to start working on my WIPs again. 😊
Before I share this teaser, I want to thank the amazingly talented @little-lynx for inundating my feed with all those beautiful THG illustrations. THIS ONE of Peeta at the bakery really got into my head and gave me the push I needed to figure some stuff out.
Warning: this one is sad, and it doesn't follow immediately after PART 1, but it can be read independently. Unbetaed --as usual-- and subject to change.
Enjoy!
Chapter 25. Part 2.
Nestled between Katniss and Gale, Peeta pulled at the seatbelt holding him in place. Flying had always made him nervous. Knowing that he was about to face his district’s ghosts had him wanting to crawl out of his skin.
As anxious as he was, he still made a request, “Would it be OK if I took a look around first?
“Sure,” Cressida flashed him a small, understanding smile, “we’ll get everything set up and shoot the propo once you’re done.”
Leaning into Peeta’s side, Katniss whispered, “Would you like me to go with you?”
Peeta shook his head. It was bad enough that Katniss had been roped into this expedition. She had been there to witness the firebombing, she didn’t need to be there seeing the results.
“You sure?” Katniss insisted, gently squeezing his hand.
Before he could reassure her, Peeta caught his first glance of the district through the window.
The summer had been scorching hot and dry as a bone. Without any rain or breeze to disturb them, the piles of ash left by the Capitol’s attack remained untouched.
Peeta shook his head. “I have to do this alone.”
Pursing her lips tight, Katniss nodded. She didn’t like the idea of Peeta visiting the remains of the Merchant quarter on his own, but she knew there was nothing she could do to stop him.
Opening her palm to show him the earpiece Cressida had given her a few minutes before, she said, “If you need anything, just let me know.”
Peeta tapped at the earpiece he had already placed in his ear. “I will.”
XXOXX
In. Out. In. Out, Peeta thought as he walked through the debris.
Using the heap of blackened rubble that had replaced the Justice Building as reference, he veered to the left.
In. Out. In. Out.
The surface beneath his feet hardened. Peeta froze in place. There, hidden under the same carpet of ash that covered the entire district, were the paving stones that had once surrounded the Main Square.
In. Out. In. Out, his mind repeated.
Wary, he followed the shallow border of refuse that went around the perimeter marking the spot where the shops had once stood.
With careful, steady steps, Peeta reached the bakery’s approximate site. There was nothing much left of the business his family had owned —of the place he had once called home. No building, no storefront, no pigpen.
Not even the scraggly apple tree had escaped the fire of President Snow’s bombs. Everything had turned to dust.
Everything.
Peeta’s eyes filled with tears as he realized that he would never be able to tell whether the ashes of his parents --or of his two older brothers-- were there among the rubble or not.
A few steps away, the melted lump of the oven glistened under the scorching sun. It was the only part of his past that still stood, the only reminder of the life he’d once had, and —like everything else around him— it had been rendered useless.
Unable to watch the wreckage any longer, Peeta buried his face in his hands.
For the first time since hearing of his family’s deaths, he allowed his pain to take over. Broken, he crumbled to the ground and cried.
With every heart-wrenching sob and every bitter tear, he asked his family—and his district— for forgiveness. Digging his fingers into the ashes of the building he had once loved, he apologized for failing so miserably in his quest; for condemning them to such a horrible end; for standing there, alive and well, when they were gone.
He had gone there hoping to find closure —or maybe some peace—but the only thing to come out of his heart was a promise.
I won’t forget, he vowed, feeling his heart beating with resolve.
His ash-covered hands turned into tight, unforgiving fists.
Snow will know who you were, he promised. And he will pay.
It’s been a long time since I posted one of these --a long time since I posted anything, really-- but I’ve been writing a little lately and I wanted to share this little snippet with you guys.
This is from Chapter 25 and it’s definitely more than six sentences.
Enjoy!
Chapter 25. Part 1.
The following morning, Katniss woke up to the sound of a blaring alarm.
Startled, she jumped out of bed and reached for the light switch.
A faint light, warm as a gentle sunrise, filled the room. The alarm stopped.
In her own bed, just a few steps away, Prim covered her head with a pillow. "What a racket," she grumbled.
Katniss slumped on her sister's mattress. Lifting one corner of the pillow, she took a peek at Prim's sleepy face. "Did you sleep well, Little Duck?"
Prim rubbed her eyes and yawned. "I was so tired last night, I could have slept on my feet. You?"
"I had a good night." Letting go of the pillow, Katniss stood up and stretched. "We should get ready. It'll be time for breakfast soon."
With the idea of food beckoning, the sisters got ready for their day.
XXOXX
"What's this?" Katniss asked, wrinkling her nose at the pale mush on her plate.
In front of her, Madge stifled a laugh.
The previous night, Katniss had been surprised at being assigned a table with Peeta, the Undersees, the Hawthornes, and a few other refugees. Now that she had gotten over the shock, she actually liked the idea.
Prim got along with everyone, and Mrs. Everdeen seemed oddly at home, sitting between Hazelle and Madge's mom. It was like the two parts of her life had finally come together.
Ignoring Katniss's dismay, Gale dug into his bowl of warm oatmeal. "The menu board says it's mashed turnips," he explained, slowly chewing his cereal and leaving the offending vegetable for last.
"Turnips?" Katniss repeated, "For breakfast?"
"Were you expecting cheese buns?" Madge teased.
With an amused snort, Katniss shoveled a spoonful of oatmeal into her mouth.
She was still new to District 13, but she already knew that the chances of finding a cheese bun nestled between her cereal and mashed turnip portions were nonexistent. The food on her tray had been chosen for its nutritional value, not its taste.
"Cheese buns?" Gale raised a curious eyebrow, "What are those?"
"They're these crusty bread rolls Peeta makes. They're filled with melted cheese, and have fresh chives sprinkled on top," Prim explained, adding an enthusiastic chef's kiss to her description.
"Sounds decadent," Gale grumbled. Looking down at the food on Peeta's tray, he smirked. "Must be hard, huh? Getting used to this simpler fare."
Katniss looked up. Her spoon —suspended midway between her bowl and her mouth— hovered in the air.
Gale's words hadn't been harsh, but his tone was the old familiar one he used to criticize people from town. Katniss didn't like hearing it directed at Peeta.
It had been a long time since Gale's prejudices against the merchant class made an appearance. After everything that had happened in the last few months, Katniss had honestly though he had let go of his old resentments.
Apparently, he hadn't.
Next to Katniss, Peeta shrugged. Unruffled by Gale's comment, he said, "Not really. We hardly ever had cheese buns when I was growing up. We sold them at the bakery sometimes, but they were too expensive for my family to eat —unless they had gone very stale." Scrapping his bowl of mashed turnips clean, he added, "Practically everything we ate was stale."
Gale swallowed his cereal. His eyes softened.
Like most people from the Seam, Gale had always assumed the shopkeepers lived a soft life. He wasn't entirely wrong; Peeta always had enough to eat. But even Gale had to admit there was something kind of depressing about living your life on stale bread, the hard, dry loaves that no one else wanted.
"Well, except for the squirrels," Peeta glanced in Katniss's direction and flashed her a smile, "those were so fresh we had to make sure they didn't make a run for it!"
Feeling inordinately proud of her role in Peeta's diet, Katniss straightened up and exclaimed, "Well, you're welcome!"
Just like that, with a good-natured laugh at his friend's enthusiastic outburst, Gale forgot all about Peeta's privileged past and went back to his bland breakfast.
"So, what's on your schedule?" Madge asked.
"Um," Katniss looked at the timetable tattooed on her forearm. "After breakfast, I have kitchen duties followed by the education center, an evaluation at the food supply sector, lunch, and then something called Command."
"Command?" Peeta's eyebrows knitted in concern.
"Mm-hmm." Katniss stretched out her arm to show him her tattoo.
"I have that too," Gale said between sips of milk, "right after lunch."
Letting go of Katniss's arm, Peeta looked at his own schedule. There, in sickly purple ink, he read 13:00 — Lunch. 13:30 — Command.
"So," Katniss asked, leaning into Peeta's side, "what's Command?"
"It's this place where President Coin meets with her advisors to discuss strategy. They have an entire wall full of screens and maps showing what's going on in Panem," Peeta said.
"The president's advisors?" Gale asked, "What do they want with us?"
Mayor Undersee, who had been sitting on the opposite end of the table with the other grownups, stood up. With a quick glance around the room, he made his way towards Katniss and her friends.
Leaning over his daughter's chair, he said, "They want to meet you."
Katniss's mouth dropped open. Before she could do anything, she heard Gale ask, "Why?"
"It was President Coin's idea," Mayor Undersee said, "She wants to see who these saviors of District 12 she's been hearing so much about are."
"Saviors?" Gale repeated.
"Yes," the mayor nodded. "According to the survivors, that's what you and Katniss are."
He didn’t know much about hovercraft. In his mind, they were ugly, windowless beasts that shook like giant rattles suspended in the air. He wasn’t looking forward to knowing more.
The first time he had boarded one, he had been on his way to an arena —the ultimate symbol of President Snow’s power.
This time, he was flying in the opposite direction: straight into the rebel stronghold of District 13.
Want to keep on reading? You can find the rest of the chapter on AO3 and FF.net
