A/N: So... since I havnt been able to update, I am NOT going to continue this story. Here is a long list of reasons why...

HAHAHAHAHA. KIDDING! APRIL FOOLS! I AM SO CONTINUEING!

I AM A HORRIBLE PERSON. TWO WHOLE FREAKING MONTHS? I dont blame any of you if you hate me... But... 100 REVIEWS! WHOOOOOHOOOOOO PARTYYYYYYYYYY! *Cough* Anyways. I would like to thank all of my readers for reviewing. It means the world to me. I appreciate every single one of you for taking your time to read this crappy story that I seam to never update. BUT HEY! WE ARE HALF WAY THROUGH THIS STORY!(: And then... the sequal.(; Yes, my friends. There WILL be a sequal. This summer, you will be over-joyed with how much I will update. It will be amazing.

SO, HOW MANY OF YOU SAW THE MOVIE? 2 words: FREAKING AMAZING. Sure, I was pissed that there wasnt more Rue, or a longer cave seen, or that Peeta and Katniss only kissed ONCE. But, they hit everything that I wanted to see. It was as perfect as books-to-movies get. Peeta was soooo effin' hot. And so was Cato. Dayyymmmnnnn. Am I right? Or am I right? And to all of you boys who might be reading this... Ehh. STILL a really good movie.(: If you are a boy, let me know. I wanna see how many of you are dude reviewers.(: Oh... AND I CANT WAIT TILL CATCHING FIRE!(:

Anyways, this chapter was inspired by Stand by Rascal Flatts. Good song, bro. This is the 2nd longest chapter, right after chapter 8, I believe? I think it may even be longer...(; And how much of a noob am I that I dont even remember to put the person who helped with its name in the A/N? TWICE? Anyways, her name isnt showing up... Annie, no space, C., no space, Odair, and she is amazing. My new beta reader for this (and hopefully the rest?) chapter, is IThoughtMYJokesWereBad, who is super-duper awesome, who read this chapter and made it.. more mature. Soo.. if it doesnt sound like my writing style, its because someone finally chose to pull me out of my pathetic-ness and make me sound less like an 8 year old.(:

WARNING: This chapter is SUPER fluffy. Like, no chiz. It truely fills the whole Teen rating. So, you've been warned.

AND, FINALLY, AFTER TWO WHOLE FREAKING MONTHS, I GIVE YOU...

CHAPTER 10!

10.

It is a bright Sunday morning when my eyes open the next day. The sun is shining through my window, illuminating the whole room with just the few rays that manage to penetrate my curtains; the birds chirping softly outside, reminding me of Rue for a moment, causing a small smile; and the only thing that is wrong is that left side of the bed is cold. I had felt Peeta stir a while ago, while I was still in the land of dreams, and now I can hear the shower is running in our bathroom. I smile, thinking about last night and how Peeta had stayed, despite being locked out and told to do otherwise.

It's amazing really, how, despite the fact that I am still so stubborn, he will still put up with me. He is just so…wonderful. I would be nothing without him. I would've never made it through everything I have if it wasn't for him. I wouldn't have been able to have as many great memories that I have without him. I would be leading a miserable life with Gale, if it wasn't for Peeta.

My Peeta.

I am still absolutely terrified that something might trigger another one of his frightening episodes to occur; but, for the first time in what feels like forever, I have faith, I have hope. I know that it will be all right. I know that, with every new challenge we will face, we will become stronger, we will grow closer together.

My smile broadens as the bathroom door creaks open and Peeta steps out. In nothing but a towel.I stifle a giggle, and then say, "God, you would think that a grown man would remember to put on some pants."

Peeta's head snaps up and he looks directly at me, seeming confused. His eyes softened as he shifts his gaze to the floor uncomfortably, his face as red as a tomato. "I...Uh...I didn't expect you to be awake," he says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with his hand.

I laugh and shake my head, "So that makes it okay to walk around naked?" I raise an eyebrow teasingly.

Peeta looks up at me for a moment and shrugs, "Well, I'm not naked yet." He then reaches for the towel around his waist.

My heart immediately starts racing and I let out a high-pitched and girlish squeal—which surprises not only Peeta, but me—and I cover my eyes with the fluffy comforter. I continue to giggle, laughing harder when I hear Peeta chuckling, too. I slowly and cautiously lower the blanket, afraid to see what Peeta is now wearing, or not wearing... But I don't get to see, because as soon as my eyes clear the edge, I have a pair of lips glued to my temple, Peeta's beautiful face obscuring my view...not that I can complain too much. I giggle again and let him kiss my forehead with no resistance.

He hesitates a moment, then mumbles, "I bet I just look so sexy kissing you with nothing but a veryloose towel on..." Again, I scream, shoving the blanket over my head, my hair clinging to it with static. This time I hear Peeta full out laugh and I can't help but laugh too. He just has that effect on me.

I feel him lie down next to me, as his strong hands begin to playfully pry at the covers. "C'mon, Katniss. Just a wittle kissy?" I laugh at his choice of words, making him sound like a four year-old.

"How about you put on some pants first, eh?" I manage to get out through all my laughing.

I hear Peeta sigh with mock unhappiness, "Fine." I take the blanket off just in time to see him smile and roll his gorgeous, blue eyes.

I can't help but adore how he can, now, joke around with me all the time. It feels like forever since I've been able to openly joke with him without the fear of going too far, of crossing the very thin line that could bring on another episode. I can finally be real with him. We can finally be ourselves again.

Peeta strolls out of the bathroom, with pants on, thank goodness. He is holding his wet towel in his hands, rubbing his head to dry his dripping hair. When he notices me looking at him, he points to his pants. "Happy?"

My eyes fall to his bare chest, "Maybe if you put a shirt on..."

He scoffs and pats his chest with his hands. "Not gonna happen, sweetheart."

I groan loudly, "Oh, please don't. You sound like Haymitch..."

He puffs out his chest and smiles proudly. "At least I don't look like him." That would be terrible! Neither of us says it, but I know we are both thinking it.

I throw back my head and laugh loudly, almost embarrassingly so. "Yes, thank God," I agree, not even wanting to imagine Peeta transforming into the haggard, drunkard that is Haymitch.

He smiles at me and saunters over to the bed, crawling on top of me and nudging my neck with his nose. Peeta kisses my neck, and then mumbles, "I would have to kill Haymitch if he ever did this to you…"

I laugh again as I lay my hands on his bare chest and push him over onto his back. I climb on top of him and smile as I rest my elbows on his chest. He smiles and rubs my thighs lightly. I lean over and hover my face just mere inches from his, "Let's not even go there." Peeta smiled and picks his head off of the bed, slowly leaning in to kiss me. I push my hands square against his chest, nailing him to the bed. There is a look of confusion and hurt on his face that I quickly wipe away with my next words. "Sorry, I don't kiss crazy, drunk men." I giggle and stand up, running into the bathroom to hide from Peeta. Still giggling, I put my back against the door.

Peeta is soon standing on the other side, knocking at the door. "Oh Kat, why don't you let me in?" he cooed in, what I think is meant to be, a seductive voice, but it comes out like a hoarse whisper.

I laugh again and lock the door for good measure, "No! I have to take a shower now. I smell like a drunken man."

I hear Peeta chuckle, then say, "Haymitch would kill us if he heard us making fun of him."

I smile and whisper through the closed door, "Then let's not tell him."

After I am done taking my shower, I step out in front of the mirror, looking at myself. I'm not half the girl I was almost two months ago. There are only light pink scars left where the red, angry scars and burns once were. I can scrub my body hard with a wash cloth without wincing or having to stop. I don't want to cry every time I step in front of a mirror, touching my scarred skin and worrying if Peeta will see someone as ugly as I as beautiful. But he does see me as beautiful, and he reminds me at least twice every day. I can't help but be extremely thankful for the night weeks ago when we showed each other our scars. After it happened, I went to bed as red as a tomato, thinking that what I did was stupid. It was days before I realized that it was important for our relationship, for me to realize that Peeta is just as hurt as I am.

I smile as I trace a heart lazily on my stomach, just like Peeta does to my back every night before sleep pulls us under. It doesn't matter what my appearance looks like, because he likes me for who I am. Our relationship is built off of years of pain, hurt, comfort, but also, pure love. He accepts me, just like I accept him.

I continue smiling until I am completely dressed, then I open the door with the towel in my hands, trying to dry my tangled mess of hair. I look up and see Peeta, lying in bed with his feet crossed and his hands behind his head, smiling up at me. I stop attempting to dry my hair and smile sheepishly at him. He continues to stare at me, smiling lazily like he always does when he's thinking about something that makes him happy.

I giggle lightly as I walk over to our bed, laying down on my stomach next to him and tilting my head upwards to look at him. "Penny for your thoughts," I say, propping my chin onto his chest.

Now he smiles down at me. "I'm thinking about our first kiss, the one in the cave, when you fell head over heels for me." I scoff and roll my eyes at his cocky comment. "Hey, it's true. Everyone knew, at the moment when you said my name after they announced the change in the rules, even if you didn't mean too, you cared about me. When you kissed me, you began to fall for me. Simple enough, Kat," he says, smirking down at me.

"All right," I concede, sitting up so I can look down at him again, "and what about you, Peeta? Everyone knew you were head over heels for me."

He nods and gazes at me, eyes locked with mine, "Yeah, everyone but you."

I look away from his face, remembering that painful moment on the way home from the Games, when Peeta and I went out to take a walk beyond the train station once we were far enough away from the Capitol. I remember the look on his face when I told him Haymitch had been helping me all throughout the Games, that our "romance" was nothing but a ploy to win the Games. The pain, mixing in with hatred and misery on his face was undeniable, and it was then that I had felt the guilt sink in and settle onto my chest. I remember the hollow look in his eyes and the empty sound in his voice when he reached out for my hand, asking, "One more time? For the audience?" I remember dreading the moment I had to let go of his hand, let go of his careful embrace.

"Well, my mind didn't seem to agree with what I wanted at that time," I mutter, keeping my eyes anywhere but on him.

Peeta tilts my chin up with one finger, making me look at him. He smiles up sadly at me, sitting up to kiss my forehead. "It's all right," he says as places his legs on either side me. He picks up my brush from my nightstand, bringing to my slowly drying hair and gently combing out the knots. "That's not important anymore. All that matters is that you're here with me now, in my arms, in my heart, in my bed…"

I turn around and slap his arm. "Peeta Mellark!" He begins to laugh as he grabs my waist and pulls me down onto the bed with him. I slap him again, this time on his chest, and laugh a little too. "Peeta Mellark..." I say again.

He smiles up at me, "What?"

I shake my head and laugh more as he pulls me on top of him. "That is so wrong."

He smiles sheepishly, "I'm sorry, Kat." His smile is so bright and true, reaching his crystalline, blue eyes. I almost got lost in his eyes, almost. Until, of course, there is a knock on the front door downstairs.

"Who could what to bother us now?" I moan, rolling off Peeta and heading towards my bedroom door.

My hand is on the door knob when Peeta speaks. "Uh... About that..." I hear him say. I turn on my heel and glare at him.

"What?" I ask in a warning tone, knowing how sneaky Peeta can be when he wants to. I'm starting to dread opening the door.

Another round of knocks resounds through the house.

"Well, you might just want to go answer the door..." he says, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head.

"Peeta, I swear..." I mumble, heading downstairs to open the door. Peeta follows me, now with a shirt on and his hair combed nicely. I give him a suspicious look, swinging open the front door. To reveal my mother.

-
"Well, when you didn't return any of my calls orpick up the phone, I kept calling. I figured one day you would be angry enough to finally answer. And then, to my luck, Peeta picked up last week and we talked while you were out hunting," I took her pause as a chance to send Peeta a death promise with my eyes, but he was busily inspecting his tea, "and he asked me to visit, to talk to you. So, here I am," my mother finished, looking at me with her sad and lonely eyes. I didn't respond to prevent me from snapping at her. I hated her. She left me. They all did.

"Well," Peeta sighs, "I can see you two lovely ladies have some catching up to do, so I will head over to the bakery."

I glare at him, "Oh, no you're-"

"Katniss, maybe that's a good idea," my mother says, interrupting me mid-objection.

I sit back in my chair and scowl at the floor. Peeta kisses me on the head gingerly, and then kisses my mother on the cheek before he promises to be back in an hour. I shoot him a look that says, we will talk about this later, and then I crossed my arms the best I could with the tea cup in my hands, continuing to scowl at the floor.

"Katniss," my mother begins, "I'm-"

"Let's just cut to the point, mother," I interrupt. "Prim died. Dad died. You were a coward and left your other daughter in another District to try and cope with the deaths of the two people she cared about most." I say, slamming my cup down on the tray Peeta had brought the tea out on.

I saw my mother cringe into the cushions of her seat. "Katniss, please try to understand that-"

"Understand what, mother? That you were hurt? Well I have news for you, so was I! Did you know I did absolutely nothing for months? Did you know I sat here, on this very couch, not able to move because, when I did, I felt sick to my stomach? You left me. Greasy Sae was more of a mother then you EVER were!" I didn't continue after that, deciding to let those words sink in.

I see my mother stop breathing at the shock of my words, her eyes overflowing with tears but downcast to the floor. I know I hurt her, but she deserves it. I was alone. I could have died.

But you didn't.

I roll my eyes and covered my face with my hands. Oh great, you're back. I think, sighing at the voice in the back of my head.

Glad to know you missed me, it says, and I glare at the floor.

What do you want? I ask it bitterly.

You said you could've died. But you didn't. You said Greasy Sae was more of a mother than the woman sitting across from you ever was.

Is that really true? Or are you just saying that because you're hurt?

I continue to glare at the floor, too stubborn to admit that the voice is right. Maybe I was-

"I didn't know what else to do, Katniss," my mother says, cutting my thoughts short. I glance up at her. "You're just like your father. Your hair and your eyes...they're exactly the same as his. The way you hunt, and how you always shoot each animal right in the eye... I couldn't stand it after your father died. That's why I blanked out, blocked the real world out. With you there, it was like he was still there as well, living with us. But he wasn't. He was gone, and I had to realize it. And then Prim, my poor, sweet Primrose. You were more of a mother to her than I ever was. And she still lives within you; in your strength, your courage, your smile, when you're not scowling, of course."

This, of course, causes me to scowl.

My mother laughs gently, getting up from her seat to sit with me on the couch. She hesitates for a moment, and then speaks again, her voice solemn. "You're right. I didn't know how to cope with their deaths, but I do now. And that's why I'm back here, Katniss. You don't have to forgive me; I don't really expect you to. But, please, just know that I am truly, deeply sorry for leaving you. I missed you every day. I called every day, but you never answered. Yet, I didn't blame you. I would be angry with myself, too. I am sorry though, darling."

My eyes fill with water as she apologizes, calling me darling. "You haven't called me that since before Dad died…" I manage to mumble, swallowing the thick lump in my throat.

My mother's eyes fill with tears of her own. "I know, darling, and I am so sorry. I didn't mean to blank out on you. I just didn't know what else to do. You remind me so much of your father. I'm sorry, Katniss. I'm so sorry."

Crying, I wrap my arms tightly around her neck, pulling her in for the first hug we've shared in months. She graciously accepts it, hugging me back tightly, crying tears of her own. And for the first time since my father died, I say, "I forgive you, Mom."

Saying goodbye to my mother the next day isn't the easiest thing for me to do, which surprises everyone, including myself. I cry a few tears, as does she. Peeta is gracious enough to give us a few minutes to talk, and when we do, I promise my mother that I will pick up the phone, even when I feel like crap, and she promises to call everyday to check up on us.

She kisses me goodbye on the cheek, and then she goes to talk to Peeta. I try to read their lips, but Peeta notices and turns my mother and himself away from me, glancing back to playfully stick out his tongue. I roll my eyes and wait for them to finish.

The train calls for all its final boarders, and my mother turns to me again. "I love you, Katniss. You really are blessed to have such a great boyfriend to look after you." My eyes widen and my face heats up with her words, but before I can object, she kisses both mine and Peeta's cheeks and boards onto the train with a final wave to us.

Walking away from the train station, I am still blushing furiously at my mother's words. Peeta, as my boyfriend? I had never thought of it that way, but I like how it sounds. Peeta slips his hand into mine as we walk. "Where would you like to go, girlfriend?"

I blush and look up at him, "So it's okay for you to eavesdrop?" I ask, quirking an eyebrow.

He throws back his head, in a way that only he can, and laughs. He smiles so brightly down at me that I felt its warmth all the way in my toes. "Well, aren't we technically dating?" he asks me, swinging our hands back and forth.

I look ahead of us and ponder this. He lives with me, sleeps in the same bed as me, never leaves my side, kisses me whenever he likes, holds me when I am scared, and cares about me. "Yes," I say, looking back to Peeta's lightly tanned face, "I guess we are." I smile up at him, and he leans in to kiss me.

"Whoa, there. You aren't completely off the chain yet," I say, putting my index finger to his lips and pushing them back.

"What? Why not?" he asks me, an adorable pout forming on his lips.

"Will you please stop inviting people that I am not exactly on-terms with from my past into our home? I am trying to move on from it all and it's not exactly helping when I have different people stopping by to see me; first Gale, and then my mother. Who's next, Snow?"

Peeta stops walking and looks down at me. What he says next is probably the wisest thing I have heard in years. "There is no point in making our future together, Katniss, if you can't even face the past." I stare up at him for a minute, letting his words sink in. "I mean, how are we going to forget if we can't forgive?" he says to me.

I think about this for a second, and then nod. "You're right, Peeta."

He smiles one of his cocky smiles and leans in close to me, his breath wafting the scent of dill and flour over me. "Of course I am, aren't I always?"

I raise my hand to slap him on the arm and begin to open my mouth to protest, but his lips slam into mine before I can even get the words out. He wraps his strong arms tightly around me. Between his kisses, I manage to mumble, "I'll get you back for this, one day." He kisses me harder after I say that, and I melt into his embrace.

After a minute or so, he stops kissing me and smiles his cocky smile again. "Sure you will, Kat. But remember, I have the power to make you shut up." I begin to open my mouth again to protest, but he kisses me again. I smile into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck. We pull apart and continue walking. We stay in silence until we reach the District Square, and that's when Peeta turns to me. "You know, I must be one hell of a kisser if it makes you lose your train of thoughts every time I kiss you."

My jaw drops as he begins to laugh and takes off in a sprint towards Victors Village. I laugh, beginning to run to try to catch him. "Peeta Mellark! I am going to kill you!"

He laughs and turns around, causing me to slam right into him. He wraps his arms around my waist to steady me. "Whether you kill me or not, Girl on Fire, you're going to be the death of me."

Laughing, I stand up on my tippy-toes and stop with my lips only inches from his. "You are so dead to me." I whisper, giggling lightly so he knows I'm kidding. I lean in slowly-

Peeta's arms leave my waist. "Gotta catch me first."

I open my eyes to see Peeta running again. I smile, shaking my head as I begin to chase after him, peals of laughter emitting from both of us.

A/N: You like? You dont like? REVIEW. You have an idea? You wanna see something happen? TELL ME. Want to have me write a specific one-shot? REQUEST IT!(: