Authors note//
To begin, if you're under the age of 10, please don't read this chapter. I don't know why you'd be reading this fanfiction if you are younger than 10 but I thought I'd warn you anyway as I don't want to ruin Christmas for you! I didn't really know where to go from the last chapter so I hope you don't mind that I skipped a few months to December for this chapter. I figured, it's Christmas, I'll do a Christmas chapter! This chapter is just pure fluff because it's Christmas and who doesn't want everlark fluff for Christmas?
KATNISS POV
December 24th
"Rye! No, no no! You can't eat raw eggs!" I shout as I carry Rye away from the bowl of raw eggs that he was trying to scoop into his mouth.
It's Christmas Eve and Peeta thought it would be a good idea to make Christmas cookies with the triplets. I was initially onboard with the idea until we lost the chocolate sprinkles, and found them in Rye's pants ten minutes later. However it is extremely difficult to be mad at him as he runs around the kitchen in a Christmas jumper and antlers.
I set Rye back in his high chair next to Willow and Aster, and Peeta gives them a cookie each to decorate.
"The chocolate sprinkles go on the cookies this time okay, Rye?" Peeta says as he ruffles Rye's mop of blond curls.
"Why did you agree to this?" Peeta asks me, running a hand through his hair that's covered in flour.
"It was your idea." I laugh, passing him a mug of hot chocolate but before he can take a sip there is a knock at the door.
I leave Peeta in the kitchen with the triplets and when I open the front door there is no controlling my laughter. Haymitch, in a full Santa Claus suit followed by a very cheerful looking Effie.
"Oh my god. I never thought I'd see the day!" I laugh.
I hear Peeta walk up behind me muttering "What the?"
"It was Effie's idea, okay." Haymitch says.
"Oh don't act like I forced you into this!" Effie says, hitting him across the arm. "Well, aren't you going to let us in? Santa here is on a busy schedule."
I move from the doorway and they both walk into the kitchen. When the triplets lay eyes on Haymitch, their faces are a picture. Willow bursts into tears straight away, disturbed by this oddly dressed man in her house and stretches her arms out towards me and I take her into my arms to calm her down. Aster looks at Haymitch for a few seconds before getting back to his cookie decorating and Rye reaches his arms out towards Haymitch and screams 'Hay' like he usually does when Haymitch is around, completely unnerved by his costume.
"Oh well, I better go take this thing off if it's scaring the little ones." Haymitch says, ignoring Effie telling him to keep it on.
"Don't worry, Effie. You exceeded all of my expectations of Haymitch in a Santa Claus suit." Peeta says, smiling.
"Mummy, look!" I hear Aster cry from behind me. When I turn around, he is holding a one legged gingerbread man in the air and seems to be munching on the missing leg. "I made daddy!"
My laughter falls from my mouth before I can stop it and Effie is in fits of laughter beside me. Peeta picks up Aster from his highchair and lifts him up onto his shoulders, Aster is squealing from laughter as Peeta begins to tickle him.
"That's it! No presents for you tomorrow, mummy and I are having them all!" Peeta says, jokingly as Aster continues laughing.
As the day dies down, we all settle down in front of the burning log fire and watch a Christmas film. The triplets soon fall asleep in our laps so Peeta and I put them to bed while Haymitch and Effie go back to their house to retrieve all of the triplets' Christmas presents. After last year when Peeta and I found Rye in our bedroom ripping the wrapping paper from the presents he'd found under the bed a week before Christmas, we decided to keep them at Haymitch and Effie's house this year to avoid him finding them again.
After all of the presents are brought in and under the tree, it's quite late so we all say our goodbyes and head to bed.
"I can't wait to give you your present." I say smiling, as we lay facing each other in bed.
"Is it some kind of sex toy?" He smirks and I laugh, shoving him.
"Shut up!"
"So it could be?" He says, wiggling his eyebrows.
"No!" I laugh. "End of topic."
"You're still so pure." He smiles at me, moving a piece of hair that had fallen onto my forehead.
"I'm not! We have three children, Peeta." I say defensively.
"It's not a bad thing, Katniss. I like it." He says. "Even though I did buy you an extra Christmas present that might make you a little less pure."
"Oh my gosh, what is it?" I ask, cringing.
"I'm not telling you, you'll have to wait and see." He says, the smile never leaving his face.
"Okay." I smile. "We better go to sleep, we're going to be up early tomorrow."
He nods and leans in to kiss me. He brings his hand up to cup my cheek, his thumb running along the curve of my cheekbone. I nestle into his hand, feeling his warmth seep into mine. Every time Peeta and I kiss it feels like the first time and I never get tired of the sensation inside of me. As I drift off to sleep, the taste of Peeta's lips on mine send me into a peaceful slumber.
+++++
I wake up to the sound of my children squealing. "Daddy, daddy! Santa been?"
"I don't know, we have to wake mummy before we can go and check." Peeta says and seconds later my face is getting showered by little wet kisses.
I finally open my eyes and Aster is staring right at me. "Mummy! Santa!"
"Shall we go and see if Santa has left presents?" I say, getting out of bed and taking Aster into my arms.
Peeta and I carry Willow, Rye and Aster downstairs and when they see all of the presents under the tree they are squirming in our arms ready to open them all.
It takes some time before all of the presents have been opened but by 9am all three of them are in their own world while they play with their new toys. Haymitch and Effie arrive with their presents and we all exchange gifts with breakfast in front of the burning fire.
Last month while Peeta was at the bakery, I somehow got the triplets to stay still for a few minutes to get their hands printed into small squares of cement from a kit that I ordered from the Capitol. I figured Peeta would like it because for months he has been saying how he wants Willow, Aster and Rye to stay young.
"It's their handprints. They aren't going to stay young forever, so it's something we can keep." I say after he has unwrapped it and is tracing his finger over each of the tiny prints. "Do you like it?"
"It's amazing, Katniss." He says kissing me. "We could hang them in our bedroom."
"You two just get more and more adorable." Effie chimes.
I cringe at this but of course Peeta has something heart melting to say.
"Yeah well, she makes it easy." He says and it's hard not to roll my eyes.
Peeta gives me my present next. It's a small box, and knowing Peeta, it contains a lot of meaning. I unwrap the paper and open the box to reveal a beautiful silver necklace with a small yellow dandelion on it.
"Oh Peeta, it's beautiful."
What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again. And only Peeta can give me that.
The dandelion pendant is so small but it holds so much meaning within it. Now I will not only be carrying that with me in my heart, but in a small silver form. In this moment I make the promise to tell my children about their father. How he saved me not only physically but mentally. I will teach them that a dandelion may be seen as a weed to some, but in our little family, it represents hope.
After Peeta assures me that the other present will be given to me later as it is not appropriate for the children's, or Haymitch and Effie's, eyes, we all sit down together for a meal made up of Turkey, gravy and all of the trimmings.
We all sit around the table together, as a family, laughing and enjoying the amazing lunch that Peeta and I have been slaving over for hours. As I am helping Willow eat her turkey, I say a silent prayer to myself. Even with all of the devastation and pain I have been through, I would do it again; a thousand times if it meant this outcome. Three beautiful children with a husband that loves and cares for me over anything. I am thankful everyday for my life now and I would not change it for the world.
Later that night when Peeta and I lay in bed, he gives me my extra present. And lets just say, we're going to need a new bed.
AUTHORS NOTE-
I apologize for the 2 month wait for this chapter, but I am sitting my GCSEs this year so I don't have much time to write. However, I promise to update as often as I can and I can assure you that I will complete this story. Thank you all so much for reading, commenting and voting.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and you get everything you wish for.
- Megan x
- Twitter - _hutcherwife