Hey, Everyone! Totally messed up and updated the third chapter again. I deleted it and fixed my mistake. Sorry! Totally just messed up! Well, go ahead and Read on!

Chapter Four

Phoenix Mellark's POV

"Mom, dad, we're home!" Finn calls as we all enter the house with our luggage. The scent of cinnamon is evident in the house. Dad must have started his Christmas baking a little early this year. Mom comes out from the kitchen and kisses and hugs us all. From the scent of cinnamon on her breath, I conclude that mom has already started enjoying dad's baking.

"Your father would love it if you would give him a hand in the kitchen," Mom tells me. I chuckle as I toss my duffle bag halfway up the stairs and head into the kitchen.

"There's my partner in crime!" Dad shouts as I come into the kitchen. He gives me a hug and then I pull on my apron. It's time to get down to business.

As we go about measuring and mixing ingredients for the gingerbread cookies that we make every year, I realize how much I have missed baking with my father. When I was little, it was my favorite activity. I loved it so much because it was I got to have dad all to myself. None of my siblings seemed to quite enjoy baking as much when as I do. It was nice to have that thing I could do with him, just him and me.

"I've missed this," Dad tells me as we slide the cookies into the oven.

"Me too," I tell him.

"So, tell me about you and Harper," He says as we start the dough for the next batch of cookies we'll be making, sugar cookies.

"We're good. We've both been really busy with our senior projects. There are a few galleries in the Capitol that have shown interest in our work." I answer him.

"That's great, kiddo!" He tells me. Dad and I continue with our conversation and our baking. It's always been easy for me to talk to him when I was growing up. Mom says it's because we're so much alike. I guess that's true. We're both artists and bakers and we're both able to read people's emotions really well. It's nice to have someone you're so much like to just talk to sometimes, even if you are more of an introverted and shy person like me.

Alexander Abernathy's POV

The second I walk through the door, mom has me in the tightest hug she's ever given me.

"Hey, mom," I greet her, trying to stifle my chuckle.

"How was the train ride?" She asks me, letting me go from her death grip.

"Not too bad, just really long," I tell her as she shuffles me over to the couch. "Where's dad at?" I ask her.

"Where do you think? He spends most of his time in that garage working on whatever his new project happens to be." Mom laughs. Of course that's where dad is. I tell mom I'm going to go check on him and then I head into the garage.

"Hey, old man," I call as I enter the garage. Dad is bent over the engine of what looks like a 1949 black Thunderbird.

"Who are you calling old?" He asks me as he straightens up. We share a man-hug and I end up with a streak of black grease on my green shirt.

"Your mom will know how to get that out," He tells me as he wipes off his hands.

"Mom says you're neglecting her," I joke as I look around the garage. Dad and I spent most of our time together in here, fixing up some old vehicle until it would run again.

"Trust me, that woman gets enough of my attention." Dad assures me as we make our way into the house.

"Take off those grubby shoes!" I hear mom call. Dad grumbles as he takes of his grease covered tennis shoes.

"So, how's college treating you?" Dad asks me as we head into the kitchen. We sit down at the table and mom joins us, bringing a plate of chocolate chip cookies with her.

"Good," I say. "It's been pretty exhausting with finals and my project, but I love it. I still can't believe that we'll be graduating in May."

"But you'll be going back to get your Ph.D., right?" Mom asks me.

"Yeah," I tell them. "I think I'm going to go for microbiology. It's just such a vast and ever-changing field. Plus, there are so many discoveries waiting to be made that could really impact the future of the human race as we know it."

"I have no idea how you ended up so smart," Dad chuckles. "It certainly wasn't me you learned all that science mumbo-jumbo from."

"That's not true," I retort. "You were always doing those science experiment kits with me and then mom would yell at us for doing something she thought was dangerous."

"That is true," Dad agrees. "We didn't drive you too crazy, did we?" He asks mom, giving her his signature "You love me too much to be mad at me" smiles. Mom just rolls her eyes and gives him a quick kiss.

"We're going over to the Mellark's for dinner tonight, so be ready at six." Mom tells me. I nod before heading upstairs to my old bedroom. I really need a nap after that long train ride from the Capitol.

Up in my old bedroom, I can't help but smile. I spend so much time in here growing up and becoming the science nerd I am today. I loved every minute of it, too. It is crazy how many pets my mom actually let me have growing up. I've had Guinea pigs, lizards, frogs, and even some tropical fish. Yeah, I was kind of a spoiled child growing up.

I guess mom and dad were always trying to make sure I was happy. I think they were afraid that they would lose me or something if I wasn't the happiest kid on the face of the earth. That's not true, of course. After taking me in the way they did, I don't think I could ever not love them. God only knows what would have happened to me if they hadn't chosen to adopt me. I've heard so many horror stories about the foster system that it scares me to think that that was almost my life. I will always be thankful to my mom and dad for, well, being my mom and dad. Really, there's no better set of parents anyone could have ever asked for in all of Panem.

At six o'clock, we are all sitting around the Mellarks' dining room table. Ivy is sitting to my right and my mom is to my left. All of the family is here and, by all, I mean my parents, my Uncles Peeta, Nash, and Gale, my Aunts Katniss and Johanna, and Ash, Liam, Lilac, Finn, Phoenix, and, of course, Ivy.

As we eat, everyone tells stories and jokes about things that have happened over the last few months. We all certainly do lead interesting lives. Ivy tells everyone about her graduation project. I know none of them have any idea of what she is talking about, but everyone makes an effort to seem interested in her project. They question me about my project and I just give them a simple run down about what I've been trying to achieve.

The happiness just radiate from the table. It is obvious that all the parents are glad to have their children home and all the kids are glad to be home. Being on your own is all fine and dandy, but it is still nice to go back home to see your family. After all, family is everything.

I really like the Phoenix and Peeta bonding! Well, the next chapter will contain some . . . awkwardness that I hope you find funny! Thanks for reading and please review!