Thank you for reading so far—you're awesome!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie for being my beta and tolerating me—she's an angel.

One

By JLaLa

Part Three: Ten Weeks

She was woken up by his hand caressing her small belly.

Katniss slowly opened her eyes and looked down, watching Peeta's hand move back and forth as he slumbered. Her bump was a bit more prominent; since, according to the books, the little one was now developing some very vital organs and sporting a rather large head.

They had come to a nice place in their relationship.

There was kissing and there was sex—mostly initiated by her. Peeta worried about hurting the baby, even when Effie assured him that most couples still had sex while pregnant.

Though she did warn him about blowing into her vagina—and then sent them packing with brochures about safe sex positions during pregnancy.

The two of them were slowly learning to fit themselves into one another's lives. Peeta had dinner at the Hawthornes'; she had met his roommates. Annie, in particular, was especially fascinated by Katniss.

They switched off between her apartment and his house; this weekend she was at his place.

So there Katniss was, spooned against the father of her child, enjoying the feel of his hand on the little plum inside her.

For a moment, everything was perfect.

Then her stomach lurched and the sour taste of vomit began to fill her mouth. She sat up quickly, pushing Peeta's hand off of her as she did.

Throwing the blankets aside, Katniss jumped out of bed, threw open the bedroom door and rushed down the hall to the bathroom.

Cato stood in front of the door, ready to turn the knob when she practically threw him against the opposite wall.

"HEY!" he yelled as she slammed the door in his face.

She just barely reached the toilet when the vomit came.

Katniss would never get used to this. It felt like a millennium as she retched into the toilet. How could so much come out of her when she could barely eat anything?

Everything made her sick.

She had to change her toothpaste because it just made her throw up. Last week, it was Peeta's shampoo scent.

Finally, it stopped. Then he was there.

Peeta sat next to her on the floor with a glass of water and some saltines. She took the saltines first and the dry crackers immediately calmed her aching stomach.

"Morning," he said hoarsely and she gave him a closed-mouthed smile.

She enjoyed his morning voice, especially when he woke her with his mouth against her ear.

"Morning," she responded, her voice just as rough. "It's going to be an interesting day."

"Started off interesting enough," Peeta said and reached over to touch her cheek. "Do you want me to make you some pancakes?"

Katniss nodded and he stood up, holding out his hand so that he could help her stand. Once on her feet, she put her head against his chest and he kissed the top of her head.

And everything was perfect again.

The door burst open and Cato rushed in, his face crimson.

"I can't wait—IF YOU TWO DON'T GET OUT OF HERE, I'M GOING TO PEE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!"

Peeta adjusted his navy button down shirt. His mother had bought it for him in the hope that he would use it for job interviews.

He hadn't bothered to even take it out of the box, and had just cut the price tag off it only seconds ago.

His eyes wandered over to where the stack of bills was piling up. His gigs had definitely slowed, so he was working at a small wine bar that was within walking distance, but only three times a week. Katniss was still using her student insurance for her visits with Effie, but that would expire in two months.

Peeta knew he needed to find a way to support her and the baby, but he was stuck on one thing.

He had no idea what to do with his life.

Bartending was easy enough—the job had just fallen into his lap one day.

When he was in college, Peeta could memorize drink recipes like no one else could, so all the frat boys hired him for their parties. When he decided that college wasn't for him, one of those same frat boys suggested the club circuits for some easy cash.

And it had worked out—when it was just him.

Putting on his dark brown leather shoes, Peeta walked out of his room and into the living room where he found Katniss and Annie sitting on the couch.

"Your boobs look bigger than they did last week." Annie eyed Katniss' chest. "Can I touch one? Is there milk in there already?"

"Um—I don't think that there's milk in there yet," Katniss replied with an amused smile.

"Your body is reacting well to the pregnancy," Finnick added from his seat. He had been especially considerate, though unusually fascinated when it came to Katniss.

Peeta once caught him reading one of the baby books that were stacked in his bedroom.

"Thanks," she answered back awkwardly. Katniss met Peeta's eyes. "Are you ready?"

He nodded and she stood up, adjusting the wide skirt of her dress that concealed her condition. The top of the navy dress was sleeveless with a white collar.

"Don't you two look nice?" Thresh said as he walked into the room holding a bowl of cereal. "Very Doris Day and Rock Hudson."

"You've been watching too much AMC," Peeta told his friend. "We're off."

"Good luck," Finnick said with a lazy grin.

"Try not to vomit before you tell them about the baby," Annie advised as they walked towards the front door. "If anything, crying usually helps."

"Should I be worried?" Katniss asked him once they finally stepped out of the house and into the muggy heat.

"No, they're exaggerating," he replied with a nervous laugh.

"Liar."

"I know."

Today, they were telling his parents.

The Mellarks lived forty minutes away. It was close enough for Peeta to get there for birthdays or holidays, but far enough that he didn't have visit every weekend.

"So tell me a little more about your family," she said as he drove her electric blue VW Beetle down the highway. "Besides the fact that your Dad is an architect and your Mom is an art restorer, I don't know anything else."

"That's how they met," Peeta replied, his eyes on the road. "My Dad just finished building a house for my godfather and my mother was restoring an old piece that was going into the house. They got into a fight over how to get the ugly sculpture into the house, then got married eight months later."

"And what about your brothers?"

"Will is a lawyer and Cal is a realtor," he informed her. "Both are single and perfectly happy about it."

"And then there's you. How did your brothers get Will and Cal, but you got the name 'Peeta'?"

"I'm named after my grandfather." He turned to look at her quickly. "They say I look just like him."

Katniss grinned teasingly. "So he was a hot blond with amazing dexterity, too?"

"Don't make me pull this car over."

"I dare you—"

She was interrupted by the loud squeal of the car's tires as it cut across two lanes and Peeta pulled off on the shoulder of the highway.

He turned to her, and Katniss unbuckled her seatbelt so that she could move onto her knees. Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her onto his lap so she could straighten her legs on her seat.

"I took your dare," Peeta said as his lips teased hers. He looked into her coal eyes and his hand reached over to push the stray bang from her forehead.

"Your heart is racing," she whispered and placed a small kiss against his lower lip.

He leaned his forehead against her. "It's because of you."

Her mouth moved over his and he surrendered himself to the taste of mint and chocolate—mint for her toothpaste and chocolate from the pancakes he made her that morning. His hand moved over the small bump that was their little one and stroked it gently as he ravished her mouth.

They pulled apart breathlessly and she smiled at him. "I like this."

"So do I," he replied affectionately. "I like fitting myself into the little compartments in your life." Peeta took a deep breath. "I have to tell you something."

"Am I going to be mad?"

"Maybe," Peeta told her. "I told my parents that you were my—girlfriend."

She raised a brow at him. "Aren't I?"

"Are you?"

Katniss thought for a moment. "We've never really talked about that. I guess I am. It's better than 'Mellark baby carrier.'"

"So we've decided that the last name will definitely be Mellark?

"This list of baby topics keeps on getting longer," she thought out loud, then reached for her phone in the car's cup holder to write it in her notes. "Discuss last name."

"So you really have a list?"

"It says to have one in the baby book I have," Katniss looked over at him. "In chapter five. How far have you gotten in your version?"

"Page six." Her face fell at his answer. "I've been busy at the bar—"

"I know," she said with a sigh. "Anything else we need to discuss?"

"I told my parents that we've been dating for six months."

"Don't you think I should know a little bit more about you since we've been supposedly dating for six months?" Katniss moved herself off him and sat back, her eyes wide. She leaned back against the door. "How long do we have until we get there?"

"About twenty minutes."

She reached for her phone. "Okay. Give me the Peeta Mellark Wikipedia version of your life."

Peeta started the car and pulled off the shoulder. "Where do I start?"

"How about your birthday?"

"You live here?"

Katniss looked up at the Mellark house. Perched on a hill and surrounded by trees, the house was a combination of light-colored timber and glass walls that overlooked the city below. It was modern and everything her old childhood home wasn't.

"I lived here," Peeta corrected. "Looks like this is the latest remodel." He gave her a wary smile. "Are you ready?"

She turned to him and smoothed down the collar of his shirt. "Now you're perfect."

Peeta grimaced. "Try telling my Mom that."

The door burst open and she instinctively took his hand, feeling him squeeze hers as his parents rushed out.

Both Mellark parentals were blond and blue eyed; Katniss subconsciously smoothed her dark hair, suddenly feeling very out of place.

She hoped the baby would be a brunette.

"Peeta! You don't keep us waiting while we spy on you from the living room," his mother scolded and then kissed his cheek.

Mr. Mellark turned to Katniss and gave her a welcoming smile. "Hi, I'm Richard—Peeta's father." He shook her hand. She could see that Peeta got his square jaw from his Dad, as well as his eyes.

"I'm Katniss Everdeen," she replied nervously and her stomach lurched. Katniss placed a hand on her abdomen. She looked up to see Peeta's dad watching her, his eyes on where her hand rested. "Sorry, I get carsick sometimes."

"Mom, this is Katniss," Peeta said as he joined them.

Peeta's mother was beautiful with a heart shaped face and blonde waves. Her eyes were a little sharper, but striking nonetheless.

"Anna Mellark," his mother said with a gracious smile, revealing pearly white teeth. "It's really nice to meet you, especially since we had no idea that you existed until a week ago."

Katniss wasn't quite sure whether she was being sweet or snide.

"It's okay," she replied.

"Why don't we all head inside?" Richard suggested. "Your brothers are here. They're dying to meet Katniss."

"Oh, good," Peeta said weakly. He turned to her. "Are you all right?"

"I feel sick," she whispered into his ear. "And I think your Dad suspects something, seeing as how I almost barfed on him."

"Five minutes here and it's all falling apart."

"What do you mean?" Katniss asked.

"I just had a conversation with my mother about the student loans that she is still paying off," Peeta said as he put an arm around her and led her up the porch. "Then she proceeded to berate me about where I live and what I do."

Katniss stopped in place as Peeta's parents walked inside.

"Listen. Not everyone has their life figured out at our ages." He was 24, a year older than her.

"You do."

"Obviously not." She looked down at where the bump was hidden.

"Are you two coming in?" Anna asked as she walked out to join them.

Katniss smiled and nodded at the woman before taking Peeta's hand to go into the house.

"You live in 'The Lake House'," Katniss told him as they walked in.

"Huh?"

Peeta led her over to the plush sectional that rested against a wooden wall. A large canvas with multi-colored splotches hung on the wall behind them.

"I think it was that movie with Keanu Reeves." She looked up to see wheat-colored haired man in a white button down and grey suit pants. He gave her a friendly smile, similar to Peeta's. "Will Mellark."

He handed her a glass of wine before handing one to Peeta.

"Katniss Everdeen."

"Where is Cal?" Richard asked.

"Finishing up a deal," Will replied.

Peeta downed his glass then took Katniss' so that he could drink hers. She caught Richard's eyes and felt her stomach lurch.

"I need to wash up from the road trip," she told Peeta. "Bathroom?"

"Peeta, take Katniss upstairs—we're redoing the downstairs half-bath," his mother instructed.

"Don't take too long you two," Will teased. "Mom is infamous for finding girls in our rooms."

"So how many girls have been in your room?" she asked as they walked up the stairs with floating railings.

"Not many," he told her as they reached the top and made a left. "You want to see my room?"

"How many girls?" she demanded.

"Two." Katniss turned to see a skinny, dirty-blond haired man with Anna's eyes grinning at her. "Little brother finally brought a girl home—I'm Cal."

"Katniss."

"I'll give you both a few minutes. By the way, one of them was our next door neighbor and the other was just a hot mess," Cal informed her. He patted Peeta's shoulder. "I'll try to distract them until Mom decides to come rushing up."

"Thanks," Peeta responded, his smile a little more relaxed.

Cal winked at her and then turned to Peeta. "I have a feeling about this one," he said before going down the stairs.

"Your family is very fast-paced," Katniss remarked.

"Tell me about it," he said as he led her to the bathroom door. "Look for me—I need a few minutes before we go back down."

She nodded before walking into the bathroom.

Katniss looked at herself in the mirror—was she showing? She placed a hand on her belly and rubbed it slowly. "You okay in there?"

There was no response, except for the growl coming from her stomach. It was hungry.

"We're eating soon," she assured her belly. "Little one—we have to tell your grandparents that you exist today—so for the love of God, please stop sending me little hormonal messages that make me want to vomit."

She washed her hands and stepped out of the bathroom, in search of Peeta.

It was obvious that the double doors at the opposite end were for the master bedroom. She walked down the hallway, peeking into each room—all of them impeccably decorated. Katniss knew one of them was Will's, due to the Yale Law School flag hanging on the wall.

She knew Peeta's room immediately. It was as chaotic as he was—and she loved it.

There were sketches hanging from the walls and charcoal pencils on the desk. The twin bed had grey flannel sheets and she sat on it, picturing an adolescent Peeta dreaming away on it. Her eyes went to a framed photo of the Mellark family by a lake on his bedside table—Peeta looked about ten in the photo.

"We used to go there every summer." She looked up and saw him at the doorway. Peeta walked over and sat next to her.

"Is this around Russian River?" she asked.

"Yup."

"I used to go there with my family, too." Katniss leaned back against his headboard and smiled at him. "Wouldn't it be funny if we passed each other and didn't even know it?"

"That didn't happen," he said. "Scoot over."

Katniss moved to the far end so that she sat between the wall and him. "How do you know?"

"Because I would've remembered you—" Peeta turned to her and lifted her chin. "And I would've been a goner."

She bit her lip to stop herself from crying. Fucking hormones.

"I can't do this," Katniss whispered as they walked down the stairs.

"We have to tell them," he responded, though he tightened his grip on her hand. "I know this isn't going to be easy, but just think—next week, we get to tell your parents."

"Oh, God—I feel a headache coming on."

His family was still in the living room and he saw how perfect they looked without him there. He didn't doubt that they loved and supported him, but they could be…critical. Especially his mother. She was the pusher while his father tended to be the mellower of the two. His Dad was always there with a gentle smile or a pat on the back whenever she ripped him a new one.

"About time you two got down here," Will said, amused. "We were about to send up the search party."

Peeta looked over at Katniss and her face was grey. She looked like she was about ready to pass out.

"Before we get to dinner, we need to make an announcement," he started.

"You two run off to Vegas and get married or something?" Cal joked.

Katniss shook her head. "No." She turned to Peeta, her eyes filled with panic. "I can't do this."

"It's kind of too late for that."

"No, it's not—I'll just hold it in or something!"

"I really doubt that you'll be saying that in six and a half months," he reasoned with her.

"What is going on, Peeta?" The couple turned to see Anna in front of them, hands on her hips.

"I'm pregnant," she said, clapping a hand over her mouth.

"It's mine," Peeta added.

"We figured." Richard joined them and put an arm around his wife. "I think dinner is ready."

"I'll join you after I'm done throwing up." Katniss rushed up the stairs noisily before the sound of the bathroom door slamming shut echoed through the house.

They all sat silently listening to her retching.

Will looked over at Peeta. "She's going to be an interesting addition to the family."

Katniss quietly walked down the stairs. She could hear the sounds of yelling coming from the dining room. Following the noise, she peeked around the wall to see Peeta sitting at the table, each parent sitting on one end.

"Are you sure this baby is yours?" Anna asked him.

"I'm sure." He stared straight ahead, not meeting their eyes. She could see the tiredness on his face. It was as if he had heard the lecture a thousand times before and in that moment, Katniss understood his unhappiness about coming to see his family.

He just never felt good enough for them.

"How could you do this to us?" his mother asked. "To yourself? You have so much potential and you just waste it away—"

"I KNOW THAT!" Peeta turned to his mother. "You remind every time I come here—every time. I'm never enough."

"Will you be enough for her? And to your child?" she responded.

Peeta thought for a moment before answering. "I don't know if I ever will be. But I will try every day of my life to be."

"Both of you need to calm down," Richard's voice echoed in the room. "Peeta, start from the beginning. We just need to understand the situation a little more."

Katniss backed away from her hiding place and then turned to go into the living room.

"Psst!"

She looked to her right to see Will beckoning her. He pointed to the front door.

Nodding, Katniss walked over to it. Gently turning the knob, she slipped out onto the porch where Cal sat on the steps.

He turned when the door clicked closed.

"Hey," he greeted. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." Katniss sat down next to him. "What are you doing out here?"

"We're hiding." Will approached them from the corner of the house. "Slipped out from the back porch." He handed Katniss a bottle of water as he sat next to her. "Keep hydrated. So, morning sickness isn't really morning sickness, is it?"

"No—it's more like 'whenever the baby wants me to suffer' sickness."

"We're going to be uncles," Cal said thoughtfully. "Man, I feel old."

"Tell me about it! You know Mom is going to be nagging us to get married or something now," Will replied.

"So this shanghai is not just Peeta-related?" she asked.

"Oh no, sweetheart," Will laughed. "Peeta is probably the strongest out of all of us."

"He always did his own thing," Cal added. "Despite the nagging while we're all hiding balls high." He looked over at her. "Are you excited?"

"Scared shitless, actually," she replied and took a deep breath. "But Peeta helps—just by being there."

"Who's this?" She looked up to see a scraggly bearded man staring down at her.

"Peeta's baby mama," Cal joked and she glared at him. "Whoa, sorry—the mother of his child."

She stood up and offered her hand. "Katniss Everdeen."

He looked into her eyes for a moment before shaking it.

"Haymitch Abernathy, Peeta's godfather." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a flask. Opening it, he took a swig and then replaced the cap before returning it to his pocket. "Let's get in there and do some damage control."

"What's going on here?"

Peeta looked up to see his godfather standing at the open doorway and he breathed a sigh of relief. Haymitch always knew how to calm his Mom down.

Behind him stood Katniss and his brothers, and Katniss met his eyes.

She mouthed, 'You okay?' and he nodded calmly.

"Haymitch, talk some sense into him," his mother said. "I suppose they told you the predicament your godson has gotten himself into."

She looked over at Cal and Will.

The two men seem to shrink in her presence.

"No, I caught this pretty little thing trying to escape."

Haymitch nodded his head towards Katniss. She crossed her arms and glowered at him. He chuckled, then looked over at Peeta. "I suppose she belongs to you?"

"Only if she wants," Peeta said as he looked over at her.

She didn't think twice when she joined his side, taking his hand in hers.

"But Haymitch—"

"Anna, what's done is done," the man told her. "Now, can we sit down and eat?"

"He's right," Richard said firmly as he pulled out a chair for Katniss. "It's settled. Katniss looks like she's about to keel over, so we'd better get some food in her."

She sat down and looked up at Peeta's father. "You knew, didn't you?"

"Not many women look like they want to throw up when they meet me," he responded with a charming grin.

"That was fun," she remarked as they quickly drove away from the Mellark home.

"Yes, we should definitely have more of those family dinners," Peeta said wearily. He looked over at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, other than your mother wanting a paternity test and your brothers stealing the latest sonogram photos from me—I'll survive. What about you?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay," he replied. "I didn't tell them the truth about how we met, but I did tell Haymitch. He got a good laugh out of it. He likes you—thinks there's a lot of fire in you."

"Is that a good thing?"

He reached for her hand. "He thinks we're a good balance. Haymitch partied in the Haight back in the seventies; he's all about the natural elements, yin and yang and stuff like that."

"I suppose he thinks you're like water," she scoffed and Peeta nodded. "When you want, you can bring the heat." He shrugged off-handedly. "I mean it; I heard you in the dining room with your parents—you can hold your own when you want to. I was proud of you."

He was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Katniss, do you think that one day I'll be good enough for you?"

"Pull over."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Peeta pulled over onto the shoulder of the dirt road. It was a familiar lookout point that he would often visit when he was younger, mostly to get away from his family.

He turned to her after he parked. "What?"

"If I wasn't carrying our child and you said that to me—I would smack the shit out of you," she said before taking a deep breath and blowing it out. "But I'm going to stay calm because all of this stress is probably not helping us."

Katniss looked at him, her eyes glittering despite the darkness around them. "I meant it when I said I was all in—and not just as parents, but us together—as a couple." She turned to him and tucked her feet under her bottom. "All you have to do is try—that will always be enough for me."

"If you're not careful, I might fall in love with you," Peeta told her.

She leaned forward so their lips could meet and his hand traveled to her shoulder. The simple feel of the pad of his thumb moving up and down her shoulder caused a fire to spread throughout her insides.

Peeta worried that he wasn't good enough for her—or strong enough.

The truth of the matter was that he could easily break her if he wanted to.

Not that she would ever tell him that.

Instead, Katniss pulled away and gave him a teasing grin.

"I think you might be getting there."

So pregnancy sex is safe most of the time… but be sure to consult your doctor, since I'm not one.

In very rare cases, blowing in the vagina during oral sex can result in an air embolism that can be fatal to both mother and baby.

Do you like the Mellarks? I think they have an interesting dynamic.

On a side note, Russian River is around Sonoma County and there are camp sites there, as well as lodges.

I intended for you to also meet the Everdeens in this chapter, but I just felt like they would need more time devoted to them, too.

Their visit will require another road trip.

Haymitch finally showed up—yay! It was a small meeting, but he does have other appearances in upcoming parts.

Some readers worried that I would make Peeta more like Seth Rogan's character—a little bit of a man child. Yes, there are aspects of that in the story, but I think there are other motives for his nature. Katniss herself is slightly Type A, so let's see how she deals with her own feelings about motherhood and Peeta.

Thank you for all your comments and reviews—they mean a lot.

Please feel free to stop by my Tumblr just to say hello. The link is on my profile page!

Next: Eleven and a half weeks — we tell the other parents. And Gale's parents…and Johanna's parents.

Until then,

JLaLa