Within the week Johanna is with us. Sullen, cranky. Beetee stays with her until he has to return to work. Spike is ever present standing guard at her bedside. Her belly visibly larger.

"Can you feel it?" I ask her.

"Constantly. Little fucker's kicking my ass."

"Well we know he's yours."

"Do you want to feel him?" She asks me.

The thought of this terrifies me. Another life inside of her. Waiting to emerge into this world. With all of it's violence and pain. He'll never have to go to a Reaping. He'll never see what his mother saw. I shake my head.

"C'mon." She takes my hand and places it on her belly. This boy, moving inside, so real. Touching me via her. My eyes began to fill with tears. The memory of my mother pregnant with Prim letting me put my hand on her belly and put my faces up close to her womb and talk to Prim before she was even born. The innocence is lost now. Prim is gone, this baby is just existing, to feel that feeling I felt when Prim was still unborn. The sudden jolt of excitement feeling the stirring of another human being tainted by death. I remove my hand from her.

"Wow he's pretty busy in there. Are you happy?"

"Happy is an understatement. He makes me miserable but he gives me a purpose I haven't had something to live for in a long time. He's a blessing really. He's forced me to reevaluate life."

This confuses me. Bringing life in this world after a terrible war isn't a blessing for the child. Born into ruins. Despite Johanna's otherwise pale complexion she's glowing. She radiates something I've never seen before. She's always had hope, buried deep inside her which raged as a fire. NO, it's peace. Johanna feels peace.

I leave her room and find Peeta attempting to paint. His cast has been removed and the formerly broken hand is atrophied and lost a considerable amount of movement. He's painting what should be a lovely scene. A tropical beach, the sunrise dyeing the water pink. A tree stands above all others on the horizon. A body floats in the water. The Morphling. He looks up at me and smiles.

"Hello my love. I thought you would be in the woods."

"No. Not today. I thought I'd give the animals a break."

He chuckles and holds his arm out for me. I sit beside him and he wraps it around me.

"How's Johanna."

"Different. She's cranky that she has to stay in bed, but she's peaceful. The baby seems to be a very calming force for her."

"I didn't expect her to be so maternal." He says.

"Neither did I."

Peeta turns and looks at me.

"Katniss… Tell me you love me."

"I love you."

"Do you want a good life together?"

"Yes."

"The only time I'm a human is when I'm with you. I know you want children Peeta, It's just I'm not ready."

He nods his head and pulls me closer into him. He tilts my face up to look into his, his blue eyes locked on to mine. He moves his hand down my neck to my chest, peeling back my shirt. The intensity with which he looks at me builds. I sit stoic not letting on the butterflies he sends shooting around my stomach. He removes his gaze from my eyes to my breasts which he lovingly massages, then he turns his gaze back up to my eyes and kisses me. I open my mouth to let his tongue in we taste each other. My breath quickens and I remove his shirt. He takes his hand from my breasts and replaces it with his mouth, then he slides his hand to my cunt taking two fingers inside me pumping them in and out. Making me writhe he puts his mouth back on mine and lays me down. Then he removes my pants and enters me. The fluidity of our bodies is astounding the rise and fall of our hips meeting one another. My arm around his neck fingers coiled around his hair. His arm around my waist hugging me to him. Lips locked. I roll over to straddle him picking up the rhythm once again. He sucks my breasts as I make love to him, causing me to lose all concept of the world outside our bodies. Goosebumps travel up my body to my brain and I come. When I come he rolls me over again and takes me with my legs around his shoulders, until he grunts and pants and comes. When he's finished he hovers above me balancing on his forearms, I stroke his face gleaming with dewy sweat.

"I love you." He whispers.

"I love you too."

He kisses me chastely on the mouth.

"I have to go to the bakery. The ovens are being installed." He whispers to me.

I nod my head. He kisses me again and gets up. I hear the shower come on and I put my clothing back on.

"You guys done?" Johanna hollers from downstairs.

"Yea."

"Spike has to shit."
I take Spike outside where he sniffs the ground along a hayfield lining the meadow. He does his business, and the day is nice the sun is warm and the wind is calm so I linger for a while. He continues to sniff the ground ahead of him until he stops he freezes as though a statue his body a completely straight line from snout to tail.

"What is it boy?" I call to him.

He begins to walk slowly still pointing and then I realize what he's doing. I pick up a rock and throw it into the tall grass. Pheasants disperse in all directions. Spike is hunting. He trots back to me and stares at me inquisitively as though wondering why there was no game for him to fetch. I'm pretty sure that's what he was thinking. A useful pet. I think to myself. Not like that mongrel Buttercup who lives to be a pain in my ass.

I turn to the house Spike following me. Considering whether or not to grab my bow and arrow and take Spike hunting. Then I see a car has pulled up to the driveway. It's Effie, Beetee, and Haymitch. Neither myself or Peeta are home, no one there to greet them. Surely Beetee will worry about Johanna. I trot with Spike to greet them, who essentially takes Beetee to the ground in delight. Haymitch once again pensive and sober. Effie cheerfully discussing a baby shower for Johanna. Working even when not at work. I am both annoyed and happy to see them. I've so taken solitude for granted. Effie smiles at me.

"Hurry! We're going to be on TV soon!"