Author's note: Thank you so much for the reviews. My phone went crazy all morning with them. It made me feel so loved. You guys rock! This is the last chapter, but keep your eyes peeled for the epilogue. And I think I'm going to probably do with this what I did with Promise I'm Worthy. If you feel after this is over that something is missing, request it and I will start a little drabble series like Burnt Around the Edges.

Happy reading!

Chapter Eighteen

Peeta paced the room in the early morning light with his daughter in his arms. She stared up at him with eyes as blue as his own. He kissed her forehead. She started to fuss.

"Shh. You're okay, Prue. Primrose-Rue. That's your name. Primrose was your mother's sister. And Rue was a very brave girl who helped keep Mama alive. It's a very long story and we'll tell you all about it when you're old enough."

Katniss spoke softly, "Not for a very long time."

He smiled at her. "No, we'll let her just be our little Prue for as long as possible." He kissed her tiny forehead again. "I think she's hungry."

"I guess so." Katniss took her.

"But I don't want to let her go."

She said nothing as she took the baby from him.

He watched for a while as his wife fed their daughter. He asked quietly, "Do you need anything?"

She shook her head, not taking her eyes off the tiny person in her arms. "I'm sorry." She said, barely above a whisper.

"What? Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I thought I didn't want her. But how could I not? She's so perfect."

"Yeah."

"Prue. Primrose-Rue. Our perfect little girl. She's you made over."

He smiled and kissed her temple. "Yeah. Good thing, too. If she had come out looking like Haymitch…"

She laughed and raised her eyes. "I love you."

"And I love you." He kissed her lips. "Both of you." He kissed Prue's head. "You want me to call your mother?"

"Yes. I bet she fell asleep by the phone."

"I bet she did." He kissed her once more and went to make the call.

"Am I a grandma?" Iris asked as she picked up the phone.

Peeta laughed. "Yes, Iris. And she's beautiful. Ten fingers. Ten toes. Perfect little angel."

"Have you picked a name yet?"

"Primrose-Rue." He said softly. "We're calling her Prue for short."

He heard her breath catch. Her voice was thick when she said, "I'm sure they would both appreciate that."

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm going to be on the first train I can get, if that's okay."

"That's perfectly fine. Katniss can't wait to see you. And Prue as well."

"Prue." She said softly. "I can't wait to see all of you. You take good care of those girls, Peeta."

"I will, Iris, I promise. And let me know when you'll be here so I can meet you at the station."

"You don't have to do that?"

"Well, I may want to bring my new daughter on her first outing."

"You shouldn't do that, Peeta." She scolded kindly.

"Just let us know." He hung up the phone and then hurried back up to his bedroom.

Katniss stood over the bassinet, murmuring to the baby and rubbing her small tummy.

Peeta wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Your mother is very excited and will be on the first train here she can get on. She'll let us know when for sure."

"Good." She leaned back against him. "We've been advised by everyone that knows to sleep while we can. And I am exhausted. So let's get some sleep before our neighbors are around and come visit."

"But I don't want to stop looking at her."

"I don't either. But if we want to stay sane, we need sleep."

He kissed her cheek. "Okay."

They climbed into bed. Katniss was asleep almost instantly. Peeta stayed awake, watching her sleep, combing his fingers through her hair. His wife. Sometimes it struck him just how amazingly lucky he was to have her after all that he had done. But here she was, in his arms, now officially the mother of his daughter. Beautiful. Perfect. His. He didn't even have to ask in this moment if it was real or not. He knew it was. And for once, they were completely happy.

Peeta kissed her forehead. "Katniss."

She mumbled, "Does she need me?"

"No, she's fine for the moment. Haymitch and Hazelle are here, though. You want me to just bring her down and let you rest?"

"Bring her down and I'll be behind you." She rolled over. "She'll need to be fed soon."

He rubbed her back and then picked Prue up out of her bassinet beside the bed. She fussed a little, but he quieted her. "It's okay, sweetie. We're going to see Haymitch and Hazelle. They're so excited to meet you."

She stared at him with her big, blue eyes. He smiled and kissed her cheek.

Haymitch stood when they entered the room.

Peeta passed the small bundle in his arms over to his old mentor.

The older man stood awkwardly a moment as the baby started to fuss.

Her father rubbed a finger over her cheek. "Shh. This is Haymitch, Prue. He's usually a pretty good guy. You're safe with him. And Daddy's right here."

"She's beautiful." Haymitch breathed. "Hey, there, Prue." He looked askance at the younger man before he carried the baby over to his wife.

Hazelle looked at her. "She's the spitting image of her daddy."

"Well, thank you." He said with a proud grin. "I think she looks a lot like her mama, though."

"She's more you." Katniss said, coming down the stairs.

At the sound of her mother's voice, Prue started crying again.

"She's hungry." She said, taking the baby from Haymitch. "We'll be right back." She disappeared into the study and closed the door behind her.

"Isn't she just the greatest?" Peeta asked anxiously.

"She's amazing." Hazelle said.

Haymitch nodded. "Posy wanted to come over, but we sent her off to school. She might come over this afternoon, if that's okay."

"It's fine."

They chatted for a while, Hazelle telling them stories about her children's first days. The phone rang in the study and Peeta heard Katniss answer. He was so attuned to her voice. He just listened to the murmur of it while trying to pay attention to his friends' conversation.

Katniss came in a short time later and handed Prue back to Haymitch. "That was my mother. Her train will get here early in the morning. She said not to drag yourself out of bed to meet her. She knows how to get here." She sat on Peeta's lap. "And I don't want you to either."

He kissed her cheek. "Whatever you say, dear."

"You better say that." She smiled and kissed him.

He laughed. "Did you call Gale and Annie?"

"Not yet. They have three other people to get here, so I'm not going to push them."

"And I don't want to be bombarded with people just yet."

"Yeah." She rested her head on his shoulder. She asked her friends, "So what do you think?"

Haymitch smiled, "She's gorgeous, sweetheart." He kissed the baby he held and then passed her over to his wife.

"Yes." Hazelle said, looking down at the baby. "Do you want or need anything?"

"I think we have everything." Peeta said. He rubbed Katniss's back. "Thank you, though."

Hazelle looked at her husband. He nodded and they both stood. She passed the girl to her mother.

"Tell Posy she can come over when she gets home." Katniss said, standing up and walking with them to the door.

Once they were alone again, they sat together on the couch. Peeta gathered Katniss close to his chest.

"I love you." She said.

"Which of us are you talking to?" her husband asked, kissing her under her hear.

"Both of you." She turned her head and caught his lips.

He smiled and rested his head against hers. "And I love you both, too."

Prue let out a sigh.

"I guess she's agreeing." Peeta said with a chuckle.

"Yeah."

Iris and Katniss sat at the kitchen table drinking tea. They had just put Prue to bed. Peeta decided to go to the bakery for a while. He claimed to be neglecting it and worried about making Vick to all the work. Katniss figured he just wanted her to have some time with her mother.

"Are you okay with the name?" she asked, tracing her finger around the rim of her tea cup.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's perfect. And Prim…" Her voice trailed off.

Katniss patted her hand. "I miss her, too. And I'm glad Peeta chose the name."

"And planted the primroses around your house." She added.

"Yeah." She got up. "I need to start supper."

"You sit down. I didn't just come here to see you. I came to take care of you. You still have a lot of healing to do and you have to rest for that to happen."

"Mother!" Katniss protested.

"Don't you 'Mother' me, Katniss." She scolded. She took her daughter by the shoulders and gently sat her down. "I know my way around a kitchen."

"Thanks, Mom."

She smiled and kissed the top of her daughter's head. "Any time." She went to work pulling things out of the cabinets.

"There's a lot of game in the freezer. I stocked up before I got too far along."

Iris rummaged in the freezer and found several small birds. "I can fry these up tomorrow." She said as she put them in a bowl and filled it with water and salt. She went back to the freezer and took out some venison that had been cubed. "Stew?" She asked.

"That works."

They talked as Iris chopped vegetables.

"So how is Alexander?"

"He's fine." She blushed.

"Just fine?" Katniss teased.

"I never thought I'd love anyone after your father."

"I know."

She smiled. "You know, your daddy thought the sun rose and set with you. Peeta reminds me a lot of him. He's calm, steady. Talented."

"Yeah."

"If Alexander and I were married…"

"I think that would be great, Mom."

"Really? I don't want you to think that I was forgetting about your dad."

"I know you'd never forget about him. But I think he'd like Alexander for you. And he only ever wanted you to be happy."

"I know."

"So you should marry him." Katniss stood. "I need to check on Prue."

"Don't over-do yourself, Katniss."

"I won't, Mom." She walked toward the stairs and was a few steps up when there was a knock on the front door. She paused.

"I'll get it." Her mother called. She opened the door to find Finn standing there anxiously.

"Hello, Mrs. Everdeen." He said with a smile.

"Well, hello, Finn." She smiled at his parents standing behind, each holding a baby. "And the rest of the Hawthorne gang. Come in. Katniss has been anxious for your arrival." She stepped off to the side and the family filtered in.

"Did you see my new sister?" Finn asked.

Gale held her out. "Pearl." He said with a smile as broad as Peeta's when he first showed her Prue after her arrival.

"Well, isn't she precious? She and her brother share a lot of their mother's features." She tickled Mags's cheek. "And you look like your father."

The little girl smiled shyly and pressed her face into Annie's neck.

Katniss came down the stairs with Prue. "Baby comparison time." She said as she walked over to her friend.

The two ooh'd and ah'd over their children. Finn stood close and looked over their shoulders.

Katniss lightly shoved his shoulder. "What are you thinking, kid?" she asked.

"She's really pretty." He said, gesturing to Prue. "But my sister's prettier."

She laughed and draped her arm over his shoulder. "Just don't tell Peeta, all right?"

"Tell Peeta what?" the man in question asked as he walked into the room. He hugged Annie and kissed Maggie's cheek.

Finn said, "Nothing. Did you see my new sister?"

"I'll get to her in a minute." Peeta ruffled the boy's hair. "My goodness, you're getting big." He asked Gale, "What are you feeding him?"

Gale laughed. "Well, his dad was pretty tall, so we'll have to see where it stops."

"You're a little taller, if that helps anything." Annie said, slipping her hand into his.

"Yeah?" He kissed her quickly. "Anyway. Look at my daughter. I got an eyeful of yours already."

"Daddy." Maggie said, reaching for him.

Peeta took Pearl as Gale took his older daughter in his arms and gathered her close. "Someone's still a little jealous." He kissed her temple.

"Well, it happens." Iris said. "Katniss threw some horrible fits when Prim was born."

"I was four." Katniss argued. "I was used to getting all the attention." She squeezed Finn around the shoulders. "Eleven years is a little different, though, huh?"

He smiled, "Yeah, a little." He looked at his mother.

A conflicted look passed over her face. She kissed her son's forehead. "I need some air. Please excuse me." She left the house.

"She doesn't always like to be reminded." The boy said. "Can I go back over to hang out with Posy?"

"Sure." Gale said.

He went out.

"I guess I'm not good enough anymore." Katniss called after him. She looked to her friend. "You think Annie would mind some company?"

"I don't know. She gets this way. Her madness and depression are still there. She just learned to hide it. But after these two…"

Katniss gave Prue to her mother. "I'll go talk to her."

She found Annie at the side of the house, crouched with her hands over her ears. Her shoulders shook.

Katniss crouched beside her. "You okay?"

Annie jumped and stood. She took a few steps back. "They're coming back." She said. "The voices. I was good for a while. But when Maggie was born they came back. I made them go away again. Until Pearl." She swallowed and whipped at her eyes. "I miss Finnick. And I feel like I'm just pretending with Gale."

Katniss didn't know what to say.

"The stress of my lies…" She leaned against the wall. "I love him, I do. I love our girls. I love how much Finn adores him. I just don't love him now as much as I love Finnick. It's not fair to anyone, especially not to him."

"Annie. You are a very strong woman to have made it through everything. I know it's hard. But you said it yourself, you love Gale. Maybe one day you will love him the way you love Finnick. You were with him for five years. Maybe when you've been with Gale longer, it will even out."

She nodded. "Maybe."

"And you're working on this, right?"

"Yeah. I think that's where it all comes from. I pushed it all away when I married Gale and it's starting to become too much, so it leaks out."

"I know it doesn't go away completely. I still have nightmares. They got worse during my pregnancy, so I know how that is. Peeta still sometimes wants to kill me, so that'll all be something to explain to Prue when she's older. But we go on. Because it's what Finnick and Prim would have expected."

Annie nodded. "Yeah."

"And our babies are proof of it too." She put an arm around her friend's shoulders. "So let's go back in there and remind ourselves why we're still here."