"Peeta. We need you." Katniss beckons to the air.
Within seconds Peeta materializes in front of her. "Katniss." He sighs. "This better be important because the Elders are not taking any shit today."
"Oh," shrugs Katniss. "Willow just wanted to see her daddy."
Willow orbs into the room as if beckoned. "Hi daddy," she says with a sheepish grin. Looking to her right she opens her palm and coaxes, "dandelion." The flower appears in her hand and she extends it out to him. "To think of me."
"I'm always thinking of you," he says with a smile, tapping his index finger on her nose. "But I've gotta go back." He leans forward, kisses Katniss, scoops the little girl up and after twisting her around the room for a moment, he sets her back down. "Don't burn the house down while I'm gone."
She nods her head. "That's mommy's job."
"Yes it is!" Exclaims Peeta with a laugh. "It certainly is."
"It's not my fault the demons went in front of the stove!" She complains.
"No," says Peeta encouragingly. "But you didn't have to try and blow them up in front of it." Then he's laughing uncontrollably. "Prim can't come bail you out of everything."
"Bail her out?" Asks Prim walking into the room. "What did she do this time?"
"Nothing," says Peeta affectionately. With a wink he adds, "yet."
Then Peeta glares at the air.
"The Elders?" Katniss asks.
"Yeah," he shrugs.
"Be home for dinner?" Willow tugs at his robe.
"If I can manage it," he kisses her forehead. "Absolutely!"
"Do try," Shouts Haymitch from the other room. "Before I have to go do something."
"I thought you retired?" Prim questions him.
"I have," he shakes his head. "But if I gotta cause some ruckus to get him here. I'll do it." He laughs loudly as he staggers out to the kitchen, beer bottle in hand.
"You're not very reliable when you're drunk," Katniss glares at him.
"Trust me," Haymitch says with emphasis, "if I hadn't. Your Whitelighter husband here would not still be with us. That should put any doubts to bed right away."
"Uncle Haymitch," Willow says pulling the empty bottle from his hand. "Go take a nap."
"You've got it," he spins nearly falling over. "Anything for the little girl." He stumbles out of the room. Knocking something over. "I'll fix that later."
"Except you won't," sighs Prim as she opens her hands and calls, "broken thing." The vase from Peeta's mother lands in her hand.
"Eh," he shrugs. "She wasn't a good mother anyway." Waving his hand in a sweeping motion from Prim, "trash." And the vase is gone. "If she were a better mother, I might make a bigger deal out of this. But I couldn't care less."
"I'm sorry Peeta," says Katniss stroking his face. She leans forward and plants a kiss on his cheek.
"Seriously though," he smiles, "please try not to burn the house down." Then he disappears from the kitchen.
