A/N: First note, thank you to my first reviewers! I'm glad to see people like this. I'm actually kind of nervous writing this, as it's my first THG fan fiction. I'm really trying to stay true to the characters and one thing I found I thought about Katniss was that she was a strong person who was just missing a lot of pieces to her life, I don't think she'd be a crying mess every time ANYTHING happened, I can't see her doing that. I always thought Peeta was good for her, that her brought out anything good in her. I some times feel like it's OOC for both of them in this story, then again I can't seem to write it any other way. Second note, this is a chapter with a lemon in it. You won't see me use words like cock, or shaft or manhood for that matter in this... as I can't imagine Peeta or Katniss using those words and since this is in Peeta's POV, they won't exist in his vocabulary or her's. I do apologize if they seem more OOC than usual... but you gotta think that this is the 15 year period that was never talked about in the books... and then when you get to the 15 years later they have kids... so something had to give for them to get to that point, right?

And my last note for this Author's Note. I really would like some reviews on this, I know people have been reading it and I enjoy feedback and criticism if you have some. Some spelling and mistakes are in these chapters, I must reread them when I get a chance. For now, I ask that you deal with it until I go back and correct any mistakes made. Seriously though, if you read this, leave a comment before you go. This is also going to be the longest chapter for this fan fiction so far. So hope you like reading.

A side note: All the chapter titles at the top are from children's lullabies, thus going with the whole title of the story. Just thought I'd add that.

A Lullaby to Soothe the Demons Within

Chapter 4

Peeta's POV

2 Years and One Month Since returning to District Twelve

One month and two days. That's how long we've been married. I smile to myself at the thought as I knead the dough on the table in front of me. Another day of work, another day alive, happy and with Katniss. I look over at the clock to see it was only nine AM. She'd be out hunting still. She normally didn't come back into town until the afternoon these days, selling some of her game to the locals and then head home with the rest of her catch from that day. Once in a while she'd come to visit me a the bakery, usually those were the days when she was having a good day, ones that didn't have nightmares making their appearances the night before. I hadn't had one in a little bit now but that didn't put me at ease. It was only a matter of time before I had another one of my hijacking episodes, knowing I didn't know what to expect when it would show it's ugly head. Katniss had already endured one of her own episodes a few weeks ago, a couple nights after our wedding.

We had talked about what happened that day at the small get together at our house. That's when she admitted that she had been feeling something different during out kisses, I knew then that she was having the same feelings as myself. She had also confessed that she wasn't comfortable being fully nude in front of me, saying that the scared her body bared were not something she could stand me seeing. I understood her point. I was surprised when her voice quietly asked "Do I have to be fully naked to... have sex?" She was blunt with her words and took me off guard. It had only taken me removing her pants when she had an episode, throwing a fit in the process. That night ended with her in my arms, sobbing and mumbling incoherent words into my chest. I had wrapped her in a blanket while I held her. It had not been the right time. We decided not to try again for now.

I cringe as my prosthetic leg begins to throb. It still bugged me at times. I stop my task of kneading dough and make my way to the front of the shop. I wonder if it going to rain today? Usually when a storm starts rolling in I can tell before it happens since that's when my leg starts to bug me. I see dark gray clouds hang in the sky, giving the city an ominous glow. I shake my head. Hopefully Katniss got back before it starts to pour.

Two hours later and it's down pouring outside. I can hear the rain hit the roof of the shop in a steady fall. The streets are flooding and I wonder if there's a point to keeping the store open. No one would come in and no one would deliver in this weather. I realize it's a lost cause and tell everyone we're going to close early. It's clear everyone is happy to hear that news. Just as I 'm heading to the front door to lock it and switch our sign to closed, a figured opens the door and steps into the shop. They're soaked, dripping water all over the floor. I sigh. I can't tell who just walked in but decide they're harmless and lock the door behind them.

"We're getting ready to close. Is there anything you want, something we can get you?" I ask the person, who I notice is in a black jacket, hood pulled over. The start to move, unzipping their jacket and lowering their hood. They're shaking. I wonder how long they were outside, caught in the storm. I see brown hair, tied into a low pony tail, grey eyes meet my own and I see that it's Katniss who is standing before me. Why was she still out? I notice her trembling is getting worst the longer she leaves her jacket on. She must be soaked right through to her under layers. "What are you doing out still? Jeez. Come back here." She doesn't speak, which is probably for the best, her lips seem a little blue, her face paler than usual. I lead her to the back of the bakery, where the ovens are and open one of the running ovens so that the heat can get to her. I leave her for a moment to grab some towels we keep in the back. I come back to see she's still standing in the same spot. I set the towels down on the nearest table and walk over to her. I hear the guys from the shop yelling out their goodbyes as they leave the shop. We're alone now. I go up to her and help take off her jacket. The rest of her clothes are just as soaked as her jacket and I know she's going to have to take them off in order to gain back some warmth to her body. I let a puff of air escape my lips, trying to figure out how to tell her this news. I catch her eye, silently questioning me as to what I was doing. I grab a towel off the table and take the band that's holding her hair back. This was the easiest part of the whole thing. I'm rubbing the towel through her hair as I speak again, her back facing me. "You're completely soaked. What were you doing outside still?" It takes her a moment before she responds.

"I got caught in the storm. I was in the middle of the forest when it started and when I got back it was coming down steadily but I wanted to get the game to everyone before I went home. They.. depend on me for that and it's the least I can do. Plus we need the income." Her teeth are chattering in between her words. I need to get those clothes off her before she gets sick. "By the time I was done, it had gotten worst outside. I knew I wouldn't be able to make it home in this so I came here. Sorry." I shake my head. Of course this is how she would think.

"Well you're here now, but we have a problem." She turns her head towards me and I stop rubbing the towel through her hair. Might as well break the bad news to her. "You're going to have to change your clothes, you can't stay in those, you'll get sick. I'll go grab you a shirt and another towel to wrap you in." I leave her once more to see if I can find another towel or something to wrap her in, while we waited out the storm. I find a sheet we use for the tables and think that will be alright. I come back and stop in my tracks. She's already taken off her shirt and is undoing her pants. She doesn't notice me and I see the white scars stretch across her back as she pulls her pants down. She steps out of them and grabs a towel off the table, wrapping herself in it as she waits for me to return. I stand there a moment more, letting the image of her fill my mind. She was beautiful, I really couldn't understand how she thought those scars took anything away from her. Once again a wave of guilt washes over me for watching her when she thought she was alone. It wasn't right for me to take advantage. I close my eyes for a minute and will myself to forget everything I just saw. Eyes back open, I clear my throat and approach her, holding out the sheet I have found. I think it's not enough, I have my sweater here today, so she could wear my shirt, soak in any body heat it retains from me. "I'll give you my shirt. It'll help you warm up quicker." She only nods. I remove my apron and then my shirt, handing it to her. She takes it with shaking hands, I see her eyes quickly take in my bare chest before turning away from me, letting the towel fall from her and hurriedly put the shirt on. It's enough time to see her skin though. Small shoulders and tanned skin. I look away, seeing her like this is only stirring a fire in me once more, making more fantasies of her in my own mind. I grab my sweater and pull it on. She's sitting on the floor now, I missed what she looked like in my shirt, wrapped in the white sheet I grabbed for her. I grab her wet clothes off the ground and find spots to put them near the ovens, hoping it will help them dry. I go sit next to her and hold out my arms, encouraging her to come soak in my body heat and to stop the shaking that has taken over her body.

She's scooted over to lay in between my legs so that I can wrap my pale arms around her. She leans her head onto my chest letting a quiet hum out in contentment. I smile to myself once more. She hadn't freaked out, it was a good sign. I finally break the peaceful silence. "A little better now."

She shifts a bit so that when she tilts her head she can look up at me. "Yeah, you're pretty warm." I laugh.

"I've been inside all day. Glad it's benefiting someone." She smiles back at me and nods her head. "You ok like this?" She raises an eyebrow at me in questioning. "I mean, not being fully clothed. You're not uncomfortable?" She look away as she mulls the question over.

"It's strange and still a little awkward but... it doesn't feel like the last time." The last time being when she had freaked out when her pants had been removed. "I'm not as scared and after seeing so many of your scars, I feel a bit more at ease. Like we're on the same level again." She hadn't seen my own scars, usually she looked away when I was showing any skin that wasn't my arms or my face. She was just a modest girl. Innocent in that sense. I was the pervert out of the two of us.

"Progress I guess?" She nods again and leans back on my chest, head tilted to look up in to my face. She was so unnerving when she stared at me with those eyes for too long. I couldn't stop myself before I leaned down and kissed her. She had been expecting it, anticipating it even as her lips readily found my own half way, a hand finding it's way into my hair, pulling closer. It's one of the first times that she really took the lead, any times our kisser became deeper was because of my doing and usually I was the one to back off when it got too heated. This time some thing in me snapped and before either of us realized it, she was below me, laying on the ground as I deepened our kiss. My tongue found her own, my hands sliding down to her waist and I lay between her open legs, she has wrapped the sheet around both of us. In the back of my mind alarms are going off, telling me to stop but my body refuses to listen. One of her hands is wrapped around my neck, holding our lips together as her other slides down my chest to the bottom of my sweater. Her hands finds it's way underneath it and slides it's way up my chest. It's feeling every part of me, tracing my own scars as it goes up, brushing against one of my nipples. I gasp into our kiss, shocked at the new feeling, she notices it too and runs her hand back across it again, liking my reaction to the gesture. I grind my hips into hers as she repeats the motion and I feel her own hips jerk at the motion.

I grind my hips down, relieving in the pleasure that is running through my body. I wasn't sure if she felt anything but she kept thrusting her own hips up. I never knew doing some thing so simple would feel this good, it was never a thought that crossed my mind. I was always told that sex was simple, you did it to have babies. No one had ever told me that you would have such desires and wants. They had made it sound so mechanic, that it wasn't pleasurable at all. I disagreed. I wonder if I should stop this. It'd be for the best, I didn't want to hurt her. My resolve dissolve before my eyes as she tries to take off my sweater. Her fingers are clumsy and I can tell she's still nervous. Nervous of the unknown. We didn't know what to expect or how it would go. We were just running off of feelings by this point. It's amazing what desire can do to you. You get stupid when you indulge.

I knee and take off my sweater. She follows me up and is unlacing my pants, she fingers are nimble as she unties them and is pushing them off my hips. She's rushing, almost afraid that if she doesn't any resolve she had for this will disappear as quickly as it came. She looks back up at me once more, a flush covers her cheeks as she pants slightly. How could I not love this girl. But she's nervous and may be a bit scared. I don't want her to do this because she feels obligated to. I stop her hands from removing my pants any further.

"We don't have to do this, don't feel obligated that you have to for me. I want you to want this too. When you're ready." Her eyes fall along with her hands. I worry that she's crying.

"I-I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't want to. I've given it a lot of thought the last few weeks. I- want to do this.. with you. I want to do it when I'm feeling like me, when I'm not thinking about those horrible memories. Peeta.. I want to feel like a normal person again. Please." She doesn't cry, usually her tears are for her episodes and nightmares. It's her weaknesses. She's a strong person otherwise. I tilted her head back up to face me, falling back onto the balls of my feet and stare into those cloudy eyes once more. It's there, that spark, the one that keeps me to her. She's searching my eyes for answers, to see if I'm really going to back out now. She must have worked up a lot of courage to really go through with this, I didn't want her to think I was rejecting her. Whatever she sees is enough for her as she maneuvers her way onto her own knees and kissing me once more. I know then it won't stop this time. There would be no turning back. I pull her away for a moment so that I can sit properly on the floor again, my leg was reminding me of the throbbing it was still enduring. I stick my legs out and pull her towards me so that each of her legs is on either side of mine by my hips, in a way so that she's straddling me. Our kisses have become harsher, more demanding as our hands roam each others bodies. She's tracing lines on my back while my hands grasp her hips to grind against my own, trying to relieve some pressure that has built there since. I can feel myself throbbing against my pants and know how bad I want her. To experience what adults call, sex or love making. She pulls away once more and leans more on her knees, letting her hands fall back to the waistline of my pants. I lift my hips up to help her ease them off. A little maneuvering and they're lying with the rest of the clothes. I am now only in my boxers and she still has her underwear and my shirt on. I take in her appearance right now. I like the way she looks in my clothes and make a mental note to let her wear them more often.

She's looking between us, from my eyes she travels her way my chest, to my stomach, I gulp, the bulge that is evident in my boxers now. She looks back up to my eyes and laughs a little. I must be blushing like mad right now. This is the most either of us have seen of one another in a while. Even in the first hunger games, she had left my boxers on when she changed me. This time was different though in so many ways. I can't take it any more and pull her to me again, an arm wrapped around her waist and one around the back of her neck, bringing her as close as possible to me. I want to feel every part of her against me. I don't bother to try and take her shirt off though, she seems to be comfortable with it on and I'd do anything to make sure she's happy. That's when I feel a small lithe hand slipping between us, towards my boxers.. towards my penis. She's found the open area in the front of my boxers and I feel a finger touch me. It's like electric currents are running through my blood stream. I moan out. It's so new to either of us that she's unsure how to proceed. I pull her in for another kiss as I let my hand that's on her waist travel to the waist line of her underwear. She doesn't stop me so I proceed and try to find a way to get them off. It's easier said then done with how she is right now. She leans back once more and gets off me. She takes whatever sheet she had and pulls it around her. I see her squiggle around and finally stops, she almost crawls over to where the pile of clothes are and drops something with them before coming back over to me. I know that she is half naked under that sheet now and wonder if I should return the favour by removing my boxers in hopes that it will make her feel comfortable with the turn of the situation. As she makes her way back over I lift up my hips from the floor and remove my boxers. She stops just beside me and is staring at me with wide eyes. Not looking into my eyes but staring at my lower area. It's probably her first time really seeing another man like this, as it is for me with a girl. She shakes her head once and I see her fighting herself as she lets the sheet fall to her knees, she's in nothing but my shirt now and I see the bit of brown hair between her legs. I can't help but again think about how beautiful she is. It's all I ever thought about when I saw her.

I lean over and kiss her softly, coaxing her to move back over to me now. I want to feel our skin brush against each others again. Her legs are soft against the skin of my hips as the enclose around me. I feel my lower area brush against hair and know I am close to her private area. I feel myself twitch in excitement once more. I'm kissing her neck, her face, her lips, and her shoulders. I think we're prolonging any advancement until we figure out exactly how this works and where exactly we should be positioned. It's frustrating not knowing enough about this. Maybe I should have talked to Haymitch about this before, he was older and knew the world better. I'm sure he'd know something about having sex with a girl. That thought escapes me as I feel the tip of me brush warm, wet folds. It's her. I almost thrust my hips to feel that again. I can't take much more. Her hands are wild as they run through my hair, pulling it and scrapping nails down my back when they're not in my hair. We need more. I'm not thinking as we flip us, I'm on top of her now and my hand is grasping my dick, running it along her. I watch fascinated, looking as her folds spread around the head. Dark, chocolate hair hides most of it. I move it down more and I'm gasping out as I find the hole. My head is enclosed and she's crying out. I open my squeezed eyes to see her own wide and more cries escaping her mouth. Was she ok? I am trying to pull out and she's stopping me. Telling me it's ok, to keep going. I'm hesitant for a moment before she moves her hips a bit to encourage me. She panting hard and hands are clenching and unclenching as I push in a bit more. She's trying hard not to cry out again and I stop when I hit something tight. She has a hand wrapped around one of my arms that is on one side of her, nails biting my skin. I'm trying to search her face for some kind of answer, wondering if I should keep going. She doesn't seem to be enjoying it and it seems like I'm causing her more pain than anything.

"Katniss, we can stop. I don't want to hurt you."

"I heard it hurts the first time for a girl. I rather you be the one to do this though. You're the only one I trust enough." She wiggles a bit and grasp my hips urging me forward. I don't stop the throaty moan I let out as I sink deeper into her. The feel is one I never expected before. All my fantasies could never do this justice. The feeling of her, just her and I joined into one. I push past the barrier and she lets out a whimper. I stop as I am now fully inside her, our hips meeting one another. I think it best for me to wait until she's ready for anything more. The wetness that is her is driving me crazy as I feel it around my me. I want to thrust. I want to have my release. I wonder how it worked for girls and how long it took them. I was already throbbing enough at the effort of sitting still, I knew it wouldn't take much. She finally opens her closed eyes to stare into my own. No hint of regret or fear are present now. This moment is ours. No past to ruin this for us as it becomes a special memory for both of us, our first time.

She moves up to meet me for a kiss and moves her hips lightly up against mine, testing the angle and the sensation she feels. The pain must be subsiding now. I move my hips a bit back and thrust back in, as I would when I masturbated, inside of my hand it was her. She lets out a small moan and I do it again. I repeat it again and again, she starts meeting my thrusts with her own and my pace begins to quicken. I know I won't last long, I hope she's close too. She falls back on her back and I lay more on top of her, arms braced on either side of her, supporting my weight. My hips are thrusting harder into her with each move as I feel myself get closer, she's meeting each and every one and I feel myself lose it. I throw my head back and cry out to the empty room as I feel myself releasing into her. I jerk my hips along with my orgasm and fall on to her. My face in her neck, panting loudly. Our bodies are covered in a light coat of sweat. I am trying to gain some awareness again and realize I am unsure if she had an orgasm. Did girls cum like guys? I look at her and feel her hips thrusting a little against mine, trying to gain some friction again. My member is soft now and slips out of her. She lets out a whine and I know she is unsatisfied still. I want this memory to be as good for her as it is for me and roll off her. I lay on my side, facing her and let my hand trail down her body. I use my other hand to support my head.

My hand wanders own until it reaches the soft, dark chocolate curls that is her pubic hair and the the folds that protected her inner walls. I run a finger along the wetness and hear her gasp out. Her hips go up, trying to get my finger to do that again. I obliged and move my hand back over the little nub that I had touched before. She moans out and I'm encouraged to do more. I let my finger glide down until it finds the entrance I had found not long ago and slide it in. I bury it to the base and wiggle it around inside her. Her moans are strangled as she thrusts onto my playful finger and I decide to add another. She's responding well to the process so far and I can feel myself getting hard again at the sight before me. I sit up, not breaking the contact my fingers have and use my other hand to stroke myself. I want her to find her release this time and speed up my fingers that are inside her. Her insides are tightening around the two digits and I speed up my pumping around my own member, wanting us to cum together this time. I look down at her to see she's watch the hand around myself as she thrust more erratically around my fingers. God, how did I ever come to see her like this? It would always only be me too. I arch my fingers a bit and seem to hit a spot. The walls inside her clamp down around my fingers and start to spasm as she covers her mouth to muffle the moans and cries that escape her. I can't hold on any more and I cum into my hand. I remove my fingers from her as I fall back beside her, stroking myself until I finish my release. My fingers are wet with her and I's release and I smile at that little bit of knowledge. I sit up and grab one of the discarded towels from the floor to wipe myself up before wiping her up. A little white fluid has dripped from between her and I'm a little embarrassed that I hadn't stopped myself. I knew the outcome of such encounters. That's how any of us came into this world and I worried for a moment that we had just brought another life into this world unwillingly. But her smile at me tells me it's something we shouldn't worry about right now.

I throw the towel back over to the pile of clothes, find the sheet once more and wrap us in it, her in my arms as we lay there breathing heavily in each others arms. For once, one of our moments was untainted and perfect. Why couldn't the rest of our lives be like that? I'm tired and feel my eyes drooping down as I cozy up with her.

"I saw Delly Cartwright today." She wakes me with her words. Delly? I hadn't seen her since I left district thirteen. Was she suppose to be coming back? Why did Katniss feel the need to tell me this right now?

"Hmm.. she's back in town?" I ask her quietly.

"Yeah. She asked when she could see you. I told her that she'd have to talk to you and then I left, it was before I made my way here." I can tell she wants to say something else and I wait. I've learned that if you have enough patience with her, she'll come around. "I.. got mad when she asked that because it worries me a bit that she has feelings for you.. after all that stuff happened I got.. jealous. I could feel those emotions coming back again." I never thought she'd be the jealous type and I want to laugh. For once she's was jealous for me and not the other way around. "I actually told her that she'd have to talk to my husband if she wanted to see him. I think that shut her up." I laugh. I can't help it.

"There's no point in being jealous. Even back when- well you know when. If I had wanted to be with her I would have been. I'm here with you."

"The storm was just another excuse for me to come here. After I saw her I wanted to see you right away. I didn't expect that you were closing the shop early. I guess it worked in my favour." She hides her face in my neck and I feel a tongue lick the side of it. A shiver runs down my spine and I feel myself awakening again. She was trying to kill me. "I just want to make sure you were mine, to have that bit of reassurance when I saw you. I guess it woke something in me cause now here we are..." We're both startled as the front door bell chime goes off. Someone came in. Had the storm passed?

"Hello?" We hear a female voice echoing from the front of the store. I swear I had changed the sign to closed. "Peeta are you there? I stopped at your house but no one answered." It's Delly. I look back down at Katniss and press my finger to my mouth as I get up. I'm shuffling around trying to find our clothes. I find my boxers, pants, and sweater. Shoes... where had I flung my shoes to? I hadn't even noticed when I took them off.

"Oh, I'll be right out. Just give me a second." Katniss is feeling her pants to see if they're dry. She shakes her head and looks at me, she mouths that they're still wet. I hand her the sheet once more and she wraps herself in it. Well it's not like this is really a bad thing. We were husband and wife and besides, my wife had come here because of the storm. I wasn't going to send her home when she was already soaking wet. I get my clothes on and tell Katniss to stay back here. I make my way to the front to see Delly standing by the window, waiting for me. Worst timing possible and I may have to hit whoever left last and left the door unlocked behind them.

A/N: I'm done an end authors note for this one... since it's quite long. Almost a full seven pages on my computer. Hope you enjoyed it and would really like to see some more reviews! :)

Not sure how long this story is going to be any more... I can't stop it.