A/N so this is the one shot as promised for growing together again. It will explain the back story. You can enjoy this story without reading GTA (and I don't mean grand theft auto) but it's better reading that.
Katniss pov
I sit on the couch, after the baby shower with Peeta and Haymitch. Peeta gets up to go help Effie write down stuff for the thank you letters, but I'm so tired and my ankles are so swollen that all I want to do is sit.
"So Haymitch, will you tell me the story about the crib?"I ask.
He gets a bittersweet look on his face and nods.
"Madeline Fawn, she was a merchant like me, lived a house down and I grew up with her. We started dating when we were 16. And we wanted to get married when were 18. But we knew we had to get there first. But a week before the reaping when we were 17, we did a toasting, just us and of course had sex. Right before the reaping, she found out she was pregnant."
He looks down at his hands.
"I had started to carve a crib before the reaping. Actually I got the wood from your grandpa. Your dad's dad used to bring whatever wood he could find in the woods to the town. Anyways, when I got reaped, I promised to come back to them. But after my stunt, the capital wasn't happy."
"One night, when I was nearly done creating the crib, peacekeepers ran in and took her from me. They murdered her right in front of me. The two people I loved. So I almost destroyed the crib so many times, but I couldn't bring myself to it. It was a piece of what could have been. Eventually I decided to just put it away. I didn't know how I would ever use it, but I had to keep it."
"That day when you told me you were pregnant, I pulled it out and cleaned it up. Then I finished it. I always figured it would become an heirloom, but I thought it would go to my real spawn. But I couldn't be happier with it going to you two. It's meant to be used for your kids, my grandchildren."
Tears run down his cheek.
"How'd you do it?"
"What?"
"How we're you able to bring it out again if it was so painful?"
"I was thinking of you and Peeta."
"Haymitch,"I say as tears well up in my eyes and spill onto my cheeks. He smiles at me and says"don't become all emotional on me, sweetheart."
But I get up anyways and hug him tightly. "Too bad, I'm pregnant and hormonal, I can't help it!"
"You know, sweetheart, you and Peeta are like my children, and even though you two can annoy the shit out of me, I love you guys like my own children."
We stand there hugging each other and silently crying until Peeta comes in. Haymitch let's me go and kisses my forehead. Then he goes over and does that weird guy hug with Peeta. Then he's gone.
Later that night, after Effie has been taken to the train station and we lay in bed, Peeta asks,"what happened?"
"Haymitch told me how he had the crib." After that I retell the story to Peeta, who is shocked by it.
"Wow, poor Haymitch..."He says solemnly,"I couldn't imagine kissing you guys."
That night, Peeta holds me tightly and never lets go.