Thank you for the kind reviews! Welcome new favoriters/followers arorapatroque, parkolliegray, DivergentGirl137, Dmdcdancer, Mariuoh, PannHarls, Sleazyeads, melreed76, and sweetaspie101! I hope you are all enjoying the story so far! Here is the wedding! FINALLY!
Chapter 11-The Wedding March
"Protection, like condoms?" Peeta said to Haymitch when he looked like he didn't quite understand what the boy was asking his mentor. Haymitch spoke with anxiety in his voice, "Well, no. I just pull out. I didn't even think to use anything. How daft can I be? But, you don't think Effie could be pregnant, right Boy?" Peeta looked smug as he said, "That's exactly what I think buddy. She's been moody and sick and it's usually in the mornings, so yeah!" Haymitch cursed, "Do you think she knows? That must be why she is so pissed that I made the appointment. She knows if she puts it off until she can't get rid of the thing, she'll be okay to have it. What the fuck! She knows I don't want any kids! I told her plenty of fucking times. I'm going over there right now! This is fucking bullshit!" Peeta grabbed ahold of Haymitch and he struggled to get free. "Damn, Boy! Let me free!" Haymitch yelled. Peeta squeezed him tighter, "Are you kidding me? You are going to ruin Effie chances because you're a chicken shit? Do you know how lucky you are to have this chance, Haymitch? I would be the happiest guy in the world if this was me." Haymitch thought to himself, 'Of course you would. You talk of nothing else when Katniss isn't around.' Haymitch tried to slow his breathing and calm down. Peeta loosened his hold, but still had Haymitch's arm, "Listen, Haymitch….you don't even know if she knows yet. She might not even be pregnant. Just wait until Monday and don't freak out on her. She's in an emotional state as is and she doesn't need you being an ass to her." Haymitch couldn't argue with Peeta's logic. He let him know he was calmed down and he wouldn't go searching out Effie.
Meanwhile, back at Katniss's house…..
"Oh, Katniss! You're getting married! How I wish it was me, but Haymitch would never…." Effie trailed off as she bit down on her fist. Katniss gave her a sympathetic pat on her arm. "You never know, Effie; maybe someday he will give in." Effie gave a waning smile and walked into the powder room to freshen up her makeup. She'd been crying since Katniss turned around. Johanna walked over to Katniss, "So, Crabby, you nervous?" Katniss told her, "No, actually, I'm kind of excited. Just do us a favor and keep your clothes on, eh?" Johanna gave a sly grin, "I make no promises!" The girls were all set and ready to go. Delly was getting ready to go over to Peeta's. She was going to finish up decorating with him and Haymitch since they had a feeling Haymitch wasn't going to be much help. They got together and gathered around the kitchen table. Johanna came out of her room with a bottle and some small glasses. "Okay ladies, time for a District 7 tradition!" She placed the small glasses on the table. Six glasses; one for each of the girls, were then filled with the liquid in the bottle. "What is it?" asked Delly and Annie at the same time so the giggled. "It's special liquor the lumberjacks brew in my district. Pretty strong but tasty at the same time. These small glasses are called shot glasses. We fill them with the liquor and drink it in one "shot." Got that?" The women nodded their heads in agreement. "So, everyone grab a glass. Katniss, today you become attached for life to Peeta. You've been through Hell and back again so it should be nothing but good things from here on out. We are all gathered here with you and we want to praise you and the life that you are about to enter! Salud!" With that they each took their shots. Katniss shuddered, "Oh, that's awful!" Johanna started to belly laugh at the faces everyone made.
Peeta looked around at the sound of his name being yelled out. It was Delly jogging towards him. "Hey, sorry I'm late. Johanna had us taking shots of this god awful liquor from her district. What can I help with?" Peeta showed her the archway wrapped in twinkling lights. She grabbed the basket of flowers he had put to the side. "I'll intertwine this Evening Primrose into the lights and then it should look perfect." Delly said. Peeta looked like he wanted to ask her something, "What's up, Peet?" He smiled at her, "How's Katniss doing? She's not running for it, is she?" Delly gave him a light punch on his shoulder, "No! She's really calm actually. She's excited and just wants to see you, really. She looks so gorgeous! I can't wait to see your face when she comes into view! I think you may need Haymitch to hold you up!" She laughed as she said this because Peeta had such a shit eating grin on his face. "That's a relief really. I thought that she'd at least be freaking out a little bit. Hey, how's Effie doing? She didn't say anything about her being sick, did she?" Delly told him she seemed fine just emotional. Haymitch came out of the house and joined them. "You ready to get this thing started. Sae just finished up the rest of the dinner. She says she'll heat it all up after the ceremony. I'll be over there by the archway. Here comes the Mayor." Peeta greeted the Mayor with a firm handshake and showed him to his spot under the archway. "This is just beautiful, Peeta. You grew all of this yourself?" Peeta talked to the Mayor about all of the time and effort he put in to his garden and the preparations for the wedding. Haymitch just smiled at his Tribute. Maybe having his own kid to be proud of wouldn't be so bad.
Katniss and her mother sat together in the now empty house. The other women had all left to take their seats over in Peeta's garden. They sat together and reflected on the past. Her mother told her the story of her father and her own wedding. Then they talked of her birth and Prim's birth and of the loss of her father in the mining explosion. Then they spoke of Prim. "She's here with me today, mom. I can feel her presence all around me today." Katniss told her mother. "She would have been so happy for you. She believed in you more than anyone else in this world. You know she actually knew that you were in love with Peeta before you even had a clue. She would ask me, 'Mom, when is Katniss going to stop being stubborn and admit she loves Peeta?' I would tell her that you'd figure it out someday." Katniss smiled, "I think everyone knew before me. I was too hard headed to admit it to myself." She gave her mother a hug and they got up from the couch. "Well, my daughter, I think it's time for you to go see your man. Take my hand." Katniss put her hand in her mother's; like she had many times as a child. They walked over to the front door and opened it with a start. "Gale? What the fuck are you doing here?"
"Gale Hawthorne came all the way from District 2 for what?" Katniss asked her former best friend. "Heard you were getting married today. Thanks for the invite Catnip. Can we talk for a minute?" he asked as he let himself in. Mrs. Everdeen looked stunned and Katniss looked like she wanted to murder him. "Gee, come right on in why don't ya? If you haven't noticed, I was just on my way out to my wedding. You've got some damn nerve, Hawthorne!" Mrs. Everdeen tried to calm her daughter down. "Sweetheart, just breathe. Don't get worked up; it's not worth it." Katniss nodded, "You're right. Let me just talk to this bastard and I'll be out in a minute. Wait for me on the porch." Her mother went out to the porch and closed the door. "You look amazing, Katniss, really you do. I had to see you before you did this. Are you pregnant or something? I thought you were never getting married or having kids." Katniss punched him in his face and shoved him against the wall. "You son of a bitch! You have no right showing up here like this. Your bombs killed my sister! My Prim! She's dead from your bombs and you just disappeared like a coward!" Gale looked taken aback, like he wasn't expecting her to come right out and say the exact thing that had kept him away. "I didn't know Coin was going to use them for that kind of an ambush, Katniss! Do you think I would have done that to Prim? I loved her too, you know! Listen, I wanted to see you and talk to you about everything but I just wasn't ready." Katniss scoffed, "You weren't ready? Did you watch my sister burn in front of you? No! I did! How dare you come here on MY wedding day, you asshole! And no, I'm not pregnant you dick! I love Peeta! I want to be united to HIM for the rest of my life! He is mine and I am his and nobody will EVER come between us!" Gale looked down to the floor, "Listen, I'm sorry if it seems as if I'm attacking you but you need to understand that it can never be like it was before. Too much has happened. I love you, Gale, but I will never love you like you loved me. It's always been Peeta. It just took me a while to realize it." Gale nodded his head. "I understand. I'm sorry too. Can I at least stay for the wedding? You are my best friend after all." Katniss gave him a hug and opened the door. Mrs. Everdeen looked wary. "Everything okay kids?" Katniss elbowed Gale in his side, "Yeah, we're good. Go across the road and take a seat Gale. We'll be right behind you."
Peeta was getting nervous. "Where is she? Do you think she's okay?" he asked Haymitch. Just then he saw Gale Hawthorne take a seat and he tensed up; fists clenched. "What the Hell is that asshole doing here? We didn't invite him." Haymitch told Peeta to relax and he walked over to talk to Gale. Peeta watched him with disdain. After a few minutes Haymitch walked back over to Peeta's side. "Well, he went over to see the girl and he's got quite the shiner starting to show. They hashed some things out and he asked to stay for the wedding. She said he could so there he is. He says he's not going to cause any trouble. She is on her way over, though. Just caught a glimpse of her coming off of her porch. Start the music!" A fiddle began to play and everyone in attendance began to sing The Valley Song:
"Down in the valley, the valley so low….Hang your head over, hear the wind blow….Hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow….Hang your head over, hear the wind blow….Roses love sunshine, violets love dew, Angels in Heaven know I love you, Know I love you, dear, know I love you….
At those words Peeta saw her coming to him. Her smile shone bright and wide. She looked ethereal; a vision walking toward him. He felt weak in the knees and even Haymitch gasped. "Holy shit; she looks great kid. Don't tell her I said so." "She's just stunning." Peeta whispered, "And she's mine." Katniss felt tears running down her face. She couldn't stop smiling. Peeta looked so unbelievably happy and she just wanted to sprint to him. He looked so beautiful. His golden locks seemed to sparkle even as the sun began to set and his eyes were such a brilliant blue. The garden looked like a dream. The flowers smelled sweet and the archway twinkled as if it were covered in stars. Her eyes focused back on Peeta as she came up to him.
The Mayor began to speak, "Who gives this woman to this man?" Mrs. Everdeen responded that she did and handed her daughter over to Peeta. The Mayor continued, "Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen are known by many names throughout Panem, but let's not worry about that. They are simply Peeta and Katniss; two young people in love. I am asked to join them together in marriage today. As the sunsets, please note the beautiful colors that show. Let the beauty of this sunset be the first of many moments you share together as man and wife. Peeta and Katniss have written out their own vows to each other. Peeta will you go first, son?"
Peeta took Katniss's hands in his and leaned his forehead against hers and whispered, "I love you." Katniss said the same in return. "Katniss, I have loved you since we were 5 years old. The first time I saw you I was smitten, and then I heard you sing; I was done for. Life threw us a crazy deal. We have been to Hell and back again. I didn't know how you felt about me for the longest time. I had glimpses of it in the cave, then nothing until our nights on the train. We became friends during the tour and I felt so close to you. Then I died. I was brought back to life and your face was the first I saw. I think that's the moment your feelings began to change from seeing me as a friend and fellow victor to more than that. The memories of that night on the beach are what kept me sane during my captivity during the war. They tried to make me hate you, but my love for you was stronger. After the war, we began to come back together. I still loved you. I never once stopped. Then you said those three little words. You had finally said what I knew deep down you felt for so long. I. Love. You. And now we are going to be married and live a long, happy life together. We are a family. You are mine and I am yours. Always."
Katniss smiled through soft sobs; tears of joy Effie called them earlier. "And, now, Katniss will speak her vows to Peeta." The Mayor stated matter-of-factly. "Peeta, my Boy With The Bread, my savior. I love you. I will never tire of telling you that I love you. Unlike you, I didn't love you since I was 5. I don't even know if I can pinpoint when I knew that I loved you. To quote a dear friend, you just sort of crept up on me. When I thought I lost you forever, I became broken. It was as if my life had become stagnant. I didn't want to live a life without Peeta Mellark in it. You were a part of me and you were gone. Then you came back to me and those evil bastards had broken you. I wanted to give up many times, but my heart had other plans. When I saw you planting flowers in front of my house, I thought it was all a dream. I am so glad that it wasn't. You were back, my Boy With The Bread, my Peeta, my friend, my love. I will spend the rest of my life making you happy and letting you feel my love for you. I am so proud to become yours forever." Peeta's eyes shone with unshed tears. Everyone in the audience was crying and Katniss thought she even saw Haymitch wipe his eyes with the back of his hand.
The Mayor continued the ceremony, "That was just wonderful, both of you. We will seal your marriage vows now. Peeta Mellark, do you take Katniss Everdeen to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Peeta responded, "I do." The Mayor continued, "Katniss Everdeen, do you take Peeta Mellark to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Katniss yelled out, "You bet your ass I do!" Everyone began to laugh, including the Mayor. "If anyone sees just cause for this wedding to not continue, speak now or forever hold your peace. Okay, with that, I now pronounce you man and wife. Peeta, you may kiss your bride." Peeta grabbed ahold of Katniss's waste and kissed her slowly as she deepened the kiss and they got lost in each other. "Ladies and gentlemen of District Twelve, I introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Peeta Mellark!" Cheers and applause rang out and they noticed that their small ceremony turned into the whole district showing up! Katniss and Peeta didn't even mind. This was the happiest moment of their lives and they were glad that the people of their district were able to be a part of it.
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