Thank you so much for your feedback and encouragement. Also, thank you to all of you who sent your well-wishes to my pup. He's so much better now.

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Fated to Love

Part Six

Dear Toad,

Today, you are 16 weeks, which is about four months. Honestly, you feel much bigger and I'm starting to understand your Aunt Prim's complaints about bloating. Everyone tells me that I look fine but I can feel the extra inches, like I've eaten a submarine sandwich and never passed it—

"Are you craving a sandwich, Mrs. Mellark?"

Katniss looked to see Johanna pulling out the chair next to her, holding a glass of orange juice, though it smelled mixed with something heavily-proofed. She looked at the journal, realizing just below her entry that she had been sketching a foot-long with multiple layers of deli-meat, cheeses, pepperoncinis, and olives.

"Oh, I guess I am," she replied, her finger smudging the top of the loaf. "I skipped breakfast for a wonderful rendezvous with my toilet. I don't understand why this isn't over yet."

"You're carrying Peeta's child, so it's just naturally a dick," Johanna retorted with a chuckle. "Later this afternoon, I'm going to be heading into your former office to check out the progression of the new app."

"Say hello to Delly for me." Katniss shaded the loaf of bread, giving its edges a toastier look. "She and my old boss, Seneca, are the leads for the project. You can just give Seneca a good kick in the rear from me."

Johanna rested back against her chair. "Wow. So he was that bad of a boss, huh?"

"He called me Kathy, even though I had been under him for more than a year," she replied. Katniss grinned at her new cousin. "But the last time I came to the office, I was Mrs. Mellark."

They high-fived and Johanna took a sip from her glass. "Revenge is sweet."

Enobaria walked into the garden, followed by Gale with his art supplies. "Katniss, it's time for your lesson." She stopped next to her and looked at the drawing of the sandwich. "Looks delicious, but what's in the middle?"

"Either honey mustard or peanut butter," Katniss replied. "Either one is good…or maybe both." She looked to the woman. "Actually both."

"Submarine sandwich with the works," Enobaria said with a laugh. "Give me five minutes."

Her assistant walked back into the house leaving the three alone. Katniss turned to find Johanna regarding Gale coolly.

"Hi Gale," Katniss greeted to ease the tension. "This is my cousin, Johanna Mason."

Gale offered his hand, giving Johanna a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"Sure." She stood and shook the man's hand tersely. "Are you any good?"

Pulling out a chair, Gale took out his sketchpad as well as a charcoal pencil from his satchel. He looked up at Johanna quickly before he went to the surface of the paper, his hand moving quickly.

"What is the boy doing?" Johanna asked, her gaze focused on the man currently scribbling away.

"Just wait." Katniss caressed her stomach. Toad needed the submarine sandwich and let out an audible gurgle to let her know. "God, I hope that sandwich comes soon."

After five minutes, Gale presented his work to Johanna—and he had her down perfectly, right to the annoyed scowl on her face.

"Fine, you can stay." However, she sat down once more. "But, I'll be watching you."

"Johanna is scary," Gale remarked as she finished her latest sketch. He moved over her to take a look. "You need to be a little heavier on this rounded corner, it will give it more depth." His arm moved out, almost brushing against her shoulder and Katniss shifted away. "She seems to really hate me."

"Well, she's part Snow," Katniss told him. "So there is a bit of that renegade in her, but her protectiveness is all her mother."

"She's cute," he responded. "Though I think she'd probably rip my head off for saying so."

"You have a crush?" She laughed as she placed her sketchpad down. "I just might tell her what you said."

Gale looked to Katniss as he settled in the chair next to her. "Or, maybe it's because I have a thing for brunettes."

She squirmed, feeling the intensity of his words. Placing her sketchpad down, she stood up, taking the empty plate for her quickly eaten sandwich.

"I'm going to take this to Enobaria," she informed him stiffly. "I'll also let her know to have Brutus bring the car around to take you home."

Quickly, Katniss walked into her home to avoid his penetrating stare.

"Maybe you shouldn't have him as your teacher," Peeta said as he looked at the array of containers that his wife placed on the office table. "This is not a jealousy thing. You just seem uncomfortable."

"I don't think that he realizes that he's crossing the line," Katniss reasoned, settling back with her usual tea leaf salad. "But, you're right. I think that I'll have to stop for a while."

"Don't stop drawing though," he urged, picking out a random container. "Just keep working on your own style. Keep working on your craft." Opening it, Peeta found spaghetti with meat sauce. "This looks normal enough."

"I know." Katniss chuckled. "My palate has been all over the place."

Forking the pasta, her husband wrapped some noodles before taking a hearty bite. "Sweet…" Katniss watched him muse over the cuisine, admiring his chiseled cheekbones with a sudden longing. "…but delicious."

"It's spaghetti with pasta sauce and banana ketchup," she informed him, pressing her legs together to dampen the heat. However, it seemed to have the opposite effect. "There's a lot more at home. So if you really do like it, then you'll be eating it for dinner for the next week."

"I really do," Peeta responded before placing the Tupperware down. He turned to her, his arm rounding her shoulders. "I'm glad that we're doing this."

Since that first time Katniss came to the office, they started making lunch together a regular thing, barring any meetings that ran long and other events that would stop one of them from making it.

Earlier in the week, the PR for the Mellark Corporation made the formal announcement that Peeta and Katniss Mellark were expecting their first child. It had caused a sudden frenzy and the couple were now fending off invitations to various social events.

It meant that Rue was now managing both of their professional calendars which she didn't mind since she adored Katniss…and tolerated Peeta.

Speaking of Rue, there was a knock on the door and their assistant peeked inside.

"Hey, you two," she greeted as she stepped into the office. "I thought since I've trapped you in here with the smell of tea leaf salad and whatever sauce has stained Peeta's shirt, we'd run through your schedule."

"I stained my shirt?" Peeta looked down at the pasta sauce stain and grimaced. "Aw man!"

"There's extra shirts in the cabinet on your left," Rue informed him.

Standing up, Peeta went to the long cabinet. "Go ahead and start, Rue." He quickly removed his shirt revealing a muscular back and a firm bottom that filled his tailored navy pants perfectly to his wife's hungry eyes.

"I'm a lesbian but even I can appreciate that ass." Katniss turned to find the woman snickering at her. "Might want to wipe the drool off your mouth, Mrs. Mellark."

"I'm out of control sometimes," she replied before taking a slow breath and folding her hands on her lap. "Go ahead."

"Tomorrow, you both are attending an event for the Daughters of the American Revolution in the evening," Rue began as she looked through her tablet. "You'll be donating a substantial amount of money to the soldiers at Fort Benning and Mr. Mellark will be making a speech. You, the lovely Mrs. Mellark, will be schmoozing with the ladies and letting them pet your stomach."

"Remind me why we do this again," Peeta said as he stood with his back to them, tucking his shirt into his undone pants.

"Because your mother was part of the DAR," Rue responded. "Also, because of the tax break. Is your family part of the DAR, Mrs. Mellark?"

Katniss didn't hear the question, her stare going back to her husband who was just finishing up.

The pants were very well tailored, she could see every…flex.

There was a loud snap in front of her face. "Yo, Mrs. Mellark!" She found Rue, trying to hold in her laughter. "You okay there? Still breathing?"

She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry…what did you say?"

Rue shook her head lightly and repeated her words. "Is your family affiliated with the DAR?"

"No," Katniss said as Peeta joined her, fiddling with his tie. She turned to him, swatting his hands away, and began to arrange the blue tie. "My family is actually half Native-American and the other half is Dutch. My great-grand-something left her tribe for a man with the land that we now own and they cultivated the Everdeen Plantation." She finished the Windsor knot before folding down the collar and straightening the tie.

"So I imagine that you'll have very little to talk about with these women," Peeta remarked. "Your family was here first."

"That's probably a debate that I don't want to get into," she replied as she patted the tie down. "Okay…so the day after that?"

"You have your first parenting class!" Rue reported with a grin. "Brutus will be taking you to the class first. Mr. Mellark has a morning meeting, but will be pushed out to join you as soon as he can. I'll be sure to try for a hard stop." Moving her finger along the screen, she stopped. "Also…there's Friday." The woman looked to Peeta. "Have you told her?"

Katniss looked to her husband. "Told me what?"

"I was actually going to tell her today," Peeta replied with a conspiring smile. Standing up, he held his hand out to his wife. "They should be ready now."

"Who should be ready now?" Katniss repeated as she rose from her seat.

Peeta put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Katniss, do you trust me?"

She snorted, mirth on her lips. "No."

Her husband laughed, taking her face in his hands, and kissing her fully. "Smart woman."

"Prim!"

Katniss rushed towards her sister, who was waddling towards her. The two embraced, their stomachs carefully pressing to one another's as if their children were greeting each other as well. Peeta stepped out of the open Sedan door, watching the Everdeen girls reunite.

He had told his wife where they were going just as they rounded the corner to Cato and Prim's new restaurant.

Watching the smile burst onto her face had caused his stomach to flip in a way that Peeta never knew; he wanted to cause that smile over and over.

"Peeta." Cato approached and his brother-in-law beamed at him. He shook Peeta's hand before pulling him in for a hug. "My family is hugging folk so you're going to get a hug—especially after everything you've done."

"What did he do?"

They turned to find Prim and Katniss approaching. His wife was obviously still confused by the amount of his involvement. Prim walked over to give Peeta a hug and he swore that he felt a slight push to his abdomen from her soon-to-be-born child.

Katniss went to him, taking his hand. "Why do I feel like everyone is in cahoots?"

"Peeta helped me finalize the deal for the property then assisted in some of the programs that we would need for our point-of-sales cashiering," Cato told his sister-in-law with a jaunty smile. "Also, because we've been able to turn it all out so quickly, our grand opening will be this Friday."

Katniss turned to him, her grey eyes shining prettily at him. "So that is our Friday event?"

He nodded and squeezed her hand. "I know how much you've missed your family. In fact, your mom and your Uncle are heading down on Friday, so you'll see them too."

Clapping her hands, Katniss encircled her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth firmly to his.

"Thank you, Peeta," she whispered against his mouth. "You don't know how happy you've made me. I don't know how I can repay you."

"Keep kissing me like that and I'll do you a million favors," he told her, affection warm and full in his voice. "Now let's go see what your future niece or nephew's livelihood will depend on."

Dear Toad,

Aunt Prim and Uncle Cato will now be living in the City. Your Dad helped them find the space for their restaurant! I'm so excited, because that means that your Grandmother and Grand-Uncle Haymitch will be coming to visit a lot more frequently, seeing that the rest of the offspring are here.

Tomorrow will be your father's and my first parenting class. I don't know what to expect, but it should be productive…

"The worst that they can do is make us join hands and chant." Peeta rounded the couch and joined her on the couch that she laid across. He gently lifted the bottom half of her legs before sitting down to let her feet rest on his lap. "What are you worried about?"

"That I'm woefully underqualified to be a mother," she admitted. To her surprise, her eyes filled and she removed her glasses to wipe off the steam of her warm tears. "Just like I'm woefully underqualified for a lot of things."

"Did anyone give you a hard time at the DAR function?" he asked, his fingers going to her feet.

She let out a sigh when he hit a particular pressure point at the top of her feet. "No, they were actually very nice—gave me advice. But at the end of the day, we'll be the ones raising Toad."

"No one has all the parenting knowledge in their brain right away," Peeta said, massaging her feet firmly.

The act relaxed her body but heightened her arousal. This was her constant battle; warring to stop the hunger from taking her over. If Katniss let him, she could have Peeta inside and satisfying every aching nerve in her body.

It was getting harder to fight.

"That is true," she said softly, her voice tightening at the edges. "I don't feel like I'm in control of anything right now and it frightens me. If I can't get it together for Toad…then what?"

"Listen, you're more on top of things than you think," he reasoned. "Look at the way that Uncle Snow is right now. I've never seen him sing to himself. He's doing it because of you and Toad as well Johanna being home. Johanna seems more assured about remaining home to be here for both of you. Sammy is thrilled—" He looked to the stack of picture books on their coffee table and chuckled. "I mean, look at this."

"I found it here along with the drawing inside the first book," Katniss told him.

Peeta reached forward and took the book. Inside he pulled out a crayon drawing of two kids, Sammy and Toad—he was guessing, both playing in front of a roughly-drawn Mellark Compound. The lake and a large sun were also major contributors to the drawing.

"That sun…" He chuckled softly. "Do you remember when your sun was that big?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Katniss grinned at him presenting the baby journal. A large sun was drawn in the corner of her entry. "The sun will always be that big to me."

"Touché." Peeta gazed at the book in his hands. "I think my mother used to read this to me…" His hand moved over the cover. "My memories of them are just barely there."

"That must be hard," she responded. "I couldn't imagine not having an iota of a memory of my Dad or Grandmother."

"What's a memory of your dad?" he asked curiously.

"Well…he used to work all day in the wheat field," Katniss told him. "I used to wait on that back porch for him and I'd always see him coming home just as the sun hit the horizon. He looked like he was inside the sun…gold along his frame. Then my mom would rush out of the house and they would run towards each other before giving each other a kiss. It was like a movie."

"That's a nice one." Peeta looked to her. "Don't you want that kind of romance?"

"Uh…I've been a lot more practical than romantic." Sitting up, Katniss met his stare pointedly. "This marriage is a great example of that."

"Why does it have to be that way?" Peeta took her hand. "Why can't we be more?"

"Can you give me more?" she questioned. "Especially after her?"

"I think so," he answered truthfully. "I sure can try."

"That's not romance if you have to try. It should fall together…seamlessly. As easy as the sun setting." Katniss let out a short breath to recover before smiling congenially at him. Peeta could see the mask of indifference on her face.

He found himself missing her genuine expression of calm beauty.

"Would it be okay if I read this?" Peeta held out the book in his hand to her. "I want to get some practice in—for later."

She nodded, a real smile gracing her lips as her hands went to the swell. "Sure."

Clearing his throat, Peeta opened the book and began to read:

"In the great green room…there was a telephone…and a red balloon…and a picture of…"

Looking at her watch, Katniss sighed. He was late.

The teacher, Mags—an older woman with peppered, long hair—approached her gently. "Running late?"

"Yes," she replied, a faux-easiness on her face. "That's what happens when your husband runs a corporation."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Mellark," Mags assured her. "He'll come. I'm sure of it."

The other couples looked at her with sympathy in their eyes.

Oh God—if there was anything she hated, it was pity.

"I can take notes for Peeta," she replied and took out a notebook from the Birkin bag that Enobaria gave her to keep her things in. "He's amazingly quick when it comes to catching on."

"Theory doesn't start until next week," the instructor said. "We're going to do a project."

"Oh." Katniss placed her notebook aside. "What is it?"

The woman gave her a kind smile. "How well do you know how to sew?"

"I know that there is a needle and thread involved."

"That's a start," Mags said. "This beginning part can be a single person project."

She patted Katniss' shoulder before heading to the front of the room to introduce herself.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Mags. I just wanted to give you a little bit of my background. I've been working as a parenting theory instructor for about 15 years and a full-fledged doula for about 20. So I've been around."

The class chuckled at her words. Even Katniss, angry as she was, let out a small laugh.

"I'd like us to start with a small project," she continued. "How many of you thought about what you'd bring your baby home in?"

Some of the more far-along mothers raised their hands.

"Alright, that's a good number," Mags stated. "So today, we are going to make onesies for your little ones. Maybe this will be the outfit you bring your baby home in or maybe it'll be the outfit that you put on whenever he or she gets food all over themselves. Whatever it is, make it something meaningful but functional."

The instructor began to hand out the onesies from the boxes on her desk.

"These are just scraps of fabric," a woman in the front called out.

"That is where the sewing part comes in." Mags turned to the board. "I'm going to write out some instructions on how to start. You can both change off between sewing…" She looked to Katniss who remained stone-faced despite wanting to rip Peeta a new one. "So let's get started!"

Thirty Minutes Later…

Katniss slowly pulled the needle through the fabric. So far, it had been alright though she was far behind the others and had pricked herself a few times. The onesie was coming along—not as nicely as she wanted, but it was what it was.

It would have been better if she wasn't thinking of various ways of making Peeta pay—

"I'm here!"

From opposite entrance of the room, Peeta walked in all his flushed glory, his arms out in triumph, and looking too good in his grey suit—Armani, she suspected, since Rue had told her once they had an expense account with the designer.

Katniss growled, ignoring him and going back to her work.

However, she did peek once to see Mags speaking to him, the instructor's gaze on her, and Peeta solemnly nodding in agreement.

After a few minutes, she heard the chair next to her being pulled up as Peeta sat down.

"How mad are you right now?" he asked frankly.

"I'm not mad," she responded abruptly.

Peeta gazed at her, his blue eyes full of apologies that he was dying to say.

"You are mad."

Her head shot up from her work. "No, I'm not mad. In fact in some ways, I was expecting you to do this," Katniss told him. "I get it. Work can be tough and schedules can't be moved. However, marriage and parenthood are even harder—especially when it's us."

"Katniss—"

She held her hand up. "Don't." Shaking her head, Katniss went back to her work. "I've reached my fill of you today."

"I haven't even been here five minutes!" he protested.

"That should tell you something!" Katniss threw the onesie at him. She could feel the burn in her eyes and, removing her glasses, she brushed her tears away. "I'm going to the bathroom."

With that, Katniss jumped up from her seat and headed out of the open door.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Peeta looked up from his work to see Johanna standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

He held up the onesie. "I was late to parenting class today because there was an argument about contracts that I needed to mediate. Rue practically screamed in my ear that I needed to leave. Katniss was there alone and there was a project for the parents—"

"And, you're in the doghouse," Johanna replied with a smirk. She walked in and sat next to him by the kitchen island. "Not like you don't deserve it. Seriously though, you have to make time for this. If it means that you block out your day, then do it. The Mellark Corporation is a well-oiled machine because of your dedication. Now, you have to have a little dedication to this marriage if you want it to work."

"I do want it to work," he replied as he made another stitch. "God knows I'm trying—shit!"

"What?" Johanna grabbed the onesie and examined his work. "It's not horrible, but you need to move the stitches closer." She began to quickly weave the needle through before showing it to Peeta. "Take your time, this is a work in progress—like your marriage."

"I'm doing a crappy job," Peeta said with a sigh as he continued his sewing. "One minute, I can't stand the thought of being away from her, then other times she does something that completely drives me up the wall."

"Like what?" his cousin asked, a smirk on her face.

"She just leaves her crap everywhere!" He replied. "Books on the coffee table...bras on the shower rack—we have people who can clean up for us."

"You're being such a brat," Johanna responded bluntly. "She leaves her things around because she lives here. This is her home, too—and maybe she doesn't want anyone else touching her lingerie so she does it herself. I'm sure that there are many men who would gladly let her hang her bras on their shower racks—like that art teacher of hers."

Peeta snarled. "Don't talk about him."

"You sound like you're in love, Peeta." He put down his work hearing her words. "You drive each other crazy, but there's love behind it all. You never did that with Madge. To you, she was nothing but this perfect little being and everything you ever did that made her upset was some part of yourself that you needed to get rid of. Love should be all-encompassing and all-accepting."

"And, you think I have that with Katniss?"

"Don't you?" Johanna questioned.

Peeta thought of all the times that they had pissed each other off and how, at the end of the day, he was just happy to crawl into bed with her, just to smell her perfume or see her peacefully asleep.

Yes, they weren't perfect, but he cared for her despite of everything and was endeared by the same qualities that drove him nuts.

"Yes, I think I do," he said after a moment. "You know, Katniss thinks that she's second place in my heart. The truth is that I didn't have a heart until she and Toad came along."

"Then maybe you should say something," Johanna supplied, her dark eyes glittering with pride at his realization.

Standing, he kissed her cheek. "I love you. You know that, right?"

"One day, I have a feeling you'll be advising me on the same subject," his cousin replied. "Go to your wife, Peeta. Hold her tight even when she wants to push you away. Katniss is not used to people being there for her. She's used to being a…what did she tell me one day? Oh yeah—a Post-It Girl."

He shook his head. "She's superglue."

"Then be her superglue."

Walking out of the kitchen, Peeta went down the hallway and to the elevator leading to their suite. The rooms were dark and he placed the onesie in his briefcase so he could work on it in the office.

In the bedroom, Katniss slept on her side with her back turned away from him. Quietly, he got into bed and wrapped his arms around her burgeoning waist. In her sleep, she still resisted him but he held on tight, knowing that if she let him then he would never let her go.

Eventually Katniss relaxed against him. Peeta pressed his nose to her hair, smelling her sweet shampoo, and let out a content scent.

God, he really did love her.

He fell asleep, dreaming of sweet greenery.

"Mom!"

Katniss hugged her mother who stood behind the bar of Cato and Prim's restaurant, Arena, named after the place where they got engaged. Her brother-in-law proposed to Prim at her college's arena after a flash mob performance that ended with Cato on his knee with her engagement ring in his hand.

"Sweetheart, you look beautiful," her mother gushed as they pulled away. "Toad seems to be coming along nicely."

"Yes, feeling bigger every day," she said with a laugh.

They looked around the restaurant, filled already with friends and family, as well as random customers who were brought in by the advertising at the mall nearby. Uncle Haymitch, who she had already hugged, was playing host and assigning tables to waiters and waitresses.

"Where's Peeta?" her mother suddenly asked. "I have a few girlfriends who wanted to meet your husband. Believe it or not, they had a feeling that you were dead-set on never being married."

"What? Me? With my chipper personality?" Katniss chuckled. "I think he's at work or something."

She had not spoken to her husband since their disastrous class, though they had woken up in a warm embrace that had her squirming.

Thoughts of punishing him for his tardiness came to her mind and none of them were unpleasant.

"Or, he's heading over."

Katniss whipped around to see her husband in his business suit walking towards them with Uncle Haymitch, a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Mom!" Peeta went to Hani and gave her a hug. "It's really good to see you."

"You taking care of my girl?" Katniss' mother asked with a bright smile.

Peeta looked to her, his blue eyes warm. "I do when she lets me."

Katniss quelled her urge to roll her eyes. He always did this; piss her off while simultaneously making her want to part her legs for him.

"Are these for Prim?" she asked and then took the flowers from his grasp. "I'll go give these to her. She's in the kitchen with her sous chef."

Turning abruptly, Katniss walked towards the kitchen and away from the three.

"Those were actually for her…" she could hear Peeta say.

Uncle Haymitch's laugh pierced through the crowd of people.

"I'd say that flowers aren't going to do the trick to cover whatever you did!"

"On behalf of myself and my wife Prim, who is head chef, we'd like to thank everyone who came out to tonight's grand opening of Arena!"

As he stood on stage, Cato's words were met with raucous cheers from the crowd, all buzzed on champagne and excitement.

"It couldn't have happened without the help of our great staff, who are some of our friends and family. My mother-in-law came from Seam Island to be our head waitress since apparently she used to be one—"

"I used to do this with roller skates on, too!" Hani shouted back at him, a bright grin on her lips.

"Now that's hardcore!" Cato responded on the mic. "Also, Haymitch, our Uncle, who is currently bartending but drinking more than serving!"

Haymitch raised his glass before taking a sip.

"Thank goodness we have back-up," Cato continued. "Also, I wanted to thank one more person who is a key investor and one of the best business advisors that Prim and I could ever asked for...Peeta, where the hell are you?"

Katniss turned to her husband, who she had been sitting with, along with her mother's friends Wiress and Octavia.

"You never told me that you were an investor," Katniss said to him.

Peeta took a sip from his glass of wine. "You never asked." Leaning over, he kissed her fully on the lips. "Better get up there. Excuse me, ladies."

"He's adorable," Wiress remarked. "I like the way he looks at you."

Katniss felt her cheeks burn. "How does he look at me?"

"Like you're the reason."

She tilted her head in confusion. "The reason for what?"

"For everything," Wiress responded cryptically, her hand going over Katniss'. "You're good for each other."

"How can you tell?" Katniss asked.

"Sweetie, we've known you since you were a little girl," Octavia said. The squat woman grinned at her. "We can see the glow on both of you."

"Hello everyone."

Katniss looked to the stage to see her husband at the mic. Someone in the crowd wolf-whistled and Peeta looked over at the whistler.

"Sorry, sweetheart. I'm happily married to a gorgeous smoky-eyed woman." A wave of laughter rippled through the crowd. "Anyway, as investor of Arena, Cato has given me the auspicious duty of starting our karaoke roulette challenge. Now, I get the grand duty of picking someone to be my first victim—"

A familiar voice sliced through the crowd:

"Why don't you and Katniss do it?"

Turning, Katniss looked to find Johanna at the bar hanging out with Uncle Haymitch and her mother, a glass of something already in her hand.

Peeta looked over at Katniss, challenge in his eyes.

"You want to get up here, Mrs. Mellark? I mean, are you any good?"

Without a thought, she snapped up and stomped over to the stage.

"You really want to do this?" she responded when she reached him.

"My lovely wife, Katniss, everyone!" Peeta said into the mic. Putting it down, he winked at her. "I never turn down a challenge."

A stage hand held out a mic and she grabbed it from him. "So how do we do this?"

"Glad you asked, gorgeous," her husband responded. "Our state-of-the-art karaoke machine over in the corner will pull a random song which we will have to sing. If we pass its test then we can stop. If we don't, we'll have to sing until we do."

Suddenly this didn't sound like a good idea at all.

Katniss looked to the corner of the stage where a flat-screen television stood, a roulette on it currently spinning with song titles.

"Since my cousin Johanna decided to be a giant pain, she gets to say when it stops," Peeta told the excited crowd.

Watching the titles, Katniss waited, her heart pounding.

"STOP!"

The spinning slowed down before finally stopping on a title…

"Know the song?"

Turning, Katniss found Peeta by her side and she nodded anxiously.

"Then, we'll be fine." He kissed her quickly as the tune of 'The Munsters' theme song began to play. "Break a leg. First part together?"

Katniss nodded. "Together."

Turning to one of the smaller screens, she put the mic up to her mouth and began to sing the words on the screen.

"I can move mountains
I can work a miracle, work a miracle
I'll keep you like an oath
'May nothing but death do us part'..."

The crowd jumped to their feet as she and Peeta began to sing, cheers and shouts of encouragement coming at them. She grinned, bouncing to the movement, and letting out a laugh to see that Peeta was also following her movements.

"She wants to dance like Uma Thurman
Bury me 'til I confess
She wants to dance like Uma Thurman
And I can't get you out of my head…"

Peeta quickly took off his suit jacket and tossed it towards their table and her mother caught it, pretending to faint at receiving his clothing.

Her husband took her hand, pulling her close, and pressing his pelvis to her as he sang into his mic.

"The stench, the stench of summer sex
And CK Eternity, oh hell yes!
Divide me down to the smallest I can be
Put your, put your v-v-venom in me…"

Her senses had heightened during her pregnancy, smelling his cologne mixed in with the sweat of their movements, and she felt her heart leap as they danced while singing the chorus.

Katniss was lost in the excitement of the audience and the man currently urging everyone to jump along with them.

She put her mouth to the mic again just as Peeta turned to her.

"The blood, the blood, the blood of the lamb
Is worth two lions, but here I am!"

Peeta grinned at her, raising his own mic so they could sing together.

"And I slept in last night's clothes and tomorrow's dreams
But they're not quite what they seem…"

The words clicked and suddenly a memory flashed in her mind, like a flipbook of pictures—

His lips on hers… her hands moving along his length…parting her legs and feeling the wetness of her arousal…the pain followed by a pleasure that she could never imagine that she'd ever feel…

She remembered their first time.

It hadn't been horrible, it had been wonderful.

For months, Katniss anguished over this memory, wondering if it had been a colossal mess. How would she be able to tell Toad that sex was a beautiful thing when she couldn't even remember the time that had created him or her?

Now she could tell Toad.

It had been scary, but Peeta was gentle, despite not even realizing that she had been a virgin.

"Katniss!" She looked to Peeta, who was beaming at her. "I can't believe that we just did that!"

Turning, Katniss saw the whole restaurant up in arms. She had been on auto-pilot the whole time and didn't even realize that they were finished.

Peeta held his hand out to her and she took it so they could bow.

He put an arm around her shoulders as they looked to the screen and waited in anticipation as the karaoke machine calculated their results.

Suddenly, the score flashed in front of them: 100.

Katniss let out a triumphant yell and she threw her arms around Peeta's neck, jumping to wrap her legs around him. His arms encircled her waist, carrying her easily and she leaned down to kiss him thoroughly, her tongue sweeping into his mouth to taste that bit of champagne.

Somewhere a camera flashed in front of them. Katniss couldn't care less.

Pulling away, she looked into his eyes. "Peeta, I remember our first time."

"How was it?" he asked, oblivious to everything but her.

"It was perfect," Katniss replied with a thick voice. "You said I just had to ask. So I'm asking."

She waited, hoping he'd get her words.

Finally, a smile rose on his full lips. "Well, okay then."

With her body still wrapped around him, Peeta walked them out of the restaurant.

"I know I remember, but I'm still nervous."

In the darkness of the room, Peeta approached her and she felt herself jostle seeing the intensity in his eyes. He stopped when they were nothing but a breath apart, her chest just about pressed to his.

"My beautiful wife," Peeta whispered, looking down at her. His hands reached out to gently undo the buttons of her simple white dress. "You told me once that you thought you were second in my heart."

He stopped his motion to press a deep kiss to her lips.

Pulling away, Peeta teased her lips with feathery caresses of his own.

"How could you be second in what you discovered?"

She stared up at him, breathing in his scent. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't have a heart until you and Toad came along. You're both my livelihood, my being…my heart. There's no way in hell that you would come second."

Katniss laughed through her tears.

Peeta kissed her again, his hands reaching to finish the job of removing her dress. It fell in one swift, graceful movement revealing her growing body to him. She closed his eyes when his mouth moved along her neck, then to one shoulder as his hands went to undo her cotton bra easily.

Her swollen breasts and peaked nipples were presented to her husband. Katniss could see that the sight of them kindled something in his eyes, the blues of them burning as he stared. She felt her center gush seeing him lick his lips before he gently knelt, dragging his mouth along her collarbone. She sighed feeling her skin tingle in anticipation as Peeta's lips closed in on a full breast.

"Ahhh…" His mouth found her nipple and her body coiled at the sensation. "…Peeta..."

Her husband moved away, looking up to her. "Too much?"

She shook her head, a shy smile on her lips. "I just don't know how to tell you that I like it."

"Sweetheart…" His tongue snaked out to flick her puckered nipple and Peeta grinned when she gasped, her hands reaching to cradle his head closer to her chest. "I know that you like it."

"How?"

His hands went to the elastic of her panties, demure and flower-patterned, as he kissed down her slight swell where their child rested.

"Here," Peeta explained, his adoring gaze resting on her face.

He pressed his mouth to her clothed mons, inhaling deeply, before sucking just slightly at her hooded clit.

"Fuck!" she yelped at the pulse of warmth in-between her thighs.

"Yes, I promise," he assured her. "You will get fucked—after this first time."

Katniss nodded eagerly and Peeta gently tugged her panties down, bringing them off her full hips and down her legs. She stepped out of them and Peeta inhaled the cloth, drenched in her arousal, before stuffing them in his pocket.

She chuckled breathlessly. "I guess I'm not getting those back."

Peeta shook his head, his blue eyes filled with hunger.

"I'm going to need them when it's a bad day in the office."

The thought of her husband, having them at his desk, caused something feral in her to cry out in triumph. This man kneeling in front of her, kissing her thighs, was hers.

She loved him so much.

"Open up for me, Katniss," he beckoned, his hands now at her thighs, urging her to part them. She obliged and he kissed at her inner thigh, nipping at her sensitive skin.

When he found her core, engorged and slick, his tongue swept her slit from her perineum all the way to her swollen bud.

Her knees buckled as her body arched, cresting at her center where Peeta's mouth latched onto her clit, and she felt her body release as pleasure washed over every inch of her body. Every bit of her buzzed with pleasure and she barely recognized her own voice crying out Peeta's name.

Peeta caught her easily, lifting her into his arms, and he grinned at her slacken expression.

"You okay there?"

"What happened?" she asked him.

Peeta carried her to their bed, laying her gently on her side. "Have you ever come?"

"Like an orgasm?" She shook her head. "I mean I've touched myself and it felt good, but I've never gotten to that point."

Peeta unbuttoned his shirt, dropping it on the ground, and Katniss admired his bare chest, muscular and richly golden.

She managed to push herself up on her knees on the bed. "Come here. I want to see you."

He approached until he stood in front of her side of the mattress. Her hands went to his shoulders, her palms pressing against his heated skin and she danced her fingers over his collarbone towards his chest.

"I thought that you just wanted to see," Peeta said in a tight voice.

"Being pregnant allows you to use senses in different ways," she explained. "My touch can cause my mind to create memories of you, all hard planes along silk skin—" Her fingers brushed along his nipple and Peeta hissed. "—and I can close my eyes and see this memory over and over."

Her hands stopped at his waistline and Katniss made quick work of his belt, undoing him hurriedly.

"I told you that I dreamt of taking the lead," Katniss continued, her hands moving his pants off his hips uncovering his black boxer-briefs to her. "It was actually pretty close to reality."

Peeta kissed her, his tongue moving roughly against hers before pulling away with a hard gasp.

"Tell me, Mrs. Mellark. What did you do?"

Her hand moved along the waistline of his boxer-briefs before her fingers reached inside, searching along coarse hair before finding him in her hand. Grasping his length, she moved her hand up his smooth steel and her thumb brushed along the tip feeling the gathered moisture and spreading it along his head.

Curiously, Katniss pulled her hand away, bringing her thumb to her mouth to taste that bit of essence from Peeta. It was an interesting taste—not sweet, salty, or bitter…just him.

If she could taste masculinity, this would probably be the base of it.

"Holy fuck," Peeta breathed. "Do that again."

She laughed, dropping her hands to her sides. "Come here, Peeta."

Her husband quickly bent to remove his boxer-briefs before joining her on the bed. Katniss laid back, suddenly nervous once more, and she looked up at Peeta. He was gazing at her with something that looked like love.

He had called her heart. Was that the same as being in love with someone?

"You're thinking too hard," he admonished softly before lying next to her and turning. His body grazed hers, half-covering, but keeping her belly safe from being squished. His hand reached to tenderly caress her chin. "We don't have to keep going. I want you to trust me."

"I do," Katniss told him firmly, her eyes looking to his luminous blues. Taking his hand, she guided it in-between in her legs, letting him feel her wetness. "I'm ready."

"I'll be careful," he promised and Peeta pressed a finger inside. Katniss sucked in her breath at the intrusion, but she could feel her muscles easily accepting him during his motions. After a second, he drew out and then met her eyes. "I'm going to try two fingers this time."

His index and middle finger pressed into her and she arched as a shock of pleasure ran through her.

"Peeta, I need it…" She gasped in pleasure, the pad of his thumb moving along her clit. "…please."

"I told you, Katniss," he teased, pressing his thumb with a little more pressure, causing a groan to escape her lips. "All you have to do is ask."

"I want you inside me," Katniss told him, her voice tight with want. She had never heard herself like this—so desperately manic and aching to be quenched. "I need you."

Something snapped in Peeta and suddenly his mouth was on hers, his tongue plundering hers as they both shook with hunger. Just slightly above her, his hands moved to thumb her nipples and her back arched, her insides throbbing and her legs parting for him.

Getting on his knees, Peeta lined himself in-between her legs. "Move forward, sweetheart." She followed and Katniss could feel his head teasing at her folds. "I'll go slow."

Inch by inch, her husband slid into her. Katniss felt the pressure as her body accommodated him, thick and hard, inside her. She looked up to see Peeta, eyes closed in concentration, hands on each side of her.

Her hand reached to his cheek and his eyes open slowly. He looked desperate to move.

"It's okay, Peeta," she told him.

"You're so tight," his voice strained. "I don't want to hurt you, Katniss."

"It's not going to hurt." Katniss gave him a shaky smile. "I love you."

Those words seemed to break him as Peeta suddenly thrusted and a cry escaped her mouth as the want took her over. Her legs parted further, allowing him to drive into her relentlessly, and causing her body to draw him in deeper.

"Oh God…" Peeta's jaw twisted at the sensation. "…so good…my beautiful wife…"

He kissed her before yanking his mouth away and dragging his lips towards her breast. He latched onto her nipple teasingly and Katniss felt that tightening begin in her core.

Every single nerve and neuron in her body was on fire, burning her with licks of mouth-watering pleasure. Katniss wanted to come…no, she needed to come…or else it would drive her mad. Her hand traveled to where her clit rested, puffed with arousal and brushing against Peeta's coarse pubic hair.

Katniss brushed her index and middle fingers against the damp bud and moaned when it caused her to thrust up in-sync with Peeta's movements.

She did it once more, putting more pressure, and the spike of intensity caught her by surprise.

"Fuck!"

Peeta met her eyes, a smile gracing his lips. "Katniss…do you know how sexy you look right now?"

"I want to come," she told him desperately.

He continued his movements, pushing up fully on his knees. "Wrap your legs around my waist." She followed his instructions and he closed his eyes. "Yes…" His hands went to her chest, thumbing her nipples.

The next thrust was different—tenser—and Katniss could feel herself on the edge. Her hand moved back to her clit and she lost herself in the movements...in Peeta's rough pads on her aching ducts...and the slick pressure of her fingers on her pearl.

The orgasm was sudden, starting from her tightening pussy before releasing into the rest of her body, and she fell apart in a haze of golden.

"Peeta!" she screamed.

In the distance, Katniss saw him, teeth gritting together before he came undone inside her and cried out her name over and over.

After, Peeta moved off her, returning to spoon her gently and pressing kisses along her shoulder.

His voice brushed against her dreams. "Katniss?"

"Hmm?"

"You love me. Real or not?"

She thought she heard nervousness in his tone.

Katniss moved closer to him, her body sinking into a sleep-lulled plateau.

"Real."

Katniss loved him.

Peeta looked to the sleeping woman, her mouth open in a slight snore.

How did he find himself so deep-in and so far along in their marriage?

Still on his high, Peeta sat up and after making sure that his wife was resting easily, he got out of bed.

Donning a pair of boxers, he went to the living room and took out the onesie from his briefcase.

He wanted Katniss to wake up to his completed class project.

Sitting on the couch, Peeta set out to continue his stitching.

Monday

Peeta stepped off the elevator and walked down the hall towards his office.

One of the interns, a dark-haired girl with pixie cut, walked past him and he gave her a jaunty wave.

"Good morning, Posy," he greeted before continuing his walk.

She turned to watch the man practically skip to his door.

"What's going on?" one of her co-workers asked, seeing her frozen in place.

Posy shrugged. "I think Mr. Mellark got laid."

There had been truth to those words as he and Katniss had made up for lost time during the weekend.

She had thanked him thoroughly for completing the onesie. They had decided on what they wanted to do with it, before Katniss dragged him back to their bed.

The staff had been warned by Enobaria and Brutus that no one was allowed near their suite after one of the cleaning staff caught wind of what the Mellarks were up to. All of their meals had been delivered to their door.

Entering his office, Peeta went to his cabinet to hang his suit jacket, whistling the tune of 'Uma Thurman' under his breath.

"You never get in this late on Mondays," a lithe voice said to him.

Peeta froze, his spine stiffening at her remark.

Almost reluctantly, he turned.

There, sitting in his chair, was Madge.

She gave him a pretty smile.

"Hello, Peeta."

Yes, she's here.

With about the worst timing ever.

I won't write many notes as I know this chapter needs digestion.

There are a few scenes that come from the series, like the karaoke scene, the regular office lunches, and the book reading.

Peeta admits to liking spaghetti with pasta sauce and banana ketchup (aka Jufran), which is actually Filipino spaghetti, though hot dogs or sausage are usually added to it.

The excerpt that Peeta's reads is from the book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.

The song that Katniss and Peeta sing is "Uma Thurman" by Fall Out Boy (a song that I scream to myself in my car).

I know…I know…they've finally gotten together—in some way.

Feedback is love.

Part Seven—Madge makes her full return. Confusion and other things ensue.

Until then, JLaLa