Author's Note—I'm still here! I am so grateful for those of you who have stuck by my stories and patiently awaited updates. I work on most of my WIPs on a regular basis, but the time just isn't always there to get as many chapters banked as I'd like. (In general, I try to get as close to finished as I can on the next chapter right before I post an update. So rest assured, Chapter 8 of this story is nearly complete and close to edits.)

Thank you, as always, to El for her continued support and friendship, and for tolerating the asks on her Tumblr. I'm blessed to call you a friend, El.

All mistakes are mine. (Yay, self-beta-ing!) THG belongs to Suzanne Collins.

Enjoy!


Chapter 7

Katniss winces slightly as settles into the passenger seat of Peeta's Jeep and the hot leather stings the backs of her legs. She's not used to leather seats anymore. Her own threadbare fabric seats don't offer the same hazard.

"Sorry," he murmurs and cranks the AC. She reflexively closes her eyes as a blast of lukewarm air puffs from the vent.

It's a struggle not to slip back into the past being in Peeta's car; there are just so many memories they shared in this vehicle. Fortunately, it's a very short drive from the inn to the small enclave where Sheriff Abernathy lives—just a few blocks from where her old house once stood.

She's modestly surprised that Peeta still has the Jeep; that he hadn't purged himself of everything and anything even remotely connected to her. Then she immediately chides herself for such a narcissistic thought. Peeta loves this car; he'd never have gotten rid of it on her account.

As she tries not to let herself think about being in the Jeep with Peeta, her mind detours right back to her confrontation with Dillon, the accusation he leveraged against her mother.

Her mother and Peeta's father.

When she truly contemplates that thought, she has to admit that the possibility, as ludicrous as it first seemed, is not all that far-fetched.

Katniss had always known that her mother and Peeta's father had gone to school together. She vividly remembers clinging to her mother's hand on the first day of kindergarten orientation, reluctant to join the other children at the kidney-shaped tables. Her mother had pried Katniss's fingers loose from her own and gently nudged Katniss in the direction of a little boy with a mop of blond hair who was diligently coloring.

"See that little boy over there? I went to school with his daddy. I'm sure he's very nice," her mother had said.

And he was. Beyond nice. Her mother was right, and she had always taken pride in the fact that she was the reason Katniss and Peeta had been friends first, before they had gotten together.

What Katniss hadn't known, for a long time, was just how well her mother and Peeta's father knew each other…

"Peeta, c'mon. We're never going to get this lab report finished before dinner. You—" The rest of her protest was lost in the moan Peeta's lips elicited from her as they traversed the slope of her neck. His right hand coasted up her inner thigh. She trapped it in place with her own palm and reluctantly wrested herself free of his embrace.

"Sorry," he whispered, rotating his arm so he could lace their fingers together. "But now that we're doing this I kind of can't stop doing this." His mouth curved into a suggestive smile before it descended on hers. Another fireworks display erupted low in her abdomen as Peeta deepened the kiss and coiled his tongue around hers. She didn't resist when he shoved her chemistry notebook off her lap and hauled her onto his. His hands roamed up and down her back; she could practically feel the heat of them through the thin cotton of her t-shirt. On the next pass, one of his palms slipped past the hem of her tee and caressed the bare skin of her lower back. A shiver rocketed up her spine and reflexively her hips bucked forward. She could feel Peeta beneath her, hard, and growing harder. As she rocked against him more deliberately, he rewarded her with a deep groan.

"Fuck, Katniss," he panted, resting his forehead against hers. His free hand cradled her jaw. "You see the effect you have on me?"

She felt a blush rise to her cheeks, matching the heat coursing through the rest of her body. Peeta's hand skimmed across her shoulder blade and she shuddered again. He grinned. The sheer joy she saw brimming in those big blue eyes made her stomach twist anew. Just as he started to kiss her again, they heard a light knock on her bedroom door, followed by, "Katniss?"

"Ah, yeah, Mom," she called, scrambling off Peeta's lap. Hastily, she grabbed her notebook and opened it across Peeta's lap, obscuring the bulge in his jeans just as her mother opened the door.

"Dinner's in five, okay?"

"Okay," she replied and forced a smile. She hoped her voice wasn't too breathless and her hair wasn't too mussed from the eager ministrations of Peeta's fingers. She had unraveled her braid before they had started their homework, knowing how much Peeta loved to play with her hair.

If her mother noticed anything, she didn't say a word about it.

"Peeta, will you be staying?"

"Ah, yeah, sure. Thanks." Mrs. Everdeen smiled and retreated up the hall. Katniss expelled the sigh she had been holding and turned back to Peeta. He flashed her a sheepish smile.

"We should probably tell your parents we're dating now," he mused.

She nodded. "And then they'll never let me keep the door shut any more when you're here." She paused and snickered. "But my parents love you. They'll be happy."

The smile fled Peeta's face and she frowned. "What? What's wrong?"

"I, uh, can't say the same for my parents. I'm sorry."

Katniss felt her chest tighten. She knew where she stood with Grace Mellark. His mother had never hidden her disdain for Katniss. There was little doubt in Katniss's mind that Grace would be less than thrilled that her son had chosen Katniss Everdeen, of all girls, to date. And that was what made Katniss's heart ache—for Peeta. For the inevitable abuse he'd take when Grace found out about the two of them.

"My dad will be happy for us though," Peeta corrected. "He loves you." He leaned forward and Katniss felt his breath on her lips when he murmured, "But not as much as I do." He gave a little laugh and added, "It's a good thing your dad came along."

She furrowed her brows."Huh?" Peeta searched her eyes and quirked a sheepish grin at her.

"You know our parents—my dad and your mom—dated in high school."

"What!" she screeched, and then immediately clamped her hand over her mouth. "Ohmygod, Peeta, what! No, I did not know that. Are you serious?"

Peeta was quiet for a moment. "Your mom never told you she dated my dad?"

"She definitely did not! I knew they went to high school together. She told me that the first day I met you."

Peeta was quiet again. He cleared his throat. "That's when he told me too. He told me, 'See that little girl over there? The one with the two braids? I once wanted to marry her mommy.' So I guess they were pretty serious if he was thinking about marriage in high school."

"You think?" Katniss muttered, reeling from this revelation. Her parents were so in love. Sickeningly so, and so she had never given much consideration to either of them ever having dated anyone else—let alone Peeta's dad.

"It's not really that big of a deal. Not to me," Peeta added. "I mean, I'm sad for my dad sometimes, that he's so unhappy with my mom. But it's better for me—for us—that things worked out the way they did."

"Maybe that's why your mom hates me so much," Katniss said softly.

"Katniss?"

She jolts out of her memory and glances over at Peeta. His eyes are on the road, but he cuts them to her briefly and offers a smile that sends a fresh rush of nostalgia through her. How many times had he aimed that disarmingly beautiful smile at her from the driver's seat?

"Where'd you go?" he asks.

"What?"

He breaks, and as they idle at the red traffic light he holds her gaze across the console. "I asked you the same question twice and you didn't even blink."

"Sorry," she mutters. "Just got a little lost in my thoughts." It's right there, on the tip of her tongue. To ask Peeta if he thinks it's at all possible. That their parents were having an affair.

Because—what if.

"Happens a lot," she offers, chickening out. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked how your dad was," Peeta repeats.

A faint smile lifts her lips. "He's good, actually. Truly. He has his moments. Anniversaries are always hard, but he's been seeing a therapist for the past five years and he's working again. Part-time, just to keep busy. He works a few days at the local Cabela's and he has a little side business where people can hire him as a guide for hunting and fishing trips… " she trails off, suddenly realizing Peeta likely asked to be polite and doesn't really want to hear all that she's yammering on about. "Thank you for asking," she finishes.

"He always loved the outdoorsy stuff. Definitely where you got it from," Peeta replies.

She feels a tug beneath her ribcage at Peeta's use of the past tense, the implication that she and her father are not part of Peeta's present. "Definitely," she echoes.

His expression becomes sympathetic and he flicks his eyes to her briefly before focusing back on the road. His lips twitch, as if he's going to speak, but he doesn't.

She takes a deep breath and tries not to let her mind wander again. She's just never been in a car with Peeta and had it this awkward, this uncomfortable. The last time she was in a car with him…she shakes the thought from her head before she can let herself get lost in the memory of the last time she was with Peeta. She longs to reach for the radio, just so it's not so quiet inside the Jeep. But taking control of the music is a girlfriend's privilege. She doesn't dare touch Peeta's phone, which is synced to his Car Play.

So she's very grateful for the short ride to Sheriff Abernathy's bungalow. Within a couple of minutes, Peeta steers the Jeep into the driveway and cuts the engine. He hops out and slams the door. Katniss closes her eyes, takes another deep breath, and slowly exhales as she opens the car door.

There's a small, irrational part of her that waits for him to lace his fingers through hers as they walk up the path towards Haymitch's front door. While she was never completely at ease with public displays of affection, she never failed to allow him to hold her hand any time he reached for it.

Of course he doesn't. The several feet between them feels like a canyon, and she involuntarily clenches her right palm into a fist.

When they reach the porch, Peeta glances over at her. He motions towards the door, but she remains frozen in place. An intense feeling of deja vu assaults her. Peeta purses his lips slightly, but says nothing as he raises his fist to rap his knuckles on the door.

It takes a minute or two, but Katniss can hear heavy tread and then the rattling of the chain before the door creaks open and Haymitch appears. If he's surprised to see the two of them his expression doesn't reveal it.

"Well this is a surprise," he affirms, though his voice is as flat as his countenance. Then the right side of his mouth tips up in a smirk. "Never expected to find you two on my porch. Together."

Katniss cuts her eyes towards Peeta. He gives her a cautious smile. She returns her gaze to Haymitch and lifts her chin.

"We aren't together," she emphasizes. "Peeta was kind enough to drive me here because he insists that I show you something."

Haymitch's lips flatten before parting as he expels a large puff of air. "Come in," he grunts and retreats into the bungalow.

Katniss hesitates on the threshold. The floor plans on these bungalows are all identical, so stepping inside Haymitch's house will be like being inside her own home again. She will be able to look past the foyer, up the hallway and into the kitchen…to see her mother's lifeless body on the floor, a crimson pool seeping out in all directions. More crimson stippling the walls and kitchen island. A wave of nausea crests in her stomach. This was a terrible idea. Why did she let Peeta bring her here? She closes her eyes and swallows hard.

And then she feels a gentle touch on the small of her back. Peeta's hand. She opens her eyes and finds him staring at her, those big blue eyes assessing her. As if he can read her tormented thoughts, he whispers, "It's ok. I'm right here." She nods mutely, but her feet don't seem to want to move. Peeta's palm begins to move in encouraging circles and he murmurs, "It's not your house, Katniss. There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm here for you."

A lump climbs up her throat. "Thank you," she says quietly, and she's rewarded with the first truly genuine smile Peeta has aimed in her direction in six years. It steadies her, assuages her anxiety. She steps into Haymitch's foyer and hears Peeta close the door behind him.

"So." Haymitch leans against what Katniss knows is a small closet door. It had been used for coats and the vacuum cleaner in her own house. She can only imagine what Haymitch keeps in his. "What's this you have to show me?"

Katniss glances over at Peeta, who gestures towards her pocket, where she stashed the note. She exhales and extricates it, unfolding it. She hesitates for a moment, then walks to Haymitch and hands him the creased paper.

Haymitch's dark grey eyes hold hers for a beat before he drops his gaze to the paper. Katniss watches him stare at the note, his expression unchanging. A muscle below his right eye pulses.

"It was under my door at the inn this morning," Katniss supplies. "It wasn't there when I left for breakfast."

Haymitch nods mutely, his eyes still pinned to the single sentence on the note. "And it was there when you got back." She nods. "What time was that?"

Katniss sighs. "Whatever time they found the body. I, ah…I know Peeta's brother told everyone to stay put…but I couldn't stay there. I went back to my room. I know I shouldn't—" Haymitch holds up his free hand.

"S'ok. I understand." His mouth curves into the closest thing Haymitch has to a smile, full of sympathy. "What time did you go down to breakfast?"

"It started at eight. I went down a few minutes after that. So maybe 8:05. Or 8:10 or so."

"Can't you just check the hotel's surveillance cameras? Whoever was outside Katniss's room would be on them," Peeta volunteers. Haymitch snorts.

"They would, if the inn had cameras in the corridors. Which they don't," he scoffs. "Manager on duty this morning gave me some bullshit about the inn's historic significance and the privacy of their guests. They only use surveillance in and around the elevators and on the veranda and poolside." He cocks his head and studies Katniss. "I don't believe in coincidences. There's been too much shit going on over the past few days. So tell me this: Has anything else unusual happened to you since you've been home?"

Katniss flinches at that word. Home. She hasn't felt at home anywhere since her mother died. Since she left Panem. And Peeta.

"Katniss?" Haymitch prompts.

"Actually, ah….yeah…there was something else," she says. "The first day I arrived. When I checked into my room. Under the welcome basket from Madge and Gale." She pauses, the headline materializing in her mind's eye. She draws a shaky breath and continues, "A newspaper. Or a clipping from a newspaper. The article about my mother's murder. From the day after she was killed."

"What!" Peeta exclaims. "Katniss! Shit…and you didn't say anything to anyone?"

She shrugs dismissively. "It got to me at first, yes. But…I really did think that was a prank. Like everyone knew the poor wounded Katniss Everdeen was coming back to Panem for the first time and some asshole thought they'd have a little fun with me." She shrugs. "And who was I going to tell? I didn't want to be a distraction. This wedding is everything to Madge, and I didn't want to make it about me."

"Fuck." Peeta shakes his head. "Katniss…"

Haymitch hands her back the note and scrubs his palms across his face. Then he turns to Peeta and says, "Take her to the station. I'll meet you there."

"What?" Katniss begins to protest. "No. Haymitch—"

"You're not arguing with me, sweetheart. You're filing a report about this and you're doing it now. That—" he motions to the note in her hand. "Is not something I'm gonna take lightly. Not when I've got three dead bodies and that is a clear threat of more."

At the same time, Katniss exclaims, "Three?" and Peeta says, "Cray and Cato are two. Who's the third?

"Cressida Andersen."

Peeta frowns. "Cressida Andersen. She's dead?"

"You know her?" Haymitch probes.

"Well, yeah. I mean, I used to. She was Dillon's girlfriend in high school. For two years." He glances at Katniss. "You remember her, right?"

Katniss nods. She remembers Cressida well. Dillon's ex-girlfriend was beautiful. Stunningly so. And she was nice, which Katniss always found unusual, because the pretty girls in her own grade were your stereotypical mean girls.

"She dated your brother," Haymitch repeats.

"Yeah, but I don't think they'd talked in years," Peeta replies. "She went off to Clemson after graduation, Dillon stayed local, did the police academy, and that was the end of that."

Actually, as Katniss remembers it, Dillon and Cressida had broken up before they graduated, a few weeks before their senior prom.

"What happened to her?" Katniss asks suddenly.

Haymitch grimaces. "I'll spare you the details. I'm sure they're online somewhere, if you're that curious. But it wasn't pretty."

A chill dances down her spine. "So she was…"

"Her death is being classified as a homicide. There's no question about that."

Katniss feels her stomach tighten. "You think all three deaths are connected. That it wasn't an accident that Cray's car went into the sound or Cato took a drunken fall off a balcony."

Haymitch places a consoling hand on her shoulder. "You know I can't discuss anything about the investigations of these cases with you. But I promised your daddy I'd keep you safe while you were home, and that's why you're filing a report about that note. Now."


"One more round of champagne?"

Delly raises her glass and drains the last sips of her bubbly as Madge peers at her Apple watch and shakes her head at the waiter.

"No, thank you. We don't have time for that. You can bring the check." She turns back to all the assembled bridesmaids. "There will be plenty of champagne and drinks at the pool."

"Ugh. I should not have eaten that entire salad," Annie laments, placing a palm on her stomach.

"Please! You're eating for two," Madge exclaims.

"Besides," Clove adds, setting down her own empty flute and motioning to Annie's midsection, "Now when you're in your bathing suit you can just play off any bulge as a food baby."

As Annie starts to solicit advice as to the best time to tell Finnick, insisting yet again that she doesn't want to do anything to take the attention off of Madge, Delly feels her own watch vibrate at the same time her phone lights up. She reaches for it and when she sees the name on the screen, she snatches it before any wandering eyes can read it.

Marvel

fyi babe. just saw your bf get into his car w katniss everdeen

Sent 1:15 pm

Delly sucks in a harsh breath and feels her skin flush with anger. She scans the words, reading and re-reading until they start to blur on the screen.

"Dell? Everything ok?"

Delly tears her gaze from her phone to find Madge staring at her, blue eyes full of concern.

Everything is not okay. What the fuck is Peeta doing with his ex-girlfriend—who, incidentally, was supposed to be here.

Katniss had left the dress fitting hastily, without giving Madge a reason. Delly hadn't really given much thought or care to where Katniss went or why. She had actually been relieved when she emerged from the fitting room and found Katniss was already gone. The less time Delly has to be around Peeta's ex-girlfriend, the better.

But now, eyes flitting back to her phone screen, she has to wonder if Peeta is the reason Katniss fled so quickly.

Because Katniss would have known that Peeta was alone.

"Delly?" Madge presses again.

"Fine," she chirps, wrapping her fingers around the phone, gripping it so tightly that pain radiates along the back of her palm. "All good." She sets the phone face down next to her water glass.

She hopes to hell Peeta has a good explanation for this.

Or Katniss Everdeen is going to regret stepping foot back on Panem Island.


"Can't I just get a ride to the station with you?"

It takes a moment for Peeta to register that Katniss has directed the request to Haymitch. Peeta interjects quickly, before Haymitch can respond. "What? Katniss, no. I can take you there. It's no trouble."

"Peeta." There's a finality to her tone that he remembers all too well. "Delly and the others will be done at lunch by now. You should get back to the inn. The pool party starts at 3."

Delly.

He knows what Katniss is alluding to without stating it directly: Delly would not be happy if she knew Peeta was with Katniss right now. It actually pains him that in spite of her own circumstances, Katniss is thinking about his.

He gazes at her. Her impassive expression and unblinking grey eyes reveal nothing.

But no matter what Katniss is thinking, Peeta isn't concerned about himself right now. Haymitch may have promised Katniss's father that he'd protect her, but Peeta had made that same promise long before…

"Well, you were right." Peeta bumped Katniss's hip lightly after she'd set the stack of dinner plates in the sink. She turned and he grinned, planting his palms on either side of the counter, boxing her into his space.

"I usually am," she smirked. "I told you my parents would be happy. Though happy was a bit of an understatement. My mom was elated. Sometimes I think she loves you more than she loves me."

He laughed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hardly. Your parents adore you. But I hope Prim doesn't hold me to that promise she made me make."

"Please." Katniss snorted softly. "Prim is already making eyes at Rory Hawthorne. She can claim she doesn't want to see you kissing me, but she'll change her tune as soon as she's in my shoes."

"Good," he whispered, slowly leaning forward. "Because like I told you before, now that I can kiss you anytime I want, I have no plans to stop doing it."

No sooner had his lips touched Katniss's, Peeta heard a throat clearing. They sprang apart, and Peeta twisted around to find Mr. Everdeen in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Katniss, hon, I'd like to speak to Peeta for a moment."

"Oh, okay. Yeah." Her eyes rounded as she gave Peeta a look and slipped past him. His stomach roiled. He had never been afraid of Katniss's dad—even if he was the sheriff. His own mother was far scarier than John Everdeen. But that was before. Before he started making out with the sheriff's daughter. He could only imagine what was going through Katniss's dad's head at that moment.

Mr. Everdeen's expression softened."Relax. You're not in trouble, son. It's just gonna take a little getting used to, seeing my daughter kissing a boy. You'll see. You'll be there one day."

Peeta exhaled a sigh of relief, and Mr. Everdeen laughed. "I'll echo what Lilly said at dinner. We both kind of expected this to happen. And we couldn't pick a better young man for Katniss."

Mr. Everdeen's words erased any lingering anxiety Peeta was feeling. In fact, they fueled him with a little bit of pride. He kind of always thought Katniss's parents would want her to end up with Gale Hawthorne, given how close their families were. But maybe, as Katniss just suggested, they'd get that match with Prim.

"I know that I will not have to worry about you hurting my daughter, and that's a relief, honestly," Mr. Everdeen continued. "But I am going to ask something of you, Peeta."

"Ah, yes, sir. Anything."

"Take good care of my girl. Katniss is a tough kid and I'd like to think I've taught her well. But I won't always be around to keep her safe. Protect her. For me. For Lilly"

Peeta nodded. "Always, Mr. Everdeen."

He feels a twinge of shame that he may not have lived up to John Everdeen's assumption that Peeta would never hurt his daughter—whether or not Katniss had hurt him first—but he can damn well honor that promise to protect Katniss. He takes a step towards her.

"I'm taking you to the station. I'll deal with Delly later," he says firmly. "She'll understand when she hears the circumstances. She's not unreasonable." Insanely jealous, yes. But unreasonable, no.

Katniss purses her lips, and Peeta braces for resistance, but a moment later she glances down at the note, nods, and tells Haymitch they'll meet him at the police station.

It's a much longer ride to the station. Once they're back on the road, that uncomfortable silence hangs between them again. Peeta fiddles with his CarPlay and queues up one of his playlists, careful not to select one of the sadistic ones that he curated to remind him of his past. Of Katniss.

He idles at a stop light and steals a glance over at Katniss. She's staring out the window, unblinking, her left fingers drumming idly on her knee. He knows that tell; Katniss's fingers were always restless when something was bothering her.

"How long have you been dating Delly?"

The sound of her voice startles him almost more than the question, and it takes him a moment to process what she asked. "Oh, um, just a few months, actually. Five. Five months."

Katniss nods absently. "What, ah…" she begins, but falters and her fingers move more rapidly. "How did you guys get together, if you don't mind me asking."

He minds. He really doesn't want to talk about Delly, not to Katniss. And he can't imagine why Katniss would want to know anything about his relationship. He tries to put himself in her shoes. What if Katniss was the one seeing someone else? He feels an unwarranted pulse of jealousy at the mere thought. But he has to admit he'd want to at least know who the guy was.

Besides, if he evades her inquiry now, how can he expect her to give him answers later?

"There's, um, not really much to tell," he replies. "She started substituting at school at the beginning of the year. After a few Happy Hours, talking and reconnecting, it just sort of happened."

Katniss doesn't say anything at first; Peeta can only imagine what thoughts are running through her head. Finally, she says, "She always had a thing for you in high school." She smiles wistfully. "Then again, most of the girls did.

"And you're happy," she says suddenly. He doesn't think she meant it to be a question, but he hears the tiny inflection in her voice that suggests otherwise.

He looks over at Katniss. Her grey eyes bore into his, mining them for the truth. He quickly shifts his gaze back to the road and contemplates her words.

Is he happy with Delly?

He considers their relationship. He wasn't entirely truthful with Katniss about how he and Delly came to start dating. It hadn't "just happened." Delly had been pretty relentless in her pursuit of him from the moment she occupied the classroom next to his at Panem High, though not in an aggressive way. She was bubbly, and outgoing, and fun to be around. And she was always around, it seemed.

He hadn't dated anyone seriously since Katniss. He had had varying degrees of hookups in college, mostly at the urging of Madge and his other friends, all of whom thought what he needed to "get over" Katniss as soon as possible. What none of his friends seemed to understand was that there was no "getting over" Katniss. She would always be in the center of any relationship he had, and it was just easier not to deal with that by not starting any real relationships..

Katniss's name had surfaced early with Delly, at the very first Happy Hour the week after school had started. Part of it had to be that Delly knew about Katniss, and so Peeta didn't have to dredge up his past. He appreciated that. In fact, Delly seemed more than content to let him talk about Katniss, almost encouraging it, actually, though she did always counter with subtle references to how much Katniss had hurt him.

And ever since Madge had given them confirmation that Katniss would be coming back to Panem for the wedding, those references had been amplified. Now Delly is right there with his mother and Dillon in the Katniss-Everdeen-hate camp. He knows when he gets back to the inn and has to tell Delly why he was with Katniss, it's not going to be pretty.

But it's a chance he has to take.

Katniss must take his prolonged silences as discomfort and not indecision. She clears her throat and says, "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer. It's none of my business. I'm sorry," she says again. " Of course you're happy. You'd never be with someone who didn't make you happy. That's all I've ever wanted for you."

"Right," he echoes, relieved to see the small Panem Island Police Department sign. He pulls into the lot and finds a parking spot.

"Peeta. Wait." He inhales sharply at the feel of Katniss's fingers on his forearm. His reaction causes her to yank her hand back, and he immediately regrets it.

"There's something I…" She shakes her head and starts over. "Dillon said something to me earlier that I can't get out of my head. Do you…" She trails off again and slumps back against the seat. "Shit, this is ridiculous."

"What's ridiculous?"

"Dillon said your dad and my mom were having an affair. Before she died," she blurts.

Peeta sits motionless and absorbs Katniss's words. It's not so much the revelation that shocks him. He's always wondered if his parents, who've never shown one ounce of affection towards each other in his entire life, ever cheated. And he knows how much his father loved Lilly Everdeen. He's more surprised by the fact Katniss's mom would have strayed, since Peeta always thought they had a pretty good marriage. What he truly doesn't understand is that he can't fathom what Dillon would have been trying to accomplish by saying such a thing to Katniss. Or how and why it would have even surfaced.

"It's ridiculous, right?" Katniss asks softly.

"Why would he say that?" Peeta counters. Katniss inhales and glances down at her lap.

"He was warning me. To stay away from you," she begins. "Not to interfere with what you and Delly have. He said he hopes I don't take after my, and I quote, 'slut mother.' When I asked him what the hell that meant, he told me our parents were having an affair.

"I know they dated, Peeta. You were the one who told me that, remember? But…" She shakes her head in disbelief. "My parents were happy. And I know your dad…your dad wasn't…"

"No, he wasn't. He isn't," he amends, because his dad is no more happy now than he was six years ago. Or than he's ever been.

"So then do you think it's possible?" she asks. He looks over at her; he can see the same desperate hope in her eyes that he heard in her voice. She doesn't want it to be true. She's already lost her mom. She doesn't want to lose the memory of the fairy tale marriage she assumed her parents had.

But you never know what goes on behind the closed doors of a marriage. The pull of the past is a powerful thing. He knows that all too well.

"I don't know, Katniss," he begins. "I'd like to think it isn't true. Panem is a small town. I have to think there would have been rumors. But…"

"But what?"

He remembers the conversation vividly. He and Katniss may have told her parents that they were dating together, but Peeta had approached his dad first. Alone. As he had anticipated, his father was happy. But it seemed Peeta's revelation had also loosened the knots of the past, and it triggered his father to open up about his time with Lilly Everdeen. Until that moment, Peeta hadn't known how deeply in love they were, or how crushed his father had been when Katniss's mother had left him for John Everdeen.

And then his dad had hastily apologized to Peeta, for taking what should have been a joyous moment and making it about him. Peeta had brushed it off, sensing his dad's embarrassment, but he had admitted to his father he already knew he loved Katniss and he saw a very different future for them.

How wrong he had been.

"Peeta?" Katniss hedges, cutting into his thoughts. He looks deep into her eyes, and his father's voice echoes clearly with the last thing he had said to Peeta on that day: "Be careful, son. Once an Everdeen woman is in your heart, she's there forever."

As he stares at Katniss, he realizes how right his father was.

He sighs and scrubs his hands over his face. "I do," he admits reluctantly. "I think it's possible. I don't think my dad ever stopped loving your mom. I think if he had been given the opportunity…yeah, I think he would have taken anything he could have gotten. Even if it was only a…um…physical relationship."

Katniss closes her eyes. When she opens them a moment later, she says in a small voice, "Do you think my dad knew?" Her tone, coupled with the look on her face, breaks his heart anew.

"Katniss, I—" But that's as far as he gets. Katniss's eyes stray to the right, and she immediately hops out of the Jeep.

"Did you know?" he hears her shout at Haymitch, who has just exited his police cruiser. Peeta hastily exits his own car and strides across the parking lot.

"Whoa, whoa, sweetheart. Know what?" Haymitch asks.

"Did you know? Did my dad know?"

"I'm a cop, not a mind reader," Haymitch growls. "Know what?"

"You're a cop. I'm a cop's daughter," Katniss begins. "And I know the husband is always the first suspect. So you would have had to investigate any possible motive in order to clear my father of any suspicion that he was the one who killed my mom."

Peeta can tell immediately by the shift in Haymitch's posture and the clench of his jaw that he now knows exactly what Katniss is getting at.

"Was my mother having an affair? Did—"The second question catches in her throat. "Did my dad know?"

Haymitch blows out a long breath. He scrubs at his right cheek and nods tersely. "Yeah. He knew."

Peeta's stomach knots, but he realizes it's more because of Katniss. He can see the heartache on her beautiful face and in her posture. She shakes her head and her lips quiver. But then her weight shifts and she squares her shoulders. Her fists clench and unclench.

"Tell me everything you know," she demands.

Haymitch glances at Peeta, and he isn't sure if the old cop is searching for permission or something else. Peeta lifts his shoulders and makes a gesture of helplessness.

"I can't tell you everything," Haymitch replies, his tone gentler than Peeta has heard it in years. "But I do know your mother loved your father. Very much."

"No. No. No. How do you cheat on someone you love? Even if it was only one night. How? How do you do that?" Katniss shouts.

Haymitch draws another deep breath. "This ain't for me to tell, Katniss. These are questions your daddy is gonna have to answer for you. He didn't tell me any of it, not until your mother…" He clears his throat. "Most of what I know is due to the investigation into your mother's death, and therefore it's confidential. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

Katniss is silent, and Peeta can see her pulse ticking furiously just beneath her jaw.

"C'mon inside with me. Let's file that report," Haymitch says.

Katniss doesn't move. Peeta hesitates, and then, as he did at Haymitch's home, very timidly places his palm on the small of Katniss's back. She doesn't react.

"Katniss, let's go inside," he murmurs.

"I need to talk to my dad," she says quietly.

"I know. And you can. But we need to get that report filed first. C'mon." He's reluctant to remove his hand, but he does, and takes a step forward. Katniss doesn't follow, so he turns and stares at her.

"How could she do that?" she whispers. "Why? Would she do that to him?"

Peeta gives her a sad smile. "I don't know, Katniss."

"Are you going to tell your dad you know about…it?"

The question catches him slightly off-guard. "Um…I…I don't know. I don't know what good that would do." He hesitates. "But if you wanted me to talk to him…if it would help you…I would."

His words evoke something in her, because her expression changes instantly. She gazes at him thoughtfully, unblinking. He feels his chest constrict slightly, and he has the overwhelming urge to gather her into his arms and never let her go. But he couldn't hug her even if he thought he should; the way she's staring at him has him paralyzed.

Haymitch breaks the spell by coughing loudly. "Report ain't gonna file itself. Let's go."

Katniss moves first, and Peeta falls into step beside her. Silently, they make their way to the station. Haymitch opens the door and waves them inside, but Katniss pauses in the vestibule. "I'll be right in," she tells Haymitch. He grunts in affirmation and ambles towards his office. She turns and faces Peeta.

"You don't have to stay. I can get Haymitch to bring me back to the inn." She peers over her shoulder and grimaces. "Your brother is in there, and if he sees us—"

"If he sees us, I'll deal with him. Just like I told you I'll deal with Delly if need be. Your safety is the most important thing right now. I'll wait and I'll take you back to the inn. We're both going there anyway."

She exhales, purses her lips, and then nods. "Okay. Thank you. Thanks, Peeta."

There's only one chair in Haymitch's office, so Peeta winds up lingering in the doorway as Katniss answers question after question to complete the police report. She's not able to offer much information, and Peeta is mildly relieved to overhear that Katniss hadn't received any previous threats before she returned to Panem. Not that he's thrilled she's receiving threats now, but it's comforting to know she hasn't been living in fear for months—or worse, years.

"What are you doing here?" At the sound of his brother's voice, Peeta steels himself, then turns to face Dillon.

"Hey." He forces a smile and maneuvers his body in the doorframe so that Katniss is mostly obscured from Dillon's line of vision. "I'm, ah, just waiting for someone."

Dillon cocks his head and folds his arms across his broad chest. "Someone who?"

"Katniss. She's in with Abernathy," Peeta explains. Dillon makes a sound of disgust.

"I should have known she'd go running right to you."

Irritation heats Peeta's blood. "She didn't come running to me! I went to her and—"

"Why the fuck would you do that?" Dillon interrupts.

"None of your fucking business," he retorts. "But she's here because she needed to file a police report."

"So that's why she was here earlier."

"Yeah. And it's why she's here again now. She got a note, and when I made her take it to Haymitch, he told her she needed to file a report."

"A note?"

"Yeah."

"What kind of note?"

"The kind of note that invites a police report. It was a clear threat."

"She could have filed a police report with me when she was here before," Dillon says.

It's Peeta's turn to scoff. "Yeah, okay, Dill. Cop or no cop, I think you're gonna have to excuse her for not wanting to talk to you. Not with the open hostility you show her."

Dillon's eyes narrow. "I do my fucking job."

"I'm not implying that you don't. I'm just saying Katniss is uncomfortable around you because you treat her like shit."

"Always so quick to play knight-in-shining armor for that girl. Tell me, Peet, where's Delly? Does she know you're with Katniss right now?"

The mention of Delly reminds Peeta of his earlier conversation with Katniss, about Dillon's warning to her.

"I'm not sure why you're so concerned about my relationship with Delly, but I can handle myself. So stay the fuck out of my love life. And stop worrying about Katniss. She'll be gone again by the end of the weekend."

Dillon smirks. "We can only hope."

At that moment, Katniss steps through the doorway. Peeta isn't sure if she heard any of what he said to his brother, but he gives her a faint smile. She doesn't return it; just glances between him and Dillon.

"Officer Mellark," she says quietly, with a slight nod of her chin. She looks back to Peeta. "Can we go please?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we can. See you later, Dillon."

"Say hi to Delly for me," Dillon calls after them, and Peeta mutely counts to five to avoid giving into the anger swirling through him and doing something he'll regret. Brother or not, he's pretty sure slamming his fist into Dillon's face would still be assaulting an officer.

The ride back to the inn is cloaked in yet another uncomfortable silence. Katniss doesn't volunteer anything about where she left things with Haymitch and the note, and when he asks, she shrugs and stares out the window. Peeta suspects she might have been chattier had Dillon not said what he said. He steals a glimpse at her, and she's gazing out the window, her eyes unfocused, clearly a million miles away. He decides not to push her.

As Peeta navigates the last sharp bend in the road, which opens up to a clear stretch of highway straight towards the inn, Katniss coughs and says, "Peeta?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I should bother talking to my dad about…you know. The affair."

He pulls into the inn's parking lot, finds a spot, and kills the engine. Then he gazes across the console at her, and sees the torment etched on her face. "You seemed pretty determined an hour ago," he says, trying to keep his tone light, in the hopes it might bring even a tiny smile to her face.

She sighs. "I've just been sitting here thinking and wondering…it's like what you said: What good would it do? My mom is dead. It's not like it changes anything if I know the details. And it would only cause my dad more pain." She swallows and a bitter smile lifts her lips. "You know in all the years since my mom's been gone, he's never gone on a single date. Not one. He loved her so much.

"And if she loved him that much, why did she cheat? I just don't understand how anyone can do that. Cheat. You know?"

"I don't know, Katniss," he admits quietly. "I guess people have their reasons."

She doesn't respond right away. She looks out the window again, and when Peeta follows her line of vision, he sees Madge and all her bridesmaids—Delly included—huddled on the veranda.

"Peeta?"

"Yeah?" He meets her eyes.

"For what it's worth, I never would have cheated on you," she says softly. "I'll keep my distance at the pool. Thanks for the ride."

Peeta is so thrown by what she just said that it takes a moment for him to realize Katniss has already gotten out of the car and is halfway across the parking lot—walking in the opposite direction of the veranda, as if she's going around the back of the inn. He can't very well call after her, not with Delly and the others just yards away. He can see Delly glaring at him even at a distance.

He wishes he knew what compelled Katniss to say what she did. She may have been talking about her mother's cheating, but what possessed her to steer the conversation towards him—to them? Of course he knows Katniss never would have cheated on him. He can say the same thing with utter certainty—that he never would have cheated on her.. Katniss was all he had ever wanted, and once he had her, nothing was going to jeopardize that.

So why bring it up?

He now has more questions—and fewer answers—than he did before he knocked on Katniss's door a few hours ago.

With her words still ringing in his ears, he takes a deep breath and trudges towards the veranda.


Thank you for reading. ~C