Everlark- The Years After the Epilogue *Editing*

The Meadow

I sat there on our tartan rug, bouncing Rye on my knee and lifting him up high in the air whilst he chuckled with excitement. In front on me I could still see the burning orange sun rising and Peeta was there guiding Willows hand across a canvas, teaching her how 'small and precise strokes make the perfect picture', his hand wrapped around hers and his muscles flexing as the brush moved across the page. We both sat there for a while just watching the meadow wake up. After about 20 minutes Willow came running up the banking waving the canvas in her hand.

''Mummy, mummy, look what me and daddy drew, look, look, look!'' She shrieked with excitement as she shoved the painting in my face. They'd both drawn the meadow, with a small image of me playing with Rye and Mockingjays across the top of the page.

''Oh sweetheart, it's lovely. It's definitely better than anything your father could do'', I said giving her a quick wink.

''Oi, I heard that'', Peeta said as he came and joined us on the rug, giving me a small kiss on the cheek and grabbing Rye from my lap. ''Hello Mr, what's your Mummy been saying about me ey?'', he said as he blew raspberry's on his neck, starting off his giggling again.

''Muuum, can we eat now I'm hungry'', Willow whined, clasping her hands in a pleading motion.

''Yeah, come on then- you can help me get everything out'', She dived into the basket bringing out the bread rolls, custard tarts, scones and other treats. We all sat around the rug, Peeta with Rye on his knee, and dug into all the baked goods. After we'd finished it all I tidied up and Willow dragged Rye off to play. Peeta and I watched as Rye tried to catch up with Willow and she ran through the meadow, twisting and turning, her long hair flowing gently in the breeze. Rye was closely behind chuckling as his small legs tried to keep up with his sister, he often fell onto to grass a few times, but Willow would always turn around and help him back up. They ran around the meadow, laughing and smiling, enjoying their childhood, but they still did not know they played on a graveyard. The graveyard where hundreds of people's skeletons were left there to rot. Peeta's fingers were entwined with mine, his thumb slowly stroking my hand in small circular motions.

''They look so happy don't you think', he says, almost whispering it in the silence.

''Yeah they do, so much more than either of us were'', I turn to face him and just stare into his big, blue eyes. He was right, they did look happy, something both of us were deprived of as children, but I was happy they were enjoying being children, because one day they'll have to grow up and learn about the horrors that are actually in this world and they'll long for their childhood to come back. ''Peeta, I never really thanked you'', I say. He chuckles slightly and says

''What for silly'', is he actually being serious? How does he not know?

''The bread, the hope you gave me, just being there. Peeta you saved me''.

''Katniss, we saved each other, every day just watching you walk home from school gave me a little bit of happiness'', his hand reached for my hair and tucked it behind my ear ''you don't understand how much I needed you, before the hijacking you were the only thing stopping me from killing myself, the thought that maybe one day I'd be able to see you again, to hold you again.'' I looked at him in silence for a while, staring into his eyes, those same eyes that genuinely thought nobody needed him.

''Peeta, I love you. Every day I hate myself for leaving you at the tree and making you go through everything I just ca-''

''Shhh, it's okay. We're together now'', he leaned in, his lips brushing over mine, until finally he kissed me like his life depended on it.