I do not own The Hunger Games

Chapter Sixteen-Always.

(Peeta)

Katniss is running toward me. She has a smile a mile wide on her face. Her arms are extended to hug me, but then a rose blooms right in the path and swallows her into the ground. I run towards where she had been and kneel on the ground, the rose is gone and all that is left is a small pile of snow. Tears stream down my face.

"You took her! You took her away from me!"

My eyes shot open, and I am about to shout out again in anger when I see Katniss curled in my arms. She is twitching and kicking but otherwise perfectly safe.

Then doubt, and shiny memories creep into my thoughts.

I try to push them aside but I end up having to work through them.

Finally I grab hold of the truth and wait for Katniss to wake up.

She lets out a muffled scream, her eyes snap open and lock with mine. Hey body relaxes and she nuzzles her head into my chest.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Yes. You?" She sounds clam. I wander if it takes a second for her memories to kick in.

"Yes." I answer.

We eventually get up and head downstairs. As I cook breakfast I say to Katniss, "This morning, I'm confused. You didn't freeze or anything."

"Of course I didn't." She answers me plainly.

"But, I mean, isn't it like an every other day thing?"

"It just doesn't happen when your there."

I don't say anything; I just nod while my heart swells. I want to kiss her but I'm not quite comfortable with my nightmares yet so I let it go.

We eat breakfast to Katniss' muffled hums and the rush of the dishwasher.

After we clean up Katniss heads out to go hunting so I get dressed and head to the bakery. I smile when I see my friends sitting outside. There are three guys that I used to be friends with at school that have returned too District 12. They all need jobs, so once the bakery is open they'll work there.

"Hey guys." I shout.

The shout back and we get to work. The building is almost done. My goal is for it to look almost exactly like it did before. One of the guys, named Ethan will live in the house over the bakery because he and his girl are don't have a house right now.

By the mid afternoon we realize that the whole structure is done, so now all that we have left is the interior. We all high-five and head over to the hob for some lunch, I had always been scared to go into the Hob before, but now it's one of my favorite places.

After lunch I head back home, when I walk in the door I hear the shower running.

"I'm home!" I shout.

"I'm almost done!" She shouts back.

I laugh a little and sit on the couch. In a few minutes she runs down stairs, her hair still soaking wet and down. She is wearing one of my white t-shirts, its huge on her, and a baggy pair of jeans. I have to tell my heart to slow down.

She sits down next to me and curls into my arms.

"You don't mind do you?" She asks gesturing to her shirt "I couldn't find any of mine, I think they're all dirty."

"Consider it yours." I say kissing her forehead. She snickers and says, "Thanks."

We continue on to talk, I tell her about the bakery and she tells me the note she got from Annie today. Apparently baby Finnick has taken his first steps, so we add that to the book.

She helps me cook diner, and then we eat and head up to bed early.

"Today has been good." She whispers to me, half asleep.

"That's going to happen a lot more often now." I say pressing my lips softly to hers for a brief second. She smiles and asks, "Stay with me?" Then she falls asleep.
"Always." I whisper.

Yay! The "Always" line, I was so excited for this time to come! Thanks for reading, please review! Sorry this update took so long. I'll try to be quicker. Again Thank you for reading, it means more than you'll ever know. Oh and I'm sorry this is so short.