Author's Note: As I am writing this Ariana has slammed her head on the desk, muttering something about priorities and how some people have them seriously screwed up...:P

meaning I guess that she has other things on her mind rather than marriage (like say getting thru this rebelion alive!)...plus let's not forget a certain guy actually has to propose y'know ;)

thanks goes out to DAK and FH11 for the reviews

Chapter 75

With

The wedding with all its prep and baking takes the week. I find out after the celebration Peeta and Katniss had their first actual meeting. According to Haymitch and later from my boyfriend it did not go over well.

I head for the hospital. Katniss is lying in her bed curled up and holding onto a pillow. Johanna is sprawled on her mattress snoring softly. "Hey kid" I say and give a small smirk.

Katniss looks up. She realizes it's me up and around, and since I believe Gale said the last time she came I was still unconscious her shock is understandable. After that we've been separated or distracted by one thing or another, even at the wedding Katniss was in her own little world, for reason I can only imagine is Coin trying to tame me. Fat chance.

"Ariana!" She sits up and rubs her eyes as she winces horribly, "h-how are you feeling?"

"Alive" I reply, "you're upset, something on your mind?"

She shakes her head but when I give her a meaningful look she sighs, "Gale talk to you?"

"And Haymitch. But like you I prefer to hear it from the horse's mouth so to speak" I sit on the bed, "first of all if you are still hurting you should use your morphline, I was on it, had me dazed but I wasn't in pain"

"Jo needs it more" she says, "she's been thru more than me"

"Well they are weaning her off it, you shouldn't be facilitating Mason" I reply, "something in me says though your tears are not from pain, unless we count emotional"

She looks on the edge of saying it, then, "am I a bad person?"

I cock my head, "honestly…no not bad, maybe a bit hard to get to know and you are damned stubbourn" I look confused, "that what Peeta said?" she nods and shrugs, "you have to understand he's been told repetitively that you were evil, and horrible and violent" I begin, "being told that over and over doesn't go away with a few weeks of treatment"

"But I am those things, I'm not gorgeous, I'm not friendly, I'm trouble" she argues and I see her bottom lip quake violently, "he saw all my flaws and spurted them back at me, he sees the real me!"

"Is that such a bad thing?" I grab her hands when she tried to wrap herself in a hug, "Katniss every relationship has its bumps, Gale found out I was a spy the hard way, I couldn't tell him 'I love you' for the longest time and when I finally did I get shot. He gets injured now and I can't even face seeing him in pain, we strive to be honest with each other. Honesty is important for Peeta right now"

"I'll never have him the way I remember him" she looks at me tears spilling down her cheeks, "he's not Peeta anymore"

"It is Katniss, trust me, it's Peeta in there. You have to see that. I can tell you I am certain he still loves you, this first contact, he was trying to understand his fascination with you" I reply, "your voice, how you look after your sister, how you and him created a friendship? Scared you would loose him? All of this is you too, he saw your faults, he hasn't seen your good qualities and I assure you the list is longer than you think"

She scoffs, "yeah right" she wipes her eyes, "I don't think I should visit him anymore"

"That's your decision" I reply, "sooner or later though kid you are gonna realize he should see all of you not just the faults he pointed out" I get up and wince as a spasm hit my chest.

"You're still in pain?" she looks confused

"Just a spasm" I joke when she looks concerned and guilty, "please tell me you ain't blaming yourself for what happened tome?"

"You wouldn't have been shot if I hadn't spoken up" she says

I shake my head, "Katniss it would have happened, it was inevitable, I don't blame you, so do me a favor don't blame yourself on my behalf, I'm alive, you're alive, now we just have to bring Peet back" I make to leave

"You think he'll come back?" Katniss asks softly almost frightened of my answer.

I nod, "I know he will"

"She's so dark and mean!" Peeta says, "how can she be the same as what's in my letters to you? You sure she is this charming beautiful girl?"

I go and talk to Peeta not long since leaving Katniss to her dark mood, "Peeta you're the one who wrote these things not me"

"She was so rude!" he pushes his bowl of cereal away. "how can anyone be friends with her?"

I laugh, "man you serious? Peeta there is something you saw in her, you just have to be patient with yourself" I push the bowl back to him.

"I don't even know if its worth it" he says, "somethings are coming back, and none of them are pleasant Ariana" he sighs, "like her saying it was all a ploy to her, to win favor in the arena, and you say I still loved her enough to risk my life, almost die twice and be willing to lie for her?"

"Yep"

"You're delusional"

"Hopeless romantic"

"That's a lie and you know it. I know you, you're too logical for this"

"Forgot I have a stud of a boyfriend already?"

He's quiet

"Peet I'm not saying to trust her, but I am telling you to give her a chance, yes she is as prickly as a cactus, probably the personality of one too, but deep down I know you still love her, and I know she loves you and misses you" I add, "isn't that worth a chance?"

He pokes at his cereal, "I just…I wish I knew what I did before this happened" he looks upset so I reach out and grasp his hand.

"Peet it's not gonna be instantaneous, it takes time, and I will make sure you have time okay. But you have to try, and we can get Delly in here because she knows you better than I do. We can have you have more chats with Katniss, so you get to know her better, just don't be surprise if she gets defensive again" I nudge the bowl forward again, "you were being too blunt, she doesn't know how to react to that much honesty in one bout"

"I just want to know" he says and eats.

I run into Plutarch's office. This morning I wake to my communicator saying something I was really hoping wouldn't be happening.

"You seriously want me to train Peeta?" I throw my communication on his desk, it reads, ' w/P Mellark'

"Not just martial arts, weapon training, and military exercises too" He says looking up, "we are going into the capitol in three weeks we want him ready"

"Who else is going?" I ask, and make a note to get Ziggy and Beetee to rush this block faster, we have to get the propos out before then.

"Hawthorne, Colins and his crew, Malcom, Riley and his crew. Boggs and his crew…." He is stalling

"Katniss is going as well isn't she?" I ask, when he nods I can see the whole point of training Peeta isn't for his benefit, "you are as bad as she is Plutarch you know that? What if he relapses? What if Katniss is in his sights again and they are alone? Or is that the whole point?"

He lowers his eyes to his paper after tossing me my communicator, "that's not my problem"

"No" I reply, "it's everyone's problem"