Author's note: If anyone out there has ever experienced seeing a psychologist and wishes to share your experiences to help me out with how Katniss reacts to those around her, I would be forever grateful. You can message me anonymously on Tumblr (booksrockmyface).

Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following!

Happy reading!

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Katniss was settling into bed when her phone went off.

"What are you doing?" Peeta asked.

She smiled. "Getting ready for bed. What are you doing?"

His response was quick. "Lying in bed and thinking of you."

"Yeah? What are you thinking about?"

"What it feels like with your hands all over my body."

She smiled. "You feel really good under my hands." She blushed a little. I can't believe I just wrote that.

"And you feel good under mine."

"I can't do this over text."

"You want me to call?"

"I want to be in the same room with you."

"We can be on Monday."

She thought about it a moment. "I have an appointment on Monday. With a therapist."

"When? I can meet you after."

"Nine." She hit send. Then she typed, "I don't know how I'll feel after. Gale already agreed to take my students."

"Let me know. I want to be there for you."

"Want to be there for me now?"

His reply took a while. "How?"

"Send me a picture?"

"What kind of picture?"

She giggled. "Use your discretion."

A minute later she was blessed with a selfie. Peeta was laying in his bed, no shirt, blonde hair a mess on his pillow. She saw the band of his underwear. It was immediately followed by a picture of his underwear with a noticeable bulge. He sent the message, "Wanna reciprocate, Girl on Fire?"

"Girl on Fire?"

"Finnick said I was playing with fire and I realized you're made of fire, so it's not a stretch."

"Aw, that's sweet."

"Do you like those pics?"

"They're nice. Wish I could be there to help relieve that second one." She held up her phone and took a picture of herself. She was in an old shirt and her hair was in a braid. She sent it and then walked to her bedroom door and shut it. She removed the shirt and took down her hair and then took another picture. "That work?"

"Oh, yeah."

Katniss locked her bedroom door and stretched out on her bed to look at the pictures of Peeta. She stared at the first. He had a grin on his face that was a mixture of sweet and ravenous. She remembered that mouth on her body. She ran her hand down her stomach and slid it into her panties. Peeta hadn't sent another message in a while. She supposed he was taking advantage of having that picture. She was just about to slip her fingers into her warm folds when she got a new message from Peeta.

This was a voice recording. "You're so beautiful, Katniss." He breathed heavily into the phone. "Do you know how beautiful you are?" He moaned and breathed heavily. "So much. And your hands are warm." He gasped and moaned again. "I can't wait to be with you again." His breathing grew ragged and he moaned. He whispered her name over and over.

Was he really doing this? She let her hand finish its journey and listened as his breathing became a pant and his moans were harder to keep low. He gasped her name one more time and she heard the last gasp and sigh as he came. "Maybe tomorrow we can revisit this." He breathed into the phone some more. "Call me when you're done, Girl on Fire. I'll be waiting."

The message ended just as she did. Her back arched and she dropped the phone off the bed. She fell back down with a heavy pant. She found her phone and called Peeta. "I hate you."

He chuckled. "I know."

"So if I'm the Girl on Fire, what are you?" She curled onto her side.

"I don't know. What do you think I am?"

"Hmm. You're a painter and a baker."

"I am." His voice was soft and steady, just like his personality.

"Your favorite color is orange, right?"

He chuckled. "You remembered. But not bright orange."

"Soft, like the sunset."

"Yes. And your favorite color is green. I see you in the forest surrounded by leaves. Or in a field of soft grass."

She smiled. "A field of grass would be nice."

"How about a picnic tomorrow? Cal and I could bring the food. You and Caleb bring the drinks."

"We can meet at the camp. There's a really pretty field out there."

"Sounds good." He paused. "Katniss, I… I love you."

Her heart beat fast in her chest. "Please don't say that to me."

"Okay, I won't say it. Can I still feel it?"

"I'm not going to tell you what to feel, Peeta. But I don't feel worthy of your words right now."

"I'll do everything I can to let you feel worthy one day."

"You sure can try."

"We'll meet you tomorrow, right? About eleven? I do need to be at the bakery tomorrow."

"That's fine." She yawned. "I'm going to save that recording."

"If you feel comfortable, you could send me one of you."

She laughed. "I'll have to think about that."

"I'm definitely saving the picture."

"I'm saving yours too." She yawned again. "I need to get to sleep."

"Then sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. I lo—" He cut himself off. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Katniss hung up. She rolled out of bed and found her shirt. She took a moment to check on Caleb. Then she went to bed, thinking about Peeta breathing heavily.

"Are we really having a picnic with Peeta and Cal?" Caleb asked as they walked up to the grocery store.

Katniss chuckled. "Of course we are. And why did you decide to start calling her Cal?"

The boy shrugged. "It's what Peeta calls her."

"You like Peeta a lot, don't you?"

He nodded. "I want him to be my dad."

"Well, he's as close as he can be right now."

Caleb looked up at her. "Did you really go to the court and make Cato not my dad anymore?"

Katniss smoothed her hand over his hair. "I did."

"So can Peeta just adopt me? Uncle Gale says that's how it works."

"That's not entirely how it works, baby. Peeta would have to be married to me."

"So marry him so he can adopt me."

"It's far more complicated than that, Caleb." She loaded their cart with paper plates, plastic forks, napkins, and cups. Then she turned the cart toward the drinks aisle. She picked up two bottles and then headed to the cash register.

"Mama?" Caleb asked.

"What is it, baby?" She unloaded their purchases onto the conveyor belt.

"Why don't you love him?"

"I never said I don't love him." She said. "I just need some time to figure stuff out. Okay?"

"Okay." He said. He stepped to the end of the lane and waited quietly. He picked up the lightest bags.

Peeta and Callie were waiting when they pulled up. He held up a container as they walked over. "Cal and I spent the morning making a great assortment of sandwiches. And I also made some apple hand pies."

"We got sodas and plates and cups." Katniss and Caleb showed off their bags.

"Good. Lead the way."

"Don't you want a kiss first?" Katniss asked.

Peeta smiled. "I would love one."

She slanted her lips across his. "Now we can go find the perfect picnic spot."

"I know the place." Caleb ran ahead and looked back over his shoulder.

"I think I remember." Callie said. "I'll race you, Caleb." She took off.

The boy giggled and ran off after her.

Katniss slipped her hand into Peeta's. "Thank you for being so patient with me."

"It's no problem. Really." He kissed her hand. "I keep thinking about last night."

"Me too." She blushed. "I don't know what will happen tomorrow. I spoke with a counselor a couple times after my dad died and he gave me some tools, but they aren't enough. And… It's going to open up a lot of wounds I closed off. So I don't want you to expect too much from me tomorrow."

They stopped in a large field still untouched by the creeping fall. Some trees had yellowing leaves, but the grass was still green and the sun shone bright and warm. The kids chased each other.

"I love you, Katniss." Peeta said softly.

"I know you do, Peeta." Katniss dropped her things and joined in on the playing.

Katniss dropped out of the game of tag sooner than the kids. She helped Peeta set up the food and then sat with him to watch their kids play. She leaned against his chest and played with his fingers. She turned her head and he caught her lips in a soft kiss.

"That was okay, wasn't it?" He asked softly.

"It was fine."

He wrapped his arms around her.

She rubbed his arms. "Caleb asked if you could adopt him."

"Maybe someday in the future." Peeta kissed her cheek.

"Maybe. We'll just have to see where this goes."

"If you need a break in any way or if you need me to slow down, you let me know."

"Don't worry. I will." She moved out of his arms and looked at her watch. "We should eat since you have to get back to the bakery. If it's cool with you, Callie can come home with us. I'll make you supper."

"It's fine by me." He called, "Kids, come eat."

They gathered around and ate.

Peeta took a bite of his sandwich and said, "Hey, Caleb, you like sea food?"

"Sea food?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah, see?" He opened his mouth and showed his partially chewed food.

"Gross." Katniss shoved Peeta's shoulder.

"Hey, Cal!" Caleb called and opened his mouth full of food to show Callie.

Callie giggled and did it right back.

Katniss shook her head. "Peeta, you're a horrible influence."

"Well, that's what you're here for, Girl on Fire." He said with a mischievous grin.

"Boy with the Bread." She shot back.

"Hey, I like that." He gave her a genuine smile and slipped his arm around her waist. "Because I've always got the bread."

"You baked the bread for the sandwiches, didn't you?"

"I did. But yesterday."

"Oh, you didn't wake up super early and bake this bread just for us?" She leaned close and rested her head against his. "I thought I was special."

"You are special." He said softly. "Very special, Katniss."

Callie giggled. "Katniss and Daddy sitting in a tree."

Caleb joined in. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

Peeta reached out and tackled both kids to the ground. "What are you singing?"

They giggled and continued to sing. "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage."

Callie squealed and managed to get away. "Run, Caleb!" She called as she pushed her dad away from Caleb.

Peeta hopped to his feet and charged after both children. He snatched up Caleb and caught Callie around the waist. He ran around the clearing. He sang the song they had both just been singing. He stopped singing and sat the kids down on their feet. Then he leaned over Katniss.

"I'm not climbing a tree, but can I have a kiss anyway?" He asked. That smirk was back.

"Make it quick. You need to go to work." She cupped his cheeks and met him for a soft kiss.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear.

"I know." She pushed him away. "But I don't yet."

He nodded. "Cal, you're going to spend the afternoon with Caleb and Katniss and I'll meet you guys for dinner." He kissed his daughter's cheek. "Love you." He planted a kiss on the top of Caleb's head. "Love you." He stood. "See you all later." He walked away, looking over his shoulder every few steps.

"So do you guys want to play some more or do you want to head to the grocery store and decide what we want to make for dinner?"

"Store." Caleb said.

"Yeah, store." Callie agreed. "Daddy really likes pasta."

"Well, let's get packed up and go see what we can find." Katniss said.