A/N: WOOT! Here's the next chapter! And it's NOT in Gale's POV thank goodness. That was so hard to write!

A big THANK YOU to my Beta, KelsNicole92, for still Beta-ing this! I hope you feel better soon!

~Mock


Five Months Later

"Katniss, I'm going to the store to see if I can get Electra some teething rings. Can you cook the noodles? All you have to do is stir them in the pot, and then heat the sauce in the oven for ten minutes. Can you manage that?" Peeta asks me. He's holding Electra, who's trying to bite his ear.

I roll my eyes at him. "I can take care of noodles," I say. Peeta kisses me lightly, then heads out the door.

We've been in District 4 for five months, and Gale hasn't found me. Haymitch has written to us, and he says that Gale has been back to District 12, and is furious that he can't find us.

Shaking my head, I stir the noodles in the water. Electra began teething a couple weeks ago, and has been incredibly fussy. She kept Peeta and me up all last night with her constant wailing.

The mail arrives through the flap on the door. I put the sauce in the oven, then go and check the mail.

There's one from Tereska. She doesn't know where we are either, but she can send letters back to the sender, or whatever. I didn't quite understand it when Johanna tried to explain it to me. As long as the system works, I'm okay with it. I rip open Tereska's letter and read it,

"I've gone back to District 5 for a while. I needed to check in on my dad, and he's been doing all right. He's been getting help for his morphling addiction, and it seems to be working. He doesn't seem as depressed as he was, and while he's still sad about Mom and Catriona, he says he's glad I'm still in his life.

When I got to the district, I got a very good surprise. I saw my childhood friend, Kelton. I think he likes me, which is a good thing, seeing as I like him too. I hope you can come out of hiding soon, because, hopefully, there might be a wedding soon (don't I sound like a dreamer!).

I can't wait to see you again, and to see how little Electra has grown! I'm waiting for the day everything can go back to normal, so we can all go back to District 12. Can't wait to hear back from you.

~Tereska

Tereska with a husband? That would be great for her. Tereska loves babies, and I would love to see her with one of her own.

A burning smell suddenly fills my nostrils. Remembering the food, I run into the kitchen. Sure enough, the noodles are on fire and the sauce in the oven has becomes a blackened mush.

I quickly fill a glass with water and throw it over the burning noodles, and take them off the stove-top. Picking up one of the oven gloves, I plan to take out the sauce, but I hesitate. I hate burns. Peeta only uses one of the oven gloves, but just to be safe, I put both the gloves on.

I put the pot with the sauce in the sink. And of course, Peeta chooses this moment to come back. Electra is happily chewing on a light green plastic ring.

Peeta's eyes quickly sweep the disaster area once called a kitchen. He laughs lightly.

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you with the kitchen. What distracted you?" he asks, still chuckling.

"Well if you thought I was going to wreck the place, you shouldn't have had me cook the noodles," I say. "And Tereska sent us a letter."

Peeta picks up the letter and reads through it quickly.

"Well that's great for her. Hopefully we can go back soon, so we can be there for her wedding," Peeta says, smiling.

He sets Electra down on the floor, where she sits and chews on her ring. Annie, Johanna, and Finn come in, Johanna laughing when she sees the kitchen.

"Did you seriously let Katniss try cooking?" she gasps in between her laughs. I shoot her a death glare, which only answers her question. She spirals into a whole new round of laughs.

Finn runs to where Electra sits. "Baby Lec-ta!" he says loudly. Electra giggles.

Finn has been talking more and more every day. He loves Electra, and she loves him too. Peeta jokes that they're going to end up falling in love when they get older.

Quickly, Peeta takes some more noodles from the cupboard, and whips up some delicious pasta. I savor every bite.

After we eat, we get a surprise visit from my mother. She's visited a few times since we arrived in District 4, but I can tell it pains her slightly to see me with Peeta and Electra. Perhaps because her husband and one of her daughters is dead.

My mother has a frantic look on her face. "I just got off the phone with Hazelle. She says Paylor is only going to be in recovery for about three more weeks, but Gale's getting desperate. He's coming to all the districts, looking for Katniss. I-I don't know what we're going to do about this one," she stammers.

I close my eyes and rub my head just above my left eyebrow. Unconsciously, I pick Electra up off the floor and hold her close. She left her ring, so she starts to bite on my finger. I hardly notice.

Peeta's arms encircle my waist. "If he finds us, we're just going to have to deal with it. We've handled Gale before," he says.

"We still have no idea how much power he has. And if he finds us, what happens if he arranges something to go wrong?" I whisper, hugging Electra closer.

"We'll all be watching for something like that," Johanna says softly. "He won't be able to do anything," she promises.

"Um, Katniss, I want you and Electra to come to the hospital. She needs a checkup, just to make sure she's healthy, and you need one too," my mother says cautiously. To her surprise, I sigh and just say, "Let's go then."

I follow my mother to the hospital, with Electra. Peeta comes with us.

At the hospital, Electra's tests are done quickly, and everything is said to be perfectly fine. She behaves well, but Peeta still has to hold me back when some unfeeling doctor plunges a needle into my daughter.

Electra falls asleep soon after her tests, and then it's my turn. A man who identifies himself as Dr. Arkin comes into the room with the results of my tests.

"Well, Mrs. Mellark, everything looks in order. We just have one more test for you," he says. He gives me a small cup, escorting me to a bathroom, and telling me to pee in the cup.

I do as he bid me and take the cup back to him for testing. I don't know what this test is for, but I don't have long to wait. Dr. Arkin comes in a few minutes later with my results.

"Well, as we suspected Katniss, we have found out that you're pregnant. Congratulations," he says.

I am frozen in shock. Peeta takes my hand, delighted. "Katniss did you hear? Another baby, and maybe it could be Luke…"

I laugh hollowly. "We thought it was going to be Luke last time too. But we got our little Electra," I say.

"Like you ever regretted Electra," he says, shifting her in his arms. "Besides, you agreed to this."

"Yes, because I didn't have a husband who convinced me into it or anything," I say, with a small smile on my face.

I am pregnant again. I have to carry a child again. Perhaps it will be easier this time, now that I know what to expect. And my child has made me happy. Another one should make me happy too, right?

Dr. Arkin tells us we can leave, but we stay long enough to tell my mother the news. She offers her congratulations, but I can see the pain buried in her eyes. We leave quickly.

When we get back to Annie's house, we tell Annie and Johanna about my pregnancy. Annie hug's both of us, but Johanna rolls her eyes in a good natured way.

"He's made you go soft," she tells me.

"So what if he has?" I ask. "You love being an aunt to Finn and Electra. I think you would do good to get a man of-"

"No way! I do NOT need a man telling me what to do. I am perfectly fine on my own, thank you very much!" she yells. I shake my head slightly, rubbing my stomach.

Peeta puts Electra in her crib in our room. He comes back out and places his hand on my stomach, and kisses my neck.

A little while later, I write to Tereska, telling her about the upcoming baby, and also our location. If Gale finds me, well, he's going to check District 4 anyway. I can protect my daughter, and my unborn child… And I have other people helping me too. I also tell her that I want her to deliver my baby, and in District 12. Somehow, I wouldn't feel right giving birth anywhere else, and have an uncaring doctor handle my child.

Just as I'm signing the letter, Peeta asks me a question.

"OK, what happens if it's another girl? What would her name be?" he asks.

"Well, I've actually had one in mind. I don't know how I came up with it, but I did," I say. "What do you think about Asteria?"

Peeta considers this for a moment. "I like it," he says. "I like it a lot. So if it's a boy, Luke, and a girl, Asteria."

I nod in confirmation. Again, I start to rub my stomach. It's a comforting feeling, just like Electra comforted me when I was carrying her. I feel Luke in my stomach. I can feel it's him. This time, Luke is within me.


A/N: Like it? I hope you did, this was a fun chapter to write. I based Katniss' cooking skills off my own… Yeah, I can't cook anything except hot chocolate. Please review! It makes me SO happy! Hahaha!

~Mock