This chapter is another one that I re-edited to make it just that much more readable. I can't believe how bad my grammar was when I started this story. Well this is much better than before. Have fun reading!
chapter 3:
"Peeta!" I yell from the couch.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing, how could they know? The Capitol was not innocent, everyone knew that, paparazzi followed Peeta and I relentlessly for the first year that we were back in District 12. Finally, they got bored with us and left, only bothering to come back for the wedding the next year. But no one has seen them around the District since, and that only meant one thing to me; someone told.
"What?" Peeta asks when he came in the room. He must have been baking because he had flour all up his front and in his hair, which was a mess. It would have been comical and I certainly would have laughed if it weren't for the situation.
"Is something wrong?" he says, and comes to sit next to me.
"Watch." I reply and point to the TV. Just then, a picture of us flashes on to screen; it was from our wedding, we were standing at the alter right after the mayor had said "you may now kiss the bride" and Peeta had dipped me down and kissed me. Then a clip of us from our first Games appears; it was us talking in the cave. Peeta put his arm around me as I at the memories.
"Katniss," Peeta coos, "I don't understand. They show a tribute of us on TV around this time every year. Why are we watching this?" Peeta just looks at me with concern, he knew I never like to watch TV, especially when it's about us.
"Just watch." I tell him.
Peeta looks back at the screen when Caesar's face reappeares.
"Welcome back!" he announces to the audience. "And boy do I have big news for you!" Peeta glances down at me again with confusion and I just shake my head and point back to the screen. "Now it has been a while since we have heard from the star crossed lovers of District 12, but I have got some big information you will all want to hear." The audience gets quiet as they prepare for the big news. I tense beside Peeta, already knowing what's coming.
"It looks like there is going to be one more soon to be citizen of District 12 that we will fall in love with!" I look up to see Peeta's eyes get wide as he starts to realize what was coming next. "That's right, you heard it here," here it comes, "that's right, a baby Mockingjay!" he shouts. The entire crowd erupts in cheers and applause. Peeta turns his head and looks at me in shock. Neither of us can believe that they had found out- we haven't even told Haymitch yet!
I bury my face in Peeta's chest and he wraps his arms tighter around me. I don't know whether to be angry or sad, to hit something or cry my eyes out. All I know is that the Capitol knows that I am pregnant and someone sold me out.
"What do we do?" I Whimper as I hear Peeta turn off the TV.
"There is nothing we can do." He sighs. "We just have to wait and see what happens." That was certainly not reassuring. Usually Peeta is the one to find the best in every situation. The optimist, the rock, but there seems to be no upside in this predicament.
"Well," he says, placing a kiss in my hair, "at least now we don't have to tell your mom."
My mom. Leave it to Peeta to bring up one of the things I have been dreading most ever since I found out that I am pregnant. I don't know how she'd react to the news, heck I haven't even talked to her since she moved out of the District. I would get a phone call maybe once a year just saying 'hi' and 'how are you', but they never lasted more than ten minutes. But still, it would be hard to find out your only surviving daughter is pregnant on the news.
I groan at the thought and Peeta chuckles. "What's so funny?" I ask him. When he doesn't say anything I pick my head up off his chest and stare at him.
"You know who we have to tell now, right?" He grins. I just sit there staring at him dumbly until the meaning of the words hit me. I groan again and drop my head back onto his shoulder. "He would hate it if the whole District was talking about it and we didn't even bother to tell him. We both know he doesn't watch the news."he reasons.
"Do we have to tell Haymitch?" I ask. Peeta just laughs and kisses my head again before standing up.
"Come on," he says, "it won't be that bad." I stand from the couch and glare at Peeta.
"He is going to kill us you know." I retort. "For not telling him first."
"Well it wasn't our fault that all of Panem was told." Peeta replies coolly.
"I wasn't talking about that," I reply. I walked over to where he was standing behind the couch and wrap my arms around his waist, he wraps his arms around me and looks straight into my eyes. "I was talking about the fact that Effie knew before anyone."
This time Peeta is the one to let out a groan. He places his hands on my face and leans his forehead against mine. "He is going to to try to kill us for that. But guess what?" he teases.
"What?" I play along.
"I'll protect you." he smiles and I laugh at how corny he is.
He captures my lips in a passionate kiss and the whole world goes fuzzy. I reach my arms up and tangle my fingers in his hair and he wraps his arms around my waist pulling me flush against him, deepening the kiss. When we finally come up for air, we are both breathing heavily.
"Okay," I finally breath, "lets go tell Haymitch."
We get out winter jackets and shoes on and walk over to Haymitch and Effie's house hand in hand. When Haymitch lived alone, it was not necessary to knock, now that Effie is there she insists that we knock because it is "rude" to just come into someone else's home. Peeta knocks on the door and a moment later it is answered by none other than Effie Trinket herself.
Effie is a completely different person when she was at home. She has no wig on, no make up, no ridiculous cloths and neon colors with six inch heels to match. Instead, she is a surprisingly very pretty woman. She has blond hair and blue eyes and fair skin. She is only five foot two but you would never know that unless you saw her without the heels on. She wore a pretty dark blue shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants with slippers peaking out of the bottoms. She actually looks normal for a change.
"Katniss, Peeta!" she greets us, "Come in!" she steps aside and lets us into the house. It is much, much cleaner since Effie moved in. It now looks like a beautiful home that anyone would be proud to live in, it even smelled like lilacs.
"Haymitch," Effie calls up the stairs, "We have visitors!" she turns and grins at us before offering Peeta a drink and me a glass of water, winking at me knowingly. Peeta just respectfully declines and asks for a drink of water instead. Effie smiles at us and went to get us drinks, telling us to settle into the living room. We did and moments later, Haymitch came down the stairs.
He was dressed in the same sort of attire Effie was in, a t-shirt and some sweatpants; it is not much different than what Peeta and I wear on a daily bases in our own household.
"What are you two doing here?" he asks when he sees us sitting on the couch.
"Haymitch!" Effie scolds as she walks into the room with the waters. "That is terribly rude. Katniss and Peeta are our guest." she then tunrs and looks at us. "So what brings you here today?" she asks politely.
I just look up at Peeta for help. "Katniss and I would like to tell you something." he says. Peeta reaches out and grasps my hand in his. "Haymitch," he says, "you might want to sit down."
"Oh gosh." Haymitch grunts as he plopps down on the love seat facing us. "What trouble did you manage to get yourselves into this time?" Effie reappears from the kitchen with a glass of wine for Haymitch and herself. She looks over at me and smiles in encouragement. I then realize that everyone is waiting for me to speak.
"Um," I say, "well, uh. Peeta and I... well I...we," I stutter.
"Spit it out girl." Haymitch says. Effie just elbows him in the ribs and told him to hush.
I take a deep breath and just decide to get it over with. "I'm pregnant."
Haymitch almost spit his whole glass of wine out of his mouth when the words leave my lips. He just stares dumbfounded for a moment, his eyes shifting between me, Peeta, and my stomach. Finally Effie broke the uncomfortable silence.
"Congratulations!" she shouts. She then proceedes to get up and hug me like the day when she had found out, although this time I welcome it and embrace her back.
"Thank you, Effie." I say to her with a smile.
"Haymitch?" Peeta calls.
"I can't believe it." he mutters, along with something else I can't understand.
"What was that?" Peeta asks, obviously not hearing the second part either.
"I'm going to be a Grandpa!" Haymitch exclaims as he stood up. He gins widely at us and comes over in front of me and Peeta. "I can't believe he got you knocked up so fast! I thought it was going to take ages!" I just laugh along with Peeta and Effie scowls at how rude Haymitch's comment was.
"It wasn't on purpose." I tell him truthfully. "We weren't planning it."
"Who cares!" Haymitch exclaims once more. "I'm going to be a Grandpa! This is the best week of my life!" he then wrapped Peeta and I up in a big hug.
"Wait," Peeta says, "best week? Alright I know the baby is great news and all but did we really make your week?"
"Actually," Effie interjects as she raises her left hand, "he asked me to marry him two days ago and I said yes!" she squeals in excitement. To my surprise, I was squealing too, must be the hormones.
"Congratulations!" Peeta and I say and Peeta claps Haymitch on the back and I hug Effie.
We spend the rest of the night talking about wedding plans and babies. By the time Peeta and I get home, it is ten thirty and I am to exhausted to do anything but sleep, we had already eaten at Haymitch's and I am stuffed.
"Did you have a fun night tonight baby?" I ask quietly to myself as I rub my stomach as we settle into bed.
"I think the baby is tired, and so are you." Peeta says. "you need to get some rest." any other night I would protest and tell Peeta he was being over protective, but I was to tired to argue. But I had to talk to him about one thing before we go to sleep.
"Peeta." I say shyly.
"Yeah?" he replies sleepily, already getting into position to go to sleep.
"We need to start thinking of baby names." I tell him. He rolls over and looks at me in the dark of our room.
"How about this. Tomorrow, since I have the day off, we can spend the whole day talking about baby names, deal?" he asks.
"deal." I say, and we both lay down for bed, Peeta taking me into his arms and settling one hand over my stomach like always.
"I love you." He whispers in my ear before giving me a peck on the cheek.
"I love you too." I reply. That night I have no nightmares.
There you have it; chapter 3 remastered! I hope you enjoyed and get ready for the fluff that is baby names next chapter!
I love you all!
-LM