I wake up to the sound of a cannon. As I pear my dreary eyes open, I start to take in my surroundings.

The sky above is a dark crimson, like blood. The sun is pitch black which seems like an impossible color because it cannot radiate light, but it does. An eerie dark gray. And I am in the middle of a type of woods. I almost recognize where I am immediately.

I am in The Hunger Games.

I franticly stand up to find myself bloody and bruised with no input on my abdomen whatsoever. I am not pregnant. I am 16 once again.

I start to panic when a voice interrupts my thoughts.

"Katniss Everdeen. A surprise is waiting for you at the cornucopia." Claudius Templesmith booms in his utterly ridiculous capitol accent.

But this is no time to make fun. Such a foreign word at this horrid death trap.

I have many doubts about the surprise. It is a trap obviously, but Snow will not give me any other choice. And just as I think that, I hear hissing, like of a snake. And screaming as the tributes are fallen.

I turn my head and sure enough, there they are. But that is not the thing that makes my blood run cold and my spine shiver. It is the fact that the very same mutts killed Finnick and Holmes and Castor and many others who were with me in the mines that perished.

As they get closer, I can see that one has red locks of hair hanging from its fangs. Smiling deviously at the meat they are about to acquire. And that is when I run. I run for my life for the thousandth time ever.

They chase me until I get to the cornucopia, and that is when I fall to the ground completely appalled at what the capitol has captured and chained to the ground.

They have my baby.

They have Dara.

I race off of the ground as she screams for me. I can barely stifle the sob that is spreading through me at the moment. I run to gather her in my arms but run smack in a wall. A transparent wall...a force field! Surrounding my baby girl.

I desperately bang and bang on it. I have nothing to break it with but my fists. As she cries and cries I try to reassure her.

"Don't cry baby! Momma's here! Momma's here! It will be alright!" I yell as tears run down my face.

She reaches out for me but I can't protect her. I cannot comfort her. Isn't what parents are supposed to do? Protect and care for their children. Their own flesh and blood! It's breaking me that I can't touch her or stroke back her hair or kiss her temple.

I am useless, the thing that scares me the most.

Just when matters cannot get any worse, I see blood red; fierce eyes emerge from inside the cornucopia.

The most fierce, most powerful, largest mutt I have ever encountered heads towards my daughter. I try to warn her. Try to tell her to run. But run where? She is chained; trapped inside a force field, with a gigantic beast heading towards its meal.

It is getting closer and closer and with every step I am hysterical. Until it reaches her. Until it...it what? I don't know. I don't watch. Instead, sob as I listen to the screams of my daughter. She wants me. Wants me to save her but I can't.

When the screams stop and the beast is gone, the silence in the arena is unnerving.

I slowly lift my head up and see the bloody remains of what had been my child with her favorite orange bow, laying there in a puddle of blood.

I just loose it. Banging at the ground, screaming for mercy, shouting obscenities, crying insanely.

"She was my daughter! What have I done that was so revolting for you to kill my innocent baby girl? SHE WAS MY DAUGHTER!" I shout into the sky. I shout to snow.

And I get the most terrible response.

"You made a fool out of me Katniss Everdeen. And for that, you're daughter will die." he hisses and with that I wake up.

I am crying out loud but immediately clamp my trembling hands over my mouth.

I breathe in shakily an exhale as I reassure myself that it was only a dream. Snow is dead and Dara is in her bedroom sleeping peacefully.

This is the kind of dream that Peeta would take me into his strong, warm arms and console me that everything is fine.

But my husband isn't with me so I console myself and put on a strong face.

Just to make sure I jump from my bed and run down the hall to find her sleeping with one thumb in her mouth. I sigh in relief and head back to my room.

I take a look at the clock and find that it is seven in the morning.
I rush to the bathroom and up chuck this morning's episode of pregnancy, take a shower and throw on a simple green shirt, with white shorts. My hair in a ponytail as usual and head downstairs to make breakfast.

As I walk down the stairs, I have to use the railing now because of my abdomen. It is pretty obvious that I am pregnant now but not so much.

I reach the counter and start making toast, wild turkey bacon, and eggs. And I hear a tiny voice.

"Momma..." Dara trails off and starts to cry. I walk up to my daughter and envelope her into a hug. After the nightmare I had, I need this and she needs it also.

"Hi sweetheart, what's the matter?" I ask her gently.

"I want- daddy!" she exclaims, gasping for breath between sobs.

This little episode happens every week, many times. I would be very impatient with her if I didn't understand how she was feeling. But I do. And I know that she is only four and wants her momma and daddy together with her.

I soothe her and rub her back. "Daddy's coming soon. He will be back soon honey. You don't need to worry."

She nods into my shoulder but I don't put her down, I keep her on my shoulders and chest as I cook. I know that I may be exerting the baby but my first baby comes first. Plus, she is as light as anything, I could carry her for hours on end without it affecting my pregnancy.

Later that moment, Dara and I are seated at the kitchen table and are in the middle of breakfast when I hear the telephone.

"One second Dara." I promise as I stand up to answer the ring.

"Hello?" I say as I put the phone on my ear.

"Good morning Mrs. Mellark. This is Dr. Dearings-Myrina. Peeta's doctor?" she says.

My heart skips a beat and I freeze. This is the moment where I find out what happens to my beloved husband.

"Myrina! How is he? He is alright I hope?" I gasp out.

I can almost hear the smile in her voice. "Mrs. Mellark, Peeta is alive and doing well. He has made much improvement and as far as I am concerned, will not have to worry about heading to District thirteen."

I cannot help but shouting for joy as I hear the news and the biggest smile is plastered onto my face. "Oh thank God!"

Myrina laughs once again. "Mrs. Mellark-" she starts.

"Katniss." I cut in.

"Katniss, you and your daughter can visit him now that he is conscious."

And that is the very best news I have ever heard in my life. Better than winning the treacherous Hunger Games and better than coming back to District twelve. We can see Peeta, after two entire weeks without the boy with the bread.

"Thank you so much!" I yell into the speaker and before she has a chance to reply, I replace the phone back to its original place and walk oh so fast to Dara. When I reach her, I lift her so she faces me.

"We get to go see daddy sweetheart!" I exclaim. Laughter following.

Her eyes lighten up. "Daddy? Really momma?" she asks.

"Yes baby. Really! Now let's go get you dressed up!" I reply and we pretty much skip to her room.

….

"Good morning. Mrs. Mellark." says the counter top lady. We have arrived to the hospital waiting when we can see Peeta again.

"Good morning. I came here to see my husband. Which room is he in?" I ask.

Just as she is about to answer I come in contact with Myrina. "Katniss! So glad to see you please follow me to his room." she states.

I squeeze the little girl's hand in mine, say a quick thank you to the nurse, and follow the doctor.

Every step is agony and anxiousness. What if he looks terrible? I cannot let my daughter see that. Or what if he is so weak that she cannot even hug him anymore. Oh many things like this flood my brain until at last we are at his door.

I take a deep breath as Dr. Dearings opens the door for us to go in.

As soon as I enter, I see Peeta sitting up in bed with a white smile on his face. It takes all of my might not to run up to him and kiss him everywhere.

Myrina closes the door to give us some privacy. And Dara bounds to Peeta.

"Daddy!" she screams as he takes her in his arms and holds her close.

"Oh Dara, hi sweetheart." he says hoarsely. He must be in so much pain. He looks okay except for the bruised cheek and his purple eyelids. But he does look so weak, it breaks my heart.

"Daddy, when are you coming home?" she whimpers.

The hurt in Peeta's eyes are too much to bear so I turn away. I can feel Peeta's eyes on me though I say nothing as I struggle not to cry.

"Soon baby, soon." he whispers as she collapses in his arms again.

A few minutes later, Myrina comes back in. "Dara, why don't you come with me? There's candy for you." she says.

"Yeah!" Dara exclaims and I mouth a silent thank you while the leave, hand in hand.

Now it is just Peeta and I. We haven't spoken yet.

My grey eyes bore into his blue eyes.

"Hey Peeta." I choke out.

He frowns at me. "Katniss, I know you're trying to be strong for Dara and everyone else, but I'm telling you right now. I don't want you to be strong for Me." he says firmly.

And I don't have to told twice when he opens his frail arms as I run into them and collapse weeping hysterically.

"Katniss, I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere." he whispers as he soothes me.

I pull my head off of his shoulders, tears bursting through my eyes. I shake my head.

"No! You don't know that! We don't know that! You do not have any idea how hard it is for me when Dara would ask 'when is daddy coming home?' or when she wakes up crying 'I want daddy?' it breaks me! It hurts me that I can't comfort her! It hurts that you're hurt Peeta!" I manage to slip out.

He brushes away my tears and I catch his scarred hand and keep it cupped to my cheek. I miss his familiar touch and his scent. I miss him.

"Katniss, look at me sweetheart." he whispers as I avoid his gaze and hiccup wildly.

"Katniss please look at me." he gently says. I cannot say no to him. I stare straight at him with much difficulty though.

"I am not going anywhere." he says fiercely. "The only place I am going is home. Back to you and Dara and the baby." he gestures to my swollen abdomen. "Alright?" he asks me.

I nod dumbly as he envelopes me with his warmth again. And we just stay there for God knows how long. Until we finally speak up again.

"You know, Haymitch is planning on getting someone to take care of Dara and I while you get better." I say as Peeta strokes my hair back repeatedly.

"Yes I know...I arranged it." he says.

I lift my head up to face him. "Why? I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." I answer with confidence.

Peeta smiles, a smile that would make me melt with pleasure. "But Katniss, you can't take care of Dara and the baby and yourself. You need help." he states.

I sigh. "Trust me." he replies.

Those two words are too much. A couple of years back, I wouldn't have trusted him. I'd have though that he had wanted to kill me. I had thought that the love was just an act, but here and now. I know what I need to reply.

I nod. "I trust you Peeta." I whisper.

He smiles again just before his lips crash onto mine with a fierce hunger and longing for closeness. Like the one on the beach of the Quarter Quell but more… more desire added. As the kiss deepens, his arms roam my back and my hands entangle into his blonde curls; our lips perfectly in sync.

This is just what the both of us need. To be close again. To be one. The kiss is about to go even further as his hands play with ends of my shirt when the door opens.

Myrina carries a sleeping Dara in her arms.

Peeta and I detangle ourselves from each other.

"Well she fell asleep eating to many chocolates and I was going to bring you her but I see that I am interrupting something..." she states with raised eyebrows.

Peeta and I turn a deep shade of crimson red. As we chuckle nervously. For a patient, he surely is getting better hastily.

"Sorry. Um, I will take her." I whisper to Myrina.

As she hands me to her she speaks. "Well it's almost 10, and the hospital has strict rules about visitors..." she starts.

"Oh, well okay then give us five minutes please." I thank her as she turns to leave.

When the door closes, I hand Peeta his daughter one last time as we get ready to leave.

When he says his goodbyes, I get up to leave but give him one last, hard but short kiss.

"Get well soon. Please Peeta, for our sake." I whisper.

"I will, just be strong okay?" he replies, the hurt in his voice so evident.

"I will." I turn to leave but he stops me again.

"I love you Katniss."

"I love you more Peeta. I love you more."

Hey y'all! Sorry for the wait! Well I have stupid exams but its not like I study for them. Anyways, summer is almost here and im gunna update like everyday! Anychiz, I had an epiphany while reviewing my French notes and I am writing a new story. So now I have three stories to update to but I can handle it! I know, im CRAZY! Well have a fantabulous hungergmailiious day my pretties! Love you ALL. Hehehe!