I finally got the time to read everyone's feedback and I am so thankful for all of the support! I imagine a better group of followers for this story. Each and everyone one of you is helping me out during this difficult period of my life by sending me all of supportive messages. I love you all to the moon and back.

Thanks to dandelionlass!

Peeta's POV

It's the third fucking night in a row that I'm going to be stuck in this godforsaken office until well after midnight. Just the thought of not being at home with Katniss is enough to put me in a sour mood, let alone these fuckwads trying to figure out how to use Skype. I run a hand over my face as one of the older men manages to disconnect our call. I pour myself another drink. This is my fifth but I doubt it will be my last. Katniss will most likely be asleep by the time I get home anyways, so I don't have to worry about any performances later tonight.

"Just call those old fuckers on the damn telephone and tell them we'll work it out tomorrow morning when they're airhead assistants are in. Maybe they'll finally be good for something and show them how to work the blasted computer?" Haymitch groans from the lounge chair in the corner of the room. I had forgotten entirely that he was there.

"I wanted this deal to get done tonight. It's been dragging far too long."

"It's going to keep dragging. The old bastards don't know what they're doing and it's pissing you off and probably even them. Let's all get some sleep and we'll hash this out first thing tomorrow morning, alright?"

"But—"

"But nothing," Haymitch cuts me off. "You could probably fly there at this point and it would be quicker than waiting for them to figure it out. You can lead a horse to water, Peeta, but you can't make him drink."

I groan and throw back the rest of my drink. I can no longer feel the burn at the back of my throat. I dial the number of the man I've been trying to have a face-to-face conversation with all night to tell him we'll pick it up in the morning, eight o'clock his time.

For months I've been working on expanding my business. I went from a small mom and pop shop, to owning hundreds of restaurants around the world, to being the budget of many political campaigns, and now forming tons of nonprofit organizations in order to make the world a better place. Presently I'm hoping to find a cheaper, ecofriendly way to import and export all of our goods. I want Katniss to be the head of the operation, but I'm not going to bring any of this up until everything is set in stone.

The CEO of the company I'm trying to hash out a deal with seems elated when I tell him we'll pick this up tomorrow morning. It annoys me further, however. He should want to secure this deal as soon as possible seeing that it could potentially gain him millions of dollars. It would be too bad for him if I decided to take my business plans to any of his competitors.

I sit in the backseat as my stomach grumbles, "Haymitch I don't feel like making anything when we get home."

"Dick's?"

My mouth waters at the idea of cheap hamburgers and insanely good shakes. "I'm not opposed to that."

We pull up to the brick building and immediately head inside to get away from the snow that is blanketing the roads. The inside is illuminated by a large, red neon sign that spells out Dick's and has brightly colored table tops. Besides the employees, Haymitch and I are the only ones here.

We end up ordering the same thing: a deluxe, fries, and a strawberry shake. Once we've gotten our order, we take a seat at one of the corner booths and dig in.

"So," Haymitch starts in between mouthful of fries. "How are you and Miss. Everdeen?"

"Katniss and I are fine."

"You haven't been getting much use out of that secret little room of yours. If I'm correct you've only ventured in your little sanctuary maybe once since she's been back." Katniss calls the playroom the Red Room of Pain while Haymitch calls it a sanctuary, I wonder what Effie calls it?

"We've been busy." I shrug.

"Is it you or her that is afraid of going in there?"

I look up at Haymitch. His usual disheveled hair is in his face like always and, as per usual, he doesn't bother to move it out of his line of vision. I remember the first day we met. It was at a charity pancake breakfast and he managed to sweet talk one of the ticket ladies into letting him in without a ticket for our unlimited pancake breakfast. Some people wanted to call the cops since he was stealing from a charity, but I made him more pancakes and we got to talking. He served in the war and was honorably discharged when he got news of his wife and kid dying from a car crash and couldn't hold himself together anymore. He lost his family, his job, and all of his possessions within a couple of months.

I wasn't taking pity on the drunken Vet when I asked him if he wanted a job acting as a bodyguard of sorts. I truly needed someone to watch out for me while my sole focus was anywhere but my surroundings. It only took a few weeks for Haymitch to become my best friend in a way. He was the first person I shared my life with, that got to know the real Peeta Mellark, and he didn't give a rat's ass if the real Peeta liked tying up pretty, consenting girls and doing whatever pleased him best.

"Probably me. I don't know what I'm doing. I've never been in a relationship before, and this is all so new and I'm fucking terrified. I'm not going to lie to you Haymitch, there was a small part of me that was happy Katniss left. That part of me would still be happy if Katniss left."

"Do you love her?"

The question hits me square in the chest. Fuck, I know that I like being with her. I was miserable without her, but love? I don't love. That is a foreign concept for me. I don't know how nor can I love anyone. That part of me is well past the point of being broken.

"I care about Katniss."

"Could you see yourself living the rest of your life with her?"

"Sure, if we just continued what we're doing now."

"So no marriage and no kids?"

I laugh. "Could you picture me with kids?"

Haymitch shrugs. "I never thought I'd see you in love."

I'm completely stuffed with food and dead tired by the time Haymitch pulls my shiny car up next to Katniss' beat up jeep. I want to get her a new car, something that doesn't look like it's on its last leg, but I know if I do, I probably won't have my balls anymore. I chuckle at the thought and Haymitch gives me a curious side glance as we head to the elevator.

"Do you know when Effie will be home?"

"Her plane lands tomorrow morning. I plan to pick her up once I drop you off at the office."

"Good, she deserved a vacation."

One single lamp is on when the elevator doors open, which is odd. Katniss hates how big, open, and dark everything is and likes to keep at least three lights on while she's home alone. I venture further into the living room and my heart stops.

Katniss is lying face up in the middle of the living room. There's a dark crimson puddle pooling on the white floor around her head. I can't breathe, or move, or function. All I can do is stand there and look helplessly as Haymitch checks her pulse and dials 911. I'm catatonic as paramedics push past me and assess Katniss before gently picking up her limp body and placing her on the stretcher.

I think one of the paramedics asks me if I want to ride in the ambulance with them. I nod my head in agreement, but Haymitch says that we'll follow and he guides me to the elevator.

"Haymitch," I manage to croak out. "I love her."

"She's a fighter, that one. She'll be okay." Haymitch puts a hand on my shoulder.

But will she?