Hello everyone! Let me apologize for the longer than usual wait of this chapter.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review this story, it really means a lot to me. Also thanks to ackenndy7 for prereading.
As always, I want to give a big shout out to my beta Court, who has stuck with me through thick and thin and no matter what is going on in her real life, takes the time to help me fix my mistakes and makes me laugh with her wicked notes. Thank you, my friend.
Always a Blessing
Chapter 12
August 1955
Katniss breathed in the smells of the county fair midway: popcorn, cotton candy, and roasted peanuts. The fair brought her comfort and made her reminisce about when she lived on the farm, and it gave her heart a little pang. It made her think of how much her life had changed. This time last year she never would have expected that her family would now be living on Seam Street, or that she would be attending the county fair on the arm of Peeta Mellark, with Prim leading the way with her crutches. Sometimes it was hard to accept that this was her life now—or rather, for the time being.
Peeta had taken her home from work, and then as soon as she could change her clothes he had driven her and Prim to the Panem County Fair. Prim had been begging to go and Peeta was more than willing to oblige.
They had tried to work in rests for Prim; watching the Jersey dairy cows show was the perfect excuse to stop and sit. It was comical trying to explain to Peeta what the judge was looking for. He asked why dairy cows were supposed to be trim, while beef cows were fat. No matter how Prim and Katniss explained, he couldn't understand.
They walked the midway, and they came upon a booth with ducks circling on a track as targets and ugly baby dolls as prizes.
"Peeta, can you win a Kewpie Doll for me?" Prim asked excitedly as they passed a target shooting game.
"Prim, Peeta has done more than enough for us!" Katniss scolded her sister, trying to hide her annoyance. Peeta had paid for their entry, corndogs, French fries, lemonade, and elephant ears. "Anyhow, those things are hideous."
"No, they're cute!" Prim insisted.
Peeta chuckled at the two of them, "Prim, I am not good at these carnival games. The only thing I can win at is the one where you use the hammer to test strength. It looks like there are only Teddy bears at that one. But I'll give it a try."
He then led her by the hand to the stand where the man was barking for participants, and put down a quarter.
The carney told him, "You've got to hit three with five shots"
Peeta began to shoot and failed to anything other than a single duck. He shook his head, "Heck, I wasn't even aiming for that one!"
While Peeta was shooting Katniss examined the gun closely and saw the barrel was crooked. This game is a con if there ever was one!
Prim whispered in her sister's ear, "Katniss, you can win it! Remember when you used to put Gale to shame when you guys shot starlings with his BB gun? This will be a breeze for you."
Katniss thought about it for a moment. She hated to one-up Peeta, especially publically, but she didn't like the rigged game. "Here, let me try," she said and quickly fished a quarter from her change purse and slapped iton the counter.
"Oh, the little lady thinks that she can do it?" the carnival worker snarked. "If you want to donate, the church tents are down the way."
"There will be no donation. I'm going to win," Katniss said evenly. "Do I get anything more if I hit four targets?"
The carney flashed his yellow teeth. "Tell you what honey, if you hit four targets, I'll give you two prizes,"he said, giving them a confident smile. "But I can promise that you'll be going home empty handed."
"I wouldn't bet on that, mister," Peeta spoke up and gave her an encouraging smile. "Judging by that glint in her eye, she'll be winning."
Katniss gave him the smallest of smiles in return, picked up the gun, sighted a target, and pulled the trigger. She missed the first shot, the man gave a satisfied laugh. Katniss took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger again, hitting a duck, then another and another. Prim squealed and Peeta clapped when Katniss hit a fourth duck. The carnie looked her slack-jawed.
"Your guns are crooked; you ought to get some new ones," she deadpanned. "I'll take two Kewpies."
The man reluctantly handed over the big-eyed, smirking hunks of plastic, and Katniss collected them with a smug expression. The carnie addressed Peeta, "So what is it like to be shown up by a girl?" He was obviously bitter about Katniss's easy win.
"Not bad," Peeta shrugged and put his arm around her shoulder. "How does it feel to be called out on your cheating by a girl?"
Peeta didn't wait for an answer and walked away from the fuming crook.
"I hope that I didn't embarrass you," she whispered in his ear once they were a few booths away.
"No, of course not," he answered sincerely. "I'm proud of you and glad that you put him in his place. That was something else, wasn't it, Prim?"
"I knew that she could do it," Prim said.
Katniss noticed that her sister was slowing. Katniss had wanted to bring Prim's wheelchair along, knowing how her sister would push herself too far, but Prim insisted that she didn't need it. "Prim, are you doing alright?"
"Yes, I'm just getting a little worn out," she admitted and stumbled some. "I think that I am ready to go home."
Peeta didn't hesitate one second and stepped forward and knelt before Prim, "Come on, jump on my back."
"Oh, Peeta, you don't have to do that!" Katniss said.
"I know I don't," he said honestly. "But I want to. There is nothing I like better than giving lovely ladies a ride. It is how I finally got your attention after all."
Prim slipped the crutches off and handed them to Katniss. She then wrapped her arms around Peeta's neck, and he stood and looped his arms around her calves.
"You're a bird, Prim," he teased. "I think that I need to buy you some sugar waffles on the way out. You need to eat more."
Prim giggled loudly. Katniss knew that her sister was having the time of her life and hoped that some of her little friends would see her. That would give Prim some clout when she went back to school next fall.
"So, Katniss wouldn't pay attention to you until you stopped to give her a ride?" Prim asked, making conversation on the way out to the car.
"Nope, nothing I ever did could get her to look at me," he mused. "I don't think she even knew that I existed until that stormy afternoon. I had to pretty much beg her to let me give her a ride."
"That sounds like her."
"You two know that I am right here?" Katniss chimed in.
Peeta turned so that they could both look at her.
"Yeah, we know we tease you because we love you," Prim said in the affectionate tone that always melted her sister's heart.
Katniss scowled at them both, but they both simply responded with teasing grins.
"I swear that you two are related and I'm the outsider here," she said with a bit of humor. "I'm starting to think that you guys came out of the same cabbage patch." They laughed at her expense and continued their way to the car. The blonds relived the day and agreed that the highlight was Katniss hustling the carnie. Katniss didn't mind being the butt of their jokes; secretly she enjoyed it. She loved to watch Prim and Peeta together; she liked that her two favorite people got along so well. The two of them were both so inherently good.
When they arrived at the Everdeen home, Peeta carried Prim into the house and visited with her parents for a while. Soon it was time for him to go home.
Katniss walked him to his car. "Thank you for this evening."
"You're very welcome," he said and hugged her. "I would kiss you until your toes curled but that would not be proper, what with us standing on street and your family looking at us through the window."
Katniss looked, and sure enough Prim was looking at them through their living room window. She felt her face get red and she apologized.
"Don't be sorry. I think it's cute." He kissed her on the head before letting her go and getting into his car.
"Hey, Peeta, what you told Prim earlier…that wasn't true," she confessed. "I have always noticed you, ever since you got paddled by Thread on my account."
He gave her his brightest smile and for once he had no words. Finally he said, "I'm glad that it wasn't as one-sided as I thought it was."
She poked her head through his open window and kissed him chastely. They said their goodbyes and she watched him drive away. Katniss held on to this moment of happiness and for once,she didn't try to remind herself that none of it could be real.
January 1956
"Tell me again what this dinner is for?" Katniss asked her husband as they drove into the nicest section of town. Capitol Drive put even the houses on Merchants Lane to shame.
Peeta shrugged his shoulders and chuckled, "He's wanted us to have dinner with he him and Annie for ages, and he wants us to see his new rental house."
She looked at him suspiciously. "You're hiding something, aren't you?"Peeta had been acting strangely ever since the he came home a few days ago and told her about the dinner.
"No." He grinned at his wife. She scowled at him and he sighed. "Fine, yes, there is a bigger reason for the party…He's asked Annie to marry him, and she's accepted."
"What!?" Katniss said in surprise. "Already? They've only been dating for a couple of months."
"So, they're in love," Peeta responded. "It doesn't mean that they will be married tomorrow. I think that this was Finnick's way of proving his sincerity to her family, and to his grandma."
"How long have you known about this?" she asked in astonishment.
"Since Finnick and I went Christmas shopping. He had me help him pick out the ring. He had it in his pocket for nearly two weeks, looking for the right moment. Now please, don't let on like you know, Finnick wants it to be a surprise."
"Johanna doesn't know, I take it?"
"No," he said honestly. "But I'm sure she knows it's coming."
Katniss was torn between being happy and concerned. In a way, she was more anxious for Johanna than anyone else—she would be all alone. She had not thought about what would happen to Johanna if Annie moved on, not until New Years Eve when Johanna had called herself the fifth wheel.
They arrived at the house, although Katniss was surprised to see that the Tudor-style home was somewhat humble for the neighborhood, and she knew instantly that Finnick had taken it with the woman he loved in mind.
Annie was already there and greeted them warmly. Soon Finnick pushed a gin and tonic into Peeta's hand. Her husband gave her an unsure look, and she nodded her head, as if to give him permission.
The men and women separated. Annie was all smiles; she was blissfully happy. Katniss would have been able to tell, even if Peeta hadn't of have let the cat out of the bag, simply by Annie's face.
"So where is Johanna?" Katniss asked.
"Her date is picking her up," Annie explained. "She's been seeing somebody for a couple of weeks but has been keeping it quiet, which is so unlike her."
There was a knock at the door, as if on cue, and the host opened it, letting in Johanna, and a tall man came in behind her. It took Katniss a few blinking seconds for her to realize that Gale Hawthorne was Johanna's date.
She watched in disbelief as Johanna introduced Finnick to Gale. Then her thoughts turned to Peeta, and she didn't miss the wary look in her husband's eyes. While Peeta and Gale clearly knew who the other was, they had never been properly introduced.
"Peeta, I believe you know Gale," Johanna said playfully.
"We've never been properly introduced," Peeta said coolly and held out his hand to the taller man. "But I know of him."
"I'm surprised that one of the high and mighty Mellarks would know who I am," Gale said in a condescending tone, and took the offered hand.
"I noticed you," Peeta said in a friendly tone. "You were usually blocking my view of Katniss."
Gale flexed his jaw and turned to Katniss. "Speaking of Catnip, you look…" he searched for the right word. He, like Katniss, was not usually good at small talk.
"Pregnant?" she helped him.
"I thought that 'glowing' was the polite thing to say, but I guess that works too," Gale said with a hint of a smile.
"Gee, you two must have had so many stimulating conversations growing up," Johanna chimed in. She then turned her attention towards the sideboard where several bottles of alcohol sat. "Hey look, booze."
Katniss felt as if the little get-together was already falling apart; she just hoped that nothing would ruin Annie and Finnick's excitement. She still couldn't get over that Gale was there as Johanna's date.
She hoped for Johanna's sake that Gale was truly interested. While in high school, Gale was known for charming girls and frequenting parking spots. Usually it was girls that who were well-to-do and liked the thought of slumming it with a hunky, poor boy. Katniss once caught him and Mr. Snow's college-aged daughter, Cashmere, in the haymow. She never knew Gale to take advantage of a girl, but he also never had a serious relationship. As far as Katniss knew, she was his only attempt at having an actual girlfriend.
A smart looking woman in a maid's uniform came out of the dining room doors, "The buffet is ready, Mr. Odair."
"Thank you, Mrs. Paylor. Everyone, dinner is served."
Katniss was thankful for the casual setting. Everyone sat at the dining room table and enjoyed their meals. Annie and Finnick were linked in one way or another all throughout the meal; even while they ate, Finnick held her hand or had his arm around her shoulders. It warmed Katniss's heart to see them. Annie was so deserving of happiness. Finnick was much changed since Katniss had first met him; he was so much more genuine now, and she had all but forgotten his playboy reputation.
Thankfully Finnick was able keep the conversation going. Occasionally Katniss caught Gale and Peeta shooting daggers at each other. She knew that her husband would be apprehensive as to why Gale was even there, but if it was on her account or Jo's, she didn't know.
When everyone was done eating, Finnick asked for Mrs. Paylor to bring out the cake.
"Well, Annie and I asked you all here tonight because we have an announcement." He smiled with pride. "I've asked Annie to be my wife, and she has accepted."
The Mellarks were quick to give to give their well wishes, and even Gale raised his glass to them. Johanna sat dumb-founded before she stood and muttered some incoherent words of congratulations and then stated, "I need a cigarette," then promptly left the room.
The others at the table all sat there with questioning faces. Annie had a surprised look on her face and looked as if she might burst into tears.
Gale was about to rise, but Katniss stopped him with a glance. She knew him well enough to know that he might do more to upset than calm her.
"Let me go," Katniss said, and stood and headed to the door.
She stopped to get her coat and saw that Johanna had forgotten hers and grabbed it for her. When she opened the door, she saw her friend sitting on the step, Marlboro in hand, puffing away. Katniss draped the coat around Jo's shoulders and sat next to her. "You're going to catch your death of cold."
"Hell, this Ohio winter crap is nothing to compared to what we dealt with in logging country…All you people are soft," she joked dryly and took another drag.
They sat in silence, until Johanna put out her butt and lit another. "I knew that this was coming. The other night I caught them necking like a pair of teeny-boppers after a sock hop. Annie would never let things go that far if she didn't have a promise of a something permanent."
Johanna sighed and continued, "I've been trying to give Annie and Finnick some room, so I've been going to the corner bar." Katniss gave her a concerned expression. By her own confession Johanna used to spend far too much time in bars. "Don't worry, I never have more than one or two drinks. I go to play pool. I've won quite a bit of cash so far. It is easy to win when the competition is staring down my blouse."
Katniss had to laugh at the thought of her friend hustling bar patrons. Johanna give a wicked smile. "Anyhow a few weeks ago I ran into Gale and we started talking. We've been seeing each other."
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Katniss asked, thinking that a heads up that Gale would be present would have been nice.
Jo blew out a mouthful of smoke. "I don't know. I really didn't think that it would go past a date or two. But we can talk, really talk, and that is a first for me. You know, I'm twenty-three. I've been with men, and hell I evenhad a baby, but I've never had a guy take me to dinner and open the door for me. I really don't know what I'm doing, I asked him to come tonight on a lark. I didn't really think that he would come."
"It shocked Peeta too, I think," Katniss confessed.
"Oh, why don't they just whip 'em out and measure 'em and be done with it?" Johanna quipped
Katniss laughed and bumped Johanna with her shoulder.
Johanna became more serious."I don't know how to do this, Katniss. I don't know how much I should tell him about my past. Or if I even should."
"You ought to," she said.
"I don't know what is happening. You're knocked up and married, and Annie is officially engaged. I guess that I realize that I'm going to be alone soon."
"You won't be alone. You can come my house anytime. Peeta and I are always happy to have you. I'm sure that Annie and Finnick will be the same way."
"I can be Crazy Aunt Jo-Jo," the bob-haired girl smirked. "Maybe I need to start a cat collection."
Just then Peeta poked his head out the door and asked, "Is everything alright out here?"
"Yeah, we're coming back in. I know better than to deprive a pregnant woman of cake," Johanna answered and helped Katniss up, and they went back into the house.
Inside Finnick was getting ready to pop the cork on a bottle of champagne. Johanna hugged him and Annie and let them know that she was happy for them.
Annie passed out the flutes of bubbly alcohol to everyone, even Katniss had a few sips.
They played cards after dinner; Finnick and Johanna favored penny poker. Then after a while someone suggested that they play euchre. Since it was a four-player game, Katniss took the opportunity to use the powder room. On the way out she ran into Gale, who also sat out of the hand.
They exchanged subdued hellos. Katniss did what was polite and asked about his family, and he did the same. After a few tense seconds, Katniss commented, "So you and Jo."
"Yeah, she's a good time," he said with a shadow of a smile.
"I hope you realize she's not like Cassie Snow or the other girls you used to sneak around with," Katniss shared. "She might seem rough, but she is really a good person. I don't want to see her get hurt."
"Do you think that I am that much of a jerk?" Gale asked, with a hint of hurt in his voice.
"I know that you can be," she replied honestly.
"How so?"
"For starters, you told everyone in high school that we were together."
"Yeah, it kept guys from harassing you," he defended himself.
"And it kept Peeta away from me too," she hissed. "Then everyone knew that you were a ladies' man and then I looked like a fool who simply tolerated it. I know you meant well, but I didn't need you to protect me."
"But here you are protecting Johanna," he pointed out.
"I'm looking out for her because no one ever really has before," she said softly. She knew that Gale could be judgmental about certain things, and she didn't know how he would feel about Johanna having had a baby out of wedlock. He had had several trysts, but for some reason for most guys it was different with girls.
"If it makes you feel better, I am planning on introducing her to my mom…She'll be only the second girl I've ever taken to my family. That accounts for something, right? I do like her, Katniss. She tells me things straight up and I'm not constantly second-guessing her."
"I'm glad to hear it," she said. Gale headed towards the powder room, and she went to join the others. Peeta offered for her to sit in his lap so that he could teach her to play.
Gale came and sat with Johanna and put his arm around her shoulders. It was nice to witness.
Finally about midnight Katniss and Peeta left. It was obvious that Peeta wanted to ask about her and Gale's conversation but to his credit, he stayed off the subject until they got home.
"What did Gale have to say?" Peeta asked, as casually as he could while they entered their house. She knew that although he would deny it that he was still the slightest bit jealous.
"I told him that he needed to treat Johanna well," she replied while she took off her coat.
"Did you threaten to beat him beat him up?" he asked hopefully.
"I didn't have too," she said in mock seriousness. "We grew up together. He knows what I can do to him."
"Like what?"
"I used to be able to regularly beat him at wrestling," Katniss said with a bit of pride and turned to her husband.
"Really?" he asked and gathered her up in his arms.
"Yeah, really. Twist his arm behind his back or kick his shin and he was finished. It never lasted very long." She rolled her eyes.
"Why don't we wrestle?" he posed and let his hands drop to her waist.
"Because you would let me win and that would be no fun," she said and rose up in her toes to kiss him.
"It would be fun for me," he assured her.
"But not for me. Maybe I want you to win…or at least to try to win," she whispered and began to pop his buttons.
"Now what kind of husband would I be if I manhandled my pregnant wife?" he teased.
"A good one, if she asked for it," she promised and kissed him in such a way that told him that they had talked enough. Their clothes fell to the floor and made a path to their bedroom.
There was a bit of wrestling involved, much to Katniss's satisfaction. In a quick, sweeping move he picked her up and set her on the bed. He ran his hands up her arm, as if he were going to hold her hands, although she was surprised when he instead gripped her firmly yet gently by the wrists and held her hands above her head. Peeta stared at into her eyes with an unsure expression; he was asking for permission. She granted it with a breathy 'yes.'
Slowly, torturously, he paid attention to her breasts with the flat of his tongue and a nip of his teeth, until she begged him to touch her.
He changed his hold on her from her hands to her hips and bowed his head in between her to taste her dripping folds and took her over the edge in record time. Katniss was enjoying all this little game even more than she thought she would, but now she was ready to fight back.
Peeta loosened his hold and sat back while she recovered. She sat up in front of him. Peeta leaned in to kiss her, and she pretended to be doing the same, but just before their lips met she took a hold of his shoulders and pushed his back towards the bed. He didn't put up a fight.
"I thought you wanted me to win?"
"I lied. You just fell into my trap." She smirked in victory and straddled him. She wrapped her hand around him, guided him into her, and eased her body down inch by inch, allowing her body to stretch to accommodate him. She took her time rising and falling, savoring the full sensation and enjoying his pleas to go faster. Katniss allowed him some mercy, cradled her pregnant belly with one hand, braced herself on his chest with the other, and sped up. Soon he was warning her that he was close and she became bolder in her movements. He matched her thrust for thrust until he stiffened under her.
She felt a little disappointed thinking that he would most likely beat her to the finish. Thankfully he was never one to leave her hanging. Unexpectedly Peeta's thumb pressed and circled that sensitive bud that he could manipulate so well. "Don't stop," she moaned.
Katniss fell apart just before he did. She collapsed on him, and they lay entwined in the darkness while they recovered.
"I think that was a tie," Peeta joked.
"Don't get used to it," she deadpanned. "Once this baby is born, I won't go so easy on you."
He chuckled. "I'll take that as challenge."
Thanks for reading!
You can also find me on tumblr, were I have FFFs that I have never published on fanfic and Ao3, fanart, and previews for all my fics. I use the same name there, izzysamson.
