AN. Here's the epilogue. Hope you enjoy
"Perfect," Katniss thought looking at the freshly baked loaf she had just pulled out of the oven.
With tender care, she placed the bread in a basket lined with an embroidered linen napkin.
Katniss smiled. Everything was ready.
It had taken her a little more than a year, but she was finally going to marry Peeta.
XXXXX
A couple of days after Katniss canceled her wedding to Gale, Peeta had been called back to the Capitol.
His editor wasn't satisfied with the article he'd written.
"This was supposed to be a human-interest story with a happy ending," Alma grumbled. "People want to read about a girl marrying groom number 4, Mellark. Nobody cares that she failed to follow through with her plans, yet again -especially since she didn't even have a wedding this time." Taking another look at his notes, she stated, "We might run the story if she somehow manages to find groom number 5. But, until that happens, the piece is out."
Peeta had immediately bristled at his boss's words. He hated the implication that Katniss's struggles could be minimized and broken down into a bite-sized blurb. The woman he knew -the woman he'd fallen in love with—hadn't set out to hurt those who loved her. She acted the way she did because she was scared and confused.
Katniss had spent her life taking care of her family, she had earned the right to be treated with respect, and the men who had proposed to her deserved to be treated as more than just comic relief in a fluff piece on the Sunday paper.
He was about to start on an indignant rant about respect and common decency when his boss looked up from her desk.
"I still need a feature piece for the weekend edition," she said. "Think you can whip something up?"
Peeta immediately snapped into action. He stormed out of his boss's office and, after throwing away his notes on Katniss's love life, he turned his attention to a topic he had begun to research during his visit to District 12. A matter he felt was far more important to expose.
Peeta's new project would do more than entertain the crowds by making them laugh at the expense of someone else's suffering.
He didn't know it yet, but his article about the security protocols in District 12's mining industry would, in time, even help save people's lives.
XXXXX
The first months weren't easy for Katniss.
She was still in District 12, surrounded by her friends and family, following her old routines while she tried to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.
Jumping from one relationship to the next had left her feeling hollow and confused.
Most people seemed to have an idea of who they were and what they wanted to do with their lives. But Katniss had been too focused on other people's futures and well-being to pay much mind to her own. She wondered if she had ever really known what she wanted to be when she grew up.
True to his word, Peeta didn't abandon her. He traveled back and forth as much as he could to keep their relationship going.
Stuck in her small, sleepy town, Katniss felt time stretch endlessly between Peeta's visits.
She had never minded the quiet life of District 12, but the stories Peeta told her about the Capitol intrigued her.
The hours they spent together were never enough; especially when she compared them to the long, dreary days they spent apart.
Peeta's steadfast presence grounded her. By his side, she felt safe. Sharing her fears and hopes with him imbued her with a strength she'd never had before.
Gradually, between frequent visits and phone calls, Peeta became her friend, her confidant, her lover.
Being with him was an intoxicating mixture of passion and comfort. Katniss had never felt as alive and wanted as she did when he was around. She had never been so comfortable in her own skin.
Peeta had a way of listening to her that helped her clear her mind, and make sense of the world and her place in it.
As hard as it was, spending a few months on her own was a good thing. It gave her the space to evaluate her life without pressure.
Before long, Katniss realized that, in her need to take care of others, she had neglected the things she truly loved. Like wood carving, the trade her father had taught her, which lay abandoned in the dark recesses of her mind.
When she spoke to Peeta about it, he suggested she went back to it. "You could give it another shot," he said, "I know you like working with your uncle at the hardware store, but this could be something that made you truly happy."
Determined to get a fresh start, Katniss found a small workshop where she could practice her trade.
With Prim's help, she went back to school where she took a few courses aimed at small business owners and craftsmen.
By the end of the first semester, she had already built a couple of dressers, a bow, and a beautiful desk.
Her heart raced anxiously in her chest as she snapped a few pictures of the pieces she'd created.
With trembling fingers, Katniss packed a small suitcase and hopped on a train bound for the Capitol. The thought of the binder with the pictures, safely stored inside her backpack, kept her smiling all the way.
Night had fallen over the busy city when Peeta found Katniss waiting at his doorstep. His face lit up as she explained about the stores she had visited during the day and the orders they had placed.
Three months later, Katniss moved to the Capitol.
Johanna Mason, the shop owner who had bought her furniture, helped her find a workshop on the outskirts of town.
Peeta's open arms welcomed her into his home.
Months flew by as Katniss adjusted to her new life in the big city.
There were times when she missed her friends and her home.
She missed Prim, most of all. But her sister was always a phone call away, and her happiness, whenever she heard of Katniss's new projects, was enough to soothe all her anxieties away.
At night, Peeta's embrace and company made all her struggles vanish into thin air.
One morning, after clearing up the breakfast table, Katniss dropped to one knee and asked Peeta to marry her. Again.
The tenderness in his eyes was just as sweet as it had been back in District 12 but, this time, he said, "yes."
Fearful of the stress of organizing yet another wedding, Katniss had suggested to put pomp and circumstance aside and to follow her district's humble tradition.
Peeta had agreed on the spot. A private toasting ceremony was all he needed.
XXXXX
Katniss married Peeta on a crisp autumn afternoon, just as the sun dipped under the horizon painting colors in the sky.
There would be no church, no witnesses, and no fuss. Just a bride, a groom, and a loaf of bread.
The fire of the hearth and the strength of their love were all Katniss needed to say, "I do."
