Finally, we're at the wedding!
The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.
Thank you to Chelzie, my beta, for her hard work!
One
Part Ten: Thirty-Six Weeks
Three Days to the Wedding…
"Katniss?"
She opened her eyes as Peeta entered the candle-lit bathroom. He stopped short seeing her sitting in the tub, small bits of bubbles clinging to her glistening olive skin. Her belly stood in front of her, almost blocking him from her view.
Pushing herself up, Katniss gave him a tired smile. "You found me," she told him. "And that means that they'll find me."
"It's a bachelorette party—not a hanging," Peeta told her.
"I'm a house." Katniss' hands went to her belly and she felt the little one swimming inside her. "They want to go clubbing. That dress that I wore the night we met? I need two of them to cover me now."
"You're going to be beautiful no matter what you wear," he assured her. "Four days, Katniss—just remember that. Four days and you will be my wife." Peeta leaned in to kiss her quickly and she felt herself breathless staring at his handsome face through the steam of the heated water.
"I know that I'm a whale—but this tub is pretty big," she suggested. "Don't you have to get washed up for your bachelor party?" Katniss beckoned him forward. "Come join me."
"Gladly," he told her. She watched him slip out of his fitted jeans as well as his white t-shirt, and her mouth watered at seeing the trail of hair on his abdomen leading below his boxer briefs. "You okay there?"
"Honestly, I'm a little horny," she told him and he snorted at her words. "And very stressed out."
His hands went to the waistband of his briefs and he pulled them down, smirking as her mouth dropped open.
"Then let me help you out."
"You seem like you're in a better mood than when I talked to you this morning," Prim said with an arm around her sister. "You look gorgeous, too."
Johanna, Prim and Annie had presented her with the beautiful silvery empire dress as a present. It had thick straps and a square neckline that showed off her ample cleavage nicely. Prim had done her hair, leaving it in soft curls that fell around her face. Annie had given her a pair of black platform heels that seemed very comfortable, though she wasn't sure how they would fare by the end of the night.
"You have sex face," Johanna pointed out with a laugh. "Damn, Katniss! By the end, I wouldn't let Gale touch me! Yet here you are—getting it done 'til the very end."
"Katniss is very active," Annie stated, a finger twirling around her dark hair hazily. "The guys and I make bets all the time on how many times she and Peeta get down in one night—I'm averaging on three times."
Her face immediately heated up at Annie's words. On the other hand, she was not at all surprised, either.
"Props, Mama." Johanna gave her a fist bump. She adjusted her tight black tube dress. "How do I look?"
"Like you argued with Gale over the shortness of that dress—and you won," Prim assured her.
"I can always tell how hot I look depending on whether I can get in without waiting in line," Johanna said. "Here I go."
"Not so fast, young lady—" They all turned to see Mrs. Mason rushing towards them—along with the rest of their mothers. She went to her daughter and eyed her skimpy dress. "You look like a damn trollop."
"Trollop, Mom?" Johanna retorted as she glared at her mother. "I'm not the one whose skirt is closing in on the bikini line."
Angelica grinned at her. "You like it? I got it from your store—and Hazelle shortened it for me." Hazelle, in her own slinky dress, waved at her daughter-in-law, who waved back weakly at her.
"Oh my God..." Johanna turned to Katniss and the other girls. "It's two against one."
"I think Johanna looks great," Laurel offered with a sympathetic smile. She wore a fitted peach dress and Katniss had to admit that her mother cut a pretty good figure for someone who popped out two kids.
She hoped that genetics was in her favor.
"Go ahead, honey," Anna said to Johanna as she stood beside Laurel. "Get us in there."
Anna had to be the most impressive out of all of them in her tight red dress and stilettos. Several men in the line were ogling her slim figure and full blonde curls.
Katniss thanked God that Peeta wasn't there to see this. His head would probably explode.
"Here I go," Johanna said as Katniss and Prim followed. Her best friend went to the bouncer, a hand on her hip as she smiled at him. "Hey."
The man looked over her before nodding his head over the line in front of him. "Back of the line."
Her smile fell a bit but Johanna pressed forward. "Oh, come on! You know you want to."
"Like I said, lady—back of the line," the bouncer replied before letting two women in past Johanna. He winked at them. "Have fun, ladies."
"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" Johanna suddenly said. "You think because you have some shitty little clipboard that you can just act like you own the damn place? I am ten times hotter than those two skanks—"
"Lady, I don't know who you are," the man said firmly. "But I'm gonna keep it real with you. You're old—" He looked over at Katniss. "And she is really pregnant. I can't just let a bunch of old, pregnant ladies in this club."
Johanna looked at him for a moment before turning and walking over to her mother.
She stomped her foot and burst into tears. "Mommy—he won't let me in!"
"Here comes 'Only-child Johanna'…" Prim said in her ear. She looked over at Katniss, whose lips were quivering. "You okay?"
"That man called me 'really pregnant,'" she responded.
"Katniss, you are really pregnant," her sister told her.
"I know—but he didn't have to point it out," Katniss said with a trembling chin.
"THAT'S IT!" Angelica stomped over to the bouncer. "Young man—I demand an apology!"
The bouncer's eyes swept over Johanna's mother in admiration. "Damn, you are one fine Amazonian woman."
Angelica looked at him skeptically. "That's all well and good—but that doesn't mean that you can treat my daughter like you did—"
"Wait, that's your daughter, sweetheart?" He suddenly unclipped the stanchion for Angelica. "If she's with you—then let her in."
They looked in disbelief as Angelica put an arm around the man. "And the rest of my friends?"
He nodded. "Of course," he told her as his eyes went to Laurel. "As long as Miss Peaches and Cream over there dances with me later."
Katniss tried not to laugh at her mother's suddenly scarlet cheeks.
Prim scoffed, "What the fuck? I'm the younger version of her!"
"Of course she will," Angelica cooed at him, her hand caressing his chin. "And I'll even buy you a drink." She looked over at the group. "Come along, ladies." They all rushed past the stanchion and towards the entrance of the club.
Johanna stopped in front of her mother with an admiring grin. "You are the Master."
Angelica winked at the bouncer before putting an arm around her daughter. "Don't I know it."
Of all the things Peeta thought he would be doing during his bachelor party—he didn't think that he would be doing this.
"Who exactly invited them?" Gale asked as he sipped his beer.
At the table next to them—Jacob, Gabe, and Richard—sat together with a group of scantily-clad women standing around them. At the opposite table sat Finnick, Cato, and Thresh with a woman on each of their laps. Cal and Will had been unable to come as both were out of town, finishing some work business so they could have the time off for Peeta's wedding.
Downstairs, Rory was DJ to the regular club goers as Vick danced with his latest flavor of the month on the crowded floor.
"I'm torn between laughing and crying," Peeta replied with a buzzed grin. "Our fathers have a lot of game."
"It just seems very wrong to look at any other women with the thought of them telling on us," Gale replied. "Johanna told me exactly where she's going to put her foot if I touch any other girl."
"I heard there is a groom in the VIP room," the waitress said with a smile as she approached them.
Peeta raised his hand. "That would be me," he told her.
"Then you deserve a drink and a dance on me," she replied with a flirty smile.
"I'll take the drink," Peeta told her easily.
"Come on, Peeta! Don't be such a fucking square!" Cato told his friend as a dancer gyrated on his lap. "You're sacrificing yourself in four days."
He shook his head at the man. "I'm not sacrificing anything," Peeta told him. The waitress' eyes softened at his words. "I marrying the love of my life—and the mother of my child."
"That's about the sweetest thing I've ever heard!" the waitress gushed. "How did you meet her?"
"We actually met at a club," he told her. "I was bartending and she was there with her sister. Also, Gale—" he nodded over at the man next to him, "And his wife, Johanna, were there. They're my fiancée's best friends." His mind wandered to that night—the first time he saw Katniss in her pretty red dress as he went to take her drink order. "She just knocked the wind out of me."
"In return, you knocked my best friend up," Gale retorted. His father, along with Gabe and Richard, turned to him sternly. He shrugged. "Well, it's not like we can't deny it. Katniss isn't just retaining water. She's more mid-crowning."
"How many weeks is she?" Cato's dancer asked him. She got up from his friend's lap and joined them at the table.
"Thirty-six weeks," Peeta said with a grin. "And the wedding is in four days." He suddenly felt the smile falling from his face and his heart began to beat. The abrupt realization of how much everything was changing threw him into a sudden tailspin. "Holy shit—I'm going to be a husband." He turned to Gale panicked. "Katniss is going to be my wife!"
"Dude, are you okay?" Gale said. The fathers all jumped from their seats and went to the table. "You are like Casper, the Friendly Ghost white."
"He's having a panic attack," the waitress suddenly said to them. "I'll go get some water." She got up and rushed to the private bar in the room.
Peeta felt his throat closing up as he began to hyperventilate. "And I'm going to be father! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT!" He looked over at Cato's dancer. "In parenting class, Katniss and I could barely close a diaper!"
"You'll get the hang of it," she replied. "When I had my daughter, I had no idea what to do, either."
Peeta met the woman's eyes. "You have a daughter?"
The woman beamed at him and reached into her bejeweled bra. She held out a picture of a toddler with bright blue eyes and red hair. "Her name is Haley and she just turned two."
"She's really pretty," Peeta told her. "Did your husband panic like I'm panicking?"
She gave him a sad smile. "I wouldn't know. He disappeared when I told him that she was coming. Also, he wasn't a husband—he was sort of a boyfriend."
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "Haley seems to be doing perfect without him. She has you—I never got your name."
"Lavinia," she told him as she held out her hand for him to shake.
The waitress came rushing back with a bottled water. "You okay there?" She twisted off the cap and he took it gratefully. She patted his back soothingly. "It happens."
"Thanks—" He looked up at her apologetically. "I'm sorry—"
"Octavia," she introduced herself. "I have two kids of my own." Looking over at the older men, Octavia gave him a kind smile. "It won't be easy, but I'm sure that you'll have plenty of help and advice."
Peeta looked at the men around him sadly. At this point, they had pulled the tables together and gathered around him.
"Here's the thing," Peeta told Octavia. "Katniss and I will be moving after the baby is born—across the country. So we won't have anyone but each other."
"Son, sometimes the best way to learn is by trying it on your own," his father told him.
"And we are just a phone call away," Gabe added in assurance. "You and Katniss are going to be okay. You both have good heads on your shoulders. I wouldn't let my daughter marry you if I didn't think you could care and encourage her like you have."
"Yeah, that's what's great about you two," Gale told him as Jacob nodded in agreement. "You both take care of one another—it's your thing."
Peeta looked around at the men—the fathers, the friends, and the roommates that he would be leaving. "I don't know if it's the alcohol talking, but I'm really going to miss having all of you around."
The group went quiet—until the sound of someone sniffling was heard in the room.
"Okay, who's crying?" Thresh asked loudly. His eyes zeroed in on Finnick, whose shoulder was being patted by a dancer wearing only body paint. "Seriously, Finnick?"
"It's really kind of sad, you know," Finnick sniffled as the girl wiped his eyes with a napkin.
"Or maybe you've been smoking a little too much," Cato told him.
Finnick shrugged. "That, too."
"What the hell is going on?"
They all looked to see the bachelorettes and their mothers standing at the entrance of the VIP room, arms crossed, as they saw the group of dancers with the men.
"Peeta?" His eyes went to Katniss, who stood in front of the group in a shimmering dress that made her glow even in the darkness. She smiled as soon as her eyes met his.
Jumping from his seat, Peeta rushed over to her. "Katniss…" His arms were around her immediately.
"Babe?" she asked, confused. "Are you okay?" Returning his embrace, Katniss reached to caress his cheek. "Also, why are all the exotic dancers staring at me?"
"They're just really happy to see you," he assured her with a grin. "I was having a bit of a panic attack and everyone talked me down."
"I was wondering when that would happen." Katniss squeezed his hand. "Are you okay now?"
He pulled her close once more. "Yes, even better now that you're here."
Katniss snorted against his shoulder. "Liar."
"You two really are super cute together!" Lavinia suddenly said and hugged them both tightly. Octavia followed and soon the couple found themselves in a group hug with the dancers.
Katniss met his eyes. "Peeta?"
"Yeah?"
"When I imagined my bachelorette party, I didn't think I would be surrounded by breasts."
"Thanks for helping us out," Katniss said as Haymitch walked a drunken Gale into the Mason house. Behind him, Peeta carried in a passed-out Johanna. "After the dancers and the bachelorettes joined in the party, I think it all got a little out of hand."
"Yeah, my Dad is going to be pissed when he sees the alcohol tab," Peeta added as he placed Johanna across the couch.
"He can afford it," Haymitch replied with a grin. Propping Gale in the recliner, the man stood up stiffly. "It's been a long time since I've seen your parents that messed up."
"Yeah, my parents making out will forever be seared into my mind." Peeta shuddered at the memory. "After this, I'm not sure that your parents will want them as in-laws."
"Well, you weren't there when my mother was dancing with the bouncer at the other club we went to," Katniss responded. She eyed her two friends. "Then, these two."
Haymitch chuckled at her exasperation. "What have the younger Hawthornes gotten into?"
"Fights, stripping, and getting us kicked out of the club," Peeta told him. "The fighting was Johanna, the stripping was Gale, and the getting us kicked out was them as a duo—they were like fucking Batman and Robin against security."
"Worst part is that Gale was Robin," Katniss added with a smirk.
Haymitch looked at his watch. "Well, I'd better get going. Effie is pulling an all-nighter at the hospital, so I'm going to grab her some Krispy Kremes and coffee."
"You are really very sweet to her," Katniss remarked.
Haymitch shrugged, a small grin on his lips. "She's my lady."
"Keep working on it and eventually you'll wear her down with that marriage proposal." Katniss kissed his cheek. "Tell her that we said hi and we'll see her in the afternoon for my appointment."
"Will do," Haymitch said and patted Peeta on the shoulder. "Get some rest—I heard you had a good cry tonight."
"Haha." His cheeks turned red at his Godfather's words. "Finnick was the crybaby!"
Katniss put an arm around him. "That was due to being hot-boxed by Thresh and Cato, though. What was your reason?"
Peeta pouted at her. "You're supposed to be on my side."
She kissed him firmly, pulling away with a loud smack. "I am."
"This is my cue to leave," Haymitch said and gave them a wave. "Have a good night."
When they heard the click of the door closing, the couple looked at both Gale and Johanna. Katniss went to her friend and propped her head to her side. Then she went to Gale and did the same. Jenna was at a sleepover, so the couple wouldn't have to worry about waking their daughter once their hangovers kicked in.
Peeta put an arm around her. "We should head to your place. It's almost three in the morning."
She smiled at her fiancé. "Or we could do something else."
"I'm way too tired for that," he replied.
"Not that," Katniss replied before looking over at her two best friends. "Did I ever tell you that when I turned twenty-one, I woke up on the lawn in front of this house because these two morons forgot to unlock the side gate?" She shook her head at the memory. "I woke up because the paperboy threw the newspaper at my ass."
Peeta shook his head at the story, trying to suppress his smile. "I bet you were pissed."
"I wasn't until I saw the pictures they took of me, ass up on their lawn."
"Sounds like you want revenge," he remarked. "We could take pictures of them if you want."
"Or we can draw on their faces."
Peeta looked over at her in shock. "What?"
Katniss went to the small drawing table where Jenna's markers were. She had been waiting years for the perfect opportunity to get back at the couple. They had shown the pictures to her parents and had one superimposed on her birthday cake during Sunday dinner. Nothing was more humiliating than having to cut into her own ass as she served cake to all of their parents as well as Prim, Rory, and Vick, who were desperately trying not to laugh at her.
Now she would finally have her vengeance.
"I don't know if I can participate in this," Peeta said.
"Consider this your wedding present to me," she told him as she chose a green marker. It was the brightest. "Now hold up Johanna's face."
He looked over at her. "Are you serious?"
"Just think - they might show that old photo to the baby one day," she told him. "Do you really want that?"
Going to Johanna, Peeta carefully moved her face so that Katniss would have better access. "Hurry up and do it."
Carefully, she leaned down and began to write on her best friend's forehead: KATNISS' BITCH. Johanna had written JOHANNA'S BITCH on her forehead after a drunken night of celebrating her college graduation. However, Johanna had used a very strong gel marker, which left Katniss with a raw forehead after having to spend hours scrubbing it off.
"I thought you were going to draw on her face," Peeta said.
She looked over at him. "I'm not an artist." Katniss handed him the marker and nodded over at Gale. "Your turn."
"Why do I have to do it?" he asked her as she led him over.
"Couple bonding." Katniss carefully turned her friend's head towards her fiancé. "Be creative."
She watched Peeta look over Gale for a moment before leaning over and writing slowly against an exposed cheek. After he was finished, Peeta pulled away to admire his work and Katniss rounded the recliner to look at his work.
"'I LOVE PEENISS'?" Katniss turned to him. "You realize that you spelled penis wrong, right?"
Peeta grinned at her. "Not that kind of penis—it's a merging of our names."
Katniss took his hand. "And this is why I'm marrying you."
Two Days to the Wedding…
"So I wanted to talk to you about Braxton-Hicks contractions," Effie told them. "I'm sure you've felt some twinges of discomfort."
"Just a smidge," Katniss told her jokingly. Peeta gave her a sympathetic smile from where he stood next to her.
"Braxton-Hicks can be uncomfortable, but walking can help," their doctor told them. "They shouldn't get stronger or closer together. They shouldn't be in intervals."
"A lot of this is a pattern then," Peeta said to Effie. The woman nodded and looked over at Katniss. "Sounds simple enough to remember."
"I'm not worried about the contractions. I'm worried about pushing the baby out of my vagina," Katniss said to him. "And everything that happens after."
Effie took her hand. "Remember what I told you? We're a team. I have been here for you since the beginning and will be until the very end. If you have any questions when you're at school, give me a call." She looked sadly at the couple. "I'm really going to miss you guys. You've both become very special to me."
"Also, we brought you Haymitch," Peeta told her with an amused smile.
"Well, he's a contributing factor," the woman said fondly. "He's told me a lot about you as a child, Peeta—about your curiosity and intelligence. Haymitch said that you've always moved to your own beat."
Effie looked to Katniss. "And you—when Johanna told me that you thought you were pregnant, I was surprised," she told her. "Because she always said that you were the most level-headed person, even compared to Gale, who is the most serious boy that I've ever met!" Katniss laughed at her words. "She said that she could always trust you to be sensible."
"I really screwed up on that." Katniss looked over at Peeta and took his hand. "Actually, not really."
"She also told me that only a real game-changer could throw you off," Effie continued. "And that it was good you got a little rattled up for once. Johanna only worried that you would just end up stuck."
Katniss grinned at Effie. "Not so stuck anymore," she said. "Effie—Peeta and I—we're going to be okay, aren't we?"
The woman nodded. "I have no doubt. You're not going to be perfect parents, but you're going to be good, encouraging parents to him or her. You're going to be parents who make mistakes—and that's okay. Children always come to realize that their parents aren't perfect anyway—and it always becomes much more significant when they have the kind of parents who will love them no matter what."
She felt the tears fill her eyes. In such a short time, Effie had become so dear to them—a guardian and friend to both her and Peeta.
Looking over to Peeta, she saw that he was also a bit watery-eyed from Effie's words.
"I know we never really discussed this, honey," she said to him. "But do you trust me to make the right decisions?"
"Always—you're the brains and I'm the brawn of this operation," Peeta replied.
Katniss looked to the woman in front of her and took her hand.
"Effie, will you be our kid's Haymitch?" Katniss asked. "You know—be there when we're driving him or her crazy? See the things that we're sometimes not able to see?"
Effie beamed at them and nodded. "That's about the weirdest way that anyone's asked me to be their kid's godparent—but I accept."
One Day to the Wedding…
"I know that you've probably got a gaggle of gifts," Sae said to Peeta. "But I wanted to give you your gift in private."
The two had just closed up the bakery and he would be making his drive up to Glimmer and Marvel's home after. Katniss was already settled in her own bridal suite, while he would have the room that Marvel had shown them after Francis and Ellie's births.
"You didn't have to do that," Peeta told her. "You've already made our wedding cake."
"It's nothing really," Sae insisted as he helped her sit at one of the tables in the front of the bakery. She reached into her small satchel and pulled out a small wrapped package. "Here you go, son."
"Thanks, Sae," Peeta replied as he carefully unwrapped the package. It was a small, worn-out notebook, similar to the one that he had been using to record his flour findings. Opening it, he found carefully written recipes along with notes in the margins of some of them. "What is this?"
"My legacy," the woman replied. "These are all of my recipes. When I retire, everything that I've learned and acquired will be lost. However, I would have no qualms if you decided to use these recipes for your own bakery."
"What?" Peeta asked in confusion.
"You're talented, Peeta, and you could really do something with these recipes. You could probably improve them," Sae said. "You also have an eye for business and customer service. Plus, you have to do something while Katniss becomes a doctor."
For a moment, he could see himself running his own bakery. He and Katniss' baby strapped onto him in a carrier as he helped customers. Flipping through the pages, Peeta could feel the excitement run through him as he imagined what he could do with Sae's recipes.
He smiled at the woman gratefully. "Thank you."
"You have a lot of potential," Sae told him. "Don't waste it."
"You nervous?" Marvel asked quietly as he walked down the long upstairs hallway with Peeta. Ellie slept in his well-toned arms, a pacifier in her tiny mouth. "I know I was definitely sweating bullets during my own wedding."
Peeta shook his head. "These last few months have really just taught me to go with it. Things are going to go wrong, I'm pretty sure of it," he told his friend. "But by the end of the ceremony, Katniss is going to be my wife."
"You have twenty minutes to midnight," Marvel told him. "Glimmer was very strict about making sure that you didn't break any wedding rules."
"Got it." He turned the knob but suddenly looked to his friend. "I just wanted to say before it gets very crazy tomorrow—thank you."
Marvel nodded, his arms bouncing Ellie gently. "It's our pleasure. I'll see you tomorrow."
Peeta opened the door to Katniss' room and quickly slipped in. The room was decorated in white flowers and silk. The thin curtains let the soft moonlight slip into the room. As he approached Katniss, Peeta could see the light of the moon against her cheeks.
Sitting next to her, he leaned down to brush his lips against her. Katniss responded immediately, her hands going to the sides of his face.
Slowly, her eyes opened and Katniss smiled softly up at him. "Am I dreaming?"
Peeta kissed her once more. "Do bakers usually break into your room at night to kiss you awake?"
"Lately, a certain blond one has—we usually end up doing it against one of the oven doors—though I have no idea how exactly we end up in the bakery," she told him.
"I think I can make that dream happen," he replied. "After our little bundle drops, of course." Katniss nodded tiredly, her hands playing with his hair. "I can't stay long, but I wanted to tell you something."
Her eyes met his, her brow furrowing worriedly. "What?"
Peeta took a deep breath and he pressed his forehead to hers. "We're going to be okay, baby."
Katniss seemed to understand, a hand falling from his hair to caress his cheek as her thumb ran over his rough lip.
"Okay," she replied simply.
"Also—" Peeta reached into his pocket and pulled out the small box that he had been protecting since Johanna slipped it to him yesterday. He opened the box and pulled out the once-empty four prong gold ring, now filled with a small round diamond. "Better late than never. I know I cut it close, but I paid for this all by myself."
The tears fell from her eyes as he took her hand and slipped it back onto her ring finger.
"It's perfect," she told him. Sitting up, Katniss leaned in slightly to kiss him. "Baby and I will see you at the end of the aisle."
"I love you both," Peeta said. He kissed her once more and his lips went to her belly. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Katniss slowly opened her eyes to the brightly lit bedroom. Carefully, she sat up and her hand went to where she could feel the persistent kicking.
Today was their wedding day.
"Baby, we're going to officially become Mellarks today." A small kick hit her insides. "Well, actually, I'm becoming a Mellark—you've always been one."
A knock on the door sounded and she looked to see her mother peeking through the open door. Prim and Johanna followed in. Her sister held her dress and Johanna had a small hat box in her arms.
"Good morning," Laurel greeted her with a soft smile. "All the other ladies are downstairs. I thought you'd want some quiet before having to get ready." She sat on Katniss' side and her crystal blue eyes filled with tears. "I can't believe you're getting married today!"
"Oh, Mom." Katniss took her hand. "It's all going to be okay—and we knew that this would happen eventually. Except for when you thought that I was a lesbian and all. On the other hand, lesbians can get married, too. I think it was more about finding 'the one.'"
"Peeta is a good man. Your father and I are really proud of you, Katniss." Her mother kissed her forehead before wiping her eyes quickly. "I was supposed to come and ask for your breakfast order."
"I am craving French toast," she told her mother and Laurel stood up quickly.
"Take a shower and by the time you're out, it'll be waiting for you." Katniss nodded once more and her mother clamped her hand over her mouth to stop her sob. "I'm fine…I'm fine…"
Her mother quickly disappeared and Johanna went to close the door behind her.
"They're all downstairs crying," Johanna informed her with a grin. "Don't be surprised if your French toast is salty." Katniss slowly got out of bed. "How you feeling?"
"Oh, wow." She looked down at her stomach. "I never realized how much my stomach dropped until now."
"Weird," Prim said as she hung Katniss' dress by the changing panel. "Your dress is all steamed and Annie is coming in an hour to help you into it. How she knows how to work this dress is beyond me. Last night, she called me and asked if she should get some extra breasts for her dress."
"That doesn't sound strange," Katniss replied as she towards the private bathroom.
"It was two in the morning," Prim said with a grin. Her eyes went to her sister's hand. "Nice ring."
Katniss looked down at her engagement ring, her heart leaping at the sight of it. For a moment, she had thought it was only a dream—seeing Peeta come to her. The touch of his lips, however, still burned against her own hours later.
"I heard you had a visitor last night," Johanna said as she took out Katniss' veil. "What did he tell you?"
"That we're going to be okay," she replied before going into the bathroom.
It was when she was adjusting her veil that she felt the twinge. No, it wasn't a twinge—it was pain.
Effie had mentioned Braxton-Hicks contractions during their appointment. However, pregnancy brain seemed to suddenly cloud everything that her doctor had told her. For a moment, Katniss contemplated calling Effie to ask her.
Peeking out the window, she could see that more than half the guests were already seated.
Timing—it suddenly came to her. Effie had said something about timing.
Katniss recalled feeling a spasm during her shower—and she had chalked it up to the new feeling of heaviness in her stomach. It was supposed to be normal, wasn't it?
"Katniss?" She turned to see her mother in a soft peach dress, her shoulder length hair in a low-side bun. "You okay there, sweetie?"
"Of course." Katniss twirled for her mother. "I look like a bride, don't I?"
"Definitely," Laurel replied as she led Katniss to the standing mirror in the corner. Katniss took in her appearance—the cap sleeve jersey-fabric cream dress with the peach skirt and lace overlay, the dark hair in a large low bun, and delicate veil with the soft feather clips that swept over her eyes. "You are radiant, Katniss."
She held out a necklace with a small pendant and clipped it around Katniss' neck. The pendant was a gold, ray-filled sun. "And now, you are radiant as the sun. This was your grandmother's—and now it is your something old."
"Thanks, Mom," she replied and grinned at her from the mirror.
Then the pain came once more—ten minutes. Ten minutes since the last time.
"Katniss?" She turned to see Hazelle smiling sweetly at her. Going to Katniss, the older woman slipped a faux-pearl bracelet with an elastic band onto her wrist. "I didn't get to have a wedding as you know. Jacob and I eloped—but I wanted something to make me feel a little bridal."
Katniss reached over to wipe the stray tear from Hazelle's chick. "So Jacob and I stopped at Coney Island and he played one of those crane games so I could have this. Johanna wore it when she married Gale. And Posy will wear it for hers—if she ever decides to get married. Today, you're wearing it as your something borrowed."
Katniss played with the delicate faux-pearl and met Hazelle's eyes. "I'll take really good care of it."
Angelica joined her side soon after. The tall, buxom woman wore a fitted, sharply cut apricot dress and matching spiked heels. She placed her hands on Katniss's shoulders—another wave hit her and she let out a slow breath as she smiled at Johanna's mother.
They were getting intense.
They weren't supposed to.
Holy shit—she was in labor.
"I'm going to keep this short, honey," Angelica told her. "You know me and you know my Jo enough to get that we're not good with sentimental stuff." She pressed a blue, silk handkerchief into Katniss' hands. "This is from Italy—it was the only souvenir that I bought during my honeymoon—because we were broke from just putting a down payment on our house. It's your something blue. Stuff it in your bosom, just in case."
"Thanks." Katniss placed a kiss on the woman's cheek.
Last, but definitely not least, was Anna in her honey colored designer dress.
"Come here, sweetheart." Katniss rushed over into Anna's embrace. "I know we had a hard time with each other at first." They both chuckled at the woman's words. "But you've shown me how great of a man that my Peeta is. Despite my resistance of letting go, you both have stuck it through. And I just wanted to say thank you for loving Peeta and for bringing my first grandchild into the world."
She kissed Katniss' forehead. "My husband and I don't just love you because you're our son's wife. We love you because you're intelligent, compassionate, and strong. You're going to be a wonderful wife and mother. And I'm proud of you, Katniss." She took Katniss' hand and placed a key in it. "This is yours and Peeta's something new."
Looking down at the key, Katniss glanced to her mother-in-law. "Mom, I don't understand."
"We'll explain later," Anna told her with a grin. "Right now, you have to get married."
A pained gasp escaped her mouth and Anna looked at her in concern. "You alright?"
"I'm fine!" This contraction was lasting a little longer than she thought, but she gave Anna a smile. "I just can't believe that in a few minutes I'm getting married—YAY..."
Anna raised her brows, patting Katniss' shoulder understandingly. "The sooner you pop this baby out—the sooner you can have a drink. Because you really need it."
"The sooner this wedding is over—the sooner we call all have drinks!" Johanna called out, raising her bouquet in triumph. Then she looked over at Katniss. "Except for the bride—sorry, darling."
"My ass," Katniss retorted, her hand going to caress her belly. "Just keep in mind what happened two nights ago."
"I really enjoyed scrubbing the word 'Peeniss' off my husband's face—he had a business meeting later that day, you know."
"Well, now you know who you're messing with," she told her as another spasm hit. Blowing out her breath, she looked around. "Where's my bouquet?"
"Here!" Annie rushed over to her, her green eyes clearer than usual. "The guys wanted to add a few extra accents to it; but I threatened cruel and unusual punishment. And I tend to lean towards unusual when punishing."
A loud knock came and Glimmer appeared through the open doorway, Francis in her arm, as she glowed in a dark rose dress. "Groomsmen are outside and Mr. Everdeen is waiting at the bottom of the stairs to walk the bride down the aisle," she informed them quickly. Her eyes met Katniss'. "You look like a dream."
"Thanks, Glimmer," she said through her slight grimace.
"Everyone needs to get downstairs—NOW!" Glimmer called out.
There was a sudden scramble as everyone kissed Katniss goodbye before walking out of the room. The last person to leave was Prim.
The two sisters embraced.
"This is the one—make it count," Prim told her.
Katniss laughed. "That's what you told me the night I met Peeta."
Prim grinned at her. "And you really did make it count, didn't you? I'll see you out there." Her sister kissed her cheek quickly. "I love you."
"Love you, too." Prim disappeared out the door and Katniss let out the pained breath that she was holding in. "I made it this far—I can do this."
Katniss suddenly realized how much it meant for her to be married before this baby came. There was just an order to things—you meet someone, you get married, you have a baby. So number two and three were a bit switched.
However, if she just made it down the aisle—then everything would be back in order.
Taking a deep breath, Katniss gripped her bouquet and headed out into the hallway.
"Five minutes apart," she told herself. The timing was on-point but the intensity was increasing. "Holy shit…"
Reaching the top of the stairs, Katniss took a deep breath and met her father's eyes as she walked down the stairs. She could see her father's trembling mouth and bit back her own tears. There had been a moment during these past months when she thought that he wouldn't be here to do this.
"Dad." She reached the bottom of the stairs and he took her hand. "What do you think?"
"My God, Katniss." Her father sucked in his tears. "You're just so breathtaking."
"I'm really glad you're here," Katniss told him.
Gabe guided her arm through his. "Me, too."
Peeta could immediately tell that something was wrong.
Katniss was beautiful in her flowing dress—she was a goddess. She smiled at the flashing cameras as she walked down the aisle with her father. However behind the grin, he could see her grimace every so often.
When their eyes met, Peeta let out the breath that he been holding since he stood at the end of the aisle. Behind the wedding party was the ocean that was unbelievably calm. A soothing breeze danced through the air and the heat of the sun was tempered by the silk tent pitched for the wedding.
"You look beautiful," Peeta told her and she grinned at him—a genuine one. Looking to Gabe, he held out his hand. "Thank you, sir."
Shaking it, he pulled Peeta in for a brief hug. "Take care of our girl." Gabe quickly kissed Katniss' cheek before joining his wife.
"Dearly beloved…" the officiant began as he and Katniss joined hands.
So their ceremony began—along with the intermittent crushing hand grips from his bride. Every few minutes, she would let out a small breath. However, if Katniss spied him looking then she would go back to smiling.
"Are you okay?" he asked her as they walked to light their unity candle.
"I'm perfectly fine," Katniss replied, though he could see her shaking as she brought her own candle to their large unity candle in the middle.
"You're lying." He watched her brow furrow in concentration. "You're in pain."
It clicked suddenly—the last one was five minutes ago. Peeta remembered her slow breaths getting longer as she let them out and he remembered that they had learned this method in Lamaze.
For when labor started.
Holy shit—Katniss was in labor.
"You're not okay!" he whispered into her ear as they joined everyone back under the flowered archway. "You're in labor."
Katniss smiled tightly. "I'm fine," she replied. "The pain is not that bad."
"We need to go to the hospital," Peeta informed her. "Now."
"No." She gripped his hands—practically crushing them. "We are not going anywhere until we are married."
The officiant looked to him, "Peeta, do you take Katniss to be your lawful wedded wife—"
"Yeah, yeah—I do," he told the man swiftly. "Now her."
The man pushed up his glasses and sniffed before continuing with Katniss.
"And, do you, Katniss, take Peeta to be your lawful wedded husband…" Peeta watched her breathe shallowly out—they were getting closer.
"—I do!" Katniss suddenly shouted. She looked at the man irritated. "Now, the rings!"
"Okay…" the officiant said as he eyed the two. "Who has the rings?"
Katniss practically ripped the ring away from Prim's fingers and he turned to take the ring from Haymitch's outstretched palm.
Quickly, they put the rings on each other's fingers.
"Okay, finish this!" Peeta rushed the man.
Around them, he could see the crowd talking worriedly amongst themselves. Effie stood up, met his eyes quickly, and took out her cell phone before rushing back into the house.
"By the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride."
Katniss nodded and Peeta took her face in his hands to kiss her soundly.
His wife ripped her mouth away to let out a sudden painful wail.
Scooping Katniss up bridal-style, Peeta rushed down the aisle, ignoring the awkward applause. Haymitch and Prim followed behind them quickly.
"What the fuck is going on?" Prim asked as she looked worriedly at her huffing sister.
"MY WIFE IS IN LABOR—THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON!"
It's happening—insert excitement gif here.
I'm sure that everyone is wondering how Katniss is even walking at this point. It's all about her regular routine of being on her feet during her hospital rounds. Plus, she is just one of the lucky ones—even Glimmer envies her energy at this point of the pregnancy.
Braxton-Hicks are false labor pains and often mistaken for actual labor pains. They're not supposed to hurt, which should've been Katniss' first indication, but well…it's that pregnancy brain. Also, they don't come in intervals or get stronger.
I love a little 'Peeniss' reference, don't you?
Also, did you see my 'Knocked Up' references?
At the beginning of Part One, Prim whispers something in Katniss' ear before leaving her with Peeta. It is revealed in this chapter, coming full circle…
Also, the key that Anna gives Katniss…we'll get to that in the next chapter.
Hellos, reviews and comments are welcomed on Tumblr, FF and AO3!
So-boy or girl? You'll find out next chapter.
Until then, JLaLa