Chapter 10: Birth.

My ears rage with a hurricane, the sea's waves whipping against my body as her haunting words echo across my being.

"My water just broke."

I'm stunned, motionless, but only for a second.

Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!

Scrabbling from my seat at the monitor I sprint around like a mad man, snatching whatever weapon in sight as I arm myself in case of an emergency. Stripping with no shame I shrug on District 12 clothes in record time before smashing into the control panel, desperately pressing buttons to get the door to the hovercraft to open.

"General Hawthorn! General Hawthorn!" two guards come at me, shouting as they do.

As they crash against my back I instantly throw them off, punching one before sending a swift kick to his temple. Not hard enough to kill him but enough for him to be unconscious for the next few hours.

Turning to the other I bring her face to my knee, hearing a deafening crack of the nose before punching her in the gut repeatedly until she falls limp.

I resume my search, finding the button that signals a loud hum as the huge entrance at the end of the hovercraft lowers.

"Gale!" Johanna screams, fury and frustration lacing her face. "Fucking hell! Boy, if you don't stop right now..." There's the click of her gun at my head.

I spin, twisting her wrist until she cries out in pain and the gun clatters to the floor.

"Don't," I growl. "You can't stop me."

She glares. "Hawthorne, if you don't get your shit together and start thinking clearly I'll-"

"What!? You'll what, Johanna!? Kill me!?" I step so we're nose to nose. If looks could kill she'd be halfway down to hell by now. "My girlfriend is giving birth to my baby and you're going to try and stop me from getting to her? What kind of twisted mind do you have?"

"A logical one," she fires back. "If you go down there and get caught by a peacekeeper you're-"

I shove past her, sprinting towards the exit and recklessly jumping out before the ramp could touch the ground with Johanna hollering after me.

I'm saved by tucking into a roll against the soft grass of our woods and disappearing through the trees. The forest is more similar to me than any other place on earth. I could know exactly where I am with two blind eyes.

My heart beats along my ears, lungs stinging as I begin to feel lightheaded but I don't stop. Not until I get to her.

I'm coming Katniss.

No acknowledgement whatsoever. Not even when I burst through the door in a desperate need to get to her. Not even when I rushed to her side as her eyes were wild and her heart was beating so hard I swear she could've passed out. Not even when she calmed and settled and began this excruciating process. Nothing. Nothing at all.

She's determined, I'll give her that. To the point where she hasn't uttered a word, not just to me, but to anyone.

At the moment Katniss is laid out on the bed, pillows cushioning her back so she can sit up. Her brown locks are braided haphazardly to the side (I can't help but admire the messy style) and her eyebrows are pulled together, lips pouted as her face twists into one of absolute concentration once another contraction waves through her body. I would've found her expression cute in any other situation expect she's been deadly silent through this whole thing and hasn't so much as glanced in my direction.

I've heard childbirth hurts like a bitch yet to where she seems like she isn't even in this world anymore? It's killing me a bit inside.

We've been at it for hours now. The sun is beginning to set with no sign that she'll start pushing soon.

My body buzzes with nerves, heart skipping every once in a while when Katniss lets out a low groan in pain or exhaustion; I can't tell which is which anymore. I don't like seeing her like this. To not be able to do anything, lessen the hell she seems to be in, or even having felt the pain before so I'll be able to understand her position on some kind of level.

She whimpers, grasping the sheets because of the contraction causing my chest to weigh with anxiety. It passes a few moments later and Mrs. Everdeen, once more, checks how far dilated my girlfriend is.

The older woman sighs, straightening her back with a sympathetic expression across her face. "At this rate it'll be a few more hours." She pauses. "Probably more."

Katniss doesn't say anything, simply banging her head back on the pillows with a tired huff.

Her mother cleans her hands, murmuring, "I'll go make you a sandwich."

Once the door shuts a calming silence settles in the air but it does absolutely nothing for me.

I rake a hand through my hair in frustration, voice pleading, "Catnip please let me do something. There has to be one thing at least. I don't like seeing you like this." She doesn't reply. "At least say something baby, dammit, please!"

Then, for the first time since I arrived-which was hours upon hours ago-she tilts her head. Beautiful soft grey eyes latch onto mine, filled with so many mixed emotions I don't know where to begin. She gazes at me for a moment before miraculously, thankfully, reaching a hand out.

I stride across the room in a matter of seconds, instantly folding her hand within mine as I bend down to her bedside.

Kissing her knuckles I tenderly push a few matted strands of hair from her face.

Before I can say anything she goes ahead and breaks my heart with her words.

"It hurts." She sounds like a child, small, powerless. Her voice is hoarse, tired, a silent plea behind her tone that clearly begs me to make it stop, to take it all away and God do I want to. For her. Anything for her.

"I know. I know Catnip," I say gently cupping her face in my hand, rubbing soothing patterns against her cheek. "But you're doing so well and think about, that in only a few hours, we'll have our girl. Our beautiful baby girl. I'm right here with you, through everything alright?"

With a nod she leans into my touch, kissing my palm softly. "I love you Gale. Forever."

"I love you too. Forever."

She thinks for a moment. "Beautiful baby girl huh? What if she's ugly?"

I want to glare badly but the comment is so Katniss that a tiny, amused grin slips to my lips. "That's a horrible joke."

A mischievous smirk finds its way across her features. "It's always a possibility."

"No, no, it's not. My genes are too handsome for her not to be anything but radiant."

"I don't care either way," Katniss says after her quiet chuckling fades. "She could be the ugliest kid in the world to everyone else but she'd still be beauitful to me just for the fact that she's ours."

Climbing into bed, I slip my arms around her, kissing her atop the head as I reply softly, "Don't I know it."

It's even painful to watch. I can't begin to imagine what Katniss is going through.

She's been at it for so long that the horizon has long since dipped from the sky and the night is pitch black despite us having been here since dawn. Her mother just keeps reassuring us that it'll only be 'a few more hours' then when those pass it'll 'just be a bit longer' yet it never is and it all turns into a vicious cycle of her words.

We've done various things. Walking around the house, gathered some of our old stuff to take back to 13, updated the hovercraft on what's going on along with Plutarch then Coin, even my mom came around twice, the second time to bring supplies along with baby clothes from Possy's days and Madge, who upon hearing about our arrival, gladly gifted us with what we needed. Though both times my mother couldn't stay long for fear of causing suspicion. It was collectively decided not to tell my siblings we're here for their own sake.

You can only do so much for so long though and Katniss is right back in bed, too exhausted to do anything more other than ride this out. I can already feel the bones cracking in my hand from where she's been squeezing so tightly.

I've lost count of how many times she's hopelessly says she can't do it, she can't do it as a contraction smashes along her body. Yet every time, when it ends, she convinces herself she can once more. For just a little while longer.

Her screams are garbled, eyes shut as her nails dig into my palm, drawing blood but I could hardly care.

"It's okay. Catnip. It's okay."

"Your...fault," she seethes. "Never letting your...dick near me...again." An intake of breath.

"Alright Katniss, alright. Whatever you want," I coo, pushing the wet strands of hair from her face.

"Okay Katniss," her mother says "Just a few more seconds."

She shakes her head repeatedly, tears beginning to kiss her cheeks. "No. No," my girlfriend begs, gasping as the pain grows to its peak. "I-I can't. N-no, no more, no more."

"It'll be over soon. You just need to push for me and then you'll get your baby. Katniss, are you hearing me? You'll get to hold your daughter okay?"

She hesitates before nodding, squeezing my hand tighter as I whisper in her ear over and over again. "You can do this. I got you. I got you."

"On the count of three. One...two...three!"

Several pushes later her mother grins, cutting the cord as pulls our baby into view.

Then it's silent. Complete and utter silence that causes my heart to stop because it isn't supposed to be like this.

Where's the noise? The sobs of a newborn baby just as they're welcomed to this world? What's wrong? What's wrong? Oh fuck she's dead! She's-

Then there it is. Her small high pitch cry, the most incredible sound in the world, traveling across the globe, only reaching the most worthy of ears.

Catnip shoots up instantly, no matter her exhaustion and instantly reaches out to take our baby from her mothers arms. She's passed over immediately and Katniss handles her with such grace it's as if she's the most precious thing to ever live-and she most definitely is.

My girlfriend brings the small life closer, wiping her tiny face as she cradles her gently, whispering soothing words so the little ones cries begin to slowly dwindle down.

For a moment I'm struck into paralyzation because of the sheer moment of it. The shock, the love, the passion, the everything.

These two are my life and I'll do anything for them. I know it. I was already clearly whipped on Katniss but, shit, when you add our baby into the mix it's like I've fallen in love all over again, this time harder, faster, deeper.

I force myself from my thoughts, scooting closer to hold both my girls. I get a better look at the gorgeous tiny human and the feeling I get upon her stormy grey eyes meeting mine is absolutely indescribable. It's all too much, yet I want more, so much more.

Burying my head into Katniss' shoulder I place a chaste kiss against her skin before looking back to our baby. "I love you Catnip. I love you so much."

Next thing I know my girlfriend's fingertips are lightly pressing against my jaw so my head turns to her as she kisses me. When we break it's as if the whole world stops as cliche as it sounds. Just by the undying love in her eyes, for me, for us, for our new family. It's enough to kill me on the spot and if that's the way I go so be it. I don't mind. "I love you too Gale."

A small shriek sounds from the miracle in Katniss' arms causing both of us to laugh, peering back down at our daughter.

She's mesmerizing, I swear. Definitely going to be spoiling her rotten.

"Hey," Prim says attentively." "I'm going to need to take her. We have to clean her off and check her health."

Katniss cradles our baby closer to her chest. "No. No. I don't-"

"I know but we need to make sure...It's for her own good then you'll get her back. I promise."

There's a tense pause before I feel a small weight in my arms. A blinding smile twists my features as I carry our baby.

"Over here," Prim calls lightly.

Just as I'm walking away Katniss shoots her arm out, pulling me back.

"Iris," she breathes. "I want to name her Iris."

My eyebrows furrow. "Like the flowers in the meadow?"

She nods. "It's supposed to mean faith, hope, and wisdom. She's it Gale. She's our little hope."

My heart swells. "Iris it is."

"So everything's okay?"

Prim nods. "Yep. She's healthy despite being premature."

I bend to my knees, lightly stroking my daughters mop of dark hair as Prim cleans her off.

"She's beautiful," I murmur, entranced with this tiny being, as if she has me under her spell, a magic so powerful not even the most deadly of weapons could severe it.

I'm wrapped around her finger already.

"She is," Prim agrees softly. "I can't tell who she looks like most. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"No. No, she looks like her mother." Glancing over my shoulder I find my girlfriend dead asleep, her cute nose scrunching up as if she's focusing on something extremely important.

"Hey." Nudging Prim's foot with mine I say, "You're an aunt now."

She beams. "You know what's even crazier?"

"What?"

"You're a father."

I chuckle, gazing back down to Iris just as her hand grasps my finger with surprising strength. Kissing my baby's forehead gently I can't help but agree. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."