You all are amazing! I am floored you are all enjoying this! A few things I would like to point out so there is no confusion in future chapters:

1. This is an AU fic meaning certain characters are not in it such as Peeta's brothers. Mr. Mellark (Bara) never married Mrs. Mellark. He married Mrs. Everdeen (Cary). Characters from the book will pop up, though.

2. I always feel AU fics will always be a bit OOC because circumstances and environment is what shapes a person/character. I'm trying extremely hard to make sure Katniss and Peeta stay relatively close to their characteristics, but naturally things are going to be different since both grow up in a different environment in this fic.

And I was wondering if anyone would be sweet enough to beta future chapters? If interested, just drop a message to my tumblr. Link is on my profile.

Read, enjoy, and review! Your thoughts do matter.

~Terri

"Stuck like glue/ you and me baby we're stuck like glue."

~ Sugarland's "Stuck Like Glue"

Katniss and Peeta became a source of comfort and safety for each other⎯ a source of protection that seemed to be missing in their home above the bakery.

Since the day their mother had left them, Katniss and Peeta became what many in town liked to call the Mellarkable Duo. Wherever one was the other was surely to follow. They were always together it seemed, and everyone thought it odd yet adorable how attached to the hip they were. Some even ignored the fact about Katniss' paternity because the duo was so sweet and innocent. And who could argue with sweet little Peeta who would always defend his little sister when someone said a nasty comment about how she looked or where she was "supposed to live"?

They only gossiped about the Mellarks behind closed doors out of respect for Bara and Peeta.

When Katniss first started school she threw the biggest temper tantrum many had ever seen. She kicked and screamed, pulling at her braids, crying that her little heart couldn't take it. Her teacher was baffled at the five year old's reaction because many of her students seemed to love school in these early years of academic life. She tried to console Katniss, tried to tell her that her father would be back in a few hours to pick her up, but nothing worked. The five year old continued her tantrum until she screamed, "Pee-ta!" at the top of her lungs. "I need Peeta!"

It had never occurred to Katniss that these mean people would split her up from her dear brother. It was fine when Peeta would go off to school without her because Papa would keep her company until it was time to walk to the school to pick him up. That was always her favorite time of the day because she would get to dance down the street, excited to hear the newest song her brother had learned in school and would soon teach her, and her and Papa would sing the Valley song until they saw Peeta running towards them, his arms wide open for her to run into, and she would because his arms meant safety.

Peeta was in his classroom now and Papa had left for the bakery, leaving poor Katniss alone. She didn't like to be alone, and how could Peeta just leave her like this? He was leaving her like Mama had left her and she wasn't okay with this.

Her teacher finally gave up and called for someone to go get Peeta Mellark because his sister was going to hurt herself if she continued on in her rampage.

Her tears immediately stopped when she saw those familiar blonde curls. "Peeta!" Katniss screamed in relief, hugging her brother so hard he had trouble breathing.

He rubbed her back and told her he was sorry for having to leave her like he did.

"Why can't I go with you?" she asked her brother, holding him close, making sure he wouldn't leave. "I'm smart."

"You gotta stay here and get more smarter," he laughed, pulling on her braid teasingly. He kissed her forehead before prying himself, reluctantly, away from her. "You'll like it here, Nissy. You get playtime and learn lots of more songs." She refused to let go of his hand, though. "I gotta go, but I'll see you later. I'm not leaving forever."

Katniss sucked on her thumb, a habit their father was trying desperately to break, weighing her brother's words in her mind.

"No," she told him at last, pulling him over to a lone corner where they could play by themselves, and Peeta let her pull him along because she was scared and he was her big brother. He protected her.

Katniss' teacher saw this was going to be a problem.

"This is going to be a problem," Katniss' teacher had told him when Bara had come to pick his daughter up from her first day of school. "Katniss needs to learn how to interact with other children besides her brother. She needs to learn that Peeta cannot be with her all of the time."

He looked out into the play yard at the young girl he considered his own, singing a song she had learned that day, and ignoring the fact the Mockingjays had stopped to listen to her. "They're just close," he told her. "They've always been close."

"You are only doing them harm if you encourage this, Mr. Mellark. A child should not have as big of a tantrum as Katniss had because her sibling is not in the same room with her. It's unhealthy."

Katniss smiled at the two and ran over, pulling her father's hand into hers. "I learned a new song today, Papa." She stuck her thumb into her mouth and waited for him to ask her what song.

"I've told you to keep your thumb out of your mouth, Pumpernickel," Bara sighed, pulling the thumb out of her mouth. Her teacher waited for his response to her concern. "How was your day, Katniss?" he asked, afraid of what she'd have to say.

"I liked it when Peeta came," she smiled.

"Did you make any new friends?"

"No, Peeta was there," was her only reply. She twisted the ribbon holding one of her braids together. "We played with blocks and colored and Peeta drawed a really pretty picture for me. Papa, when am I going to Peeta's class? I wanna be with Peeta."

Katniss' teacher gave him a poignant look before excusing herself.

"I'll talk with them tonight," he promised