Hi everyone,

Sorry, I haven't updated in a while because I'm busy with college. :( But here I am again! Thanks so much to everyone who has read and reviewed! Shout out @ Paulina Ann because they reminded me that this story still existed lol. Here's a little note from Peeta:

Hi Paulina Ann,

Thanks for reading and reviewing the last chapter of our story retold by @ilovegoldenretrieverboys. They love receiving reviews! I hope you have a lovely day and enjoy the freshly baked cheese buns that have just come out of the oven! (Better grab one soon before Katniss eats the whole batch :))

-Peeta

THE LAST FREEDOM

In the late morning, I awake to my head pounding. I lay sprawled out on a set of unfamiliar sheets, twisted around my naked body. Somebody stirs beside me, their leg somehow entangled with mine. Just as I'm about to look over, two hands sneak around my face and Peeta gives me a deep kiss. A sound resonates deep within my throat, and I feel my hands out to find his waist and wrap my arms around him.

"Good morning, girl on fire," he murmurs. His sparkling blue gaze finds mine. Despite the intimacy of last night that we shared, I stare back up at him intently. Suddenly, I've been stripped of everything-all barriers in Peeta's presence. I don't think I've ever felt quite like this with anyone else. So vulnerable and completely unveiled.

"You okay?" He asks quietly, his thumb brushing some stray hairs off of my forehead. Somehow, I am okay, I think. I duck my head into his bare chest and nod. I'm still too sheepish to express myself further after everything that's happened between us. I've never had sex before... I don't think Peeta has either, although somehow he was able to guide my naive self through the process. The details are still blurred but I don't remember it hurting like I've always wondered if it would. On the contrary, it felt dangerously good.

"I know, Katniss," Peeta seems to respond to my thoughts. He is becoming more accurate in reading my body language. I hope it was wonderful for him, too. He deserved that night of happiness just as much as I did, if not, more because he's been dreaming about it longer. I hope I gave him the love that I cannot yet say. The three words that become frozen like ice on my tongue and slip down into the back of my throat before I dare speak them. I hold Peeta tighter, my hands gripping his shoulder blades as we lie chest to chest, trying to push all of my unsaid feelings into his body.

Here, in his comfortable warmth, I'm about to doze off in his arms when a loud banging issues from downstairs. I jump upwards, the forgetful bliss draining from me as I'm pulled back into reality. Peeta tumbles out of bed, hardly remembering to cover himself up. I try not to feel too embarrassed when I see his bare behind considering what we just did last night. A voice yells from the lower level, and the pounding continues.

"Peeta," I look at him urgently as he pulls on some sweatpants. I'm about to get out of bed to follow him, but he shakes his head.

"I'll get it. Probably just Haymitch," he shrugs, but I can see the familiar hint of fear in his face and the adrenaline pulsing through his stiff limbs, an after effect of the games. I try to subside the same feeling within me as I wrap the sheets around my body and head to the door. I peek around the corner. The shadow of Peeta's figure slinks down the stairs and into the foyer. I hear him open the door.

"What's wrong with you? I thought the arena messed up your leg not your hearing! It's almost 1pm, and we have to be on the train by 3!" Haymitch's voice booms from the threshold.

"What? But I thought we were leaving tomorrow!" Peeta exclaims.

"Well, you thought wrong, kid. Today is tomorrow, so let's get goin'! I have your whole prep team standing outside here, and then I've got Effie, Cinna, her prep team, and practically the whole district looking for Katniss! Have you seen her, Peeta? Apparently, she's seemed to have gotten cold feet," Haymitch remarks hotly, stilling fuming.

Shit, today? How could I have been such an idiot? Of course, we are leaving today. Oh no, my family.

"Look, Haymitch, just get my prep team inside here. I know where Katniss is... her mother and sister shouldn't be worried. She's with me," Peeta slowly confesses. I feel dread upon hearing his words, but what else was he supposed to say?

"She's here? Well, let's go get her! Effie's going to have a stroke and I'm too old and banged up to be hurrying around looking for you two like a chicken with my head cut off," Haymitch grumbles, shoving past Peeta and slamming the door behind him. From the top of the stairs, I watch him instinctively walks into the kitchen, probably assuming that I came to have breakfast or something.

"Well, where is she? We haven't got all day!" He calls.

I rush back into the bedroom, shut the door, and quickly begin to throw on clothes. Peeta creaks open the door as I'm tying back my messy hair that his hands tangled.

"You're dressed?"

"Yeah, I'm coming."

I try to walk downstairs as casual as possible, but of course Haymitch knows something's up immediately. His eyes narrow, searching for the truth. I certainly don't feel like Peeta or I should have to give him any explanation. It's none of his business. His face transforms from a look of utter disbelief to taunting amusement to a bit sad in a matter of moments. He mutters something to himself and then tells me to get my butt outside because everyone's worried sick.

I leave without looking back at Peeta. Not a very romantic note to end on, but we've got bigger problems today. With the familiar tug of guilt returning to me, I know my mother and Prim must be looking for me. What was I doing leaving my house in the middle of the night like that and probably scaring them half to death?

That alone causes me to question what I just did with Peeta. I push the thought aside I discover them both waiting on the front porch. My mother gives me a defeated look as if she suspected I was at Peeta's and is too exhausted scold me at the moment. Prim doesn't look at me, rather choosing to study the welcome mat on the ground. That's when I really feel awful. I'm sure my mother thinks I've scandalized my sister in some way.

"I'm sorry. I'm okay, I'm here," I tell them weakly, my words sounding both pathetic and selfish. I want so badly to hug them, to make amends, but now doesn't seem like a good time. I realize that's it's not even the fact that I was with Peeta, it's the fact that yesterday was our final time together as a family under the same roof. When we return to Twelve, I'll be living across the street in the house I just came from.

My eyes find my mother's. I observe her attempt to search inside of me, as if she's trying to understand this bizarre change. Her daughter, whose always been so shy, so independent, warding off boys longer than other girls, has suddenly become the girl who sneaks over to a boy's house at night to be with him.

I desperately try to rationalize the situation. I'm marrying Peeta in only a few days, and we're all leaving on the train today. Peeta and I will be wed and then I won't have my mother controlling me any longer. But that's the thing, at hardly seventeen years old shouldn't every person, whether they want it or not, have their parent watching over them?

"Katniss! Oh, where have you been?" Effie's shrill voices cuts through the air as she throws open the front door of our house. I silently follow her inside and don't answer everyone's many questions as they butter me up for showtime again. My mother and Prim get mini makeovers, too, because they will be on camera as well. Effie told them they need not have to pack anything for the trip, either. Everything, including clothing and toiletries, will be provided on the train and in the Capitol.

I'm more shocked to find Peeta's family at the train station. The Mellarks have been dressed in formal attire by Peeta's prep team and stand there a bit awkwardly as Peeta walks over to greet them. His two brothers seem more eager to attend the festivities than his parents. Both are well built and handsome like their brother and have defined dimples when they smile. They goof around with him and mess up his hair which sends Effie into a frenzy. I can't help but smile at their roughhousing.

Peeta's mother, with her scornful pointy face keeps looking over my family and I like we're the grease in her baking oven. I know she especially doesn't like my mother because of her history with Peeta's father. On the one hand, Mr. Mellark has a quiet smile on his face, and even waves to us when we approach.

"I don't think you all have formally met the Everdeens," Peeta gestures for us to come over to his family.

"This is Katniss, my fiancé. And then, her lovely mother, Mrs. Everdeen, and her sister, Prim," Peeta introduces us fondly, looking relieved when at least his father and brothers shake hands. I'm scared to watch the interaction between Peeta's mother and mine, but Mrs. Mellark gives a curt nod and my mother bows her head. I guess that's better than a screaming match.

"Oh, how lovely, the families bonding! And soon you'll be one happy family!" Effie coos, beaming at us. "I think we should snap a nice picture, you know, for the press!"

Peeta and I decide to sleep in our own compartments during the train ride, mostly to spare my mother the scandal. And because I think his brothers would taunt him all the way up to "I do." It's difficult to be without him, but my sister Prim crawls in bed with me on the first night. I'm grateful for these moments I get to spend with her, and I hope to stay close to her and my mother until the absolute last moment while in the Capitol. I don't trust the people there, especially around my family. I can't even imagine what my mother and Prim will be thinking when they arrive and see all of the grandeur and beauty and waste.

At least, the one good thing I can think of is that after this they should finally be safe. Hopefully, the districts will forget about me and my actions in the arena. Surely, the Capitol will have the strength to snuff out the remainder of small uprisings in the districts. Peeta and I will return to Twelve and live in some kind of manufactured peace ten or eleven months out of the year until we have to expose our love story to the world and be mentors. All we have to do is follow the rules.

Peeta and I stand sheepishly on the platform in the Capitol train station while our families gawk at just about everyone and everything. We link arms for appearances as we are quickly escorted from the station to black cars before the obsessive cheering upon our arrival surround us. It's difficult to hold on to Peeta and my sister at the same time. I try to shield her from the cameras and steer her far away from grabbing hands. I'm not surprised when both Prim and my mother appear a little shell shocked during the car trip.

The night before the wedding arrives quickly and after the rehearsal dinner, Effie forces everyone to bed early otherwise we won't appear fresh tomorrow for the big day. I wouldn't be surprised if she told us when to brush our teeth and what pajamas to pick out. She's really taken over the whole ordeal this time. Haymitch has been hardly helpful during this trip. All he does is secretly worry over Peeta and I and drink in a corner. I appreciate his concern for us, but it only heightens my own worries. If Haymitch doesn't think we can pull this off and calm down the districts, then is it stupid for me to still hope?

Peeta and I have had hardly any time to talk about what happened between us. The only reassurance we have is that neither of us seem to regret it. Sure, my mother was initially upset because she caught on, but I have worked over my guilt with that one. Peeta and I did it for us and not for anyone else to know about it and judge. I can only do one thing to let him know that everything is okay, that I'm really okay with what happened. Right before I go to bed, I find Peeta about to go into his room for the night. I take his hand and pull him over the threshold and wrap my arms around him. His body melts with relief into mine, knowing that I'm not going to push him away. After a wonderful eternity embracing one another, he gives me a light kiss before we say goodnight.