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CHAPTER 7:

After leaving Prim with Gale, I head to the hospital, I can see from a distance, the blond hair of Rye and Mr. Mellark so I turn to them.

"Hey, Katniss. "

Rye rises from his chair and gives me a hug. "Everyone, this is Katniss." I should have thought that there would be more people here, after all, families support each other, especially in these things, not that I know this from personal experience, my mother was not really a source of support, but I guess that's how it should be. This is not good for me though. I'm terrible with new people. I give an awkward wave with my hand and a tight-lipped smile.

I ask Mr. Mellark how Peeta's procedure went and if he knows how he is feeling. After he tells me that everything is okay, we are just waiting for the doctors to approve visitors.

Mr. Mellark speaks softly to me. "Come dear, I'll introduce you to the rest of the family." I just want to run to the hills , but those smiling faces don't really give me a choice. Besides, they're here for Peeta, not me.

"Katniss, we have been looking forward to meeting you, I'm Matt and this is my girlfriend Madge. I'm the big brother, " he says winking.

"Nice to meet you," says the beautiful blonde with blue eyes who sits next to him.

"This is my ex-wife, Marla," Mr. Mellark introduces me to a woman who is undoubtedly Peeta's mother. She doesn't have the sweet expression of her sons but she is a beautiful blond woman with blue eyes, too. She is also tall and strongly built.

"Nice to meet you." I reach forward and for a very awkward moment, I think she is going to leave me with an outstretched hand. Thankfully she doesn't, although she does looks at me from head to toe with a grimace.

"Hello," she cuttingly says and calls to the blonde girl sitting next to her just now, "Come in dear."

Marla makes a point of showing that I don't fit into this blond-haired, blue-eyed family meeting. Maybe it's a Mellark requirement or something. Well, good for Prim. She'll fit in perfectly.

"This is Delly, Delly Cartwright. A wonderful young woman and I've been waiting for the day when she and Peeta announce their engagement, but now, with a new found child and this situation, I wonder if this would be right for such a good girl as Delly. She deserves better than the constant failure my youngest son is." I can see Delly blushing and looking down. I guess I'm just doing the same thing, only my expression is accompanied by anger and surprise. How can she talk that way about her own son? What kind of mother she is?

"Anyway, at least it's a girl ... when can I meet her? Peeta said you got the DNA results and she really belongs to him, but still I need to look at her." WTF?

"Mom," Rye cuts her a knowing glance and I'm so incredibly thankful for it. I'm normally a quiet person, except when I'm mad, and I don't think snapping at this woman today of all days it's going to be a good idea. I feel a hand giving me a slight squeeze on my shoulder in reassurance. I turn to see Mr. Mellark with an uncomfortable expression that mirrors everyone's.

"Well? " Oh my god, she is still waiting for an answer!

"Um... I don't know, she hasn't been well lately."

"Well of course she isn't. How could she, in this godforsaken hospital. I can only imagine the third world attention she is getting …either way, that'll change soon."

"You'll have to forgive her Katniss, she is nervous about Peeta in there and all this news took her by surprise. Peeta went to talk to her just two days ago." Mr. Mellark wisely takes me away from this woman. How on earth nice, sweet and caring Peeta have a mother like this?

"Sorry about mom, Katniss. She can be a bit too much, " says Matt.

Rye snorts. "She's more like a bitch."

"Rye," Mr. Mellark warns "she's still your mother."

"Well she is," Mr. Mellark just shakes his head from side to side at his son's petulant remark. I think Rye is right.

So Peeta has a girlfriend. I should have expected it, so why do I feel so disappointed? He is too handsome to be alone. I was just a one night stand for him. It must be so easy for him. I had been the one for that night and probably, if I had said no, he would have found another girl willing to fill the job in a heartbeat. Girls tend to throw themselves at guys like him... But he kissed me. Why? He doesn't seem like the kind of guy to go behind a girl's back.

And what does that witch knows about anything? Aaarrrggg! I'm so frustrated with that horrible woman and that perfect blue-eyed girl… they must look great together - same looks, handsome him, beautiful her. She already fits in his family….Katniss what are you sulking about? Move on! Something needs to transition to the next paragraph since it's a different thought process, or try to tie something in to it. I say goodbye to everyone and head to work a few hours. I'll be back later.

I know a hospital is no place for a child but Prim practically cames here everyday. She has made four drawings for her dad and wants to see him. I don't think they'll let her in the room but I'll bring her to deliver the drawings at least. I ask Gale to drop her here after my shift, that way she can see her doctor and I can visit Peeta. Also, it's for the best she meets her grandmother here than have the witch visiting at our home. I don't want to think what she'll say about the place we live and I can always flee quickly if I need to.

Prim is excited to see her grandfather and Rye. The Mellarks have won over my little daughter's heart. "Hey little one." Rye yells as soon as he sees her, and she hides behind my legs laughing and squirming from pure excitement. Every Mellark is walking toward us anxious to know her.

"This is your other uncle Matt, but he's not as cool as me, you'll see." He kneels at Prim's level to conspiratorially tell her this.

"Shut up Rye, let her form her own opinions," says an annoyed Matt.

Rye whispers in Prim's ear, "He doesn't even know what a minion is," as if that was explanation enough, or an insult.

Prim gasps and looks incredulous to Matt through my legs who obviously doesn't understand a thing. Rye and I laugh about this. Mission accomplished for him.

I take Prim's little hand and walk to where Mrs. Mellark is, obviously waiting on us to make the first move. She's standing there like a statue, all hard and rigid. I'm nervous about how this woman will react to my daughter, but I'm ready to change my mood to lioness mode if she is rude to my girl.

A truck must have run over me because what happens next can't be real. The stoic iron woman is all smiles. "Oh my god you must be Prim. How beautiful you are! You look exactly like my Peeta when he was your age. I just can't believe it. I always dreamed of a girl and in my dreams she looked exactly like you! Am I dreaming Matt?" She is all love and coos to my daughter. I can't really complain, though. This is a hundred percent better than what I was expecting.

We all look surprised at each other and my eyebrows are so high it hurts. Prim is squeezing the back of my knee so hard it's starting to hurt and Mrs. Mellark is practically on top of her, trying to get her out of her hiding place. Thankfully the cold treatment is just for me, I suppose.

Prim is not a shy girl and it takes a really short time for her to forget about me and happily socialize with others. Rye takes Prim to get dinner so I can go see Peeta.

I carefully walk into his room and take a moment to watch him drawing something in his sketchbook. The bed is near the window and sunlight makes his blonde hair shine white flashes. Light casts a shadow over his eyelashes. I had never paid attention to how long they are. "Hello there," I tell him.

"Hey," he answers with a big smile "I was told you were here." Gosh, he makes me nervous, smiling at me like that…

"How are you feeling?" I ask. I feel uncomfortable after last night's kiss but coming to see him is the least I can do.

"I'm fine. Sleepy."

"Are you in pain?"

"Not really. The drugs work just fine," we both smile.

"Prim brought these for you." He smiles and looks at the drawings in my hand. I sit next to him on the bed so he can take them, but I stay there after he does.

"She's been busy."

"Yeah. She spent almost half an hour making those for you."

"Maybe I'm starting to win her heart."

"Are you serious? She's crazy about you! She adores you already. I think it was a sort of an instant thing." His wild smile makes me smile, too. God he is handsome.

"So… I was told you'd be meeting mom", he says as he looks at his clasped hands, rubbing them together nervously. I raise my eyebrows and nod. "How was that by the way? "

"Um... uncomfortable. She is..." rude, sharp, serious, nasty, judgmental "... interesting." He snorts. "She is pretty smitten with Prim, though", I add.

"She always wanted a girl. She had a daughter before Matt but she died at birth. Between Rye and I she had an abortion ...it was a girl, too. Life hasn't been easy on her."

"Oh, I had no idea. I'm so sorry."

"Well, the good news is that our little one will be spoiled rotten, "Our... sounds good, like we're a family, a couple. He must be with that girl already Katniss...

He is watching at me intently. He takes the tip of my braid with one hand and pulled me closer to him and asks, "Katniss?" He's smirking. Great. Add the sexy smirk to my internal battle.

"Mmm?"

I can tell he's trying to look inside my eyes. It's making me uncomfortable. I wish he would stop that. He smells so good, and he is so close that I can't think of what to say. I promised myself I didnn't do this again.

"Katniss?" Now He is still caressing my braid, and looking at me in that way that makes my knees weak.

"I'd like very much to kiss you."

The guy has not done anything and I'm moaning and closing my eyes. I must have forgotten my brains at home today.

"Katniss?" He anxiously whispers.

"Yes?" I hope he can hear me because I don't recall saying that aloud. I didn't hear my own voice and I also couldn't say exactly for how long my eyes have been closed.

Did I mention the effect he has on me before?

The next thing I register is a tug on my braid, his warmness on my lips, a soft touch and a sigh. I slowly open my eyes and I find a pair of intense blue ones. He's touching my cheek now and I feel my head tilted slightly. He touches my lips with his and lingers there for a while. He traces them with his tongue, barely. He does it a second time and his tongue stays there longer and I realize that he's asking permission to enter my mouth, but I don't allow it. Instead, I break away from him a bit, just a bit, enough to look into his eyes, and then I take his lips between mine once, twice and soon the kiss is heated. We are testing one another's lips, opening our mouths so our tongues can touch each other. He doesn't release my braid and I take one of his shoulders looking for must be what heaven feels like.

The kiss ends, too soon. We move to the stage where we both look at each other with dizzy, unfocused eyes. I slowly sit back to my place in the chair and he to his place leaning against the pillows...

"What is this feeling Katniss?" he asks dreamily and it gives me goose pumps. I know what he means, it's the same feeling, the chemistry, the magnetism… just like that night at the bar. I get lost in him so easily it frightens me. I know where this leads and I can't let that happen again. And to top it off he has a girlfriend.

"You shouldn't have done that." I stand up confused, still dizzy from his kiss and furious, mainly with myself. I'll never be able to resist him, will I?

And that's what I do. I hear his voice saying my name, calling me, I can tell he is bemused but I keep walking. I take Prim, mutter a hurried goodbye to everyone and leave the hospital. I know I already did this yesterday and maybe its not fair I need to think right noww. I need to get out of here.

Thank you Peetabreadgirl for beta-ing this chapter for me, , you are amazing, its a joy to work with you.