Chapter six.
School had finally ended and thankfully, Katniss hadn't delivered. She and Gale had begun planning their toasting for a few weeks after the baby was born. So now, all there was to do was wait for the little one to make an appearance. Waiting was torture for Katniss, seeing as to how she was now on bed rest, having gotten too big to do anything.

Every day, her mother would wake her and ask her how she felt, and her answer was the same every day, "Impatient." Her mother laughed and would walk from the room. She would bring books to read, pictures to color, newspapers to read. All equally boring.

Gale worked furiously at the bakery. He wanted to have enough money saved that they would be set for a while in case he needed to take off work. He had also arranged with the baker to be able to take off as soon as possible when word reached that Katniss was in labor.

His thoughts of being a father often made the day spin quickly. He couldn't wait to hold his little girl (his prediction) in his arms. At night, he would get lost in dreams of Katniss and a beautiful baby who looked just like her frolicking through the woods. He imagined a world without a Capitol, without a government that threatened their existence.

Today though, he had a double shift, knowing that soon his baby would be here. another name to add to the list of Hawthornes. He rushed through his work in the morning, trying to get as much as he could done—just in case. It turned out to be for the better, because at 3pm, Posy came running down the street to the bakery.

"Gale! It's time, Gale! It's time! Mrs. Everdeen wanted me to wait as long as we could! You have to come right now!"

With a nod to the baker, Gale scooped Posy in his arms and headed for Katniss's house, never more excited in his life.

Katniss was panting, trying her best to keep her breathing even. Her mother had set her on the table, legs up, with a pillow under her head. Prim was holding her hand and stroking her hair, but she didn't want Prim. "Where is Gale?" she nearly screamed. If he wasn't here in time, she wasn't sure she could do this by herself.

At that moment, Gale and Posy burst through the door. Gale's face was lit up like a kid who'd just been given a sugar cookie. He dropped Posy and took three bounds to Katniss's side. He took the position Prim had been, holding her hand and stroking her face.

She squeezed his hand and screamed—she'd never felt pain like this before. It radiated through her body, grabbing hold of every nerve she had, squeezing and burning. She faintly heard his encouragement, she barely saw his smile. She felt pressure on her hand and heard him saying, "Push, Katniss. Push, honey! You're almost done!"

Almost done. Almost? That was something she could relate to. she pushed as hard as she could…the pain just stopped. She closed her eyes and felt Gale let go of her hand. She started to panic, where is he going? Then she heard the cries. She opened her eyes to see the most perfect thing in the world, being held by the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.

Her heart swelled, she didn't know she was capable of this kind of love. She stretched her arms, and Gale set her angel baby in her arms and kissed her forehead. He yelled for Posy to go get his family. Katniss briefly thought that Gale could've burst into song and dance with all the happiness glowing from him.

Her mother kissed her cheek, "What are you going to name her, Katniss?"

She looked to Gale. They had decided on a name from Gale's side of the family. His great great grandmother's name, Keegan. Her mother smiled at the name and said it was strong.

She kissed the baby girl's head, "Keegan Hawthorne. Now all you need is your mommy to have the same name and you'll be a perfect family."

Gale swelled with pride as he looked at the two girls who completed his life. He didn't know that his heart could hold more love than it did for Katniss, but seeing this baby girl made him question the boundaries of love. As he looked into her perfect Seam-grey eyes, he knew he would go to the ends of the Earth and back again for this angel, just as he would for her mother.

The months passed, as they often do. Katniss and Gale had their toasting two weeks after Keegan was born. They moved into an assigned house and began to raise their sweet little family. The Hawthorne's were so happy with their one month old baby girl.

But disaster was on the horizon. Katniss couldn't explain her feeling, but there was always a pit in her stomach when she thought of the pending Hunger Games. She had two more reapings before she could be safe to raise her daughter. As it was, she put on her bravest face, kissed her husband goodbye every morning, and became a mother.

It wasn't a role she had imagined for herself, but now that she held the tiny girl in her arms, she knew that she could never part from her.

May came and went, so did June and most of July. Keegan was growing very fast. But the end of July came Katniss's nightmares of being reaped, this time, to be taken away from her baby girl. She didn't know what she'd do if Prim or Rory were called, but she figured she would have to let the moment carry her into the right decision.

Katniss Hawthorne was seventeen years old, a wife, and a mother. She went into her next-to-last reaping with 30 slips of paper in the bowl. The day before the reaping, she and Gale took Keegan to their spot on the hill to have their annual rant on the Capitol.

Keegan loved to be outdoors. Being just three months old, she laughed and smiled and thrashed about. Katniss couldn't imagine parting with her, and she knew she would have to win if her name was chosen. Just before eleven, they went home to get ready.

Katniss wore the same dress she had the year before, and put her hair up in the same elaborate bun as before. Gale and Keegan just sat watching.

Gale set Keegan in her crib and held Katniss to keep her from crying. "Listen, after today, you just have one more to go. And if you're picked, you can win and we don't have to worry about it again. Katniss, I love you. You can do this."

"I know Gale, I'm just nervous. I can't walk away from the two of you."

The bell rang out from the square—it was time to face the decision.