Katniss brought a hand to her belly as she watched Violet scamper in from the henhouse. Her skirt was lifted and likely full of eggs. She would scold the child for being so careless with them if she thought there was any chance of them actually breaking. Violet was very careful and diligent with her chores. She wouldn't spoil anything as precious as breakfast. Peeta was amazed at how light she was on her feet, but Katniss knew she came by it naturally. She wondered if this next baby would be the same.

She still had a while until she found out. She wasn't even due for another 3 months. They were starting to think that it wouldn't happen again. That Everdeen and Violet would be their only children. But 5 years later here she was, pregnant and happy. They had built on to the little house a few years ago to give them some additional privacy at night. It was a lot of work, but completely worth it as far as Katniss was concerned.

She nearly bumped into Peeta as he came out of the doorway. He grabbed her arms to steady her and gave her a quick kiss and I love you before heading out to hitch up the wagon. They were all in a hurry today, doing their best to finish the chores in record time. Delly and Kurt were due to arrive shortly and they needed to head to the station soon after.

The farm was a lot of work and they never would have asked either of their friends to care take of it for them if they hadn't offered. It wouldn't be a long trip, but they would still likely be gone a few weeks and that was a good amount of time to tend someone else's homestead. Still, Kurt had insisted that he would be grateful for the opportunity. He had come west with his brother's family and was thinking of buying land of his own. This would give him a chance to see if he could really make a go of it with just his own labor.

He could probably handle it on his own, but Delly had insisted on pitching in as well. She didn't know beans about farming but planned to serve as a cook and housekeeper so that he could concentrate on the fields and animals. It would be an awkward arrangement, given that both of them were single, but Kurt had agreed to sleep in the barn and Delly had laughed at the idea that she might be concerned with her reputation. Katniss smiled, she had seen her friend eyeing the town's newest bachelor in church for several Sundays now. This would be an interesting situation indeed.

When Peeta had the wagon loaded, he returned to the house for the money bag Katniss still stored in the chest at the foot of their bed. A flood of memories assailed him as he held it in his hand. How arrogantly he had assumed that Haymitch could buy him a loving and devoted wife with it. How much he had feared that she would use it to leave him. He shook his head with a chuckle. What a fool he had been. Katniss loved him with her whole soul and had from the start. Money meant next to nothing to her. She would never betray him nor any of their kin.

Not that loving each other meant that they always kept sweet. They butted heads from time to time, but it was always to challenge one another to be better. To make life more rich and full. He stopped in front of the desk and picked up an envelope. After years of persuasion, she had finally convinced him to hire someone to track down and deliver a letter to Thresh. He received word from his man that the letter had been delivered and still he heard nothing in response from his old friend. He had given clear direction on how he could be reached. Still, nearly six months of silence followed.

Every time they went to town he was hoping to have received mail but the postmaster would just shake his head. Katniss had begun to feel sorry for him and he hated to see the pity in her eyes. Then one day she raced out to the barn to greet him after one of her visits with Delly. She held a brown envelope in her hand. He opened it with trembling hands. Inside he found not a letter, but an intricate drawing of a young colored man seated next to what he assumed was his wife and surrounded by three little boys. A smile broke across his face. Thresh had always been a good artist and now he had a family of his own just like Peeta did.

He received no other form of communication from his childhood playmate nor did he send any. He had poured out his heart to the other man and Thresh had responded with a sign of goodwill. Peeta knew him well enough to know that he wasn't angry. The companionship they had shared had been for just a season of their lives but it had been genuine and significant. He had a best friend from his boyhood and so did another young man making his way in the world and providing for his family.

Peeta returned the envelope to its proper place and glanced down to see his wife's sprawling handwriting across a page of his formal stationary. He had seen her working at it the day before but hadn't inquired. He assumed that she was composing directions for Delly or Kurt but the composition that lay before him was much more extensive. His interest was piqued as he scanned the document and noted that his name appeared several times.

Dear Papa, Mama, and Prim,

I miss you all and I am ever grateful for the memories you gave me. Thank you for instilling in me a love for our Lord and a strong sense of resolve. Whenever life has troubled me I have comforted myself with prayer and with the sound of your steady voices urging me to never give up. I am a woman of 28 now and a fine pianist just like Mama. I play in church most every Sunday. I am stubborn like Papa and I still resemble him in most respects. I have a daughter who reminds me daily of Prim and I play all of the games with her that we used to as girls.

I am very happy and my life is full so I don't want you to worry. I had a very difficult time after you died but it set me on the path that brought me to today so I wouldn't take it back. I had a son when I was young and I lost him, but I named him in your memory and I am sure you have cared for him well and are better acquainted with him than I. Losing the chance to mother him is my only regret.

Whatever unfairness life dealt me in the wake of your departure has been more than made up for by the gift of my husband and our children. When I was at one of my very lowest points, I met a man who took pity on me and brought me out west to marry his friend. That is how I met my Peeta. We married shortly after my arrival and have been each other's loves ever since. He hasn't always done or said the right thing, but he has been incredibly faithful, patient, and loving with me. His strength and character have rebuilt my belief that some people can be trusted and that I am important and worthy of a good life.

He didn't serve in the war and that would have been a sore subject between you, but it isn't for me. I know what it is like to have no power to defend yourself and no way to protect your loved ones. I have been in situations in which men handled me as they liked. I had no recourse and no avenue to change my fate. I do not wish the condition for any person regardless of the purpose that it may serve. Peeta learned this before I did and had the courage to live according to his convictions. He is amazingly strong and wise and I am a very proud wife and fortunate to have his care and protection.

Coming west has done wonders for me and while I have some fond memories of Georgia, it is no longer my home. Peeta and I have built a life here that I treasure and I plan to continue on this path as long as God permits. Our daughter Violet was born here and she is thriving. She is a hard worker on the farm and is starting to learn her numbers and letters, but when her chores are done she is also a lively singer and dancer and is now trying her hand with the piano as well. We are expecting another child in a few months' time and are both greatly pleased.

I miss you and I wish you could see the woman I have grown into and meet Peeta and Violet. My soul is well and I am no longer sorrowful but I still have the desire for reunion with you and Everdeen on the other side where our whole family can be complete.

You are remembered and cherished forever,

Your loving daughter Katniss Mellark

Peeta stood, frozen in place. He knew that Katniss loved him, but until he read the words she would have spoken to her beloved parents, he did not fully appreciate the weight of her admiration and respect. She appreciated him. She valued him. She knew everything and would have chosen him freely. That was the truth plainly spoken without taking him as an audience into consideration. His wife trusted him and he was a good husband and father.

He let the letter fall back to the desk and grabbed the edge of it for support. He took a deep breath, suddenly a little overwhelmed by emotion. He had become everything he had set out to be. His children being raised in the home and loving family that he never had. He felt like he had broken some kind of an ancient curse. He wasn't judgmental, controlling, and vengeful like his mother. He wasn't weak like his father either.

He heard the sound of Delly's wagon and went out to greet her and tend to her horses. He grinned as he led them into the barn. Kurt would be doing these things for her soon enough. Heaven help the man. Kurt arrived a short time later looking between the house, the barn, and his soon to be very close neighbor with a mix of interest and trepidation. At least he had an idea of what he was getting himself into Peeta concluded.

Most of their belongings had already been loaded by the time Delly hugged and kissed them all farewell but Katniss returned to the house for the most important things. Peeta noticed as he lifted her into the seat that she had retrieved both the letter and her money bag and added them to her traveling case. Violet was chattering excitedly and if her arms flapped any faster she would surely fly rather than ride into town. It was understandable. Not only would this be her first trip out east but also her first time on a train.

Peeta had gone back before, the year prior when his eldest brother had died. Katniss had offered to go along but he preferred to deal with it on his own and not taint his new life with the old. He was positive his mother would not treat her well and he was right. She started slinging insults the moment he told her of his marriage and child and he had promptly walked away from her for good. Some people didn't change. He hadn't gone back to visit her in any event. He had returned to pay his respects to his brother and his wife and children and he had done that and returned to his farm. He saved all of his real grief until he was back in his wife's arms. She kissed and loved him through it. It was a pain that she understood all too well.

Katniss was amazed by the power and speed of the locomotive. Despite protests by the Indians, the railroad had continued to lay track and they were now connected all the way to the east coast. The trip that had taken her weeks when she had come with Haymitch was now reduced to just a few days. It was a sign of how fast things continued to change. Katniss glanced over at Violet, no longer a chubby toddler but a girl soon to start school. She wondered how different the world would be by the time she matured to womanhood.

Violet was fascinated by the train and its passengers, more than once inquiring too loudly about private matters and embarrassing both of her parents who begged pardon for her. Despite the reduced length of the journey, she wasn't used to sitting for long periods and by the end of the trip she was more than a little restless. Thankfully, it was bright and sunny when they departed and she was able to play outside of the train station and then at the hotel.

Katniss felt a bit uncomfortable eating dinner in such a formal setting and so did Violet. The child had never eaten in a restaurant before. The furniture in the room was also much more ornate than Katniss was accustom too. Her little girl had no chance to notice, having fallen asleep while her Daddy carried her up the stairs.

Katniss was grateful for the strength of Peeta's arms as he held her that night. She was tired from traveling but she was homesick for their cabin on the prairie and she was nervous about what the next day would bring.

"I love you" Peeta whispered as he smoothed back her hair. "You're going to be fine darling. I'll be with you every step of the way."

She took a deep breath and nodded. He was right. This wasn't anything like the last time. She was a new person now. She had money. She was married as well and to a very capable man. Not only that, but her thinking had changed. She wasn't a lost little girl, running away from pain and loss. She was a woman on a mission.

She snuggled closer to her best friend and told him that she loved him too. She was glad that he was here to support her. He knew how difficult it would be and the depth of his understanding eased her anxiety. She just had these last couple of things to do and no matter how the next week went, they would be on their way home in a short time.

It was easy to hire a ride the next morning to take them the short distance to her former home. She expected the sense of panic that began to blossom in her chest as the land marks became familiar but she also experienced a strong sense of nostalgia as well. She brought Violet up into her lap and told her stories about each and every farmhouse, creek, and swaying tree as they passed by. Memories of her childhood with Prim, Gale, and the passel of other children who roamed these parts in her youth.

But as they approached what had once been her family plantation she grew silent. Peeta took her hand and held it tight. This was the part he was worried about. Katniss would make it, she was more of a survivor than anyone he knew. He just hoped that this visit would do more good than harm in helping her gain some closure. He was sure that it would be a mixed bag of emotions and he was reminded, not for the first time, that the last time she had been here her sister had been killed by the Yankees and a man had raped her and taken her innocence. She had been determined these last several months to return and face it and he had been supportive of her need to do so.

He intended to keep his word and stay at her side but once he helped her down she placed their daughter's hand in his and walked away. His chest tightened in pain on her behalf. Letting her go flew in the face of all of his instincts. He wanted to be there to protect her. To hold her in his arms when she cried. The little hand within his changed his mind. As usual, his wife's judgement was correct. Some of the memories that she needed to face here were best not dealt with in front of their child.

What struck Katniss the most was how different it everything was. If she hadn't grown up here she would never have known that the house had even existed. Peeta had gotten in contact with the new owners so they had permission to be here and Katniss took advantage of the opportunity to visit all of the important places that shaped her life. She walked in the woods where she had seen her father hunt and set traps as a girl. She visited the remnants of the fort she had made with Gale. She stood in the place that she had shared a room with Prim. She traced the path that her mother had often walked to the summer kitchen.

The last stops were the most difficult. She sat in the grass that now grew in the place of the barn and she wept for her sister. For the perfect little girl she had been and the woman that she never got to be. She looked out to the place where the man had held her down and changed her life forever. She deeply resented the terror that rose within. After all of this time, she was still afraid of him. He hadn't beaten her though. She had emerged and moved on and she was 100% confident that she had a better life than him. In fact, she wouldn't have traded what she had with anyone.

She found her family grave and ran her fingers over the pile of stones that marked it. For years, she had believed that she belonged here with them. That she had only escaped because of some cruel accident of fate. She glanced across the way and saw Peeta with Violet on his shoulders as he tried to lift her high enough to peer into a nest on the branch of a tree. No, she didn't belong here. Peeta had shown her that. They had grown together and proven that life could be good again, despite any amount of loss.

She spoke words of love and confession long held inside and she lifted several of the stones at the top of the pile and placed her letter carefully in before covering it again. She called for Peeta and Violet and explained to her daughter that this is where her family was buried. She nodded and looked sad, likely because she knew that her Mama was. Peeta stood behind her and pulled her against his chest and he held her gently until she was ready to return to the wagon.

She felt a little lighter with each step. The owners had built a new house at the other end of the property and the slave cabins were now filled with share croppers. The children looked well fed and the adults healthy enough too. The place was moving on. She couldn't have imagined all of the changes but that seemed fitting. It was a different world and she was a different Katniss. As they were pulling away she took one last look at the past. She wouldn't be returning, of that she was certain. She wasn't frightened and running away anymore. This time she was simply making a better choice.

The next part of their journey was more difficult. The roads that stretched across the miles to Cato's land were less reliable and several times they had to disembark and walk while Peeta led the horses over difficult terrain. Violet was delighted by the adventure as she sat between her parents, watching the unfamiliar landscape pass by. They stopped and rested the horses when needed and spent one night camping out beneath the stars. Katniss loved to watch the people and see how the fields and houses had rebounded. It wasn't the south that she remembered before Fort Sumter, but it was no longer a ravaged war zone either.

Peeta kept glancing back at his wife's proud profile. He was both immensely impressed and appalled by the distance she had once traveled on foot, most likely without any shoes. He smiled to himself. He had himself quite a woman. Sometimes he was still in awe of her.

Katniss stiffened as they reached the house. She had imagined coming back to confront him many times over the years but now that the time had come she only wished to avoid it. She didn't want to sneak around on his land though. She didn't want to cause trouble for anyone else and he wouldn't dare lay a hand on her now. No, she was going to have to do the unthinkable and ask for permission.

She half expected to find him sprawled out from a hangover or half-drunk already, but as the porch came into view an old woman whom she had never seen before looked up from sweeping the steps. Her eyes narrowed and her face appeared to be permanently molded into a frown. She took them in and gave a nod of her head.

"What can I do for you folks?" she asked, in not the least bit friendly way as she returned to her sweeping.

When Katniss failed to answer, Peeta stepped in.

"We are looking for Cato Jacobs" he informed her.

The woman stopped again and shook her head although she clearly wasn't surprised. When she pulled her bonnet off to wipe her brow, Katniss could see that she had misjudged her age. She probably wasn't much past 40. She didn't look as though life had treated her well, but she wasn't elderly or infirm.

"My brother died a couple of years back" she told them. "This place is mine now."

The news sent Katniss's mind in a whirl. Cato was dead. The man she had built up in her mind for so long as an all-powerful tyrant had been rotting in his grave since Violet was an infant. It was too much to take in.

"We are actually looking for a woman who used to work here. Her name is Cecelia."

The woman considered this.

"Colored woman?" she asked.

Peeta nodded.

"She still does" she answered as though it weren't overly important. "If you are here to stake a claim get out. Those days are over. She works for me now and I won't have people coming around to hire the help away."

Peeta nodded again. "Understood. We aren't looking for sharecroppers. Our place is much too far away and it isn't this large. My wife knows this woman from her childhood. We just want to have a word with her."

The woman eyed him again. She didn't believe him but she didn't argue either. Instead, she gestured down the path to where the cabins were.

"She lives down that way with her kinfolk. Have your word and get off my land. I don't take kindly to fancy strangers showing up and wanting to talk to my Negros."

Peeta grimaced. He hated the way she was speaking of his wife's longtime friend but she had also given them the permission they wanted and she hadn't put up a fight about it.

They climbed down from the wagon and Peeta hitched up the team. Katniss checked her old cabin but found it occupied. The girl who answered was able to point them in the right direction and just when she was getting ready to knock she heard a familiar voice. It was rich and clear and she starting crying before she even saw her. She was walking up the path, hauling water with several young women. No, not quite women, girls. Oh my, Cecelia's daughters were so grown up now.

"Can I help you sir?" Cecelia asked, her expression concerned.

Peeta could understand her worry. There was a white man and his family standing at her cabin door.

"Cecelia!" Katniss burst out as the tears ran down her face.

The older woman's eyes went wide as recognition dawned on her and she stumbled forward to bring her hands to Katniss's face. She examined her for a moment in disbelief before pulling her close in a hug.

"Child, you've come home" she sobbed. "We thought….we thought Cato done killed you."

She rocked her and stroked her hair even as others began to gather around them. Peeta was surprised by the outburst of emotion, not necessarily from Cecelia but by Katniss. He knew they were close but the reunion was more intense than he had anticipated. It made him all the more glad they had made the journey. This was clearly something both woman had been needing.

When Cecelia pulled back she kept Katniss by both hands and looked her over again. She shook her head with a bright shining smile.

"You're well Katniss. You're so well and you look so grown up and beautiful."

"Yes" Katniss started, beginning to remember herself. "When I confronted Cato he tried to kill me and I had to run away. I met a man who was looking for a wife for his friend so I went west and I married Peeta. I'm sorry I couldn't get word to you then."

She reached for Peeta and Violet and brought them over. "This is Peeta, my husband and our daughter Violet."

Cecelia smiled even wider. "Our Katniss, a mother and it looks like you're going to be so again soon."

Katniss nodded as emotions continued to get the better of her. Cecelia invited them in and soon they were sitting around the tiny kitchen table drinking glasses of water. Katniss sent Violet outside to play with the other children. While the two women visited and caught up after years of separation, Peeta looked around the cabin. It was dark and very damp. It was also clear that a lot of people lived here. He couldn't be sure how many but enough to make him feel claustrophobic. He heard Cecelia mention a move to a bigger cabin. He shuddered. He wasn't being judgmental, he just couldn't imagine living this way. He remembered Katniss on the day she had arrived. The full weight of where she came from and the conditions she was used to were a reality to him now. He glanced at Cecelia. While others had denied Katniss charity out of their wealth, she had willing shared what she had out of this poverty. His wife had been right in coming back.

After a time that was much too short for Katniss, she noticed Cecelia eying the door. She was nervous and Katniss knew why.

"I am so glad to see you" Cecelia said. "And to see you found love and this handsome man and a family of your own. It's all I could have hoped for you."

Tears formed in her eyes. "Thank you" she said, addressing the words to both of them. "Thank you for coming back to see me and to ease my mind."

She looked down at her hands and then her expression turned fearful. "The boss lady though. She won't take to having you here speaking with me. I don't want her to think that I'm causing trouble. She isn't any Cato but she still drives a hard way from time to time."

Katniss brought her hand forward to cover hers and squeezed it. "I know" she said quietly. "We will be going soon but I wanted to give you a couple of things before I left."

She handed her an envelope. "That is the address that I can be reached at by mail and directions to our farm in Kansas if you ever need it. I know you can't read but someone should be able to help you."

She looked to Peeta who brought forth a bag and set it down on the table with a thud. Katniss pushed it in front of Cecelia who looked puzzled as she opened it and then visibly shaken.

"No…no child" she started and Katniss laid a hand on her arm and then came over to hug her.

"It's yours" she said softly as she held her. "Half my dowry money and then my share of the extra proceeds from our farm over the last 5 years. We have more than enough and Peeta said that it is mine to do whatever I wish with. You are the only family that I have left in Georgia and I want you to have it. It's enough to buy your own land. Go west if you want to or stay here. Whatever you want to do with your life and to help get your daughters a better start."

The two women held each other for a while and Peeta tended the horses. Before they were ready to head out Cecelia took him aside.

"Thank you" she said again. She brought his face down to hers and kissed him on the cheek. He started to tear up as well and it occurred to him that his own mother had never displayed such affection. "God has a place for you" she told him. "You gave her so much love. I can see that. You gave her so much care when she needed it so bad. I've never seen such a man to give so much."

Katniss was happy as the train pulled out of the station a few days later. She had done what she came to do. She had said goodbye to her parents and to Prim. She had shown Cecelia how much she loved her and how much she would always mean to her and she had made a difference in her life just as Cecelia had done for her so many years ago. She had also shared her past with Peeta and with Violet too. She wanted her to know where she came from and that she should never be ashamed. She wished that she could have visited Everdeen's grave but she had no idea what the people at the hospital had done with the body. Peeta had created a small memorial for him at home.

She was ready to go back. For one thing, she was interested in how much progress Delly might have made with Kurt in their absence. Her hand fell to her belly. Another baby would be here soon. The prairie would bloom and then ripen into gold. The snow would fall and the cycle would begin again. There was so much life and love ahead of them. She took Peeta's hand and intertwined their fingers. They would embrace it all together, always.