He watches his family leave the hotel room. He had placed two big kissed on his daughter's cheeks as she rested in the carrier, smiling widely as she faced the world in front of her. She was perceptive and he loved watching her discover the world and things for the first time.

He held his phone in his hand and reviewed the messages sent between him and his brother.

Call us when you get in. Would love to see you mate.

Have Katniss and Lila come? If not maybe we might come for a visit during Christmas break and finally meet your little girl.

It's a good thing you're doing Peet and if Nathan doesn't think it is, than you have my support. A full year of sobriety is brilliant and a big achievement, not many reach that goal. Katniss truly is a good goal and now your daughter an even better one.

He had told his brother that he wanted to make his daughter proud. Wanted her to be proud of the man he was and later become. How he changed his life for the good and got everything he wanted, even if he didn't realise he wanted it until it fell in his lap.

Lila was one of the greatest things to happen to him.

And Katniss. He'd never stop thanking her for giving her to him, carrying her for nine months and giving life to her.

He mans up and hits the phone symbol on Jake's message thread and waits for the calling screen to appear. He places his phone to his ear and listens to it ring two times.

"Peeta? Hi. You in Bridgeport?"

"I am. Just got in." He tells his brother, feeling relieved at the own relief in his own brother's tone.

"Great. Did you bring Katniss and Lila?"

He pauses briefly. He didn't want to lie to Jake, Jake wasn't the one who treated him like shit in the last two years. He did his best even when the family told him to not contact him. It resumed when Peeta returned from his backpacking and has been casual but amends are slowly being made. And those amends want him to share Lila and Katniss with him.

"I did. Katniss has just taken her for a walk. The long drive has them a bit unsettled."

"That's great. I can't believe you're here. We should do dinner tonight? Bring Katniss and Lila round."

"Will that be a good idea?"

"It'll just be Lisa and the kids, no one else will know. I promise."

"Ok. We'll be there. Want me to bring anything?"

"Just yourselves. We have so much to catch up on."

"We do."

Peeta ends the call smiling slightly and decides he'll go and catch up with Katniss. She couldn't be too far away.

He leaves the hotel and heads down the street; hands pushed deep inside his jean pockets. The afternoon air is cool but he's not complaining. It's pleasant.

He rounds the corner and runs into someone who's in a hurry.

"You all right mate?" He asks, holding out his hand for the man.

The man looks him in the eyes and he looks as if he's looking in a mirror.

"What are you doing here?" Nathan asks him.

"Nathan…"

"No, just go back to Boston. I don't want to see you. Take you and your perfect family back to Boston and don't ever step foot here again. We don't want you here."

"You didn't invite me here." Peeta tells his brother. "Jake did."

Nathan looks around the streets and than back at Peeta. He hesitates, trying to figure out what to say and is gone without another word.

Peeta watches him leave and exhales a deep breath before he heads off down the street.

He finds Katniss as she wanders the street aimlessly and pale.

"Katniss, what's wrong?" He asks her, grabbing her hand and forcing her to look at him.

"Nathan."

He pulls her to his chest and holds her. "I know. I just saw him as well." He says. "Let's head back to the hotel."

She tells him that Nathan shared a few firm words with her, putting two and two together and realising Peeta was here to see him. He told her to leave as he didn't want to have anything to do with him or her. He didn't want them in his life and then left, telling her he'd keep their visit a secret if they were gone right away.

"Jake invited us to dinner tonight. We don't have to go if you don't want to."

"No, we came here for a reason. We're not leaving until we speak to him. We've got to try at least."

He nods, kisses her softly on the lips thanking her.

He couldn't do this without her.

Lisa greets them at the front door. She smiles widely at the family of three.

"It's so good to see you all." She says and holds her arms out, embracing Katniss and Peeta both. "Lila, it's so good to meet you little girl." Lila smiles at her aunt and Lisa smiles back. "Come on in."

Zoe, Nate and Piper greet their aunt and uncle with hugs and kisses.

"Kids, we'd like you to meet you baby cousin." Peeta says lifting Lila to his lap. "This is Lila."

Lila looks at her cousins curiously. Studying the three of them as they stare back at her.

Zoe is the first to speak. "Hi Lila, I'm Zoe and I'm 8 years old. You're so cute."

Lila crinkles her eyebrows and then reaches out for Zoe. Zoe gives Lila her hand and Lila smiles at her oldest cousin.

"I think she likes you Zo." Katniss says, smiling at her niece.

"I think she does to Aunt Kat." Zoe beams and Peeta hands her over, sitting her on Zoe's lap.

Lila is in good spirits and smiles and giggles at Nate and Piper as well.

Jake appears in the doorway and motions for Peeta to follow him.

"Go, I'll stay here." Katniss tells him quietly and he squeezes her hand and leaves the room.

Jake sits down in his office with Peeta taking the spare chair.

"Nathan rang." Jake says.

"Yeah. Ran into him in town." Peeta tells him. "Saw Katniss first, told her we should leave in a not so friendly manner."

"He's upset." Jake frowns. "But the two of you should talk." He says. "He claims he is honourable and a good guy, he'd at least give you a moment of his day to speak to you."

Peeta nods and scrubs at his jaw.

"It's time he got off his high horse and got over what happened."

Dinner goes off well. The time the family has been apart barely shows and it's back to the old times.

"Why haven't we seen you in so long?" Zoe asks Katniss and him. "Did something happen?"

Peeta looks up at his brother and sister-in-law and back down at Zoe.

"Katniss and I had a bit of a hard time after Leo and Grandpa died."

"Were you both sad?"

"We were and we found it hard to come back here." Peeta admits. "Aunt Katniss went to New York to work for a little while and I went off traveling trying to cheer up."

"Did you two get a divorce?"

"No, just took a bit of a break."

"And Lila? Why didn't we know about her until Thanksgiving?"

Jake jumps in, helping out Peeta as he struggles to answer her. "Uncle Peeta didn't know about Lila until just before us."

"Why?"

"Remember how we weren't together?" Katniss reminds her and she nods. "Uncle Peeta hadn't been well for a while-"

"And Aunt Katniss made sure I was well and healthy before I met her. And she made a good decision because I didn't want Lila seeing me sick. And now since I'm all better we can all be together."

"So, will we see you both more now, especially since we have a cousin?"

"You will." Jake promises her. "We'd love to have them around, wouldn't we kids?"

The three kids respond with loud yesses and smiles and Peeta is glad he agreed to come back.

She looks up at him from beneath her lashes and swallows the lump in her throat.

"You ready for this?" She asks him quietly. Lila is asleep over her shoulder.

He nods and reaches up for the doorbell.

They wait.

And after what feels like forever the front door opens.

A stony faced woman greets them.

"What are you doing here?" She asks.

He swallows the lump in his throat.

"Mom, I'd like to introduce you to your granddaughter." He says.

The woman looks at Katniss, narrowing her eyes and then to the baby that is asleep over her shoulder. Her face softens slightly but returns to the hardness it was before.

"I don't want anything to do with you." She announces.

"Mom, I'm better now. I want to apologise for what I did. I want to try and make amends and know that if I fails than I did try my best." He pleads. "Mom, please. Can't we just talk?"

She looks between the two of them and then out behind them to the street. The nosy neighbour from next door is trying to listen in on their conversation. Listen to the youngest Mellark boy beg for forgiveness. Of course the whole town knew, his mother was a gossiper and by the time Katniss and him would have left Bridgeport last year after his father's funeral, the town would have known Peeta was fast on the track to becoming an alcoholic who just beat his brother and kicked out from the family.

"Get in from out of the cold." She tells them, stepping aside to let them in.

Peeta lets Katniss in first and closes the door behind him.

He kicks off his shoes and takes off his coat before carefully taking Lila from Katniss, allowing her to take her shoes and jacket off. He settles his daughter against his chest, kissing the top of her head and following his mother into the living room. She switches off the television and takes a seat in the armchair by the fire.

"This is a bit of a surprise." She states, looking down at Lila.

He nods but then smiles. "A good surprise."

Katniss joins him, sitting down beside him and checking on Lila before looking at her mother-in-law.

"You sure she's yours?"

"Mom, despite the 15 months we were apart, Lila is mine. Katniss is faithful. As am I."

"I don't appreciate you leaving him." His mother says to Katniss.

"I know but I didn't know what else to do." She admits. "I was losing my mind and needed to go before I cracked it. Who would have known where we'd be if I didn't leave?"

"She's right Mom. I respect her for having the guts to leave. I'd hate myself if she resented me. If I resented her. She's the woman I want to grow old with and I don't know what I'd do if I lost that."

"Why'd it take you so long to come back?" She asks Katniss.

"I believed Peeta and Lila were both ready to be in each other's lives. He was ready."

She narrows her eyes. "We're not too fond on how both of you acted the last two years."

"Mom, what we did, we did in private. We didn't want the whole family involved in our time. We experienced a lot and are slowly learning and healing again." Peeta says. "We lost our son."

He sees his mother frown slightly. "I know. It's a hard thing. And it doesn't get easier." She says. "When I lost your sister, I had you to focus on. I had your brothers. You two had nothing but each other. Than you lost your father soon after. Grief is a hard thing and it sometimes breaks a person to no return."

"We lost our minds a little while." He tells his mother.

"That's totally fine." She replies. "Now was better than down the track. Remember when you were five and I left you and your brothers for a month?"

"You went to go an take care of your sister."

She shakes her head. "I had a mad month. I woke on random couches, drank until I could no longer stand, hoped on buses and trains and went to the next city. I needed to be out and not home where I felt like a failure." She tells them. "And after my mad month of forgetting and trying to piece my mind back together I felt better. I could be in the house with you all and felt freer."

She looks down at Lila in her son's lap and smiles. "She's beautiful. A mixture of you both."

Peeta produces the book Katniss made him of Lila and lets his mother learn all about her granddaughter.

Despite her hesitance to have them back in her life, she's accepting, understanding their decision and choices. She just had to sit with them and hear their story.

And this is what he'd do with Nathan. Get him in a room and just speak to him. Make him understand.

Because Nathan was spoilt. Never had to deal with anything. Hadn't lost anything to make him lose his mind. He was privileged in that way.

Peeta would make him understand that life could be total bullshit and unfair

Lila meets her grandmother when she wakes and tenderly touches her grandmother's cheek with her hand.

"Welcome to the family Miss Lila."

Lila lies between them, snoring as she has her afternoon nap. They left his mother's house shortly after the meeting and came back to the hotel.

"Do you know when you'll speak to Nathan?" She asks him.

He shakes his head and rolls over. She rolls over as well.

"Maybe tonight. He's getting married in two days."

"Want me to come with you?"

He shakes his head. "No, Jake said he would. Lisa offered to have you and Lila for the night. The kids want to spend some time with you and Lila."

"I don't want to get a call saying either of you are in the hospital."

"I promise I'll keep my hands to myself."

She smiles at him and he reaches out for her hand, kissing her knuckles gently.

They'll be fine.

Jake drives to Nathan's house. Katniss, Lisa and the kids were going to go out Christmas light looking.

"I don't think this is a good idea." He says to Jake.

Jake keeps his attention on the road as he drives. "He's the stubborn middle child. He's always been hard to understand and crack."

"Katniss doesn't want either of us in the hospital." Peeta replies.

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen." Jake assures him and turns left onto a street. Christmas lights flicker and shine in the frosty night.

Jake pulls his car up outside of a house and Peeta looks out at the house.

"We're here." Jake announces. "Take all the time you want."

They sit for five, ten, fifteen minutes before Peeta decides he is ready.

Jake leads him up the path and to the front door where he knocks.

"Just try and convince him to talk to you."

The front door opens and Laney stands there.

"Hi Laney, Nath home?" Jake asks.

She nods and looks at Peeta carefully before letting the two men in. She goes to get him from the basement and they wait for him in the hallway.

Heavy footsteps trudge up the stairs and Nathan appears, fuming.

He has Peeta pinned up against the wall, his hands gripping his jacket tightly.

"You don't want to do this Nathan." Peeta tells him calmly.

"I told you to fuck off and go back to Boston."

"I know you did." Peeta replies. "But I can't."

Nathan was scarily just like their mother. He could be cold and mean when he wanted to. He was stubborn. And hardly ever smiled. It took a lot for him to shake a grudge and if you crossed his bad side, there was no way you'd ever be back on his good side. He was still mad at his high school friend for sleeping with his ex-girlfriend months after they broke up.

"Why can't you just listen to me? I don't want you here." Nathan tells him.

"Just hear me out." Peeta says. "Please Nathan."

Nathan stares him down for a few more moments before letting go of his jacket. "You have five minutes."

"Nathan-"

"No Laney, he has no place being here."

Laney shoots him a look of hurt and sulks off down the hallway.

"Nathan, please know how sorry I am for what happened last year. I wasn't myself. I've never experienced the death of something that I helped create. I haven't really been exposed to the grief of a loved one either. It shook me hard when Leo died. I blamed myself for not protecting not only my son and Katniss. I still blame myself despite it not being either of our fault. Being told that these things happen and they are unpredictable; was a punch to the gut. He was my son and I couldn't do anything. He was gone before I even had the chance to hold him while he was alive, feeling his chest move, look into his eyes and see him smile. I became a father and the father of a stillborn the second Leo finally came into the world."

Nathan looks him in the eye, a flash of guilt crosses his face and he clears his throat. "Why don't we take a seat?"

They sit in the lounge room, Nathan across from them with Laney sitting at his side.

"We've never spoken about this." Nathan claims.

"You never asked and I wasn't ready." Peeta tells him. "It was too soon. I still woke up every day for the first year hoping it was all a dream, everything, and that Katniss was still beside me, Leo was in his crib awake and ready for the day. But if you want to know, I can tell you."

Nathan shifts in his seat. Jake does the same. Laney wipes at her eye.

"Tell us about Leo."

28th to the 29th of November, 2014

Katniss stretches in the front seat beside him, yawning and then resting her hands on top of her stomach. She smiles.

"I can't believe next year there'll be a baby at the table." She exclaims. She was so excited to finally have our baby here.

"We're so close."

"So very close."

He helps her into the house and she tells him she's going to shower and get ready for bed. She was exhausted.

He sneaks into the shower with her and kisses her under the stream of the warm water. He carries her to bed, ravishes her body and lets her sink down onto him with a cry of pleasure.

He lets her take the lead, be in control. They could be in the delivery room tomorrow morning for all they know.

With cries of pleasure sung out into their bedroom, they roll onto their sides and Peeta spoons her from behind, kissing her shoulder.

"Sleep well my love."

He expects to feel a movement or a kick from the baby but he doesn't. Maybe the baby is in a position where its movements aren't felt. Their doctor told them that that could be a possibility.

He snuggles deeper into his wife's body and falls asleep with a smile on his face.

"Peeta." He hears her voice before he sees her. She's shaking him. "Peeta, wake up."

He opens his eyes and looks into the eyes of his wife. She has tears filling them. Her cheeks are damp.

He notices its way before sunrise. The sky is still dark. Its only hours after they fell asleep.

"The baby's not moving." She whispers to him. "I haven't felt the baby move for a while."

He nods; trying to process the thing she is telling him.

But it seems so foreign. He's not sure she's really saying these things.

"I think we should go to the hospital." She quietly says, sniffling.

He helps her out of bed, helps her into some clothes and then he dresses silently. She doesn't speak a word. She rubs her belly, trying to will their son or daughter to move, to show some sign of movement, to show that they've just been playing a game and all is good.

He phones their OB and doesn't even apologise for waking her.

"Is she in labor?" The doctor asks.

"No. We just need you to meet us at the hospital."

"Is she bleeding?"

"No… it's the… she…"

"Bring her in Peeta."

The city is quiet as he drives them to the hospital.

"It's going to be alright. It has to be alright."

"What if it's not?" She asks him at a red light.

He doesn't want to even think about this. He looks at his wife and sees the tears streaming down his face.

He doesn't even know what to say himself.

The doctor meets them in the emergency department and takes them through the hospital, up to the delivery ward. He helps Katniss change into a gown. He grips her hand, kisses the back of her hand and silently prays that everything is OK.

Their doctor steps into the room, sits at the side of Katniss' bed and squirts the gel onto Katniss' exposed stomach and takes the wand, pressing into her stomach.

Peeta holds his breath and waits. He can feel the blood in his ears and kisses Katniss' hand again.

It feels like hours later when he finally sees the doctor's hand still on Katniss' belly. She hasn't taken her eyes off of the monitor. He watches the disbelief cover her face as she can't find any sign of life inside of his wife's stomach.

And he knows he doesn't want to hear the words she's preparing herself to say to the expectant couple.

She exhales, sets the wand down and reaches for Katniss' hand, gripping it tightly.

"No." Katniss murmurs.

"I'm so sorry." She begins to say. "There's no heartbeat."

And he feels his world come crashing down.

He doesn't remember much of what follows but he goes numb. He doesn't hear what the doctor is telling them. He can only hear Katniss' cries fill the room. Loud strangled sobs. The same crying her heard years before at Prim's bedside.

He manages to comfort her and he just holds her, buries her face into his shirt and lets her sob and clutch for him. Clutch to the hope that this is just a dream.

A face leans in towards Katniss, her doctor.

"If you like, we can take you down to a delivery room and break your membranes."

Katniss doesn't answer but he does for her, nodding at the doctor for her to prepare the room.

There's a flurry of movement.

And he just follows behind as they wheel her to a room, hook her up to numerous machines. Doctor after doctor comes into the room. Nurse after nurse. Some offer their condolences. Other's can't bare the look on the couple's faces and leave as quickly as they can.

Katniss' waters are broken and her labor begins quite soon after.

An hour after Katniss' water's have broken and she's quickly dilating, the doctor comes to see them, sitting beside Katniss. Katniss stares blankly at her, unable to say anything.

"The cord wrapped around the baby's neck." She explains. "It's common. It happens quite a lot."

"How long ago did the baby…?" He begins to ask.

"Recently. A day or two."

"Was there anything to prevent it from happening?"

She shakes her head. "It's something that happens. I only saw Katniss last week and everything was fine." She tells them. "I'll be back later.

"Don't leave me." Katniss whispers to him.

"I'm not going anywhere." He tells her and slides into bed behind her, holding her tightly and doing the best thing he can to get her through this.

She's 7 centimetres dilated by 10am and resting. He slips out of the room. He pulls out his phone and dials the only person he knows that can talk sense to him.

"Hey, we've been calling all morning. Where are you guys?" Haymitch asks

"At the hospital."

"Is Katniss having the baby?"

Peeta breaks down to Haymitch, not able to say a word to the man.

"You have to be there for Katniss. You can't leave her side. We'll come by later. Keep us updated. Stay strong." He says. "I'm so sorry Peeta."

After lunch, the doctor deems her ready to deliver.

He props her body up with his. Tears cover both their cheeks. Their eyes red and bloodshot.

He had pictured this moment since she told him she was pregnant. He was overjoyed to be in the delivery room with her. Ready to meet their baby. He dreamed about this day but this day now became one he dreaded.

This was the worst day of his life.

And now, his wife had to deliver their lifeless baby, go through the pain for nothing but sorrow and heartache. To hold their lifeless child in their arms that will never open their eyes.

She sobs quietly and he kisses the side of her head.

He has to be here for her. Support her at his moment and then worry about everything else later on.

"I've got you." He whispers into her ear. "We've got this and everything else that will be thrown our way."

Leo Thomas Mellark enters the world sleeping at 2:32pm.

He embraces Katniss for the rest of the night. Sobbing quietly into her neck.

The pain and memories of that day left him hollow and saddened and he quickly left Nathan's without an explanation. Jake drove him to the hotel and Peeta waited for Katniss to return with Lila.

Katniss got Lila to bed, showered after Peeta and then crawled beside him in bed.

"Please, can you just hold me?" He asked.

She held him and in the darkness of the hotel room they embraced each other.

"I think the day I realised I needed to change was the night I was put in jail."

"What happened?" She asks.

"The officer on duty, she pulled me over and I was over the limit. As she drove me to the station she told me a story. Something I realised happened to her."

"What happened?"

"A few years before a drunk driver crashed into their car, killing her three kids instantly. They were five, three and one. The driver got off with basically a year prison sentence and was out after good behaviour but she was given the life sentence of three dead children and the pain and guilt." He tells her. "I realised that night, after Haymitch dropped me home, that I didn't want to be responsible for tearing apart the life of a family. I didn't want to be on the news and in the newspapers for killing innocent lives due to my destructive habit. I didn't want the alcohol to render me liable to such a thing and agreed to go on the trip with Haymitch soon after."

She looks into his eyes and cups his cheek. "It would have eaten you alive if you found yourself guilty of that."

He nods and lets her dry the tears from his cheeks.

"I met a guy while I was travelling as well. He had addiction to alcohol thirty odd years before. At this time, the laws weren't as strict then either… He was drunk and picked his son up from school. He drove them to his son's karate lesson, lost control before crashing into a tree. He killed his 8-year-old son and has never been able to move on. He told me he didn't admit he was a drunk until years later. He sought help, travelled and couldn't find himself leaving Bali. He found solace there and has only just begun forgiving himself."

"I didn't want that guilt either. I know what it feels like to have a child die but at least it wasn't at my hands." He says sadly. "I'm glad I got sober before I had to endure something like this."

"We're proud of who you are and what you've come from." She reminds him.

She kisses him softly on the lips and holds him as they fall asleep.

He's up well before sunrise.

Katniss and Lila are still sound asleep and he sneaks out of their hotel room.

He runs. He runs all around town and runs until the sun comes up.

He stops at the cemetery where his father is buried and stands before his gravesite.

"I thought I'd find you here."

He turns around and sees Nathan standing behind him.

"I come here to think quite a lot." Nathan tells his younger brother. "It just seems to help me."

"This is the first time I've been here since we buried him."

Nathan comes and stands beside Peeta and in silence they look down at where their father is buried.

They don't speak or say anything for close to ten minutes.

"You walked out last night."

Peeta nods and turns to look at him. "It just got to be all too much."

"You should bring Lila and Katniss around today. I'd love to meet my niece and see Katniss again."

"You better apologise to her."

"I will." He says. "Come by for lunch."

Lila is winging by the time he arrives back.

"What's wrong my girl?" Peeta asks her. She's in the stroller, fussing about and throws her toy to the ground in frustration.

She holds out her arms for him and he takes her out of the stroller, bringing her to his chest to embrace her.

"Look at that dirty face. Did you have a good breakfast?"

He reaches for a wipe and cleans his daughter's face.

"There you are." Katniss says, leaving the bathroom. "We didn't know where you went."

"I went running."

She smiles at him and picks up a diaper and the wipes. "Are you alright?"

He nods and lays Lila down on the bed, taking over the diaper change.

"We already ate." She tells him, sitting down beside Lila.

"That's alright. I'll grab something quickly."

She tickles Lila's bare belly and smiles at her daughter.

"Good run?"

"It was. I did my usual trek."

"You left early."

"Couldn't sleep too well."

"You could have woken me if you wanted to talk."

He shakes his head and snaps the crotch together of Lila's onesie before pulling up her tights.

"I just wanted to run it out and it helped."

She nods and leans down, pressing a kiss to Lila's nose.

"Nathan invited us for lunch." He tells her. "But only if you want to go."

They arrive at Nathan and Laney's doorstep just before lunchtime. Lila fusses in her car seat, ready for a feed and a sleep.

Laney answers the door and greets them, bringing them into the house and into the living room.

They officially meet their niece and fall in love with her.

"It's so good to finally meet you Missy." Nathan coos to his niece who whinges from her mother's lap. "I know, you have your sleep and then we can have a play."

Katniss excuses herself to feed Lila and disappears for some privacy.

"She's beautiful." Nathan tells him.

"She is. I'm so lucky. I've got two beautiful girls in my life."

"She's done a good job with her."

"She has. She was always meant to be a mother." He tells his brother with a wide smile.

He checks on Lila as she sleeps in the car seat. She's been down for almost half an hour while her mother gets ready.

"You almost ready?" He calls to her through the bathroom door. "We've got to get going soon."

"Hold your horses." She tells him from the other side of the door and he smiles.

He makes sure the diaper bag is packed, slipping in extra diapers, wipes and clothes. He grabs his phone and wallet, placing them in his pocket before picking up his jacket.

He hears the door to the bathroom open and turns around just as Katniss steps out.

She's in a silver dress that hugs every curve of her body. She looks amazing.

She smooths out the material and then looks up, smiling at him.

"You look sensational."

She smiles at him wider. "Thanks. I've had this dress for a while."

"You should wear it more often." He tells her and watches as she blushes slightly. "Ready to get going?"

She nods and sits down on the bed, slipping into her shoes. He helps her into her coat and she sets her clutch into the diaper bag.

"Ready?" She asks him.

They sit in the church. In the front row after the rest of the family telling them to sit there. Lila sleeps in the car seat and they wait for the bride to arrive.

He looks up at his brother who looks nervous as he waits for his fiancé.

He feels saddened that he's not standing there beside his brothers but he's glad they let him and his family in on the day.

Katniss reaches across for his hand and he takes it in his, linking his fingers through hers.

Katniss settles their daughter outside of the reception room. The rest of the guests have arrived and are enjoying appetisers before the doors open.

Lila had been great throughout the ceremony. She slept and when she did wake it was all over and photos were being taken. She showed off to the guests and other family members who travelled for the wedding and met a lot more of her aunts, uncles and their families.

He helps Katniss into the reception room and they find their seats. Laney and Nathan told them they'd squeeze them in, they had a few who couldn't make it so it wouldn't off set their booked numbers.

The reception goes off with a bang. The happiness shared by the couple is felt the minute they enter the reception. Entrees are served, followed by dinner and speeches.

The cake is cut and then the first dance begins.

"We'd like to invite everyone else up onto the floor to dance." The DJ says inviting the rest of the guests up to dance.

Peeta turns to Katniss and smiles shyly at her.

"Lead the way." She tells him with a grin.

He leads her to the dance floor, leaving Lila with his mother, and stand where the other couples have gathered. A few children dance with their parents and smile widely.

He settles his hands on her hips and she links hers around his neck and they dance to the music.

So honey now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
Maybe we found love right where we are

She rests her head on his shoulder and they dance in a simple side-to-side motion.

"Thank you." He tells her.

"For what?"

"Without you, I wouldn't be here today, seeing my brother marry his best friend." He says. "Without you, I wouldn't be the man I am today. You've shaped me into who I am today and without you, who knows what I would have become."

She looks up at him and he looks down at her, getting lost in her beautiful grey eyes that look like moonlight under the twinkling lights.

She smiles at him and slowly, he leans in, touching his lips to hers softly, encasing her in a kiss that lasts until the end of the song.

"Stay with me." He murmurs against her lips.

"Always."