Okay, so here is the epilogue. People wanted another chapter and I also said I was working on one. So, here it is.
Will there be a sequel, I honestly don't know. People are still waiting for a sequel to my other story and I'm letting them down; I just haven't figured out where I want it to go so, I'm working on the kinks.
One more big thank you for everyone's support. You really have no idea how much it inspires me to go ahead and add another chapter or write another story entirely. So, thank you.
One more thing, if someone could give me one more review because it's killing me that it's at 199...I hate that! So if one of you out there feels compelled to give me one review, I'd appreciate it. (An "It sucks!" works too. So, whatever. Just help me get out of this 199 mess. Thanks in advance :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing, just working with the idea.
"Miss Katniss, Miss Katniss?" The little boy pulls on her pant leg forcing Katniss to look down at him with a smile. The boy shows her a book. "Can you read this one this time?"
"Sure." She tells him as she messes up his hair. The little boy runs back over to the rest of the children.
"I didn't know you could read." Peeta leans against the door frame and stares at Katniss. She eyes him with a smirk.
"Very funny." Katniss tells him as he makes his way over to her. He gives her a quick kiss before the rest of the children see him.
"Officer Peeta!" They all scream.
"Hey!" He bends over so he's at their level. Katniss eyes the interaction curiously. For a man that didn't want children, he was really good with them. She smiled at the thought. She always figured that she would be the one to have to break in order for them to have children, but she couldn't deny how much she felt that he deserved them and so did she.
It was the next step in their relationship anyway. They had officially got married two and half years ago. They dated for six months then, the want and need to be together won out. When Peeta asked her to marry him for real, there was no arguing or desire to wait. So they got married and have been happy since.
They ended up making New Jersey home. It wasn't a very difficult decision when it was truly the place where they fell in love. Of course, they didn't stay in the same house as their first stay. They got a similar house, though, only a couple miles from the original. It was just as beautiful, if not more than their first one, but it was theirs and not the FBI's. Not to mention that their new best friends, Finnick and Annie, lived there too.
Due to Katniss' concerns, Peeta took a desk job with the local PD. He was well overqualified, but he had to leave the FBI to give Katniss some piece of mind. Katniss had noticed that he wasn't really happy with the desk job, but Peeta assured her he would be alright. She had the notion that Peeta was planning something, but he would tell her when he was ready.
Katniss got a job teaching kindergarteners. The idea, initially, scared the crap out of her. She wasn't ready for kids of her own, let alone have to look out for those of strangers. Still, she accepted and it was one of the most interesting teaching jobs she ever had; there was never a dull day in the life of kindergartners. Peeta was currently on assignment as one of the officers in charge of security at the school which included kindergarten to third grade, so Katniss' class knew him well.
She approached Peeta who had his back to her and kissed him on the head. He turned up to look at her with a smile.
"Who wants officer Peeta to read the story today?" Katniss asks. The children go crazy, agreeing to have Peeta read. He stands and the kids head over to the reading circle. He gives Katniss a kiss before taking a seat in front of the children. Katniss goes over to her desk taking the opportunity to set up some basic lesson plans. Every now and then, Katniss caught Peeta's gaze as he read to the children. She laughed as he made funny faces and changed up his voice all for their amusement. She would have to talk to her husband about what was going through her head.
School had been over for a while now, but Katniss was still sitting at her desk. She knew Peeta got off soon and was waiting for him to do his rounds.
"Hey!" Peeta beams at her as he makes his way to her desk. She stands to meet him. "What are you still doing here? You know you're the only teacher still here." He tells her as she pulls him in for a deep kiss.
"We need to talk." Katniss tells him. Peeta quirks his eyebrows at her.
"You know, you're never supposed to start a sentence with those words when you're in a relationship." Peeta says as he leans against her desk. Katniss stands in front of him and caresses his chest.
"Peeta…" She starts.
"Oh god, Katniss! What did I do? You want to break up with me? Worse, you want a divorce! It's Gale, isn't it? I hate the way he looks at you! God! I knew this was too good to be true!" Peeta takes a breath before looking at Katniss, who has a small smile on her face.
"Are you done?" She looks at him. Peeta only nods. Katniss leans into him and whispers, "I want to have a baby." Peeta stills and slowly backs his head away.
"What?!"
"You heard me," Katniss coos.
"Katniss-"
"Peeta, you're so good with them. My kids love you! I could only imagine how our kids would feel about you."
"Our kids?" Peeta repeats. Katniss nods.
"Yes! Our kids. Our babies. You deserve them. We do after everything we've been through."
"Babies?! As in plural?!" Peeta says. He was freaking out and Katniss knew she had to do something fast. So, she kissed him passionately.
"I love you, Peeta. I only want to make you happy." She tries to kiss him again, but he pulls back.
"What if something happens to me, Katniss? You know how I feel about that." Katniss caresses his face.
"What ever happened to 'nothing is ever going to happen to me?'" Peeta chuckles.
"My job is safer now." Peeta states.
"Yes, it is." Katniss whispers as she kisses next to his ear.
"You really think we should have…babies?" Peeta asks.
"We should probably start with baby." They share a brief laugh before Peeta's face gets serious again. Katniss gives him another kiss. "I'll wait, Peeta. When you're ready-"
"Okay." Peeta interrupts.
"What?"
"Okay. Let's have a baby." He kisses her on the cheek and starts for the door. Katniss holds on to his hand keeping him back.
"Just like that?" Katniss asks incredulously.
"You're right! I'm great with kids! It's almost like I was born to have them! Not to mention, it would be great to not be the only Mellark left." Peeta looks at Katniss who grins at him. "Well, more than just you and me." He pulls her to him and kisses her.
"You're sure?" Peeta nods.
"Are you changing your mind now?"
"No! It's just you were just freaking out."
"Not freaking out! In deep thought. Besides, my only excuse is my job. Not because I don't want them because I do and most definitely with you. But I have a plan with the job thing." He kisses her temple. "I'll tell you when I know for sure. Now," He grabs Katniss' coat and her bag. "Let's go have sex!"
"Peeta!" Katniss tries as he pulls her tightly against him and walks them out of the building.
"No condoms! Woohoo!" Peeta shouts in the parking lot as they make their way to the car.
Six Months Later…
Katniss is blinded by the sunlight that Peeta graciously let in when he opened the curtains in their bedroom.
"Peeta!" Katniss throws the covers over her head.
"Wakey, wakey!" Peeta happily exclaims. "It's a beautiful day!"
"Peeta! I am pregnant with your child! You will close those curtains and let me sleep!" Katniss feels the bed dip as Peeta jumps into bed with her. He wraps himself around her and places his head on the bump on Katniss' stomach.
"Tell mommy to wake up! I know you're going to be a daddy's girl." He says making Katniss laugh.
"How do you know it's a girl?"
"I just do! I mean you got pregnant that day we did it in the car. You made me park the car on the side of the road just because you were ovulating. And the center console was leverage, which according to that book, is good for making girls!" Peeta rambles. Katniss laughs uncontrollably.
"Peeta, please! You know how many times we had sex while we were trying to get pregnant?"
"A lot! Not that I'm complaining!" He kisses her stomach.
"Oh, I know you weren't." Peeta smiles at her causing Katniss to match his smile.
"Come on! Get up! I have a big surprise!" He places one more kiss on her stomach, then gives Katniss one on the lips before standing.
Katniss rubs her belly with a sigh. "Why is daddy so annoying?" She whispers to their baby.
When it came to Katniss' diet while she was pregnant, she was allowed to eat whatever she wanted. Peeta just wanted her to be happy and if that meant the baby wanted anything and everything, so be it. He didn't regulate food, but this was too much. She was in a pregnant women's heaven; a decent sized bakery, where the cases were filled with the best sweets and pastries. Katniss had no idea how she never knew this place was in their neighborhood otherwise, this is where Peeta would frequent his midnight runs for her.
"Peeta, what are we doing here?" Katniss asks as her eyes find cheese buns in the glass display and her mouth starts to water. Peeta steps behind the counter and takes some out to give her. "Peeta, you can't just go back there like that!" She tells Peeta while she grabs his arm and drags him over to stand next to her. "What's wrong with you?!" She whisper yells at him. He chuckles.
"It's part of my surprise." He tells her. "I quit my job!" Katniss freezes.
"What?! Peeta! We are having a baby and you quit your job?!"
"Relax. I have money saved and I still have the insurance money from when my family passed."
"Peeta," Katniss wraps an arm around him and places a sweet kiss on his cheek. She knew his family would always be a sore topic. In the brief moment he had mentioned it, she could tell it still bothered him and Katniss didn't like seeing him sad. "I'm sorry."
"No! Katniss, I love you. You are my family and that's why I did this." Peeta opens his arms and gestures around the room.
"I don't get it." Katniss tells him.
"This! The bakery! It's mine. Or ours!" Peeta wraps his arms around her from behind. "Remember how I told you I just couldn't bake anymore after I lost my father?" Katniss nods. "Well, you brought that back for me. While we were fake married and now. You've brought back that passion I once felt a long time ago and I love you for that and many other reasons."
"Peeta, you've done so much for me too." She rubs his arms soothingly.
"I know," he gives her a kiss. "I did this for us." Peeta rubs her belly. "For all of us. I figure this is a safer job then getting shot at and I really enjoy it. It makes me happy!" Katniss places a kiss on his cheek.
"So, this is your bakery?"
"Our bakery, yes." Katniss turns her head at him.
"You sure you want to say that to a pregnant woman?" Katniss tells him with a smile making Peeta laugh.
"Anything for my baby." Katniss gives him a kiss on the lips.
"Aww." Katniss says.
"Not you!" Peeta puts his hand on her stomach. "Isn't that right, baby?" Katniss slaps him away. "Okay, you too, sweetheart."
"Better be." Katniss tells him before stuffing a cheese bun in her mouth.
"Moderation." Peeta tells her. Katniss stuffs another in her mouth.
"Cheese bun Nazi!" Katniss mumbles.