It's about 4 days earlier from when I would have posted it. Thanks alot for your reviews. There migh be tiny mistakes because I did this quick. Anyway, here it is! Happy reading!

Chapter 39

Stay calm.

A searing pain inside me makes me tense. I see everyone's attention is still on the case beforehand. Peeta seems to take notice though, and leans close to whisper.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I need to get out of here," I say. "I'm not feeling too well."

Peeta whispers something to Haymitch, and then he leads me out of the courtroom, trying not to bring too much attention to ourselves. As I go out the door, I meet Gale's eyes, hoping, wordlessly he understands what's going on.

"What's wrong Katniss? What are you feeling?"

"I think I'm having contractions," I say tensely. "The doctor said I would get these close to when I'm ready to have the baby, but it's so soon."

"Maybe we should take you to the hospital. Just to be safe," he says sort of nervously.

"Alright," I say.

We exit the building and go to the train station that will take us to the hospital. And while we're outside, there's a small pop and warm liquid begins to run down my legs.

"Peeta!"

"What is it?"

"My water just broke!" I say. Now I am afraid. This is definitely a sign that I'm going to give birth soon. I feel nervous, and fear that I may not be able to go through this. I'm going into labor. I'm about to give birth. As I stop in the realization, Peeta immediately scoops me up, and carries me the rest of the way.

"It will be alright, Katniss."

My hands tighten into fists as the contractions come and go. I pace around the hospital room in my hospital gown. When a bad one comes up, I grab on to the nearest thing and squeeze it with a death grip. Peeta's poor hand has become subject to my gripping. A nurse tells me to breathe, so I focus on that to try to stop myself from thinking what's going to happen soon.

My mother arrives in the room. "Oh Katniss, I never suspected this to happen so soon."

"None of us did," I say.

"It's alright. It's normal for some women to go into labor before their estimated due date. The doctor suspects you'll be fully dilated in a few hours."

A few hours. I should have seen this coming. Back in Twelve, my mother helped countless women bear children. It did take hours, and I remember how most of them screamed the whole time. I'm looking forward to it.

I'm helped into bed and endure the next few hours with throbbing pains inside my abdominal. I am given something through my IV, but it only slightly lessens the pain. It is mostly for speeding up the process. "This hurts," I say.

Peeta puts a hand and my shoulder and moves the hair out of my face. "They say you're almost there."

Another rippling wave of pain, and I clench my teeth and barely let a scream of pain escape. Peeta lets me grab onto his hand, while he tries to distract me with stories. I try to listen to them, so I'm distracted. I find it working a little, but sometimes the pain is so great that I just want him to shut up.

"I remember our first day of school when you sang. You were just so naturally good at singing. Even when you were little your singing could stop mockingjays."

"I remember…" I say.

"You can teach our son or daughter to sing. There would be nobody more suitable to teach them than you."

I smile, despite my distress. Another contraction comes, and this time I actually do scream. I grip tightly onto Peeta's hand till it passes.

"You know what got me to believe you when you first told me that you pregnant? I had a dream. You were in it, and I strangely didn't feel apprehensive or angry like I usually did. It was weird because… I felt happy. We were on a rooftop somewhere, and that's when I really considered that maybe you weren't evil." Peeta looks solemnly at me. The pain has gone for now. "You know, I wonder what my father and mother would think about us having a baby. My father would have been happy for having another grandchild."

"Another grandchild?" I ask.

"My oldest brother was married, and they had just had a daughter while we were in the Capitol for the Quarter Quell."

That's when it hits me. I've never paid too much attention to Peeta's family. I knew his father as the kind baker, and his mother was somewhat like an evil witch, but I know nothing about his brothers or what it was like for him growing up with them. I feel guilty at the thought how they all died in that fire. His niece was barely days old. "I'm so sorry Peeta. I'm sure they would have been happy for you."

He smiles, but it's the kind that hides the hurt someone is really feeling. He sighs. "I really miss them," he says.

I'm about to say something, but another pain intensifies and I cry out instead. I grip his hand tightly in mine. They are starting to last longer, and I'm just wishing it to cease. Peeta forcibly pulls his hand out of mine. I look over and see the blank expression on his face, looking down. His neck and shoulders have tensed.

"Peeta?" His pupils have constricted some. Please, not now. He's lapsing. "Peeta, stay with me."

"It's your fault…"

"No, it's not true. The Capitol gave you those ideas. They're not real."

"… the fire."

"Snap out it. Don't fall into it. This is real! Listen to me. We're having a son or daughter, and-" I get another one, so I'm immediately shutted up. I grit my teeth and hold my scream, because I'm afraid it will only drive Peeta's rage. He moves farther away from me. My mother comes into the room, and sees Peeta. She leaves the room in haste to find someone to help.

"Don't you go, Peeta. I need you here." I say tiredly. He doesn't reply or even react. He just sits in a chair fighting the venom in his head.

My mother, a doctor, and Haymitch arrive. I'm wondering when Haymitch got here, but Peeta is the priority right now, and he just concentrates on getting him out of here.

"Come on kid," he says. Peeta does nothing. Haymitch pulls him up. When they lead him out, he doesn't fight them. He squeezes his eyes shut and grabs hold of his head like he's having a terrible migraine. Haymitch gives me a sympathetic look and closes the door after them.

"I'm sorry sweetie, but we can't risk him going into one of those paroxysms. He could hurt you, and right now you're just too vulnerable to risk that," says my mother.

"No, he would never hurt me," I say raspy.

"I understand, but it's not him. It's the venom in his head."

I sigh and press myself deeper into the pillow. I'm left to face this without him.

"Well, it looks like you're fully dilated," says the doctor.

My stomach sinks. I know it's going to hurt a lot. My mother stands beside me. Peeta is not allowed in the room. I don't know if I can do this.

"Alright Katniss, we need you to push."

And so it begins. I breathe in and push just like I was told to in preparation for this. Dr. Odessa's advice enters my head, and I continually push as hard as I can. It hurts, and after giving it my all in each push, I feel like I won't be able to do it again.

And yet I'm told to do so.

"You're almost there, Katniss," my mother says.

"Just one more big push," says the doctor.

I inhale and then push as hard as I can. I let out a scream, which only makes me struggle to breathe in air into my lungs.

I thought enters my mind.

There I was in the schoolyard waiting for Prim. I watch the other kids walking home with their friends and their parents. A father picks up a small girl unto his shoulders. She giggles as she sits, smiling down.

My attention turns toward the play yard and that's when I see him. That boy, Peeta, stands on the other side. I have this feeling that I should go say thank you. He threw me bread and took a hit from his mother, but what if I embarrass him by talking to him? He looks at me and I turn my eyes away. Something yellow catches my attention. I look around the yard and spot a dandelion. A take a step towards it and pick it.

A smile curls onto my lips when I realize what it means.

Hope.

"I'm coming, Katniss!" Prim runs to me and takes my free hand. I adjust my pack on my shoulder and we start walking. I turn my head just slightly to see him still there. The boy who gave me the bread.

"What's that, Katniss?"

I realize she's referring to the flower in my hand. "This is a dandelion. I remember seeing them in Mother's book. We can gather a bunch of these and make a salad."

"Ooh, I'll help pick some!"

"Okay. I know a place where there is lots of dandelions…"

Push.

"You're almost there." I keep trying, and squeeze my eyes shut. Why isn't this over yet?

Push.

"There it is!"

I stop and let my head fall back on the pillow. My eyes are still closed, but there's sound of a newborn crying. I hear my mother's crying from the happiness. I hear the discourse between the doctor and the nurses. "It's a girl," they say.

It's a girl. We have a daughter.

I hear a door open suddenly. "You can't be in here," says the doctor.

"Please, sir. Stay in the waiting area."

"I'm alright. Please, I just have to see her."

I open my eyes. "Peeta," I say. He looks straight at me, and I don't see any craze behind them. He looks towards me like he's sorry. I look to my mother. "Please, let him stay."

My mother walks from my side to the doctors. She speaks with them all and they allow Peeta to stay. The cord is cut and measurements are taken. A nurse cradles our daughter in a blanket and walks over to me.

"Congratulations," the nurse says as she hands me the fragile little bundle.

This is my daughter.

She has stopped crying and moves her tiny little hands out of the blanket. All I can think is how perfect she turned out with all we have been through.

Peeta is allowed next to me, and so he doesn't hesitate to come and see his daughter. He smiles and softly touches the dark hair on her head. "We have a daughter," he says.

I laugh, and feel my eyes watering. "And she's beautiful."

The door opens and my mother reappears with Prim. Prim is still not able to see her, but I let her hold her. Prim sits in a chair and my mother puts her new little niece in her arms. Prim face lightens up, and my mother stands next to her, gazing lovingly, speaking softly.

"I guess my Healer Powers were off that day," Prim says.

I laugh in remembrance. "It's okay Prim. Healers have those days," I say my voice still raspy from screaming. Prim carefully hands me back the baby. I softly touch her soft little head with my fingers.

The little girl wills herself to open her eyes, and that's when I see they're a deep blue. I almost laugh, and Peeta looks and he smiles. "Her eyes are blue," I say.

"We can only guess where she got that from," my mother says.

"So," says Prim. "What's my niece's name?"

I look to Peeta and then back to our blue-eyed daughter. We told ourselves we would have a name when we saw her.

"What about after a flower," my mother lightly suggests.

I think about it. She'll live with this name the rest of her life. It should mean something, and not tie her down to our past. I think about how amazingly she came out okay with everything I put us through: the battles, the stress, the fighting myself with what I thought about her. We survived a whole lot, and there were times when I would think we wouldn't. She was that little bit of faith that I still had when I was sure I was done; the little dandelion in the spring. She's the one that got me through all that. I probably would have given up if it wasn't for her.

"Hope," I say. "Her name is Hope."

Having to go through labor for multiple hours has consequently exhausted me. I think I slept a whole day. The best part of it was… no nightmares. How can you have nightmares after an event like that?

When I wake up, I'm never alone. My mother, Prim, and Peeta stay for long visits, holding and talking to Hope. Haymitch even came to visit, so I've heard. It was during my day of sleeping. I wish I would have seen it, knowing that even Haymitch has sort of a soft side.

Nobody has told me anything about Gale's trial. I've asked, but they said that it's going fine, and I shouldn't worry about it. They said I just need concentrate on resting and taking care of Hope. So that's all I ever do.

I am fast asleep until I hear the door open. I'm facing away, but from the sound of his footsteps I can tell that it's Peeta. I keep my eyes shut and listen to him walk to where Hope is laying. I hear him gently pick her up and then walk to the window. I open my eyes just a peek to see him rocking her in his arms. Little noises come from her as I see her move her tiny arms around. Peeta lets her grab onto his finger.

"You got quite a grip there," he whispers. "I'm sure you'll grow up to be really strong just like your mother. That's one of things I admire about her. She always so strong, even when she says she's not." My eyes are opened slightly more. "I love her very much, and I love you. We both love you. We'll be an official family soon, although I say we are anyway."

I smile, and wish I could just keep this moment forever. I'm confident Peeta will make a wonderful father. He could teach Hope to paint and bake. Hope is that little piece of his family that is still alive. I pull the blanket slightly higher to my face. It tickles my nose, and I suddenly sneeze.

"It looks your mother has been awake," he says to the baby. He turns to me, and I smile innocently. He walks over and sits in the chair beside me. We both stay silent, watching our little living miracle blink her eyes and slowly fall asleep.

"I want to go back to District 12," I say in barely a whisper. Peeta moves his gaze to me. "I want to move back there as soon as we can. I want to raise her there."

Peeta nods and looks back to the sleeping bundle. "Hopefully there, she'll be safe from this whole Rebellion and war business."

"We'll keep her away from the press, and try to give her as much of a normal life as we can..."

"But you do know that we can't hide it from her forever." Peeta says. "Because who we are, and what we've been through… it will come out one day."

"We'll just have to be ready for that day," I say.

"Right, but we shouldn't have to worry about that now," he says. "We should just work on the first few years getting her to talk, and walk, and… sing."

I let my lips curl into a smile. "Of course, but there's something else we need to do."

"Hmm?"

"Toast bread."

It takes him a second to get it, but he smiles and looks back to the little baby girl fast asleep. I see Hope sleeping, and all I think is pure innocence. Her life will never be tainted with Hunger Games, or the Capitol. She's my peace after a war, and I won't let anything take that away. I will do everything to make sure she has the life I never had. She deserves to.

"Sweet dreams, Hope," I whisper softly. "I love you."

So... "Hope" was actually a suggested name from someone. I had thought about the name, and liked the way it seemed to link with the title. Because that's what she means to them! I decided it be a girl... sort of because they do have a girl first. Were you at all worried when Peeta went mutt? Sorry about that, but he isn't cured, and I figured Katniss screaming would make him relive some bad memories. But he came through for them, yay.

In the epilogue there will be plenty of interaction from some other characters and the baby. You also find out what happens to Gale. This is technically the last chapter, if you don't count the epilogue. Thank you guys so much for sticking through this whole story. The story would be nothing without you guys.

ps: I started a little bit on the next story

-cheezebuns