Haha! I’m alive! Alive, like a zombie who has risen from the dead but barely. I actually wrote this damn chapter 6 weeks ago! Yes, 6 weeks ago and I totally procrastinated in posting it. I hope you like it. I do plan on finishing it, praying sooner than later. Thanks to @dianaflynn22 for being my beta and pushing me along. And to @justajjfan and @hgamesfan for pushing me to write.
-------------------------------------------
Katniss sat there trying not to bite her fingernails, but failing miserably, while her bouncing leg rattled the water on the table. Every once in a while she peered over to the door, only to feel disappointment settle into her stomach when she didn’t find what she wanted. Annie and Madge sat across from her, munching on a quickly dwindling pile of fries, just silently assessing their friend since she was clearly not paying any attention to them. When Katniss let out another sigh, they looked at each other and tried not to laugh at their usually collected friend slowly but surely losing it.
“So Peeta said he was coming tonight?” Annie asked when they got to the bottom of their fries.
Chapter Summary: The longer Peeta stays with Katniss in District 12 the more he wants to forget who he is but his brother Rye is just the guy to remind him.
Notes: Well it's kinda been a really long time since I updated this story. Oops! Time goes by too fast. I do have another chapter almost written so it will definitely not take the years this chapter took. Hopefully there a few people still out there. Thank you to @dianaflynn22 for your beta duties!
“Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I’m confused.” Their heads whipped over to find both Prim and Madge peeking their heads through the doorway. Prim at least had the decently to look contrite but Madge’s eyes were wide and eager, clearly itching for juicy gossip.
“I thought you were supposed to give us some privacy,” Katniss gritted out.
“Come on, you didn’t really think that would actually happen,” Prim answered with a roll of her eyes, the guilty expression completely gone.
“A male nanny?!” I exclaim so loudly it reverberates across every surface in the kitchen, and I swear even the dishes vibrate.
“Umm, yeah?” Delly answers back meekly, shrinking against the refrigerator, pale face now beet red as she nervously twists a blonde lock in her fingers.
“A male nanny. I just can’t even with this. What were you thinking? I can’t leave them with…him. That man out there,” I grit out, frantically pointing at the kitchen door where he is patiently waiting on the other side in the living room. The girls’ cheerful screams can be heard outside, and I can’t help but briefly peak out the window and check on them running crazily around while my neighbor Hazelle Hawthorne watches them with a soft smile on her face.
“Yes, you can, Katniss!” Delly suddenly exclaims, standing up straighter and pulling away from where she had been cowering from my wrath. “You know him! Or at least you did. And he’s been my best friend for the longest time. Well, before you, of course.”
I can’t help but roll my eyes and as I open my mouth to continue my protest, she quickly cuts me off.
“But seriously. He’s the best person, Katniss. So sweet, and kind, and patient. Really he is. He’s even an credentialed pre-school teacher, but his new job doesn’t start until September and he needs the work, and you need the help desperately before they go back to school. His school by the way. So it’s a win win situation! You literally can’t say no to this.” With each word Delly becomes more and more confident before she is almost bouncing with excitement and I am beginning to slump in defeat. Because she is right. I am running out of options. All the other choices that had come by either seemed air-headed, inexperienced, checked out, impatient, annoying, the list goes on. If there was an excuse I had used it. But even if they weren’t my own little girls, they were my babies, and I want the best for them.
“I don’t know, Delly, it’s been a long time. And even then I barely talked to him in high school,” is my last weak protest.
“Come on, Kat. The least you can do is talk to him. Maybe you’ll change your mind if you give him a chance. You just need for once to have an open mind,” she begs.
“I do have an open mind!” I protest. Delly doesn’t even bother to say anything, she just gives me a searing look that says “No.”
“Okay, fine!” I exclaim, throwing up my hands. Delly claps her hands triumphantly in delight before grabbing one of my own and dragging me back through the swinging door to the living area before I can put any more of a protest.
There he sits, rubbing his hands nervously on his legs. As soon as he sees us Peeta Mellark stands up abruptly, bright smile pressed once again on his face.
“Sorry about that, Peeta! We just had a couple of things to discuss,” Delly announces perkily.
“Oh no need to say sorry at all. It was no problem,” he answers, cheeks becoming a little red, and in that instant I know he probably heard everything we said. Or at least me. It’s not like I was being quiet.
Delly and I settle down in the couch perpendicular to the love seat he’d been sitting on while he settles back down. An awkward silence settles over us as I think of a question, any question that would be good to ask him. For some reason, every single thing has left my brain. Instead I blurt out, “Do you know what happened?”
“What happened?” he asked, looking genuinely confused.
“Ummm, yes. I keep forgetting that you were away for so long. Everyone knows,” I say awkwardly.
He blushes brightly before stuttering out, “I know the basics. Delly filled me in somewhat. Two little four-year-old girls, your sisters Prim and Rue? I was sorry to hear about your parents, they were lovely people.”
“Thanks, Peeta,” I mumble as I look down. It’s still hard, but I’m trying to be better, for them. “They were surprise babies. A little bit too much drinking they kept joking. Prim came out looking like a spitting image of mom and Rue has my dad’s dark skin, curly hair, and gray eyes. They love each other so much, and they can be sensitive about how they look different, so if you could refrain from bringing it up.”
“Oh definitely not! I would never. People have a tendency to poke and prod at things that they don’t understand. I want the girls to be in a safe place where curiosity, learning, and growth can take place,” he answers.
“Okay. Well, now that you bring that up, Peeta can you tell me…” but I’m never able to finish because two whirling dervishes of crazy come tearing through the house and leap right into my arms knocking the breath right out of me. It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last. And as usual they just start talking over each other, “Katniss you need to come and play with us…there’s a HUGE pile of leaves…and grammy Hazie says we can go over and play with the new puppy…and I skinned my knee but I was a big girl and didn’t cry…”
“Woah woah woah! Slow down there girls. Were you able to breathe with all that talking?” I say, poking them both in the belly, and they give me twin bubbly giggles. It’s their laughter that gets me through darkest time. And without them to keep me going every day, I don’t know where I would be.
“Besides we have company, so I need you be on your best behavior. I know you have it in you. We have Mr. Mellark here. He wants to be your nanny.” They both stare at him wide eyes, then look at each other before bursting out into more contagious giggles.
“What are you two monkeys laughing at?” I ask poking them again.
“A boy can’t be a nanny!” they both say in unison.
“That’s what I told your auntie Delly!” I burst out without thinking. Then realize that Peeta is sitting right there and look at him in embarrassment. But instead I find all nervousness has completely disappeared and he has a gentle smile on his face.
“Hey there, ladies! I’m right here, aren’t you even going to try to give me a chance?” he directs at them.
“No!” they say, before laughing again.
“Is it because I smell?” he asks before raising his arm and sniffing under it dramatically, which elicits even more laughter through muffled hands.
“Is it because my hair is too floppy?” This time Peeta brings back down his hair and shakes it them.
“I know! It’s because I’m wearing a tie!” He then pulls the tie down and dramatically tosses it away and soon they’re in hysterics. “Better?”
“No! We told you, it’s because you’re boy. There are only girl nannies. They don’t like that kind of stuff,” Rue said very sensibly in her cute squeaky voice.
“Well you are wrong, missy. I am a boy and I’m a nanny. I’m a pretty good one too, even if I’m not Mary Poppins. My magic is very limited, sadly.” Peeta shakes his head forlornly as the girls look at him with confusion.
“Who’s Mary Poppins?” Prim asks quizzically. Peeta’s eyes widen comically and he throws up his hands into the air.
“Who? What have you taught these kids, Katniss?” I just lift my shoulders at him, completely amused.
“I have never seen it either,” I answer weakly.
“Well, that has to be corrected immediately. She is magic and laughter, and adventure and imagination. She was the one that taught me that if you laugh hard enough you can float!”
“That’s silly! I don’t believe you!” Rue laughs out.
“Well, you’ll just have to see it, won’t you. But in the meantime, did I hear you have a pile of leaves out there?” The girls both nod their heads enthusiastically, and I can already see them becoming enamored by him. Peeta is pure magic. I don’t know how else to say it. He just knows how to turn it on the charm and speak to them on their level. He’s a complete natural. Even when we were young, Peeta just knew how to relate to everyone else. He was always the one to help first, volunteer first, make friends with the lonely kids. It’s the reason I had such a crush on him. And it seems he hasn’t really changed at all.
“Well, why don’t you show it to me, and we can see what a mess we can make in the back yard. If that’s okay with Katniss, of course,” he tells them cheerfully. The girl bounce enthusiastically, with a double “Please!” bouncing across me.
“Who am I to stop adventure,” I answer. Immediate “Yays!” ring out and they quickly jump off the couch, each grabbing a hand, dragging them along to the back yard as they practically talk his ear off.
Delly and I both follow behind a little slower, and when I find him flopping into the leaves dramatically a soft smile lightens my face and I think this may work after all.
Here are some more fantastic everlark fics to check out. These fics have everything you are looking for: fluff, angst, action, smut..and Everlark. Have fun reading!
Body Wave - passionately-curious aka mitchesbcray
All Was Golden in the Sky - dandelionsandroses aka starveinsafety
City of Dreams - goldenbakerboy
The Miner’s Wife - mockingjayflyingfree
The Ruby Thief - dandelionsandroses aka starveinsafety
Evergreen - izzysamson
Of Course - An Elevator Tale - demona424 aka drivebyanon
What Lies Between - Part 5: Getting Over It (Is Not as Easy as it Looks) - An Everlark Fanfiction
Wow, it's been awhile since I could say - Here is the next chapter of my fanfiction "What Lies Between". Thanks to the anons who kept poking me. You guys kept the creative fire burning, I really appreciate. A big big thanks to dianaflynn22 for being my beta (and keeping my ducks in a row.
---------------------------------
Getting Over It (Is Not as Easy as it Looks)
Her sun-soaked car was a little piece of heaven right now. God, how she wished she could hide out in it. She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh as she pushed the seat to lean all the way back. In the reality outside her bubble, there was too much work to do and every moment she spent hiding made it worse for her, but she couldn't find the energy to motivate. She loved her job, she really did, but today she just couldn't be around people. Everybody seemed to drain a little bit more energy from her and she couldn't to keep on her "happy face" any longer. Hell, she was pretty sure she was doing a piss poor job in looking anything but absolutely miserable.
