******************************************************************************Hi Everybody! I hope you are all doing well today! Thanks again for the sweet reviews. Another few of them just about brought me to tears once again! I feel so blessed to have amazing readers like you! Thanks for the support, I love you all! Here's todays chapter!
The promise I made to Finnick, may cost me my privacy. To me it will be one of the hardest promises to keep. It means heading back to the capital. Back to where everybody crowds me and flashes all of those terrible cameras in my face. Where I don't feel normal. Where it makes me sad, and upset… As awful of a place that it is I can't bear the thought of little Dillan there all alone. Now that I've promised Finnick it has done nothing but ensure me that I am doing the right thing by doing this with Annie.
I pick up my suitcase out from the back of my closet and drag it onto the bed. I hope to be ready to head out the door as soon as Peeta is home from work. He isn't aware that me and Annie are planning on heading out today, with all the paparazzi still crowding the house. Peeta won't be home for another couple hours so I try not to rush myself packing. I reach for the largest t-shirts I have and even those appear tight on me. I've always been so slim and stick like just as Annie is... But thanks to Baylyn, I am now so large that I can't longer sneak around the woods, so we have been in short supply of meat. If you don't count that stuff that Peeta buys from the butcher. He tells me that I don't even need to be in the woods in "my condition". I reach into my drawer of stretchy pants and I feel something wrap around me. What the-? I see Peeta's blonde wavy hair on the side of my head. Why are you home? You weren't supposed to be home for another hour or two.
"Katniss. I'm so sorry for whatever I did. I really am sorry. Please don't leave me. I love you." I pry his arms off me and turn towards him. "What are you doing home early?" "Not much business at the bakery with all the cameras around. But please answer me. What did I do to make you leave me?" His blue eyes are the saddest I have ever seen them, and a couple tears have escaped his grasp. "Peeta. I'm not leaving you…I'm just going on a little trip." "Where are you going?" I close my eyes and breathe slowly. "I'm going back to the capital to get Dillan." Peeta face falls. "Well I'm going too. Give me a minute and I'll be ready." "No. Peeta. You have to stay here. Work in the bakery. And it'll be too suspicious if all three of us leave at once." "I'm not letting you go to the capital alone." "I'll be with Annie…" "You know what I mean." I stand up and his head is right by Baylyn. I bend over and push his flour filled waves out of his face and kiss his forehead. "I have to go. I made a promise to Finnick. I'll be okay. I love you Peeta." I walk back to the suitcase and throw the pants in.
"Katniss. Please. Don't go. At least let me come with you." "I'll only be gone a couple days. I promise." He walks over to me and just encases me in his arms. "Hey look at me." His head turns and stares at me dead on. "Remember what you said in the hospital before our first checkup for Baylyn? I'm the freaking Girl on Fire, the Mockingjay! I will come back; we survived two hunger games and a war together. I'll always come back; I can't live without you Peeta." "You're right. We made it through the games together. I have to go with you Kat." "Peeta, if you come, Baylyn will be in even more danger. Not only would it be the girl on fire. It'd be the star crossed lovers, with Annie Cresta Odair. We wouldn't be able to get out of the hotel…" I half smile and throw the final things into the bag that I'll need and zip up the suitcase. I pull the suitcase off the bed and roll it down the hallway. Peeta's unsteady footsteps follow. Annie is sitting on the couch with her small duffle bag, she remains seated. She seems fully aware at Peeta's discontent of the current situation. I stand up tall and kiss Peeta, he holds me there for a while. When he releases me he kisses all over my face the way I had done to him a couple days ago. I give him one last kiss on his lips and then pull away. Peeta bends down and kisses my stomach, "I'll see you soon sweetie." Peeta opens the door to distract what's left of the paparazzi while me and Annie sneak out the back door and into my car.
"Katniss…you don't have to do this. I can go get Dillan by myself. You should stay here with Peeta." "Like Dillan will go anywhere, without his girlfriend." I rest my hands under my stomach, Annie laughs until her face turns light pink. "Thank you Katniss." I smile and start on the highway all the way to district six where they have a train that can take us to the capital. There's not much I can really say, so we ride in silence. Thankfully Peeta filled the car up this morning and so it won't need gas until at least district four.
I try to think of something upbeat to talk to Annie about. "So Annie…me and Peeta haven't picked Baylyn's middle name. We wanted to know what you wanted liked." Annie's smile shows and she thinks for a moment. "I'm not really the best with names Katniss…" "Well what were some girl names you considered before you found out that Dillan was a boy?" "Serafina. It means burning one, just like her aunt Katniss, the girl on fire." "I like that one too. What do you think about something after Finnick? Maybe something like Marine?" "I like that one." "We had also considered Aurora…" "They all would be great." "We can think about it." Annie smiles at our conversation, and stares out her window and up at the sky.
Most of the way to four was soundless, the occasional conversation, but I know we both have too much going on in our heads to carry a real conversation…
************************************Peeta's POV********************************
I walk back into the house and slam the door. "Stupid paparazzi! You've ruined everything. You ruined Annie by taking Dillan. And now you're ruining me. You made Katniss and Baylyn leave and go off to the capital!" I scream at the top of my lungs. I throw my flour covered shirt onto the floor and pull on a new one. Can't go anywhere with those idiots on my lawn! I stomp over to my art room and try to relax. After a while of painting Katniss, an idea occurs to me. I haven't even painted the nursery… I go to the side room me and Katniss decided to use as the nursery, and stare at the white walls.
I begin painting the bottom of the walls with Katniss' favorite shades of green, I even make it look soft like the meadow grass. I paint the top part of the walls a dark blue and sunset color mix. I step back and am pleased by the realistic factor. I take a break to gather my thoughts on what I'm going to do next. I still can't believe I let Katniss go alone… I pace around the entire house and wish I hadn't, she's probably just now arriving at the capital, what am I still doing here while my wife and child are all the way in the capital… unprotected?…Please be safe until I get there Katniss. I throw some clothes into a bag and run out the door and over to Haymitch's.
*************************************Annie's POV*******************************
This is it Annie. You're going to get Dillan back. You're going to be able to hold him again. You'll be back together like a family. I can't control my excitement as Katniss pulls into the parking lot of the tall building. My hands are literally shaking and a smile spreads across my face. I literally jump from the car and land on my knees. I didn't realize how weak they felt until I fell. Figures, right Annie? Turn clumsy as soon as it counts. Katniss comes running over from opposite side of the rental car and pulls me to my feet. "I'm good. Just a little excited I guess." Katniss laughs and motions towards the building. I try to collect myself. I pull my unruly hair back into a bun and try to clear my face of emotion. I dust off my skirt and put a sophisticated look on my face.
"Excuse me mam'. I'd like to see my son." "If he's here then, no can do." "But I'm Annie Odair! I demand to get my son back!" "You're a nutcase…and don't need Dillan." Of course the one time I try to use my name as an advantage it back fires and I have it spit back in my face…wait?..."You know his name?!" "Of course I do he's been staying at my house." I widen my eyes, "Give me my son back." I bang on the front desk, "Yep cause that's just what we need…two nut-so Odairs running around Panem." I turn to Katniss and she is already fuming. She slams her hands down on the desk and it startles the lady. Go Katniss!
Katniss' face is red with fury. "Look…Lady! If Annie raised him on her own for thirteen months, counting going into labor all on her own…then I think she can handle a four month old! Besides I live right next to her! She needs help, she'll get it! Do you understand what is coming from my Mockingjay mouth?!" Now I see why I knew Katniss should come. I lean forward and smile at the shaking lady, "Well. Go get Dillan." The lady stumbles to her feet and disappears through a door. "Thanks Katniss." "No problem…that was kinda fun." We exchange sly smiles and wait for Dillan to appear through the door.
The lady reappears and this time she's brought a guy. Not Dillan by any means. But a large man. He comes over and picks me up under his arm. I scream and kick, in hopes he'll let me go. Based on this guy's size I have a feeling I only feet like gnat flying against his large burly arms. "Let her go!" Katniss is struggling to open the door that I have been taken through. The man throws me into an entirely white room. Everything down to the bed is white. When he closes the door I run over to it and begin banging on it. "LET ME OUT! I am Annie Odair! Let me out!"
After an hour or so, the door reopens and I can see Dillan. He is thrown into my arms and I cradle him. "It's okay buddy. Mommy is here. I'm going to get us out of here." I sit down on the bed and rock him back and forth until he falls asleep so I can plan on how to get us out of here. It takes him a while to fall asleep after all he is the happiest kid on the planet and it's hard to make him stop laughing.
I smile down at my beautiful boy. I got him Finnick. I got him back. I love you both. The sun shines through the window right on Dillan's peaceful face. I know Finnick. He loves you too.
******************************************************************************Hi Guys! What did you think about today's chapter? Hate it? Love it? Let me know in the reviews below! Okay, I have narrowed the middle name poll down to the three names mentioned in the chapter (Serafina, Marine, and Aurora.) I'm counting on you all to help me pick from these three…I like them all and hope to hear from you all as to what you all would like to see Baylyn's middle name be (Let me know in the reviews below!)
What did you think about the hidden Finnick spirit finding its way to Annie and Dillan? Too cheesy? Or just sweet enough? There are probably only another 4-7 chapters plus an epilogue left :'( ….DO you guys want to see me extend it even longer? Or are you ready for this story to wrap up and you get to meet Baylyn? Let me know, so I can try to elaborate or just jump straight back to leading up to the birthing chapter? Thanks for your support! Love you all and I'll talk to you all at my next update!
~Freezethemoment
