A huge thank you to my wonderful betas, NotAnIslander and HPFanonezillion! They are both excellent authors, be sure to check out their stuff!

I could've stayed here staring into Katniss's gorgeous silvery eyes for hours, if her stomach hadn't chosen that particular moment to start growling, causing us both to dissolve into laughter.

Lightning bolts are still shooting throughout my body as I get unsteadily to my feet, offering her my hand. "C'mere and hug me, and then we can go feed you."

Smirking, she pulls herself up and into my arms. "Just me? Aren't you hungry too?"

Oh yeah, but not exactly for food…

"I think I'm a bit, ahem, too riled up to be hungry at the moment," I admit. "But, ah, give me a few minutes, I'll be okay." After I calm down a little. Right now I feel like I've been electrocuted.

She smiles before standing on her tiptoes to kiss me again, a sweet, chaste kiss this time. "I'm sorry for getting you riled up," she whispers as she pulls away.

"Don't be," I admonish. "Please, if only kissing you is like this, than I can't imagine what-"

I'm cut off by another kiss, sending yet another bolt of electricity down my spine. Point taken.

We end up going out for pizza, then returning to my apartment so we can watch a couple of movies and snuggle some more, neither one of us wanting to be away from the other yet. But finally around midnight, when I begin to worry that Katniss might fall asleep driving back to Sae's, we reluctantly part ways, with Katniss promising to come back as soon as I'm done with work in the morning.

Saturday dawns sunny and warm, the type of day where you can't help but be in a good mood. Katniss is glowing when she arrives at my apartment, grinning as she greets me with a hug.

"I missed you," I say into her hair, breathing in her comforting scent of lavender and yew. "Is that silly? It's only been twelve hours since I saw you last."

"No," she says, her lips against my jaw. "Not silly."

"Mmm, good." I plant a kiss on the top of her head. "So. What do you want to do today?"

"Well," she replies. "I haven't been hunting in a while, and the season's almost over until the fall, so I was thinking maybe we could go out to the woods by Haymitch's house? Maybe bring some food for a picnic?"

My body reacts before she's even finished her sentence. My heart starts racing, the sharp pain in my chest nearly causing me to double over.

"Peeta?" Katniss says, her voice sounding very far away.

No, no, no. I can't go into the woods. It's too dangerous.

She wants to go to the woods.

Of course she does. She loves to hunt, and that's often done in a woods of some kind.

But she wants to take me into the woods.

"Peeta?" Katniss repeats. "Are you okay? You're as white as a sheet!"

"Need to sit down," I mumble, stumbling backwards towards the futon as white spots cloud my vision. "Dizzy… "

"Lay your head back while I get you a cold cloth," Katniss commands, easing the back of my head against the top of the futon. She returns a few seconds later with a cold washcloth, pressing it against my forehead. "Try and take deep breaths. That's it. You're okay."

Gah, I thought I was over these stupid panic attacks! My hands are shaking, my fingernails digging painfully into my palms. Katniss must notice this because she takes my right hand, coaxing my fingers loose. "You're okay. It's okay to relax, Peeta. I'm here with you."

I swore after my accident that I'd never go near a forest again. It doesn't help that I never liked them much while growing up, since Rye used to scare me by making up stories about all the monsters that lived there. I was never in Boy Scouts or any other outdoors-type clubs, and my mother's idea of camping meant staying in a hotel that offered a buffet breakfast.

And then the one time I wind up wandering around in one, I lose half of my leg.

No, I'm not a fan of forests. Sure, they're pretty to look at from a distance. But I can barely walk past a clump of trees without breaking into a cold sweat.

So of course I would fall in love with a huntress who used to cut down trees for a living. Makes perfect sense.

A few minutes pass before I deem it safe to open my eyes, and as soon as I do I have to choke back a sob. Because the look of compassion and tenderness radiating from the pair of gorgeous grey eyes staring back at me is almost too much for me to handle. I have never, ever, seen someone look at me like that.

"I'm okay," I blubber, trying to sit up. "I'm okay."

"You stay right here," Katniss insists, her eyebrows knitted in concern, pushing against my shoulder to keep me in place. "And talk to me. What just happened?"

"I, um," I stutter, squeezing my eyes closed again against the crush of embarrassment. "I haven't been in a forest, since… " and I point to my prosthesis. "And I haven't been in much of a hurry to go back since then. "

"You're afraid?" Katniss asks, with not a single hint of reproach.

"Yeah."

She tugs my hand up to rest against her cheek. "I can understand. What you went through was horrible, Peeta. It's okay to be afraid."

"Yeah," I mutter. "Still feels pretty ridiculous though."

"It's not," Katniss says as she kisses my palm, right over the marks left from my fingernails. "We don't have to go today, it was only a suggestion."

"No, I'd like to," I say, surprising myself. She looked so excited at the prospect of hunting today, I'd feel terrible if I allowed my fears to get in the way of something that makes her happy. "I need to stop being so afraid, and there's no time like the present." I open my eyes, looking at her intently. "As long as you're with me, I'll be okay. Right?"

"Yes, of course," Katniss says. "But we really don't have to-"

"I want to," I interrupt, sitting up. "I want to start seeing the forest through your eyes. Just, don't leave me alone. Okay?"

She nods, leaning in and kissing my cheek. "You know I won't."

"Yeah, I know." I use the washcloth to mop the back of my neck before standing up. "So what should we bring on our picnic?"

"Cheese buns," Katniss blurts, then laughs. "I have a bottle of lemonade in the car, and we should be able to find some wild strawberries since the weather's been so nice lately. I found a patch of them not too far from Haymitch's house last year when I moved there."

"Oh, I haven't had strawberries in a long time!" I say as I grab my shoes. "How many cheese buns would you like me to bring?"

"Six," Katniss says without hesitation. "I'm hungry."

Finishing with my shoes, I tuck my wallet and phone into their respective pockets and grab my sketchbook and pencil. "Alright, then let's go."

"And if I manage to find some rabbits," she says excitedly as we walk downstairs. "We can cook them for our dinner tonight, after church."

"Mmm, that sounds good! I've never had rabbit before."

"It's good. Pri-, my sister used to love it." Her face falls for a moment. "She was always so excited when my dad brought them home for us."

"Well," I murmur, kissing her cheek. "Then I can't wait to try it."

After digging around in the big kitchen freezer to find the cheese buns I baked yesterday, I walk out to Katniss's car. She holds my hand during the drive and I cling to it, trying to draw strength from her touch.

I can do this. I can do this. Please, Lord, help me do this!

I repeat the mantra over and over in my head the whole way out, but the unsettling sensations of panic start to creep back in as soon as we get out of the car.

"It's okay, Peeta," Katniss murmurs, patient and encouraging as we stand at the entrance to the treeline. I'm shaking with fear as I squeeze my eyes closed, clutching her hand so hard I'm afraid I might break one of her fingers. "I'm right here with you."

Katniss is real. She's holding my hand. Katniss loves me. She won't leave me alone.

"I'm right here with you," Katniss repeats. "I love you. I'm not gonna leave you. You're safe. Keep breathing and concentrate on me. Feel my hand holding yours? That means you're safe."

Katniss loves me. I'm safe with her. She's real. She won't leave me alone.

I swallow hard as I open my eyes, taking a small step. Then another, and another. "That's it, Peeta," Katniss says softly. "You're okay. In a few more minutes we'll be in a good place to stop."

Small step by small step, we walk just far enough into the woods where I can still see the road but Katniss can still easily hunt. We set up our picnic, enjoying the cheese buns and lemonade with the basket of strawberries Katniss is able to find.

Once we've finished eating, I pull out my sketchbook so I can draw while Katniss prowls for rabbits. As the pencil strokes across the page I can sense the old, horrible memories being pushed further and further into the recesses of my brain, making room for these new, happier ones to take their place. By the time the sun has traveled across the tops of the trees, I'm actually feeling somewhat relaxed.

"Are you still doing okay?" Katniss asks as we load up her car.

"Yeah, it went better than I thought it would," I reply after a short pause. "Perhaps I'm not doomed to suffer from these irrational fears for the rest of my life after all."

Katniss shakes her head, her lips pressing together. "I wish I could've been there that night somehow. I would've told Glimmer where she could go." She reaches for my hand, scowling as I raise my eyebrows. "I've never liked bullies."

I chuckle, trying to imagine tiny little Katniss giving Glimmer a piece of her mind. I think I would pay money to see that.

"Well," I say teasingly. "You've got me now. So what are you going to do with me?"

Her fingers squeeze around mine. "I'm gonna put you somewhere where you can never get hurt again."

After church, Katniss shows me how to prepare a simple rabbit stew in my tiny kitchen, using ingredients she gleaned from our trip to the woods. It's the first time we've ever really cooked together, and it turns out to be one of the best meals I've ever eaten in my life.

"That was delicious," I declare, setting my bowl down on the coffee table. "We need to do that again sometime."

"I'm glad you liked it," Katniss replies as she picks up my bowl with her own and moves over to the sink. "It was my dad's recipe."

"Hey, let me help you," I say, getting slowly to my feet. "You don't need to wash everything after you did most of the cooking."

She turns, shaking her head. "No, I want you to sit. We did quite a bit of walking today and your leg is hurting."

"What?" I say, dumbfounded. "How do you know? I haven't said anything-"

"No, you haven't," she interrupts. "But I've seen you rubbing on it ever since we got back, like it's sore."

"I have?" I hadn't even noticed. My leg does bother me sometimes after walking, especially over uneven terrain, and I'm probably way overdue to change the cloth sleeve again. And I do tend to rub at the seam unconsciously, almost like a nervous habit, which doesn't help.

Of course she would notice something like that. She's trying to take care of me.

"Yes, you have," she says, assuming her healer voice as she rinses off the stew pot. "In fact, I think you should take your prosthesis off for the rest of the evening. Give your skin a rest."

"Ah," I mumble, looking down at the offending limb. "I can wait until you go home. It doesn't hurt that bad."

Quickly scrubbing the bowls and spoons clean, Katniss dries them off and puts them away. Then she turns to me with a determined expression. "There's no good reason for you to sit there in pain for any longer than you have to. You know it doesn't bother me."

I turn away, a blush creeping up the back of my neck. "Yeah, I know."

The next thing I know her hands are on the hem of my pant leg, rolling it up to my knee. "Show me again, how to take it off?"

Once again, I'm floored by the compassion I see in her eyes. Like I'm important to her.

Like she loves me.

"Alright," I croak, guiding her hand to the release on the side. "Just, ah, push that, and… " I can't help the groan of relief that escapes from my throat as she pulls the prosthesis off, peeling the cloth sleeve away from my stump so she can examine it.

"It's pretty red and sore looking, but there's no abrasions or anything," she reports, standing to her feet. "I'm gonna get your cream."

"Katniss, wait!" I protest, but she's already disappeared into the bathroom, rummaging around in the medicine cabinet, looking for the skin cream I got way back on that day we ran into my brother.

"Peeta!" she scolds as she emerges from the bathroom, the brand-new jar of cream in her hand. "This isn't even opened! You haven't been using it!"

"No, I haven't," I whisper. "I'm sorry."

Glaring, she kneels down in front of me and unscrews the cap, scooping up a generous dollop of cream onto her fingers with a couple drops of her lavender oil. "Hmph," she grumbles, looking up at me in morbid satisfaction when I jump at the mixture's freezing temperature. "Next time I'll warm it up a little first, but only if you promise to apply it yourself when I'm not here."

The ice-cold cream against my red-hot skin is agonizing. "Okay! I promise!" She nods in acknowledgement as she scoops more onto her fingers. "Yikes, that's cold!"

"Well, that's what you get," she says as she finishes massaging it into my sore skin. She smiles at my sigh of relief. "See? That feels better, doesn't it?"

"Yes," I say, thoroughly reprimanded but definitely more relaxed. "Thank you."

Pulling herself back up, she kisses me on the forehead before returning the jar to the bathroom and washing her hands. She sits down next to me, her eyes drawn to the stump of my leg as she takes my hand.

"Can you tell me what it was like?" she asks tentatively as she gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. "It must've been so hard for you."

My face drains of color as I gulp. "It was hard." I look down, studying our joined hands. "I'll never forget the first time I saw my stump, wrapped up in bloody gauze and bandages." I take a deep, tremorous breath. "I got so upset that they had to sedate me. More than once. When I finally woke up I refused to talk to anyone. I didn't speak again until Finnick came into my room for the first time." I pause, shaking my head in shame. "And what I said to him wasn't very nice at all."

Katniss brings our hands to her lips, kissing the back of mine before caressing it with her cheek. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "I'm so sorry."

But more words tumble out. "They brought in all sorts of doctors and other people, trying to tell me that depression and anger were normal reactions to losing a limb. Trying to tell me that I could still live a normal life." I point to the plastic and metal prosthesis lying on the floor. "Like anyone who's required to wear something like that in order to walk could be considered normal. And it hurt. It hurt so bad, Katniss." She cringes, pressing my hand harder against her cheek.

"They warned me about the phantom limb pains multiple times. But no one who told me about them had any personal experience, and well, there's just no way you can know what they feel like without experiencing it for yourself."

"Not that I would wish this on anyone," I add quickly. "It just… bugged me. They all acted like they knew how I felt, and there really was no way they could know. I'd wake up, thinking my ankle was itching, and reach down to scratch it and find nothing. Or I'd try to crack my toes and I couldn't, and I'd get so mad."

"Crack your toes?" Katniss asks, a hint of a smile on her beautiful pink lips. "How'd you do that?"

"It's this weird thing I used to do," I say, chuckling. "I could almost do it on demand, and only with my left foot. I'd curl the toes on my foot really fast and my big toe would pop. Like when people crack their knuckles." I smile even wider. "I could do it so loud sometimes that it would scare Rye awake."

"Serves him right," Katniss says, smirking.

"Yeah, maybe," I admit. "Oh, he'd get so mad at me when I'd do it, 'cause he hated the noise. Especially at night."

Smiling, she presses her lips against the inside of my wrist. "Well, I think you're brave. You even had to learn how to walk again, didn't you?"

"Yeah," I say, huffing out a breath. "That was pretty horrible. My knees and hips were so sore, and I got very frustrated at how long it took to make any progress. You'd think something like walking would come naturally to you, but no. Learning to walk with a prosthesis is like trying to walk with a brick attached to your foot. I had to train an entirely new set of muscles, my gait was different… that wasn't easy to get used to."

"But you did," Katniss says, squeezing my hand. "You did. When I first met you I couldn't even tell that you had an artificial leg. People who don't know you can't tell there's anything different."

My heart surges in my chest. "That's what I want," I whisper. "I just want to be normal." I slide my hand around the nape of her neck, pulling her to me for a kiss. "I've never talked about this stuff with anyone. Not even Finnick."

She leans in for another kiss before pulling back, tracing my chin with her fingertip. "Thank you for trusting me."

"I trust you with my life, Katniss." I see her eyes widen as she swallows hard. "You take such good care of me, but you never make it seem like I'm a burden to you."

Katniss shakes her head. "You're not a burden. You're my Peeta."

We wind up spending most of Sunday together as well. We take a nice walk, go out for lunch, then return to cuddle on the futon and watch a movie before the Sunday night church service. We also spend a lot of time just talking, something we never used to do often enough. Katniss even shares some more tidbits of information about her father and sister, which she'd always been reluctant to do before this weekend. It's obvious that accepting Christ has already had a positive impact on how she views things, both in her past and for her future.

Finnick and Annie roll into town around 5pm on Monday evening, pulling a UHaul trailer packed to the brim with their belongings. Katniss and I are waiting at their new apartment building when they arrive to help them unpack. It's absolutely wonderful to see them again, and to finally meet little Finn in person.

"Finnick," I say, gasping as he engulfs me into a hug. "It's so, so good to see you guys!"

"It's incredible to be back," he says, thumping me on the back as Finn darts from the backseat, whooping and yelling and ignoring his mother's command to not run around in the parking lot. "I'd forgotten how good the air smells up here!"

Finnick releases me to fetch his son as Annie climbs out of their car to give me a hug. "It's so good to see you again, Peeta."

"And you look lovely," I tell her as Finnick returns with their squirming son under his arm. "You have that motherly glow."

"Ha!" Annie scoffs, smirking and patting her pregnant belly. "More like the sheen of sweat from being trapped in a car since Saturday with these two yahoos!"

Laughing, I wrap my arm around Katniss. "Finnick and Annie, this is Katniss."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out for myself," Finnick replies, taking Katniss's hand and kissing the back. Even happily married, Finnick's always been a charmer. "It is wonderful to meet you, Katniss."

"It's nice to meet you too," Katniss says shyly, looking down when little Finn tugs on her sleeve.

"Pway wif me?" he asks, holding up a toy fire truck. "Pease?"

"Tell you what," Annie says, sounding exhausted as she takes her son's hand. "Let's get inside first, then you can test out your fire truck on the kitchen floor while we set up your new bedroom. Okay?"

Finn's eyes light up as he nods. "'Kay!"

We end up staying at their place for the entire evening. Katniss and Annie run out for food and supplies while Finnick and I assemble beds and bookshelves and organize the kitchen. Little Finn bounces from room to room like a ping-pong ball after being cooped up in a car for two days, but mostly manages to stay out of the way.

After Finn finally crashes and burns around 9:30 and is put to bed, we leave the Odairs to their unpacking, promising to get together sometime over the weekend. I'm kissing Katniss goodbye in her car in front of the coffee shop when I finally remember a question I should've asked her months ago.

"Hey," I whisper against her lips. "I keep forgetting to ask you something."

"Mmm," she replies. "What's that?"

"When's your birthday?"

Pulling back, she looks at me with the most bemused expression on her face I'd ever seen. "It's May 8th," she tells me, right before bursting into laughter.

"What's so funny about the eighth of May?" I ask, laughing with her. The sound of her laughter has always been fuel for my soul.

"Nothing!" she gasps, trying to contain her giggles. "I was just thinking that you're very lucky you didn't miss it!"

"Oh don't worry about that, Miss Everdeen," I say as I kiss the tip of her nose. "I remember you telling me your family always made a big deal about birthdays, and I intend to continue that tradition."

"Well, good," she sighs, pulling me into a hug. "Then you have about five weeks to think of something amazing."

I can't help but notice the extra spring in my step as I walk to the bus stop on Tuesday afternoon, heading to school. Such a sharp contrast to the last time I walked to this bus stop, the day of the concert, when I thought Katniss was lost to me forever.

Smiling, I replay the conversation we had last night in my head. Her birthday is just over a week prior to my graduation. I've already decided that I'll take her out to dinner, somewhere nice where we have to dress up a little. There's a new restaurant a few blocks from the college campus that opened a couple months ago called Caesar Flickerman's. I've heard from some classmates that the food there is excellent, and they even have a roof deck that opened this week. I think Katniss will enjoying dining under the evening sky, even if we're sitting at a table in nice clothes instead of on a blanket in the woods.

With that decided, I call the restaurant to make a reservation after my classes are over, relieved when they tell me there's still space available on the roof deck for that evening. Once I hang up with them I call Dr. Aurelius' office to schedule my appointment for tomorrow, grinning as I imagine the look on the good doctor's face when I explain why I ended up canceling last time. Since Katniss saw him during my usual time last week, I suspect that he already knows most of the story. But telling him that I had the honor of praying with Katniss to accept Jesus is something I'm very much looking forward to.

Finishing up with my phone calls, I stop by the Discipleship office to pick up my graduation announcements and head towards the bus stop, daydreaming about what I should buy Katniss for her birthday.

I'm sitting in my apartment a week later, filling out my graduation announcements when my phone rings. Katniss often calls me in the evenings on the days we don't see each other.

"Hello, my love," I say as I set down the announcement I'm working on. "How was your day?"

"Peeta!" she exclaims. "You'll never guess what happened at work today!"

"Alright," I say teasingly. "If I'll never guess, then why don't you tell me?"

She's so excited she has to take a couple deep breaths before continuing. "Well," she finally says. "Yesterday when I got to work, the girl who teaches gymnastics told me that she'd heard some rumors going around earlier in the day. Rumors that certain people were going to be let go at the end of the month. Something about cuts to the Parks and Rec budget in the city or something like that."

"Okay," I say slowly. "That sounds horrible, but judging by your reaction I'm guessing that that's not gonna happen after all?"

"No!" she practically yells. "Peeta, I got so upset when she told me that. I've gotten to the point where I've been enjoying my job lately, and I don't really know what else I could do. So after my last lesson was done for the day, I went into the locker room and sat down on a bench. And I started to pray."

My heart leaps. I know Katniss has been shy about praying on her own, using the excuse that she doesn't really know how, so this is a huge stride forward for her. "Katniss, that's wonderful! I'm so glad that your first thought when hearing that kind of news was to go and pray!"

"Me too!" she cries. "At first I was so upset, it was like I was only venting at God instead of praying. But then as I sat there, probably looking like I was talking to myself, the venting just sort of stopped. I even got down on my knees after a while, on the tile floor and everything. And Peeta! It was like I could feel God's peace filling me as I prayed. And when I was done I just knew somehow that I'd be okay. It's like I could feel it! I even prayed some more after I came home."

I'm so happy for her I have to choke back tears. "Katniss, that is so awesome. And that peace is one of the the best feelings in the world. It really is!"

I hear her sniff into the phone. "That's not even the best part."

"Oh? So what is the best part?"

"Well, today when I went in, I was feeling brave for some reason. So I went to the manager's office before my first lesson and came right out and asked him if the rumors were true." She pauses for a moment. "He said they were true. He even showed me the copy of the newly proposed budget that called for the elimination of several of us part-time employees." She pauses again, leaving me on edge.

"Katniss, don't leave me hanging like this! Tell me what happened!"

"Peeta," she says, her voice shaky all of a sudden. "As soon as he showed me that budget sheet, it was like it jumped right out at me. I saw a mistake; someone had multiplied something incorrectly. And when I pointed it out to the manager, he dismissed me from his office and got on the phone with the Parks department right away. I got through my lessons and was getting ready to leave when he called me back into his office… and offered me a job doing the books for the entire Community Center."

"What?!" I exclaim, bolting upright on the futon. "Whoa, Katniss, that is incredible!"

"Yes!" she squeals. "Apparently, the lady who used to do them went on maternity leave and then decided she'd rather stay home, so they've been having different people take turns doing them. And well, this was a mistake that originated awhile ago and was never caught, so it just kept getting rolled over into the latest set of numbers, and no one caught it until I did. Peeta, this means I'll be there full-time. So I can get health insurance and other benefits."

"So they went from thinking they'd have to lay off several people to hiring you full-time in the course of an afternoon? Katniss, that's amazing!"

"I start next week," she says excitedly. "I'll work on the books in the mornings and do my lessons as usual in the afternoons. The manager said he'd put the paperwork through by tomorrow."

"Sweetheart, I'm so happy for you!" For Katniss to have her prayers answered in such an incredible way will do wonders for her faith. It's one thing to hear about something like this, but it's entirely different to experience it for yourself. "But I do have one question for you."

"What's that?"

"Is there a reason why you didn't tell me any of this yesterday?" I ask softly. "When you still thought you might lose your job?"

"Ah," she stutters. "I wanted to, and I almost called you a couple of times. But then I didn't. I don't really know why."

"You were afraid?"

She sighs into the phone. "Yeah, I guess I was. I mean, I still owe you for my car, and if I was gonna lose my job I'd have no way to pay my rent and pay you back, and-"

"Katniss," I say sternly. "Stop right now. You do not owe me anything for your car. I gave you that money, no strings attached."

"But, Peeta," she protests. "It was your money. I'm sure you needed it. And my father always told me not to accept handouts."

"It wasn't a handout," I implore. "Think of it more like an investment. An investment in our future."

"Mmm. That sounds like semantics to me."

"Well, whatever works for you."

"Fine," she grumbles. I grin as I picture the scowl on her face. "Then you're gonna have to start driving sometimes when we go places. Deal?"

"Deal," I say, laughing. "Anything for you, my love."

"Good. You can start this weekend."

"Okay. But it's been so long since I've driven a car, you might have to teach me how again."

"Well," she says. I can hear the smirk in her voice. "I doubt it's as difficult as relearning how to walk, so you should be fine."

"I'm glad you have such good faith in me."

She's quiet for a moment. "Peeta?" she asks. Her voice is soft, almost shaky.

"Hmm?"

"I'm cold. I wish you were here right now, to warm me."

I'm still getting used to the vulnerability that sneaks into her voice sometimes. It's something I only heard on a few rare occasions in all the months before the concert, but it's been creeping in more and more lately. And it never fails to flatten me when I hear it.

"Oh, Katniss, you know that voice of yours always gets to me. I wish I was there with you too. Do you have your blanket on?"

"I'm wrapped up in it right now," she sniffs. "But it's not enough."

"Well, maybe I should get you a second blanket. And besides, it'll be summer soon enough."

"Doesn't matter. I'm one of those people who's cold at night pretty much year-round."

"Hmm. Well, tell you what. When you go to sleep tonight, try to imagine that I'm there with you. I've got my arms around you and your head is lying on my chest, and we're both snuggled under the blanket. See if that helps."

"Alright," she whispers. "I'll try that."

"Goodnight Katniss. I love you, and I'm so happy for you."

"Love you," she murmurs. "Goodnight."

I lean back against the futon for a while after we hang up, still in awe from her amazing story.

Thank you, Jesus, for such an awesome demonstration of your goodness to Katniss! What a way to reward her new faith!

I plug my phone into the charger and get ready for bed. It is a chilly night tonight, as it often can be in spring, and I find myself wishing Katniss was here to cuddle with me as I try to get comfortable enough to fall asleep.

Then it hits me. I've tried to avoid thinking about particulars too much because I was afraid of rushing things, and it still might be too soon, but… If it's not, I think I know the perfect way to make her upcoming birthday one she'll never forget.

"Good afternoon, Peeta," Dr. Aurelius says as he sweeps into the room. "Such lovely weather we're having lately, don't you agree?"

"Yeah, it's been nice," I agree, shifting in the loveseat. "Katniss and I even went back to the woods last Sunday afternoon."

"Oh?" he says as he settles into his chair. "Let's pray, then you can tell me all about it."

Our second trip to the woods did go a little better than the first. I was still nervous and tentative, but didn't get those panicky sensations that made me feel like I was going to keel over. Katniss was even able to hunt without having to check on me every fifteen minutes.

"See?" I show Dr. Aurelius my sketchbook where I've drawn a picture of our picnic, complete with Katniss holding a basketful of strawberries.

"Ah, yes," he says, looking over the top of his glasses. "What a lovely drawing. I daresay your artistic ability has blossomed even more lately. And when do you start your artist's job with the church?"

"Well, technically I already have," I say. "Since I've designed several things over the years for free, they've already started paying me. Right now I'm working on a logo for the Revolution ministry that my friend Finnick is in charge of."

"I see. And are you enjoying the work?"

I shrug. "It's fine for now. Since I don't have to worry about paying tuition anymore, I'm planning on saving all of my income from the church."

Dr. Aurelius leans back in his chair, steepling his hands. "That's very resourceful of you. I'm assuming you've discussed this with Katniss, then?"

"Yes, we've discussed it, and she thought it was a good idea." I shift again, rubbing the seam of my leg. "I can live just fine on my salary from the coffee shop. Even if I have to get on their expensive health insurance plan after I graduate."

"Mmmhmm," Dr. Aurelius mumbles, scribbling something on his notepad. He's quiet for a moment, the scratching of pen against paper the only sound in the room.

"So, Peeta," he begins, setting the notepad on the desk. "You've gone from sketching out engagement rings before even broaching the subject of marriage to your sweetheart, to someone who hasn't once mentioned the word since you've come back after your little break. So I'm curious. Have you discussed marriage with Katniss since you've been back together?"

"Yes," I answer. "We've been talking quite a bit in the last few weeks, about a lot of things. And while I can tell she's still a little… I guess unnerved is a good word, she loves me, and she knows how much I love her. She knows she's the most important part of my future."

Dr. Aurelius tilts his head, looking at me quizzically. "You know, for how long it took you to get to this point, I have to say that you've made remarkable progress during these last few sessions, Peeta."

"I do have a question, though," I say, fiddling with my sketchbook.

"Yes?" he asks, leaning forward.

"Um," I mumble. I look away as my face reddens. "Well, speaking of marriage… I know you're not technically allowed to talk about Katniss to me, but her birthday is in a couple weeks and I need to know something, if you could tell me."

"And what is that?" he asks, smiling.

I give my head a quick shake before looking back at him. "I need to know if you think she's healthy enough for me to propose to her. Because if she's not ready then I don't want to push her."

"And why is that?" Dr. Aurelius asks. "And do you think you are ready? After such a brief time since your reconciliation?"

"I know I'm ready," I say firmly. "I love her, and if I could I'd marry her tomorrow. But I need to know if you think she's ready."

"You don't want to ask her yourself?"

"No," I confess. "Actually what I mean is, I don't think I can be unbiased about it. I don't even know if she can be unbiased about it. But you can."

"Why is it so important to you what I think?" he asks, picking up his notepad and scratching down another note.

I huff out a deep breath. "Because nothing is more important to me than making sure that she's okay. And if it means I have to wait a bit to marry her, then so be it. I'll wait, for as long as I need to. She's only been seeing you for a few weeks, and I didn't know if that was long enough."

Shaking his head, Dr. Aurelius lets out a chuckle. "Yes, that is true. She has only been seeing me for a short time. But some people aren't as difficult to reach as others," and he glances sternly at me, "once they know what they need to do in order to heal."

"Ah. Yeah, I guess." I reach up to scratch the back of my neck. "So, do you think it'd be okay, then? If I ask her? If her father was alive, I'd of course ask his permission also. But since he's not, I guess I'm asking for yours."

He studies me for a moment over the top of his glasses. "Yes," he finally says, his face breaking into a wide grin. "I think she'll be fine."

I'd love any suggestions you guys have for baby boy Odair. ;).

And as always, please drop me a review! I welcome any and all!