Here is the belated chapter 10! I hope you enjoy. I had finals this week so I had a difficult time finding time to create this chapter. Hope you enjoy!
-S
I was discharged from the hospital later that day. Peeta carried all of the stuff and I carried Willow. Once we got back to our small compartment I was summoned to command almost immediately. A knock on the door startled me and Willow. Peeta answered the door and Gale stood there.
"Sorry Catnip and Bread-Boy you're both needed in command." Gale says. I smile at my old nickname; at least he isn't so bitter to me now that he has Johanna. I follow Gale and Peeta trails behind, I have Willow in my arms. We go to a floor that I haven't been to in a while, not since I first arrived. I feel Peeta's hand on my lower back, gently guiding me and protecting me. Willow slowly falls asleep in my arms while walking. Gale stops abruptly in front of an unmarked door. The doors slide open revealing a series of more unmarked doors, but they have windows so I can see into them. I see Beetee in a control room full of computers; he sits in a wheel chair and types away furiously. We continue on down a hallway. Willow begins to squirm a little as we near the end of our walk. Gale knocks on a closed door that has a large black C on it.
"ENTER." A voice calls from behind the door.
Gale enters the door and holds it open for Peeta and I. I enter and I hear Peeta and I gasp at the same time. The command center is huge and the walls are covered in maps and different documents. Plutarch Heavensbee and President Coin stand next to each other watching Peeta and I. I have been in here before but it has been changed and the large square table that was in here before has been exchanged for a large round table. I see Finnick and Annie sitting at the table as well as Johanna and a man I recognize as an army captain named Boggs.
"Katniss, Peeta welcome. Please have a seat." Plutarch says gesturing to the table.
Peeta pulls out a chair for me and I sit there with the small pink bundle in my arms. Peeta sits next to me and lays a hand gently on my leg just above my knee. Gale sits next to Johanna, and Finnick and Annie stay standing.
"As you know we are trying to over throw the capitol, however with the Mockingjay out of commission for the last few months it has been difficult. Katniss will resume her duties as Mockingjay next week and Peeta will help her with the propos. In two months' time all except Mrs.O'Dair are going to the capitol in a unit we are calling the star squad. Plutarch has the map of what you are going into." President Coin explains cordially. Plutarch takes her place and I expect him to begin pointing to one of the paper maps on the walls but instead he reaches his chubby hand into his pocket and pulls out a small rectangular block.
I look at him in curiously and he pulls the block apart. Peeta's hand tenses as he sees this. I wonder what torture device this reminds Peeta of. I stand up with Peeta so he can feel safer and that way if something happens we can leave so I can pull him back. I notice Johanna and Gale are also standing. Peeta's hand finds the small of my back and we all stare intently at the small object in Plutarch's hands. He whispers a word and then a projection of a series of lines and blocks appears blinking lights in different colors show up at the edge and the corners of the different blocks.
"The blinking lights represent different traps that have been activated and this is the area that you will be taking to get to the president's mansion." Plutarch explains and then Paylor another captain explains what the traps are they vary from tracker jackers to a thing called the meat grinder. Finnick and I look at each other.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen." He says quietly.
"To the 76th Hunger Games!" I yell out. Everyone looks at me, even Willow. Peeta tenses a little more and I look at him, he shakes his head to say that he is fine. Plutarch, Coin, Paylor, and the other people that aren't victors don't understand the reference but to Johanna, Finnick, Annie, Peeta and I it looks like another arena, except this year's games takes place in the capitol. Willow looks at me and Peeta and something flickers in her eyes, realization maybe of what she could lose. Plutarch grimaces as Willow shrieks and cries. Peeta and I excuse ourselves from the room and attempt to calm Willow down, to no avail. Beetee races past us in his wheel chair that he no doubt added an extra engine or something for extra speed. He notices us and backs up.
"Follow me." He says and he turns around and races down a different hallway. Peeta and I go as quickly as we can with Willow still bellowing. Beetee stops in front of a door and tells us to go in. Upon entering the room I quickly notice that it looks just like a meadow. There are flowers that give off a subtle sweet scent and even grass and a few birds flickering around the few trees that are in the room. Peeta looks around and breathes in his entire body relaxes almost instantly.
I sit on the ground and place Willow gently in my lap. She calms a little but still cries loudly and freely. Peeta sits across from me, with a little hesitation he places a hand on Willow's belly and begins rubbing in gentle small circles.
"Peeta I'm going to sing, you should too. It might help." I say taking Peeta's free hand in my free hand.
"I'm not very good but I will if you want me to." He says squeezing my hand as a reassuring gesture.
"Deep in the meadow, under the willow." I sing Peeta looks at me and starts from where I left off.
"A bed of grass a soft green pillow." He sings as my mouth falls open to the sound of Peeta's voice. If smooth caramel had a sound than that is what Peeta's voice is. I mean I always knew he had a way with words and was artistic and could act the pants right off you, but I never knew he could sing, ever. I continue the song with Peeta, his low smooth voice overlapping and making my higher pitched melodic voice making a medley of love, perfection, and calmness. By the end of the song Willow has stopped crying and looks at me and Peeta entranced. She babbles something and Peeta sweeps her out of my lap and into his arms.
I begin to feel my eyes fill with tears at the sight that is before me. I quickly swipe at my face with my shirt as the first tear falls. I move so that my side is pressed against Peeta's and that my hand is resting right over Willow's little foot. She falls asleep holding onto Peeta's finger. We stay together watching our little miracle sleep. When my legs get pins and needles in them I sigh slightly and know that it's time for us to go back to command.
"Peeta come on we have to go back to command, you can carry her if you want." I say quietly not wanting to disturb the peace of this moment.
"Okay Katniss, let's go. But I have to tell you something really secretive before we go." Peeta says carefully pulling himself off the ground.
"Okay?" I say righting myself before I lose feeling in my legs.
"Come here." He says making a curling motion with his finger. I take a few steps towards him.
"Closer." He says, I take two more cautious steps towards him.
"Closer." He says reaching towards me with one hand and pulling me into him, our foreheads are touching and we are sharing the same air. The whole moment feels so intimate.
"Katniss I have to tell you that…" He trails off his sentence and puts his mouth right next to my ear, he warm breathe causing my skin to crawl with pleasure. "I love you and our child so much." He whispers. His quiet voice makes me shiver pleasantly. Before I can even form a response his mouth is pressed against mine. The kiss gentle and sweet soon becomes passionate as my tongue reaches out for his and they dance together. My arms wrap around his neck and his free arm pulls my face closer to him. There is still space between us because of Willow but I feel closer to Peeta than I have ever before. We break the kiss and my forehead leans against his.
"We should go." He whispers. I nod in response and pull away from him. We walk silently to Command again and I turn to him before we enter.
"By the way Peeta I love you too." I say breathlessly, Peeta breaks out into a grin and I push the door open and brace myself for the chaos that will inevitably ensue.