Dedicated to Chelzie who requested one more chapter….

Maura Mellark smiled to herself as she watched her youngest dart about the kitchen. He was a bundle of nerves and it showed in his jerky movements and in the way he kept glancing at the clock. Her suspicions confirmed, she cleared her throat and almost laughed as he started at the sound. Yes, his nerves had definitely gotten the better of him.

"I've got the order ready," she told him in a soothing voice. "Just finish what you're doing and then you are free to go."

He smiled gratefully and yanked the apron over his head with such force that the strap broke and waved likes a flag as he tossed it on the counter. She didn't scold him for such a display. Quite the opposite in fact. She laughed quietly as he hurried toward the door. He stopped long enough to catch her up in a fierce hug and then whispered in her ear," Thank you, Mom."

Maura returned the embrace with equal intensity. These were still new enough that it took her by surprise when they happened. It never failed to bring tears to her eyes that she could finally love her son and be loved by him in turn. It was a heady feeling and she reveled in it. "You're welcome, Peeta. Good luck today. You won't need it but saying it any way can't do any harm."

He grinned down at her. "I'll take whatever I can get." He stepped out of the embrace, absently scrubbing a hand through his hair. "Listen," he said hesitantly. "I just want to thank you for what you did. This wouldn't be…"

She cut him off with a flustered wave of her hand. "Never mind that. You'd better get going. You don't want to keep her waiting."

It was Peeta's turn to laugh. "No, I definitely don't want to do that." He turned to go but paused in the doorway once more. "Love you, Mom."

Maura covered her mouth with a shaking hand and made no move to stop the tears that welled up and flowed down her cheeks. "I love you, precious boy. Now go on." She watched him leave with her heart pounding madly in her throat. She used the corner of her apron to surreptitiously dry her eyes and then made her way into the bakery. It wouldn't do to keep the customers waiting.

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The woods were a wild and beautiful montage of color. The leaves varied in hue and brightness. Here was a warm, vibrant yellow; there an orange that had been pulled directly from the late afternoon sun. He let his eyes take it in as his feet moved by rote over the rutted pathway winding toward the lake. The closer he got to his destination, the larger the butterflies in his belly grew.

He passed the tangle of willows and couldn't help but grin at the memory of sitting on that log with her hardly believing that what was happening could ever be real. Once he had woken up from the tracker jacker induced coma, he had discovered that those moments were only in his mind. That didn't make them any less real or precious to him. He had fallen in love with her before he ever laid eyes on her. That was real. He had gone through hell to keep her with him. That was real. He didn't know sometimes where the dream stopped and reality began. They bled together, mixing and mingling until all that remained was a love that transcended any attempts to snuff it out. He and Katniss were meant to be. She was his and he was hers. That was as real. It was everything. And today, he was going to ask her the question that he had worked toward since he was five years old.

The meadow opened up before him and he paused within the tree line to take it all in. The house fit its surroundings like a glove. Wood and stone made up the skin and bones of the house but it was the family living there that gave it its heart. The Everdeens were a tight-knit group that had welcomed him with open arms. Having grown up in a house that more often than not rang with heavy silence, the Everdeens filled their home with a shared love and respect that seemed to seep into the very walls and floors. It had welcomed him, enfolded him, and made him one of their own.

Peeta saw the imposing form of Basil Everdeen step through the front door and lift a hand to shade his eyes. The man peered across the expanse of grass that separated them, hand reaching unconsciously for the bow that rested innocuously by the door. He paused and then leaned forward to get a closer look. Peeta chuckled as Basil snorted out a laugh and waved. He lifted a hand in answer and then made his way slowly across the clearing.

"You're late," Basil called. "She's been looking for you since the lunch bell. I told her that you probably got held up at the bakery. She's been edgy as Prim's cat for the last hour."

Peeta winced but made no move toward the house. He nervously clutched the tightly wrapped bundle of bread and rolls, fidgeting with the knotted string that held the paper closed. Basil cocked his head inquiringly as he watched the usually even-tempered boy shift from foot to foot. "Mr. Everdeen," he stuttered. "I was wondering if I could have a minute of your time." His fingers tightened on the bundle and then twisted, no doubt crushing the bread inside. He didn't seem to notice as he peered hopefully at the confused man before him. Basil nodded and gestured toward a rustic bench nestled beneath a lone oak that shaded the far side of the house. Once they were seated, Basil took the bread and set it in his lap to avoid further damage.

"What can I do for you, Peeta?" Basil asked quietly. "Everything okay, son?"

Peeta nodded jerkily and swallowed a few times before continuing, "I…uh…that is…I wanted to talk to you about Katniss. You know…that is…we've been together for a long time now. You know that I would do anything to make her happy." He wet his lips and couldn't look away from the man's bemused expression as he struggled with the words. He couldn't blame Basil for looking at him so oddly. Peeta Mellark never had a hard time making himself understood. His golden tongue was renown throughout the district. And now here he was, clearly floundering, unable to get the words he had so desperately rehearsed just that morning to come forth.

Basil lifted an eyebrow and waited patiently as Peeta floundered. He longed to laugh at the boy's obvious discomfort but didn't. "Peeta," he said gently. "Just say whatever you came to say. I think we're past the speech making stage, don't you?"

The boy heaved a sigh and closed his eyes as he gathered his thoughts and the tattered remains of his composure. This was so much harder than he ever thought it would be. "Sir, I would like to ask your permission, that is I'm going to ask Katniss and I wanted to make sure it was okay with you first. I mean…what I'm trying to say is that I…she…damn it!" Peeta exploded. He leapt to his feet and began pacing back and forth in front of the bench. Both hands found their way into his hair leaving it a riotous mass of curls. He seemed to gather himself, jaw tightening. "I want to marry Katniss. I want to spend the rest of my life making her happy. It's the only thing I've ever wanted."

Basil made no attempt to stifle the smile that broke across his face. He looked at the boy who stared back at him in earnest appeal. "Well, Peeta, I can't say I'm surprised. I've seen this coming for a while now." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You've been good for her and to her. I couldn't ask for better. You don't even have to ask, Peeta. It goes without saying."

The look of relief on the boy's face was priceless. He couldn't contain the grin that split his face into. "Thank you, sir! Thank you so much. I can't even tell you….that is I'll do my best to make sure that she…"

Basil cut him off, chuckling quietly to himself. "I know you will. Like I said, it goes without saying. I'm not worried about my girl, Peeta. She can take care of herself. You're both smart and level-headed. I think you'll do just fine." Basil leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Her mother and I didn't have much when we started out. We loved each other and thought that was all that mattered. It didn't take long to show us how wrong we were. Coming out here was an eye opener in more ways than one." He smiled at Peeta's rapt expression. "The first year is the hardest. That's when you find out if you're cut out for the long haul or not. It's not easy. It's damned hard is what it is."

Peeta nodded somberly. "I know it's going to be hard. I know I've got a lot to learn. It won't be easy but that's what makes it worth it. I love her. That's real."

Basil patted his knee with a rough hand. "I know it is. I've seen it. Just make sure that you hang onto that when the hard times come around. That's what will bring you through." He gestured toward the house and smiled slightly at the nervous look on the boy's face. "Go on and ask her. You've come this far. Might as well see it through."

Peeta nodded gratefully and climbed to his feet. He managed a few tottering steps before he turned once more. "I'll die loving her, Mr. Everdeen. It's all I want. All I've ever wanted. I just wanted to tell you that."

Basil Everdeen blinked rapidly to clear his suddenly blurry eyes. "I know you will, son. I wouldn't let her go for anything less."

Peeta smiled and gave a short acknowledging nod. "Guess I'd better not keep her waiting, huh? She won't be happy with me if I do." He gave a funny little nod and then took off toward the house at a steady jog.

Basil watched him go with burning eyes and a lump pulling his throat tight. "I think she'll be happy with you. No, I know she will." The man remarked quietly to himself. He wiped his eyes on the coarse sleeve of his shirt then ambled toward the far side of the house. He had a pigeon to send and after that, a toasting to plan.

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She was waiting on the back porch when he finally made it to the house. Hyacinth Everdeen waved him through while sternly telling Prim to stay put when she moved to follow him. Katniss turned her head at the sound of his heavy tread on the loose boards of the porch. She smiled slightly at the nervous expression he wore. "You're starting to make it a habit of making me wait, Peeta. Thought you weren't going to do that again." Her teasing smile took the sting out of the words.

He smiled back and replied in kind. "Tell that to your father. I suppose that I could have walked by him without saying a word but I don't think he'd appreciate it. Do you?"

Katniss laughed softly as she climbed to her feet, "No, I don't think he would. You have nothing to worry about. He likes you. I'm the one who would never hear the end of it." Peeta's disbelieving snort broadened her grin as she came to a stop before him. "You don't have to agree with me but it's the truth. He'd adopt you if he could."

"I think you might be exaggerating just a bit," he remarked as one hand slipped around her waist to draw her closer. "I think you're trying to make me feel guilty when I haven't done anything wrong." He smiled down at her as she sidled closer and coiled her hands around his neck. "Hi there," he whispered as he lowered his head and gave her the tiniest of kisses.

Katniss grinned and rose on tiptoe to reciprocate in kind. "Hi yourself," she muttered. "I'm glad that you made it. I was beginning to worry. You said you'd be here by noon at the latest. Did something happen?"

Peeta tilted his head to deepen the chaste kiss into a more meaningful one. These little moments of solitude didn't happen often. When they did, he took full advantage. Their mouths moved together as if choreographed, one following the other perfectly. He felt her smile and couldn't stop himself from pulling back to see it for himself. Even though she gave them freely, he took notice of each and every one. He committed them to memory, hoarding the images like a precious treasure. To him that's exactly what they were. He knew what it was like not seeing them every day. That wasn't a place he wanted to go back to.

"Nothing happened. I just got held up at the bakery." He twined their fingers together and led her to the porch railing. Leaning against it, he maneuvered her until she faced out with her back pressed firmly against his front. The balustrade supported their weight and provided a convenient seat for him to lean against. Once she was in place, he tightened his arms about her waist and leaned his chin on her shoulder. "Mom finally took pity on me and cut me loose."

She closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth that engulfed her and the steady thump-thud beneath her ear when she tucked her head into the place where his neck and shoulder met. "I'm glad she did. I really wanted to see you today. I owe her one."

"Why is today different from any other day?" He asked idly. "

She shrugged and tilted her head back to catch his eye. "No reason. I just wanted to see you."

Deciding that now was as good a time as any, he gathered his courage and replied, "I wanted to see you too. I wanted to…that is I wanted to tell you something….something good. At least I think it's good and I hope you do too."

His fumbling was readily apparent. She straightened and turned to look at him warily. "Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

"God, no." He blurted out. "I didn't mean to sound like…that is I wanted to…it's nothing to worry about. I just wanted to say that…" He stopped as the words seemed to queue up in his throat in a tangled knot. His thudding heart and jangling nerves did nothing to soothe him. As the seconds ran one into the other and her puzzled expression shifted to curiosity and then concern, Peeta didn't know what to do. For the second time today, he floundered helplessly. " I just wanted to say…to tell you that I…I want us too…" His reddened cheeks went well with annoyed darkness of his eyes. Frustrated beyond words, he scrubbed a hand anxiously through his hair and tried one last time to get the words out. "Katniss, will you…that is I want to say that I…you mean more to me than…"

"Marry me, Peeta." The words rolled out of her like a tidal wave. They filled up the awkward silence until it overflowed. She blushed furiously but made no attempt to neither pull away nor take back her unorthodox request. If anything, she appeared almost glacially calm.

He, however, was anything but. His eyes widened to saucer like proportions and his mouth worked silently. Finally a choked syllable escaped him, "What?" He stared at her in wide-eyed wonder, certainly not believing what his own ears had clearly heard. "Katniss, what did you say?"

It was surprising at how sure of herself she seemed to be. Her eyes never wavered. "I asked you to marry me," she stated serenely. "I'll say it again if you want."

Peeta shook his head in disbelief. "I think you stole my line," he laughed shakily. "I was going to ask you but you beat me to it." He peered at her hopefully. "Did you mean it? Do you want to?"

She rolled her eyes but answered in a matter-of –fact tone. "Every word. And yes I do." She laughed suddenly. "You still have to ask me even though technically I've already said I would. It's the principle of the thing."

With that, the nerves faded as soon as they appeared. He felt himself steady as he took in her expectant expression. So beautiful and brave and his. Always his. This time, the words came easily. "Katniss, marry me. Let me love you like I've always wanted to."

The smile that bloomed on her face was one he would remember always. It would be replicated faithfully in the months and years to come. "Okay," she answered, her eyes never leaving his.

"Okay," he echoed and let out a shaky laugh of his own.

The kiss that followed pushed back the world.

It ends…happily ever after.