DISCLAIMER: HG characters do not belong to me.

A/N: My intention is not to have the Jay Killer storyline drag on. It pretty much has wrapped up, but the leader of the group was not captured. You will see what happens with that later.

Chapter 101-Moments of Happiness

Katniss awakens in a hospital room. She is hooked up to an IV. The only thing she can remember was her phone call with Haymitch telling her Jasper had not been captured and that her things still missing. She has no idea what happened after that caused her to end up here.

She pushes the button to call the nurse, a few minutes later the nurse comes in and tells her that she had passed out and that she was brought here by her family. She assumes that Haymitch had gone to Hazelle.

"Are they here? My family that is?" Katniss asks.

"Yes, they are in the waiting room. They were with your husband earlier. He's getting released today."

"Why am I hooked up to this IV?"

"You need fluids. You have been experiencing a lot of nausea right? Trouble keeping food down?"

"Yes" Katniss says knowing what her questions meant.

"Losing a bit of weight this early during pregnancy is normal, but you have lost almost ten percent of your body weight so we gave you nutrients through an IV. Most likely the weight loss is what caused your dizziness and fainting."

She knows Haymitch is the one who told them she was pregnant and was experiencing dizziness.

"Is the baby…okay?"

"Oh yes. As long as your weight comes back up the baby should be fine. We did some testing, would you like to know the baby's gender?"

"No" she says quickly. "I would prefer waiting until my husband is here."

"Oh right, sorry. Well, if you want to know when he arrives, let one of us know."

A few moments after the nurse leaves she hears shouting coming from outside her room, recognizing Gale's voice immediately.

"I'm going in to see her."

"Mr. Hawthorne, you have not been released yet. You need to wait just a little bit longer until the doctor says you can-"

"Get out of my way, I need to see my wife" his tone on the last word indicating he wasn't waiting for anybody.

"But-"

Katniss contemplates finding way to disconnect the IV to get out of the bed when the door flies open, Gale barging in and shutting the door behind him. Not allowing anyone else to come in.

She sees he is dressed and still has slight bruising on his face though he looked a lot better than he did yesterday.

"Katniss!" he says as he goes into her outstretched arms.

"I'm fine, the baby's fine" she says while hugging him.

"What happened" he says pulling back from her embrace and looking at her. "My Mom said you fainted."

"You know how hard it has been for me to keep food down. Well, I started experiencing dizziness yesterday and this morning when Haymitch told me Jasper and my things are still missing, I passed out."

Gale's look of concern turns to disdain as he says, "I know, I heard that he uses decoys. Who knows where he is now."

Wanting to push the thought of Jasper aside she says, "The nurse says I need to get my weight up."

"Is that why you have this?" he says looking to her IV hookup.

"Yeah."

He bends down and kisses her. Feeling safe in his arms once again and wanting to feel him close she moves her hand up under his shirt and begins to rub his back, pulling her hand back in shock by what she feels.

Smooth skin instead of his usual scarred skin that she had memorized by touch.

"Your back-it's healed?"

He runs his hand through his hair as he says, "Yeah, they did the procedure really early this morning. I don't know who decided to do it, I didn't ask for it. I think they did it to help heal my wounds since I have scars there already."

Knowing how the procedure works she says, "Yeah, it pretty much erases everything. No more healing needed."

He opens his mouth to respond when suddenly they hear the door open. The doctor appears in the doorway and gives them both a look and says, "Mr. Hawthorne, I figured I'd find you here."

Gale grabs Katniss's hand and says, "Of course, I find out my wife-my pregnant wife has been hospitalized, what do you expect?"

"I need to do a final check on you before we let you leave."

"You can do that after you tell me what your plan is to help my wife."

The doctor comes closer to them and looks at Katniss and says, "I have a prescription ready for you that will help ease the nausea. And I want you to increase your vitamin intake, and you are to eat three solid meals a day, no exceptions."

"And if I can't keep it down?"

"You will, this medicine is really effective. You are almost at nine weeks and you will be entering your second trimester in about a month. By then the nausea should subside completely. If it doesn't, keep taking the medication."

She nods her head in response. The doctor then says, "Would you like to know the gender of the baby? We did every test we could to make sure everything was okay."

Katniss looks to Gale and sees his face light up. He looks at her and she nods her head letting him know she was okay with finding out now.

"Sure" Gale says beaming.

"You are having a girl."

Katniss feels herself being lifted up slightly off the bed from Gale's embrace. She knows he would be swinging her around right now if she wasn't in this hospital bed. He brings his head down to rest on hers and says, "Just like you thought."

"Congratulations, I know this is a very exciting time for you both. That's why you both need to take it easy and you need to take time to recover Mr. Hawthorne."

Gale brings his head back up and tells the doctor he understands and that he will. Katniss knows though that it is only lip service. She knows Gale will immerse himself back at work and while she knows she should be excited about the baby, she still has too many lingering thoughts racing in her mind. Would Jasper ever be found? Will the Sioux be okay returning to their village? How will Peeta react once he finds out? Will she have to go on air and broadcast to all of Panem that she is having a child? Of course she does not voice these concerns with Gale. Thinking now is not the time.

An hour later after she has eaten a large meal and dressed, she meets Gale outside his room and together they head into the lobby, hand in hand. She sees Haymitch sitting in the waiting room with Hazelle, Posy, and Vick. He is chatting with Hazelle while Vick and Posy watch TV.

He turns his head and looks up at Katniss and rises to his feet and goes over to her and hugs her. She sees Gale walk over to his family giving her a moment.

"I'm sorry but I had to bring you here, I had to tell Hazelle that you were pregnant" he says to her looking anxious not knowing what her reaction was going to be.

"It's okay Haymitch. I'm not angry. I'm lucky to have you as a friend, you always look out for me."

"And I always will, you know that."

She updates him on her condition and then leans forward and whispers into his ear, "I'm having a girl."

He gives her a look of genuine happiness as he says softly so that no one else can hear, "Congratulations."

"Have you….have you told Peeta yet?"

"No, that's for you to do. When you are ready."

She doesn't think she will ever be ready to tell him but yet again keeps it to herself. She continues talking with Haymitch for a few more minutes before he says his goodbyes to Hazelle, Posy, Vick, and Gale.

Katniss walks with him to the end of hall and he tells her not to worry about Jasper. That he, Johanna, and Enobaria will continue the search for him. She gives him one last hug before walking back into the waiting room.

Hazelle comes up to her and hugs her fiercely when she returns. Taken slightly by surprise Katniss wraps her arms around her and when she pulls back, she sees slight tears in her eyes.

"So you are finally making me a Grandmother" she says to her, Katniss realizing that the tears are those of joy.

"I hope you don't think it is too soon." Katniss says knowing full well what Hazelle's feelings were on the subject a little over two years ago.

"Oh no of course not! Back then I was….still unsure of what your true feelings were, I was…afraid you could still go back to Peeta and break Gale's heart. I'm sorry."

Katniss lays a hand on her shoulder and squeezes it, letting her know silently that she accepts the apology. Posy comes over and hugs Katniss next and says, "I can't believe I'm going to be an Aunt. I can't wait" she says excitedly.

"And hopefully you will see how hard it is to take care of a baby and decide to never date a boy" Gale says teasingly to her, not wanting to think about his 15 year old baby sister having a boyfriend.

Vick comes over and gives Katniss a hug as well and offers his congratulations. "So when are you due?" he asks.

Hazelle and Posy look at Katniss eagerly as she looks to Gale and says, "October 16."

"Looks like I will be busy celebrating birthdays that week" Hazelle jokes, hinting at Gale's birthday that same week.

Gale comes up and puts his arm around Katniss giving her a look saying it was up to her to let them know what they just found out. She looks at Posy, Vick, and Hazelle as she says, "We just found out…..we're having a girl."

Posy squeals in surprise and Hazelle throws her arms up and says, "Yes! Hawthorne's are known to have boys, so glad I will at least have one Granddaughter."

Katniss laughs as they all embrace in a group hug. Once the hug ends Vick teases Gale by saying, "Maybe I'll be the one to have all the boys."

"Whoa, you saying something I don't know about" Gale says looking at Vick in anticipation.

Vick laughs as he says, "No. But I do plan on making things official with Layla once I am done with training."

Having this happy moment with the Hawthorne's made Katniss forget for a brief moment her fears, the five of them happily heading to the train station to go back to District 2.


Eight weeks later (May 2)

Katniss stares at herself in the mirror. Now in her second trimester and 16 weeks along, she finally has a noticeable curve in her stomach.

Besides her Mother, the Hawthorne's, Haymitch and Paylor, she still has been able to keep her pregnancy a secret. The principal at the school didn't know, and neither did her only two friends at work, Livia and Kimber. After getting the medication to help her nausea she had almost no symptoms to hide. She did gain weight after returning to Silver Lake but it was not to the point that people would be suspicious, hoping that people figured she had gained weight because she was happily married.

Looking at herself now though, she realizes it is finally time to reveal her pregnancy, for she won't be able to hide her noticeable belly for too much longer.

Now that her morning sickness was gone and her appetite back, her sex drive was back as well, and in full force. While she and Gale had a pretty active sex life before her pregnancy, at times he was having a hard time keeping up with her for the last couple of weeks she craved having him inside her almost as much as she craved sweets. That morning she had woken Gale up early and began stroking him, eager to have him get hard so he could pleasure her the way only he could.

"Catnip" he says groggily, not ready to be woken from the deep sleep he had been in.

"Sorry, you know this is all her fault" she says smirking.

He grunts as he bends over and kisses her. He then gets up and splashes cold water on his face before returning to the bed. He grabs her legs and pulls her to the edge of the bed and gently pulls her underwear off, tossing it to the ground. He kneels down and begins licking her, pleasuring her the way he knows she loves. She wraps her legs around his shoulders, almost trapping him down. As he continues his movements she feels herself start to need more and she moans, "Gale" as she reaches to quickly stroke his dark hair.

He raises his head and knows what she wants by the tone of her voice. Still tired but unable to ever resist her needs, he rises up and takes his boxers off while she pulls her nightshirt off. Seeing her naked before him he says, "Whoa, your stomach, it just-popped out."

She looks down and frowns as she sees that her stomach was no longer flat like it had been. Practically popping out overnight. She touches the curved area, almost willing herself to feel her baby move but nothing happens.

Gale lays down beside her and begins touching her now noticeable curve as well. "Can you feel anything?" he asks.

"No" she says the disappointment evident in her voice.

"I'm sure you will soon."

Not wanting to waste any more time talking, she moves his hand to her breast signaling that she wants him to keep going. Taking her hint he takes her breast that has gotten even more full and larger in his mouth as he reaches down and strokes her clit, warming her back up. She reaches down and grabs him and moves his hand away and inserts him into her. He rolls her on top of him as he begins moving inside her, not wanting to put any weight on her. She grabs onto his shoulders as her body slides up against his over and over. She feels his hands grab onto her butt as he pushes harder into her. Completely aroused but still wanting more, she rolls off of him to his surprise and gets up on her knees and holds onto the headboard as he turns around and slips back inside her from behind. She bends down slightly as he continues thrusting, one hand squeezing her breast and teasing her nipple while the other laid gently on her curved stomach. She cries out in pleasure when she finally orgasms, thinking perhaps it was the loudest she had ever been, and she hears him come as well soon after. She collapses in exhaustion, laying back down on the bed and feels him begin to kiss her flushed cheek. He kisses her cheek a few times before brushing a kiss on her mouth though she is too tired to kiss him back. He curls up beside her and quickly falls back asleep, his hand protectively cradling her stomach while they slept until later on in the morning.

It was Sunday, a day that they continued to reserve for just the two of them. She tells him after she showers and gets dressed that she wants to go hunting. She hadn't been hunting since finding out she was pregnant.

"Okay but there will be no tree climbing" he says as he fixes her breakfast.

Unable to close her pants, she needed to use a hair tie to hold the button of her pants together, she knows she needs to go shopping for maternity clothes. But decides she will do that later in the week, for she had loose fitting dresses that she could wear to work this week.

They decide to take Harper with them into the woods. She manages to find a squirrel and hits it right in eye, her signature move. Pleased that she hasn't lost her touch they head back to the house, Gale catching a few things in his snare line. They eat their freshly caught meal later on that night and spend the rest of the night looking through a magazine to get ideas for the nursery. The spare room will be converted into the baby's room and Gale speaks with her about the idea of not renewing their lease come fall.

"There is a….piece of land that I have been eyeing" he says to her.

"Piece of land?"

"For us to build a house on."

"You want to build a house?"

"Yeah….we are going to need a bigger house eventually."

"Gale-what's the rush? Can we wait until after she comes to talk about this?"

"Catnip, you know once this baby is born my Mother and Sister will not be able to stay away right? They will be here every weekend I can guarantee it. Plus there is your Mother as well. We are going to need extra rooms."

"So this piece of land is here in Silver Lake?"

"Yes. On the other side of the lake. It's a little further from the school but still a walkable distance."

"Is it near the woods?"

"Like we could live anywhere else" he says smiling.

She smiles back and gives him a quick kiss. Seeing the look of happiness on his face as they begin discussing names makes her realize she needs to cherish these moments of happiness, for she knows it can be taken away at any moment. That night while in bed she begins repeating her list of kind acts in her head followed by her repetitious habit of repeating Sioux words over and over. Her way of trying to ease the anxiety she began feeling. Not knowing why she was feeling this way and blaming it on her hormones, it takes her over an hour to drift off to sleep, her dreamcatcher hanging above her protecting her while she dreamt.

A/N: Since Panem has very advanced technology and medicine, I made it so that a person knows a baby's gender way earlier than usual. However, I did find an article that said blood tests can be done as early as 7 weeks to detect gender, so maybe this is not so far off lol.