A huge thank you to my betas NotAnIslander and HPFanonezillion for their help! Please be sure to check out their stories!

This chapter contains a trigger warning for panic attacks. Even though Everlark are married now, they still have some things to work though.

It's after midnight when I open my eyes again. Katniss's head is lying on my chest, her dark hair spread out like a fan over her back, her fingertips tracing soft patterns along my ribcage.

Breathing deeply, I press my lips to the top of her head. "I think I dozed off for a bit there."

I feel her smile against me. "I think we both did," she whispers, now trailing her fingers along my jaw as her lips start kissing their way up my chest to my neck. "But only for a little while."

She tilts her head up, bringing her mouth to mine as her leg slides across my waist. I glide my palm along the smooth skin of her back, up to her neck where my fingers tangle into her silky hair. I'm so lost in the feel of her, naked and pressed up against me, I don't realize what she's doing until she moves again, pushing down on my left shoulder as she straddles me. I instantly freeze, the bliss I was in only seconds ago completely replaced by panic.

"No!"

In the time it takes to take a breath, I flip us over so she's underneath me, her wide grey eyes looking up at me in shock and concern. Her hand reaches up tentatively to cup my face. "Peeta! I'm sorry! I didn't-"

My mind is swirling, the horrible images in my head warring with the feel of reality. I squeeze my eyes closed as my hands fist into the sheets, my forehead dropping to rest against her collarbone. I breathe in a tremulous breath, trying to concentrate only on what my senses are telling me.

This is Katniss. Katniss is my wife. I'm safe with her.

"Peeta, it's okay," I hear, her fingers painting their way up my back to my neck, her soft lips peppering my shoulder and jaw. "It's okay, I'm here! You're safe!"

I open my eyes, raising my head slightly. I can see the smooth olive skin of her neck and shoulder. I can smell the lavender in her luxurious dark hair. I can feel her calloused fingertips on my back and shoulders, tracing back and forth, trying to comfort me.

No one else has ever touched me like this. Katniss is real. I'm safe with her.

"Peeta," she whispers. "It's me. It's your Katniss."

I lift my head to look into her eyes, those beautiful grey eyes that are so full of concern and tenderness that I shudder, my arms shaking violently with the effort of holding myself up.

"You love me," I choke out. "Real or not real?"

Her thumb runs along my cheekbone. "Real."

She said real. She loves me.

I inhale a deep, shaky breath. "Real," I repeat. "You're real, and you love me."

"Real," she says, nodding rapidly. "I love you. I'm so sor-"

I dip my head to kiss her, swallowing the rest of her unnecessary apology. "It's okay, love," I whisper once we break apart. I tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, willing my heart to stop pounding. "There's no way you could've known. I didn't even know. But we just… we just can't… like that. Not yet. Can you understand?"

She nods, brushing the hair off my forehead. "I understand."

My arms are still shaking so I roll off onto my side, shifting so I'm sitting in the middle of the huge bed. I lift her up, placing her on my lap. "Here," I murmur. "Is this okay?"

Smiling, she brushes her lips briefly against mine. "Not yet," she whispers as she climbs off of me. She moves around to my left leg, pressing the release for the prosthesis and gently pulling it off, setting it down on the floor against the bedside table.

"There." She climbs back into my lap with her hands resting on the back of my neck. "That's better. Now you'll be more comfortable."

"You're amazing," I say softly. I touch her face, trace along her eyebrows, the curve of her cheek, and down the column of her throat as a soft moan escapes her perfect pink lips. "Are you sure you're not too sore?"

"I'm sure," she says, smiling my special smile. "You took good care of me after, remember?" Reaching for my hand, she places it between us, directly over her breast. Her silvery eyes darken with desire. "Now kiss me."

It's midday by the time we wake up. I open my eyes, reveling in the feel of my wife's bare back tight against my chest. I breathe in her comforting scent, my fluttering heart sending a bolt of warmth down my spine as I recall how we made love three times before finally succumbing to exhaustion. I remember feeling so relaxed and sleepy I barely had the strength to help her clean up after our third time, heeding Finnick's advice to treat her delicately.

My arm tightens around her as she stirs, arching into me before rolling over.

"Good morning," she murmurs, raising a small hand to caress my cheek. "How did you sleep?"

"Best sleep I've ever had," I answer, growling as her arm slides over my waist, pressing her lithe body flush against my very aroused self. She grins mischievously before she rolls into me again, causing me to gasp.

"Katniss! You need to stop that, or we'll never get out of this b-" I'm cut off as her mouth fuses to mine.

"We can get up later," she whispers, tugging on my shoulders and rolling us so she's on her back. "Right now I want you right here." She raises her head to kiss me again. "If that's okay," she adds sheepishly.

I lean down, claiming her lips, any self-consciousness about my morning breath lost as her fingers thread into my hair, holding me in place. "Oh yeah," I say huskily. "It's more than okay."

We finally make it out the door after managing to shower and dress without too much further delay, spurred on mainly by our growling stomachs. We head first to IHOP to eat and then take a long walk around the nearby golf course, hurrying back to the room for a while when our roaming hands get the better of us.

The rest of the weekend passes far too quickly, with a couple more long walks and a ski lift ride interspersed between restaurant visits and a lot of time spent exploring each other. By the time we're ready to go home, I think I've managed to learn Katniss's body even more than my own. I've learned where she's ticklish and where her skin is extra sensitive. I've learned that she loves when I massage her scalp after we make love. I've learned just how to touch her to get my name to fall from her lips in that way that makes me nearly come apart every time.

Returning home on Sunday afternoon, we have just enough time to make a trip from the coffee shop to our new apartment before heading to church. As I suspected, we're inundated with questions from Delly and Thom almost as soon as we walk through the doors.

"How was it?" Delly asks, bouncing in excitement. "I've heard that resort is so beautiful!"

"It was beautiful," I say, wrapping my arm around Katniss's waist. "We had a wonderful weekend."

"Oh, I bet you did!" she says, winking. "That place was on our shortlist for our honeymoon too. But anyway, I was wondering if you guys would like to go shopping next Saturday? I have a coupon at Kohl's that's going to expire soon, and I thought maybe Katniss would like to get some new things before you leave on your trip."

"No thank you, that's not really necessary-" Katniss starts to say.

"It sounds like a great idea to me," I interrupt gently. I made Katniss a similar offer a couple weeks ago that she refused. Even now, she's still reluctant to spend any money on herself that she doesn't deem absolutely necessary.

"Oh Katniss, come on!" Delly exclaims. "It's gonna be fun! Besides, every girl deserves to have some new clothes for her honeymoon. And after we go shopping we can go and have lunch together."

Unconvinced, Katniss looks up at me, silently pleading with her eyes.

But I only hug her closer to me. "I'm sorry love, but you know I agree with Delly on this one."

She glowers at me for a moment, finally conceding with a nod. "Fine. But only if you and Thom come with us."

Grinning, I nod over in Thom's direction. "It's a deal."

I groan Friday morning when my alarm goes off at 4:30am. Since I can't just walk downstairs to work anymore, I have to get up even earlier than I used to in order to make it on time. I reluctantly detangle myself from the warmth of Katniss's body, tucking the blanket up over her shoulder and kissing her cheek before getting out of bed.

I'd asked for and received permission after we got engaged to change up my schedule at the coffee shop, working longer hours on the weekdays in order to free up my Saturdays. This way Katniss and I have the entire weekend to spend together, and I have an extra day where I can sleep in a little.

Making my way into the kitchen, I grab two cheese buns out of the freezer so they can defrost before Katniss wakes up. With her moving into our apartment the week prior to the wedding, she'd managed to get most of the unpacking and arranging done, so all we had to do when we got back after our weekend trip was unpack the last couple boxes we retrieved from my old attic apartment and open up our wedding gifts. And one of the first things I made in our new kitchen was a triple batch of cheese buns.

So far our new schedule has worked out well. I take the car to the coffee shop, work my shift, then spend an hour or two at the church working on various assignments. Katniss walks to the Community Center in the morning and I pick her up in the afternoon around 5pm, after her final lesson of the day. We make dinner together, eating on our new couch since we don't yet have a kitchen table. After the dishes are washed and dried we settle in to watch TV or a movie. Haymitch had purchased a brand-new 50-inch television and HD Blu-ray player right before Katniss moved in with him, so those were two of the items we kept from his belongings. It's amazing the difference watching Captain America: Civil War on an HD big screen versus my 12-inch computer screen.

Katniss has asked me several times over the course of the week where it is we're heading on Sunday for our trip. I've been able to manage thus far to only give her hints, even when she went as far as to pout at me, using that vulnerable voice of hers that would normally have me figuring out a way to lasso the moon for her. I keep reassuring her it will be worth the wait, and it most certainly will. I'm so excited for it I'm practically vibrating.

"But Peeta, you've got to tell me something!" she exclaims once we walk in the door after our Friday night group. "I need to know what to pack!"

"Nice try," I say, laughing as I sit down to take off my shoes. "I've already told you. The temps where we're going will be pretty much the same as here. Just cooler at night."

"Hmph," she grumbles, stomping her way towards the bedroom. "Fine."

"Face it, Katniss," I say, arriving in the bedroom to find her half-undressed. "You're not gonna get any more hints." I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close. "But I promise, you're gonna love it."

Her tiny hands sneak under my t-shirt, her palms sliding up my stomach and around to my back. "Okay. I trust you."

I lean in for a kiss. "Good." Another kiss, slower and deeper this time. "Now. What do you want?"

"I want you to get undressed," she murmurs, a soft smile gracing her radiant face. "And then take me to bed."

I quickly tug my shirt over my head as she unbuckles my belt. "With pleasure!"

The parking lot at Kohl's is only about half full when we arrive on Saturday around mid-morning, but it's enough for Katniss to assume her deer-in-the-headlights look. "Peeta," she says as we start walking towards the door. "I hate trying on clothes. This is gonna take forever!"

Pulling on her elbow, I stop inside the first set of doors. "Hey. It should only take an hour or so, and then we can go have lunch. Okay?"

Her eyes soften a bit. "Will you please tell that to Delly? Otherwise we'll be stuck here until it's time for church!"

"Of course!" I assure her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. I reach for the door handle, stepping back to hold it for her. She takes one step through before halting, turning around to look at me.

"You should look for some shoes while we're here. I've noticed you seem to be slipping more often lately. How long's it been since you've replaced them?"

"Ah," I say sheepishly. "I don't remember, actually, so it's probably been way too long."

"You told me you were supposed to replace your shoes every six months because your soles wear out funny," she chastises, pointing to my feet. "And you've had these for at least as long as I've known you."

"Are you guys coming?" Delly calls, standing next to the accessories counter ten feet away.

"Yeah, just a sec," I say to Delly. Turning back to Katniss, I pull out my wallet and hand her the debit card linked to my college fund. "Here. I'll go and look for shoes while you and Delly are shopping. Okay?"

Katniss stares at the card in her hand, scowling. "Peeta," she says, presumably ready to argue with me. She had declined to get her own debit card for that account, saying that carrying around the card for our new joint account was enough for her.

"Stop," I implore. "It's our money now, not just mine. Right? And this is technically honeymoon stuff anyway."

Her scowl deepens. "Yeah I guess. But that's stretching it a little, don't you think?"

"Maybe," I say, smiling as I plant a kiss on her forehead. "But I'm looking forward to this trip too much to care about technicalities."

Katniss huffs out a breath, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Fine. But if I'm not back in one hour, you come and save me. Promise me!"

"I promise!" I say, laughing.

"C'mon, Katniss!" Delly says, practically bouncing up and down with excitement as she drags Katniss away. "We should start in the Kids section, you're tiny enough to fit into the stuff there I'm sure. They have some of the cutest tops out right now…"

"Hey, Peeta," Thom says once the girls have left. He looks around awkwardly. "Um, I'm not really much of a shopper, so do ya mind if I just sit down here and read for a while?"

"Nah," I reply, wishing I could do the same. "I'll be over in the shoe department if you need me."

Thom sits down on a bench, raising his hand in acknowledgment. I slip slightly as I turn on the linoleum floor, validating Katniss's concerns about the state of my footwear. My shoes are definitely over a year old, and we will be doing a fair bit of walking in the next week, so…

She's always trying to take care of me.

I browse up and down the rows for several minutes, looking for the particular dark brown leather high-tops that I prefer to wear. Finding a possible contender in my usual size ten, I sit down on one of the benches to try them on, wincing as I pull off my left shoe and see that the sole has completely worn smooth. My gait tends to be uneven due to my prosthesis, with my left foot sliding over surfaces more than my right foot, so the soles of my left shoes always wear out faster than my right.

Sliding my prosthetic foot into the new shoe, I notice a little boy, maybe five years old, sitting on another bench a few feet away, with who I assume to be his father helping him into a new pair of Iron Man sneakers.

"But Daddy," the boy says, pleading. "I liked my 'Pider-Man shoes. Why can't I keep dem?"

"Because," the boy's father says patiently. "You keep insisting on growing up too fast, so your Spider-Man shoes are too small for you already." He gets one shoe fastened and starts to work on the second. "And they don't have those in your new size, so we'll have to make due with Iron Man this time. Okay, buddy?"

The boy crosses his arms, pouting as his father finishes tying the laces. "Fine. But I still like 'Pider-Man better dan Iron Man."

I chuckle as I finish double-knotting my own shoe, standing up and walking a few paces to test them out.

"Walk around a little," the father says to his son as he hops to his feet. "Make sure they're comfy."

Satisfied with the fit and feel of the shoes I'm trying on, I sit back down to pack them back into the box.

"Yeah, they's okay," the boy replies. He plops back down onto the bench. "Just wish they were 'Pider-Man instead."

"We can look for those again next time, okay buddy?" The father reaches a hand up to ruffle the boy's hair. "I only hope it takes you longer than a month to outgrow these."

I've just finished tying my old shoes and stood up when the man picks up the boy's Iron Man shoebox and turns around, giving me a good look at his face for the first time.

The sight of him nearly causes me to drop the shoebox I'm holding. In the five years since my accident, I've managed to avoid seeing any of the people who were there at the cabin with me that night of my Senior Prom. But I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later.

He looks similar to the last time I saw him. A little older, as I'm sure I look also. A bit worn too, like he doesn't sleep very well.

"Hey Marvel," I say, my voice surprisingly strong and even for how shocked I am.

His head snaps up at the sound of his name. "Peeta!" he blurts out, obviously not expecting to see me either. "Ah… hi. Um, how're ya doing?"

"I'm good," I say, automatically. It's what I say almost every time someone asks me how I'm doing. It takes me a second to realize that yes, I actually am good. No, not just good. I'm pretty darn wonderful.

"I'm great, actually. I just got married. Last Friday in fact. My wife's in here shopping somewhere…" and I look off in the general direction of the women's clothing.

"Really?" Marvel says, raising his eyebrows. "That's great! Ah, congratulations."

"Yeah. Thank y-" I start to say as I'm interrupted by the little boy.

"I'm Dylan," he says proudly. "I'm four-and-a-half, and dis is my daddy."

"Hello Dylan," I say with a chuckle, crouching down to look him in the eye. "It's nice to meet you. Are you shopping for shoes today too?"

"Yeah," he answers. "My daddy says I growed too fast, so I needed new shoes."

"Well, my daddy used to tell me the same thing when I was your age." I wink at him before moving to stand back up, startled when I feel Katniss's hand under my arm as she stabilizes me right before I slip again.

"What are you doing kneeling on the floor?" she demands, a shopping bag dangling from her other hand. She turns around, eyeing Marvel and his son warily.

I wrap my arm around her waist. "Katniss, this is Dylan," I say, pointing to the boy. "And Marvel, his dad."

Katniss tilts her head as her eyes narrow, trying to place where she knows Marvel's name. I see the exact moment that it clicks for her as she moves herself in front of me, scowling.

She's trying to protect me from him.

"Hello," she says coolly. "I'm Katniss Mellark."

For how dumb Marvel used to act while we were in high school, he's not an idiot. His face flushes red as he extends his hand, shaking Katniss's briefly as he shifts uncomfortably. "It's, ah, nice to meet you, Katniss. I, ah, went to school with Peeta here."

"Yes, I've heard about you," Katniss snaps, her voice as sharp as the tip of one of her arrows. Clearing my throat, I place my hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," I say gently, handing her the shoebox I'm holding. "Would you please go pay for these for me?" I glance back over at Marvel. "I'll just be a few minutes."

A look of alarm flashes in her grey eyes, her hand reaching for my arm and squeezing. "Peeta, I don't know-"

"Please?" I repeat, still gentle but with a bit of firmness. "I'll only be a few minutes."

She stares at me for a moment, the alarm fading to a look of uncertainty. "If you're sure you're okay," she whispers, glancing back at Marvel.

"I'm sure," I tell her. "I promise."

Her gaze flicks over to Marvel one more time as she presses her lips together. "Alright. We'll be waiting by the doors for you."

"Sounds good," I say, watching her walk towards the checkout counter.

"So," Marvel says, breaking the awkward silence. "Your wife seems like… quite a lady."

Smiling, I nod. "I've never met anyone else like her," I say reverently. "She's simply amazing."

"Yeah," he replies, looking down at his son as he pulls out his smartphone. "Here buddy, why don't you go sit and watch Muppet Moments for a few minutes, while I talk to Mr. Peeta here. Okay?"

"Yippee!" Dylan exclaims, snatching the phone from his father's hand and plopping down onto the floor against a rack of shoelaces.

"He's a handsome boy," I say to Marvel.

Chuckling, Marvel agrees. "Yeah, he knows it too. His grandparents spoil him pretty rotten, but he's a good kid." He looks at me, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "It's tough for him, ya know? Growing up without a mother."

"Oh? Where is his mother?"

"I don't even know," Marvel admits, sounding defeated. "She bolted when Dylan was about three months old, and I haven't seen or heard from her since." He lets out an emotionless laugh. "She left a note in his crib. Right next to where he was sleeping. She just snuck out one night and never came back. Said she wasn't the mothering type."

My stomach gives a flip as the truth hits me. "It was Glimmer," I say. "Glimmer's his mother. Isn't she?"

"Yeah," he says, sighing. "I ended up following her to college because she said she couldn't bear to be without me." He rolls his eyes. "We got into the party scene pretty much right away, and she never remembered to take her birth control pills when she was drunk. And well, I'm sure you can figure out the rest." He looks at me, his eyes looking even more tired and worn.

"Once she left I couldn't stay in school and take care of Dylan, so I dropped out and got a job as a welder's apprentice instead. I work for one of the big construction companies now. It's decent pay and everything, but sometimes I'm sent to sites that are out of town and I don't get to see him for weeks at a time. It's hard. I mean, he has his grandparents, but still. I'm actually scheduled to ship out Monday to another site for three weeks."

"Hmm," I mumble. "That must be tough."

"Yeah."

We lapse into silence for a moment as Marvel peers in the direction of the checkout counters. "Your wife knows, then?"

"Of course she does," I snap, a bit more harshly than I intended when Marvel winces. "She's only one of a handful of people that know the whole story, but yes. We don't keep secrets from each other."

"Look, Peeta-"

"I hated you," I confess, interrupting him. Marvel raises his eyebrows but doesn't protest. "I hated you, and Glimmer, for a long time afterwards. I hated you both so much for what you did to me. And you know what that got me?"

He looks afraid to ask, but shakes his head anyway. "No."

"Nothing," I say. "It got me absolutely nothing but more pain and anguish. I was so unhappy, for so long. Until I met her."

"I see," Marvel whispers, his eyes wide as he glances down at his son, happily watching his Muppets video.

"It was her," I repeat. "I had accepted Christ. I was going to church every weekend and was in school at the Bible college. But God knew that wasn't enough. He knew I needed help, that I was still angry and bitter. So he sent me Katniss. And it was only with her help that I was finally able to let go of the hate and accept what happened to me. She loves me, pure and simple. Fake leg and all."

"That's good, Peeta," Marvel begins, rapidly nodding. "I'm glad-"

"But you know what the most interesting part of this story is?" I ask, interrupting again.

He shakes his head. "No."

"There's no way I would've met her if this hadn't happened to me," and I point down at my prosthesis. "So you see, without this I wouldn't have met the love of my life. And once I realized that, I found I couldn't hate you anymore. I was able to forgive you. And Glimmer."

He stares at me, as if searching for words. "I don't," he finally mumbles. "I don't know what you want me to say, Peeta."

"I don't expect you to say anything," I say honestly. "But I guess God wanted me to tell you this, since he put you right in front of me today."

"Yeah," he replies. "I'm glad you're doing okay. I truly am." He walks over to his son, tapping him on the shoulder. "It's time to go, little buddy."

"Aww, please can't I watch one more video?" Dylan objects. "Tis one's my fav-o-rit!"

"Maybe later," Marvel replies as he pockets his phone. He nods in my direction. "Can you say goodbye to Mr. Peeta?"

"Bye," Dylan says, waving in the exaggerated way that children tend to do.

"It was nice to meet you, Dylan," I say cheerily as Marvel takes his hand, leading him in the direction of the checkout counters. I sit back down on the nearby bench, giving them time to check out and myself time to collect my thoughts before I face what's sure to be a barrage of questions from Katniss.

Dear Lord, thank you for your guiding hand on my shoulder all these years. Even before I knew it was there.

And then right on the tails of that prayer. Oh wow, that could've been me. That could've so easily been me.

I take a deep, shaky breath as I get to my feet, praying that Marvel and his son have left the store by now as I approach the checkouts and my impatient wife.

Katniss is sitting on a bench near the doors, the two shopping bags down near her feet. "Are you alright?" she asks, jumping up as soon as she sees me. "Why'd you send me away?"

"I'm fine," I say, enveloping her into a hug. "Just a bit rattled. I definitely was not planning on seeing him here today."

Katniss glares at me as she picks up the shopping bags. "You shouldn't've sent me away. I wanted to help you."

"You did," I reassure her. "You always do. I just… needed to talk to him alone. Get some things off my chest."

She doesn't look convinced, but thankfully drops the subject as Delly and Thom join us, loaded down with shopping bags. "I just love these sales!" Delly exclaims. "We save so much money!" She looks between Katniss and me. "Everything okay?"

"Yep, we're good," I say, taking our bags from Katniss. "Time for lunch now?"

"I'm ready for lunch," Katniss says. "And we're not done talking about this," she whispers to me as we walk to the car.

No, knowing Katniss, we're probably not.

But she at least waits until we're in bed that night to bring it up again. "Can you tell me what you said to Marvel now?"

I breathe in deeply, studying the patterns in the ceiling as my hand trails along her arm. "I told him that I forgave him."

She's quiet for a while, her fingers trailing through the sparse hair on my chest. "That was very brave of you," she finally says.

"No," I whisper as I hug her even closer. "Not so brave. Only the truth." I turn my head, planting a kiss to her forehead. "I realized something a while ago."

"What's that?"

I shift us slightly so we're facing each other. "That you're the good that came from my tragedy." I reach up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. "I don't know how I would've met you if I hadn't lost my leg."

Her face falls as her eyebrows knit together. "Peeta, I don't know-"

"But I do," I interrupt gently. "There's no doubt in my mind."

She sighs heavily, her lips quirking into that soft smile that only I ever see. "I hope I'm worth it."

Cupping her face, I press my lips to hers, lingering long enough to hear her whimper before we break apart. "You're definitely worth it."

Her head tucks under my chin, her thumb caressing my cheekbone. "Peeta," she says, her voice muffled. "I think you should call Dr. Aurelius when we get back."

I stiffen slightly at her words, tears pooling in my eyes as a wave of embarrassment washes over me. "Yeah," I concede. "I probably should."

Propping herself up onto her elbow, Katniss leans in, kissing my forehead. "There's nothing to be ashamed of."

It's easy for her to say that. It's mortifying enough that I had a freaking panic attack on our honeymoon, not to mention the fact that it was while we were being intimate. We've managed to work around it some this week, trying out a couple positions that are different without being triggering, but just last night it happened again. We were asleep, and Katniss must have shifted or something. All it took was her hand pushing against my shoulder in just the right, or wrong, way, and I woke up screaming, scaring us both half to death.

I loathe that I even have to worry about it.

If only I'd known somehow, I could've addressed this before it became an issue. But there really was no way of knowing. I hardly remember anything from my encounter with Glimmer. I was either too drunk at the time or I've blocked it out somehow, as some sort of defense mechanism. I've only been able to recall the occasional fuzzy detail in my nightmares.

"Peeta," she insists. "Please don't feel embarrassed about it. Glimmer… wasn't nice to you."

The tears finally escape, slipping down my cheeks as my arms tighten around Katniss. "No, she wasn't. She was pretty damn horrible." I think of Marvel, raising their son alone after she abandoned them. "And not only to me."

"Dr. Aurelius can help you," Katniss whispers, brushing the tears off my cheeks. "You know he can. And I want to learn how to help you too. We can go see him together, if you want."

Inhaling shakily, I nod into the darkness. "I'd like that."

Her lips graze against my cheek as she brushes hair off my forehead. "We should sleep now," she says, laying her head down on my chest. "We need to get up early."

She's right. Our flight leaves tomorrow morning at 8:30am, which means the alarm will be going off at 4am so we can make the two-hour drive down to the Richmond airport.

"Are you nervous about flying tomorrow?" Neither one of us has ever been on an airplane before.

"A little," she admits. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah, a little," I reply. "But I'll be fine as long as you're with me."

"I'd be less nervous if I knew where we were going," she adds in a huffy voice, bringing a smile to my face.

"Well, you'll just have to stay a little nervous then," I say teasingly. "'Cause I'm not gonna tell you until I have to."

"Hmph," is the only answer I get.

I tilt my head so my lips are just grazing her scalp. "I love you, Katniss. You saved me. God sent you to me to save me."

Her arm tightens around my chest. "No. We saved each other."

I'm sorry we didn't get to the surprise honeymoon in this chapter, but hopefully it will give you something to look forward to for next week. ;)

These were some pretty big issues for Peeta to have to face. But, as always, its so much easier for him with Katniss by his side, protecting and supporting him.

I'd love to hear what you think! Please don't hesitate to leave me a review! :)