Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the five, ten, fifteen years leading up to the birth of their two kids, Katniss and Peeta travelled throughout the country. For so long, they were contained to their homeland and now the opportunity presented itself to see more.

The births of their two kids, Willow and Rye, had put a halt on the travelling for a few years. They tried to make smaller trips when the kids were toddlers, but it was a lot of work, logistics, and stress. The kids were school age now, so the Mellark parents figured it was a good time to try again.

Throughout the winter, Katniss and Peeta started to brainstorm ideas of where they wanted to go. Commercial hovercraft travel had expanded; they could fly somewhere, rent a car and go from there. They could take their own vehicle and drive up the coast. They could take a train throughout the country and not have to worry about driving themselves. The possibilities were endless.

Finally, after much deliberation, the verdict was in: Katniss and Peeta were taking the kids on a road trip up the coast.

Then came the the next question: what about Haymitch? He's Papa to the kids but might as well be Katniss and Peeta's third child the way they take care of him. Haymitch could function perfectly fine on his own if they left him. Getting the old man out of town for a bit would be good for him too, and the kids would be thrilled. With that, a cabin was booked, and so the countdown began.

The days grew closer and suddenly, it was time to go. So with Peeta's bakery minivan loaded up, the family of five headed out dark and early. Katniss wasn't thrilled about taking the van. She hated driving that thing, mostly because she backed into the bakery dumpster one time and Peeta never let her live it down. If all went to plan, Katniss would do zero percent of the driving.

Katniss and Peeta, habitual early risers, were up and ready to go as soon as the clock hit 4:30am. They wanted to get a head start on the drive ahead. The van was loaded up the night before, full with bags of clothes, toys and games for the kids, and snacks.

Getting everyone else up this early was not an easy task. Unlike the childhoods of their parents, the Mellark kids had zero reason to be up before the sunrise.

Willow was upset she was "missing her beauty sleep." She was eight years old. Rye didn't want to leave his bed. Katniss tried to reason with her son, telling him he could sleep on the drive but he said "it's just not the same," though the boy could sleep through almost anything. And Haymitch, well he just doesn't wake up before 9 on a good day. Katniss had to wake him up the old-fashioned way with a glass of water to the head. Haymitch no longer sleeps with a knife, but he did mutter something along the lines of "I thought we were driving, not taking a submarine" as he dried himself off.

The first hour of the drive was quiet. Haymitch and the kids had managed to fall back asleep. Katniss and Peeta chatted quietly, Peeta driving on the highway with one hand on the steering wheel, the other on Katniss' heart despite her insistence to use both hands.

Around 6am, Willow started to stir. The sun was starting to rise. Peeta, noticing his daughter starting to wake up in the rear view mirror said, "say, I was just thinking, we should have a road trip song!"

"Peeta," warned Katniss. "Let them sleep".

"But Katniss, this is valuable bonding time!" said Peeta, absolutely giddy. They hadn't even stopped for coffee yet, how could he be this wound up? Yes, he and Katniss were both used to rising early but Peeta was never this excited to be awake. If this were any other man driving, Katniss would contemplate crafting a makeshift bow, but for her husband, she'll allow his ungodly early cheer to continue. He'd waited for so long to have a family of his own to show the world to, one filled with love and bread and laughter. The least she could do was let him have this, but if the kids were tired and cranky later on, this was all on him.

"So Katniss, do you have any songs in mind?" asked Peeta. "Oh, and can you grab my glasses? The sun is getting too bright." Oh yes, Peeta's driving glasses. The giant, thick framed sunglasses he'd ordered specifically for this trip. Sunglasses may not be the right word to describe what Peeta's wearing, they were closer to a pair of goggles.

"Yes Peeta, I do have one in mind," Katniss said in a sing-song voice as she passed Peeta his goggles. "It's called 'Let the Kids Sleep a Bit Longer!'"

"Haymitch isn't a kid."

"Willow and Rye are, and you know they need their sleep," debated Katniss.

"Mama, I'm awake!" Willow chimed in from the back of the van. Here we go.

"See?" says Peeta. Katniss rolled her eyes and looked out the window as Peeta began singing something clearly made up on the spot. They hadn't even stopped for breakfast yet and she was already second guessing this vacation.

A short while later, Haymitch and Rye woke up. Rye, age five, was as food focused as his mother. "I'm hungry!" he yelled. Papa, who must do everything in his powers to get under Katniss' skin, agreed with Rye. Katniss could feel the scowl appearing on her face. She hoped it wasn't permanent after this road trip.

Peeta pulled the van into a truck stop restaurant. The table menus described the history of the truck stop and how long ago, big trucks were the primary source of shipments before the train and hovercraft systems took over. Peeta pointed out the different trucks to his son, who was easily excited. "Look Rye Guy, see that truck? Honk honk!"

"I don't see any geese, Daddy?"

"No Rye, honk honk like a horn," Peeta chuckled.

"Those don't fly like the geese?" asked Rye. He was probably used to seeing hovercrafts on his TV shows.

"No buddy, they drive on the road like what we've been doing. You've just slept through most of it," Peeta teased his son. The train was still the primary method of delivering goods at home, but trucks were becoming more common, too.

Katniss and Willow were the lone occupants of the table. Peeta had taken Rye to the bathroom and to look at the trucks before the food arrived. As for Haymitch… well, he was somewhere.

The drinks were brought to the table. Willow was staring at the cup of coffee placed across from her, where Peeta always sat. Katniss watched her daughter, waiting to see if she'd say anything.

"Can I have a sip of Daddy's coffee?" Willow finally asked.

Katniss laughed. "No honey, it's a grown up drink."

"I'm a grown up! I'll be upstairs at school this year!" Willow would be starting third grade in the fall, which was in the upstairs section of the elementary school. Rye would be just starting school.

Katniss reached across the table to squeeze her daughter's hand. "I know you're a big girl. But you know how Daddy doesn't put sugar in his tea? Well, Daddy doesn't put it in his coffee either. Coffee is very bitter. I don't think you'll like it." Willow shared the same sweet tooth of her mother.

Willow nodded her head, but continued to look longingly at her father's coffee. None of the boys had returned yet. Katniss, watching her daughter's continuous stare, finally relented. "One small sip, Willow. And be careful, it's hot."

Willow's face lit up the same way Peeta's does when Katniss walks in the room. Her hopes and dreams were quickly shattered when she had a taste. "This is disgusting!" she yelled.

Katniss laughed. "I told you it was bitter!"

"What's disgusting?" asked Peeta as he and Rye returned to the table, now wearing matching pairs of the sunglasses. Rye's facial features favoured the Everdeen ancestry more so than the Mellark's, but with the sunglasses on, you'd think Rye was baby Peeta plucked from a photo.

"Your drink, Daddy. I don't want to be a grownup anymore. I don't want to drink coffee," said Willow.

Peeta laughed, a deep belly laugh that came so easily to him. "You don't have to drink it. Mama doesn't… where's Haymitch?" he asked, realizing someone was missing.

"I thought he was with you," said Katniss.

Peeta swore under his breath, but both kids heard. "Bad Daddy!" Rye pointed at his father. Peeta pretended to look sorry. The last thing he and Katniss needed was for Rye to start repeating swear words in public.

Katniss stood up to go find Haymitch. He couldn't have gone too far, but she was once again fantasizing about a makeshift bow. She found him a few minutes later, at the checkout counter. His hands were full of candy packages, almost every kind imaginable minus gumdrops.

"Haymitch," said Katniss. "My five year old son knows better than to run off without telling me his whereabouts. I would appreciate if you could do the same."

Haymitch scoffed. "I'm picking up snacks. I looked through your coolers and you didn't bring anything tasty." The cooler had been packed with turkey sandwiches, cheese buns, and packages of nuts, all of which were in Katniss and Peeta's usual lake trip snack rotation.

Katniss and Haymitch returned to the table. The kids squealed with joy upon seeing the bags of candy their Papa purchased. Katniss looked at Peeta. It was going to be a long drive. Peeta squeezed her thigh when she sat down next to him. They'd get through this trip together. Somehow.

Breakfast arrived shortly after. Katniss ordered a stack of chocolate chip pancakes. They weren't as good as Peeta's, but they were warm and syrupy and hit the spot. Now that she had food in her belly, she was in a better mood than she started the day with. She WAS looking forward to this trip!

Back on the road, goggles on his face, Peeta announced "we still don't have a song!" Right. Katniss was hoping he would forget that part. She loved her husband with all her heart. Really and truly, Peeta brought out the best in her and had helped her through some of the worst moments of her life. But the one thing he could not do well, was sing. He was a man of many talents and creative outlets, but singing did not fit that criteria.

Haymitch, sensing an opportunity to further annoy Katniss, perked up. "I've got one I think you might like," he teased.

"Are you, are you —" he started to sing.

"Haymitch, NO. We are not singing that," shouted Katniss, as she turned around to glare at him. Of course, this drew attention to the song from her children, who started to repeatedly ask why they couldn't learn it. "But Mama, you sing lots of songs! What's this one?" they asked.

Katniss turned on the radio. Maybe there would be a song to satisfy Peeta's desires. Katniss did not feel like explaining The Hanging Tree to her children on a family vacation.

"Daddy, I don't like this music. It's too noisy," chirped Willow. The radio was playing a mix of rock and metal music, which was Peeta's favourite. Willow would much rather listen to trendy, upbeat music. Katniss liked the older, folk songs that reminded her of her father. Rye hadn't formed a musical preference yet. And Haymitch, he liked strange old songs from long, long ago. He was always a bit of a wild card.

Peeta turned the radio back down at his daughter's request. "Okay, so we go back to trying to find us a song then."

"How about we try to find a game to play?" suggested Katniss, trying to deter everyone from singing again. "How about I Spy? Would you guys like that?"

"Yeah!!!" everyone cheered, including Haymitch. Maybe he should have been left home with the geese. Greasy Sae and her granddaughter were stopping in occasionally to take care of them.

After a few rounds of I Spy, Peeta decided it was time to fill up on gas and stretch his leg. Plus, the kids were starting to get restless. The bags of candy had yet to be broken into, although they were waiting with anticipation. Years ago, Peeta joked to Katniss about the benefit of only having one real leg was one less leg to stretch after hours of driving. She was expecting the joke to rear its head once more.

While Peeta pumped gas, Katniss took the kids inside to use the bathroom and walk around. Haymitch was once again eyeing the bags of candy.

There was a nice playground across the road from the gas station so the Mellarks decided to let the kids play before getting back on the road. So far, other than the little annoyances, everything had been going smoothly. Katniss wasn't sure how well the kids would travel, but they were managing well so far. Haymitch was more of a nuisance than anything and he knew it. He always did.

Haymitch pushed the kids on a swing set while Katniss and Peeta sat down on a bench for a few moments.

"How are you holding up?" asked Katniss, stroking his hair.

"Leg is good, back isn't hurting too much yet," said Peeta. Katniss often worried about the state of Peeta's back after years of bending over the counter or on his paint stool. She did her best to massage it after his long days at work.

"Well, let me know if you need me to take a turn," she said. Katniss really hoped she didn't need to drive the van but would if she had to. She would do her best to avoid needing to reverse.

A few moments later, everyone headed back to the van. Either by choice or having forgotten, Peeta did not bring up choosing a song again. Getting the kids to play for a while was the right call, as they were quiet, watching the world from the windows. Haymitch looked like he was ready to doze off. Peeta once again drove with a one hand feel on the steering wheel, the other holding Katniss' hand this time. Glancing over at her husband, he really did look to be enjoying himself. Peeta had so much love to give his family. Katniss brought his hand to her lips and held it there.

By lunchtime, Peeta had been driving for close to seven hours total and wanted a bit of a break. With the cooler loaded up on sandwiches and cheese buns, Katniss suggested finding a place to have a picnic. Pulling off the highway, Peeta found another rest spot set up with several picnic tables under large oak trees. The kids would have another chance to play on a playground too. The weather was shaping up to be a beautiful day. Hot, but beautiful.

Just as Katniss had finished getting the kids out of the van and helping Peeta with the supplies, she noticed Peeta bent over. Was something wrong with his back?

"Peeta?" she called to him, jogging over to check on her husband.

"Yeah, love?"

There was nothing wrong with Peeta. A few weeks ago, Peeta was excited to tell Katniss all about the new pants he bought for the trip. They were supposedly made out of a material that was waterproof, sweat proof, and comfy for long periods of driving.

What Peeta neglected to inform Katniss was these "pants", had zippers at the knee to turn them into shorts. Katniss was a big proponent of practical clothing. After 25+ years of traversing the woods, she knew what materials and styles did and didn't work for hunting. But not once had she ever considered zip off pants. Peeta, now wearing the driving goggles, his "pants" and a sun hat that mysteriously appeared, looked a bit ridiculous. Or maybe it was the way he was posing as he stood next to the van. Another family further down seemed to be looking his way, but that was to be expected when you're as notorious around the country as Katniss and Peeta. Effie Trinket would be horrified if she saw Peeta's outfit. Cinna too, if he were still alive.

"Peeta Mellark… what are you wearing," deadpanned Katniss.

"I told you, my driving outfit! I came prepared," he said.

Katniss shook her head, trying not to smile, as she walked over to join her children at the picnic table. Willow and Rye were dying to get into Haymitch's stash of candy he'd promised them. She doled out the sandwiches to everyone, along with bottles of water. Once the sandwiches were eaten, she finally let Haymitch open his bags of candy, but he had to promise not to give a lot of it to the kids at once.

With the kids enjoying the playground, Katniss and Peeta tidied up their picnic table and did a quick walk around to continue stretching their legs. Smiling over at her kids playing with Haymitch, she thought about how grateful she was to spend her life with these people.

Katniss and Peeta decided to join in with Haymitch playing on the playground. Katniss raced her kids on the monkey bars, only allowing both of them to "win" after they declared "Mama always climbs trees." Peeta went down the slide, squealing to make his kids laugh. Haymitch started a game of tag, which didn't last long.

Everyone was in high spirits as they continued on the drive. Peeta navigated through traffic as it increased the closer they got to their destination. Haymitch continued to feed the kids candy. At this rate, they would have no room left for dinner tonight. The smell of the ocean grew closer as they continued to make their way towards the coast. The Mellarks had travelled to visit Katniss' mother before, but she lived on the opposite side of the country. This was the first time the Mellark kids would be seeing the coast from their side of the country.

Peeta had the radio playing quietly once again. Willow and Rye had passed out from their sugar rush. Katniss turned to glare at Haymitch, who pretended he had no idea what her problem was.

After a very long day of driving, Peeta finally pulled up to the campground they were staying at. Katniss had rented a cabin large enough to sleep everyone but just in case, she'd brought a tent too. Both Willow and Rye had accompanied her to the woods on many occasions, but Katniss was excited to take them camping, even if this was more "glamorous" than when she and Peeta stayed in the little house by the lake.

Shutting the van off, Peeta turned around to look at his family. "We're here!" he shouted. Somehow, after a very long day of driving, he was still in a cheery mood. "Everybody out!" The kids were slow to exit the van, but perked up upon seeing their sleeping quarters for the next few days. The campground even had a pool.

As Peeta and Haymitch hauled everything inside, Katniss got started on barbecuing tonight's dinner. She'd packed a couple of chickens she'd managed to hunt in the woods a few days prior. Tomorrow, they'd go on the hunt for local seafood once everyone was well rested and rejuvenated. Willow and Rye explored the area surrounding the cabin as Katniss prepped.

"Look, Rye! It's a squirrel!" Willow shouted for her brother.

"Mama! Shoot it!" laughed Rye. He was much more interested in hunting than Willow, so Katniss didn't force her to join in when she went to the woods.

"I didn't bring my bow with me, my Rye Guy!" said Katniss. "And hopefully, I don't wish I had…" she thought to herself.

"This isn't a hunting trip, we're going to try lots of different foods while we're here," Katniss said to her son. "But tonight, we're going to cook up the meat I brought from home. Daddy brought marshmallows so we can roast s'mores tonight too." Both kids cheered with delight. Katniss knew a marshmallow-y mess lay ahead of her.

As Katniss cooked and the kids played, Peeta and Haymitch began debating over who was sleeping in the larger bedroom. The cabin had three bedrooms: one with bunk bed clearly intended for kids, a smaller one with a double bed, and then a small master bedroom with a queen size bed. Peeta thought it was obvious the largest room went to him and Katniss, but Haymitch thought otherwise.

"I'm the guest of honour, don't I deserve a nice big bed?" he asked Peeta.

"I dare you to go out there and tell my wife you're sleeping in our bed." That shut him up.

Dinner passed quickly. The day was beginning to wear on everyone, so as soon as the sun started to set, Peeta, always a whiz at making fires, began prepping. Katniss dug out the camping chairs she'd packed from the van. Once the fire was sustained, handed everyone their supplies for s'mores. It didn't take long for Willow and Rye's faces to turn into goopy messes, although they didn't seem to care one bit. Rye had never been a tidy eater and now had bits of marshmallow and chocolate stuck in his curls.

The sun was down for the day as the fire crackled on. Haymitch started to tell silly stories to the kids. Rye was curled up in his mother's lap, straddling the world of wake versus sleep. Katniss ran her hands through his curls to soothe him to sleep while trying to remove the marshmallow gunk from his hair.

Willow was doing her best to hang on as well. Peeta had her draped across his camping chair. Peeta suggested she get ready for bed, only to be told "she's a big girl, she can stay up." With two sleepy kids and a big day of excitement behind them, the adults were calling it quits for the night.

Chapter Text

Forever stuck on bakery hours, Peeta was up bright and early the next morning. It took him a second for his body to recognize it didn't need to jump into baker's mode. The plan for today was to head into the nearby town and explore. Both Katniss and Peeta were looking forward to seeing what kind of food and shops they might come across. Depending on how things went in town, the plan was to hit the beach either today or save it for tomorrow. The weather forecast on the radio said there would be great weather for their entire trip.

Peeta quietly made him and Katniss a cup of tea to start their days before the kids (and Haymitch) woke up. It wasn't often he got to sit with his wife in the mornings, so this was a treasure for both of them. The cabin's main room had a large window that offered a perfect view of the sunrise. The decor was a perfect mix of coastal and cozy to offer the feeling of being away from home.

Katniss and Peeta sat in silence for a moment, watching the sky change colours.

"It's beautiful, isn't it," murmured Katniss.

"Yes, she is," said Peeta, nudging his wife on the shoulder. She opened her mouth to say something but blushed instead. They'd been together for twenty years and Katniss still felt shy when it came to compliments, no matter how often Peeta showered her with them.

The Mellarks continued to sit and sip their teas for a while longer, enjoying a rare moment of quiet before waking up the rest of the family. Willow, once again, was annoyed with her "early wake up call." Katniss reminded her daughter that school was starting back in a few weeks so she'd better get used to it. For once, Rye rose easily. Even Haymitch got up without a struggle, although he claimed Peeta's lovey-dovey comments gave him "morning sickness". Whether or not he was telling the truth remained up in the air.

Peeta cooked a light breakfast of eggs and toast. Once everyone was dressed and ready, they piled into the van to head into town to start their day. Traffic was slow going with many other tourists on the same route but it allowed everyone to enjoy the view. Willow and Rye excitedly pointed out the random stores and shacks along the side of the road to Haymitch.

A sense of deja vu struck Katniss. She could tell Peeta had something in mind. His driving goggles were back, and she was starting to worry they were his new prized possession. Without warning, Peeta pulled in next to a t-shirt shack on the cusp of town.

"Daddy? Are we there yet?" asked Rye.

"Almost! We just have to make a quick stop. Everyone out of the van!" he ordered.

As Katniss, Haymitch and the kids stood confused next to the van, Peeta marched up to the older man working the t-shirt table.

"Oh my god…" muttered Katniss.

"Hi, I'd like to purchase some shirts for my family!" said a cheerful Peeta. Peeta exchanged money for the shirts and called everyone over. "Guys, come here! We're going to get a family photo. I brought the camera. This is fun for the whole family!"

Peeta handed his family their shirts, each with a different fish pun.

For Katniss, he specifically chose a green shirt that said "What kind of fish purrs? A catfish."

Willow loved the colour pink, so Peeta grabbed her a pink shirt with a fish wearing a cowboy hat, and "Yee-claw!" written above it.

Haymitch's shirt played a pun on his grandfather role. "Codfather." He smirked as he accepted the shirt from Peeta.

Peeta proudly sported the orange "The most roe-mantic fish in the sea" shirt. He intended to wear it with pride back home. Everyone knew the baker spent most of his life head over heels for the huntress.

And Rye, the baby of the family, was gifted a red shirt with the expression "new squid on the block." He liked to insist he was no longer a baby now that he was starting school in a few weeks, despite Katniss' insistence he would always be her baby. Same for Willow.

Katniss and Willow put their shirts on without complaining, although both were mentally giving Peeta a hard time. As Willow once said, he was "such a dad." Katniss wasn't sure how much use her new shirt would get outside of this vacation, but she'd put up with the tacky slogans for today. Plus, Rye wasn't the tidiest eater so having an extra shirt on hand wasn't such a bad idea.

"Everybody say 'Katniss!'"

After taking a few photos, Peeta gathered everyone to hop back into the van. They were almost in town. Peeta was hoping to find a bakery or a local art store to check out. Katniss was looking forward to lunch, whatever that may be. Trying new foods had always been her favourite part of her travels with Peeta before the kids were born. She had seafood plenty of times when she'd visited her mother, but it had been a few years since she had made the trek out. Mostly Asterid came to visit Katniss and Peeta now that the kids were born.

Arriving in the coastal town, Peeta managed to snag a parking spot close to the main square. Backing into a parking spot, Peeta was suddenly distracted by a squealing Rye, who had become the victim of a Willow tickle attack. Not paying attention to where he was looking, Peeta backed into a concrete block with a loud SMACK.

"What the hell was that??" shouted Katniss.

"Language, Mama!" scolded Willow.

Haymitch got out of the van to check out what happened. "Well, looks like you backed into the concrete block. Come look!"

Katniss and Peeta scrambled to the van rear. Now on the opposite side of the dent Katniss left (and never had fixed), was a matching one. "So typical," Haymitch muttered, loud enough for Katniss to hear. She glared at Haymitch. Peeta was stressed about the dent. Katniss, however, wasn't too worried. The jokes about her hitting the dumpster had just met their match.

"I guess hitting your dumpster wasn't the worst thing now, was it?" she teased her husband, who rolled his eyes at her.

There was nothing that could be done for the moment and given the identical dent, Peeta decided to just leave it as is for the rest of the trip. He'd gone on vacation to get away and spend time with his loved ones, not to worry about minor van damage.

"Let's get a move on then, shall we?" Rye took his papa's hand, Willow took her mother's (not without protesting she was "not a baby"), and Peeta lead the way.

The Mellarks spent the next hour or so wandering in and out of local shops looking at different trinkets. In an art supply store, Peeta purchased a new tube of deep blue paint to match the colour of the waves he'd seen on the way in. Rye and Willow each got a plush lobster from Haymitch at another store. Katniss purchased a picture frame. The Mellark house was full of framed photos spanning from the growing back together time, right through present day with their children. This frame could either be used for a family photo from this trip, or for Rye's school photos now that it was his time.

Katniss stumbled across a large camping and supply store. It was massive, and like nothing she'd ever seen before. Two floors, different departments, it was likely bigger than the local grocery store back home. One section of the store had a large display of tents set up, complete with camping mattresses inside to test out. Willow and Rye had fun running from tent to tent, pretending they were looking for the comfiest place to sleep. Katniss did bring a tent with her for this trip, so perhaps she'd set it up tonight for the kids to sleep in. The kids had slept in a tent in their backyard many times during the summers, but never in one away from home before.

After a while of wandering through the camping store, Katniss could tell everyone was getting hungry. "Come on, my silly geese!" she called. "Let's get lunch."

Walking to the middle of the town square, Peeta noticed a food stall, boasting about having the "best seafood in all the region." Peeta started to hurry over, calling for Katniss, Haymitch and the kids to follow.

"Peeta, you know this is a tourist trap, right?" Katniss questioned her husband. One thing she learned through travelling was the best places to get food were never the ones advertising as such. Peeta had yet to learn this. It had given way to some subpar meals on previous trips.

"It's right here Katniss! The kids are hungry, Haymitch is hungry (he had been bitching about it to Peeta), and I know you, you will never say no to eating. Let's get some lunch while we're here," he insisted. Hearing "the H word," Willow and Rye joined in in announcing they were starving. Willow, ever the dramatic eight year old, announced she would pass out if she did not eat soon, as if Katniss did not buy her a blueberry muffin two hours ago.

"Fine Peeta, but don't complain to me if this isn't good," relented Katniss, gritting her teeth. "And this goes for you too, Haymitch."

Peeta ordered everyone's food: a basket of fish and chips for the kids to share, and a lobster roll each for him, Katniss and Haymitch. The Mellark parents weren't sure if their kids would like the acquired taste of lobster or not, so they elected to play it safe with the fish.

The meals were… fine. And expensive. Now, money was no issue for the Mellarks but for Katniss, who spent far too much of her youth worrying about feeding her family, the concept of buying food meant it better taste good. Katniss had a feeling she could've found something cheaper and better if she were in charge. Oh well. There would always be supper. And the kids seemed to enjoy their food, so there was that.

"What's next?" asked Peeta.

"I want ice cream," said Rye. "Please." He batted his eyelashes and put on his best persuasive smile. Katniss liked to believe she was a tough trader and was often perceived to be the firmer parent. In reality, she was often softer and had a hard time saying no to her children's sweet faces.

"After supper, Rye. We can look for ice cream as dessert. Does that sound okay?" she compromised. Rye pouted, but nodded his head. Noticing Haymitch also pouting, Katniss rolled her eyes at him. He was lucky the kids loved him, because Katniss was starting to get annoyed at his antics. There might be an arrow pointed in his direction when they get home.

"That goes for you too, Haymitch," warned Peeta, taking notice of the older man teaming up with the kids.

"So, what is next?" Peeta repeated. "Are we staying around here, going back to the cabin, the beach, or something else?"

Katniss weighed her options. The town was cute, but she'd seen what she wanted to see. If they went back to the cabin, they could play some of the board games she brought, or take the kids to the swimming pool within the campground. The beach was an option too, but she wanted to go early in the morning. And she did promise ice cream for dinner, so there was that to consider as well.

"What if we went back to the cabin? You guys can go swimming or play games. I can cook supper later and then we can go on a hunt for ice cream after that?"

"Yeah!!!! Let's go swimming!!!" the kids cheered, bolting in the direction of the parking lot. Peeta checked out the dent once again, looking sheepish and muttering under his breath. Not his finest moment.

Back on the road, spirits still high, the kids were singing in the backseat. Katniss didn't recognize the song, possibly one Willow learned in school or from a friend. Hearing his daughter's voice, Peeta was about to request a road trip song when Haymitch cut him off.

"Buddy! Cut it out!" he half shouted.

"Rye! What are you doing?" asked his mother, whipping her head around. She'd been enjoying the view and the company from the passenger seat.

"He won't stop kicking my seat," grumbled Haymitch.

"Rye," warned Peeta. "Please leave your Papa alone, or there will be no swimming and no ice cream tonight. Understood?"

"Yes, Daddy," Rye sighed. God this car ride was so boring, at least to a five year old.

"Thank you, Bud." Peeta forgot about his attempt at gathering a new song, and they were about to return to the campground anyway.

Back at the cabin, Willow and Rye scrambled to dig out their swim gear. They were in a rush to get to the pool. Katniss had taught both kids to swim in the lake. She did her best to get both kids dressed in their swimsuits and slathered in sunscreen. Rye was fairer skinned than his sister and especially prone to sunburns. Katniss braided Willow's hair into two braids down her back, gave both kids a sun hat, their swim goggles and sunglasses. Rye now had two pairs of glasses. The ones he was wearing yesterday that looked suspiciously close to the peculiar ones Peeta has must've come from the gas station.

"Mama, hurry up!" whined an impatient Willow. "I don't have all day!" Katniss and Peeta hadn't had the chance to get themselves ready for the pool and the kids were getting frustrated. Both of the Mellark kids loved to swim.

"I could take them to the pool if you'd like," offered Haymitch. "You two can meet us down there when you're ready."

"Thanks Haymitch, that sounds great," said Peeta. Katniss nodded her head in agreement.

"No problem. And if you take a long time to arrive, don't think I won't know what you're up to," he smirked. Certain "activities" always found a way to be the brunt of Haymitch's sarcastic commentaries, no matter how many years had passed.

"What are Mama and Daddy up to?" asked Rye, who was often too curious for his own good.

"Nothing, Rye! We'll see you soon!" Katniss kissed her children on the forehead, ushering them out as quickly as she could before Rye asked any further questions. Katniss could only hope the kids didn't ask Haymitch anything, because who knows what kind of information he'd feed their little minds.

With the kids on the way to the pool, Peeta slid up behind Katniss who was digging through her duffel bag. His hands worked their way under her shirt while kissing her neck. "I can help you apply your sunscreen," he whispered in her ear. "I know it's hard to reach everywhere when you do it yourself."

Katniss laughed and tilted her head to allow room for him to kiss further down her neck. Yes, she was supposed to be getting her swimsuit on… but Peeta's lips felt so impossibly good. She would not be the first one to let go.

Ensuring the kids were out of sight and the doors were locked, Peeta "helped" Katniss get her clothes off… and her swimsuit on. Eventually. It just took a lot longer than usual. Katniss and Peeta spent a lot more time laying naked in bed than if they were dressing for the lake. Such is life.

"He's going to know," panted Katniss, trying to get her breathing under control and her hair re-braided. Of course Haymitch would know, but she'd like to think she was doing her best to mitigate the what he'd say.

"What can I say, I have a gorgeous wife," grinned Peeta. "I don't get to see her in a swimsuit very often. It's a special occasion and she deserves to know it." Katniss shyly smiled at Peeta as she admired him in his swim shorts. Burnt orange, his favourite colour. Katniss wore a simple dark green one-piece with small cutouts on the side. It reminded her of something Cinna would've designed.

"At least bringing Haymitch was good for something," she joked to Peeta.

Meanwhile, Willow and Rye were having a cannonball contest. For such a nice day, the pool was rather empty so they had lots of room to play and splash. Haymitch sat on the side of the pool, watching his grandchildren. Without warning, Willow and Rye swam over to him, shit-eating grins plastered on their faces, and began to splash their Papa.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing!" he yelped while trying to escape their splashes. Katniss' preferred method to wake him up was dumping water on his head, and now her kids were doing the same? "What's with you Mellarks deciding ol' Haymitch needs a bath??" Willow and Rye shrieked with laughter.

Deciding enough was enough, Haymitch got up and without warning, cannonballed into the pool. The kids were overtaken by the splash.

Of course, this just happened to be the moment Katniss and Peeta (finally) arrived at the pool.

"What are you doing??" shouted Katniss, sprinting to the side of the pool. Willow and Rye, emerging from the wall of water, shrieked even louder. "NO RUNNING MAMA!" yelled Willow.

"Yeah Mama, no running," teased Peeta. He was wound up and silly again.

Haymitch laughed at Katniss' panic. "Soooo nice of you two to finally join us," he sneered.

Busted. "I, uh, was looking for Peeta's swim shorts," stammered Katniss. "We thought he forgot to pack them."

Haymitch snorted. "Yeah right. More like you couldn't find them after you tossed them somewhere off his body," he muttered. Thankfully the kids didn't hear.

Peeta had swam in the lake enough over the years to justify getting a spare prosthetic specially designed for the water. Swimming up to his kids, he thought about how grateful he was for this leg. He didn't have to miss out on moments like this with his family, who were having such a fun time. Katniss and Peeta took turns swimming laps and racing each other, teaming up with Haymitch to get revenge for the splashing, and his personal favourite: dunking the kids underwater when they weren't expecting it. He did the same with Katniss, who squealed and flailed in his arms when she came up for air. Peeta laughed and kissed his wife's face, while his kids yelled "ewwww!" at their parents affection.

After a couple of hours playing in the pool, everyone was starting to feel waterlogged and wrinkly. Deciding it was time to dry off and go back to the cabin, Katniss and Peeta wrapped their kids in their towels before wrapping each other up. Haymitch rolled his eyes, but said nothing. Katniss would probably push him in the pool if he dared to open his mouth.

Willow and Rye often ran ahead of their parents, who "walked too slow," as they often complained. Not this time. Rye took his father's left hand, with his Mama holding Daddy's right. Not wanting to be left out, Willow took Mama's right hand. Even Haymitch held Willow's left. They were now walking hand in hand, five in a row. Katniss' heart could burst at how much she loved her family in this moment.

Back at the cabin, Katniss changed back into her regular clothes, this time without any distractions from Peeta. She'd picked up fish from a local market while in town this morning and was planning to grill it for dinner, along with heads of corn. Peeta picked out a fresh salad. Hopefully the kids would like it. They were a bit picky sometimes, Willow more so than Rye. It certainly didn't come from their mother.

While Katniss prepped dinner, Willow and Rye coloured in the colouring books Peeta packed for them. Haymitch took a shower. Katniss hummed a tune; Peeta looked enamoured. The sound of her voice would never lose its charm on him. He made sure to always let her know.

"I wish I could say the same to you," ribbed Katniss.

"Oh, is that why we still don't have a road trip song?" deadpanned Peeta.

Katniss looked exasperated at her husband. He was teasing her, but she was starting to feel tired. It had been another long, busy day for the Mellarks.

Dinner was a quiet affair, swimming had tuckered everyone out. The campground had an ice cream cart near the front office, so everyone walked down to grab a cone before returning to the cabin to change into their pyjamas.

Chapter Text

The next few days of the Mellark's family vacation passed similarly. Katniss and Peeta woke up early, Willow fought to get out of bed (although she was getting better — school was starting sooner with each day that passed), Rye tried to crawl back in bed, and Haymitch complained the Mellark parents were too noisy. Peeta suspected he couldn't hear his and Katniss' morning chats at all, he just knew how predictable they were.

If the family wasn't exploring the coastal beach towns, they were playing at the beach. And if they weren't there, they were at the campground pool or playground. Peeta set up the tent for the kids a few nights ago, which was all fun and games until Rye became convinced the bear on Papa's t-shirt was going to eat him in his sleep. Haymitch got an earful from both elder Mellarks for that one.

Katniss was grateful her kids loved to swim as much as she did. The lake was always waiting back home, but seeing the joy on her kids faces when they got hit by a wave was precious. They'd been to the beach during visits with her mother, but Willow and Rye were much younger then. Katniss wouldn't let the kids out of her arms when she took them in the water, and she'd made Peeta hold on just as tight.

Now, however, Willow and Rye were eight and five and much more comfortable in the water. She had no worries about them as long as they stayed close to the shore and they were always supervised. Katniss and Peeta were usually in the water anyway. Only Haymitch wasn't a huge fan, but he didn't mind sitting on the end of the beach, watching his found family. They brought him so much joy he never thought he'd feel.

On the last day of the vacation, Haymitch brought some empty containers and buckets from the cabin. He wanted to make sandcastles with the kids. Willow participated for a bit, but she was far more interested in the water. Katniss left her boys to play in the sand while she and Willow wandered into the water, hand in hand. Willow was getting to be the age where she didn't want to hold her parents' hands anymore, so any time she still wanted to meant a lot to Katniss.

"Your ring looks really pretty in the sun, Mama," said Willow.

"Thank you, honey." Katniss held her left hand out for her daughter to inspect the pearl. "Did you know Daddy actually found my pearl on a beach?" she asked.

Willow's eyes widened. "Was it this beach?"

"No, not this one, another beach. It doesn't exist anymore, but there are still lots of pretty beaches. Just like this one, and the other ones where your grandmother lives. It's nice visiting the beach, isn't it," she said softly. The beach: the place where Katniss first dreamed about her babies. She hoped her daughter didn't ask why the beach didn't exist anymore. It wasn't the right time to make that explanation. Willow was starting third grade, which was the first year the Hunger Games would be taught in school. Katniss knew she and Peeta had some conversations ahead of them.

Katniss and Willow walked up and down the beach, collecting shells in one of the containers Haymitch brought. Katniss liked sentimental objects as mementos, Peeta liked his tacky tourist items. Yesterday, he purchased lobster hats at a lobster shack. "To go with the family t-shirts," he'd said. Rye loved the hat, but he would truly wear anything as long as it meant he twinned with Daddy. Peeta felt so honoured to have a little boy look up to him the way Rye did.

Back in the sand, a sandcastle building competition broke out between Peeta and Haymitch. They were so competitive, and often unnecessarily so. Rye wasn't the best judge, but he was their only option until the girls came back. Rye declared both men to be winners. This was not an acceptable judgement for Haymitch and Peeta. In response, Peeta began to bury his son in the sand. Haymitch joined in right away, gathering sand to pack the little boy into the ground.

By the time Katniss and Willow returned, Rye's little body was contained entirely in the sand. Only his head stuck out.

"Rye! Are you okay, are you stuck??" she called to her son. "Peeta, is he okay??"

Peeta, Haymitch and Rye burst into laughter, Rye especially so. "Mama! I'm a sandcastle!" he howled with laughter. His bright blond curls were now matted with sand. It was going to be an effort to get the boy cleaned.

"Relax, love. He's okay," said Peeta, reaching for his wife.

"You finished your sandcastles!" exclaimed Willow, pointing to the mounds of sand behind her father. They weren't great, but at least they were in tact.

"Yes, and you two are the judges," said Haymitch. "Now, mine looks the best, right?"

Two can play this game. Katniss hummed and hawed, carefully examining both sandcastles. Neither looked particularly different than the other, but she played along.

Before Katniss could declare a winner, Willow jumped into the piles of sand, knocking both down. The van was going to be full of sand now. Peeta would be vacuuming it for weeks.

"Willooooowwww," Peeta and Haymitch groaned. She ran back to the water to remove the excess sand stuck to her. Once Rye was dug out of his hole, he followed as quick as his chubby little legs could move.

"Guess I should clean myself off too," relented Peeta, dragging Katniss with him. Peeta once again took to splashing his wife and kids, before sharing a salty kiss with Katniss. "Daddy, that's gross!" yelled Willow. Haymitch pretended to vomit.

Feeling they were as clean as could be, Katniss and Peeta returned to the shoreline. Watching Willow and Rye playing in the water, the adults stood together to talk.

"Did you guys have fun?" Peeta asked. This trip had been almost everything he could have ever dreamed of. The girl he had a crush on since they were five was standing by his side. They had two kids who would never know anything but love, full bellies and peace.

"As fun as one can have being stuck with the two of you sticking your tongues down each others throats," said Haymitch, although he was trying not to smile. This beach trip was one of the best weeks of his life too, whether he'd like to admit it or not.

Katniss squeezed Peeta's arm. "Yeah, I did. I think the kids did too," she said softly.

Just before it was time to call the kids out of the water, Katniss ran with her arms out to join in on one last moment in the water. Peeta grinned, watching his wife look so carefree and young. Even Haymitch smiled. He watched Katniss' life from afar and then with her from age sixteen onwards. She deserved this moment of joy.

Even in the water, Rye had somehow acquired more sand. Willow's hair had come out of her braids and would likely need a thorough conditioning to untangle it tonight. Both of the kids had inherited Peeta's curls. Katniss loved them, but they did take a bit of work to manage sometimes.

Leaving the beach felt bittersweet. Willow and Rye waved and blew kisses goodbye to the beach. Katniss had thought a lot about how beautiful it was to be at a beach with the children she once dreamed of. Peeta's children, safe and loved and so happy. She wondered if Peeta was thinking the same thing. He knew about the dream she had, many years ago.

Peeta, it turns out, was in sync with his wife. Just before Katniss and Peeta got into the van, he turned to her and whispered "you're a great mother, you know," in her ear. Tears sprung to her eyes but didn't spill over. "And you're an amazing dad," she whispered back.

After everyone showered, washed and detangled their hair, Peeta suggested picking up food to take back to the cabin for their final night. The local "ocean creatures" weren't a substitute for Katniss' fresh game back home, but they were a delicious delicacy for a vacation.

Peeta picked out a variety of fried seafood and sides, this time at a hidden, local gem as per Katniss' suggestion and not one of the tourist traps. Lobster hats and t-shirts did not come back with him, although Katniss wouldn't have cared if they did at this point. It was the perfect meal to gorge on after a day of playing in the beach.

Although everyone was tired, they agreed to have one final campfire tonight. Peeta had even picked up more marshmallows to roast. Once the sun began to set, Peeta started a fire. "Too bad we're out of bread," whispered Katniss. She and Peeta married a long time ago, via toasting and the legal documents, but they would never say no to sharing burnt bread.

Peeta asked everyone to share one thing they liked about their trip. For Peeta, it was seeing the looks on Katniss' face when he bought the t-shirts. Haymitch liked not having to cook (when did he cook — he was at the Mellark's for dinner most nights). Katniss liked seeing how happy everyone was and hearing her children laugh. Willow liked collecting shells with Mama. And Rye seemed to really enjoy his time as a "sandcastle," as well as looking at the trucks with Daddy on the first morning.

With two sleeping children and the fire dwindling down, it was time to put it out and head to bed. Another long drive faced them tomorrow.

There was not much push back upon waking up. No snide comments from Haymitch, no argumentative Willow, no sleepy Rye. Everyone was dragging themselves to get out the door. Katniss and Peeta loaded the kids into the van while doing one final inspection of the cabin. Both Willow and Rye fell back to sleep almost instantly once they hit the road, with Papa's plush lobsters cuddled in their arms. Katniss hummed The Valley Song, mostly for Peeta.

Breakfast was eaten at a different truck stop. Rye got to see some trucks again with Peeta. Willow did not ask for a sip of her father's coffee. Instead, she ordered apple juice like a responsible third grader. Haymitch did not wander off looking for candy.

The highway stretched on. Katniss was eager to get home so Peeta could make fresh cheese buns. She was "in withdrawal," she joked to Peeta. The fatigue of the week was definitely catching up to him. He wasn't as chipper as he was on the drive down and he yawned far more frequently. Katniss asked him if she needed him to take over, but he declined. She was willing if needed, now that the van had matching dents. Only the Mellarks could do something as cheesy as backing into something to cause identical damage. They truly were insufferable sometimes, at least in Haymitch's eyes.

Home was quickly approaching. The trees started to look more in line with the ones Katniss climbed on a regular basis. There was no coast to be seen. Finally, after many hours in the van with a few stops sprinkled throughout, Peeta pulled the van into the driveway.

"We're home!"

His children clapped and cheered. They loved their vacation but were looking forward to sleeping in their own beds with their own blankets and everything else that comforted them. Katniss unlocked the front door and the kids barrelled inside. Haymitch gathered his stuff and waved goodbye, heading back across the lawn to check on his geese. Katniss and Peeta continued to unload the bags from the van.

"Well, that was fun," said Katniss. She could tell something was bothering Peeta, but she chalked it up to him being tired.

"And we never even got a song…" whispered Peeta, sounding defeated.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"A song. A road trip song. We didn't pick out a song to signify this trip," he sighed.

Katniss took Peeta's face into her hands. "You're wrong, Peeta. We do have a song. Willow's giggles. Rye's questions. You backing into the concrete block. Me when we were… you know. Not… getting dressed. Haymitch being Haymitch. The kids splashing us. Rye buried under the sand. The joy in your voice buying those t-shirts. Those sounds are ours. That's our song. I love you so much, Peeta Mellark. And maybe I don't love your singing voice, but I love every moment of the life we've created together. We don't need a specific song when we have all of this."

Peeta teared up at his wife's confession. She was truly the kindest, most loving person he'd ever met. He felt like the luckiest man in the world, being loved by her.

"I love you too, Katniss Mellark. I've loved you for so long and I still can't believe this is real. Thank you for being you."

They continued to hold each other for a moment before screeching interrupted them.

"That's mine, Rye! Give it back!" Willow yelled from inside the house.

"Back to reality," Katniss sighed.

"Back to reality," Peeta agreed.