I don't own the HUNGER GAMES. Suzanne Collins is the owner :)

CHAPTER 2

I feel a stinging pain on my leg as a bird decides to peck its beak there. I stir my still tired eyes open as I realize I'm nowhere within the realms of my room, nor anywhere inside my home, not even Peeta's home.

Peeta. I probably am worrying him now so I attempt to get up and go home but I feel strong arms wrapping around my waist. I recognize these arms – strong, muscular, scarred. I inhale the sweet scent of cinnamon and am sure by that moment that this is Peeta. I stay still for a moment and feel his slow steady breathing so I know he is asleep. I shifted my position so I am now facing up rather than side-lying.

It isn't raining anymore, but I see a big umbrella over us. I notice that I'm no longer lying on itchy grass, rather on a soft comforter.

Peeta found me obviously. He must've known I didn't want to go home just yet so he opted to camp here instead. I sigh again. Peeta. He's too good for me. I close my eyes and remember what happened earlier in the bakery.

The children. His eyes. How Jared hugged and kissed me. How little Rosie looked like Prim. The pregnant lady. Peeta's tears.

I need to get up but I feel Peeta nudging closer.

"Katniss…"

I don't answer. I close my eyes pretending to be asleep to avoid him – his questions, his sadness. Luckily for me, he drifts back to sleep. I open my eyes again and look at him.

Peeta. My Peeta. He certainly doesn't look like the boy I've known since the first Hunger Games. He changed. Sure he still has his blond hair and ever gorgeous blue eyes, but he's changed. He now has his prosthetic leg which I happen to adore now, he has scars on his arms, he has dark circles around his eyes, he has his mind and memory messed up. He changed because of me. He went through hell and back just to get back to me. How on earth do I deserve him?

A child Katniss, at least you can give that to him. I think to myself. I sigh again. Peeta and I have been married for 5 years now, although we've been together for 8 years, not counting the years of the games. It has been 3 years since he pushed the thought of a child. You are making him wait Katniss, you both are not getting any younger, another thought mulls in my brains.

I do want a child, his child. I want to build a family with him. To have a little army of blondes and brown-haired children parading around our home. But I'm too scared. Scared of failing them, failing Peeta. Scared of being a mother, scared of losing them to something unknown. People I love were taken away from me – Prim, Father, Gale, Finnick, Madge, Beetee. I can't fathom to lose someone again, not Peeta, not someone who has a piece of Peeta.

Just as I shed a tear or two, the wind blows very hard and I nudge myself closer to Peeta and lay my head on his chest. I close my eyes as I try to fight the coldness the wind brings. Minutes later, the wind comes to a halt. I move my hands from his chest down to his abdomen when I felt something soft and delicate.

I lift my head up from Peeta's chest, open my eyes and feel tears rushing down as I see what my hands found. Primroses and a dandelion.

Prim. She's saying something. Then I scoop up the primroses and the single dandelion trying to connect what message she has for me. Prim, what are you telling me? Dandelions. Hope. Peeta. And it hit me, Prim is saying it's okay to have a child with Peeta now, that I need not worry, that hope is here. Have I heard you right, little duck? Then, the wind blows hard again.

Right then and there, I am sure. I am ready to have Peeta's baby. I am ready to be a mother.

"Katniss?", Peeta stirs and sit up looking at me in the softest way he can. "I'm sorry I didn't bring you home, I figured you need a breather from there. So I brought some stuffs instead".

I nod and lift my gaze to his. Gray meets blue. I smile at my Peeta.

"Are you crying?", he asks as he scoots over closer but not breaking eye contact.

"I'm ready Peeta", I say as I took his face in between my hands. "I want a baby. With you."

He stares at me dumbfounded for a minute. "Katniss, if this is about what happened in the bakery earlier.."

I cut him off as I let my lips glaze his. I kiss him as passionately as I can, he kisses back with as much passion if not, greater. Our lips danced for a couple of minutes until I break the contact and look him in the eyes again.

"No Peeta, it's not about what happened in the bakery. Yes, I admit it got into me. I don't know how to convince you now, I'm not that good with words. But let me tell you this, back in the days, I never imagined myself raising a family in the cruel world of Panem , Peeta. I didn't like the idea of bringing a child to this world only to let him/her go through the dreaded Reaping and the possibility of being a tribute and get him/her killed…"

"Katniss, that Panem is gone now.,. We fought for it, remember?"

"I know Peeta. I know. But it's not that I'm actually scared now of Peeta", I peck him lightly on the lips.

"What do you mean?", he asks, confused.

I take a deep sigh and started, "Remember on the Quarter Quell, how we pretended that we're pregnant? At one point Peeta, I wanted to believe that it was true, that I was really carrying your baby. And at times, I do forget I was only pretending, to the point of changing my goal to keeping you alive, to keeping us alive. There were nights I let myself drift to imagine how the imaginary baby will look like, how we'll be a happy family if we survive. I am pretty sure you'd be a great father, and then it dawned on me, will I be a great mother? You, you knew how to be a father Peeta, your father taught you well. I, on the other hand, don't have a mother I can look up to. So, I became scared. What if I'll fail you Peeta? What if I'll fail our children? What if you'll leave me and the children alone? I know I'll be like my mother if that happens Peeta, and I don't want my children to go into the same thing I went through…" I begin crying my whole self out and I felt his arms on my back consoling me, until he envelops my arms around me.

"Katniss, you will be a good mother. Look at how you took care of the people you loved, Prim, your mother, me… ", he lifts my chin up making me face his blue eyes. "You volunteered for her, you risked your life to get me cured. Katniss, you're more than what you give yourself credit for", he kisses me lightly.

"But you all came damaged Peeta and Prim is dead", I sob.

"We all are damaged Katniss. But we became like this for a reason. Prim didn't die in vain. They all didn't die in vain. They died for a cause, we are scarred for a cause. We fought for freedom Katniss, and we are enjoying the fruits of our labor. Look at how the new Panem is now Katniss, it's worth the fight."

I nod and I kiss him again, god his lips are the most comforting there is in the world. "Prim blew this in the winds today, when you were asleep", I say as I showed him the loot I found earlier.

"Oh!", he smiles to himself. "Thanks Prim, for kicking some sense in your sister", he jokes.

I hug him closely in return and a smile formed on my lips as he straddled me on his lap. "I never did not want your child, Peeta. I always do, I always wanted to carry him/her. I was just scared. But I'm willing to take the risk now. As long as you promise to stay by me", I say.

"Always, Katniss. Always", he replies as he tugs my braid making me lean closer to him and kiss him. It is soft at first, consoling, innocent. I feel him smile and I deepen the kiss, I open my mouth and give his tongue the permission to enter. Our tongues dance as we fought for dominance. I fight for it, but I lose. He takes over, he lays me down on the comforter and we kiss for the longest time.

I begin tugging at his shirt and I was disappointed when he breaks the kiss, my eyes question his.

He laughs a light laugh and placed a light kiss on my lips, "Not here, Katniss". He straightens out and he pulls me with him.

"Why?",

"Well, we don't want some cameras near us again soon, do we?", he winks. "Let's get back to our home, and well, take care of some uhm.. unfinished business Mrs. Mellark." he says in a seductive voice.

"Oh. Well, lead the way Mr. Mellark", I reply in an equally seductive tone.