DISCLAIMER: HG characters do not belong to me.

A/N: Glad to see people were happy about the baby announcement! Wasn't sure how that would be received. As always thanks for the reviews.

Chapter 96-Scared II

Gale awakens in a dark room, the only light he sees coming through the bottom crack of the door. He moves around and realizes that his feet and hands are chained to a wall behind him. He is pretty sure he is alone for he hears no other sound or movement.

It is hot in the room. His outer military gear removed, he is only in his tank top and pants, his boots still on. He moves his legs up and reaches with his tied up hands and feels that his knife has been removed from his lower leg pocket.

Frustrated, he sighs and leans back against the wall. He begins thinking about the events that got him to this point. He was given a squad of nine people. With him leading the group the total was ten soldiers. Spencer, Abraham, and Hance were part of the squad, specifically asking to be assigned to the mission when they had heard about it.

The Capitol had gotten a lead from the tip line that proved to be legit after further follow up. The lead was that Jasper, who does not attend any public protests or rallies, was planning a meeting in District 10 at a cattle farm three hours away from the training compound. Knowing that the Capitol was heavily monitoring them, the Jay Killers were not using the compound as much. From the information the Capitol gathered, smaller groups were formed throughout Panem, the majority of the group no longer in one place. The compound was hardly being used at this point. Katniss's interview with Caesar helped people become more aware of them and therefore the Jay Killers had to be more secretive. Not as many protests were happening, and a lot of people in the Capitol wondered if the group would be heading north to the wild territory again. When the tip came in that the presumed leader would be at the meeting at the cattle farm, President Paylor had decided to make a move to capture him, asking Gale to lead the small team.

While he was thrilled that his suspension ended in November, he was not eager to be away from his family. Paylor had approached him in February days after finding out that Katniss was five weeks along. His thoughts turn to the day she approached the subject of having children with him while finishing dinner one night early in December.

"Our one year anniversary is coming up at the end of the month, I know we are going to District 4 that week, but, I was thinking…..how would you feel if the trip was also…..a first attempt at trying for a baby?"

"Are you serious?" he asked, wanting to make sure she was absolutely positive it was what she wanted.

"Yeah, I am. I don't know it's just….sometimes working with such young children, teaching them, nurturing them, makes me realize-that I do want my own child. I'm not hesitant anymore. I've recovered from my morphling addiction, we are secure financially, especially with you returning to your second job. We are in a house…..I'm ready."

"What about all that is going on with the Jay Killers?"

"I won't live my life in fear. We will defeat them and if it doesn't happen for a long time-I know you would give your life and more to protect our child."

"And you" he says, fiercely looking into her eyes.

She smiles at him and says, "So what do you think?"

"I think we are ready" he says smiling and swoops her into his arms and begins kissing her. Once they break away from each other he asks, "Did you get your birth control implant removed?"

"No, but I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow. I never would have had it removed without telling you first."

"I know, I just wanted to make sure, I thought if you did we could get to work right now" he says grinning mischievously.

"Like we would need a reason" she says and engulfs him in a kiss.

They end up making love right there on the dining room table, a first for them for Katniss was still pretty reserved when it came to where they had sex. The next day when she returned home from her doctor's visit in the Capitol, her spirits were down. When he asked what was wrong she said, "I got the implant removed today."

"And that's bad?" he asks very confused.

"My doctor said it could take up to one year to become pregnant. The effects of the implant sometimes linger, especially when one has the implant as long as I have."

"Well, we are no rush right? It's not like we are old" for Gale had just turned 30 a couple of months ago.

"I guess" she says solemnly.

"It just gives us more time to practice" he says trying to cheer her up. Needless to say it works and they end up stumbling up the steps to their room while kissing each other hungrily.

They go on their trip to District 4 a few weeks later, staying in a hotel right on the beach. When they were not spending time with her Mother they were at the beach, swimming and just relaxing by the water. They had dinner with Rory a couple of times and got to visit with him. And of course, they had a lot of spare time for sex.

When Katniss approached Gale at the end of the January and says, "I haven't gotten my period yet, I should have gotten it last week."

He sees the look of concern on her face and says, "Isn't this a good thing?"

"I wasn't planning on it happening this fast."

"Well-you know what we were doing multiple times a day while in District 4" he says teasingly, but she responds with a scowl.

"Are you having second thoughts?" he says becoming irritated with her for this was not the reaction he was expecting.

"NO! I just—I wanted more time to prepare."

"Sometimes you can't prepare for this Katniss."

"Well, we don't know for sure. I will have to go back to the Capitol and see my doctor."

He knows she is just saying this to ease her nerves. When she returns home from the Capitol a week later and says she was indeed pregnant, he saw the look of fear on her face, for it meant it was really happening, that they were going to have a baby.

They almost get into a heated argument when she says that it was still too early to tell anyone and that she could miscarry. That it was something she saw quite a bit in District 12 for the women would go to her Mother for help, some of them running into their home screaming in distress.

She saw things she wished she could un-see.

"We are not in District 12 anymore!" Gale says raising his voice.

"I am being realistic" she says her voice rising in defense.

Not wanting to fight with her he says, "I don't even want to think about that happening to you."

Her demeanor softens and she says, "It's why I love you."

He takes her into his arms and holds her, he bends his head down and says into her shoulder, "When do you want to tell our families?"

She pauses, thinking of her answer before saying, "Not until I'm at least 12 weeks along and I don't want to tell other people until I'm almost five months along. I'll be in my second trimester by then and I probably won't be able to hide it."

"Okay" he says happy that at least she is willing to tell their families sooner.

Three days later he was approached to lead the mission. Not wanting to reveal to Paylor that Katniss was pregnant, he says he will accept the mission but asks that it be his last one unless absolutely necessary.

"Makes sense, I know it is harder now that you are married" Paylor says to him.

When he tells Katniss about the mission that night she becomes angry and asks him not to go.

"Catnip, you know I have to go. This is a rare opportunity for us to finally capture Jasper."

"If he is even there!" she yells back at him.

"He's there, apparently this meeting that is going to take place is to discuss their future plans."

"So you are just going to leave me here? Let me be in misery all by myself." She had begun experiencing morning sickness in the last week and was often vomiting several times a day.

"I will try to come back as soon as I can. You know I will. And I have asked that this be my last mission."

"Did you tell her about the baby?"

"No. She thinks I asked because we are married now."

She nods her head in relief, not wanting anyone in the Capitol to know, at least for right now.

"I'm scared Gale. I think something bad could happen" she says with fear in her eyes.

"It's your hormones talking, I'll be fine" he says as he goes over to her and gives her a gentle kiss.

Later on that night, while lounging on cushions on the floor and the fire going, they lay naked in each other's arms. He strokes the side of her breast while she cuddles into his chest letting her breathing return to normal after having an intense orgasm, her body still sweating, she does not look at him when she says, "I think we are going to have a girl."

He looks into the fire and says, "What makes you say that?"

She does not tell him she knows because of her vision from the herb. Instead she says, "Mother's intuition."

He chuckles and begins kissing her while the snow comes down heavily outside.

He thinks how now, three weeks later her fears proved to be right.

When his squad reached the cattle farm, late in the evening for that was when they were planning to ambush the Jay Killers, he knew something was wrong the minute he sees the members of the group not fight back when approached by them. Simply holding their hands up in surrender. He knew that the members of that group never surrendered without a fight. Minutes later, he realized they had walked right into trap, suddenly surrounded by twice the number of men. The tracking locators they had sent out showed very few men at the ranch, hence such a small squad. The reason so many men were able to hide from the Capitol was because they were hidden underground, digging very large holes into the ground and setting up an underground shelter and hiding down there until his squad arrived.

He was hit in the back of the head and blacked out, not waking until now. For the first time since he fought alongside Katniss in the war, he was scared. Scared for his squad for he had no idea where they were, if they were even alive, and scared for Katniss. Scared that she was attacked in their home, hoping that the Capitol got her out of Silver Lake and to a secure location along with the President.

He begins yanking on the chains again, trying to see if they would loosen, desperately trying to free himself. He knows they are at the compound and he needs to find a way out. He needs to save his squad and get back to Katniss as soon as possible.

While continuing to yank on the chains, he hears the door open and bright light comes through into the room. Adjusting his eyes to the light, he sees a middle aged man standing at the doorway, a whip in his left hand.

A/N: Next update probably will not occur until next week, but could come sooner if I have time.