Katniss

We arrive in the Capitol. Haymitch and Johanna are still sedated. As the Hovercraft lands on the asphalt I grip Peeta's hand. We rise from our small loveseat and walk to the ladder. Once our feet are on the ground I look up to see two armored trucks. Plutarch comes from the ladder and two attendants and a nurse arrive via a beam of light like the current carrying Johanna on a stretcher. Blaine is there the whole time holding her hand and murmuring to her that she is okay even though she is not awake to hear him. They load up in one of the armored vehicles and guards close the doors. Johanna is soon followed by Haymitch who is emitted from the same current of light and carried to the other armored truck. Another vehicle with dark windows, kind of like a nicer version of the armored truck, pulls onto the asphalt and Plutarch walks over to it. He calls to us, straightens his jacket and climbs in the back when an attendant opens the door for him. My feet are frozen to the ground. Gale come's up behind us.

"You're safe," he says. Now where have I heard that before, I think?

Gale walks to the vehicle with a slight limp from the bullet that grazed his leg and slips in the back leaving Peeta and I still frozen on the Launchpad. I sigh. Peeta turns me toward him.

"We're okay," he says and places his warm hand on my belly. "All of us." I smile and wrap my arms around his neck. I give him a long kiss. We just stand there; wrapped in each other's arms kissing until someone clearing their throat interrupts us. I pull back, my arms still wrapped around his neck. Plutarch has his head stuck out the car window.

"I thought you wanted to go home?" He asks. I sigh.

"You'll have plenty of time for that when you get home," says Plutarch. Peeta and I haven't been separated since we were rescued except for a few minutes when he was speaking to Plutarch outside our little room on the Hovercraft. I don't ask him what he was talking to him about since I was supposed to be asleep when he slipped out.

I blush to the roots of my hair. Peeta gives a light laugh and he takes my hand and pulls me toward the car. When we get there I hesitate. He smiles at me, encouraging me to climb in. If he can go through all he went through and still be sane enough to smile at me I can get into that car. I slide in, Peeta right after me. We settle in for the ride to President Paylor's mansion. We don't talk much as we travel in between the two armored vehicles carrying Haymitch and Johanna, when we do it's a comment about the weather or to ask me what I'm going to name the baby. Gale bristles at Plutarch's casual mention of the baby. Apparently he hasn't got used to it yet. I should give him some time. I still plan on trying to get Madge and him together. I am going to try anyway. We arrive at the mansion and when I look up at the grandeur structure I can't believe rulers so evil have lived here. How could someone like Snow live in a beautiful place like this and still think the way he did. I think of his snake eyes and shiver. We're escorted into the mansion and promptly given rooms. Paylor is out and we're told she will be back soon. I owe her my life because she is the one who authorized Johanna and Haymitch to use one of her hovercrafts and even provided surgeons who came in quite handy. I can't bear to think what would have happened to Haymitch and Johanna if we hadn't had them. Someone always gets hurt because of me; first Cinna then Peeta, Johanna and Finnick. Poor Annie; I wonder how she and the baby are doing? I make a mental note to check on her when I reach home. Plutarch has asks us to stay in the Capitol a few days against my wishes but I know Haymitch and Johanna need more time to rest before we travel and there is no way I am leaving them here alone. They will need help and a lot of care when they get back to 12 and I have just to two set of hands to do it. My mother and Prim. I'm pretty sure our mom has taught her everything all over again since I've been gone. Plutarch has informed me that Haymitch had called them several times making things up, saying I was too busy to talk. That Peeta and I were in meetings with the President about the newly formed republic and asking our opinion on who should represent our District as governor. That we were traveling so much that we didn't have time to call home. Good ole Haymitch, covering for us. I'm glad my mother won't have to know what really happened to us. I am afraid it will break her. I think everyone agrees with me on the decision because at the table while we're eating lunch with Plutarch and Gale I mention it and they just nod their heads. We're all tired so we all retire to our rooms. Peeta and I take turn scrubbing each other's backs trying to remove the grime and memories of our awful prison. We then fall into bed and cocoon ourselves in the warm blankets, Peeta's arms around me. We lie facing each other and stare at each other for a while until Peeta's eyes finally close, his long golden eyelashes fanning out hiding some of the dark bags under his eyes. I lie there just watching him for a while until I drift off too. I dream happy dreams. Dreams about Peeta and I and the baby but this time it's not a girl I dream about but a boy with blonde curls like his father and gray seam eyes like mine. I drift on a cloud and wake rested and smiling. I know I am having a girl but the thought of a boy with Peeta's hair makes me feel very content as if my family will not be complete without him. Strange. I intend this baby to be my only but if Peeta asks me for another I'll probably give in. I love him that much. I drift back onto the cloud this time dreaming about to baby's bouncing and bounding in the meadow, Mockingjays singing a sweet tune as they play safe and sound under Peeta and I's watchful eyes. I wake a short time later with Peeta's eyes on me.

"No nightmares," he asks. I shake my head.

"No nightmares," I return and he too shakes his head.

"You were smiling," he says. I'm so tired of hiding my thoughts so I decide from now on I will tell him exactly what I think, I will no longer hide anything from him. He hides nothing from me.

"I was dreaming about the baby." He smiles.

"I did too," he says simply and gives me a heart stopping kiss.

Johanna

My heads pounding and I feel as if someone dug a knife into my cheek. Clove? No, she's dead. I watched Thresh beat her head in with a rock in the 74th Hunger Games. I feel as if I'm under water, running out of breath. I'm trying to reach the surface but the water is so dark I can't tell which way is up. Somewhere a voice calls out my name. The voice is vaguely familiar but I can't place it through the dark haze that is my brain.

"Johanna. Please wake up sweetheart. I'm right here; I'll never leave your side again."

Sweetheart? The only person I had let call me that was…Blaine! Could it be? I remember a distant memory, too far off to remember completely but I'm like a colander and only catch small pieces from my memoires.

Someone cradling me against their chest, holding my hand, murmuring to me and smoothing back my hair assuring me I was okay. I force my heavy lids to open catching a form next to my bed, his dark head of hair resting near my hand. I barely can lift my hand but I manage to sink my hand into the forms dark locks. The form shift then lifts his head. His lips form my name and he takes my hand in his and holds it against his face, kissing it.

"Blaine," I breath out but I can feel whatever they've given me for my pain pulling me back to that dark place. I reach out my other hand and grab hold of his other.

"Blaine…..I love you," the words barely get past my lips before I'm dragged back under. To that dark ocean threatening to drown me, to take my soul.