Finally, right? Another Two Wrongs one-shot!
The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.
Thanks to Chelzie who had to plow through this and correct my mistakes! She is fabulous.
This one-shot takes place four years after "Two Wrongs". I suggest you read it first on my website or on AO3. The links are on my homepage.
Resolutions
"This is your night, dancing free until the morning light
Together forever 'cause this is your night
And everything is gonna be alright…"
Prim is singing.
And it's not even ten in the morning.
Don't get me wrong. Prim has a gorgeous voice. Hell, she has a gorgeous everything. At this moment, however, she could be Sarah Brightman and it would be like nails on a chalkboard. I'm not quite functional and I get easily irritated at this time.
Installing a speaker system throughout our Mission District apartment was a bad idea. Peeta and I thought it was a great one when we put it in, though.
Sitting up, I look around our bedroom. Prim had wanted to keep it gender neutral, so she kept the look very minimal. Grey patterned curtains hang on the window and a white shag carpet is laid at the foot of the bed. A flat screen television stands on our dresser drawers because she loves to play Mario Kart on the old Super Nintendo that we found at a garage sale in Hayes Valley.
The grey quilt that is on our bed is from Carrie, her sister-in-law. I love how her family is so close.
Prim jokingly refers to it as "the baby-maker," like the quilt in that Sandra Bullock movie.
It was funny until I saw the look on her older brothers' faces when she said it in front of them.
"Cato? Are you up?" Prim walks in and my heart leaps from my throat. It's been happening a lot lately. "You'd better get ready. We have to meet Katniss and Peeta in Savor in about an hour."
Her long hair falls over her shoulders, framing her pretty face. I watch her move gracefully as she opens the curtains to let in the morning light.
When she was fifteen, Prim was all limbs but still as graceful. She was a sweet kid.
I was twenty-six and she was twenty-two when I saw her again. Prim had grown up. It wasn't just that she had gotten taller or that she had gained a curve or two; it was her eyes. She was twenty-two, but her eyes were much older. She had lost her boyfriend about two years before that. As expected, Prim was destroyed by it.
However behind the sad eyes, I saw something else—hope.
I found myself wanting to give her exactly that. I loved her already.
Two weeks.
I keep repeating this mantra. New Year's Eve is in two weeks.
"I'm getting up, sweetie." I stand and stretch. Prim walks over and tickles me my side. "AH!" I grab her waist and pull her back down on top of me so I can give her a quick kiss. The smell of strawberries surrounds me—she somehow manages to always smell like them.
Prim deepens the kiss and I surrender. I have no choice. I mean I can't refuse her—that would be just messed up.
Her cell phone rings and she pulls away to pick it up. "It's Peeta."
It's like he knows what we're doing.
Two weeks.
She hangs up after a minute and then gives me a smile. "They moved up the reservation. We have to be there in thirty minutes."
I groan and stand up. She gives me a strong slap on the rear.
"You're gonna get it," I warn and she gives me a smile as she lays back, her elbows resting on the mattress.
"Well, I'm not going to get it now," Prim replies. "And you better get a move on—or they'll kill us."
"Okay, okay…" I walk into the adjoined bathroom and close the door behind me. Quietly, I open the bottom cabinet. Behind the shaving cream and tampons sits a box of Rogaine. I tell her that I use it as a preventative, to which she nodded seriously before laughing at me.
I take the box out and reach inside to pull out what is actually in there. It's a small velvet box. I just need to make sure that it's still there—the ring. It is white gold with a single round cut diamond. It is small, but beautiful and its shine makes an impression on you.
Just like Prim.
Two weeks.
In two weeks on New Year's Eve, I'm proposing to Prim.
"Holy crap, I'm starving," Katniss says as she looks through the menu. "Took you two long enough to get here."
"Noe Valley is twenty minutes away from our apartment," Prim tells her. "We had to take the bus over here and buses do stop for other passengers."
"Take a cab," Katniss replies from behind her menu.
"Who takes a cab? This is San Francisco, not New York." Prim eyes her sister suspiciously. "What's going on with you?"
"How are you?" Peeta asks me suddenly, trying to detract the two women. "Any trouble students?"
"Two girls came to my class wearing practically nothing at the beginning of the semester," I tell him. "Then I brought out the crime photo slideshow and they dropped the class a week later. I can always spot the failures."
"Or the skanks," my girlfriend says with a grimace.
"Language," Peeta tells her.
"I'm twenty-six! Not fourteen," Prim argues.
"Okay children," Katniss says. "Settle down." She looks over at me. "Do you ever wonder what you got yourself into?"
"Every day of my life." I wink at her and she snorts.
I went out on one disastrous date with Katniss. It was a set-up by my Dad, who is now retired from the Veterans' Hospital. There was no kiss, no heat and she never called back. She was mooning over Peeta the whole time.
I wasn't heartbroken over her not calling back and now she's become one of my best friends. She and Peeta raised Prim to become the woman she is today. I can't thank them enough.
"You ready to order?" The waitress gives us a friendly smile but it grows when she meets my eyes. Her hair is a messy top knot and she's wearing black framed glasses that I'm sure aren't prescription—a hipster for sure.
Prim meets my eyes and winks. She thinks it funny when these girls try to stare me down and she thinks it's even funnier when they do it to Peeta since he practically acts like her Dad.
"I'm going to have Blackstone Benedict and a salad with Italian dressing. Also, some chocolate milk," Katniss says to her.
The rest of us order but before she leaves, Katniss adds a side of chicken wings to come before the actual meal.
"Damn Katniss, that's a lot of food! Are you pregnant or something?" I ask. Katniss doesn't like change, so she always orders the same thing when we're here—a BLT.
Peeta glares at me. "Way to ruin the surprise, Cato." Katniss looks near tears.
"I was just kidding—"
"Wait! You're pregnant?!" Prim says. She literally jumps across the table to hug her sister and Peeta. "I'm going to be an Auntie again!"
The other patrons smile and clap indulgently for my beaming girlfriend. Prim's excitement is infectious.
I stand up to hug Katniss and then go to shake Peeta's hand. "So you've worn her down again."
"I think it was our India's plea for a little brother or sister that wore us down," he tells me with a happy grin.
"That monster." I love that little girl like she's my own. I look over at Katniss and Prim who are now talking quietly to one another. Katniss has her arm around Prim and my girlfriend looks at her adoringly. I move closer to Peeta. "I wondering if I could speak to you and Katniss alone one of these days?"
Peeta studies my eyes for a moment than looks over at Prim. He raises his eyebrows at me and gives me a small smile.
"You know Katniss isn't going to make it easy for you," he tells me.
"I know." I look over at Prim who is talking to Katniss' still flat stomach. The wings have arrived and Katniss is eating them at a rapid pace. "If I get her in the end, then it will be worth it."
Walking up the steps to the Mellark house, I wipe my sweaty palms before ringing the doorbell.
I'm so nervous. Usually, Prim and I are here on the weekends but this time is different. I'm asking her "parents" for permission to propose.
I can hear the scurry of footsteps coming to the door. "Who's there?" The tiny voice belongs to India, or Indy, as I like to call her.
"It's Uncle Cato."
"What's the password?" she asks carefully.
To make sure that Indy never answers the door for strangers, Katniss and Peeta asked her to create passwords for everyone in the family. Everyone in the family, kids and adults, have one. I felt a little thrill the day that she assigned me a password.
"Princess Prim," I say against the door and smirk. Prim's password is "King Cato."
The door opens to reveal Indy wearing a tiara and bright yellow sunglasses. Her tiny frame is overpowered by the four tutus that hang on her waist. Her hair is in a neat French braid—a trademark inherited by her mother.
"Uncle Cato!" She jumps into my arms.
Behind her stands Jessa Hawthorne, Gale and Johanna's daughter. She is much taller than Indy, though they're the same age. They had been told that she was actually going to be a boy. Turns out the sonogram was full of shit and out came ten-pound Jessa.
Jessa has such a strong personality like both of her parents. She acts like a little adult. Johanna once said that even though she turned out to be a girl, she had a lot more balls than a lot of men that she knew.
She is also sporting a tiara and sunglasses. Her dark hair hangs down her shoulders, prettily framing her heart-shaped face.
"How is my girl?" I ask as I put her back down.
"We're having a tea party!" she replies with a grin. "Then we have to do our homework."
"Homework? You're four!" I tell her.
"Will you help us later, Uncle Cato?" Jessa asks, tugging at my hand.
I kiss the top of her head. "Of course, beautiful." I look around and then at Indy. "Where are your Mom and Dad?"
"Mommy is sick because of Taqueria," she tells me in a matter of fact tone.
"She has food poisoning?" That can't be good for the baby.
"No, Taqueria is my little brother's name!" She looks at me like I should understand. She places her hands on her hips. "Mommy and Daddy go there all the time! That's where they are making my little brother, so that's his name."
I smile to myself. I have to tell Prim all about Little Taqueria when she's off-duty.
Prim was working in Stanford when she was offered residency at UCSF, which is here in the city. She accepted right away because she wanted to work in the Mount Zion campus where the Oncology Department is located.
We are hoping that they make her an attending when the time comes.
"What are you telling your Uncle, India?" Katniss asks as she enters. "Hey, Cato. Peeta told me that you would be coming over. He's just finishing up a phone call, but he'll be right in."
"I was telling Uncle Cato about Taqueria!"
She stifles a laugh. "Why don't you two finish up your tea party in India's room?" she suggests. "It's big people time."
"Uncle Cato is going to help us with our homework!" Jessa tells her and then turns to me. "Don't forget!"
"I won't. Now go finish your tea party!"
The two girls rush upstairs in a whirlwind of tutus and giggling. I turn to Katniss. "Taqueria?"
"Peeta was trying to explain where the baby came from and it got kind of confusing…"
"How so? And what does Taquerias have to do with it?"
"India wanted to know why we were always eating food from El Farolito Taqueria in the Mission. We said that it was for the baby. Cravings, you know?" I nod as she continues. "Then she asked if that's where babies came from and Peeta got flustered…it was all downhill from there."
"I see. You know you'll have to explain eventually, right?" I smirk at her.
"I know that! I'm just not ready to explain fertility to a four year old—as smart as she is."
"Hey, Cato!" Peeta walks in, his face bright with happiness.
"Hello 'Father of the Super Burrito'!" His face turns bright red.
"She told you?"
"Yup, I look forward to seeing Baby Taqueria."
"Jerk," he retorts and put his arm around Katniss. Peeta meets my eyes. "So you wanted to talk to us?"
Shit. This is it.
"Well…" I reach into my pocket to take out the velvet ring box. "I wanted to ask for your permission—" Katniss takes the box from me and opens it. "—to propose to Prim."
Peeta, who I suspect knows that I was going to ask, remains silent.
I look at Katniss, who hasn't said anything. She is still staring at the ring. It is the longest few minutes of my life.
Finally, she puts the box on the coffee table and turns to me. Her face is devoid of emotion and I'm just…waiting.
It happens without warning. Her fist rams into my eye. Shit—that hurt!
"What the hell?!" I put my hand on my eyes. "You hit me!"
She snaps out of her stupor and bursts into tears then pulls me to her in a tight hug. In a quick second, she pushes me away and walks out of the room.
Today is not my day.
I look over at Peeta. He looks sheepish. "Hormones. She was even worse when she was pregnant with India."
"So she assaulted you, too?"
"No, but there was a lot of crying, yelling, and sex involved."
"Gross," I reply. "Was that a 'no'?"
"No."
"Was that a yes?"
"No," he tells me and hands me the ring box. "Give her time. She'll contact you when she's ready."
"Peeta." I look at him seriously. "I was going to ask her on New Year's Eve."
"Patience," Peeta says and gives me a smile. "I'd better go check on her. Get some ice on that."
"Yeah, thanks."
"Uncle Cato?" Jessa says as she holds the ice pack on my eye. "Why did Auntie Katniss hit you?"
"Because she has a lot of…feelings," I reply.
I'm sitting in Indy's room with a throbbing eye.
Indy is working on writing out the alphabet at the little round table that we are sitting at. The chair that I sit on is a tight fit, but Jessa feels so sorry for me that she is holding the ice pack.
"Little one," I say as I look at Indy's paper. "Your 'J' is backwards."
"Oh okay," Indy replies and begins erasing. "Mommy cries a lot because of the baby. So it's not your fault, Uncle Cato. One time, she cried because there was no more grape jelly." She sticks her tongue out as she writes. "Daddy says that this will change when Taqueria comes."
I look over at Jessa. "I'm happy that I'm an only child," she says.
"Me, too." I look over at Indy. "Maybe you should think of another name for the baby. Just in case, it doesn't look like a 'Taqueria'."
"Oh okay," she says and puts a pencil to her chin. "Milo."
"Milo?"
"For Milo in the 'Milo and Otis' movie!"
"You're going to name the baby after a dog?" I ask her and grin.
"No!" she protests. "Otis is the dog. Milo is the cat. I like cats."
"How about you?" I turn to Jessa. "What would you name the baby?"
"Otis. I like dogs," Jessa replies simply. She hands the pack to me and I place it back on my eye myself.
"Are you okay?" I look up to see Katniss at the doorway looking very remorseful.
"I'm fine, thanks to my lovely companions."
"When's your last class tomorrow?" she asks me.
I'm still teaching at State. "My last class ends at four."
"Be here at five. Dress nice."
With that, she is gone.
"Mommy's weird," she says with a big smile.
"You have no idea," I reply and press the pack to my bruised eye.
"Come in," Peeta says cryptically as he lets me into the house.
"What's going on?" I ask as I adjust my tie.
Prim likes my grey suit the best so I wore it today. She told me that I looked even cuter with black eye. I told her that I was pretend sparring with one of my students and it just went awry, which was why I had the injured eye. She understood, as they are a regular thing that I do in my class sometimes to wake students up after any boring lecture that I have to give.
As I walk in, I look into the living room to find the Mellarks waiting for me. All of the Mellarks.
Mr. Mellark, Prim's Dad, sits on the lone chair. On the couch is Wheaton, the oldest of the brothers, and his wife, Carrie. While Carrie is actually much more petite than Prim and Katniss, the way she carries herself gives you the impression that she is not one to be messed with.
Next to her are Rye, the middle brother, and his partner, Marvel. Usually Rye will offer me a smile, but today his face bears no expression. Finally, on the loveseat is Katniss, who is staring at me—actually, she is staring at my black eye.
"Oh, shit! Your eye…" She looks upset and I brace myself-hormones can be scary. "I'm so sorry."
"You have one hell of a right hook, Katniss," I reply and give her a smile.
"Have a seat, Cato," Mr. Mellark tells me and nods towards a lone seat in front of everyone.
Slowly, I sit in the seat and after a moment, Peeta joins Katniss on the loveseat. Everyone remains quiet and I notice that they are all dressed very nicely. All of the men in suits, while Katniss and Carrie wear black dresses.
I used to work as a coordinator in a law office on Montgomery Street. I remember something similar to this—business wear and the blank stares of lawyers as the lone representative for the opposing client explained his side.
I realize that I was going to have to present myself to the entire Mellark family.
"So, Cato," Mr. Mellark starts. "You want to marry Prim?"
"Yes, sir."
He looks over to Wheaton.
"Here's the deal. We need to make sure that you're the right one for her," Wheaton explains. "We know that you've been together for a while now and that will be taken into account, but there are other factors that we need to look into."
"We need to make sure that you don't screw her over." Rye takes over. "So you're going to talk to each of us couples and Dad. After that, we will vote and if you get enough votes, then you can propose to Prim."
"There is one more thing, Cato," Carrie says. "Each person's vote has a value. Katniss' value, for example, is 5 because her vote is the most valued. Peeta and Dad also have 5's. Wheaton and I will have 3's, while Marvel and Rye have 1's. If you score at least a 20, then you can propose to Prim."
"Basically… convince us," Marvel says cheekily.
"Who will count the votes?" I ask curiously.
"I will." I turn to find Rhea, Carrie and Wheaton's daughter behind us. She gives me a friendly smile and I try to smile back though my fear weighs my mouth down. "To keep it fair—and because I hope that Dad and my Uncles don't do this to any boys that I date."
"Don't worry, beautiful," Wheaton tells his daughter. "We start out small—like telling them that we'll throw them into the bakery oven."
She smiles benignly at him. For a twelve year old, Rhea has poise.
"Let's get started, shall we?" Katniss says.
"So Cato, Prim is eventually going to be a doctor," Rye says as he looks at his list on the clipboard in front of him. "Would you move for her should she get a job somewhere else?"
"Of course, but I think Prim would try her hardest to find a job here to be closer to all of you."
"That's really sweet," Marvel says and Rye looks over at him with raised eyebrows.
"Sweetie, I think we're supposed to be keeping it neutral," Rye tells his partner through his teeth.
"Of course, darling." Marvel does roll his eyes, though.
"Would you make her move if you got a job somewhere else?"
"I don't plan on moving anywhere else, no matter what," I say to them. "I love my job and I can move up if I needed to, but I'm content."
"Okay." He checks something off his list. "Next subject, where do you plan on living after you get married?"
"In the flat we live in now, it's near Mitchell's Ice Cream." Prim's favorite Ice Cream parlour—she loves Rocky Road in a plain cone.
"What about children?" Marvel suddenly says. "You can't fit children in your shoebox apartment!"
"Well, I'm assuming that children won't happen right away. Prim needs to finish her training. When she's ready for children, then I am." Their eyes meet again. These damn telepathic couples. "Seriously, these are your questions?"
"Okay, let's get to the good stuff," Rye says with a wicked grin. "Sex."
"Are you joking?"
"No. A healthy sex life is important for a healthy marriage—believe us." He winks at Marvel. "Have you had problems…" He points his pen at my crotch area. "…down there?"
"Kill me now."
"We're going to ask you about marital problems," Carrie says, after she and Wheaton are seated in front of me. "We know that every couple has problems but when they are not brought to the surface, they can affect the relationship."
"Do you and Prim fight?" Wheaton asks me. He looks genuinely concerned. I realize that after all this time being apart from Carrie, especially when she was pregnant, was very difficult on him.
"Not often, but when we do we go at it." I don't mention the make-up sex. I don't want to be murdered before I can even propose.
"What do you usually fight about it?" Carrie is asking a question this time.
"Usually long work hours," I say honestly. "We don't get a lot of time together."
"That could be a problem," she remarks.
"It can be, but when we do spend time together, it's even better." I think of lazy Sunday mornings with Prim—waking up nuzzling her hair and her laugh when I flick her nose. "It's special, really. I realize that she has big dreams and aspirations. I want her to have all of them; time with me is not as important as making her achieve what she wants."
"Well…shit." Wheaton is grinning at me.
"Honey, we are supposed to keep neutral," Carrie warns. "What are your pet peeves with Prim? Be honest."
"She gets jealous sometimes, a bit too jealous. She also leaves her socks everywhere and her hair always clogs the drain—"
"Okay, and what do you think are her pet peeves?"
"I guess I overanalyze everything. I move around in my sleep a lot, according to her. I never replace the coffee filter too?"
"Do you understand that marriage is a big change? She isn't just your girlfriend anymore. She is your partner in all things, including major decisions," Wheaton informs me. "If you can't trust her for any reason, then it won't work."
"I know—"
"Trust me, you don't." He looks into my eyes. "I let every other woman in my life before Carrie dictate our marriage." Carrie places her hand over his. "And I almost ruined it. I don't want any of that for Prim."
"I would never do anything like that to Prim. I'm not perfect and she's not, either. Together, however, I think we're pretty damn close to it. I'm willing to work on every imperfection, but I'll love her even if we remain happily imperfect."
They both stare at me and in the silence of the room, I can hear the MUNI bus across the street.
Then I see a wisp of a tear in Carrie's eyes. Wheaton spots it, too.
"Don't you dare, Carrie…we agreed! Stay strong, baby!"
"Shut up, Wheaton! I'm not made of stone like you!" She reaches into his suit pocket to take out a handkerchief.
"You got upset at me for not staying neutral!"
This argument ended with a kiss so graphic that I actually had to leave and wash out my eyes in the bathroom.
When I return from the bathroom, I find Mr. Mellark waiting for me. He is staring out the large window of the living room. I like Mr. Mellark. He's always been nice and he adores Prim. She is the exact same way.
My steps break his train of thought and he turns to me. Giving me a smile, he gestures to the seat adjacent to his.
"Have a seat."
I sit down and rest my elbows on my knees. My hands are intertwined in front of me.
"Where did the happy couple go?" I ask.
He laughs. "They went to go finish their argument in the kitchen. It's a wonder those two only have Rhea and Leo." Then he looks over at me. "This is the first time that I've had to do this. Katniss and Carrie married into the family. Prim will potentially be bringing someone into the family."
"I know you love Prim as if she was your own. Prim feels the same way. She tells me that she barely remembers her father sometimes, but it never mattered because she had you. Prim does feel guilty for not knowing him, but never for loving you."
Mr. Mellark smiles to himself. "I love her like she's my own daughter and so did my wife," he says. "I find that it's different-dealing with girls. All of my girls are strong inwardly but when they hurt, they hurt badly. Prim is the most sensitive and has the most empathy. It's also so different from any of the boys because I'm finding it much harder to let her go. Maybe because she reminds me of Rhiannon so much."
"Really? I never met your wife, but Peeta talks about her a lot. Prim and Katniss, too. She sounded wonderful."
"She was, but she could obstinate when she wanted to be. Her personality reminds me of Katniss. They both had these shells in front of them because the world had been cruel to them. Prim actually looks a lot like my wife; they had the same shade of blue in their eyes. Lately, however, I'm beginning to see that protective, caring nature that my wife had in her."
"I think Prim would be happy to hear that," I tell him quietly.
Silence fills the room.
Mr. Mellark eyes are downcast and contemplative. "I want you to take care of her. Fight only the necessary battles and when she pushes you away—hold her even tighter. When she cries, rub her back and give her tea, but never try to give her advice. Never tell her that it will be okay, just be there when it's not. That's the kind of husband she needs."
I nod and Mr. Mellark stands to leave. "You don't have any questions for me?" I ask him.
"No," he replies and pats my shoulder. "Whether or not you get all the votes, I don't think that will stop you from asking. Prim knows what she wants and her answer is the only one that matters."
Katniss and Peeta sit in front of me. It is late into the evening. I've texted Prim and told her that a department meeting that is running late. She lets me know that she'll see me at home.
I look at the two people in front of me and I know I should worry. They're her parents.
But I'm not. Because behind their eyes, I see their fears.
"So I guess I should start," Peeta begins. "How long have you been considering this proposal?"
"Um…I guess maybe since Indy's birthday," I say. "I just saw her with all the kids and I thought it would be nice to see her with our children. I never really wanted children and I never thought about marriage, but with Prim—it's something I want."
"Are you willing to wait until later for children?" he asks. "She still has a lot of hours before even qualifying as an attending."
"Of course, anything for her."
Katniss remains silent and my mind goes back to the last time she was this quiet.
I got punched in the eye.
We suddenly go quiet but unlike the time with Mr. Mellark, it is uncomfortable.
"Cato, I know you love her," Katniss says suddenly. "But are you in love with her?"
I take her hand and I'm on my knees before her.
"If there's anything to doubt, that is the last thing you should even think about," I tell her. "Because I am so in love with her. She drives me fucking crazy sometimes, but I only fall for her more. I'm in love with her because she's taught me that love isn't a bad thing. There are kinds of love that don't hurt you." I think of my own family. They are the polar opposites of the Mellarks. "And I love you and Peeta—because you showed her what being in love means."
They looked at one another, communicating silently. Then they both turn to me.
"You can go into the kitchen now. Let everyone know that we're ready."
Standing up, I nod and turn to leave the room.
"Cato!" I twist around and Katniss' lips melt into a smile. "Thank you for telling us that."
"Leo, eat your sandwich," I say.
The little boy looks up at me. "Why are you so nervous?" He takes a bite of his sandwich.
"Uncle Cato is going to porpoise to Auntie Prim," Indy tells him as she colors in her Disney Princess coloring book. The PB&J sandwich that I made her sits on its plate.
"What's porpoise?" Leo asks with a full mouth. I wipe his mouth and then hand him a glass of milk.
"It is 'propose,' not 'porpoise.' Eat your sandwich, Indy."
"What does that mean?" The little boy looks at me, his eyes serious like his father's.
"It means that I am going to ask her to be my wife," I inform him.
"What does that mean?"
"It means that she'll live with me and we'll always be together."
"But don't you already do that?" Indy asks as she puts her crayon down. She takes a bite out of her sandwich and looks at me.
"I guess so."
"Then why does she need to be your wife?" she responds.
"I guess so we can have babies?" I feel my face heat up.
"Okay! Name your babies, 'Jellybean' and 'Henry'," Indy urges, her face smeared with jelly.
I wipe her face. "Deal."
"Uncle Cato, where do babies come from?" Leo asks.
"That's a question for your Dad."
The sound of people heading toward the kitchen catches my attention. Rhea walks in first and she beams at me. The Mellarks fill the kitchen, but fall silent when they see me.
"So, how many points did I get?" I ask eagerly.
Rhea answers and grins. "All of them." She throws her arms around me. "Congratulations!"
"So none of you voted against me?" I ask.
"No, we weren't planning to," Carrie says.
"Then why did you put me through that?!" I practically yell.
Rye hands me a glass of champagne. "We just wanted to fuck with you."
"Language, Rye!" Marvel tells him. He and Sonny, their daughter, have just walked in.
"Daddy said a bad word," Sonny says.
"I know, kiddo. He'll have to put a dollar in the swear jar," Marvel tells her.
Mr. Mellark puts an arm around me. "It's our way of welcoming you into the family."
"A very cruel initiation in which you passed with flying colors," Katniss says and kisses me on the cheek. "So New Year's Eve? In front of all of us?"
I give her a smile and nod. "New Year's Eve."
Two Weeks Later
"Do you have any resolutions for New Year's?" Prim asks me as we lay on our couch. She is exhausted from a long shift. Her long hair is spread out against my chest and her ear is pressed to my ribcage.
"Get you to rest more," I say to her.
"No, really." She looks up and rests her chin against my chest. "Mine is to spend more time with you and my family. Learn how to prioritize my time."
"My resolution is—to be a little braver."
"Braver?" She gives me a kiss. "What would you need to be a little braver for?"
"There are some situations where you need that extra shot." I kiss her nose. "I love you. You know that, right?"
Her eyes shine. "I know and I'm thankful for that every day." She intertwines our fingers.
Her phone buzzes on the coffee table with a distinctive three note whistle and she groans before looking at the screen.
Her face falls into a frown and sits up. "Oh no…"
"What's wrong?"
"One of my patients is crashing," she tells me softly. "I said I would be there with her family—I would explain it to the grandkids because I know how it feels to lose someone to cancer."
Prim's eyes are blank and I sit up to put my arm around her. I know she is thinking of her own mother. It had been a hard time for the Mellarks.
"Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?" I ask her and she shakes her head. Her body is stiff and I know that she is in pain, but she wants to keep herself in Doctor mode.
"I need that drive time to think of things to say because right now, I can't," she tells me. "I feel like I'm back in that hospice again and I'm watching Mom go and I'm seeing Katniss lose a baby…"
I kiss her forehead. "Go. Be careful driving and call me when you can."
She hugs me and gives me a firm kiss. "I love you. I will try to get to Katniss' if I can but I'm not sure how long it will take before she—"
"—It's alright," I say. "They need you. We can celebrate tomorrow."
She nods and grabs her keys. After Prim throws her coat, I walk her to the door. She looks up at me again, her blue eyes sad and I squeeze her hand.
"Happy New Year, Cato," she says suddenly.
I nod and close the door after Prim gives me a final nod.
Slowly, I make my way back to the couch and pull the box out of my pocket. It won't be happening tonight. Prim won't make it in time. I'm disappointed, but I understand.
I know my girl. She will be there till the end and even after it.
That's why I love her. Prim has the biggest heart.
I put the ring back into my pocket so I can get ready to go to Katniss and Peeta's house.
"Cheer up, Cato," Johanna tells me as we sit on the couch. Ryan Seacrest is on the flat screen, telling everyone that we are only 30 minutes away from the New Year. The family is gathered in the living room sipping on their champagne. All of them except for Rhea and Katniss, who both have sparkling apple cider.
I'm sitting here trying not to be depressed.
Prim called to let me know that she has arrived safely and the family was a wreck. I understood, but there was the tiniest part of me that wanted me to ask her to come home.
"I know, I know…" I reply.
"Are you sad because you have no one to kiss at midnight?" Rye asks. "I'll remedy that." He reaches into his pocket and takes out his chapstick. Marvel, who is standing against the archway, raises his eyebrows. "Or not."
"I do have someone to kiss. Unfortunately, they have passed out." I nod my head over to Jessa and Indy who are passed out on the loveseat with their 'Happy New Year' headbands on their heads. Indy actually has a noisemaker hanging from her mouth.
Katniss sits next to me and pats my back. "I'm sorry you couldn't propose. I know you really wanted to start the year with Prim as your fiancée."
"It is what it is," I tell her. "There's always tomorrow."
"Wait!" Mr. Mellark says to me. "Who says it has to be tomorrow?"
Everyone looks at him. "What do you mean, Dad?" Peeta asks as he sits next to Katniss.
"It takes twenty minutes to get to UCSF from here," Mr. Mellark says. "We'll take my truck and get you there in ten minutes."
"You're going to be there?!" Katniss jumps up. "I should be there, too. I'm her sister. Get the car, Peeta, we're going, too!"
"She's our sister so we're coming too!" Wheaton adds and Carrie nods in agreement.
As they all argue among themselves, I feel someone tap my shoulder. It's Rhea.
She places my keys which I had leave at the front entrance in my hand and mouths 'GO!'
I kiss her cheek and wish her 'Happy New Year' before walking quickly out of the room.
"Hey honey," Prim says as I talk to her. She sounds exhausted. "The family I was with finally went home. What a way to start the New Year. Are you home?"
"Nope," I reply.
"I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for New Year's," she replies.
"It's okay." I watch her approaching the automatic doors of the hospital exit. She's in the same outfit that she left in, but her hair is up in a messy bun. She is rummaging through her purse—probably for her keys. "Look up."
Her lips break into a grin when she sees me. Walking out the doors, she stops in front of me.
"What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't go home without you."
Prim takes my hand and we walk to the visitor's parking lot where my car is. We walk silently, weaving our way around the cars. I can feel my heart beating so hard that I'm surprised that it hasn't burst out of my chest and landed in front of me.
"You're so quiet," she remarks. "Are you mad at me?"
I turn to her. "Mad at you? For what? Doing your job?"
"I had a resolution," Prim says and sighs. "To prioritize my time and to spend more time with you and my family."
"There is time for that," I reason with her. The ring is burning a hole in my pocket. I stop when we reach the car and turn to her. "Remember my resolution?"
She grins. "Of course. To be a little braver."
I take a deep breath. "I'm going to need you to help me with that."
"What do you mean?" she asks, her eyes following every movement I make.
I knew the moment I wanted to marry her. Now in this freezing parking lot with ambulance sirens in the background, I knew this was the moment that I was going to ask her to marry me.
"I've loved you since I've known you—"
"I was a kid when you first met me." She raises her eyebrows and grins. "That's kind of weird."
"That's not what I meant! I was very intrigued by you," I continue, annoyed at her amusement. I'm already fucking this up. "You were smarter than me even then and you knew what you wanted. I've never known anyone who was so sure of themselves. It was intimidating, to say the least."
"Intimidating?"
"Yes, intimidating. Then four years ago, I met you again and you had grown up. So had I." I take her hand and kiss the tips of her fingers. "And I swear, I was yours from the moment I flicked your nose."
"Cato…what is this?"
I slowly go on one knee. "This is me trying to work on my resolution—to be a little braver." I reach into my pocket and pull out the ring box for her to take. "Marry me?"
She reaches for the box and opens it. "Holy shit!"
I look up at her and in spite of the situation, I laugh. "Is that all you have to say?"
She falls to her knees so that we're eye to eye. "What do you want me to say?"
"Yes." I brush my lips against hers. "Say yes, Primrose." I only call her by her full name when I really want something and she knows that. I kiss the side of her mouth. "Say yes." The last yes is whispered into her ear and I can feel her fall against me.
"Then yes," she whispers. "Of course, it is a yes." I pull her to me and stand us up. Prim is holding me tightly and I can feel the wetness of her tears against my cheek. "Thank you for making one of the worst nights of my life into the best."
"Thank God!" A voice interrupts. "I thought we were going to freeze to death waiting!"
The loud blare of noisemakers rings through the night air as Katniss and Peeta along with the rest of the Mellarks jump out of their hiding places. They had arrived a few minutes after I did and begged me to stay. Johanna and Gale stayed with the kids.
"We're engaged!" Prim holds out her left hand, which now sports the engagement ring on her finger.
"We know! We've got it recorded on all of our phones!" Peeta says after he kisses her cheek.
"I'm uploading it on YouTube now," Rye tells us.
"Don't you dare!" Prim yells but reaches over and hugs him anyway.
Katniss approaches me, a smile on her face. It's both happy and sad.
"Think of it this way, you're not losing a sister. You're just gaining…me." I kiss her cheek. "Are you sad?"
"No, it's just that I still have a hard time not seeing her as fourteen year old." She looks over at Prim who is showing Carrie her ring. She looks over and flashes me a smile. "But she looks so fucking happy and that's all your doing."
"Come on, everyone! It's time to have our New Year's toast!" Mr. Mellark calls out, his arm around Prim. "My daughter has just asked me to walk her down the aisle!" He kisses the side of her head.
Carrie hands me a plastic flute. "It's apple cider so Katniss can drink, too. Congratulations." She hugs me and joins her husband.
"I hope you and Katniss don't mind," Prim says to her brother and sister.
"Of course not, sweetheart," Katniss replies, her eyes wet. Prim goes to her. "I'm just full of hormones."
"Oh, Katniss." Prim hugs her. "You will be my matron of honor, right?" Katniss nods and then begins to cry again. "I can't wait for your speech."
"And you'll be my best man," I tell Peeta. "I promise that I won't get us kicked out of any clubs like last time."
Peeta nods with a happy smile. "Of course."
"Okay everyone! I'm freezing my balls off, so let's toast!" Wheaton says. "To our beautiful sister, Prim and her fiancé, Cato!"
"To the New Year," Mr. Mellark adds.
"To the future," Peeta says.
"To family." Katniss smiles and looks down at her small bump.
"To planning a wedding." Carrie looks over at Prim. "You won't regret having me as your coordinator."
"To marriage." Marvel puts an arm around Rye, and looks at me. "Welcome to the circus."
"To Cato finally putting a ring on it!" Rye winks at me. "We haven't chased him away, so he must be a keeper."
Prim walks over and wraps an arm around my waist. She looks up at me, her eyes sparkling brightly like the ring on her finger.
"To resolutions," she says.
I kiss her softly. "To you."
We toast.
So this is a one-shot of gigantic proportions - but as everyone might remember, chapters from Two Wrongs were usually this long.
Some notes as usual:
Prim and Cato's apartment is in the Mission District around 16th Avenue, which is where a lot of the delicious taquerias are located. Also, there is some awesome vintage shopping, like Clothes Contact and Thrift Town, around there.
Savor is a restaurant in Noe Valley which has a delicious brunch menu. They also have an adorable porch area. There is some great shopping around the area, too. It's a very family oriented neighborhood.
El Farolito is a Taqueria in the Mission which I go to—a lot. The best part is that they're open really late so if you're hungry in the middle of the night, it is one place you can go to.
Prim is now working at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) which is actually a teaching hospital. The Mount Zion Campus is where the Cancer Center is located. I actually worked there for a bit as an admin. Cato is still teaching at San Francisco State University.
As you can probably guess, Katniss is having a little blond boy as written in "Mockingjay".
"The Adventures of Milo and Otis" was a favorite movie of mine as a child. It's a really cute movie about a friendship between Milo, the cat and Otis, the dog. Dudley Moore narrates it.
Jessa is Gale and Johanna's only child. She is named after my dear supermodel twin.
Song: "This is Your Night"- Amber
Thanks for getting to the end of this. I hope you enjoyed it. It's always nice to revisit my favorite family.
-JLaLa