Peeta brought Katniss back to her hotel suite and led her inside. He had hoped that finally being alone together in the quiet of their room would be comforting for her... until he saw the flowers waiting for her. Sitting on the coffee table just inside her suite was a big, elegant cut glass vase full of long stemmed white roses, with a card attached addressed to her. She read the card aloud.

It read, Lovely roses for the lovely bride-to be. Thought you might want to start practicing carrying your bridal bouquet. President Snow.

Katniss started shaking with anger. She didn't want his stupid flowers, she didn't want this ridiculous public pageant of a wedding, either. She wanted her sister back... she wanted her life back.

She hated President Snow so much.

Suddenly, she felt all her anger and resentment and pain bubble up all at once, and it exploded out of her.

She picked up the vase of flowers and threw it as hard as she could, shattering the glass vase against the wall, and started pacing back and forth, screaming.

"I hate the fucking President and his God damn fucking roses, I hate the fucking capitol! I can't wait to leave here! I hate that he is making us get married! I don't want this stupid fucking wedding, I don't want ANY of this!"

Peeta had just stood by silently watching her tantrum, and when she finished ranting, she turned and looked at him.

His face looked so hurt, so pained. He had misunderstood her words.

She stopped in her tracks, instantly forgetting about her anger and worrying about him.

"What's wrong Peeta?" she asked.

"You hate that we are getting married? You don't want any of this? Do you... not want... to marry me Katniss?" he asked quietly.

She felt horrible. That wasn't what she had meant at all, not even close. She rushed over to him and threw her arms around him.

"Oh, no, Peeta, that's not what I mean at all! Nothing could be further from the truth! I do want to marry you, so very much. You are the best thing in my life. I'm so sorry that's what you thought I was saying!" Katniss apologized.

"Come here," she said, as she took his hand and led him to the side of the bed, and they sat down next to each other. She held both of his hands in hers.

"Peeta, I'm angry about this sudden wedding because it's not how I wanted it to be. We only get to have our wedding day once, and ever since you put that ring on my finger, I have dreamed about what our wedding day would be like, and this is NOT how it was supposed to be! I wanted it to be perfect and special, and just about us. I don't want it to be in the capitol, and on television for everyone in the world to see. It's our day, yet we won't get to have any say in it. It will all be planned for us. They're taking our special day away from us and that's what I'm so livid about."

He exhaled with relief. Now that Peeta had a better understanding of why she was against this wedding, he kind of agreed with her. He cupped her face with both hands and kissed her softly.

"Tell me how you wanted our wedding day to be." he said tenderly. "How did you envision it?"

"I wanted our wedding to be small and intimate, maybe in my backyard at sunset on a warm summer evening, candles lit all around us... a beautiful little cake made by you, like the one you made me on the day we made love for the first time."

Peeta smiled warmly, remembering that day. Then he closed his eyes, wanting to see her vision of their wedding day.

"Tell me more," he said, as he held her hands in his, keeping his eyes closed. "I want to see what you see. Tell me what you're wearing as you walk down the aisle to me."

Katniss closed her eyes too, as she started to describe her vision.

"A soft, flowing dress... something like chiffon, that moves and flutters when the breeze blows. A soft, off-white color, like candlelight. The dress is simple, but pretty and feminine. It's strapless, form fitting on the top, but loose and flowing from my hips down. It's just ankle length, and you laugh when you see that I am in my bare feet, walking through the grass to you."

Peeta grinned as he envisioned it.

"My hair is down, loose in soft waves, with some little white flowers tucked here and there. I'm carrying a bouquet of colorful wildflowers that you and I picked in the woods that morning, tied together with a satin ribbon."

Peeta felt his eyes getting watery as he imagined her description of their wedding. In his mind's eye, she looked so beautiful, walking towards him. He felt overcome with emotion, picturing the girl he loved who would soon be his wife.

"You reach out your hands to take mine, and I stand before you, glowing, radiant, so happy and so ready to say my vows to you, surrounded by our family and friends..."

But then Peeta heard her voice crack as she tried to stifle a sob, breaking the spell they were just under.

"And Prim is by my side, holding my bouquet."

He opened his eyes, and saw the waterworks starting.

"Oh, baby..." he whispered, taking her into his arms. "That's the biggest thing that will be all wrong, isn't it? That your sister should be there on your wedding day."

"Yes." she whispered, struggling to speak between her sobs. "It's supposed to be... the happiest day... of our lives... but I'll be missing Prim... you'll be trying to hold me together... Gale will be miserable... it's just not fair to have so much sadness on our wedding day!"

"I know." Peeta said, holding her close. "It's not fair that you won't have your sister, and it's not fair that you don't get to have the wedding day that you imagined. I like your vision much better than whatever over the top spectacle the capitol will have planned for us. But you know what?" he asked, as he pulled back just enough to hold her face in both of his hands and look into her eyes, which were still spilling over with tears.

"What?" she asked.

"At the end of the day, it is still about you and me. When we are standing up there together, saying our vows to each other, we won't care what we are wearing or how many people are watching. We have survived so much together, and we will get through this too. The only thing that matters is that we will be husband and wife, and we will be so happy and in love. I will take care of you always. No matter what happens, they can't take that away from us."

She hugged him tight, grateful for his ability to calm and comfort her. He always knew just the right thing to say.

"Well," Katniss said, sniffling as she wiped her eyes and stopped her crying, "I may not have planned on us getting married in just four days, but you're right. Love conquers all. I love you today, I will love you tomorrow, and I will love you even more in four days when we promise our lives to each other. And I know that Prim will be there with me, even if it's only in my heart."

"Of course she will." Peeta agreed. "She will always be with you."

They were quiet for a few moments, just holding each other. Then Katniss pulled away a little and spoke.

"Peeta, are you angry with Gale?" she asked quietly.

"Angry? For what... living?"

"Well, yeah, kind of. Are you mad that he didn't keep his promise to you about saving Prim?"

"No." Peeta told her. "I was never wishing for him to die. I just didn't see any other way for Prim to live. And I know that he was trying to keep her alive, right up until the very end. It just didn't work out the way he planned."

They sat in silence again for a moment.

"Why, Katniss? Are you angry with Gale for not saving Prim?" he asked.

"No. I know that he did everything he could for her, and I know that he would have traded places with her if he could have, which is more than anyone else in his position would have done. I selfishly wanted them both to come home, even though I knew that it was not possible. I forgive Gale for not being able to save Prim. It wasn't his fault. I just worry that Gale will never be able to forgive himself for her death."

"Hmm. Well, when you go see him in the hospital, tell him that. It will make him feel better to know that you don't blame him." Peeta said.

"Yeah, I will." she replied, sighing as she leaned against Peeta. She was so tired and drained, yet didn't see how she would ever be able to relax enough to sleep. She was sure that she would be having nightmares tonight.

"Look at you, you're exhausted, but you are so tense at the same time. I can feel it in your body." Peeta said. "Come with me." He took her hand and helped her stand up, and led her towards the bathroom.

"What are we doing?" she asked.

"We are going to have a bath so you can relax before bed." he answered.

Peeta went over to the large soaking tub in the bathroom and filled the tub with hot water and vanilla bubble bath.

He helped her undress, then undressed himself and led her to the tub.

"Come on, get in." he said softly. "Sit in front of me."

He eased himself down into the hot water, then held her hand as she stepped in and sat down, reclined against him.

"Try to relax." he whispered into her ear, and then kissed her neck. Then he began massaging her neck and shoulders. Her muscles felt so tense and tight, all knotted up from two weeks of worry and anxiety and heartache.

Katniss had to admit that the massage felt very good. She hadn't fully realized how stressed her body was until Peeta started kneading her muscles with his strong hands. She leaned forward so he could rub further down her back.

He wanted to massage her whole body, but not in a sexual way. Right now, he wasn't trying to arouse her, he was trying to relax her. He gave her a good, long backrub, then worked down both of her arms, all the way to her fingers.

When he finished that, she was already feeling much calmer and sleepier. She relaxed her body back against his, then turned herself over to face him, as they both sunk a little deeper into the warm sudsy water. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you very much for that." she said softly. "I'm so lucky to have you."

"You're welcome." he whispered, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

As they lay cuddled together in the bath, with her head resting on his chest, Katniss realized that this was the first time that they'd done anything naked together in two weeks, since the first night of the games. She just hadn't been able to think of anything like that, she was so worried about Prim and Gale.

"Peeta?"

"Mmmm?"

"I'm sorry I haven't been in the mood for sex these last couple weeks." she said.

He sat up a bit, so he could look at her.

"You don't have to apologize for that. I would never have expected you to be. This has not been a fun time for us."

"I know, but I still feel bad." she told him. "You've been so good to me. And I'm sure you have needs."

He couldn't help but laugh a little at that.

"Don't worry about my needs." he said, smiling at her. "I'm not going to die from going a couple weeks without sex. All I need right now is this, you and me, snuggled together, talking. This is perfect."

"Do you need me to pleasure you now?" she asked, reaching her hand down between his legs. She wasn't at all in the mood, but she would have done it for him if he needed it. It was the least she could do for him, after everything he had done for her.

"No, not tonight." he answered gently, taking her hand and bringing it back up to his chest. "I want you to be relaxed so you will sleep. You've had a very difficult day. We have the whole rest of our lives to pleasure each other. There is no hurry. Besides, I was thinking... at this point, I think it might be nice to wait the four more days until our wedding night. Just think how special it will be then. I think I would like to wait and make love to my wife."

She sighed, and she looked at him adoringly. If Peeta didn't have her heart before, he definitely had it now. She loved that he had such a sentimental side. And she thought that he was right... it would be so much more meaningful in just a few short days.

"I think that is a beautiful idea." she said. "We'll wait."

She leaned in and kissed him... this wonderful, sweet, sentimental man who would soon be her husband.

"You ready for bed now, love?" he asked.

"Mmmm, bed sounds good." she whispered.

They got out of the bath, dried off, and got into their pajamas. Peeta turned down the bed, and they slid in under the crisp sheets and warm blankets. He spooned himself around her and held her close. He could tell that as tired as she was, she was afraid to go to sleep. She was already fearing the nightmares that she knew would be coming for her.

"Try to sleep, baby." Peeta soothed her. "I'll be right here, holding you."

She closed her eyes, snuggled her head into the pillow and her body into Peeta's warmth, and fortunately it didn't take her long to succumb to her exhaustion, into a deep sleep...for a while anyway.

It wasn't long before Peeta woke to her thrashing around, crying in her sleep. He turned on the bedside light and looked at the clock.

Well, she managed to sleep three hours, he thought to himself. It was better than he'd expected.

He gently shook her arm to wake her up.

"Katniss, wake up, it's only a dream." he said into her ear.

She woke with a start, looking at him with her eyes filled with fear and spilling over with tears.

"What was it?" he asked her gently, wiping the tears from her face with his hand.

"Prim." she whispered. "Curran was hurting her."

Peeta smoothed her hair. "It's okay. He can't hurt her anymore. Gale made sure Curran wouldn't hurt anyone ever again."

She closed her eyes and let the tears come again.

"I miss Prim so much!" she wailed.

"I know... I know you do." Peeta soothed her, pulling her closer into his embrace. He just held her quietly and let her cry out all her sadness, until she finally tired herself out and fell back to sleep.

He didn't even bother to turn off the bedside light this time. He didn't want to move and wake her up, and besides, sometimes she slept better with the light on anyway, so he just closed his eyes and went back to sleep with her.

A couple of hours later, he woke up once more to her having another nightmare. He woke her up again.

"Was it Prim again?" he asked.

"No." she said, her voice trembling. "It was you. It was last year, with the nightlock berries... I gave them to you, but this time when we counted to three, you swallowed some before they told us to stop, and I had to watch you dying and I couldn't save you and it was all my fault because it was my idea!"

She started bawling again.

"Shhh," he quieted her. "It was only a dream. I'm right here, and I'm fine and I'm not going anywhere."

She sighed, relieved that he was alive and well, but she was exhausted and so sick of crying. Her eyes hurt and her head hurt.

They lay there snuggled together for a while, but now she was wide awake.

"Do you think you are going to be able to go back to sleep?" Peeta asked her.

"No, I don't think so." she answered.

"Well, we might as well just get up then." he said. "We've got a busy day ahead. You know that Cinna will be coming for you, to start planning and fitting you for a wedding dress, and I'm sure that you'll want to go see Gale in the hospital at some point too."

"Yup, I'll go put on some tea." she said, dragging her tired body out of the warm bed. She opened the drapes on the picture window and looked out over the capitol below, in the first rays of morning light.

Another day of the emotional roller coaster was dawning.