Katniss

' I don't love him like this. I don't love him I don't love him this much. I love him, but not this way." I think miserably as I look over at him. Gale is laughing and playing around with his brothers while his mother looks like she's trying to fix Posy's dress. When he looks my direction and catches my gaze, his face lights up causing painful twists in my stomach and they're not from Leta.

I feel rotten, like a truly despicable person, but this was meant to happen as Gale pointed out to me several times in the last few days. Had Prim's name not been picked, I never would have volunteered as tribute, I never would have actually spoken to Peeta and he and I would have gotten married as soon as I'd finished school. Woman didn't really work in the Seam and I couldn't have stayed with my mother and Prim forever. This was supposed to happen. Gale and I were meant to be together.

" It's not too late Katniss." My little duckling says, drawing my attention back to her. Prim and I had been talking about when Leta was born what we were going to do. Coin had it planned that I was going to go to the Capitol on a mission with Finnick, Johanna and Gale, but only once Leta was born. Once Leta was born, I wasn't going to need the stupid belt that made it impossible to breathe and I'd need less protection. Prim and my mom had agreed to take care of Leta for Gale and I, but there was still a few things we had to figure out first.

" Yes it is Prim. It's eight months and two weeks too late." I tell her as I rest my hands on my stomach.

" Katniss, you have another option." She tells me almost desperately as she looks over her shoulder.

I follow her gaze and see Peeta talking with Finnick, Annie and Johanna. My heart nearly leaps from my chest at the sight of how well he's dressed even though he's in dark clothing, almost as if he's here for a funeral, not a wedding. To him this probably does seem like a death because I'll no longer be Katniss Everdeen or Katniss Mellark, I'll be Katniss Hawthorne by the end.

" No I don't Prim… That ship sailed a long time ago. He's never faked a single thing in our relationship. I don't want to hurt him anymore Prim. The Capitol making him forget everything I did to him, it's a God-send. He'll move on with his life, marry a girl more deserving, never knowing about Leta and will have the life he should have. He's not from the Seam and has had to just settle, he's a baker son, he's from the merchant class and can do better." I tell her, trying to sound convincing. As I'm saying it however, I can feel my heart breaking. " This has never been a game to him."

Prim is silent and she knows I'm right. " He's remembering more Katniss, maybe he'll remember how much he's loved you." She said hopeful, making me shake my head more.

" You need to just put these thoughts from your mind Prim. There is no way I'm going to reunite with Peeta." I tell her a little too harshly, looking away from Peeta and dropping my gaze to the silver dress Plutarch and Annie had forced me into.

She let out a small groan of frustration and I half expected her to stomp her foot in anger. She suddenly cleared her throat and it grabbed my attention, she looked guilty as I studied her. " I think I'm going to go tell the musician to start up the dancing music." And with that, Prim hurried off.

I groaned and took a seat at the nearest table. Plutarch had been angry that I had put a stop to most of his plans. The room had a burnt pit on the middle for Gale and I to toast on later in the evening. Tables had been set up around the room in a seemingly random order but actually created a giant ' K' with a ' G' in it. There was plenty of room for dancing, it was a shame though that I didn't feel like dancing. It was even more of a shame I didn't feel like celebrating my marriage to Gale.

" Quite the attendance. Do they realize that it's just a toasting of bread, nowhere near as complicated as the other districts?" Peeta's familiar voice jokes and laughs as he places a glass in front of me. The second he spoke, Leta started to throw a fit and moved so much and so forcibly that it was a struggle not to gasp for air or cough from the pain.

I frown a little as I look at the liquid within the tall, skinny glass before me. I know I'm not supposed to drink alcohol while pregnant, the doctors from thirteen couldn't have stressed that enough. At that particular moment however, the glass looks extremely tempting and everything in me is screaming to just down it and take the risks. I needed some kind of relief from reality because I couldn't just step out for a breath of fresh air, I was the bride-to-be.

" Don't worry about it Katniss, it's just sparkling cider." He tells me as I see him sipping his own. He must have guessed my thoughts.

I nod and thank him as I take a sip of the liquid. It tingles my tongue on the way down and the taste is very sweet and bubbly. I've never have sparkling cider before so it's a new treat to me. " Are you enjoying yourself?" I ask softly as I stare into the golden liquid.

Peeta is silent for moment before he sets his glass down and fidgets with it. " It's not the worst day of my life, but I can't say it's the greatest either though. I can think of at least a hundred better ways to spend it." He mumbles and I have to bite my tongue to keep from agreeing with him. I've forgiven him for kissing Delly, my reaction was mostly thanks to the baby hormones and I know I really have no reason to be jealous or angry with him or Delly.

I look up at him and really look at him. He has dark bruises under his eyes, it looks as if he hasn't had a good nights sleep in days. His skin is paler than usual and he still hasn't gained back the weight and muscle he lost while in the Capitol. His eyes look older and the laugh lines around his lips and eyes aren't nearly as prominent as they once were. I felt bad because I caused it.

" Do you remember what sparked the rebellion?" I ask as I keep my eyes on him curiously. I had told him the night before not to come because I had been scared and angry, but now all I wanted was for him to not leave me.

Peeta laughs a little which surprises me a little. " I've been told it was when we threatened to eat poisonous berries. I've also been told though that it all started with a mockingjay in the corner of a screen." He says with a shrug.

" Yes, well it mostly all started when we popped the berries in our mouths, it started to make people think and pay attention." I explain, sipping more of the cider. I'm not sure if it's just me, but the cider has a funny after taste. It's bitter and makes my mind think that something's wrong, but I know it's impossible. I trust Peeta.

" Why would you have done that though? Threatened to take berries that could have killed if you didn't really love me?" He asks seriously after a few minutes of silence.

I feel a little panicked as I set the glass down and take his hands in mine. " I cared a lot for you Peeta. I did so much to save you because there was something I had wanted to tell you, but I couldn't." I whisper, getting ready to pour my heart and soul out to him now that Leta has stopped moving, something I don't even give a second thought to.

" Darling, Plutarch wants to get things going now if it's alright? He wants to ' get this party going' apparently, whatever that means." Gale says as he approaches Peeta and I, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I take a deep breath before smiling up at him. " Alright." With that I pulled my hands free of Peeta's and gulp down the rest of my funny tasting drink. I thank Peeta again for everything although I don't tell him what everything is.

Gale is beaming as he links my arm with his and we start towards Plutarch. About half way to him though, I start feeling an odd tingling sensation in the lower half of my body, as if I had to go to the restroom. I try my best to ignore it and just blame it on nerves, but suddenly I feel an odd gushing sensation. I had felt like I had to go to the bathroom, but not nearly that bad…

" Leta." Gale hisses as he stops and looks down at me, everyone in the room going silent to stare at me.

I stare up at him with wide eyes, not sure what to do. My mother and Prim rush over and tell Gale to carry me right to the hospital. Peeta is by my side again, demanding to know what's happening.

" Something's going on with the baby." Prim tells him firmly, leaving it vague enough to allow Gale time to scoop me up as if I still really were a thin girl still.

As the pain starts to grip at me, I grip at Gale's shirt and grit my teeth to keep from crying out. He whispers for me to breathe as he starts to carry me away to the hospital despite Peeta's ciess for more information. I know something is wrong because everything had just been so normal and now it was moving too quickly. I try desperately to think what was different that I had done all day, but only one thing came to mind.

The funny tasting sparkling cider.


I am so sorry it took me so long to get this posted. I originally wrote this from Peeta's view, but got stuck at about five hundred words and had to scrap it. I wrote it from Gale's view, but scrapped it upon rereading because it was kind of ridiculous in my opinion. Yes this one is shorter than my previous chapters, but hopefully you still like it. Not sure who the next chapter's point of view is going to be, but if all else fails, I'll write as Finnick!