Hunger Games 1. Peeta's Way With Words

**Author's Note: Hey guys, Heidi here! So I'm pretty new to the Hunger Games fandom. I've never really written anything for it before so I'm a little nervous. I've had this idea in my head for so long though, and I really need to get it out. The story will probably be about 10-12 chapters long, and takes place during Catching Fire. The first chapter is always boring, and the hardest to write, so please bear with me. And I know that there are probably similar stories out there like this, but I'm not trying to copy anyone. Reviews and constructive criticism are so very welcome. I want to improve my writing. Be sure to leave reviews and stuff, thanks for everything. Check out my profile if you want to know more about me! Oh, and I'm also taking multichapter requests at the moment, so PM me if you have anything you want me to do. I hope y'all enjoy the story.**

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The interview with Caesar Flickerman for the quarter quell was going surprisingly well. After my little façade in the wedding dress, it was Peeta's turn to give a little something for the audience to eat up. I watched backstage with the rest of the tributes, like the last time, remembering that on that very stage, Peeta confessed his love for me for the first hunger games. We were supposed to be getting married, keeping up the charade that we were still the star-crossed lovers from district twelve. For Peeta, I wasn't sure if it was a charade though... And for me? Well I wasn't very sure of it yet either. We were friends, that much I knew, but did I have more than platonic feelings for Peeta? I wasn't sure yet.

I watched as Peeta made his way out on stage, clad in a tuxedo that somewhat matched my wedding dress. He greeted Caesar with a handshake, and a friendly smile. "Peeta?" Caesar began. "The wedding, the marriage... Never to be." He said, his tone of voice grim, but us tributes knew that Caesar's interest was all a show. I stood there, watching Peeta with interest. That was the thing with Peeta, you never knew what he was going to say next. He had such a way with words, that you had no choice but to sit back and listen.

"Actually, we got married already, in secret." Peeta explained. I knew it, I knew he was going to say something shocking like that... The audience gasped, they were in shock at this confession, but so was I.

"A secret wedding?" Caesar asked. "Alright, do tell." He added. In that moment I couldn't help but to be slightly nervous. Why wouldn't he talk to me first if he was going to say something like that? But Peeta was known for dropping slight drama bombs on Haymitch, Effie, and I.

"We want our love to be eternal." Peeta replied simply.

"Of course."

"You know, Katniss and I, we've been luckier than most." Peeta continued, his tone of voice growing more serious. "I wouldn't have any regrets at all..." He paused, and I was straining so hard, wondering what the heck he was going to say. "If it... If it weren't..." He was stuttering a lot, and I was confused. "If it weren't for the baby." He spoke clearly, but he looked like he was going to cry at any given moment, he was a good actor, I'll give him that. At that moment, the audience was going wild, demanding to know about our fake unborn child.

"Alright, settle down!" Caesar said. "Let's get to know more." I was curious as to what angle Peeta was trying to play with the whole pregnancy thing. But his time was over, and Peeta joined me backstage with a hug. I know he could read the confusion on my face, but a part of me knew that everything was going to be okay.

After the interviews were over, Peeta and I headed back to our quarters to where we were staying before the games. He held my hand the entire time, even though they were slightly calloused and sweaty, he never let go. "What were you trying to do with that?" I asked as I stared over at him, meeting those baby blues.

He shrugged, "Maybe they'll cancel the games..."

"They won't cancel the games, you know that." I retorted.

"It doesn't hurt to try." Peeta said, and he was right. Maybe President Snow would take it easy on us since I was supposedly pregnant. But deep down, I knew that he wouldn't. This would probably only make things worse, because that was the kind of person that Snow was. He was pure and complete evil. But, a little hope wouldn't hurt I guess. When we stepped out of the elevator, Haymitch and Effie was waiting for us, and standing beside them was President Snow. Were we in trouble again?

"Great job out there." Haymitch told us, careful to what he was saying because of Snow's presence. "Snow asked to talk to you guys." He gestured to the president. My heart was going a mile a minute, and it must have sounded like a freight train as the smell of blood and roses filled my nostrils once again. Peeta squeezed my hand, and I knew he was trying to tell me that everything was going to be okay. No matter how horrible I was to him, he was always there for me.

"Yes, President Snow?" Peeta asked, stepping forward to shake the man's hand. I stayed where I was, deciding that I would let Peeta handle this. He was always better at words than I was.

"I wasn't aware that there was a child involved." President Snow spoke calmly. "I'm quite shocked that Miss Everdeen had not mentioned it to me before the reaping." Of course he would bring that up. The meeting where he said he was going to kill my family and I if I didn't love Peeta.

"We only just found out, sir." Peeta replied, defending me once again.

"The people of Panem are not happy about this." He said with a movement of his hand. "They feel that it's... Cruel, to be sending a pregnant tribute into the arena. I, however, see nothing wrong with it. But we can't upset the capitol, can we?" He asked.

"What are you saying sir?" Peeta asked. Maybe he would cancel the games after all? I never knew President Snow could be so lenient.

"I'm saying that you two are out of the games... It's too late for replacement tributes, so there shall be 22 instead of 24. The games must go on." President Snow revealed. I was happy, but a part of my heart still ached for the remaining tributes that had to continue to go on in the games. "I am looking forward to seeing the child in the future. Until then, continue your lives in district twelve." He added.

"Thank you sir." Peeta said as President Snow made his exit. I wasn't sure what to say or think. We were going home, but now Peeta and I really had to have a baby. Nervous was an understatement as Peeta pulled me into a hug, and we were on our way home with Haymitch and Effie.

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**Author's Note: To be continued...?**


	2. First Comes Marriage

I never wanted kids. It was a thing that I was sure of ever since I was twelve years old; since I had experienced the reaping. I decided right then and there that I would never bring a child into this world. IT was too cruel, too much pain that I couldn't bear to go through with, and now I had to. I had to have a baby in order to stay alive, or else President Snow would catch onto this façade, lie, charade, whatever you wanted to call it. He would kill Peeta and I immediately, and it would cause an uprising because we ruined the games.

It was a lot to take, I'll admit. I was nervous to no end, and all my life, I never really felt nervous until I participated in the hunger games. My mind kept wrapping around this concept. Now Peeta and I really would have to get married. We'd have to perform the traditional marriage ceremony that was a thing in district twelve. We would have to live together, probably in his house so that my mother and Prim could have mine. We were always going to have to be together, and we were going to make a life together. We were going to have children. Was I over thinking this situation?

Peeta held my hand on the train while we were on our way home. I think he could tell something was wrong with me because honestly, I couldn't even look at him. His grip was comforting though, and his hands were soft. We were nearly to district twelve when he finally talked to me. I was thankful we were alone; as Haymitch and Effie had gone to bed. "Are you okay?" He finally asked, and I knew that he knew the answer to that question already, so I couldn't lie.

"Not really." I said plainly, but at least I was telling the truth.

"I'm sorry." Peeta nearly blurted out. "I didn't know that this would get us into trouble..." He trailed off. "If I could take it back, I would Katniss." He said, and I believed him. After all, it was so hard not to believe Peeta when he spoke. I sighed, it was so hard to be angry at him when he was so pure. He was only trying to help them in this situation.

"I know..." Was all I could say. In that moment, I knew both of us were avoiding the most important thing that mattered right now: I wasn't pregnant yet. We were going to have to be together in that intimate way, and the whole thought of that just made me cringe yet get butterflies at the same time all over. It was bad, because I wasn't particularly pretty, but I wasn't insecure either. Peeta thought I was beautiful though, so I guess it would be okay.

I think Peeta knew it made me uncomfortable, that's why he wasn't talking about it. I was thankful for that. But I knew we were going to have to do it soon, because we had so little time to have a baby. We traveled the rest of the way in silence, but my mind was still racing. Another thing I was thinking about, was how in the world was I going to explain this to my mom, or Prim, or Gale? Everything was just feeling so clustered right now, and I couldn't control it. I took a nap, and Peeta woke me up when we arrived back home.

"I'll talk to you later, okay Katniss?" Peeta asked, just as we were about to head into the victor's village, which was where we lived. He knew that I had to talk to my mom about all of this.

"I'll come over." I replied simply, and he nodded. I then walked into my house, only to be stared at by my mother. I was hoping that she would understand why we were doing what we had to do, but I guess not. Prim was just as shocked too, because she was aware that I never wanted to have kids.

"So when were you going to tell me?" She demanded. I decided to skip the whole thing where it was a lie, and just pretend to be pregnant right now. If Peeta could pull it off so easily, I should be able to to, right?

"I wanted to keep it a secret... I didn't even know Peeta was going to say anything about it." I said, keeping up with the whole thing. "But, at least we're safe now." I nodded. She seemed to be buying it... After all, my mother wasn't so smart. "You're going to be an aunt, Prim." I told her, and that seemed to get a little smile out of her. She was probably worried about me is all. "Everything's going to be okay, I promise." I convinced her.

"I hope everything goes alright." Mom said simply. Of course, she would support me, but the idea of me having a baby at sixteen didn't really suit her. I did what I had to do though, and she would have to deal with it. "Are you going to be staying with Peeta?" She asked, and I nodded. We wouldn't be too far away though, after all, he was right across the lot. Mom and I hugged, and she helped me pack some of my clothes in a sack. I wouldn't need much living with Peeta. When we said our final goodbyes, that's when the nerves really hit me.

I walked in the snow, over to Peeta's, glad he had shoveled a path a while ago. It couldn't be tonight. I was hoping that it wouldn't be tonight. I wasn't ready. I knocked on the door, and he answered immediately, a smile on his boyish face. His house smelled of fresh baked bread and when I walked in, there was a fresh made fire, wine, and bread on the table. All the elements of a traditional wedding ceremony in district twelve.

"I thought we should be married first." Peeta said simply. I was at a loss for words, because he did all this for me, and I didn't even know if I loved him yet.


	3. Confessing Your Love

We joined together by the freshly lit fire-place, toasting wine, and eating the doughy bread that Peeta had just made. After this, we would officially be married; claiming the known titles of husband and wife. I was hesitant really, unsure of everything about to come, and everything that was happening in the moment. I felt so naïve, so insecure, and so inexperienced, and I couldn't really do anything to stop the overwhelming nerves from coming. Peeta must have been a pro at this love stuff.

However, I kept glancing up at the boy with the bread, meeting his baby blue eyes every time, and I felt loved. Not loved like the way Prim or my mother loved me, but loved as in he wanted me. He cared for me so much that he never wanted to let me go. Peeta said he always wanted to be with me, and protect me, and I was coming around to the idea that I was starting to feel the same way about him.

The way he looked at me with pure adoration made me blush and feel girlish, which was definitely not normal, especially not for me. In that moment, right there by the fire, it was just me and Peeta. He somehow had this possessed power to make everything go away. Everything had seemed to disappear around us on a mere whim: the games, President Snow, Gale, my mom and Prim, and all the havoc that we dealt with while living in this sick and twisted world. Those oceans he had for eyes made me get lost, and I felt like I could do anything.

I took another bite of the bread I was eating, this piece had cheese in it, and it tasted better than the other pieces I had eaten tonight. I noticed that Peeta was still staring at me, and he hadn't touch his bread yet. "What are you staring at me like that?" I asked curiously. Did I have something in my teeth or something like that? He smiled and lowered his gaze shyly, which was odd for him, Peeta was never shy around me. If anything, he was the one who was always out in the open with everything. I guess this whole night was odd for us.

A blush had risen to his cheeks, "You're just beautiful Katniss." He answered, voice low and soothing, like it was made only for my ears. This time it was my turn to blush. No one had ever called me beautiful and meant it except for my mother, which really didn't even count.

"Thank you." I replied with a small smile. In a way, I guess you could say Peeta was beautiful too. I would admit that he was in fact, attractive, but he also had a beautiful soul. While mine was more hardened by the struggles of trying to survive living in district twelve, his was soft, pure, and good. I was tainted, and Peeta wasn't. I was a hunter, and he was a baker, but somehow we seemed to fit together so very well. We made a pretty great team.

"Katniss..." Peeta began but I cut him off before he could say anything else. There had been something on my mind since we had come from the victory tours, and I knew I needed to get it off my chest. Peeta needed to know all of this before we were married.

"The feeling is mutual." I said simply.

"What?" He asked. Those golden eyebrows shooting up on his forehead and knitting together so delicately. I was about to speak, then hesitated. This was going to be a hard thing to do. I had never even tried to do anything like this before in my life! My palms were sweaty, I couldn't catch my breath, and my heart felt like it was stuck in my throat about to jump out at any given moment.

"I know you love me." I barely managed to get out. I swallowed the lump in my throat and went on. It was a statement, not a question, and we both knew that. "I... I can see it whenever you look at me, and I just know..." I trailed off. The nerves were dying away but I still couldn't meet his gaze. Peeta was staring at me so intently right now, I wasn't sure if I was going to spontaneously combust or what. "And I just want you to know... That... I love you too." I finished. Confessing my love wasn't easy. I felt so flustered and Peeta just wouldn't stop staring at me, blue eyes blazing. He was probably in shock, but I wouldn't blame him. The boy with the bread had been waiting for my confession for so long now, he probably didn't think he was ever going to get it. I knew that Peeta wanted to savor this moment.

I guess deep down I always knew that I loved Peeta. Ever since I first saw him. He saved me, and he was still saving me, and I was grateful for that. Gale and I were never really meant to be that way that Peeta and I were. He had always been more like a brother to me, and we had too many similarities; too much fire between us. Whereas Peeta and I could balance each other out. He was the calm, and I was the storm, and we clashed together so perfectly, it was almost inhuman. Opposites attracting to one another too delicately. It was amazing, I'll admit.

"Somehow, I know you're telling the truth..." He mumbled slightly. Did he not believe me? Here I was pouring my heart out to him, and he thought I was lying.

"Of course I'm telling the truth!" I nearly exclaimed. "Why would I lie about something like that?" I asked, gray eyes wide, eyebrows knitted together in slight anger. I did love Peeta, so much.

He shook his head and chuckled lightly, "I'm not calling you a liar Katniss." Peeta said. "I do believe you, it's just... I thought that this moment would never happen to me." He explained simply, and I felt him grab my hand gently in a comforting manner. "I get to be with the girl I love the most." Peeta confessed, our eyes meeting in what seemed like forever, and it was like I could see to his soul. I could feel myself scooting closer to him from where we sat on the floor, and suddenly, my lips were on his.


	4. I See Fire

The kissing felt strange to me, and there was this warmth bubbling down in my stomach that I didn't even know was possible. Peeta smiled at me when we separated, and I guess that this was really it. We were officially husband and wife, and right now, my feelings were at a halt. I was just so overwhelmed right now, and I wasn't sure what to do or think... "Katniss?" Peeta asked, grabbing my attention. I looked over at him with my gray eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked. He was always so considerate with my feelings, always making sure that I was okay with everything.

"I'm better than okay." I answered honestly. Suddenly, a part of me that I didn't even know existed jumped right out. "Could you... Could you kiss me again?" I asked, a slow blush creeping to my cheeks. Like I said, it was strange, but I wanted to feel that warmth, I wanted to see that fire; the fire that only Peeta brought out in me. He chuckled slightly, but nonetheless obliged to my request. His lips were on mine again in less than a second, tasting of the wine and bread that we had toasted only moments ago.

The rest of that night was a blur if I was being honest with myself. We kept kissing, and the kissing got more intense by every minute that passed. Right there in front of that fireplace, this moment was perfect. It was almost like we were doing this on our own. We forgot all about President Snow, we forgot about the fact that I had to get pregnant, we forgot about the games, and Peeta and I were lost in our own little world. It was bliss, and pure satisfaction, all wrapped up into one feeling, and one moment.

It seemed as though we already knew each other as lovers, but maybe that's the way it always was. He knew my body, and I knew his as the kissing intensified, and our hands roamed one another's bodies. My mind was racing, my heart was pounding, and even though I loved him, and Peeta loved me, I was still one very nervous girl on fire. I think he could tell too. He kept asking me if I was okay, and making sure that this is really what I wanted. But what other choice did we have? Tell President Snow that we lost the baby? Then we would be killed.

A part of me did want to experience this with Peeta. We were honest, nervous lovers, and I never wanted that to change. Mixed emotions, and unsure feelings lingered in the air. We could have been confused about everything else, but if we were sure of one thing, it was that we loved each other, a lot, and that this had to happen. "Katniss..." Peeta breathed out as we separated from one another for a brief moment. I looked at him, our eyes meeting each other, like we were seeing down into each other's souls. "I just want you to know that this is for real." He said simply. He was being unbearably sweet, but I knew he would be. Peeta was just the boy with the bread.

"I know." I replied simply. His eyebrows rose slightly, as if in confusion. "I love you Peeta." I continued to speak. "And I know that we're being intimate maybe a little too early, but this was going to happen eventually... It's okay." I finished, and he nodded. We didn't talk for the rest of the night, unless it was Peeta asking me if I was okay, but it was like we didn't need to talk.

I never used to believe in love, I never used to believe in soulmates... But now, my whole perspective had changed. Love was real, and it was a beautiful thing that us humans were capable of. Now I know why everyone talked about love like it was the greatest thing in the world, it was because it was. Love could make you forget about all your troubles, and that's exactly what Peeta was doing right now.

I didn't mind being intimate by the fireplace, but Peeta insisted that we move to the bed. I don't know how he did it with his prosthetic leg, but somehow he picked me up bridal style and carried me to his bedroom. I never broke eye contact with him as he laid me down gently, and began to undress me. I still wasn't used to the whole being naked thing, or seeing other people naked for that matter. There was a lot of blushing, and even with his prosthetic leg, Peeta was still beyond beautiful. "Are you okay?" He asked for the umpteenth time.

I couldn't help but to laugh a little bit, "Just a little nervous." I answered honestly.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that I have no idea what I'm doing?" He chuckled, and I couldn't help but to crack a smile. Our first time was everything you'd expect it to be. We were both inexperienced, and nervous, and clumsy, but it felt so good.

"Just relax." I coaxed, and I found myself climbing on top of him, and lowering myself down onto him. It was a little painful, but nothing I couldn't handle. I gritted my teeth, until the pain died away, and was replaced with pleasure. "Are you okay?" I asked Peeta, mimicking his question.

"Are you?" He replied. I said nothing, and only started to ride him gently. It was a strange feeling at first, but after a few seconds, I started feeling that fire again. It was a bubbling feeling, just at the pit of my stomach, and I loved it. Peeta's hands roamed my body, but I wouldn't let my eyes leave his. Those baby blues were my home. "Katniss..." He sighed, my name barely rolling off his tongue, and I knew that we were getting closer to our destination.

"It's okay." I whispered, and suddenly, I see fire. The bubbling feeling had overpowered my body, and I felt it everywhere, from the tips of my toes, to every nerve in my body. I collapsed on top of Peeta in my euphoric bliss, and I felt him stroking my hair.

"I love you Katniss." He whispered, before I drifted into my dreams.


	5. The Morning After

I woke up the next morning, sunlight streaming through the frothy curtains of Peeta's bedroom. Well, I guess it was my bedroom now too, since we were married now. We were lying on our stomachs, heads turned towards each other, and I felt one of his arms draped loosely around my bare back, and the soft blanket was at my waist. Events of last night filtered through my mind as my eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, and I saw his smile.

Peeta was gorgeous in the morning. It's not like I hadn't seen him in the morning before, but this time was different. Mostly because I felt like it was our morning, and not a thing in the world could disturb us right now. It was just me and him, alone, in our bed, staring at each other like we were the most beautiful things in the world. "Good morning." Peeta whispered, those baby blues shining. His voice was soft, as if he was trying not to disturb the birds outside. This was a peaceful moment, and I wanted to live in it as long as I could.

"Am I glowing yet?" I asked smiling slightly, my voice cracking due to the early morning hours. I only asked him that in a joking manner, because apparently pregnant people had a glow about them.

"You always have a glow Katniss." Peeta replied simply. I don't know why, but his comment sent chills down the back of my spine. God, the things he did to me. His blue eyes locked on me, and he stared on. I was confused as to what he was doing, and I was about to ask until he said something. "Stay right there." He commanded, and I was going to ask why, but instead I watched as he sat up, blanket still covering his waist down, and he reached over to grab one of his many sketch books off the nightstand beside the bed.

"What are you doing?" I asked. His brow furrowed as his eyes darted from the paper, back to me, then to the paper again. His hands moved quickly as they worked magic on the paper.

"Sketching you." Peeta answered simply. "I don't want to forget this moment." He said, so I obliged to his requests, and lied still in the bed so that he could draw me. That was one of the things that I really loved about Peeta. Even in a hectic moment, he could still find beauty in it. And even after everything that I had been through, he could still find beauty in me. "Finished." He said and turned the notebook around so that I could see.

"Beautiful." I say.

"Like you." He replied, and I am speechless, so I did the only reasonable thing that I could think of; I kissed him. He was surprised, but I could tell he liked it. "Do you want breakfast?" He asked, and I could only nod. I then watched as Peeta turned and got out of bed. I blushed, looking away as I realized that he was still naked. He pulled on a pair of shorts, and headed to the kitchen.

I needed a moment to collect my thoughts, if I was being honest with myself. Had last night really and truly happened? Had the thing been done? Was I pregnant at this very moment? I realized that I needed to stop worrying so much, and I decided to go join Peeta in the kitchen. That was another thing I loved about him, he knew how to cook, while I didn't really know how to make anything.

I pulled on one of his t-shirts because I really didn't feel like getting dressed at the moment. The smell of eggs and fresh baked bread filled my nostrils as I walked into the kitchen. "Smells good." I said, sitting down at the small kitchen table. Did Peeta want to talk about last night? Was it uncomfortable for him? Did he enjoy it as much as I did?

"How're you feeling?" He asked, a general question. Like always, making sure that I was always okay. I didn't know if he was referring to last night, or now, or just whatever... But I was feeling rather happy this morning if I was being honest with myself. Peeta and I were married, we were safe for now, and I felt okay. In that moment, I decided to just live for the now. It was better that way. Not worry about the future, just live in the moment.

"I'm okay." I answered honestly. I wasn't much of a talker, and I think Peeta realized that a long time ago. It was quiet for a moment, and I watched Peeta intently as Peeta diligently cooked our breakfast. I wondered what my mom and Prim were doing at the moment. I wondered about Haymitch, but he was probably asleep still, and I wondered about Effie, and I wondered about Gale. Would he be hunting at the moment?

"Last night was..." Peeta trailed off, his face turning a lush crimson color. It was cute to see him so flustered like that. I wondered what was on his mind. I knew he was trying to make conversation, so I went along with it.

"Amazing." I completed his sentence.

"I hoped it worked." He replied as he continued to cook, referring to the pregnancy. It probably did, but who's to say that it didn't?

"We should keep trying." I immediately said without thinking, and Peeta's blond eyebrows shot up on his forehead. Was that my awful attempt at flirting? "I mean..." I trailed off. "It is our honeymoon, isn't it?" I say with a smile. Peeta smiles too, and sits a plate of eggs and bread down in front of me. We ate in a small comfortable conversation, when suddenly, a hologram flashed on the wall closest to us. Then it hit me. The games were starting today. "I need to hunt." I say almost immediately, needing to get away.

"Be careful." Peeta tells me, and I was dressed and out the door in less that five minutes.


	6. You Are What You Are

The ground crunched under my feet as I walked quickly to that spot in the fence that was easy to get out of. I needed to get to my spot, and fast, because I honestly felt like I was going to blow chunks at any moment now. My breath was hitched in my throat, and my stomach was tight as I continued to walk. Finally, I made it to the spot, and I sunk to my knees and felt the bile rise up my throat. Honestly, I didn't know what came over me in that moment. I knew that this would be overwhelming, but not this overwhelming. Once I was finished getting sick, I stood back up, and right in front of me was the person who I expected to see last; Gale.

"Hey Catnip." He said simply, and it was almost like it was back in the old times.

"Gale." I say, wiping my mouth with my jacket sleeve. "I figured I'd see you out here." I added as I looked at him, gray eyes squinted because of the sunlight shining brightly.

"This is my home, you should know that." He says. I was confused, because this felt extremely strange between us. We used to be able to joke and stuff, but right now, Gale was acting like he was angry, and I didn't know why. But then the thought came to my mind, he must have seen the interview with Peeta and I, about the baby, about the wedding... That must have killed him. But I know I decided a long time ago that I didn't love Gale, I loved Peeta. I didn't know what to say, so Gale kept talking. "How's the baby?" He asked.

"Good." I replied.

It was quiet again, Gale running his hands through his dark hair. "Were you even going to tell me?" He demands to know. "You got married to him... And now you're pregnant with his baby. What the hell, Katniss?" He continues to talk, and I am getting sick again. My stomach is swirling with emotion right now, and all I want is for Peeta to hold me. "I hope you're happy with yourself." He accuses me.

"Gale..." I say, but he won't stop talking.

"You never wanted to have kids, I know you Katniss... And now you're pregnant so you can get out of the games? Do you know how selfish that is? Those other kids still have to go through the games! And your baby will too! Nobody is safe Katniss." Gale says, and in that moment, I throw up again. My breakfast lies on the ground, and I am too ashamed to even look Gale in the eyes.

"I didn't get pregnant on purpose." I tried to defend myself and Peeta, which was a lie. I just had no idea that Peeta was going to drop a baby bomb at the interviews. In that moment, I did feel selfish. Why should I get special treatment just because I was supposedly supposed to be pregnant? It wasn't fair. The games were still on, and all the tributes probably hated me for getting out of it. I was so confused in that moment, and I didn't know what to think. I needed Peeta, I needed him to calm my thoughts.

"But you still slept with him." Gale argued with me.

"Is this about the games, or Peeta?" I ask, my tone of voice a bit more bitter than I had wanted it to be. But I was angry now, angry, upset, and a little disappointed with myself. I came out here to escape, and now here Gale was, downing my mood and making me feel like crap. I was perfectly happy this morning. "Because you sound pretty jealous." I added.

"Both I guess." He says.

"I love Peeta, and Peeta has been in love with me." I told him.

"Has it ever occurred to you that I have been in love with you too?" He asks, raising his hands in the air as if it will somehow prove a point.

"We're not good for each other Gale." I tell him and he just shakes his head. I did not want to deal with this right now though. He was blowing everything way out of proportion. Why couldn't he just let me live the way I wanted to live. We could just go on our separate ways. But I knew I needed Gale in my life, somehow, he just had to be with me. "I still want to be friends, and I want you to be in the baby's life." I said looking down at the ground. It was silent for a moment, as I listened to the birds.

"If that's what you want, then okay." Gale said. "I need to get back to my family." He starts to walk past me, and all I can do is pull him into a hug.

"I'm sorry." I said. He shrugged out of the hug and kept walking. We were going to be rough around the edges, but as long as I had him in my life, I would be okay. I was in a strange situation, and my life was kind of weird right now. I couldn't go home empty handed, so I shot a few squirrels, and walked home slowly. It was getting dark when I returned to my home with Peeta. He was sitting at a chair, sketching something through the window. "I'm home." My voice cracked. "And I have squirrels..." I added, and suddenly, there were tears pouring out of my eyes like a waterfall.

"Katniss!" Peeta ran to me alarmed and wrapped me in his arms. That was what I wanted all along, for him to just hold me and tell me that he loved me, and that I was going to be okay.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." I muttered as he stroked my hair.

"It's going to be okay." Peeta tells me, and a part of me wants to believe him.


	7. Flow Of Time

We kept making love, Peeta and I, nearly every night now. We became more acquainted with each other; body and soul. He knew my body, and I knew his like the back of my hand. We fit so well together as lovers, and everything just came so natural to us. We were learning together too, what things to do, and what not to do. Peeta learned all of my most sensitive spots in a matter of time, and he sketched me every morning. Our life had become somewhat of a routine already. If I wasn't pregnant by now, then there had to have been something wrong with me. And if that was the case, then I had no idea what was going to happen to us.

Having Peeta also helped ease the pain. The pain of Gale, and the words that came out of his mouth... Saying I was selfish, and what I was doing was wrong. I never told Peeta about that. I didn't want he and Gale to fight; I wanted us all to be able to coexist together, in at least a somewhat peaceful manner. It also eased the pain of President Snow, and the threat that he had held high over all of our heads. Peeta eased the pain of the games, and the districts... It seemed as though when we made love, it was only me and him.

Almost a month had passed by after our wedding, we had been living together, acting as husband and wife, and Peeta had always been there for me. As time passed on, I realized that I'd be a mess without Peeta. He was the one with reason, he was the one who had all the answers. We rarely fought, and when we did it was playful and really wasn't even a fight. I needed him like I needed air to breathe.

I laid there, my head on his bare broad chest, him stroking my hair that I had taken out of its braid. He whispered sweet nothings into my ear, and listened to the sound of his heart; hearing every strong beat. I felt relaxed at the moment, but there was still so many unsure things floating around in my head. Why did I have to overthink every single little situation? His breaths are shallow, as we had just gotten done being intimate, and he is warm. The crickets were buzzing away outside, and out of the blur, I spoke. "Are you happy?" I say, propping my head up so that I am looking at my husband.

I watch him as he has to think for a moment, his baby blues darting around the room. "I am." Peeta replies as he stares right into my gray eyes. "Are you?" He retorted, and I honestly didn't know how to answer that question. I think for a moment, trying to conjure up an appropriate answer.

"I want to be." I say, and Peeta places a tender kiss on the tip of my nose. After all, I had everything that a girl in district twelve could ever want. A nice place to live, a loving husband, friends and family who cared about me, and food on the table. It wasn't my fault that Panem was so messed up. Why couldn't I just live without a care in the world? But Peeta and I had been through the games, and it was so hard to be happy after you had experienced that. I had a feeling that Peeta was lying to me, but I searched his eyes, and they looked truthful. Maybe he was happy, maybe I was really all he wanted.

"Then be happy." He says to me and I feel him run his nimble fingers up my bare arm, making goosebumps rise on my warm skin. I smile slightly, if it was that easy, maybe I could try to be happy. Maybe if President Snow saw me happy, it would make him regret ever messing with my family and myself.

"You make me happy, Peeta." I told him, and he smiles too. We share a chaste kiss, and I know that maybe for a little while, things will be okay.

"And you make me very happy, Katniss." He says. We had these little talks at night often. Peeta seemed like the only person who really understood how I felt. After all, he had been through every thing I had been through. I told Peeta lots of things, and he told me things too. Like how his parents didn't really care for him much, how his mom used to hit him all the time. He was glad he had me, and I was glad I had him.

"Will you join me for a bath?" I asked him as I sat up in the big bed, stretching, my arms and legs were a little sore. A bath for the both of us would be nice. We could talk more, and relax at the same time. Peeta nods, and I head to the small bathroom down the hall to run our warm water. That was one of the perks of living in the victor's village; there was always running warm water, and you could bathe whenever.

I stood, waiting for the rather large tub to fill up, and that's when I felt the nausea hit me. I run to the toilet, trying not to get any vomit on the floor, and I can already hear Peeta's footsteps down the hall. He must have heard me get sick. "Are you okay?" He asks as soon as he appears in the doorway. I knew there was only one thing that could make me get sick out of the blue like this, and it wasn't food poisoning or the flu. I knew that I was probably pregnant.

Once I was finished getting sick, I rinsed my mouth out and smiled at Peeta, "I know I'm pregnant." I said confidently. Peeta smiled back at me, and pulled me in a for a quick kiss. This is what we wanted for so long.


	8. Changes

I know that I am in fact pregnant. I am having nausea nearly everyday, my period has stopped all together now, and my belly is slightly swollen because of the fact that there is a baby in there. I was glad that I finally knew, because now I didn't have to worry about not being able to become pregnant anymore. Peeta was still happy, and I guess I was too somewhat, but there was still the games going on outside, and the war with the capitol was becoming more prominent. Peeta tried to keep me away from all of that because of the baby, he didn't want me to become stressed out, but I knew better.

I knew that the games were still going on, and people were still killing each other. I knew that some of the districts were extremely angry at the capitol, and were trying to revolt. They didn't get far though, the capitol was always too powerful, and the districts were weak.

Peeta doesn't even let me hunt anymore, and because of this, I have nothing to do with myself. I know he wants me to stay safe because I am with child, but he must know that hunting is my passion. I even suggested that he come with me, but he still said no. I read now sometimes, and write. There's TV, but nothing that interests me. I take walks, down to the hob like old times, but mostly, I sit and stare out of the window, and get lost in my thoughts. I knew things around me were changing.

One day I caught Peeta watching the games in our kitchen... There were only a few tributes left, but the only ones that I knew of were Finnick Odair, and Johanna Mason. I had heard of them through Haymitch, and they were quite the competitors. It wasn't long now until somebody had to be crowned victor, and I didn't want that to happen. It seemed as if time was flying by so fast, and I was powerless to stop it. I tried to stay as far away from the games as I could though. After all, too many bad memories would come back, and I didn't want to experience those again just as soon as I was beginning to get healthy.

We get visitors, Peeta and I, at our house. Haymitch stops by when he isn't drunk, he and Peeta exchange jokes and we sit by the fireplace to talk about old times. Peeta usually sends loaves of bread home with him. Effie stops by too. She doesn't stay for long, but her company makes me feel somewhat normal. I enjoy when people stop by, because without them, I feel isolated. Gale came by once, and that was only to congratulate Peeta and I on our marriage. I knew we were still rocky, but only time would heal the wounds in our relationship. I haven't spoken to him since. My mother and Prim stop by the house everyday to check on me and the baby too. She brings me special herbs to eat for nutrients, so that the baby and I can stay healthy. It is a nice gesture, and Peeta gives them bread too.

The days are relatively busy, but at night, when it's just me and Peeta, I feel relaxed, and scared at the same time. So many emotions are floating around in my head by the end of the day, and I am just mentally exhausted. It also doesn't help that I am hormonal too.

We lay in bed, spooning position, and Peeta strokes my hair. Sometimes we talk, and sometimes we just enjoy each other's company. Our little talks are my favorite part of the day. Peeta will ask me about anything, from my favorite food, to my favorite color. It amazed me that he wanted to know so much about me. We talk about the baby, and what it will be like. I try not to get my hopes up though, because district twelve lacks in technology, and I don't even know if the baby will live or not.

Peeta usually falls asleep before me, because I cannot sleep. My mind constantly runs, so I watch Peeta. I study his face, all his beautiful features, and I think of how lucky I am. I am usually lost in my thoughts until the early morning hours, until I finally fall asleep from exhaustion. I wake up to find Peeta sketching at the window, and this happens every single day.

When I think about my life, I never imagined it this way. I never wanted to get married, especially not to Peeta... I never wanted to have kids, I never thought I was going to be in the games, and I never thought I was going to be happy. I had envisioned myself providing for my mother and Prim my whole life, but I knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Mom was getting older, and I knew that she wasn't going to be here forever. Prim was getting older too, and I knew that she could take care of herself. My life was completely different from what I expected it to be, and I am okay with that. Even though things around me are changing, it doesn't mean I am changing. Peeta and I will trek on, and raise our family, and be happy, because I know somewhere in my mind, that is always what I was meant to do.

I wake up the next morning, and Peeta has prepared me breakfast in bed. If there was one thing that I was really sure about Peeta, is that he is a wonderful husband. He makes me feel safe, and warm, and loved, and I know that we will be together forever, and that he will look after me. I know that I wasn't the affectionate type, but I think Peeta knew it too.

"Good morning." He says to me, and I know that it is time to start the day.


	9. Talk Of Rebellion

The games continued on, without me watching them of course. But something was going on, I knew it. Because from what I had heard Peeta and Haymitch discussing, I knew that the remaining tributes were not killing each other. It's like they were working together or something, all of them to get out as one. Only bad things could come out of this, I knew that for sure nothing good was going to come out of this. The capitol would put a stop to them immediately if they felt the need to. After all, they would only need to pull some tricks in the arena for the rest of the tributes to die within minutes.

Peeta and Haymitch began having meetings alone, without me. Peeta tells me that it is for the baby, and that he doesn't want to stress me out over something stupid. But I feel so dumb being left out of everything. Something important, and maybe even dangerous is going on. I know because everyone is keeping it a secret from me. Haymitch was smart, if anyone could figure something out it would be him, and Peeta was smart too. They were a good intellectual pair, so if something was going on, they would have a plan... Wouldn't they?

One night, Peeta and I were alone in our bedroom, like any other normal night. Both of us were too restless to sleep, so I decided to ask him about it. After all, Peeta told me that I could come to him with anything, and I was curious about this. We were husband and wife, we weren't supposed to have secrets with one another, even if it was protecting me or not. "What's going on, Peeta?" I ask silently as he continues to stroke my hair as it rests in its braid. It was a little past midnight, and I knew neither of us were going to sleep soon.

"You shouldn't worry about it." He tells me, and he knows that is not the answer that I want to hear. I know that he is protecting me because I am pregnant, but I feel that I should still have the right to know about what's going on around me. Especially if it's dangerous, because then I have to worry about my mother and Primrose.

"I am your wife." I argue. "I should deserve the right to know Peeta. We don't keep secrets from each other." My eyes are blazing right now, I know it, because Peeta is looking at me kind of strange, and he knows that I am serious about this. And I am, I am so serious about this right now. If we were in danger, I could be a help, couldn't I? I was considered a lethal weapon.

He sighs in the dark as we look at each other, "I can't lie to you Katniss..." He trailed off, and I try and mentally brace myself for what I'm about to hear next. "There's rebellion in the districts." Peeta said. But I already know that, I had heard of it before, and that's why Haymitch and Peeta were having those meetings. Rebellion in the districts is what led to district thirteen, and if there was rebellion now, what would happen?

"A rebellion?" I ask, not really having another proper response. I knew people were growing weary of the capitol's ways... I was too. But a rebellion? While I was pregnant? Surely the capitol would be able to control it, wouldn't they? But I knew the answer to that... Not if all the districts were involved.

Peeta nods, "Haymitch and I really aren't sure what districts are involved yet... We're still trying to figure that out. But that's why the games are so stale right now. It's because the rest of the tributes are part of the rebellion. Haymitch and I, we've been talking, and we think the rebellion is because of you." He finishes, and I am confused. Me? Why would I be the symbol for the rebellion. Peeta notices the confusion and clears it up for me. "You gave them hope Katniss... With Rue... With the donations at the victory tour... It was all you." He says, and I notice that there is a sense of pride in his voice. All of this is my fault?

"Peeta, this is not a good thing!" I nearly yell, sitting up in the bed. "People are in danger! All because of me..." I don't know if it was my hormones or what, but I started crying. The tears were fresh and running down my face, and in that moment, I did not want Peeta to see me.

He sits up in bed with me, and wraps his arms around me for comfort. They are warm, but I just feel so useless and vulnerable, that I can't help but to let my sobs take over me. "I'll keep you safe, Katniss." He murmurs in my ear, and I know that he will, but keeping me safe isn't the point.

"What about the baby?" I ask, trying to dry my tears.

"There's talk of a district thirteen..." Peeta answers immediately. "If it's still there... Haymitch and I were talking about taking our families there, so they would be safe." He explains to me, and suddenly, I am furious. I do want my mom and Prim to be safe, but I do not want to run away from something that is my fault.

"No." I say.

"No?" Peeta asks, and I can tell he is confused.

"We can't just run away from our problems!" I yell, and by now we are standing, facing each other, glaring in anger. I know that he wants to keep me safe, but there are other people that are in danger besides me. The whole country of Panem is in danger!

"But you're pregnant!" He yells right back, and a part of me thinks that if President Snow will just wait until the baby is born, that it will calm the rebellion down... But another part of me knows better. I know that the rebellion is going on now, and people aren't going to wait seven months.

"People are in danger!" I yell again. "We need to stay and help... Peeta, it's the right thing to do." I take his hand, and grasp it firmly into mine, and I know he can see the sincerity in my eyes. He knows that this is really what I want, and if he knows I want it, I will get it.

"We should talk to Haymitch." He says, and I nod in agreement.


	10. Get Ready

We decided to wait until morning to talk to Haymitch, so Peeta and I crawled back into bed to try and get some sleep. After all, it was still very late. I felt a little bad for fighting with him, and I could tell he did too. But I couldn't help myself. Peeta knew I was stubborn, especially towards things like this. He held my hand as we drifted off into our dreams that were once nightmares.

In the morning, after Peeta had prepared us a small breakfast, we dressed and headed over across the lot to Haymitch's house. We were also going to bring him a loaf of bread too, because I hadn't seen him in a while. It was a little chilly outside, but not too bad. I was thankful that Peeta was holding my hand as we walked. I think he had forgiven me, but I wasn't so sure. We hadn't spoke to each other all morning, all we did was share a kiss. I think maybe that he was just worried about me, and about our families. But that was understandable... I just didn't like fighting with him, it made me feel weird.

"Are you okay?" Peeta finally asks, making me sigh of relief because he was finally talking to me. We were about halfway across the lot, when he turned around to face me, making me look into those baby blues that were on his face. It was nice, I'll admit, knowing that he wasn't angry with me anymore.

"I'm fine." I say, just wanting to get over to Haymitch's house so we can discuss our plan.

"Are you sure?" He asked again, squeezing my hand as if to add emphasis to his question.

I nod, "Are you okay?" I mimic his question.

"Just worried about you." He answered almost immediately. I frown because I did not want him to worry about me. I really was fine, the baby was fine, we were all fine. But sometimes, Peeta could be such a worry wart, it was just part of his personality. That was something I didn't really like about him, but it was sweet nonetheless, him always checking on me like that.

I unlink our hands and reach out to stroke the smooth skin of his cheek. He leans into the touch and smiles slightly. "I'm fine, Peeta." I tell him honestly. "I promise. If anything was wrong, I would tell you." I add on and he nods understanding. He knows that I am telling the truth because he knows that I would never lie to him.

"Okay." He nods, and he takes my hand again, and we continue on the walk to Haymitch's.

We finally reach his front door, and I stand behind as I watch Peeta knock on the door. It was still pretty early in the morning so Haymitch might have still been sleeping. We wait a few minutes, and Peeta knocks again. Still no answer. "Try the door." I say, and Peeta obliges, and we discover that the door is already unlocked. I followed Peeta inside the door, and instantly I feel the need to vomit as the smell of liquor fills my nostrils.

Haymitch's house is extremely filthy, and the smell is just repulsive. There are dirty clothes lying out and about, empty liquor bottles strung out everywhere. There is nothing clean in sight, and finally, we find Haymitch passed out at the kitchen table once again. Drinking was one of his awful habits that Peeta and I tried to help stop. It was hopeless though, because Haymitch did not want to stop drinking.

"Haymitch!" Peeta shouts as I am trying to open up windows to clear out the smell of alcohol. I turn around to see my husband shaking our mentor violently, but he still remains asleep. I wasn't sure what would wake Haymitch up. Peeta then goes to the sink, and starts to fill up a cup of water, and I know that he is going to dump it on Haymitch.

"Peeta... Don't." I said simply, but Peeta shrugs and dumps the glass of water on him anyway. He jolts awake, dripping wet, but at least he is awake. The sooner we had this talk, the better it would be for all of us, because we needed a plan, and quick too.

"What the hell?" Haymitch demands.

"We need to talk, now." Peeta replied. Immediately, Haymitch's eyes dart over to me, and it seems as if they are angry. I don't know why, because I never did anything to him.

"You didn't tell her, did you?" He asks, and Peeta nods.

"I had to, she asked... And she doesn't want to go to district thirteen." Peeta says. I am standing there right in between them, and they are talking as if I'm not even there. Peeta is defending me though, and I am thankful for that because we all know that Haymitch can be very stubborn sometimes.

"Well that's too bad." Haymitch says simply. "We'll go to district thirteen whether she likes it or not."

"And let innocent people die?" I shout out.

"You'll die if you stay here!" He yells right back. I know he is right, but I also know that this isn't the right thing to do. It is cowardly, and I don't like it one bit. Peeta looks over at me, to make sure I am okay, and I know that he can see the hurt on my face.

"Can't we compromise?" Peeta asked.

"Compromise?"

"What if we take our families to district thirteen first, so they are safe, and if Katniss wants to come back, we can... Does that sound like a fair deal?" Peeta asks, and I watch as I see Haymitch contemplating the plan. I do like that idea, because then I can come back to the rest of the districts and help out if I need to.

"Okay." Haymitch nods. "If this is going to be a full on rebellion, we need to be prepared." And I know that I need to get the ones I love to safety, and fast.


	11. Pack Your Things

"Will you come with me?" I ask Peeta as we head out of Haymitch's house. We would be back there later to begin our journey to district thirteen, but now, I had to tell my mother and Prim to be ready to leave tonight. Peeta nods, and for a second, I can't help but to wonder if wants to go to his family as well. "Peeta..." I stop him as we are walking across the lot to my mother's house. He turns to look at me, as if he is confused.

"Yeah?" He asks.

"Shouldn't we tell your family too?" I asked him, and for a moment, I can see a glint of sadness in his eyes. We never really talked about his family much, because I knew that it was too much for him to bear. He shrugged, not really giving me an answer. I knew he wasn't close with his family though, like I was to mine. Sometimes I felt as if his mother resented him just a bit. I didn't know why, but they seemed to have a tough relationship.

"You're all I need." He tells me suddenly, and I can't help but to pull him into a hug. I have to comfort him right now, because he had done it for me so many times before, I had to do it just this once. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you sad..." He murmurs lightly in my ear. I shrug it off though. Because I am hormonal, I get more emotionally involved in things now. It was one of those weird pregnancy things that just happened, and I had no idea why.

"Let's go..." I pull away from him and take his calloused hand in mine once again, and we finally make it to my mother's house. I knock on the door, and it opens automatically, and I realized that it had been unlocked. "Mom? Prim?" I call out as I make my way into the house and Peeta follows closely behind. I sighed of relief as I saw that they were in the kitchen, mixing some kind of concoction of different herbs.

"Katniss?" My mom questions as Peeta and I make our way into the kitchen. Prim runs up to me and hugs me around the waist. I'd have to admit that I had missed her, and seeing her only reminded me of what I came here for in the first place. I had to make sure she was safe. "What are you doing out and about?" Mom asked me. "Prim and I were just about to stop by and drop off some more herbs." She told me.

"It's important." I say immediately.

"Is the baby okay?" Prim asks.

"The baby is fine... It's just, something else is going on..." I try to explain to her the best I can. I don't want Prim to be scared, and I don't want her to panic. I wrack my mind for what I'm going to say next, but it is hard. I mean, she wasn't a baby anymore, but she wasn't grown yet either. Prim was stuck in the in between... And she was smart for her age too, it didn't take long for her to catch on. "I need you to go pack your things..." I tell her gently, as I kneel down so we are making eye contact. "Try not to bring too much stuff though, because you'll have to carry it... We're going on a trip tonight." I explain, and I can see the confusion on her face, as well as on my mother's.

"Can I bring Lady? Or Buttercup?" She asks referring to her goat, and the world's ugliest cat. I wasn't sure how to answer her, but I just nodded, hoping that everything would be okay. After all, I just wanted her to be safe once the full on rebellion broke out.

"Come on Prim..." Peeta interrupts, "I'll help you pack." He tells her, and she grins, and they go off to her room. I stand back up, and face my mother. She looks scared, so I reach out to grab her hand.

"Katniss? What's going on?" She asks with confusion in her voice.

"We have to go to district thirteen." I say. "There's a rebellion starting, and I want you and Prim to be safe... Haymitch says it's a good idea, and we have no other choice." I explain the best I can.

"There is no district thirteen." She replies once the information I just gave her sank in... "How in the world are we going to go to district thirteen, if there is no district thirteen? We'll wander out in the wilderness and die..." She trails off. I sigh because I knew this was going to be hard.

"That's a risk that I'm willing to take for you guys to be safe..." I answer her. "It's either go to district thirteen, and have the chance of being safe, or stay here and be blown to bits. Your choice, but if you know what's good for you, I'd leave." I tell her. Plus, I am a good hunter... Even if there wasn't a district thirteen, we'd be able to make it in the woods. My mother nods, and I think she understands now. "You should pack some things... Come to Haymitch's house around eight tonight. We'll leave then." I say.

Peeta emerges back into the kitchen, "All done?" He asks me, because he and I still have to go home and pack our things. I shake my head, because there is one more person that I have to tell. "What else do we still have to do?" Peeta asks.

"I have to tell Gale." I say simply, and a part of me knows that he might not want to come with us.


	12. Goodbye For Now

I told Peeta that I needed to go see Gale alone. Because I knew that if Peeta came with me, that would only make Gale angry. I didn't want them to be mad at each other, I wanted us to live in peace, if that were ever possible. Peeta understood though, so he went back home to start packing our things. Hopefully, I wasn't at Gale's for too long, because it was already getting a little late, and I was supposed to be at Haymitch's around eight o'clock.

Once I was alone, I walked along the familiar paths of the seam, where my old home was located, and where Gale's home was located, along with the other coal miners who lived in district twelve. His house looked as though nobody was home. I held my breath and knocked on the door though, praying that he would answer, and that he would at least be here and not out in the woods.

I waited a couple of minutes until the door swung open and I was greeted by the aging face of Gale's mother. She looked so surprised to see me, but I had to admit it had been awhile since I had been around the seam. It had even been awhile since I had even seen Gale's mother or all of his brothers. "Katniss!" She greeted as she pulled me into a light hug. I wondered if she knew about my marriage with Peeta, or if she knew about the baby as well. Gale had to have told her though. She probably knew there was a reason that Gale and I weren't talking anymore.

"Hey!" I greeted as I pulled out of the hug.

"How's the baby?" She asked suddenly. Oh... So she did know that I was pregnant. I sighed, why was this so hard for me to do? But I already knew the answer to that. It was because Gale might say no to my offer of safety, and there was the fact that I might not ever see him again, or see his mother, or his younger brothers. This was awful... If Gale said no, I would have to say goodbye to all of these innocent people.

"The baby's okay..." I say, smiling just a bit. I didn't want to make Gale's mom worried or upset because something was going on. We needed to keep people oblivious to the rebellion because I didn't want to cause a panic. That would only make everything worse.

"That's good." She tells me with a smile. "What brings you around here?" She asked me, letting me come inside the house. It smelled of fresh squirrel stew, and it instantly brought back many memories. A part of me wanted to say that I missed living in the seam... But I didn't know if I did or not. The boys were running around the house, playing, and I didn't see Gale anywhere.

"I actually have to talk to Gale... Is he here?" I asked looking around, crossing my fingers for luck, hoping that he was here. But it was late, and this was about the time that he'd be bringing home the game for the day. It was dinner time, so there was a possibility that he was here.

His mother nodded, "He is here. Is something wrong?" She asks, and I know that this is going to be hard because I am a terrible liar. Hopefully she would be able to believe me.

"Nothing's wrong!" I say immediately. "It's just... Been awhile since I've talked to him." I tried to lie. Gale's mother looked a little suspicious, but she waved it off. I sighed of relief once I realized that my lie worked. Time was passing by, and I just really needed to get to Gale.

"He's in the back." She says to me, and I make my way to the back of the house where I spot Gale sharpening some hunting knives. He must be getting ready for a big hunt tomorrow...

"Hey Gale." I manage to get out, but he doesn't even look up at me. I immediately felt bad because we were still straining with our relationship. It was so hard to be friends with him when he wanted to be more than that. Why did everything have to be so complicated and so hard? This really sucked. "We have to talk..." I say, trying again. This time it works, and he puts down his knives and looks up. I feel like he is waiting for me to talk again so I go right ahead. "What I'm about to say is going to sound so crazy... But I need you to hear me out, okay?" I say, making sure that I have his attention because this is so important.

"Go ahead." He replies nonchalantly.

I exhale quickly, "There's rebellion in the districts." I blurt out, but try to keep my voice down so that his family doesn't hear me. He says nothing, and I am confused. "Gale?" I ask. "Did you hear me? I said that there is rebellion going on..." I say again.

"So what?" He retorts as he stands up. He towers over me at least by a foot, and immediately I feel intimidated. "There's nothing we can do about it... Sit back and watch people die? Wait until the capitol takes care of it? What are you even doing here Katniss?" He asks, and I can tell he is getting angrier by the second, and I just want to cry. For a moment, I wish that I had brought Peeta with me, but I know that that would have only made things worse.

"I'm here... Because I want you and your family to come to district thirteen with us, tonight." I say and Gale scoffs. "And I know that district thirteen might not even be there, but that's a risk I'm willing to take for my family to be safe." By now I am pleading, and you can hear it in my voice.

"Who's us?" Gale asks, and I know he means is Peeta coming or not.

"Peeta and I, my mother and Prim, and Haymitch..." I trail off. "And hopefully you." I say, but Gale shakes his head.

"I can't come with you Katniss." He tells me. "It's too risky for my brothers and I... Plus, if there is a rebellion, I'd like to stay here in twelve and do all the help I can. I'm not calling you selfish again, I know that you're only trying to keep your baby safe. I hope you can understand." He explained, and all I can do is nod. Gale then pulls me into a hug, and I can't help but to tear up just a bit. We pull away and he finally looks me. "Stay safe Catnip." He says, and I smile just a bit.

"So I guess this is goodbye?" I ask.

"For now." He replies, and I can't help but to be a little sad as I am walking back to my home with Peeta. I may never see Gale again, and I wanted him so desperately to be in my life.


	13. On Our Way

I think Peeta can tell that I am upset when I return home. I tried so hard not to show it, because I wanted to be strong. But the sadness was etched onto my face as soon as I walked in the door. Peeta didn't say anything to me though, I think it was because he didn't want to make me more upset. The back of my mind still lingered on Gale, and I so desperately hoped that I would see him again some day. "Is everything ready?" I asked Peeta as he is waiting for me in the living room of our home. I see that he has packed two bags, one for me and one for him. They are small bags, so he has packed everything.

"I think so." He replies, and I glance at the clock... It's almost time for us to go. I reach down to pick up my bag, but Peeta stops me. "I got it." He says, and the air between us is thick with tension. I am confused, but maybe he is just nervous about leaving. I let him pick up the bag, and I give him a quick kiss. We haven't been very affectionate towards each other as of late, because of all this rebellion stuff, so I think I kind of owed it to him. "Let's go." Peeta says, and we step outside to head to Haymitch's house for the second time today.

We knock on the door, but it is already open so we step inside. My mother and Prim are already there with Haymitch, and Prim has brought her goat Lady, and our old cat, Buttercup. I see that they have packed small bags as well, and so has Haymitch. "Where are we going, Katniss?" Prim asks as soon as I walk in the door, but Haymitch interrupts me before I can answer her.

"Is everybody ready?" Haymitch asked. I see that there is sadness in my mother's eyes. Maybe she didn't want to leave district twelve, but she had to come, for Prim and I. I wouldn't let her stay here to die, that would be too cruel. Even though she and I didn't always get along, I wasn't that type of person to just leave somebody behind. "We've gotta get going soon, it should take us all night to get to district thirteen." Haymitch says when nobody answers.

"I think we're all ready." I say, and we begin our journey to district thirteen. Since Peeta won't let me carry any of the bags, I offer to carry Buttercup. He is a lazy cat, and even though he doesn't like me much, he still lets me carry him. So I cradle the cat in one hand, and I hold Prim's hand with the other as she carries her small bag and the rope that leads her goat along with us. We walk to my spot in the fence that is so easy to get out of, and one by one we slip under carefully, making sure nobody will see us.

We are no longer in district twelve, and the feeling of being out in the open is scary. I mean, I know I had been out here multiple times, but it was different now, because I knew that we would never be able to come back home to district twelve. We'd either be living in district thirteen, or surviving out in the wilderness. I knew that it was a long shot, but at least it was something.

It was extremely dark out as we traveled through the trees and grass. Haymitch led the way, because apparently, he knew where district thirteen was located. Behind him was my mother, and behind my mother was Prim, Peeta, and I. We stayed clustered together so we would be safe, but we were still at a distance. There was really no conversation between the group, just the crunch of the rotted and decayed leaves on the hard ground. Peeta kept looking over at me and smiling, but I think he was just trying to lighten the mood. I'm pretty sure we had been walking for a couple of hours, and that's when Prim started to complain. "I'm tired..." She yawned. I could tell she had been growing weary for a while now, but she just didn't want to say anything. "How much farther do we have to walk?" She asks.

"We're almost there..." Haymitch replies.

"I'll carry you Prim." I offer with a smile, after all, I am only carrying a cat.

"I'll carry her." Peeta offers. "You shouldn't be lifting with baby, Katniss." He tells me, and instantly I feel kind of dumb. Why do I keep forgetting that I am pregnant?

"Right." I say without thinking.

"Get on my back Prim." He says with a smile, and I watch as Prim climbs on top of Peeta, putting herself in the piggyback ride position.

"Thanks Peeta." Prim says as she wraps her little arms lightly around his neck. This sight brings a smile to my face. In my heart, I know that once we have our baby, whether it be boy or girl, Peeta was going to be a good dad. He just had those natural fatherly instincts. It warmed my heart, knowing that he truly loved kids.

Suddenly, Haymitch stops, causing all of us to stop too. We had been walking for a really long time, and the sun had began coming up in the sky. It was almost morning. "We're here." Haymitch tells all of us, but I know that we are all confused, because I can see nothing. It is nothing but a big dirt stretch of land. If district thirteen really was still here, wouldn't it show?

"Where is it?" Peeta asks, reading everybody's thoughts.

"District thirteen is underground." Haymitch answers, and in that moment, I am just thankful that there actually is a district thirteen, and we can be safe.


	14. Safe and Sound

We were welcomed into district thirteen with wide open arms, and frankly, I was shocked because this district was able to thrive so long without the capitol in control. They looked organized, and successful, and more importantly, the people looked at peace. My heart was pounding due to being nervous, but with Peeta holding my hand, it seemed to calm me down just a bit.

When we arrived at the entrance, we were welcomed by a small group of people who were really nice to us. It was weird though, us being underground, but if this was home for now it was something that I would have to adjust to. District thirteen looked like a small civilization rather than a district, but I guess that was good. The group of people also told us that there was really no one in charge here, and that everyone pretty much cooperated together. It was nicely done, I'll admit, and especially because they had done it all without the capitol.

The group of people then took us to where we would be staying for the time being, which wasn't very far. It was just a separate section of the district that was only meant for housing. They weren't actually houses or buildings, but rather rooms. It would be as if we were staying in a motel or something like that. We all got our own rooms, Peeta and I, my mother and Prim, and lastly, Haymitch. But the rooms were all right beside each other, so we were content. The group of people also told us that everything we needed was here. Everyone was equal, and everyone got the same amount of food and supplies. It was different, but at least we were safe.

I wanted to question how they did all this, especially with having nobody in charge, but I kept the comments to myself, assuming that it was probably best that I didn't know how it all happened. All that mattered was that we were away from the rebellion, and that there were no signs of it here. Everything was peaceful, and we'd be able to come up with a surefire plan before the full on rebellion started.

We were finally left alone, and Peeta told me that he was going to go check out our room. I bid him a quick goodbye, and made my way into my mother and Prim's room. I could tell that she was confused, because she just stood in the middle of the room, looking around. "Katniss? Why did we come here?" Prim asks me, sound more naïve and innocent as ever. I then take her hand and lead her over to one of the small beds that are in the room. We sit down on it, and she looks up at me with the same gray eyes that I have.

"I'll tell you..." I say to her. "But you have to promise me not to be scared." I lower my tone, and it helps lighten the mood just a little bit. She shakes her head immediately, her blonde braids swaying back and forth.

"I'm not scared!" She tells me and I can't help but to smile. Prim was always strong, and I wouldn't blame her. For everything that she and I had been through, you'd either have to be strong or dead. "Now tell me, Katniss." She demands. For a moment, I am unsure how to break the news to her, but I decide that I must leave out as much information as possible. It will be a need to know thing between me and her, and I think that she will understand that.

"There's bad things that are going to happen in district twelve... And maybe even all the other districts too." I explain the best I can, and Prim nods in understanding. "People are upset with the games... And we came here to district thirteen so that you could be safe." I tell her and she nods again.

"It's nice here." She replies nonchalantly and I smile again.

"You'll be safe here, and they have everything you need. I don't want you to worry about a thing, okay? You have to be strong for yourself and mom." I say, and this time Prim smiles. She likes feeling like she has a sense of responsibility, or a job to do. "I love you Prim." I kiss her on the forehead and she hugs me around the waist. Why did this feel like a goodbye to me? Maybe because I'd be going back to the districts soon... Or maybe not... I didn't know yet.

"You're staying here too, aren't you?" Prim asks and I nod, for now.

"I'll be in the room right next door if you need me, okay?" I reply and she nods with another smile. "You should get some rest." I tell her. "It's been a long walk. I'm gonna go to sleep too."

"Goodnight Katniss." She says and my mother hugs me before I leave the room. Outside in the small what looked to be a hallway, I see Haymitch because he hasn't gone to his room yet. I think he's checking out the place because he too is baffled by how district thirteen had done all of this. I was about to head into my room, until I feel a warm hand on my shoulder and Haymitch stops me.

"You did the right thing." He tells me, and I can only nod. Right now, I am so tired and so emotionally drained. I just want Peeta to hold me so that we can sleep. It had been a long day, well night rather, and I am just ready to get rested up. I go into my room only to see the Peeta is already in our bed fast asleep. The sight of him is overwhelming and he looks so relaxed. I kick off my boots and climb in the bed with him. I feel his arms snake around me and in an instant, I am asleep. My mind was conflicted about the rebellion, but at least now I knew that my family would be safe.


	15. Life In Thirteen

About a week had passed since we had arrived in district thirteen, and it was a little hard trying to settle in here. Yeah, it was a nice place to stay and all, but district thirteen didn't really feel like home. I really missed the warmth of Peeta and I's cozy fireplace, and I missed the smell of fresh-baked bread when I woke up in the morning. But I knew this was home for now, so I was going to have to suck it up and stop looking at the down side of everything. At least we had a place to stay, and at least we had food and supplies, and at least we were safe, and we were all together.

My mother and Prim though, decided to make themselves useful why we were stuck here. Since they were so familiar and handy with herbs and healing techniques, they offered to go work at the doctor's station here in thirteen. My mother had always been great with people, and I knew Prim would like it because she loved helping people. That was one of her many passions. At least it gave her something to do though, instead of just sitting around with nothing but boredom on her mind.

Haymitch didn't really leave his room much if I was being honest with myself. I don't know if it was because there wasn't that much alcohol here in thirteen, or if he just didn't like it here. Peeta and I often checked on him to make sure he was okay, but he insisted that he was okay. I didn't believe him though. It was so easy to tell when he was lying, especially when he was sober. I just assumed that he was lost in his thoughts like everyone else. Maybe he was trying to decide what we would do next, or maybe he just wasn't sure of anything anymore.

As for Peeta and I, well we tried to make our life here in district thirteen somewhat similar to our life in twelve. It was hard, I would admit, and most of the time I was bored. There was nothing for me to do but sit around. And because I was pregnant, that limited my abilities as well. Peeta wouldn't let me do anything anymore. He tried to keep my attention though, and he kept on being a good husband, even though this was a bad time for us. We had our little talks every night, just like we used to. I think he was just trying to keep my mind occupied for a while. I was just glad that he was there for me though, and most nights, we would try and discuss what we would do next.

"I hate this..." I tell him with a sigh, and I roll over in our now tiny bed so that I am looking into those oceans that he has for eyes. "I feel like we're just sitting around, waiting around for everyone else to do everything for us..." I said.

"I know." He murmurs to me, and pulls me closer to him. It's late, and we're falling back into our usual habits of getting no sleep at night. "But there's really nothing we can do Katniss... All we can do, is wait." Peeta tells me simply, and that was the part I hated the most. I hated waiting, and I was not a patient person at all.

"I hate waiting." I replied simply.

Peeta chuckles, "I know. But I'll make it worth your while, promise." He always tells me this, but he has already done so much for me that I don't know what else he could possibly do to make things better. I always feel like he is doing stuff for me, but I never do anything for him.

We talk about the baby again, but not as much as before. It's good to talk about it I guess. It gives us a little hope I think. Hope that when the rebellion is over we can all go back to our normal lives. Sometimes I can't help but to think that the baby is all President Snow's fault. If Peeta hadn't have told that lie, would I have still had to get pregnant? I don't think about that too much though, because it's in the past now, and I try to mostly focus on now.

Prim comes into my room at night. Peeta is usually asleep by this time, but I am usually still awake. She knocks on the door quietly and shuffles her way in. I think she has nightmares, but she doesn't tell me anything. She just climbs up into the already small bed between Peeta and I, and goes right back to sleep. Maybe she is homesick, but I don't know. Maybe she just doesn't like staying in that small room with her goat and her cat. Maybe she needs me, and I am okay with that. I am glad she comes to me for comfort.

We all try to live normal lives, but sometimes I can't help but to think that our lives will never be normal. They were never normal in the first place. So we wait, and we wait, trying to find things to distract us, and I hope that we get some news about the games, or about the rebellion soon because I am tired of just waiting around and doing nothing. I have to help out somehow, and I swore that I was going to.


	16. Game Over

A few days later, after our days spent in district thirteen turned somewhat routine, we finally received some important news. Haymitch comes rushing to get us as Peeta and I are desperately trying to keep ourselves busy. Frankly, I am glad to get some news. Even thought I'm not quite sure what it is yet, I am already satisfied with it. It is something else to keep me busy, and I was tired of the rebellion being so stale. It was about time for some much-needed action. "What's going on?" I ask Haymitch, as he enters the small room of Peeta and I. He looks frantic, and out of breath, and I am wondering if he has good news, or bad news to tell us about.

"It's about the games..." He starts. I try and prepare myself for what I am about to hear next, but honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect.

"What about them?" Peeta asked, before I had the chance to speak.

"They're over." Haymitch says. "But there's no victor." He admits, and it takes me a moment to wrap my head around this concept. No victor? Then how are the games over in the first place? I am so confused, and I am not sure what to say, so I let Haymitch continue on with the news. Peeta looks as equally shocked as me. Never in a million years would we thought the hunger games would end with no victor. "I'm not really sure how, but the remaining tributes escaped from the arena... There's rumors going around saying they got through the force field, but I don't know." Haymitch tells us.

"They got out?" I ask, purely in shock at the situation. I didn't even know getting out of the arena on your own was possible, but I guess it was.

Haymitch chuckled a bit, "Yeah, and the capitol's pissed."

"I'm sure they would be." Peeta replies.

"And I guess now they're coming here." Haymitch adds. "The capitol has no idea about district thirteen, so basically, this is the only place of safety. With the rest of the tributes on our side, it will help us in the rebellion." He finishes. The only thing I can think about is how much information this is to take in. So the games are over? The tributes escaped? And now they are coming here?

"When will they be here?" Peeta asked.

"Soon." Haymitch answers. "I should probably get going now. I've got a lot of things to take care of."

"Is there anything we can do?" I ask automatically. After all, now that something is actually going on, I don't want to miss it. I want to do everything I can to make the rebellion that much more stronger. I feel useless just sitting around and doing nothing all day.

"Just try and relax, don't stress yourself out too much." Haymitch tells me, and immediately I am infuriated.

"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't help!" I yell at him. "You all treat me as if I have a disorder, or a disease! I'm tired of it!" I scream, and I'm almost positive that Prim could probably hear me in the next room. But I didn't care. I was tired of holding in all this pent-up anger, at Haymitch, at Peeta, at my mother, at just anybody who tried to limit what I could actually do. "I'm the one carrying the baby." I say, this time much calmer, and Haymitch and Peeta are just staring at me like I'm crazy, but to them I probably was the crazy one right now. Suddenly, I feel embarrassed, and I want them to leave.

"Katniss, I'm sorry." Haymitch half heartedly tries to apologize.

"Just get out." I say, and by now I am so exhausted. Exhausted from yelling, from hearing about the games, and just exhausted from lack of sleep. "I'm taking a nap." I announce and make my way to the bed. I turn the opposite way so I don't see them standing there.

"Do you want me to go?" Peeta asks, but I ignore him. I hear the door open and close, and I know that they are gone. I'm glad Peeta left too, and he was probably going to go help Haymitch while I was stuck in this room. Of course. But honestly, I really did need to be alone right now. This was a lot to process, so I shut my eyes and tried very hard to take a little nap, but sleeping was difficult for me these days.

When I awaken, I can hear muffled voices outside of my door. The voices I don't recognize, but I can tell that Haymitch and Peeta are out there talking too. I slowly get up out the small bed, and make my way out into the hallway. Once I get out there, I see that the other tributes have arrived. I had met them all before at the opening ceremonies of the games and stuff, but the only ones I recognize are Finnick Odair, Johanna Mason, and a very elderly lady named Mags. There are other tributes too, but I can't quite recall who they are. "Hey." I say awkwardly, making my appearance known.

"You're awake!" Peeta greets and pulls me into his open arms. Even though he is trying to act cool, I am still mad at him for earlier. "We were just talking to the other tributes, did you have a nice nap?" He asks, and I only nod, not really feeling like talking. Finnick waves hello, as we have already had a conversation previously. Johanna looks a little angry, so I really try not to make eye contact with her.

"I can show you all to your rooms." Haymicth steps in and I am thankful. I was always so uncomfortable around new people. Finnick and Johanna nod, and they are about to go away, until suddenly, we hear a bunch of static, and a hologram screen appears in front of us. I am confused at first, that is, until President Snow shows up on the screen. I can't help but to stare in shock, as a lump begins forming in my throat.

"I thought you said he didn't know where we were..." I trail off, directing my question to Haymitch.

"He doesn't." Haymitch replied, "District thirteen still gets all broadcasts because they're district wide." He explains and I sigh in relief. At least we are still safe.

President Snow begins to speak and we all listen. "I'm sure you've all heard about the little mishap with the games." He begins and clears his throat afterwards. "Well, I'll have you know, that this is only the beginning, and the games are far from over." He finishes, and the screen disappears. I'm not sure what that little message was, or who it was for, but I had a feeling that it was directed towards me. We all stare in silence, unsure of what to say, that is, until Johanna speaks.

"I'm going to kill that bastard." She says, but we are all still in shock from the broadcast. Did this mean that the rebellion was starting?


	17. Nightmares

So I couldn't really do anything in my condition at the moment, so I mostly sat around district thirteen and did what I could to help, which wasn't much as of late. I always had so many questions too, which I think irked the people around me. "What can we do?" I would always ask, but I would get the same answer every time. The only thing that we could do was wait. But waiting was so hard for me. I was supposed to try and take it easy, but in my whole life I had never taken it easy. I barely even knew what that meant.

The nightmares come nearly every night now, and I can't help it. With everything going on around me, the rebellion, the pregnancy, being in thirteen, it was all so nerve wracking, and my anxiety rose with it too. This whole situation was making me very out of character, and I knew that everyone around me could tell, especially Peeta. But even with my husband to comfort me and protect me, the nightmares still overpowered everything in my body, and I was so afraid. It was like they haunted and taunted me on purpose, and I hadn't had nightmares like this since the first games ended.

Sometimes, the dream was about the baby. Either me losing the baby, or it dying after it was born because we lacked in equipment here in thirteen, just like back home in twelve. Other times the dream was about President Snow, him killing my family, or him taking the baby away from Peeta and I... I think that was my biggest fear though. That once the baby was born, Snow was going to take it from me, and I didn't want that to happen.

Tonight though, my dream was a bit more vivid for some reason. It started off as usual, with all of us living in thirteen, but then the dream took me to somewhere else; a place I had been to before, I was sure of it. And finally I recognized the new dream location as the arena I was in for the hunger games. But this time, it was different, because in the middle of the arena laid Peeta and I's baby. Newborn for sure, and the baby was a boy, and he had blue eyes just like Peeta. But he was all alone in that arena, and I couldn't do anything for him. Suddenly, President Snow came walking into the arena towards my baby, scooped it up, and walking away. I could feel myself screaming for my baby, but it was only a nightmare, so there was nothing I could do.

I woke in the middle of the night with a gasp and was slightly sweaty, and suddenly, I was crying. And it wasn't that silent crying either, it was more like a deep sob, one that came down from deep within you. My dreams were just so vivid, and my heart was pounding so fast, I swore it sounded like a roaring freight train. "Katniss?" Peeta whispers into the quiet room. The only sounds were my somewhat quiet sobs, and the sound of my heart beating quickly. I feel him turn over in the bed so that he is facing me, and I look over at him with wide gray eyes. "What's wrong?" He asks as I feel him reach for my hand. He pulls me into his embrace, and I can not answer him. I only continue to sob because I can not form coherent thoughts right now.

"Don't let him take the baby..." I whisper as I bury my face in the crook of his neck. His skin is now wet with my tears, and I think he knows that I had a bad dream. This had been happening a lot lately. I always woke Peeta up with my stupid nightmares, but under the amount of stress that I was under, I think he knew better. I tried to stop my sobbing as I felt Peeta stroke my arm, trying to calm me down. He kissed my hair and held me tight, and in that moment, I was just glad that he was there for me, and that I actually had somebody to rely on, and someone to hold me in times like this, and just somebody who loved me unconditionally.

"I won't..." He kept murmuring to me, and the sound of his soothing deep voice had me lulled back to sleep in a few moments. But before I finally drifted off, I heard him whisper, "Don't you worry Katniss... We have good people fighting for us." And I really wanted to believe him, but I didn't know if I could.


	18. Little Flutter

A lot of time had passed since the beginning of the rebellion. We were all still playing the waiting. It was obvious that we would have nothing to do with it now. We were being cowardly; me, Peeta, Haymitch... The other tributes. We were all just hiding out in district thirteen waiting for the rebellion to be over. People were dying for us, and I knew that coming here to district thirteen was a mistake. I should have stayed in twelve with Gale. At least then I wouldn't just be sitting around waiting for people to do my job for me.

And wasn't the rebellion my fault anyway? Well, mine and Peeta's... But here we were, doing nothing. No consequences for our actions. And I was so sick and tired of using the pregnant excuse. Yeah, I was pregnant, but I wasn't disabled, I could still do a lot of things. It honestly made me angry that they were treating me like I was a porcelain doll or something. I'd heard the talk from Peeta many times. He always tells me, "If anything ever happened to you Katniss, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." I know he is honest, but we should be stepping up and taking responsibility.

All of this rebellion, and stress, is making me sicker than I already am. Some days, I can barely get out of bed because I am so sick with nausea, and headaches. Peeta cares for me the best that he can, but I know that there is nothing he can do for the stress until this rebellion is over. My belly is so protruding now. It sticks out just so I can't see my feet, and if I had to take a guess, I'd say I was about six and a half months pregnant, which meant that there wouldn't be that much time left.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Peeta asks as he opens the door to our little room and sees me laying in bed once again. It is one of those sick days again, and I feel as though I can't even move to look at Peeta. I know that he feels sorry for me, but there is really nothing he could do for me.

"I'm fine." I say, my voice cracking just a bit. It is hoarse from me being in bed all day. If I had to guess, I'd say it was the early afternoon, and I had yet to get up. "But I am a little hungry." I tell him. I really don't know if I should eat anything though. I can barely keep anything down, but I know that the baby needs nutrients. "Could you bring me something to eat, and some of those herbs from my mother?" I ask as I stare at the white walls.

"Sure." Peeta answered. "I'll be right back." I then hear the door open and close, and I know he is gone. I sigh through my nose, and I can only wonder when this is over. I imagine that we are back home in district twelve, that the rebellion is over, and that our baby is safe and sound, healthy, and we are happy. I wish that would happen soon, but I know that we'll be stuck in thirteen for a while now. I don't mind it here, it's just that it doesn't feel like home much to me.

I am still staring at the walls of this tiny room, wishing that I was somewhere else. Maybe in the woods, with my bow? I couldn't wait to be able to catch a squirrel again. As I am lost there in my thoughts, there is suddenly a flutter in my abdomen, and it scares me. My hand flies to the spot immediately, and I am so confused. What could it be? I hold my breath, and then suddenly, there it is again. The tiny flutter in my stomach, and I can only think of one thing; the baby is moving around. This is the first time I've felt he or she move, and I can't help but to have a smile cross my face. "At least you're healthy..." I whisper to the baby as I rubbed my stomach. It didn't want to stop moving though, and he or she kept kicking and rolling around, that I was laughing. It was a weird feeling.

"What's so funny?" Peeta asks as he returns to the room with my food. I turn slowly and sit up so that I can eat in bed, and Peeta sits the food down on the table beside the bed.

"The baby keeps moving... It feels strange." I tell him.

"Really?" He asks, and I nod again.

"Give me your hands." I say and Peeta obliges as I place his hands on my stomach where I last felt the baby move. We waited for a few seconds, until finally I felt that familiar flutter again. "Did you feel that?" I asked, but the look on his face already told me the answer. His blue eyes were shining, and a smile covered his full lips.

"Wow..." Was all he said, and I could tell that he was happy. "That's really something." And it was. Never in my life had I experienced a feeling like feeling your own child inside of you. It was amazing. "I love you Katniss." Peeta tells me again and again, and we share a quick kiss. Now I knew for sure that the baby would be here soon, and hopefully the rebellion would be over by then.


	19. Prue

One by one, each of the districts become stronger as time went on. Each of them were able to conquer the capitol's forces, which were very strong forces. Bombs were dropped, and special security were sent into each of the districts. The fight was going well, and all wounded in the districts were sent here so that my mother and Prim could care for them. The capitol was still unaware of district thirteen's whereabouts, that's why people hid out here. The odds of the rebellion, were in our favor, and I couldn't be more happier.

I could tell that things were coming to an end, and so could Peeta, and so could Haymitch. Even Prim was getting excited about being able to return home to twelve. I knew when this was all over, there was going to be a lot of rebuilding that had to be done. District twelve was probably a pile of rubble right now, as most of the other districts probably were. But we knew that if the capitol could be overthrown, we could live in so much more peace, like here in thirteen.

President Snow made broadcasts sometimes, and he looked more rugged in each one. I think he knew it was because we were winning. The rebellion was taking over, and he hated it. He lied most of the time, saying how the capitol had everything under control, but we knew better. We knew that this would be over soon, and the capitol would not be winning, and President Snow would not be coming out of this thing alive.

The baby could come any day now, so I was trying to be very careful with every single thing that I did. My mother kept me under close watch because when the time came, she was going to act as a midwife, and delivery the baby. I was excited, because I would finally be getting to meet this person that had been inside me all this time, but I was also scared. Scared that my baby wouldn't have a home to go home to... Scared that there might be something wrong with it. In my heart, I knew everything was going to be okay, but I couldn't get my head to come around to that idea.

I know I said that I never wanted to have kids, but now looking back at things, I think I might have had a few eventually. Especially if I got to have them with Peeta. Maybe they'd grow up to be something better than we were, and if the capitol was overthrown, imagine all the things that they could do. The possibilities were endless, and they would have a beautiful life.

Tonight was the night, I could tell for sure that the baby was going to be born tonight. Peeta and I were in our usual room, trying to sleep, but there was this unfamiliar pressure that I wasn't used to feeling. It kept me from going to sleep and it was really bothering me. Peeta was sitting up, sketching something, and I sat up too. He looked over at me immediately, as if he already knew something was wrong. Now, I didn't know if this pressure was a good thing or a bad thing, so I didn't know if anything was wrong or not. "My back hurts." I say as I finally sat up all the way.

Peeta puts down his sketch pad and places his hand on the small of my back to help me sit up, "How bad does it hurt?" He asks me as I look over into those baby blues.

"Not too bad..." I say, but am then interrupted by this sharp pain in my abdomen. I hiss in pain as my eyebrows knit together. "Okay, it hurts really bad..." I say nodding my head.

"Do you think it's the baby?" Peeta asks and I nod again. "I'll go get your mom..." He trails off, and climbs out of the small bed in a hurry, and is out the door within a minute. My hand immediately goes to my abdomen, and I rub it, trying to ease some of the pain, but it's no use. The sharp pains keep coming, and that's how I conclude that there will be a baby in my arms by the end of the night. My mom and Peeta come back into the room, and help me out of bed the best that they can. I know they're taking me to the medical station so that I can have my baby with a few medical supplies.

The pain is unbearable, and I don't know what to do as I am laying down on one of the medical beds. My mom is talking to me, but I can't make out what she's saying. All I can concentrate on is the pain. Peeta holds my hand and watches what my mother is doing, and suddenly Prim is at the end of the medical bed helping my mom too. I just want this baby out, and I just want this pain to end.

A few hours later, after my pain filled labor, Peeta and I's baby is finally here. It is a girl, and I think that she looks like Peeta. Those same baby blue oceans for eyes, that same frosty blond hair, and she is beautiful. News travels through thirteen, and everyone knows that the baby is born. "She's beautiful..." I tell Peeta as he's holding the baby.

"What should we name her?" Peeta asked suddenly. I know I probably should have thought of a name earlier but it had never crossed my mind.

I shrug, "Give me a moment to think." I tell him, and I wrack my mind for a good name for my baby. "We can name her Prue..." I say without even thinking. "The P for Prim's name, and Rue for Rue..." I trail off as I look up at Peeta. He's smiling, so I think he likes it. It would be a fitting name, and it is name that has meaning. I truly love it.

Peeta thinks for a moment before answering, "Prue is a beautiful name." I am holding Prue in my arms, Peeta by my side, with my mother and Prim, and Haymitch of course... When suddenly, there is another broadcast, and it is President Snow. He says that he is surrendering.


	20. Epilogue

**Author's Note: This story was so cool and fun to write, and if y'all have any requests let me know with a PM.**

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One year later...

It has been a year since President Snow's execution, and since then the districts have been being rebuilt quickly. All of my family; Peeta, Prue, Prim, mom, and Haymitch are all back in twelve. We live beside each other in our small houses, and the districts are functioning well without the capitol. We are at peace.

Gale is okay too. When we returned from district thirteen he was right here waiting for me. He had fought, and all I could do was hug him and cry, and thank god that he was okay. He told me about the rebellion, every single thing that ever happened, but I didn't want to talk about that... I was just glad that it was over. I talk to him about the baby, and he plays with her too. She calls him uncle Gale, even though she can barely talk, and Gale and I's friendship is back to normal.

I hunt in the woods whenever I want, and I can't wait until Prue gets older so I can take her with me. I take Prim sometimes, but she doesn't like it too well. She'd rather be inside, messing with some herbs, or some new medical concoction. I'm just glad that life is back to normal, well, at least as normal as it's going to get.

I sit in the rocking chair, looking out the window of our new home. I watch as Primrose plays in the meadow with Prue, who walks along on chubby and stumbling legs. Peeta is baking bread, and our house smells of vanilla and sugar. I am relaxed, and I am happy. Everything is okay.

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**Author's Note: Hey guys... So we've reached the end of this fanfiction, and I think it did pretty well for my very first Hunger Games fanfiction. A lot of you guys said Katniss was out of character, but that's okay, because I knew she would be. After all, this is only my first story for this fandom. So what did you guys think? Do you think I should do more Hunger Games fics? Because I do have a lot planned out. Just leave a review and let me know. Also, I am taking multichapter requests at the moment, so just PM if you have anything. Thank you all for reading and supporting me, I love y'all so much. Stay fabulous, and look for more stories soon!**


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Hunger Games, Hurt-Comfort, Romance