CHAPTER II

KATNISS

I hear the low rumbling of thunder as I climb the stairs slowly. It had been raining since this morning - well, actually, it still is - and I mentally congratulate myself for getting all the grocery shopping done yesterday. River's not feeling well since she woke up this morning and, personally, I'm blaming it on this crazy weather. She chose to stay in bed all day which she hardly ever does. Being the active and happy kid that she is, that is very unusual. I let out a deep sigh and shake my head at the thought. My poor River. I really hate it when she gets sick!

Almost an hour ago, right after Peeta and I finished eating dinner, he went upstairs to check on River while I, as usual, took charge of cleaning up the kitchen. I know that her staying in bed all day raised that little red flag in his brain as well. It consoles me greatly that we're in this together, raising her, taking care of her and worrying about her. We share this burden, Peeta and I, this burden that makes all the difficult parts of it worth it, this wonderful, blue-eyed burden of joy we named River. After all that we've been through, I can't imagine living without them.

A streak of lightning casts a brief eerie glow upon the hallway and thunder rolls again, a little louder this time, as I give the door to River's bedroom a little push. I find Peeta fast asleep on River's bed, her tiny head on his broad chest. An arm wraps protectively around her. I stand beside the bed, admiring those arms for a minute, remembering what it's like to be in between them. For me, that's the only place where I feel safe, secure and truly loved. I know River feels the exact, same way, and I can't help but smile at what I'm seeing.

I approach the bed slowly and sit down beside River's sleeping figure. Her small chest rises and falls evenly as I lay my hand on her forehead. She's still a bit feverish. I smile immediately, trying my best to erase the worried look I know I have on my face, as I find a pair of bright blue eyes looking up at me.

"Mom", she croaks.

"Hi, sweetie. How are you feeling?"

She answers my question with a small sniffle. "Better. Daddy fell asleep."

"Yeah, and I think you should too."

River shakes her head against Peeta's chest.

"Can't sleep, huh?"

She nods this time.

"You're going to give yourself a headache if you keep doing that, you know."

"I feel fine now, Mom", she assures me as I gently stroke her hair. All of a sudden, a very loud crack of thunder interrupts our conversation. River closes her eyes shut and tries to bury her head onto the side of her dad's body. I chuckle, realizing what's keeping her awake. "It's not funny, Mommy", she scolds me, her already tiny voice muffled by Peeta's clothes.

Peeta stirs and smiles at me sleepily, that facial expression of his I fall in love with every waking morning. He then notices River, whose head is still pressed against him. "Hey, baby, what's the matter", he asks, his voice full of concern.

"Mommy's laughing at me because I'm afraid of thunder."

"Sweetie", he began, shifting to his side to face us. "What did Daddy tell you?"

I lay myself down next to River as she pulls her face off of Peeta's body. I close my eyes, realizing how tired I really am.

"As long as…" I hear him continue.

"As long as you and Mom are around, I shouldn't be afraid of anything."

I open my eyes slowly. What time is it? It's still dark. It can't be morning already. I groan, feeling a lot more tired than I last remember, and put my hands over my eyes. Please, I need a few more minutes of sleep!

"That face, I won't get tired of falling in love with it over and over again. Don't cover it."

Putting my hands down, I turn to my side to face Peeta. River is fast asleep between us, for real this time.

"There, that's a lot better."

"I'm sorry. I must have dozed off." I very carefully put my hand again on River's forehead and sigh in relief, feeling that her temperature had already gone down. He nods in agreement.

"Just for a few minutes, though."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

He smiles. "Because I like watching you sleep."

I smile back at him. He does say the sweetest things.

"You and River, I like it. It makes me feel…" he pauses, obviously contemplating on the right word. But I already know exactly what he means.

"Peaceful", I finish for him.

"Yes, peaceful."

We both lay in silence for a minute or two.

"Still awake", he asks in a whisper.

"Yeah."

Silence again.

"Peeta, thank you."

"You're welcome", he automatically replies. He's respectful that way. "Wait. What for?"

I reach my hand out across River to hold his hand. "For everything." I look at the little girl sleeping beside us. "For giving me River."

I look at him again as I feel his lips at the back of my hand. "What are you talking about, Katniss? I should be the one thanking you. You saved me in different ways that I could be saved. You never gave up on me even if I gave you all the reasons to do so."

"You know I love you, right?" I give his hand a gentle squeeze of assurance.

He nods and reaches down to plant a kiss on River's head. "Thank you for this wonderful little girl, for giving me this kind of life."

His blue eyes find mine. "For saying 'real'."

I can feel my eyes starting to well up. I cannot think of anything to say, but I guess this is the type of scenario where one doesn't have to say anything… only feel… or cry.

"You and River are my life and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you both more than you will ever know."

I reach over to give him a well-deserved kiss, careful not to move too much and wake River up.

I then become aware that I am not tired anymore.

- END OF CHAPTER 2 -

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Comments are very much appreciated. Thanks very much in advance - orangesunsets