A/N: You guys liked the last chapter, huh? Well, I'm glad. I love writing this story and I recently have had a few ideas for a new story. It'd be another Modern Day AU fic. Let me know what y'all think. Here's a treat all; Peeta's POV! This chapter is so GOOD. ENJOY.

Peeta's POV

I just made love to the love of my life. I'm still in shock. It was so good. It was like nothing I've ever experienced. This place, it's like magic.

After our lovemaking, Katniss fell asleep, tucked into my side, on the shore of the vast lake. How have I never known about this lake? I make a mental note to come here whenever I have the chance.

I'm pulled from my thoughts when Katniss shivers into my side, obviously cold. We're both still naked and as much as I want to admire the view a little longer, I get up and wrap her in the blanket. She stirs a bit, but doesn't wake. I throw on some clothes, and put Katniss' clothes into the bag I had put the blanket in, finding a small bag tucked under the table. When I open it, I find the sweatpants and t-shirt I had given Katniss that day at the airport. A note is attached that says:

If you've found this, you probably are packing up. My guess, you and Kat just made some memories! Don't worry, I'll keep it on the DL. Put these on her so she doesn't die of hypothermia. You'll thank me later.

Prim

Thank the heavens for Prim. Wait, how'd she know about this place if Katniss said only two people knew and one of them was dead? I guessed she was talking about Gale, but now I'm not sure… I'll ask her later.

I walk back over to the shore to see that Katniss is still sound asleep. God, she's so beautiful in her sleep. She looks so happy, so at peace. I love her scowl, don't get me wrong, but seeing her like this is so nice. Just as I unravel the blanket to slip the warm clothes over her body, she wakes.

"Hey, baker." She says in a scruffy voice. I immediately grow hard.

"Hey. I'm just gonna slip these clothes on you and we'll head back." I say, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. I need to calm down. Dead puppies. Haymitch naked. Dead puppies. Naked Haymitch.

"Already?" she says. God, she's so fucking beautiful.

"Already." I say. Dead puppies. Dead puppies. Dead puppies.

"I have a better idea." She says.

"Oh? And what would that be?" I say, pretty suggestively actually. God, please let it be good.

She smirks at me and brings my face down for a passionate kiss. At first, I think she just wants a good make-out, but that thought quickly gets extinguished when she spins us around so she's straddling me, completely naked. So much for calming down. I pull away first.

"As much as I would love to continue, we should really head out. Aren't there bears out here?" I ask. She laughs and kisses me again, lighter and quicker this time.

"I wouldn't worry about them, I'd worry about the coyotes. Their vicious." She says. My eyes go wide and she laughs even harder this time before getting up, snatching the clothes out of my hands and throwing them on.

We pack up the necessities since I hired a few guys to come out here tomorrow and clean up when it dawns on us we have to walk almost an hour through the woods in order to get back to my car. Damn. She realizes this at the same time I do and turns to me, a grin on her face.

"I have an idea." She says.

"As long as I don't have to trek an hour in the woods, I'm in."

"Well then, follow me." She says and grabs my hand. We pick up the few bags and make our way. Within 10 minutes, we reach a small shack on the other end of the shore. I hesitate for a second before she shoots me a reassuring grin and pulls me in.

"What is this place?" I ask, struck with amazement as I walk in. It's tiny, but seems so homey. There's a tiny bedroom off to the side along with a tiny bathroom. The main room consists of a kitchenette and a small living/dining room. Amazingly, this little place has running water.

Katniss shrugs. "My dad used to take me here. He and I fixed this little shack up together and with the little money we had, bought it off the state. I haven't been back here for a long time."

I can see unshed tears well up in her eyes so I go and envelope her in my arms. I say, "Thank you for sharing this place with me. I love you."

She smiles. "I love you, too."

We share a quick kiss before she says she'd start a fire in the small fireplace. I don't want her going out to get wood alone, so I protest. "You're not going out there without me."

She smiles again, finding an opportunity to tease me. "Why, Mr. Mellark, are you scared?"

I wasn't kidding, so I give her a stern glare. "No, I'm not, but I don't want you alone in the woods in the middle of the night. I'm coming."

She shrugs, looking overly displeased with my actions, but doesn't protest, at which I'm thankful. She happens to have a small axe behind the house, so we scrounge up enough wood for the night and head back inside. Within minutes, we have a full, blaring fire.

"Wow." I say.

"It's nothing. My dad taught me a lot." She replies.

"You know, he really was a great man. I know I'll never know him the way you'd like me to, but the few exchanges I had with him over the years were amazing. I'm glad to be able to say I had met him."

She looks up at me with something I've never seen in her eyes. Pure Admiration. I'd know, I give her this look at least once a day. Before I can say anything else, her lips are on mine once again in a kiss fueled by love and only love. She pulls away after about a minute and smiles.

"Thank you." She says.

"The pleasure was all mine." I reply.

We spend the rest of the night wrapped up in each other's embrace by the small fireplace of the hut I will forever remember.

Katniss' POV

We got back to my house just hours before we were to fly home. This time, Prim was driving both Peeta and I to the airport.

"I'll see you in an hour. I love you." I say ti him and with a quick peck on the lips, I'm walking through my front door and Peeta's driving away.

"TELL ME EVERYTHING! E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!" Prim yells as she barrels into me. I chuckle and push her off.

"I'll tell you as we pack because we're leaving in an hour."

She nods her head enthusiastically and practically drags me to my room. As we pack up all of my stuff, I tell her every detail starting from Seneca and ending with 30 minutes ago. Yes, I even tell her about how we had sex. I don't go in detail, but I do tell her it happened. When I finish, we are to leave in 15 minutes and Prim looks like she's going to cry.

"Oh…my…god… that's so perfect. Katniss, that's like, Nicholas Sparks novel perfect!"

I just roll my eyes. "Yeah well, we love each other and I guess that's what happens between two people in love." I say.

"You guess?!" she almost screams. I laugh and wheel my suitcase along with my carry-on to the front hall. I leave it there and head to the kitchen. My mother sits with a cup of tea at the table, looking extremely sad.

"Mom?" I question. She looks up at me and offers a small smile. She then gets up and comes to give me a large hug. Throughout this trip, we didn't speak much, but I can feel that our relationship is improving, even if it is just the slightest bit.

"I'll see you soon, mom." I say. She nods and pulls away to look at me.

"Katniss, I love you. I know we have never had a happy relationship, but I want you to know that I love you more than anything. I'm so, so incredibly proud of you and the woman you're becoming. I'm also extremely happy for you and Peeta. You deserve this," I smile and go to speak but son found out sheisn't finished, "and I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for the terrible mother I was to you and Primrose. You girls are all I have and I love you so much. I'm not asking you to forgive me for what I made you girls suffer through, but I'm just letting you know I'd do anything to take that back and be right."

I'm left speechless and just hold onto my mother harder than I ever have. Before I leave with Prim, I whisper 'I love you, too' and smile. Her eyes light up. I see the hope written across expression, as if by some unknown reason, she's being given another chance to be a mother. Suddenly, I'm happy I could do this for her.

When Prim and I get in the car, I clean myself up and we head over to the Mellark's residence.

"Thank you." Prim says, so suddenly and quietly I almost missed it.

"For what?" I ask. I'm truly puzzled.

"For what you did with mom. I want us to be a family again, Kat. That's all I want." She says. I'm usually not good with words and they're obviously failing me now. I reach over with one arm and rub her arm up and down in a consoling gesture. She smiles at me and I offer a small smile back.

When we pull into the driveway at Peeta's house, I text him.

Me: Hey we're outside.

It's not 10 seconds later that I get a reply.

P: Katniss, I need you to park down the street and don't come in. I'll be out as soon as I can.

Uh oh. No. What's going on in there that he needs me as far away from the house as possible?

"Prim, I need you to park in the neighbor's driveway. Now." I say. Without question, she quickly complies. I tell her to turn the car off so I can hear if any loud noises come from the house. I swear… if that woman lays one hand on any of those boys…

CRASH

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of glass shattering and someone crying out. That's all it took.

"Prim, if I'm not out in 10 minutes, call the police, ok? I love you." I say and run towards the house before she can respond. When I get to the door, I don't even hesitate before opening it. I've never been in Peeta's house and don't really know the layout, but I just follow the cries and noise.

When I come upon the site, I nearly pass out. Matt is lying on the floor, bleeding from the back. The glass that I heard shatter is a vase lying completely destroyed around him. Across the room stands Mrs. Mellark, wooden spatula in hand, about to strike Peeta. Before I can stop my actions, I lunge in front of him, taking the blow myself to the upper back. I cry out in pain, but I saved Peeta from that blow. That's all that counts.

"Katniss! Look at me…" he says, crouching down and tilting my head up.

"I'm fine," I say and try to get up. I go to move my right arm and yelp in pain again. Peeta winces at the sight of me hurt but I turn my attention towards his dad. "You father… call an ambulance. I know when someone's losing a lot of blood and he needs help." Peeta just looks at me. "Now!" I yell and it snaps him out whatever trance he was in. He then nods and crouches next to his father, phone to his ear. That's when I am graced with a conversation with the ever so lovely Mrs. Mellark.

"Tramp, out of my home! You have no right! I'll call the police!" Mrs. Mellark yells. I let my right arm dangle to my side and step closer to her. She puts the spatula up again, as if to hit me, when Rye jumps out of nowhere and snatches it out of her grasp.

"Mom, you're digging yourself a deeper hole. Go." He says.

"This fowl being has no right to be in my home! You slut! What, are you just with Peeta for our money? Well, you'll never have any of it! Ever! You whore!"

I'm about to reply when police and paramedics rush in the house. In the second I turn to look, Mrs. Mellark takes back the wooden spatula and hits me over the head. I'm down on the ground in an instant.

Peeta is immediately at my side. "Katniss. Oh my… Katniss, you'll be okay. Look at me, Katniss." He's saying. I can't concentrate. The edges of my vision are going blurry and the world of darkness is calling my name. I start to close my eyes when Peeta shouts through his muffled sobs.

"Katniss! Wake up! Keep those beautiful grey eyes open. Katniss, please look at me!"

I look at him once more and say, "I'm sorry," before I'm called into the blackness.

A/N: JHFJGDCHFKLHJVKHC. Emotional, right?! I told you there was drama on the way :( don't worry though, things will get better soon! Please review. Your reviews mean the world to me. Providing me with feedback for my hours of work on these chapters is what keeps me going.

Until next time, lovelies.