Hey guys, so I won't have too much time to update now, seeing as I have school again, so I'll have lot's of homework, and my homework comes first, sorry. But I'll try my best. :) Anyways, are any of you fans of Emblem 3? I've recently become a big fan of them, lol.

Enjoy! :)

Chapter 29- Christmas

Katniss POV-

Opening my eyes slowly, I glanced at my clock to find it was already 9:30. I groaned and shoved my face in pillow, trying to go back to sleep. Although, I had that slight nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that I was forgetting something, but just mentally waved it off.

Last week, we had our 'Victor' party at Clove and Glimmer's place, and wow. They definitely know how to throw a party.

I threw my arm out before, when it landed on something. Something small and hard. I felt it for a moment with my hand, trying to figure out what it was. Giving up, I lazily opened my eyes, lifted my head up and looked at my nightstand. It was a small, silver rectangular box with a yellow ribbon tied on it.

Why is there a present on my nightstand?

I suddenly sat bolt upright and looked at the gift. I finally figured what I'd forgotten: It was Christmas.

I yawned and fell back against my bed, stretching.

There was chuckling echoing from across the room. Sitting up again, I looked around for the source. There, sitting on the couch, was Madge and Peeta.

"So I see you've finally decided to wake up have you?" Madge questioned, cocking an eyebrow. I just stuck my tongue out at her.

Peeta chuckled and made his way over to me. He sat beside me on my bed and bent down to kiss my forehead. "Morning beautiful."

"Morning," I replied, smiling.

Peeta reached over to my nightstand and grabbed the gift laying there. "Merry Christmas."

I took the gift from him, untied the ribbon and ripped off the wrapping paper. Opening the lid, I gasped. It was a necklace. It had a beautiful silver chain which held a painted gold heart about as big as an eye. I turned it over to find markings engraved onto the back. They read '13/10/12' The day that Peeta and I started dating: October 13th, 2012.

"Open it up," Peeta whispered in my ear, sending shivers coursing through my still awakening body.

I pinched the little latch on the side and the heart popped open. Inside were two pictures. One was a funny picture we had taken just a couple weeks ago. Peeta had his arm around my shoulder and was doing a duck face with his lips pursed, his nose scrunched up and his eyes wide. Meanwhile, I had my eyes shut tightly closed and my tongue out. I smiled looking at the picture, then peered at the other. In this one, my side was pressed up against Peeta's chest and his arms were around my waist. I had wrapped my own arms over top of his and was laughing as Peeta kissed my temple. That was on Peeta's and I's second date. He had taken me to the beach again and we'd stayed there all day together.

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes and I buried my head in Peeta's chest. "Oh Peeta."

I could sense the smile on his face as he slid his hand beneath my chin and lifted it up so that I was facing him. Without speaking, he grabbed the necklace from my hand then got up to sit behind me. I saw his hands in front of me for a few seconds as he placed my necklace around my neck. They soon retreated to the back of said body part and I felt him pinning the little clasp together. His hands grab fistfuls of my hair and pulled it out from beneath the chain. Suddenly, the pressure on the bed behind me disappeared and I watched as Peeta took his place before me once again.

I looked down at my neck to see the pendant resting there. Grabbing the heart, I twirled it slowly between my thumb and index finger. "It's beautiful..." I said quietly.

"A beautiful gift for a beautiful girl," Peeta replied softly.

I dropped the pendant, feeling the soft thud as if hit my collarbone, then looked. Peeta was smiling down at me with a definite sign of love in his eyes.

A throat cleared and both Peeta and I looked over to see Madge smirking. "Well," she started, "I'm going to go get some breakfast. I'll meet you guys down there."

I smiled at Madge as she left the room and made her way down to the cafeteria.

Turning back to Peeta with a big smile on my face, I said, "Now it's time for your present."

I got up and crossed the room over to my dresser where a bow wrapped in golden wrapping paper and a blue bow lay waiting. Grabbing it, I made my way back over to Peeta.

"Here," I said, holding it out to him.

Peeta smiled curiously and took the box from my outstretched hand, ripping off the wrapping paper. He placed the lid on the bed, and stared down at it for a moment. Not even a moment later, the biggest smile possible was stretching across his face, showing his perfect, pearly white teeth.

Carefully, he put his hand in the box and pulled something out. It was a picture frame holding an 11x7 inch picture. The frame had a plain black rim with one word engraved at the top. 'Always'. It meant that we would always be there for the other. Always cherish the other and love them.

The picture itself was a picture of Peeta and I on a field outside the school. I was on Peeta's back as if he were giving me a 'piggy-back-ride'. My legs were at his sides and his arms were wrapped around them, keeping me up. I had my arms around his neck. Peeta's head was turned to the side as I leaned mine forward and we were smiling into kiss.

"There's more," I stated softly. Peeta placed the picture gently on the bed, stared at it for another moment, then looked back into the box. He pulled out yet another box, except this one was much smaller. Peeta chuckled as he took out the golden watch from inside. we had been out shopping together last week and I had seen Peeta staring at the watch. After he gone to try out a shirt I had picked out, I'd immediately bought it and hid it in my bag.

Reaching forward, I grabbed the watch from his hand and put in on his wrist.

Peeta looked at me and smiled, "Thank-you."

I didn't have any time to reply before Peeta and I both leaned in. I stopped about an inch from his face and looked up, eyebrows raised. Peeta then closed the distance between our lips and kissed me. The kiss was slow at first. He threw his arms around my waist and I tangled mine in his shaggy hair. Peeta pulled me closer to him so that I was sitting in his lap, lips never leaving my own. We pulled back a couple minutes later, due to lack of breath. Gasping for air, we smiled at each other and Peeta grabbed my hand, pulling me with him out the door and down to breakfast.

Cato POV-

As I sat beside Madge, holding her hand beneath the table, we ate our breakfast. So far everyone but Peeta and Katniss were here. Madge said they were 'busy'. Whatever that meant. Not everyone was here today: quite a lot of students had gone home for the holidays. Including Glimmer, Marvel, Johanna, Thresh, Annie, Clove, Finnick and Beetee. I would have gone home myself, but I decided to stay back with Madge.

Speak of the devil, in walked the couple themselves. They grabbed their food and sat down. I noticed that Peeta was wearing a gold watch I've never seen before and Katniss appeared to have a new locket hanging comfortably around her neck.

'Ahem' someone cleared their throat. All heads perked up and looked towards Gale. Beside him, Olivia was blushing. Glancing quickly down at Olivia first, Gale stated, "It's official. Olivia and I are dating."

Everyone clapped and Katniss, who had been sitting on Gale's other side, threw her arms around Gale, hugging him tightly. "Congratulations you guys!" She exclaimed happily.

There were officially three couples within the 'Victors'. Madge and I; Peeta and Katniss; and now, Gale and Olivia. It was obvious to everyone that Marvel and Glimmer were going to get together soon, and we could all tell that Finnick and Clove have feelings for each other. Annie and Maverick were getting along pretty well and Beetee was still attempting to get close to Leevy. Thresh and Johanna... well, no one's too sure what's going on between them exactly.

Everyone had split up and gone to do their own things till this evening after we'd finished eating, all in groups of two. We had decided to meet up at Finnick, Gale and Peeta's place for a big Christmas celebration together, seeing as they had the biggest dorm.

Madge and I arrived around 7:30. We sat down at the long table draped with a white table cloth and lit with candles beholding hollies at the bottom, and waited for the wrest.

Within an hour, everyone was here and sitting around the table. Gale stood up, holding up his glass filled with Sparkling Apple Juice and announced, "A toast too... friendship!" We all laughed as he tghought of what to say, "And, uh... Merry Christmas!" He sat back down and we all clanged glasses together muttering 'cheers'. Katniss and Peeta went over to the kitchen. Apparently they had stayed here all afternoon cooking. Well, Peeta'd been cooking. I think I remember Peeta once tell me how horrible of a cook Katniss was.

Five minutes later, the two came back with a giant turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots, stuffing and ham. We all dug in immediately.

After dinner and dessert, the group of us sat in a circle by the fire. Everyone was told to bring a uni-sex gift for the 'Secret Santa' which Gale was in charge of. All the presents were currently laying beneath the tree and Gale brought them over.

"Okay, since I'm in charge, I declare I get first pick!" He yelled and we chuckled as he grabbed for the biggest box.

We went around in a circle as everyone got their gift.

"Every one have a present?" Gale questioned; we all nodded. "Open."

I ripped the wrapping paper off mine and tore open the box. Inside was a black pair of Apple ear phones. "Ah, good," I exclaimed to no one in particular, "I was needing to get new ones. Only the left side of mine works- and you have no idea how annoying that is."

Across the circle, Olivia laughed. "Glad you like it," she said.

After all the gifts had been opened, I watched as Madge the number of Victors that were present.

"There are six out of fourteen Victors here," she concluded, "How come you all stayed back?" She asked curiously.

Nudging her slightly, I whispered in her ear, "I stayed for you." Madge laughed and told me the same thing.

"My parents don't have the money to fly me back home right now," Peeta explained, shrugging his shoulders.

"Family problems..." Olivia muttered. We looked at her for a moment, before we dropped the subject. It was clear Olivia wasn't in the mood to explain right now.

"I just felt like staying here," Gale shrugged and we laughed.

Katniss was staring at her feet and playing with a loose string.

"Katniss?" It was Madge.

"I- uh..." she cleared her throat, "My mom's busy with her job."

"What about your dad?" I asked curiously.

Gale went rigid. Frowning, I gave Gale a questioning look , but found he was looking at Katniss.

I slowly turned my head towards her and was shocked at the sight. She'd stopped playing the the string and there were tears trailing down her cheeks. She hastily wiped them away, coughed once, and got up muttering, "Excuse me." With that, she walked out the door. we all sat there for a moment, all clearly stunned except. Peeta made motion to stand up and go after her, when Gale placed a hand on his shoulder gently.

He stood up and said, "I'll go talk to her."

He walked towards the door and turned the knob when I asked, "What's wrong?"

Gale stopped and stared at the door when he replied. "Katniss' father died in a car crash when we were eleven." We all gaped at him and Olivia's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. Gale continued, "Along with mine."

Then he was out the door.

I immediately whipped my head around to look at Peeta. He was staring at the door, his mouth open in an 'o' shape. His eyes were wide and their was sadness and worry in his eyes.

Olivia looked the same way.

Gale POV-

"Katniss?" I called out as I wandered through the halls. I exited the building and saw her sitting on a park bench, knees tucked into her chest. I smiled sadly and made my way over to the bench, sitting down beside her. She didn't look at me as I sat down, she just kept staring forward, sobbing. I put my arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to me, stroking her hair gently like I used to do whenever she was upset or hurt.

Katniss buried her head in my chest and sobbed louder. "Shh, It's okay. I know, I know. I miss them too." I said in a soothing voice.

We sat like that together for a while and watched as the sun set. The others were probably looking for us by now.

"I just- I miss him so much," Katniss finally gasped.

I hugged her tighter and replied, "I know, I do too. But we'll get through it together. Just like we always do. Remember what we promised ourselves when we were eleven?"

Katniss pulled away and looked up at me through her tears, "What?"

"We promised ourselves that we would stay strong for them. To never let anything get us down and to make them happy. They're always with us you know. Where ever we go, you just need to believe that." I said softly.

Katniss smiled at me and sniffled, "Thanks Gale." Her arms flew around me and she hugged me tight.

"Katniss!" We heard Peeta call out.

"Gale?" Olivia was obviously with him.

I pulled Katniss to her feet and wiped away her tears, "Come on."

We walked around the bush and Peeta and Olivia came rushing over to us. Cato and Madge were standing in the doorway.

"I'm so sorry, I never knew-" Olivia started, but I cut her off.

"It's okay, Katniss and I never told anyone. Only our families knew." I explained calmly.

Olivia hugged me tightly and I hugged her back with as much enthusiasm.

Katniss POV-

Peeta ran over to me and pulled me into his arms, tucking me head beneath his chin. We stay like that for a few minutes minutes before he pulled back, but still gripped my arms tightly. "How come you never told me?" He breathed out, concern clear in his blue eyes.

"I never told anyone, Peeta. It's just such a depressing subject. Only Gale and I's families ever knew." I replied,

"I'm sorry Katniss," He said as he pulled me against him and planted a soft and gentle kiss on my hair. I gripped his shirt and cried silently for another moment before letting him go and wiping away my fresh tears.

"Well, come on. Let's go finish that celebration!" I laughed and tugged on his hand, dragging him with me.

Once we were back at the dorm, no one brought up what had just occurred again. Although, every once in a while, Peeta would shoot me a reassuring glance.

I truly was lucky to be dating him. I couldn't ask for a better boyfriend.

We continued with our little party. we played games, danced to music, watched a few movies and ate some of the left over cake.

I was currently resting against Peeta's chest, with his arm around me snugly, as we watched 'A Christmas Carol'. We were on the cough with a blanket pulled over top of us and I had my legs pulled comfortably against my chest, arms wrapped around them.

As Scrooge was being taken away by the Ghost of Christmas Present, I felt my eyes slowly droop to a close and I buried my face in Peeta's chest, ready to let the sleep take me over. I smiled to myself as I felt Peeta kiss my forehead and stroke my hair gently.

This truly was a wonderful Christmas.

I know, I know. That was a really bad chapter wasn't it? Sorry, I had a bit of writer's block so I had no clue what to write. :p. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it, :)

Until next time...

~mellarkfan121~