Always

You're my everything

"I think it's time you learn to swim, don't you?" I ask Peeta and he glances my way with a questioning look.

"I do believe it is," he replies following along with my scheme.

Taking his hand, I lead him into waist deep water away from the others.

"Peeta, I think we need to leave everyone. Once the careers are gone, it'll be us against all of them. I don't want to be the one that shoots first." I tell him, while showing him how to move his arms just in case the others are watching.

"I think Beete's plan will work. How about we stay until then. If the careers go down, then we will leave." I nod my head and kiss his cheek.

"If we were home, I would show you how to swim in the lake my father taught me in." I mention to him and he smiles, his warm smile that fills my heart.

"I would have liked that."

"We still can, you know. We can still go home. It worked last year, and I'm sure we could figure out another way to win together. We could leave and the Capitol would never have to hear from us again." I feel the tears run down my cheek, but his thumb brushes them away just as quickly as they fell.

"Katniss," he whispers with a pained voice.

"Peeta, I just want to go home. I want to raise our baby and grow old with you, you're my everything."

He shakes his head. "I want that just as much as you, but they'll never let that happen. Katniss, do you remember what I told you after the reaping last year?"

I nod my head and smile. "You promised me that you would try and get me home. I thought you were crazy."

He laughs at my statement and smiles. "I was. I was crazy in love. But what I told you, it still stands. I will get you home, and you will grow old, Katniss. I may not be there to watch our child take his or her's first step. And I might not be there for their first day of school or last day. But you will. And you are the only thing our child will ever need in life." He tells me and I can't tell if the wetness on my cheeks is from the ocean waves or my tears.

"Lean back." He tells me and I follow his command as he holds me on my back in the water. His head moves down and kisses me softly, before trailing down and landing a kiss on my tummy.

"Hi sweetie, I'm your daddy. You don't know me yet and I suppose you probably never will. But there are a few things I thought you should know." He whispers to my stomach. It takes all I have not to already start crying. "I'm not sure how the whole parenting things works and I know that I'll probably mess up, but if I'm not there then you should know something. Your mommy is someone that could change an entire nation with one arrow, and she's stronger than anyone I've ever known. If you ever get in trouble all you need to do is pick some flowers for her." He pauses and looks into my eyes. "She likes dandelions."

I run my hands through his hair as he continues to whisper to our child. "She might seem all big and bad, but deep down she has a big heart. On the outside she is strong but on the inside she is fragile just like you and me. She will teach you how to hunt and how to use a bow and arrow. She'll even show you how to spot the difference between the good plants and the bad plants. And if your Grandpa Mellark teaches you to bake, then you'll make her the happiest woman alive. She likes cheesebuns, so make sure to remember that." He runs his hand along my stomach and draws little shapes above my belly button. "Even though I'm not there, you will have so many people that love you in your life. You have your uncle Wheat and uncle Rye, who are the most mischievous people. Don't worry, Uncle Rye won't play pranks on you until you're older."

"And your Aunt Prim will teach you to heal others and show you the beautiful parts of life. Life really is an amazing things. But your Uncle Gale is the one you really need to look out for. He will make you smile, just like he causes your mommy to smile. He will show you how to survive and what life is all about." His tears drop on to my stomach and I wipe them away. "He will love you like you're his own." He whispers and I choke on a sob.