This AU fic was inspired by the brilliant work of aimmyarrowshighin "Five Loaves of Bread: Dark Toast". .net/s/7294215/1/Five_Loaves_of_Bread_Dark_Toast

This isn't a collaboration or co-written piece, just my spin on a possible continuation of that story that I loved dearly. Takes place three months after the aim's story ends.

(While you're at it, read "Dark Toast" and everything else aimmyarrowshigh has written. They're awesome. For real.)

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When Gale told her he was going to Seven with Johanna, she was almost relieved. She knew how much she would miss him, but she also knew their friendship would never be the same.

"Is her family still there?" she asked.

"We got word her brother was; her sister is planning to come back, too. Her Spouse died in their assault on the port."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. She wasn't as lucky as we were in our matches," Gale shared. "Heard she tried to smother him with his pillow on their first night."

"You better keep your nose clean if Johanna's anything like her."

He laughed. "You should have seen her in labor with Ash and the twins. Thought she was going to punch me into next week."

Katniss looked at him sideways. "I'll miss you, Gale."

"I'll miss you too. You take care of him. And let him take care of you."

"I will."

"Oh and Katniss?"

"Yeah?"

"It's a girl. We're going to name her Madge."

Coming back to Twelve had been a battle in itself. Dr. Aurelius had wanted Peeta to stay in the Capital so he could monitor his recovery and Donnel had wanted Katniss and Peeta to join him in District Two. But both had wanted to come to their home, and no one could keep them from it anymore.

Still they had to wait two months, until Peeta was able to walk without the crutch. Spring was cropping up in the woods and Katniss would let him walk her to the edge of the woods to go hunting and collect him from his physical training when she returned. She felt more like herself every day. And each night. She had wondered if she should be embarrassed that their neighbors could surely hear them in bed through the thin walls, but she found that in the moment she could never quite care enough to keep quiet.

The day she returned to Twelve with Peeta by her side she felt reborn. Prim and Posy were waiting and the train station and started shrieking as soon as they saw her. As she embraced them, Katniss saw her mother weeping behind them. Farll was there to meet Peeta, along with one of his brothers who had brought a new companion from Three back to Twelve. His other brother, she learned later, had decided to remain with his Spouse and their three children in Eight. Mahra had left a few weeks ago.

Both Larkspur and Farll had campaigned to get the couple to stay with them, but Johanna had given Katniss and Peeta her house keys before she and Gale left. Katniss hoped it in some way signified she had been forgiven.

So they had set up their home in the Merchant district and Peeta had gone back to work with his father, while Katniss went hunting and helped collect herbs for her mother.

It had dawned on Prim one sunny spring day while she and Katniss were laying out in the meadow after dropping off Posy to visit with Hazelle. The little girl still didn't quite understand why she was supposed to live with Mama Hazelle next year instead of Larkspur, but Katniss knew it would take time for her to fully comprehend what had been done to save her life the night she was born.

"Are you and Peeta going to get married?"

Katniss rolled her head to Prim. "We are married."

Prim shrugged. "Not really. I saw you burn the Contracts. And Dad said he destroyed the database. Technically you're not married."

Katniss rolled her face to the sky. "I guess not."

"Are you going to ask him?"

"To marry me?"

"Yeah," Prim was grinning. "I think he'd like that."

Katniss felt a wide smile break across her face. "I think he would too."

After dinner that evening she asked if he'd like to walk to the lake with her the next day. He was due a day off at the bakery anyway, she argued, and it was going to be so lovely outside in the early summer. He agreed wholeheartedly.

The long walk was difficult for him, and she worried with her excitement that she was rushing him. When they reached the rock outcropping on the bank of the lake, she felt her heart was pounding loud enough to scare the fish. She climbed onto the lowest rock and offered her hands as he climbed next to her.

"My father brought me here to learn how to swim," she said, nervously knotting her fingers.

"It's really beautiful out here," Peeta said, eyes on the gently rippling water. "Thank you for bringing me." His eyes found her face. "Are you okay?"

"What?"

"Your face is all red. Are you feeling all right?"

She laughed nervously. "Well, actually. There was something I wanted to ask you."

He moved closer, looking uneasy. A pang of guilt hit her that he was still so unsure she loved him.

She slid her hand over to his and he watched her grasp his fingers.

"Peeta?"

He looked up into her eyes.

"Will you marry me?"

She thought he was going to fall off the rock.

"What?"

"Well," she shrugged timidly, "we're not really married anymore. And…and I want to be married to you. So…will you marry me?"

She felt like time had stopped in the silence that followed as he stared at her, blinking in confusion. Then in an instant he was kissing her and saying one word.

"Yes."

Prim fiddled with the flowers in Posy's hair, straightening the crown of daisies. "How do I look?" the smaller girl asked, twirling in a circle.

"Beautiful," laughed Katniss. "What about me?" she inquired, holding up her arms and twirling too.

"It's so beautiful. I've never seen that color green before," Prim breathed.

"Annie said this color is called ocean glass," Katniss smiled, smoothing her hands over the borrowed dress.

"Do brides wear green?" Posy asked, poking at her belly button through her white cotton dress.

"It says a long time ago they wore white," Katniss frowned, flipping through the cracking ancient book Aurelius had sent her from the Capital when he received her letter. "But I couldn't find anyone with a white dress in Twelve. Stop poking at yourself, Posy."

Prim laughed, "I don't think anything would stay white long with this coal dust anyway."

A hesitant knock came at the door. "Katniss? Girls? Are you ready?" Her mother's face appeared as the door cracked open. She saw Katniss and her face glowed. "You look so beautiful."

Katniss blushed happily.

"Let's get going." Her mother dabbed at her eyes and shooed the girls out the door.

Donnel was waiting at the end of the hall of the Justice Building. Katniss watched him nod a pleasant if not stiff hello to his former wife, and hugged Prim and Posy warmly before guiding them to stand quietly by the door. Never knowing Donnel, it was easier for Posy to call Winze Daddy, but she had seemed confused that Prim said the same of Donnel.

Donnel hugged Katniss. "You're radiant," he beamed.

She giggled in spite of herself. "I'm so nervous."

"What for?"

"What if I forget what to say?"

"You say two words, Katniss. And Mags will be right there to help. If you can figure out what she's saying."

Katniss laughed, but was cut short by the sound of a fiddle playing a simple, sweet song inside the large office they had borrowed for the service. A frantic wave hit her and she struggled to remember the order of the ancient ceremony she had read about. "So Posy, you're going to go first and throw these daisies on the carpet, okay?" Posy nodded and practiced by throwing a flower at Katniss.

"And then Prim, you go ahead of me."

"I know, Katniss." Prim was much calmer. "Just to opposite Peeta and Finnick, I know." She grinned.

"It's time!" cried Donnel excitedly, and urged Posy through the door.

Katniss counted, but Prim gave her an eyebrow and started walking of her own accord.

"Do we go now?"

"Not yet, sweetheart," her father reassured her. "There's a special song."

She peeked through a crack in the door, but could only see the back of heads. "I can't see Peeta," she complained.

"He's there, trust me."

She looked back at him. "Thank you, Dad."

"For what?"

"For coming for my wedding. For agreeing to give me away."

"I'm not giving you away, you know. I'm letting you make your own choice. And," he leaned in conspiratorially; "it's a damn fine choice, if I may say so."

She smiled and they enjoyed the music coming from the room.

"The first wedding in Twelve in over a hundred years. I should have guessed it would be my daughter. Oh! That's your song now."

He led her through the doorway.

She could hear people turning to look at her from their seats circling the room, but her eyes had found the only thing she wanted to see.

Peeta was wearing a cornsilk blue shirt, just like the day of their Reaping. She smiled, remembering how she had worried he'd dislike her in the faded blue dress she had borrowed from her mother. If she'd only known then he'd love her regardless.

Their eyes were locked on one another and she stepped forward easily.

She was glad she had read over the words Mags was now speaking before today; she could only catch about every other word out of the woman's mouth. Her eyes met Peeta's and they both struggled not to laugh at their friends' confused expressions. Finnick standing behind Peeta and making faces at Katniss wasn't helping. Katniss saw Annie shoot him a warning glance from the sofa where she sat with their son and he settled down quickly, giving her a look of mock repentance.

She heard Mags ask something that she was pretty sure was a question. She looked over and the old woman was looking at her expectantly. She looked back to Peeta standing next to her, holding her hands.

"I do."

Mags asked the same unintelligible question and Peeta didn't hesitate. "I do."

Finn let out a squeal and clapped his tiny hands and their guests laughed appreciatively. Mags offered something and they both looked at her, trying to discern their instructions. She was smiling, but offered no insight on what they were supposed to do. Finnick leaned in to Peeta's ear.

"Kiss her, stupid."

And he did.

Her father had told her that years ago, when weddings were a happy occasion, there was always a party to celebrate, but she'd never been to a party outside of Cinna's birthday. She decided, as she kicked off her shoes, that she did like parties after all.

She danced until her feet hurt and then sat to watch and laugh as Peeta danced with Prim and her mother. Posy tried to keep up, but ended up falling asleep under a table. Annie and Finnick handed Mags baby Finn and put the rest of the guests to shame with their beautiful dancing. She felt a tap on her shoulder.

"May I?" Haymitch asked.

"You may," she smiled, letting him lead her to the floor.

They swayed quietly as the musicians played a softer melody.

"Thank you," she whispered to him as they moved.

He raised his eyebrows.

"If you hadn't made me so angry that night in the forest, I don't know if I could have gone back to hold the camp. And for telling me the truth. And for telling Peeta the truth," she said, eyeing him. "I saw you talking to him before the turnover."

He sighed. "Well I figured if you weren't bothering him you'd end up a pain in my ass back here. It was mostly for me." She laughed appreciatively.

"Can I cut in?" Peeta's smiling blue eyes appeared over Haymitch's shoulder.

"Please take her!" he said, handing off his partner.

Katniss sighed happily as Peeta wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. They glided in a small circle, holding one another.

"This is the happiest day of my life," she whispered to his ear.

"Mine, too," he murmured back.

"For now, anyway."

He pulled back and gave her an inquisitive look. "For now?"

"Well, for a few more months," she hinted. Leaning in close to his ear, she whispered her secret. "I'm pregnant."