Author's note: There's a character in here that isn't original to me. Alan is one my friend created for a work called Leather and Lace (which she desperately needs to finish). He's an Avox in her world. In mine, he's deaf and uses ASL to communicate. I hope you like him.

I mentioned over on Tumblr (booksrockmyface) that I had originally wanted to make this one really long chapter, but then decided to split it in two. You should get the next chapter tomorrow.

Thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites, follows, and reads! It means a lot. I changed up a bit of the French in the last chapter thanks to someone pointing out my mistake. And you are welcome to come visit me on Tumblr.

Happy reading!

Chapter Twenty

Peeta dropped down on the bed and loosened his tie. "I'm beat."

Katniss kicked off her shoes and stepped in front of him with her back facing him. "Too beat to unzip me?"

Peeta stood and lowered the zipper as he placed a soft kiss to the back of her neck. "Thank you for coming with me."

"Thank you for asking me." She stepped away and pushed her dress over hips. "I had fun. That Delly girl is really sweet."

"My mother kind of put a damper on things." He stood and started undressing as he watched her put on her pajamas.

She stared at him a moment before she was able to ask, "Are you okay?"

He nodded and sat down to remove his shoes so he could take off his pants. He said nothing else.

Katniss crawled across the width of the bed and wrapped her arms around Peeta's chest. "You don't need to talk about it if you don't want to, but I'm here if you do. I always will be." She kissed his cheek and moved back. "I need to clean off my makeup."

She returned to her room to find Peeta already under the blanket. He was on his stomach with his face pressed into the pillow. Katniss stretched out beside him and kissed his shoulder. She rested her head on her hand and traced her finger over the longest scar on his back.

He jerked away. "Don't do that tonight." He turned his head and looked at her. "I feel like they're all open again. And it hurts like hell and it won't go away. It won't ever go away."

She rolled to her back and held out her arms. He moved into them and slipped his leg between hers. "That better?" She asked softly.

He gave her a crooked smile. "Better."

She combed her fingers through his hair. "How did you manage family holidays?"

He thought about it a moment before he said. "I had to get myself in the right mindset. I'd start thinking about it for weeks beforehand. I prepared myself for all the things she might say. And after my brothers had kids, I started spending all my time with them. Kids don't judge, even if their parents are being jerks. Seeing her today was hard because I didn't expect her to be there."

"You were blindsided?"

He nodded and their noses rubbed together, making them both smile. "I'll be okay. I liked how you were ready to defend me."

"I'll fight tooth and nail for the people I love."

"Is that a promise?"

"It is." She kissed him and then closed her eyes. "Time to sleep. I have to do some last-minute shopping tomorrow."

"Want me to rub your back?"

"Yes, please." She moved to her stomach and watched him sleepily as he adjusted the blanket and started rubbing slow circles into her back. Her eyes drifted closed in contented sleep.

They pulled into the driveway that was already filled with cars.

Prim squealed. "Cinna's here!" She rolled out of the car as soon as Katniss put it into park and hurried into the house.

Katniss chuckled. "I guess that means we have to get all the gifts." She walked to the back and opened the trunk.

Peeta followed. "Cinna is the guy that owns the dress shop?"

"Yeah. He's been a bit of a mentor to Prim for a long time. The only person who understood her artistically until you came along. All of her other art teachers were old ladies." She piled his waiting arms full of boxes.

"I can't wait to meet this guy. And thank him for making my girlfriend the envy of everyone at that dinner the other night."

She picked up the last of the presents and led him into the house.

Prim apologized and grabbed some of the boxes from Peeta and put them under the tree.

"Most of these are Prim's. She went a little overboard." Katniss said.

"Oh, there's plenty of room." Effie said cheerily. "And 'tis the season for giving!" She hugged Katniss and Peeta enthusiastically. "You both are just so cute together."

"Well, thank you, Effie." Peeta said. "It's mostly her, but I know I'm at least mildly attractive."

Katniss chuckled. "More than mildly."

"Oh, well, thank you." He kissed her cheek.

Peeta was introduced around to the other members of the group: Plutarch, Cinna and Alan, Cressida and Castor, and Pollux. Peeta was sure he'd forget at least one name before the night was out.

Cinna shook his hand and then slipped his arm from around the young man at his side and began moving his hands awkwardly as he spoke. "This is Alan. He can read lips, so make sure you're looking at him when you talk to him. But don't over-exaggerate." He pointed to the others and introduced them to Alan. "Peeta and Katniss and Prim."

"Nice to meet you." Alan said as he signed.

"And you, Alan." Prim said. "How long have you been dating? And why haven't you said anything until now, Cinna?"

Cinna chuckled as he and the other man exchanged a look. Alan made a gesture. Cinna signed a little more confidently. "A little over a month. But I was mostly chasing after him and he was running away."

Alan said, "I didn't want to date a hearing guy."

Castor signed from across the room and said, "It's because he thinks all hearing people are jerks."

"Not all of you." Alan defended.

Pollux did some signing of his own, but didn't say anything.

Castor, his brother, interpreted, "He just never had much luck with the hearing world. Many of us don't. But you all seem like nice people, so Alan won't be a dick, right?"

Alan smiled and held up his fist in a knocking motion. Then he moved his hands again and motioned to Castor.

"He promises to be a perfect gentleman among such nice looking people."

Effie brought in a tray of assorted cheeses and crackers. She waved to everyone and said happily, "I just looked this up on my phone." She moved her hands and spoke haltingly, "Help yourselves to some cheese and crackers." She smiled and looked around expectantly. "Did I do it right?"

Pollux signed something and then waved her off.

Castor said, "You signed cheese a little wrong, but it wasn't bad."

Effie blushed a little. "Well, come get something to eat and I'll finish in the kitchen." She bustled off.

Cressida and Plutarch followed.

"So you're an art teacher?" Cinna asked Peeta.

"I am." He grinned and squeezed Katniss's hand. "You put my girlfriend here in a great dress, by the way."

"Oh, thank you. It's my favorite thing to put a person in the right clothes." Cinna gushed. "And she has such a lovely shape. If she would let me, I'd put her in all sorts of great clothes."

Katniss shook her head. "No more free clothes."

"It wasn't free." Cinna argued.

"You gave me a giant discount that I wasn't comfortable with." She said softly.

Alan said, "He's too kind for his own good."

Effie called, "Come get dinner. We're behind! We need to eat if we are to make it through gifts and get to church on time."

Everyone moved to the dining room. Katniss leaned toward Peeta, "We don't have to go to church if you don't want to."

"Do you want to?" He asked.

She shrugged. "It's not bad. And I think Prim likes the Christmas service."

"Then we'll go. I don't mind." He held out her chair and then walked around to the other side to sit beside Prim.

They all gathered around the table. Haymitch stood at the head and looked down at the turkey in front of him. He chuckled. "You know, when I was a boy, I used to beg my daddy to let me carve this thing. But he always told me, 'When you're older, Mitchy.' Every year. And, yeah, he called me Mitchy. I hated it. Any of you say it and you're dead." He stared them all down. Then he broke into a smile. "Now, I'll say the blessing and then carve this bad boy."

He did just that. Everyone chatted comfortably around the table. Pollux and Alan moved their hands in rapid conversation. Sometimes Castor joined in.

Castor's girlfriend Cressida leaned across the table to Cinna and said, "I guess one of these days we'll be able to do that, too."

"One of these days." Cinna agreed.

Prim was transfixed by the sign language. She looked to Katniss. "You think I could squeeze in a new hobby."

Katniss laughed. "When would you sleep?"

Prim shrugged. "When I'm dead, I guess."

Peeta said, "You should find a focus. You're a little scattered. Do your art, at least until college. Then see what life brings you. When you stretch yourself in a million different directions, the things you like the most suffer."

The young woman watched him a moment and then nodded. "Okay."

He looked down at his plate in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called you out like that."

"No, it's fine." Prim said. "It is kind of true." She poked his arm. "You're a pretty good big brother, Peeta."

Peeta caught Katniss's eyes across the table and they shared an awkward smile. He turned back to Prim. "You're a great little sister, Prim."

They gathered around the tree after the dinner table was cleared. Effie said she would clean up everything later. Prim happily passed out gifts to everyone, including the ones that weren't normal guests. She'd spoken with Haymitch and Effie before to make sure she had something for everyone.

Katniss made sure she at least had things for Haymitch, Effie, and Cinna. She had known from Prim that there were going to be extra guests, so she'd gone generic and given all the rest gift cards.

Peeta, despite the fact that Prim and Katniss both told him he didn't have to bring gifts, did paint a small landscape for Effie and Haymitch. Katniss wasn't entirely sure when he'd done it.

Then it was off to church. Katniss sat between Peeta and Prim. She held both their hands and tried to pay attention, but all she could think about was getting home and wrapping the last of her presents and curling up with Peeta on the couch with some hot chocolate.

After the service, Effie tried to get everyone together for some more conversation, but Prim and Katniss shared a look that said, "Time for the next tradition." And they scooted out after a quick farewell to everyone.

They made it home and the two women laughed and ran off to their rooms, leaving Peeta awkwardly standing just inside the door.

He called, "I guess I'll make the hot chocolate." He wandered toward the kitchen. He started the mixture on the stove and then took out the ingredients for a quick batch of sugar cookies. He sat them on the coffee table as Katniss emerged from her bedroom with presents.

"You baked cookies?" She asked in wonder.

"I did. Have to have something for Santa." He handed over a mug of hot chocolate. He took in her appearance and noted she was in her pajamas. "Need to change into my PJs." He brushed a kiss over her lips and then went into her bedroom. He heard the sisters talking in the living room.

Prim said, "So when's the wedding?"

Katniss chuckled. "We've barely started dating, Prim."

"So? You guys are made for each other. He convinced you to go to college. Gale and I have been trying for years to get you to make a choice about your life away from the3 grocery store and he has in just a few months knowing you."

After a long pause, Katniss said, "I don't want to push something like that on him. There's a lot you don't know about him. I don't see marriage as a thing he wants."

Peeta took a few deep breaths. He supposed they would have to have a talk. But not until after cuddling on the couch and watching a cheesy Christmas movie or two with his girl and her sister.

He stepped into the living room to find the sisters already taking up most of the couch under the same blanket. Both had their mugs of hot chocolate and Katniss held the remote.

Katniss grinned. "Grab a cup of cocoa and come join us."

Peeta did as she said and plopped onto the couch beside her. She leaned her head on his shoulder as she looked through the DVR of Christmas movies they saved. She landed on one of those cheesy Hallmark ones that always ended just the way you expected. Everyone agreed.

After a few minutes, Prim picked up a pillow and extra blanket and stretched out on the floor in front of the TV. Katniss smiled gratefully at her sister and stretched her legs out on the empty space. She rested her head on Peeta's lap and he began combing his fingers through her hair.

She wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but a while later, Peeta was gently shaking her. "Hey, how about we go to bed?"

She slowly sat up and stretched. Prim was asleep on the floor. Katniss leaned over her and whispered, "You're going to hurt in the morning if you don't go to bed." She kissed her sister's temple and followed Peeta into the bedroom they shared.

As they stretched out side by side, Peeta looked over and said, "It's not that I never see myself married to you, it's just that I worry how it would all work out."

"Wow, that's a little out of the blue." Katniss yawned.

"I overheard you and Prim earlier. I'd like to be married one day. But we both know my parents weren't very happy and you lost your dad early… I don't want to think about marriage right now."

She placed her hand on his cheek and moved closer. "Well, let's just think about living together and dating. No marriage. I don't even want to bring it up again for at least a few months, and that's only if you bring it up. I won't say a word. I don't need to be married. I just need you loving me."

"And I do." He kissed the tip of her nose and then rolled away. "You be big spoon tonight."

She chuckled. "I'm shocked you don't want sex."

He looked over his shoulder. "Well, if you're offering…"

She kissed the back of his neck as she wrapped her arms around him. "I want to go back to sleep, if that's okay. Maybe in the morning."

He sighed dramatically. "Okay."