Sorry this took so long… I've been reading the Fifty Shades trilogy… Something new might be in the works as well, not fully Fifty Shades inspired because I can't write smut that hawt.

I've also decided to split this story into a few parts, I don't have a number because I don't know how many… This chapter is… muy grande because it ends part one, think of it as an epilogue but still a chapter?

November 2003

"Peeta!" I scream, pulling my knife out and sinking it into the heart of his shooter. I haven't caught my breath as I scramble to the barricade, "No, you can't do this!" I hiss as blood seeps through his pants.

His face is ghost white, the shot so close to his femoral… but luck works in funny ways and the blood oozes instead of spurting, a sure sign that his artery isn't severed.

I palpate the leg, checking for breaks, "How is it?" he asks weakly as I feel the slight crunch and sharp end of his broken femur.

"Remember when my leg was stuck under that building?"

He nods weakly, hissing as I apply pressure, "It's worse than that…" no use in lying… I dig through my pack. Marines don't have medics, we're trained to do two things when someone's bleeding out… Apply a tourniquet which is impossible right now, his femur crunches under my touch far too high to be effective, and apply a substance called quikclot. A lovely clotting agent that heats up to a ridiculously uncomfortable and painful temperature, but it's the only thing we have to save his life and his leg.

I dig through my pack hastily pulling out a triangular bandage, "Bite down…" he listens and I shake out the bag, bringing the contents to the bottom, "Enobaria, get his good leg and hold it down. Jo, Annie, grab his arms," bored Marines are dangerous things… We tend to experiment with the things we have at our disposal. Quikclot being one of them, I've touched some, felt the heat of it… But he'll die without this.

"Ready?" Peeta nods, "Do not move this leg no matter what you do," I caution ripping the bag and pouring the sandy powder in his bleeding wound. It takes a minute before he begins struggling to get away.

I can smell it, reacting with his blood. I have to calm him, he's jerking round he'll push the bone through the skin, "Peeta!" I put my hands on the side of his face to try and distract him, "I love you!" I he stops and stares at me, the confession his immediate focus, "And I'm sorry… I'm sorry I couldn't have told you the morning you were captured. I was scared, but I'm not anymore… And you can't be either," I kiss his sweaty forehead.

"He's relaxing," Enobaria lets go of his leg, "I'll get something to splint his leg, we have to move upstairs, or out of this hidden corner…"

"Hidden?" I look over my shoulder at the woman, now pulling my knife out of a man's heart and cleaning it on her leg.

"I ran for it the first night, we're in a back corner a door that looks just like the wall blocking the view. This is a hidden bunker."

That's why we didn't get back-up, "But the gunfire is done… Guess we won…" Johanna grumbles.

"Don't count your Doe's before you gut 'em," I tell her taking the broken pieces of wood Enobaria hands to me and positioning them at the sides of Peeta's legs.

Peeta removes the bandage form his mouth, his teeth cutting through the cloth in places making it difficult for me to fasten the splint with it, "Katniss?" I look up as I tie the bandage, "That is the most disgusting thing I think I've ever heard out of your mouth…" his voice is weak but I smile as his hand brushes my cheek, "and you have a terrible mouth."

I grin and snap my teeth like a shark, "If we lift you up can you stand on your good leg?" he nods, this is going to be difficult. Even though he's dropped a good few pounds Peeta's still solidly built but we have to get out of this bunker.

"I'm so tired…" he whispers as I loop my arms under his armpits, Enobaria and Johanna holding his hands.

This isn't good, "One… Two… Three," he doesn't scream in pain but he wants to, I know he does. I can feel his pain and his fear and it threatens to rip my heart out of my chest, but we get him to his feet.

"One of you get my rifle, one of you get my pistol and let's go…" I look at Annie still huddled in the corner, "Actually… Give me the handgun, Enobaria, take my rifle, Jo, get Annie…"

Moving Peeta is easier said than done, already weak from hunger the one leg out of commission doesn't help, as well as the body pile we've left, "Lead the way Lieutenant," I huff, "God Peeta you weigh a ton…" I shake him a little as we ease our way down the hall, "Keep your eyes open, if you fall asleep there is no way we can carry you…"

We reach the end of the hall, "Lieutenant… This is-" but she pulls on a rope, actually moving the wall. That's how they couldn't find me. The door was made of the drywall that lined the basement walls.

When we cross the threshold we're met by laser sites, "We come in peace!" Johanna hisses, "Damnit that's my eye!" she swats at the beam of light as if that will get it off her.

"Everdeen!"

"He's shot… His leg…" Thresh and Abernathy take Peeta's weight off my shoulders.

I refuse to let go of Peeta's hand once we're in the chopper, the only thing that breaks our grasp is medics rushing him and the others to the "hospital" and General Coin standing with her arms crossed behind her back waiting for me.

"Well, you did it, you've returned four POW's just in time for Thanksgiving," I look at the sun rising over the horizon, the sky turning a light purple, "Wash up and come to my office. I believe you have phone calls to make…"

We salute, "Ma'am yes, ma'am."

I hurry from her, just so she can't change her mind. The water runs black and green as the heavy paint runs off my face. I take inventory of my injuries. There's a perfect impression from the rifle stock under my left eye and a large deep bruise around my neck, but that's it…

Before heading to Coin's office I open Gale's door, his light's off but I know he's not sleeping, "Catnip…" he jumps up, "How is she where…"

"Medical ward, go get your woman…" I know Peeta isn't out of the clear, I know this injury is it for him. If he's not Honorably Discharged he'll be sent home to heal, they all will.

I knock on Coin's door but she only opens it to hand me the phone numbers.

It's 0520 here, eight ish hours behind for Peeta, nine for Enobaria and Johanna, and Ten for Annie.

"Hello, Jacob Enobaria?"

"Yes?" his voice is so sad, so hallow.

"It's Sergeant Everdeen… Overnight we led an operation to liberate your wife and the three other Marines held prisoner," I'm getting to the point but he doesn't let me finish.

"What happened, is she ok? Can I speak to her?"

"We're pleased to inform you that she's safe. She's being examined and will hopefully be able to call tomorrow."

"Thank you…" he cries, "God bless you…"

"Thank you sir, have a wonderful evening…" I go to hang up the phone before I hear him shouting, "Baby girl! Mommy's safe!" I smile and hang up.

I dial Peeta's number from memory, the number feeling so natural with the familiar area code, "Hello?"

It's his father, I would know his voice anywhere. I traded him squirrels for bread, he had a soft spot for the things.

"Mister Mellark. My name is Sergeant Everdeen-"

"Little Katniss?" he asks from memory.

"Y-yes, that's me," I wrap my finger around my braid, "Last night we lead an mission to liberate the four POW's, your son being one of them…"

"Is he safe? Is he alive?"

I bite my lip, "He was shot sir, in the leg. He's in the hospital now, but…"

"He's safe… Thank you, thank you…"

I bite my lip, "He was shot saving me…" sneaks out of my mouth before I can stop it.

Then Mister Mellark says the one thing I need to hear, the one thing that pulls me out of the terrible guilt spiral, "That's his job."

"Thank you, sir, and happy Thanksgiving."

He sniffles a little, I imagine the tall broad baker from my home town reduced to tears, a feat I never thought possible, "There's so much to be thankful for this year…"

I knock on Coin's door again, "Here you go general." She takes the papers from my hands, to return them to the proper files, or to get someone else to do it, "Thank you again, the mission you orchestrated went off without a hitch, we've rescued our POW's and didn't lose a single life," I tell her in the most sincere voice possible, if I let her think I'm telling everyone it was her plan all along maybe I could fly under her radar again. Maybe she'd look past my many acts of insubordination.

"Thank you, Sergeant Everdeen. I'll have you know it wasn't all my plan, a stubborn young Sergeant that is a lot like myself when I was her age reminded me that war isn't just a game of chess, it's a game of risks." I nod and smile.

"Good day, and happy thanksgiving, ma'am," she nods and closes her office door.

The base is buzzing about the mission, but I push myself into the medical ward. Annie is situated on a bed, Finnick's arms unable to let her go. Johanna and Gale are next to her, they're trying to feed both of them. Get something in them.

"Everdeen… Come here," Odair starts I sit at the edge of Annie's bed.

"Where's Peeta? And Enobaria?" I look over the beds, Scotts and Danielson are getting stitches, but other than that there's no one other than nurses.

"Enobaria discharged herself about a half hour ago. Peeta's in surgery to repair his leg… It's bad Katniss," I nod, resting my hand on Annie's leg.

"Well, it's out of our hands now…" I whisper, "But what about you? I haven't heard a word out of you all evening."

I spoke too soon, she lunges for me, wrapping her frail arms around me, "For everyone…" she whispers, "From the three of us."

"There were four of you captured…" I stroke her hair, they still haven't been able to shower, it's greasy and wreaks of sweat.

"Annie's pregnant…" I look to Finnick, his usual cocky grin replaced with a proud one, "We were… suspect when she was captured but they tested her."

"Coin is sending me home in a few days once they're sure we're fine… I'll go back to North Carolina, work back in my shop again until I have to go on maternity leave," she wraps her arms around me, tears soaking my t-shirt, "Thank each and every one of them for me." I nod and pat her back.

"I will, I promise…" she goes to lie back down, fatigue getting the best of her, "You parents were happier to hear from me this time…" I tell them with a smile. The door to the ward opens and closes with a slam.

"Sergeant Everdeen…" the loud footsteps stop and I look up to see Major Abernathy, "General Coin would like me to present you with this," I stand up and walk to him, he's holding my chevron for Gunnery Sergeant. No, there's an extra rocker, and a diamond.

"Tell her to keep it, I haven't earned it yet. And if she'll allow it I'd like to be tested for gunny."

His old eyes smile, "You're Abraham's kid alright… Which is why I've scheduled it for tomorrow, at 0800," I smile and nod.

"Thank you, Major…"

"Actually, you'll find it's Lieutenant Colonel, sweetheart, please address me as such," I don't care about professionalism, I throw my arms around him.

He stiffens but eases into the hug, "Thank you… Between your pushing me and you pushing her… we did it, we got them home… You can go back to see your baby, your wife, your daughters."

"And what about you?"

I look over the happy couples and the emotions I've been pushing away for the last twenty four hours, the emotions I should have felt the second my boyfriend was shot and bleeding out but my mind pushed away so we could complete our objective.

"Everdeen?" his voice is softer as he places his hand on my cheek with a father's touch.

I swat his hand away, and turn on my heels as a nurse approaches, "Sergeant Everdeen, Sergeant Mellark is out of surgery and was asking for you. Says you're his next of kin."

Next of kin… Next of kin? They only need those if… I push past the nurse heading for the door she just entered in, "Peeta!" I called.

"Sergeant Everdeen!" a hand pulls me and shoves me into the wall, "You can't go bursting into doors especially in his fragile state!" the nurse hisses.

"Sorry… I just. Wait, he was asking for me?"

She looks at me glumly, "The anesthetist can't explain it, says it's a one in a million shot… He woke up as we were pacing his leg in traction," my heart clenches. Poor… poor Peeta, "He didn't scream… Only asked if you were safe."

I cautiously open the door to his room, he's not able to recover with the general population needing what looks like a pulley system to keep him from moving his leg… or to stretch it out. She said he was in traction, "You should be sleeping Sergeant Mellark," all business.

"As should you, ma'am," he grunts trying to sit up, but the traction holds him in a half seated position.

I pull the chair in the corner next to his bed and without asking, or even hinting at my actions run my fingers along his hairline, traveling down the side of his cheek and his strong jaw, "You're real…"

He grabs my hand with cobra like reflexes and kisses my knuckles, "What were you thinking, running off alone?"

"I didn't…" I lean forward and rest my head on his chest, he flinches a little, "I'm sorry!" I jerk up, "Did I hurt you?"

He smiles, "No, I… I'm just a little jumpy is all, come back down," I nod and nuzzles into his chest as his hand, in a powder blue brace strokes my hair, "You should have someone look at this…" his thumb strokes my bruise, it hurts, but I missed his touch so much…

"It's fine, it'll fade," my fingers trace the bruise on my neck, "As will this…"

We sit, well, he half sits and I have lay studying each other. I have so many questions, but none I want to force on him, there's a pale scar under his eye that's new, cuts litter his arms…

What did they do to him?

"You're shaking…" I look up, small tremors take his hands which he hides from me but I take his arm and examine his good hand, the one not in a splint.

"It's the anesthesia," a nurse sets down a tray, "It has this effect on some people, only they're usually sleep through this," she messes with his IV, checks his eyes and nods, "Are you hungry, Sergeant Mellark?"

"Starved," he yawns.

"I left some food on the table, eat at your leisure," and she leaves us.

I go for the bowl, the same stew I had before leaving, "Here…" I scrape the bottom of the spoon on the bowl and offer the spoon.

"Katniss, you don't have to feed me…"

"Why?" I cock my head a little to the side, "You feed me once… Plus," I shove the spoon in his mouth, "With your shaking hands, you'll make a mess."

"You'll make a great mom someday…" he finally tells me, I set the now empty bowl down and push it to the side.

"I'm not having kids…" I whisper looking away. How could I tell this to the man I loved, that I never intend on having a family, that I just want to throw myself into work until I retire so I never have to worry about going through what my mother did or more importantly putting him through that, "I'm not the domestic type…"

He shifts and a dopy grin spreads across his face, "Someday I'm going to make you my wife Sergeant Everdeen," his eyes are glassy, clearly still under the effects of whatever drugs they pumped him full of.

"Sergeant Mellark, I believe you're proposing to me. Though I only take marriage proposals from sober men," I smirk, "In fine suits with candles and flowers and romance."

"I'll take note babe…" he shifts uncomfortably.

We sit in a strange silence neither of us wanting to be the first to probe the awkward air, "Sergeant Everdeen?" I look over my shoulder, I've never been so happy to see General Coin, "I thought I'd find you here, I need you in my office… Now."

I shoot one last look at my boyfriend, awkwardness aside, I don't want to leave him for a second, "Yes ma'am."

She leaves and I sneak a chaste kiss, "Sleep, that's an order," I motion to my eyes and to him to tell him that I'm watching before hurrying behind the General.

November 2003

"Peeta proposed…" I squint up staring at the sun, "Well, kind of. He was really spacy from the pain killers and post-surgery," I wipe the sweat from my brow watching the plane carrying Major… pardon, Lieutenant Colonel Abernathy, Johanna, Annie and Enobaria.

"So naturally you tucked your tail between your legs and ran away?"

"I called his bluff, kind of… Then the General came to call the debriefing meeting…" I took my hat off again to wipe the sweat from my brow.

"You're going back home to move Peeta down to Lejeune right?" Gale asks shifting his rifle from one arm to another, I should be sleeping now, but I had to see my friends off.

I cock an eyebrow, "Yeah, why?"

He lowered his mirrored aviators, "Well, I got ahold of Waterfall, finally, he agreed to meet with you, I need to get that ring from him."

My jaw hit the dusty Iraq ground, "I can't! Gale!" I hiss, "Waterfall and my grandfather are like brothers, you know how that situation is going…"

"Catnip!" he whines, "Your grandfather won't even be near there, he'll probably be at some lab or some shit…"

I sigh and sit on the ground, looking up at him, "So it's true? They're all cooking again?" I throw a rock, "And here I thought they went straight…"

"Please, so long as Cray looks the other way the Hawthorne's and Everdeen's will be supplying upstate Pennsylvania with crank…" he yawns and joins me on the ground, "But apparently they've forgiven your turning your back on them and moving Lillian and Prim away from their blood."

I'm in a tunnel made by my anger, "Lot of fucking nerve they have!" I hiss.

"Katniss… It was years ago, and you won't even be near the Seam, you'll be in town with your townie fiancé."

"I didn't say yes," I remind him, "I'm not getting married Gale…"

"You should," I gawk at him, here I thought he understood!

"Don't look at me like that Catnip, after... everything you didn't go and hide, you fought. Hard. You're not your mother, your every bit a female version of Abraham Everdeen."

I stand up, "Gale, I've swayed for a lot of things, but this is the one thing I'm holding true. I'm willing to open up physically, but I mean come on, it took him getting captured for me to admit I loved him."

"Please, we didn't know he was taken when we were in that hole!" he argues.

"Gale! To his face!" I put my sunglasses on, "He should be out of surgery now. I'm going back. Kay?"

"Yeah, yeah…" he looks up at the disappearing plane holding his girlfriend and maybe future wife.

Christmas 2003

"Just open it, it's from me," I tell my sister through the webcam, it's Christmas morning, the first Christmas I've ever not been home.

She pulled at the red silk strap of the long box, I told my mom to jazz it up, she didn't disappoint.

She shakes the box, "Is it jewelry?" they had settled into their new home in North Carolina, everything was ready for Peeta and I to arrive in the spring. Though he was leaving after the new year and I not until late February.

"Something more precious."

She opens the necklace box there's a single piece of paper, "February 23, 2004… What is that?"

"It's the day I return to the states," there's a few second delay on the feed but I can see her eyes well up.

"Oh Katniss!" I see my mother in the background, smiling, "Wait until we get you from-"

"I'll be driving home from Pennsylvania, Peeta's moving in remember?" she pouts, "I have some business to attend to in Wilkes-Barre as well. I won't be home until the end of March."

She nods, teary, "But I'll know you're safe," I nod, not willing to tell her that now I was a Gunnery Sergeant I was slightly more logistical than before spending most of my time with patrol plans and weaponry. I had only seen Baghdad four more times and each one resulted in the loss of life… But she didn't need to hear about that.

"Of course, and guess what?"

She leans into the camera, hanging on my words, "You're getting married?" she asks, excidedly.

I roll my eyes, "No Primrose, we're getting a dog."

I pull the picture I had stolen from Peeta to show Prim, "Her name is Phoenix," I hold the picture of the rusty brown boxer with the dopy dog eyes to the camera, "And I'll feed her double if she puts Buttercup in his place."

She gasps, pulling the ever watchful cat to her lap, "Katniss you wouldn't!"

I roll my eyes and look at the picture, the dog was cute, and Peeta assured me that she was good with his mother's cat… That's good enough for me.

"Oh my sweet little duck, you know I would!" I stand up and start shrugging on my jacket, it was cold, well… Cool this evening. Peeta and I concluded that we wouldn't exchange gifts mostly because I refused to accept anything since denying his proposal, which he vaguely remembered and was laughing about.

"You're going?" she asks her voice unable to hide her sorrow.

"I have to work little duck…" a fair amount of people have the night off and I had one of my last patrols with Thresh who was leaving the same day as Peeta.

"But it's Christmas…" she whines attached to her beliefs that Christmas was the one day of the year where everyone puts down their guns and hugs…

Or the day we lost three more in the city.

Everyone was a little more upbeat as I walked to the Armory, probably for New Years, "Happy Christmas!" a British soldier saluted.

"Merry Christmas sir," I grinned taking a detour to the hospital where the love of my life was currently teaching himself how to speak Mandarin.

New Years

Everyone who wasn't currently on watch was in the Dining Hall, cameras placed strategically to feed back to the states our celebration, there were two combat journalists out and about taking interviews and getting people to say how much they loved and missed their family.

"Here," a grainy ultrasound picture was pushed across the table, "There's my son!"

"Or daughter," Peeta reminded him, finally able to leave the hospital in a wheelchair. He had three more surgeries and battled an nasty infection that almost lead to them cutting the leg off until they could put pins in screws in to hold his femur together.

Finnick looked panicked, "Daughter? I can't handle one of those! They get in trouble, bring home men!"

I rolled my eyes and picked at my food, my second dinner but I was starving, "Please, men are intimidated by a military dad, and a military mom? Any man that possible girl will bring home will toe a narrow line… Inside your house."

He looked relieved then panicked again, understanding what I meant, "Everdeen!" I leaned into Peeta and laughed, "Wait until you two have kids! I'm going to cause you all kinds of panic! I'll turn your black hair grey little miss!"

I rolled my eyes, not hashing up this argument again, "What time is it babe?" Peeta asks putting his hand on my knee to pull me out of my scowling match with Odair.

"2357, last three minutes of 2003," I hold up my glass, "Cheers, to a better year than this one!" we clink our plastic glasses and I down my water. Though we were all sober, alcohol being forbidden during active duty (which we were on twenty four seven) the hall was getting rowdier. Soldiers and Marines who earlier in the day had a pissing match in the firing range which I was told to stay out of by a Soldier, and then on the basketball court were getting along. There was a sense of urgency in the brotherhood between the Armed Forces this season, we were really all that we had this far away from our family.

"Ten! Nine! Eight!" Peeta laced his fingers with mine as the room counted down.

"Three! Two! One!" I leaned in and pressed my lips against his, my hands finding his now shaggy blonde curls as his own found the back of my neck, pulling me close. His lips ignited a fire deep within my soul, it was a feeling I never wanted to forget, never wanted to stop feeling. I never wanted to let this man out of my sight or spend a day without him, though soon we'd be spending two long months away from each other.

I knew what I had to do, something I never thought I could, "Peeta?" I asked after the kiss broke.

He pulled away, smiling, "I love you, Katniss Everdeen…"

I cleared my throat, "Remember the question you asked me in the hospital? Well… The statement…" he eyed me cautiously as squeezed his hand tightly, "Well… We should do it," oh shit, where is my mouth going, "We should get married. I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend the rest of my life with."

He smirked, "Sergeant Everdeen, I believe you're proposing."

I blushed, my eyes darting to Major Odair who just sat with his arms crossed, the room had an uneasy hush about it.

People are watching Peeta, please don't make a scene.

"I might be…" I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

He strokes his bottom lip, extending my pain and anxiety, a camera had moved close to us, surely this was going to be taped. Oh shit, oh shit… Come on Peeta.

"That's my job you know, and can't get down on one knee," he motions to his leg, the cast should be off in a few weeks, then he has months of physical therapy which will conclude just before I fly home. He takes my hand once more, "Katniss Everdeen, I've known you for years, but haven't been close to you for very long. I'd give my life to save yours and know you'll do the same… Love you with all my heart and as long as it beats this will always be true," I bite my lip, blushing, "You deserve flowers and candles and fancy dress for your proposal, someday I'll make that up to you, but for now… Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

My breath catches in my throat, I shouldn't be this surprised but it's his words… His beautiful words that warm me deep within my core, the room has silenced, well, most of it, waiting on edge for my answer, "Yes!" I throw my arms around him, "Yes! A thousand times yes!"

The hoots and cheers and congratulations threaten to deafen me.

February 23, 2004

My name is Katniss Everdeen. I'm a Gunnery Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. I've been shot, had a building fall on me in an attempt to kill me, and almost lost my job which is my life, because sometimes you just have to speak your mind. I'm the daughter of Lieutenant Abraham Everdeen who lost his life fighting for freedom, which is something I've dedicated my life to. I've spent the last nine months in Iraq away from my mother and sister but there found the beginnings of my new family… With my future husband Peeta Mellark, who spent an agonizing month as a Prisoner of War and will always have the scars, physical and mental, to show for it. He has night terrors regularly which I had to find out about from his father. His mother isn't too happy about our engagement having never met me and knowing my hell raising family. And now I'm rambling in my head, probably to distract me from our final decent into the Philadelphia, where my fiancé awaits.