I recognize very few people. Thom who worked in the mines with Gale, Ripper who Peeta paid off to stop supplying Haymitch and me with alcohol. And Hazelle along with her children as walking towards us. It looks as if every person in the village is walking towards us besides Darius and the girl who had been our Avox before the Games…her name is escaping me at the moment. But not knowing whether to run into our house and bolt the door shut, or to stand and wait for them to come we walk into each other.

"Katniss," says Hazelle as she and the rest of the populace close in on us. "We're so glad you're back."

"I've been back for awhile," I tell her as many people come to a stop. I recognize many of them, but the number of individuals is smaller than I ever thought it would be. While I've never loved Victors Village, I'm glad it's provided so many with somewhere to live. We'll rebuild District 12, Peeta promised me that we would. And Peeta's never made me a promise that he hasn't kept.

"Well, yes," she says. "But we hadn't seen you. We weren't sure if you were okay."

"I'm okay," I say, unconvincingly.

"Katniss," she hesitates. "Is Gale coming back?"

I step back a little into Peeta's arm. "I don't know."

"Oh," she say softly. I wish I could tell her more, explain that Gale and I didn't exactly part on good terms, that I would probably never know anything about him again. I don't blame him. I couldn't have been more undecided about him and Peeta than I was. I dragged them both through the mud on that one. Avoiding as much verbal attachment as possible. I hadn't been very fair, to either of them.

"But I'll let you know if I hear anything," I tell her. But Hazelle knows me too well. She knows Gale won't tell me. She knows that I don't know how Gale's doing, and I suppose she might blame me for him not returning to Twelve, and I don't blame her.

"Okay…" she turns to leave.

"The only thing I know," I say as she faces me. "Is that he's in District Two. I'm sorry that I don't know any more than that."

"Thank you, Katniss," she says before leaving.

"Peeta," Thom nods at him.

"Thom," he nods back.

The air is stifling. I'm sure Thom must know about everything. The way that Gale felt about me, everyone knew the way Peeta felt about me…and Thom had to watch me drag Gale through unfair moments of intimacy. And if I were him, I'd be pretty made at me too. Perhaps, he blames me too, for Gale not coming back. If Gale had a best friend, besides me, it was probably Thom.

"Katniss," Thom says emotionless.

"Hello, Thom," I say hesitantly.

"So Gale isn't coming back?" I don't know why him asking this surprises me.

"I don't think so," I say slowly.

"He's in District Two, you say?" he asks and I nod. "Suppose you don't know where in Two he is, do you?" I shake my head. "Right," he spins on his heel and marches away. Looks as if he's staying in the same house as Hazelle, at least her and her kids will be well taken care of.

The rest of the people, mostly from the Seam, come up to Peeta and I to thank us personally for what we've done for the rebellion. For all that we had to go through. For coming back. For giving them hope when they had none. For killing Coin, that one actually surprised me. If there was something to thank us for, then we were thanked. As the crowd started to dwindle down Peeta suggested to the all that it was getting dark and we should be heading in, baby and all. They understood, but several people shot evil looks at Peeta, most of them were moments after thanking us for what we did in this war.

Peeta and I finally make it to the stairs of our house and are climbing them when we hear a shriek from behind us, I almost fall down them at the sound, and probably would have if Peeta hadn't caught me. We turn to see Delly Cartwright charging in our direction. Of course, she'd make it back here! I'm surprised by the rush of jealousy I feel at the presence of her. Maybe that's because she tried to make a move on Peeta. I'm not a very forgiving person, and I still haven't forgiven her for that. I might never forgive her for that, so I have to fight every urge to walk in my house and slam the door in miserable perky face.

"Peeta!" she screams as she gets to the walkway in front of our house.

"Hello, Delly," he says.

"I heard you'd made it back!" she smiles as she stops at the bottom of the stairs.

It's like I'm not even here at all. Delly seems to feel the same way about me that I do about her, but at least I have Peeta and she does not. That's one sweet blissful thing I can rub in her face for the rest of her miserable life. Whoa, Katniss! Take it down a notch! I shake my head and stare at her.

"Yeah," he says. "Few weeks ago."

"It's so good to see you!" she rushes up the stairs and throws her arms around him. It's all I can do not to rip her hair out, and I just might if I didn't have Willow in my arms. For the first time since Johanna brought her to us this morning, I haven't wanted her in my arms. It's at this exact moment I realize Peeta and I are still in our nightclothes. That means, I am in my robe, with absolutely nothing underneath. And Peeta is in underclothes, and nothing else.

"It's nice to see you too," says Peeta as she's knocked all the air out of his body.

"We weren't sure you were going to make it!" she sighs heavily. "We were all worried that you had died in the Capitol, but I told them no. I told them that if you had I would definitely know about it. I would be able to feel it in my soul."

The time for silence is over, "Excuse me?" I stop her. "And how is it that you would know this?"

"Because it's Peeta," she excuses.

"Yes," I say cuttingly. "I know its Peeta."

"So why did you ask?" she retorts letting go of Peeta and facing me.

"Because I can!"

She scoffs at my response. "Okay. Whatever, Katniss." The amount of apathy in her voice is palpable. She likes me, just about as much as I like her. And I don't like her at all. It wasn't until Peeta was calling me a mutt, and reminiscing happily with her about their lives back in Twelve, back when I just knew him as the boy with the bread. There was a whole part of his life that I'll never be a part of, and what unnerves me so much about that, is the fact that Delly was a part of it. She must have been pining for him the way he'd been pining for me. It's amazing how oblivious you can be to someone's attention.

Peeta had been right during out first interviews with Caesar Flickerman, I didn't know he existed—well I knew he existed, bread—but I had never talked to him. We lived in different worlds. He was a baker's son, I was a miners daughter. Those pairings didn't exist very often. Which is what made his declaration so jarring. I couldn't imagine why someone as well off—well, it was well off compared to my family—as Peeta would even be interested in me at all.

Birds. The birds stopped singing. That's what he'd told me. "I knew I was a goner—just like your mother." How had I been so oblivious of this. Even Gale said that he'd noticed Peeta paying me a certain type of attention. I dealt with Peeta's father when it came to trading, not Peeta himself, so what had made me so interesting? My desperation in coming to his trash cans for food?

"So, Peeta," Delly continues, pulling me back to reality, and reigniting my irritation. "Are you going to rebuild the bakery? You always made the best pastries, and your cheese buns we heavenly." Cheese buns? Did she seriously just mention the cheese buns? My favorite thing that Peeta's ever made me, amongst the dozens of other things he can make, and she chooses my favorite?

"I'd been seriously thinking about it," answers Peeta.

"Well, you absolutely should!" She smiles brightly at him. "You have no idea how bad the baked goods have been here without you."

"I've been back for a few weeks though, Delly," he says.

"So, you should have let me know you were back!" She's beaming at him. It's all I can do not to make her wipe that stupid grin off her face. I have to keep reminding myself that there is a baby in my arms. She's sleeping so peacefully, and I've been without her for so long, I keep forgetting that I have her with me again.

"Well," starts Peeta, but she interrupts.

"Because, I was really concerned about you," she strokes his cheek.

"What—" I shove myself between the two of them, holding Willow securely in my arms. "Do you think you are doing, Delly?" The last word is cutting, and unforgiving.

"Just letting Peeta know how much he's been missed," she smiles around me at him.

"Excuse me?" I glare at her. Daring her to continue.

"It's just been so obvious the lack of him, and it's good to have him back," she grins at me. When did she turn into this evil little annoying thing in front of me? I'd been grateful in Thirteen that she'd tried to help Peeta, but after she'd tried to make a pass at him…that's when everything changed.

"Delly—" I try but she stops me.

"Oh, Katniss," she sighs, but the smile remains. "We've just missed him an awful lot here in Twelve." She smiles at Peeta and then looks back at me with the same intensity that I've been looking at her since I stepped between her and Peeta. "I didn't even know you were back."

"Yeah? Well, I've been back longer than Peeta has!"

"Yeah," she said offhandedly. "Didn't know. Don't really care."

"That's it!" I try to hand Willow off to Peeta, and instead he starts to push me up the rest of the stairs. "Peeta, let go of me! Take your daughter!" He's shaking his head and continues to usher me up the remaining steps.

"Thanks, Delly," he says turning to her, "for stopping by. Do feel free to stop in another time."

"What the-!" I try to turn again, but the front door is opening.

"Alright Peeta!" I can hear her skip down the stairs and her feet as the walk away.

Next thing I know I'm in the door and Peeta is closing them. "Let me go talk to her!"

"Uh, no."

"Uh, yes."

"Uh, no."

"Peeta Mellark, get out of my way!"

"Not a chance."

I stare at him for longer than I'm even aware. After a while Willow starts to cry.

"She's probably hungry," he says. "There's several bottles in the fridge already."

"Bottles?" my expression softens immediately. "Why do you have bottles in the fridge?"

"Because there had never been a doubt in my mind," he says pulling me by the elbow toward the kitchen. "Whether we'd get her back or not. To me, it was all just a matter of when." We're in the kitchen and he pulls the fridge open to reveal more bottles than I've ever seen in one place, removes it, heats it up and takes Willow from me and starts feeding her.

"How did you know?" I ask him sinking into the chair.

"I just knew," he shrugs and sits on the couch.

"But, how?" I ask. "I didn't even know."

"Katniss," he says looking in in the eyes. "She's our daughter. Where else do you think she'd belong?"

"Finnick and Annie, or Johanna," I say quietly.

"Finnick and Annie have their own baby to worry about," he says.

"Wait, they had it?" I ask astonished.

"Yeah," he says cautiously. "He was born premature too…"

"Peeta…"

"He's alive," he says slowly. "But he's not doing as well as Willow was."

"It's because of the Games, isn't it?"

He nods, "yes, that's what the doctors are telling them."

"Is this common among the victors?"

"Not necessarily," he says shrugging.

"Meaning?"

"Sometimes, yes," he sighs. "But it's not as common…or at least it wasn't."

"'Wasn't'?"

"Yeah," he's shaking his head.

"Wait…" it hits me. "How do you know all of this?"

"Finnick called yesterday, wanted to make sure you were still alive, and to give me an update." Finnick wanted to make sure I was still alive? After all we've been through together, I can't even fathom why I ever wanted to kill Finnick Odair.

"On Willow?"

"Well, Willow was actually with Johanna most of the time." He puts the empty bottle on the side table and starts patting Willows back. "She heard about Finnick and Annie's situation, and went there so fast to watch Willow that Finnick wasn't sure how she could have gotten there as quickly as she did."

"Have they given him a name?" I ask him.

"I think," he starts, "I'll let Finnick be the one to tell you."

"Okay," I say. "I suppose that makes sense."

"Yes it does," he stands up. "Now come with me Mrs. Mellark and I'll show you the nursery."

"Nursery?" I ask shooting up from the chair so fast I almost fall over.

"Well, I had to do something when you kept to yourself," he says walking from the room. "Didn't I?"

I hurry after him. "There really was no doubt in your mind that we'd get Willow back, was there?"

He looks back at me. "None. I knew we'd get her back, as assuredly as I knew I would get you back."

"But how could you be so sure?" The level of my sureness is pathetic in regards to his. Peeta really doesn't give up on anyone. He'd had plenty of reasons to give up on me, numerous times. Why was—am—I so special?

"Because, I love you, Katniss," he says it so confidently. "You said stay with me, and what did I tell you?"

"You said, 'always.'"

"Exactly," he says as we ascend the stairs. "And when have I ever not kept that promise?"

"I don't know."

"Wrong," he says. "The correct answer is never."

We walk up the remainder of the stairs and he walks straight to the guest room. The one I'd found myself pounding on and screaming his name more than once. This seems like such a long time ago. We were two very different people at that time. Its feels almost impossible that this little bit of reality, is how we've turned out. We made it through the Games, we had a baby, dealt with his being hijacked, and fought and finished a war. No, we are not the same people who sat on opposite sides of this door, me screaming and him crying. While a time may come where he's on one side of a door crying and I'm on the other screaming his name, there will never be a repeat of that time. Everything is the same, and yet nothing is.

As Peeta swings the door open my eyes are immediately drawn to the gorgeous mural on the opposite wall. "A willow tree," I say and he nods. Looking around the rest of the room I see more beautiful paintings. There's a painting of the meadow, of Peeta, Haymitch, and myself. Of Rue, and Prim.

"Oh Peeta," I choke out.

He walks forward and lays Willow in her crib. I walk up to stand beside him and pull the blanket over her. Cinna made it. I'd know the intricate detailing, and color choices anywhere. He must have known that Peeta was planning this. Why else would he make it?

Peeta turns to me and pulls me into his arms. "You really have nothing to worry about, with Delly, Katniss. There may be a history there, but there's only one Katniss Everdeen. No one will be able to take your place."

I wrap my arms around him and hold on fiercely.

"Remember what I said in the Quell?" His arms tighten around me. I nod, but he continues anyways. "I said that if you died, and I lived, I'd never be happy again. That there's no one else I care about in Twelve. Nobody needs me."

"You're more wrong than you know," I look up into his eyes. "That wasn't for the cameras Peeta. That wasn't just to make you feel good before I died—which I had been planning on since I knew about the Quell—in that moment. I was speaking only for myself. When I said I need you…" I sigh. "Peeta, I've never needed anyone before. Even my mother and Prim. I can hunt, I can cook—it's not the greatest—but the point is, I'm capable enough to live on my own, but on the beach. When you said no one needs you, when I knew that you were determined to get me out of that arena, whatever the cost, I knew I'd been wrong. I'd been so wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"For the first time in my life," I sigh. "I needed someone. I needed you. I still need you." I reach my hands up and place them on either side of his face. Forcing him to make eye contact. "I'll always need you, Peeta." I pull his face to mine until our lips meet. Hoping to silence any attempt he might make to debate what I've said, instead his arms tighten around me. I've never needed anyone more than I need Peeta Mellark. No one.

Just wanted to add, that this story will keep going for as long as I can get it. The only time it will ever be over is when you see the two words, the end, and from where I stand now, that's not going to happen anytime soon. And I just wanted to thank you all for all of your wonderful reviews! These past few chapters have come together so effortlessly, and it's truly a pleasure to put them up here for you. I love this story, and I love you.