A/N: Hi guys, gonna keep this short and to the point. I've had some personal issues going on this month, which I had put on my profile. Given the situation I haven't really had the inspiration to write... or do anything really. This chapter was started before everything happened and I've finished writing it recently. I hope it lives up to expectations. Please review and let me know how you liked it.

Question of the week: How do you feel about the new director choice? Don't remember his name, but he's directed I Am Legend and Water for Elephants. I still don't know how to feel about it to be honest.

A Lullaby To Soothe the Demons

Chapter 12

3 Years 6 Months since returning to District 12

Peeta's POV

Her lips make contact with mine once more in a dance as her hands wonder down my chest, touching every part of my skin with her rough, small fingers. I moan into our kiss and she takes advantage by pushing her tongue between my lips to coax mine own tongue out. She shifts until she's laying on top of me, laying against my body with her own, arms on either side of my head, elbows keeping her propped up enough while her hands tangle in my golden locks. I feel every part of her flush against me as she pulls away from our kiss, panting heavily. Her cheeks are flushed and I see the flush runs down to cover just the top of her chest. Seeing her like this; so vulnerable yet so strong makes my heart flutter; no matter how many times we make love this feeling always creeps up on me and I wonder if it'll always be this way. I think some times it has to do with the fact that I'm the only one who gets to see her like this.

She moves back to kiss me once more and I feel her hips grind down onto my own, I moan into our kiss, feeling myself harden with every little movement she makes and I can't help myself as I let my hands travel down the expense of her own body, letting my finger tips trail down the smooth skin of her back until they reach her own clothed hips to press her more firmly to me. I want nothing more than to be naked right now with her, to let her have me the way she wants me.

Honestly, this was just a nice way to wake up in the morning, usually I was already out the door heading to the bakery when she was getting up to get ready to hunt. She still wasn't sure as to what she wanted to do in town yet. I told her that she'd probably do great at helping the rebuild project going on but she had disagreed, then more out of humour, I suggested she come work with me. The glare she had thrown my way would have killed me if looks could kill.

I'm distracted once more from my thoughts when she moves off my body to lay next to me, a hand already making a heated trail down my chest once more and finding it's way to the hem of my loose fitting pj pants, brushing against the member that is now rigid with want. I sigh out when her petite hand circles around it at the base, tightening the grip just a bit, the way I like it, before giving it a long, slow stroke.

"Katniss..." her name escapes my lips in a moan when she strokes me again. Her lips are kissing my chest, leaving a burning trail in their wake when she sets a steady rhythm with her hand. I want more, to feel more of her but I don't push it. We're working on keeping the control equal, or at least let her have as much control as possible these days. It's part of the healing process I had begun again in the last couple months. Though I was still getting flashes I was starting to grasp control over them once more, like I had when I first returned back to district twelve.

I jerk my hips when her warm tongue flicks over my nipple, I'm always so sensitive when she touches me. Funny, yes. I feel it coming, I'm close within her grasp. I can feeling it only moments away, my toes are curling, her hand is moving faster, and that's when there's a very loud knock coming from downstairs, at the front door. It distracts us both instantly and my release, I know, is now far from me.

"Shit." I say. Katniss only snickers at my use of words. It had been a good start to the day, for a little while anyways.

"I told 'em idiots that you wouldn't be willing to make an appearance. It's tooooo soon." Haymitch is sitting at the kitchen table, words slurred as he relays the message to us. The capitol had contacted him, Paylor had been the one to deliver the message himself on the phone, as far as Haymitch has said. They wanted Katniss to come and do an interview on the post-war events throughout Panem. I had been mentioned in passing. "Sweetheart, you're not ready for that shit yet." I look over to Katniss, who sat across from Haymitch at the table, I stayed at the end of it, standing as I watched. Her face is emotionless, as it usually is when the capitol is mentioned. Regardless of the fact that it was different, it still held the memories of what happened. The games, the war, the many pointless deaths.

"When do they want to do this?" I ask the question both of us are probably wondering.

"Psh. Next month. Fucking idiots if you ask me. Paylor is much better than Coin or Snow but really, they think we need to relive our 'glory days'." He almost spits on the ground when he's done speaking. His dislike for the government had never went away, the memories were too strong to ever get past what really happened.

I see Katniss look down to her hands, the wheels turning silently as she thinks over all of this. I'd follow her and back her up on whatever she chose, but I really didn't see this as a good idea.

"Do they just want Katniss going?" I ask again, Haymitch gives me a grin.

"Oh course not, they want to gather all the surviving victors and do a special. They just want an exclusive interview with the Mockingjay. The reason the rebellion won. Apparently they think she's sane enough now to do it, I beg to differ." He laughs at his own little joke, which isn't really funny but he's hammered, as usual. His mind isn't sober enough to differentiate between what was funny and what was serious at the moment. I'm sure the call had only spurred on his binge this afternoon.

"Even Johanna and Annie?" He laughs at my question.

"Isn't that obvious?" We hadn't seen Johanna since returning to district twelve and her seven. I had wondered how she had been holding up. She had sent letters once in a while to Katniss, the two keeping in touch but I hadn't heard much. "Oh loverboy, you think they'd leave us alone forever? You know them. Even though we fought for our freedom it's never truly going to be ours." I sigh out. If I had known this was the news Haymitch had for us this morning I would have just ignored the door and continued on with the activities we had been busy with. I'm frustrated.

"How long would we be there?" I look at Katniss now, shocked that she was asking.

"You're not actually thinking of going there are you?" I ask, anger rising in me.

"If I go now, then they'll leave me alone later, right? It's better to get it over with. We knew the day would come one day."

"They said a week. I assume they'll want to do propos and what not, show the nation that the Mockingjay is still in one whole piece and doing well even after the war. I told them I would get back to them and let them know of our decision. You know I'll be behind you on whatever your choice is, Sweetheart." We both know Haymitch will probably always stand behind Katniss on her choices, even if some times they're not always the best of decisions, but that's what makes him part of our little family.

I look at Katniss now, watch as the wheels turn in her mind as she processes everything.

"Tell them we'll do it. I'll contact Johanna about it, I'm sure she'll come if all of us agree to it. But there'll be conditions on us coming. I refuse to stay in the mansion, there's too many things linked that the spot." Haymitch and I nod in agreement with that. I don't know if Katniss could handle being in the same spot her sister died at, not yet. I've noticed that she's slowly moving on and coming to terms with Prim's death but it's been a slow process, I rather not have anything set her back. I also feared a little of what that place may do to me. It may set off another episode and I've already gone through enough of those to last me a life time.

"Also, we won't do anything that we're not comfortable doing. I'm not going to get forced into doing propos with them if I don't feel right about it." Haymitch nods at this, I doubt they'll get him to do much but we both know they'll want Katniss to do as many propos as possible, since she was the symbol for the rebellion.

"Alright, I'll call them and let them know tonight. In the mean time I'd start preparing for this journey, both of you. We will have to expect the worst when we go. I'll keep you both in the loop about anything else." We stay seated at the table and watch our old mentor stumble his way out of our house. The news really couldn't come at a worst timing though for us.

She finally breaks the silence once more that has settled in the house, bringing me out of my gloomy thoughts.

"I should try and call Johanna, it'll be quicker than sending her a letter." She's started chewing on what little nail is left on her fingers, a nervous habit she's developed over the years. "I'm sure she won't be any more pleased about this than us. But it'll be nice to see her."

"Hm. I'm sure she'll agree to go since we're going at least. The more support we have the better, for everyone." I say as I get up from the table, thinking of what to make for lunch for us.

"Next month, that's only two weeks away. We'll have to start packing soon." She's trying to be calm about this but I know there's a battle going on inside her as she speaks. This was hard for her and it wasn't something she was intending to ever do; go back to the Capitol where everything happened. I still wasn't fond of the idea myself. The torture I had endured there when I was captured was still fresh in my mind.

"Peeta? Are you sure you want to come?" I look over to her from my spot by the counter, in the process of grabbing flour to start baking some bread. I mull the question over in my head, wondering if I really wanted to go. The answer was obvious. No. I didn't want to go but I wouldn't let my wife go by herself, I had already lost many moments with her in the past because of that place, I didn't want to lose any more.

"No. But I want to go because you're going. I don't want you to go by yourself." I turn back and start measuring my dry ingredients into a large bowl when I feel slim arms wrap around my torso.

"But after everything that's happened to you, wouldn't it be bad to go back there? After what they did..." I hear her sigh as she stops talking. Stopping what I'm doing I turn around in her arms and hold her close to me, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"I'll be ok. We've both faced a lot of trouble because of that place, but it's not the same any more. I'd like to believe it's a better place than it once was. I'm going with you like it or not. We'll get through this together." I feel her nod against my chest and her arms tighten around me in reassurance.

"I better go call Johanna before I forget." Her arms slip from around me and she pulls away to head to the living room where our phone is. I watch her back until it disappears around the corner.

I lean against the counter and take in a shaky breath. If I just keep telling myself that it'll be ok then maybe it would be true.

The train is just pulling in as we get the station, we only have a duffle bag filled with the little clothing and items we have, we've never needed much. I feel her hand tighten around mine as the train comes to a stop and the doors open. An attendant comes out and gives us a welcoming smile.

"Please step this way everyone. We'll be leaving in five minutes. Each of you have a room and behalf of the capitol we thank you for agreeing to come. We'll be arriving in the capitol tomorrow morning, after with pick up Miss Manson and Ms Cresta." He's polite at least. I give one more look to Katniss and then Haymitch before I lead the way into the train. It's not as fancy as the one we once occupied years ago during the games and that already helps a little.

We find our rooms, surprised to see that they have given Katniss and I separate rooms. It's an unspoken agreement that we use my room as we enter it and close the door behind us. I set our bag on the bed and look at the room. There's a bathroom off to the left and a large bed with silk sheets in the middle. It's not as extravagant as our rooms once were on the trains. We are just opening the bag when a knock is heard. Katniss gives me a weary look as she gets up to answer it.

"I'll be escorting you all to the capitol, Catnip." I feel the colour drain from my face as I see Gale on the other side of the door.

TBC

A/N: so not a super long chapter, but it's getting the story along. Kind of a filler and I'm kind of feeling like it's not as good as I want it to be. Better than what it would have been two weeks ago though. Anyways, let me know what you think in a review! Thanks for sticking by this story! And hopefully the next chapter won't take me as long to update as this one did!