As always, a big thank you to my betas, NotAnIslander and HPFanonezillion. :) Please be sure to check out their stories, both are wonderful authors!

My jaw drops open, my eyes staring in disbelief at the phone in my hand. No, it's not Katniss's father. This man is too young, and her father is dead. But he has to be some other relative of hers; maybe a distant cousin of some sort. His last name is Everdeen. And he looks too much like Katniss for it to just be a coincidence.

Of course! Her great-grandfather used to live around here! Most families in those days didn't only have one child; her great-grandfather probably had brothers. And it's not too far of a stretch to assume that at least one of those brothers would've stayed in the area, and had his own family.

If this is true, then Katniss isn't as alone as she thinks!

"Katniss!" I call, not taking my eyes off the phone. "Come here! Quick!"

She appears almost immediately, shoving her arm through the sleeve of one of my t-shirts. "Are you okay?"

I pat the couch next to me. "C'mere and sit down. You need to see this."

Droplets of water scatter from her wet hair as she plunks onto the couch. "What is it?"

I take her hand, handing her the phone. "Look. Look at the picture, and the name."

As soon as her gaze lands on the picture she gasps, tears pooling in her eyes as she turns to look at me. "Who is this? Who's Joseph Everdeen?"

Wrapping my arm around her waist, I tap the back button, showing her the church information. "He's the lead pastor for this church, Katniss."

"He looks like my father!" she cries, shoving the phone at me. "Why does he look like my father?"

"Sweetheart," I say gently, watching her face to see how she reacts. I heard Haymitch call her that a few times when he was alive, and she wasn't a huge fan of the endearment when he used it. "I think he's a relative of yours. In fact, I'm almost certain of it."

She shakes her head, scrubbing at her eyes. "But I don't have any relatives, Peeta! They're all dead! My family's all dead!"

"No, Katniss, they're not!" I tap on the link to the pastor bios, showing her the photo. "Katniss, look at him! There's no doubt in my mind that he's related to you. You told me yourself that your great-grandfather used to live around here, remember?"

"Yeah, so what?" she sniffs. "That was probably almost a hundred years ago!"

Dropping the phone onto the couch, I reach my hands up to cup her cheeks. "I highly doubt your great-grandfather was the only Everdeen to live here. He probably had brothers, and they would've had families, and so on." I lean in, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "There might be entire families of Everdeens up here! And, if you want, we can meet at least one of them tomorrow. The church service is at 10:30 tomorrow morning."

She stares at me for a moment, her lower lip quivering as her hand slides up to cover mine. "Yes," she whispers. "I want to go."

"Then we'll go," I murmur. I brush my lips against hers before gathering her into my arms, stroking her damp hair. "We'll go and see for ourselves."

Neither of us sleep well that night. Katniss is restless, tossing and turning, finally falling asleep only to wake up screaming from nightmares of the car crash that killed her father and sister. I comfort her as best as I can, whispering prayers and soothing words into her hair as she clings to me, like she's afraid I'll be taken from her as well.

Please Lord! Please don't let this be just a coincidence! What a blessing it would be for Katniss to find some family!

Finnick once told me that he didn't believe in coincidences. Right now I'm praying with all my might that he's right.

The mood is subdued in the morning as we eat our breakfast in near silence. She allows me to brush out her hair, something I've enjoyed doing since we've been married, and holds tightly to my hand for the fifteen minute drive to the church.

I turn to her once we've pulled into the parking lot, grasping her icy hands. "Hey. Here's what I think we should do. We'll wait until the service is over, then ask if we can speak to the pastor. If we can, we'll tell him your name and go from there. Okay?"

Katniss's eyes widen in fear. She's always been uncomfortable speaking with strangers. "Peeta…"

"I can do the talking if you want."

Her shoulders relax a bit as she nods. "Thank you."

I press a kiss to the back of her hand, trying to be reassuring. "It'll be okay. You'll see."

Dozens of people are walking up the sidewalks towards the entrance as we step out of the car. Men and women wearing bright red t-shirts offer wagon rides to children as others direct families to the computer check in stations located inside the doors. The inside of the church looks to have a very similar layout to Mountainside, with the children's classrooms off to the left and the atrium straight ahead of us as we walk in.

One of the red t-shirt-wearing ladies approaches us almost as soon as we step over the threshold. "Hello, and welcome to CMCC!" she says, smiling widely. "Ye must be new here!"

I wrap my arm around Katniss's shoulders. "Good morning. We're visiting, actually. From the Virginia mountains."

"Wow!" the lady exclaims. "All the way from Virginia? Well, we're happy ye're here!"

"Thank you!" I say as we make our way into the atrium. It too is very similar to Mountainside, with a small cafe tucked into one corner surrounded by a few round tables and chairs, something called the Connection Lounge off to the far left, and the main auditorium off to the right. After Katniss declines my offer of a hot chocolate, we make our way into the auditorium.

The church service is nearly identical to ours at Mountainside. After the excellent worship team leads us in three songs, Pastor Joseph appears on the stage, blessing the congregation before beginning his message on Paul's letter to the Galatians. Joseph is a very engaging speaker, sprinkling his message with a kind sense of humor and just enough personal stories to connect with everyone. His preaching style actually reminds me a lot of Finnick.

After the service Katniss and I make our way to the Connection Lounge, where we're greeted by a dark-haired man in a red t-shirt with a nametag that says Charlie.

"And how can I help ye?" he asks kindly.

"Hello," I say. "My name is Peeta Mellark, and this is my wife, Katniss. We're visiting here from western Virginia."

Charlie's eyebrows shoot up as he shakes my hand. "Wow! We don't get too many visitors here from that far away, don't'cha know." He looks down at Katniss. "But I do say, ye look like ye fit right in here with us!" Katniss blushes slightly at his words, tightening her fingers around my arm. "So, what can I do for ye lovely folks today?"

"Well, Katniss and I were hoping we could be introduced to Pastor Joseph," I say tentatively. "If he's not too busy, of course."

"Oh no!" Charlie says excitedly. "He's never too busy to meet with some kind visitors like yerselves!" He glances over to his left. "Just stay right here, I'll go and grab him for ye."

"Peeta," Katniss pleads once Charlie walks away, looking around with trepidation. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea. Maybe we should just go."

My heart sinks. I absolutely think she'll kick herself later if we leave without asking any questions, but I'm not about to make her stand here and go through with this if it's too painful for her. "If that's what you want, we can go. But are you sure that's what you want?"

She shakes her head in frustration. "No! Peeta, I don't think I know what I want!"

"And that's okay, love," I say gently. "This is a huge curveball that God's thrown at us, and it's understandable to want to duck around it." I reach up, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "But just think. You might be moments away from meeting one of your family members! Katniss, there's no telling how many Everdeens are up here! Did you see the congregation today? I'd say at least half of them had hair the same color as yours!"

"Yes, I saw," she murmurs, looking towards the atrium where church members are milling about, with some standing around and talking in small groups. "Okay. We can stay."

I smile in relief. "Then we'll stay."

A couple minutes later we see Charlie walking back towards us, Pastor Joseph at his side speaking animatedly. Katniss inhales sharply, her fingers freezing on my arm as they get closer. "Peeta," she whispers. "He looks so much like my dad!"

"Hello there!" Joseph says, his dark grey eyes flicking back and forth between Katniss and me as he offers his hand, gripping mine in a firm handshake. His brow furrows slightly as he looks more closely at Katniss. "Welcome to CMCC! Charlie here tells me that the two of you are visiting from Virginia?"

"Yes, sir," I say. "Katniss and I spent the past week up here on Lake Minnewaska. We're on our honeymoon."

"Oh, how wonderful!" he exclaims. "Lake Minnewaska is such a lovely place. Especially this time of year."

"Yes," I agree. "We've had a wonderful time. We're both sad that we have to leave tomorrow."

"Ah yes, the harsh return to reality," he says, chuckling. "Well, I think it's wonderful you decided to come to church while on your honeymoon." He glances again at Katniss as his eyes narrow. "I'm sorry, my dear," he adds, now speaking directly to Katniss. "But you look so familiar. Do I know your parents?"

I shift awkwardly on my feet. "Well, that's actually the main reason why we wanted to introduce ourselves. You see, Katniss's maiden name was Everdeen."

Pastor Joseph's head snaps back as his eyes widen. "Well, was it now? That would perhaps explain why you look so familiar!" He leans forward, his eyebrows knitting together in curiosity. "Where exactly did you say you were from?"

"I grew up in Seam County, Virginia," Katniss says in a small voice. "My father's name was James Everdeen."

"James Everdeen, James Everdeen," Joseph murmurs to himself. He shakes his head. "I'm afraid that name doesn't sound familiar, but I'm not really the best person to ask about these things. That would be my wife, Katherine. She has a knack for genealogy, and I'll bet she'd be able to solve this puzzle for us. Would the two of you like to join us for lunch?"

I glance down at Katniss, raising my eyebrow in question. After a few seconds of contemplation, she nods. "That sounds nice, thank you."

"Wonderful!" he says. "If you don't mind waiting here for a few minutes while I locate my family, we can be off."

A few minutes later he's back with his wife and their two children, who look to be around twelve or thirteen. His wife, Katherine, is fair-haired and blue-eyed, with their daughter Brigitte sharing her mother's coloring and her twin brother Michael an almost exact replica of his father.

"It's so lovely to meet you!" Katherine gushes, pulling a wide-eyed Katniss into a brief hug. "It's always wonderful to find long-lost family members!"

Directing us to a local cafe, Katherine proceeds to give us all a complete rundown on the history of the Everdeen family over the next two hours as we enjoy club sandwiches and milkshakes. I have to stifle my laughter when I notice Michael and Brigitte rolling their eyes about five minutes into the conversation before disappearing behind their respective screens. They both have obviously heard this story before.

From what Katherine tells us, Katniss's great-grandfather was named William Everdeen. William was the sixth child of a family of ten, seven of whom were boys. Pastor Joseph is the great-grandson of William's second-oldest brother.

Once William completed his mandatory schooling, he and a couple buddies decided they wanted to see the country a bit and joined the Army. His father, who worked in the iron mines that were once so prevalent in the area, was not happy about William's decision. This was likely the main reason why William decided not to return to Minnesota once he was discharged from the Army, following World War II. Over time, the family lost touch with William, who married a local girl and eventually had a son, James Everdeen's father.

"So," Joseph says to Katniss, winking. "I guess that makes me a cousin of yours. I have all sorts of cousins that live around here, and many even attend our church. But who would've thought I'd have one living all the way down in Virginia?"

"I haven't been able to track down too many of William's friends," Katherine adds, popping another french fry into her mouth. "But I do know that one of them was named Abernathy. Do you two know anyone by that name?"

"Haymitch!" Katniss breathes, turning to me with wide, pleading eyes.

"Yes, we did know an Abernathy. He was a good friend of Katniss's father," I tell Katherine. Finding Katniss's hand under the table, I squeeze it reassuringly. "He was also in the Army, served in the Gulf War. He unfortunately passed away early this year. It, um, hit Katniss pretty hard when he died."

"Oh, my dear," Katherine laments. "I'm so sorry."

"So, Peeta," Joseph says, changing the subject. "We've been talking all this time and we still hardly know a thing about you. How did the two of you meet?"

Smiling widely, I wrap my arm around Katniss's shoulders. Talking about how we met is one of my favorite things. "We met at church, actually. Katniss and I have a mutual friend who brought her as a visitor one weekend." I look over at Katniss. "And I'll admit, I was pretty smitten from day one."

"Aww, I love stories like that!" Katherine gushes. "I'm always telling people that church is a great place to meet new people." She takes a sip of her now-melted milkshake. "And what do you two do for work?"

"Um, I actually work for our church as an artist and designer" I say. "I graduated this year from Panem Bible College with a degree in Discipleship."

"Peeta's a baker as well," Katniss pipes up. "His cheese buns are the best thing I've ever eaten."

"Cheese buns?" Brigitte blurts out suddenly, lowering her tablet and squinting at me curiously. "I don't know what a cheese bun is, but it sounds like something I'd wanna eat!"

"Well, that means I'll have to get the recipe from you," Katherine says, laughing. "If it takes these cheese buns for my daughter to poke her head out from that tablet of hers on occasion, then I'm all for it!"

"And Katniss does the books and teaches archery at our local Community Center," I say proudly. "She's wonderful with numbers."

Katherine raises her eyebrows. "Archery? As in, a bow and arrows? How cool is that?" She turns to her husband. "Don't you think so, Joseph? I mean, you just don't hear about people shooting with a bow and arrows that much anymore."

Joseph's head snaps up at the sound of his name, apparently caught deep in thought. "What? Oh yes! I know some members of the church still hunt with bows and arrows, but it's certainly becoming more rare as the years pass."

"My father taught me," Katniss says, fiddling with a napkin. "I still use the bow that he made."

We continue chatting for another twenty minutes, by which time I can tell Katniss is starting to get restless. I pull out my wallet, intending to pay for the lunch bill but Joseph stops me, insisting that since Katniss and I are their guests he would be happy to cover our lunch.

We exchange phone numbers and email addresses, with Katherine telling Katniss that she'll do some more research on William's family and send along anything she can find. Brigitte also makes me promise to send the cheese bun recipe, saying she can't wait to try them.

We drive back to the cabin in near silence, Katniss holding onto my hand with a pensive look on her face. "Are you okay, love?"

"Yes," she replies in a shaky voice. "It was just a very strange afternoon. I had to keep reminding myself the whole time that Joseph wasn't my father." She turns to me, her lower lip shaking. "And I really wish we didn't have to leave here tomorrow."

I can't imagine what she's feeling right now, having just learned about an entire extended family living in a place that she'd only heard about in childhood stories. "Me either," I say, even though it sounds woefully inadequate.

Arriving back at the cabin, we spend the afternoon playing chess and doing laundry, washing our clothes and the linens we've used so that we can leave the place as tidy as possible in the morning. Later that evening, we pile pillows and blankets next to the fireplace and make love as the sun sets down over the lake. We're so relaxed and content afterwards that we end up sleeping the entire night right there on the floor, blanketed by the warmth from the fireplace and each other.

It's a harsh snap back to reality indeed when we return home on Monday evening, exhausted and frustrated from a delayed connecting flight and bad traffic coming out of Richmond. My shift at the coffee shop Tuesday is agonizing, having grown used to not getting up before the crack of dawn while on vacation. Katniss is also grumpy when we get home, saying that in her absence someone else had tried keeping up with the accounting books and "completely messed them up", requiring her to spend the entire day trying to remedy the various problems.

True to my word, I telephone Dr. Aurelius from the church on Wednesday, scheduling an appointment with him directly after Katniss's standing appointment for Thursday afternoon. As it was when I saw him the first time around, this initial visit is mainly answering a lot of questions, with Katniss holding my hand and answering for me when she deems it necessary.

The weeks and months pass at an alarming rate. We hear from Joseph and Katherine at least once a week, exchanging various stories and tidbits of information. I even begin an ongoing conversation with their son Michael, who starts to experience some difficulties with his peer group at school as he enters his teen years.

My brother Bannock calls one night to tell us that Rye finally left home, moving in with some woman named Cashmere, a lingerie designer who's ten years his senior. Ban tells us that Mother is so embarrassed about what she calls "her son's ultimate betrayal" that she swears she'll never leave her house again, convinced she'll be the laughingstock of the entire county if she even sets foot outside. As eye-rolling as her attention-seeking is, it would be even more funny if she hadn't said the exact same thing right after my accident.

As it turns out, Mom gets invited to join another Bridge club about a week later, and promptly forgets her pact.

Things start to shake up a bit at Mountainside as well. Rue graduates from high school and gets accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia on a full scholarship, nearly breaking Katniss's heart at her goodbye party in mid-August when she performs The Meadow Song for her assembled guests.

Thresh's debut album does so well following its release that he's invited to tour with Skillet and the David Crowder Band for several months, leaving Darius to fill in as interim Music Leader. Following the successful tour, and the passing of Thresh's grandmother after a short illness, he and Cassandra decide to move to Philadelphia, both to be closer to Rue and to open up a Christian recording studio.

Little Noah Odair starts walking a couple of days prior to his first birthday, running about two days later, and climbing about a week after that. Finnick spends the next several days bragging about his son's climbing prowess, until one afternoon when I walk into Finnick's office to find Noah grinning at me from on top of his daddy's cluttered desk, with Finnick calling for him frantically from down the hall.

And, speaking of babies, Delly and Thom become the parents to an adorable baby boy in late August. Katniss jumps right into her caregiver mode after he's born to help care for Delly, who takes a while to recover from a difficult birth.

My progress with Dr. Aurelius, while at least progress, proceeds at a snail's pace. He has to remind me multiple times at each session that these types of triggers have to be handled carefully, but it's hard to not be impatient after yet another night of sleep is interrupted by me waking up shuddering in a cold sweat.

It's especially difficult when it's all these months later and we still haven't been able to make love with Katniss on top. We try every few weeks or so, and while it usually starts out okay, it always ends up the same. I start to panic and flip us over, and poor Katniss has to spend the next several minutes reassuring me that what I'm seeing in my head isn't real.

Finally, blessedly, the time comes for our anniversary trip to Minnesota. Katniss and I are both so excited that we barely sleep the night before, nervous that we'll sleep through the alarm. I'm nearly giddy with relief when we finally land in Minneapolis, and after a brief stop at the Mall of America to visit with Anita and Albert, we hop onto the freeway towards Lake Minnewaska.

The cabin is there, waiting for us as I turn onto the long, gravel driveway. Stepping out of the car, I take a deep, cleansing breath in the crisp air, breathing in all the scents of the woods and the lake that I hadn't realized how much I'd missed until this moment.

Looking over at Katniss, I see her standing next to the car, her eyes closed as she breathes in, the late-afternoon sunlight streaming through the trees and highlighting the auburn strands in her dark hair.

We've both missed this place.

And all of a sudden, I'm ravenously hungry.

As if on cue, we both start towards the house at the same time. The housekey is there, under the same rock where I left it a year ago. Unlocking the door, we walk about three steps into the hallway before Katniss drops her bag on the floor and turns to me, her grey eyes the color of slate as they lock with mine.

"Peeta."

In an instant my mouth is on hers, my body pressing her up against the wall, my hands unbuttoning her jeans that hug every curve of her just right as she fumbles with my belt buckle. Once I'm able to tug her jeans off, I hitch her up higher so her legs can wrap around my waist, her ankles locking behind me as my lips find the pulse point of her neck and I bury myself inside her.

It's so powerful I don't stop trembling afterwards for several minutes. We stand there, chests heaving, our foreheads pressed together as her fingers run through my hair, damp with sweat.

"Happy Anniversary," Katniss pants, giving my hair a gentle tug.

"Mmm," I growl as my lips brush along her jaw. "Happy Anniversary indeed."

As it did last year, the week passes far too quickly. Katniss sets up her snares in the woods to catch rabbits. We spend time fishing and playing chess and watching the sunsets. We get together several times with Joseph, Katherine and the twins, even meeting Joseph's five older siblings and their families on Friday night for a high school football game.

"So, Peeta," Joseph says as he returns from the concessions stand, handing me a cup of hot apple cider. To my left, Katniss is talking with one of Joseph's sisters who runs a small business creating homemade skin care products. "How is it that you graduated with a degree in Discipleship, but you're working as an artist?"

I take a sip of the cider, appreciating the tart apple flavor. "Well, it's kind of a long story," I begin, swirling the amber liquid inside the paper cup. "I had planned to look for a job as a Teen Pastor after graduation. But once that time came around… Katniss and I decided that I wasn't ready to tackle a pastor's job quite yet. I'd always enjoyed drawing and painting, and had been doing the work for our church on a volunteer basis for a couple years, so when our pastor asked me if I wanted the job officially, I took it. It's not full-time, but I enjoy it. My full-time job is at the coffee shop."

"I see," Joseph replies, looking thoughtful. "So you haven't permanently closed the door on becoming a pastor someday?"

"No," I say, shrugging my shoulders. "Not permanently. But I've told Katniss that we'd have to pray long and hard about it, should an opportunity arise in the future."

"As you should," Joseph says emphatically. "Being a pastor is definitely a life-changing experience." He's quiet for a moment as we both sip our cider. "But I do know that Michael has been very happy to have you to talk to these past months. There's some things that are so much easier to say to a friend than a father. Especially when you're a pastor's kid."

I smile, thinking of some of the topics that Michael and I have discussed, everything from Minecraft to girls to the fundamentals of hockey. "He's a good kid, both he and Brigitte. Being a teen is just hard sometimes."

"Well, I've noticed a big difference in his demeanor since he started talking with you. So, thank you for that."

Katniss, having heard Joseph's last statement, threads her hand through my arm. "You're welcome," I say as my ears turn red. "It's my pleasure. I once had someone come into my life when I really needed a friend, so I'm glad I can be that for Michael."

"It's too bad you have to leave so soon," Joseph adds. "Next time you guys come up here, you'll have to stay longer."

Nodding, I wrap my arm around Katniss's waist. "I think we could handle that. That way, Katniss can work on her accent."

I cringe as Katniss elbows me in the ribs in protest. "I do not have an accent!"

"Actually, you kinda do," Joseph agrees, laughing. "You're becoming a true Minnesota Everdeen, I'm sorry to say."

Saturday begins like most of our days at the lake. A leisurely breakfast, followed by some fishing and a few games of chess. We take a walk in the afternoon, then watch a movie before Katniss cooks an amazing dinner with the fish we caught, seasoning them with some herbs she gleaned from the woods.

I'm in the kitchen afterwards, finishing up with the dishes when Katniss appears in the doorway. I nearly drop the plate in my hand when I see her, dressed in a pale orange sheer nightgown and matching panties, her gorgeous dark hair loose around her shoulders and her pearl glinting from around her neck. In the soft light emanating throughout the house from the setting sun, she looks to be almost glowing, like an ember.

My body instantly comes alive with heat as she holds out her hand towards me, grasping mine and tugging me to follow her into the bedroom. She crawls up onto the bed, kneeling in the middle as I sit down on the edge, not taking my eyes off her.

She leans over to whisper in my ear. "Lay down for me?"

It's a request, not a command, spoken to try and soothe away any possible anxiety. I look into her eyes, smoldering grey in the dim light of the room, and see nothing but adoration and tenderness.

Katniss loves me. I'm safe with her.

"Okay," I croak through my parched throat. Slowly, I lay back against the pillow, watching her intently as she slides my t-shirt up my chest and over my head, dropping her head to plant soft kisses along my collarbones. My hands slip under her nightgown to trail across her back as she kisses nearly every inch of my neck and chest and jaw, ending with her lips pressing against mine.

"I'm your wife, Peeta," she breathes against my lips. "I'm your wife, and I love you."

She pecks me one final time before sliding down my body, curling her slender fingers into the elastic waistband of my pants, gliding them down my legs and tossing them onto the floor. Her lips press against my left knee as she finds the release for my prosthesis, pulling it off and placing it against the bedside table. She reaches for the jar of skin cream, which she has faithfully applied for me every single night since we've been married. Scooping some cream into her hand, she warms it between her palms before massaging it into my leg, her fingers like heaven as they glide over my sore skin.

Finished with the cream, she wipes her hands on a towel and crawls back up to kiss me, her tongue stroking mine as her thumbs brush along my cheekbones.

"Kiss me and kiss me again, for your love is sweeter than wine," she murmurs between kisses. "I'm your wife, and I love you."

My hand knots into her hair as her lips caress along my jaw and neck, down my sternum to my stomach. "Katniss," I whisper, my breath hitching as she peels my underwear down my legs. "Katniss, I love you!"

Tossing the underwear onto the floor, she sits back up, her gaze trailing up and down my naked body, her eyes heavily lidded and nearly black with lust. "You are so handsome, my love, pleasing beyond words! The soft grass is our bed; fragrant cedar branches are the beams of our house, and pleasant smelling firs are the rafters."

Through the cloud of lust addling my brain I finally realize what she's doing. She's quoting verses from Song of Songs, often called the love poem of the Bible.

She reaches for my left hand, kissing my finger over my wedding ring. "I'm your wife, Peeta. And I'm going to make love to you."

Clasping my hand, she pulls me into a sitting position, removing her panties and crawling into my lap, pressing herself against me. "My lover is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies."

The coolness of her wedding ring against my overheated skin makes me shudder as her palms trail up my arms, coming to rest on my shoulders. I lean down to kiss her, sucking gently on her full bottom lip before releasing it with a soft pop. "You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way."

She smiles, a gorgeous, radiant smile as my words wash over her, leaning back just enough to tug the orange nightgown over her head, finally allowing my mouth and hands to lavish her neck and shoulders and her perfect breasts. "Your lips are like scarlet ribbon; your mouth is inviting. Your cheeks are like rosy pomegranates-"

She sits back up to kiss me, cupping my face in her small hands as she whispers in my ear. "I'm your wife, and I love you." Then she ducks her head, her lips finding that sweet spot on my neck as she raises herself up and sinks down over me.

I moan loudly into the growing darkness of the room, the sensation of being inside her still overwhelming after a year of marriage. My hands move down to rest on the curve of her hips. "I have entered my garden, my treasure, my bride!"

"Peeta! I am my lover's, and he claims me as his own." She pauses, looking deeply into my eyes. "Will you lay back for me?"

My body instinctively freezes, my fingertips digging into the skin of her hips as I wait for the wave of panic to hit.

But this time, it doesn't.

Katniss leans in, brushing her lips against my own, rolling her hips against mine, sighing the words into my skin. "I'm your wife, and I love you!"

"You're my wife, and you love me," I murmur. I trace my fingertip along her face, from her cheekbone down to her throat, dipping my head to press our mouths together one more time.

Katniss is my wife, and she loves me.

And then I lay back onto the mattress, watching as her hands brace against my chest, listening to her beautiful chorus of sounds as she moves, bringing us closer and closer to our peak. My hand slides along her cheek as her eyes flutter closed, her teeth catching on her bottom lip as she shatters above me.

"Katniss!" I cry as my eyes squeeze shut. "My love, you're too perfect to be real!"

My climax hits me with such intensity that for a moment I don't know where I end and she begins. I gasp for breath, crying out Katniss's name as she collapses on top of me, completely spent.

I'm not sure how much time passes before I return to my senses, feeling my wife's fingers combing through my hair while my hands trail lightly up and down her back.

Her head tilts, her lips tickling my ear as she whispers. "Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it-"

Then she props herself up on her elbow, brushing the hair off my forehead before leaning down to kiss my swollen lips. "I'm your wife, Peeta, and I love you."

The return to reality is even harsher this time around.

Once home, we fall back into our normal routine of work, group, and church. But as the months pass I can tell we're both starting to get restless. We start talking about buying a house, and even look at a couple in our area, but nothing jumps out at us. We talk about Katniss perhaps going back to school, but she can't seem to decide what she'd like to study or where she'd like to go.

In the meantime, we've grown even closer to Joseph and Katherine. We email on a daily basis now, chatting like we're the best of friends, counting down the days until our next trip to Minnesota when we can see everyone again.

Michael Everdeen and I speak via email or text at least once a day, asking for my advice on everything from what electives to take at school to the best brand of sketching pencils. We grow so close that he passes my email address on to several of his cousins and friends, who then start contacting me with their own questions.

The Wednesday after Labor Day starts out like any other day. I grudgingly pull myself from the bed and hop into the shower, thanking the Lord that we leave for our trip on Monday. My shift at the coffee shop proceeds without incident, and I arrive at the church around my usual time, spending a few minutes chatting with Finnick and Darius about football before beginning work on my latest design assignments. I recently renegotiated my contract with the church to better reflect the amount of time I actually spend on all the things they ask of me, so I'm now getting paid for fifteen hours of work per week instead of my former ten.

I sit down at Finnick's desk, opening up my brand-new MacBook that Katniss bought me as an early anniversary gift. For the next two hours I'm occupied with the new complicated newsletter design that Mrs. Hammond is testing out for her Women's Ministry.

Finally able to get the newsletter layout looking presentable, I open my email, smiling when I see a new message from Pastor Joseph.

Hello Peeta,

I hope this letter finds you and Katniss well. Katherine and I and the twins are very much looking forward to your upcoming visit.

As you may recall, I mentioned in one of my previous letters that we recently hired a new Music Director here at CMCC. Due to Pastor Cinna's rather extensive fame as a former recording artist, we were at least somewhat prepared for a sudden influx of people attending our weekend services. What we were not prepared for, however, was for over 80% of those people to actually join the church. We now have families traveling from as far as Willmar and Morris for our services, and, as you perhaps can imagine, our population of teenagers has grown almost exponentially. If I may be honest with you, we are simply not equipped to handle the needs of this increased number of teens in our church.

In order to remedy this wonderful problem, last week the elders decided to develop a position for a Teen Pastor. This position would be a full-time post at the church and would begin approximately a month prior to the formal launch of our new Teen Ministry, which right now is scheduled for the first week in January.

The elders here at CMCC would like to formally invite you and Katniss to interview for this position. I realize that you likely have already made your travel plans for your upcoming trip, so we are prepared to reimburse you for your plane tickets and three day's worth of lodging, as part of the interview process.

We of course understand that this would be a big move for the two of you. It is our opinion that you and Katniss would fit in well with our goals for this new ministry. To be frank, we cannot think of any possible candidates who would fit in with us better than yourselves.

Please let me know at your earliest convenience if you would like to schedule this interview. I am eagerly awaiting your response.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Joseph

I reread the letter again, just to make sure I'm not imagining it. Then I read it again. And again, thinking the whole time that I must be seeing things.

Nope. By the fifth reread it still says the exact same thing. Pastor Joseph wants me to work for him. He wants us to move to Minnesota. He's asking us to consider leaving our home, our jobs, our church and our church family, and move hundreds of miles away. He's asking me to interview for the job I actually went to school for.

No. He's not asking. The Lord is asking. Pastor Joseph is only the vessel for the question.

Suddenly the air in the room feels stiflingly thick. My heart starts to thud against my ribcage as a cold sweat breaks out on my neck, and two voices start a verbal duel inside my head.

Oh wow. Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow.

I'm not ready. We're happy here. We're comfortable here.

But this is Katniss's family. She deserves to be close to her family. They love us.

But we're comfortable here. And I can't imagine being away from Finnick again.

I run my sweaty palm through my hair. I need to get home. Preferably before I pass out.

I've just hit the reply button to respond when my text alert beeps.

[Katniss] I'm getting a ride home from Delly, so no need to pick me up.

[Peeta] Are you okay?

[Katniss] Just tired.

[Peeta] Okay. Be home soon. Don't worry about dinner, I'll make something.

[Katniss] 'Kay

I dash off a quick reply to Pastor Joseph, telling him that I'll discuss the job interview with Katniss by the end of the week. I print off a copy of the email, packing it along with the rest of my stuff into my backpack as I head out the door, wanting to get home to my wife as quickly as possible.

Arriving at our apartment, I unlock and open the door carefully, not wanting to disturb Katniss if she's trying to rest. She started complaining of feeling tired about a month ago, which we at first brushed off to her recent busier schedule at the Community Center. But even with us trying to get to bed earlier during the week and her taking naps on the weekends, the fatigue hasn't lessened. If anything, it's gotten even worse.

I find her stretched out on the couch, snuggled under the Vikings blanket. At first glance she looks to be asleep, but as I sit down to take off my shoes she stirs, opening her eyes.

"Hey," she says in a breathy voice, propping herself up on her elbow. "How was your day?"

"Interesting," I whisper back. I crouch down next to her, kissing her cheek. "There's, um, something I need to talk to you about. Something important. Do you think you're feeling up to it?"

"Yeah," she replies. Her lips quirk into that soft smile that I adore. "I actually have something to talk to you about too."

"Oh?" I ask, smiling. "Would you like to go first?"

"No." She yawns as she sits up and stretches. "You go first."

Ugh, I should've waited until after dinner. I reach into my backpack, pulling out Joseph's letter. "So… I got an email today. From Pastor Joseph."

Katniss stares at me, her head jerking forward a little when I don't continue. "Yeah? That's not really anything new, Peeta-"

"He wants me to interview for a job," I choke out past my dry throat. "Up there. In Minnesota. At CMCC. They're developing a new ministry for teens, and they want me…" I break off as a stab of fear pierces my chest. "They want me to interview for the pastor position."

Katniss's jaw drops open as her back straightens, her eyes widening as they flit between my own and the piece of paper in my hand. A few seconds later a huge grin breaks out over her face.

"Peeta!" she exclaims. "This is wonderful!" She slumps back against the couch cushions, looking up at the ceiling. "Oh, it's so perfect! God's timing is perfect!"

"Huh?" I stutter, completely confused by her reaction. "Katniss? What do you mean?"

It's only then that I notice her hands, those small, delicate hands, have come to rest protectively over her lower abdomen.

"Peeta," she whispers. "I'm pregnant!"

Biblical references:
Song of Songs 1:2 , 16-17
Song of Songs 2:16
Song of Songs 4:3, 7
Song of Songs 7:10
Song of Songs 8:6-7

Oh, if anyone's interested, the Vikings did end up beating the Ravens yesterday, so it looks like I called the game correctly. ;)

Only one chapter left! Please let me know what you think! :)