A/N: I am back! I am finally back! Oh how I have missed writing this story! I am so sorry for the long delay, everyone, my life has turned into chaos and it is only now resurfacing into normaility, though, even now, it isn't quite yet normal, but as soon as I had the chance I sat down and got to my favorite love story of Peeta and Katniss. I have kept you waiting long enough. Here you are... Enjoy!

Chapter 25

Yellow and blue have become favorite colors of mine now. After green, of course. The green of the forest, my refuge, will always hold that special place in my heart. But yellow, the yellow of the tall grass in the meadow, surrounding me, as I lay in it, as it forms a perfect frame for the blue sky above me, well there is just no better feeling than this.

And for the perfect soundtrack, I have Peeta's laughter, as he chases our little miracles, laughter exploding out of them too, like a spring, out of their tiny, adorable little mouths, curls flying in the air, chubby little feet struggling to run, tiny little fingers, reaching out in front of them, as they try to run faster.

And then I hear the thump as I feel their weight collapse on top of me and I laugh though their weight crushes my stomach. Peeta is beside me in a second, as they jump up and down on top of us calling out, "Mommy! Daddy! Come!". And just before we get up to chase them some more, we share a secret look, a look that conveys more than words can express. It's adoration, love, passion, it's undeniable need, it's life. Because it says 'I can't live without you'. It says 'My life, my happiness, it is you'. And I try as best as I can to say it back with my eyes like he does. But then I know Peeta has always been better than me at conveying emotions. And no matter how much better I have gotten at it, I know I could never in any way, ever show him, let him know, how much he means to me. How there is a string attached to my heart and he holds it. My life depends on it. And I could never endure life if he ever let it go. How any joy life could tempt me with would be unbearable if it meant he could not be near me. How I would rather suffer next to him, than live a life full of pleasures without him.

So when the war was gone, and he asked me if I deemed it safe enough for our child to be brought into this world, I could not deny him, not even when he asked for a second.

I still remember it so clear; the day the war was over...

I open my eyes slowly. It takes almost all the strength I have in me to do so. And when I finally manage, the light is blinding.

"Shhh..." I hear and I feel a hand as it softly caresses my forehead.

I feel my eyebrows and forehead as they tense.

Confusion envelops me. I struggle to remember something, anything. Who am I? Where am I? What is going on? I want to open my mouth and ask these questions but... I can't summon the strength.

It's so hard…

I breathe. That's about as much as I can manage right now. I can almost feel the oxygen reach the far off corners of my brain and I begin remembering how to do order my body to do things.

I struggle to lift up my arm and move my head towards the shushing noise I hear.

As my head moves from one side to another I feel the moisture in my neck and the back of my head. Is it sweat? It feels uncomfortable and sticky.

I put all my effort this time and I open my eyes.

I hear a sigh of relief coming from the same direction.

I see a face hovering over mine. It looks so familiar and comforting. Warmth envelops my torso and washes over the rest of my body.

That gaze is so soothing… so alleviating…

I try to speak but a weak groan is all I manage.

"It's ok, Katniss, take it easy" I hear and the voice is very reassuring.

Yes! That's my name.

I try to nod but I am not sure if I managed it or not. I listen to this voice who knows my name and fall back into the dark abyss.

Cold wakes me up. It's coming from my neck and it feels a bit rough. I realize someone is rubbing my neck with a wet cloth.

Am I feverish? I don't think so. I don't feel hot. But I also don't feel sticky anymore.

Suddenly thinking becomes so difficult. My hands become fists as I struggle to remain awake. The sharp pain of my nails digging into my palms does the trick.

I want to stay conscious. I have so many questions.

A small groan escapes my throat as I push my body to obey me.

"Relax, Katniss" I hear the voice from before. "I am just cleaning you up a bit" the voice laughs softly.

And that laugh is like a shot of energy injected into my body.

I do relax and I feel a smile coming on- a small one.

"There… I guess you are feeling better, huh?" the voice asks endearingly.

I want to see that face again; the face to who that voice belongs.

I open my eyes and, this time, it is a lot easier.

There it is. It is wearing a half smile and the eyes are shinning, though it is dark now.

"Oh… I had missed that smile!" I hear as the hand belonging to the face goes up to the heart and I feel mine take a small leap.

Before my mind acknowledges it, my mouth is saying it.

"Peeta…" I say and realize I know that face and I know his name!

Putting a name to it helps my brain connect a lot of other things together.

My eyes take in our surroundings. Everything looks a dark brown. It looks as if we were under a dark cloth. I can tell there is a light not too far away, perhaps a fire.

Fire…

Fire?

The war!

"Peeta! The war! Why aren't we there?" I ask suddenly afraid and confused again.

I struggle to get up but my head sends a sharp pain that sends me right down on the floor.

"Shh… Katniss, it's ok. It's over" he says and I feel relief spread to my body along with a million of questions.

I try to remember the last thing I can and all that comes back is District 4 and Finnick.

I was running right behind Finnick… we were going to get something and I remember seeing the sparkling water of the beach under the moonlight as we ran towards it.

Then I remember hearing a gun shot and Finnick falling down.

And that's it.

"Finnick! Is he ok?" I ask urgently.

Peeta looks down sorrowfully.

"Peeta! What happened to Finnick?" I ask again.

"He's… We don't know if he's gonna be ok" he replies.

I stay quiet.

Why was I in District 4? And with Finnick no less? And where was Peeta?

Memories come back.

Peeta… and I… in a room… it's moving… and it's loud… Hovercraft! Peeta and I are in the hovercraft. He's talking.

What is he saying?

"We should help him, Katniss" he tells me and looks at me with those eyes that tell me it's the right thing. "Wouldn't you want him to help if you were in his shoes?" he asks.

I look down to avoid giving an answer but I know I will do it anyways.

That explains why I agreed but what did he need help with and how did that get us here? Where is 'here'?

"Where are we?" I ask.

"District 4 still" he answers. "We are in the woods with the other rebels. Or not. I guess they're not called rebels anymore since we won" he smiles.

"Is President Snow dead?" I ask with too much interest.

"We don't know the details yet" he replies.

"How long have I been out?" I ask again.

"You've been in and out for the past four days" he says with a pained look.

"Have you been here the whole time?" I ask.

"I couldn't stay away" he simply states.

I am slightly taken aback by his answer and I need a minute to recompose myself.

"What happened exactly?"

"Finnick needed our help to rescue Annie's little sister. But I couldn't come along since I couldn't keep up." He begins and I wonder, why couldn't he have kept up with us? But I decide not to interrupt him. "So with my experience from District 8 I was able to formulate a strategy for you two to get in and out as fast as possible without getting caught or before anyone noticed you two were gone. But even then within thirty minutes of you guys having left we received news that things were going down at the Capitol and we were needed; that it could be the culmination of it all. So when they couldn't find you at base they left and I insisted in staying back. I went out to find you guys where I thought you might be if the plans were going accordingly and I arrived as the rebels were going at it against the Peacekeepers. I asked for you and Finnick and you had been taken back to camp and after being pointed out in which direction to go I eventually found the base. Apparently a bullet almost went through your neck… but didn't… it just barely touched the back of it… but it was enough to send you down and you hit your head so hard against a rock that you were out instantly" he tells me and his face grows dark and remorseful. "Finnick wasn't so lucky. He was badly hurt and hasn't regained consciousness" he finishes his explanation.

"Peeta… what's wrong?" I ask and I am surprised to see my hand cup his face. I don't remember telling it to do that.

His eyes quickly meet mine and get a tad shinier than usual.

"To think what could have happened to you… I can't believe I let you out of my sight… I can't believe I talked you into what could have been your death… When I think about it… I couldn't have lived with..." he says but no longer looking at me. His eyes have hate in them; hate towards himself.

"Shh… I am ok now" I tell him.

He looks back at me and before I can realize what is going on he leans down and kisses me softly but firmly, lingering as he slowly backs away.

He must see my shock because he quickly goes farther back.

My mind races for explanations to what just happened. Just before he saw my face he seemed to think it was completely natural for him to…

My stomach twists and turns as my skin radiates heat from every pore.

Because the biggest shock of all is how right it felt. How wonderful it was.

"I'm sorry, you must still be very confused and I just threw that on you" he says apologetically as he scratches the back of his head.

I shake my head sideways, trying to tell him there is no need to apologize.

"Are we…?" I ask feeling so stupid.

Peeta looks down and nods.

"Oh!" I say and I feel my face grow red and hot.

I think back to the kiss and memories flood my mind.

A million kisses in a million scenarios cross my mind in milliseconds but they are so confusing. Some feel right and some don't.

What kind of relationship is this?

I see Peeta standing not too far away in a tux as I walk towards him.

Oh, no.

Then I see us dancing under a spotlight and we kiss.

Then I see us kissing in a dark place, Peeta is covered in dirt and so am I.

Then I see eyes, terrifying human eyes in the bodies of wolves that look hungrily for me.

The Hunger Games… That's how Peeta lost his leg… That's why he clouldn't have kept up with Finnick and I… The fake marriage… That's how he ended up in District 8…

I feel sick…

Of course I remember it all now…

But just then I also remember Peeta as he promises me to stay with me and we kiss. But unlike most of my memories this kiss feels right, just like the one we had just shared.

This memory makes the sickness go away and replaces it with incredibly impossible happiness.

"Oh, our marriage isn't fake anymore, is it?" I ask.

"No" Peeta smiles and I can't help smiling back. "No, it isn't."

I don't feel weak anymore. My body obeys me as I sit up and kiss him once more.

Life has scarred me, has taken almost everything I hold dear away from me.

But I still have my dandelion, I have my ray of hope that no matter how bad things get, assures me they can be good again. And he doesn't just give me the hope. He makes my hopes become reality.

So when he looks at me like this, it takes all my will power to not tell him how little deserving I am of that look, because it is I who could never possibly do better than him.

A/N: There you have it! :D I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know if you did or didn't! There should be one more chapter coming up and I promise I won't take so long! Love you all!