I have been thinking, and I have come up with names. I won't tell you whether it is going to be a boy or a girl, but I have name ideas for either. Tell me if you like them! For the boy, it is Oliver Aden Mellark (one of my lovely reviewers reminded me that Aden means "fire" in some language), and for the girl it is Alexis Rue Mellark. I am so happy! Well, I am typing this at the hospital, going into surgery in 45 minutes. Except for that, there is nothing I can say in this A/N.
It was still the same day, and I was in the nursery with Peeta, thinking up things with him that I need to do before 11:59 tomorrow night. Peeta had some trouble when I had another nervous breakdown an hour or two ago. He was upset about how I totally convinced about my dreams telling me the future, and ho the numbers "2 23:59" could mean anything, but he calmed down when I said it calmed me down having a set time and date. I still don't think he believes me about it, but he didn't push the subject any more.
"So…" Peeta leaned against the wall and stared up at the sky through the ceiling. "What is your plan for tomorrow?"
I let out a gusty sigh. "I'm not really sure. I think I'm going to pack a bag of sorts to take with me to the hospital, and I want all of my family to go. You, Mother, Prim, and… and Gale I suppose, although I doubt any of them would be allowed back in the room with me…" Completely exhausted, I leaned into Peeta's chest. He wrapped his arms around put his chin on the top of my head.
"Are you planning on packing the bag tomorrow?" he asked me.
"Mmm…" I absentmindedly traced little circles on my stomach with my index finger. "I was planning on doing it today, but to be honest I don't feel like moving anywhere right now."
Peeta laughed lightly and I could feel it vibrating through his chest. "You can tell me what you want to pack and I can bring it to you."
"You wouldn't want to do that." I said with a somewhat drugged edge to my voice.
Peeta laced his fingers together on top of my stomach, as if proving, without words, to me he wouldn't mind.
"You would seriously do that for me?" I twisted my neck around to look at Peeta's face.
"There isn't much I wouldn't do for you."
For a second there I tried not to let my stupid pregnant-woman hormones get the best of me, but it didn't really work and the next second I had my hands on my face crying softly.
"Don't cry, Katniss." But Peeta didn't seem too upset that I was crying because of what he said to me. Instead, he just held my head gently against his collarbone and let me cry myself out.
It took a while, I had to admit. Crying myself out, I mean. I had my arms around Peeta and was staining the shoulder of his shirt for a good twenty minutes before I finally raised my head and took a deep breath. "Thanks, Peeta. I needed that."
"Any time. But seriously, Katniss, I will get together the stuff you want in your bag." He tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear.
"But that would make me seem so lazy. I have never been lazy." I pouted.
Peeta smiled a little bit and said, "I will give you permission to be as absolutely lazy as you possibly can from now until… you know… tomorrow." I guess you really couldn't call it 'having the baby' could you? Because it is going to be pretty stressful tomorrow.
"Okay." I finally gave in to Peeta's chivalry.
He sat up straighter. "So what do you want me to bring you?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but a thought crossed my mind that made me interrupt my own thoughts. "You know what? I think I am going to get up and get the stuff myself. You can help me, though. It just crossed my mind that you wouldn't know where some of the things are."
Peeta still looked very hesitant, but nevertheless, got up and offered me his hand.
It has become increasingly hard to get up and move around, because, as the doctor predicted, the kid inside of me has been having a major growth spurt and now weighs a lot more. He weighs enough to unbalance me, and make me nearly fall over when I crouch or stretch.
I groaned and wobbled onto my feet, and leaned into Peeta to regain my balance for a few seconds. He put a steadying hand on my shoulder.
After I did regain my balance, I took his hand and using my amazing pregnant-woman powers, I very lovingly dragged Peeta out of the nursery and to my room.
"So what can I do while you are finding whatever you are looking for?" Peeta asked when I set him down on my bed and kneeled carefully at the standing shelves next to the door.
"You can gather up some of my clothes, if it doesn't bother you touching my clothes too much." I smiled at him and began looking for a small cardboard box I had hidden there a while ago. "Oh, and also, all of this goes in my shoulder bag hanging up by the door."
"Okay." Peeta didn't seem to mind being my personal slave. Instead, he took the bag from its hook and put it on my bed. He walked casually over to my closet and began doing the job I assigned him.
I shoved aside a pair of my old shoes that no longer fit, and sitting there behind them, was my little cardboard box. Relived, I took it out and opened it. Inside, was a large square of soft material, and wrapped in that, was exactly what I was looking for.
Peeta was busy folding my clothes, so I took the chance to secretly unwrap the four corners of the fabric. Inside, resting in a shallow crease in the material was a small, round gem that was shiny white with a hue of pastel blue and sherbet orange when turned different directions.
"What's that?" Peeta asked, pausing from his folding, and looking over the side of my bed down at me.
"The pearl you gave me during the Quarter Quell." I rolled it over in my fingers, feeling the smooth, cold surface.
Peeta slid off the bed and sat down next to me. "You have kept it for that long?"
"Sometimes when I am having a mental breakdown, or before the Guards let me see you after the Quell, I would take this out and hold onto it. It calms me down." I pressed it to my chest.
"Katniss…" Peeta took the pearl from my hands, and gently put it back in the box. "I'm here for you know, instead of some silly pearl."
"But it's not some silly pearl." I looked up at him. "It is my most prized possession."
Peeta smiled at me, his eyes sparkling like I have never seen them do before. "I love you, you know that?"
I pretended to think about it. "Hmm…. Yes, I do know. You have only told me a million times."
He laughed and put his forehead against mine. "If that's what it takes."
"It doesn't take quite that much." I put my arms around him and kissed him.
Peeta seemed surprised, and pulled back very gently. "I'm sorry, Katniss, but we have to be careful."
I pouted. "Right…"
"Don't give me that look!" Peeta looked at me with his 'I'm worried about you being irrational and injuring yourself' face. "I just don't want you to get hurt."
"But last night when I got hurt it was from hugging you too tight!" I insisted. "I'm not going to hug you too tight!"
Peeta seemed to be fighting with himself. "I can't let you get hurt."
It was too late for me not to get hurt now, because he was hurting my feelings. "Just because I sort of hurt myself yesterday doesn't mean I will today."
"You nearly killed yourself and your baby."
"You know what?" I was getting angry, but I didn't want to upset Peeta. "I need some time."
Peeta watched me sadly as I stalked out of the room heavily, but what he didn't see, was that I snatched up the pearl from beside me before going.
I don't know if that classified as a fight exactly, but things will get better. I can't really stand when my favorite couples from books are angry at each other. Just wait a few more chapters! I can't wait until then, honestly. I am going to have to type fast! See you next chapter, all of my favorite readers, and even the ones I hate (a.k.a. no one). Bye Bye!
