It's honeymoon time! A huge thanks to my betas NotAnIslander and HPFanonezillion for their help! :)

This chapter is rated T-M.

"Air America flight 2501 with nonstop service to Detroit is now boarding at gate 12," I hear over the loudspeaker. Katniss's head is lolling against my shoulder as she dozes. She's definitely not used to waking up so early.

"Katniss, wake up!" I whisper. "It's time to get on the plane!"

"Hmm?" She snaps her head up, squinting towards the open gate door. Her tired eyes narrow even further as she reads the flight information next to the door. "Peeta? Tell me again why we're going to Detroit?"

Laughing, I get to my feet, offering a hand to help her stand up. "We're not." I swing my backpack over my shoulder and grab my suitcase handle. "We have to change planes there, that's all."

"Mmm, 'kay," she mumbles, still not quite awake.

She falls asleep again almost as soon as we're in the air, only awakening as we start to land. "C'mon love," I say, handing her her suitcase once we've landed. "We need to hustle. We only have thirty minutes and I think we have to change concourses."

"Peeta, where are we going?" she asks as we exit into the terminal. I immediately walk over to the bank of television monitors, looking for the departure gate for the flight to Minneapolis.

"It's this way," I say, pointing down the crowded hall, barely able to contain my excitement. "C'mon!"

We make it to the gate with about ten minutes to spare. Joining the line of people waiting to board, Katniss peaks around, looking for the flight information.

"Flight 2687 to Minneapolis," she says under her breath. There's about a three second pause before she turns, looking at me with wide eyes. "We're going to Minnesota?"

"Yep," I say excitedly. "We're going to Minnesota."

Her brow furrows slightly as we're called forward to board the plane. Once we're buckled into our seats she turns to me. "What are we gonna be doing up there?"

"Well… " I reach behind me, fumbling to retrieve my wallet from my back pocket. I dig inside, pulling out the the tickets to the football game and handing them to Katniss. "Are you ready for some football?"

A sputter of laughter bubbles from her throat as she stares at the tickets, her jaw slowly dropping. "We're going to the football game? Like, at the stadium and everything?"

"Yep!" I say. "It's tomorrow night. Monday Night Football, so we might even be on TV!"

"Oh!" she exclaims, her eyes still fixed on the tickets, her finger tracing over the Vikings logo. "Are you gonna be cheering for the Vikings, or your Ravens?" she asks, sounding suspicious.

"Oh, no," I proclaim, holding up my hands. "I packed my Ravens shirt to wear to the game. Even though we'll be in your stadium, I gotta cheer for my own team!"

"Well, then we'll definitely be on TV," Katniss retorts, handing me back the tickets. "The announcers will be able to pick you out in no time!"

"We'll see," I say, chuckling. "I'm sure I won't be the lone Raven's fan there."

"Okay, so that's Monday night," she says, crossing her arms. "What about the rest of the week?"

"Well, I thought we could spend some time at the Mall of America tomorrow before the game," I say. "I'd like to see if we can meet the lady who helped me find your blanket. And we also need to buy you a Vikings shirt or jersey to wear to the game."

She nods as the plane's engines start to roar. "Okay. Then what?"

I lean in, kissing her cheek. "The rest is still a surprise." She grips my hand as the plane lifts off from the runway, still a bit wary of the whole flying experience. "But I think it'll be even better than the football game."

Landing in Minneapolis, we stop first at Caribou Coffee for a bagel and some hot chocolate before finding the shuttle bus for our hotel. Once we arrive, the very kind man who checks us in upgrades us to the top floor when Katniss mentions that we're on our honeymoon. The spacious room, complete with a two-person jetted tub and separate sitting area, has a beautiful view of the brand-new Vikings practice facility from the large balcony.

"What would you like to do?" I ask Katniss once we've had a chance to freshen up a bit. "We could head over to the mall now, but since it's the weekend it might be super busy, and I know you're not a fan of big crowds."

"I'd rather wait till tomorrow for the mall," Katniss replies, digging around for something in her suitcase.

"Okay," I reply. "Then… there's football on that we could watch, or we can go eat lunch, or-"

"Here they are!" she exclaims, pulling out what looks to be a pair of orange men's shorts. She hands them to me with a shy smile. "I thought we might go swimming. The man at the desk said there's a nice pool here."

"Ahh," I stammer as my face flushes hot. I haven't been swimming since the summer before my senior high school year, almost a year before my accident, and I haven't owned a single pair of shorts since then. I've never felt comfortable with people seeing my prosthesis, which I always thought was incredibly ugly.

I look down at the shorts in my hand, which upon closer inspection are actually swimming trunks. She must've picked these up when we were shopping yesterday. "Katniss, I don't know…"

"Please?" She moves closer to me, wrapping her slender arms around my waist. "I know you're nervous, but you don't have to be ashamed, Peeta." She tilts her head, planting a sweet kiss on my jaw. "I'm certainly not ashamed to be seen with you."

A lump forms in my throat. "I know you're not." I breathe in deeply through my nose, resting my chin on her head.

I can't really hide it forever. And it's not like anyone knows me here.

"Okay."

She squeezes me even closer. "Yeah?"

"Sure. Let's go swimming." I dip my head to kiss her. "After all, I'd be a fool to pass up seeing you in a swimsuit."

She gives a little squeak of glee before rummaging through her suitcase for her own swimsuit, a pretty green one-piece that's even more stunning once she's wearing it. Her sheer beauty is almost enough to make me forget my anxiety about being seen by the rest of the world.

She still has no idea, the effect she has on me.

She slips into one of my t-shirts as a coverup and drapes a towel around her neck. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," I croak, half out of apprehension and half out of a desire to get her right back out of that green swimsuit. "I'm ready."

She takes my hand as I open the door, hesitating slightly before stepping into the hallway. The elevator, only a few doors down from our room, is empty, and goes directly down to the mezzanine level where the pool is located.

I can do this. I'm not the only person in the world with an artificial leg.

But my heart starts to thud violently as we step off the elevator and directly into a crowd of people. Katniss squeezes my hand, leading me down the hall towards the pool. If anyone points or whispers, I don't notice it.

There's one other family enjoying the pool when we arrive, a dad with a little girl, probably about five or six years old. She's simply adorable, with reddish-blonde hair and a bright blue swimsuit with matching arm floaties. Her squeals of delight as her father tosses her into the air make me smile, and I almost forget for a moment how exposed I am until she looks right at me and points.

"Daddy!" her small but very loud voices calls out, echoing throughout the large, humid room. "Look at that man! He has a robot leg! Can I have a robot leg too? Oh please, please, please? Look how cool it is!"

"Jessica!" the father chastises. "Remember, it's not nice to point!" He looks towards me, climbing out of the water with his little girl in tow. "I'm sorry, sir," he says, reaching to shake my hand without even a glance down at my prosthesis. "My daughter is still learning her manners."

"It's alright," I say, forcing the words out and trying hard not to tear up. Robot leg. Even I have to admit that does sound kind of cool. "I've actually never heard anyone describe it that way." I glance down at the little girl. "Thank you, young lady."

"You're welcome, mister," she says, smiling and showing off a missing bottom front tooth.

"C'mon, pumpkin, let's go see if Mommy and your baby sister are ready," her father says, wrapping her into a towel and scooping her up into his arms. He turns around, looking at Katniss and me. "Have a nice afternoon!"

"Thank you," I say as they exit, leaving us alone in the pool.

"Robot leg, hmm?" Katniss says as she pulls off her t-shirt. "I think your prosthesis just got a new name."

I sit down on one of the deck chairs to take off my shoes and my robot leg. "Yeah, I think so!" I glance up at the ceiling, in awe at how the God of the universe can take time from his busy schedule to help calm my nerves about showing my prosthesis off to the public for the first time.

Thank you, Jesus.

Katniss helps me hop to the edge of the pool, then gracefully jumps in, holding out her arms for me to follow. "C'mon in!" she calls, splashing. "It's perfect!"

I slip myself in awkwardly, cringing at the cool temperature of the water. Even before my accident I was never the best at swimming, mainly sticking to splashing around in the shallow end. I can keep my head above water for the most part, but that's pretty much it. "You go ahead," I tell her. "I'll stay close to the wall here and watch you."

She smiles and nods before disappearing below the surface, re-emerging at the other end of the pool. She's obviously been taught how to swim, and quite well from the looks of it. And I'm perfectly content to stay right here and watch her.

But after a few minutes Katniss insists on showing me how to float, so she spends the next half hour or so teaching me various techniques and tricks. And, to my surprise, I actually start to get the hang of it pretty well.

After my lesson is over I move back over to the middle of the oval-shaped pool, where I can just reach the bottom with my right foot. I lean the back of my head against the wall, watching Katniss as she swims over to me. As soon as she's close enough I grab onto her, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"Are you okay?" she asks as her hands come to rest on my shoulders, rivulets of water rolling down her cheeks and neck from her wet hair.

"I'm better now," I murmur, leaning in for a quick kiss, which does absolutely nothing to quell the straining erection I've had almost ever since she slipped into that swimsuit she's wearing. Instinctively I press her closer to me, my hands moving to the curve of her lower back as her knees hitch up to my waist, a soft moan escaping her lips. "Just hungry."

"Well, it's after lunchtime," she says breathlessly, glancing up at the clock on the wall. "We could get dressed and go-"

"Katniss!" I rasp. "It's not that kind of hungry." I lean over to whisper in her ear as I squeeze her to me again. "Don't you feel that? I'm hungry for you."

"Peeta," she gasps on a breath, her hands burying themselves in my damp hair. Her legs wrap around me, holding me in place. "Ohhh…"

My lips find hers again, my tongue sweeping into her mouth before I remember that we're in a very public place and should probably stop before we get too carried away. "Katniss, can we please go back to the room now?"

"Uh huh," she stammers, brushing the hair off my forehead, her eyes dark and lidded. "Yes, let's go now."

Pulling ourselves out of the water, Katniss hands me my prosthesis, which I almost strap on backwards in my lust-fueled haste. Once I manage to get it on correctly I shove my shoelaces down inside my shoes and grab her hand, holding my towel strategically in front of me as I lead her back down the hall to the elevator, which takes an unseemingly long amount of time to reach the fourteenth floor.

The door to our room has barely closed behind us when I tug the damp t-shirt over Katniss's head, reaching for the straps of her forest green swimsuit. My lips latch fervently onto hers as I peel the suit down her gorgeous, lithe body. Her tiny hands go directly to my waist, untying the drawstring of my trunks and shoving them down my legs so I can kick both them and my shoes off. Picking her up, I stumble over to the bed, laying her down as gently as I can before crawling up over her.

"Katniss, are you ready?" I gasp sharply as her hand wraps around me, guiding me towards her. We usually have a lot more warm up time, and I absolutely don't want to hurt her, but if I wait too much longer I'm going to completely lose it.

"Yes," she pants, hooking her leg around my thigh. "Please, I need you!"

I groan in relief as I slowly slide into her, taking advantage of the sunlight streaming in through the large sliding doors to watch her eyes flutter shut and her teeth catch on her bottom lip as I start to move.

I used to think that Katniss singing was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard. The sound of her ethereal voice raised in song could turn even the most stoic of men into a pile of rubble, could save even the most lost soul from the depths of despair.

But even that's nothing compared to the angelic chorus of sounds she makes when we make love. Her whimpers and moans, interspersed with my name and combined with her small hands trailing over my back and shoulders form the melody and rhythm to a secret song that she sings only for me. In the nine days that we've been married, I've already grown insatiable for it.

And then, that moment when she's at her most vulnerable and open and her love for me is at its rawest; when we cry out from the pleasure we give and take from each other, I feel like I could float away on the notes of her song if we weren't tethered together, reveling in our shared joy and ecstasy.

It's truly spectacular to experience.

And it's only for us.

"Are you feeling better now?" she asks after, teasingly, tracing a fingertip through the hair on my chest.

"Mmm," I growl sleepily, tilting her head up so I can kiss her lips. "For now. But ask me again in ten minutes or so and I might have a different answer."

She smiles, propping herself up on her elbow. "Well, then we better go eat something in the meantime."

"That is a wonderful idea," I say, kissing her once more for good measure before sitting up. "I have definitely worked up an appetite."

We find a mom-and-pop sandwich place around the corner from our hotel, returning with full bellies to watch football for awhile. We test out the huge bathtub later that evening, which eventually leads to us watching a glorious sunset from our balcony, clad only in the luxuriously fluffy hotel robes.

Exhausted from the traveling, among other things, we both sleep like rocks that night.

It's an absolutely beautiful, late summer morning when we finally wake up, barely in time to make the fancy breakfast buffet that's only for guests on the top floor. The food is so rich and decadent it reminds me of the meal we shared at Caesar Flickerman's, the night I proposed to Katniss. Fluffy pancakes stacked five and six high, omelets made to order, steaming ground oats sprinkled with honey and brown sugar, and biscuits so buttery they practically melt in your mouth are only a few of the choices available. Katniss insists on us sharing a plate, wanting to try a little of everything but not wanting anything to go to waste.

An hour later, well-rested and with full stomachs, we head for the skyway that leads to the Mall of America.

"Here it is," I say, pointing to the electronic directory located just outside the massive Lego Store. Katniss is holding tightly to my arm, her grey eyes struggling to take in the hordes of people walking up and down the wide, carpeted hallways, speaking any number of different languages. If it's this busy on a late Monday morning during the school year, I can't imagine how it would be on a weekend.

I point towards the nearby escalators. "It's up one floor and down that hall about halfway."

"Uh huh," Katniss mumbles, increasing her grip on my arm. She turns her anxious gaze to me. "Do not let go of me in this place."

I reach my hand up to cover hers, squeezing reassuringly. "I won't. I promise." I feel a twinge of guilt as we head over to the escalators. While I'd love to find a bench somewhere and people-watch for awhile, Katniss is not a fan of either shopping or crowds, and this place is the epitome of both of those.

To my relief, the second level isn't nearly as crowded as the first. "Ah, here we are," I say, arriving at the entrance to the cheery, cozy-looking store. Several throw pillows decorate displays in the front of the store, embroidered in the various colors of the Minnesota professional and collegiate sports teams. Racks of Minnesota Vikings and Gophers sweatshirts, t-shirts, and player jerseys line the entire left side, with the right side devoted to the local hockey and baseball teams.

"Well, hello there!" a woman says suddenly to my right. "How can I help ye today?"

I turn to see a very friendly-looking, grey-haired woman, probably in her mid to late fifties, dressed as if she's heading out to the Vikings game in the next few minutes.

"Um, hello," I say. "I'm not sure if you were the person who helped me or not, but I purchased a wool Vikings blanket from this store way back last December, and-"

I'm cut off by the woman gasping, so loudly that it startles both me and Katniss. "Are you Peter Mellark?" She turns, shouting towards the back of the store. "Albert! Come out here! Peter Mellark is here!" She grabs a hold of my hand, shaking it vigorously. "It's so nice to meet ye in person!"

"Um, thank you," I say as a man emerges from behind a rack of Twins jerseys, carrying a clipboard.

"What's going on out here, Anita?" the man, presumably Albert, says. "What's all this commotion?"

"This is that young man I told ye about!" the woman, Anita apparently, tells him. "The one who bought the woolly blanket I made the year last!"

"You made it?" Katniss blurts out, half hidden behind me. "It's so beautiful, and snuggly!"

"Oh yah," Anita says, blushing proudly. "I make several of the items we sell in here, don't'cha know." She jerks her head in the direction of the storefront. "All those pillows are hand-stitched, and I embroider most of the blankets and towels we sell also." She looks back at me. "And I never forget any of my customers, even if I don't meet them in person."

"Um, this is my wife, Katniss," I say, wrapping my arm around Katniss's shoulders. "I bought the blanket for her."

"Oh, it's wonderful to meet you, Katniss," Anita says, offering Katniss her hand. "Aren't ye two just the cutest couple!"

"Yah, it's nice to meet ye both," Albert says. "I'm sorry if my wife here startled ye, she gets a bit excited from time to time."

I absolutely love their accents. Their speech is so lyrical!

I smile, thinking of how this woman reminds me of an older version of Delly. "No, it's okay. We actually have a friend who's very similar."

"So are ye lookin' for anything in particular today, or did ye just drop by to say hello?" Anita asks. "And all the way from Virginia no less?"

"We're actually here on our honeymoon," I tell her, squeezing Katniss to me. "We're going to the game tonight, so we came here to find Katniss a shirt or a jersey to wear to the game."

"Ah," she replies, eyeing me up and down. "And why does only Katniss need something to wear?"

"Because Peeta here is a Ravens fan," Katniss says, elbowing me in the side. "And he's too loyal to his own team to wear anything else."

Anita stares at me for a moment, her mouth hanging open, apparently appalled that there are indeed humans out there who are fans of other teams. "Well," she finally says. "Ye're darn lucky ye're in Minnesota then. At least we're nice to foreigners here!" She lowers her voice, looking around conspiratorially. "As long as ye're not a Packers fan, that is."

Katniss starts to laugh. "No, you don't have to worry about that! I wouldn't allow it!"

Katniss ends up selecting a Stefon Diggs jersey, giving us both a good laugh when the first one she tries on comes almost to her knees. Anita continues to gush over us as she rings up our purchase, saying over and over how grateful she is that we came in today. She even throws in an embroidered hand towel at no extra charge.

"Now, how're ye planning on getting to the stadium later today?" she asks, handing Katniss the shopping bag. "I'd recommend ye get down there a bit early. Otherwise, ye'll be stuck in rush hour traffic and stadium traffic at the same time. And the light rail would be the easiest way, don't go paying a ton of money for a taxi. They even have express trains that'll bring ye right back here once the game is over."

As a matter of fact, I hadn't even thought about taking the train out to the stadium. "That sounds great, thank you!" I've never been on any sort of train before, and I'm almost certain Katniss hasn't either.

"Oh, ye're so welcome, my dears!" she says. "Ye've made my day coming in here today! I'll be watching for the two of ye on the television tonight!"

"Yeah," Katniss says, smiling at the older lady. "You'll be able to pick him out easily. He'll be the one wearing the Ravens shirt!"

Heeding Anita's advice, Katniss and I head down to the light rail station around 3pm for the forty-five minute ride to US Bank Stadium. After spending a couple of hours wandering around a nearby park, we grab something to eat from a bookshop cafe before joining the growing crowd of people headed for the stadium. My Ravens t-shirt earns a few pointed looks, but nothing more.

The stadium itself is an absolute work of art. Designed to resemble a Viking ship, it has a transparent roof that allows the natural light to filter in while still providing a controlled climate for events.

"Did you know they're having the Super Bowl here this season?" I ask Katniss once we've found our seats on the second level.

Grimacing, she shakes her head. "No, and now that means that the Vikings won't make it this year. No team has ever played in the Super Bowl when it's been in their home field."

"Ah," I say. "Very true. But, you never know. Maybe this will be their year," and I give her a wink, earning a squeeze of my arm in return. I glance around, watching as more and more people filter into our section. I specifically chose seats on the end of a row so Katniss could sit on the outside, knowing she doesn't enjoy being in such close quarters with strangers. I also thought at the last minute to bring along some earplugs, in case the rambunctious crowd gets to be too much for her.

While she ends up not needing the earplugs, I can tell the noise is starting to get to Katniss towards the end of the nail-biting game, especially when the Vikings end up tying the score with a 45-yard field goal that bounces off the left upright immediately before the two-minute warning. The Ravens respond by driving down the field to the Vikings' thirty yard line, nearing field goal range. But then, on the very next play, safety Anthony Harris steps right in front of Ravens receiver Mike Wallace, intercepting Joe Flacco's pass and running it back all the way to the Ravens fifteen. The resulting field goal wins the game, with Katniss and most of the rest of the capacity crowd cheering as loudly as humanly possible.

It's after midnight by the time we get back to the hotel, exhausted from the busy day and the dramatic end to the game. After taking a quick shower together we fall into bed, wrapping ourselves around each other and falling asleep almost immediately.

My ears are still ringing the next morning when I wake to the sound of my text alert. Opening one eye, I glance at the phone. It's from my brother.

[Rye] Saw you and Katniss on TV last night! Dude, you wore your Ravens shirt to a Vikings game? You're lucky you weren't mugged!

So I guess we were on TV. If Finnick saw it I'll never hear the end of it.

[Peeta] And you're lucky you didn't wake her up with your untimely text! Aren't you supposed to be at work?

His only reply is the sunglasses emoji.

Yep. That's Rye for you.

Oh well, it's almost time to get up anyway.

"Katniss!" I whisper, brushing her cheek with gentle kisses. "Wake up! We need to get going!"

"Mmm," she mumbles, her voice hoarse and thick with sleep. She burrows further into the blankets. "Tired…"

"I know you're tired, love, but we need to get to breakfast before it's over, and then we need to go pick up our car."

She props herself up on one elbow, a bit more awake now. "What? What car?"

I brush some errant strands of hair out of her eyes. "We're going somewhere else for the rest of the week," I say, leaning in to kiss her cheek again. "You're gonna love it, I promise! But you need to get up now!"

Grumbling, she raises her head off the fluffy pillow, squinting against the morning sunlight streaking into the room through the slightly parted curtains. "Hmm. Fine."

We dress quickly, heading down the hall to enjoy the scrumptious breakfast buffet one more time before packing up and checking out. Taking the shuttle bus back to the airport, we head directly to the car-rental agency. About an hour later, tucked into a silver Honda Fit, we're heading northwest on I-94, listening to one of our favorite music playlists.

It's a glorious day, bright and sunny with just enough puffy white clouds to make it perfect. Katniss's hair is blowing in the breeze from her open window and her hand is resting comfortably on my thigh while I drive, checking my phone from time to time to make sure we don't get lost. I've never driven in such a flat area before; I bet you could see for fifty miles or more in any given direction around here.

My heart starts to thump in anticipation as we turn off the main freeway onto a smaller highway, taking it for about thirty minutes before exiting onto a two-lane country road. We're almost there.

Katniss is dozing as we pull into the long, gravel driveway of the small, rustic-looking cabin. The rental ad had advertised it as a log-cabin look with modern amenities and they weren't lying. It looks almost handmade from the outside.

I brush my hand gently against her cheek. "Katniss! We're here!"

She awakens with a start, her eyes widening as she takes in our surroundings. "Peeta," she breathes, staring intently at the cabin through the car windshield. "Where are we?"

Getting out of the car, I go around to her door, helping her out. I take her hand, leading her around the side of the cabin to the front.

It looks almost exactly like I'd pictured it, calm and glassy, dotted with fishing boats, very much like that painting hanging in Dr. Aurelius' office. I breathe in deeply, smelling freshly mown grass, wet sand, pine trees, and a couple other scents I can't quite place.

I hear Katniss inhale sharply next to me as she takes it all in, her silver eyes wide as she turns to me. "Peeta! Is this… are we…?"

I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her back against my chest and leaning down to whisper into her ear. "Yes, it is. It's Lake Minnewaska."

Her head drops back against my shoulder. "Dad only mentioned it a couple of times," she whispers, almost to herself. "I honestly didn't even think it was real."

"It's real," I murmur. I look around, taking in the gorgeous scenery, from the woods about a hundred yards to our right to the sloping lawn that leads right down to the lake in front of us. "Just think. Your great-grandfather used to live around here somewhere."

She spins around in my arms, her hands finding their usual spot on my chest. A single fat tear rolls down her cheek. "You remembered? That was a year ago! You didn't even really know me!"

"Of course I remembered," I murmur, carefully brushing the tear away. "I remember everything about you." I lean down to kiss her cheek then take her hand, leading her back around to the door of the cabin. Finding the key hidden under a rock, I unlock the door, holding it open for Katniss to walk through.

The inside is just the way I imagined it would be, with a modern but weathered-looking kitchen, already fully stocked with groceries from the list I sent to Didi, the cabin's owner. There's an overstuffed sofa and two reclining chairs in the living room along with a gas fireplace, big-screen TV, DVD player, and three small bedrooms, complete with a four-poster bed in the master.

Katniss walks in, heading directly for the huge picture window in the living room that offers a full view of the lake, including the dock and fishing boat that's available for our use.

She stares out the window for a moment, her lower lip quivering, taking in the gorgeous scenery. "Peeta," she whispers, turning to me. "Thank you. It's perfect."

I take her into my arms and bring her lips to mine. "You're welcome." I lean down to kiss her again, deepening the kiss when her arms reach up to encircle my neck. "You have something you'd like to do?"

"Mmmhmm," she whispers, standing on her tiptoes to reach my ear. "I'm hungry, Peeta. Can you help me with that?"

Her lips latch onto my neck as I pick her up, carrying her into the master bedroom. "Oh yeah. I can definitely think of a way to help you with that."

Time has a horrible sense of humor. It always seems to do the exact opposite of what I wish it would do. When I'm impatient, when I want things to just hurry along already, time seems instead to drag its feet, laughing in my face all the while. And then on the flip side, when I would give almost anything to prolong a moment, or a day, or a week, time instead chooses to speed things up even more, burning through the minutes and hours until it's only two days before we need to leave this idyllic place and go back to reality.

Growing up in a moderately-sized city, I never understood how people would want to live in a place where you had to drive thirty minutes just to get to a movie theater. That changed a little after I moved up onto the mountain and started college, where I quickly got used to the slightly slower pace of life, even as my own life became busier with school and full-time work.

But after only a few days up here, I've grown to appreciate and admire the quietness and beauty of the area. While our small cabin is a fully operational house, with central air and heat and everything else, that's not the case for some of the other cabins along our road. Many of them are summer houses only, with most already closed down for the season, so we've only run into a few other people since we've been here.

That being said, Katniss and I have had no problem at all filling our time. We've taken the fishing boat out several times, catching a few sunfish and walleye which Katniss showed me how to prepare for meals. And the absence of her bow and arrows hasn't stopped Katniss from venturing into the nearby woods, picking primrose flowers from the wild bushes growing there and setting up snares to catch rabbits. We've watched sunsets from the hanging patio swing, wrapped in a blanket and each other's arms. I've also taught her how to play chess.

She even asked me one evening if we could try watching Doctor Strange again, and while she hid her face in my chest during the car crash scene, she did manage to get through the rest of the movie without incident. Her sessions with Dr. Aurelius have obviously helped her overcome some of her triggers and fears.

I wake suddenly, shivering in the absence of Katniss's small body tucked up against me, my right foot sticking out of the blankets. I sit up slowly, reaching for and attaching my prosthesis before searching for the hooded sweatshirt I've been keeping right next to the bed. The mornings have grown increasingly chilly over the course of the week.

Failing to locate the sweatshirt, I pull on my lounge pants and grab a blanket off the bed, wrapping it around my shoulders as I call Katniss's name. Reaching the living room, I notice that the curtains are already open, with the bright light of the rising sun reflecting off the surface of the lake. I have to blink a few times against the light before I'm able to make out the silhouette of my wife, sitting outside on the dewy grass, and wearing my sweatshirt.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I open the back door quietly, so as not to disturb her. Wincing as my bare foot hits the cold concrete of the patio, I'm contemplating on whether or not I should go back and grab my shoes when I hear the sound of Katniss singing.

It's not a song I've ever heard her sing before, but somehow the lyrics are familiar to me. She looks so peaceful, her voice carrying through the cool air of the early morning. Even with her back to me, I can picture the serene expression illuminating her beautiful face.

Here it's safe and here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.

I take a few steps towards her and then pause, shaking my head. She obviously came out here to be alone, so I shouldn't disturb her. I turn back around, intending to leave her to her singing and start on some breakfast when my artificial foot slips on the wet grass, causing me to grunt as I try to right myself.

"It's okay," she says. I turn back to see her holding out her hand. "Come here."

My shoulders sag as shame washes over me. I should've just left her alone.

Clomping my way over to her, I sit down behind her, settling her back against my chest and wrapping the blanket around us. I carefully brush her long hair away from her ear. "I'm sorry, love. I should'nt've bothered you."

She leans back against me, tiling her head to the side and wrapping her arm around my neck, pulling me down for a kiss. "You didn't. I just couldn't sleep, and I didn't want to wake you."

I close my eyes, breathing in the glorious lavender scent of her skin and hair. "I got cold without you," I whisper. "I'm not used to sleeping alone anymore."

Her lips brush against mine again as she snuggles in, her head finding its familiar spot on my chest. We're quiet for a moment, enjoying the closeness and the glorious sun rising up over the lake.

"I don't want to leave here," she says quietly, her voice muffled in the blanket. "Prim-, she would've loved this place. That song I was singing, it's called the Meadow Song. I used to sing it to Prim all the time when she was little."

It's the first time she's said her sister's name out loud in a long time, and the realization brings tears to my eyes. "We'll come back, Katniss. I promise we'll come back sometime." I shift a little, turning her so I can see her face better. "We can even come back next year. For our anniversary if you want. I'll reserve the cabin for next year before we even leave here. How does that sound?"

She nods, leaning back against my chest. "I'd like that. Thank you."

"Then it's done," I murmur, kissing her forehead.

"Peeta," she whispers after a while, her voice tentative. She reaches for my left hand, threading our fingers together. "I want you to baptize me. Here, in the lake. Today. Would you do that for me?"

My arms instinctively tighten around her as I try desperately not to cry with joy. "I would be honored to baptize you here." I press a soft kiss to her temple. "But do you think we could wait till this afternoon? When it's a little warmer out?"

She smiles as she brings our hands to her lips, kissing mine over my wedding ring. "Yeah, it is a bit chilly out." She rubs my hand between her own, trying to warm it. "You're cold!"

"Well, someone swiped my sweatshirt this morning!" I say, nuzzling my cold nose into her neck and making her shiver.

We head back inside once the sun is completely up. Katniss hangs our damp clothes by the fireplace while I make us breakfast. After we eat she heads to the forest to check on her snares, finding two nice rabbits for us to have for dinner. Around 2pm, after we've had lunch and played another game of chess, we change into our swimsuits, layering on t-shirts in anticipation of the chilly water.

Katniss holds onto my hand as we walk down to the dock, pausing at the end for me to remove my prosthesis. I gasp as we slide into the freezing lake, immediately gathering Katniss close to help keep her warm.

"Are you ready, love?" I ask, rubbing her arms and trying to keep my teeth from chattering.

She nods, smiling shyly.

"Alright." I dig my right heel into the sandy bottom of the lake and crouch down, cradling her in my arms. "Katniss. Do you understand that being baptized is a public declaration of your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ?"

She nods, taking a deep breath. "Yes."

"Okay. Romans chapter six says that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may now live a new life." I place a soft kiss on her forehead. "Katniss, is there anything you need to ask me before we do this?"

"No," she replies, shaking her head. "I'm ready."

Tightening my arms around her, I drape her legs over my knees under the water. "Alright my love, here we go." I bring her right hand up to hold her nose, then grab onto her left forearm, cradling her head in the crook of my arm.

"Katniss, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," and I gently dunk her head under the water, just enough for her to be fully immersed before bringing her back up. I immediately hug her to me, as close as I possibly can, my body shaking from the icy water and the effort of trying to control my emotions as her head drops against my shoulder, tears mingling with the droplets of water rolling down her face.

"How do you feel?" I ask her, finally allowing my own tears to escape.

"Peaceful," she says as her arms wrap around my neck. "So peaceful. And cold. Really, really cold."

A sputter of laughter forces its way out of my frigid lungs. "Then let's get you out of this freezing lake." I lift her back up onto the dock, hoisting myself up after her and wrapping her into a towel. She drapes another towel over my shoulders as I reattach my prosthesis, then grabs onto my elbow to help me get to my feet. We hurry back into the cabin, stripping out of our soaking wet t-shirts and plunking ourselves down in front of the fireplace to help us warm back up.

After I've regained enough feeling in my limbs to be able to move I head to the kitchen, preparing two large mugs of hot chocolate. "Here, love," I say, handing her the steaming cup. "Drink this. It'll help you warm up faster."

Her small hands curl around the mug as she takes a tentative sip. "Mmm. Yummy."

I sit back down beside her on the carpet, taking a sip of my own cocoa. "After dinner, I'll run us a bath."

"That sounds perfect."

We prepare the rabbits Katniss caught for our dinner, making a nice, thick stew with the last of our potatoes and carrots. Once the dishes are washed and dried we pile into the bathtub, filling it up to Katniss's shoulders with the hottest water we can stand. I lean my head back, closing my eyes, trailing my fingers through Katniss's hair and thanking the Lord again and again for the incredible gift of my wife.

"Peeta?" her quiet voice breaks me from my reverie.

"Hmm?"

"I don't want to miss church this weekend. Can we find one up here to go to?"

A wide grin splits my face. "Sure! I'll do a search on my phone after we get out. I'm sure there's a church that's similar to ours somewhere around here."

As soon as I'm dressed I pull out my phone, searching for area churches, finding several within a twenty minute drive or so. One in particular, Central Minnesota Community Church, sounds intriguing, so I tap on the link to their website.

"Contemporary worship, casual setting," boasts the homepage. Even the outside of the building looks similar to Mountainside. I scroll down, tapping the link to the pastor bios. My eyes widen as the pictures load on the little screen. The Head Pastor, who looks to be in his late thirties, has dark hair and a friendly chiseled face that seems eerily familiar. My eyebrows knit together as I look closer, trying to place where I've seen this face before.

Then it hits me. If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was looking at an old picture of Katniss's father. He has the same dark hair and grey eyes, a similar nose and cheekbones. As the page finally finishes loading the man's name appears underneath the photo, nearly causing me to drop the phone.

His name is Joseph Everdeen.

Biblical reference:
Romans 6: 3-4

Some funny trivia for this chapter. The Vikings and Ravens haven't played each other since 2012, but they actually play each other this coming Sunday, a fact I was unaware of when I first started this story. I debated for far too long over which team should win the football game here, and I ultimately decided to go with the Vikings because they won yesterday and the Ravens didn't. ;)

Also, Josh, Jennifer and several other members of the Hunger Games cast actually visited the Mall of America during their mall tour of the US, before the movie opened in winter 2012.

I'm on pins and needles wondering what you guys thought of this chapter! We're almost to the end, so drop me a review!