"Come on Katniss, you can do it. Keep it up. You're almost there!" Peeta was a good trainer. He could push you and push you until you were about ready to collapse from exhaustion, but he would be right by your side the whole time, doing the work right by your side and shouting encouragements in a nice, generous way that only sometimes made katniss want to punch his face. He never ran out of motivation. He had thrown his whole heart and soul into training their team for the upcoming quarter quell that not only was he always full of energy, but he always had some to spare.

Katniss knew she had to stay just as energetic and focused as he was, but it was difficult. It wasn't that she lacked the motivation. The prospect of being in good enough shape to keep peeta alive during the games empowered her just as much as the idea of protecting her gave him strength. The problem was more a lack of hope. Nagging her constantly was the thought that maybe all this was for nothing. Maybe it wouldn't matter how strong and physically prepared they were; for if the capital wanted the both of them dead, then they would surely die. of course, katniss knew she couldn't let that thought hold her back, but thats easier said then done. She just had to constantly shove it down into the deepest chasm of her mind and tell herself that if she didn't train, then there was no way her plan could work.

He cranked the power up another 5 degrees on the fancy running machine haymitch had ordered from the capital. Katniss excelled on what effie called a "Treadmill", but they had figured out pretty fast that it was fairly easy to slide off of the moving belt when you were sober and that haymitch in his constantly half drunk state was a disaster waiting to happen on the exercise machine.

"And…Time!"

Peeta paused the stopwatch and turned off the machine.

"Nice job sweetheart. Now i think its time to practice eating. Thats always been my favorite part of staying alive." Haymitch slurred. He had been staying mostly sober since they had started training, but the closer the games got the more he drank. Katniss could only imagine how he must be feeling. He new that he was going to lose a good portion of his friends. When you'd been a mentor as long as he had, you were bound to make a few pretty strong ties to the only people in the country who could relate to what you'd been through. It was why Peeta and Katniss where so strong a pair, despite everything that had and hadn't happened between them.

The reaping was in a week. Seven last sunrises in district twelve, six sunsets. Seven more nights of prim crawling into her big sisters bed because knew that shed be gone soon. Seven more breakfasts of pancakes made by peeta and dropped off at his two neighbors houses. There was so much that katniss had already done for the last time. This was the last full sunday they had before being whisked away to the capital, so Peeta thought it would be a good idea for everyone to get together. He said that it was "A celebration of everything we've all been through together' instead of what it really was, which was a "Sorry you're probably going to be dead in a few days" party.

Everyone the two of them cared about was invited. For katniss, that meant Prim, Her mother, Madge, and Gale and his family. For Peeta, that was his father, mother, two brothers, and of course, they both wanted haymitch there. Everyone showed up. Katniss, of course had formally met Peetas family when they had arrived back for the victory party in twelve, but this would be the first time since their engagement that Katniss had seen any of them. Katniss gave each of them an awkward side hug, including his mother, who despite katniss' bad memories of her seemed fairly tolerable if a bit bland.

Peeta kissed his mother on the cheek, clapping his brothers and father on the back. Katniss was actually genuinely fond of a few of his brothers, who while not as gentile or kind as Peeta, were well mannered and charismatic enough to hold a decent conversation with. His mother was all smiles for katniss. You never would've guessed that she had ever turned her nose up at her or been anything less than kind to Katniss. Ever since Katniss not only managed to come home to district twelve a victor, but bring her son safely back home as well, The woman all but worshipped the ground she walked on. Katniss couldn't help but remember how she had already ruled Peeta out as a victor before he ever got on the train. It was for that, and they way she had guessed peeta had been treated as the lesser of his family his whole life that made it impossible for Katniss to like her and his brothers. Somehow though, she couldn't hate his dad. She suspected it was because he promised to make sure Prim was kept alive after the reaping. He reminded her so much of Peeta.

The dinner was a potluck of home cooked food from Katniss and Prim's mother, pastries and baked goods brought by the mellarks, and a few dishes that madge and her mother had cooked to bring over.

They even managed to get Haymitch Bathed and shaved for the meal. It was a fairly nice little gathering.

As everyone ate and laughed, Katniss filed the moment away in the back of her mind so that she could keep it on reserve for whenever she needed to go to her happy place during a dark moment of the games.

Any tension between Gale and Peeta melted away fairly quickly. Peeta was good with Posy, and Gale obviously had a lot more respect for him since he defended him a few months ago at the whipping post. The wedding was hardly an issue, considering it was fairly clear that Katniss would never live long enough to marry either of them.

Rory and Madge talked the whole time. Katniss was glad to see that Madge would have another friend when she left, especially since shed never been a particularly good friend to her anyways. Madge was one of the kindest people in twelve, besides of course Prim and Peeta. Madge was enough older than Rory that it would probably never evolve into anything other than friendship, but still, katniss knew that he would be good for her in the long run. Rory was a protector. Once he had begun to care for someone, he would do whatever he can to keep them safe.

When everyone left, Peeta stayed behind to help Katniss and her mother with the dishes. Prim had gone up to bed as soon as the last guest was out the door because the party had far out lasted her usual bed time.

Katniss's mother held on extra long when it was time to say good night, and katniss let her.

"Mom…" She choked. "You have to know, I'm not coming back this time."

"There's still a chance, you could win, you've done it before." She stroked her daughters hair, and katniss could feel warm tears dripping onto her head.

"No, there's not. The game makers aren't going to allow me to cheat the system again. I won't get away with a stun like that again, and Mom, I can't kill Peeta. I can't. I owe him my life. He was trying to keep me alive from the beginning last year and now Its my turn to return the favor. I could never live with myself if I lived and he died."

"Because you love him."

"Mom…" She trailed off, afraid to say anything too loud in case the house was bugged.

"I know that you're acting. I know you are, you're my daughter, i can tell when you're lying. But you do love him. Maybe not the way the capital wants you too, but you've always shown your love in strange ways. I know you, and I know that you never would have pulled out those berries if you didn't love him. You promised you're sister you would come home and i know you would do anything for her, including kill. Especially if you didn't care about him. But you couldn't. You were willing to give up seeing your sister again in order to stay with him. It's okay my girl." She kissed her forehead. "It's okay to love him. Of course I want you to come home to me, but I've pretty much known since the card reading that that wasn't an option. "

"Im sorry. Im sorry I have to leave you again."

"Me too. I thought you were safe. That is, until president snow showed up here. But Katniss, no matter what happens in that arena, I want you to Know," She held her at arms length, hands steady against her shoulder, her eyes still damp. " I could not be any prouder of the woman you have become. You're father would be so proud, not just of how strong you've been, or how bravely you've fought, but of your choices. You're choices to save peeta, even when it has meant disastrous consequences for yourself."

There was only so much emotion that Katniss could handle in one night, and she wasn't used to having late night heartfelt discussions with her mother, but it was these words that got her through everything to come.

It was these words reiterated in a tear filled phone call after prim died that gave Katniss the strength to get up and walk the few paces over to peetas house. She rang the door bell instead of walking right through the door she knew would be unlocked. This wasn't just a quick visit, her popping by to see if he needed anything before she went hunting.

He opened the door with a greeting already on his tongue, a smile already on his lips, but his words were cut off by her mashing her mouth against his, pushing him out of the door way and up against the wall.

they broke apart and his face was so startled that all she could do was move a hand up to caress his cheek.

"katniss…" He whispered, and their faces were so close that his breath tickled her, inside and out.

And just as suddenly as she kissed him, he was kissing her.

they were electric. They had spent so long fighting the magnetism that drew them together.

he made her better. His kindness was infectious, and now that all the fighting was over, he softened Her. In the same way, her toughness kept him on his toes, and even when they did knock heads because let's face it, Katniss wasn't the easiest person to get along with, hey always came back together. He taught her how to forgive and she Taught Him how to turn a few grains into a feast.

"My dad would've liked him." she was lazing around outside, enjoying the fresh summer air while haymitchs sobriety geese squaked around in the backyard. the two victors watched the bakers boy water the primroses.

"Everyone likes him." Haymitch growled. For it being between liquor shipments, haymitch was in a relatively good mood, although you wouldn't know it unless you knew him as well as katniss and peeta did.

Katniss and Peeta. Soon to be Mr. And Mrs. Mellark.

the best part was that Katniss would wear whatever dress she wanted to. they would have a toasting in district twelve, and even though it would probably still be televised because they owed Plutarch Hevensbee a few favors, it wouldn't be for the people of the capital. It was Katniss and Peeta's wedding, and it would be for them.