Beginning of December
Today was the day that Katniss was going to inform her friends of her decision. She had asked Annie, who had not been scheduled to work, and Haymitch to come in at 4pm for a store meeting. After they arrived and the last customer left the store, she flipped the sign from "Open" to "Closed" and posted a short note explaining that they were holding an employee meeting. Closing an hour early was not going to make a difference.
When she entered the café, she saw her staff, people who she considered more like family than employees, sitting around two tables that they had joined. They looked somber. Some met her eyes directly while the others studied their respective cups of coffee and tea. Someone had grabbed her coffee cup and filled it with the jasmine green tea she loved to drink in the afternoon.
Katniss took a steadying breath. "I'm sorry my friends but at the end of the year Everdeen's Apothecary and Natural Foods will open its doors for the last time. December 30th will be our last day of business."
"So it didn't fucking work?" Johanna mumbled.
"No, it didn't," Katniss answered. "I thank you all for helping me fight for this place. But no, it didn't work."
"It's because we didn't get the pharmacy business back, right?" Beetee asked.
"But the restaurant has been busier, and the store has been steady?" Annie inquired.
"Beetee is correct; the loss of the pharmacy business is part of it but not the whole story. Haymitch could probably explain it best."
She looked to her uncle and he nodded. "The café was busier but has always broken even, and while we've had a steady amount of customers in the store, they are buying less. If Katniss kept the business going as it is, we would have been bankrupt in another month or so," Haymitch explained.
Sae reached her gnarly, calloused hand across the table to pat Katniss' arm. "Girly, don't feel bad about this. You put up a hell of a fight and we all know it. This really isn't a surprise to any of us, is it?" The old woman looked around the table catching each person's eye.
The group voiced affirmatives.
Katniss' eyes misted and she forced a tight grin as she sniffed. Johanna got up from her spot at the table and walked around to pull Katniss into her arms. "Brainless, it's going to be alright for all of us." The woman rubbed her back as she soothed, "It's just a start to a new fucking adventure," which caused Katniss and everyone else to chuckle.
Katniss stepped away and sat back down, wiping at her eyes. "You guys are the best. I'm writing letters of recommendations for all of you! Please feel free to start looking for something else but if you could stay until the end of the month, I'd appreciate it."
"Of course, we'll stay until the close," Annie assured.
"Who wants to start a fuckin' new job in December anyway," added Johanna.
"I'll have to help all the customers transfer their prescriptions this month, so I'll definitely be here," Beetee answered.
"It shouldn't be a problem for me, Girly. It's about time I retired anyway. My granddaughter has been bugging me to move down near her," responded Sae.
"Thank you. We are going to conduct business as usual through Christmas Eve, which will be the last day the Café is open. Then we'll have a fire sale from December 26 through December 30 to sell off our remaining store inventory, the restaurant furniture, and the store fixtures. I anticipate the sale to be a busy four days as I'll advertise heavily in the Panem Times, as well as other papers in the region."
"Sounds like a good plan, Sweetheart," Haymitch complimented.
"Okay, everybody. Let's talk about something fun, like my annual Christmas party. It's the Saturday before Christmas. Let me know if you plan to bring someone so I can add his or her name to the Secret Santa gift exchange. Can some of you bring a few folding deck chairs to the party for additional seating?"
Annie said, "Sure, Finnick and I have several that –"
"Back up!" interrupted Johanna. "What happened to all your chairs?"
"Oh, Gale is moving out this weekend." Katniss shrugged, eliciting a series of concerned looks from her friends.
"Hey, guys! It's okay. Gale and I are better as best friends. We aren't in love with each other so he's getting his own place. He'll be at the party too and if he brings a friend, you can't give him a hard time. I've been bugging him to ask her out."
Haymitch chuckled as he took a swig from his flask. Katniss smiled at him. They understood each other.
She sat back as her friends started planning who would bring what to her party. She would miss seeing them every day.
An hour later people packed up to leave. Katniss and Haymitch were the last.
"Good job today. I think you made the right decision. Your parents would be proud of you."
Katniss walked up and hugged him. "I hope so."
"I'm glad you figured things out about Hawthorne. If you had headed to a church I'd have been forced to say something."
"It's been wrong for a long time. We love each other, but as best friends. We're family and we always will be."
"So what are you going to do once the store's closed?"
Katniss looked at the man who'd played the role as her mentor through the years. "I'm not sure quite yet, but I have some ideas. I'm still working on it."
She went home that evening to find that Gale had made her dinner, knowing that today was going to be rough. Afterward, Katniss spent a couple hours helping him pack up some of his belongings. She made a mental note to remember to bring home more produce boxes the next day. Gale had so many books. After Gale retired for the night, she fired up her computer and opened her e-mail.
Hello Serene-Pilot,
Well, I did it today. I told my employees. I realize my last message had been cryptic in regards to my decision. I think I just wasn't quite ready to voice it yet. I am closing the store. Our last day will be December 30. Part of me is still very sad, but another part of me – the part that dreams – is feeling relief and a touch of happiness as I can now choose a new path. I don't know what is going to happen but I'm good with that.
I've finally managed to fight through my writer's block. I expect to finish the next chapter tonight. If I'm not too tired, I'll finish initial revisions and send it over. Otherwise, expect it sometime tomorrow.
Your friend,
Warrior-Woman
She sent the e-mail and then opened up her current fic document. She was nearly done with the chapter, which started with Wash using his piloting skills to narrowly escape an attack by Reavers and ended with Zoe tearing his clothes off. She normally had a hard time depicting the intimate details of Zoe and Wash's sexy times, but for once, the scene just flowed.
Once finished, she did a read through of her draft and revised it until she felt satisfied, then e-mailed it to her beta. Katniss couldn't wait to get his feedback on the chapter. She'd found it quite handy to have a male perspective when she wrote love scenes. He kept her grounded in writing about reality versus unrealistic fantasy. He was also great at helping her inject humor into it.
In the morning, she checked her e-mail and found a short note.
Good Morning Warrior-Woman,
I can only imagine how hard yesterday was for you, but I'm glad that you are allowing yourself to dream. I'm curious as to what those dreams may be. Perhaps one day you will choose to share them with me.
I'm excited to read the new chapter. It may take a couple days for me to get to it since it's the beginning of the month when work is always the busiest due to reporting.
Your friend,
Serene-Pilot
The following Sunday, Annie and Finnick came over to help Gale move. He had rented out one of the loft apartments in the textile mill redevelopment project. Most of Gale's belongings had been packed up earlier in the week, but Annie and Katniss finished what remained as the men loaded up the moving van. The group went and unloaded the goods at Gale's new place, which had tall windows, rough brick walls, and beautiful wood floors. As they were moving in, Gale explained that the brick on his interior walls was original brick from another building that had been on the site but there was insulation between the interior and exterior building façade to make the apartment energy efficient. The place really was beautiful. Gale's firm did a good an amazing job with the project.
After getting Gale settled, which involved Katniss unpacking the kitchen, Annie and Finnick dropped her off back at home. Feeling a bit antsy with having the place to herself, she decided to go for a run.
As she stopped to tighten her shoelaces, a familiar voice caused her to look up.
"You know, if you double-knot them they won't come undone."
She was surprised to run into Peeta again at the park. It wasn't even the same time of day as the last time she'd come here. Considering current events she couldn't believe he had the nerve to approach her, but part of her was happy for his company, as she'd rather not be alone. "I know, but I'm terrible at removing the knots later. I'll just slide the shoes off and I break down the backs so they wear out faster."
"Are you just starting your run?" he asked.
"Yes, you?"
"I am. Do you mind if I join you?"
Katniss knew she wasn't supposed to like him but the sincerity in his voice and the way he looked was so hopeful. She found herself saying, "Sure."
The two of them ran in companionable silence along the park trail that the circled the lake in their town's Central Park. After 30 minutes, they slowed to a walk.
"Katniss, I just have to say this once. I heard about the store and I'm sorry. I know how much that store meant to you."
She initially bristled but then took a deep breath and shrugged. "I'm sad, but I've had time to come to terms with it. It's going to allow me to do other things. Things I couldn't do while running the store."
"Do you know what you're going to do?"
"I have some ideas. I'm still working it out. I should go."
"Have a good evening, Katniss."
"You too."
After she made herself a grilled ham and cheese sandwich for dinner, negating all the calories she'd just burned on her run, she opened her e-mail and saw that Serene-Pilot had returned her chapter.
Hello Warrior-Woman,
Here is your chapter and I have to say it was steaming. I found a few spots where there seemed to be continuity issues in the scene and noted it. Overall great chapter. I loved the callbacks to the series two-part pilot episode. In fact, I think I may rewatch it tonight.
Your friend,
Serene-Pilot
Katniss grinned as she read the message then formulated a response:
Hello Serene-Pilot,
I hope you enjoy your rewatch tonight and I'm glad you liked the chapter. I should get the changes made and update my story tonight.
It has been a busy weekend. I spent the day moving my ex-boyfriend out of my place. It's strangely silent. It echoes. Half of my bookshelves are now empty and the hideous black leather chairs that I hated are now gone, not to mention the big screen television, so now I am limited to rewatching Firefly on my laptop. I have a feeling that problem might be solved by my ex-boyfriend, who is still my best friend, for Christmas.
I hope you have a nice evening.
Your friend,
Warrior-Woman
Soon enough it was December 26, the first day of the fire sale. She'd had shared a nice holiday with Gale's family. He had purchased her a new TV, but it was smaller – the size she really wanted when they had originally went shopping for the big screen. He did know her well.
Everyone was bustling about helping customers as they shopped for bargains in the store. Sae and Haymitch were handling people who came in to inquire about the restaurant furniture and store fixtures. Beetee was packing up the remaining pharmaceuticals to ship back to the drug companies. They had transferred their last few prescriptions the previous week.
Beetee had nervously come to her right before Christmas wanting to talk. Mellark's had approached him, wanting to start a naturopathic consulting program. Panem's store would be the test store but eventually he would help the entire chain adopt the program if it worked. It was a great career opportunity for Beetee, so of course she gave him her blessing.
Johanna and Annie had also lined up new jobs, which they both were starting in a week. Upon hearing the news that Everdeen's was closing, several of Katniss' contacts in the downtown business community had reached out to them so they had a choice. Johanna was going to help manage another café and Annie was going to work for The Chocolate Bar, which was expanding to add a small retail shop that sold high-end chocolates and offered espresso to go.
Katniss had several offers to rent her space so the building was going to generate income for her, allowing her a degree of freedom she couldn't have anticipated. That, combined with her current savings and the occasional freelance writing job that Finnick offered to toss her way, was going to allow her to go after her dream. Everyone was moving on, including herself.
On December 30, she flipped the sign from "Open" to "Closed" one final time.
That evening she wrote to her beta on Tumblr.
As this year ends, so does a chapter of my life. However, with endings come new beginnings. You asked me a while back what my dream was. My dream is to be a writer, which I already am with each word I write for my fics. Nevertheless, the closing of the store is allowing me to devote time to draft what I hope will be my first novel.
-Warrior-Woman
The next morning she read his reply.
I think that is wonderful. You are truly a talented writer. If you need a proofreader along the way, I'd love to help. Here is to new beginnings. I hope to have a few of my own this year.
-Serene-Pilot
By the end of January, Katniss had fallen into a routine. She spent the mornings revising her writing, ate lunch, wrote for a few hours in the afternoon – no revisions allowed—and finally read a new novel to keep things fresh. If she became stuck on her novel, then she worked on her fanfiction. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays she'd go for a run at 5:30 in the evening where she would always "accidentally" run into Peeta who would join her. On Saturdays, she started to "accidentally" run into him for coffee too, where they would chat and visit.
The first Saturday she had seen him at the coffee shop, he had been sitting in the corner sketching.
"Hello. I didn't know you were an artist."
Peeta shrugged as he closed his sketchbook. "I'm not really."
"But you were drawing before I interrupted?" she asked.
"I don't really show people."
"Will you show me?"
He hesitated then handed over his sketchbook. Katniss flipped through it and saw sketches of people sitting in the shop, in the park, at his store. There was even some Firefly fanart.
"Peeta, these are really good."
"Really, you think so?"
"I do. Why don't you show people?"
He sighed. "My mom didn't really approve of me drawing as a kid. Over the years I just learned to keep it to myself. I do it now just to unwind."
There was much more to Peeta than she had initially thought. He wasn't just a handsome face who cared only about business. Little by little, she found herself enjoying the time she spent with him.
January turned into February and February eased into March. Katniss was making steady progress on her book. She had continued to correspond with her beta several days a week to bounce off ideas regarding the plot and characters. One evening, they were discussing over G-chat a subplot that was proving to be tricky. He had mostly listened while she talked through her issue, which she ultimately solved herself.
Warrior-Woman: Thank you for listening. Somehow explaining my writing problems to you allows me to see the solution.
Serene-Pilot: I'm glad I could be of service.
Warrior-Woman: Honestly, I don't know what I would do without you.
Serene-Pilot: You would've figured out something I'm sure…
Serene-Pilot: If I promise to be there, would you be up to trying to meet again? Maybe this Saturday?
Katniss paused. She wanted to meet him, to give him another chance, but for some reason it made her nervous. After consideration, she typed her answer.
Warrior-Woman: Okay. Would the afternoon work? I'm meeting someone in the morning.
Serene-Pilot: Sure. How about you meet me by the fountain in Panem's Central Park at 2pm? Does that work?
Warrior-Woman: I can do that.
A/N:
Thank you very much to Pookieh for being an amazing beta. She turned around this story so fast and I'm grateful.
If you'd like more information about my fanfiction please visit my tumblr: dispatchesfromdistrict7
The characters are the property of the amazing Suzanne Collins and do not belong to me. I occasionally weave lines from her novels. Those totally belong to Ms. Collins too.
As I mentioned the plot is inspired by the movie You've Got Mail so I credit the creators of that film for the story idea – which I've adapted to modern times and Everlark.