(Katniss' POV.)
I step into a dim room, my eyes struggling to adjust to the strange lighting.
"Katniss Everdeen," an eerily familiar voice booms, the words beginning to echo around the room. I scramble to try to escape, my heart pounding faster.
"You can't leave, Katniss." The voice orders, a sinister laugh following. I collapse to my knees, the sound of screeching filling the room. The screeching isn't just loud, it's personal. It immediately clicks in my mind as to whom that desperate scream for help belongs to.
"Katniss!" Prim screams, her voice echoing around me. I know it's just a recording. Prim is dead. But alive or not, her cry for help hits me deep. I slam my palms into my ears, rocking back and forth as I try my best to drown out her cries.
Hot tears begin to stream down my cheeks, my breathing growing short and fast.
"Stop!" I yell out, slamming my fists onto the wooden floor below me. Rage is now pumping through my veins, every bit of anger inside me growing stronger. His laugh comes back, this time much more sadistic and deep.
"But I've just started, my dear." President Snow hisses, the lights in the room suddenly flickering on and off; my eyes constantly blinking as they try to readjust themselves. Each flicker of light reveals a new person standing directly in front of me, their hands clutching a white rose soaked in blood.
Prim, Rue, Cinna, Finnick, my father. They all take turns, their lips twisted in sinister smiles as they stare down at me with dark slits for eyes. I refuse to look, but I can't stop watching; my eyes unable to close themselves, my entire body restrained with invisible rope.
No words escape my throat as I yell out for help, begging that this will all end. A sudden change of setting catches me off guard, the room now replaced with a wooded area.
I wiggle free of the now visible rope loosely wrapped around me, immediately scrambling to my feet. Before I even have the chance to make any distance, a thick bladed sword suddenly slices through the air, nearly striking me in the cheek. I dive to the ground, my body falling hard. Pain rips through my chest, my breathing cut off.
As I struggle to regain my breath, loud footsteps catch my attention to the right of me. My head snaps up, a familiar face coming into view as he steps closer.
"Katniss," Cato whispers coldly to himself, his dark eyes trained intently on mine. I snap myself out of the shock, forcing myself to begin backing away. He's much faster.
His muscular build is now pressed onto my chest, my breathing now only coming out as a wheeze. Cato's sword is now pressed against my neck, cutting off my air even more.
"He-," I don't even have time to finish, the sword pushed down farther on my throat. I know for sure if he pushes any harder, I'll be done for. I close my eyes, awaiting my death as his face grows closer to mine, his hot breath burning my cheeks as he speaks.
"Don't worry, I'll make this quick." I hear him whisper, the sword lifting off of my throat briefly.
"Katniss!" a voice hisses in my ear, their arms now embracing me. My eyes open in surprise, Peeta's face now inches away from mine.
I pull him into a tight hug, my body shaking uncontrollably as I begin to sob into his chest. "P-Peeta," I whisper up at him, my tears beginning to soak his shirt.
"Everything is okay now." Peeta whispers into my ear, his hands gently gliding up my back, instantly soothing me.
My arms wrap around his neck, pulling him in tighter as his lips gently meet mine, a rush of adrenaline racing through me. I run my fingers through his hair, leaning down on top of him as his lips press harder into mine, a gush of butterflies filling my stomach. It's almost as if I'm seventeen all over again, our strong passion overwhelming.
Something lights a spark inside me, a flame of passion now blazing deep within. His lips continue to press into mine, his gentle hands caressing my back. All of the pain brought on by my nightmare immediately forgotten about, this moment bringing me into reality; the reality of how truly strong of a passion I have for my baker.
(Peeta's POV.)
"Wake up, sleepy head!" a voice exclaims, the bed beginning to shake beneath me. My heads shoots up, Finnius and Rose now right in front of me. They bounce around Katniss and I, giggling their heads off as they see who can jump higher.
I rub my eyes with my sleeve, a deep yawn escaping my lips. "What time did you little monsters wake up?" I ask them, my lips curling into a teasing smile.
Finnius slides to his knees in front of me, a grin spreading across his face. "Not that long ago," he exclaims excitedly, rolling away from me and onto the ground. Rose does the same, both of them now exiting the room in a flash.
I can't help but laugh, turning to face Katniss who still remains fast asleep. She had a long night; sleep is definitely well deserved. I plant a gentle kiss on her cheek, slowly sliding out of bed and making my way to the bathroom.
My eyes locate the ticking clock above the sink, the hour hand now striking the number ten. I strip of my shirt and boxers; replacing them with fresh clothes, then begin to brush my teeth.
"Good morning," Katniss whispers in a tired voice, stepping into the bathroom with very robotic movement. I rinse the toothpaste out of my mouth, set the toothbrush down near the sink and pull Katniss into a deep hug, a quick kiss following. She smiles against my lips, resting her forehead against mine.
"Thank you again for last night," she whispers, the smile not leaving her face. I nod, gently kissing the top of her head.
"It was my pleasure, beautiful." I whisper back, my lips curling into a smile.
(Katniss' POV.)
"Look, mom!" Finnius exclaims, holding up the container that holds the cake with shaky hands so I can see.
He and Peeta have been working on it all morning, a delicious dessert to enjoy while Haymitch and Effie visit for the first time with the kids present to meet them.
I remove myself from the couch, following Finnius as he leads me into the kitchen, the cake still in hand. He cautiously sets it down on the kitchen table, turning to face me with a bright smile painted across his face.
I run my fingers through his blond hair, grinning down at him as I speak. "You guys did an amazing job, Finn." I inform him, giggles immediately escaping his mouth. Finnius' face falls into his palms, his excited giggling growing more loud and contagious.
Peeta steps into the kitchen as we continue to laugh, his hands soon wrapping around my waist. His head tilts sideways, his gentle lips pressing briefly onto my cheek.
"It's already twelve and they aren't here yet, Katniss." Peeta mutters under his breath, a slight sigh following. The cake has been done for awhile, a lot of work put into it. Cake is a rare thing for Peeta to bake, the priorities of parenthood cutting his baking time short. I would hate to see his craft basically go to waste, since we can't finish the entire cake ourselves.
A loud knock at the door suddenly catches my attention, my head immediately twisting in that direction. Peeta takes the lead, grasping the door handle anxiously. The door swings open quickly, revealing Haymitch and Effie who stand together, hand in hand.
I can't help but crack a smile at this, the thought of them being in love still too strange for me to comprehend. They both step in, shutting the door behind them.
"Sorry he took so long. Hangovers make him sleep in extra long," Effie says with a shy giggle, her fingers wrapping tighter around Haymitch's. Peeta and I both nod, understanding.
It makes me think back to the time when I got drunk; probably the strangest feeling I've ever had coursing throughout my body. Waking up definitely didn't feel too good, either.
Just as Haymitch is about to begin speaking, the sound of tiny footsteps growing closer cuts him off. Finnius stops dead in his tracks, his eyebrows raised in surprise as he notices Haymitch and Effie. I can't tell if it's due to the fact that Effie is wearing a pink and green dress with a matching wig to go along with it, or the fact that Haymitch is back. I'm assuming it's both.
"I see the old man has returned to steal my cake…" Finnius whispers, his eyebrows now furrowing. A laugh escapes my lips, his reaction completely catching me off guard.
It seems to catch Haymitch off guard as well. He steps closer to Finnius, his lips curling into a smile as he holds out a hand for him to shake. Finnius eyes him closely for a moment, finally accepting the shake.
"Nice to meet you, Finn." Haymitch says to him, trying not to scare the little guy too much. "My name's Haymitch, and this my wife Effie." He continues.
Effie's eyes brighten up at the mention of her name, her lipstick caked lips spreading into a wide smile. She nods down at Finnius, holding out a bony little hand for him to shake, which he also accepts with slight caution.
He now turns to me, his expression growing serious. "Rose wants us to go watch something outside," Finnius informs me, pointing to the back door.
I turn to face Haymitch and Effie, their expressions not changing. Obviously they don't mind at all, so we follow close behind as he leads us to the back porch.
Rose stands patiently in the back of the yard, her bow in hand as she watches us step outside. Even from across the yard, it's obvious to me that her face reflects shock that we actually have guests. This look of shock is quickly replaced with strong excitement, her braid bouncing up and down as she hops with happiness.
Haymitch, Effie, Peeta and I all take seats on the porch steps, watching intently as Rose prepares to show us whatever she has planned.
"I've been practicing really hard to show you this, mom!" she yells out, her lips curling into a shy smile as she loads her bow, signaling Finnius to join her in the yard. A feeling of uneasiness fills my stomach. What is she doing?
The second she slides a stone into Finnius' hand, I finally realize it. My heart warms up, my face painted with shock.
As Rose cues him, the stone goes soaring into the trees, sending branches barreling to the ground as the small flock of birds scurry away. With swift precision, she nails a bird in the foot, immediately sending it collapsing to the ground below.
Haymitch turns to face me, his face twisting into a teasing smile as he speaks. "It seems like little sweet heart has inherited a lot from her mother. Except of course, she's much more charming than a dead slug."