One thing I have learned writing is that sometimes I can produce a halfway decent chapter with the help of just one beta. This is not one of those. Let me just say thank you, to everyone on my little list here. You helped me when it felt like no one would. I love each and every one of you. All of you have become very near and dear to my heart in the past couple of years to months. One day… we will all sit together and sip our wine, whiskey, moonshine (or tequila. There will prob be tequila!) and talk for hours. Or we can watch the movies and complain about what they had to leave out. Whatever we decide, as long as I get to hug you, well that's all that matters. So thank you to sohypothetically, famousfremous, smartalexy, titana, gentlemama, hutchhitched, notanislander, arby and Florence.

And thank you to the amazing Jessa! You can come drink with is too. I know no one will mind a bit!

This is a fic about the time around the American Civil war. There are mentions of slavery, nothing violent, but it is mentioned.

Summertime, North Carolina, 1856

"Prim!" Twelve-year-old Katniss shouts through the open door. "Get out here. It's too hot to stay in there today."

All of eight-years-old, Primrose comes to the door, sighs when she gets to the doorway, "That breeze feels good."

Prim joins her sister where she sits on the edge of the porch, their legs dangling into the dry dust of the dirt yard. This summer is a hot one since it hasn't rained in weeks. Mama was just saying last night how she was so glad that Daddy works in the mines and not as a farmer. Katniss picks at a spot on Prim's new dress, but finds that it's nothing. Prim asks, "Why was Daddy so upset when Mama made these dresses for us? They are so pretty."

Katniss shrugs. "He wasn't mad about the dresses. He was mad because Mama wouldn't tell him where she got the material." She isn't about to tell her sister that she remembers the fabric hanging in the windows up at the Mellark plantation. She went with Mama to check on Mrs. Mellark a couple of weeks ago. Since Old Doc Lund said that Mrs. Mellark has consumption, Mama has been up there almost every day treating her. "Maybe she got some coins from the Masons? And she bought it down at Sae's?"

Prim nods like she understands, but Katniss herself doesn't really understand. She just knows that Daddy works really hard to get them what they need, and when Mama wouldn't answer him it hurt him somehow.

Prim's innocent smile lights up her face. "That has to be it. But why did Daddy not believe her?"

Katniss shrugs. "I don't know, Primmy." She asks, "Do you want to go wade in the creek?"

Prim jumps up. "Oh can we please?"

"Let's go put on our old dresses, so we won't get these dirty."

Prim runs into the shack with Katniss trailing behind her. Soon they are walking down the path to the creek. Even before they get there, they hear their friends Annie and Jo, splashing in the water with the Hawthornes. The girls run barefooted to join them in the water. Soon the echoes from their laughter can be heard all around their little valley.

It's well into the afternoon when the girls get back to the house. Daddy and Mama are both sitting on the porch enjoying the slight mountain breeze trying to blow through their valley. Daddy greets them, "Ya'll are wearing yer old dresses and your hair is wet. Did the creek feel good?"

Katniss and Prim both start talking at once, trying to be the first to tell them about how Gale tried to catch a fish with his bare hands, but everyone had giggled so hard when it jumped up and slapped him in the face. They laughed until they fell on their backsides into the water.

"How big was that fish?" Daddy asks, resting his elbows on his knees, his anticipation making the girls excited.

Prim spreads out her arms as wide as she can and exclaims, "It was that big, Daddy!"

Katniss laughs, holding out her hands more to its true size. "It was more like that, Daddy."

Jack looks at Lily and sighs. "I wish I had time to go catch that fish and fry it. Add some cornbread and beans. That's good eating right there."

Lily giggles. "You only have to work half a day tomorrow. You and Katniss can go fishing tomorrow, and we will have us a fish fry."

Prim pouts, "But I want to go too!"

Jack swoops up his youngest and twirls her about. "You can go too Little Duck. You can go too."

As is custom at the soapstone mines, the men only work half a day on Saturday. Katniss is the first to spy him walking up the drive, so she runs to meet him with Prim following behind. They come walking back to the house, all three Everdeens chattering a mile a minute about their day.

Lily comes out to meet them, and Jack walks up onto the porch to greet her with a kiss. Katniss smiles when she sees her parents finally smiling at one another again.

"Do you want a sandwich before you go fishing?" Lily asks.

Jack nods. "I would." He looks at his daughters. "Did ya'll eat?"

Prim nods and Katniss answers, "Yes sir, Daddy."

He sits on the edge of the porch and pats the space on either side of him. "Come and sit with me, girls."

They perch on the porch, one on either side of him. Katniss smiles and says, "Daddy, I'm gonna catch the biggest fish today!"

Daddy grins at her, and Prim echoes, "No me! I'm going to catch the biggest one!"

Jack chimes in, "I don't care, as long as I get to eat it for supper!" He finishes his sandwich, and gives Lily back the napkin it was on so she can wash the little piece of fabric. Years ago when she ran away to marry Jack, her parents disowned her. It was Lily's best friend, Maysilee, who brought her hope chest and clothes to her out of the back alley behind the apothecary where her father threw it out instead of giving it to her. The napkins and the tea set that sit in the hutch in the corner are among the items that survived. The other things, like the fancy table cloths and the silver, have either been sold or traded when times were really bad. The only things that were left are the cameos that Jack carved for Katniss and Prim.

Daddy pats her on the leg. "Come on, girls. Let's help Mama start the fire, and then we will go fishing."

Prim skips along behind them and says in her little sing-song voice, "I invited Rory and Vick to come fishing and to eat with us. Then I asked Annie and Jo and their families too."

"You invited everyone, didn't you?" Daddy asks.

Prim's face falls, and it looks like she was about to cry. "But I didn't invite Mr. Mellark and them." She starts to wring her hands together. "They will be mad. Won't they Daddy?"

He stops and bends down so he can look her in the eye. "My sweet little Primrose, always worrying about everyone else. I doubt the Mellarks could have some anyway. Remember how Mrs. Mellark is still sick?"

Prim nods. "We'll have plenty for everyone, won't we?"

Jack smiles. "If I know Hazelle Hawthorne and Abigail Mason, we will have enough for everyone." He stops and grabs his shovel on the back porch and then walks out into the yard. The girls watch him as he clears out the dry grass and sticks.

"Come on, Prim," Katniss says while walking to the edge of the yard. She starts picking up the stones that are bigger than her fist, and Prim picks them up too.

"Oh, this is heavy!" Prim complains, but her little eight year old voice doesn't really sound like it minds.

Jack takes the stones from her. "Go get me some more, Little Duck."

By now, Lily has joined them, and they all chuckle as Prim walks back, wiggling her bottom with a "quack, quack, quack," echoing behind her. This time, they all gather stones to circle around what is going to be the fire pit.

Katniss walks over the wood pile and starts picking up the smallest pieces of wood while Prim picks up the rest. Jack is on the other side, picking out what logs he can use to build the fire. They pile their treasures beside the rock ring, and Jack starts to layer the wood. Lily meantime brings out a rack that will go over the fire for the women to cook on. She doesn't put it on yet, but she will when it's time to cook.

Lily hands Jack the tinder box, and in just a moment, there is a spark landing on the shavings. Katniss crouches down beside it, blowing gently, and feeding it brown pine needles until there is a small flame dancing. She then starts to feed the flame, until it grows into many, catching easily on the dry wood.

Katniss stands up, and Daddy throws his arm around her, bringing her in for a side hug. "I knew you would be a good fire starter. Are you two ready?"

The heat of the hot summer day is building, and Katniss knows of nothing better than to go play in the creek. It's Prim who shows both of their enthusiasm when she jumps and sings, "Let's go! Let's go!"

Mama kisses Daddy and then presses a kiss on her daughters' foreheads. "I hope ya'll catch a lot of fish!"

They walk the short way to the creek and smile when the Masons, the Hawthornes and the Crestas are already in the water. The daddies all gather where the creek goes wide and start casting their lines. Some of the bigger boys like Gale and Johanna's brothers Clinton and Gabe, with Annie's brother Uriah have brought their poles too. The mamas are at home getting the rest of the food ready.

The water washes down off of the mountain into their little valley so it's always wonderfully cold. The big sisters watch over the little sisters as they splash in the water. Annie says, "Daddy said that Mrs. Mellark is sick." They all watch the little girls run in the shallow water of the creek, giggling as they go.

Katniss nods. "Mama is worried."

Jo pipes in, "She will be alright. Ms. Lily will save her. She saved your mama didn't she after she had Lila and Leah?"

Annie nods. "She did save Mama after the twins were born. Maybe she will be alright."

Both older girls look to Katniss, but when she doesn't have anything else to add, it's Johanna who says, "You know the oldest Mellark boy? Bram? He left the other day."

Katniss starts listening, and Annie asks, "He did? Why?"

Jo shrugs. "I think he went to university. Somewhere off from here." She sighs dramatically, and Katniss looks at her friend like she has grown another head. "I'm going to miss seeing him."

Annie chuckles, and Katniss asks, "When do you see him now?"

She looks at them through her eyelashes with a smirk on her face. "Oh you know, I've seen him in town-"

Annie interrupts with a gasp, "Is he courting you?"

The boys and their fathers all look their way, and Jo waves to them. "Everything is ok." Once their attention is elsewhere, Jo whirls back to Annie and Katniss. "Geez, you two. Get me in trouble, why don't you?"

Katniss asks, "You talked to Bram Mellark?"

Jo shakes her head. "No, not yet. I want to."

Annie says, "Your daddy ain't going to let you do that. He's Bram Mellark. His daddy owns the tobacco plantation. They have-" She pauses for a moment, then stutters, "a lot of slaves. I'd say at least fifty. And you are the daughter of a-"

The three girls are close. Their daddies have always worked together, and they all played and went to the one room school house together. That also means they fight like sisters. Jo narrows her eyes at Annie making her pause again. Annie straightens up, as proud as any princess. "I am the daughter of a miner too, but that doesn't mean that either one of us is going to go live in that big house one day with all of those servants."

Jo shrugs. "You never know what will happen."

Katniss says, "I hate it when you two fight." Cheering on the bank gets their attention. All of the girls stop and watch as the men pull out a big trout. "There is one. How many fish do we need? I'm hungry."

Annie covers her mouth to hide her giggle. "Mama killed one of her hens today. I think she is bringing that too for us to eat."

"Mama is doing the same thing!" Jo adds. "She thinks that all of the fish are gone out of the creek."

Just then, Gale and Clinton both pull out two more trout. "Well, we might be eating fish after all," Katniss says.

The sun goes down and the musical instruments come out. All the children from the oldest to the youngest gather around the dying fire. By the time several songs are finished, everyone is breathless and giggling. The sound of approaching hoof beats coming down the road makes everyone pause.

At first, Katniss isn't sure who it is, but as soon as she sees the windswept blond hair, her heart leaps in her chest. She knows that it's Peeta Mellark, the youngest son of Graham and Anna Mellark. He approaches the shack alone, pulling the horse to a stop. Jack is the first one to reach him with Lily coming up beside him. Katniss creeps around the guests in her yard until she is close enough to see what they are doing.

She watches Peeta take in the festivities, and he nods at her father. She can't hear what Mama says to him, but she turns and walks into the house. Daddy says something to Peeta, and they share a chuckle. Peeta scans the yard, and he stops when his gaze lands on her. She doesn't think that he can see her, but when he nods at her, she can't help to nod back. Her heart quickens the longer he looks at her, and she can't help the grin that spreads across her cheeks.

Peeta is still talking to her father when Mama comes back out and hands him a little glass bottle. She misses his gaze as he listens to what her mother tells him. When Lily pats him on the hand, she can read his perfect lips as he mouths 'thank you'. All of the air leaves her lungs when he meets her eyes again and smiles. He then turns his gray horse around and sets off at a gallop back from where he came.

Everyone is silent for a moment as they watch him leave. It's Mr. Hawthorne who asks, "What happened?"

Lily announces, "As you probably know, Mrs. Mellark has consumption. Peeta came to get medicine because she is coughing again and her fever has returned. We all need to pray for her to be healed."

It's Mr. Cresta, who offers, "Let us pray now for her. Dear Heavenly Father-" Everyone in the yard bows their heads. Katniss bows her head too, but she is too busy thinking about Peeta Mellark to talk to Jesus about healing his mama.

Peeta gallops up the drive that leads to the stables. He quickly jumps off, and Thresh is there to catch the reigns. Before he has a chance to say anything about putting the horse up, Thresh says, "I got him. You go help your mama."

He pats Thresh on the shoulder and says, "Thank you."

He enters through the kitchens where Seeder waits on him. Without a word, she takes the bottle of willow bark from him and rushes it upstairs. He follows her to his mother's room.

Since Anna got sick, she barely leaves the room, even though Mrs. Everdeen and the doctor both told her is she would only get up and move about she would feel much better. Instead she lies there, ordering everyone about. Not for the first time, he is envious of his brothers getting to leave and go to university.

Peeta lingers in the hallway listening to Seeder encourage his mother to take the medicine he got from Mrs. Everdeen. After a quiet moment he knows that she has taken it. "Peeta? Can you come here, please?"

She must have seen him, he thinks as he enters the room. He doesn't go further than the foot of the bed, scared that he will catch it too. "Yes, ma'am?" insert comma

He can barely make her out against the pillows. "I need to tell you something."

He listens to her and comes closer. "I'm here."

He hears her sigh. "I'm probably not going to make it much longer -"

"Oh now missus, don't you be talking like that. You are going to be just fine."

"Oh Seeder, you know that I'm not going to make it much longer. I need you to promise me that you will watch over my boys. Can you promise me that Seeder?"

Peeta watches Seeder wipe a tear from her eye. He knows that through the years, his mother and Seeder have had their share of disagreements, but Seeder is also as close as a sister to his mother since they grew up together.

Mama turns her gaze to him and holds out her hands to him, waving him closer. He comes to her, and sits on the bed besides her. "Oh Peeta. I do wish I could see you grow up and get married. I want you to go on to West Point like you plan and make your father proud." He won't say it, but even just last night Daddy told him that he didn't have to go into the military. He could go on to the University of North Carolina like Rye did. He's not about to tell his mother that. Long ago she had made plans for him to be a great military commander.

He presses a kiss to her cheek. "You are going to live for a long time yet." He tries to reassure her. Seeder brings her another bottle he doesn't recognize and helps her to take some.

She closes her eyes and relaxes as if the medicine works that quickly. He looks at Seeder in question and, she whispers, "She's taken her laudanum. She will be asleep in just a moment."

Before he reaches the door, she isn't moving, but a soft snore makes Seeders words true.

Graham Mellark arrives late that night. He and Chaff were going to stop on the way back from Raleigh, but after changing out the horses, they decided to go ahead home. With Anna being sick, he didn't want to be that far away.

The ever present Seeder greets them at the front door. "You should be asleep," Graham tells her. "Someone else could have waited up for me."

She looks down nervously and picks at a wrinkle. "Young Peeta is in the library. He fell asleep." She looks into Graham's eyes. Throughout the years, he has fostered a relationship with his people that is more like an employer than slave and master. Graham has been offered triple what he paid for many of them but always refuses by saying that this farm is their home too. A couple of people have left over the years, only to go up north to freedom. "I'm worried about Anna"

Many people would have been taken aback with the familiarity Seeder speaks of her mistress, until one looks closely and sees the same nose on both of their faces. This made them family. Anna's father never would have admitted to seeking comfort in Seeder's mother's arms after his wife passed. "What's wrong?" Graham looks upset. "What happened?"

"I found the laudanum bottle. She took the whole thing!" she exclaims.

"How is her breathing?"

"I can hear her rattling in the hallway. She even told Peeta that she isn't going to be here much longer."

Graham runs his fingers through his hair, just like his sons do. "I'll go up and check on her. Is there any supper left?"

Seeder says, "I'll check."

Graham goes upstairs and peeks in on his wife from the doorway. She is resting peacefully on her side just like Lily told her to. She is still snoring lightly, but at least she is still breathing. He wishes he could do something but knows that when it comes to consumption, there isn't much he can do.

He goes back down to the kitchens and sits down at the table. Seeder sets a plate in front of him and he starts to eat. He doesn't really taste anything he is so lost in his thoughts. It's not until his youngest son sits down in front of him that he smiles for the first time since he came home.

Peeta picks up a new potato and pops it into his mouth. Graham watches him chew. "Still stealing my potatoes?"

Peeta shrugs. "You weren't going to eat it."

Graham chuckles. "I guess I wasn't." He grows serious. "How is your mother?"

Peeta looks down at the wooden table, tracing the rings. "I had to go to the Everdeen shack to get Mama some willow bark. Her fever came back."

"Did Lily have enough?"

Peeta nods. "She gave me what she had and told me that she would have some more soon. I also asked her to come by tomorrow to check on her."

Graham sets down his fork, not feeling as hungry as he did just a moment ago. "That will be good. Maybe I shouldn't have sent your brothers away yet."

"She will be fine in a couple of days. You just wait and see." Peeta boasts.

They find her dead the next morning.

Seeder checks on her right after sunrise as is her custom. It's Seeder's sob that wakes up Graham who is asleep in the room next door. He stands at the connecting door, not coming into the room, and simply says, "Let me go get Peeta."

He wakes his youngest son who quietly follows his father to his mother's room. They watch Seeder for a moment in her grief and then come to stand behind her. Peeta, only having learned that Seeder is indeed his aunt only a couple of months ago, wraps his arm around her, pulling her to his side. Graham leans over his wife and kisses her forehead. He straightens and murmurs, "We need to call the Coroner and send Chaff to fetch Rye and Bram."

Peeta nods.

Word of Anna Mellark's death travels quickly through the valley. Lily gets the girls cleaned up, and they along with Jack, go up to the big house a couple of miles away to pay their respects. They meet the Masons, the Crestas and the Hawthornes on the way.

The kids end up walking ahead of the mothers and the fathers, not really staying to listen to their conservation. Not that there is much being said. Gale does say, "I can't imagine Mama and Daddy dying. I hope they never do."

Everyone who understands just nods, while Posy and Jessie chase one another. After just a couple of more turns, they see the mansion sitting on top of the hill. The children all stop and wait for Lily to take the lead. The families follow her up the hill.

Lily pauses at the entrance, behind other people who live in the valley who are waiting. Katniss feels Prim's little hand take a hold of hers. She whispers, "It's alright, Prim."

"Mama said that Mrs. Mellark is gone to heaven. We came to tell Mr. Mellark that we are sorry for her dying. "

"Yes, that's what we are doing." Katniss huffs, "it's too hot."

The line moves forward onto the sweeping front porch that travels the length of the house. Katniss has been here before, but never entering the front door like a treasured guest instead of with the local healer at the kitchen door because the doctor couldn't make it in time.

Katniss looks up and down the porch taking in the French doors that are open all down the side of the house welcoming in any kind of breeze that might be stirring in this hot summer heat. A couple of well-dressed ladies pass by them with such lovely fans that Katniss would give what little she has to get one.

The line moves forward, and they also move with it. This time when they pause, the girls are standing in the doorway. It is so big, that they both can fit in it, side-by-side without touching the frame. Katniss and Prim peek all around them, their eyes growing wide as they take in the marble tile awaiting their feet. It looks so smooth, that Katniss wants to touch it to see if it's really as smooth as it looks.

"Look Mama, there are the other children from school."

Katniss looks up to see Madge Undersee standing on the other side of the foyer. She is standing with a tall woman who must be her mother. She hears her say, "Lily, it is so nice to see you."

Katniss watches the back of her mother's head nod at this woman. "May, it's nice to see you too. Is that Madge? She has grown up so much."

Prim whispers, "That's Madge."

Katniss whispers back, "It is. Her mama and Mama used to be friends."

"Why ain't they still?"

Katniss shrugs. She wonders why Mama isn't friends with Madge's mom and aunt anymore. Madge's daddy is the mayor of their little town as their teacher likes to tell them in their little one room school house. Madge always sits in the corner and it seems to Katniss that she is trying to hide when Ms. Atala reminds the class of that. This is the first time in a long time Katniss has seen Madge's mother. She is usually at home in the bed with a headache so Madge walks to school alone since she just lives down the road from the schoolhouse.

The adults have stopped talking and by now Katniss is standing in the middle of the foyer, unable to take her eyes off of the grandest staircase she has ever seen. Granted the only other one is the wooden one at Sae's shop leading up to the dry goods on the second floor. "Look at that Katniss. Does that lead to heaven?" Prim asks.

"That's silly Prim." She answers, but wonders that herself. She looks around, taking in the grandness of the wide open room. she will learn later what she is looking at, but for now, the fancy paper lining the walls with delicate flowers makes her speechless and for once, the rest of her friends aren't saying anything either. She reaches out and runs her fingers along the ornate piece of wood at runs along the wall at her waist. It's painted white to match the paper above it.

She smiles when she sees Prim's little fingers feeling along beside hers. "That feels smooth," Prim whispers.

Katniss nods, looking around the rest of the room. Nothing else stands out except for how white and clean everything is. It's so unlike her shack where everything seems to be dirty, well not dirty, but not this.

Before she realizes what is happening, her and Prim are ushered into another room. All of the air seems to leave her lungs when she sees the fancy black coffin at the end of the room. She squeezes Prim's hand, and steps closer to get Daddy's hand again.

His big, weathered, gentle hand envelops hers. She looks up to him and the smile he smiles only for her lights up his face. He pulls her closer, bringing Prim in too. He doesn't say anything, but follows Lily up to the front of the room, where the family waits.

"What are they doing Daddy?" Prim whispers.

"This is what a wake is. The family stays up with the deceased while people come to pay their respects."

The adults start talking, and while Prim is too short to see into the black box, Katniss can. She can't help the shiver that travels down her spine when she sees the gray stranger's face surrounded by blonde curls. She takes a step back, putting Daddy in between her and coffin, not wanting to see anymore.

The young man who came by her house the other night is standing there, watching her. She boldly stares back, meeting his sky blue eyes with her own silver ones. Blond curls, lighter than his mother's relax against his forehead. He is wearing a form fitting coat that almost matches his eyes. She hears his clear his throat and her eyes fly back up to his face.

Their eyes meet, and she isn't sure what to do when he arches his eye brow like he wants to ask her something. She finally breaks the gaze, to look down at Prim, who is whispering something to Leah and Lila, Annie's little sisters. She looks back to Peeta, who is still watching her. She follows her parents like a good daughter, and waits while her mother introduces them to Mr. Mellark and then he introduces them to his sons.

She already knows who they are, but she doubts if they know who they are. She watches Peeta's lips mouth her name after he learns it, and somehow in her twelve year-old mind, she knows that she will never forget the day that Peeta Mellark said her name, even if it isn't out loud.

It's a couple of days after that, Jack has Katniss in the woods hunting with him. He began teaching her the year before, but only their close friends know that he is doing it. Even if they are dirt poor, fathers didn't often teach their daughters to hunt.

She creeps along behind him, stepping where he does so she can be as quiet as he is. He stops, and waves at her behind him. He glances back and when he meets her gaze, he barely nods towards the flock of turkeys beside them. They both notch an arrow, and take aim.

Katniss takes a deep breath, and as she exhales, she lets her arrow fly. The grin that appears when her arrow sinks into the turkey says everything. The rest of the turkeys stand there for a moment before her father's arrow finds its mark. Then what's left runs away into the underbrush.

"You are getting better and better."

She doesn't say anything as Daddy pulls the arrows gently out of the birds. He field dresses the birds, whispering a prayer of thanks as he works. He quickly finishes, and puts them into his game bag. "Come on my sweet Kat. Let's go start supper."

The rest of the year passes quickly. The children of the valley start school again, the leaves change colors, and daddy teaches her to hunt the deer in the woods surrounding them. Mama keeps on visiting her patients, and Daddy works in the mines. The Christmas celebration finds them all better off than ever before, with both Katniss and Prim receiving dolls and new dresses. There is even an orange and peppermint candy in the bottom of their stockings.

There are many things that Katniss remembers about January. The cold of the season settles in, the winds pick up, and the snow starts. Katniss and Prim have already walked to school, and are warming themselves by the old wood stove in the corner before Ms. Atala asks them to take their seats.

"Daddy is sick today," Annie says.

"What's wrong with him?" Prim asks. Katniss thinks that she is going to be a healer like Mama.

Annie shrugs. "I think it's just a flu, but he is running a fever. He didn't go to the mines. "

The girls all nod before they are interrupted by Ms. Atala. They find their desks and are just sitting down, when the loudest boom they have ever heard, shakes the one room school house. Katniss hops back up, as does all the children in the school room who has a father working in the mine.

Ms. Atala quickly calls out, trying to get everyone's attention. Everyone is voicing their fears and not paying attention to her. She finally pierces the noise with a most un-lady like whistle. Head all over turn to look at her. "Everyone needs to be quiet for a moment. If you will quickly get your coats on, we will walk over to Sae and Blight's to see what happened."

The older ones help the youngest ones, and siblings gather together so they can walk across the street to the general store where everyone went to learn the news of the day.

Prim slides her hand into Katniss' hand, and they follow the rest of them out the door. Before they even have a chance to cross, Mama is there, grabbing Prim's other hand. Silently, they cross the road.

People have already started gathering, and they join the crowd. Everyone looks up when Blight comes out. "Pastor Enloe came by. He's opened the church and has a fire going. Let's all go over there and get these kids out of the cold."

Everyone murmurs their thanks and walks next door to the church. It's not very big, but it is big enough to hold most everyone in town. Even the smallest children are quiet as the church fills up. The Everdeens find the pew they usually sit on quickly sit. The families gather around one another and Katniss whisper's in Annie's ear, "Where is your Daddy at?"

Annie turns around. "He went to the mine to see if he could help."

Katniss nods, and sits back. Prim slides her hand into hers, and she can hear her mother praying under her breath when Bristol, the foreman of the mine steps up on the podium. He clears his throat until he has everyone's attention. "We have started recovering some of the men from the mines," he pauses when he sees Lily get to her feet. "Ms. Lily, old Doctor Lund has come from Asheville to help us for now. We'll come and get you if we need you."

Katniss sees her mother nod, but she doesn't stop praying. Katniss leans into her side, and Lily pulls her close as she wraps her arm around her. "Mrs. Everdeen, Mrs. Hawthorne," Bristol says to the ladies as he approaches them.

It's Hazelle who finds her words first. "Mr. Bristol. Have you seen our husbands yet?"

He looks down at the old wood flooring, and even Katniss who is all of eleven years old can tell something is wrong. He finally looks back up, and says, "Would you two come to the Sunday school room with me?"

Hazelle grabs Lily's hand, and says, "We need our children with us please."

He looks at them and sighs most tiredly. "We found Jack and Colton first thing."

Katniss weaved herself in and out of the people crammed into her little shack. She is just glad that Prim still has a hold of her hand. The people finally thin out close to the pine box sitting on the table. Prim pulls back, and it makes Katniss want to cry when she hears her sister whimper. She squeezes her hand, and they walk to stand beside mama.

Hazelle explained to Katniss that it's custom for the family to sit with the ones who die, but she is very sure that Mama hasn't moved from the chair that sits beside the coffin. Even when Prim tries to hug Mama, she won't even look at either one of them, much less hug her back.

There have been so many people today, that Katniss can't keep them straight. She shakes another stranger's hand, when a deep, warm voice, gets her attention. The crowd parts just like she imagines the Red Sea did for Moses, this time however, instead of the Egyptians, she sees a warm, welcoming man with thick blond hair and kind eyes the same color of a summer day. He stops and shakes hands with several people along the short length of the house before he arrives at the box beside what's left of the Everdeens.

Katniss sees someone behind him, and even though a deep grief that she won't understand until years later has surrounded her heart, it still speeds up when she sees Mr. Mellark's youngest son, Peeta coming in behind his father.

They travel the short length of the shack, and both of the Mellarks takes their caps off. They stop first at the pine box behind Katniss, pausing for a moment to look upon Daddy's face. Not for the first time that day, Katniss wishes how he would wake up, tell everyone that this is just a joke on Lily, and it's time to go home. Instead, Daddy is lying dead in his shack, while friends and strangers come to look at him.

Mr. Mellark and Peeta turn to Lily next. Mr. Mellark bends down and she can't' hear what he is saying. Her heart sinks when she realizes that Mama isn't going to talk to anyone, much less Mr. Mellark. She can see the worry on his face, but he doesn't say anything. Instead he reaches for her, and she puts her hand in his. "Your mother talked about you," he smiles at Prim, who for the first time since they were told, smiles. "And you so many times when she would come and try to help Anna. I am so very sorry about your Daddy."

Katniss blinks as the tears she has been trying not to cry try to run down her cheeks. Before she has a chance to wipe her eyes, Peeta is giving her a hug, which somehow, makes her cry all the harder. She calms herself down, and he is handing her his handkerchief. She dabs her eyes, like she has seen Mama do and whispers, "Thank you."

He still has his arm around her when he murmurs, "I'm sorry about your Daddy, too."

She can't help the sob that comes out of her, and he pulls her in again. She isn't sure what it is, but for the first time since she heard the boom, she feels safe.

"Mama," Katniss says in Lily's ear. "Mama, we are hungry."

Nothing. Mama sits in her chair. Not moving.

She only moves from the bed to the chair, and only if they help her. Prim encourages her to eat what little Katniss has found, but it's not much. For the past three days, they have been drinking weak tea made with even weaker mint leaves that Prim found in the back of Mama's medicine bag.

The mines gave them some money after Daddy, a sob catches in her chest. She is so weak, that she can't even cry. She used that as sparingly as she could. But it's gone now. People have even stopped sending for Mama, knowing that she isn't able to get up, but somehow no one is coming around to check on them. She must be fooling them better than she thought.

Prim sounds like a newborn kitten when she says, "Katniss, I'm going to go lay down."

Katniss puts another piece of wood on the fire, and weakly stands up. She crosses the room to Mama's hope chest. She struggles under the weight that even a month ago when they still had some food to eat, she would have lifted it fine.

There isn't much in there, except for the fancy napkins, some old baby clothes, and the tea set. She spies the cameos that Daddy made them, but sadness grips her when she thinks about something happening to them. So she grabs the gowns and slams the lid shut. Not for spite, but because it's too heavy.

"I'll be right back," she says bringing the blanket up around Prim's shoulders.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find something, anything to eat." Prim nods, and closes her eyes. She glances at Mama sitting in the chair, and decides that she needs to save what energy she has to walk to town.

A light, cold rain is falling. She pulls Mama's shawl tighter around her, and walks through the squishy mud. She knows that she is walking slower than her normal brisk pace, and she has to stop and rest for a moment where her road meets the main road that leads to town.

The walk must have made her weaker because when she takes the next step, she slips and sinks to her knees. The rain is picking up, and it's getting colder. She can't help to think that she is going to die out here on the road, and no one will be here to take care of Prim.

She takes a deep breath, and struggles to her feet, refusing to let her family, her Prim die. This time she manages ten steps before she is on her knees again. There is an old apple tree that grows next to the road, so she crawls over to it grateful to finally be able to rest for a moment.

She closes her eyes, willing herself to stop shaking. It doesn't work.

Is someone coming? She barely gets her eyes open to see who it is, when that someone is picking her up, this time she finds the energy to open them to see seventeen year-old Peeta Mellark picking her up. She mews, "I'm too dirty for you-"

He shakes his head interrupting her, "Shhh," he interrupts. She knows in that moment that he has the voice of an angel when he asks, "what are you doing out here?"

She can feel his gaze taking her in. the only looking glass they have at home is Daddy's little shaving mirror, but she knows even without looking in it, she must looks a fright. As least that is what Mama would have said. "I'm going to town."

He grips her tighter when her teeth start chattering together. "I need to get you home-"

This time it's her who interrupts, "No! I need to get some food! Prim-"

Understanding flits across his face. At least she thinks that is understanding. Before she can say anything, he is lifting her up to his horse and climbing up behind her. He unfastens his cape, and pulls her close, wrapping it around them both. She then realizes how warm he is and tucks herself into his chest.

"Are you hungry?" He whispers. She groans when the pins and needles begin to torture her as the feeling comes back in her arms and legs. He pulls the horse to a stop, and asks, "Are you alright?"

She answers him by rubbing her arms, trying to get the sensations to stop. When he adds his touch to hers, it seems to soothe instantly. She sags against him in relief when it finally stops. "Better now?"

She nods, and he clicks his tongue encouraging his horse to move again. She sneaks a look up at him, her handsome savior. There is a light scattering of white-blond beard dotting his chin and jaw. She can sort of see the blue of his eyes, and even her eleven-year-old heart does a little flip when she thinks about how they are the same color as the sky on an autumn day. Just not a rainy day. Like today. His blond curls are poking out from under his wool slouch hat. He has her tight enough against him, that the rain that drops off the brim, hits the cape around them, and not on her face.

He pulls the horse to a stop, and she peeks out seeing that they are in front of Sae's. In a flurry of movement, he climbs down with her still in his arms. He walks to the sidewalk in front of the storefront, and sets her down. She wobbles on her feet, hanging on to him until she feels steady again. "Are you alright?" he asks. She nods, while he fastens the cape around her again. "We are going to go in here, and I want you to get what you need to for you family to eat." She opens her mouth to protest when he continues, "You are just like your father, don't like to owe anyone anything. Well consider this as payment for what your mama did for my mother. She helped her more that ole' Doc Lund ever did."

Katniss, nods, and follows him into the store. He walks to the counter, and begins to talk to Sae while she wonders the aisles. The food on the shelves makes her mouth water. She doesn't pick anything up until Peeta comes back to her with a basket on his arm. He motions for her to follow him to the canned goods aisle. Without a word, he begins to fill the basket full of cans. Then he goes to the flour, retrieves a bag of it, and then adds some oil. She watches him in disbelief, fighting between the feelings of that he is doing this to be kind, or collecting the food to be cruel to her. She can't help but to think that after his kindness today, that is he is indeed doing this to be mean, she will probably die along with Prim. For the first time since he picked her up out of the mud, she says, "I can pay you back for this. I know, this summer, I can hunt, and share with your family."

She is almost afraid to meet his gaze when he looks at her. She looks up, and sees nothing but kindness there and she sighs in relief. He says with a smile, "That would be fine if that's what you wanted to do. You can hunt?"

She nods a faint smile on her lips. "Daddy was teaching me." she takes a deep breath, her voice cracking with her next words, "I'll be able to provide when it gets warmer."

Peeta says, "I have no doubt that you will."

She follows him back to the front of the store. Sae comes around the counter to give her a hug. "How is your Mama," she asks when she goes back around.

Katniss won't meet her eyes. "She is alright. We are all alright." Katniss watches as Peeta gives her a gold coin to pay for the food. Then he packs into his saddle bags that Katniss didn't even realize that he had.

She follows him out the door and to the horse. It's not raining anymore and she waits as he ties the bags onto his saddle. She isn't sure why she fumbles over the simple, "Thank you."

He turns and grabs her hand pulling her along. "Where are we going now?"

Peeta doesn't answer, but instead pulls her into the bakery. The wonderful smells of the rich loaves reach her nose, making her stomach growl even louder. He leaves her at the door, and in a moment comes back to her. "Now we can go."

She mutely trails after him, and he hands her the bread. Then he helps her back onto the horse with him climbing up behind him. Before he urges the horse forward, he digs out a roll and tears it in half. He offers her one, and she takes it but watches him. He crams the other half into his mouth. She smiles and puts the roll up to her nose. She can't help herself when she eats the rest of it.

He sets the horse in motion, and in no time, they arrive back at her shack. He helps her down, and then climbs down his self, and unties the bags. He starts for the house, and she realizes that he is intending to go in. "I'll get that." she rushes by him. "When I left, Mama and Prim were sleeping."

Peeta stops and looks past her at her door. "Well then I won't go in." He does step onto the porch and gives her the bags. "I'll get those from you another time." and then he shoves the bread into her arms. "And that's for you."

"But this is too much-"

He interrupts, "No it's not. I left you with an account at Sae's. Please, go and get what you need. In fact I know that my father would insist on it."

All she can do is nod as he climbs back onto his horse. She watches him trot down the drive. Once he has disappeared around the bend, she releases a deep breath that she didn't know she was holding. She looks down, and spies a bright flash of yellow reaching up out of the mud.

Katniss smiles, letting the wonderful feeling of hope wash over her. She isn't sure how, but as she picks the dandelion and holds it under her nose, she knows that she and Prim are going to be alright.