Hey guys and girls! It's Lena here again with a new chapter update, I hope it's okay and progressing enough for you. I promise it gets a lot more interesting as it gets further into it! If you have any questions feel free to ask.

A distant knocking draws me from the confines of a dreamless sleep the next morning. As I tentatively open my eyes I am aware of the cold bed beside me, and the distinct smell of baking on the air. It is clear that Peeta has been awake for ages, not that I mind, from our nights spent in each others arms during the victory tour I know he is an early riser.

Blushing at the memory, I recall the moments I would wake to find him staring down at me. Content to watch as I slept, peacefully and undisturbed by the normally throws of a nightmares that had often encompassed me since our return. On the particular morning my mind now strayed to I remember catching a glimpse of something hidden in his twinkling eyes as he'd looked away, something a lot like the look Peeta used to give me before the games had messed us up. A quiet longing.

The knocking grew frantic and even from upstairs I could hear the urgency behind it, along with the familiar scuffling as Peeta likely raced towards the door. So odd, that even without him beside me I had managed to remain asleep, normally I would wake after ten minutes from the first rays of a nightmare. But today I had likely remained silent for a lot longer.

Bitterly throwing the covers aside, I moved to collect my things from where they had been thrown during last night's progressive event. Even just the memory of his hands running through my hair, his lips on mine as he and I experienced each other's company in a different way, brought that heat rushing back to my cheeks.

"Peeta - have you seen Katniss?" Oh no, I recognised that voice immediately. Glancing out the window to the house three doors up. In the heat of the moment I had forgotten about my abrupt departure from my house, likely leaving my mother and Prim in such a state. To make matters worse I hadn't thought to tell them where I was before spending the night with Peeta.

To his credit Peeta did not saying anything at first, taking a moment as he eventually invited her inside. Though he had clearly soothed her worries slightly I could hear from the creaking that Prim was still waiting for an answer she could use. Thanking him for not speaking on my behalf I quickly threw yesterday's clothes back on, running my fingers through my matted hair quickly to at least try and soothe the blow about what we had been up to as I moved across the landing to the stairs.

From beneath my feet I could hear Prim's voice as she spoke again, quieter this time as if afraid of who might be listening in.

"After the… the announcement she ran out. Both mum and I tried to stay up for her return but then it got so late… but when we woke up we realised she still hadn't come back, and her bed clearly hasn't been slept in." She paused, finally taking a breath as I paused on the bottom step. "Mum's gone into town on an errand, she's scared Katniss might have gone over the fence so she's trying to act normal. Keep the Peacekeepers off her scent for a while if it's true."

Something like gratitude rose up within me, despite her many mistakes after my father died I knew she was at last trying. For Prim she had pulled herself from her grief and comatose living to act like the mother I had become for the girl she'd left behind. Things between us were still rocky, not as bad as they had been before but there was still a long way to go before they were anywhere near warm and endearing.

At that moment I heard Peeta try and stammer a response and decided it was time to save him; as I rounded the corner I saw my sister for the first time since yesterday. Her cheeks were tinged pink from the lingering winds of winter, clear haste had been applied to getting dressed because her shirt was poking up in places from her new skirt.

As he had with me, Cinna had taken it upon himself to design and construct a brand new wardrobe for my sister. A variety of dresses, skirts and blouses had been delivered a few weeks after I had returned. Prim's face had lit up when she'd seen the collection, squealing with delight once realising the crate was addressed to her rather than me.

As I came into view the tight worry on her face faded and relief swam in her eyes, she was always the picture of calm. But I could tell there was something about my sudden disappearing act that had made her worry. I flinched, ever so slightly uneasy about it as I offered her my best apologetic look.

"Sorry for worrying you little duck."

Peeta had his back to me as I entered, but at the sound of my voice he peered over his shoulder. Offering me a similar smile to the one my sister was now giving me, I mouthed a small thank you at him as I stopped by his side. Willing the blush to keep away from my cheeks now as I got my first look at him in the daylight since last night.

Still handsome.

"Were you here all night?" The curiosity in Prim's voice did not go unnoticed as Peeta's eyebrows shot up in a look that was a mixture of 'good luck' and 'if only she knew'. Silently scowling at him I turned back to look at my sister, nodding as I wrapped my arms around my body to keep from shivering. In my haste I had forgotten to pick up my jumper, only just managing to throw on my discarded top before hurrying down to deal with the issue at hand.

Reaching down in an instant Peeta grabbed his own jumper from where it had been left in a heap on one of the couch cushions. Handing it to me with a soft smile on his lips before murmuring a flimsy excuse and leaving me and Prim alone, the latter of whom shouted after him that she wanted some of whatever it was she could smell.

Although things between me and Peeta had been tense for months, he and Prim had developed a bond that was unshakeable. I would often come home from the woods to find a fresh batch of cookies waiting for Prim on the kitchen table, normally they were already half gone but even then I knew who had sent them. Once, he had even showed her how he frosted them and though she didn't have quite the same precision as he, Prim hadn't done a bad job at attempting the flowery designs.

Moving to sit down, I wrapped the material around my shivering limbs as my sister followed suit. Suddenly at ease as she swept the material of the skirt beneath her to avoid wrinkles, ever the picture of etiquette that Effie had tried to worm from me during the victory tour.

"I'm sorry I worried you." I mumbled, looking away as I realised it was probably not the sensiblest of things to have done. "I just needed time to clear my head."

"I can see that." Whipping my head round as I sensed the teasing tone to her words I scowled at my sister, a rare occurrence as it may be. But Prim was grinning from ear to ear, her eyes drifting in the direction of the kitchen that Peeta had stolen away to.

"Don't tell mum." The sudden outburst made me clamp my lips shut, holding a hand over my mouth as I watched Prim try to stifle - and fail - a giggle. At least someone was finding it amusing. Apparently two people were because as I tilted my head to the side to groan I heard the distant sound of Peeta laughing in the kitchen.

I scowled.

"Don't worry I won't, but you know she will figure it out right?" Prim had a point, despite her vacant years our mother had not lost her keen eye. She would likely notice the change as soon as I saw her, perhaps I would just linger here for a bit longer to delay the inevitable.

Inevitable. The games.

All at once it hit me, the realisation that I was going back into the games having left me for a few brief hours. Looking over at Prim I knew now why they had been worried, ever the smart girl she had managed to control her amusement as she watched the light in my eyes fade.

Already tears were beginning to form in my eyes as I tried to push thoughts of my impending doom from my mind, coughing as I shifted my position slightly. As if sensing the change in atmosphere Peeta reappeared in the doorway, a concerned frown on his face and a tray of cookies in his hand. Seeing the look on my face he shuffled over, setting the treats down on the coffee table in front of Prim who successfully managed to become very interested in the present as Peeta settled down beside me.

"Are you all right?" He murmured, brushing a stray curl from my face as I attempted a disheartened nod. Knowing I was not, he looked over at Prim who quickly mumbled something about going to find mum and telling her she had found me. I gave her a thankful smile as she disappeared, but she only winked as she took six of the eight cookies off the tray and sprinted out of the house.

"You have to promise not to go into that arena Peeta. If Haymitch's name is called… you have to promise." I refused to meet his gaze, likely lined with guilt and an indescribable look of love, I knew if I looked at him the tears I was keeping at bay would flow freely down my cheeks. Last night had been a spur of the moment attempt to prevent just that, but I knew without my words and next few confessions it would not hold.

"Why?" His voice shook slightly as he spoke the three letter blow aloud, tilting my chin up so I had nowhere to look that wasn't into his eyes. The same eyes I had not been able to get out of my head since we returned from the games, the eyes that kept me up at night wondering and pondering over what it was that stirred within me whenever I saw them.

"Because I don't know what I would do if I lost you, and I know that if we both go into that place… we won't be walking out together a second time. Snow made that mistake once, he won't risk the consequences." I was tripping over my words, dodging and skirting around the truth that was being silently demanded of me. The same truth I had brushed aside for months until last night, even saying it… he hadn't believed me. Or at least, from the look in Peeta's eyes maybe he did, he just wanted more. He wanted to know why.

"...And despite everything I have said, all the excuses and the distance I have placed between us. I get this feeling whenever I am around you that if I lost you… if I lost you, I wouldn't survive it. Because I care about you, not in the way friends care for each other… but that something more you must have felt at the beginning."

I was never any good with words, that's why Peeta had always been the one that spoke during interviews for us. He had a way with words, whilst I took my time fumbling and jumping over what I actually wanted to say to the point it often got lost in translation. But as I watched him take in what I had said, I could see Peeta hadn't missed a beat. Listening intently as I let out what had been weighing me down for months.

"Remind me again why I do all the talking during interviews?" I let out a sigh of relief, noting the playful sparkle in his eyes as he beamed at me. Reaching across the divide between us, shattering my walls as he stepped right over their crumbled remains to take my hands in his. Dwarfing them in his slightly larger ones, like two pieces of a puzzle they fit together in a comforting way.

"I'm sorry sorry I lied to you for so long…"

"You didn't lie to me, you were confused… I get it now. It took me a while to stop my pride from controlling my emotions but, I get it now. I do." He sounded so sincere, so genuine that I leant forwards and captured his lips with my own. Whilst last night had included plenty of this, our lips caught between each other, muffled responses swallowed, this felt different somehow.

A flutter in my stomach brought a smile to my lips, the corners curviving up in an uncontrollable manner as I beamed just as widely as Peeta had moments before.

We stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each others arms breathing in each other's company as we explored this new us. It didn't feel awkward, strange or even tense. It felt right as if it was something I had been missing my whole life. Eventually Peeta begrudgingly pulled away, he had to get to the bakery before they got swamped with the morning rush, and I watched as he shuffled out the door. Throwing one last smile in my direction before the cold arms of winter claimed him as he was pulled from the warmth.

It took me a moment to realise what I had to do before I pulled on my shoes, making sure I disturbed nothing as I scampered across the village square to the only other occupied house in the victors village. I didn't bother knocking, he wouldn't hear me even if I did.

But unlike all the times before I did not dump a pot of freezing cold water over his head. No, I needed him to like me today because what I had come to demand of him would cost everything. It would likely even cost Haymitch his life.

--

As the days sped by becoming a blur of weeks and meaningless numbers I began to train with Peeta and Haymitch, the latter of whom had yet to reply to my pleas. He'd awoken quickly, somehow sensing another body in the room and been sharp and gruff with me about sneaking up on him. But he'd listened and when I was done, when I'd asked what I came to ask he'd simply told me he'd think about it and gone back to drowning his sorrows.

Peeta was still none the wiser, I felt guilty anytime I thought about it but I knew if he found out now there would be no stopping him. He would break the promise he made me and make sure he was in that arena, he would make sure it was him protecting me and not Haymitch.

Most days after training I'd disappear back into the confines of my house to shower, often getting lost in a daze of thoughts for half an hour before peeling myself from the tiles and moving about as if nothing had happened. Peeta would wait for me in his house, unless it was a tuesday when he would meet me at the bakery after his shift, and then we would go to the meadow by my old house and sit in the long grass. Our hands entwined, our legs tangled in an unbreakable knot as we lay there together. It was simple, but I cherished those moments most of all.

However, about six weeks after the announcement, I came to the bathroom to find my mother waiting for me. She was awkwardly hovering on the landing when I trudged up the stairs after a particularly brutal training session, my back had been off all day and it had really shown in my lazy attitude towards working out. Peeta had frowned and hovered closer than usual, but made no attempt to stop me. He knew it would be futile.

"Oh, Hey." I tried to keep the monotone accomplice from my words, we were getting along slightly better than before, but sometimes I still found it hard not to let it show in my voice how frustrated I still was. The normal flinch did not come today and I found myself frowning at my mother, silently trying to work out what had gotten her so dazed and distracted.

"I need to show you something, and you have to promise not to yell." I frowned further, my brow creasing as I took a step towards her. Concern lining my eyes as I watched her extend a shaky hand in my direction. Recognition flashed across my mind as I reeled backwards, trying to block it from mind as I stumbled over a response.

"Is that, yours?" I stammered, my heartbeat increasing as I desperately prayed her answer would be yes. But as she shook her head and realisation sunk in at what I was looking at I asked her another question, still unsure as I spoke.

"Whos is it?" I didn't want to know, I didn't want to know. But I did know, before she even opened her mouth to answer I knew.

"I had begun to notice the changes last week… I didn't want to bring it up with you in case you reacted badly, you were never the one to…. Prim was but you…" I was pretty certain I wasn't breathing at this point as I took the item in question from her hand, grateful she was at least not chiding me for my reckless behaviour. I had no doubt she'd figured out what we'd done almost as soon as I had walked through the door that evening but to be that observant… to be this observant was different.

"How did you do it without me knowing?" A slight pink blush rose to my mother's cheeks as she stammered something about the time the fire alarm went off right as I was about to leave the bathroom. I remembered that day… because it was only yesterday which meant she had known for at least twenty four hours already.

A part of me wanted to be mad at her for not telling me, but I knew she was right about how I would have reacted. And this moment was just further proof at how unhinged the games had left me as I slid down the wall clutching the unintended bomb in my hand as I stared at it in silent horror.

Because there were the two pink lines I had read about on the back of the box sent to me by Effie a few months ago, at the time I had scowled and thrown it in the trash but now… as it stared back at me I wished I hadn't.

One line for negative. Two for a positive. And there was two.

I was not only about to be fighting for my life in that arena in four months time, I would be fighting for two.

Because those two lines meant I was pregnant. And I had no idea how I was supposed to tell Peeta.