Chapter Eight

Hey Brother…Hey Sister,

"Here little brother." Rye came around the counter in the bakery kitchen and slid a cup of tea over to Peeta. The younger Mellark was just finishing up dusting the fondant roses he'd made with silver dust. He'd seen enough silver and white today to last him a lifetime.

"Thanks," he dropped the brush and grabbed the mug, letting the warmth ease the cramps in his fingers from constantly squeezing the decorating bag.

"You have mad skills, Peet. You sure you want to give up all those high paying Senators and shit to live the small town life in my shadow?" Rye said, giving the cake an approving nod.

"Your shadow? Is that why I had to come in and do this cake today? And I don't even technically work here. I'm in your shadow?" Peeta smirked over at his older brother. Rye snorted and sipped his own tea. Normally he preferred coffee, but it was late and he wanted to sleep at some point. Peeta was the same way.

"Seriously, Peeta. What the hell are you doing here? You've got so much damn talent to be wasting away here." Rye leaned forward on arms that were just as muscular and scarred as Peeta's. All the Mellark boys carried the signature blond hair and blue eyes that their father had. Rye's hair was shorter, lighter and his eyes were more the color of robin's eggs than the dark evening sky of Peeta's. Graham's hair was closer to brown and his eyes were icy. Each was of varying shade and height, but there was no mistaking they were all brothers.

"You know why I'm here, Rye. I don't really want to get into this again. I've had enough of those spoiled Senator's wives nagging me to death about every damn detail. Or worse, grabbing my ass and slipping hotel keys into my pocket."

"You slut." Rye deadpanned. Peeta chuckled and leaned forward. "Is she worth it?"

"Do I even need to answer that?"

Rye shook his head. He'd known for years about the way his brother felt about Katniss. He could see it. She was beautiful, mysterious in that standoffish way she had. And no one could deny how fiercely protective she was of her family. He didn't know her well, just as a ghost that flitted through his house with Gale and Peeta when their mother was gone. But he could see the devotion that both boys gave her. He hadn't understood it at the time, the kind of love they both carried for that girl.

Until the first time he saw Delly when she came back to town. Then he understood perfectly.

"Just be careful. Thread…he's not right. Snow hired him for good reason. So, pissing him off is probably not a brilliant idea."

"No. Probably not. But he needed to know that I was there. Maybe he'll move on."

"Or maybe he'll just smear you across the back of the garden shed."

"Nice." Peeta glared at Rye. Rye just shrugged.

"Seriously. This is some crazy shit going on. We just lost dad. I don't want to lose you too."

Peeta sighed and reached over to put his hand over Rye's. Without any shame, Rye turned his hand and gripped the younger man's staring at his brother.

"I'll be careful. I just can't leave her to deal with this. I've already done that once. She needs me, I'm there. Always."

"I know. I know. I get it." They released each other's hands and sat back again, silence descending for a minute before Rye chuckled.

"Man, you should have seen her run out of here this morning. I thought I was going to get freezer burn she gave me such an icy glare this morning."

"That's Katniss. Delly said she got a little misty when the girls bombarded them with staying the night." Peeta said. Delly had come down to make him eat some lunch. He had a habit of getting completely engrossed in his work and forgetting to eat. She'd then stayed and talked to him and made sure he ate every bite.

"Ah. First sleep over blues. Delly cried like a baby the first time Regina stayed at a friends house." Rye stood and took his mug to the sink, rinsed it out then turned to lean on the sink and leveled Peeta with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"What?"

"So, Posy's here tonight, huh?"

"Yeah." Peeta answered slowly.

"You and Katniss alone in the house tonight then." Rye wagged his brows. His words sank in and Peeta felt the truth of them like a punch in the gut. He and Katniss would be alone. All night. Alone.

The blood seemed to drain from everywhere in his body to pool painfully in his crotch. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and tried thinking of baseball to alleviate it. He could feel Rye's knowing gaze on him and he refused to look up.

"Well, I'm going to go help my wife wrangle two little girls and a baby. Then I might wrangle her a little bit too. Lock up when you leave." Peeta finally looked up to watch his brother move to leave. That's when Rye fixed him with a wicked grin and gave him his parting shot. "Try not to let the lonely widow break you too bad. It's probably been a while for her."

"Fuck you, Rye." Peeta ground out as his cock throbbed painfully with the truth of it.

"Night, Peet." Rye chuckled all the way out, leaving Peeta to struggle to calm down so he could at least walk without a limp to his truck.

At five thirty Katniss climbed the stairs of the attic apartment Prim and her husband rented in the main square of Panem. The old Victorian had been lovingly restored and divided into apartments by a couple that had moved there from Florida. Finnick Odair and his wife Annie were a ridiculously beautiful couple that would have looked more at home in California than Panem, Maryland. But somehow they fit in.

Katniss didn't know either of them very well, but she did exchange hellos whenever she saw them. Today was not one of those times.

She came to the top and hefted the bottle of wine she'd picked up and tucked a stray dark hair behind her ear before using that same hand to knock on the door. It took only a couple of minutes for the door to swing open.

"Ooh, you're here." Prim actually looked a little surprised that she had actually come.

"I said I would be." Katniss said without heat. Prim grinned and waved her in.

"Come in. Coat, wine. Honey! Katniss brought wine."

"What kind?" Came the deep baritone out of the kitchen.

"Pinto grigio."

"Perfect." Prim rolled her eyes, the smile never leaving her face as she hung up Katniss' jacket on a hook by the door. The door swung shut as the two Everdeen women moved through the tiny living room to the even tinier kitchen.

"Here, honey." Prim handed the bottle to the man standing in front of the stove stirring something that smelled amazing. Katniss felt her mouth start to water. "God that smells good." Prim sighed, patting her husbands broad back. He turned his head and pressed a kiss on top of her blond head, a look of adoration in his dark brown eyes. Katniss smiled at the action. They had met through his sister Rue, who went to nursing school with Prim.

They were a definite odd couple, the pair of them. Her tall, hulky husband with his dark skin and eyes and tiny delicate Prim, all blond hair, pale skin and blue eyes. He was monosyllabic and Prim could barely shut up.

Katniss had had her reservations when Prim had first brought him home. She could now attest those feelings to not wanting to admit that Prim had grown up. It had only taken her witnessing the gentle way he treated her sister and the quiet adoration in his eyes to finally win Katniss over.

"Hi Thresh." Katniss said, sliding onto one of the bar stools at the counter dividing the kitchen from the living area.

"Katniss," Thresh replied, offering her a smile and a glass of wine. He went back to stirring his pot and it made her think of Peeta kneading bread at her kitchen island. Katniss briefly wondered why all the men in hers and Prim's lives wanted to feed them. Gale, who could barely put together a peanut butter sandwich, could drop a dear with one shot.

Katniss smiled at that and ran her finger around the rim of her glass. An image of him, before it started to go oh so wrong, rose in her memory. He stood tall and lean, his dark hair falling haphazardly across his forehead, a wide grin on his face and twinkle his clear grey eyes. She felt a little sad at what used to be.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Gale." Katniss answered Prim. Her sister patted her arm and smiled.

"Good thoughts?"

"Good thoughts." She agreed.

The sisters smiled at each other then took sips of their wine. Then Prim settled on the stool next to her and leveled her cornflower blue eyes on her.

"So, Peeta?"

"What about him?" Katniss took a larger sip of her wine and tried her own gaze to the much safer person, Thresh. She was surprised at house graceful his movements were in the miniscule kitchen despite his size.

"Duh. He's in your house." Prim rolled her eyes and shook her head at Katniss.

"Yes he is. I thought we'd already established that fact." Another gulp of wine slid down Katniss' throat. "Hazelle pushed him on me. Like I can't take care of myself." What did it say that she was getting tired of hearing that phrase come out of her mouth? Even though it was true, she was tired of feeling like she had to prove it to everybody all of a sudden.

"Doesn't the weight of the world get awful damn heavy Kat?"

"What does that mean?"

"It means everyone knows you can take care of yourself and anyone else you take on. But asking for help isn't a weakness and accepting help isn't charity. Dad taught us that, remember?"

"Yes." Katniss said quietly. Her father had been the kindest, most gentle and giving person she had ever know. Peeta was the only person she had ever met that came close. Samuel Everdeen had pride, but he wasn't stupid and he'd told her on the very day that she'd seen Peeta delivering bread to the Seam that help was a gift. When had she forgotten that? Had she? She could accept help if it was offered. She never would have taken Peeta's money otherwise. But she would have rather cut out her own tongue than ask for it.

"Maybe if Snow just knows Peeta is there…"

"Peeta doesn't think Snow has anything to do with the things that have been happening." Katniss cut Prim off, the words out of her mouth before she even realized she was going to say them.

"What?" Prim and Thresh shared a confused look.

"He doesn't think its Snow." Katniss repeated. She felt her skin heat at the memory of their conversation. The heat she'd felt when his words washed over her. The need that was a constant plague to her senses. She shook it away and tried to focus on what Prim was asking her.

"Who does he think it is?"

"Thread."

"Ok. He works for Snow."

"Yes, but Peeta doesn't think he's working on Snow's orders. Snow's only offered to buy the place twice, five years ago. He thinks it's a stretch that Snow would be so slow at getting around to trying to scare us off."

"Okay?" Prim still didn't understand.

"He thinks that Thread…wants…me." Saying it out loud made her feel ridiculous. She wouldn't look at Prim she was so sure that it was ridiculous. She took another swig of wine and wondered if she could just get Thresh to hand her the bottle.

"And why does he think that?" Something in Prim's tone had Katniss giving her a sharp look. Prim looked almost thoughtful as she waited for Katniss' answer.

"It doesn't matter. It's stupid. Maybe it is just a bunch of stupid kids.""

Prim was silent for a minute as she watched the wine swirl in her glass. Katniss waited for her to pull together whatever she was going to say.

"You know, when we were kids, I used to think you were so lucky."

Her brows pulled together in confusion at the sudden subject change.

"Why?" Growing up fast because of their parents death, marrying young to keep what was left of her family together only to lose her husband five short years later was something to be jealous of?

"Not only did Gale, tall dark and broody want my sister. But so did Peeta, town golden boy." Katniss couldn't help the stunned look that she was now sporting. "Of course, I was fourteen and hadn't realize that love triangles are complicated and messy and nobody really wins. At the time, I thought it was romantic." Thresh snorted at that which he covered with a cough and a sheepish look when his wife glared at him.

Katniss didn't know what to say to that so she just kept quiet. The fact that her baby sister had seen the way he felt about her years ago made her feel all the more clueless.

"I always thought," Prim continued. "That if you and Gale split, you would end up with Peeta."

"Prim!" Shock permeated Katniss' whole body at that. She jerked almost as if Prim had slapped her. Unfortunately, she wasn't exactly sure why she was so shocked. She always had the feeling that she and Gale wouldn't make it. And apparently Prim was more attuned to the adults around her than Katniss had ever giving her credit. "I loved Gale." She finished, sounding lame to her own ears.

:"I never said you didn't." Prim said softly. "There was just this…spark whenever you and Peeta were in the same room. And the way his eyes followed you when you weren't looking." Prim sighed at the memory. Actually sighed.

"There was no spark!" She denied. But, wasn't there, her inner voice asked. You certainly felt something the other night. And she'd accepted her rather lusty reaction to him in the yard.

"Look, I'm not saying what you had with Gale wasn't real. I would never say that." Prim continued. "I'm just saying that you and Gale were comfortable."

"Nothing wrong with that." Katniss mumbled. She hadn't realized she'd been so transparent about her depth of feeling for her husband. God, what a horrible person she was.

"Dinner's ready." Thresh set their bowls of pasta in front of them and topped of their glasses of wine. He gave Prim a look that told her maybe she should lay off for awhile.

"I love you Katniss. I didn't mean to upset you." Prim leaned over and hugged the older woman. Katniss couldn't help but smile.

"I love you too, Little Duck."

"Quack." They laughed at the old joke. Then they ate.

"Thresh, that was delicious. Thank you." Katniss complimented her brother in law. She had moved with Prim to the couch with a bottle of water. She had switched because she had to drive home soon.

"You're welcome." He smiled, pleased. He pressed a kiss to Prim's head then excused himself. He had to get up early to help in his dad's garage in the morning before his shift at the restaurant he worked at. Prim squeezed his hand and whispered that she loved him. He gave her a sweet smile, which said all he needed to.

"Goodnight Katniss."

"Goodnight." She smiled at him as he walked down the short hall to their bedroom. "What time is your shift tomorrow?" Katniss asked Prim.

"Three. I'll probably pick up the breakfast shift at Sae's in the morning."

"You guys work to hard." Katniss said with a frown. Even with the money that had been set aside from their parent's insurance money after they bought the farm, Prim still had to take out student loans. It pained Katniss that she hadn't been able to help more.

"Hey, we want a house and a bunch of kids. We don't want a crapload of debt hanging over our heads. It's ok."

"I just wish…"

"Don't. You did so much for me after mom and dad died. More than you really had too. Took me in, dealt with my mini rebellion. Pushed me to be more. This isn't a big deal. I wish I could do more for you."

"You're already doing what I want from you. As long as you're happy and safe."

"That's all I want for you, too, Katniss. But I don't think you are happy. You haven't been, not really. Not since we were kids, before daddy lost his job."

Katniss was surprised at this. But for once, instead of arguing, she thought about it. She'd had plenty of happy moments and one of pure joy. Posy's birth had been the most terrifyingly perfect moment. But, maybe Prim was right.

"I don't think I know how to be happy." She admitted. Unbidden, an image of Peeta rose in her mind and she felt her heart throb.

"You just have to let yourself. Open yourself up." Prim said, resting her hand on Katniss'.

"Right." She said unconvinced. Like it was that easy. Opening her heart was an invitation for it to get broken. Losing Gale hadn't shattered it, but it had come close. She didn't know if she could handle another blow like that.

"Maybe with Peeta there..."

"Maybe what? This isn't some romance novel, Prim. He's there because Hazelle forced him into it under some misguided notion of protecting me. Because of some promise he made to Gale that he couldn't bother to keep after his best friend died. Once whatever the hell this is stops he'll be gone. Again." She felt flushed when she was done and she took a long pull of water, blinking away the sudden burning in her eyes.

"Wow. You're still mad at him." Prim sounded surprised.

"Aren't you?"

"No. But I've seen him since then. Yelled, told him he was a jerk then hugged him and moved on. He's still Peeta, Katniss. He loves you. Always has." Prim leveled her sister with those blue eyes and almost dared her to argue.

"Then why did he leave?" This was asked in a tiny voice that Katniss didn't even know she possessed. She'd been so damn mad when she realized he'd slunk out of town without a good bye. It hurt.

"Because he loved Gale too. And thanks to that witch of a mother, guilt is something he is good at harboring."

Katniss felt a pain tighten her heart at that. Peeta's mother did have a particular affliction for going after him. From the bruises to the verbal abuse, it was a miracle that he because the man he was. He was generous to a fault. The bread when they were kids, the money after Gale passed. Even now, living with her and her hostility as some pseudo bodyguard. He was one of the kindest people she knew and she could admit that she had missed him.

"Just cut him some slack. And maybe explore that spark." Prim's eyes danced when Katniss glowered at her. "I'm just saying. It's been awhile since you've…sparked."

"Ok, ok. Enough with the sparking stuff. I'm going home." Katniss couldn't help but smile at her sister. "Go do some sparking of your own."

"Think I might. I love you, sweetie. I'll call you in a couple of days." Prim moved to follow Katniss to the door and pulled her into another hug. "Oh, I forgot. Me and Thresh both managed to get the Harvest Festival off. Want to do something?"

They used to have a barbecue then head to the town square to watch the parade and the carnival.

"Yeah. We'll work it out. Bye."

"Bye."

Katniss made her way out to the truck, her mind a million miles away from the Harvest Festival. She was acutely aware that Peeta might very well be home by the time she got there. Maybe he'd stay at his brother's tonight and keep an eye on Posy.

Which was a totally ridiculous hope.

With a sigh, Katniss drove out of town, her mind a jumbled mess of possibilities.

A/N- I gave you guys a bit of Peeta this time. He wasn't supposed to be in this chapter but I missed him too. LOL. So…no Posy. Empty house. What could happen? I already know and I'm not telling. Hehe. Sorry this was late. I've been crazy busy this weekend. Read, review, show me some love. Makes me a happy writer. Lisa/Jypz