Peeta

I carefuly glaze the cinnamon rolls I made for breakfast and leave them on the counter to cool. It's Christmas morning and after the long mass last night, I've let Katniss get a much needed rest. She's only a little over two months from having her baby and doesn't get much sleep considering it takes so long for her to get comfortable.

I walk into our small sitting room to see Katniss standing there, playing with the ornaments we hung last night on the small pinetree cut down from outback. She's still wearing her nightgown, with her silken robe tied tight around her. She turns around when she sees me come in and goes to sit down. I walk over to help her, but she holds up a hand to stop me.

"I think I can still handle sitting down a little while longer," she says and I step away from her as she sits, or rather plops down into the soft cushions. I sit down next to her and she gently runs her hand along the right side of her belly, where the baby has been kicking her so often now when they are both so uncomfortable.

"Is it hurting you?" I ask and she shakes her head, looking down.

"It usually stops when he feels me pushing back," she replies.

"He?" I ask and Katniss shakes her head.

"I don't know if its a he," she says. "Thats just how I cope a little easier. Thinking its a boy who we can prepare to treat who he might be paired with correctly rather than a girl who most likely won't be paired with someone with common sense like you." I nod, knowing that this may be what many of the girls now carrying children must feel. They don't want to have daughters and watch them go through the worst day of their life under the watch of the Capital.

"Are you nervous?" I ask and she looks at me.

"You're kidding right?" Katniss asks. "By the time winter is over, I will have to push something the size of a cantelop out of my body through a hole natually the size of a large walking stick. Do you think when I didn't even want it, I would be anything but afraid of this?" I retract a little from her and she reaches out and grabs my hand. "Yes, I'm nervous. I've been nervous about this sonce I was nine and they intistuted the schools to preare us for the glorified livestock breeding system they decided would save the districts. But its almost over. I'll be better I hope, when at least I can look my fears in the face and not carry it around inside me like this." I smile and kiss her hand.

"Do you want breakfast?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"No, I don't feel very well," she says. "My stomach feels squished up against my ribs. And like I haven't got any room in it." I nod and get up.

"Well, than I suppose its about time we open these presents then," I say and I reach under the tree and hand her one of the brightly colored packages that lay beneath. She carefully removes the bright red wrapping and opens the box to reveal a small patchwork blanket. She smiles and lays it over her swollen stomack and gently touches the bits and pieces of the multicolored quilt, looking as though she is going to cry. "What is it?"

"In my family, in all of the families in the poor part of district I guess," Katniss says quietly. "When someone is expecting their first baby, buts and pieces are gathered from clothing of the people they knew and loved. Favorite outfits long worn out and special blankets from our childhoods. The family of the woman expecting usually make it. And so my sister." She stops and wipes her eye. "She must have decided that I needed one for my baby. I recognise every one of these. All these happy memories." I smile and reach out and touch the crocheted lace edges, amazed by the work of the fifteen year old.

"Its beautiful," I say. "Almost to pretty to use."

"The point is its meant to be used," Katniss says. "When we have so little, nothing is to be wasted so we need to make use of scraps in quilts like these to keep our children warm." I nod and Katniss folds it and places it beside her. I reach for another present and see this one is addressed to me, also from Prim. I sit on the floor and tear open the brown butcher's paper covered in snowflakes drawn in wax marker.

I open the box to see the lovely arangement of aged goat cheese she must have cured from Lady, her milking goat. Knowing I love cooking, this is a thoughtful gift considering what she's packed here would easily rake in enough to pay for a day or two's worth of food at the market. Katniss smiles and leans over to get a better look.

"Oh how I've missed that cheese," she says. "It was the only thing sometimes to give those grain rations any flavor." I chuckle and close the box, pushing it to the side.

"I'll make you some of those buns you like with it for dinner if you like," I say and she shakes her head.

"Of course you will," she says. "Because you don't want to know what will happen if you don't."

"Well, I don't know that you deserve any more presents, seeing as you are sitting there making threats," I say and she frowns and crosses her arms.

"Fine, then you won't get the one from me either," she says and I lift up the package with her careful writing on it?

"You mean like this one?" I ask and she rolls her eyes.

"Yes, that," she says. "I suppose setting it under the tree is a little to easy to access for someone who can still get up and down from the the floor so easily." Hold out to her and she shakes her head. "Go ahead and open it." I pop open the package and see a knitted hat, scarf and gloves in a warm grey wool.

"Wow," I say. "I can't believe you made these."

"I'm here alone most of the time," she says. "Together, those took about a week and a half to finish between giving my fingers a rest and dealing with anything else that arises in this house while you're gone." I smile at her and get up to kiss her cheek.

"Thank you," I say and she smiles.

"I'm sorry it isn't something nicer, but I figured you walk about ten blocks to work and back in the cold so you could probably use something," she says and I nod.

"I will, Katniss," I say. "Its perfect. Especially with the snows that have been falling lately." She chuckles and I hold out the small boxes that contain the presents I got her. She takes them from me with a curious look and pulls the silver ribbon from the stacked black boxes. She flips the boxes open and looks at the matching silver necklace and earings, silver fathers broken in three pieces so they move and the tiny inset diamonds catch the light.

"Oh my gosh," she says. "Peeta, you can't be seroius. These must have cost a fortune."

"A small one, yes," I say. "But you are worth every penny of it. I wanted to give you something that helped show off how beautiful woman you are." She looks at me and then back at the necklace in her hand. "Do you want to try it on?" She nods and I carefully clip the necklace around her graceful neck. I brush part of her hair behind her ear. And she turns back to me to reveal the feather resting on the hem of her nightgown, resting upon the white lace giving her some modesty. She realizes how low it sets and quickly wraps her robe around her tighter and pulls the necklace out to rest over her now better covered chest.

"Its beautiful," she says. "Thank you." I look at her quizzicaly.

"You sure?" I ask. "I can always take them back." Katniss shakes her head.

"Its Christmas," she says. "If not now, when would I let you give me something you feel I need." We both chuckle and she kisses my cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Katniss," I say and she leans over and we kiss gently under the twinkling lights of our tiny Christmas tree. She pulls away and carefully stands, holding her pregnant belly for balance.

"Merry Christmas, Peeta," she says. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go get dressed and enjoy some of those cinnamon rolls with after all. If there is one thing this child will be is fat and happy." She walks past me and towards the stairs. I watch her go and then the click of the bedroom door as she shuts it.

Even in this uncomfortable state, with the large baby growing inside her and her swollen cheeks, the bags under her eyes from her lack of sleep, she is the most beautiful woman I have laid eyes on in my life. I'm sure of it. Just as sure as when I bought her those jewels.

I'm in love with my wife. That strange, mysterious woman, Katniss Everdeen. The only question is does she love me back.

And when would be the right time to tell her how I feel.