Eyes gritty and blurry, Katniss Everdeen staggered into her office on time for once. It was a major accomplishment for her, and she should be proud of it. Three cups of coffee and a cold washcloth, however, had failed to revive her enough to appreciate the irony. She dumped the box of files, threw her backpack under the desk and wished that she had just stayed in bed. Five more minutes would have been perfect. She closed her eyes, her head pillowed on her folded arms, and blissfully avoided the long list of items clamoring for her attention.

She had come back after her meetings with both Mellarks, outlined the situation to Haymitch, and the requested that Primrose be assigned to her group for the duration of her participation in the program. Haymitch had a few choice words about method and procedure, but eventually agreed with Katniss that a rapport had been formed with the girl. It made sense, even if it did go against the usual way.

She moved a pile of notes from underneath her elbow and shifted into a more comfortable position. Her brief nap was interrupted by an exasperated voice. "Hey, Catnip! Being on time for once doesn't include a nap break, especially when you have company. Come on, girl, hit the deck. You've got a big day ahead." She lifted her head to shoot Gale a half-hearted glare, her eyes still too unfocused to have much strength behind it. Johanna stood behind him, clearly fighting a grin. The endless back and forth between these two never ceased to amaze her. If Johanna was prone to jealousy, her eyes would be permanently green.

Katniss readied her best sarcastic comeback when her brain finally processed the last part of Gale's statement. Company? She heard a quiet chuckle and looked up to meet a shining pair of bright blue eyes. Shaking her head to clear the remaining cobwebs, Katniss couldn't stop the red from climbing her cheeks. Great. Just wonderful. She was never going to live this down. Gale would never let her hear the end of it. Peeta stood with his jacket thrown over one shoulder and a heavy suitcase resting by his immaculate shoes. He was also inexplicably carrying a brown paper bag. "Hey. What are you doing here?" she asked quickly, hastily pushing her hair back away from her face and climbing to her feet.

"I brought Prim's stuff. I didn't think she would be able to keep this much with her. She said that you were picking her up this morning, so I figured the easiest thing to do was drop it by here." His gaze quickly swept over her. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," The grin sent her way was too innocent by half. "You certainly looked busy when I came in. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

Gale seemed to be choking at this point. Johanna had taken it upon herself to smack the back of his head, so Katniss summarily dismissed him from her mind. Peeta, however, was soon on the receiving end of her most potent glare.

"I was just reviewing my notes from my meeting with Mr. Abernathy," she retorted, eyes daring him to contradict her. "I can take her stuff with me as I go. I'll be picking up your sister, as well as one other girl." She gestured for him to drop the bags and sit down. "Prim will be with me, along with three others. One of them is the other girl I'm picking up today. Maybe they'll hit it off. It's always easier with a friend."

Gale had finally stopped choking and was frantically trying to catch her attention, waving when he thought Peeta couldn't see him. Johanna was openly grinning and following the conversation in earnest. It was rare for them to see Katniss so loquacious. Katniss rolled her eyes at the pair and gestured sharply, "Mr. Mellark, let me introduce you to some other members of our team. They will be working with me during Prim's stay, so she will probably have to tolerate both of them. They are competent, though, so don't judge them by their actions this morning. The tall, dark and grinning like an idiot one is Gale Hawthorne. He runs the survival/nature classes and also backs me up in the archery classes when he gets a minute. The short haired brunette beside him is Johanna Mason. She is a counselor and an all-around pain in the rear."

Peeta graciously shook both proffered hands and said, "Please, call me Peeta. I hate being called Mr. Mellark." His gaze swung to Katniss, who heard the subtle edge of reproach and reddened again. "I'm pleased that Prim is being given this chance. She seemed very excited when I left her last night. It's been a while since I've seen that reaction."

Gale chuckled and agreed, "Katniss mentioned that she would be joining us. I'm sure you've realized that Katniss is our biggest salesman. She doesn't realize the effect that she has on people." Johanna hit Gale in the ribs and he yelped, holding his side. "Damn it, Jo, that hurt!"

Johanna rubbed her knuckles and retorted, "You deserved it, you inconsiderate ass. You'll have him thinking that she is one of those snake oil slime balls that hang out on street corners, selling junk watches and condos."

Katniss rolled her eyes at their exchange and shared an amused glance with Peeta. A mischievous expressed played quickly across those blue eyes of his and he asked, "What does she do for fun when she's not out seducing the masses to let her brainwash them?" Katniss felt her jaw drop and she hastily shot Gale a quelling look, daring him to answer that question.

Gale, however, was totally unimpressed. "She is the most unsociable, taciturn person that I know. She refuses to go anywhere, even with her closest friend. I've known her since we were five. If it weren't for work, she would gladly spend the rest of her life in her apartment or up a tree in the woods." A teasing grin thrown in Katniss' direction took the sting out of that admission. "Her fashion sense is horrible. She's worn the same jacket since high school. Johanna here did manage to get her in a skirt once, though that rumor hasn't been confirmed." Gale appeared to think carefully, then snapped his fingers. "She is inclined towards music, so a concert might be the one failsafe way to guarantee her presence. This is strictly theory, of course, and has never been tested. What did you say that you do for a living, Peeta?"

The two men shared a glance of perfect understanding. Looking absurdly satisfied, Peeta replied, "Graphic design is my nine to five. My company does website, pamphlets, posters, advertising, and basically anything else our clients can come up with. It leaves me a little free time. I bake, paint, and attend the occasional concert." Gale grinned, now certain that he had a willing accomplice in drawing out his difficult friend. Judging by the expression on her face, Katniss knew exactly what the two were obliquely discussing and didn't like it one bit.

Before she could blast the two of them, something in the exchange caught her attention. "Wait a minute. You bake?" she asked incredulously. "Like food. That kind of baking."

Peeta chuckled, "Yes, like food. It has been known to be edible." He held up the brown paper bag. "As a matter of fact, I brought you breakfast; strictly as a thank you, of course. I hope you like chocolate." He handed her the bag, grinning at her expression.

She gingerly took the bag and muttered, "Thank you. Her eyes met Johanna's and nearly laughed as she gave her a discreet thumbs-up. Katniss' lip twitched, fighting the urge to smile. She ruthlessly quashed it and set the bag on her desktop. "That was very kind; you shouldn't have gone to so much trouble."

Peeta shook his head. "It was no trouble. I had to eat anyway. I just thought you might enjoy them." He turned his attention back to Johanna and Gale. "It was very nice to meet you. There's more than one in there, so make her share. I'll be looking out for the meeting schedule, Katniss." She nodded weakly and he flashed another smile before making his way to the exit.

She smacked Gale on the arm and then buried her face in her hands, completely mortified. "What were you thinking, Gale? He's a patient's brother, for crying out loud! It would be completely unethical, not to mention that I never said I was interested!" She dropped her hands and glared at him. "She likes concerts. She would definitely show up for that," she bit out. "Why not just buy the damned tickets and drive us there personally? That way you wouldn't miss any of the juicy details!"

Gale absently grabbed the bag from her desktop and pawed inside. He snagged one of the pastries and retorted, "You need to get out more. It's not unethical for you to see him after Prim finishes her program. You are allowed to be friends. You can be friendly once the three months are up." He grinned at her and took a big bite out of the pastry, his eyes widening. "Besides, you have to go out with him. How else are we going to get him to keep bringing this stuff by?" That prompted Johanna to commandeer the bag and take a pastry for herself. She took a bite, closed her eyes, and sighed blissfully. "See," Gale crowed, "Even Johanna agrees with me!"

Katniss snagged her bag back and liberated the last of the pastries. She absently took a bite as she searched for the stack of files she came in with this morning. The tang of the rich cream coated with smooth, dark chocolate brought her attention back to her hand. "Good Lord, Gale. You might be on to something there." She took another careful bite, savoring the rich flavor. "This is sinful."

Johanna polished off the rest of her pastry. "If I wasn't already attached to brainless here, I'd be giving you some competition. The combination of those eyes and these things make it kind of hard for a girl to pass that up." She winked at Gale and ruffled his hair. "Also, I like the tall, dark and handsome types, so he wouldn't really do for me at all. You, on the other hand, are free as a bird to snap that one right up."

Katniss shook her head. "He's the brother of one of my patients. That means he's off limits." She let out a disappointed sigh and demolished the last few bites of the pastry. Looking regretfully at the empty bag, she muttered, "It would almost be worth considering if he had some more of these things lying around."

Johanna and Gale exchanged a glance. In that moment, a conspiracy was born. Try as she might to hide the fact, Katniss was definitely interested. They just needed to convince her to lower the walls enough to let nature take its course. And get Peeta Mellark to drop off some more baked goods. If they could do that, it was surely only a matter of time.