DISCLAIMER: HG characters do not belong to me.
A/N: This chapter will fill in some gaps with the time jump. As always thanks for the reviews.
Chapter 98-Jealousy III
Katniss awakens suddenly and finds herself covered in sweat. She had awoken from a dream. It wasn't a nightmare, she continued to no longer have those, but the dream was not a pleasant one. For she was dreaming about Dez.
Back in June when Katniss and Gale had seen Dez's Father on TV at one of the rallies for the Jay Killers, Gale had called Dez a few days later. As usual it took her over a week to return his call and another two weeks had passed before they agreed to meet. They had arranged to meet at a coffee shop the two of them used to frequent near his old apartment. At first Dez was resistant, saying that whatever he had to say he could say over the phone. But when Gale said to her, "Please do this one last thing for me" she quickly relented and agreed to meet. His prediction that she can't say no to him verified. They meet at the beginning of July on a Tuesday after Gale had gotten off work. Gale told Katniss that the visit did not start off good at all and that Dez became extremely defensive when Gale began talking about her Father. She yells at Gale telling him that what her Father does in his spare time is none of his and Katniss's business, seething in anger when she says Katniss's name. Gale lets her continue to vent and eventually she calms down and tells Gale that as far as she knows, her Father was only a supporter, not an actual member of the group. She further explains that her Father knows a lot of the members in the group from 2 and that while he supported the idea of new leadership, he was not interested in seeing Panem get back into another war. Dez made it known to Gale that her Father did not approve of President Paylor in any way, shape, or form and felt she was not worthy to be Panem's leader. Not wanting to start another argument, he chooses not to respond to her comment, and instead says the group is dangerous and is not to be trusted. Dez tells Gale that she will pass the message along, but not to expect her Father to listen, reminding him that her family no longer trusted him after what he did to her. Gale tells Katniss the rest of their visit goes well and that they were able to strike up a friendly conversation and even engaged in laughter. Not wanting to keep anything from her, he tells Katniss that it was almost like old times. When they say their goodbyes Dez leans up to him for a hug and he says he accepted it. Katniss never expressed her jealousy to Gale upon hearing that he and Dez are on friendlier terms, but she was pretty sure he was well aware by her body language and reaction for her never spoke about it again.
In her dream, Katniss sees Dez and Gale embracing right outside on the front porch of their house, with Gale slowly undressing her. Katniss watches in anger as Gale begins to have sex with Dez up against the porch railing, Dez moaning as loudly as she did the day Katniss overheard them in their room back in his old apartment. With Gale's hands on her completely flat stomach, she arches up against his chest. Katniss watches as Dez slowly opens her eyes and looks directly at Katniss and says, "When you are finally gone, he'll be mine again. You know when it will happen."
Katniss then wakes up.
In order to calm her anger she takes a shower to help relax then takes Harper out for a quick walk around the building. When she returns to her room she lays down again. She is still experiencing extreme fatigue, which she knows is a typical sign of early pregnancy. She still feels nauseous, and decides she will try eating later after she finishes another quick nap. While lying in bed, still fuming from her dream about Dez, she begins thinking about the last time she saw Gale, right before he left with his squad. It was their last night together, for he had to report to the Capitol at 8 am the next morning, meaning he would have to leave the house at 5:30 am. She remembers the minute she arrives home from a long day of teaching how he pulls her up into his arms and begins kissing her, desperation in his kisses. He begins pulling her clothes off in the hallway and once naked, he picks her up and carries her up the stairs like a groom carrying a bride. He lays her down gently on the bed and begins removing his clothes while she looks at him with passion in her eyes. He stares back at her, his eyes never leaving hers. She loved it when he looked at her in such a carnal way, especially now that she was feeling so uncomfortable adjusting to the changes in her body. Once his clothes are off he bends down and continues kissing her, running his hands down her body before finally resting them on her breasts and begins squeezing them. The minute his hands grip her breasts she feels extreme tenderness and soreness. Not expecting that to happen, she cries out in surprise, Gale stopping and sitting up right away, looking at her with concern.
"Sorry-it's just….that kind of hurt."
"It's a normal effect of pregnancy" he says in a matter of fact tone.
She gives him a look showing she is impressed that he knows that and says, "You've been doing your homework."
"Of course."
She smiles at him and pulls him back down to her and begins kissing his neck. She feels him start to get hard and within minutes he gently pushes himself inside her and begins moving in and out, his hands on the mattress so he is not putting his weight on her, not wanting her to begin feeling nauseous. Needing him closer to her, she reaches for his shoulders and wraps her legs around him, wanting him to go deeper inside her. He repositions them by switching places with her, sitting up on the bed with her in his lap. His begins moving her up and down while holding onto her hips. Once they finish, their bodies slicked with sweat, he whispers while out of breath into her ear, "You are so beautiful. Your body is beginning to look different."
She snickers loudly and says, "Yeah, I'm starting to get bigger…you know where." Not only were her breasts extremely tender, she began noticing a few days ago they were starting to get slightly bigger and fuller. She knows this was just the beginning and seeing the changes in her body was making her feel less and less attractive. She knew it was silly, but she couldn't help but wonder if Gale would be turned off by her upcoming weight gain. She soon figures out her worries were for nothing.
"Our baby girl's growing inside you, you've never looked more beautiful."
She laughs and says, "So you agree with me that it's a girl?"
"Who am I to disagree with you" he says teasingly, engulfing her in another passionate kiss.
He then gets up and pulls her into the shower with him, both of them still covered in sweat. They continue kissing as the water cascades down on them. Suddenly overcome with nausea yet again, she bolts out of the shower and throws up in the nearby toilet. Once finished she flushes the toilet and continues sitting on the floor while Gale turns off the water and kneels down beside her and begins stroking her back.
"I don't know why they call it morning sickness when it can come on any time of the day."
He gives her a look of pity and says, "It will start to get better later on right?"
"They say by the second trimester."
She manages to get up and brush her teeth and gets back in the shower with him, she lets him wash her while she leans up against the tile, his movements intimate but not sexual.
They go back downstairs after and he cooks dinner for her. She's surprised when she is able to keep most of it down. After dinner they go for a quick walk with Harper before cuddling up on the couch for the rest of the night. She falls asleep on his shoulder and does not wake when he carries her up to bed. Right before 5:30 the next morning, she is awakened by him shaking her, softly telling her he has to go.
She moves onto her back and reaches up for him while he bends down over her. She runs her hands down the sides of his face as she says, "I don't know how I'm going to be able to be away from you."
"I will be back" he says in a tone implying he had no doubts that they would see each again.
She does not know why, but she has the strangest sense in the pit of her stomach that something bad was about to happen, like she did in the arena when she was apprehensive about separating from Peeta. She does not voice this concern and instead leans up and kisses him. He moves down further as his tongue gently touches hers and after a few minutes pulls away. He gives her one last agonizing look as he gets up and holds onto her hand for one final moment before pulling away and heading downstairs.
Her thoughts now in the present, she knows that her fears were not frivolous, just as before, her gut told her the situation wasn't right. She chastises herself for not voicing her concern more with him, for she knows had she demanded it, he would have declined the mission though he would have been angry with her. She knows he cannot refuse her.
She has to remind herself of that the next time she gets jealous of Dez.
She begins thinking about the tribe, and how Paylor arranged for food drop offs once a month that began last November. Katniss last saw the tribe during a quick break from school at the end of October, Gale accompanying her, a hovercraft provided to them as previously arranged. The tribe tells her where they wanted the Capitol to drop the food off for them to retrieve. Still frustrated that they were stuck there for another winter, Katniss promises Strong Wind that if the Jay Killers are not disbanded by her next birthday, she would speak with Paylor about providing constant surveillance after returning to their village. Even though the last thing the tribes wants is to be watched by the Capitol again, Strong Wind agrees to her suggestion.
She knows the only good that can come of all this is that if the plan succeeds, the Jay Killers might finally be stopped and the tribe can go home.
She feels her eyes start to get heavy and turns on her side, the urge to sleep overtaking her. She dozes off for an hour and wakes up to the sound of the phone ringing, Harper licking her face to help her wake up. She gives him a quick pat on the head before jumping off the bed and answering.
"Hello" she says.
"Katniss it's me" Haymitch's voice on the other end.
"Haymitch-any news?"
"I talked to Paylor, or tried to I should say. She agrees with Heavensbee that is best if you stay here but that she will make sure you are able to watch and hear everything from the control room with General Brown." General Brown being the General that was in the room with them earlier.
She is not surprised by this in the least and says, "Did she say when they plan to make their move?"
"Yes. She is too meet with Jasper and five members of his group at 8 am tomorrow morning."
She looks at the clock and sees it is almost 7 pm. Gale has to hold on for another 13 hours. She thanks Haymitch and hangs up, telling him she needs to grab dinner in the hotel lobby. She heads for the door planning to go down the hall to the Hawthorne's to ask Posy and maybe Vick if they want to go with her and update them on Gale's rescue when she gasps in surprise after opening the door, Vick on the other side.
His arm is raised showing he was about to knock. He quickly puts his arm down and says, "Katniss-I need to talk to you."
"I was just about to come down. I'm going to head to the lobby to get some food, do you want to come? I was going to ask Posy too."
"Sure, but I really need to talk to you first. I have a plan. A way for us to save Gale."
She looks at him in surprise and pulls the door back, signaling to him he was to head inside.
