A/N: After I posted chapter three I went out and literally the first thing I did was check was my email. 19 Notifications, and six of them were reviews! I pretty much had a huge smile plastered on my face for ten minutes after I read them. Thank you so much guys! To show my gratitude, this chapter should be longer than the others (maybe the longest thing I've written so far?). And I'm going to warn you guys right now, once a week will be my usual update speed. Love you guys for reviewing!

It takes a hovercraft three hours to go from District 13 to here. It takes 21 hours to take a hovercraft from District 4 to here. But it takes a train 168 hours.

So when Katniss's mom was half an hour early I was a little surprised.

I'd been baking blueberry muffins and apple scones for when she arrived, Katniss just sitting at the island and eyeing me suspiciously. She didn't even bother to put the plant book or the piles of letters away.

"Peeta, what are those for?" I'm not quite sure when she got so good at deciding I've plotted something against her.

"Katniss. I'm just baking. I do it every day." I half-lied, checking on the muffins.

"Yeah, but you never make scones." Katniss leaned forward in her seat, like she thought I was slipping morphine into the muffins or something.

"That's because you hate them." I quipped.

Katniss settled back in her chair with a triumphant grin. "Exactly." She said the word with a certain relish. "So why are you baking them?"

"Because I like them." I settled the muffin pan on top of the oven. When I glance back she's giving me a skeptical look. But it's mixed with the usual are-you-lying-to-me confusion, so I'll probably be fine.

"Katniss!"

That was about the point Katniss's mom burst in.

"Katniss," She smiled. "How are you?"

Katniss whirled to face me, the look on her face half shock and half accusing. I throw up my hands helplessly. This is the first time they've been face-to-face since the war. It took a lot of convincing to get Katniss's mom to come here. But that's when my silver tongue comes in handy.

"I-I...fine." Katniss says grudgingly, returning her mom's hug. I beam at the scene probably a little too smugly, because Katniss glares at me over her mother's shoulder. It's not that she's not happy to see her mom -because she is, I can tell- it's that she somehow knows that I have an ulterior motive behind it.

Then the two Everdeens stand awkwardly, neither one quite knowing what to say.

That's where I come in.

"Would you like a muffin?" I ask Katniss's mom, going to my tray again. The scones won't be ready until later.

"Of course, Peeta." Katniss's mother beams. She's always liked my baking.

"So...what exactly are you doing here, Mom?" Katniss inquires, picking at the blueberry muffin I set in front of her. They have this silent agreement, that Katniss's mom wasn't coming back to District 12. That they'd call and maybe meet somewhere in-between, or at District 4, but not here. That the ashes were too thick for her to ever come back.

She thinks about it for a minute, sees if she can come up with a convincing enough lie, fails. "Peeta invited me." And by that she means 'Peeta convinced me.' Which Katniss takes as 'Peeta manipulated me'.

I sit down and Katniss shoots me a glare. She found out what I was up to, but she still hasn't figured out my motive. I'm a little surprised it took her this long to figure out something's up. I called her mom last week, after all.

Katniss and her mom make small talk for a while -which I have to maneuver a little better for them, because of the silence that drops into the conversation- until they get to the point I've been waiting for. The main reason I persuaded Katniss's mom to visit District 12 (besides making Katniss happy, of course).

"Katniss now that you're...you know," Katniss's mom turns her blue eyes towards me. I smile reassuringly. Katniss raises her eyebrows at me, still not entirely sure what I'm up to. "Have you ever thought about having children?"

Katniss's face immediately shuts down, like when I first brought it up. "Yes." Her tone and expression make it clear that she doesn't want to talk about this any more and she wants kids less than anything. She's sitting stiffly in her seat. Normally I would go to her but Katniss's mom is sitting right there, reminding me of when we returned from the Games originally and she said that Katniss wasn't allowed a boyfriend. Plus this whole kids thing is unraveling into an elaborate game, one that I'm determined to win.

"And?"

"No," Katniss whispers, and my heart cracks like the Gamemakers have put an earthquake through it.

I vaguely hear Katniss's mother mention something else, about wanting grandkids maybe. My ears are ringing a little. I think I say I'm going to get the apple scones. They should be ready by now. I pull them from the oven and on to a serving tray. When I get back, Katniss and her mother are both dead silent. I can tell they're thinking of Prim.

"Scones." I say, and I think my voice cracks through the middle.

"Thank you, Peeta." Katniss's mom takes one, but she doesn't eat it. Instead she turns it over and over in her hands. Katniss still hasn't finished her muffin.

The two Everdeens sit there picking at their food -a little like Haymitch does when he's particularly downcast- and even I can't think of anything to say. So we sit there for a long time. I'm the only one that eats anything. I've made better scones.

Finally I can't take it anymore. "I'm not feeling well." I say. It's only four-ish, so going to bed early will look suspicious. "I think I'll take a nap." My voice trembles on just the right syllable to male Katniss look at me in concern. It's all about what strings to pull to make someone worry, and the last time I had a fit she made me go to bed early anyway. I lay awake for a while, listening. Katniss's mom brings up children again, and Katniss makes her drop it. They talk more about District 4 for a while, and Annie, and what Katniss and I have been doing (which is basically nothing). Eventually the conversation drifts back to kids. Katniss says something I can't hear. Then they sit in silence. I know Katniss's mom has to leave soon, so I drag myself back downstairs to talk a bit more before saying goodbye. The moment the door closes, Katniss leans on it, and raises her eyebrows at me.

"What was that all about?"

"Nothing." I reach over and twirl the end of her braid through my fingers. "I just wanted to make you happy." I stare absently at her hair, which can give the impression of not being interested. That can sometimes help with lying, but I can lie just fine looking her straight in the eyes. Besides, Katniss's hair is fun to play with.

"Look Peeta," She steps away, forcing me to drop her braid and meet her grey eyes. "I know you're obsessed with the whole kids thing. Did you manipulate my mom into coming here so that she could help you convince me?" Katniss studies me for a long time, which makes me smile. "It's not going to work."

"Sure it's not." I grin, flicking her braid. "I'm going to make dinner. Are you finished with that?" I gesture at the plant book and pile of letters that are still on the counter.

"No." She frowns. "What are you making?"

"That's a secret."

Katniss scowls, sorting through her letters again. "You're just mad it didn't work." She knows me better than that, so she's trying to annoy me. It made me frustrated, definitely, but that can just make me more determined. Mad is crossing some sort of line.

"No," I smile, avoiding my kitchen and leaning across the counter towards her. "I can't be mad at you." My voice is soft as I cup her chin in my hand. "Okay?"

"Okay," She relents, accepting my kiss. Then I go to make dinner. Three hours later though, when I curl my arms around her and close my eyes, she whispers something.

"Peeta?"

"Mmm?" I'm already half asleep because Katniss is so comfortable.

"I win."