Rekindling the Fire-Chapter 18

Ahllu my loves! I really appreciate the comments for the last chapter. I am going to apologize right now if this chapter sucks, because I am currently working on an art contest and I need 20 drawings. I have 10, and they're due soon. So I need to work on that. But I'm still going to write, it means way more to me than drawing, I just like drawing sometimes xD Anyway, here's Chapter 18! (Epps! I'm almost at my 20 chapter goal )


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Chapter 18


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The sun reached its fingers through the curtains as it rose in the sky. I glance over at the window and then back at Peeta who is looking up at the ceiling. "When was the last time we just stayed up all night with each other?" I ask.

We had been up all night with each other, just talking about anything and everything, covering every subject. Hours earlier, I had fed Willow, but that fazed nothing. We totally opened up to each other.

Every new thing I learned about Peeta made me fall even more in love with him. I learned he had his first kiss when he was 12 from Saura Benner. His older brother's names were Ravin and Kane. His favorite animal is a dog. He used to have a pet one, but it ran away when he was 14. When he was 8, he failed a test, so he hid it from his parents and they found it when he was 15. He hates using computers because they are mind numbing. The one thing that I found slightly funny was when we were in 6th grade, he requested to work with me on a project about coal production and the teacher said yes, but on the day partners were assigned, I was sick and he was forced to work with another girl. I ended up working with Madge, which was how we became friends.

He also learned some interesting things about me that he never knew. Like when we were in the cave, he was the first boy to ever kiss me. When I was 8, I tried to be a vegetarian, but I immediately folded once my father got home with a full game bag. Somewhere in the back of my head, I always kept tabs on the boy with the bread, even if I myself didn't realize I was doing so. I tried my hand at cooking, but never was able to do it. And I never actually liked a boy until he came along and then the whole thing with him and Gale came to be.

"Probably the night before the Quell," He murmurs and rolls over so that he's facing me.

I feel my chest tighten up at the thought of that night. Everything that happened. I close my eyes for a second and take a deep breath. "You're probably right." I scoot closer to him and press my forehead against his. "Hey Peeta?" I whisper.

"Hmm?" He curls his fingers around mine and looks into my eyes.

"Did you know that I love you?" I murmur and press my lips against his lightly.

"I love when you remind me," He whispers and pulls me closer to him. The heat from our bodies radiates back to us and keeps us warm even though the air outside is cool.

The baby monitor crackles to life from next to us and Willow's cries explode from the speaker.

I sigh and then sit up. Our peaceful night has given way to day, never to go back. Peeta sits up as well and leans against the headboard, "Ready to face the day?" He asks, searching my face.

I take a deep breath and nod, "Definitely," I look into his clear blue eyes and whisper, "Together."

He smiles and presses his lips against mine, "Together," He confirms and pushes the blanket aside.

I slide off the bed and walk around it, reaching out for his hand. When his hand envelopes mine, I smile and pull him into the bathroom. We both brush our teeth, but don't bother to change.

We walk out into the hallway. I can hear Willow's high-pitched cry coming from the nursery down the hall. There is the tell tale click of a door behind us. I turn around and tell her "Good Morning," but just as my mouth begins to form the words, Peeta presses me up against the wall and kisses me passionately.

I am surprised at first, but then I relax and respond to the kiss, kissing him back.

I hear Johanna's footsteps stop, but then they start up again as she passes by us. She mumbles something that I make out to be "About time."

Peeta doesn't seem to mind because he pulls away moments later.

I smile and look up into his eyes, "What was that about?" I whisper and rest my hands around his neck.

"Can I not kiss my wife in front of others?" He whispers and smiles.

I shake my head, "By all means you're allowed, but you're usually the one whose so chaste in public," I point out and then slip under his arms, walking into the nursery.

Willow lets out a cry of protest as I lift her into my arms. I smile and kiss her forehead. As she squirms in my arms, I lay her out across the changing table and proceed to change her diaper.

When Peeta walks in, Willow lets out a loud squawk and waves her arms around. She kicks out with her legs so that they are almost perfectly straight.

I laugh and fasten the diaper around her snugly. Leaning down, I place a soft kiss on her forehead and smile when she puffs out her stomach, as if that was her response.

I lift her into the air and hand her off the Peeta, "There you go, Daddy, take her while Mommy goes and sees how our guest is doing."

Peeta wraps his arms around Willow and beings cooing to her.

I jog down the stairs and walk into the kitchen. Johanna is sitting at the table, her finger wrapped protectively around a cup of coffee she must have made herself.

When she sees me, she nods her head toward a pot of coffee sitting on the counter, "Hope you don't mind, I made some coffee."

I walk over to the counter and pull a ceramic cup out of the cabinet above my head, "No, I don't mind at all, I appreciate it, actually," I pour the dark liquid into the mug and set the pot back down on the burner. I slosh milk into the cup and drop two sugar cubes into the cup.

I am suddenly catapulted to another time, another life.

"Hello, Katniss," he says, as if we've known each other for years, when in fact we've never met.

"Hello, Finnick," I say just as casually, although I'm feeling uncomfortable at his closeness, especially since he's got so much bare skin exposed.

"Want a sugar cube?" He says, offering his hand, which is piled high. "They're supposed to be for the horses, but who cares? They've got years to eat sugar, whereas you and I…well, if we see something sweet, we better grab it quick."

The memory is like a slap in the face. The effect immediate. I choke slightly and slam my cup down on the tiled counter, causing some of the brown fluid to splatter onto the white tiles. I bite down so hard on my lip that the metallic taste of blood floods my mouth. I clamp my eyes shut, ignoring Johanna's question of whether I was all right.

The tears press against the backs of my eyelids, threatening to spill over. Those few words introduced the person who would hold me together for so long into my life. His face flashes into my mind. Those sea foam green eyes piercing me. His dazzling white teeth shining. His bronze skin glowing in the sun. His golden hair blowing slightly in the soft breeze.

Suddenly, his gory death explodes, replacing his perfect face. His dirty features glistening with the sweat. The scent of sewage, the blood of enemies, allies, and complete strangers, roses and death floods my nose as if I am still there, still underground, still fighting for me life. I see the flash of light reach his figure as he fights to get out, his hair plastered to his face, pain flooding his eyes. His screams tear through my brain, threatening to break my heart. The mutts rip at him, tearing him to shreds, never to release him to the outside world.

He had so much to live for, his wife, his son, his home, his friends, his everything. But it was all torn away from him because of me. Because of my stupid fabricated mission. Because of my ignorance to what could happen. It is my fault. My fault Finn doesn't have a father. My fault Annie will never fully heal. My fault. All of it.

"Katniss, what's wrong?" Johanna's voice reaches through the haze of pain that has surrounded me.

I gasp and reenter the real world. The scent of the Capitol sewers is replaces by the refreshing smell of coffee. The picture of Finnick's last moments are replaced my Johanna's features swimming in my vision.

Her eyes are filled with concern, "Katniss, are you okay?" She asks.

I swallow my tears and nods, pushing down my emotions. "Yeah, I'm fine, just freaked out a little bit," I reach over and grasp the towel that lays next to the sink. I mop up the spilt coffee and toss the towel back next to the sink.

Johanna narrows her eyes, but accepts my answer and sits back down at the table, taking a slow sip of her coffee, still keeping one eye on me.

I sit down across from her as my eyes land on a small device that she is spinning around on the table underneath her finger. "What is that?" I ask in an attempt to deter the focus from me.

She glances u at me and then stops spinning it, "Just my phone, I'm waiting for a call." She momentarily looks at the phone as if her looking at it will make it ring.

I take a sip of my coffee and then set it back down on the table. The clock ticks behind us, filling the silence until I say what we both want me to ask, "Who from?"

She falls silent for a second, as if contemplating telling me, and then voices her thoughts, "My friend Clayne," she pauses and then says "He said he'd call this morning," as if more explanation was necessary.

I nod, "Friend, hmm?" I say. I've never been good at girl talk. I really never talked about boys, or clothes, or regular girl drama. I've only been provoked into girl talk a handful of times, and I brushed every time off with a vague comment.

She jumps when Peeta walks into the room, ready for a day at the bakery and hands me Willow. "I'll be back at around twelve." He says, leaning down to kiss me.

I accept his kiss and smile, "I love you, Peeta."

"I love you more," he whispers, his eyes filled with adoration. He kisses Willow's forehead and smiles, "Love you, sweetie." He glances at Johanna, "See you later." He walks out of the kitchen. The door shuts, confirming he left.

I clear my throat and shift Willow's position in my arms.

Johanna glances up at me and lets out a breath, "We've been seeing each other, I guess, for a few weeks before I came here, and we kind of got close, and I don't know what to do." She says all of this quickly and quietly, as if she doesn't want me to hear, but wants to say it out loud.

I look up at her and then down into my coffee, "Do you love him?" I ask, my voice just as quiet as hers.

She pauses, taking my question in, deciding how to answer, and then she says it, "I'm so scared to love him, because of what has happened to everyone I've ever loved. Why do you think I'm so alone? Because everyone has been taken away from me. What would happen if I actually loved him?" The last portion of what she says is barely audible, but I hear her. And I know exactly how she feels.

Wasn't that exactly how I felt only little more than a year ago? What I told Peeta that night when emotions were running high weeks before Willow entered the world? But look at me now, actually happy for one of the first times in years. I feel as though nothing can hurt me because I opened my heart to the one person that I meant to. "What would happen, Johanna?" I whisper, my voice shaking, "Maybe you'd be happy."


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"Katniss?" I hear Peeta voice from down the hall.

"In here!" I call out from the nursery where I am changing Willow and putting her in something a little bit cooler since the temperature got a little higher since this morning.

"What would you say if I had a little surprise?" Peeta asks, walking into the nursery.

I raise my eyebrows, "Well, it depends on the surprise." I say and lift Willow into my arms.

"No, I can't tell you!" He smiles playfully and leans against the crib.

"Hmm, hint?" I say, teasingly.

"Nope, you'll just have to come with me to find out." He says.

I sigh, smiling and then agree, "Fine, where is this surprise?" I ask, genuinely curious now.

"Well, we need to walk there," He says and leads me out of the room.

I smile and follow him, "You'll need to get the stroller and the diaper bag if we're going anywhere," I remind him and walk down the stairs as he backtracks.

Moments later, he walks down the stairs, dragging the stroller behind him with the diaper bag slung over his shoulder. "Coming!" He says, laughing as the stroller gets caught on the railing, almost causing him to tumble down the stairs.

I laugh as he finally sets the stroller down on the ground at the base of the stairs. He expands it, setting the diaper bag in the basket below the seat for Willow.

I carefully lay Willow in the set and loosely buckle her into the seat, ensuring that she can't fall out but has some room to move.

Peeta moves ahead of me and runs through the house so that once I reach the door, it is open, awaiting us to walk through.

I smile and push the stroller through, "Thank you," I smile at him and cautiously push Willow down the steps, making sure the bumps down bother her too much.

Peeta walks down the stairs and helps me push Willow the rest of the way down by lifting the front wheels off the ground and placing them lightly on the other side.

We slowly wind our way through the streets of District Twelve, talking quietly between each other.

People stare at us and whisper to each other, as if we're not walking right by them and can't hear what they're saying. We move through the streets, acting as if no one is saying anything.

Once we leave the center of town, we relax and begin fooling around with each other. We begin to approach the Meadow.

While in the middle of a rousing game of 'Would You Rather', Peeta jumps directly in front of me, causing me to slam the stroller into his body.

He lets out a groan and closes his eyes. "Woah," He pushes back against the stroller and puts up his hand when I try to apologize, "It's fine." He says and just holds up his hands to cover my eyes. "Just don't look and take three steps forward.

I do as I'm told and then wait.

"Now take ten more steps." He says, laughing.

I sigh impatiently and take ten steps forwards, pushing Willow ahead of me.

"Okay," He whispers softly and uncovers my eyes, "Now look."

I look up and gasp at the scene I am confronted with. There is a large blanket spread across the ground and food set all over it. Johanna is sitting down on a folding chair next to the blanket, guarding it, bored.

He smiles and looks at me, "What do you think?" He asks, the grin on his face so wide it looks as though his face might split in half.

I look at the flowers strewn across the blanket, decorating the checkered layer. There is a large woven basket sitting on the edge, holding down the sheet from the wind. "It's beautiful," I whisper and kiss his cheek, "Really," I murmur and grasp his hand, squeezing it lovingly.

We both sit down, positioning Willow's stroller on the side of the blanket.

Johanna stands and stretches, "Well, I'm going back to house so you two love birds can have your time." She walks away, disappearing into the trees that line the outside of the new town.

I smile and sit cross-legged, pressing my right knee against Peeta's left one. "So, what are we dining on?" I ask, smiling at him.

"Well, I have some grilled chicken, your choice of drinks from water or water," He winks, "a loaf of my specialty bread, and a little something for after that you'll have to wait to find out about."

I narrow my eyes at him teasingly, "Well, we both now that I am not a very patient person, so you are allowed to show me now." I say in a matter-of-fact voice.

He just shakes his head, "Not a chance!" He opens the basket and sets two plates down in front of us. He carefully pulls out two champagne flutes and pours water into them. "Perfect." He glances up at me, his eyes dancing in the sunlight.

I lean forward and pull the sun cover over Willow, protecting her fragile eyes from the blazing sun. Making sure the seat is secure, I pull her a few inches closer to us and settle in to eat.

Peeta scoots closer to and unwraps the cellophane from the two plates. He sets one in front of me and places a fork and knife on either side of my plate.

I patiently wait until he unwraps his own plate and looks at me, for confirmation that I am ready to eat. I nod and then carefully slice the piece of chicken in front of me. I lift it to my mouth and let the taste flood my mouth. "Mmmm," I let out and take another bite.

We quickly loose ourselves in our meal, each other, and don't think about time until the sun blazes its stunning colors through the sky, shooting reds, pinks and oranges throughout the sky.

I tap Peeta on the shoulder and point at the sunset, "Look, orange," I whisper and smile at him.

He glances up and smiles, "Look at that," He faces me again and kisses me.

I feel my heart flutter the way it always does when his lips are pressed against his.

He pulls away and then turns. He pulls the basket closer to him and opens the top. "Close your eyes again," He instructs.

I comply and wait patiently. When he taps my knee softly, I flutter them open, blinking away the darkness and letting them get used to the sunlight.

When I see he is holding something out to me. I follow the line of his arm down to a short, long box.

After a second, he carefully opens the box, revealing a necklace perched perfectly on the soft velvet that inside the box. The silver chain slowly drapes down to a silver heart with a small pearl in the center that is glimmering in the fading sun.

I gasp softly and reach my fingers out to graze the delicate chain. It yields against my touch and bends slightly. "Peeta…" I am lost for words as he cautiously removes the necklace from its case and stands, walking around me and kneeling down behind me.

He pushes my braid over my shoulder and lowers the necklace to my neck. As he clasps it, locking it in place, he leans down and presses his lips against the soft skin of my neck. Warmth radiates from his lips as he presses them lightly against my skin.

I let my eyes close and allow my myself to melt in his hands, which are wrapping around my waist and pulling me closer to him.

When he stops and removes his arms from around me quickly, I open my eyes and turn towards him, confused.

I understand when I look over his shoulder and see people staring at us as they walk past, their eyes glued to us like we're a car accident.

We both clear our throats and then quickly pack up our little picnic. I check on Willow as I had been doing all afternoon and see her starting intensely at the design on her stroller cover.

I carefully wheel her off of the grass and ignore the stares coming at us from every direction. Peeta joins me at my side and whispers in my ear, "Take this back home?" He whispers, seductively in my ear.

I turn to face him and smile, "You bet."

We slowly walk through the streets of District 12. Once we reach the house, we manage to get the stroller up the stairs and into the house.

Peeta pushes open the door and allows me to walk in ahead of him. I wheel Willow in and stop next to the sofa. I carefully detach the seatbelts from around Willow and lift her into my arms.

She lets out a gurgling sound and happily shoves the majority her fist into her mouth and begins sucking on it.

I laugh and then look up at Peeta who is smiling, but glancing at the hallway where the stairs lay. I chew on the inside of my cheek and then try to think of something, "We can't just leave her to fall asleep in her crib, it's only seven!" I hiss quietly.

He pauses for a moment, thinking as well and then says, "We could see if Johanna could…"

"See if Johanna could what?" Her voices rings out because of its volume.

Peeta looks up, startled, but then glances at me, as if I have to explain.

I clear my throat and then glance at Willow who is occupied with fiddling with my necklace. "We were…" My voice fails me as I try to think of how to word what I want to say.

"God, if you want me to watch the damn baby, just tell me," She says, tapping her foot impatiently.

I clear my throat and then look up at her, "Could you please watch Willow for the night?" I ask, my voice low.

She smirks and cups her hand around her ear, "I'm sorry, what did you say?" She asks.

I narrow my eyes and open my mouth, "Can you watch Willow for the Goddamn night?" I half-shout.

Johanna smiles and nods, "Fine," she walks over to me and reaches out for Willow, but at the last second, she pulls her hands away, "And why do I need to watch her?" She asks devilishly.

"Really?" I growl.

She smirks, "Just kidding," She grabs Willow and wraps her arms around her protectively. "We're going to have fun together, right Willow?" Willow babbles in response, so Johanna laughs, "Yeah, but not as much fun as Mommy and Daddy when they…"

"Johanna!" I hiss and bat at her arms.

She laughs and walks into the kitchen. "Have fun," She waves one of her hands over her head in a Bye gesture.

"Sometimes I hate her so much," I growl and walk over to Peeta.

"Well," He murmurs and wraps his arms around my waist, "She's helping us right now." His voice is soft as he lures me into the hallway and up the stairs.

Johanna quickly fades from my mind as I zone in on Peeta's eyes. He kicks the door to our bedroom open with his foot and backs in slowly, not loosening his grip on my hips.

Once we walk through the doorway, I push the door closed and allow him to pull me up against him so our bodies are fully pressed against each other. "So," He whispers and presses his forehead against mine lightly, "What to do?"

I glance down at our bodies and then back up at his face, "Well, I am filthy, I don't know about you," My voice is quiet, but it has a teasing tone to it.

"Oh, I am too," He whispers and kisses me, "Well then, why don't we fix that?"

Within minutes we are standing in the shower, the warm water running its fingers down our skin.

Peeta is kissing me passionately, tangling his fingers in my dark hair. He has me pressed up against the glass wall of the shower.

I open my mouth against his and push back, fighting for dominance, because I am not one to be dominated. I press my hands against his bare, wet chest, letting then slip down slightly. My fingers trace the lines of his muscles as well as the lines of his scars that will never go away. Just another reminder of the past.

He lets out a deep throated groan when my hands trace the muscles that cascade into his groin. My fingers dance down his smooth skin and onto his ever growing erection. He presses his lips against mine more fiercely while I'm distracted and gains dominance.

I wrap my hand around him and smile against his mouth when he lets out a loud moan that I can feel in my own throat. My fingers move deftly, not wasting time.

"Katniss," He moans and buries his face in my chest. His hands untangle themselves from my hair and move down my body and stop at my waist, digging themselves into my skin.

I gasp even at that light touch so close to my center. I feel pressure building up inside of me as I continue to evoke sounds from Peeta's lips that send chills up my spine.

He pulls his head out of my chest and whispers in my ear, "I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold on, darling," his voice is husky and irresistible.

I open my mouth to catch my breath slightly and then press on him harder, "I don't care, let go Peeta, just let go," My voice is almost unrecognizable, masked with desire.

As if on cue, he releases and my hand is drenched with him. He pulls his face out of my neck and then looks at me, his eyes hazy with lust. "God, I love you Katniss," He hisses and kisses me with such passion, I am surprised.

I quickly regain myself and press back with equal force, showing my love for him in every way possible.

He pulls his mouth off of mine and then presses his lips against the tender skin right below my jaw. His tongue darts out occasionally when he nips my skin playfully. His lips make their way lower on my neck until they reach my collar bone. He pauses as if questioning whether I want him to go on.

In response, I dig my fingers into his hair and press him into my chest. As his lips work their way down my breast, I let out a gasp of pleasure and feel myself melt. "O-oh.." My voice fractures as he works his way down my body.

He tears his lips off my skin and raises his head so we are looking into each other's hazy eyes. He leans forwards and lays such a gentle kiss on my lips, I am surprised. The kiss ends quickly but I am still left breathless.

I look up at his face. His deep blue eyes filled with lust. His lips slightly parted, trying to catch his breath. His ashen blond hair plastered to his face from the water running down our faces.

Without realizing it, we both begin to slide into a sitting position on the cool, tiled ground. He kneels down in front of me and straddles my lap with his strong legs. His prosthetic legs makes a quiet ringing sound as it scrapes against the ground.

Peeta's face winces in pain slightly, so I immediately plunge forwards and press my lips against his. I grip his hips in an iron grasp and pull them towards me so we are pressed against each other.

He groans quietly. His hands clutch me right below my ribs. His face is firm in effort as he refuses to do me.

I pull his ear next to my lips and whisper seductively, "Why are you fighting it?"

This must push him over the edge because he immediately presses himself against my heat.

I let out a loud groan as he teases me. I dig my nails into his skin and buck my hips. "P-Peeta…P-please…" My voice is husky with ache for him.

He moves his face so that it is right next to my ear. His breath comes out in huffs as he slowly works his way into me. His thrusts are timid at first, slow and shallow, but his hormones begin to take over as they get stronger and plunge deeper into me.

"Peeta!" I cry out in pleasure when he hits a particularly sweet spot inside of me. I begin to move in rhythm with him, our hips move in unison as our want takes over our bodies.

The sound of the water must not be able to mask our sounds of pleasure. We shout in pleasure and let out many particularly loud groans.

"Peeta!" I shout, "I'm getting close, I can't…" I can't even finish my sentence before I feel the pressure in my body release. My mind fizzles for a split second as I let out a quiet moan.

Peeta buries his face in the crook of my neck as he lets out one final, powerful thrust and he releases himself as well.

I gasp as he rushes into me. "Peeta," My voice is low as I press my hands against his chest. "You are amazing," I whisper and press my lips against his softly.

He takes a deep breath to catch his breath and smiles, 'Not as amazing as you," He pulls himself out of me and stands up, shaking slightly from exhaustion. He holds out his hand to me.

I grasp it and allow him to pull me up into a standing position. I lean against him slightly and just stand with him under the water, allowing it to soak us all over again, rinsing away the sweat from our previous excitement.

After we are both presentable enough, I sigh, "I guess it's time to enter the real world," I look up into his eyes.

He kisses my forehead tenderly, "I guess so," He leans over and turns the water off.

The stream stops and just drips occasionally behind me. I shiver slightly without the flow of warm water coming over me.

Peeta pushes open the door and steps out onto the floor, holding out his hand to me. "Come on, better sooner than later."

I nod and step out next to him. I grab out towels from their towel rings and hand his to him. I wipe the water off my face and then wrap it around my body snugly.

When I turn to face Peeta, he has his own towel wrapped around his waist, but he is pouting as I tuck the end of my towel in so it stays. "Aww, poor Peeta," I pat his shoulder and walk out of the bathroom.

I quickly dry myself off and then slip out of the towel. I begin to grab my clothes when a whistle makes me jump out of my skin . I turn to the source and see Peeta leaning against the door jamb of the bathroom, a playful gleam in his eyes.

I narrow my eyes at him and then grab my clothes and slide into them. "Ha, your little show is over," I glance at the clock and see it clearly states that it is ten-thirty. "Wow, it's pretty late," I slide into bed and then pull the covers over my body. "I'm just going to work on the book for a little bit."

Peeta nods and quickly dresses and then slips in next to me, "Alright, I'm going to try to finish my drawing," He says and pulls out his drawing which he has been working on for days.

"What of?" I ask casually. He has refused to show me, saying it was a surprise for our anniversary.

"Yeah right," He says and laughs, "You won't know until I give it to you." He turns away from me slightly so I can't see the picture.

I let out a sigh of exasperation and then go to write down a description of how Prim used to laugh. The memories pain me at first, but I truly feel as though they are still with me when I go back over and read them.

I think of how every time I heard Prim laugh, I couldn't help but laughing myself. It always made me smile, without fail. I carefully write it down and then close the book. I set it on my nightstand and turn off my light, leaving only Peeta's lamp to illuminate the room.

I lean over and kiss Peeta softly, "Good-night, I love you."

He leans over and presses his lips against my forehead, "I love you too, Katniss," His voice is only filled with love and adoration as he says this and I smile, knowing that he loves me and me only.

I lay down and pull the blankets over my shoulders, waiting for him to put his own papers away and guard me from the night.

Within seconds, I am satisfied when I hear the lamp click off and the pressure of his chest against my back as he wraps his strong arms around me. I feel the corners of my mouth tilt up in a permanent smile.

We enter the night as one, warding off nightmares from each other's minds, keeping our sanity in one piece.


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"Mrs. Mellark?" The doctor's voice swims into my mind through Haymitch's steadily improving breathing and the incessant beeping of the machines that are keeping him alive.

He's been getting better, his breath is getting stronger each day and they are doing less tests on him. They have started weaning him off some of the machines that he's been connected to him since day one.

"Hmm?" I say, quietly, keeping my eyes trained on his face, fingers clamped around his lifeless ones. He is still dead to world, as he's been for over two weeks.

"May I speak with you in the hallway?" She asks, quietly.

I nod and tear my eyes away from Haymitch. I release his listless hand and carefully set it on his chest. I lean down and kiss his forehead, "I'll be back tomorrow or Thursday," I whisper and then follow the doctor out into the hallway.

She closes the door quietly as if any loud noises could wake him up. "As you may have noticed, Mr. Abernathy has been getting stronger," She says. I nod but allow my mind to wander, knowing she will tell me not to get my hopes up.

Suddenly the words 'wake up' catch my attention, "Wait, what?" I say, my voice suddenly desperate.

She looks as if she is suppressing a smile as she repeats herself, "Now I don't want you to get your hopes too high, but I wanted to inform you that he is exceeding all of our expectation, from the beginning we thought he would be in a vegetative state the rest of his life, but our tests are showing promising results and he is rapidly improving." She explain, a smile forming on her lips as I must look totally dumfounded.

"Wh…" my voice fails me as I think of Haymitch waking up, being alive, talking, walking, laughing, shouting, being with us.

"Now, in the event of this, I need to inform you, that he will need round the clock care because since he is an alcoholic, he will want to go back to drinking, if he does, that will be a death sentence." She explains, her voice serious.

I nod rapidly, "Yes, I understand, thank you so much Dr. Mardia, thank you so much!" My voice is filled with emotion. "Thank you so much," I immediately take off at a sprint down the hall. I run down the stairs, jumping every other one and almost tripping multiple times, but I don't care. I need to tell Peeta.

I begin to feel the side effects. I should stop, take a breath, but I am right next to the bakery. I see the decorative awning when I begin to speed up. I don't care that my lungs feel like they are on fire, or that the cold air I am sucking in is making it ten times worse, I don't care, I just need to see Peeta. Tell him.

My hands slam into the glass door, shoving it open. "Peeta!" I shout, but it comes out much quieter because I am so out of breath.

One of his workers is at the counter and he jerks his thumb to the back. I take a step and feel my leg almost buckle beneath me. I begin catching my breath as I take small steps. I round the counter and walk into the back. I see Peeta standing by the oven.

His face is filled with surprise first, and then concern when he sees me slide into a sitting position. "Katniss, what's wrong?" He asks, his voice filled with worry.

I try to speak, but I just let out a puff of air then pull it back in. The air, warmed by the ovens soothes my lungs slightly. I inhale again and then open my mouth again, "It's Haymitch," I feel my mouth spread into a smile, "He's getting better, a lot…" my voice trails off as I take another deep breath, "A lot better,"

He stares at me in disbelief and grabs my shoulders, "Katniss, are you sure?" He asks, but I see the smile forming on his face, too.

"Swear! Dr. Mardia told me like less than five minutes ago!" I take a deep breath.

Peeta stands and grabs a bottle of water from next to the oven and holds it up to my mouth, 'Drink," he orders.

I open my mouth as he tilts it so the water pours slowly into it. I swallow and feel better, "Thank you," my voice is slowly beginning to resemble its normal tone.

"So she said that he's getting better?" he asks, his voice filled with shock.

"Exceeding all of their expectations," I quote and begin laughing. I must look insane. Maybe I am, with happiness. I am laughing so hard that my sides begin to hurt all over again.

"Katniss?" Peeta says, questioningly, but he is beginning to laugh too, the happiness radiating from us.

We are insane, both of us, our mind overcome with utter shock, "He's getting better!" I gasp as it hits me full force, "But Dr Mardia said that he'll need round the clock care so that he doesn't go back to drinking because if he does it'll be a death sentence." I explain.

Peeta nods, "I'd see why, alcohol kills a healthy liver, he'll be dead within the week if he drink again," He says, his eyes now serious, "But maybe we cans see if he can get a liver transplant," His voice is optimistic.

I nod, "He has a chance, he actually has a chance," I can't get the smile off of my face, He has a chance! I shout at myself. I can't contain my happiness. He seriously has a chance! He is going to make it! "He is going to make it," I whisper, giving my thoughts a voice.

"Who said he wouldn't give up on us?" Peeta asks, his voice shaking.

I look up and see tears rolling down his face, I suddenly feel tears welling up behind my own eyes. "You," I whisper, my own voice trembling. I allow a single tear pass over my eyelid. It rolls down my cheek and off my face.

Peeta wraps his arms around me and we just sit there, allowing it to sink in. He has a chance.


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Holy. Shit. This is my longest chapter ever by almost 2,000 words, yeah a little less than 2,000 words, crazy right? I have over 7,500 words xD. And I had terrible writers block xD Shocking right? Lol! See? So I made you wait for two weeks, but that made it even better. I typed 6,000 words in the span of less than three days. All because why? I love you all. That's why xD I hope you all APPRECIATE my hard work lol. I wouldn't stop thinking about what I was going to do next. I actually had writer's block up until this morning. It actually hit me in church what I could do XD THANK THE LORD! I really do hope you all appreciate this though, I work so hard on it and when I see people like it, it really makes me feel amazing. I know it sucked at first, but it has hopefully gotten better over time and wanted to say how much I love each and every one of you who have stuck with me through thick and thin, no matter what. You all helped me through everything with your comments, followings and favorites. I love you all and I hope you love me just as much xD Well, until next week, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

With love,

Amber

PS: In case you all cared, me and a bunch of friends went to Philly on Tuesday and we went into the mall next to the Constitution Center, in case y'all knew where I am talking about, and we went inside this place...I forget the name, but it was two shops over from the candy place, and we went inside and I saw these cute sunglasses blah blah, so we were talking to the clerka dn she was so sweet, so I decided to buy the sunglasses. She actually gave me money off because she said we looked cool xD So in case y'all are ever in that area, head over there and buy something. And y'all will know who sent ya right? Yup, Amber xD