Peeta

Katniss and I walk hand in hand through the dark, ash covered road to the lower class area where Katniss' family lives, often called the Seam.

"What are they like?" I ask her and she shrugs.

"Well, they look absolutely nothing like me," she says. "They both have blonde hair and blue eyes because my mother was the daughter of an apothecary in the merchant side of the village. They heal alot of the wounded miners who live out here. My sister has a goat she gets milk from and an old tomcat that she somehow finds entertaining. For the most part, I'll let them speak for themselves."

"I'm sure they are lovely," I say and she stops at a small building thats barely more than a shack. She knocks on the door and a girl about 15 opens the door.

"Katniss!" She cries wrapping her arms around her sister. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"Don't you know I'd miss you too much to stay away," Katniss replies pulling away from her far enough for her to catch a glimpse of me.

"Is that him?" She whispers and Katniss glances at me before nodding.

"This is Peeta," she says. "Peeta this is my sister, Prim." I hold my hand out to her and she tentatively takes it.

"It's nice to meet you," I say and she just kind of looks at me.

"He's awfully tall," she says to Katniss and she laughs.

"We brought lunch," Katniss says. "Can we come in?" Prim nods and steps aside.

"Mother's in the kitchen," she says. We walk in and at the kitchen table, a woman who bares a striking resemblance to Katnisd despite her pale hair and skin, is mixing herbs with a morter. She looks up to see her daughter standing there and just stares at us a moment.

"You're home," she says after a while. Katniss takes a few steps forward.

"We decided to come pay you a visit," Katniss says gently. "Peeta wanted to meet you." The fragile woman stares at me a moment before some sort of recognition crosses her face.

"You're Henry's son," she says matter of factly and I nod, surprised by her sudden addressing of me.

"I'm his youngest," I say steping forward to address her. "You knew him from your youth I'm guessing?" She smiles.

"He was my neighbor," she says. "He was a good friend." I pull up my basket of food and set it on the table in front of her.

"We brought you some fresh bread, a salad, and some chicken noodle soup," I say.

"Oh," she says. "Thank you." She goes back to mixing her herbs and Prim comes over to get to work setting out the dinner and heating to soup back up. Katniss grabs my arm and leads me to the small bedroom off the side of the house. She glances out and closes the door.

"I guess I should have warned you about her," she says finally. "I just didn't think she'd be so bad today." I shake my head.

"Its not my business," I say.

"She's been like that on and off since my father died," Katniss says. "I wish she'd just be my mother again. But that's just not gonna happen seeing as its going on 9 years hes been gone." She goes to her closet and starts looking through her things.

"I'm sure part of its the fact that she just lost you too yesterday," I say and she shruggs.

"I wouldn't know," she says. "The only time she even acknowledged my existence was whenever I laid a dead rabbit on the table. Its a good thing Prim has been here to stop me because theres been more than a few times my temper has been directed towards her."

"You love her though," I say. "After all, she is your mother." I think of my own abusive mother and how dispite the things she would call me and hit me with, I still had to love the woman who gave birth to me. Katniss rolls her eyes as she pulls out an old hunting coat.

"If course I do," she says. "But I don't like her. She was never there for me."

"Well, now you only have to see her when you want," I say.

"Thats true," she says. "But I do feel like I'm gonna miss my sister alot." She stops and looks at me a moment.

"What?" I ask.

"You really do look like your father," she says. "For a moment, I thought you were just humering her, but you do look a lot like the baker I used to trade with."

"Yeah," I say. "You used to bring by the fresh meat in exchange for bread and pastries."

"He's an admirable man," Katniss says. "I see now how a boy like you got the manners you've shown me." I laugh and she sits on the bed she motions for me to join her.

"Well, what can I say," I reply. "I am who my life made me to be, just like you." She surprises me by leaning on my shoulder.

"I wish you could have met him," she says softly. "He would have been glad that if something like these pairings got instituted, that I got someone who at least had the sense of right and wrong." I'm about to repond when her sister ducks her head into the doorway.

"Lunch is ready," she says and we get up and go to eat. Its quiet, but Katniss and her sister make small conversation and I can see she enjoys having this time with her family, which in itself makes me happy.

I find myself facinated by her and I really do hope that I can give this lovely woman as good a life as this situatiin allows. I've come to care about her over just the past day, feeling myself settle into the role as her protector and provider rather effortlessly. This beautiful creature has just taken my breath away in the short time I've known her.

As backward as it sounds, I think I'm falling in love with my wife.