Chapter Text
I trek through the woods, my eyes darting around, searching for Raya.
One minute she was there, one minute she wasn't. Instantly, I was looking for her, but I'm scared. It's been about fifteen minutes. I called her name but she didn't respond. She wasn't in any trees in the area. So where is she?
"Raya!" I call again. I'm not liking this.
Too many scenarios keep flooding my head, with many failed attempts to block them out. My daughter is in the woods. Not with me, but alone. Alone with no one to protect her but herself. What's happening? Is she being eaten by mutts? No. There's no mutts. There's no one set out to kill her. Except the animals. And the plants she doesn't know. Sure, she knows many of the plants, and she knows how to shoot an animal. She's a smart girl. But she's also only nine.
Suddenly it comes to me. The lake. Her favorite place in the world. I take off running before I can think of anything else.
It doesn't take long to get there. Adrenaline running through me, the short distance.
But she's not there. How is she not here? I felt so sure she was here, so sure that- Wait. A head pops out of the water.
"Oh my gosh, Raya!"
She gives me a questioning look.
"Raya why did you take off like that?" I ask.
"I told you I was going to the lake!" She exclaims.
I'm about to yell at her that she didn't, but she doesn't lie, I trust her. "I didn't hear you." Is all I say.
"I'm sorry mom, I thought that you did, and it's just so hot outside and-"
"Its alright, its alright." I say, interrupting her excuses. Valid excuses. I'm sure she thought I heard her, and it is hot outside. In fact I'm considering jumping in myself. But unlike Raya, I prefer not to get my hunting clothes wet.
"I'll tell you what, how about we go home, get swimming clothes and bring everyone else out to the lake?"
She beams at me. "Can I get Kacey?"
Kacey is her best friend, although like Gale and I, they look like they could be related. Blue eyes, olive skin, dark brown hair. Peeta teases them by calling them by each others names.
"Yes, you may." I answer.
Her smile grows wider. "Thank you!"
Raya is a sweet girl, although stubborn at times. If she doesn't get what she wants, she'll argue. If it weren't for me she'd probably be a spoiled brat. Two stubborn girls in the house doesn't always work well though.
We walk into the house and I'm immediately greeted by the cold air.
"We're home!" I yell, placing my bag on the floor.
"In the kitchen!" I hear Peeta yell in reply.
The kitchen is a mess. Everything is coated in flour, including Peeta and Roy.
"What happened here?"
"Well the drama makers left, so what were we to do?" Peeta answers.
I laugh. "Well apparently, wreck the whole kitchen."
"Its snowing!" Roy exclaims.
"Yes Roy, snowing in summer." Raya says sarcastically.
"Hey, whats wrong with snow in summer?" I ask her.
"Uh, everything?"
I laugh again, along with Roy and Peeta, Raya looking at us with a slight smile on her face. Laughter is heard more often now. There's more purpose to laugh when there's joy.
"So who wants to go to the lake?" I ask.
"Me!" Says Roy.
I scoop the five year old up in my arms, getting flour all over me. He giggles.
"And maybe we can get all of this off of you, silly!" He giggles some more, and I set him down.
An hour later, we're all at the lake. Kacey and Raya are talking, Roy splashing them. I smile at the sight of it, thinking of when my father used to take me here. I miss him dearly. I miss them all, but I don't want to think of it right now.
"Cute kids." Peeta says.
"They sure are." I agree. "So what did you two make today?"
"It's a surprise!" He answers.
I laugh a little and rest my head on his shoulder.
"Raya ran off today."
"Was she alright?"
"I would have told you if she wasn't alright."
He nods.
"She went here, but I couldn't find her for a while. It scared me...I thought that maybe..." I shudder a little, and he rubs my back.
"It's alright, she's safe now."
"I know, it just scared me. Fifteen minutes she was out there. On her own."
"She's a smart girl Katniss."
"I know she is. She's nine though."
"Relax. She's alright. She's here now, happy and safe."
I sigh and try to relax.
He's right. We're all here. Happy and safe. Happy was once a foreign feeling to me. As was safe. But here, now, we're all safe. Safe from the games, safe from Snow, safe from Coin, safe from Capitol creations. The world's a better place now. I start to list good things that people have done in my head. Peeta with the bread, Cinna for his designs and sacrifice, Finnick for giving his own life so we could go on, Annie for fighting the depression to take care of her son, Prim for taking care of Buttercup and Lady, my mother with all of her patients, I could go on. But right now I just want to enjoy this moment where we're all happy. Because happiness doesn't last forever.