Chapter 4.

I woke up and Annie had left my side, presumably she'd gone back to bed.

I heard a sizzling noise and jolted my head towards the fire that had just died out. Then I thought of last night. Everything I told Annie, I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do.

Prim and Rue had disappeared into the cupboard underneath the stairs. I folded up the blanket that previously kept away the cold night air from the skin of Annie's and mine and put it down on to the plush, velvet sofa where we'd been lying and head upstairs.

I looked out of the window that was at the top of the stairs and looked up into the sky, judging by the position of the newly risen sun, it was about six 'o'clock.

I prised open the door to mine and Peeta's room and crept in trying not to wake him, because in three hours he'd have to head off to the bakery.

I gently pushed the door too, when Peeta sat up. "Where did you go off to last night, I was lonely." He pouted.

I laughed at the face he was pulling and how, even though it looked ridiculous, he still managed to make it work. "I couldn't sleep." I walked across the room, peeled the sheets back and buried myself in them; Peeta lay close to me tracing his fingers down my back. "Then Annie came down, I'm not sure why actually. But we sat up talking for most of the night." I rolled myself over to look at him, "I told her about Rue," he kissed my nose.

"How did it go?" his thumb stroked my cheek, he knew all my weak spots.

"It was okay actually, it wasn't as hard as I had imagined it to have been," I realised at what I just said, I'd been treating Katniss, as I would Finn. I kept telling myself that she's too young and she doesn't need to know all of this. She's fifteen for crying out loud. She finishes school in a matter of weeks and then the world is hers.

The more she knows, the safer she'll be.

I sat up, swung my legs around so they dangled off of the bed. "Honey, can you take Finn to the bakery with you? I'm going to try and take Annie into the woods."

I head over to the closet and pulled out my hunting gear.

"Are you sure you want to do that, Katniss?" he chuckled. "Our Annie isn't one for shooting things, you know that." I do know that, but I needed a way to find a connection with my only daughter. I don't want to lose contact with her, like I did with my mom after Prim died.

I stopped to think of a way around this. Then it hit me, like a tonne of bricks.

"She doesn't have to shoot anything. I'll just teach her things my father taught me. Different types of birds, I'll even show her the Mockingjays. It's got to be worth a shot. I don't want to end up losing her, like I lost my mom, Peeta. I won't let that happen."

I stood in front of the mirror, changing into my hunting gear. Peeta walked around the room and stopped behind me. Wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his head on my shoulder, he kissed my neck.

"That's not going to happen, Katniss. You're a fantastic mother and an even better wife." He squeezed me.

I turned to face him and he straightened out my jacket for me, I looked at him. Stood there in nothing but his boxer shorts, I laughed.

"What?" he smiled, clueless.

"Just the way your are right now, reminded me of when Finnick was stood in his boxers back in District thirteen. He pulled a really provocative pose and then asked if it was distracting." I sighed at the memory, with no regret of picturing Finnick semi-naked again in my head. It wasn't sexual by any means, it was just Finnick, the way he was.

Peeta put his hands behind his head and thrust his hips. "Like this?" he pouted again.

I poked him in the ribs, "Sort of," I laughed.

"Ah, you're right. Finnick probably had that move copy righted anyway," he winked.

Although that sounded completely crazy, it was probably true.

I stepped back and looked in the mirror. I brushed down my jacket and pants with my hands, smoothing them out.

"What's Annie going to wear? She's got nothing to go into the woods with," Peeta was right. Annie never wanted suitable trousers to be able to go into the woods. But I had an idea.

I left the bedroom and head for the back room, where the walk-in-wardrobe was. There were no clothes hanging in there, just boxes of memories either Peeta or I were too scared to let go of.

At the back of the wardrobe was a box with '74/75' written on the front.

I blew the dust from the top of the box and carried it out.

I put it on the desk in our bedroom and opened it. The musky smell was proof that this box hasn't been touched for years.

Inside the box was the parachute from the Quarter Quelle and inside it still remained the spile, the medicine and the pearl Peeta gave me at the beach, when we went against our plan to separate from our allies.

I held the pearl and bought it up to my lips, I closed my eyes and remembered the words he said and how sincere he was that night, with the locket and how he kept putting himself down, telling me I should win.

I couldn't do that to Peeta, even if I didn't know it then – I love him too much to let him go.

I caught a glimpse of Peeta in the mirror behind me, smiling at me as I kissed the pearl.

"You kept it, after all these years?" I looked at his reflection in the mirror, as he was looking at mine. Our eyes met in our reflection.

"Why wouldn't I?" I looked down, hiding my face that was now a pale pink colour.

I turned around to look at my husband. He walked over and kissed my forehead.

"I'm going to work, I'll take Finn with me. Look after Annie okay?" he chuckled.

"Yes, sir," I saluted him and laughed.

"Oh, and Katniss?" Peeta paused at the door to turn and look at me.

"Yep?"

"I love you."

"I love you too," and after that, he'd disappeared down the stairs and I could hear him help Finn into his coat.

Digging into the bottom of the box, I pulled out my tribute uniform from the 74th games. It's not my favourite idea of a hand-me-down, but it will have to do.

I open the door to Annie's room and lay out the jacket and trousers on the back of the chair, which sat at her desk.

I tried not to wake her, as we'd been up so late last night, but she groaned as she sat up, flinching at the light that was streaming through the window.

"What's that?" she rubbed her eyes.

I didn't want to tell her what it was, because then she might not wear it.

"Just put it on, we're going out." I smiled, hoping not to give too much away, when the phone rang.

Annie stumbled out of bed and stood frowning at the outfit I'd laid out for her, and while she got dressed I ran down the stairs to answer the phone.

"Hello?" I answered, leaning back to look into the living room to catch a glance at the clock.

"Oh Katniss, I just received a call from the Capitol!" I heard a high-pitched voice on the other end of the line, but I wasn't sure whose voice it was.

"I'm sorry, who is this?"

"It's Effie, Katniss. Effie!" she seemed a more excited since last time I saw her. "Cesar called and-"

"I'm not doing it. He came by here the other day and spoke to my daughter about an interview. I want nothing to do with the Capitol." I interrupted sternly.

"Oh, Katniss. Everything is different now you know that! Especially after the government changed! Katniss just trust me. Please?" she sounded as if she was pleading.

I sighed. "Just, let me talk to Peeta first?"

"Yes. Yes, any thing! Ooh, this could be brilliant. The homecoming of the star-crossed lovers, someone should tell Haymitch!"

"Effie, nothing's going to happen until Peeta and I talk this through." I was beginning to become frustrated.

"Is Haymitch still, you know…" she paused to figure out how to phrase her next few words, her voice dropped to a whisper. "About?"

I took a guess at the fact she was asking me if Haymitch was dead or not. "Haymitch is alive, well barely. I'm surprised the alcohol hasn't killed him off yet."

"Oh goodie. Look, Katniss, I must dash; it was wonderful speaking to you my darling. Don't forget to speak to Peeta! I will call you at exactly ten 'o'clock tonight!"

The phone cut off and the only thing I could hear was a monotone beep, signalling the call had ended.

I turned around to see Annie stood behind me, wearing my tribute uniform, and scarily it fit her perfectly. Her hair hung from her head, reaching her waist, so I reached for a rubber band that was on the shelf above the phone and pulled her hair back, out of her face, just like I did for Prim.

"Where are we going?" Annie didn't sound too pleased with whatever I had planned, before I'd even told her.

"I'm taking you to the woods, it'll be good for you."

She sighed. "But it's Sunday. I always go down to The Hob on a Sunday."

"The hob can wait, you've got some learning to do." I smiled and handed her the book of plants Peeta and I had put together after the Victory Tour.