Having to split Katniss's chapter into 2 as well. But I'm leaving for vacation in a few days so I will try to post the 2nd part before I leave :D

It takes almost a whole year to catch the rest of the Red Revolutionaries. In that year, Peeta hardly lets me out of his sight. When he goes to the bakery, he asks me to come help him. In truth I know he just wants me by his side. He knows how irritated I can get when everyone is hovering over me, trying to keep me safe. Annie and Finn are always here when Peeta is gone and even though I am glad of their company, I get more irritated that Peeta has asked her to keep an eye on me. Haymitch and Effie, too, are guilty of it. Finally I explode at Peeta one night and he looks up at me, stunned.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe, Katniss."

"Well you can't! I can't have you all breathing down my neck twenty four hours a day! I survived two Hunger Games, Peeta! I survived a War and who knows how many attempts on my life! Give me a fucking break!" I had stomped out of the house and spent I don't know how many hours on the front porch, leaning against the swing that Peeta had installed months ago. I heard footsteps behind me and didn't say anything when he sat down beside me. We were silent and I really don't know how long we were out there. Finally, he set something in my lap and stood up.

"It's cold out tonight," he said softly before he went back inside. I lifted his jacket and slid it on, sighing at the warmth. My mind continued to race until I finally went back inside and upstairs to our room, where Peeta was lying on top of the covers, gazing at our opened window. I crawled onto the bed beside him and settled my head on his chest. His arms came up around me and rubbed my back gently, almost hesitantly.

"I'm sorry, Peeta," I said quietly. "I know you just want to keep me safe. Because you love me."

"I'll die if something happens to you," he said in the barest of whispers.

"That's not how the world works and you know it. Something could happen to any of us at any moment. You were the one who told me I can't live in fear." He closed his eyes and I saw a tear at the corner. I reached over and gently wiped it away with my thumb.

"I know I said that. And I'm a hypocrite. Because I feel like I have lived in fear every day of my life. When I was young, I thought about what would happen if I was ever Reaped. What Mom would do if she found my paper I got a C on. Fear of you starving to death when your dad died. Fear of watching you and Prim waste away over the years. And then came our Reaping and I have never known such fear. I sat up all night before we went into the Arena, just thinking of how I could help you survive in there. For one selfish moment I wished Gale had volunteered for me. So that I wouldn't be the one to fail you if anything happened during the Games. And then we won and…god, the fear of what the Capitol would do to us. Of you hating me so much because we were forced together. The night before the Quarter Quell, I tried to tell myself that you would fight just as hard to get back to Prim as you did before. But Haymitch and I knew that you were fighting for my life this time and I was so…so angry with you. And so afraid that you would do something stupid to save me, to sacrifice yourself." He choked back a sob and wiped at his eyes. I moved closer to comfort him and he trembled underneath me.

"The Capitol was nothing but fear and darkness. But I endured it all because I thought it meant keeping you safe. Snow made me deals, he promised to keep you alive, and all I could think about was your safety. I remember the fear I lived in after the hijacking, when I slowly started to come back. How I prayed and pleaded that I wouldn't hurt you…hurt anyone for that matter. For months, no years, after that I was terrified that you hated me for what I had done. I hated myself. I still do, sometimes. When I'd discovered what I had done to you, that day in the woods, I wanted to…I couldn't bear the thought of going on. But I didn't…try anything…I don't know why but I couldn't…and then I heard you were kidnapped…and that fear from the Games, that terror I felt when I woke up and found you bleeding to death in the cave…that terror came alive again. And in the barn…when I knew you were there with me…all I wanted to do was keep you alive." He sat up and held my hand to his cheek as his teary eyes met mine.

"I'm sorry, Katniss. Sorry for loving you too much and for trying to keep you alive. I know I've been driving you nuts but I cannot handle the fear of losing you. I just can't. You are my world and you always have been. This fear I live with is so familiar but with each passing day that I fall more in love with you, this fear only gets worse. I'm afraid it will suffocate me one day." I crawled up to him and threw my legs over him, so I was sitting on his chest. He leaned up and against the headboard so he could wrap his arms around me and look into my eyes. His words moved me to tears and I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, how I lived in the same fear, ever since the Quell. How much I wanted to keep him safe and happy. But I couldn't say anything. So I just held him and let him hold me. We went to sleep, soaked in each other's tears.

The next morning when I said I was going to the orphanage, he merely kissed me and told me to be careful. Several weeks later, we got a phone call from the President, informing us that the remaining terrorists had been caught and charged. She said she would be in touch about a trial and asked if Peeta and I would be willing to testify.

I'm happy to say that Peeta and I have grown even closer and each day brings a new discovery. Last night, for example, I woke up to him shaking and pleading and I held him in my lap, soothing his hair back and whispering how much I loved him. After he calmed down, we played a rather difficult game of Real or Not Real and he reached out and trailed a finger over my scars. We stayed up all night, mapping each other's bodies. I was in tears as I pointed out various scars and had to ask, Mother, Games, or Capitol. I'm still stunned at the amount of abuse he received from his mother. My mother may have abandoned me but she never laid a hand on me or Prim. I hold him close to my chest and listen to his heart beat. I'm stunned that he has come so far. Someone who has suffered so much, and how did an abused little boy grow up to be the sweetest most patient man alive? That's before the hijacking stole bits and pieces of him, of course. But he has managed to find his way back. He has managed to regain parts of his old self, parts that no one ever thought he would rediscover. After his horrific stories of his scars, I kissed each and every one and ended up at his lips, melded to his mouth like it is an extension of mine. His eyes fluttered closed as I adorned his face in kisses and my soothing words were his lullaby.

Our anniversary is tomorrow and I am busy working on a gift for him. A vest made of rabbit fur to keep him warm this winter. I made him pillows made of the same fur for Christmas last year and he loved them so I hope he will like this. My fingers are sore from the stitching and Annie has offered to help but I want to do this on my own. I bite the stitching with my teeth and pull and hold it up to survey it. It looks wonderful and I can't wait to see it on him. I hear the door slam and footsteps downstairs.

"Katniss? Are you here?"

"Be right there," I call back as I hastily hide my present. I rush downstairs to greet my husband, whose face is pink from the cold. His eyes are wide and he has a broad smile on his face.

"Hey," I greet him. "What's-" he picks me up and spins me around in his arms, kissing me all over.

"Peeta, what's gotten into you?"

"Paylor called me at work today. Your exile has been lifted!" It takes me a moment but I stare up at him with wide eyes.

"Wh-what?"

"You're free, Katniss! I mean, you're free to go wherever you like. The Revolutionaries have been tried and an official statement has been made to 13. An official Panem pardon was made and the court completely cleared you. Everyone feels that you are no longer a danger to anyone and you have been cleared of all crimes against Panem and District 13. You're free to come and go!" I'm not sure why I'm not happier about this. Peeta is over the moon and he is watching me, waiting for a reaction.

"Katniss?"

"That's…that's great." His face falls slightly and he looks bemused.

"I was thinking that we could take a little vacation after Christmas," he says quietly. "Just the two of us. We could go wherever you like. Kind of a belated anniversary trip." I smile and stroke his cheek and his broad smile is back. He reminds me of the eager young boy I married and I lean up to kiss him.

"That sounds wonderful. Does that mean I don't get a present tomorrow though?" He chuckles and grabs me in his arms, pressing me against the wall. I moan as he attacks my throat, sucking on my pulse point that has me whimpering his name. He takes the steps two at a time and carries me to our bedroom. His new prosthetic that came from the Capitol is even stronger than his previous one and his strong arms trap me in his embrace as he leans over me on the bed. He disappears between my legs and I reach down to grip his curls.

"Is this a good enough present," he asks huskily, peering up at me with those clear blue eyes.

"Mmm, my favorite present of all," I moan as my legs begin to shake in anticipation. He chuckles against my skin and I toss my head back and close my eyes, succumbing to my husband's, ah, gifts.

The next day after he wakes me up in my favorite way, with his lips decorating my inner thighs and his tongue painting the most beautiful of pictures across my body, he makes me a breakfast of eggs with cheese and cheesebuns with cinnamon hot chocolate. We stay in bed and he pulls a box out from under the bed.

"Happy Anniversary, my beautiful girl," he whispers as I pull at the ribbon. I gasp as I lift the bracelet from the wrapping.

"I know you're not usually the jewelry type," he says as he helps me clip it on my wrist. "But I think it's perfect and…well, if you don't like it or don't want to wear it,I understand-"

"Peeta," I stop him with a kiss. "It's perfect. Thank you." It's not big or gaudy. A simple silver chain wraps around my slender wrist and a small charm showing a loaf of bread with an arrow sticking through it dangles from it. The arrow's tip is lined in tiny diamonds, and in another box he hands me is a beautiful leather quiver for my arrows, with my initials engraved near the bottom. I nearly climb on top of him and crush him with my kisses. He laughs against my lips and his hands rest on my hips.

"Hey hey, wait a second. Don't I get a present too?"

"You mean this isn't your favorite present," I tease as I suck at his neck. He moans lightly and tilts his head.

"Yeah you're right, this is the best present I could get."

"Well here, I hope you like this just as much," I say as I run into the closet. I instantly regret not wrapping it with pretty ribbon as Peeta did but I shrug and tell him to close his eyes. He watches me for a moment before he obeys me and I put the vest in his hands. He frowns as his fingers rub against the fur and I kiss his lips before I tell him to open his eyes. He lifts the vest to study it and his face softens.

"Katniss," he says in what I think is reverence.

"I, um…I thought you might need something warm for the winter," I say hastily, starting to question my decision and clothing-making skills. He sets it aside and pulls me into his arms, claiming my lips as his own. His hands go to my cheeks as he holds me in place, his kisses growing more and more hungry.

"You made me a vest," he says softly, resting his forehead against mine. "You actually made me this beautiful vest from your kills. My huntress made me a fur." I laugh at his amazed expression.

"Peeta, it's just a vest," I try to tell him but he shakes his head.

"You don't understand, Katniss. No one has ever made me a present like this before. I know how much time you must have spent on this and it's so beautiful. Thank you."

"I also got you a new chess set but it's already set up downstairs in the living room." He smiles and leans in to kiss me.

"Thank you, love. Now can I ask for one more present?"

"Um, what's that?" His hand slips under my night shirt and rests on my breast. He bends down and his tongue travels along my neck and jawline and I close my eyes, allowing him to continue his path down my body. He pulls my shirt over my head and he flings it aside, his eyes wide and focused on my exposed chest.

"So beautiful," he whispers, licking his lips hungrily. I squirm under his scrutiny and his eyes meet mine again.

"Even after six years of calling you my wife, you still manage to completely take my breath away, Mrs. Mellark." I wind my fingers through his hair and lean up to suck at a spot underneath his jaw. He moans a little and his eyes flutter shut as his hands grope at my breasts. We spend a majority of our anniversary in bed and neither of us have any complaints whatsoever.