After dropping Bailee, Brennan and Hallie off at school, I rouse Kilee at home after setting Tristen in his bouncer.
"Hmm?" she mumbles, rolling over.
"Get up, you have school today, remember?" I ask. She groans.
"I don't want to go." She complains.
"I know, but do it anyways. Now get up or you're going to be late." I tell her. Then I go downstairs and start some pancakes.
Peeta landed in Florida around three yesterday and he called me when he was still in the airport.
He informed us that it wasn't snowing, and it wasn't even cold outside. It was in the eighties.
Kilee comes downstairs just as I set the plate of pancakes in front of her. She looks shocked for a second, and then begins to eat. "What?" I ask.
"Nothing…I'm not used to breakfast before school." She admits.
"Well…you're not with those monsters anymore. You're with a real family with real hearts. You better get used to three meals a day. Do you need lunch money?" I ask.
"Um…yes please." She says with her mouth full.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," I say before heading upstairs to get her some cash.
I only have a twenty.
This will have to do. I go back to the kitchen and hand her the twenty.
"That's all I have, just put it on your account." I say.
"Okay…Mom, what if I get lost? With if people bully me?" she asks.
"If someone bullies you, you tell me. And you won't get lost, just ask the teachers. You know one time some kid was bullying Brennan and he came home with a black eye. The kid hurt Brennan, just Hallie's cheek with a rock and pushed down Bailee. I went to the school board and got the kid in trouble. There hasn't been a problem since." I tell her. "And please just try to make friends honey." I run my fingers through her hair. She sighs and stands up.
"Alright Mom." She puts her plate in the dishwasher and shoves the koney in her pocket. I get Tristen and bring him to the car.
She's in a purple sweatshirt, white skinny jeans and gray vans. She gets in the front seat and I buckle in Tristen and head for her school.
She asks me random questions till we get to her school. "Don't hesitate to text me on your iPod. You know my number, right?" I ask.
"Yeah," she says.
"Ad Johanna's?" I ask.
"Yes,"
"And Daddy's?"
"Yeah," She says.
"If you can't reach me text someone else and they'll get me, okay?"
"Okay Mama,"
"Okay, have a good day, don't forget to make friends." I say. She smiles.
"I've got it, Mom." She says. She gets out and closes the door. People stare at her, and I can clearly see her duck her head.
But then a girl walks over to her and says something. I see Kilee nod and smile and then the girl leads her to her friends.
Thank the lord.
Someone honks their horn, and I realize I'm holding up the line, so I head out of the parking lot.
"Wanna go to the store, Tristen?"
In the short time we've had him, he's learned words like 'Mama' and 'Daddy' and 'no' and 'yes' and 'ok'
"Okay Mama." He says.

….a….

The house is way too loney without Peeta.
I end up falling asleep.

PEETA'S POV

I'm just filling out paperwork with my phone rings with a number I don't recognize.
I answer it anyways.
"Daddy?" Kilee sounds desperate, and I can hear panic in her voice.
"Ki? What's wrong?" I ask. I can hear a loud sigh of relief.
"I called Mama and I called Aunt Jo and Aunt Prim, Uncle Finn, Aunt Annie and Alex and Dustin and nobody will answer the phone. It's five and I'm stilly at school."
"Your still at school?" I repeat.
"Yes and I can't get anybody to answer the phone. Daddy, what do I do?"
I sigh.
"I'll call you back, okay?"
"Okay."
I hang up and dial Katniss. No answer. I call everyone else and nobody answers. I even try the house.
Then I call Gale. "Peeta, what's up?"
"I need a huge favor." I say.
"Anything." Gale says.
"I need you to go to my house and see what is going on."
"Sure."

KATNISS'S POV

Someone is viciously shaking my shoulder. I sit up and see Gale before me, holding Tristen.
"You know it's six, right?"
"It's six!" I exclaim.
"Yes."
"Oh fuck! Fuck, fuck!" I grab Tristen and run for the car after pulling on my shoes. Hurriedly, I buckle him in and head for Hallie, Bailee and Brennan's school. They get out at two forty five and it's six. That's almost four hours.
I don't see them outside and I start having a panic attack as I pray to god they're in the building. I pick up Tristen and head in the office.
They're sitting there with the secretary and she's trying to console them and they're crying.
I'm a terrible mother.
"Mama!" They hug me.
"I am so sorry. I fell asleep and I didn't hear my phone...I'm really, really sorry."
The secretary nods and it's clear I'm not forgiven.
I lead the kids out and into the car and buckle Tristen again.
It's six thirty and Kilee's school is a half hour away. I head for her.

PEETA'S POV

She calls me again at six thirty and she's crying now.
"She still hasn't come?" I demand.
"No! I don't know what to do! Should I walk?"
"No! Kilee it's too cold for you to be walking and it's too dangerous. I'll have to call the police or something. Maybe something happened to her. Stay on the phone. If she's not here by seven, I'm calling, okay?"
"Okay." She whispers.
"Where are you?" I ask
"I'm sitting outside. I got a texting app and it has calls."
"Okay."
I continue filling out papers and I know I'm on speaker.
"Dad?" She whispers.
"Yeah?" I ask.
"I'm scared. There's these guys across the street on motorcycles and they're staring at me." She whispers. "And they're really tall and big. And now they're walking towards me."
Oh shit! A gang?

KATNISS'S POV

I see Kilee sitting outside with large guys surrounding her and she's screaming into a phone and crying and I can hear her telling one if the guys not to touch her.
She doesn't notice me pulling in. "Stay in the car. If you get out you'll never see the sun again."
Then I get out and I can hear her screaming and begging Peeta to do something and he's on the other line.
"Touch my fucking daughter and I'll beat your goddamn ass." I say loudly.
"Mom!" Kille exclaims, relieved.
"Get in the car." I say. She stands up, walking past the huge guys and gets in the car. "Who the hell do you think you are? Don't go near my daughter or I'll kill you! Don't touch my kid!"
"Sorry." They walk past me and disappear.
When we arrive at the house, my phone stops ringing and then starts up again.
I have eighteen missed calls, and all of them are from Peeta.
"Why don't you guys go and start your homework." I say quietly, knowing that I'm about to get shouted at for being irresponsible.
The kids, even though they're young, know it too. Kilee takes Tristen upstairs with her and I hear four doors shut.
Then I press answer as the nineteenth call begins.
"Peeta," I breathe.
"Are you okay? Is Kilee okay? Is everyone okay? Katniss, I'm coming home."
"Whoa Peeta, calm down baby. We're all fine." I say.
"Are you guys okay?" He demands again.
"We're okay Peeta, we're good. No, we're great. Don't worry about us baby."
"I have to worry about you guys because your the reason I live. Are you okay?"
"Peeta, I'm fine." I say, opening up the fridge and getting the chicken out as I start a pot of water.
"Katniss, you nearly gave me a heart attack." He sniffs.
"Are you crying?" I whisper.
"I'm about to! One second, the line was silent as Kilee and I waited and then she said that these guys were walking towards her and then she starts sobbing and screaming and then I heard a car and then you said something I didn't quite catch and then the line went dead and I've been sitting here for almost an hour debating whether or not to go home it call Finnick."
"Peeta, baby, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to...I fell asleep and my phone was on silent and then Gale woke me and I left had for forgotten my phone-god, I'm a terrible mother. I should be the one out of town, not you. You know what your fucking doing when it cones to kids, I can't do shit-"
"You can do it. You can Katniss, you can." He says.
Max barks insistently at me. "Hang on," I tell him. "One of you need to come down here and feed him! Daddy and I told you guys that we're not taking care of him! We weren't kidding about taking him back to the pound!" I call from the kitchen. I hear footsteps and then Brennan walks into the kitchen. "No Peeta, I really can't. It's impossible."
"Nothing is impossible. You just have to believe." He says. I start to cook the chicken as I dump a box of Mac and cheese into the boiling water. I accidentally drop the box in.
"Crap," I stick my hand in the boiling water and pull out the box, shouting in pain as I start the water.
"What?" Peeta demands.
"Nothing. I just...you know damn well that I can't cook anything but cereal. Just another thing your better at."
"What happened Mom?" Kilee calls.
"Nothing!" I call back.
"Katniss, I have to go..." I hear him sigh sharply. "I'll call you before bed." He says.
"Okay. I love you." I whisper.
"I love you too." He murmmers.
"Peeta? Can you do something for me?" I ask.
"Anything." He says.
"Sleep without a shirt on tonight?"
He coughs, "why?"

PEETAS POV

It's very uncomfortable with my wife telling me to sleep half naked and a complete stranger waiting for me to finish the damn paperwork.
"You don't have to...just to get a vision, I guess." She mumbles.
"Alright. Okay, I really have to go now. I love you."

KATNISS'S POV

"I love you too." I mumble.
I finish dinner at eight and call the kids downstairs.
"Mama, why didn't you come get us today?" Brennan asks me as he eats.
"Because I fell asleep. I'm sorry about that guys...it won't happen again, I promise." I say.
It's oast their bedtime. Kilee goes to bed at nine and the kids go to bed at seven thirty. It's eight.
I check their homework and make them bathe and put them to bed.

I stay up till four that night in hopes he's going to call like he said he would.
He doesn't.
Eventually, I take some NyQuil and go to sleep.

...9...

I begin to grow accustomed to an empty bed. I feel like I'm twenty again, sleeping alone.
I don't let him come for my birthday because he gets to come home sooner, and he didn't come for Valentines day.
We don't go to California for forth of July.
In fact, we don't go to California at all.
But then September rolls around.
The kids are at school and Tristen is asleep upstairs.
Today is Hallie's birthday.
I drink half of my water and walk out of the kitchen.
I haven't talked to him in two weeks because I've been so busy. My phone begins to vibrate insistently on the coffee table and I pray to god it's him and I almost start crying when I see it is him.
"Peeta?" I ask.
"Hey baby," he says. His voice makes me melt. "Can you do me a huge favor?" He asks.
"Anything." I reply.
"Can you come to the airport?" He asks. "The one in Newport?"
"Now?" I ask.
"Right now."
I look at the time and see I have to pick up Brennan, Bailiee and Hallie in a half hour. Newport is a half hour from here.
"Give me a second, I'll call you right back, okay?"
"Okay," he says.
I hang up and dial Prim. No answer. I dial Alex. "Hey Kat," he says.
"Hey, are you going to pick up Chase?" I ask.
"Yeah, why?" He asks.
"Can you pick up the kids? Peeta's home and I need to go get him from the airport." I say.
"Sure," he says.
"Thanks. Don't tell them he's home. Tell them I had to take Tristen to the doctors, okay? I'll call when I'm coming to pick them up." I say.
"Alright, you can drop Tristen off." He hangs up and I grab random stuff and pick Tristen out of his crib and buckle him into the car. I head for the airport as I dial Peeta, stopping to drop Tristen at Prim's.
"Hey," he says.
"I'm on my way. I'll be there in..." I see the traffic and sigh. "An hour. Traffics backed up all the way down the highway."
"That's okay, Katniss. I can wait." He says.
"Okay. I'm gonna go. I love you."
"I love you too, bye." He says.
"Bye," I hang up.
If Peeta were driving, we'd probably get there in an hour because he follows every law. But we get there in fourth five hours because I don't. I go at my own pace and make the rules on the way.
Unless there's a cop around, that's the only time I follow the rules. I have to park far because it's packed with people.
I'm so excited to finally see the last piece of my family that I'm almost crying as I walk into the airport.
The second our eyes lock, tears start sliding down my cheeks as I run for him. People stop to watch as I fly into his arms. He twirls me around, burying his head in my shoulder. I melt into him, not about to let go. "I've missed you so much." I whisper.
And I'm at home, right in his arms. "I don't want to go back," he murmurs.
"How many restaurants did you get open?" I ask, pulling away to kiss him.
"I don't know…the east coast and some on the west." He kisses me again.
"Then don't go back." I mumble against his lips. He starts to walk forwards, urging me to follow him. I lead him towards the car, and he drives us somewhere deserted and stops the car.
"I may not…" he pulls me onto his lap and starts heavily kissing me.
The stupid, logical part of my mind is telling me we can't have sex, but the needy, smarter part of my mind is screaming at the logical part to fuck off.
I go with the needy part.

…s….

I ditch Peeta at Prim's house and head to pick up Kilee.
She's hysterical when she gets in the car.
"What?" I demand. She drops her iPod in my lap and her earbuds and her CD case and buries her head in her hands. "Kilee, what happened?" I ask.
"I-I'll tell you when we're out of the car." She chokes out.
She's still hysterical when we walk in the door and e makes the smiles and laughter cut off.
"What happened?" Peeta asks. She hugs him, in an attempt at a hello and then grabs a mainla envelope from her bag and hands it to me.
She moves all the way across the room from me. Everyone stares at me as I pull the formal piece of paper from the envelop and unfold it.

To the parents/guardian of Kilee Marissa Mellark.
We are so sorry to inform you that your daughter has been...

Not given detention, or suspension.
No. Kilee's been given expulsion.

Expelled for drinking, cursing and beating a sixth grade named Jordan Trillcon. The girl is been rendered unconscious in the hospital.
Sincerely,
Boggs.

PEETAS POV

The look on Katniss's face goes from worried to shocked to just absolutely livid.
And it terrifies all of us. Hallie, Bailee, Brennan and Tristen hide behind me.
"Mom-" Kilee begins.
"Are. You. Kidding?" Katniss says under her breath.
"What's it say?" Prim demands.
"To the parents/guardian of Kilee Marissa Mellark.
We are so sorry to inform you that your daughter has been EXPELLED for drinking, cursing and beating a sixth grade named Jordan Trillcon. The girl is been rendered unconscious in the hospital.
Sincerely,
Boggs."
What.

KATNISS'S POV

"Drinking?" I ask.
"Mom-" she tries again.
"Cursing?" I add.
"Mom-"
"You beat a girl so bad that she's unconscious in the hospital!"
"It's no fair! It wasn't just me and I'm the only one being punished!" She shrieks.
"I don't care who it was and I don't care that your the only one being punished."
"But it's not fair-"
"Well sometimes life isn't fair. Your grounded for...your grounded for nine months-"
"Mom!" She protests.
"I don't want to hear it! Go get in the car! Don't expect to have your iPod or your music. No TV, no phone, no music. I don't care how bored you are! You better start reading! You are going to work your butt off at school and your going to make straight A's-"
"That's nearly impossible!" She exclaims.
"No it isn't Kilee Marissa! You are going to go to school, come home, do you homework, take a shower and go right to bed." I say.
"For nine whole months!" She gasps.
"Do you think I'm joking? Kilee Marissa Mellark, go get in the car. If I hear you even UTTER a protest, your grounded for a year!"
"Oh my GOD!" She storms out of the house.

KILEES POV

I want to be a daughter that can tell my Mom anything.
But I'm not allowed to tell her what really happened.
What had happened was I started to hang with the wrong crowd. Mom let me go to their birthday party. They got my drunk by force, forced me to take drugs by literally shoving them down my throat, then they made their brother take advantage of me and be videoed me throwing up and posted it on the school website. I cursed out Jordan Trillcon because she was the main in charge. And then I beat her up. She tripped and tumbled down the stairs and was unconscious.
And from the camera, it seemed as if I pushed her down the stairs.
They put a gun to my head last night. They told me if I tell a soul they'll kill me and my family.
I'm so scared.
Should I tell Mom anyways?
I think I'm going to. Mom is smarter than she's given credit for.

KATNISS'S POV

Peeta does go back, two days later. Kilee seems happy without her iPod. Now it's a week later and I can't find a school that will enroll her.
"Mom-"
"Your supposed to be in your room." I say.
"I know Mama, but I really have to talk to you about something." She seems scared.
No, she seems terrified. I sigh and shut my book.
"What?" I ask.
"Remember when you let me go to a birthday party?" She asks.
"Yes." I narrow my eyes.
"Well the girls there forced me to drink and when I got drunk they forced drugs down my throat and then Jordan's brother took advantage of me-" she breaks into hysterical sobs. I bookmark my page and page and stand up. She hugs me, desperate for comfort. I give it to her.
She's been acting different since I let her go to that damn party. I knew something was up but I didn't really know what it was.
I text Peeta.
Me: I hate to do this but you need to come home.
Peeta: why?
Katniss: it's...it's Kilee.
I don't get a response.
"-And when I threw up they videoed me and posted it on the school site. I cursed Jordan out and we started fighting. She fell down the stairs and she was unconcious but it looked like I pushed her!" She's screaming now. "They out a gun to my head the other night and s-said if I tel they'll kill me and my family!"
Oh my god.