A/N: It's good to be back on Mondays! I've missed posting these last few weeks. This latest adventure will have a bit of a murder mystery vibe alongside all the usual Everlark fluff/angst. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or any of its characters.

Chapter 1

"Would the jury please announce their verdict to the courtroom," Judge Lyme states.

The lead juror stands up and I hold my breath. Eight months of hard work comes down to this. My client jiggles her foot up and down from beside me and throws a nervous glance to the man sitting on the other side of the courtroom. The juror finds the judge's stare and speaks confidently when he opens his mouth.

"Guilty," the juror states.

The defendant slumps his head into his hands and begins uttering a string of curse words. But my colleague, Thom, whoops and turns to hug our stunned looking client. She doesn't respond for a moment but I flash her a smile and she soon comes to her senses and lets herself smile also. Once again I've helped justice succeed.

"Owen Cray, you have been found guilty of rape and will return to your cell while you wait for sentencing. Court dismissed," Judge Lyme says.

The tall and fierce looking judge gets up to leave. Just before she exits the door, she catches my eye and flashes me a smile. My grin grows wider.

Cray gets carted out in handcuffs, cursing and proclaiming his innocence. He calls my client the worst names imaginable. I hate it when they kick up a fuss. It's better to go quietly than lose the last remains of their dignity.

But I don't focus on the old creep for long. Bonnie, the client, turns to wrap her arms around me.

"Thank you for all your help, Katniss. He wouldn't be in jail if it wasn't for you," she says.

"You were the one brave enough to speak up. He can't hurt anyone else because of you," I reply with a smile.

"Maybe now I'll be able to get on with my life," she says.

I give her arm a reassuring squeeze and Bonnie gives me a forced smile. The worst part of this job is seeing the effects on the victims. Bonnie was only eighteen when she started working at the textile factory Owen Cray owned. With her blonde hair and long lashes she was an instant target for the seedy owner. He cornered her in a store cupboard a few months later and forced himself on her. After she came forward a dozen other girls also stepped up to testify. It has just been proved that Cray took advantage of young girls for the last fifteen years.

When we first met Bonnie at the district attorney's office she was afraid of any kind of human touch. The fact she allowed both Thom and I to hug her shows how far she's come already. But there will be demons she will battle for the rest of her life. I worked my hardest these last few months to make sure at least one of those demons is behind bars.

Bonnie thanks both Thom and I one more time before heading into the crowd and being enveloped by her family. Her mother's tears stream down her face.

Thom turns to me with a triumphant smile and raises his hand for a high five.

"Another one safely behind bars. It is days like this that make me feel like a superhero," he declares.

I laugh as I gather up our papers and shove them in a bag. Thom joined the district attorney's office four years before I did. For the last five years we have often worked on prosecution cases together and are more successful than we are not. His laidback attitude is the perfect complement to my often obsessive eye for detail.

We finish packing up our things and walk out the courtroom so we can head back to the office. Thom pops a bit of chewing gum in his mouth and offers me some, but I decline.

"Thank God it's Friday. We can celebrate this win in style," he says.

"By celebrating, you mean spending the whole weekend in bed with Delly," I say with a sly smile.

Thom flashes me a boyish grin as he shrugs his shoulders.

"What can I say? The girl is talented. You wouldn't want to leave a bed with her in it either," he replies.

"She's not really my type but you enjoy your weekend," I say.

Delly is the voluptuous blonde who answers the phones in the office. All the playful flirting worked and Thom has been head over heels in love with her for the last six months. Thom sometimes forgets I am a girl though and often chats to me like we're in a male locker room. He flashes me another smile as we walk out the building. I pull my coat round me tighter as we are met by the brisk winter air.

"I certainly will. Thinking of heading up to her parents' log cabin this weekend. There's nothing better than sex in front of the fireplace. How about you? You got anyone to celebrate with this weekend?" he asks.

"Just Prim," I reply.

Thom sighs as he rubs his hands together to keep warm.

"When was the last time you got any? You never share any dirty secrets at work," Thom whines.

"I had sex last month but, unlike you, I don't feel the need to broadcast it to the whole office. I do casual relationships and don't see the point about telling you about a guy I'm not going to see after a couple of months," I reply.

"Fair enough. But let me know if you ever want a date. Delly is dying to set you up," Thom says.

I sigh and shake my head him. He smiles at me before we reach his car and duck inside.

We get pats on the backs at the office and lots of congratulations for putting Cray away. Thom immediately finds Delly and the two of them sneak off to find some private corner to celebrate in. I go through to my office and begin unpacking the papers in my bag. I am already thinking about my next case, a bar assault, when there is a knock on the door. I look up to find Alma Coin standing in my doorway.

"Can I come in?" she asks.

Alma has been head of Panem's DA office for the last thirteen years. She's in her mid-fifties now and wears her hair in a sharp grey bob. She took me under her wing when I first came here, straight out of law school, and taught me the majority of what I now know. She has a formidable reputation. Absolutely ruthless in the courtroom and more convictions than anyone in the office.

"Of course," I say, shuffling some papers on my desk. "Do you want a seat?"

Coin smiles at me and shakes her head. She steps into the room and closes the door behind her.

"I just wanted to say congratulations on your successful conviction. I witnessed your closing statement yesterday and was very impressed. It was very passionate and I am in no doubt it helped get the guilty verdict," she says.

"Thank you. That means a lot coming from you. I've often looked to you for inspiration," I say.

"You are very flattering. You have come along way since we hired you. You are only thirty years old but I rate you as one of the best DAs in the office," Coin replies.

"I wouldn't say that," I say.

"Don't be modest. Modesty will get you nowhere. I can see you are ambitious. You remind me a lot of myself when I was your age," she says.

"I want to be the best. I don't like losing," I reply.

Coin smiles and nods her head. She takes a few steps forward and picks up the picture of Prim and I on my desk. She looks at it for a moment before looking back at me.

"I like what I'm seeing, Katniss. The next big case I get, I'd like you to work with me," she says.

I fight hard to not show too much excitement. But my heart jumps for joy and I let a smile cross my face.

"It would be an honour," I reply.

Coin smiles at me again and puts the picture back on my desk.

"I look forward to it. Enjoy your weekend," she says.

I nod my head and Coin then sweeps out my office. The door barely closes before I grab my phone and call Prim.

I push into the apartment I share with my sister carrying bags of Chinese food. I dump everything on the kitchen table and begin unpacking cardboard cartoons of food.

"Prim! I got dinner!" I call.

I hear shuffling and bumping in her bedroom and moments later she appears in the kitchen with her boyfriend, Thresh, following closely behind. They are complete opposites to look out. Prim's blonde hair and blue eyes are a complete contrast to Thresh's dark skin and hair. His bulking frame almost dwarfs Prim's petite one and yet the two of them always look perfect together.

Prim smiles brightly when she sees me and comes over to help me dish up the Chinese.

"Yum. Thank God you got some food. I got a little distracted this afternoon and forgot to get groceries," she says.

"So I see," I reply, reaching out to flick the buttons on her shirt. "Your buttons are done up wrong, Prim."

Prim looks down and blushes when she sees her buttons mismatched. Her hands move quickly to fix the mistake and Thresh and I both laugh.

"Don't worry, babe. Katniss has seen a lot worse," Thresh says.

Prim grows an even deeper shade of crimson and I try to forget about the time I walked in on her and Thresh going at it on the kitchen table. There are some things you don't need to see your baby sister doing.

Prim finishes fixing her blouse and takes the seat next to Thresh. He laughs again but pulls her chair closer to him so he can place a kiss on her temple.

"Just think," he says. "You'll be able to tease Katniss just as much when she gets a boyfriend."

Prim snorts and shakes her head.

"That's not happening anytime soon," she says. There is a short pause as I take out all the plates for dinner. "Can we please change the subject? We are supposed to be celebrating Katniss' conviction."

Thresh and I share a grin but both of us love Prim and do as she asks.

"It's the biggest case I've had so far. And that bastard deserved everything he got. I'm just mad that it took fifteen years for someone to be brave enough to speak up. Hearing all those girls' stories was not easy," I reply.

Prim nods her head as she begins piling her plate with rice.

"We had a rape victim on the maternity ward at the hospital a couple of months ago. I thought it was amazing how resilient she had been to love her baby so much," Prim replies.

I nod my head in agreement and Thresh finishes chewing on his bit of meat.

"Well, this is cheery Friday night conversation. I'm glad I came over," Thresh says.

Prim and I both laugh.

"Sorry. I know it's the weekend. I'll try not to bring work into it," I say. "What did you do on your day off, Prim? I mean before Thresh came round."

Prim flicks a bit of rice at me and he tries to bite back a laugh.

"I went to spin class this morning and met Rue for lunch," she replies. "Oh, and then I met the new guy that's moved upstairs."

"Let me guess," I say. "You invited him in for coffee."

Prim is a much bigger people person than I am. It's one of the reasons she gets on so well at the hospital. She can chat to anyone about anything and immediately puts them at ease. I would prefer to have nothing to do with our neighbours but Prim sees things differently.

"He had tea, actually. He didn't have any tea bags so I gave him some," she replies.

"And I bet you know his whole life story now," Thresh teases.

Prim sighs and shakes her head at her boyfriend.

"I don't think there is anything wrong with being friendly," Prim says. "And he seems really nice. He's an architect who's renting the place upstairs while he builds his new house. Not bad on the eye either. All blond and blue eyed. Just your type, Katniss."

"Sounds more like Thresh's type," I say, tipping my head at her boyfriend. Thresh raises his eyebrows at me. "And I don't have a type. And if I did it certainly wouldn't be blond. Gale was my longest relationship and he has dark hair," I point out.

Prim rolls her eyes.

"Oh come on, Katniss. Apart from Gale every other guy you've lusted over has been blond. Remember Cato? David Gloss? I'm telling you this new guy is your type. If I was into white chocolate even I might ask him out," she replies.

"I don't have anything to worry about here, do I?" Thresh asks.

Prim turns to him and gives him a smile. She reaches across to brush her hand against his cheek and leans in closer to him.

"Nothing to worry about, babe. I've got everything I could ever want," she replies.

Thresh smiles before my sister leans in to place a lingering kiss on his lips. Thresh then tugs Prim towards him so that she ends up in his lap as they continue to kiss leisurely.

I sigh as I shake my head.

"You guys have been dating for almost a year. Isn't the honeymoon phase supposed to be over?" I say.

Prim releases her lips from Thresh's with a pop and turns to me with a smile.

"When you find the one, you'll understand," she replies.

I shake my head again before shovelling an eggroll in my mouth. When did my baby sister start being old enough to give me relationship advice?

I rise early the next day to go for a run in the park. I pass a groggy Prim in the kitchen as she prepares for her twelve-hour shift at the hospital. We stayed up late last night, drinking wine and playing stupid card games, and she's feeling the effects as a result. I on the other hand feel quite fresh and hate wasting hours in bed. There will be hardly anyone about at this time in the morning and I enjoy the peace and serenity of the run.

There is a slight frost glistening on the ground but not enough to halt my run for the day. I pull on my thermal sportswear and plug in my headphones before setting a brisk pace along the dark streets.

It doesn't take long for me to the reach the large park near our apartment and the sun is just beginning to rise when I enter. I stick to my familiar route as I begin to jog round and pass only the occasional early morning runner or dog walker. The deep bass of the song pounding in my ears motivates me to keep going even as the cold nips and bites at my ears. It doesn't take long for my brain to empty of all thoughts and for my body to set into a steady rhythm.

I turn the corner to begin the slight incline of the hill and some other runner cuts in front of me and begins powering up the hill. He wears all the latest high tech running gear, including a pair of tight fitting running leggings, something I hate seeing men wear. I've encountered this type of runner before. Normally a privately educated yuppie that runs in marathons for the status. Pretentious idiots most of them.

I'm a little annoyed and see this runner as a challenge. I put my head down and pump my legs faster to try and keep him in sight. He slows slightly when he gets to the top but not slow enough for me to catch up with him. By the time I've reached the top he is about fifteen paces in front of me. Much to my annoyance he seems to be running the same route as me. I run to find some peace. I don't like this guy for intruding in my space.

I fix my eyes on his broad back and hope that the burn of my stare will force him to go off in another direction. However, after five minutes staring at his back I realise this is a mistake. His shoulders are broad and I see every muscle moving through his tight fitting thermals. I catch up with him enough to see the beads of sweat gathering at the base of his neck. They dampen the blond curls that stick out from underneath his hat and warmth begins to spread in my chest and moves down to other more intimate places. I get a strong desire to catch up with him and lick the bead of sweat right off his neck. I've never been so attracted to the back of a person. In a matter of moments my cheeks become red and it's not from the exertion of the run.

I think about changing direction before I combust from this guy's close proximity but just as I am about to change course he picks a path going in the opposite direction to the one I take. I glance briefly in his direction as he begins jogging back down the hill. My heart rate stops racing so rapidly as I let out a sigh of relief. Running so close to him was getting uncomfortable.

I turn up the music in my ears to try and block out thoughts of the well-toned man. I begin thinking of everything, from favourite sandwiches to the number of different dog breeds I can name to try and forget about him and the effect he had on me. By the time I approach my apartment building he is almost forgotten.

I pant heavily as I push open the door to the building and brush a sweaty hair off my face. I reach for my water bottle but freeze when I see who's standing in the lobby. It's the blond guy from the park earlier.

He tips the contents of his own water bottle down his throat and then wipes the sweat off his forehead with the back of his arm. He catches me staring at him and gives me a wide smile.

Damn. If I thought the back of him was attractive, the front is even more so. He has a strong jaw with just the hint of stubble gracing his chin. There are dimples when he smiles and his eyes are the brightest blue I have ever seen.

"Hey, I'm Peeta. I just moved in upstairs. You were the girl following me in the park," he says.

I'm pulled to my senses and scowl at him.

"I run that route every day. You were the one following me," I reply.

Peeta chuckles and the sound tickles my skin.

"I suppose I was. But it definitely motivated me haing a pretty girl chasing me," he says.

He smiles at me and I catch his eyes lingering on my body in the tight fitting thermals. He sticks his tongue out and licks his lips as he pulls his eyes back up to my face. I flash of heat courses through my body and I know this game well. As everyone reminds me, I don't do relationships, but I know when a man is interested in me. And I know exactly how to play them.

I take a deep breath, noting Peeta's eyes on my chest as I do so. I move past him, gently brushing his body with mine and touching his arm as I hold his stare.

"I don't do the chasing," I reply.

I hold his gaze for just that moment longer before smiling coyly at him and slipping past him up the stairs.

I think about Peeta more than I should for the rest of the morning. Even though he was wearing full thermal running gear I could tell he was fit and well-toned. I begin to imagine exactly what is underneath those good fitting clothes and it takes a cold shower to quell the burning in my body. It's been over a month since I last got any and I suddenly see the benefits of starting something casual with a guy upstairs. At least I wouldn't have to travel very far. But on the other hand things could get awkward if it ended messily.

I try to distract myself from Peeta and his strong arms by reading through some case files for work. After Prim texts me to urge me to make plans for the night, I call my two best friends, Johanna and Gale, and arrange to meet them at a bar later to play pool and darts. By lunchtime I am barely thinking about Peeta.

As I am finishing a bowl of soup, there is a knock on the door. I leave my bowl at the sink to go and answer it. Much to my surprise Peeta stands on the other side of the door holding a packet of tea bags and plastic container.

He's changed into a fitted navy sweater and jeans that hug him in all the right places. His messy blond curls are slicked back and his jaw is freshly shaved. He is even more attractive than I remember.

Peeta looks surprised to see me too but recovers quickly and flashes me a bright smile.

"You must be Prim's sister then. You know you never gave me your name earlier," he says.

I stare at him agape for a few minutes as I try to decide if seeing him now is a blessing or a curse. After a moment I get over my shock and answer him.

"It's Katniss, but I really am beginning to think you are following me," I reply with a smile.

Peeta laughs.

"I swear it's just happy coincidences. I just came round to replace the tea bags I used yesterday. And I made some homemade brownies to thank your sister for welcoming me into the building," he replies.

I may have just eaten a whole bowl of soup but the mention of brownies makes my stomach grumble and I try to peer into the plastic container Peeta has in his hands.

"I'm pretty sure you didn't use that many tea bags," I say tipping my head at the large packet. "And are you trying to butter us up with baked goods so we won't get mad when you start playing loud music at three in the morning."

"Nah. It's to butter you up for the fact I have a five-foot anaconda living in my apartment," Peeta replies with a grin.

I laugh at his joke and instinctively step aside to let him in.

"I'm not going to turn down free food. Want to help me eat some?" I ask.

A smile spreads across Peeta's face and he nods his head.

"Will you leave any for Prim?" Peeta asks as I lead him through to the kitchen.

I turn my head back to smile at him.

"How's she ever going to know you made some?" I say with a grin.

Peeta laughs and I take the tea bags and brownies off him. He takes a seat at the table and I offer him something to drink as I find plates for the brownies. Peeta asks for some water and I fill a jug before sitting down next to him.

"So you met my sister yesterday," I say.

Peeta nods his head as he serves me a brownie.

"She was very welcoming," Peeta replies.

"I bet she was. I bet she bombarded you with a thousand questions," I say.

"A few," Peeta says with a chuckle. "But she talked a lot about you too. I hear you kick ass every day in the courtroom."

"My colleague did describe us as superheroes yesterday," I reply.

Peeta laughs and I can't stop the grin that reaches across my face.

"Prim says you're an architect and are building your own house. That's pretty impressive," I say.

Peeta nods his head as he keeps his eyes on me.

"It's been my dream to build my own house ever since I got my first set of Lego blocks. It's surreal now that it's actually beginning to happen," he replies.

"Where are you building it?" I ask.

"This place just outside the city. Hob Valley," he says.

My eyes go wide and I stop eating my brownie to look at him.

"I know the place. It was an hour from the town my sister and I grew up in. It has this great forest trail that leads to…"

"…this incredible lake and waterfall," Peeta finishes for me.

We stare at each other amazed for a moment. I shake my head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you know about that place. Not many people do. It's one of the state's best kept secrets," I say.

"My brother and I found it in college. It's my favourite trail to walk. That's why I want to build my house there. I like the thought of it being in my backyard," Peeta replies.

"Sounds like a dream. Though you're making me get itchy feet. With the cold weather I haven't been hiking in months," I say.

"I know what you mean. Running in the park is nice but it can't beat the peace and tranquillity of a hike," Peeta says.

I nod my head and look at Peeta with an even greater appreciation.

"We'll just have to keep each other company on runs until the weather improves then," I reply.

A huge grin spreads across Peeta's face and he sits back in his chair to look at me.

"As long as I am doing the chasing, right?" he says with a grin.

I laugh and the warm feeling returns to my chest again.

We fall into easy conversation and talk about everything from our running to favourite movies and TV sitcoms. Peeta makes me laugh easily and my jaw begins to hurt from smiling so much. After just over an hour Peeta looks at his watch and gets up to leave.

"I need to get going. It's my brother's bachelor party tonight and I can't remember which box I packed my superhero costume in," he says.

I raise my eyebrow at him as I show him to the door.

"I suppose if I'm not in the office someone needs to overtake my superhero duties," I reply.

Peeta flashes me a grin and stops when we reach my door.

"I promise to keep your secret identify if you promise to keep mine," Peeta says.

I laugh again and get a hint of anxiety over his leaving. I haven't had this much fun talking to a guy in a long time.

I open the door but Peeta lingers for a moment. He locks his eyes onto mine.

"Look, tell me if this is too forward, but I hate bullshitting around and game playing. I really liked talking to you today. Would you like to go on a date with me?" he asks.

I don't even think before answering.

"Yes," I reply.