Chapter Summary: With no available females and time running out, Mrs. Mellark did the unthinkable she went to her nemesis's house to ask for one of the Everdeen girls for Peeta to marry. Mrs. Mellark and Mrs. Everdeen went toe to toe in negotiating a marriage contract between Katniss and Peeta. Now it's time for a wedding...

Katniss didn't know what to make of the day. That night she could hardly sleep. In the morning, her mother pulled out a fine wool dress from her days as a merchant. It was a light blue. "Too bad we didn't have time to go to town and rent a white dress for you."

Katniss was nervous. She ran her hands down the sides of the dress. Her mother had braided her hair and soon they were off to the justice building.

Prim was chatting away but she couldn't concentrate on what her sister was saying.

"Katniss," her mother tapped her shoulder.

"Sorry what?"

"Your sister asked you a question," her mother said.

Katniss stared blankly at her mother.

"Katniss I know you're nervous and you did not want to marry. But I secured you the best possible agreement. Peeta is a good match. He is gentle, and he advocated for you. Whether you want to stay with him at the end of the year, that is up to you."

Her mother was right the decision to stay with Peeta or leave at the end of the year was up to her. In many ways, the contract her mother forged between Peeta and his mother, ensured that Katniss kept a certain amount of freedom. With that thought, they made their way to town.

The Justice building loomed as they walked toward it. It was a white brick building where all of the records of the district were kept. It was also the place justice was dispensed. They headed toward the clerk's office where all of the marriages were made and recorded. Katniss gathered courage as she rounded the corner. The Mellarks were there in full force. Both of Peeta's brothers and their wives were present but they stood apart from their mother. Katniss nodded at her future in-laws. Surprisingly, the Hawthornes and the Cartwrights were present as well.

Gale was standing next to Delly. He didn't look happy. As soon as he saw Katniss enter the building Gale pulled her to the side. "You're marrying Mellark?"

Katniss' eyes rested on Peeta. His hair looked wet and he'd put on his best outfit. Her nerves came back and she wanted to remember why she agreed to this deal. "Yes."

"That's bull ship-brains," Gale amended what he was going to say as a peacekeeper passed by.

The peacekeeper raised his eyebrow at Gale but kept on moving.

Gale lowered his voice to a whisper and rubbed his face. Then he glanced at Delly. Gale watched her every move. He also looked helpless and lost. "This is all my fault! If I hadn't gotten drunk."

"Gale." Katniss shook her head at him. She wondered if he thought she was dumb. "You and Delly have been sneaking around for months."

"Oh," Gale said surprised. "You knew about that?"

"Gale, the only people who didn't know about this were your mother, the Cartwrights, and Peeta's parents." Katniss glanced toward Delly. "The only reason you should be here with me is to say congratulations."

"You shouldn't have to marry the baker."

"Well, you got Delly pregnant and broke up his engagement. He needs to be married before his 19th birthday, or his family loses the business."

"Yeah, but can't he marry someone else?"

"You know there's no one else who will be of age before Peeta's birthday. It's why his mother was at your house hollerin and raisin' hell."

"But he's…"

Katniss cut him off, Gale was starting to sound like a broken record, "Why are you warning me about Peeta?"

"Because I don't trust him."

"Are you saying this because you're upset that Delly almost married him?"

"Yes...I mean no...that's not it."

"Then is it because you still feel some kind of way about me?"

"No, I don't." He exclaimed, cutting her off.

"Then," Katniss spat, waiting for an answer. She was relieved to know Gale no longer held feelings for her. That didn't excuse his dumb behavior.

"Then what?"

Gale was thickheaded. Katniss decided on a different route: pure and ruthless truth. "I don't understand where this distrust for Peeta comes from. The only person here who went after a woman that was engaged was you. Like I said before you broke up their engagement." As she heard the words come out of her mouth some of her nerves calmed down. It also reminded her, this act, even though they made a deal, was a way of paying him back for the bread Peeta had given her all those years ago. Looking at Gale she said, "And Peeta was going to pretend your baby was his, to save Delly. Explain to me where is he unworthy of my trust? Because all I see is a kind and gentle upstanding guy, who needs me."

Gale turned red.

"Listen, Gaylord," Katniss toughened her voice.

"Katniss don't use that name," Gale whispered. He looked around.

"Whenever you act stupid that's going to be your name."

"How am I acting stupid?"

"You're acting like a child, pouting and worrying about me when you should be over there with the mother of your child."

"But Katniss, you're being forced to get married to Mellark. You never wanted to get married."

Katniss was going to shove her foot down his throat. "Why is it that people think that the ability to have sex makes you an adult? Being an adult is putting the needs of your family first, before your own."

Gale gave her a puzzled look, before his eyes once more trained on Delly.

Katniss rolled her eyes heavenward. Gale could be dimwitted sometimes. "Whether you want to admit it or not, Delly is your family now." Every word spoken was crisp and clear. "You better treat Delly right. She's in love with you."

"She...she is?" Gale glanced at Delly. Katniss could see the way he was beginning to see her differently.

"She risked breaking her contract, punishable by death, to be with you." Katniss watched Gale walk away toward Delly. The harshness in his face faded away as he took Delly's hand. The other one rested on the small of her back. Delly looked up at Gale as if he'd hung the moon.

Peeta approached Katniss. "Hi," he greeted. His cheeks were red.

"Hi," she replied.

"What did he want?"

"Gaylord wanted to know all of my secrets." She could feel her cheeks burning as she tried to flirt with him. Katniss wondered if she looked grotesque, her smile was impossibly wide, and her eyes were bugged out.

"He's going to have to get in line." Peeta flirted back. He winked at her and this caused her blush to grow.

"Okay." Mr. Mellark came out of an office to the left and smiled. "It's our turn next. Peeta and Katniss, they're waiting for you."

Katniss swallowed thickly, but she followed Peeta into the office his father had just stepped out of. A woman waved them forward. "Repeat after me."

Katniss glanced at Peeta who shrugged.

"I, by the laws and governance of the Country of Panem, hereby declare my fidelity to this marriage. I swear I will abide by my spouse until the last day of his or her breath," The woman said in a bored voice.

They both repeated what the woman said.

"Good, please sign here." The woman handed them a pen and indicated where they were to sign their names. It occurred to Katniss that legally she would be known as Mrs. Mellark.

The woman took the paper, stamped it, and gave a copy to Peeta. "May the odds be ever in your favor," she said right before she shouted, "Next."

And like that, they were married.

AN: Thank you for all of the responses to the chapter, as always a shout out to my Beta & Bestie Norbertsmom. She's the calm to my shenanigans lol always gives me what I need to carry through.

Also, check out the sister story The Seam Cobbler- it's Gale's and Delly's story!

I do not own the Hunger Games.