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The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.
Fated to Love
Part Four
Katniss slept during the whole car trip, her head on Peeta's shoulder as their limo drove up to the Mellark Compound. Sitting across from them was Uncle Snow, who busily flipped through his tablet. Every once in a while, he would look up and smile approvingly at the couple.
Peeta turned his eyes to his wife. He still couldn't believe that just two days ago, he had married the woman currently snoring against his Versace shirt. The weekend was now over and they would be starting their week as Mr. and Mrs. Peeta Mellark.
Katniss shifted, unconsciously pushing the center of her round glasses up her pert nose, burrowing deeper into the expensive shirt.
"She's exhausted," Uncle Snow remarked as he locked his tablet and looked to Peeta. His gaze went between the two and behind the bright white beard, his cheeks colored. "It seems that you two have been…busy. That night in the boat house has been in your favor."
If only Uncle Snow knew.
Peeta had awakened the morning after the wedding to the new Mrs. Mellark passed out against him, her messy-haired head atop his chest and her long leg hiked across his hip. It was a lovely sight and the feel of Katniss in her sheer nightgown, bared to his hungry eyes in the morning light, was enough for his usual morning erection to spring immediately to life.
Slowly, Katniss awoke and her grey eyes shyly found his longing gaze.
She smiled at him—
Suddenly, the smile was covered by her small hand and her brow furrowed, her complexion becoming ashen. Peeta could barely recognize what was going when she jumped over him and into the small restroom to vomit.
It went on that way for the rest of the morning. Peeta had no idea of what to do and she kept shaking her head at him, telling him that this was all normal; that Toad was just doing what fetuses do to their mothers, that Toad was perfectly alright and healthy...
Toad was actually starting to be a bit of an asshole by the third round of sickness.
That baby was Peeta's, through and through.
However when they were finally set free from their boathouse 'sanctuary', Katniss was practically crawling to stand up. So Peeta did the only thing that he could do—he carried his wife out of the boat house and back to the Everdeen Plantation. Hani was already waiting for them on the porch, opening the screen door for him so that he could put Katniss to bed.
"It will pass," his mother-in-law assured him with a smile. She presented him with some water and a packet of Saltines. "You go to bed, too. When she feels up to taking something, give her some water and some of these."
He looked to Hani. "Where should I sleep?"
"Next to Katniss, of course." She guided him up the stairs as she continued talking. "I have a feeling that Coriolanus thinks that this is the real thing." Hani turned to him as she opened Katniss' bedroom door. "I know better. However, I know that you both are trying to make this work for Toad. It looks right to have you both in the same bed, don't you think?"
"It's not that," Peeta said to Hani. He placed Katniss gently onto her mattress. "What happens when she gets sick again? Or what if it gets worse? I wouldn't know what to do." He placed a blanket over his snoozing wife. "She seems a little fragile."
"Trust me. Katniss is stronger than you think," Hani replied. "She's born of tough stock because she's always known who she was. She's just like her father. You just have to be able to bring that out of her. That's what marriage is, bringing out the best in each other." She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "You'll know what to do, Peeta. Because you know yourself, too."
Giving him a smile, Hani left them alone, closing the door behind her.
He panicked hearing the click of the door latch.
"I'm not as weak as I seem." Peeta turned to see Katniss staring at him from her pillow. "Toad is just being a little mean right now." She smiled. "This will pass. At least, I hope it will."
"Your mother tells me that it will," he replied as Katniss got under the comforter but not before lifting it for him. He removed the slippers that he was given to walk around with and crawled inside to join her. "You can tell me if you feel like shit."
Katniss laughed softly. "I feel like shit." Laying back on her own pillow, she looked to Peeta. "I bet that this wasn't the honeymoon you were expecting. Hell, I bet I wasn't the wife you were expecting."
"Honestly, no." His wife nodded in understanding. "I think you're better. People come into marriage with so many false expectations. We're not going to have that. We know that the other person isn't perfect and that there are parts that we might not like about the other. We took our vows knowing that. I plan on seeing this marriage through, Katniss."
"Till death do us part," Katniss whispered, almost to herself.
His fingers reached to her chin to tease a smile onto her lips. "Exactly."
They had spent the rest of the weekend in her bed. He fed her saltines and water, guided her to the bathroom when she needed to throw up, and told her a little bit about her new home. She was as enthusiastic as she could be in-between the bouts of morning sickness, which was actually at all hours.
"Best wake her up, Peeta," Uncle Snow suddenly said, pulling him from his reverie. They had reached the front gate of the Mellark Compound. "We're home."
"Katniss."
Peeta's warm breath tickled her ear and she batted him away.
"No, Peeta," she responded. "Not now. I'm still sleeping."
There was a hearty laugh and Katniss opened an eye to see Uncle Snow's red face and chuckling form. Slowly she sat up and turned to her husband, her face warming at her words. She meant to tell him no to another damn Saltine, which he had been force-feeding her the past weekend—though they did help.
"Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way," she explained.
Peeta shook his head, a handsome smile gracing his lips. "Uncle Snow has a notoriously dirty mind. When you meet Johanna, you'll see it at full speed." He pressed the window button to bring it down. "I just wanted to let you know that we're home."
Katniss peeked out and gasped. They were surrounded by luscious greenery, akin to actual forest, and it smelled wonderful—like sweet flowers. Ahead was a number of buildings, rectangular in shape. However, the main building was brick with tall columns surrounding the front porch. The staff had lined up to greet her and she felt her stomach turn.
She was no good with making acquaintances.
"Oh, I'm going to be sick," she whispered to her husband.
"Breathe," he responded. "Is it Toad or is it anxiety?"
He knew her eerily well for someone who had only known her for about a week.
"A little bit of both," Katniss admitted. She smoothed down the peach dress that she wore. "Do I look alright? Not really knocked up?"
"You look exactly as the new Mrs. Mellark should," Uncle Snow assured her. "Beautiful, intelligent, and elegant."
Peeta nodded in agreement as the car came to a smooth stop. "You've exceeded my expectations. Someone like me doesn't deserve someone as good as you."
Her lips pressed to his without warning and she pulled back in embarrassment. "I'm sor—"
"We're newlyweds," Peeta simply responded, his expression pleased.
"I'll go warn the staff that they might catch you two in some dark corners of the house," Uncle Snow informed the two. The door opened and he stepped out. "Don't take too long."
"That was nice and humiliating," Katniss remarked and then turned to Peeta. "Your staff is going to think I'm crazy."
He laughed, brushing a quick kiss to her lips. "You mean our staff."
Getting out of the car, Peeta held his hand out to her.
Reluctantly, Katniss took it.
The ground felt shaky beneath her, but she looked at the smiling staff and the anxiety within her lightened up as well as her slight stomach ache. Peeta put an arm around her waist, leading her down the line so she could greet everyone.
They stopped at a man about their age and Peeta shook the man's hand.
"Katniss, this is Brutus Sloan, who helps me out when I'm around the house," Peeta started. "Brutus, this is my wife, Katniss."
She looked to the large, bald man with his roguish smile. "So, you're like Peeta's…main man?"
Brutus chuckled and winked at her. "If that's what you want to call me, ma'am."
"Katniss, please." She sighed. "Not of that ma'am sh—"
Peeta cleared his throat and she looked down to see a little boy with dark hair and hazel eyes staring up at her. She could see Brutus's charming smile on the boy's lips.
Quickly, Katniss knelt down. "I'm Katniss." She held out her hand to the boy. "Katniss...Mellark."
The name was still foreign on her lips.
"I'm Sam," the boy said shyly. "Sammy Sloan."
"Nice to meet you."
They shook hands before he reached forward and wrapped his arms around Katniss' neck. She lifted him and swung him around easily, his laughter ringing in her ears. Would Toad's laugh be anything like Sammy's? The thought alone filled her with a joy that she couldn't quite describe.
"You two seem to be getting along!"
Katniss turned to see a beautiful, dark-haired woman joining Brutus' side. The woman's bright eyes sparkled watching them, a laugh escaping her rose lips. Katniss could see where Sammy had inherited his musical giggles from.
This long-legged woman could only be Sammy's mother.
"MOMMY!"
Sammy wriggled from her grasp and rushed over to the woman, just as Peeta put an arm around her shoulders.
"Come meet the better half of the Sloan family," Peeta said to her. Walking to the family, he presented her to the beautiful woman. "Katniss, meet Enobaria. She runs this house."
Enobaria shook her hand. "Welcome home, Mrs. Mellark." She looked over Katniss, beaming at her. "You're positively glowing!"
"Call me Katniss," she replied. "So everyone lives here?"
"Yes." Enobaria led her up the porch steps. "Brutus, Sammy, and I live next to the pond in the Southern quarter. The domestic staff lives in the lower level of the main house. Mr. Snow and Johanna live on the main level."
They walked into the entryway with its marbled floors and crystal chandelier. Katniss looked up at its high ceilings before looking to Peeta, who stood with Uncle Snow.
"There's only the four of us living here?" she asked. "Including Johanna?"
"Well, five of us," Peeta responded with a small smile. He looked to Enobaria and Brutus. "By the way, Enobaria will be your assistant. She is also one of only a few people who knows that we are having a baby."
Brutus grinned, his arm around his wife. "Congratulations, Mellarks."
Katniss took in a slow breath. All of this grandeur was beautiful, but it frightened her. She never imagined that she would be in situation like this. But here she was, married to Peeta Mellark and having their child. Now she was living in this gigantic house. It was all a little overwhelming.
"Katniss." There was a tug on her hand and she looked down to see Sammy, smiling up at her. "Let me show you our house!"
She took a calming breath before taking his hand.
"Okay. Let's go."
"So here are your quarters," Enobaria explained to Katniss as she opened the double doors. "When we have time, Brutus can create a fingerprint recognition so that the door will open for you automatically. It will come in handy when you're carrying a baby plus a hundred million other things."
Peeta walked behind her, watching Katniss' tentative steps into their spacious living room. Rue had outdone herself with the decorating. The living room was perfect for a young family—plush couches for Toad to jump on when he was old enough, and a dark mahogany coffee table with soft corners. His assistant had also carpeted the entire suite.
"She's pretty." He turned to see Brutus grinning at him. "Not your usual type, but I think she's much more suited for you."
"This is all for the best," Peeta replied stiffly. "I want a child and so does she. Plus, we both have similar visions of parenting and marriage."
"I see…" Brutus' response reeked of disbelief in his words. "It doesn't look that way to me."
"We all can't be romantics like yourself." He looked over to where Enobaria was showing Katniss their state-of-the-art kitchen. "You've got yourself a keeper."
Brutus smiled lightly. "So did you."
Peeta peered at the man once more before joining his wife. "How do you like the suite?"
"It's...interesting," Katniss responded as she opened the fridge to look inside. "There's a lot of pickles in here."
"I told Rue about your pickle craving and she supplied," he informed her.
"Now let's look to another important room." Enobaria guided them towards a similar set of double doors and opened them. "This is the Master Bedroom, equipped with a California King bed, as well as His and Hers closets and a private bathroom for when you're feeling particularly dirty."
Peeta felt himself color. "Enobaria!"
"Lighten up, Peeta," she replied. "This is a lovely room and look how hard the staff worked on it."
"Putting condoms on the bed in a heart shape?" Katniss walked over to the bed. "You've kept the secret well, you two."
"It's part of the job," Brutus responded then looked to Enobaria. "Let's leave the newlyweds to explore on their own."
She nodded before giving Katniss and Peeta a wave. "Have a good day...exploring."
Then, she closed the double doors behind her.
"They aren't subtle folk, are they?" Katniss remarked.
Peeta grinned, gathering the condoms from the bed and putting them in one of the nightstands.
"Not since I've known them," Peeta said. "We all went to school together but Brutus and Enobaria were bussed in from another District. Brutus is brilliant with computers and Enobaria is the best at organization. You could call her the Hermione of the group. She was always bossing us around and making me study."
"I like them both," she told him. Looking around, Katniss awkwardly met his eyes. "So the bed situation?"
"I don't mind sharing." Peeta couldn't admit that the feel of her against him was something that he was really enjoying. "But if you're uncomfortable—"
"No!" Katniss stopped for a moment, her cheeks darkening. "I meant that it's a big bed and just because we sleep in it together, it doesn't mean that there will be any contact."
Peeta nodded in agreement.
Then, there was silence.
The sun was just beginning to set, the floor-length windows beaming light into their bedroom made of gold and green. He had texted Katniss' favorite color and Rue had obliged.
The woman deserved a raise.
"Are you hungry?" he asked.
"No, I'm just a little tired," Katniss replied. "Taking a tour of the Mellark Compound was exhausting."
"Actually, there's one more thing that I wanted to show you." He held his hand out to her. "If you wouldn't mind."
Katniss took his hand, her smile gentle. "No, I welcome anything you want to share with me."
Hand and hand, they left the room and took the elevator to the main house. At the entryway, Peeta went to the door that was to the left of the main entrance. Katniss watched him curiously as he went to the speaker box next to the door.
"Always," he whispered before looking to her. "I'll program it for your entrance later on."
Going into the room, they headed towards the end of what looked like a gallery. On the shelves were photographs as well as other memorabilia like books and silver baby rattles. Peeta guided her towards the front display where a photo of a golden-haired couple rested in a golden frame.
"Phaeton and Ophelia Mellark," Katniss read aloud the inscription underneath the photo. She looked to him, her gaze comprehending. "Your parents."
Peeta nodded. "I don't remember them. But, I always keep them updated on the news of the house." He squeezed her hand before looking to the portrait. "Mom, Dad...this is my wife, Katniss."
"They both look like really nice people," Katniss told him before looking to the display. "It's nice to meet you, Mr.—Mom and Dad. You have a really good son. He's done nothing but take care of me. I'm going to do the same for him. Maybe in the end, something better can come out of this marriage."
"I was thinking that we could put your father's picture in the display," Peeta said. "Maybe even your grandmother, if you'd like."
He turned away from Katniss. It felt strange to share so much with a stranger. But, this woman was his wife and who better to share these things with than the woman that he's sharing his life with? There was also something about Katniss that made him feel as if she could be trusted wholeheartedly.
"I'd like that." At her words, his gaze went to her. In the soft light of the room, her eyes were hypnotizing and Peeta put a hand to her waist to draw her closer. Katniss gasped, her jaw dropping at the motion and her look welcoming, almost daring him to go further. "You're going to kiss me now, aren't you?"
Peeta pressed his forehead to her, his mouth just barely against hers, practically tasting the sweetness that awaited him.
"Do you want me to? Would you allow it?"
Her eyes met his boldly.
"I'll allow it."
It felt very strange to be sitting in on the board meeting instead of making the coffee for it.
Katniss looked over at the intern, bright-eyed as he pushed the cart into the board room and prepared the much needed caffeine jolt. She shifted uncomfortably in her navy Chanel suit. Enobaria assured her that it looked great and her baby bump would remain unseen.
"Our profits aren't what we projected," Peeta responded to the man across the table. "Can you tell me why?"
"The application doesn't seem useful to users," the man said nervously. "People don't want to know factoids about the streets they're on and they find the alerts cumbersome."
Katniss remembered this application; it was actually a neat little project that they had started. During walks, people would get notifications as to the history of the surrounding area. She thought that it was innovative. Unfortunately, the company had spent all the money on advertising for investors.
Grabbing the packet in front of her, she looked over the estimated budget. Nearly 60% was being used to lure investors into the app. However, they were quickly hemorrhaging from the looks of things.
"Excuse me," she suddenly found herself saying.
Everyone turned to her, including Peeta, and her nerves found her, her mouth too heavy to speak.
"Go on, Madam Chairman," her husband encouraged, a smile on his once-harsh face.
"People are interested," she began. "But, you're advertising the app to the wrong people. The target age demographic should be teenagers to people in their late 40's. You're spending most of your budget on luring people to invest in something that's honestly going to flop if you don't get the right people interested."
"Then what do you suggest, Mrs. Mellark?" the man across from her inquired snidely.
"More advertising through the media," she responded. "Commercials geared towards defined age demographics, better factoids talking about movie locations at certain places, and even local gossip. Also, give the user control over what they want to know about. They can customize their app for sports facts, if they're into that, and every time they walk past an arena or stadium they'll get demographics. We could also offer an upgrade so the app adds in local businesses. If you're a busy mom and need to buy dinner, you can just go to a place that you're walking up to, if needed. You can also go to local businesses and see if they're willing to have us help in advertising. In exchange, a special coupon or discount for the person who walks into their shop with the app or a discount code just automatically appears."
Katniss felt a little winded by her rant.
"The point is that you can get people on this." Sitting back, she looked around the room before stopping to look at her husband. "You just have to put some heart into it."
Peeta squeezed her hand before turning to everyone. "I hope everyone was writing this down."
Quickly, the room was scrambling to grab pens or type the information into their phones.
"You should be running this project," her husband remarked, pride in his voice.
Katniss shook her head. "No. I have other priorities." Her hand went to her stomach. "I do know someone who would be good for the job."
"Any suggestions?" he asked her.
Leaning towards him, she quickly told him the name.
"Seneca!" Peeta called out and Katniss' former boss rushed over to them. "We want you to run this project."
"Of course, Mr. Mellark…" His eyes went to Katniss. "…and Mrs. Mellark."
"But, you should have someone working with you to keep you in check," Katniss continued. "Delly Cartwright."
"And, what do you call this?" Katniss asked Sammy as they sat in the garden.
"Oh, this is Joey," the little boy explained presenting the stuffed duck to her. "He used to sleep with me in my crib when I was a baby." He held it out for her. "Now Toad can have it!"
"Where did you learn the name Toad?" she asked as Sammy crawled onto her lap.
"Uncle Peeta told me," he said to her. "He told me that Toad was going to need me to show him the ropes."
"And, what if Toad turns out to be a girl?"
Sammy mused for a moment before meeting her amused eyes. "Then I guess I'll marry her."
Katniss laughed, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Am I interrupting?"
She looked up to find the familiar face of Gale Hawthorne standing before her. "What are you doing here?"
"Your Uncle hired me to be your art teacher," he responded. "I didn't know that you were an artist."
"Just barely." Katniss gave him a smile. "Have a seat."
Gale pulled out a chair across from her, placing his messenger bag on the table. "This is a great place." He looked around the abundant greenery that they were surrounded in. "Congratulations, by the way."
"Thanks," Katniss replied before looking to Sammy. "I think your Mom probably has your snack ready for you." The little boy nodded before rushing back into the main house and she turned to Gale. "I didn't know that you lived in Panem."
"I just moved here," Gale explained. "I'm opening a small art school in the main part of town." He reached into his bag. "I just wanted to do a quick analysis of your level." Placing a sketchpad and a pencil in front of her, the man smiled at her. "So I want you to draw something."
"Like what?"
"You have great scenery around you," he suggested with an amused smile. "You have this house…"
"I can just draw you," Katniss responded simply. Taking the sketchpad, she examined him for a moment. "Do you think you could hold still?"
"For you?" Gale grinned. "Always."
She lifted the cover of the sketchpad, quickly looking down at the blank piece of paper.
Something about Gale's 'Always' felt wrong, like the word belonged to her husband and him alone.
Katniss took a deep breath before starting her drawing.
Peeta undid his tie as he entered the house. He and Katniss were in for a busy night. Uncle Snow usually threw an annual ball for his employees and the new Mr. and Mrs. Mellark were expected to attend.
According to his Uncle, there was great buzz about getting to see the Mrs. Mellark as she was rumored to be a shark when in the boardroom. He was brimming with pride since the launch of 'Panem Walks'. The update to their app had been successful and the download count was coming in on the millions. Seneca and Delly were definitely a good team with Crane's organizational skills and Delly's know-how.
"Hey Peeta," Enobaria greeted with a smile, clipboard in hand. "Just finished the inventory for the kitchens. Katniss is out in the gardens with her art teacher." She smiled at him. "The female staff is going a little gaga over him, you know. It seems like he and Katniss have become fast friends, too."
His curiosity was piqued by Enobaria's words so Peeta decided to check in on their progress. He assured himself that it was not because of the supposed good looks of the man or that there seemed to be a connection between said teacher and his wife.
Soft laughter greeted his ears as he entered the shady garden and he looked out to see Katniss doodling as she chatted with her teacher. She looked even lovelier in the emerald of the forest, her grey eyes bright behind her glasses.
Peeta cleared his throat and his wife looked up, beaming at him. "Peeta!"
The man stood up and turned to him, those grey eyes of his looked vaguely familiar. Peeta observed as the man watched Katniss rush over to him, admiration in her gracefulness.
"Apparently, I'm not that bad."
Katniss handed Peeta a drawing of the main house. She was truly gifted, his wife.
He put an arm around her and gave her a quick kiss. "You're more than 'not bad'. You're talented." He looked at the man triumphantly and held out his hand. "Peeta Mellark."
The man shook his hand firmly, his own gaze unreadable.
"Of course. I'm Gale Hawthorne, Katniss' art teacher." He turned to Katniss, his expression brightening. "Same time next week? We can go over shading techniques."
"Sure. I'll let Enobaria know," she replied.
"I need to speak with my wife," Peeta suddenly said. "Would you mind walking yourself out?"
"Sure," Gale responded before going into the house and towards the exit.
He turned to find Katniss gathering her drawings. "I've seen him before."
His wife stopped and looked to him. "He's from Seam Island. I met him the same day that you came."
Peeta looked to the drawing, his eyes going to the one of Gale. The rise of jealousy rose inside him and he took the picture.
"You seem to know much more than you're letting on." He stuck the drawing in her face. "Nobody draws someone like this unless they really know them."
Eyes burning with anger, Katniss drew back before flipping through the drawings and pushing one in his face.
"Well, I didn't know the person in this drawing was such an asshole!"
With that she walked off, leaving Peeta with the taste of paper in his mouth. Slowly, he unrumpled the paper to reveal a drawing of himself during their wedding with his origami flower.
Katniss really was a damn good artist.
Taking a shaky breath, Katniss entered the ballroom.
Enobaria had assured her that she looked perfect and not at all puffy from crying. After pushing Peeta out of their bedroom, her friend had helped her get dressed for Uncle Snow's event.
Katniss was frustrated, the tears a clear indication of her annoyance. Peeta was utterly confusing. One moment, she couldn't wait to wrap her arms around him and the next moment, she wanted to wring his neck.
Enobaria had apologetically admitted that she had unconsciously told him how all the girls in the kitchen were swooning over her art teacher which most likely sparked the fight.
Sure, Gale was an attractive man. Anyone could see that. However upon really getting to know him, she found that their personalities were too alike. There was no spark on her end. While she enjoyed his company, it was strictly a teacher/student relationship.
"Listen, Katniss," Peeta began. "I'm sor—"
"Just stop," she hissed under her breath. "If you keep talking to me, I might start crying."
Taking her hand, he led her to the center of the room. "I know that I acted rash. But, how do you think it looked to see that man in our house? It's like he followed you from Seam Island!"
"He opened an art school nearby," Katniss argued. "Uncle Snow hired him. Not me…Uncle Snow!" She wanted to shake her fist at him in frustration. "God, you're so annoying sometimes."
"One of my better qualities," he muttered in return. The reception was crowded and Peeta could see people watching them. "I know I don't deserve forgiveness but I want to talk about this. I'm serious about trying to make us work."
"I just really don't want to make a scene," she told him. "I have my pride, too. And I know I don't deserve this type of treatment." Katniss looked over to the podium at the stage in front of them. "You have a speech to make."
"I can't go up there knowing that you're upset," Peeta said quietly. "Believe it or not, Katniss, I can't remember a time when I didn't look to you for approval."
Katniss sighed, waving her hand at the stage. "Get up there."
He kissed her cheek. "You look beautiful. Purple really works for you."
She looked down at the dress; the empire dress hid her stomach well along with the flowy layers that traveled all the way to the floor. Katniss felt sophisticated, her hair twisted in an elegant chignon. However the downtrodden feeling of the fight seemed to stick with her and it made her stomach churn.
Quietly, Katniss turned to go get a drink to fight the nausea. As she reached the serving table, a petite woman with jet-black hair and a flowing red dress stepped in front of her.
She tried to step in front of the girl. "Excuse me."
"Who the hell do you think you are?" the woman suddenly said to her.
Katniss met her hard eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"Do you think that just because Peeta married you that he's still not thinking about Madge?" The woman sneered at her, her eyes suddenly going to her stomach. "You trapped him into marrying you and my poor friend is in New York trying to gather what is left of her pride. You conniving little bi—"
"Watch your fucking mouth, Clove." A slender woman in a tight, black dress stepped in front of Katniss. "Mrs. Mellark here didn't have to marry Peeta. In fact, you're looking at the heir to the Everdeen Plantation fortune."
She moved toward Clove until their noses were practically brushing.
"Take that information back to your passive-aggressive friend, who doesn't even have the nerve to fight her own battles. This is not a money thing or a baby thing. Peeta picked her, not Madge. Get that through your thick head."
Clove huffed before marching out of the door, not bothering to hide her anger.
Around them, the guests whispered.
She could feel the room closing in on her.
The woman turned to Katniss, her deep-set eyes softening. "You okay there?"
"Yeah…" She was surprised to find her eyes filling. "It's just been a tough night and I got into a fight with Peeta—"
"Katniss!" Her husband was walking over to her, his blue eyes full of worry. "I had no idea that Clove was coming tonight. Her family works for my Uncle and she is one of Madge's best friends."
The woman in the black dress suddenly smacked the back of Peeta's head.
He rubbed the back of his head and glared at her. "Ow! What the hell?"
"You fed her to the wolves, you moron!" she lectured. "And, why are you fighting with her? Don't you know how bad stress is for a pregnancy?" And then, just as quickly, she was pulling Peeta into her arms. "For someone so smart in the business world, you're completely idiotic when it comes to relationships."
"I learned from the best," Peeta retorted.
"I'm expecting you to grovel for Katniss' forgiveness," the woman responded, running a hand through her shoulder-grazing hair. "I won't have any negative energy around my niece or nephew."
The smile, the boldness in her steps suddenly clicked in Katniss' head—all of it so similar to Uncle Snow.
"You're Johanna."
Johanna turned to Katniss, her smile wide, and her arm still around Peeta's shoulders.
"In the flesh."
Yay! Johanna is here!
Anyway, no Madge yet, but she's coming.
Yes, Gale is back and the claws are out between him and Peeta, but Katniss will definitely try to keep things smooth.
I'm really enjoying Katniss as Madam Chairman because she's truly getting her voice heard and it's a great part of her character development. Also, it's a bit of a turn-on for Peeta.
The Sloans are going to be a big part of Katniss and Peeta's lives. Sloan means 'Warrior' in Gaelic, you know' those two are going to be putting it down when needed. Also I imagine them as somewhat Amazonian. I actually see Enobaria looking a bit like Kimora Lee, the model.
Next: A little Toad appointment, a parenting class, and we'll see the Everdeens once more. Also some Johanna time and maybe someone will make her appearance.
Until then, JLaLa