Hey Everyone! Just wanted to let all of you know, I do not own anything of the Hunger Games series, and that I hope you all like the story!
"No!" I screamed into the darkness and shot up out of bed, my hands wrapped around my bloated stomach in protection. Beside me, I felt Peeta jolt awake from my yelp. I was breathing hard and sweat was rolling down my face just as the rain was falling on the windows.
"Katniss?" Peeta looked me over, his eyes wide with alert. "Are you alright?" His hands moved to either side of my shoulders as I tried to regain consciousness of the situation. I was in bed like every other night. It was storming outside. It was about three in the morning, and I had just jolted awake from a nightmare.
I nodded to reassure him. Ever since the downfall of the Capitol, Peeta has been both defensive and jumpy. "Yes. I'm fine now." My eyes wandered from the sheets down to my stomach. I had about one to two months left and I had grown more protective of it than anything in all of Panem.
"What was happening?" Peeta asked. He knew all too well that it was a nightmare that woke me. Since the last Hunger Games in which we had became the victors, nightmares had haunted us each night. From the time that Captiol fell, Peeta and I have been there every night for each other when either one had a bad dream. And frankly, I wouldn't have had it any other way.
"Snow...and Cato. You were still injured from where Cato cut you. I couldn't fight them off." I closed my eyes, the image of Snow with a bow and arrow pointed at me appearing. My arms wrapped tighter around my abdomen as Peeta's wrapped around me.
"Hey, it's alright. They're gone. Everything's ok," He pressed his lips to my forehead and leaned me against his torso. "Is junior hanging in there?" He rested his hand on my stomach just above my fingers.
I nodded. "Yes, he's ok. Probably just as shaken up as I am." I could feel him moving as we tried to settle back down. "Is she awake?" She being our energetic five hear old daughter, Maddey.
Peeta looked towards the door, paused, and then shook his head. "I think she's sound asleep which I think you should be too. You need your rest." I lay back down beside him as he drew me closer. "Especially for tomorrow." He added against my hair.
I sighed and pressed my forehead against his collarbone. I had done everything in my will to forget about tomorrow. Because I had killed Coin, Plutarch had taken the liberty to become the new temporary leader of Panem. However he had asked several others to help him form a republic. Peeta and I, being some of them. I knew I was never born to be a leader, let alone in a government. So tomorrow we had decided we would go to the conference to announce our decision. I wasn't particularly looking forward to telling Plutarch that we were declining our offer. Especially since we haven't seen him or anyone else from those times since we had moved back to District 12. Or what was left of it, at least. Haymitch, who had undoubtedly returned to his constant drunken state, had been invited to join also. However, being that he had already left for the Capitol a few days ago, we hadn't had time to discuss his choice with him.
"Don't remind me," I grumble and hide my face from the world.
He brushed my hair back behind my ear and smiled down at me. "You are such a baby." He chuckled as we both fell back into unbothered sleep.
"Are you alright?" Peeta asked while he reached for my hand.
I blinked and pulled my eyes from the window of the hovercraft. "Yes, I'm fine." As we flew over the outskirts of Capitol, I felt a sudden drop in my stomach. I hadn't been out here since the end of Snow. Nor did I intend on coming back unless I absolutely had to.
Peeta gave me a skeptic look before sighing. "Don't over think things, Katniss. All we have to do is go in, tell them we're not interested, and leave."
Suddenly, Maddey popped out from behind Peeta's chair and hopped into his lap. "Where are we going, Daddy?" she asked, her blue eyes sparkling.
He glanced over at me before grinning down at her. "To the Capitol, Maddey. Your mother and I have some work that we need to do."
"Will I get to see Uncle Haymitch?" She asked, looking from him to me with pleading eyes. It wasn't my ideal choice to have Haymitch there when she was born. But being both our neighbor and a close friend of Peeta and I, there was nothing that could stop him. Once she began to speak and walk, Maddey grew fond of him, as if he was her best friend. He even shared the feelings and did his best to be sober while around her.
Peeta nodded. "Yes, he will be there."
Maddey, now excited, leaped off his lap and disappeared to the rear of the hovercraft again. I paused before letting my eyes return to the window once more.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked, studying me. Peeta leaned across and took hold of one of my hands latched tightly around my stomach.
I shook my head idly. "It's nothing." I looked down at my shirt to glance at the mockingjay pin that I still owned since the last games. Before I could stop myself, memories of Rue, Gale, and worse, Prim, began to flood into my mind.
Peeta knew me better than that. "Tell me." He grasped my hand between the both of his tightly.
Swallowing, I took my eyes away from the glass and turned in my seat to face him. "Do you remember what we voted on right after the war? Just before Coin and Snow died?"
His eyes traveled across my face as he dug into his memories. I knew that was an edgy time for him with the hijacking of his mind and all, but he has transformed since then. He's his old self once more. "Coin had suggested a last Hunger Games," he stated, looking me in the eye again.
Nodding, I placed my free hand on top of his.
"You're worried now? Why?"
My lips drew themselves into a line. "What if they draw names, Peeta?" My heart pounded in my chest as I thought about my little five year old in the back of the hovercraft.
He shook his head. "Impossible." His voice sounded both stern and cold. "They won't."
"You don't know that," I contradicted, sitting up strait just as Effie had tried to instruct me all those years ago. "You know how things can go wrong easier than you think. Remember the Quell?" I raised my eyebrows.
Peeta stood up in denial, shaking his head ever so slightly. "No. No, it won't happen." His eyes suddenly became focused in on something on the ground as he thought through the given situation. "No. It can't."
I began to gnaw on my lip. "Anything can happen nowadays, Peeta."
"Don't say that." He said in a warning voice.
"Well, what are we going to do?" I asked, sitting upright again and folding my arms over my chest.
"What do you mean?" Peeta's eyes quickly looked up into mine.
"If it does happen."
I watched his jaw tighten and his hands go to his hips. "We'll talk about this after the meeting, okay?"
It was then that I realized the hovercraft had begun to descend down on the city of Capitol.
"Katniss," Effie ran forward, embracing me tightly. "It's so good to see you."
Managing a hug myself, I grinned back at her. "It's good to see you too. Keeping things in order as usual?"
She smirked. "You know me well. And how are you, Peeta? Proud father I presume?" Effie grinned at Maddey who was hiding shyly behind Peeta's leg.
Peeta nodded. "Second one will be here before we know it."
"Looks like we're not playing pretend anymore." A familiar voice said behind us. We turned and saw Plutarch standing in the doorway of the room we were about to go into. He was smiling as he walked towards us. "How are you?" He asked after embracing me.
"Fine, pregnant," I grit my teeth but smiled.
He chuckled and nodded, grasping then shaking Peeta's hand. "It's wonderful to see everyone here again."
"There she is!" Haymitch stepped away from the doors, arms raised, and a wide smile on his face.
Raising an eyebrow, I forced a slightly confused smile. Haymitch had never been this happy to see me…
"Uncle Haymitch!" Maddey darted out from behind Peeta and into Haymitch's awaiting arms. He then picked her up and spun her around.
"Oh! You're getting so big!" He chuckled.
Peeta and I stood there, our mouths popped open. Flabbergasted.