A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry I've taken longer to update for I have just been very busy with school and some other things. Hope you all enjoy this chapter! Remember, if you review, I'll give you recognition in the next chapter! And a HUGE thank you to Russetfire who reviewed the last chapter all of you who have already reviewed, followed, or favorited this story! It makes me feel so much better about my writing! xo
And by the way, is there anything I need to improve in this story? I don't mind you critiquing my story as long as you aren't rude about it.
This is a longer chapter, so I hope that makes you happier :)
~Katniss~
Branches brushed against my face as I walked around the forest. I ran my fingers over the tiny flowers that grew on the shrubs. Animals pranced in a circle around me. Someone came over to me, putting a crown of flowers on my head. I looked around the forest, smiling softly. I was happy. Nothing could get in the way of my current bliss.
But happiness doesn't last forever.
Everything seemed to disappear when someone let out a scream. The ground shook beneath my feet as bombs fell in the distance. I started running, trying to find where all the commotion was coming from. Somehow, I felt as if I was in the arena again.
Once I had reached the end of the forest, I felt a gasp escape my lips. Bombs. Everywhere. People were laying on the field, burned and lifeless. Others tried to escape to safety, but the bombs caught them before they got away.
"Katniss! Help me!" That was her. She tried running to me. I tried to escape the branches that held my wrists captive, but every time I would pull, a thorn would pierce my skin. Before she could make it, I watched her die right before my eyes. I thrashed around, not caring that I was nearly bleeding to death.
She was gone. She was gone. She was gone.
Those words repeated in my head as I screamed. I felt as if my heart had stopped beating right then and there. Suddenly, a sinister laugh filled my ears. I felt the nerve to hurt whoever had done this to my sister and everyone else on the field.
"Look who's trying to be the hero again."
That was Gale. Seeing him made my heart twist with anger. Someone who used to be my best friend was now the enemy. I suddenly felt a sickening feeling form at the pit of my stomach. Gale pulled a knife out of his back pocket rubbing it against my cheek. My next instinct was to try to snatch it out of his hand, but I couldn't afford to lose anymore blood or I would be dead anyway.
"Let me make a deal with you, Catnip. I can either kill you now. Or...I can let you go and you can die by getting bombed."
"I would be dead either way." I whispered hoarsely. Gale took his knife, standing up. He stood silently for a few seconds before jabbing me in the chest. Everything suddenly went back as I fell to my fate.
"Katniss! It's okay! You just had a nightmare!" The reassuring words of Peeta washed me back into reality. Sweat trickled down my face as I panted with fear. The sweat suddenly turned into tears and my face fell into his chest.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I just want her back." I spoke breathlessly as Peeta hugged me tightly, rubbing my back. "It's all my fault, Peeta. I should've saved her when I could." I sobbed into his chest.
"Shhh, you're okay. I promise nothing is you're fault. It's okay." He whispered in hushed tones to me. "I love you, Katniss."
My mind raced with thoughts and memories. Of the bombings. Of the Games. Of Prim. And, of Gale. I tried to stay positive, but with the nightmare, it seemed impossible. I don't blame Gale for my sister's death, but...I don't exactly believe that he wasn't responsible for it.
"What time is it?" I asked once I had composed myself.
"About six in the morning. I fed Willow about two hours ago, so she should be waking up soon."
"Happy birthday by the way." I said after a short pause. "I can't wait to celebrate tonight."
"I love you. It's going to be the best birthday ever; just getting to spend the day with you and Willow." He said with a small smile.
"Except I'm not looking forward to taking her to the doctor to get her immunizations. I can't take to see her in pain."
Since Willow was already two months old, Dr. Jackson said it was time for us to take her to get another checkup. Not only would she be getting a checkup, but she would also be getting her required immunizations. Though I was hesitant at first, Dr. Jackson had finally convinced me that her immunity would suffer if she didn't have them.
"That's going to be a very interesting birthday present." Peeta said getting out of bed. I decided to get up as well to get ready for this busy day.
"...and you get to see Dr. Jackson, how fun does that sound?" I tried to hide my anxious emotions while I dressed Willow in weather appropriate clothes. October had just rolled in, and the District gets very cold around this time of year. Other than the drowsy weather, winter was probably the hardest time for me. It brought back too many memories of old friends and family that I'll never be able to see again. It also brought back the nightmares. I never understood was so significant about this time of year.
"Ready to go?" Peeta looked in the nursery with Willow's bag draped over his shoulder.
"I think so; I hope so. We better get going before we're late." I have never been a very punctual person, but I was ready to get this over with.
I wrapped Willow in a thick blanket, putting her head to my chest. I didn't want to go through the hassle of getting out her baby seat, so this seemed just as efficient. Peeta and I trailed sluggishly through the door, feeling the nip of the cool air brush against our faces.
"What are you two doing getting out in this freezing cold weather with that little one? A little insane if you ask me." I heard Haymitch call from his porch. He was outside feeding those stupid geese that won't ever shut up.
"Good morning to you too, Haymitch." I said sarcastically. "Are you still coming to dinner tonight?"
"Sure. Sounds...fun." He sat in his chair on the porch, peeling an apple with his knife. Peeta waved to him again as we walked out of the village onto the roads of the District. There were not very many people out today. I guess everyone was inside keeping warm. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw three children bickering at each other. It's very rare to see something like this.
"Hey! Give that back to me!" The little girl shouted to the boys, who looked like they were in their early teens.
"Finders, keepers, shorty." One of the boys teased holding the little girl's doll up in the air as she jumped for it. The other boy laughed in the distance. I handed Willow over to Peeta, going over to try to stop the commotion.
"Katniss..." Peeta tried to pull me back.
"I can handle this. I promise." I said trailing over there. The little girl looked relieved to see that I had come over there. "Boys, please stop teasing this little girl and give her back her doll." I said trying to sound polite.
"You're not the boss of us. We can do what we want." One of the boys retorted angrily.
"Yeah, we can do what we want. We don't need adult supervision." The other boy mimicked.
"Give her doll back before I talk to your mother about this." I said, my tone rising with anger.
"Our mother doesn't even like you." The boy threw the doll down then ran off with his friend. I picked up the doll, handing it to the girl who was looking extremely frightened at this point. Her clothes were ripped, and her hair was ragged. Her eyes looked glassy with tears as she sucked her thumb. I bent down to her.
"Hey, what's your name?" I asked in a whisper.
"Caroline." She stated, stepping back a little.
"Hi Caroline, my name is Katniss. Where's your mommy at?" She shrugged, wrapping her arms around my neck, squeezing tight. What should I do?
"Do you want to come with us? I have to take my baby to the doctor, and then, we can find your mommy, okay?" She nodded, and I picked her up, carrying her over to where Peeta and Willow were.
"Who's this?" Peeta asked, motioning to Caroline.
"This is Caroline. She's going to be with us for the day." I said, giving the little information that I knew.
"The more, the merrier." Peeta smiled, as we continued to the medical center.
"Hello friends, glad to see you again." Dr. Jackson greeted us when he walked into the little room. He pulled out a clipboard, skimming over it. "So, I see that Miss Willow is going to receive some immunizations today, right?"
"Yes sir." I answered formally. I held her in my arms, not wanting to let her go.
Dr. Jackson motioned for me to lay her down onto the table. He checked her vitals quickly, before going to get the needles. He filled them with medicine, and I felt my heart start to race. I tried to distract my daughter so that Dr. Jackson could prick her. The two needles went into her small legs as her faced turned red. She cried with agony when Dr. Jackson bandaged her up.
"She has good lungs. I'll give you that." Dr. Jackson remarked. I ignored him, cradling my daughter as she cried. I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying not to cry myself. I stroked her head, swaying her.
"Doctor, do you know Caroline?" Peeta asked, remembering our new friend. Dr. Jackson looked down at the small girl as she hid behind Peeta.
"I believe I've seen her when I was practicing as a doctor. Why do you want to know?" Dr. Jackson said.
"We found her on the street across from here. We were wondering if you know her parents." I said, dressing Willow back into her clothes.
"I'll check our records and call you later. Have a nice day." Dr. Jackson walked out of the small room. I wrapped Willow back in her blanket, handing her to Peeta then I picked up Caroline.
"Your baby is really cute." Caroline whispered to me, making me smile as we left the office.
Delly and Posy were waiting for us when we got home, already decorating the house with party decorations. I told Peeta to go put Willow inside her crib since she was already asleep. Caroline, noticing new people, wanted to hide behind my legs shyly.
"Who's this cutie?" Posy bent down, trying to get Caroline to talk to her.
"Her name is Caroline. Posy, do you mind going to give her a bath? I think I have another cleaner outfit she can wear."
Posy nodded with a smile. "Do you want to come with me? I'll get you all cleaned up." She coaxed until Caroline finally grabbed her hand then they walked back into the bathroom.
"What are you going to do with her?" Delly asked when she and Peeta walked back into the living room.
"I don't know yet. Dr. Jackson said he would give us a call once he found who her parents were. But, I was thinking...if he can't find her parents, maybe..you could keep her." I anxiously waited her reaction.
"What?! Me? Katniss, you've got to be joking! I can't keep a little girl. I'm not even married!" Delly exclaimed, grabbing my arms.
"I know, I know. It'll only be for a little while until we can find a stable home for her. Please Delly, she's a homeless little girl who knows nothing except fear. Please."
"Alright. I'll do it." She whispered hesitantly.
"Thank you." I said, hugging Delly.
"Posy! Let's go play some more!" Caroline tried to drag Posy out of the kitchen once everything was finished for the party. Once Posy had gotten her cleaned up, I found an old blue dress that I had kept from when I was Caroline's size. That was one of the things that wasn't destroyed in the bombings. So, Posy and I put the dress on her and put her hair into a small braid with a blue ribbon tied at the end.
"Caroline..." Posy groaned.
"Come on, please! You promised." Caroline began to pout.
"Okay, let's go." The two girls ran out together while Peeta, Delly, and I trailed back into bye living room. Exhaustion had overtaken me, and I was just ready to sit down.
"Everything is ready. Now all we need is the guests." Delly sat down, taking a deep breath.
"There won't be many of us here. Most likely." I said, sipping some water that I had.
Caroline ran in the room, exclaiming breathlessly: "Katniss! Your baby is awake, and Posy has her!" She spoke so quick that I almost didn't understand her. I stood up, following her into the back room. Willow was crying in Posy's arms. Posy tried her best to calm her down, but Willow wasn't cooperating very well.
"Here, why don't I take her, and you can play with Caroline some more." I said after Posy started to look frustrated. Posy sighed then handed the baby over to me. Willow instantly calmed down once she was in my arms.
"She had a long day." I said when I noticed that Posy's face formed a sad expression.
Our small house suddenly filled with some close friends later that evening. I haven't seen this many people in one place in a while. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Even Haymitch, who I remembered being the gruff old mentor, was holding my daughter, softly talking to her as she glanced at him.
"So you just found the little girl on the road?" Hazelle asked me as she helped me wash some dishes from dinner.
"Yes, I'm really hoping Dr. Jackson can find records of her parents. I'd really hate to be that one person that just took a child off the road and worry the parents sick."
"Don't worry, everything will work out for the better." She answered simply, drying the last dish.
When we went back into the living room, Peeta, Posy, and Caroline had Willow laying on one of her blankets while they helped her do "sit-ups." I couldn't help but laugh at Willow's little expressions as she tried the new exercise.
"Peeta, sweetheart, please stop now. She just ate, remember? I really don't want to deal with regurgitated formula tonight." I chastened lightly when Willow started to look a little sick.
"Momma won't let us have any fun, will she, little girl?" He brought her over to me, kissing her head.
"Oh, I forgot! Katniss and I have something to show you, Peeta!" Delly exclaimed, running over to grab both of our arms. She dragged us into the hall of our house with everyone following behind us. She opened the door leading to the art studio Delly and I put together for Peeta. He's been wanting one for a few years, but when I became pregnant, an art studio was out of the question.
"Earlier this month, Delly reminded me of the spare room that we had, and I remembered that you wanted an art studio. It was hard to keep the secret from you, but we finally managed to put it together." I said as Peeta walked around the room in awe.
"Thank you so much. I love it." He said, hugging both Delly and me.
"And Greasy Sae's granddaughter along with Posy has provided you with a supply of white canvas." Delly said, grinning at Posy.
"Only the best in the District for the best." Posy mused. Peeta hugged her as well.
"And Willow contributed for your present too." Delly handed Peeta a small frame that contained a picture in some flowers at the Meadow.
"Perfect." He breathed silently, setting it up on his desk.
"I didn't know she was such a good cooperator." I laughed looking at the photo again. I looked down at Willow, who was already yawning again.
"Well, looks like the party's over. The youngest wants to snooze." Haymitch said shifting his glance to Willow.
"And someone has school tomorrow." Hazelle looked at Posy with a brief smile. Posy groaned going to stand by her mother.
"Well, thank you to everyone who came. Our friendships is what truly makes a birthday special. And, thank you for these great gifts. They are everything I ever wanted." Peeta sounded as if he was giving a friendly speech.
"I just came for the food." Haymitch joked. I rolled my eyes as we all left the studio. Our house was soon empty again in short minutes. Delly and Caroline decided to stay behind for a while to help clean up some more.
"Since Peeta's birthday isn't over yet, I was thinking you two could travel to the meadow. Just to have some alone time together. I could even watch Willow."
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. Want to?" Peeta looked over at me. Pushing my preferences aside, I hesitantly agreed.
"But please have Willow ready for bed when we get back." I said grabbing my coat and boots. Delly nodded as I handed Willow over to her.
"I can't imagine what it would be like if we were in a war again. If I was hijacked again. We wouldn't be able to do this." Peeta said as we laid in the grass looking at the stars.
"And I don't know why you're thinking of that on your special day. Peeta, I haven't forgotten the past, but it's not something I want to talk about right now. We're celebrating you, not the fact that were no longer in a war." I said, laying my head on top of his chest. He stroked my back softly, sighing.
"I miss being able to do this when we were first married. Just to come out here once I came home from work and just dream of the stars."
"Me too. It always made me calmer somehow. My nightmares weren't so bad then." I remarked, slowly sitting up again. "But, I could never change the journey I've walked through in the last year. The decision to carry an innocent being inside me was the most toughest decision I've made, but when I look into our daughter's eyes, I know that I made the right decision." I felt a lump form in my throat. Tears threatened to shed from my eyes.
"I love you, Katniss. Don't ever forget that. You are the toughest, most determined person I've met in my life. Thank you for everything."
"Oh Peeta..." I breathed, but he stopped me with a kiss. His lips trailed down my neck, sending cold shivers down my spine. I haven't felt this passionate in a while.
My heart raced faster than usual as we made love to each other. The feeling of Peeta's hungry lips on mine was the best feeling I've felt in a while. But, it wasn't long until I remembered how late it had gotten.
"Peeta?"
"Mmm?" He was still dazed.
"I've enjoyed this, but remember, we have a certain someone waiting on us." I stood up, dusting the grass off that had stuck on my clothing. Peeta followed suit, and we trailed back home shortly.
"Thank goodness you're home!" Delly hugged us both. Her exhausted expression worried me a little.
"Hey Delly, is everything okay? I didn't know Willow was that much work." I asked softly.
"Yes, everything's fine. Willow wouldn't stop crying until after I gave her a warm bath and bottle. I think those immunizations took a toll on her. She's in the nursery with Caroline right now." Delly explained. I took off my jacket and boots going to wash my hands first. Willow sat in her bouncer as Caroline read a book to her. She tried so hard to pay attention.
"Look Willow, your mommy is back!" Caroline told her happily when I stepped into the nursery.
"Hi sweet girl, did you have fun with Caroline?" I unstrapped her from the bouncer. I could tell her eyelids were getting heavy as I laid her head on my shoulder.
"Aww, someone found their comfy spot." Delly said when I walked back into living room. She stroked Willow's head then grabbed her things. "Well, I guess I better get going. It was fun you guys. Caroline, come on sweetie!"
"Thank you. I really appreciate everything."
Delly smiled, walking out with Caroline in her arms.
I gently rocked Willow, humming a melody I had heard many times when I was younger. Every position I put her in, she would try to squirm out of my arms, and when she couldn't, she would cry just hoping that she would get her way.
"You're so restless tonight. I don't understand." I sighed, laying her in the crook of my arm again.
"Maybe she doesn't want to sleep." Peeta laughed, bending down to both of us. Willow had calmed enough to change her glance to him. "Right. You just want to play all night long so you won't have to sleep."
Then, it happened. Her tiny lips formed into a wide, toothless grin. I felt myself gasp with joy and my heart felt warm. I can't imagine how Peeta is feeling right now. His blue eyes are full of pride and his smile looks full of joy.
"Okay, this is truly the best part of my birthday. I've never felt this happy since she was born." He mused, smiling wider.
Suddenly, I heard the phone start to ring. I quickly handed Willow over to Peeta as I went to get it.
"Hello?"
"Katniss?"
"Yes, this is her."
"Hello Katniss, this is Dr. Jackson.."
"Oh, hello doctor! Willow just smiled for the first time!"
"I'm glad to hear that. Now, on the whole Caroline issue.."
"What did you find?"
"Well from the records, it seems that her father is no longer living, but her mother is still alive. I'm going to try to investigate further to see where her mother currently lives."
"Do you know who it is, doctor?"
I was not prepared for what he was about to tell me.
"Johanna Mason."
I felt my heart stop and everything started to go mute. I knew Dr. Jackson was telling me other details, but I was too shocked to make them out.
Johanna had a daughter?
weird cliffhanger, I know :/ please read & review! thanks xx
