Hello, This isn't as long as I would've liked, but I wanted ot give you another Chapter to make up for my lack of updates. I hope you enjoy this and so on with the show... :)

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.


Chapter 7

Katniss' P.O.V.

I stay in Peeta's arms for a few hours, but it becomes obvious that sleep won't come tonight so I get up and go to find Haymitch. I find him huddled in a corner; I slide down the wall he is sitting against and take a seat next to him.

"What's up sweetheart?" He asks,

"Nothing much, just the usual you know. Being terrified for my life and the lives of my loved ones." I say, he chuckles lightly.

"Come here sweetheart." He says and then I get a rare Haymitch hug.

"How's the little un'?" he asks in reference to my pregnancy.

"Everything's fine Peeta and I went to a scan earlier today, we found out we're having a girl." I reply with a smile, thinking about the sonogram picture.

"Congratulations, a little girl." He says, and I can tell he's smiling. "Don't expect me to babysit, when you and the boy get bored." He says with a light laughter.

"Ha-ha Haymitch," I reply, "I'm aware having a child is a big responsibility; however Peeta and I are ready for this."

"I know you're ready Katniss, you're a grown up now. Hey! You've practically been a grown up since you were 12 and you had to provide for your family." Haymitch says and I nod. We then sit in a comfortable silence for quite a while until I pluck up the courage to ask the question that has been playing on my mind.

"Haymitch?" I ask,

"Mmnn." he responds,

"How's Gale? Have they made any progress?" I ask and Haymitch sighs. I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Look sweetheart, they're doing all they can, but it's not looking good." Haymitch says hugging me a little tighter in an attempt at comfort.

"So he's made no progress at all?" I ask, tears on the brink of falling.

"You've got to give him time; he was injected with a lot of serum his memories are real messed up. The Docs are working on it Katniss, but even if they can help him you have to realise, he'll never be the same again." Haymitch says softly stroking my hair as the silent tears fall. Gale and I had become closer in 13, he had come to terms with the fact that I loved Peeta and he was finally okay. Now I've lost him forever.


I walk around a bit, trying to clear my head. I don't know how I ended up here but I find myself near the Hawthorne's quarters. I expect them all to be asleep, but Hazel is up. She sees me and smiles. I go over and sit next to her.

"Hello Katniss," She says softly, "How have you been?"

"I've been better, but I can't complain too much, others have it worse." I say, "How have you been?"

"Well," She sighs, "Rory, Vick and Posy are fine, but I'm worried about Gale they won't let me see him. I just wish I knew if there has been any progress." This makes me heart break. I know full well that there's been no progress and he probably won't be the same again, but I can't tell her that. She has enough to think about, without having the worry of Gale on her shoulders.

"I'm sure you haven't seen him because they have been working on him all the time, so that he'll recover twice as fast." I say, giving a reassuring pat on her arm.

"You're probably right, Katniss, Gale is strong he can get through this, he can get through anything." she says, I'm not sure if she actually believes me, or if she is telling herself that because she wants it to be true. Even though I know the truth, I'm telling myself this is the truth because it hurts too much to think otherwise.

"How is everything with Peeta and the Baby?" She asks, trying to lighten the mood, and it works, anytime anyone mentions Peeta's name or the baby I can't help but smile. One of the things I love about Hazel is that she is very open minded, Gale made it quite clear he had no time for Peeta, but Hazel always asked after Peeta and was always grateful for the odd loaf of bread Peeta was able to give her.

"We're good; we found out today that we are having a little girl." I say,

"Congratulations, girl on the first try, I had to go through 3 boys, but I wouldn't change them for the world." She says as she smiles over to her sleeping children.

"I've been lucky, I always said I never wanted children, but deep down I knew that one day if I ever did I would want a girl." I state.

"Do you have any names picked out?" She asks,

"Um, I do, but I haven't talked to Peeta about them yet, I want them to be a surprise."

"I understand, the father should always be the first to know the names. My husband chose all of their names." She says motioning to the children. This puzzles me as Hazel was pregnant when Gale's father died and usually the naming of the baby is decided just after the birth.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did he choose Posy's name, you were pregnant when he passed away." I ask,

"Well, on the morning of the accident, I was saying goodbye to him at the door and right before he left he said to me 'Hazel, look at those posy's over there, aren't they beautiful?' that's what he said before giving me a kiss and heading off. When I gave birth to a girl, I knew then, exactly what to call her." Hazel says with a sad smile, and a faraway look in her eyes filled with memories.

"Wow, that's amazing." I say my eyes brimming with tears, partly because I'm know remembering my father's death and partly because of hormones. She nods and wipes away a stray tear of her own. After a few minutes in a comfortable silence I excuse myself, as I find myself in need of comforting from Peeta.


I quickly make my way back to our quarters and just when I reach them an announcement comes over the speakers.

'Residents, I am sorry to inform you may need to inhabit the bunker for up too, 2 days, maybe more. We are still unclear as too if the bombs have stopped and the damage needs to be cleared. That is all'

Peeta sees me approaching and frowns.

"Where, were you?" He asks, "I was worried!"

"I went to see Haymitch and Hazel, too make sure they were all right." I respond,

"Oh are they?" He asks and my tears answer. He pulls me into his arms and holds me tightly.

"Come on," He says softly, "Let's go find somewhere more quiet." he leads me away and into one of the discreet corners of the bunker. We sit on the floor and he pulls me into his lap and rocks me back and forth until my tears cease to flow.

"Wanna talk about it?" He asks and I explain how I feel guilty for not telling Hazel the truth about Gale's condition and how I've probably lost my best friend forever. He listens intently and comforts me when I become tearful again. I've never realised it before, but Peeta is a great listener. I've just cried over how I've probably lost my best friend forever and he hasn't made one snide comment about Gale. I know Peeta doesn't like Gale that much, but he's never been outright rude to him.

"You're amazing you know that right?" I tell him. He smiles and shakes his head.

"No," He pauses looking for the right words, "I'm just me."

"Well you're amazing, and kind, and caring, and loving." I say in-between kisses.

"I often wonder how you turned out so lovely, considering your witch of a mother and everything you've been through." I say softly clinging to his chest, cringing from the memory of the black eye he received for giving me the bread. He sighs,

"There is two ways I could look at life; I could be cold, unkind and callous because that's the way I was treated, or I could be loving, friendly and kind so that I can be everything my mother wasn't. So I can be the parent my Mother wasn't." He says placing his hands on my stomach on the last part. I laugh lightly and turn to face him,

"You do realise the whole of what you just said, proves the fact that you are an amazing person."

"Okay, okay," He surrenders, "I'm an amazing person but so are you!" I groan,

"I'm not half as amazing as you." I say,

"I can list a whole bunch of reasons as to why you're just as amazing as me." He says,

"Go on then." I say, as I am curious as to what he is going to say.

"Well; you've had to provide for your family since you were 12, you practically brought Prim up when your Mother shut down, you volunteered for Prim, you didn't kill me when I confessed my love for you on national television, you fell in love with me, you sung to Rue as she died and buried her in flowers, you risked your life at the feast to save mine, you defied the Capitol because you couldn't bear to live without me, you married me, you went into the hunger Games again and most importantly you're carrying my child." He finishes his extensive list and I am rendered speechless. So I do what I always do when I can't use words to express how I feel, I kiss him.

"Shall we just agree we're both as amazing as each other?" He asks between kisses.

"Yes." I reply, "I think we can safely say we are both amazing as each other."

"Wait I left something off my list!" he says,

"What would that be?" I ask,

"The fact that you're an amazing kisser." He says. I blush and smack him playfully on the arm. I am very thankful that I have Peeta back because he is the only person that can truly make me happy, even in the bleakest of times.


I hope you liked that! So in answer to someones review asking where Gale and Haymitch where, here they are. I also wanted to go into Katniss' relationship with Hazel here and to see why Peeta is the way he is.

A big thanks to everyone who favourited/followed/reviewd/read :)
Please do review I'm ecstatic when I get reviews and they inspire :D

I loaf you all :)xox