Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Time flew by. Tomorrow was my wedding. And telling people about it wasn't easy, not at all. Part of me thought that they would judge me. That they would criticize me. I didn't want that. We were getting married because we were happy together. We loved and needed each other. And joining together forever was just another sign of our love. That was what marriage was about, wasn't it?

The person who was easiest to tell was Johanna. Her scream on the other side of the phone was nearly ear-piercing. She then asked me if I was pregnant. What kind of question is that? I just told her that Peeta and I were getting married, and she asked me that. I obviously wasn't pregnant nor intended to be for a long time. But after that I had a small argument with Peeta. And it was confirmed. Peeta wanted children.

Remembering that made my skin prickle. Peeta didn't want to understand that I couldn't have children. I couldn't condemn them to a life of suffering. I couldn't allow their dreams to be filled with nightmares from hearing their mother screaming. Or to see their father standing still, clenching his teeth and tightening his fists. No, he had to understand that I couldn't let that happen to them.

Without a doubt, the person who was hardest to tell the news to was Gale. I knew that he wouldn't like it. That perhaps he would hang up the phone. Besides, he had been my best friend for a long time; he had helped and supported me in the toughest moments. Thanks to him, my life in the forest wasn't so bad. And because of all this, I wanted him to be there for me on that day.

"Gale?"

"Katniss? Is that you? I didn't expect for you to call so soon… Is something wrong?"

"No…well yes…nothing bad, though." I didn't know how to tell him, how to approach the topic.

"Tell me…you're starting to worry me."

"Yes…yes." I nervously started to play with the phone cable. "As you know…Peeta and I are in a relationship…an intense one."

"Uh-huh."

"And well…he and I…"

"Are you trying to tell me that you're going to marry him?" My mouth went dry.

"Yes."

"Catnip…I don't recognize you…"

"People change and mature, Gale."

"You're changed too much."

"Maybe so, but you can't say that it's just because I didn't choose you."

"It's not because of that…it's just that I miss you."

You're the one who drifted away…come back."

"You know I can't."

"Or you don't want to." I sighed. "Will you be here that day?"

"I don't know," he mumbled.

"Gale… you know how important you are to me. I hope… I hope you come."

"Katniss….I have to hang up." He sounded disengaged.

"Bye, Gale."

Gale hung up without saying good-bye. I bet that he had gotten mad at me. But I couldn't help it, Peeta and I were getting married and that was that. And even now, two months since we had that conversation, he was still mad. He hasn't called me, hasn't written me, and hasn't even responded to my wedding invitation. And I feared that I wouldn't see him again. Gale was my friend, and I cared about him, I didn't want him to leave again.

Possibly the worst thing for Peeta was telling my mother. For me it was foolishness, but he insisted on asking my mother for my hand. As if that was going to change anything in between us. Even if my mother had said no, my plans with Peeta would have been the same.

Peeta had picked up the phone when I hadn't been paying attention, and dialed my mother's phone number instantly.

"Mrs. Everdeen?" I heard him talking from the kitchen, and I ran all the way to the living room. But even though I heard the sound of someone else on the side of the telephone, I couldn't understand what my mother was saying.

"Yes…this is Peeta. I was calling you to ask you something… important." My mother only spoke for three seconds.

"I…" this time Peeta looked at me. "I wanted to ask you for Katniss' hand. I want to marry her, ma'am." I blushed furiously, afraid of my mother's reaction. This time, my mother's murmur lasted a few more seconds.

"I know, ma'am." But you know that I will care for her and protect her forever." Peeta was also blushing, and he was starting to stutter.

This time her voice sounded louder, a signal that she was yelling.

"I will. Thank you, Mrs. Everdeen. I hope you agree to come. Good-bye. See you soon."

It had been a poor conversation, just like the other ones that my mother had had since Prim had died. Perhaps she had said more to Peeta than what she usually said to me. But that didn't matter anymore. Peeta had permission to marry me. Although to be honest, her permission didn't make any difference to me; I was going to marry Peeta no matter what, without caring if anyone tried to intercede.

Tonight I would sleep away from Peeta. And this pained my soul, but in the end Annie had convinced me that it was good luck to not see the bride until the ceremony. Or at least that's how it was done in her district. I had to repeat to myself over and over again that it was the last night of my life away from him, that tomorrow he would be mine. Just mine. Laid across my bed, I couldn't help but gaze at my engagement ring. It was beautiful; I hoped my wedding ring was just like it.

I closed my eyes, thanking heaven that no one in the Capitol had found out.

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous, the nerves gathered in my stomach and in my head. They made both parts of my anatomy throb and strain, almost painfully. And I couldn't understand why, nothing about our lives was going to change. We would continue living together, sleeping together, holding each other. He would continue working at the bakery like he had been doing for two weeks, and I would keep helping him. Nothing was going to change.

A few loud knocks on my bedroom door made me wake up, startled; I didn't recall falling asleep. Without waiting for a response, Johanna came into the bedroom like a whirlwind.

"Wake up, Brainless; you have a lot to do before you tie the knot with bread boy."

"Don't say it as if it were a punishment." I yawned and half-closed my eyes when I closed the curtains, making the bright sunlight enter through the window.

"It is a punishment…what's the point of signing a paper?"

"Johanna, weddings are supposed to be romantic." I remembered Annie and Finnick's wedding in Thirteen. And even though it feels like a punch to the stomach to remember him, their faces in that moment reminds me that it's worth it.

"Well then get your ass hauling and take a shower. You only have three hours left of being single."

"Only? To be honest, I'm ready for it to be over already…if it was for me, it would just be me and Peeta."

"Yeah, I get it."

"Do you? Have you ever been in love?"

"That's not for me, brainless…come on, move that pretty ass."

I sighed and stood up. I headed to the bathroom and avoided the mirror, getting in the shower. I scrubbed my body, letting the hot water relax me. I was more nervous than the day before, much more. I got out of the shower and went into my bedroom. I wore something comfortable and went downstairs for breakfast.

For the first time since Peeta had returned to my kitchen, it didn't smell like fresh-baked bread, but even then there was a small basket of cheese buns on the table. I smiled and picked one up as I prepared two cups of hot chocolate, while Johanna devoured another one of the buns without any restraint.

"I get why you're marrying him now."

"Why?"

"This is delicious…"

"I know." I placed a mug in front of her and sat down beside her.

"You look nervous."

"I am, I can't help it, and I don't even know why…"

"Brides tend to be, it's normal."

"I suppose…"

"Come on; finish up…"she drank her hot chocolate in one gulp. "I'll help you get ready."

"You?" I nearly choked on the last bite of my bun.

"Yes, me. Move it."

I left my mug half empty and after washing the dishes, we headed to my bedroom. I wasn't sure what she was going to do to me, and the truth was that it scared me a little. She sat down on the bed and stared at me.

"What do you plan on doing with your hair?"

"I want it loose and wavy, the way Peeta likes it. Nothing weird or sophisticated. I just want to be me."

"Uh-huh…that sounds good." I smiled gratefully at her.

She stood up, and without saying a word she slipped out of the bedroom only to return a few minutes later with a huge makeup bag and a chair. She made me sit on the chair and insisted that I stay still, and then started working on my hair without letting me say anything.

"I didn't know that besides chopping off trees, you were also dedicated to cosmetology," I tried to tease, but the look on her face made me shut my mouth.

"I wouldn't laugh now; I could leave you bald, Sweetheart."

I coughed and let her continue without another word. Her threat was enough. A few minutes later, she left my hair alone and began caking my face with makeup. This was definitely far from the usual crazy and almost masculine Johanna. I could imagine her hunting with me, not doing my makeup. It was extremely strange. She pulled back after a few minutes. It didn't seem like she had used too much of it.

She walked back, satisfied with her work, and opened the closet to take out the dress enclosed in a garment bag. I came closer and lowered the zipper to open it. Before me was the perfect dress. It was white, as it was custom in the district. And it was designed by Cinna; it couldn't have been any other way. It was the simplest dress out of all of the ones he had designed for my previous false engagement. It was long, reaching all the way to my feet, while the torso adjusted perfectly to my body. No straps, no jewels; the only touch of color was a carbon-colored ribbon that was decorated sash-like around the waist. It was beautiful, ideal for me.

I let Johanna leave so that I could get dressed. For my undergarments I wore a lace set like I had been doing lately, in this case it had to be completely white. I then put on the dress, although I had to ask for help so that I could zip it up correctly.

I looked at the time on the alarm clock and saw that I still had 45 minutes until I had to go to the Justice Building. After signing the stupid papers, we could come back home and do the toasting ritual. That was what I wanted to do.

Johanna went to get ready, and I took advantage of this time so that I could look at myself in the mirror. She had done a spectacular job. My hair was perfect. It was much better than what I would have been able to do by myself. And the makeup was natural, nothing overdramatic, nothing too scary. You could even say that I looked attractive. Even I would admit it.

As soon as Johanna finished and confirmed that Peeta had already left, we walked to the Justice Building in front of the attentive glances that people were giving us. Obviously few of them knew that today I would take a big step. Their glances intimidated me and made my cheeks burn, but I tried not to pay too much attention to it. I wanted this; I didn't care what anyone else thought.

When we reached the Justice Building, my eyes went directly to my mother; she was standing at the entrance with Effie and Haymitch. For a moment I had feared that she wouldn't come. And even though I would have liked to reproach her for not helping me get ready, she was here, and I knew that it was the only thing that this woman could give me. I knew that her motherly love had disappeared the day that the mines had exploded, taking my father away from us. And it had been buried the day that Prim had died. I don't know what I was to her, but I was sure that the feelings that she had towards me were not those that a mother had for her children. This was another one of the reasons that I didn't want to have children. I didn't want a child to live without its mother's love.

My mother approached me with cautious steps, as if she was afraid, but when she was only a few steps away, she drew a forced smile on her face.

"You look beautiful, dear." I felt as if she was hesitating.

"Thank you, Mother." I managed to smile a little. I didn't want to have any bad thoughts on my wedding day.

"If only your father and Prim could see you." My heart clenched a bit, and I felt in that moment as if I were doing wrong by trying to be happy, keeping in mind all of the deaths that I had on my back.

"I know, Mother," I cut her off. It was my day to be happy, and I wasn't going to let her take that away from me.

Fortunately, Haymitch approached us and hugged me tightly, lifting me from the ground. I hadn't expected so much affection from his part, so I let out a squeal that made Johanna and Effie laugh.

"You ready, Sweetheart?"

"Of course…I'm ready to sign those papers and go back home."

"Perhaps it'll be more than just signing a few simple papers…"

"What?"

"You'll see…let's go on in."

He offered me his arm and I grabbed it gently; my nerves attacked my stomach again, contracting it with an annoying tingle. We went into the building and made a few turns in the hallway. We went inside the small living room with a few stools arranged in a line, occupied by people that I knew. My people, my friends, for the sake of giving them a title. And there, at the front of the room, in an enormous table, Peeta was waiting for me with his impeccable groom's tuxedo. He was extremely handsome. He waited for me, and smiled.

A/N- The Wedding is coming! I bet Johanna's stylist side took you by surprise, haha! Once again, thank you for reading me, all of you are a great support for this crazy writer's brain.

T/N- Four more chapters guys, we're almost there! I'm going to try to get them done fast so I won't have to make you wait too long. Who's excited for the honeymoon and the toasting? I know I am! ;D Thank you so much to everyone who's had the patience to stick with me this whole time—it'll be a year in September, so I'm trying to get this done before the end of the summer.

Teaser:

Fortunately, my boy with the bread joined me instantly. He took my hand again, and we approached the scorching chimney. In front of this, he had extended a white sheet with gold embroidery. Our names and today's date were sown in one corner. Peeta helped me kneel down with one of his hands, since his other one was holding the rack to place the bread in, which was wrapped in a silk cloth.

Love you guys!

Fire Kisses!