******************************************************************************Hi Everybody!
Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I wanted to spend a little more time on this chapter. I can't thank you all enough for following me, I have exactly 40 of you wonder, amazing people following my story and I can't thank you all enough! I love you all so much!
************************************Peeta's POV********************************
I open my eyes after a restless night, I practically spring off my bed, it would have shown my excitement well, other than the fact that I fell to the ground thanks to this dumb prosthetic leg. I get up off the floor with ease, and walk over to my small dresser with a few pieces of clothing, I pull out a dark forest green t-shirt and some grey pants, and I can't help but feel as if Katniss will love the color of this shirt. With that happy thought in mind I take a long shower, and am finally able to scrub off several of the scabs covering my face. I stare at myself in the mirror, and nod in approval; if it weren't for that huge scab over my forehead I wouldn't look too bad. Of course my appearance is nothing compared to Katniss glowing olive skin, beautiful cascading seam hair, and gorgeous face. I think back to when I woke up to her kissing me in the cave, she is just as beautiful now as during our first games. I shake off the images of Katniss and try to finish evaluating my own face. There's only fait bruises, on my cheeks, and then the long, thick, scab on my forehead; I am relieved that when I brush my hair down over my forehead it hides it pretty well. As for my arms there are still huge scabs all over, why did my arms take such a hard beating compared to my face? I walk out of the bathroom pleased with my appearance, or as please as I can be. I decide to wait to eat until Katniss comes. I sit down on the couch and wait as patiently as I can. Calm down Peeta, she'll be here soon….
************************************Katniss' POV*******************************
"Annie! It just won't fit!" I have my arms overhead and try to pull on one of Annie's shirts. I stare down angrily at the baby bump that looks like it grew overnight, it doesn't help that Annie is a size smaller than me, as far as height goes, and now with the baby, our weight looks completely different. Annie rummages through her closet and pulls out a box full of maternity clothes. "Katniss, these are going to be pretty big on you for now, they're from my second trimester." I pull out a plain white shirt and throw it on with a pair of Annie's jeans that luckily fit. "It's okay Annie, besides I have to go home and get something before I go meet Peeta." "Katniss it'll take you half the day to drive back to district twelve! Isn't he expecting you in a couple hours?" "I called in a… special favor." I hear a knock at the door, so I run down the stairs as fast as the baby will let me and open the door. "So it appears it's going to be a big, big day! Hello Katniss!" I had forgotten how ridiculous her capital accent sounded it has been a couple years since I've seen Effie. She gives me a quick hug and turns her attention to something behind me, "Well my goodness! What a handsome little boy you are!" She takes Dillan from his playpen and into her arms and spins him around, Dillan is giggling from getting dizzy, when Effie stops spinning him and he's able to focus on her face, he begins crying. Before I can take a step towards Effie and Dillan…Something is coming up. It's not me though…it's Dillan. He ends up vomiting gooey, white stuff all over Effie's face. Annie comes running down the stairs, she holds up a hand at Effie's face…"He just had a bottle." She closes her eyes in shame; Annie hurries out of the room and brings a wet towel back for Effie. "Well…Aren't you a little booger?" Between the spit-put and the wet cloth most of Effie's fancy capital makeup has been removed only a faint lip color and a pink accent of eye shadow remain on her face. "No point for this thing I suppose." Effie breathes out a sigh of disappointment and throws her wig to the ground. Her green eyes are actually quite pretty now that there isn't different color eye shadows caked all around them. With her naturally gold hair flowing down to her chin in a cute cut, it makes me wonder why she doesn't just stay natural, she's so beautiful without all the white, and ugly capital makeup.
She bends down to Dillan and kisses his sweet baby nose. She lets out a light laugh, "So Katniss. Are you ready to go? The train is waiting." "Oh, I guess that does make sense." Annie laughs at the paparazzi ogling over the shiny silver train. "Be careful Katniss. I'll see you soon." Annie runs into my arms; Dillan plants a something between a bite and a kiss on my cheek, it's wet and kinda gross but I can't help but smile and kiss him back on the cheek. I take a deep breath before opening the door, "Ready for this Effie?" She nods and smiles. I keep my head down and make a run for the train, Effie does the shame. How can you feel self-conscious Effie, you've never looked better. When I hear the train door close shut, I can breathe out a sigh of relief. "Well. We made it here in one piece." "Speak for yourself Katniss!" Effie runs to a mirror and stares at her reflection, I come up behind her and stop her frantic hands that are reaching for the white creamy stuff. "Effie. Don't. Trust me. You look more beautiful than I've ever seen!" She gives me a small shy smile, "Thanks Katniss. So tell me how is life...?" She extends her hand to my stomach, here recently it's like people can't take their hands off it. "It'll be better when Peeta can be here to comfort her." "Oh! It's a girl? I know she'll be named after… "A certain favorite escort."" A baby Effie?…Quick think of something! "Me and Peeta don't know what gender it is yet." "Oh! But aren't you almost twelve weeks?" "How did you know that?" "Haymitch."
"Oh, okay. How long will it take us to get back to twelve?" "Only about half an hour. What was so important that you needed a train to get back?" "Peeta can't remember anything after our second games. I need to get something to show him about our marriage or something." "Oh how romantic! What did he have to say about the baby?" "Well. That's what I'm going to try and tell him by tonight." "Then we better get a move on it!" I watch Effie's shoes as she leaves the room in short quirky steps, the heels are clacking against the floor and making a loud noise as she exits. Oh Effie, you haven't changed at all… It makes my stomach hurt as the train starts, "I told the driver to step it up to step it up to 400 miles per hour!" She holds her hands up in a happy way, smiles, and bounces up and down on her seat. "Oh goodness! Look at me, where are my manners?" I just silently laugh and shake my head, "Katniss, what gender do you want the baby to be?" "I don't know. I had my heart set on a boy, but Peeta wants a girl. I guess I want a girl….for Peeta." Effie continues to pester me about the baby the whole way to district twelve and believe me….longest fifteen minutes of my life…
I am happy to see the paparazzi haven't caught up and met us at our house. I run in the house and breathe in the familiar scents. I run down the hallway into me and Peeta's room and rummage through our closet. It has to be here. Somewhere… I set my hands down on the small black and white box. This is it. If this can't help him remember…it's hopeless. I hold the box close to my chest, as if it would denigrate at any moment. I go back down the stairs, and meet Effie in the living room. "What's that Katniss?" She perks up and does a single happy skip over to me, her fingers wrap around the box, "It's for Peeta." "I Have a feeling you won't let me see what it is." I give a small nod, and stare at the picture of me and Peeta on the wall, it's okay Katniss….like Annie said he'll come back to me. I wipe away the tears developing in my eyes. I go through my closet one last time and pull out a baggier shirt, I am careful to select this one. It's a nice sunset orange, Peeta's favorite, after being in my closet unworn it smells like Peeta. I breathe in the wonderful smell that reminds me of my husband; it also seems to calm down the kicking child inside of me. "I have a feeling you're going to have a heavy, loud, walk just like your daddy. And I love that about you." Anything that this baby can inherit from Peeta is more than welcomed. I walk back down the stairs; Effie smiles at me "You look beautiful Katniss, of course if you let me put some of that makeup in the train, you'd look stunning." "No. Effie, he has to love the real me. Scars and all." Effie seems to agree and we walk back into the train.
The baby doesn't seem satisfied by the shirt that smells like Peeta anymore, she's ready to hear his voice, to feel his comforting touch, and to just be with him. "I know sweetie. We're going to do visit daddy, right now." Her moving only increases at the word daddy, I'm so happy at the thought of seeing Peeta, I barely even feel the pain from the movement. The entire way there I have small conversations with her, Effie stares at me strangely as if she's confused why I'm talking to my child while she's still inside of me. Please Effie; if you were me you'd do the same….
When the train stops, I stop to give Effie a hug. "Thanks for getting the train for me. And making sure I got here in one piece." "You didn't think I was about to let you have another escort. Besides I'm the one and only Effie Trinket." I laugh, "Yes you are. Call me sometime so me, you and Annie can catch up sometime." "Actually I was thinking about coming into the hospital with you." Effie? Sitting in there with me and a confused Peeta? "It's okay, me and Peeta will be fine." "Well, I thought it might be nice to catch up with Haymitch." Effie blushes and looks down at her watch, "Katniss, you're going to be late for your date with Peeta!" I shake my head and smile and walk into the building. As much as I hate hospitals, Peeta is worth it. I keep my head down trying not to look at the sick people and the needles and other disturbing things.
I see Peeta's hallway and I run down it and head straight for his room. Sorry sweetie, mommy forgot that that could cause a bumpy ride for you. I rub my belly one last time and hold the black and white box closer than ever. The door handle feels cold to the touch. I look through the small glass window and see Peeta sitting on the couch, I knock anxiously. His head turns around immediately and a giant smile is covering his place; I give him a small wave through the window and he opens the door without hesitation. "Katniss!" He wraps me in a hug and I feel like I could cry of happiness, all the thoughts I had about Peeta never coming back to me have all been erased in this one moment. "Peeta." I breathe out fully content of finally being able to say his name without sad feelings. His large hand wraps around mine and he encourages me to come inside, I nod happily and sit right beside him. How could you ever think that Peeta would hurt you on purpose? How could you ever have a shadow of a doubt in his love for you? Peeta extends his arm and I climb right into it. His perfect blue eyes are gleaming, the box is still on my lap, "What's that Katniss?" "It's what I hope will…help you remember." His eyes seem to light up at the thought of being able to remember what was happening in his life. With good reason.
"Katniss, can we open it?" "Will you be okay?" "I told you…I can handle the attacks now." He leans down and presses his lips to mine, "Okay. Let's open it." "Together?" "Together." I smile in that memory, and hope that this will only be the first of many that Peeta will be able to remember as well. His hands carefully remove the top of the box, inside is a single book. "What's this?" "Open it and see." He opens the first page worried of what it will hold, it reads:
To my beautiful daughter and new son-in-law Peeta.
Best wishes on your marriage. I love you both.
Mother
"Katniss?" I have tears in my eyes, I haven't looked at this book in a while. "Yeah, Peeta?" "Is this real?" In response I turn to the next page, it's me and Peeta standing in the meadow, I am in a simple, white, dress that comes down past my ankles, and Peeta is in a black suit. "Oh my god…Katniss… I'm so sorry." "What do you mean…you're sorry?" "I forgot that we were….married." "It's okay Peeta. The only reason you couldn't remember is because of the car crash. It's not your fault." I rest my head on his chest and he sets his head on top of mine. I can feel his tears falling onto the top of my head. "Shhh, Peeta it's okay now. You know."
************************************Peeta's POV******************************
How could I forget about marrying Katniss? What is wrong with you? You're an absolute idiot Peeta. How could you do this to Katniss? How could you forget something so special? How could you forget a time when you were with Katniss, or when you made her smile? "Can we watch the video Katniss?" I pull it out from the box, and hold it towards her. "Sure." She gets up and puts the disk in. My stomach hurts until she nestles back on the couch with me, I can't keep my eyes off the screen. "Katniss, you're so beautiful." "Whatever Peeta..." She smiles up at me and I stroke her face and kiss her forehead. By the time the video ends I'm in tears; not just from happiness of realizing my marriage with Katniss. But also because I'm ashamed that of all the things I remembered, like my terrible mother or the horrible reaping. I couldn't remember the perfect memory of me and Katniss' wedding.
"Katniss. You know I love you, right?" "I know you do. And I love you." I lean down and kiss her; I close my eyes and enjoy the blissful moment, and dread the moment that it has to end and hope it won't come any time soon. When it eventually does, I know it's the right time to ask her a question that I've wanted to ask since she confirmed our marriage. "Katniss…Did we ever think about…starting a family?" By the time I spit the question out, I start to wonder if it was the best thing to spring on her….after all I did just learn that we're married. She looks down and seems to shy away from the question. "you don't have to answer that question, if you don't want to." "No-Peeta…I was just trying to think of the best way to tell you. Here it goes…I guess. Peeta, I'm pregnant." When did this happen? Before the crash obviously! I look down at her stomach, I know my eyes probably look like they're popping out of my head; I try to get a grip on myself and smile.
"Kat. I couldn't be happier. You know that right?" I don't even wait for a response I just kiss her. She relaxes and seems happy, "Peeta. I'm happy too." "I do remember that you didn't want children… Why are you happy?" "Because, I love you, and it was an accident when I conceived… now I realize how stupid I was for not wanting to have her. Well other than the morning sickness...That wasn't fun." "Oh! That's why you threw up….…Oh! Katniss! I'm so sorry I called you fat when I thought we were training for the games…" "It's okay, like I've been saying. You didn't know. But…keep in mind that I won two Hunger Games. And I still own a set of bow and arrows….you call me fat again… and I just might have to get them out of the closet." She laughs and wraps her arms around my neck and kisses my forehead. When she lets go, I hesitantly rest my hand on her stomach, "Hi Sweetie. It's your daddy." And I swear she kicked right at my hand, to acknowledge that she knew I was there. "She hasn't stopped moving unless I was around you Peeta. She already loves her daddy."….
******************************************************************************Hi Guys! What did you think about today's chapter? Love it? Hate it? Are you glad that Peeta's caught up now to what his life was? Want to see any characters brought back in? Want to see more just Peeta and Katniss? Let me know in the reviews! I hope you guys liked this chapter and don't hate me too much for not updating yesterday! Love you all! Talk to you at my next update!
~Freezethemoment