THE MELLARK FAMILY.

Having lost their parents at a young age, Elena and Jace only ever really had each other on this day — which further extended to Finnick and Annie after Elena had won her Games. It was always small, just a few people sitting in a room with a small home cooked meal.

This year is extremely different, something Elena is still trying to grasp as she stands in the kitchen. Her blonde locks are messily tied back in a braid, her skin clear of any sort of makeup whilst she slowly stirs the gravy in front of her. Lightly humming as she cooks, Elena smiles at the sounds around her — joy and laughter, everything Christmas should be.

The familiar booming laughter of her older brother can be heard, even though he is currently running about the backyard with the children. Elena has always known that he would be a good father, he practically raised her on his own. He had all the qualities of a good father, patience being one of the main ones.

The little giggles that follow cause her grin to widen even further, her children obviously having fun with their Uncle. Finn and Maggie were the epitome of happiness, neither one of them were hardly seen without a smile on their face. Not only that, but they were fairly well behaved and that meant they were free to play about as they do without Elena being worried something would go wrong.

"You almost done?" The soft voice of her husband travels through the air as he leans against the doorframe, his smile as blinding as always. "The turkey is all cut up,"

"Yeah. Grab me the gravy-boat?" Elena puts it out as a question to which he replies with a nod of his head. The blonde man grabs the item and places it beside her, giving her a kiss on the cheek before returning to the backyard where everybody else is.

Pouring the gravy into the boat, Elena then sets it aside and puts the pot in the sink. She fills it to the brim with water and then takes the gravy outside. As soon as she sets it down, she's swarmed by her children who wrap their arms around one leg each. The blonde smiles and gently rubs her hand through their hair.

"You guys ready for lunch?" Elena asks Finn and Maggie who nod their heads eagerly. "Yeah?"

Elena grabs two plates and serves them up some food, nothing too much because they often leave a lot on their plate. Just a small amount of Turkey with some salad vegetables and some bread — some gravy over the top of the meat.

The children follow their mother as she guides them towards the smaller table, the one that is simply made of plastic and accompanied by a couple of plastic chairs. Peeta had invested in buying these for the kids when they realised they can hardly eat at the larger table because they simply can't reach.

Maggie scrambles into the purple chair with a wild grin on her face, one that reminds Elena of her brother. Finn huffs as he sits down in the red chair, his lips pulling into a pout. Elena is going to suggest to her husband that they get another purple chair, they fight over it all the time. Apparently, red is the 'worst' colour according to her son.

"Alright, sit down and eat your food," Elena says, giving them a fond smile. "If you eat all your lunch, there's ice cream for later," she whispers the last part as if it's a secret between just the three of them, watching their eyes light up.

"Okay, momma," Finn whispers back.

The blonde leaves the two of them and takes a seat beside her husband, his hand instantly reaching over to grab her's. The man has already dished up the plate so she grabs a fork with her free hand and begins to eat.

Jace and Annie sit to Elena's right, having an animated conversation with Peeta who seems more than happy to be included. To Elena's left sits a rather quiet Katniss Everdeen and her mother, both of who were grateful for the invitation but there is no doubt it's a little awkward.

"Did El show you the painting she finished up the other day?" Peeta asks the girl's brother who shakes his head in response. "Managed to get the kids to sit still for her to sketch a real basic outline before she painted it. It's gorgeous,"

Elena feels her cheeks heat up slightly, the praise still rather flattering. Peeta had suggested a painting for the hallway as she had been working on some smaller ones and she'd been happy to oblige. They had to bribe the children with toys but in the end, it was for the best. Besides, Maggie has a undying love for the doll she'd been bought, usually dragging it along behind her.

"We will have to get you to paint us one," Jace speaks beside her.

Elena snorts softly. "Like I'll be able to get your son to sit still for that long,"

Said boy looks over at her almost offended at the accusation. "I can stay still, Auntie El. It's Tilly you'll have a problem with,"

Elena looks over at the small toddler who is sitting in Annie's lap, clapping her hands gently at the sound of her name. Jace and Annie had a new baby about two years after the birth of Maggie and unlike Blaze, her older brother, Luna is not shy in the slightest.

"Mum! Mum! I finished. Can I have my ice cream now?" Finn calls over loudly and a laugh falls from her lips.

Rolling her eyes lightly, Elena walks away from the table and inside. Fetching the ice cream out of the freezer, she puts some in two bowls. Slowly drifting towards the door again, she stands and leans against the frame, watching over the scene.

If you had told her a few years back that this would be what she was doing, living carefree in a world where there used to be such pain and suffering, she would've laughed. The idea of having any peace was so far fetched, so far away from reality. Now, now she's living it.

Her children get to grow up having holidays like this, where they can actually be happy instead of having to worry about what is coming next. There is no fear of the Games or their after effects, they can actually be kids. Finn and Maggie rush over and grab their ice cream before heading back to their seats.

Elena gently runs a hand over her stomach with the hand that is free, feeling the small bump that is forming. They hadn't told anybody yet, considering she is only showing slightly. The orange dress she wears today is loose, flowing to the point where it doesn't show off her stomach.

They plan on telling them all today, sharing the happy news with their family. A miracle for the two of them, a Christmas Miracle — one that the two of them welcome.

Christmas, a holiday full of miracles and surprises — something that she is just starting to get used to. Slowly but surely, it is becoming normal to enjoy herself like this, she's learning to get rid of the pain of the past. As she stares at her family, she knows it will be an easier process as time goes along. With her family she will finally feel the happiness she has always deserved.

Even though they lost some along the way, Elena knows they're truly here with them. Finnick, Everett, Prim — all of them.

Elena makes her way back out her family and sits back down, a large smile on her face. This is true happiness, a moment she will hang onto forever.

Hi everybody! I've missed this story and thought it would be nice to write a small one shot. The support has been absolutely insane for this story over the past year and i appreciate it so much. Thank you!