Haymitch POV

There we were, gathered around my kitchen table, the remaining victors, well most of us anyways. Me, Johanna, Beetee, Annie and Finnick. Talking about the old times, trying to heal, and ignore the metaphorical elephant in the room.

That the two victors not present were the ones who could use the most healing.

The day was still young as we ate dinner, for we usually talked for hours afterward, and still wanted time to rest.

We were just moving on the main course, several rabbits that Katniss had brought over earlier, and Finnick had cooked up for us when the clock struck five.

There was nothing unusual about the time to the other victors, because obviously the clock strikes five twice a day.

But I knew that five was when Peeta came home from the bakery, and Katniss came back from the woods. And the last time she had come late and there had been shouting.

And I had been, admittedly, terrified.

Not of them, no. But that they would and had the ability to hurt each other.

I had begun to fall into a daydream about these things were suddenly, Johanna sat strait up and knocked me out of my stupor.

She seemed to strain for a moment, and I thought maybe she was reliving her own torture when she quickly rose out of her chair and crossed to the window.

"Oh my god" she whispered.

Finnick rose with Annie to stand next to her. He too peered out and his famous smile graced his lips.

"That's amazing" he said, clearly in awe.

Beetee rose too, and he too smiled as he peered out.

And then I heard it.

Laughter.

To be specific, children's laughter.

And a laugh I had heard before, long ago.

Years ago.

But still, I remember it clearly, it had after all been New Years Eve, and the girl sitting up on a stool laughing at a red haired man as he flicked her braid behind her back.

Katniss' laughter.

But that was impossible, and I rose to tell them that, that this couldn't possibly be real, it had to be a cruel trick, we were all in danger again-

And then I saw it.

The girl with the braid running by, almost joyfully, being chased by a blond boy, who quickly caught up with her and swung her around before depositing them both in the grass of Victors Village. And I could hear their breathy laughter as the boy rose and picked up the girl and they shared a look.

And then the world shattered because there was absolutely no way in my mind that Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark could be standing in the green of Victors Village laughing like crazy people.

It brought tears to my eyes. That these two people, who had suffered so much, were now standing, unbeknownst to them, in the presence of their fellow victors, without a care in the world, laughing their heads off.

It was beautiful.

I watched as they stumbled back to their house, still laughing and clutching each other for support.

And I turned to see my fellow Victors, all of standing together, with tears in our eyes.

"That was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen" whispered Finnick.

"Beautiful" echoed Annie.

Beetee was smiling and Johanna, to my shock, had tears streaming down her face.

"Love" was all she said.

I don't know how long we stayed at that window watching the night fall silent, eyes still trained after the long disappeared teenagers.

But aftyer what I saw tonight, I could have stayed their forever.