A/N: Another drabble written for the challenge. It's unbeta'd so mistakes are my own. Let me know what you think and say hello on tumblr (dispatchesfromdistrict7). As always I own nothing.
Years later on Halloween
Katniss struggled to zip her leather vest. She blew out a breath of exasperation; this vest was going to fit. On her exhale, the zipper finally cooperated and zipped to her sternum. Her pink tank top and the snug vest that she had worn for years could barely contain her breasts. She knew she better get this show on the road because in a few hours it would only get worse as her breasts filled to feed little Graham.
She adjusted her headband when she heard dragging behind her. She turned and smiled as she saw her small daughter carrying the ersatz katana sword that was part Katniss' costume, stomping around in cowboy boots that were about a half a size too large.
"Mama, we need to hurry up. Daddy is waiting for us and we don't want him leave without us to go trick-o-treating."
"Laurel, daddy would never leave his little deputy. He has to help Uncle Finnick and Ciaran get ready. Come over here so I can put your pin on."
Laurel stomped over to her as she bent down. Katniss pinned the sheriff's badge to the grubby t-shirt of the little girl's costume, then placed a brown sheriff's hat with a gold cord, tucking the little girl's braid up within. "Take a look, Laurel."
The little girl looked at herself in the mirror and gave her mother a big grin, "I look just like Carl!"
Katniss smiled back proud of her handiwork, before feeling a moment of hesitation as she second guessed her five-year-old's exposure to the zombie apocalypse, worrying that the show might leave the little girl scarred down the road the way movie Poltergeist had scared her. To this day, Katniss hated clowns. They were just creepy.
Nevertheless, The Walking Dead was Katniss and Peeta's favorite show since Firefly. They had spent too many lazy Sundays rewatching old seasons. They had thought Laurel was too young to notice the content of what they were viewing until Katniss had asked what she had wanted to be on Halloween and the little girl had said she wanted to be Carl Grimes.
Katniss and Peeta had been floored and a bit concerned. They told Finnick and Annie about it when they met for breakfast one morning with a combination of humor and horror over how observant Laurel is. Finnick had just laughed and said why not. Annie agreed that it would be cute. The wheels started turning in Peeta's brain. Soon after, they were having conversations with Laurel about zombies. Laurel said that they were scary but cool and that she knew that they were not real. "It's just a television show, Dad."
As it turned out, Finnick and Annie's ten-year-old had wanted to be a zombie but his parents had vetoed it since it might scare Laurel. It soon became apparent that zombies were just a fact of television life for the little girl, so he was in the clear. Then Peeta suggested they all get in the fun.
Katniss reminded herself of all of this as she took in her little girl's joy. "Let's go round up your little brother and get going. Go grab your trick-or-treat bucket. Can you carry my sword out to the car?"
"Sure, Mama!"
Katniss heard Laurel's retreating footsteps tromp down the hall as she went to pick up Graham out of his bouncy chair. She checked the diaper bag to make sure it included the Baby Bjorn before picking it up and heading out to the garage. Laurel was already sitting in her booster seat kicking her feet.
After securing both of her kids, she climbed into her car and carefully pulled out of their driveway on the watch out for early trick-or-treaters.
Ten minutes later, she was pulling up to the Odairs. Katniss had barely unbuckled her seatbelt when Laurel rushed out of the car and into the house. She could see Peeta's outline in the front door. Katniss slung the katana over her back and the diaper bag onto her right shoulder before unfastening Graham from his car seat. She shifted him on her left hip before carefully shutting the door on her car.
Laurel came bounding out of the house, "Mama, mama. Wait until you see Uncle Finnick and Ciaran they look positively ghastly. Guts everywhere!"
Peeta came bounding up to help. He went to grab Graham when the boy hid his face into his mother's shoulder. Katniss passed him the diaper bag as they walked into the house.
The family found Finnick and Haymitch waiting for them in the family room. Katniss was momentarily stunned at the transformation of Finnick and Ciaran into zombies. Peeta had done an incredible job. Powder had been dusted in their hair, grey makeup applied. The clothes aged, dirtied and "bloodied." Intestines were falling out of Ciaran's belly and half of Finnick's jaw appeared to be bitten off, changing the classically handsome face into a gruesome sight.
Finnick walked over to welcome Katniss, when Graham caught sight of him and started hollering. Finnick immediately backed off.
"Come here buddy." Peeta attempted to take his screaming son from Katniss, which just caused the boy to scream even louder. His daddy did look a bit scary. Peeta had been growing out his beard and hair for a couple months and he'd applied makeup to make it look like he was spattered in blood and exhausted from living on the run. He wasn't the clean-cut Rick Grimes of Season One. He looked like the determined, defend-his-family-with-no-limits Rick Grimes from the end of Season 4. The Rick that would bite out the jugular of someone who dared threatened to hurt his children.
Peeta tried to hide is hurt over his son's rejection with a joke about needing a shower. Graham always went to him – he was a daddy's boy. Katniss rubbed the baby's back and tried to calm him down.
"Hey buddy, no need to cry. Come here let me see your costume?" Haymitch crooned, distracting the child. The baby looked up and then flopped his body toward Haymitch, who looked normal except for the eye patch he was wearing as a costume.
"What did your Mama dress you in? Did she really put you in pink?" Haymitch teased as he bounced the baby.
"He's baby Judith," Katniss justified at the same time that Peeta grumbled, "Colors have nothing to do with gender."
"That I see. That's why you put him in pink to be Judith," Haymitch snarked as he admired the 'Little Ass-Kicker' applique.
Annie and Johanna entered the room from the kitchen. Annie was beautifully dressed in a white flowing gown, as Rick's ghost of a wife, Lori. Johanna was in dirty practical clothing and a scarf wrapped around her head dressed as Carol. Everyone admired each other's costume, especially little Laurel's who stomped proudly around in her cowboy boots and sheriff's hat.
Finnick suggested, "Shall we get this show on the road?"
"Just a couple of minutes. I need to get Katniss's help with something on my costume before we leave," Peeta responded his cheeks turning a bit pink.
Finnick gave Peeta a knowing-look, before he grabbed her hand and led her down to the guest room. Upon entering, Peeta turned on the light and shut the door before pushing her up against it. He leaned down and gave her a kiss, before whispering in her ear, "You have no idea what that vest is doing to me?" He nipped her earlobe.
"I can guess. These are courtesy of your son who is going to want to use them again sooner rather than later." She playfully shoved him off her. "Let's get going. I'll let you remove this later tonight."
"I never argue with a woman who knows how to handle a sword," Peeta agreed.
Shaking her head, she grabbed his hand, before exiting the room and rejoining the others.
Katniss went to her diaper bag to grab the Baby Bjorn. Before she could fasten it, Haymitch grabbed it from her and said, "Let me take my buddy. Just help me get this damn thing on."
"Are you sure, Haymitch?"
"Yes, Sweetheart. I'm sure. Plus I need the practice," which was met by exclamations and Johanna rubbing her belly admitting it was true. Everyone except Peeta, who held a strange expression on his face, offered congratulations.
"Wipe that expression off your face boy. I may be in my late 50's but I can still get it up!"
"Haymitch, little ears!" Annie admonished.
"It's not that. I just suddenly pictured the Governor with Carol!" Peeta said sheepishly before patting Haymitch on the back and saying, "Congrats, Old Man," as the rest of the group laughed.
After taking a group selfie, the motley crew headed out to scavenge the neighborhood.