Chapter 23

Cat and mouse

(Katniss's POV)

I found it extremely hard to believe that I've been living in a coma for the last 3 months, but Peeta swears up and down I was and obviously I believe him because the baby was much to big to have just came out of me, it depressed me greatly to think that I have missed three months out of her life due to the severe complications of my labor. Peeta sat there and told me over and over that it wasn't my fault at all that I wasn't properly taken care of while I was pregnant and my mother constantly harassing about the baby's future, which she still wont shut up about. You think after seeing her daughter laying in a coma for 3 months would kill her, you'd think she'd be thrilled to realize her daughter has woken up and is alive, but no all she is doing is complaining about every little thing in Effie's house, how it should be around an infant or how to much perfume may suffocate the poor thing, she didn't give me a second glance.

The day when the released me from the hospital, after I felt comfortable walking and moving on my own, was the worst day of my entire life because as soon as Peeta and I took the back exit of the hospital we were bombarded by Capitol Cameras. As soon as the flashes from the camera's had gone off Willow started screaming her head off and I shielded her from the excited reporters who were dying to get just a glimpse of her. Peeta shielded me as I shielded her, We had eventually made to the safety of the car and off it went leaving the Capitol cameras behind, it literally took us almost two hours to calm the baby. Once we had gotten back to Effie's house with a screaming baby, my mother of course was the first on the scene, asking questions as to why she was crying, what actions we were taking in making her stop, never once did she eye me in joy and love, saying 'oh Katniss I'm so glad you pulled through, I love you daughter', No; all her attention was towards my baby which even made me feel less important. So that was why in the past week since I've been awake I've been completely ignoring her and dumping all my attention into my daughter and her father. Effie's house was big enough that I could avoid her.

A scheduled meeting was set for next Friday, requested by Paylor herself. She obviously knew we were here, everyone knew we were here and that I was pregnant and that Willow arrived and everyone was dying to get their story, I refused to have her anywhere near cameras and would knock the next reporter out that gets in her face with one. Nobody was going to harass my kid I can promise that much. We had until next Friday to prepare for whatever was about to go down and honestly it was going to be a long week and a half lazing around in Effie's house, talking to her house guest, avoiding my mother and Gale, and bond with my child and her father. Going out into the city was not an option for me. I didn't even want Peeta to roam the streets with Haymitch, in fear that someone might either hurt him or bombard him with cameras, but I gave up begging him to stay inside with us for the next week and a half.

Willow was fast asleep on my shoulder with her thumb in her mouth and her eyes glued shut. Finally after 45 minutes of her crying and fighting sleep she had finally surrendered and fell into a slumber. The door to our room opens and Peeta pokes his head in, flashing me a small smile as I put Willow down in the crib Effie has set up for us next to the bed.

"She finally lost the battle did she" Peeta smiles.

"Yeah she was trying her hardest to stay awake" I say

"Are you ok?" Peeta asks in a whisper as he enters the room and quietly shuts the door behind him, careful not to disturb anyone in the sleeping household, although Willow's waking up at 1am probably woke everyone else up.

"Yeah I'm ok, just glad I finally got her to sleep. I'm tired." I reply and make my way over to the bed, gently depositing my exhausted body onto the sheets and covering myself up with the throw blanket. Peeta takes his time in examining every inch of our daughter, finally snapping back into reality after what seemed like ages. He crawls into bed next to me and as soon as he's under the blankets my head hits his chest and he is holding me.

"I'm scared to let you fall asleep" Peeta mumbles and holds me tighter. "You might not wake up"

"I"m ok Peeta, I came back to you and to her, I'll never leave either of you again. I promise." I turn my head so our faces are nearly touching and give him a small kiss. If I wasn't in such a delicate state and in the process of healing from my rough labor then I'd take the kiss to the next step. He would refuse taking the kiss to the next step away. So all I can do is settle for kissing him and focusing on the way his lips move against mine. All the problems and challenges we face all seem to vanish from my mind as he kisses me, placing both his hands on either side of my face, angling himself so that he is slightly above me. When oxygen was needed we both parted breathing heavy, his blue eyes peer into my gray orbs, nothing but love, passion and an untamed fire fills our orbs.

"I thought I was going to lose you" He whimpered as he reconnects our lips only for a second.

"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, I love you Peeta and we are going to get through this together" I glance over towards the crib next to our bed and smile as Willow whimpers in her sleep and struggles to roll "The three of us will get through this together."

"I just want to keep her from those cameras" Peeta says sadly "It pisses me off to begin with that they surrounded us at the hospital the day you woke up and now Effie tells me that they are trying hard to find your exact location in the capitol. Every time one of us goes out in public we get jumped by cameras and I've had enough. One more person puts a camera in your face or hers I'll snap out I don't care"

I put my index finger against his lips "Shh don't talk like that, they are just idiots looking for a fresh story that we will never give them and I love that you'd stick up for us like that, but you have to be careful of your flashbacks, not for our sakes because I know you'd never hurt her even when you are in an episode, but it will give my mother ammo to use against us"

"She already provoked me while you were asleep, I think I got a handle on things."

I frown at the thought of my mother picking at him, tormenting him so much that he falls into an episode. I don't know why my mother is acting like this, but something inside her has changed and she has become more and more careless about my well-being, perhaps Prim's death changed her, tore her down and rebuilt her into something she wasn't. It was her fault that I became so stressed out over the course of my pregnancy. I wish she never would of came to 12 to 'try and help me' because that only made things worse and it was thanks to Gale that she was even contacted to begin with. He was another reason why I fell into that coma.

"what exactly did she say to you?" I ask frowning.

He bites his lip in the darken room and it takes him a moment to speak, it was almost like he was conflicted "Said my head was pretty much unstable and that I'd already tried to hurt you who's to say I wouldn't try to hurt Willow."

Now I'm completely pissed off how dare she say something like that to him. I have a half a mind to march my way to her room and scream at her, I didn't care if I woke everyone up at 1 in the morning. Peeta kisses me for the second, third, fourth time tonight, hoping to soothe the anger that is bottled up inside me. It works well, my head becomes fuzzy and the anger I feel vanishes as he kisses me, shifting slightly on the bed so he is hovering over me. What I wouldn't give to have sex with him right now, but it was impossible I knew for a fact he wouldn't touch me for two reasons, one I am healing from labor, even though it been three months I'm still sore and I know he fears a flashback, and not to mention there is a small child sleeping in a crib next to our bed, of course she'd have no idea what would be going on, but still I'd feel weird about it. I cautiously slide both my hands under his night shirt, feeling the bare skin beneath it and gently grazing his flesh.

I'm about to pull the fabric over his head and as I try to He breaks the kiss and glances down at me in the darkness, rolling over to his side of the bed, leaving me feeling abandoned "No Katniss"

I frown, but he cant tell because no amount of light shines in the room "I cant kiss you without clothes on"

He sighs "I want too believe me I really do, but you just gave birth not to long ago, not to mention the baby is literally next to us, and my mother, your mother and Gale are all on the same floor. So I really cant do it right now."

"That's sweet that you consider Effie your mother." I say leaning over to kiss him one last time.

"Well she has been there for me and for us, More than my own mother. If my mother was alive today she'd probably want nothing to do with Willow or me. She'd also probably just hit me for embarrassing her."

I hush him with my lips, playing with the hairs on the back of his neck "Nobody is ever, ever going to hit you again and if they do they'll have to answer to me."

"Oh Katniss I really don't know what I would of done if you weren't here with me."

"Shh your stronger than I am so you'd be fine, you'd take care of Willow as best as you could, but if I lost you Peeta I'd become my mother, uncaring, I'd give up the will to live. I love you that much and I'm so sorry that it took me this long to realize it. I know I've made so many mistakes in my life, hurting you and leaving you behind in the arena being one of them, but if I had to go back in time and relive everything all over again I would because the games led me to you and the passionate love we had shared gave us her"

"Katniss, I literally would die for you and her"

"I know you would Peeta, so lets just get through this and be a family."

He doesn't speak again, neither one of us speaks for the rest of the night as our lips clash together over and over again, and yes his shirt came off, yes so did mine, and my pants and his, but nothing beyond that point because of the baby. When our lips were finally swollen and we couldn't take no more I nestled in his arms and fell into a dreamless sleep. I'm not sure how long I've been asleep but when I woke the sun was gently shining through the windows and Peeta's side of the bed was empty. I didn't panic though because his voice fills the room with a soft whisper.

"There all changed I bet you feel a lot better don't you, now I bet your hungry huh sweetheart"

Willow whimpers in response.

"Let's get you something to eat "

By that time I decided to groan and sit up, my eyes lock on Peeta and Willow "Good morning" I smile feeling bliss overtake my body. "Can I have my pumpkin real quick, I just want to hold her."

"Of course" Peeta smiles and crosses the room. He sets Willow down in my arms and she squirms and gives out a happy squeal. "I'm going to go downstairs and start breakfast for everyone, if Effie hasn't started it already. Come down when your ready" He leans over the baby and gives me a quick kiss then stalks out of the room, leaving me and Willow alone.

"Did you sleep well baby" I asked her in a childish voice, placing my index finger against her tiny foot "I cant believe how much you already look like daddy. You got his eyes, and nose and cheekies" I place a kiss on her tiny foot, her forehead, nose and cheeks. She squeals in delight and catches a strand of my hair in her hand "Mommy loves you and will protect you."

I spent the next few minutes cooing and playing with my daughter before deciding to get up and get the both of us dressed, but once I did, I make my way down the stairs with her tucked against my chest. The kitchen was full, Effie sat at the large table talking quietly to Peeta while her maids cooked, obviously they had refused to let Peeta do any of the work since we were considered guest in the house. My mother sits off to the side next to Gale, no words coming from either of them and Haymitch sits at the head of the table with a sulking look on his face. Evidently, Effie said no more drinking in the house with a baby present. Effie smiles at me as I enter the kitchen and rises from the table, offering me a seat next to Peeta which I gladly take.

"Sleep well darling?" She asks.

"Yes I did thank you" I say taking a seat next to Peeta who opens his arm for the baby. I place Willow in his arms and she lets out a happy squeak. My eyes move across the table and land on Gale's who was watching us from across the room. He breaks eye contact with me after several long moments, rolling his eyes as they land on Peeta and the baby.

"I thought maybe we can take a walk today, Katniss" My mother speaks up from across the table. "Just the two of us. We need to talk"

I roll my eyes at her "OH that's a fantastic idea, upset me some more, haven't you done enough to me in the past couple of months and why are you here anyway? The baby is born, and we are about to fix a mess you made" I tap my index finger against my chin, rolling my eyes in the process and then sarcastically say "Oh that's right you are still here instead of in 4 because you feel the need to take my baby. You were such a failure as a mother you see this as an opportunity to try again" The room was dead silent, even the Effie's housemates stopped cooking to listen to the argument everyone knew was coming.

"Katniss Everdeen I am still your mother and I never raised you to talk and be disrespectful like that."

I open my mouth to retaliate against her and that's when it happens, it all happens in a blur and the large crashing noise that comes from the kitchen window startles everyone. Willow starts crying as the mans leg comes through Effie's kitchen window. Peeta bolts from the kitchen with Willow clutched to his chest while Effie and Haymitch starts yelling at the man that's hanging from the tree branch, both his legs went through the window, blood drips down his pants and he groans in pain, the tree branch had snagged his shirt collar, he's lucky that he wasn't strangled. He is clutching a camera between his hands and that's when I realize that this guy is a reporter and that he discovered where we were. What kind of idiot climbs a tree in hopes of getting a shot and then comes crashing through a kitchen window. I get up from the table and take off in the direction of Peeta. Anger swells within me, I'm so disgusted with everything around me, I refuse to play Cat and mouse with these people. The cameras have gone to far this time and I hope the guy who is hanging from the tree gets what's coming to him. He went through all this just for a shot of my daughter? If the Capitol reporters are out for blood, then so am I, the only thing is by the time I'm done with them they all will be scurrying away with their tail between there legs, this means war.

To be continued...