A/N: This is a multichapter fic. If anyone is available and want to beta please PM me!

Also, do not get used to this posting schedule. I have the first few chapters written and decided to post because I couldn't figure out how to make the Chapter section on the info line show #/? without posting!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 2 – Peeta Mellark

Peeta Mellark learned early on in his life to avoid his mother, she was mean and would hit him for no reason. He was a quiet boy, inclined towards the arts, which his mother deemed as feminine and not worthy of praise. Although she did exploit his talents in their family bakery, by charging extra for his beautifully decorated cakes and pastries. By the age of 5 Peeta was already working in the bakery and had clearly surpassed his older brothers in decorating and was on a path to bypass his father's skills fairly soon.

So in year 63 of the games while the rebellion was in its infancy, Peeta began school. Holding his father's hand walking to the school on his first day, his dad suddenly stopped. Crouching down next to his son, Farl pointed out a beautiful, happy smiling blonde woman holding the hand of a dark haired girl in a red plaid dress, who was just as beautiful as her mother. Peeta's eyes grew as Farl related the story of the beautiful woman who left him, married a miner and leaving town for the seam. Of course Peeta questioned the intelligence of this move; his dad made cookies, an obvious reason to choose him in his mind. His father looked at Peeta and told a tale of the miner that sang so beautifully the birds would stop to listen. Internally the boy scoffed at the idea, because well, COOKIES.

Later that day the teacher asked for someone to volunteer to sing the Valley Song and to his delight the young beautiful girl got up on a chair, her eyes were sparkly and then she sang. At that moment Peeta knew exactly what his father was trying to tell him that morning, cookies be damned. He could feast on her voice, forever. In that moment he was a goner for Katniss Everdeen. And when she stopped singing he noticed the birds had too.

Peeta grew up admiring the strong young girl from afar. He watched from behind the bakery door when she arrived in the morning with her father to trade the squirrels James had caught for bread. He watched her at school. He observed her sparkly eyes that he couldn't quite get right in his sketches. He listened for her voice, which became even more beautiful as they grew. He learned never to mention her name in his mother's presence; it would just result in more bruises than normal. He learned that his mother hated all things seam. He learned that he was expected to socialize with other kids from their social class, children of other merchants, and he secretly hated it. His mother abused him and his brothers with words and fists and his father healed them with ice and a sad kindness.

Peeta was social and friendly to all, he was known in school as friendly, outgoing, smart and athletic. He hid his artistic talent, drawing in private and keeping his sketch books hidden. He also kept hidden his infatuation with the dark haired songstress, as best he could, understanding, but not agreeing with, the social rules that necessitated his silence.

In year 69 of the games when Peeta was 11, tragedy struck twelve in the form of a mining accident where many miners were killed and families devastated. Peeta thought the loss was awful. His family stopped getting squirrels, so he couldn't see Katniss in the morning as he spied behind the door. She stopped smiling. Her eyes stopped being sparkly and became sad. She started getting skinny, too skinny. The worst thing that happened, in Peeta's eyes, was she stopped singing.

This went on for months and he knew in his heart the outcome and his heart ached trying to figure a way to help. One evening he heard his mother yelling at someone digging in the trash outside. When he peered outside his heart dropped, it was her. Desperation caused him to do something he would never normally do. He purposefully partially burnt 2 loaves of bread and when his mother hit him, he felt nothing. Stumbling outside, to "feed them to the pigs you worthless boy", he saw her collapsed under the tree in his yard. Quickly and stealthily he threw them to her. Her eyes widening in surprise she looked up at him grabbed them and ran.

Over the following months he saw her regain weight. The morning when she showed up at his back door to trade squirrels for bread (just like father) he finally could breathe again. Her eyes started to regain life, but they were not as sparkly. Her smiles had been traded for scowls, she was more withdrawn socially then before. Nonetheless Peeta was happy she was alive, not dying, still strong and independent, although he still didn't hear her sing.

Sometime around the time Peeta turned 12 a horrible development occurred, she started showing up to trade with a boy. He was two years older than them and in Rye's year at school. Rye called him, Hawthorne. The worst news was when Rye told Peeta that this Hawthorne was a ladies man, like Rye. In fact he was Rye's biggest rival for the affections of the girls in his year. Rye had started kissing girls at the slag heap being 14 and in the upper school. At night Rye and Bannock would regale (or shock) Peeta with their deeds at the storied slag heap. Peeta listened closely, praying that he never heard Katniss's name among the slag heap conquests.

In year 71 of the games, the Victor's and rebels were successful in over taking the government. Peeta noted that things were getting better in the district and it seemed that everyone got a little more food. More importantly Peeta did not have to worry about Katniss being reaped for the games anymore. They turned 13 and her eyes started to sparkle just a little again. She smiled just a little more and sometimes Peeta could hear her hum when she thought no one was listening. Of course Peeta still had to worry about this Hawthorne guy who just kept growing taller and handsomer according to the squawking girls, but mercifully her name was never mentioned as a slag heap conquest.

At the age of 14 Peeta entered the Upper school and started to grow. He also noticed the girls started changing. He started wrestling; years of practice with his brothers made him an instant success. In fact, the only people he couldn't beat were Bannock and Rye, including his giant of a friend, Cole. The girls in his year started to follow him, fluttering their lashes and puffing up their lips. They gossiped about his blonde curls, bright blue eyes and strong broad shoulders. Invitations to the slag heap followed, but Peeta never went. He just watched as Katniss started to get slight curves and small breasts and added lust to his love of all things her. His friends and other boys started to notice her too, the combination of her mother's town features with her father's coloring made her unique and desirable. Luckily for Peeta her withdrawn, shy nature and her reputation with her bow made her unapproachable. She had one friend, Madge Undersee, who she quietly sat with at lunch. And, of course, with Hawthorne as her large and looming shadow, no one dared approach her, so Peeta continued to admire her from afar. In the summer before his 3rd year in upper school when they were 16 his mom, Meredith Mellark (the bane of his existence) unexpectedly caused the opportunity Peeta needed to finally know Katniss Everdeen.