I was speechless, staring at the beautiful room Peeta had designed for our son; it was baby blue and white in colour, split horizontally (with a wooden border) with blue on top and white on the bottom. He'd painted a tree on the wall, with an own sitting on the branch which over looked his newly built crib.
"Gale built the crib" Peeta tells me softly, leading me inside by the hand "and the table." He nods at the table which stood alongside the crib. "It's a changing table, so that you don't have to change him on the floor anymore. His mom made the mattresses for both and the seat for the rocking chair."
He goes on to tell me that Haymitch built the toy chest and the chest of drawers, filling them with products they'd ordered from the Capitol, along with a few toys that had been whittled from wood and clothes that my mother and Gale's mother had made.
Along the wall where the chests were, Peeta had screwed four hooks into the wall. Each hook had been attached to an individual piece of wood shaped into letters to form Reed's name. "It's wonderful" I gasp "Peeta, I don't know what to say!"
"I wanted only the best for our son" he tells me "and I'll do the same again if we have more. I love him, Katniss, I can show him every day but I want him to feel loved as well. I didn't want him to have a blank room. I know that it's just a room-" he continues but I quieten him.
"It's not just a room, Peeta" I say, looking around again "there's so much love in here; painted into the walls, nailed into the toy chest and his dresser. I know he's going to love it, when he's old enough to appreciate it, because I do. It's absolutely amazing."
"Well" Peeta was embarrassed now "we all worked pretty damn hard."
"And it shows" I assure him.
He grins at me before leading me back down the stairs where we sat down to eat the supper Peeta had prepared. "It's your lamb stew" he tells me "I made it from scratch but the ingredients came from the Capitol. I know you love it so I wanted to make it for you."
"You did a perfect job" I tell him, taking a bite and falling in love with the dish all over again.
We eat in silence for a while before Peeta starts talking again. "So why was Gale covered in red berries?"
I snort into my lamb stew. "He annoyed me" I say "he played a joke on me and I got angry."
"What was the joke?" Peeta asks, looking curious.
"He was said that he was waiting for our relationship to breakdown so that he could take your place." I say "but he actually wanted to ask me my opinion on him and Johanna."
Peeta choked on his mouthful of rice. "What?!"
"That was exactly my reaction!" I tell him.
"Johanna Mason?" He checked. I nod in confirmation and watch as he shakes his head "now that's something I didn't see coming." He laughs. "I think they suit each other."
"She still terrifies him" I say.
Peeta shrugs "you still terrify me." He then grins "I think they'll reign each other him; well, he'll tame her and she'll continue to terrify him."
We laugh before discussing our opinions on Haymitch and Effie.
The next day, as we're preparing to leave on our picnic, the phone rings. Since Peeta is packing our basket and Haymitch is feeding Reed, I go. "Hello?"
"Katniss?"
"Prim! Hi!"
My little sister laughs down the phone. "Hey, Katniss. How're you?"
"Good; when are you coming home?" I ask impatiently.
"Well, that's what this call was about; we're due to arrive at the end of the week."
"That's great!" I say
"Johanna, Finnick and Annie are coming as well. They have a surprise for you" she tells me but doesn't let on anything else "and tell Haymitch that Effie's bringing enough luggage to furnish at least three houses."
I laugh "sure, I'll warn him, Prim. How're you, how's mom?"
"Oh, Katniss" she sighs happily "I've learned so much here! We're both great, mom's bringing Reed a load of stuff so make room for it."
"I will" I assure her "I can't wait to show you the nursery; Peeta, Haymitch and Gale did such a wonderful job!"
"I'm sure they did. It's not like them to do such a poor job, plus they all dote on him; it's funny to watch."
"You should see Gale and Haymitch when they're fighting over who gets to feed him; they're like two old women!"
Prim giggles "I can imagine! Anyway, Katniss, I'd better go. See you soon, love you!"
"Love you too, Prim. Bye!"
I return to Peeta and tell both him and Haymitch the good news. "Brilliant" Haymitch smiles "anyway, you two kids have fun and don't worry about this one." He waves us off from his front door but, when I turn back he's not there.
"Don't worry, Katniss; Reed will be fine."
"I know" I say "it's just, since coming back from the Capitol, I don't like to leave him."
Peeta couldn't have picked a better day for a picnic. The sun was high and it was warm but the wind gave us that much needed chill to stay cool. We walked for a while, through the woods; Peeta wanted me to show him where Gale and I hunted. I showed him the traps and the snares Gale had made, described what this place was like at sunrise and at sunset. He listened intently, nodding and asking questions before he began pointing out birds and flowers, describing how he could paint them once his kit arrives from the capitol.
Finally, after almost three hours of walking, we break free of the forest and find ourselves at a beautiful meadow which stretches out further than my eyes can see. We pick a tree, not far from the forest line, and settle down in the shade, sitting on the blanket Peeta had packed.
"We never ventured this far out before" I tell Peeta, still awed by the meadow. "Never even knew it was here. When Gale and I hunted, we'd go in a circle, never in a straight line."
"Well" Peeta opens the basket "I have to admit that I saw a few old maps whilst we were staying at Snow's mansion. You know that district twelve was known as the Rocky Mountains, right?" I nod "well I found it on a map and, of course, most of it is rocky terrain but I saw this green patch on the map and figured that we should investigate it. Was it worth it?" He pulls out two cups and bottle of white liquid I recognised to be wine.
"So worth it" I nod, accepting the cup and taking a sip. My eyes widened as the liquid hit my tongue. I'd never had this one before; maybe I'd missed it at the parties we'd been to. It was sweet but not like honey and it was delicious.
"Moscato" he tells me as I drain my cup "it's meant to be a desert wine; I take it that you like it?"
I nod, holding my cup out to him. "More please."
He half fills it before refilling his "better go easy though" he says "we need to be able to remember the way back."
Peeta's packed water, left over lamb stew from yesterday, pureed apples, a couple of the fish Gale and I had caught yesterday and, my favourite, cheese buns. It was a random concoction of foods but it was still amazing. Peeta had removed the bones from the fish before cooking them and then seasoning them so that they tasted wonderful. We ate and talked for a while, catching up on the week and talking about what progress Reed was making.
"I do love you" Peeta sighs as we lay together, watching the sun slowly set. "I've really missed just spending time with you."
"Me too" I say "but I think that we have pretty good excuses for that."
"What, surviving two hunger game arenas and a rebellion?" He laughs.
"Exactly" I grin before sighing and sitting up "let's get back before dark."
We fall into bed, exhausted, but we don't sleep.
"I'd like more kids" Peeta murmurs into the gloom "a playmate for Reed."
I smile but sigh a little; I wasn't against having any more children but I wanted to wait until Reed was at least out of diapers before we start thinking about it seriously. "I'd like to sleep" I reply, closing my heavy eyes. I expected Peeta to press it but he didn't, instead, he pulls me closer and decide not to sleep again.
We sleep in later than normal, well past breakfast and into midday. Peeta's up before me, I find him sitting at the table in the catching with tired eyes as he nurses a mug of coffee. Though he's tired, he doesn't hesitate, when I come in, to make me one.
"Sleep well?" He asks.
"Out like a light" I say "when you finally let me sleep."
"Well you weren't complaining" he grins just as Haymitch lets himself in through the kitchen door, grabs my mug of coffee and sits down at the table looking exhausted.
"Erm, Haymitch" Peeta frowns "aren't you forgetting something?"
"Bugger is with Gale" he grunts before glaring at me "didn't think to tell me that he's teething, did you?"
I frown "he was fine last night."
"Well he was screaming all night" Haymitch tells me moodily "didn't shut up till I let the little bugger gnaw on my hand."
"So why are you drinking our coffee?" Peeta asks.
"Your baby kept me from sleeping so now I'm using your coffee to keep me awake."
"I guess that makes sense" he sighs.
"Too damn right, boy."
Gale comes in a little while later with Reed. "You two have a good time?" He asks
"Peeta found this really beautiful meadow" I tell them, keen to share it. "It spread out further than the eye could see and it was just perfect."
"Oh yeah?" Gale raises his eyebrows as he sets Reed down on the floor and watches as he speeds around the kitchen on his hands and knees. "Any more baby Mellarks on the way?"
I frown, wondering why he was asking this, when Haymitch guffaws into his coffee. "The way those two were going at it last night, there's probably three on the way!"
The blush spreads across my face, heating my cheeks, before I can even try to hide it. "What are you talking about?" I ask, still trying to remain cool even though there wasn't much point.
"Could hear you over Reed's screaming" Haymitch smirks "sounded like a dying mutt; I thought it was something dying at first and then-"
"And then what?" Gale's grinning too.
"Then I hear 'PEETA!'" Haymitch shrieks in a girly voice, startling Reed and making my hands tremble. "OH, PEETA" he continues, if this wasn't so damn humiliating I'd find it hilarious; Haymitch looked a right sight. "DON'T STOP, PEETA!"
"Least she's getting some" Peeta say coolly "oh yeah, so am I. You two have to take matters into your own hands."
"Not for long," Gale winks at him, slapping him on the back. "And, anyways, at least if it's not me drilling her, I'm glad it's you."
"Gale!" I shriek, sounding exactly like Haymitch, setting my best friend and my mentor off again.
Peeta's smiling but, when I catch his eye, he just shakes his head at me. Sick of being laughed at, I scoop Reed up off the floor and head upstairs to put him down for his nap.
"What are they trying to do to me?" I coo down at my son as I change his dirty diaper "they're just jealous, aren't they?"
Reed gurgles sleepily at me as I sit in the rocking chair with him and sing to him as I rock him to sleep.
I stay in the chair longer than necessary just staring at my son as he sleeps. "Is he out?" Peeta asks in whisper as he walks into the room.
"Like a light" I say, getting up and transferring him to the crib.
Peeta and I stand there for a moment, staring at him. "You know they're just teasing, right?"
"I know" I say.
Then he puts his hand on mine. I lift my eyes only to see that he's already staring at me "besides, I don't care what they think; I love hearing you say my name."
"Hopefully I don't sound like Haymitch"
"No" he shakes his head "trust me, you don't. Katniss," his gaze deepens and I already know what he's going to say before it tumbles from his lips "I'd love to hear you say my name again."
"Peeta" I whisper, teasing him before I allow him to tow me from the nursery and into our room.
