Chapter 2

The Surprise

…

Peeta dropped me off a block away from the hospital so I could go find Marcus while he went in search for somewhere to park the truck. So carefully weaving my way through the parked ambulances, doctors talking to fellow nurses, and casual bystanders who were drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes scattered outside Mercy Hospital I finally made my way into the ER waiting room. Stopping myself short just after entering the room I looked around. For it being nine twenty on a Sunday night I was surprised to see how crowded the waiting room of the hospital's emergency room was. God, how many people get emergency related injures on Sunday nights, I think. But how crowded the emergency room was or wasn't really didn't mattered right now, I needed to find Marcus. So looking around the large waiting room and through the rows of plastics seats Marcus was nowhere in sight. Growing worried I subconsciously began to twist my hands together in angst.

Dammit, where are you Marcus?

Back at the entrance of the room I spotted an empty plastic chair. Walking over I stepped on top of the plastic chair about to look around the room when I felt something tugging at the bottom of my dress. Looking down I saw a fair skinned man looking up at me.

Shit, I think, security.

"Oh, sorry sir," I said stepping down off the seat, "I know I'm probably not supposed to be standing on the seats, but I was looking for a friend of mine whose supposed to be here and I can't find him and…" I trail on till I realize the man is smiling at me trying to hold back his laughter. "Wait you're not… you're not a hospital security guard are you?"

He laughs shaking his head no. "Dressed like this?"

"Right," I say taking his apparel of dark jeans and a black V-neck with a golden chain around his neck, "That wouldn't make much sense."

He laughs again, "You're exactly as Marcus described you."

Marcus? Did he just say Marcus?

"You know Marcus," I ask.

"Yeah," he says, "Com'on they just put him in a room. I'll show you where he is."

"Thank you," I say, "Really thank you."

"No problem," he says, "I'm Cinna by the way."

…

As he wrapped his sports jacket around my shoulders Peeta kissed the top of my head. "Hey, I'll be right back. I'm going to go down to the cafeteria and get us some coffee to drink."

I nod my head in agreement. A nice cup of coffee would be fantastic right now especially after being here for five some hours. Then giving me a heartwarming smile I watch him as he walked out the room. The moment he was gone I heard from behind me, "I ruined your guys' night didn't I?"

Turning to face Marcus I took in the butterfly bandages that cover the stitch's he now has along the top of his left eyebrow and the sling in which his right arm rested. "No," I say shaking my head.

Getting up from my seat beside the door I walk over to sit at the foot of Marcus's hospital bed.

"Yeah, I did. I know I did," he says in frustration letting out a sigh, "Peeta's face says it all. Even if you don't know it I ruined your guys' night."

"No you didn't ruin anything," I restate nudging his thigh with my foot, "We didn't even make it out the front door before your friend, Cinna, called."

He groaned again. "That's even worse. He worked so hard to make sure tonight went perfectly. He was so excited, too. I can't believe I fucked it all up."

Leaning forward to console Marcus a black, velvet box fell out from the inside of Peeta's jacket. That's when I felt every bone in my body stiffen. That's when I felt every muscle I had contract. It was as if by some freak of nature my body had become petrified. What was that? Was it what I thought it was? Shakily reaching out I took the box into my hand. Should I open it? What if it is what I think it is? What will I do? My mind racing I didn't realize my other hand reaching over opening the box till it was too late. And there inside the box was exactly what I thought it was, a ring. It was a simple silver ban with three aligned diamonds.

It was perfect.

God, I think, he was going to propose to me tonight. Shit, no wonder Finn refused to tell me what Peeta had planned and why Marcus was angry with himself for interrupting. He was going to propose to me. My mind running on overdrive I thought, what would I have said? And that's when I found myself drawing a blank. I don't know what I would have said. Yes, I think, yes. I loved Peeta, he was my everything, more than my everything. I'm sure I would have said yes, maybe. The whole marriage and kid thing were still iffy subjects with me. But I'm sure I would have said yes… maybe... no, yes…

Looking up I came to see Marcus staring at me with a sad, worried expression. "He was going to propose to me tonight," I ask.

Marcus nodded his head. Sitting up, Marcus moved over till he was seated beside me. "He loves you, always have. I'm surprised he hasn't done it years ago… But it was your five year anniversary today and he thought it would be perfect. You know he's a classic romantic… He was going to take you down to the dunes along the beach in front of Haymitch's house. That's where you two went to that bonfire party... He had a blast that night, you know? That was the first time you talked to him…. He was making your favorite he told me. Cheese buns with something like fruit I think. He even went through the trouble of buying some of those outrageous fireworks you guys set off during the summer following his junior year of college." Marcus paused shaking his head. "You guys were going to eat on the dunes. Then you were going light the fireworks off. The grand gester. That's when Peeta was going to pop the question." Falling silent we both looked down at the ring. After a long moment with his good arm Marcus reached over shutting the box before slipping back in the pocket within Peeta's jacket.

"I won't tell if you don't," he said with a dejected smile, "The kid deserves his chance to ask you on his own terms so don't go telling him you found the ring or tell him you knew what his plans were for tonight."

I nod my head fiddling with my fingers. And thinking that keeping this from Peeta would be simple I am proven wrong when I see Peeta walk into the room with three cups of coffee. You have to tell him, my mind shouts at me but I just shake my head, this is going to be hard.

"Hey," he said to us handing us each a cup of coffee, "So Marcus I just talked to the doc and you're free to go. I signed you out and all. But-"

"But?" Marcus groaned, "Peety no buts."

"Well if you didn't get yourself into a bar fight then there would be no buts, but that didn't happen," Peeta snapped trying to control his anger. Yeah, Peeta was mad that Marcus for ruining our night. "Since you have a pretty bad concussion the doctor said you shouldn't be alone and you can only sleep a few hours at a time or something. So basically you need someone to take care of you."

"Okay I'll call Cinna," Marcus said. But Peeta shook his head, "I already did. He's going out of town on business till Thursday. And neither can Jules or Chad help you out."

"I'll do it," I interject, "I'll take care of him."

…

With much persuasion I had convinced Peeta to let me stay in the city and take care of Marcus at least till Cinna came back from his business trip on Thursday. Peeta tried telling me he could do it, but I pointed out to him that Rye, Marvel and Johanna were working for me this week while he only had Annie on staff at the bakery till his dad recovered from the stomach flu he had come down with a couple days ago. So here I was hours later pulling up in front of Marcus's apartment building with a duffle bag filled with everything I could possibly need for a week and my motorcycle strapped in the back of Peeta's pickup. Pulling the key out of the ignition I don't realize Peeta opening the driver's side door till I feel his lips pressed against my jaw.

"Missed you," he mumbles kissing along my jaw. I laugh as he kisses along my jaw to just below my ear tugging on my earlobe with his teeth which he knows usually drives me crazy, but the exhaustion that has over taken my body says otherwise. "

I have barely been gone for three hours," I say, "What are you going to do while I'm gone all week?"

"Drive up every night to see you," he says in all seriousness.

I pull him away from my jaw so he's looking me in the eyes. "No you're not," I say in a stern voice, "Cause that means you would have to close the bakery early to get up here at a reasonable hour and I refuse for you guys to lose business because of me."

"It wouldn't be because of you," he says, "It would be because of me and my lack of you."

"Too bad," I say kissing him on the lips as I slid out of the truck with my duffle bag in hand, "You'll have to wait till Friday to see me."

He lets out a groan of frustration shutting the door behind me. "So stubborn you are," he mutters under his breath.

"I know," I shout over my shoulder as I began to untie to ropes attached to my motorcycle.

"I still can't believe you brought this thing up here," he says helping me, "You could have just used Marcus's car or called a taxi or walked if you need to go anywhere."

Wheeling the bike toward him so he could lift it out of the trunk I said, "I'm stubborn, remember?" He laughed lifting me out of the bed of the truck following the bike.

"How could I forget," he said kissing me.

Wrapping my arms around his neck I returned his kiss. "Sorry for being a party pooper, but there's always got to be one… And you got to go," I say unhappily, "Annie said she'll cover today, but you have to open tomorrow because she has a yoga class in the morning."

Peeta let out a groan.

"I know," I say kissing him along his sculpted cheek bone, "Life sucks."

Leaning in to kiss me one more time it isn't after several moments that Peeta breaks away from the kiss. "Call me tonight," he says leaning his forehead against mine. I nod my head. "I promise. And promise me you won't close the bakery early and drive up here tomorrow night."

Peeta let out another groan. "Do I have to?"

I nod my head, "I'll be back on Friday. You can suffer a few days without me. You can call me whenever or we'll video chat or whatever, but I refuse to let you close the bakery and lose customers." "Fine," he says obviously not pleased with the agreement, "You better answer."

I laugh. "Promise." Kissing him one last time before he climbs into the driver's side of the truck cab I say, "I love you."

"I love you, too," he says with a smile, "Always?"

I smile back at him, "Always."

In that moment everything is perfect. I love Peeta Mellark. Peeta Mellark loves me. He bought an engagement ring and was going to ask me to marry him last night till… "Wait," I say to Peeta causing him to twist the key out of the truck's ignition.

"What?" Swiftly taking off his jacket I hand it through the driver's side window.

"I nearly forgot to give this back to you."

"Oh you could of kept it-," he says only to stop himself as he realized what he was saying, "No never mind, I need that jacket this week. Thanks."

"No problem," I say giving him one last kiss before stepping away from the truck, "I'll see you Friday."

He nods his head, "I call you later on tonight."

"I'll answer," I say before asking, "Always?"

He smiles like a two year old. "Always." And then twisting the key in the ignition Peeta puts the truck into drive and in no time disappears between the city streets.