Peeta took his seat at the large conference table, nervously smoothing down the end of his tie as he looked around anxiously, waiting for Katniss and her lawyer to appear. He hadn't been inside the small Panem County courthouse since he and Katniss had been there together ten years earlier to apply for their marriage licence. And now they were here to dissolve their marriage.

"There is no need to be nervous," Seneca reassured Peeta, speaking quietly as he shuffled a few papers and meticulously straightened the legal pad in front of him. "We've discussed this and we're prepared for every eventuality. Unless your wife tries to spring some surprise on us today, this should all go smoothly."

"I hope so," Peeta said quietly looking down at the table. "I don't want to drag this out." His stomach was churning already and he wanted to run from the room.

"Plutarch assured me your wife feels the same way. Just try to relax, Peeta. Stick to answering anything you're asked, don't get emotional, and if you're not sure about anything, you can ask to consult with me privately. We were lucky that Portia was available to mediate. She is one of the best."

Peeta nodded, wishing he could take off his tie and loosen his collar. He felt like he was suffocating. He glanced up at the clock on the wall, 9:55am. Where was Katniss? They were scheduled to start at 10:00am, sharp.

The door behind them opened, and Peeta jerked his head around to see a smartly dressed man with gray hair and a polite smile on his face enter the room. Katniss followed behind him.

Her eyes nervously scanned the room, quickly finding him, and their gazes locked together for a split second, blue on gray, before each of them looked away.

Polite good mornings were murmured all around, as the two lawyers shook hands and greeted each other. Katniss chose a seat on the opposite side of the table, facing Seneca. Her eyes flitted around the room, resting anywhere but on Peeta.

Peeta couldn't help but sneak looks at Katniss across the table, as she spoke quietly with her lawyer. Her hair was down and she was wearing a forest green dress, a color that he had always liked on her, but she looked pale and nervous. He suspected she had worn her hair down so she could hide her face behind it. Underneath her light makeup, he could still see the slight purple smudges beneath her eyes, evidence that she was not sleeping well, but she looked better than she had the last time she had dropped off the kids.

He reached for the glass of water in front of him and took a deep swallow. He had to remember his purpose for being here: to set Katniss free to live the kind of life she wanted and to protect his children from growing up trapped in a home between two unhappy parents. He was doing what he thought was best for them all.

The door opened again and a very tall, slender woman with a commanding presence swept into the room. She was dressed in a very fashion forward outfit of teal silk, with bright blond hair and dark eyes. She was not what Peeta had expected at all.

"Good morning everyone," she greeted them, smiling broadly. She stepped around the table to shake both Peeta and Katniss' hands as she made her way to the top of the table, nodding at Plutarch and Seneca. "Counsel. Mr. and Mrs. Mellark. I'm Portia DuPont. I'm here to help mediate your divorce settlement today." She settled herself in a seat at the head of the table.

"Now, if everyone is ready, we can get started." Portia said, smiling politely across the table and gesturing for everyone else to sit too. "I'll begin. Mr. and Mrs. Mellark, I have read your respective statements, and your individual parenting plans, and I am happy to say there is very little that I can see that really needs to be discussed in much more detail here. We can go through them point by point, but it seems you both agree on all the major matters and in relation to your children, including custody, visitation, education and health matters.

She turned her focus towards Katniss. "I do have a question for you, Mrs. Mellark, in relation to the support of your children. It seems you have been a full time stay-at-home parent for several years now, how do you intend to support your children going forward?"

Seneca raised a finger to draw Portia's attention. "Mr. Mellark has offered to pay full support until such time as Mrs. Mellark is in a position to share costs," he interjected. "We also suggest dividing the children as tax exemptions."

"Mr. Mellark's full support won't be necessary," Katniss spoke up, addressing Portia. "I have recently secured employment, and I have also signed a lease and paid first and last month's rent on a house on Victor's Lane, not too far from Peet... from Mr. Mellark's home."

Peeta looked up, surprised. This was news to him. It had only been a few weeks, and Katniss had already managed to find a job and a house?

"That's excellent," the mediator smiled at Katniss, and noted something down on a legal pad in front of her. "And, just to clarify, how do you propose to coordinate working with sharing physical custody of the children?"

"The children are already settled in a day care facility arranged by Mr. Mellark while I was... away," Katniss replied, speaking quietly. "I hoped we could agree to continue with that arrangement now that I'll be working, too. My ideal would be to share free time and weekends with the children equally. I will pay half of the day care costs, of course, as well as half of all other child-related costs. " Katniss turned her gaze to Peeta.

"Mr. Mellark, is this acceptable to you?" Portia smiled at Peeta, and waited expectantly. Seneca nudged him under the table.

"Yes," he said, speaking slowly. "Though my offer of full support still stands. I want Katniss and the children to have everything they need, for however long they need it." He returned his gaze to rest on Katniss, across the table from him.

"They will have everything they need Peeta," she answered him, meeting his gaze and holding it steadily. He watched as she tilted her chin slightly, unknown to herself. He recognized that determined look. "I can provide for them too, and I don't want to be a financial burden on you anymore than I have been," she finished.

"You've never been a burden..." He shook his head in denial, but Katniss looked away abruptly.

"That's agreed then?" the mediator said, scribbling more notes on her legal pad. "Let's move on..."

And so the meeting progressed. Peeta sat numbly as one by one, they went through all the minute details of dismantling their lives. Division of assets, debts, taxes. Katniss was good to her word and stubbornly refused to consider seeking any part of the house or any other assets, except for her car, which they had bought together years before. The only thing she conceded was for Peeta to continue the building of the college fund they had set up for the kids, until such time as she could contribute to it too.

"I have one final question for you, Mrs. Mellark, and that's in relation to your name. Do you intend to revert to your maiden name, on dissolution of the marriage?" Portia asked, pen poised in mid-air to note her answer.

Peeta sucked in his breath as he waited for Katniss to respond. Seneca had warned him this question would come up, and that it was her decision alone to make. As the lawyer had promised, everything else had been settled easily enough. They had always discussed major decisions and made them jointly when they were together.

But this was something that had never come up between them. He knew he had never anticipated being in this situation. The only time the subject of Katniss' name had ever come up before had been when they were getting married, when she had told him she wanted nothing more than to take his name, and be known as Katniss Mellark, his wife. His mind wandered back to that day...

Together they ran hand-in-hand up the steps of Panem County Courthouse, entering through the large imposing doors, and looking around for a sign that would direct them to the County Clerk's office.

"This way," Peeta pulled her with him, as he turned right and headed down a long corridor. "Third door on the left," he muttered to himself.

"This is exciting," Katniss whispered loudly to him as she walked quickly by his side, clasping his hand tightly in between both of hers.

Peeta smiled indulgently at her, enjoying her obvious happiness. "It's almost as exciting as the moment when you actually agreed to marry me." He leaned closer to kiss her swiftly. "This just brings us one step closer to the moment when I will actually be able to call you my wife."

"It's only two weeks to the wedding, Peeta, you don't have that long to wait," Katniss laughed easily. "And then I'll be able to call you my husband." She smiled up at him contentedly.

"It can't come soon enough for me," he murmured, pecking her on the lips again. "Now come on, let's find this clerk, so we can apply for this licence! I have to go back to the bakery later. I have a wedding cake design to work on, and you know Mother won't let me work on it during business hours."

"I know," Katniss pouted. "Are you really not going to let me see it until the wedding?"

"Nope," Peeta smirked, "it's unlucky for the bride to see the cake before the wedding."

"No it's not! It's unlucky for the groom to see the bride before the wedding!" Katniss retorted. "You made that up. There are no rules about cakes!"

"New rule," Peeta grinned. "Ah, here we are..."

Pushing through the door, they entered a small brightly lit office.

"We're here to apply for a marriage license, please." Katniss addressed the well-dressed young man behind the counter before Peeta could get the words out.

"Oh, congratulations!" the young man smiled kindly. He turned to select a few sheets of paper from a filing cabinet behind him, pushing them across the counter at Katniss and Peeta, and gestured behind them. "There is a seating area behind you. If you would like to fill these in, I can process your license today if you have the appropriate ID with you."

"Thank you," Peeta and Katniss said in unison. Together they sat and Peeta began to fill out the necessary details for them both.

"Um, Katniss..." Peeta looked up after a few minutes, a slightly worried look crossing his face.

"What's wrong Peeta?" Katniss asked as she took in his concerned expression.

"It's just... the form, it asks... if you want to change your name. It just occurred to me that we never talked about that, and I don't know how you feel about it..." He raised his eyes to hers.

"Tick the option that says yes," Katniss replied simply, smiling shyly at him.

Peeta's eyes widened as his face broke out into a huge grin. "Really? Are you sure? I mean...um... I know a lot of women like to keep their own name now, and if that's what you want, I'm fine with that, I don't expect you to take mine. Or, if you wanted to hyphenate our names, that's fine too, whatever you want is fine..." he stammered.

"Peeta," Katniss started laughing gently at him, laying a reassuring hand on his arm and squeezing it gently. "Give me the form."

She took the pen from his hand. With a flourish, she marked the "yes" box beside the name change question and put pen down. Reaching over, she cradled Peeta's face in her hands. He couldn't help but lean into her touch. "Peeta, I want to take your name when I become your wife. It just feels right. I want the world to know that I'm yours," she said softly, looking deep into his blue eyes.

"I love you," he responded, his eyes burning into hers.

"I love you, too," she replied, pulling him closer to her for a gentle kiss. He met her halfway.

"Ahem..." they heard the young man behind the counter discreetly clearing his throat.

Peeta chuckled, and pulled back from Katniss and glanced over his shoulder. Katniss pushed the form back across to him.

"Finish the damn form so we can get our license and get out of here," she smirked, giving him a purposeful look. "You have to go back to the bakery later, and I have other plans for us this evening."

"Oh really?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes really," she smiled back.

"Yes," Katniss' clear response shook him out of his reverie. "I wish to revert to my maiden name, Everdeen."

Peeta closed his eyes at the unexpected wave of sadness that came over him. If he had ever harboured any doubts about whether he was doing the right thing, Katniss had just wiped them out. It was clear by how fast she was reorganizing her life and how prepared she was coming to this meeting that she must have been thinking about leaving him for a long time. Giving up his name was just the final twist of the knife.

"Peeta?" He heard his name being spoken quietly and jerked his eyes open, blinking to see Seneca Crane watching him with a concerned look.

"I'm sorry," Peeta straightened in his seat, his hands flying to smooth his tie. "I must have just... zoned out there for a minute." Looking around the table he noticed Katniss watching him, a strange look on her face. He looked away quickly.

"It's okay. Portia is just winding everything up now anyway," the lawyer said, motioning to the mediator at the front of the room. She appeared to be going through some final papers and making notes for herself.

Finally she looked up with a small smile, and addressed the room, shuffling her papers together. "Well, Mr. and Mrs. Mellark, I think that we have covered everything, and as all parties have reached agreement, I see no necessity for a court hearing in your case. The final paperwork dissolving your marriage can now be prepared, and once signed by you both and lodged with the court, your divorce will be final. Thank you both for your cooperation today, and I wish you both all the very best in the future."

Closing the file in front of her, she stood and swept out of the room in much the same fashion as she arrived, pausing only to shake hands with them again as she left.

Breaking the awkward silence left in the wake of Portia's departure, Peeta stood abruptly and left the room first, briefly nodding a goodbye to Katniss and her lawyer in passing. He didn't trust his voice at that moment, and just wanted to get out of the suffocating atmosphere of that room as quickly as possible. Seneca followed behind him, stopping in the corridor outside to shake his hand. "We'll talk soon Peeta," the lawyer said. "I'll co-ordinate the final papers with Plutarch and get them to you as soon as possible. That all went exceptionally smoothly; it's rare for both parties to agree so readily."

Peeta shook his lawyer's hand, again without saying a word, and he headed for the main exit. He loosened his tie as he made his way towards the heavy doors, eager to get outside and into the fresh air. He tried to avoid letting his gaze wander around him. He didn't want to see where Katniss was or what she was doing.

"Peeta!" He startled a little at the sound of her voice calling him. He looked around to see her a few feet behind him, looking slightly flushed. She had obviously rushed to catch up with him. He couldn't help the way his eyes flitted over her, taking in every detail from her dark hair tumbling over her shoulders in waves to the fit of her dress and the dressy black heels encasing her feet. He'd always loved her in heels.

"Can I please talk to you for a minute?" she asked, her eyes wide and a little apprehensive. He felt a little guilty when he realized why she suddenly seemed nervous of approaching him. It was because of the way he had brushed her off at his house. Or maybe it was just the atmosphere of the courthouse getting to her, too.

"Okay," he replied, running his hand through his hair and sighing inwardly. He really just wanted to get as far away from this building as possible, get home and get out of his damn suit and tie, but he knew he couldn't keep blowing her off forever. He'd have to talk to her sometime. "But I have to get back to the bakery soon. What did you want to talk about?"

"Um, I was hoping we could arrange a day for you to introduce me to the people at the day care centre." She bit her lip nervously. "Now that I'm going to be working too, I'll need to know the routine, who the owner is..." Katniss let her voice trail off, looking at him cautiously.

"Oh, sure, of course," Peeta agreed quickly. "We can do that." He looked at her, wondering if he should risk asking her a few questions himself. "Congratulations on getting everything sorted out so quickly," he said, hoping it didn't come out sounding as bitter as he felt. He was still taking it one day at a time, but the speed with which Katniss was adjusting to their new situation was making him dizzy. "Can I ask where you're going to be working?"

"Madge Undersee gave me a job working at her family's garden nursery, just outside of town," Katniss replied. "I start the week after next. I was lucky, one of her employees is taking a few months off to have a baby, so the timing was perfect, and it's the kind of work I like."

"Good, no, that's good, I mean it's great... I'm happy for you." Peeta tried to smile and look encouraging. It actually was a good fit for Katniss. "And you'll let me know your full address?" he continued. "You know, the kids may need some time to build up to spending overnights at your place, they've never spent any time away from, um, home... before." Peeta waited anxiously for her response to that, expecting her to argue. He didn't want to insult Katniss deliberately, but he hated the idea of the kids not being at home, in their home, every night.

"I do understand that," Katniss agreed readily. "But, they will have two homes from now on Peeta. One with you, and one with me. I know it will take the kids some time to adjust, but the sooner we begin, the easier it will be. For all of us. The house I've rented is on Victor's Lane, number 12, I'm moving in next week so I can get everything organized before I start work."

"Do you need any help moving in?" Peeta offered immediately, without even thinking how strange that might be, to offer to help his soon-to-be ex-wife move into her new home.

Katniss immediately shook her head. "Thank you, but no—I won't really have that much stuff to move in, and I'm sure Rory or Gale can help me with any heavy lifting. But, I do appreciate the offer, Peeta." Her voice turned cool, and Peeta knew that was his cue to back off, his help wasn't wanted. "You're welcome to come see the house with the kids when I have settled in though? I think it would really help them," she offered.

He felt his hackles raising at her casual mention of Gale's name. Goddamn Gale, he thought. Always Gale, not him, when she needed anything. But he forced himself to keep his expression neutral. Again he found himself wondering if Hawthorne was still hanging around town.

"Fine," he said, his tone matching hers. "I'll do that. And I'll call you to set up a day soon when we can go to see the day care owner together."

"Thank you," Katniss answered, "I guess I'll see you on Saturday then." She gave him one last long look, as if she wanted to say something else, but instead she nodded and turned to walk towards the main exit, not looking back. Peeta watched her exit and couldn't help but admire her perfectly straight back, the gentle sway of her hips, and her shapely calves as she walked away.

"Damn it," he groaned inwardly, tearing his eyes away from her. Would the day ever come when he ever be able to look at her without wanting her? He hoped so.

Peeta leaned against the back door frame, sipping a cup of coffee, as he watched the sun sinking below the horizon. He had always loved watching the sun setting, but doing it alone just made him feel deeply lonely. Sitting on the back steps watching the sun going down was something he and Katniss used to share, quietly talking about their day after they put their kids to bed. He shivered in the chilly evening air. The temperature had dropped noticeably in the last few weeks, and the dark nights were closing in earlier and earlier as winter really set in.

A couple of days earlier he had come home to discover that Katniss must have come by while he was at work, like she'd said she would, because all her clothes, books and most of her other personal items were gone. The only notable thing she'd left behind was a heavy, silver framed portrait of them on their wedding day that rested untouched on the bedside table. Katniss had especially loved that portrait; Peeta had given it to her as a gift, and it felt particularly cruel that she had left it behind. In a moment of sheer anger at her, he had lashed out and swiped it of the table onto the floor, cracking the glass. Then he picked it up and stared at it. They had been so happy that day, the camera capturing that moment in time perfectly. Her head was tilted up towards him, her gray eyes full of hope while his blue ones looked back at her brimming with adoration, clear for anyone to see as he held her close to him. They'd been so sure they were for 'always', just like the word he'd had specially engraved on the frame.

Good to her word, she hadn't touched anything else, but it had still come as a wrench to walk into their closet and find her side of it completely empty. She'd even removed anything personal from their bathroom. After his emotional outburst, he felt weirdly numb and removed from everything that was happening.

It shouldn't have come as such a shock. Katniss had asked him permission to come by for her things while he wasn't there, and he knew she was moving into her new place. It made sense that she would want her stuff, so she could settle in. He should have expected this.

So far he had avoided calling her like he'd promised he would to arrange introducing her to the staff at the day care centre. He realized he was just delaying the inevitable, because once he did so Katniss would be able to collect the kids from there, and that would be just one more step away from him. He finished his coffee and turned his back on the sunset. For once, he could find no joy in it. Darkness just meant another night lying in their...his bed alone and missing her.

Peeta knew the moment was coming when he would have to start to let go and let the kids spend more time with her. He was still struggling with the idea that in the very near future, his kids would be spending so much time away from him. He knew it was the right thing to do for them, but he didn't know how he was going to fill his time when he didn't have the kids to go home to in the evenings. He could always take up painting again, he supposed. Or hang out with Finn and Rye.

Speaking of Finn, other than a few text messages, he hadn't spoken to him in a few weeks, though he hadn't really been in the mood for company. He resolved to make more of an effort to keep in touch with his friends. Finn and Annie had been devastated at the news of their friends' divorce, and though Finn had texted and called Peeta they hadn't really spent any time together lately. He wondered if Annie had been staying in touch with Katniss.

A couple of weeks had passed since their mediation session and other weekends had come and gone in between, with the kids spending their Saturdays with Katniss. Since that first horrible weekend, she just picked up the kids in the morning and dropped them off in the evening and was gone again, with minimum discussion. Though he never left her on the doorstep again, Katniss didn't try to force any more conversation on him then was absolutely necessary. She didn't try to tell him how they had spent their days together. In fairness, he knew that was his fault. Anytime she had tried to hold a conversation with him, he had shut her down, and he knew any chance of fixing that would have to come from him.

Every time Skye came home from spending time with Katniss, he found himself listening carefully, waiting for her to mention Gale's name, but it never came up. Skye filled him in with little bits of news of what they did together, and it tugged at his heart. "Mama can't bake cheese buns like you can Daddy!" she declared one day, and Peeta had to smile. Cooking was never Katniss' strong point, though he supposed she'd have to learn now that she'd be living alone, most of the time. God, he hoped she was eating right.

It was then that the realization that Katniss was living alone had finally hit him, and the thought of it terrified him. What if someone broke in? Or worse—what if something happened when she was there alone with the kids, and he wasn't there to protect them? He tried to suppress the anxiety that welled up in him at these thoughts, he knew he had to let it go. Katniss didn't need him to protect her. Despite whatever had happened to make her leave, he knew that Katniss was a strong, capable woman. She had practically raised Prim alone.

A sudden memory of something his mother had said years ago came into his mind. "She's a survivor, that one," she had sneered at him, "How long do you think a woman like that is going to stay with you, Peeta?" The harshness of the memory made him flinch. "She's not our kind. Seam trash, that's all she is. She should go back to where she came from and you should find a nice girl like Delly to marry."

Peeta shuddered at the mental image of his mother's sneering face as she belittled him. Is this what Rye had been talking about? That his mother's insidious voice had planted doubts in his head about Katniss wanting to be with him, even before they had been married?

The final blow had come the morning before, when Seneca had couriered him the final divorce papers with instructions for him to sign them and return them to him. He had stared at them for an hour, before scrawling his signature across the bottom and sealing them back in their envelope, dropping it off at his lawyer's office on his way to the bakery. The only thing left now was for Katniss to sign them. Twelve years of being with her, two kids together, and it would all be over, with just a couple of signatures on the end of a piece of paper.

He sighed as he rinsed out his cup at the kitchen sink and went into the living room for his phone. He couldn't put this off any longer. He dialled Katniss' number and waited as the call connected.

"Hello Peeta," she answered on the third ring. She sounded mildly surprised to hear from him.

"Hi," he returned her greeting. "Um, I was calling about the day care centre. If it suits you, I can meet you there tomorrow afternoon and introduce you to the owner."

"That's fine. I'm not working tomorrow. What time will I meet you?"

"I can take a break after the lunchtime rush. Say 3pm?" He'd forgotten that Katniss was working now, too.

"I'll see you there." Katniss agreed, and disconnected the call.

That was it. He looked down at the phone in his hand and felt sad that this was what they were reduced too, talking only in brief sentences about things to do with the kids. He knew virtually nothing about her new house or her new job. He really would need to make more of an effort to be civil to Katniss when she tried to hold a conversation with him.

At quarter to three the next afternoon he pulled off his apron and went to wash his hands and tidy himself up. He grabbed a bag and filled it with a selection of cookies and pastries before shrugging on a jacket and walking the couple of blocks to the day care centre to meet Katniss.

As he approached, he could see her car parked outside. The windows were down despite the cool temperature and he could hear her singing along softly to the radio, completely unaware of his presence.

He paused to listen for a minute, allowing the beautiful clear notes of her voice to wash over him. He closed his eyes, suddenly feeling a pricking behind them. He hadn't heard her voice like that in so long, not since the last time he'd listened to her singing their son to sleep, before any of this turmoil had happened and pulled them so far apart.

He took a deep breath and stepped up to the car, clearing his throat noisily so Katniss would notice him. She jumped, startled to see him suddenly appear beside her door.

"Oh, you're here," she said, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. Katniss always got embarrassed when anyone overheard her singing. She never used to be self-conscious singing around him though. It was just another reminder of how much distance was between them now.

"I just got here," he replied, not wanting her to know he'd been listening to her singing. "Shall we?" He opened the car door for her and gestured towards the entrance to the day care centre.

"Yes." Katniss got out of the car and locked it, following behind him. "Before we go in, I wanted to ask what made you choose this place Peeta?" she asked.

"Annie recommended it, and Finnick said Nick loved it here," he said, a defensive tone creeping into his voice.

"Oh, Nick went here? That's reassuring to know. If Annie recommended it, it must be the best," Katniss commented.

"I was kind of limited in my options at the time," Peeta snapped shortly, irritated by her remarks. Who was she to question the choices he had made in her absence? But he regretted his words as soon as they came out of his mouth when he saw her lower her eyes, but not quick enough for him to miss the hurt that flashed through them. His implied accusation had obviously hit its intended target, but she didn't retaliate. Whatever he thought, Peeta knew she genuinely only wanted the best care for their kids.

He held the door to the building open for her, allowing Katniss to enter the reception area ahead of him. "Thank you," she said quietly, and he couldn't help but hold his breath when he caught the faint scent of her citrus shampoo as she brushed past him.

"Hi Peeta!" He gave a genuine smile as they were greeted by a very striking red-haired woman with porcelain skin and twinkling green eyes. As she walked towards them he found himself wondering if Lavinia could be related to Finnick somehow.

"Hi, Lavinia," he returned her greeting warmly. "Thanks for meeting us at such short notice, I know you're busy."

"It's not a problem!" Lavinia waved a dismissive hand in the air; her green eyes sparkling. "I'm always happy to talk with parents."

"I brought some cookies and pastries for the break room," he said, proffering the blue and white Mellarks' Bakery bag that he had brought with him.

"Why thank you!" Lavinia grinned, taking the bag from him and peeking inside. "Mmm, cheese buns! These are my favorite, you're so kind, always spoiling us. These always go down a treat!"

Katniss stood quietly to one side, one eyebrow arched inquisitively at the friendly banter between Peeta and the stunning red-head. Clearing her throat, she looked at Peeta expectantly.

"Lavinia, we came down here today because I wanted you to meet my... um...my..." Peeta's voice trailed off into an awkward pause. What did he say? My soon-to-be ex-wife? The mother of my kids? My ex? What were they now exactly?

"I'm Katniss Mellark," Katniss said, stepping forward with a smile to introduce herself, holding her right hand out to Lavinia. She glanced sideways at him. "I'm Peeta's wife."

"I'm Lavinia Bass, I'm the owner of this facility. I'm very happy to finally meet you!" Lavinia smiled warmly and took Katniss' hand. "Peeta told me you were away, but I'm delighted to finally show you around. Skye and Aran are great kids, you must be really proud of them," she gushed.

"I am," Katniss smiled back, and Peeta could see she was warming up to Lavinia's friendly personality immediately. He breathed a tiny sigh of relief.

"They've settled in great here, and...

Peeta let his thoughts drift off as the two women got acquainted. He studied Katniss, as she chatted to Lavinia. He was confused by how she had introduced herself. In mediation, she'd announced that she was reverting back to her maiden name. So why did she introduce herself as his wife, when in a very short time, she no longer would be? What could that mean?

He glanced down at her left hand. He could see the glint of gold on her finger. She was still wearing her wedding band. He hadn't taken his own off yet; the thought of actually removing it hurt too much, and technically, until Katniss signed the papers too, they were still married.

"Peeta?" he heard his name being mentioned.

"Sorry, what?" he muttered, obviously having missed something aimed at him while he was lost in his own thoughts. He had to stop doing that. He turned to Lavinia.

"I was just going to give Katniss the grand tour, show her the various rooms and introduce her to Skye and Aran's carers. Would you like to come along?" Lavinia queried, a knowing smile on her face.

"Sure," he nodded, trailing after the two women, as they continued talking. The tour didn't take long. Skye was really excited to see them, waving frantically when she saw them entering her room together, and dragging Katniss over to meet Rue, the girl who was in charge of her room. They chatted happily for a few minutes, only managing to make their escape when Peeta promised Skye he would be waiting outside to pick her up after work.

"Will Mama be waiting too, Daddy?" she asked excitedly, her eyes darting back and forth between her parents. Again, Katniss stepped in and took the situation in hand immediately. "No, not today sweetie," she answered, "but maybe some other time, I can come pick you up instead of Daddy, would you like that?" She glanced up at Peeta, as if seeking his permission and he nodded, grateful that she had diffused the awkward situation.

They didn't stay long after that, not wanting to disturb anyone, so they left together, after thanking Lavinia kindly for the tour.

"It was my pleasure," Lavinia smiled happily as she left them at reception. "It was good to meet you at last, Katniss, and I hope to see you here again soon. Peeta, thanks again for the goodies!" She waved as she left them at the door and disappeared back into the building.

Peeta walked Katniss back to her car in silence. He wanted to say something about bringing the kids over to her new place, but with such a gulf between them he didn't know how to start that conversation.

"It seems like a great place Peeta, you chose well" Katniss said quietly. "The kids look really happy there, and Lavinia is great."

"She is, and I'm glad you liked it," he replied. He rubbed a hand through his hair. "Look, Katniss, I'm sorry I took a dig at you earlier. I know you only want the safest place for the kids," he began.

"I do," she said. "And I hope you didn't think I was questioning your choices. Thank you for taking such good care of them while I wasn't ... able to," she whispered.

Peeta stiffened in shock, his eyes widening. He hadn't expected her to say something like that. He swallowed the lump that rose in his throat and rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. He decided to take the opening she had offered him. "Do you think, maybe next time you come over for the kids, we could have a cup of coffee or something? Maybe talk about some stuff?" he asked hesitantly.

"I'd like that," she offered him a tiny smile. It was the first genuine smile he'd gotten from her in months. "I think we need to clear the air. I want us to be able to talk to each other, Peeta..." She paused as her phone began to ring in the background. She frowned at the distraction and pulled it from her jeans' pocket.

"Sorry, just one second Peeta..." she said, grimacing at the display. "I have to take this... Hi," she answered the call. Peeta walked a few feet away to give her some privacy, but he could still hear her side of the conversation.

"Mhm. Oh. Okay." She turned suddenly and looked straight at him. "Yes, I'll come by tomorrow morning. Thanks for letting me know. Bye."

"Everything okay?" he asked as she disconnected the call. For a long moment, she didn't answer him, she just kept lookng down at the phone clutched in her hand.

When she did finally look up at him again, her gray eyes were glassy. "That was my lawyer," she said quietly. "He's received the final divorce papers from yours. He says they're ready for me to sign."

"Oh." Peeta dropped his gaze from hers, and took a step back, shoving his hands deep into his jacket pockets. He felt extremely uncomfortable. He hadn't expected to actually be in her company when she got this news.

"So I take it this means you've already signed them then?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yes," he nodded his head briefly, "I signed them yesterday." Peeta could feel his chest tightening. He continued to keep his gaze downcast, there was no way he could bring himself to look her in the eyes at that moment.

Katniss twisted her body sharply away from him and exhaled a deep shuddering breath, nodding her head as if confirming some inner thought to herself. "Okay," she whispered, and then she inhaled sharply, seeming to gather herself. "Okay, well, I'd better go. I guess I'll see you on Saturday to pick up the kids." Peeta risked raising his eyes to take a glance at her. Her face had lost all color and she looked visibly shaken and upset.

She quickly unlocked her car and climbed in. Peeta stood helplessly, his mind racing as he watched her turned the key in the ignition. He felt a strong urge to say something, anything, but he didn't know what it was. For once words failed him. But he just knew he had to say something before she just drove away.

"Katniss..!" he called out to her, his voice hoarse.

She rolled down the window and looked at him mutely. Her eyes looked like pools of silver in her pale face, shining with tears he could tell she was forcing herself to hold back.

"I...I am sorry," he stuttered. "I'm sorry that it turned out like this."

"So am I," she answered sadly, and without another word, she drove away.

Peeta felt his own vision blurring as he watched the red tail lights of her car disappear.

He was working in the back of the bakery two days later when the call he was dreading finally came.

"Peeta, this is Seneca," the smooth tones of his lawyer came down the line.

"Mr. Crane," he said gruffly.

"I can confirm that I received the final papers signed by your former wife, from Mr. Heavensbee's office yesterday and everything was in order..."

Peeta felt his pulse beginning to accelerate. The lawyer had said former wife.

"And?" He prompted the lawyer to finish his sentence.

"... and they were lodged with the court this morning," the lawyer concluded.

"So that means..." Peeta rasped out.

"What it means, Peeta, is that as of midday today, your divorce is final. Congratulations."

"T-t-th-thank you?" Peeta mumbled shakily after a long pause. He didn't know what else to say. What was the appropriate thing to say in these circumstances? It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room, and he couldn't catch his breath.

"Glad to be of service, Peeta," the lawyer replied. "And may I say that you are both to be commended that it all went so smoothly. It's unusual for divorces to be finalized with such civility and lack of acrimony. Some couples really can make a divorce feel like a fight to the death. I'll call you soon about my final fees."

"Sure," Peeta replied, and he hung up the call. His whole world was tilting. Feeling suddenly light-headed, he sank into a chair beside the prep table and put his head between his knees. He stayed there dazed, until the smell of burning bread brought him back to his senses.

He jumped up and ran to grab the loaves from the oven, pulling the tray out with his bare hands in his haste, burning himself and dropping the tray, spilling the bread all over the floor.

The crash, along with a sound that came from this throat that was raw and painful, was enough to bring Michael and Rye running to his side.

"What is it, what's happened son?" Michael asked in alarm.

Rye walked over slowly, a step at a time, afraid to ask. He eyed the burnt bread on the floor, but knew by the look on Peeta's face that this wasn't about a few loaves of ruined bread.

"What's wrong, Peeta? Are the kids okay?" His voice cracked a little. Rye was so worried for them all. "Is Katniss okay?"

"It's over," Peeta said, letting out a shuddering breath. "I just got a phone call. Katniss and I are officially divorced."

"I..." Rye hesitated, taking in the devastated look on his brother's face, before adding gently, "I thought that's what you wanted."

"Yeah. Me too," Peeta answered sadly.

"Do you think she's okay? I mean, if you're this upset..."

Michael pressed his finger against his mouth to signal his older son to be quiet for now.

"She'll survive without me," Peeta told his brother. "We already know that."

"And you'll survive this too, Peeta," Rye said, wrapping Peeta in a brief one armed hug.

The bell rang. Another customer. Michael made his way over to Peeta, stepping carefully over the burnt loaves while Rye ran to the front.

"Damn, be right back, bro," Rye told Peeta.

"When they're gone, lock the door behind them, Rye," Michael called after him, pulling Peeta's hands away from his chest to look at them. "I'm closing the bakery for today. None of us need to work anymore today."

Michael looked into his son's face. "We need to take care of these before they blister" he said, indicating Peeta's burnt hands. Slowly he steered Peeta towards the sink and ran the faucet, adjusting the temperature before pushing his hands under the flow of cool water and going to fetch the first aid kit.

Peeta hissed in pain. "It hurts Dad," he whispered brokenly.

"I know it does, son," Michael answered, placing his hand on his son's shoulder and squeezing it reassuringly. "And it's going to hurt for some time to come. But even the worst kind of pain stops, and all wounds heal in time, I promise you that."

Peeta met Michael's knowing eyes and could see his own pain reflected in them. He remembered that this had always been his father's way of trying to give comfort when his sons were suffering. He treated their physical wounds and offered them soothing words.

But, by the look in Michael's eyes and the tone of his voice Peeta knew that this time, his father wasn't referring to the burns on his hands.

So we have reached the "End of Part 1". For all those who feel like killing me now or abandoning this story completely - I can't say I blame you, but I will say this. This story has a way to go yet. Remember that Everlark went through 2 Arenas, a hi-jacking, a war, and the loss of friends and beloved family members, they were still able to find their way back to each other. "The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again."

Thanks as always, to my great friends KnottedEnergy, Kismet4891 and Court81981 for all their help, encouragement and advice with this chapter. I'd also like to thank all those who have strongly encouraged me not to shy away from where this plot bunny wanted to go, (you know who you are).