******************************************************************************Hey Everyone! Thanks for the overwhelming support on the last chapter! Your reviews mean the world to me! Sorry I didn't upload yesterday, it's was an absolutely INSANE day! I Love you all so much and will talk to you at the end of today's chapter! I love you!
"Hello sweetie." I reach my hand out from the stuffy hospital bed and touch Baylyn's little fingers. It has been three days since I gave birth to my daughter. She has still refused to open her eyes and take a look at either me or Peeta… As disappointed as I am that I haven't seen any sign of the bright, perfect, blue eyes that I had hoped for, I can help but awe over her beauty. He mouth is tiny, but a light pink and soft. Her nose is subtle but a nice size. She's perfect. I guess that is what every mother thinks but I just know that Baylyn is perfect.
Baylyn has never fully smiled just the ends of her mouth turn a little. I like to think she's smiling…after all I didn't go through all of that pain, just to have a grumpy, bitter baby. Peeta kisses my ear and moves his way over to my mouth. I nuzzle his neck and pull Baylyn into my arms. "She really is perfect Peeta." "Now if only she'd show off those shining silver eyes." "Don't think that because I'm still half knocked out from these pain drugs that I'm going to let you convince me to believe that Baylyn will have my dark grey eyes." Peeta kisses my cheek and shakes his head. I rest my head under his chin and watch as he carefully strokes Baylyn's cheek. She reacts normal…but this time she look like she may want to be awake.
Baylyn shifts her jaw and yawns for a couple seconds, and her brown eyelashes flutter a little bit, and the moment I had been hoping for finally arrives… Her eyelids lift and they reveal the most beautiful set of eyes I have ever seen….Maybe even more so than Peeta's. Baylyn opens her eyes and takes her first look at the world. "Peeta! I told you! Aren't they beautiful?" I tilt my head back and kiss his jaw several times. I turn my attention back to Baylyn and kiss her nose. "I see your perfect, sky blue eyes looking up at me. Yes I do!" I kiss her fingers and she closes her eyes, and falls back asleep. "Well that was a short showing of her perfect eyes." "All babies' eyes are blue in the beginning Kat." I frown and stare down at her. "Baylyn's were already so bright…They're going to be blue. I just know it!" Peeta kisses my head and strokes Baylyn's hair. "The nurse came in when you were asleep…." "Is everything okay?" I feel my forehead crease.
"Everything is fine. If you can feed Baylyn…we can go home in another hour or two." I almost jump out of the bed in my excitement. "Of course I can feed Baylyn! I bottle fed Prim when she was a baby." "Well I think the doctor had a different kind of bottle in mind…" "What do you mean? We still have victor money. We can buy whatever kind of bottle Baylyn will need!" "Umm we…I mean….you already have the bottle…" Peeta turns red and I follow his gaze down to my chest. Oh right…you idiot… I nod acknowledging the, now squirming, Baylyn. Her face turns red from squirming so much. I try to hush her so I can get used to the idea of breast feeding… Baylyn cries for the first time and it's the loudest I have ever heard a child cry. It shatters my heart to hear her so unpleased so I try to come to terms with what I'm about to do. I pull my shirt up in one swift movement and rest Baylyn's head by my breast. She is reluctant to take hold until Peeta sings for her. Her tears cease and she latches on. I will admit that it doesn't feel great but if it keeps that gut wrenching feeling of hearing her sad, I'd go through another hunger games. It's only a pinch, and it feels weird to think about how I didn't even want her half a year ago. Now I couldn't imagine my life without her.
I glance over to Peeta and he's turned bright red. I shake my head in humor over his reaction to my breastfeeding. I hold his hand and laugh. "See, I can do it!" "I knew you could. I'd just rather not….watch, for now though." I giggle and pat his shoulder. After several minutes of sitting in silence Baylyn pulls away. I pat her gently and she lets out a huge burp. It even startles Peeta from across the room, packing our clothes; we laugh together and stare down at our sweet little daughter. He holds his hand out for me. "Are you ready to check out of this place?" I nod happily and walk carefully holding Baylyn's carrier. She has fallen asleep and I pray that she doesn't wake up…until we're at least at home.
My mother comes out to hug me and kisses Baylyn's nose. "Come visit sometime mom…Really." "I may just have to do that!" She kisses my cheek and walks back to her patients. Peeta wraps his arm around my shoulders protectively and helps me into the car. He easily buckles tiny little Baylyn into her car seat. We drive home and sing our lullaby. I am exhausted already and feel sure I'll be ready to sit in that nice chair in the nursery. "Oh, Peeta. We're going to have to get somebody to clean up all of that blood from the delivery." "I'm on it. You can head into the nursery with Baylyn and take a nap." I smile at Peeta in an effort to compensate for his kind nature. I load Baylyn into the carrier and unlock the door. I am being suffocated by something…or somebody.
"Where's my precious grandbaby?" Effie pulls back and takes the baby carrier from me and makes some pretty interesting faces at Baylyn. I look down at my feet and notice the lack of blood anywhere on the floor. "This house was a mess…I couldn't let my grandchild come home to this." I walk over to the couch and stare at its perfect covering. "Now that was a challenge…but nothing that Effie couldn't handle." Haymitch extends his arm around a very pink Effie, and kisses her cheek. I laugh awkwardly and watch as Haymitch cradles Baylyn.
Effie drags Peeta by the hand towards the kitchen. "I was guessing it was you cutting that watermelon." Peeta nods and stares back at me, I giggle and walk over to see what Effie is motioning towards. "You do realize…that was mahogany….don't you?" She laughs and hugs Peeta and drags me towards the deck.
"Somebody is dying to see you Katniss." I see her red curls and almost forget that I can't run. Annie stands up and hugs me tightly. "Congratulations! Where is little Baylyn?" "With Haymitch." Annie's eyes widen… "I knew he loved kids!" She rests her hands on her hips and Dillan wraps his baby arms around her leg. I bend down and pull him into my arms. I kiss him and he laughs and looks down at my stomach. And places his hand where Baylyn used to be. He frowns and has a very concentrated expression painted onto his face and sticks both hands so they have encased my face. "Whoa…cool it tiger…She's inside." His expression loosens and he wiggles his way out of my arms. "I have a feeling he only liked me for Dillan." Annie laughs and throws her arm around me and leads me back into the house.
"You need to rest." I comply and watch as Dillan crawls onto the couch and touches Baylyn's hands. Haymitch holds Baylyn up and Dillan presses his lips on her forehead. Baylyn opens her eyes, for only the second time in her life and her mouth is trying to form a smile. She's too young to smile…but I hope it happens soon I love what signs of a smile she has given me already. Dillan leans forward again but towards her mouth. Annie jumps to her feet and scoops him up, "Okay, Romeo give it a break she's three days old. Let her see your looks before you make a move on her!" I hold my mouth open in humorous shock. "Wow….he has Finnick's blood pumping through his body already." I tickles his stomach and see his bright smile and can't for the moment I get to see Baylyn's.
"So…Umm…Katniss…what do you think about me and Dillan moving in next door?" Annie cringes, and I have no idea why. "I'd love that more than anything!" Annie jumps up and down happily and goes to sit back down. "I have everything packed. I guess I'll be a resident of district twelve in less than a week." I smile harder than I have since I first saw Baylyn and find myself enjoying the idea of Annie as my neighbor. Annie leaves a few minutes later. While she may not admit the reason…I think she's excited to be moving next to a friend…
I eventually just disappear to the nursery with Baylyn. I sit with her in the big green chair and face her towards me. "Hi pumpkin, I guess since you opened your eyes….you know who I am." I kiss her cheeks and she wiggles a little. "I love you my sweet Baylyn. There's a lot of things I'll have to tell you when you're older." I kiss her head in fear of what I'll have to tell her… the games, Peeta's attacks, my nightmares, the war…those who passed that we loved. I set Baylyn down into her crib and run out of the room and into Peeta's arms.
"Peeta. How are we going to tell her about the games….about the lives lost? She'll have nightmares the way I do! I can't believe I didn't think about this until now!" I yell this out in such a jumbled mess that Peeta has difficulty acknowledging what I said. He slides his hand down my hair, and kisses the top of my head. "It'll be okay Kat. We will tell her in a way that'll make her braver." I try to stop the tears streaming down my face and believe what Peeta is saying. I kiss him and walk back into the nursery. I stare down at Baylyn with Peeta securely behind me I stay strong. "We love you. Nothing changes that. Our past is behind us. You will live, happily. You are the daughter of the star-crossed lovers. You are strong and will live." "That's a start." Peeta kisses my temple and sits down on the chair, I flop onto his lap and he strokes my head. Baylyn begins crying after only a few short minutes. I get up slowly and bounce her up and down until she stops; I immediately fall back onto Peeta's lap. "I'm beyond exhausted." "I know I am too. I have to go to the bakery in the morning…" "To pick up some more bread?" "No. I have to work." "You're leaving me here all alone with Baylyn?" "Just for a few hours. We have a huge order. I can't just abandon my work." "Yeah, yeah I know."
The thought of Peeta leaving me here with Baylyn makes me even more reluctant to let him out of the chair. After a few hours Peeta drags me to bed. I fall asleep soundly for the first time in a while… without nightmares. And then I hear it. That ear rattling, heart wrenching, dagger through my stomach screeching. "Daddy's coming Baylyn!" Peeta stomps to the nursery.
*************************************Peeta's POV*******************************
"Baylyn, sweetheart. Please stop crying mommy and daddy need to sleep." She continues to scream her lungs out. "What's wrong? What can daddy get you?" I sling her onto my hip and walk as fast as I can to the kitchen and pull out Katniss' last loaf of bread from the bakery. I break it in half and hold it towards Baylyn's nose. She wiggles her nose and immediately stops crying. I wipe away her tears and kiss her cheek. Then set her back into her crib. "Bread… the magical weapon of both pregnancy and screaming babies." I nod in relief and decide to mess with Katniss. I take a running start and jump as high as I can and jar the entire bed.
Katniss wakes up with a startle and slaps me in the shoulder. "Wasn't the point of you getting up so I could rest?" "Maybe." I laugh, and Katniss eventually joins in. I turn towards her and look into her perfect silver eyes. I wish Baylyn's had been silver as well. But I think Katniss is right in thinking that her eyes will just have to be blue…like mine. Katniss leans towards me and kisses me long and hard. Before I can notice what's happening I am on top of her and she's smiling up at me. I lean down to kiss her again and right as our lips touch, Baylyn begins crying again.
Katniss closes her eyes in annoyance and scoots out from under me. She kisses in-between my eyes, and walks into the nursery. I can hear ever so faintly her singing our favorite tune. Her voice is just as beautiful as it was when I first saw her, when I was five years old. Even after the accident I have never lost that image of her. I smile at the thought of Baylyn and how I hope Kat braids her hair the way she did Prim's. I set my hands behind my head and fall asleep at the sound of my beautiful wife's voice…
******************************************************************************Hi Guys! What did you think about today's chapter? Hate it? Love it? Let me know in the reviews below! Happy Peeta and Katniss are back at home with Baylyn? Excited that Annie's moving in next door? How about the flirtatious little Dillan? Excited for another set of blue eyes in the Mellark family? Do you like Peeta's idea of a make-shift pacifier (Bread) for Baylyn?
I can't believe there's only a couple chapters left and then an epilogue! I am currently planning on writing some more fanfiction(s) after this one….What do you all think? I Love you guys so much and will talk to you at my next update!
~Freezethemoment
