Crossing Paths

Part One: Katniss Everdeen Mellark

Chapter 1:

I sit quietly by myself in the meadow taking deep breaths and filling my lungs with the sweet perfume of the flowers and the dank musty smell of my father's hunting jacket. It isn't often that I get to have these moments of peace, what with all I have to handle at home; Jay, helping teach a course in the town's school about the Games and the rebellion, hunting for herbs and game in the woods, and helping Peeta out whenever I can in the bakery. On top of all of that, as if it weren't enough, I still have to get used to the fact that I will soon have yet another life to help support. Peeta says it'll be alright since everything is much better than when Jay was born because it's not as if everyone in the country is still being rationed food and clothing. And he's right, things are a lot better than before. I just wish I were ready for all of the changes. It seems it was just yesterday I was hopping onto that first train to the Capital, sure that I'd never return to District Twelve and almost positive that I would be the one that would have to kill Peeta. But now everything is quiet and everyone thinks life is perfect because no one's dying of starvation, the Games are long gone, Panem has a new leader, and everyone has shelter with full electricity. I look at my watch and sigh. It's 11:30, time to go back home to get Jay's lunch and take it to her. In other words, my time of peace is officially over. It takes me about twenty minutes to make it back to the house so I'm hoping that Peeta went ahead and packed her lunch already knowing that, as usual, time would get away from me and I'd be running late. And, of course, I'm right.

That man knows me all too well. I think to myself, picking up the paper bag.

As I turn to walk out the door I hear a small cry from inside the cabinet. I walk over to it and when I open it up out jumps Buttercup. "Hey! It's a jumping hairball!" He hisses at me. "Yeah, yeah. Jay will be home in a few more hours so you'll be happy again soon enough." He perks up at the sound of her name, the same way he did whenever I mentioned Prim's name. Peeta and I are both shocked the scraggly old thing is still alive. Buttercup and I still don't get along as well as we probably should but since Prim died we've gotten better at staying away from each other's throats. I go out the door and walk into town. When I get to the school I see that everyone is outside either having lunch or playing on the school grounds. I quickly spot Jay sitting with a group of her friends and I walk over to her. I swear that girl is just like her father when it comes to being social. "Jay, if you're not yet starving to death I have your lunch," I say to her as I hand her the bag. Her dazzling sapphire eyes shimmer in the sunlight as she looks into the bag.

"Oh, you packed my favorite mini cake!" I smile.

"Well, you can thank your father for that." She tucks her long wavy chestnut hair behind her ear says playfully,

"You were running late again, weren't you?"

"No, I just asked him to make your lunch today," I say defensively, though we both know it's a total lie. She laughs.

"Well tell him that he's the best father in the world!" I give her a look and she quickly adds, "I'm not saying that you're not the best mother because you didn't let me starve."

"That's right I want a little bit of credit. I have to go now but I'll see you after school okay?" She leans up and plants a little kiss on my cheek.

"Okay, see you after school. Bye."

"Bye," I say as I turn to leave. Oh Jay, the perfect mixture of Peeta and Prim. I still have no idea how she can be my daughter. She's so sweet and gentle but I have noticed that she's recently developed an interest in learning how to hunt so maybe that's the trait that we'll share. It doesn't take long before I can smell the scent of the sweet loaves of bread seeping out of the cracks and crevasses of the bakery. I see Avalon in the window arranging the cakes so that they look like they belong in the Capital. She looks up long enough to see me coming and rushes to the door to meet me.