I know…I know…you can totally kick me in groin for not updating. I finished 'Again' and am now free to work on my other stories—such as this bad boy and 'Tides'.
The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.
Thank you to Chelzie, my beta, for her endless hard work.
One
Part Nine: Thirty-Weeks
"Peeta," she started, her voice shaking. "I don't think I want to go to Johns Hopkins anymore."
"What is this all about?" Peeta lifted her chin to see tears rolling down her pretty face. "Katniss, talk to me."
Her hands fidgeted in her lap as she spoke to him in a trembling voice. "Our whole lives are here…and our family…and friends. How can we just leave them all? And the baby—I don't want our child to see his or her family as those strangers who live across the country! And Beetee offered me a spot in their teaching program—"
"No." Peeta shook his head firmly. "You need to do this, Katniss. You need to go to John Hopkins."
"Why should I?" She sniffed back her tears. "It's going to be hard to raise a family and go to school—we can get help here. I think this plan is better than my previous one."
"That's why," he replied. "Because before me and the little one—you had a plan and you're not the kind of person who doesn't follow through." He squeezed her hand gently. "And even though it will be hard and sounds scary, maybe we need a little bit of scariness in our lives."
"Isn't having a baby scary enough?" she asked and he chuckled softly.
Peeta kissed her forehead. "You're so strong, Katniss, and so brave. I know it will all be okay, I know it. You need this chance—no, we need this chance to grow up."
Katniss nodded before suddenly bursting into tears.
"Oh, sweetheart," Peeta said as he pulled her into his arms. Together they laid down and she moved closer to him, resting her head in the crook of his arm. "It's okay for you to be scared. Sometimes, I forget that it's okay to show that I'm scared, too."
"Showing your weaknesses just gives people the chance to hurt you," Katniss said quietly against him. "I don't want my child to see me or our families that way."
"Without weakness, there would be no compassion," Peeta replied. "And of all things, we should teach our baby that."
She looked up at him and chuckled quietly. "When did you get so smart?"
"Somewhere in-between your hormones and my work shifts."
Katniss knew deep down that he was right. As hard as it would be to do all of this—to leave their families, to live in a new place, and to raise a child—she knew that it was what she needed to do.
What they needed to do.
She took a deep breath. "You're right. It's going to be fine and our families are just a plane ride away."
Peeta nodded and they both settled into a peaceful silence, though something told him that this wasn't going to be the last time this subject would come up.
At the sounds of rushing footsteps, they both sat up and Finnick suddenly burst into their room, magazines in his arms and his sea-green eyes panicked. Annie followed him inside, along with Cato and Thresh, both smirking at their roommate's agitated expression.
"Peeta, Katniss! You have to be on my side!" He looked over at his girlfriend and his roommates. "TELL THEM THAT I'M NOT HAVING A 'GONE WITH THE WIND' THEMED WEDDING!"
"Whoa!"
Peeta looked up at the two-story mansion before looking over at his wide-eyed fiancée. "You got that right."
"I can't believe that Glimmer and Marvel own this house," she said as she looked around at the manicured lawn and stone walkway leading to the columned front porch. "And aren't they younger than us?"
"Just by a year or two," Peeta told her.
Truthfully, he was feeling a little bad about himself in comparison to the ever so calm and collected couple.
Glimmer and Marvel invited them over after last week's parenting lesson where they all learned about baby bundling. It was then followed by a relay where each couple had to bundle as many dolls as they could in three minutes.
Glimmer and Marvel bundled twelve dolls. He and Katniss bundled two.
"God, I would hate them," Katniss muttered as they reached the front door. "If I didn't think they were so cool."
Peeta chuckled. "Become a doctor and we can buy two houses. I'll be your trophy husband."
Katniss let out a snort as she pushed the doorbell. "You wish."
From behind the door, there came a high-pitched scream followed by the scurrying of footsteps and a crash.
Then there was silence – and it was too late for them to run away.
The door opened and Marvel appeared before them.
Shirtless.
"Hot damn," Katniss whispered under her breath.
Peeta looked over at her, trying not to feel the small burn of jealousy. Although he didn't have the six-pack abs that their friend was currently displaying for his drooling fiancée, there were other things that he did have.
They just weren't coming to mind at the moment.
"Hey guys! Come in!" Marvel said with a gracious smile. "Sorry for coming to the door like this. MJ got excited when the doorbell rang and threw a whole bowl of Spaghetti-O's at me."
"Oh no," Katniss replied as they entered, her cheeks scarlet. "It's perfectly alright."
Marvel excused himself to change, telling them that Glimmer was on her way down.
Taking Peeta's hand, Katniss led him into the marbled floor entryway as her lips went to his ear. "I know what you're thinking. I was just admiring the male physique."
"You never look at my physique like that," he replied with a pout.
She looked over at him and smirked. "Trust me, I look. I can demonstrate exactly where later."
Peeta felt his face flush at the thought.
"Our honored guests!"
They looked up to see Glimmer walking gracefully down their staircase, wearing a rose colored dress elegantly displaying all of her pregnant glory. She was holding the hand of a little girl with wavy gold hair and big ocean blue eyes. The little girl smiled happily at them.
"It's so great to see you two outside of the class," she told them as she kissed them both on the cheek. Glimmer then led the little girl in-between them. "This is Ada. Ada, this is Miss Katniss and this is Mr. Peeta. Say hello, sweetie."
"Hello," Ada greeted them shyly and then looked at Katniss' swollen belly. "You're having a baby like Mommy."
Katniss nodded, enchanted by the soft-spoken girl. "I am."
"Can I babysit for you?" Ada asked.
"When you're older, I'm sure that our baby would love to have you as a babysitter," Katniss replied softly.
Ada, content with the answer, took Katniss' hand and led her out of the entranceway. Peeta watched them, his insides warming at the sight of his fiancée with the little girl. He could imagine her just like that in the future—walking side by side with their child, chatting easily.
"I think our Ada has taken a liking to Katniss." He looked over at Glimmer who was grinning at him. "They're very sweet together." She took his arm and linked it through hers. "How are you both doing?"
"We're good," he replied as they walked into the large, pastel colored living room. "Had a bit of a scare two weeks ago—Katniss was considering not going to Johns Hopkins."
"It's understandable," their friend said. "It's hard to have to leave a comfortable life. Marvel and I worried a lot about whether or not we could move down. We were so settled in the Bay Area, but it's just how things work out."
"Drinks, anyone?" Marvel appeared with a tray, and thankfully, with a shirt on. "Non-alcoholic for the preggos, of course."
Katniss was already sitting on the soft yellow couch with Ada, so Peeta joined her. Taking a glass from the tray, he handed it to Katniss, who gave him a grateful smile.
"Where's MJ?" Glimmer asked Marvel as she sat on the chair adjacent to them.
"I have no idea," her husband replied, though he pointed behind the couch.
"That's too bad since we made those Nutella cookies," his wife said in a slightly louder voice.
Peeta could hear the giggle behind them so he stood up quietly. Pressing his index finger to his lips, he began to make his way around the couch. Ada clapped her hands to her mouth to hide her laugh and as he looked over at Katniss, he winked.
Behind the couch, he saw the small boy with light sandy hair crouched down—his back to Peeta.
Reaching down, he quickly swoop the boy up in his arms and the little one let out a high pitched laugh at being discovered. Peeta swung him up and down as MJ straightened his arms out as if he was Superman.
"WE'RE GOING DOWN!" He spun them around before safely falling between Ada and Katniss who were laughing at the two.
The little boy turned and scrambled up to sit on Peeta's lap. He grinned brightly up at him.
"You funny," MJ proclaimed in a cheery voice and then cocked his head. "Who are you?"
"My name is Peeta," he said. "It's nice to meet you, MJ."
"Do you want to play with my Legos?"
"Baby," Glimmer said. "We're going to have dinner, so you and Mr. Peeta will have to play later, okay?"
"Okay," MJ and Peeta chorused together.
Katniss laughed. "You two even pouted at the same time." Peeta grinned before kissing her cheek.
"Who is that?" MJ asked curiously as he watched Peeta pull away.
"That is Miss Katniss, Mr. Peeta's wife," Marvel told his son. He looked at them with a smile. "Makes things easier to explain."
"In a few weeks, it will be the truth," Katniss said as she took another sip of the cucumber water that Peeta had given her.
"Congratulations! When are you getting married?" Glimmer asked with an excited smile.
"As soon as I find a dress that fits my huge self and we find a place that doesn't make me barf."
They had agreed after their fight that, truth be told, they did want to get married. However, they also agreed that it should be on their terms. So the following weekend at the family dinner, this time at the Mellark home, they had talked to their families about what they wanted.
The first thing was that they would push the wedding back so he and Katniss had a little more breathing room to make decisions. Then together, they assigned tasks for everyone.
The couple would be in charge of their clothing and where they would get married. Anna and Laurel would be in charge of decorating as well as food. Gabe and Richard would handle music and layout for the ceremony.
Will and Cal put themselves in charge of the after-party and had dragged Gale along for the ride. Johanna and Prim, who were both very into craft-making, would be in charge of creating the accessories and were already in the middle of creating Katniss' birdcage veil.
"You'll look wonderful," Glimmer assured her. "Though I'm sure that you'll want to have the ceremony before you get any more uncomfortable." She placed her hand on her large belly. "There's going to be a point when you stand up and feel gravity taking you down."
"I'm already starting to feel like that," Katniss said and took another sip of water, her hand going to her chest.
"Heartburn?" Marvel asked and she nodded. "Try sitting up when you sleep. Glimmer had that with MJ but not with Ada. The twins seem to be pretty tame, too."
"So you were a troublemaker even in your Mama's tummy?" Peeta teased his little friend.
"I'm no troublemaker!" MJ responded, though his smile said otherwise.
"You're the cutest," Katniss told the little boy. "Do you want to be our ring bearer?"
"NO!" MJ shook his head. "I'm gonna marry you!"
"HEY!" Peeta gave the boy a good-natured smile. "I'm going to marry her!"
MJ stared him in the eye for a moment. "Well, okay, but can I marry your baby?"
He met Katniss' laughing eyes and she nodded. "Only if you're our ring bearer and Ada is one of our flower girls."
Ada turned to her parents as she bounced in her seat. "Mommy, Daddy—can we, please?"
Marvel, who was sitting on the armrest of Glimmer's fluffy chair, looked over at his wife. "What do you think?"
"If you agree to go to bed early for the rest of the month with no arguments, then yes," their mother said and the kids let out screams of delight. She looked over at the couple and grinned. "Negotiation is key when it comes to parenting."
"You two just made their month," Marvel added. "And they love you."
"These are two great kids," Peeta said to the man.
"Do you want them?"
"Maybe one of them," he countered jokingly as MJ poked at his chin. "Though this one seems like a lot of trouble." He reached out to tickle the little boy.
Maybe his child would be as playful—he would have to ask Katniss how she was as a child.
Marvel smiled good-naturedly. "We'll negotiate."
"You're a lifesaver," Glimmer said to Peeta later that evening. "We can never get MJ to eat his dinner."
"I think it helps that your son has a little bit of hero-worship for this guy," Katniss told her as they walked down the hallway of the upper floor.
They had just put the children to bed after dinner had finished. Marvel was downstairs cleaning up and had insisted that his wife take them on a tour of the house.
It had been more like touring a palace.
Peeta was pretty sure that he'd worked off his whole dinner by the time they reached the children's playroom.
"That is true," Glimmer mused. "But Ada loved the song that you sang to her, Katniss. You have a beautiful singing voice."
"She does, doesn't she?" Peeta said as he grinned at a blushing Katniss. "Every time she sings, the baby calms down."
As the baby grew, he or she seemed to be dead-set on letting them know that they were around. Katniss would often feel the kicks of the little one at night, so she would sing to the little ninja in her belly to soothe him or her to sleep. Sometimes Peeta would join in, though he preferred to rest his head close to her stomach to feel the movement.
It was the best time of night for both of them.
"Here it is!" Glimmer opened the door to another room and led the two in. "Ta-da!"
They looked inside to see a simple room with a king-sized bed with towels at the end of it.
Peeta entered the room with the two women. "It's nice," he replied as he sat on the bed. He touched the sheet of the mattress. "This seems a little uncomfortable, doesn't it?"
"It's a rubber sheet," Glimmer replied trying not to laugh. "This is going to be my birthing room."
"OH!" Peeta jumped up from the bed, his face flaming. "So that's where…"
"Yes, that is where the love of my life will deliver our twins," Marvel said as he joined them in the room. He put an arm around Glimmer. "I thought you were going to wait for me."
The woman eyed her husband. "I did," she said through her teeth.
"What's going on?" Katniss asked as she went to Peeta, who was still staring at the bed. "You okay?"
He nodded, trying to shake the image of what was going to happen on it.
"We were wondering," Glimmer began. "If we could put you on our phone tree—for when I deliver."
"Our families live about three hours away from here, so they won't be able to come on such short notice," Marvel continued.
"And we both really think that you are such great people—and our friends," Glimmer said with tears in her eyes. "I think we've all really bonded in class and everything. So what do you think?"
Peeta could feel his head shaking in a 'NO' already.
"OF COURSE!" Katniss was hugging Glimmer, already in tears over her friend's impassioned words.
Those damn hormones.
"Why did you say yes?" Peeta asked later that night as they sat in their new bed. It was their first big purchase since he and Katniss had found out they were having a baby.
"I don't know!" Katniss replied as she looked over at him. "Glimmer looked like she was going to start crying if I said no, and it was so sweet of them to ask—"
She bit her lip and he almost groaned at the motion. Peeta couldn't say no to her when she did that.
"—and the kids like us! So it wouldn't be so bad if we went." She looked over at him. "You're listening to me, aren't you?"
Peeta nodded, though his eyes remained on her full bottom lip.
A light knock sounded on their door and they looked up as it opened. Annie peeked in and gave them a small smile.
"We're all going out to the club that opened last week and were going to ask if you wanted to come—" Her eyes suddenly zeroed in on Katniss who wearing a sleeveless white nightgown with a square-line opening. "WOW, your breasts are huge!" Annie joined them on their bed. "It's so not fair! I've been drinking these protein shakes that are supposed to help these itty-bitty things, but NOTHING!"
Katniss gave her friend a pointed stare. "Protein shakes, Annie?"
"There might've been a little something else in there, too…" Annie said nonchalantly. She clapped her hands together. "Well, it looks like you two are going to bed, so maybe next time?" The couple nodded and their petite friend walked quickly to the door, muttering to herself, "No wonder they always want to stay home…"
The door clicked shut behind her and Katniss turned to him. "It's happened. We're officially lame."
"What are you talking about?"
"We're alienating our friends—we don't go clubbing anymore," she told him. "I haven't seen my sister or Johanna in ages—and I live with Johanna!"
"First off, I'm not sure you'd want to go somewhere where you couldn't drink," he argued. "Also, I'm not sure if I want a bunch of guys looking at you with those!" Peeta eyed her full chest. "Plus, you're going to see Johanna and Prim next weekend."
"To shop for a wedding dress—with your mother and mine, and Gale's and Johanna's…"
"So what if we're lame—I like to stay home with you!" Peeta suddenly said. "I love to kiss you and your belly and sing dumb songs to the baby! If that's what makes me lame, then fine!" He crossed his arms. "Sometimes I have no idea what the fuck is going through your—"
Peeta was cut off when Katniss suddenly pressed her mouth to his. He gasped as her tongue plunged into his mouth and she swirled it against his own. His groin tightened at the motion and he moaned as their bodies pressed into one another.
As suddenly as she had kissed him, Katniss pulled away. She was gasping for breath and the fire in her eyes only caused the spark kindling in him to burn hotter. He didn't know if she realized just how sexy she looked, her chest heaving and her cheeks scarlet.
"That is about the sweetest argument I've heard for reasons to be lame," she said to him, her voice low. Katniss' hand went to the top button of her nightgown. "Annie said they were all going, right?"
Peeta nodded as he watched her hand toy with her buttons.
"Yes," he replied tightly. "Every single one of them."
"That's also something that hasn't happened for a long time," Katniss informed him.
Slowly, she pulled the gown over her head, leaving herself naked in front of him. Peeta took in her full breasts and rich skin before his eyes went to her belly which held their child.
Beautiful. There was no other way to describe her.
And he craved her badly.
"What?"
"Us—alone in a house, not having to worry about one of your roommates busting in here, or that Johanna and Gale might come knocking. It's just me and you." She sat back and gave him a smile. "Didn't I say that I would demonstrate what parts of your male physique I admired?"
"Katniss?"
She turned to find Johanna presenting her with a silver, one-shoulder empire dress. "What do you think?"
"Uh, fine," Katniss replied as she looked through the array of other dresses in the bridal shop located a few blocks away from Johanna's house.
Behind her, she could hear the chatter of the four older women sitting at the table having coffee. It seemed that Anna had found her place with the other mothers. She had also been a little less rigid when it came to the wedding plans, much to Katniss' relief.
"Where the hell are you?" Prim said as she held a soft pink knee-length dress to her body and looked in the mirror in front of her. "You've been distracted."
"She's probably thinking about whatever she was doing with Peeta last weekend."
Everyone turned to look at Annie, who just walked out of the dressing room in a tight gold dress.
Katniss had asked her to be one of her bridesmaids two weeks before. She had responded by giving her a kiss—on the lips.
In front of Peeta, Finnick, and the other two boys, not that any of them complained. Katniss left that whole encounter unsure if her friend had accepted.
The room went silent and Katniss began to flip faster through the dresses.
"I don't think anyone needs to hear that, Annie," she said nervously.
"Yes, we do!" Prim replied from where she stood. Katniss turned to glare at her sister and Prim batted her eyelashes sweetly at her.
"It will do everyone good to know that you and Peeta have very healthy and regular relations. It's good for stress and it's a workout," Annie said in an airy voice. "I read it in your latest baby book. Finnick and I sometimes sit in your room and read over them because you have so many!"
She turned to her glazed-eyed friend. "Annie, I thought we talked about this."
"You live with our son and his friends?" Anna suddenly asked, her eyes wide.
"Yeah, most of the time," her friend responded cheerily. "I mostly hang out in the living room and cut out paper dolls with the magazines that you send over." Annie turned back to Katniss, her eyes innocent. "We don't look around anymore like I promised, but one time I did knock down the stack of your books, and one of them went under your bed. What do you do with the handcuffs?"
Somewhere to her left, Johanna was laughing.
She turned to look at the group of women who practically raised her, plus her soon-to-be-mother-in-law. Angelica and Hazelle looked amused, her mother was bright red though Katniss could see a hint of a smile and Anna looked like she was thinking of ways to torture her and Peeta.
"Let's just keep looking for dresses, okay Annie?" Her face was probably beet red at this point.
Her friend nodded with a distracted smile. "Okay!" Annie suddenly turned to the table of women. "Before I do, I have to congratulate your mothers." She went to Laurel. "Congratulations on having a very vocal and instructive daughter; she is very firm in telling Peeta what will make her happy in their bedroom." She then looked to Anna. "Your son is a very virile lover—if he wasn't, Katniss wouldn't wake everyone up despite our hangovers whenever she climaxes—"
"Annie, honey!" Johanna led her friend away. "Why don't you look at this side before Katniss has an aneurysm?"
"Okay!" The girl followed Johanna, unaware of the effect of her words.
Katniss turned to the older women. "Sorry…" Her eyes began to fill with tears.
She knew that Annie meant to compliment her. Sometimes, however, it wasn't in the best words.
"Oh no, sweetie!" Angelica jumped from her seat and pulled Katniss in for a hug. "I was very much the same way you were before Johanna was born! I almost gave Luke a heart attack that last month making him meet my needs."
"Gross," Johanna replied loudly from across the room.
"How do you think I had so many children?" Hazelle added with an easy smile. "I mean, not all of them were planned…Rory happened after Jacob won a huge bet from that year's Super Bowl. And Posy? She happened during a huge win in the World Series."
"This just keeps getting worse for me," Johanna groaned.
Hazelle elbowed her mother, who snapped out of her stupor.
"Oh yes, Katniss! Don't you worry, honey," Laurel said in a calm voice. "Your father and I conceived you during a Hall and Oates concert. So you see, it's completely normal to have that high of a sexual drive." Her mother grinned to herself. "I think you get it from your father."
"Just kill me now," Prim muttered a few feet away from her.
"Interesting. Because I pretty sure that Peeta was conceived at an Eagles concert," Anna suddenly said, her finger on her chin. "Or was it Van Halen?"
She could see that the women were all doing their best to make her feel better, much to her embarrassment.
At this point, however, sex with Peeta seemed like something that wasn't going to happen until she completely erased this conversation from her mind.
"Katniss!"
Exasperated, she turned to her friend and Annie placed a huge dress in her arms. "I found your wedding dress!" The tiny girl practically shoved her to the dressing room. "Try it on!"
Inside, Katniss looked listlessly at the dress hanging in front of her.
Truth be told, she wasn't feeling her bridal best or looking it either.
"Katniss, I don't hear you changing," Annie suddenly yelled. "I'll come in there if you don't—"
"Okay!"
Removing the navy knee-length dress she wore, she quickly slipped on the dress before her friend could invade the room. Katniss was surprised at the ease that it took to put it on and turned to look at herself.
She stilled when she saw her image.
The top was white, made from thick jersey material that stretched and gave her the chance to play with the sleeve design. The neckline was a deep V but covered her chest so as not to expose too much of her cleavage. The belting at the empire waist was also made of the same jersey material and would accommodate her growing waist.
However, it was the skirt that made the dress.
The skirt was made of peach country lace with soft, delicate ruffles while the underskirt was made of the same material as the top.
The dress didn't exactly look like a wedding gown, but she sure as hell felt like a bride in it.
There was a knock and Annie entered her room quietly. Her lips burst into a wide smile.
"I knew it would be perfect on you!" Annie clapped her hands excitedly. "Let me fix the sleeves." She arranged them across her shoulders so it looked like she was wearing capped sleeves before fixing her hair into a low side bun. "It will help Johanna and Prim figure out the veil."
She looked at herself in the mirror and felt as radiant as the sun.
"Thanks, Annie." Katniss hugged the girl as tightly as she could—as much as her stomach would let her. The butterflies fluttered inside her and she reached for Annie's hand to place it on her tummy. "The baby likes the dress, too."
Annie's eyes went wide. "It feels just like the first time I ever saw Finnick—like there was some sort of alien in my stomach trying to eat me alive…"
Katniss chuckled. "Not exactly how I'd describe it, but okay." Her friend went to open the door and then helped her straighten the skirt before she walked out to show everyone.
As she walked out into the front room, everyone fell went silent as their eyes went to her.
"So what do you think?" she asked nervously.
Prim approached her, her blue eyes shining. "Katniss, you're a bride." She hugged her sister. "You look beautiful."
"I know exactly what kind of veil to make," Johanna said, her voice shaking, but she kept it together after swiping her eyes quickly.
"You think it wouldn't be as hard after seeing my daughter get married, but it doesn't!" Angelica wiped her eyes with a silk handkerchief.
"I can't wait until Posy gets married," Hazelle said tearfully and smiled at her pseudo-daughter. "You're a dream, Katniss."
She looked over at their mothers. "Well?"
Anna's eyes went over her slowly. "Have you seen yourself in the full length?" Katniss shook her head and Peeta's mother looked to hers. "Laurel, help me show her."
Together, she followed them to the three-way mirror and the two women helped Katniss up onto the round platform in front. She turned to admire the dress once more. Katniss could see the slight train of the peach skirt and how smooth the silhouette looked on her burgeoning figure.
As great as she had looked in the dressing room, Katniss felt even more radiant in this light.
"You're lovely," Anna whispered in her ear.
"And perfect," Laurel whispered in the other.
Katniss looked at herself once more with the women standing next to her before kissing each one on the cheek.
"Thank you."
She felt herself tremble inside. How could she say goodbye to all of her mothers?
"This isn't right!" Katniss looked at the number on the scale. "I've gained another two pounds."
"Perfectly normal," Effie informed her. "Step off the scale and stop worrying." She turned and pointed at the exam table which Peeta stood next to. "Go on and lay down. You shouldn't worry about weight gain and focus on other things."
"Like what?" she grumbled before glaring at Peeta. "This is all your fault."
He looked over at Effie, who gave him a sympathetic smile. "We're getting to the point where she feels like everything is your fault."
Peeta twirled his finger listlessly. "Oh, yay." Katniss walked onto the step of the exam table and sat down on the table. "I'm sorry that everything is my fault."
"Yeah…yeah…" Katniss grumbled and he felt himself bristle at her irritation towards him.
It had been a long day for both of them.
Peeta was just coming off a 5AM shift at the bakery. He had to bring the delivery of flour bags into storage before taking inventory and then opening. Katniss had just finished a morning full of training with Cinna at the hospital and had realized as they walked through the building that she no longer walked.
She waddled.
Actually, Cinna had pointed it out and then she ripped him a new one.
She was in no mood to be teased and a different kind of exhaustion from her first trimester had started—all she wanted was to go home and go to bed.
"Is the baby kicking regularly?" Effie asked gently as she felt Katniss' abdomen.
"Ye—" Peeta began to answer, but stopped when he caught Katniss' glare.
Effie was right—it seemed that he would be the enemy for the next couple of weeks.
"The baby is kicking—a lot," Katniss informed her. "Kicking so much that I can't sleep—a-and when I manage to catch about five minutes of sleep and then try to get up by myself—I can't!"
Her voice hit a pitch that Peeta had never heard before. "And I'm getting married very soon and I'll be waddling down the aisle. Waddling—yup. Then after that, a little human being is going to come shooting out of my VAGINA!"
Katniss' eyes were angry and panicked as she turned to Peeta. "And you—you think we're going to be okay when we leave! How? HOW?"
He told himself to remain calm. This wasn't his Katniss. These were all just hormones.
"I know us well enough to know that we're going to be okay," he responded tersely.
"Well don't you know everything," she said crossly.
Then he snapped.
"I KNOW THIS ISN'T YOU!" Peeta suddenly burst out.
Looking between the red-faced couple, Effie put down the sonogram wand. "I'm going to step outside."
Quickly, she went to the door and walked out of the floral room warzone.
"You don't know me," she seethed at him. "We met like what—eight months ago?"
"I know that this isn't you—THESE ARE THE HORMONES!" He yelled. "AND LET ME JUST SAY THAT THEY ARE BEING COMPLETELY PSYCHO! NOT YOU—THE HORMONES!"
She wasn't about to be one-upped by him. "SCREW YOU!"
"YOU DID SCREW ME! THAT'S HOW WE GOT HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE—"
Peeta's phone suddenly beeped in his pocket. It was then followed by a ring from Katniss' phone inside her purse. He picked it up and handed it to the glaring woman on the exam table. He reached into his pocket to read the text that he had just received.
"Shit," they said simultaneously as they read their messages.
Glimmer was in labor.
"Let's just turn around," Katniss grumbled as they walked towards the front door. "I'm sure there are others."
"No, there aren't," Peeta replied through clenched teeth. He was still trying to cool down from their yelling match in Effie's office. "Marvel told me that there weren't any family that could take time off from work to wait it out."
The two had rushed out of the office as soon as Katniss had pulled on her clothes with Effie trailing behind them screaming for both of them to keep calm for the baby's sake. Peeta was pretty sure that he would be getting a phone call from Haymitch later.
"Also, Glimmer is early," he added as he rang the doorbell.
Katniss looked over at him as they waited to be let in. She felt horrible for the things she said.
She knew that she wasn't angry at him. She was scared.
Scared that in a few weeks, their lives were going to change completely. And then they would change even more once they left for Johns Hopkins.
The door opened quickly and Marvel greeted them with a tired smile. "You're here! Thank goodness!"
Walking in, they looked around at the pristine house—nothing seemed out of sorts except for the few toys scattered in the living room.
"Her water just broke two hours ago but it seems the little ones are going to be making a very quick appearance," he informed them.
They heard a loud wail from upstairs and Katniss cringed.
"Marvel," an older woman with short brown hair called out sternly as she came down the stairs holding a ball of crinkled sheets. "Glimmer is calling for you." She put the ball in Peeta's arms. "Also, she wants her friend." The woman looked over at Katniss.
"Peeta, Katniss—this is Emily Wiress, our midwife, but call her Wiress," Marvel said. He took Katniss' hand. "Let's get up there, we can't keep Glimmer up there alone or she'll likely yank those babies out herself!"
Katniss looked panicked as she was pulled up the stairs. "Peeta…"
"You." Peeta looked over to see Wiress looking at him, no expression in her eyes. "We're going to need some more sheets. They're in the laundry room." The woman then went up the stairs after Glimmer let out another wail.
"Where the hell is the laundry room?"
"You said a bad word." He looked down to see Ada and MJ, hand in hand, staring up at him. The kids gave him a smile.
"Sorry," he said to them. "Can you show me where the laundry room is?"
Ada nodded and he followed the two children past the stairs through the massive kitchen to the door next to the dining room. Quickly, he tossed the sheets into the washing machine and grabbed a neatly folded stack that sat on the dryer.
"PEETA!" He rushed over to the stairs to see Wiress glaring at him from the top of the stairs. "We're waiting for you!"
Peeta nodded and turned to the children as he was halfway up the stairs. "I'll be back and make you a snack." Ada jumped excitedly and MJ giggled into his hands.
Following the midwife, he walked into the room and found a very pale Katniss sitting in a loveseat, adjacent to the bed, next to a serene Glimmer.
"Hello, Peeta," Glimmer said with a wan smile. "Thanks for coming."
"No problem," he replied as Marvel took the sheets from his arms. "I promised Ada and MJ a snack so I'd better go and check on them."
"Thanks for looking out," Marvel said gratefully as he and Wiress fixed the sheets on the bed.
"Peeta?" He looked over to see Katniss going to him. "Can I speak to you outside?"
Once they were outside, Peeta turned to look at her. "What's up?"
"I didn't mean to get so upset," Katniss said quietly. "I think I've been trying so hard to deny how scared I am of everything. I'm not used to this—" She placed her hands on her full belly.
Peeta watched her hands gently move lovingly against her stomach and felt his anger slowly dissipate.
"Not used to being pregnant?"
"I'm still not used to planning a life that's not just me," she told him truthfully. "Yet, I find it so easy to imagine our life together. Though I imagine you aren't too crazy about spending your life with me at the moment." Katniss looked down shamefully. "I was a total nightmare."
He lifted her chin and pressed his lips softly to hers. "So was I," he replied as he pulled her close. Peeta knew that there were going to be many changes and he thought about how much she had to change over these past few months. "I'm sorry."
At the same time, he knew deep down that was why he wanted them to go to Johns Hopkins. So that she could still keep a semblance what was her old life—Peeta understood how important it was to her.
To him, however, his life hadn't started until she came along.
They heard a groan from the room and Katniss looked over at him. "Oh God, I can't go in there again," she whispered to him. "I almost fainted when Wiress checked how dilated she was. I beg you, when we are in the delivery room—do not look down there. You will regret it."
"So I'm invited into the delivery room?" he asked with a grin.
"You're demanded in there." Another groan vibrated through the walls. "I'd better go."
He felt his stomach turning just hearing the sounds and kissed Katniss before she went to the door.
"Good luck," he called out as he walked down the hallway to the stairs.
At the top, he found his two little friends waiting below with expectant smiles.
He gave them a bright grin. "So who wants macaroni and cheese?"
"Peeta."
He opened his eyes to find Marvel looking down at him on the couch. As he attempted to sit up, he realized that Ada and MJ were fast asleep next to him.
"Hey," he replied groggily. "Are you a father again?"
The man nodded excitedly. "Yup, they just arrived about an hour ago," Marvel informed him.
"Are they as cute as these two?" Peeta asked with a grin as he looked at the sleeping children.
"I'll have to compare when they're side by side, but I think they're all equally cute," Marvel joked as he lifted Ada into his arms. "Let's bring these two to their beds and then I can introduce you to my other two tax breaks."
Peeta sat up slowly with MJ snoozing on his shoulder and the two men climbed the stairs together to bring the children into their rooms. Making a left at the top, they stopped at the first set of doors across from one another.
"Make sure to turn on the nightlight next to his night table," Marvel instructed before opening Ada's door.
Peeta could see the pale pink of the little girl's room and he turned to open MJ's door. When he turned on the light, he was amazed at the toddler's room. It was decorated to look like a race track with MJ's racecar bed in the center of the room.
Going to the bed, he gently laid the little boy down and brushed a kiss to his forehead. After turning the nightlight on, Peeta shut off the main light and quickly left the room.
Closing the door, he turned and found Marvel waiting for him. "How did it go while we were up here?"
"I think the louder that Glimmer got, the more things I did to occupy myself," Peeta told his friend with a laugh. "By the way, I did a load of laundry and organized your kitchen shelves. I also threw out all of your old food and cleaned the fridge."
Marvel stifled a laugh. "You're so in trouble during Katniss' delivery," he joked as they reached the door to Glimmer's room.
Knocking softly, Marvel opened the door and the two men entered to find their significant others cradling the newborns. Katniss looked up and gave Peeta a smile before looking back down at the baby in the blue blanket.
"How are you ladies doing?" Marvel asked as he sat next to Glimmer, who was holding Ellie in her arms.
"We're doing fine," Glimmer replied softly. "I think our son might have a little crush on Katniss, however. He stopped crying once she picked him up." She looked over at her friend. "You can give him to Marvel if you're getting tired."
Katniss shook her head and look back down, enchanted by the baby in her arms. "I can hold him a little longer." She turned to Peeta. "Come and meet Francis."
Tentatively, he approached his fiancée and the infant. When he was at their side, Peeta peeked at the sleeping baby. He had Glimmer's bright yellow hair but Peeta could see Marvel's face on the little one. The baby sighed and his lips curled up in a content semi-smile.
"Wow, he's tiny," he said softly and placed a kiss on top of Katniss' head. "How did it go?"
"It was okay," Katniss said with a gentle smile.
"Tell the truth," Glimmer told her.
"It was a nightmare," she admitted and looked at the baby she was holding. "But it looks totally worth it."
"It is," Marvel assured them. "It's late, so I think you two should stay over. We had a guest room set up for you just in case this happened." Standing up, he went to the couple and gently took Francis from Katniss' arms. He turned and carefully handed the baby to Peeta. "Why don't you put Francis in the bassinet? Then I'll show you to your room."
Peeta looked down at the little boy in his arms. He felt so light and it only made Peeta more aware of how fragile the infant was.
Soon, there would a baby just as light as this one that he would be taking care of.
Kissing the baby on the forehead, he inhaled the powdery scent on his head before placing Francis in the bassinet to get a good night's sleep. Turning, he found Katniss and Marvel waiting for him by the door. His fiancée tenderly took his hand and he brought hers up to his lips to gently kiss her knuckles.
"Goodnight, you two," Glimmer said.
"Goodnight," Katniss said.
"Congratulations," Peeta added before they went into the hallway.
"I think you'll like this room," Marvel said to them as they walked. "We can't thank you enough for being here for us. You're really just wonderful friends."
"No problem," Peeta said as he put an arm around Katniss. "You would do the same thing for us."
"We would," their friend responded as he opened the door to their room.
Inside was a huge cherrywood canopy bed with matching side tables. To the opposite wall was a large flatscreen TV and below it a fireplace. An armoire stood next to another door, which Peeta assumed was probably their bathroom.
"It's gorgeous," Katniss breathed as they entered.
"Check out the view," Marvel said as he walked ahead and opened the double doors leading to the balcony.
Together, they joined their friend and looked out in amazement at the sight before them. It was dark,00 but they could clearly see the moon over the ocean. Below them was large manicured backyard with flower gardens along the fence.
"For some reason, I never noticed that you lived by the ocean," Peeta said as he inhaled the cool air.
"You're so lucky," Katniss said as she looked out at the calm water. "I think I'll miss this the most when we go to Johns Hopkins."
"Glimmer and I were wondering—if you might want to have the wedding here?" Marvel asked with a smile. "You've both been so great and we can't thank you enough. Plus, we remembered that you wanted to find a place that didn't make you barf, Katniss-and you seem to be feeling pretty good here."
"I do love it," Katniss said and turned to her fiancé. "Peeta, what do you think?"
"I think the only thing that matters to me is that I'm marrying you," he replied as he met her eyes, her lips lifting into a grin that made his heart beat a little faster. "If this is where you want to get married, then I'm all for it."
Katniss looked over at Marvel. "I think we're going to take you up on the offer."
"Perfect! I'll let Glimmer know and we'll iron out all the details this week." He went to Katniss and gave her a kiss on the cheek before hugging Peeta quickly. "Thanks for letting us be a part of your day."
"No, thank you," Peeta told his friend. "You showed us how wonderful it's going to be."
Marvel nodded before leaving them on the balcony to go check on his wife.
"You okay?" he asked as he watched Katniss stare out at the sea.
"I was just thinking about how scared and unsure I was a few hours ago," she told him. "It was really scary to watch Glimmer in so much pain." Katniss turned to him. "But then the babies were here and it was incredible. Women have been experiencing this since the beginning of time and it seems that no matter how many times it's happened, it will always be amazing." She placed a hand on her stomach and grinned. "The baby is moving."
Peeta went to her and placed his hand over where hers rested. "I can't wait to see you, kid." He knelt before her and kissed her belly. He looked up and met her beaming eyes. "And I can't wait to marry you."
"Ditto," she said softly. "So two weeks?"
Standing up, Peeta kissed her gently wrapping his arms around her and the bump. "Yes, two weeks."
This chapter begins at 30 weeks and ends at 34 weeks.
As the baby gets bigger, he or she begins to push up on the diaphragm which can cause heartburn. Also, baby movement has increased and should be monitored.
We are getting to the end and though I wish this could go on forever, it can't. I envision one or two chapters left before the end. We'll see how it goes.
Thank you so much for sticking with me during this hiatus—I know that it was a long one. Also, I wanted to keep this chapter very light as I feel that we've had enough angst.
Aren't the kids adorable? I love MJ and Ada—I also have pictures of both if you'd like to see them.
There is also a brief quote that mirrors one from "Knocked Up"—did you spot it?
Hellos, comments and reviews are always welcome on FF, AO3 and Tumblr.
Next: Thirty-Six Week —the bachelor and bachelorette parties, the baby shower, and the wedding—FINALLY.
Until Part Ten, JLaLa