A/N: I want to start by saying thank you for all of the faves, follows and reviews. I love all the feedback I get.

I got a PM asking whether I'm still taking suggestions for the band's playlist. Yes, always. Feel free to suggest non-bluegrass songs. Bluegrass has a long tradition of covers from other genres. (Check out the Carolina Chocolate Drops' cover of "Hit 'em Up Style." It will make you believe.)

I'm leaving in a couple of days and won't be near any internet connection for several days after that. I am still working on the next chapters, I just won't be able to post them until I return.

Thanks to greenwool for her feedback and to dandelionsunset for her awesome-as-always beta work.

Chapter 33—the many sins of Farl Mellark

The day after Katniss and Peeta had made it official that she was "his girl," he started holding her hand in the hallways at school. They already held hands under the table at lunch, and on the walks home after rehearsals. But holding hands in the halls was a lot more public.

Katniss disliked it intensely. Not the holding-hands-with-Peeta part—that part was nice. What got under her skin was the people-staring-at-them part. A lot of kids, both Merchant and Seam, gawked at them like they were naked or something.

Katniss scowled at everybody, much to the delight of Rye, who walked the halls with them that first morning before class.

"That's right, bitches," he said so only Katniss and Peeta could hear. "Here comes the Everdeen Scowl of Fuck You." Peeta started choking with laughter. Katniss half-heartedly told them to shut up, but it got her to smile. Rye kept up an under-the-breath commentary as they walked, teasing her about her "Glare of Scorn" and "Frown of Blow Me." By the time she got to her first class, she was laughing, too.

After school, she and Gale went hunting. While they were checking the snare lines, she told Gale about Peeta finding a new place to get through the fence (she didn't say where he learned it). She figured Gale would just shrug and wish them luck. Instead, he got real interested, real quick.

"Predators? What kind of predators?"

"I don't know yet, Gale. I haven't been there before. And as far as Peeta knows, nobody has been out there for a long time."

"Let me go instead. Or at least, let me go with you. If there's really predators out there...well, you won't have your bow. "

"Neither will you."

"Catnip, no offense, but if there's really predators out there and you don't have a bow, your best defense is to climb a tree. If I've got a knife, I can make a spear and at least have a chance."

"I've taken on predators before, Gale and I can throw a knife better than you can. And Peeta's going to have a knife, too."

"Peeta's going to be useless out there. You said so yourself."

Now that pissed her off. Katniss dropped the dead grouse she'd just freed from the snare. "What I said was, he's loud. Not useless. He'll never be a hunter, but he's at least as strong as you, and probably stronger. He throws 100 pound bags of flour like they don't weigh anything."

Gale rolled his eyes. "Fine. Your boyfriend's strong, but he's no woodsman. If he's going to set snares in a place he's never been, it should be with me. Or with both of us."

Katniss looked into the gray eyes she knew so well. "What's this really about?"

Gale kept a stony expression on his face for a moment, but dropped it under her scrutiny. "Large predators means large game, and things are getting a little scarce at home. The last few days have all been...pretty hollow. Especially for Rory. I swear to god, he wakes up a half-inch taller every morning, and he's always hungry. He doesn't complain, and he doesn't take more than his fair share, but...I know the look."

"I know it, too, Gale." She huffed at him, a little confused. "Why didn't you just tell me that and ask if you could come along? You know I'd say yes."

"Because I'd rather be doing him a favor than the other way around."

Well, Katniss understood that feeling, but it didn't make it any less stupid. "We're going out Saturday before sunrise. You're welcome to join us." They hunted the rest of the afternoon, and had a decent haul. Katniss felt better knowing that the Hawthornes wouldn't be going hungry tonight. But she was still annoyed with Gale for his attitude. Him calling Peeta "useless" hadn't helped, either.

But the mild irritation she felt towards Gale was nothing compared to the loathing she held for Mr. Mellark.

When Katniss arrived at Bannock and Nikki's house, Peeta led her to the kitchen, where Nikki was sitting. He then walked out onto the back porch, and joined his brothers. The three of them stood together, clearly having a private discussion.

Nikki stood up to give her a lung-squeezing hug. "Thanks for comin' over, sugar. This ain't exactly a fun way ta spend an evenin', I know."

Katniss shrugged. "Thanks for having me. I'm not sure what good I'll do, exactly."

"You don't have ta do anything except be here."

Farl arrived and exchanged greetings with everybody. Katniss sat between Peeta and Rye on the sofa. Nikki sat in her rocker, Bannock was in a chair next to her. Farl sat in the easy chair. Peeta looked calm, but his hands shook just the tiniest little bit. She reached over to hold his hand, and the shaking stopped. His blue eyes flickered over at her in gratitude, before he trained his gaze at his father.

Rye had his arms crossed over his chest and was radiating anger.

Bannock didn't waste time with chit-chat. "Dad, we've had you over here because there's a couple of things we need to discuss about Marigold. Nikki and I have talked about it a lot and we've decided that Marigold isn't allowed around the babies once they're born."

Farl didn't look especially surprised. "It's yours decision," Farl mumbled. "I'm not going to argue with you about something like that."

"Good. Next, we wanted to talk about the bakery."

Rye spoke up. "I'm willing to take ownership of the bakery until Peeta come of age. You and Marigold give up all your rights to Mellark's Bakery. Over the next couple of years, you'll stay on at the bakery and show Peeta how to manage it. Once he's old enough, I transfer the bakery to him. Whether you stay on after that will be between you and Peeta. But there's a condition attached, and it's non-negotiable."

Farl rubbed his hands together and wouldn't look at any of his sons. "What's the condition?"

This time it was Peeta who spoke. "You move out and you take Marigold with you."

Farl pressed his lips together, looking almost angry. "You know I can't do that."

"Bullshit," Rye exclaimed. Rye had uncrossed his arms and was now pointing his finger at his father. "You're afraid to do that. This is a deal breaker, Dad. If Peet and I are going to fix the problems that you and Marigold created, you have to make her leave."

"I'm moving out anyway," Farl said stubbornly. "You want the bakery? You make her leave."

"I don't want the bakery! As far as I'm concerned, it should just go ahead and fail, and I can spend the rest of my life trying to forget you and Marigold exist." Katniss didn't miss the hurt that crossed Farl's face at that. "Peeta wants the bakery. If you hadn't fucked everything up sideways, he'd still be there, and it wouldn't be failing at all."

Farl looked at Peeta for a moment, then shook his head. "Take it or don't. But I'm leaving. I've made up my mind."

"And we've made up ours," Bannock said. Katniss noticed Nikki had tears in her eyes and she reached for her husband's hand. "I won't speak for Rye or Peeta, they can speak for themselves. But for me and Nik, I think it's probably best that we not have you in our lives at all."

Peeta and Rye watched their father carefully. Clearly, this had been discussed among the boys prior to Farl's arrival. The look of pain on Farl's face was so acute, that Katniss would have felt sorry for him if this hadn't all been entirely his fault.

"Ban," Farl's voice was bewildered and hurt. "You can't mean that."

"I can and I do, Dad. All three of us are working together, trying to fix the mess you and Marigold made. Peeta lives with me because you won't protect him. Rye's about to take over a failing business that he doesn't want, because you won't stand up to your wife. If you can't protect your own responsibilities, why should I trust you around my children?"

"I never hurt you boys." Farl was mumbling again, and looking down at his clasped hands. "Never raised a hand to you."

Peeta spoke up. "Dad, I know you tell yourself this is all Marigold's fault, and that you're as much a victim as we are." Farl looked at his youngest son and nodded his head a little.

"You're not," Peeta continued. "You protected her, instead of us. You made sure that we stayed where you knew we'd get hurt. We're her victims," he indicated the three Mellark brothers with his hand. "You're...more like her flunkie."

Rye took a breath and spoke, his voice icy. "Dad, I have to ask this, because frankly it's been bothering me for years. Everybody in Twelve knows you still carry a torch for Mrs. Everdeen. Is that why you let us get beaten all our lives? Because we weren't the children you really wanted?"

It was like a bomb of silence had gone off in the room. Part of Katniss wished she hadn't agreed to be here. She didn't want to hear this. It was too awful, and the wiggle of guilt she felt in her belly when she heard her mother's name was too confusing.

"No," Farl rasped. His voice was getting hoarse. "You boys are the only good things I got in my life."

"You don't act like it," Katniss said, temporarily forgetting her promise to her mother. "Why didn't you ever stop her?" Peeta squeezed her hand, so she stopped talking. She glanced at him apologetically, but he was staring at his father, waiting for an answer.

"Dad?" Peeta spoke up after the silence had stretched out an uncomfortably long time. "Answer the question. Why didn't you stop her?"

"Because she can't help it!" he responded, defensively. "I told you boys, over and over, not to set her off. I warned you not to antagonize her. You didn't listen!"

All three of his sons let out hisses of disbelief at this statement, and started arguing with their father. Bannock actually got to his feet, he was so angry. Rye used the phrase, "Un-fucking-believeable" more than once. Even Peeta, who was clearly the calmest of the three, was yelling, "That's bullshit!" at his father.

Nikki and Katniss looked at each other with dismay. This wasn't going anywhere. Nikki tugged on Bannock's sleeve. He stopped mid-sentence and looked at his wife. She patted her tummy.

Bannock raised his voice. "All right, all right, everyone, settle down. The yelling isn't good for the babies." Everybody calmed down, or at least quieted down. Rye was anything but calm. Katniss had the impression he was barely containing his anger.

"So what's it going to be, Dad?" Rye demanded. "Are you and Marigold going to move out together so we can fix your fucking mess? Or are you gonna flee to the Seam, because you're hoping to rekindle something with Mrs. Everdeen?"

"You're kidding," Katniss said to Rye. She glanced at Mr. Mellark. He stammered an incoherent response. "Oh my god. You're not kidding?" Rye shook his head. No. Not kidding.

Katniss' own father had risked his life every single day, not only in the mines, but in the woods, making sure his family was fed. For most of his life, Cal Everdeen put himself in harm's way. Mr. Mellark put his own sons in harm's way to protect himself from his wife's rage. And he seriously thought her mother would want him back?

"No." She didn't say it with anger or hostility, but even she could hear the finality in her own voice. "Peeta stayed at our house while my mother treated him, Mr. Mellark," she reminded him. "She didn't exactly discuss her feelings about you in detail, but it's fair to say she's not impressed with your fortitude."

Mr. Mellark deflated. He silently worked his hands, one over the other, like he was washing them. All three of his sons were staring at him—Bannock with resignation, Rye with fury, and Peeta with sorrow.

Mr. Mellark wouldn't look at any of them. When he finally spoke, his voice was hollow, empty of emotion. "It'll take me a few weeks to get another place set up for us to live, longer if she refuses to sign over her half of the ownership. But one way or the other, I'll have us both out of there by the Spring Festival. Hopefully sooner. That's a busy week for the bakery."

After that, there wasn't much more to say. Mr. Mellark didn't stay much longer. When he left, nobody wished him goodnight or gave him any warm goodbyes. Nikki went to bed almost immediately. Bannock produced a bottle of whiskey and offered drinks to all of them, including Katniss. Katniss and Peeta declined. Bannock and Rye both poured themselves generous amounts.

Peeta stood up and pulled Katniss to her feet. He led her to the back porch, and they sat on the swing. Moments later, he faced sideways and pulled her against his chest, like he had the week before when he'd fallen asleep in this same spot. Katniss sank into him, slipping one arm around him.

She knew that Mr. Mellark's agreement to let Rye and Peeta take over the bakery was a huge victory, not only for Peeta, but for the District. Had the bakery failed, the resulting bread shortage could have been a disaster.

Yet nobody, not even Katniss who often thought about things like food shortages, had brought up what was best for the District. The entire evening had revolved around the very private drama between a father and his three angry sons. Nothing about this result felt victorious in any way.

Peeta held her tight, and it took her a few minutes to realize that tears were slowly dripping from his closed eyes. She sat up and wiped them with her thumbs. Then she moved over and pulled Peeta to her, until his head was in her lap.

Katniss didn't have to ask why he was crying. Mr. Mellark loved her mother more than his own sons. How does anybody handle that sort of knowledge?

She stroked Peeta's hair, wiped his tears and sang him every gentle song she knew. After awhile, the tears stopped, and Peeta stared into the backyard as twilight turned into night. She didn't know how long they were on the back porch, but it was long after dark when Bannock finally came out to suggest that Peeta should probably get Katniss home.

They got up and walked back into the house, Peeta wordlessly excusing himself to the bathroom before the walk back to the Seam. Katniss stood there awkwardly with Bannock, who had a drink in his hand, and looked exhausted. Rye had apparently already left. "I'm sorry you had to see all of this," Bannock told her, "but I'm glad you were here."

"I didn't do anything."

Peeta walked up behind her. "You told the truth."

Bannock nodded in agreement. He clapped Peeta on the shoulder, then awkwardly patted Katniss on the back.

Peeta was silent most of the walk home. Katniss didn't know what to say, so she said nothing, as it was probably better than saying the wrong thing. Instead, she wrapped her arm around his waist so he could lean on her a little.

When they were only a few minutes away from her house, Peeta finally spoke. "How am I going to face him every day at the bakery, knowing he was about to throw us all away for shot at your mother?"

"I don't know," Katniss said. "How did you face him every day, knowing he'd never protect you three from your mother?"

"That is a very good point," he replied, after a moment of thought.

Was it? Katniss wasn't trying to make a point, she'd just been asking an honest question. But if Peeta got something out of it, she wasn't going to say anything more.

The downstairs lights were on when they got to her house, which meant Mrs. Everdeen expected to see Peeta. "I can't face your mother," he said tiredly. "Not tonight. None of this is her fault, but I need to process this first. Tell her I'm sorry, and I'll be OK tomorrow night."

Katniss again felt her insides squirm with guilt, but all she said was, "All right." He hugged her tight, whispering his thanks into her hair. Then he walked off into the night, not looking back or giving her his usual cheerful wave.

Rosemary and Prim sat at the kitchen table, making medicine labels, when Katniss walked in. "Where's Peeta?" Rosemary asked.

Katniss sat down and told them the whole, awful story, Prim holding her hand for much of it. When she got to the part about her mother, and what Katniss had said to Mr. Mellark, Rosemary closed her eyes for a moment and pressed a fist to her mouth. It was something she did when she was angry, but didn't want to lose her temper. Katniss worried that she was in trouble for breaking her promise not to say anything.

"I'm not sure which makes me more upset," Rosemary finally managed to say. "The fact that Farl was so willing to throw away a business that would keep his sons out of the mines, or the fact that he was going to do it in my name."

Katniss finished up the story, explaining that Farl finally agreed to give Rye the bakery and to remove himself and Mrs. Mellark. "We stayed at Bannock's for awhile, then Peeta walked me home. He says he's sorry he can't face you tonight, but he needs a little time to process everything."

Rosemary stood up and started gathering the pens, paper and scissors she and Prim had been using to make labels. "Peeta doesn't have anything to be sorry for," she said firmly, "but Farl better hope he doesn't run into me anytime soon. You girls get ready for bed, it's late."

Prim and Katniss did as they were told, and said goodnight to their mother. Once they were in bed with the lights out, they faced each other to talk some more. The first thing Prim asked was, "How's Rye?"

"Very, very Angry. He and Bannock drank whiskey after Mr. Mellark left. I didn't see him after that, though. Peeta and I were on the porch, and Rye didn't say goodbye to us when he took off."

"I feel bad for him. Bannock and Peeta escaped, but he's stuck in a place he hates, with two people he hates. No wonder he's so angry." Prim yawned, and snuggled close to Katniss. "How's Peeta?"

"Heartbroken."

"Do you think Mr. Mellark would have been like this if he had married Mom?" Prim asked.

"No." Katniss wasn't the type of girl who played "what if?" games, but this was something she was sure about.

Prim fell asleep not long after that. Katniss rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling. She kept seeing the faces of the Mellark boys in her mind. Bannock, looking weary and so much older than his 20 or so years. Rye, his rage as tangible as Gale's, and twice as focused. And Peeta, his grief as evident as his blond hair or his blue eyes. Mr. Mellark's defense of his wife echoed through her memory—she can't help it! Out of all the astonishing things said at Bannock's house, that was the most absurd. Of course Mrs. Mellark could help it. He could have, too.

She turned to look at her sleeping sister. Prim practically glowed with health. Her hair was shiny, her cheeks weren't sunken in from hunger, there were no dark circles under her eyes. She was still a little too thin—they all were, really—but it had been a long time since Prim had felt true starvation.

Our mother was the one who couldn't help it. The thought came unbidden and, for once, she didn't shove it back into her mind and tell herself how angry she should be.

It had been five years since Katniss had started to hunt. It had taken her mother several months after that to fully return to herself, but return she did. And even if Rosemary Everdeen didn't want to much live in a world without her husband in it, she never again neglected to care for daughters. Not even the daughter who had spent the next four and a half years making sure Rosemary never, ever forgot her failure as a parent.

She thought about all of gestures, overtures and little kindnesses that Rosemary had tried to give her that Katniss had bitterly rejected. She'd gotten a little better about it recently, but she still held onto plenty of resentment, still kept her mother at arm's length. What would Peeta have done, if he'd had Rosemary for a mother? Would he have kept emotionally punishing her for years? Or would he have forgiven her, like Prim?

Before she could change her mind, she got out of bed and knocked quietly on her mother's door. She opened it at her mother's voice. Rosemary was up in bed, reading a book by candlelight. "Katniss?" she frowned, worried something was wrong. "Everything all right?"

"Yes." Katniss sat down on the side of the bed. Rosemary closed her book and set it on the nightstand. "I, um...wanted to say I'm sorry. How I've acted. For the last few years"

Her mother opened her arms up and Katniss fell into them, feeling like a very little girl again. Rosemary folded her up in her arms and gently rocked back and forth. "I'm sorry, too, sweetie. You can't possibly imagine how much."

Rosemary kept rocking Katniss back and forth, and talked to her in the gentle, cooing tones she used to use when Katniss was sick. She told her how proud her father would have been if he could see her now. How brave and smart and resourceful she was. How proud Rosemary was of her, every single day, for what she did for them. Katniss closed her eyes and soaked it all in. She'd missed this. Why hadn't she done this sooner?

After awhile, she kissed her mother's cheek and said, "Thanks, Mom. Love you."

"Love you, too, sweetie." Rosemary looked years younger when she smiled at her.

Katniss slipped back into bed, trying not to disturb Prim. Just as she was getting settled, she glanced at her sister, and found herself looking back into Prim's unblinking blue eyes.

"It's. About. Time," Prim whispered. She patted Katniss' cheek (a little condescendingly, truth be told) then rolled over. "Goodnight, Katniss."

Katniss grinned from ear to ear in the dark. "'Night, Prim."