CHAPTER 11: FLEETING

My back slams against the wall. His hands are in my hair. My lips move with his happily. I can hear his breath and the homey smell of baked bread on him.

It had been a week. But after many weeks of sexual tension we were finally ridding it all. I couldn't say I cared. Jo and Finn were already gone for the morning and I didn't have to be into work for another two hours. Which left a lot of alone time with Peeta.

Honestly I was a little surprised at how quickly I was taken by Peeta. But there was something so…lovable about him that it made it hard to resist.

His lips begin to travel down my neck and I groan in pleasure. I can hear him chuckle against my skin. I feel him tense when my phone begins to ring.

"Leave it?" He mutters.

"I can't." I say dejectedly, disentangling myself and hurrying to the counter my phone sits on.

"Where are you?" Annie asks desperately on the other end.

I frown, confused. "Home?"

"Get your ass over here Katniss! We have a meeting!"

I stare at the clock trying to comprehend her words. "What? That wasn't-"

"Just get over here! I'm about to go in. I got your coffee too so you better drink it before its cold."

I slam the phone down still confused how I could have forgotten about the meeting.

I run up the stairs and hurtle into my room grabbing my work clothes, leaving a dumbfounded Peeta behind. I rip off my pajamas throwing them on the floor and wrench on the black skirt and white shirt.

"Katniss?" Peeta calls from downstairs.

I run down the stairs knotting out my hair with a hairbrush. "I have to go to work."

He's still in the kitchen, leaning against the counter. I search hurriedly for my keys until Peeta places something in my palm. A wrapped croissant.

I pause for a second. "Did you make this?"

He nods. "Before you got up." And then he fishes my keys from the counter and places them into my other hand. I feel my hand tingle from his brief touch.

"You really are the best." I peck his cheek before I run out the door to his laughter.

I speed practically the whole way to work. When I burst into the meeting room it's already started.

"Nice of you to join us Katniss." Cinna says in a clipped sort of way. He still smiles slightly but I can't help shake the feeling that he's mad at me lately. And possibly regretting putting me on the case. After all, I was now 'rogue.'

I take my seat in a hurry, blushing with embarrassment. Annie sits two seats away from me and discretely hands me my coffee behind the back of the chair between us.

"…the evidence in regards to the ID's we retrieved-" Cinna continues, but I waste no time in cutting him off.

"What evidence?" I frown.

He sighs and throws a glance my way, obviously frustrated by the intrusion. "Through Mr. Mellark we have managed to obtain hard evidence of these fake identities that Peeta Mellark mentioned in your interview."

"Oh," is all I say. How did they get their hands on those? Cinna continues as if I hadn't interrupted. I glance around the room but everyone is looking towards Cinna. And then I notice someone who is not usually in our meetings. Beetee.

As Cinna goes over our newest leads in the case involving computer records and the fake identities I wonder what exactly Beetee is doing here. I recall he was helping with the computer records. Had he found a break through? I keep my eyes on him even when we are dismissed and people begin to file out. Before I can follow Beetee, Cinna calls out to me.

I turn slowly, my body tensing, expecting to be reprimanded. "We followed the lead you gave me on Tuesday."

"Yes?" I respond carefully.

"It proved to be solid. Well done. We can use it and will probably be our last line of defense if our other allegations fall through. We'll need a statement from Peeta Mellark though, and also in regards to the forgery."

I take a deep breath knowing he wants to bring Peeta Mellark into the firm. "Okay. Would you like me to contact him?"

"Yes. See if he can make it today. Otherwise tomorrow 11am."

"Yes sir."

Just as I begin to turn back towards the door he says, "Are you okay Katniss?"

I squint at him unsure of how to respond although Cinna was always one for kindness. "Yes. I am."

He scrutinizes me. "Okay. You know this is a large case and I know you're under a lot of pressure with school but I need you to keep your head when you're at work. One mistake and this can blow up in our faces."

I nod, my throat tight.

"You can go." He smiles, holding out his arm towards the door.

I leave the room with a sort of sick feeling. Outside I find Annie patiently waiting for me. However she looks unimpressed when I approach her. "What is wrong with you lately?" She asks.

I shoot her a glare, fiddling with the ends of my hair. "Nothing is wrong with me I just screwed up today, okay?" I then notice Beetee standing by a water filter. "Beetee." I call out.

He looks around and grins at me happily. "Katniss, darling, how are you?"

"I'm okay. What were you doing in the meeting?"

We walk and talk heading towards my private office I shared with Annie. "They asked me to analyze some of the computer records. I managed to crack one."

"Good job." I smile. I've always been intrigued by his ingeniousness with computers. However he learnt most of his tricks from his former hacker days. I'd always been curious how he went from being a hacker to working in a law firm. And a shameful idea pops into my head of what other illicit things he could manage with his skills. I banish it quickly. No one's cheating on this case any more than I already am.

"Yes, the case is finally looking manageable." He smiles.

If only you knew, I think dryly. "It's looking good. " I lie. "Are you doing more work for us?"

"Oh yes there are a few more things to do with…" he begins to list of technical names that I have no idea about so I nod my head until he leaves. Beetee should really learn to speak English to us.

I sit at the desk and begin to eat my croissant. Strawberry jam oozes out and I have a sneaking suspicion Peeta might have made that too.

"Damn you are one lucky girl if your boyfriend can cook that well." Annie tells me.

I grin as the buttery pastry melts on my tongue. "Shame Finnick only knows how to cook three meals."

That earns a laugh from Annie. "Is it alright if I come around tonight?"

"Why are you asking me?"

She bites her lip. "I don't know...it's all a bit complicated now."

"I know." I sigh. "Of course you can. Is Finnick cooking you dinner?"

"Yeah. He was a little miffed though when Peeta couldn't."

"Why couldn't Peeta?" I frown.

"Because he planned-" Her eyes go wide as if she has given something away. "Nothing."

"Annie?"

"Seriously, nothing." I want to laugh at her horror struck expression. "Don't worry."

"Okay…" I open one of my folders containing files. I sift through the papers.

"Have you had sex with Peeta?" She suddenly blurts out in a rush.

I slowly raise my head and stare at her disbelievingly. "No….have you had sex with Finnick?"

She shifts uncomfortably. "No but…is that what he's expecting so soon?"

I stare at her for a moment before I comprehend where she was coming from. Annie had a lot of dignity and she wasn't one to sleep around for nothing. "No. He's not. And if he does I'll kick his ass. Look, Finnick is literally like two people. You need to forget any rumors you've heard, you need to forget his track record, because that's not him. I'm saying this from years of experience okay? Finn is really caring and he'll do anything for the people he loves. He's just made some bad decisions and he's gotten a reputation."

Annie seems a little more sure after that. "That night…when I first came to your house you thought I was just another one of those girls didn't you?"

I remember storming in and yelling at Finnick. "Yeah…but you're not. He's different about you."

"Different how?"

I didn't want to scare her so I couldn't say he was in love with her. But he was. Even if he was drunk when he admitted it. "He cares about you. A lot. He's crazier about you than any girl I've ever seen him with."

"Really?" She asks. Her lips turn up slightly.

"Oh stop kidding yourself. It's obvious to everyone!"

And like that all the doubt vanishes from her face. "Okay, let's get to work then."

Annie opens some files and flicks through them, her long hair falling over her face. "Oh I better call Peeta." I realize, fishing my phone out of my bag.

"For what?"

"Cinna wants him to come in and make a statement."

I notice her tense slightly. "You're going to have to use your acting skills when he arrives."

"I have no acting skills."

She rolls her eyes. "I know! Find some!"

I dial the number and he picks it up on the second ring. "Hey."

"Hey. Um, I need you to do me a favor." I say uncertainly, raking a hand through my hair.

"Sure, what do you need?" Even on the phone I can tell he is smiling.

"I need you to come in and make a statement for Cinna."

A pause. "Oh."

"I know." I sigh, when I'm met with more silence I say, "Come in at four, okay?"

"Sure."

Annie's watching me as I hang up the phone. She's thinking about something. I watch her for a moment before she says, "You know Katniss, you are a really good person." I snort at this. "But you're on of the biggest idiots I know."

"I couldn't agree with you more."

000

The hours before Peeta comes in are filled with the normal hustle and bustle. Annie and I take orders from Cinna, we head out for Thai at lunch, laughing at our ability to use chopsticks, and then wait until Peeta makes his appearance. We're not sure whether I will be called in when he is talking to Cinna but we both hope they will let me stay put. There was already enough suspicion revolving around me without fueling the fire with Peeta.

4 o'clock rolls around without much word. Annie and I are quietly reviewing evidence. At 4:05 the phone in our office rings and I see the number of Cinna's office flashing. Hesitantly I pick it up.

"Yes?"

"Could you come in here, please, Katniss?" And then the line goes dead. I place it carefully back in the receiver.

"Don't be scared. Just go through with it confidently, he doesn't know anything." Annie tells me. I nod and walk out the door. I pause for only a moment outside Cinna's office before I turn the knob and march inside.

"Peeta, nice to see you again." The words seem foreign as they leave my mouth but there is no shake or tremble to convey my nerves. I shake hands with him over the table. He squeezes my hand just slightly as we let go and I try to calm my heart. I wasn't sure whether it was nerves or just Peeta that had me so wound up. I take my seat and keep my eyes directed towards Cinna.

I'd had a few of these moments in the past weeks, but none this intense, when I realized what the implications of this deception could be. How elaborate our lives were turning over one simple lie. It felt as if we were always strung out with nerves.

"I wanted you to see how this works Katniss. Particularly because you have been dealing with Peeta." He tells me.

I nod mutely, avoiding Peeta's eyes. The process is pretty simple really. We go over my notes and talk about Peeta's statement and what to include. When they ask me something directly I tend to stammer a little but I think I keep my cool. Forty five minutes later and we are dismissed. Peeta holds the door open for me and I waste no time in leaving Cinna's office. I walk a ways down the hall and Peeta surreptitiously follows.

"That was okay, right?" He mutters quietly to me. I'm aware of security cameras and innocent passersby.

"Yeah. I'll see you in a bit." I try to smile before slipping behind my office door. Once the door clicks shut I let out a breath and slump against it.

"Good?" Annie asks. "Or…not so good?"

"It was good." I nod. "Draining, but it was okay."

She grins. "Knew you could do it." She checks her watch. "Come on let's go."

"What?"

"It's five."

"Oh." I try to play off my confusion and move to grab my bag.

"See you soon." I tell her.

"I'll probably see you after-" She curses with another horrorstruck expression. "Yeah I'll see you later."

I watch her scurry away. If people said I couldn't lie then Annie had no hope.

000

I don't know what I expect when I get home, something out of the ordinary perhaps, but everything seems the way I left it. Jo and Peeta are on the couch, Peeta just having got home and Finnick is…absent.

"Hey you're back!" Jo says as I wander over to them, kicking off my shoes.

Peeta grabs my hand and pulls me onto his lap. I settle in happily giving him a quick peck.

"Peeta just told me about today." She says.

"Mmm." I mumble not really wishing to talk about.

Peeta gets it because he says, "Let's not focus on that tonight." And then he presses his lips to my hair. I couldn't believe how comfortable I felt with him but I wasn't complaining. It was nice to have this and have a mutual understanding.

The phone rings and I look expectantly at Jo. She glares at me before she retrieves it from the kitchen. When she's gone Peeta turns my face toward him and presses his lips to mine. I respond happily, attacking his lips with fervor until I hear a cough from the archway.

"It's Prim." Jo says handing me the telephone.

I look guiltily at Peeta before putting it to my ear. "Hey, little duck."

She groans at the old nickname. "Hey Katniss." We go through the usual pleasantries. What we did today, the weather, anything else. Then there's a slight pause before she says, "I slept with Rory last night."

"What?" I screech into the telephone. I was totally not prepared for that.

"Hey calm down! I'm 19!" She protests.

"So? What the hell are you doing?" I yell.

"Katniss calm down. And besides you sleep with Gale all the time."

"Not anymore." I growl.

"Yes, I know. Anyway Rory is my boyfriend Katniss. We're serious."

I huff but I know I can't do anything about it and she is now an adult. Besides they had been dating for years. "Fine. But I don't like it."

"Well I liked it."

"Prim!"

She laughs and changes the topic. "So how are things?"

"Things are…" Peeta, already bored with the conversation begins to press his lips up my arm, then kissing all the way to my neck. It's really distracting but it feels too good to tell him to stop. "Things are great." I finish.

"Are you alright? You sound distracted."

"I'm fine." I say trying to move away from Peeta to no avail. "Seriously everything over here is good." His fingers are gripping my shirt at my waist and his lips are at the bottom of my ear. My whole body is tingling with energy.

"You sound different. Have you finally gotten together with Peeta? Is that why you broke it off with Gale?"

I freeze. "What?" I choke out. How does she know that?

"Have you? Come on, Katniss, I know things."

I lean back a little and look Peeta in the eyes. His smile is so beautiful my heat thumps unevenly.

"Yes."

The squeal on the other end is deafening and I hold the phone away from my ear. "Is he there, right now? Let me talk to him!"

"Ah…okay." I silently hand the phone to Peeta who raises an eyebrow before he takes it.

"Hey Prim." He greets her as if they were old friends.

I watch him carefully as he nods, smiles, and answers her questions, undoubtedly about me. He doesn't give much away so I'm unsure of what exactly they are talking about.

"Yeah it's tonight." I hear him say.

"What's tonight?" I whisper.

He waves me off. I punch him in the arm. He grabs my wrist and quickly kisses my fingers. Damn him. Finally he hands the phone back to me.

"What were you talking about?" I ask Prim hurriedly.

"Oh, nothing."

I roll my eyes before asking the inevitable question. "How's mom?"

"Ah, okay."

"Prim?"

"It's a slow process Katniss. It takes time." That wasn't Prim's usual positive answer.

"She's getting worse?"

"No Katniss! It's just taking a while. They've changed her medication slightly. I think she would really benefit seeing you."

I huff and rub my face. Peeta's hands gently rub my shoulders. "A few weeks Prim and I'll be there."

This seems to appease her. "Okay. I'll let you get back to Peeta."

"Okay bye. Love you."

I throw the phone towards the end of the couch. "You okay?" Peeta asks, kissing my cheek.

I look at him and smile. "Yeah fine. I'm going to go change."

I trudge up the stairs trying to rid the heavy feeling in my heart. Mom wasn't getting better. It's not surprising but that doesn't make it any easier. I find my comfy ripped jeans and a loose long sleeved top. I tie my hair into its usual braid that I had no time to do this morning.

I can smell dinner cooking and my stomach rumbles in response so I skip my way back down the staircase. As I enter the kitchen Finnick is just finishing cooking the roast.

"Oh my god…are you wearing an apron?"

His head whips around. "I didn't want to get my clothes dirty." He says defensively. I glance around and notice the counters are dirty and splashed with food. "I've never seen you cook a roast." I move to the tray of roast vegetables and try to grab a carrot.

"Hey!" He slaps my hand away, waving at me with a spatula, looking incredibly domestic for Finnick Odair. "That's not for you!"

"What are you talking about? What am I supposed to eat?"

He gives me an annoyed expression before calling loudly for Peeta. I hear his boots clomp down the hall before he appears with an amused expression. Finn's eyebrows rise at him and he gestures in frustration towards me.

"I've got dinner for us sorted." Peeta tells me. "You ready?"

"What?"

"Just come on." He beckons to me and I follow him down the hall. When he heads for the front door I get even more confused.

"Where are we going?"

"Out."

"Why?" I demand.

His smile widens. "Well, Finn won't let us touch his dinner that he spent hours making for Annie, so I figured this was as good as time as any to take you out on our first date."

Oh. I suddenly realize why Annie was acting so weird today. Rule no. 1: never tell Annie secrets. "I'm not really dressed…"

"You look fine." He assures me. "Now come on."

He grabs my hand and drags me out and I can't help but smile a little. We move towards his car just as Annie walks through the gate. She gives me a small wink as Peeta holds the car door open for me. "You're a terrible liar Annie!" I yell out before getting in. She laughs and walks through the front door.

"So where are we eating?" I ask as he drives away from our house.

"It's a surprise." He grins. He drives one handedly and holds my hand with the other.

"You know I hate surprises, right?"

"Oh, I know."

Eventually we pull up in front of the last place I thought I'd be. Mellark's Bakery.

"Seriously?"

"Just wait and see." He urges me.

He gets out and holds my door open for me. As we walk towards the front he fishes a bunch of keys from his pocket and unlocks the doors. "How are we supposed to eat if it's closed?"

"Quiet." He laughs, tucking me into his side. He leads me inside and locks the door behind us. The bakery is dark. This one is a little larger than some of the others across the country. Definitely larger than the one in State 12. The first room is the standard bakery and counter with a kitchen in the back. To the right lies a sort of dining area and a coffee station, but all the chairs are resting on top of the tables so I know we won't be eating here. A small spiral staircase situated in the corner leads upwards. He takes me up it. I follow wordlessly, struggling to see in the dark. We reach a landing that is obviously private. There are two rooms. One used for storage and a tiny little lounge with a fridge which I'm guessing is where the employees spend their time. He leads me in there and it takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. When they do I realize that there is something else attached to the room. A small balcony sits outside adorned in fairy lights where a single table and two chairs sit. On the table sits a candle and around it lie three cloches.

"Oh my god." I whisper, grinning at our own private balcony.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it!" I hurry over to the door separating the balcony from the lounge. "How did you do this? I called you in at four today."

He chuckles. "I may have bribed some of the workers here to help me out."

I can't erase the smile from my face. "This is the best first date ever."

"I thought you'd like something a bit more private."

"Got that right." My stomach rumbles then, giving me away.

He laughs and motions to the chairs. "Come on, let's eat."

I pull the lids of the cloches back revealing three utterly amazing looking dishes. Two filet mignons sit on one plate with a choice of three sauces. A variety of seasoned vegetables under another and fancy looking creamy potatoes under the last.

"There's dessert too, after this."

"You think I can eat dessert after all this?"

He just laughs and motions for me to start. I take a steak and small portions of the other two foods. The minute I place the food into my mouth a groan escapes me.

"Good?" He asks.

"More than that." I say as I hoe into another forkful. It's pleasantly quiet as we both eat. I enjoy the view we get of District 4's ocean along with the city. The fairy lights cast a warm glow onto the balcony even though the sky is black. "This is the nicest date I've been on." I admit after a short while causing Peeta to look raise his eyebrows.

"Really? What kind of guys have you been dating?"

I laugh and shake my head. "I like simple."

He nods. "I thought so. I'm glad you like it because I didn't really have a plan B."

"I'd never thought I'd be on a date with Peeta Mellark." I muse.

"I'd never thought Katniss Everdeen would let me." He counters and then pauses. "Why did you let me, anyway?"

I sigh. "Because I realized I was an idiot. And that you weren't who I had decided you were." He smiles. "And besides I was really hungry and Finnick wasn't going to give me his food."

He erupts in laughter and then resumes the meal. "Who made this?" I question.

"Well I was going to but I bribed one of my older brothers into doing it. He was working today with some other guys."

"Bribed?"

"Well he's kind of a jerk so I paid him off." My eyes widen. "Don't worry I'll get him back for something." He assures me.

"Which brother?"

"Rye."

"You know I should probably meet-" I stop speaking as reality hits me. I laugh cynically. "Never mind."

"You can meet them after all this shit is over." Peeta tries to soothe me. "And anyway they'll probably give you a hard time so postponing it is really in your best interest."

"Where is Rye anyway? If he made this?"

He gives me a sheepish smile. "He snuck out a minute after we came in."

I want to laugh but I say, "That's a little…creepy. You're brother lurking in the shadows secretly cooking food for his brother's date. And he didn't even sabotage it…."

Peeta laughs. "That's why I chose Rye. Deep down he has a heart." He admits. "So how's your sister, anyway? Surviving med?" He smoothly segues.

"I…I don't actually know." I admit shamefully. "We haven't really talked about her schooling." Come to think of it I should really ask her. "But knowing her she's being Little Miss Perfect."

"You two really aren't that similar are you?" He smirks.

I shake my head a little ruefully. If only he knew. I used to more similar to Prim. Always the optimist, smiley, chatty, maybe not as much as her but there were definite similarities. And then my father died and something happened to me that hadn't quite touched Prim. Something drew the life out of me and turned me bitter.

Peeta, sensing my distraction, says, "I can't wait to meet her."

I raise my eyebrows a little wondering when in the world he would travel to District 12. "She will be ecstatic to meet you. I think me dating you literally made her life so far."

He grins lopsidedly, toying with his fork. "Well at least I have one Everdeen under my wing."

Was that a challenge? "Make that two." I mutter and then he leans over the table and kisses me.

000

The date runs smoothly. More than smoothly. For dessert Peeta magically manifests a death by chocolate cake that made me drool just looking at it. I could barely finish my piece so he helped me with that in between many kisses. It was one of the best dates I'd ever had. It wasn't just an expensive dinner or a silly movie. It was personal and thought out. Guys like Peeta were hard to come by.

We'd managed to steer clear of all awkward or potentially damaging topics the entire night chatting about silly things that you are meant to on your first date. It was nice to feel like a normal girl again on the high of her first date.

He was open, something I was still getting used to, until I mentioned his drawings. We talked about it a little. I knew they were his escape and that his dad had always encouraged him but saw no future in it. And I knew he was crazy good. But he still wouldn't tell me about that damned drawing he was doing the other day! So of course that instantly piqued my curiosity and I vowed to myself to find out.

Eventually after making out for a good half hour and some not so innocent touching we decided we should probably head back. It was nearing eleven. Holding hands we walked downstairs leaving the dishes in the employee lounge. Peeta claimed he had to help out for a few hours tomorrow morning and would deal with it then.

He kept me close as we wandered down the stairs. He was always so warm and his touch felt like fire in my veins. As we near the front door he leans down to press yet another kiss to my lips. I hear the keys to unlock the door jangle but he doesn't break away. His tongue melds with mine and his lips move roughly against my mouth, pressing harder and harder. Eventually I pull back to let him unlock the door, my breathing labored and my head a little giddy. He opens it for me and I walk out into the night, now cooling down. I shiver slightly but soon his arm is back around my shoulders. I move to walk towards Peeta's car but I pause when I spy something in the shadows. A car.

"That wasn't there before." I mumble to myself. I don't really know why it caught my attention like it did because it could have been anyone's car. It wasn't like they weren't allowed to park their cars here. But something made me take a few steps toward it.

"Katniss?" Peeta asks slightly worried.

And then I hear it. The laugh, high pitched and condescending, a woman's. "It took me a while to get it out of your brother but he eventually told me where you were. Although I couldn't understand why you would be here. And now I see. A girl. Is that all it takes Peeta? A girl?" She laughs again and I feel my face heat up.

And then Peeta confirms my dread as he utters one single, hate filled word, "Mom."

A/N: Did you guys like this? I've been getting a bit stuck lately writing this story so please tell me if it is or isn't working!

I know some of you didn't quite like Cinna, but he is intentionally a little OOC to fit in to the story. I didn't really base his character from the books.

Anyway thank you to everyone for reviewing or following the story, I really appreciate it.

-Elli