Take My Hand, a follow-up to "When We Were Young"

"Oh fucking hell," Johanna mutters. "Move aside, Katniss"

Immediately, I whip around and point my own pistol.

My mentor snorts and with her free hand grabs my wrist, pressing her thumb to the corner of it, and my hand instinctively releases my hold. The pistol hits the carpet and Johanna shakes her head at me, an amused laugh escaping her mouth.

"You didn't even try," she says to me. "You think you can bullshit a bullshitter?"

"Don't kill him," I plea with her. "If you do—" I move my foot, kick the pistol up in my direction, and easily catch it. I raise it to my temple. "I'm right after him."

"Seriously, you're so melodramatic." Johanna looks over to Peeta, still in my bed, and looking very confused about what is happening. "Did you know that? If you did, you probably wouldn't mind getting shot."

"Actually, ma'am, I wouldn't want to get shot at all," Peeta replies carefully. He looks over at me. "I'd at least want an explanation."

Johanna groans. Obviously, she is charmed by him but Johanna is not one to take emotions into account.

Neither was I—until I met Peeta.

"Do me a favor, Peeta. Move your head to the left," she says.

He does as he's told, moving his mussed-haired head in the requested direction.

BANG.

The first shot happens quickly, just inches from where his head was.

Johanna swivels to where my pillow is—BANG.

The room is covered in pillow feathers.

Putting the gun down, Johanna reaches into her pocket and takes her phone out. She speaks quickly into it and I make out the word 'compromised'.

Afterwards, Johanna looks between us, her expression stern. "Put your shoes on. We have to go."

"Say something," I ask Peeta as we sit in the sedan with blacked-out windows.

"What is going on?"

He doesn't look upset—a little more hurt, actually. Who could blame him?

His supposed girlfriend just tried to shoot him and failed miserably.

"I was on assignment," I begin. "I was supposed to kill you."

Peeta digests the news slowly. I can see it in his eyes—the gradual comprehension of my words.

There's disbelief, anger, pain and, after a very long moment, resignation.

"Then what?" he finally says.

"I fell in love with you."

There's a sudden cough from the driver's seat and I turn to see Marvel trying not to glance in the rearview mirror. Johanna, in the front passenger's seat, reaches over to the back of his head and her fingers move up the nape of his neck. She seizes a patch of his hair to hold him in place and keep him from looking.

Or, maybe it's some weird sex thing between them.

I look to Peeta. "We can figure something out for you. But you should know that it's likely that you'll have to leave the country, take on a new identity, and your family as well as your friends will have to think you're dead. There is someone who wants you gone—"

His eyes go cold. "Cray."

I nod in confirmation. "He has people on both the inside and outside of the system. If he knew you were alive, then you might as well stand outside his prison cell and hand him a gun."

Taking a deep breath, I look down at my clasped hands before continuing.

"I know you're confused and upset about all of this. You're probably angry at me. Why wouldn't you be? I attempted to kill you and I understand if you don't want to have anything to do with me. But it's important to me that you stay alive."

Everything goes quiet—too quiet.

Well, except for the sound of my heart being ripped from my chest.

I've lost Peeta.

Lost him by causing him to never trust my words, to never trust my feelings, to never trust me.

Then suddenly, his hand covers mine.

The warmth of his touch leaves me breathless. "Why is it so important that I stay alive?"

I look up to see him gazing at me expectantly.

"Because she loves you, dumbass!" Johanna interrupts from the front.

I whip around at her, my brows furrowing in annoyance.

"I swear to God, Johanna! If you didn't give my pistol to Ballistics, I'd shoot you right now!"

She looks to Peeta, a smirk on her face. "She's volatile, too. You think you could love someone like her?"

Peeta squeezes my hand. "I can…I do."

Unbuckling my seatbelt, I move onto his lap and my arms wind around his neck.

"Ask me again," I say to him.

His arms wrap around my waist. "Why is it so important that I stay alive?"

I rest my forehead to his. "Because I love you."

"Where's Prim?"

Johanna marches in front of Peeta and me into the Academy. "Marvel has already gone ahead to get her."

"Where are we?" Peeta asks. He grips my hand as we walk down the stately halls, passing a window where training is being conducted. We both catch a glimpse of a young girl, around Prim's age, throwing her partner down on the ground. "What was that?"

"Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I think." I squeeze his hand. "We'll get to all of this soon."

When we reach Haymitch's office, Johanna opens the door and lets us in first.

"Katniss!"

Effie jumps from her seat and rushes to embrace me. I know it's only been about a week, but I've missed her.

I let go of Peeta's hand to wrap my arms around her and feel the rise of happy tears.

"You don't know how good it is to see you, Effie." We pull away and she reaches to affectionately thumb my tears away. "Being outside has made me soft."

My pseudo-mother laughs gently, her eyes looking behind me. "Obviously."

Turning, I present Peeta to her. "Effie, this is Peeta Mellark." Peeta walks over nervously. "Peeta, this is Effie Abernathy. She runs the Academy…and is the only mother I've ever known."

Effie looks to me, her eyes full of tears, before going to Peeta.

"It's nice to meet you, Peeta." She gives him an affectionate hug. "So you're the one who's taken down the Mockingjay."

He looks to me. "Who is the Mockingjay?"

"Katniss is the Mockingjay," a stern voice interrupts.

Haymitch has just stepped into the room, his slate eyes expressionless.

He waves his hand to the seats in front of his desk. "Have a seat."

Taking Peeta's hand once more, we head over to sit in front of Haymitch's desk. He doesn't look necessarily happy to see either of us. However, I can't blame him. I have never failed an assignment. I've cost him a shitload of money for the Academy.

Worst of all, I might have cost Johanna her chance to teach.

"So…" Haymitch sits down at his desk. "The date went well."

Behind me, Johanna stifles a laugh.

I turn to see her covering her mouth. Beside her, Effie is holding in her own smile.

Looking back to Haymitch, I see that his face has softened.

"Do you know how much trouble you're in, young lady?" Haymitch asks.

I give him a mocking pout. "Yes, Dad."

He snickers. "Despite all of this, we have missed you." Haymitch looks over to Peeta. "However, there's something we have to do about you."

"Sir, I don't know what the hell is going on," Peeta starts. "I went on a date, it went well, and I wake up with a gun pointed at me and someone pointing a gun at my girl."

"Wasn't your girl pointing the gun at you?" My boss counters.

"Well…yes." Peeta reaches over and takes my hand. "I knew she didn't want to though. She was doing her job. I know about Cray. I know how much money you're supposed to be getting for killing me. I know that Johanna is supposed to get a promotion. I know all of this. But what I don't know is what all of this is or where I am—or, where I'm going."

"That is a lot of information," Haymitch says to him. "I have one question for you."

Peeta straightens. "Okay."

"Do you love Katniss?"

"I've loved her since the day that I knocked her over," Peeta replies, meeting Haymitch's stare straight on. "Even then, I think she would've killed me…she was so pissed." He smiles to himself. "But, I would've died if I didn't know her. Or, see her smile. Or, kiss her."

Haymitch nods once. Behind us, I can hear Effie sniffling.

"I'm not saying this to be a dick," Haymitch says bluntly. "But there are sacrifices to knowing what you know and wanting to be with Katniss. As of this moment, cops are now investigating your murder as well as Katniss'. Your family will be notified of your death. Panem will no longer be considered the safe town it once was."

He folds his hands on his desk.

"If you so choose, we can have you completely altered—plastic surgery…hair dye…the works—and we can give you a new identity. I would need you to sign an affidavit stating that you will not talk about the Academy, our identities, or your past identity—"

"No!" Peeta suddenly shouts. "I'm not doing that! I am Peeta Mellark! My name is the only thing I have now. I intend to live and die with this name." He looks over at me, his eyes full. "I won't give Katniss up either. I know that this is going to be hard. I know the sacrifices and I thought about it the whole way here. Katniss gave me the option to leave as well. I lost everything else—I won't lose her."

"Then what do you suggest?" Haymitch asks him.

Peeta shifts off his chair, falling to his knee in front of me.

"Katniss, will you marry me?"

"Katniss!" Prim rushes over to me, her arms wrapping around my waist. I kiss the top of her head. "I was so worried when Marvel came to Rue's house as a police officer…" She looks over at Peeta sitting on the couch of our suite and grins. "So the date went well."

I nod and laugh hearing her repeat Haymitch's words.

"Too well, apparently," I respond and then meet Peeta's eyes. He nods at me before going back to the file that he's reading—a transcript in regards to his assassination. On the coffee table is the prenuptial agreement that Haymitch presented to Peeta, along with his permission to marry me. "I got you a big brother."

Prim hugs me again. "I knew it!" Then she skips over to Peeta and he puts the file down to give her a hug. Tugging him back to me on the bed, Prim sits between us. "So when are you two going to get married? Can I be a bridesmaid?"

"I don't think we're there quite yet," Peeta tells her affectionately. "It is nice to be a big brother. I'm the youngest of three brothers…or at least I was."

The happiness fades from his eyes and I look to Prim. "Could you give us a minute?"

She nods and stands. "Of course. I'm actually going to head off to bed." After giving me a hug, Prim turns to Peeta and embraces him. "Peeta, if it helps, I'm still considered alive. I can keep an eye on your family."

Peeta gives her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks…sis."

Blushing, Prim rushes out of the room, closing the door behind her.

I scoot over to sit next to Peeta. "I know that this isn't easy on you. Actually, it must be downright devastating," I say. "I wish I knew how to fix it. I wish I could understand what you're going through, but I can't. I don't even remember my own family."

"What about Prim?" he asks in small voice.

"She's not my biological sister," I explain. "Before being assigned to you, I didn't even know her. She was a new recruit. However, like I did with you, I fell in love with Prim."

"Recruit…" Peeta muses. "It's so strange because when I look at Prim, I swear I see your smile. Even the way she talks with her hands is just like you."

"Will you tell me about your family?" I ask him. "I'll tell you about my—well, this family."

I wave my hand over our surroundings. Our room is elegant with fleur-de-lys wallpaper and red velvet bedding—the most romantic room in the Academy, according to Effie, though I don't know how or want to know how she would know that.

"We should probably know about our families—" Peeta smiles half-heartedly. Clearly, the wear and tear of today has gotten to him. "—seeing as we will be one whenever the time comes."

I nod and stand up. "Let's go somewhere."

Once he is up, I lead us out of our room and into the hallway of the residential sector of the Academy. This is where all the teachers who choose to live on the premises—or any big time donors—stay. The mahogany walls are lined with paintings; Monet and Degas are particular favorites of Effie.

"I didn't know that this place even existed," Peeta says as we walk past closed doors. "We only traveled for five hours. How does nobody notice it?"

"We're along the coast," I explain. "Everything around us is privately owned so there is fencing around the perimeter of the property. The government has us listed as the private residence of one of our donors."

Peeta looks to me in surprise. "You have donors?"

I open a door leading to the outside. "We have donors."

Leading him onto the grounds, we make our way further out until we get a whole view of the Academy. I bring Peeta to my favorite place—the small gazebo by the sea.

"This is nice," he remarks as we step into it and turn to look at the up-lit brick building.

"I'm still amazed every time I look at the Academy at night," I say. "It's looks a little like that place on that PBS show that Prim was telling me about…something Abbey."

"Downton Abbey?" Peeta suggests. He looks back at the building. "I can see that."

"How do you know about Downton Abbey?" I ask him with a grin.

"Some of the faculty at Panem Elementary had viewing parties and they would invite me," he explains. "I went to one or two of them, but could never seem to get into the story."

"At least I'm not the only person off the grid." I lean against one of the pillars. "Prim had to tell me about The Princess Diaries, which apparently is a movie that everyone has seen."

"Anne Hathaway has been in a few more movies since then," Peeta says. "So tell me about this gazebo." His hand touches the pillar to his side. "Why did you pick this to show me?"

"Because this is the only place where I found peace amongst the craziness," I explain. "It gets so hectic here sometimes. So busy with classes and kids…with training…and you can never just find quiet." I turn to walk to the middle of the gazebo. "But here, it's perfect."

Peeta moves slowly towards me. His eyes glittering in the darkness as he roves over me; I feel that rush of a hunger take over. This feeling is still unfamiliar. There are a number of things I've never felt until Peeta came into my life—desire…completeness…love.

His arm encircles my waist and he presses me close. Cinna had a few things in the main wardrobe that he gave to Peeta. The jeans and green sweater fit him perfectly, well enough for me to still feel every toned plane on his body.

"I haven't kissed you all day," he says to me. "You are my fiancée."

"And, you're mine," I reply. Drawing away, I move back into the darker part of the gazebo and beckon him with my index finger. "Come here."

Peeta immediately crosses the space between us, pressing me against the back pillar as our lips meet in a frantic kiss. It's as if we haven't felt each other in a lifetime, when it was just last night that he was inside me. He tastes of safety and comfort, of protection and completion, of hope and of love.

My hands move along his sweater, feeling his heat through the weave of it.

He tears his mouth away, heaving as my hands move to the top button of his jeans. "What are you doing?"

"I miss you," I tell him. "When we go back in there, we'll be watched—not in our room, but everywhere else."

"Oh." Peeta chuckles though his eyes are focused on the movement of my hands bringing his zipper down. "So I suppose that I can't just stop you in a hallway and do this?"

He leans forward, pressing his open mouth to my neck and sucking roughly. I squirm feeling the wetness gathering between my thighs.

"No…" My eyes close as Peeta moves up my neck and towards my ear. "…definitely not that."

Thank God I'm wearing a wrap dress. He wouldn't even have to take my panties off.

For the millionth time, I tell myself to thank Johanna for giving me the finer points on lingerie and unsupervised spots on the grounds.

"How about this?" Peeta lifts me and my legs wrap around his waist. I feel his bare skin against my center and realize that somewhere in-between our quiet caresses he's moved his jeans off. His cock brushes against that tiny bit of cloth covering my slit and I arch to urge him inside. "Will you allow it?"

"Yes," I whisper into the darkness. "This is already my favorite place in the world and now I want it to be yours."

Peeta yanks the covering on my soaked pussy and plunges into me hurriedly.

"Fuck," he hisses. I moan in agreement, too lost in the sensation of feeling him hard and deep inside me. "I love you, Katniss."

"I love you," I tell him breathlessly. "God, you feel amazing…" He draws out before thrusting back in and the sensation causes me to grind my pelvis into his, feeling the roughness of him on my clit. "More…"

"I don't think that I'm going to last," he tells me, his eyes desperate. "Not if we keep going on like this."

I can feel my insides spasm, the pressure of him against my clit in sync with our rushed movements.

"I'm not going to either…fuck!" A moan escapes my mouth and I clamp around his cock, drawing him deeper just as he fills me, hot and thick, with his come. We remain this way for a moment, my lips pressed against his neck. "Oh God…is it always going to be this way?"

We both sink to the floor, breathless and sated.

"I don't think I've ever come this quickly." Hastily, we fix our clothing before Peeta looks to me with a sheepish smile. "Please don't think that this has anything to do with future performances."

I chuckle lightly, my head going to his shoulder. "I came first. All this adrenaline." My eyes go to the Academy. "Everything is going to change tomorrow."

"I know…I'm dead," Peeta says quietly. I look to him, my hand reaching to his cheek. "You think my parents will be okay?"

"It's going to be tough," I answer truthfully. "Life sometimes chooses to give you challenges that you have no choice but to endure. They make you stronger, braver, and appreciative of the calmer moments."

"And, my brothers," he continues. "Brayden is three years older than me, he's a cop and he's been with the same girl since forever. Now I'll never know if he marries her. Rye is a year older than me and his fiancée is having a baby. He kept on telling me to invite you to his house for dinner…"

Peeta bursts into a sudden sob and I pull him close. He needs to get it all out. It will drive him insane if he keeps it all inside.

"Sweetheart, I promise that we will find a way to keep track of them," I tell him. "Everything I can do, I will do."

"I know," he heaves into my shoulder. "Katniss, please don't think that I regret any of this. It's a crazy love story we have, but it's ours. I just hate that it all went down this way and there are going to be days—like their birthdays or my parents' wedding anniversary—that are going to be hard on me."

"I know." I take his hand, kissing the top of his knuckles. "I'll be here. When you need me to be here, then tell me and when you want me to leave you alone, then tell me that, too. Though I think in time, I'll understand what you need."

"You already do," Peeta tells me. "If I wake up next to you, then it'll be okay."

I press a kiss to his parched lips. "You have an amazing faith, Peeta Mellark."

"You made me believe, Katniss Everdeen soon-to-be-Mellark." He looks to me. "Is Everdeen even your real last name?"

"No." I give him a shaky smile. "I don't know my last name. I don't know my family."

"You have family." Peeta gives me soft kiss, filling me with comfort. "Inside there and sitting right next to you."

"Will there be more of us?"

I think of that moment in my bathroom when I wished that I would have his child.

Now it's possible and the thought of carrying our baby—something purely Peeta and me—fills me with a want I never knew I had.

"As many as you want," he replies. "We can have a 'Brady Bunch' if you want."

"Brady Bunch?" I look to him. "What is that?"

"The television show?" Peeta tilts his head at me. "Marcia…Greg…Jan…any of these names ringing a bell?"

"Nope."

"What have you been doing?" He looks back at the Academy—the one where I was trained to kill people. "Never mind."

"Three tops," I tell him. "I want them to have your smile, too."

Peeta nods. "Sure, if they have your hair."

"Fine." I sigh in mock-exasperation and Peeta chuckles. "You know that if they're all girls that we'll be knee-deep in hair products."

"One more thing," he says. "I want us to get married here."

"Here in the Academy?"

I can almost imagine Effie's planning. She lives for this kind of thing. Half of the Academy's events are due to her overzealous imagination and well-thought organization.

"Here in this gazebo." Peeta looks around it before meeting my eyes. "I feel like we didn't really get to do the whole date thing the first time. But this felt like something that people do on a date—minus the stress-relieving and amazing sex—the getting to know each other part and all."

I press my lips to his before resting my head on his shoulder. "That sounds perfect."

One Week Later…

"Prim did a spectacular job," Beetee remarks as we sit in the Academy's IT office. "I was able to tap into the County Coroner's system and check out the recording of her identifying your body. They were a bit sloppy however. Never even compared your dental records or anything. However, I made sure to change them to match the cadaver's teeth structure." He looks over at me. "Did you want to watch?"

"Why not?" I shift in my seat. "I taught her everything she knows."

Beetee nods before typing into his keyboard once more. The recording pulls up the screen and I see Prim along with Johanna or 'Betty' as her CPS identification states, in front of the window where my supposed body is displayed.

The coroner pulls back the sheet and I grimace as there is not much face of "me" left. However, the scar on the fake Katniss' hand matches the one I have on my own from an old burn that happen at my former foster home.

"NO! Katniss!" Prim is screaming and struggling against Johanna. "Why would he do this to her?"

She falls apart into sloppy sobs against my mentor who looks to the cop next to them with a resigned nod. This is an actual official Panem cop who shakes his head and takes off his hat in respect.

Beetee looks to me curiously. "He?"

"We were going for the jealous ex-boyfriend angle," I explain. "So he is someone we've already taken down. You know who would be a good choice-"

"Cato," Beetee says immediately. "Good background—the overzealous drug smuggler who likes young girls. Cocky and easily jealous. When did you finish that job?"

"Six months ago," I say. "We also have footage of him."

"That should be easy to integrate into an airport's surveillance footage." Beetee jots down some notes on his log before looking to me once more. "I also have some other footage—of Peeta's parents. If you want to check it out, I can pull it up."

There's a knock and the door opens with Wiress, who deals with the scientific aspect of our operation, peeks her head inside. Peeta stands behind her and gives me a wave. Wiress took him for a tour of the perimeter, probably showing the invisible force field that detracts cars as well as people from seeing the Academy.

"How did it go?" I ask as they walk in. I jump from my seat to give Peeta a quick kiss.

"You have a smart fiancé," Wiress tells me. "He got the wave sequence for the force field down in about thirty minutes."

I look to Peeta. "Wave sequence?"

"It's how you can tell that there's a blockage," Peeta explains. "Every five minutes, there's a single surge. If I'm right, the big surge is around three in the morning."

"Exactly. The system calibrates for ten minutes," Wiress tells him. "Usually, no one will be wandering around but we're prepared if someone does."

"How?"

"Something that mimics coastal fog will overtake the vicinity, causing confusion to the person or driver. That's quickly followed by a 'police officer' guiding them away," she informs him.

"That's a sucky shift." I add. "I did not enjoy my time as Officer Jenny."

"Drunken boys will be drunken boys," Beetee responds with a chuckle.

"Drunken boys will be handcuffed and left at a nearby police station." I turn to see Peeta. "Bachelor party. They got a little handsy and I had to cuff them together."

"Still have the cuffs?" Peeta quips.

"Trust me, you don't want to go there." I look over to Beetee's blank screen. "I was about to view something. However, if you don't want me to, then I won't."

He gazes at me worriedly. "What is it?"

"Your parent's visit to the Coroner's office," Beetee tells him solemnly. "We usually do this to make sure that we've done everything right with birthmarks, tattoos, etc. on the cadaver."

"Cadaver?" Peeta looks between Wiress and Beetee. "Like the kind used in Anatomy class?"

"A fresher version." Wiress' words are carefully calculated. "Though there is some time that we need to prep for alterations."

"Glad I asked," my fiancé says wryly. Peeta looks to me. "Should I see this?"

"I don't know," I reply truthfully. "I trained Prim to act a certain way during my identification. For people who aren't prepared, like your family, it's different—much rawer and very painful."

Peeta closes his eyes for a moment and I take his hand letting him grip it firmly.

It's a warzone in his head—he's curious, but he knows that it can break him if he sees.

After a moment, he opens his eyes—though they are a little damper. "No. I don't want to see."

I nod before giving him a full kiss. "Okay. Dinner should be getting started if you want to join the kids or you can just have dinner brought to our suite. I'll be there before bed."

Peeta nods, giving me a weak smile. He says goodbye to Beetee and Wiress before quickly leaving the room.

"Does he need something to help him sleep?" Wiress asks.

I shake my head. "I'm sure I'll figure something out if he can't."

Beetee snorts. "I bet you will."

Sitting down once more, I nod. "Go ahead."

Peeta's parents choose to not look through the window. I am also surprised that Peeta's brothers are there as well. Brayden is tall; his nose is sharper than Peeta's, but they share the same square-chinned face shape. Rye is stockier; his hair a darker shade of blond but his eyes are the same as Peeta's.

It's difficult to look at 'Peeta's body' much more than my own fake one; the cadaver's face is just as much of a mess as mine was.

Peeta's mother screams, she wails, and she holds her son's cold hand. She can hardly stand, falling to her knees in a flurry of incoherent sobs.

I catch some of her words.

"My baby…Why?...This can't be real…"

My hand reaches to her screen image.

"It's not real," I find myself whispering.

Peeta's father is a handsome man. I foresee Peeta looking a lot like him when he gets older. He doesn't scream like his wife does. However, he looks down at the body and he bows his head, obscuring his face from the camera's view. However, I can see his shoulders quaking with his harsh sobs.

Brayden wipes his eyes looking down at his brother. He helps his mother up off the ground and then pulls his father away before gathering them in his long arms. Clearly, he is the stoic one—though I recognize the emptiness in his eyes when he looks briefly at the cadaver.

Rye is the one who intrigues me the most. He looks in disbelief at his 'brother's' body.

Reaching forward, I see him take 'Peeta's' hand, rubbing his thumb along the thumb on the cadaver. His brows furrow for just a split second and he stares as if he is trying to recall something.

After a moment, Rye joins his family.

A tingle rushes up my spine and I realize that Rye knows that the body isn't Peeta's.

I don't mention it to Beetee or Wiress.

That night, however, as we lay in bed, I look to Peeta.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, but I saw something weird during your family's surveillance footage. Rye moved his thumb along the cadaver's and he just stared...as if he knew it wasn't you."

Tears fill Peeta's eyes and he presents his thumb to me. A gasp escapes my mouth when I see him rotate it almost off his joint.

"Rye and I use to go to parties in college together," he says in a choked voice. "It was this dumb thing I used to do to impress girls—he was the only one who knew I could do it."

"Oh." I wipe a tear away. "Then I guess he felt the difference." Giving him a small smile, I push up to kiss him gently. "I didn't tell Beetee and Wiress. Even if your brother thinks nothing of it, I wanted to give him some semblance of hope."

"Thank you, Katniss." Peeta reaches to the nape of my neck, drawing down into a deep kiss. When we pull away, I see the haze of want in his eyes. "If we met in college and I did that trick—would you have fallen for me?"

"Probably not," I tell him with a chuckle. "But we would've hooked up, anyway."

He laughs at my words. "Oh really?"

I straddle him, pulling my nightgown over my head, and let his eyes rove over my body, followed by his hands.

Leaning down, I kiss him once more.

"Really."

Two Months Later…

"So what do you think?"

Effie is holding a swatch of cream-colored lace out to me as I eat my bowl of cereal in front of the mirror. Johanna is looking through the dresses on the nearby rack that are potential bridesmaid dresses. Prim is doing her homework as she sits on Effie and Haymitch's couch.

"Uh…it looks nice," I reply, my mouth still full of cereal. "That little bit that is on me, anyway."

"You're so distracted." Effie takes the bowl from me and puts it on her vanity. "You've had enough."

"I'm starving!" I protest.

"You had two bowls this morning," Johanna remarks with a grin. She holds a short little red number in front of her slender body. "Peeta working you out?"

"Johanna!" Effie shoots a look at Prim. "We have a little one in the room."

"Effie, Prim is a Grade 2 assassin," my friend and mentor retorts. "I'm sure that she knows a little bit about the birds and the bees." Johanna looks over at Prim. "Unless there is something that you're curious about?"

Prim closes her notebook. "Actually, I do have a question." She turns to us. "How do you know that you're pregnant?"

Effie freezes at her words and slowly looks in Prim's direction.

"Please tell me that you're asking out of pure curiosity, Primrose."

Prim's blue eyes widen before she lets out a laugh. "Of course, Effie!"

I chuckle as Effie fans herself dramatically. "You almost gave Effie a heart attack, little sister."

"Sorry," Prim says. "So...is anyone going to answer my question?"

"I wouldn't know," Johanna starts. "But, I've heard there's nausea, food cravings, your boobs hurt…"

"And, there's a certain look that a woman gets," Effie adds slowly. "Like a glow. Even without knowing it, she feels the need to protect herself and the little one inside her."

Prim looks to me. "Katniss?"

I shake my head and give her a smile. "I wouldn't have any knowledge on that, sweetheart. Is something going on? I know that you're getting older and the hormones are getting a little out of whack…"

"It's not that." She walks over to me, her hands going to my shoulders. "It's this."

Turning me towards the mirror, I stare at our reflections trying to see what she is seeing.

Prim has grown an inch or two, the roundness in her cheeks is slowly melting away revealing the sharp point of her heart-shaped face. She told me a few days ago that she has graduated from a training bra to a regular one.

Then there is me. I look pretty much like I always have.

Maybe my breasts are little bigger because I'm getting my period and my face is less sallow. I'm having sex regularly so that would account for the sparkle of my complexion.

Then I see something else—my hands. They rest protectively on my abdomen.

My eyes meet Prim's in the mirror and she nods sagely.

The question was never for her. It was for me.

"No." I step back from the mirror. "No!"

"What's wrong?" Effie asks, her eyes following me as I reach for my phone.

I look over the phone calendar counting back. I was on the shot—it's totally impossible.

Well, maybe not altogether impossible. Nothing is really a 100%...

"No!" Almost two and a half months of quietness. "I need to find Peeta!"

"He's training with Marvel in the gymnasium," Johanna informs me. "You okay?"

"No!" I rush out of the door and towards the north side of the building—towards the gym. I can hear the other three calling out to me, in-between arguing with each other, and trying to catch up with my jogging. I see the double doors of the gym and push them open.

We're on the second floor where the bleachers are and I walk down the stairs towards the railing overlooking the gym floor. I see Peeta and Marvel in the boxing ring, sparring with one another; Peeta with the red gloves and Marvel with blue ones.

I have to catch my breath seeing Peeta shirtless—his skin golden and his abdomen perfectly sculpted for my viewing pleasure.

Cupping my hands, I bring them to my mouth. "Peeta!"

He looks up briefly, giving me a smile before avoiding Marvel's right hook. "Hey babe!"

Focusing back on Marvel, Peeta throws a quick jab at his opponent. I can hear Johanna, Effie, and Prim heading down towards me.

"We need to talk!" I shout at him. "It's important!"

"I'm almost done!" Peeta calls out before getting Marvel on his side. "Can it wait?"

"No!" I'm about ready to implode. "I need you now!"

He blocks Marvel's punch before going for a two-punch combo. "What cannot wait?"

"I'm pregnant!"

Peeta turns to me, shock in his blue eyes. "Wha—"

A swift right cross to the face knocks my fiancé down cold.

We both groan.

Peeta holds an ice pack to his jaw while I crawl onto our bed after a bout of vomiting the bowls of cereal that I had this morning.

As I lay down, he turns to me and attempts to smile. "We're a pair."

I laugh, clutching my stomach. "Aren't we?"

Reaching over, I take the sonogram photo on my side table.

Since we were already in the infirmary to make sure that Peeta's jaw wasn't broken, Effie pushed me to get a pregnancy test.

The infirmary team said they never saw a test strip change so quickly.

Dr. Aurelius, the head doctor, cleared Peeta. His jaw isn't broken, but it will be sore for the next few days. Marvel helped him back to our room since he was woozy from the drugs, while I got a sonogram and saw the rapid heartbeat of the baby growing inside me.

With Effie, Johanna, and Prim by my side, of course.

"Is this okay?" I present the photo to him. "I mean…are we okay?"

Peeta reaches for the photo, his finger tracing the delicate profile of the little one we created. I can see the pained lines on his face soften looking at the baby.

I'm scared. I mean, I did burst into tears seeing the tiny being just tucked inside me.

Not all of the crying was because I'm happy. I don't know how to be a mother.

But, I do know I want this baby. I think I wished for him or her that first time with Peeta.

"Hey Katniss…" I turn at his call. "…do you want to get married?"

"We are getting married." I peer at him in worry. "How many painkillers are you on?"

I see Peeta's half smile—since the ice-pack is covering part of his mouth.

"I mean, do you want to get married…tonight?"

I sit up and look down at him. "Why tonight?"

"Because it just feels right," Peeta tells me. "This has nothing to do with the drugs or the baby. It's just because I'm looking at you and I think that I don't want to wait any longer to be your husband." He sits up. "Life is precious, Katniss. You and I know that it shouldn't be wasted because we've both fought so hard to live and to be with each other." Taking my hand, he presses his lips to the top of it. "What do you think?"

"I think that Effie wouldn't mind letting me borrow her wedding dress."

"You sure do look pretty," Haymitch says as we walk down the makeshift aisle.

In a hastily-altered tux, Peeta waits at the gazebo with Marvel, who is his Best Man, and Beetee, who will be our officiant. Magically, he just happens to have this ability and has also managed to produce a wedding license.

Wiress, who is apparently a musical prodigy is playing Elvis' 'Can't Help Falling in Love' on the violin as we walk. She even got some of the kids who are violin players to accompany her.

Johanna and Prim stand opposite of Peeta and Marvel, wearing the dresses that they literally just picked out today, each in a different shade of green—my favorite color.

I wear Effie's wedding dress, sleeveless and high collared, with a slight train. My hair is weaved into an intricate braid with a full crown to rest the flowered wreath that Cinna created for me atop my head.

"I appreciate it," I say to Haymitch as we walk down the aisle. "Thank you for doing this."

"Don't tell anyone," he replies as we walk past our small gathering of guests. "But, you were always my favorite."

"Aw, thanks Dad," I tell him with a smile.

We stop at the end of the aisle and I look to Effie, who stands up to give me a kiss on the cheek. I feel the rise of tears and then turn to Haymitch, who is looking at me with shaky grey eyes so identical to mine, that it feels like we come from the same blood.

"We love you as if you were our very own," he tells me in a gruff voice. Looking over to Peeta, Haymitch turns to me. "You better get over there."

He joins a weeping Effie and I head over to my soon-to-be husband, but not before rushing back to give them a hug.

"I love you both," I say to them.

Turning to join Peeta, I smile brightly at the man before me. "Hi."

"Hi," he breathes as he takes my hand. "You're beautiful."

I reach to caress his chin. "Are you ready?"

"I've been ready since the day I broke your phone," Peeta responds.

That night under the stars, in my favorite place in the world, I married the man that I was supposed to kill.

Seven and a half months later…

"Did it hurt?" Prim asks.

In her arms is the little girl that I pushed out of me in the early morning hours of this spring day. My little sister holds our daughter like an expert and I have no doubt that she will find the perfect playmate and babysitter with Prim.

"I've never lied to you," I tell her tiredly. "So hell yes, it hurt. The drugs wore off about an hour before she came out."

"You really powered through," Peeta adds as he enters the infirmary, his hand in a wrap and I grimace seeing it. "It's not as bad as it looks. You really don't know how strong you are though."

"Sorry. I was just lying here contracting and needed focus my pain somewhere," I reply with a smile.

Peeta sits next to me, giving me a kiss, before looking to Prim. "So what do you think, Aunt Prim?"

"I think that she's perfect." Prim sits down on the empty spot by me. "You two make beautiful babies…so make more."

I laugh. "Slow down! She's only an hour old and I think I want to spend some time enjoying her."

"Ditto on that." Peeta adjusts our daughter's blanket revealing a full smile, exactly like his. "Effie and Haymitch are out there in the hall arguing over which room they're going to use as her nursery."

"That's better than Johanna and Marvel's argument about who is going to train her in combat," I reply. "Those two—"

"—need to sleep with each other already?" Prim finishes. "They already have."

I look to her in surprise. "And, how do you know that?"

"Because I'm Johanna's roommate now. After a couple of drinks, she gets very unplugged."

I forget that, even though I'm Prim's mentor, she lives with Johanna, who is now a full-time teacher.

"I'll have a talk with her," I say. "You really shouldn't be hearing these kinds of things."

Prim shakes her head, rocking our daughter. "It's fine. Really." She looks down to coo at the baby. "Because what Auntie Johanna doesn't realize is that she is crazy in love with Uncle Marvel…"

Peeta and I look to one another.

That's news that Peeta has already heard, only it's coming from Marvel's mouth.

"Let's just give them time," I reply as Prim gently places our little girl back in my arms.

She is really the best of us—all dark hair and blue eyes.

"So what's her name?" our little sister asks excitedly.

Peeta and I talked about it for a while, deciding that our little girl deserved not one, but two names. Her first name is after Peeta's mother. Prim still visits the Mellarks every so often. Peeta is now the Uncle of a little girl named Rachel, who is Rye's daughter. Brayden has finally married his longtime girlfriend and is welcoming a son later this year.

They plan to name him Peeta.

"First name is Amelia," I say.

"Like Princess Mia?" Prim beams. "And, Aunt Melly?" That is what she calls Peeta's mother. "I love it."

"Second name is Adele," Peeta continues for me. "For the songstress you suggested and what Katniss was listening to when I knocked her over."

"Amelia Adele Mellark," my sister repeats. "That's a lot of name."

"Mia can handle it," I assure her and smile up at my husband. "After all, she's part of our family."

FIN.