Hey readers out there! Thanks for checking out my story, it is my first Hunger Games story and I was playing around with the idea of Peeta and Katniss meeting in modern America. Maybe drop a review, what you like or didn't like, I'm all about constructive criticism.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or it's characters only the idea and plot line to this story.


"Good morning, I'm calling from the Mellark Bakery off of Wilhelm about a custom cake for Ms Everdeen, what decorations did you want along with the writing on top of the cake, the last description was a bit unclear, give me a call when you get the chance thanks."

I never called a bakery for a custom cake, surely they must have the wrong number. No can't be, they asked for a Ms Everdeen and highly doubt there are many other Ms Everdeen's out there other than myself. I set my phone down on the kitchen counter, my fingers just barely brush against the cool marble sending shivers down my spine. It's late April and despite spring coming to a close and summer fast approaching it is still cold here in Virginia.

I have practically lived here my entire life, minus a few years of traveling around, including the past two years when Prim and I lived further down south in Tallahassee Florida. It wasn't a bad place to live, but I prefer more of a mountain and forest scenery rather than a beach and ocean view. Prim on the other hand didn't care where we moved to, all she cared about was that I stay with her, I promised her I would. I promised her she would never lose me and I would never lose her.

After the death of our father and our mother had, had some sort of mental breakdown and vanished without a trace leaving Prim and I to fend for ourselves. Soon after her abandonment we were taken into the foster system. The system sucks and I hated every minute of it, but there was nothing I could do. I was eleven when our father died, Prim was only five. Our mother had been acting strange and distant for three months then I woke up one morning and she was gone and she never came back.

We were brought into the foster system two weeks after our mother's disappearance, it was my fault. I had been stealing from the stores around town basic things like food, but then I got caught by the sheriff and that was it, to the foster system we went. From there we moved around a lot and I made sure Prim and I weren't separated like many other siblings had been. I had already lost both my parents, I couldn't afford to lose my sister to.

I open my hp laptop and I am met with several unchecked emails about a bail, great looks like I'll be spending a few hours making phone calls. I have spent the last year almost two years as a bail bondsman, it pays fairly well and has good insurance which is all I need for Prim's sake. Finding people is what I do, when we were brought in the foster system I told myself I would find my mother. Why, to get… closure in a sense. I was- am still mad at her for abandoning Prim and I. How could she just pack up and leave? Didn't we mean anything to her? I close the emails for a moment and click on the google icon, I type 'Mellark Bakery,' into the search box and wait a moment. The first website to show up is Mellark Bakery Bread and Pastry House.

I scroll through the website, it's a small, but apparently successful bakery owned by a young man named Peter, Peter Mellark. It doesn't take me long to find his image, he's around my age with uncut sandy blonde hair and brilliant sky blue eyes, below his image is his phone number and email address. I pull out my phone again, the business number matches the one on my phone and I hit call.

The phone rings for about five seconds before a man picks up, his voice the same from the voice mail I heard earlier.

"Mellark's Bakery, how may help you," says a man.

"Hi you called my cell phone earlier about a custom cake, there must be some mistake. I never ordered a cake," I explain.

For a moment the man doesn't reply, it doesn't worry me, but at the same time it is a little uneasy. The sound of rustling paper fills my ears before his voice comes back on the phone.

"Are you sure," the man questions, "I spoke to a… Ms Everdeen the other day about a cake from 31st street, are you sure this isn't you?"

Suddenly it is as though a light bulb has gone off in my head, it was Prim, it had to be Prim who called the bakery, she always did have a sweet tooth. However why would she call a bakery and order a custom cake when she knows we could easily just go out and get a cake.

"I think I understand the mix up, my sister Prim called you," I finally say.

The man replies, "You must be her sister, when I talked to Ms Primrose on the phone she wanted a cake for her sister and the top of the cake to say Katniss."

I smile sadly at his words. Katniss is what Prim and my father used to call me all the time, my dad had a thing for plants and wanted both of his kids to be named after one, so he told me. Not to mention he said I looked like a Katniss instead of a Katherine, which I agreed with him because quite honestly I didn't like the name Katherine for myself.

However when I was born, my mother won the battle of choosing my name making it Katherine instead of Katniss like my father wanted. Even though that didn't stop him from calling me Katniss, in a way Katherine became like a pseudonym and Katniss became my day-to-day one. For example, my business card says Katherine Everdeen rather than Katniss, soon I intend to change my name to Katniss on paper.

"Yes that is me," I respond gingerly.

Even though i can't see the man's face, I can tell by the tone of his voice he is smiling.

"Well it's nice to meet you Katniss Everdeen, my name is Peter, but everyone calls me Peeta."

Peeta, a curious choice, but it does make sense. He works in a bakery and I noticed one of his specialties was pita bread, so I guess it makes sense.

"Peeta huh," I chuckle, "I'm guessing because you make such wonderful pita bread."

Peeta laughs, it's low and high not really in the middle, but a mix of both. However I like the sound, almost as much as I like the sound of those church bells that would ring down the street from where Prim and I used to live in Burgess.

"As a matter of fact, I do make excellent pita bread, it's a house special and favorite here at Mellark's Bakery, perhaps I could make it for you someday" he replied, his tone happy and light.

It's a kind offer and I find myself smiling at the idea of eating some pita bread with a man whose name is Peeta.

I reply, "Perhaps one day I'll visit your bakery and see what all the fuss is about. I checked your website and see a lot of people like your baking."

As I've been talking on the phone with Peeta I continued to look through his site, every comment says something along the lines of 'Your pastries and bread are to die for,' 'those icing decorations are absolutely fantastic.'

Even though I haven't tasted his food, a lot of it looks amazing especially his flower cakes. Truth be told I wouldn't have guess they were flowers made of icing hadn't I seen the comment down below stating, 'I could not believe those flowers were icing, I could have sworn they were real until I tasted them last week.' If he decorates all his cakes and pastries he definitely has a gift.

Peeta speaks again, "Yeah, what can I say? People seem to really like my baking and decorations. However it helps when I know what my client would like to see on their cake."

I know his last line was directed towards me, although his tone was light his comment rubbed me the wrong way. I know it shouldn't have, but it did.

"That would help wouldn't it," I reply slightly bitter.

There was a pause. I opened my emails while I waited about five seconds for a response. His voice was smooth like honey and I could almost picture him talking to me face to face.

"Yeah it does, so tell me. How would you like your custom cake to be decorated. Or should I contact Ms Primrose?" He asked casually.

I shake my head, even though he can't see me. The big surprise is over and I don't need him to make a cake.

"No," I say a bit too quickly. "That won't be necessary, you can actually cancel the order entirely."

Later I'll talk to Prim about this, she knows not to order anything without my permission, but I know why she didn't ask. Prim is always trying to do nice things like this for me and I wish she wouldn't, I don't want her to have to give me anything, even if it is just a harmless cake. I know she wanted to get me something for my birthday, even though I repeatedly told her not to get me anything.

"I can still make the cake, I don't mind honestly." Peeta says. "It would be my great pleasure to make you and Ms Primrose a custom cake."

I almost laugh. I glance over my shoulder to check the time, it's quarter to noon and Prim doesn't get out of school until four. Not to mention I can go a few more hours without having to start working on another case.

"I don't know," I answer unsure.

I honestly have no idea what to do about this, this is not a situation I have had to deal with before and I've been in some pretty strange situations. A first time for everything I guess. It takes Peeta a few moments to respond and he offers me something I don't think I could refuse.

"How about this," he starts, "What if I bake a different cake for both you and Primrose, free of charge? This way you still get a cake and Primrose can be satisfied with giving you a cake. She sounded pretty determined to get you one when we talked."

I swallow hard, I don't know what to say. A perfect stranger was offering to bake a cake for Prim and I, free of charge. Why was he doing this? What did he have to gain from giving my sister and I a free cake? It's a good deal I must admit, but surely there must be some sort of catch.

Disbelieving I ask, "What's the catch Peeta? Surely you don't go around giving people free cakes."

I try to think of the last I had cake, almost a year ago. It was Prim's birthday and I bought her a cookie cake with little flowers of icing to decorate it on the top. The cake was good, but I've never been one for sugar, at least not a lot of it anyway. I hear Peeta laugh through the phone and for some unknown reason I smile at the sound.

"No you would be the first," he replied sweetly, "As for a catch, I would say you should come down to the bakery. This way we can discuss what to do about this cake. What do you say one o'clock, one fifteen?"

I bite back a smile, the offer sounds more appealing and it would definitely surprise Prim and it would be my chance to give her something nice. It's been awhile since I was last able to get her something, a free cake for the both of us seemed like a good place to start.

"Alright it's settled then," I respond.

Not a moment later the sound of his voice fills my ears, "Wonderful, I look forward to meeting you in person Ms Katniss Everdeen."

The line goes dead after that and I know he has hung up yet I keep the phone pressed up against my ear. The way he said my name… it sounded so nice and sweet. For some reason I close my emails and go back to the bakery's website and look for his picture. He's fairly attractive, I wouldn't say striking, but definitely easy on the eyes. He has one of those eye candy faces- I stop the thoughts immediately.

I'm not looking for anyone and have no intention of ever being romantic with someone, especially after what happened with Gale. After that I can never open myself up, it just cannot be done. I release an inaudible sigh, I steal another glance at Peeta's image before grabbing my keys, it looks like I'm making a trip to Wilhelm.