Mockingjay: Broken Wings

by Jamie Sommers

A/U Katniss and Peeta are married, expecting a baby. Peeta's unsure of Katniss after the things he's seen while being held prisoner. Is she still trustworthy? With a traitor in the rebellion who can Katniss turn to? Haymitch, after all the secrets he's kept? Gale, who's loyalty lies with President Coin? Or will Peeta open up his heart to her again? Sequel to CF: Rekindling

19. What a Difference a Day Makes

Mockingjay: Broken Wings

By: Jamie Sommers

Chapter Eighteen: What a Difference a Day Makes

Our last episode of MJ:BW had Finnick getting married to Annie and Katniss and Peeta renewing the vows they made to one another. Peeta was healing up from his injuries and the rebels took a brief respite from fighting to prepare for the invasion on the Capitol. Now it's time to see what's going on with K/P and the war efforts.

This chapter is laid out a little differently, but for good reason. The title says it all.

Thank you to all of you that continue to read and leave reviews, send PM's and enjoy what I'm writing. It means the world to me to know you're still hanging in there with me. To S and A, I cannot say enough good things about you two. They are wondrous individuals and help in more than ways than one. They keep me on my toes, but never let me forget how to laugh. You two are the greatest! To BB, thanks for keeping me sane when it seems like the world is going crazy. You're the best!

And now, what you've all been waiting for...

Mockingjay: Broken Wings

8:38 PM

The echo of Peeta's footsteps bounced off the walls as he ran down the stark hallway leading to the hospital with Katniss in his arms. "Don't worry, Katniss. We're almost there," her painful whimpers motivated his feet to move that much faster. The double doors were a few yards away, and Peeta could make out the top of a woman's head. Who she was he hadn't a clue, but right now she was a welcomed sight. "HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP!" The woman Peeta had seen as a life preserver turned away, not hearing his calls for aid.

"Peeta," Katniss' tiny cry reverberated through his ears. "Anoth...ano..."

"Breathe Katniss," he threw his back against the swinging double doors and called out again, "WE NEED HELP!" This time heads poked out from behind a desk, and the woman who Peeta remembered as the nurse that had helped Katniss when her blood pressure skyrocketed raced towards him. "She's in labor."

"I...caaan't..." Katniss' eyes held a look of terror as she clutched Peeta's shoulders and panted.

Voices began to call out for help, a nurse began talking into a speaker built into the wall next to their station. "Katniss Mellark has gone into early labor."

Just hearing the words coming out of someone else's mouth scared the daylights out of both Katniss and Peeta.

A gurney was pushed towards Peeta, but he didn't put Katniss down until they reached the hospital room the staff directed him to. "It's going to be okay." He gave her a quick peck on the forehead as the doctors and nurses began to work feverishly on her.

"Mr. Mellark, you'll need to come with me," a feminine voice spoke to him, but Peeta ignored it. "Mr. Mellark. Mr. Mellark!"

"What!?" He snapped at the young woman that was speaking to him.

"They need to work on her. Please step out of the room," her hand clutched his upper arm, urging him to move.

"I'm not leaving her." There was no way on earth Peeta could walk out of this room with Katniss screaming out in pain. "I'm staying, Katniss," he spoke to her as she reached blindly for his hand. "I'm here," Peeta pushed past the staff and clutched her fingers in his hand. "Please stop it. It's too soon," he lifted his eyes to the woman that seemed to be in charge.

"We can't stop it," the doctor spoke from a spot between Katniss' legs as a sheet was draped over her from the waist down. "I'm sorry, Katniss. Your water has broken and there's no stopping the labor, but we can try to slow it down so we can give the baby some medications to help mature its lungs." The doctor lifted her eyes to Peeta's tear filled ones, then called out an order. "Can someone please go down the hall and get Evelyn and Prim? They'll want to know about this."

"Peeta," Katniss' eyes were pleading with his to stop the inevitable. "Peeta," her cheeks were streaked with tears, her voice filled with anguish, and Peeta wondered how an innocent little life could go through so much before even making her appearance to the world. He wondered how this happened. His mind began to go over each and every little thing, dissecting the past few days events in search of an answer.

Two Days Earlier

"When did she go into labor?" The entire table of residents turned their attention towards Peeta awaiting the answer to Finnick's question.

"Right in the middle of her sewing class." Peeta jabbed at an overcooked carrot on his plate. "Prim said she was just about to show the class the difference in stitching techniques, and her water broke."

"Three weeks early," Katniss added. "She's been in labor since..."

"Three thirty yesterday afternoon," Peeta finished her sentence for her without skipping a beat. "We were waiting in medical for her to give birth, but it seems that Adam is being stubborn."

"Regina says he's waiting for the right moment to make his grand entrance," Katniss scraped the carrots onto Peeta's tray and he spooned some broccoli onto hers, neither one of them broke from conversation. "I said, 'he's already making a grand entrance by showing up three weeks early.'"

"Maybe Maysilee will come early?" Peeta said with excitement in his eyes.

Katniss' features read sarcasm. "Yeah, right. Because banana nut's been so cooperative already."

"You never know. She might decide to make up for all the heartburn she's been giving you for the past month or two, and come a few weeks early." Peeta could only hope whenever their daughter showed up, that she'd be healthy.

"I'm pretty sure she's going to stay in here," she rubbed at the top of her stomach, "until hell freezes over, or she's turned me prematurely gray." Katniss looked down at her stomach and shook her head from side to side. "I feel like my skin is going to rip apart, my belly has gotten so big."

"How far along are you now, Katniss?" Delly asked from the end of the table.

"Almost seven months," she answered. "I'm about a week away from reaching my third trimester."

"You two must be so excited," Delly smiled towards Peeta and Katniss. "If you two ever need someone to babysit, I'm available."

"Get in line chipmunk," Johanna said under her breath before shoveling some stew into her mouth. "What?" She gave Peeta an eye roll when he stared her down with a condemning look.

"Must you be so rude all the time?" He said in a hushed tone so Delly couldn't hear them from her spot four people down.

"What can I say? I have a gift for picking the perfect name for people."

"What makes you think Delly should be called..." Peeta looked both ways before lowering his voice down another notch, "...chipmunk?"

Johanna eyed up Delly who was talking across the table with her brother. "For one thing she's got chipmunk cheeks. Like she's storing nuts in there for the winter or something, which she better not be or security around here will take a whip to her. For another thing she tends to squeak when she talks."

"She does not," Peeta argued in defense of his lifelong friend. "Delly is a good person, so quit making fun of her."

"You ready to go yet? I want to get back to the hospital," Katniss stood up and placed a hand on Peeta's shoulder.

"Yeah," with a narrowing glare towards Johanna, Peeta took both his and Katniss' tray and said, "Have a good dinner. We'll see you guys later." He leaned over the table towards Johanna and said, "Behave yourself." His hands began to tremble, his head began to pound. "Katniss," he choked out before dropping the trays back onto the table. "Do you have..." his thoughts began to float towards the ugly images in his mind.

"What's going on?" Finnick asked. "He okay?"

"Yeah," Katniss patted at her pocket for the pen needle and remembered that she didn't have one anymore. "Peeta, do you have one," her hands began frantically patting him down.

"Get off of me!" Peeta screamed at her, wanting nothing more than to shake the hell out of Katniss. "What makes you think I want your hands on me!?"

"Peeta," Gale came from behind, which terrified Katniss to no end.

"Go away, Gale."

"I'm not leaving you here with him like this."

"Oh, the gallant boyfriend rides in to save the day," Peeta narrowed his eyes dangerously at Gale. "You two make me sick, you know that? Pretending to be friends, when everyone knows what you really are."

"Let's take this out to the hall," Gale suggested prior to making a motion towards Peeta who smacked his hands away. "Or we can stay here."

"Stay here," Johanna sat back with a smirk on her face. "I wouldn't mind seeing buns kick your ass."

"Johanna, stay out of this," Katniss glared at her. "Peeta, all we're trying to do is help you." She reached a tentative hand out for his pocket where she felt the bump of a syringe. "Let me give you your shot. It will make you feel better."

"What will make me feel better is if you two finally admit the truth to me." Peeta stood back, crossed his arms and said, "Did you really think I was going to be fooled into believing the line of crap you've been feeding me lately, Katniss? Have you been feeding one to him too?" Peeta pointed towards Gale. "Tell me something Hawthorne, did you know what the two of us were up to on the train during the Victory Tour, because I remember an awful lot of nights on board the train Katniss."

"Peeta," Delly walked slowly around the table, "Why don't you and I take a walk?"

"Did you know about them, Delly? Did you know the whole time you were covering for me and Katniss that she was screwing around on me? Hell, she was screwing around on you too Gale. With me," he let out a demented chuckle.

"I need his needle," Katniss ignored Peeta's words regardless of how sharply they stung. "I can see it in his pocket. If someone could just hold him while I get it," she was hoping that their friends would help before security showed up and things turned ugly.

"Peeta, I'm going to reach into your pocket," Delly walked closer to him. "Don't get violent with me," her voice got about an octave higher when he made a growling noise at her. As she pulled the pen needle from his person, Peeta instantly thought that she did sound like a chipmunk. "Here, Katniss," Delly handed the needle to Katniss.

"I'll hold him down," Gale made a move and Katniss held up her hand to stop him.

"No. Don't worry about it. I've got it." She could feel all the eyes on her from around the Dining Hall. Everyone was sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to see what would happen. It would be a matter of seconds before security reached them, so Katniss couldn't waste any time. "Banana nut hasn't moved this afternoon, Peeta. I need you to make her move," she reached out and grabbed Peeta's resistant hand and held it to her stomach.

"Are you crazy!?" Gale started from his spot.

"Don't, Katniss," she could see panic mixing with anger in Peeta's eyes once he touched her. "Get out of here."

"I will," She pulled the cap off with her teeth and spit it out. "Do you want me to give you this to you? You look so hot, Peeta. Are you hot?" His body temperature always got out of hand when flashbacks hit him. With one hand holding his on her belly and the other prepared to stab him in the neck, Katniss took another step closer to Peeta. "There," the baby's first kick hit the palm of his hand and Peeta's eyes were glued to it. "Feel it?" They were told not to use the shots anymore unless absolutely necessary. Peeta had built up a tolerance to the small amount of morphling in each dose, and it was no longer providing as much of a calming effect as it did in the beginning. If they increased it, his system would react for a short while, but the same results would occur, he'd grow accustomed to the drug and they'd have to increase it again. Katniss and Peeta had decided that it was time to learn how to deal with his hijacking without the aid of artificial drugs. She stood close to him, taking one miniscule step at a time. The entire Dining Hall was silent, so when the guards entered with Effie and Haymitch close behind, the sound of their boots on the floor and the creaking of the door's hinges echoed through the entire place announcing their arrival. "She found your hand," Katniss reached towards Delly, handing her the needle full of medication. "Hold this for me, will you?" She wrapped her arms around Peeta's middle, ignored his attempts at pulling away from her, and turned his face to hers. "Banana nut wants to meet you," her words were silent, but Peeta understood everything. "What's her room look like, Peeta?"

"The woods," he answered by moving his lips so no one else could understand them. "The ceiling looks like the sky because I painted clouds on it, but when it gets dark outside, the tiny lights we put in look like stars are shining over her."

"Where does she sleep?" Katniss could feel the tremor in his body slowly dissipate.

"She sleeps inside of the oak tree."

"Tell me about the oak tree."

"I painted it on the wall of her nursery. It looks just like our tree, Katniss, but I painted a giant black hole in it so it looks like it's hollow, and we set her crib against it."

"What hangs above her head?" Katniss felt Peeta's fingers begin to stroke her stomach in a slow circle and heard the breath he blew out.

"Tree branches and autumn colored leaves." Peeta rested his head against Katniss' and pulled her closer. "Get me out of here," his voice came back in a low and painful tone.

"Let's go," she took the needle from Delly, stepped over the cap and walked past the guards. "He's fine," she answered Effie's questioning eyes and got a nod in return. "We're going to medical to check on Regina's progress."

8:49 PM

Had it been Peeta's flashbacks putting too much stress on Katniss? Had her blood pressure become an issue again?

"Katniss!" Prim's voice broke Peeta out of his spell. "What happened, Peeta?" He had just been wondering that very same thing.

"I...I don't know. We had just gone to bed a little while ago. We were asleep...I was asleep, she was awake. She'd been complaining of heartburn all day today and a bad backache. She thought maybe she over did it or something today with the filming of the propos." Peeta lifted Katniss' hand and began stroking the hair back from her forehead as she screamed in pain from the contraction the doctor pointed out on a monitor.

"If you see this blip start to move upwards you know she's having another contraction. Peeta, your job is to keep her calm through them. Have you gone over any breathing exercises?" The doctor asked.

Seven Weeks Earlier

"Quit it," Peeta poked at her rib causing Katniss to let out a giggle. "You're going to regret it if you don't learn these breathing exercises Regina told you to do."

"Peeta, I'm going to be pushing the equivalent of a cantaloupe out of my nostril. All the breathing in the world isn't going to help me," Katniss rested her back against his chest while they sat in the middle of their bed. "But if it will keep you from being a nag, I'll breathe."

"Thank you," he kissed her temple. "Okay, let's start with some deep cleansing breaths," Peeta inhaled. "In through the nose," his chest swelled up as he breathed with her. "Out through the mouth...slowly," he said when he heard her pushing the air out of her lungs with brusque force. "You should take the entire ten-count to let the air out."

"So count!" Katniss snapped.

"Will you quit being so grumpy," he placed his lips against her ear. "If you behave yourself and do at least an hour of these, I'll take you hunting." She had been so pleased since Beetee added something to her bow that helped her to keep her aim on her target.

"An hour? No way in hell. I'll do fifteen minutes," Katniss bargained.

"Forty-five," Peeta countered.

"Twenty."

"Forty."

Katniss threw a scowl over her shoulder at Peeta.

"Okay, how about we compromise and meet halfway?" Peeta offered. "Thirty minutes?" That was all Regina wanted them to do anyway, but there was no way Peeta could tell Katniss that. He knew she would hate doing them and try to get him to cut the time in half. "So?"

"Fine. Thirty minutes, but you better take me hunting right after, or you're going to regret it, Mellark." She faced front. "Okay, count."

"In through the nose," they both took a deep breath. "One...two...three..." They had made it through the entire thirty minutes without Katniss complaining once. "We need to practice that every other day until you go into labor. We'll have Prim and Effie do a few with you too." He didn't need to say, in case I have to go to the Capitol. The implication hung in the air.

"Do we have to do them every other day? What about three days a week?"

Regina had told Peeta they only needed to go over it twice a week. Since Katniss offered three times, he instantly agreed. "That should be fine." He rested his chin on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her middle. "You still want to go hunting?"

"Yes," Katniss sighed. "But not right now."

"What do you want to do right now?" Peeta was supposed to be in training classes, but he had yet to make it to one of them. Leaving Katniss on her own for six hours a day didn't sit right with him, plus he was afraid she'd find a way to worm her way into a class. "Want to go to Special Weaponry and shoot?"

"No," she turned her face into his neck. "Can we just..." her silence cut through him when he saw the expression in her eyes.

"What is it, Katniss?"

"I don't want to do this without you."

"Give birth?"

Katniss shook her head from side to side. "Raise her."

Peeta pulled her into his lap and clutched her to his chest. "I don't want you to do it alone either, but we both know that's a possibility."

"I want to tell you not to go to the Capitol, and I know if I asked you to stay, you would, but I can't do that. I know you have a responsibility to this country. We both do, but I want to be selfish so badly, Peeta. I want to beg you to stay with me."

He cupped her face in his hands and placed his lips against hers in a soft kiss. "If you asked me, I'd stay. Please don't ask me, Katniss. I need to do this for Maysilee." His hand lifted to her stomach and rested there. "Not only our Maysilee, but her namesake as well. For Rue, for Glimmer, for Foxface...for all of them, and for us. I don't ever want another child to go through what we did, and I want Snow to pay for every child that ever shed blood, their own or others, inside of the arena."

Katniss rested her forehead against Peeta's. "I wish I could go with you. Protect you."

"That's what we do, isn't it? Protect each other?" He didn't need her to answer. "Hey," he tilted her forlorn face upward, "We have a couple of hours before dinner. Want to pose for me? I haven't sketched her growth yet this week." Peeta had drawn a sketch of Katniss every week since coming back from Two in the same pose so they could document the baby's growth.

"If I say yes, what do I get?" She nuzzled his neck.

"Hmmm?" Peeta scratched absently at his chin. "If I hurry up with the sketch we could make out like a couple of middle school students."

"I'd rather make out like a married couple." Katniss gave him a long kiss.

Peeta spoke with closed eyes. "That is soooo much better than when I was in middle school."

8:50 PM

"We've been doing breathing exercises since she reached her fifth month," Peeta answered the doctor.

"And she's in her," the doctor looked at a computer pad containing Katniss' medical records, "twenty-fifth week of pregnancy. You've had a good amount of time to practice, so I suggest you utilize your knowledge. While her contractions are mild..."

"These are mild?" Katniss interrupted the doctor. "Are you insane!? You're a crazy bitch! I don't want you in here! Get out! GET OUT! REGINA! REGINAAAA!" Katniss yelled at the top of her lungs as she reached the peak of another contraction.

"Katniss, Dr. Valero is unable to be here. She is still in postnatal care," the current physician spoke.

"I...hate...you," Katniss' staccato words were accompanied by the daggers in her eyes.

Peeta had read in the book that Prim had given him, that most pregnant women go through a variety of emotions during childbirth, and to let their words of anger roll off your back because chances were they'd be followed up with a heartfelt apology. "We do the little pants when her contractions get stronger and longer, right?" Peeta addressed the physician.

"Yes." The doctor stood over her patient. "Katniss, I know I'm not Dr. Valero, but I promise you, I am the doctor you want taking care of you right now. I have spent my entire career specializing in Obstetrics. I've delivered almost every child under the age of twelve in our district."

Katniss blew out a cleansing breath and gave Peeta's hand a squeeze. "I don't know you. I've never even met you." She and Peeta flashed their eyes towards Evelyn.

"Katniss, Regina had Adam only a few hours ago. She can't deliver your baby," her mother spoke in a reassuring voice.

"Katniss," Peeta had to find a way to make Katniss comfortable with the physician. "We really have no choice but to let doctor... I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Dr. Madge Euclaire," she answered.

Peeta quirked the corner of his lip. "Her name is Madge, Katniss." He squeezed her hand. "You can't ask for a clearer sign than that, can you?"

Katniss shook her head frantically from side to side. "No." Her whole demeanor changed as she began crying. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say those things to you. I'm sorry." She gripped Peeta's hands and placed them against her face. "I'm so sorry, Peeta. I didn't mean to yell at you earlier."

"You're in labor. You're allowed to yell," Prim reached out to stroke her sister's hair out of her eyes. "You can say or scream anything you want, Katniss. No one's going to care."

"That's right," Peeta agreed. "It's kind of like me and my flashbacks. They're not my fault, right?" Katniss nodded at him. "And don't you hate it when I tell you I'm sorry afterward?"

"Yes," Katniss sniffled.

"Then we'll call this payback," Peeta's eyes flashed towards the blue line that began to move upward on the computer monitor. "I'm going to sit behind you like we did when we practiced, okay?" He moved behind her, sliding his legs outside of hers and resting her back against his chest. "Time to take a deep breath, Katniss. In through your nose...now," his voice held a gentle urgency. "Good. Now slowly release it through your lips. One...two..." She squeezed his fingers in her hands until her nails dug into his skin. "Eight...nine...ten," Peeta looked at the monitor and noticed that the contraction had ended.

Katniss released his hands and slumped forward. "My back aches so badly."

"I know," Peeta began rubbing at the base of her spine in slow circles. "Mom, can you get someone to contact my mom, dad and Haymitch please? I'm sure they'll want to be here."

"This is my fault," Katniss started talking softly. "I shouldn't have done those propos. I shouldn't have gone hunting afterward. I should have listened to you, Peeta."

"This is not your fault," he curled his body over hers. "We don't know why this happened, so quit blaming yourself."

"What are we going to do? It's too soon. She's too young," Katniss buried her face in her hands and bawled.

"Katniss, Dr. Fletcher has the most experience here in Thirteen with premature childbirths. He has Beetee going over our equipment to make sure it's in tip top shape, and if there is any room for improvement I'm sure Beetee will find it," The sound of Regina's voice had everyone turning towards the door. "Dr. Euclaire here is going to take excellent care of you. Even if I were able to be here for the delivery of Maysilee, I still would have called her in for her expertise, but if you want me to be here, I will be."

"No," Katniss shook her head. "You just had a baby. You shouldn't be working."

"Oh, please," Regina waved her off. "Women have been giving birth and going back to work within hours for thousands of years."

"We'll be fine, Regina," Peeta spoke. "You were in labor for three days. I think you should give yourself a break."

"Peeta," Evelyn gestured to the computer monitor.

"Okay, Katniss. I need you to lean back into me again and take a deep cleansing breath," Peeta's eyes stayed focused on the monitor that showed the progression of the contraction. The bright blue color moving upwards forming the side of a jagged hill, climbing towards the peak then heading down the other side before tapering off. "Good job." He brushed Katniss' hair back as she fell back against him. "You're doing so good, Katniss. So good." 'But to what end?' He asked himself, afraid of what their baby's birth would bring. "What are the chances that the baby will survive?" His question went out, but the person that answered took both Peeta and Katniss by surprise.

"The staff here will slow down Katniss' contractions," Prim spoke up. "The longer we go without delivering the baby, the better chance of survival she has. They'll give you some medicine, Katniss that will help the baby's lungs mature however, those will only help the baby if you don't deliver in the next twenty-four hours. Be prepared, even though you'll be having a typical delivery, the birth itself will be completely different than Regina's because of the baby's size." Peeta was grateful for Prim facing the difficult issues. At the age of fourteen she stood next to Katniss, answering questions a doctor should be answering with confidence, knowledge and provided a sense of hope. "As far as whether or not the baby will live, well, that's up to the baby now isn't it? No amount of medical technology can save a life that doesn't want to fight, but this baby has been through an awful lot, so my personal feelings are that Maysilee Mellark is a fighter. She's the daughter of two victors, and there's no way on earth she's not going to fight for her right to live." Prim stroked Katniss' hair away from her forehead, and Peeta could feel Katniss' whole body stiffen at the touch. "Any specific questions you have about the baby's development should probably wait for Dr. Fletcher. He's the one that will have the best answers for you."

"Your sister is right," Regina spoke from her spot near the door. "You should really wait for Dr. Fletcher to arrive before asking questions. He knows things about your baby's chances the rest of us don't."

"So he's treated a lot of prematurely born infants?" Peeta asked as he watched drugs being pushed into the tubes the staff had put into Katniss' veins.

"Like I've delivered almost every child in the past twelve years, Dr. Fletcher has treated them over the past fifteen. He is the best we've got," Dr. Euclaire answered. "In the meantime, these medications we've given to Katniss will slow down the labor. Once Dr. Fletcher and I consult with one another, we'll decide when to have Katniss deliver the baby."

"Isn't there anything you can do to stop this?" Katniss' voice quaked. "I'm not even seven months pregnant yet."

"Perhaps, if your water hadn't broken we could have put a stop to it, but without fluid, stopping your contractions causes a greater risk of infection and can cause the cord to collapse. Your body will continue to produce amniotic fluid however, chances are it will not stay inside of you. Depending on how her heart handles the labor is how we'll determine when to deliver. We always prefer natural childbirth, but there may be a chance of having to perform a Cesarian." The physician gave Peeta's hand a light tap. "Try to have her get some rest between contractions if you can. They should stop coming one on top of the other now and slow down some. I'll be back shortly," the doctor waved her fingers at her staff members and they all gathered in the hall outside of Katniss' room including Prim and Evelyn.

"You heard the doctor, you need to get some rest before the next contraction comes on, okay?" Peeta stroked the side of her head. "You comfortable?"

"No," she dropped her head back against Peeta's shoulder. "I want to lie down. Help me lie down."

Peeta pulled himself from behind her and positioned her on her side then lay facing her. "Better?"

"A little," her breaths were coming out in tiny little pants. "I think there's another..."

Peeta could see the blue blip on the rise. "Look at me, Katniss. I want you to focus on my eyes."

Three Weeks Earlier

"Regina said you need something to focus on," Peeta had several different things sitting out on the bed. "Here are your current choices, a picture of Prim, one of you and me, I'm a bit partial to this one," he held up a sketch he drew of them as children. Katniss was wearing a red plaid dress and he was wearing a toothpaste stained shirt. "Then there's this bottle of cinnamon..."

"What's the purpose of this whole focus thing?" Katniss ate a few crackers. "I swear to God, my insides feel like there's lava flowing through me."

"Heartburn again?" Peeta felt horrible for the way Katniss had been suffering. "My dad said that means she's going to have a lot of hair. Prim says it's an old wives tale, but since my father isn't an old wife...I'm hoping he's right."

"I'd rather have a bald baby than this friggin' heartburn. It sucks."

"Why don't we stop thinking about it, and focus on what you're going to focus on." Peeta sat next to her. "And the purpose is pretty simple. You need to keep your energy on one specific object so you don't concentrate on the pain of labor. Now what do you think will help draw your attention away from being in pain?"

"Your eyes," Katniss cupped his cheek in her hand. "That's what I want to use as my focal point. I don't need to stare at a piece of paper or a bottle of cinnamon. All I need to do is look in your eyes and that will help me."

"Lucky for you I take them with me wherever I go." Peeta was about to stand up and put the items away until he realized what he had said. "Just in case though, how about I sketch you a picture of me looking back at you?"

"I'd rather have the real thing, but...yeah. I think that would be a good idea."

9:15 PM

"Peeta, it's so hard," Katniss grit her teeth through the pain.

"Just keep looking at me, Katniss and take a deep breath. Come on," his voice got a little louder until she stared into his eyes. "Good girl." Peeta rubbed at her back, felt the muscles tense up beneath his fingers and began another count of ten.

Once the contraction subsided, Katniss' entire body went from tense to putty in Peeta's arms. "Why did this happen, Peeta?"

"It just did, Katniss. That's all." As he spoke the words he couldn't help but wonder if something triggered it. A combination of stress, physical exertion, anxiety...

Thirty-Six Hours Earlier

"I'm signing up for training classes," Johanna sat on the edge of her hospital bed. "These rat bastards told me I couldn't go to the Capitol unless I went through training, so I'm signing up for them."

"I got scheduled for them, but I haven't been going to the classes," Peeta wondered if his lack of participation would keep him in Thirteen. "I've been in battle with less training so I'm sure I'm still going."

"Think again, buns. Effie said no one will be going unless they pass some sort of test at the end of training." Johanna kicked back on her bed and began punching a fist against her mattress. "They took me off the damn morphling yesterday. So now I'm going cold turkey."

"Maybe that's for the best, Johanna?" Katniss shared a concerned look with Peeta.

"No shit brainless. Like they're going to send some morphling addict into battle. Though I have to admit. Sometimes I think those addicts from Six had it all right. Lose yourself in drugs and paint yourself into a field of flowers." She shrugged her shoulders. "They sure seemed a lot happier than the rest of us did anyway."

"I would argue with you if I could remember if I was happy or not," Peeta's joke only resonated with Katniss. "Geez, you really need to loosen up a bit," he gave Johanna a rap on the shoulder. "Quit taking everything so damn seriously."

"I would if I could find my sense of humor, but it seems to have gotten lost somewhere," Johanna glared up at him. "Sorry Peeta, but I just don't see the point in laughing anymore. There's just too much shit in this world."

"Which is why you need to find a reason to laugh. If not you'll lose your mind, Johanna," he held his hand out to Katniss. "We'll see you later."

"Hey," Katniss paused before leaving with him and faced Johanna, "Peeta's right. The girl that gave me shit in the arena was a lot easier to swallow than this self-pity thing you've got going on. It's really kind of pathetic." He knew Katniss was only trying to get a rise out of Johanna, so Peeta didn't say a thing. "Pull your head out of your ass and quit having a pity party for yourself. That's my job," Katniss ended with a self-depreciating joke which caused Johanna to smirk. "Better. Not perfect, but better." The second they were out of Johanna's earshot Katniss asked him, "You going to talk with Effie about this test thing?"

"No," Peeta answered. "She hasn't brought it to my attention, which means my mother is acting like one and not a rebel. I'm going to Coin."

"I want to come with you," Katniss' eyes flashed to his. "Not to the Capitol, though I do want to go there. I meant, I want to go in with you to speak with Coin. She's going to ask what I think about you going and leaving me behind. I want her to know I'm in complete support of it."

"Are you?" Peeta stopped and held her hands. "Are you in complete support of this, Katniss?"

"Yes," she puffed out her chest. "I am. I know you have to go there, and I won't have you thinking for one second that I can't survive without you. I have my own job to do, and that's to have your back no matter what."

"You're such a bad liar, Katniss," his voice was soft, but grateful. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she stepped into his hug. "Now let's go talk to Coin."

Running into Haymitch and Effie on their way to the Command Center hadn't been planned, but it happened just the same. "What do you mean, I'm not going?" Peeta's stern tone filled the tiny elevator.

"They don't need the Jabberjay or the Mockingjay to fight. There are enough soldiers to do that job," Haymitch answered.

"I had a deal with her," Peeta was trying desperately to control his anger. "I got to kill Snow."

"Obviously our deals meant the world to her," Katniss spoke with sarcasm. "The only way you'll get to go is if you talk to her, so I say we still stop by and speak with her."

"Peeta, please," Effie had an almost pleading tone. "There is no need for either one of you to go back to the Capitol. They'll need you two to speak to the country after we win."

"This country needs us to do more than talk," Katniss spoke up and said exactly what Peeta was thinking. "We need to fight side by side with the rest of the rebels, so don't try to protect us. If I could go I would. I'd be there, but I can't. So Peeta's going, and he is going to come back and he'll still be able to speak to the people of this country when the war is over."

"Katniss is right, mom. I need to do this."

"Then you'll have to talk with the president and see what she says." Effie's pursed lips told Peeta she didn't approve, but she'd keep her opinion to herself.

"Good luck with that, boy," Haymitch gave him a head shake. "I think we'll keep out of this meeting," he held Effie back by the hand when the elevator stopped on their floor.

"But Haymitch," Effie started.

"No buts, Effie. This isn't our fight. It's theirs." Haymitch gave them an encouraging nod, "See you two later."

"This is it," Katniss straightened her shoulders when they got to the door. "Ready?"

"Yes, ma'am." Peeta gave her hand a quick kiss, then dropped it to the side. "Let's do this."

9:32 PM

Katniss could feel the dull stabbing pain start just above her tailbone and radiate outward. In her head she was warning Peeta that another contraction was coming upon her, but it was Peeta's voice that prepared her for it.

"Here we go, Katniss," the feeling of his fingers gently kneading at the sore muscles in her back almost made the pain bearable. The intensity in his blue eyes, the sound of his voice and the love that was radiating from him was what got her through each and every pain. "Goooood," he pressed his lips hard against her forehead several times before resting his cheek against it. "You're doing so good, Katniss," the hitch in his voice didn't go unnoticed by her, but she was so tired.

"These things are wiping me out," Katniss stayed on her side facing Peeta allowing him to hold her as close as he could. "Peeta, I'm so tired."

"I know sweetheart. I know."

"Don't..." her automatic reply about not calling her sweetheart was about to burst out, but she stopped herself. "Can you call me something other than sweetheart?"

"Anything," she could feel his arm tucked beneath her body, his hand continually massaging at her back while his other hand stroked her hair away from her forehead. "You tell me what to call you, and I'll call you that."

"I don't know...just not sweetheart. I hate that." A tiny smile played at the corner of her lips when she remembered one of their last nights together at the Capitol when he called her baby and it pissed her off to no end, but he had intended to get under her skin. By the fifth time he called her that it had surprisingly made her melt. "Baby," she tucked her head under his chin. "Normally I'd hate for you to call me that, but today I think it might be okay."

"Baby?" Peeta pulled away from her and looked down into her eyes. "When did I call you baby? And why? I can't ever imagine calling you that."

"You did," Katniss' mind flew back to that night. "The training scores for the Quell came out that night and we both got a twelve."

"I remember that, but I don't remember why we got them, or what happened after Caesar announced it."

"We had one of the best nights of our lives," Katniss released a sad sounding laugh. "And you called me baby. God, how I wanted to punch you for that."

"Why didn't you?" He noticed her attempting to roll over and gave her a helping hand. "Here, hold onto my hands and we'll move you." It took them a couple of minutes considering the motion brought on another labor pain, but once it passed Peeta spooned around her back, tucked his knees behind hers, and encircled her with his arms. "Finish telling me why I decided to take my life in my hands and call you something like baby."

Fifty-Seven Hours Before The Quarter Quell

The night was going to be long, but memorable. Katniss curled up against Peeta's side and blew out a loud breath. "Do you think they heard us out there?" She really didn't feel like providing her mentor, escort or stylists with a show.

"Want me to go out there and see if they're still here?" Peeta yawned and stretched. "They probably left a while ago, Katniss." He gave her a playfully lecherous grin. "Or should I say, baby?"

"You and your damn baby." It got on her nerves when he first said it, but then he got that damn melodic tone in his voice that pretty much sent her into a trance, and now she wanted to hear him call her that. "I already agreed that you could call me baby tonight, but if you even try to use that term outside of this..." she pointed between their bodies that had a fine sheen of sweat drying on them, "...anywhere else, I'm going to kick the living hell out of you."

"Yes, ma'am." He rolled to his side and placed a kiss against her forehead. "You're not going to be one of those cranky old women when you get older are you? You know the ones the kids all point at and say, 'there goes old lady Mellark,'" Peeta let out a chuckle.

"I'm already crabby," Katniss stretched out and wiggled her toes. "Crabby, stubborn, and for some reason completely insatiable tonight," She pulled his face to hers and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Oh really?" He wagged his brows at her. "Katniss I know I'm young, but even I have to rest."

"So rest. I'm talking about food. I need food," she sat up in bed and began thinking about the different things she wanted to order from the kitchen. "Think they have cheese buns?"

"I seriously doubt it, but if they can get me inside of a kitchen I'd bake you some."

"Nah, I'd rather keep your cute little butt in bed. Hmm," she knit her brows together. "What about those potato rolls they served with dinner? Those are really good and squishy. I like squishy."

Peeta let out a loud laugh. "Where the hell have you been putting all this food lately, Katniss?" He tickled her ribs until her entire body began to squirm against the mattress. Bouts of laughter came from Katniss as Peeta lightly brushed his fingers back and forth over her ribs. "You don't have an ounce of fat on you and you eat more than any human being I've ever known."

"Stop it," she pushed his hands away and let out a sigh when he finally stopped torturing her. "I've always been a healthy eater. When I have food that is." She tilted her head to the side and looked up into his eyes. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he held her gaze and stroked the loose strands of hair away from her cheeks.

"Where on earth did you come up with baby?" Her lip quirked. "It's not really something I can see you using in conversation."

"Some of my friends call their girlfriends that. My older brother Miche likes to use the term quite a bit, but I always found it to be kind of condescending...until tonight that is." He pressed his lips against her cheek and whispered into her ear, "I love you, baby."

Katniss' head fell back into the pillow as a sigh escaped from within. "I hope you don't think I like that," she said it with a forced edge in her voice.

"Of course you don't like that name, baby," He chuckled against the crook of her neck. "Tell you what, you say the word, and I'll stop calling you that tonight." He waited as her fingers got lost in his curls, but Katniss said nothing.

"What do you say you order us some food, Peeta?" her lips curled upward.

"What my baby wants, my baby gets," he stood up and yanked on his pajama pants before speaking into the communication device on the wall.

"Damn right she does, and this baby wants something chocolate...and something salty like...uh...bacon or a pickle or...both. Mmm," Katniss' mouth began to water. "I want a pot of chocolate, and bacon, and a pickle and a fried egg on an English muffin with cream cheese and jelly."

Peeta gave her a slow head shake and placed her order then crawled into bed with her again. "They said it would be about twenty minutes. Think maybe we should put some clothes on before they get here?"

"Nope," Katniss tucked her hands behind her head. "I think you should take those pajama pants off and make the most of the next twenty minutes...sweetheart."

"You got it, baby," they both let out tiny laughs before Peeta threw the blankets off of Katniss and tugged her into his lap.

10:23 PM

"Sounds like we had fun that night," Peeta rubbed at the spot their daughter was pushing at on Katniss' stomach. "Did we know you were pregnant?"

"Not yet, but I think you had already guessed it. I was completely oblivious to it," Katniss let her head rest back against his shoulder. "What I wouldn't give for a pickle right about now. God I miss salt."

"Pretty soon Maysilee will be here and you can have salt again," Peeta stroked her back and her belly simultaneously. "You'll be able to eat whatever you want all over again."

"And I'll be stuck eating those pathetic amounts of food the rest of you do. That totally sucks."

"If you could somehow convince banana nut to stay inside, then you'd be able to eat as much as you wanted," He tucked his leg between hers.

"I wish there was a way to stop this," Neither one of them wanted to start asking the questions they needed the answers to. "Peeta, what are we going to do?" Katniss asked with a voice barely above a whisper. "She's going to die if she's born now."

"Knock that off right now," Peeta positioned himself on the other side of her so he could face her, cupped her cheeks in his hands and delved into her eyes. "When we were in the first arena, you didn't think either one of us would get out of there alive. Real or not real?"

Katniss thought back to how different things were back then, how she had been willing to allow Peeta to die for her so she could go home to Prim and her mother. She hated herself for it and instantly thought the worse of herself. "Real."

"Yet here we are," Peeta's tone was soft and gentle, as were the hands that caressed her skin. "When we got back to Twelve you knew we'd get married and have a baby. Real or not real?"

"Not real," Katniss could feel the heat of her breath bouncing off his cheek as she spoke. "I didn't want to get married or have kids."

"But here we are. Married and having a baby." He closed his eyes and kissed her softly before asking his next question. "We both thought we'd be out of the arena forever. Real or not real?" Peeta's voice cracked a bit.

"Real," Katniss sniffled when she thought of the devastating reading of the card.

"Yet we both wound up back inside of the arena again, and when we were in there did you ever think we'd make it out? That the baby would survive the Games?" Peeta held her as close to his body as he could.

"No," her tears were beginning to form a wet spot on his shirt. "I never thought she'd make it out of there alive."

"But here she is, Katniss." Peeta sprinkled hard kisses across her forehead. "Fighting for her life all over again."

Katniss stared into his eyes when he brushed his nose against hers. "This pregnancy has been like her own version of the Games, hasn't it?"

"In a way, yeah," Peeta agreed. "But Prim was right, Katniss. This little girl is the daughter of two victors, and not just any two victors either. Maysilee is a Mellark," he spoke with a strong breathy tone, "She's an Everdeen. Don't count her out yet."

Their tears flowed together as they held each other tightly. Right now their daughter was alive, but once she entered the world it could turn out to be a whole other story.

"I wish we were able to have what Regina and Justus had," Katniss cried softly against his chest. "They looked so happy. They're a family," her chest began to vibrate as did Peeta's. "It's not fair," Katniss' voice cried. "It's not fair."

"No, it's not," Peeta's tears were flowing freely, "but we don't want to wish them ill or anything Katniss. What will that solve?"

"I'd never do that," she wiped her nose against the sheet. "Adam is a beautiful baby. Besides," she gave him a pathetic grin, "they named him after us. The ultimate rebels."

Five Hours Earlier

"Knock. Knock," Peeta and Katniss stuck their heads through the hospital door and looked in on Regina. "Can we come in?" Peeta asked.

"Yes," Justus waved them in while Regina spoke for them both. "Please. We've been waiting for you two."

"Oh Regina, he's beautiful," Katniss stared at the baby boy with envy in her eyes. "Look at those cheeks." The baby smiled a tiny smile. "He's got dimples."

"He's beautiful. Truly," Peeta agreed wanting desperately to reach out and touch the infant's soft skin. "Can I hold him?" He asked as though he were afraid she'd say no.

"Here," Regina lifted the baby up towards Peeta. "That will free up my hands to sign," she moved her hands with ease so Justus could understand them all. "You two almost ready for this?"

"Yes," Katniss answered with conviction. "No," she followed up with the truth. "I'm petrified, but really excited."

"There's nothing to it. A few hours of pain, some screaming and pushing, and then there's your baby." Regina looked up lovingly at Justus. "Our baby."

"So Adam, huh?" Peeta ran his finger over the infant's smooth cheek wondering if he'd ever get the opportunity to do this with his own daughter, or if he'd die when he went to the Capitol. "I like that name. Adam Valero."

"That's not his full name," Regina spoke for Justus who was signing. "Regina and I wanted our son to know about this time in his life and all that the world was going through. That's when we decided to name him after you two," This came as a surprise to Katniss and Peeta both. "Without you two we'd still be at the Capitol. I would be living my life as an Avox named Nero, and Regina would have to pretend to be a single mother. She'd never be able to tell our son about me, but because of your defiance of the Capitol in the Games this world finally built up enough courage to fight back. That's why we decided to name him after the ultimate rebels. The Mockingjay and the Jabberjay. His name is Adam Rebel Valero."

Regina spoke for herself, "We came up with the name Rebel because we didn't think Adam Katniss Peeta Valero would sound too good, and you two have been rebelling your whole lives. Katniss you against the laws the Capitol set in place by hunting, and Peeta, you against the rules society set in place. You loved Katniss and took care of her regardless of where she came from. Yup... the ultimate rebels."

Katniss reached out and wrapped her hand around Peeta's as he held Adam. "Hear that little guy? Your mommy and daddy gave you the best middle name ever."

Peeta smiled brightly at Regina and Justus, then handed the baby to Katniss so she could take a turn. "We can't thank you two enough. It's an honor you thought so highly of us."

"Peeta, you should take him," Katniss grimaced. "My back is cramping up a bit from that propos I filmed earlier."

"What did you do?" Regina went into doctor mode.

"Plutarch wanted to film a propos of us training, and he thought it would make for good television if Katniss here was filmed training with the rest of the classes," Peeta answered for Katniss with a lecturing expression condemning her.

"I shot a gun. Get over it," Katniss said flatly. "Seriously," she directed her statement towards Regina. "I'm fine. I just did a little bit too much today and pulled a muscle in my back."

"Katniss, you really should know better," Regina took her to task. "How bad is the pain?"

"It's a little twinge. It's nothing a hot shower won't help."

"You're already down here, why don't you have your mom or Prim take a quick peek at you. They can run a scan, do some tests..." Regina started.

"Okay, that's my hint to leave." Katniss didn't feel like putting up with any of this. She was sick of everyone treating her like she couldn't tie her shoes simply because she was having a baby. "I'm going back to our quarters," she said to Peeta. "Justus...Regina, congratulations on Adam, though I think I'm going to have to call him my little Rebel," Katniss gave the baby's head one last stroke. "I'm really happy for you both."

"Thank you, Katniss," Regina smiled and took Adam from Peeta's outstretched arms. "Peeta."

"Sure thing," he smiled down at the sleeping baby. "And I promise I'll drag her butt down here if her backache gets worse."

"I still think she should stop by and get a checkup."

"I had one yesterday and everything was fine," Katniss waved from the door. "Regina, I swear, it's nothing." This form of defense didn't seem to be working in Katniss' favor so she opted for something else. "Do you honestly think I'd blow this off if I thought for one minute it had something to do with the baby? This is just my body telling me that carrying this kid around is a job in itself."

"Thank goodness we aren't still trying to hide that baby," Regina let out a little burst of laughter at the thought.

"We wouldn't have been able to hide this kid after I got to the end of my first trimester." Katniss stared accusingly at Regina through thin slits in her eyes. "I thought you said I probably wouldn't show because I was small."

"Obviously I was wrong. Then again, you may be hiding a twin in there for all I know." Katniss and Peeta's eyes flew to Regina who began to laugh along with Justus. "I'm just kidding. There's only one baby in there. She's a little on the large side, but there's nothing to worry about. Your mother brought me your test results from yesterday's checkup, and I looked them over between contractions. You two are doing great." She turned to Peeta, "But I'm holding you to your word about her strained back."

"Come on, Peeta," Katniss stuck her hand out for him to grab. "We've got to go or we'll miss dinner."

"Before you go, Justus wanted to ask you something Peeta?" Regina spoke for Justus. "I hear you've decided to go to the Capitol no matter what Coin said?"

"Yes. Katniss and I both feel it's our responsibility to stand next to all of you soldiers and fight. She won't be going anywhere, but I will be representing both of us when I get to the Capitol. I may even take up shooting a bow and arrow," Peeta gave Katniss a playful jab with his elbow.

"Sure, and I'll be sitting back here baking pies like a good little wife." She leaned her head towards Justus and spoke like she was in a private conversation with the man. "My husband has some serious mental instabilities. He's under the impression that I'm domesticated."

"And my wife thinks she's the only person in the world qualified to protect me. She doesn't realize that I need more protection from her when she's mad at me than from Snow's men," Peeta chuckled along with the rest and said a final farewell before heading for the elevators.

10:38 PM

"That was a bad one," Peeta stroked the hair that was clinging to Katniss' sweat covered brow away from her face. "We've got about six minutes before the next one. You want me to braid your hair for you?"

Katniss was nodding frantically. "Yes and can I have some of those ice chips Prim brought in here. My tongue is sticking to my teeth."

"Sure," he placed a spoonful on her tongue. "Don't chew them. Let them melt in your mouth," he advised her when he heard her crunching the ice between her teeth. With brush in hand, he sat behind Katniss and began plaiting her hair into a tight weave over her shoulder. "You should really wear it in two braids for me again sometime." He placed a soft kiss against her shoulder. "You look like a school girl when you wear it that way...with those adorable little freckles...oh yeah. I love it when you wear your hair like that."

"You would find a way to flirt with me while I'm in labor." She didn't mind. It was actually a good distraction from the pain and her concerns. "That doctor is coming in here," Katniss noticed an exceptionally tall man walking towards her room thinking that Gale would look short compared to him.

"Mr. and Mrs. Mellark," he stuck his hand out to Katniss first then to Peeta. "My name is Dr. Jess Fletcher and I'm the resident pediatrician here in Thirteen. I'm sure you have a ton of questions for me, but let me go ahead and give you an idea of what to expect after your baby is born. I'm sure it will answer the majority of your questions for you." The doctor spoke without taking a breath. "First let me tell you that we will no longer be slowing your contractions down, Katniss. We need to get that baby out of there. Your blood pressure had increased greatly over the past two hours and it will start to take a toll on your daughter. She's already going to have a series of issues, and we don't want a weak heart to be one of them. Your child..."

"Maysilee," Katniss wanted them to call the baby by her name.

"Maysilee is a bit on the large side which is actually going to work in our favor. We're estimating that she currently weighs about two pounds. Most babies at this stage of the game are only one to one and a half pounds."

"That's just a half pound," Peeta couldn't really see what difference such a small amount of weight could make.

"Yes, but that half pound means your daughter has some fat on her to fill her skin out, and that she's a little larger than most babies at this stage of the game. It sounds silly, but that's very important. We'll still keep her body temperature regulated, but now her skin won't appear like it's hanging off her body, and since we don't know how she'll be eating, the extra bit of weight can't hurt. The next thing to discuss is her internal organs. Her heart has been good so far, but her lungs are what we really need to worry about. They are not fully grown so your daughter will most likely not be able to breathe on her own."

Katniss and Peeta squeezed each other's hands until their knuckles went white.

"Beetee and I have discussed an artificial lung, and if need be, we will have an operating bay at the ready. This is another area that her larger size will be of value. Believe it or not, operating on a two pound baby as opposed to a one and a half pound baby makes a difference."

"An artificial lung?" Peeta thought of his leg, the way it was wired into his nervous system and how it was now as much a part of his body as his head was. It felt real enough, did everything a real leg could do, but was stronger than the appendage made of flesh. "Will that grow as she gets older?"

"Yes. It will work like her own lungs would have if she had gone to full term." The doctor started telling them about infections, blindness, brain damage... everything they were both worrying about in silence. "Now that you know what's going to happen after Maysilee is born, I'll answer any questions you might have."

"She can die from the birth, can't she?" Katniss sat there with an emotionally blank expression on her face.

"Yes, but that can be said about any infant. Childbirth is a strenuous event, but these babies are much stronger than most give credit for."

"What are the chances of her living a regular life?" Peeta released Katniss' hand when he felt her back stiffen and started the familiar process of rubbing, telling Katniss to breathe, having her focus on his eyes then drying her brow. "We've got less than six minutes to the next one so let's hurry up here. Do you think our daughter can make it through all of this and live a normal healthy life?"

"There is a small chance, yes." The physician gave them a nod. "Mr. and Mrs. Mellark, I will not beat around the bush here. Pardon the phrasing, but the odds are not in Maysilee's favor. There is a great chance that she will not survive very long after childbirth, so please prepare yourselves."

"How!?" Katniss snapped at him. "How do you prepare for the death of something...someone you've been fighting to keep alive for almost seven months!? You tell me how to do that and I'll do it!" She turned her face into Peeta's shoulder and began sobbing.

"Do you think you can keep our daughter alive?" Peeta's voice was low and threatening. "Because if you're not willing to fight as hard as our Maysilee is, then we want another doctor."

"I will do everything in my power to keep your daughter alive," The physician reached his hand out and shook Peeta's. "You have my word on that. In the meantime, we'll be stopping the medications they're currently giving to Katniss to slow down the contractions, and starting some new ones that will have her delivering the baby sooner rather than later." The doctor left without another word.

"Shhh," Peeta stroked the back of Katniss' head. "She's going to survive, Katniss. No," he corrected himself, "not survive. Banana nut is going to live...really live." Peeta lifted Katniss' face by the chin and stared into her eyes which were magnified by the puddle of tears in each one. "You'll see. Maysee is going to be running us ragged in no time at all. Before we know it we'll be beating the boys away with a stick, walking her down the aisle and holding her hand when she gives birth to our first grandchild. You just watch and see, Katniss." Peeta spoke through a thick voice filled with sorrow. "You'll see," the kiss he placed on Katniss' lips tasted of salt from his tears that had mingled with hers. Now all Peeta had to do was make sure his daughter had a world in which she could live without the threat of death constantly looming overhead.

Thirty-Six Hours Earlier

"You have missed every training class that has been scheduled for you soldier Mellark," Coin stood in her traditional pose with her hands behind her back. "We are sending in the best of the best to finish this war, and right now I don't think you'd be able to keep up with our beginners classes."

"Peeta's strong," Katniss snapped. "He can do anything he sets his mind to."

"It's okay, Katniss," he gave her hand a little pat. "I'll go through training with your beginners if that's what you want, but I will be going to the Capitol whether you like it or not. I don't care if I have to swipe a hovercraft to do it. I am going to capture and kill Snow."

Coin wrote something down on a piece of paper and handed it to Peeta. "Find Haymitch Abernathy and give him this. He'll direct you on who to see and where to go from there," Coin paused. "Oh and soldier, try not to undermine your commanding officer, just follow orders. You are our Jabberjay. You should be setting the example for the rest of the people here in Thirteen." She arched her brow, "Dismissed."

It wasn't too difficult finding Haymitch since he and Effie were standing in the hallway waiting for Peeta and Katniss to leave the Command Center. Peeta shoved the note Coin wrote at Haymitch and stared straight ahead. "Where to?"

"First you need to get your uniform, not the Jabberjay one," Haymitch pointed at him. "You'll have to train wearing that thing eventually, but you're not physically ready yet. There's a soldier, think her name is Henna, anyway, you can find her on lower level sixteen. She'll get you suited up and provide you with a rifle." Haymitch leaned his palm against the wall and swept his eyes around the hallway. "Where the hell did Trinkie go?"

"I don't know," Katniss glanced over her shoulder in search of the woman.

"She was just here," Peeta asked the guards that were posted in front of the Command Center, "Did you see which way Effie Trinket went?"

"She's in there," one of them thumbed at the closed door.

"Shit," Haymitch ran his hands down his face. "Son of a bitch."

"What?" Katniss wondered why Haymitch was swearing.

"If she's in with Coin then that means she's either giving our president a piece of her mind or she's..." Effie walked out of the room with a piece of paper in hand and shoved it at Haymitch. "Damn it Effie!"

"What did you do, mom?" Peeta's whole body began to tremble.

"I've signed up for training. Now let's go. The elevator is here," Effie kept her lips pursed and her eyes away from everyone's. It didn't take Katniss by surprise in the least that Effie Trinket was volunteering to go into battle. She had heard Effie say on more than one occasion that she would have given anything to be inside of the arena instead of Katniss and Peeta.

"You really think you're doing the kid any good taking your skinny ass to the Capitol?"

"Do not swear at me Haymitch," Effie said with a tight tone. "This is my son, and I refuse to let him go into battle without me by his side. I promised I would do anything in my power to keep him safe, and that's what I intend to do." Effie's explanation didn't sit well with Peeta or Haymitch.

"And what the hell about me? You plan on just up and leaving me again?" Haymitch tugged Effie into a corner of the elevator, but had no intentions of keeping his voice down. "You said you wouldn't leave my side again, and here you go, first chance you get to run back to the Capitol, hauling ass."

"And you said you'd support me while exploring my new found independence. I guess I can see you were just feeding me a line of malarkey like all the other men that have come and gone."

"I wasn't feeding you shit!"

"If you don't stop swearing at me, I'm going to make you sorry," Effie screeched.

"What are you going to do? I'm not a drunk anymore! I can defend myself! As a matter of fact...I'm going back upstairs," Haymitch pushed the button for the floor the Command Center was on. "If you're going to the Capitol, then I'm going to the Capitol."

"You will do no such thing!" Effie gasped and yelled simultaneously.

"I can do whatever the hell I want. It's not like I'm committed to anyone out here. I'm my own man."

"What on earth is that supposed to mean," Effie's voice went quiet while Katniss and Peeta exchanged looks that clearly stated they would rather be anywhere other than the elevator.

"Since you've been back you've spent time living in my quarters, but that's about it Trinkie. We're roommates."

Effie began to fluster. "This is not the time or the place to discuss this sort of thing."

"Fine," Haymitch crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "I'm tired of this shit, Effie. Really tired of sitting back on my ass and waiting for you to make up your mind about what you want. I'm here," Haymitch spread his arms open. "You want me, I'm here. If you don't, then go ahead and grab a uniform and a gun."

As Effie was eyed up for a training uniform, and handed her gun, she turned to Haymitch and said, "He is my son." Though this was causing a rift between Haymitch and Effie, Katniss felt a hell of a lot better knowing that someone would have Peeta's back while he was in the Capitol. Someone that loved him just as much as she did.

10:49 PM

"What's that?" Peeta asked the nurse who was shooting a syringe into the IV that was hooked up to Katniss' veins.

"This will cause her cervix to soften and her contractions to grow closer together. It won't be long now," The nurse left quietly.

Peeta and Katniss stared at the drip providing the medication to Katniss' system with doubtful eyes. Within seconds Katniss began screaming at the top of her lungs in pain.

"Look at me," Peeta raised his voice and tilted Katniss' chin upward so she could focus on his face. "Open your eyes, Katniss. Look at me," he kept his emotions in check knowing he'd have to be strong for her. "We're going to do little pants now, okay? Little pants, Katniss," he began demonstrating for her as she followed his lead. "If you want to scream, you go ahead and do it, but I want you to try and keep breathing through this one for me." From the corner of his eye Peeta could see the blue blip spiking higher than any of the others had before. "You're doing great."

Evelyn and Prim entered the room alongside of a couple of nurses and Dr. Euclaire. Evelyn reached out to rub Katniss' back and said, "It's almost over sweetie."

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Katniss yelled at the top of her lungs at her mother who quickly recoiled her hand. "Don't let them touch me!" She screamed in Peeta's face.

"I won't," he quickly peeked at the others in the room. "I'm the only one touching you right now, baby. Come on, breathe through this." He saw the flash of anger in her eyes when he used the term of endearment and finally realized why she said it was okay to call her that. She didn't want to take her anger out on anyone but him, and if he gave her a reason to be mad, it would be a lot easier for her to yell. "Let's go, baby. You've got this." She narrowed her eyes at him and panted out some breaths. "Good, now one deep breath and blow."

Katniss collapsed back onto her bed the second the contraction passed. "I'm sorry, mom. I didn't mean to yell at you," guilt washed through her.

"Don't apologize to me. I should have known better than to touch you. Many women don't want anyone to handle them during labor," Evelyn stood back as the doctor and nurses began speaking amongst themselves and laying out trays of equipment. "I'm surprised you're letting Peeta touch you. I didn't even want your father next to me when I was in labor with you."

"Prim, can you get me a cool cloth for her," Peeta sat on the edge of the bed facing Katniss. "Just a little while longer and it'll all be over." He took her in his arms when she reached up for him. "I've got you, Katniss. Don't worry. I won't let anyone touch you unless they have to, okay?"

"Okay," she gulped. "Peeta, I don't know if I can do this." Self-doubt began to plague her as the next wave of pain shot through her four minutes too soon. "NOOOOOOO!"

"You've got this, baby." Peeta felt her fingers digging into his arms as he held her at arm's length and talked her through the next labor pain. "You're so brave, Katniss. You can do this. You can do anything, now pant." Unfortunately that had been Katniss' frame of mind earlier that day. That she could do anything.

Fifteen Hours Earlier

"It will make a wonderful propos," Plutarch was almost giddy at the thought of filming Katniss in training. "A few clips of you shooting at some targets. We'll have to get you into a uniform like the others, it would look odd if you were in your Mockingjay uniform and Peeta wasn't wearing his Jabberjay one." Plutarch stood with Fulvia at his side. "Well, what do you think, Katniss?"

"Sure," she may not have been actually training for the invasion on the Capitol, but she sure as hell didn't want to sit back and look like a pansy. "Get me a uniform and a gun, and I'll be there."

"Wonderful." Plutarch turned his attention to Fulvia. "Get the prep team together and notify the trainer. I want her outside with the rest of them by the time they get back from their run."

Her prep team did a light makeup job on her, braided her hair and helped her to put on one of the uniforms Thirteen's soldiers wore.

"It's a man's shirt, but it was the only one we thought might fit you," Octavia buttoned up the last few buttons for Katniss. "You look like a rebel fighter."

"Where to now?" Katniss was eager to do something productive.

"They've got a training area outside so we'll be going there," Venia led the way. "I took a peek at those trainees earlier and I couldn't believe it when I saw Effie Trinket out there. She was running alongside of the rest of the soldiers like she was born for this sort of thing."

"I think she was," Katniss grinned. "She most certainly wasn't born to be an escort." The sight of all the soldiers lined up with targets across an empty field got Katniss' blood pumping. Her fingers were itching for her bow and arrow, but she had to use a gun like all the rest of them. "Here?" She stood at the end of the row of soldiers trying to avoid the condemning looks from her new mother in law.

"That's perfect," Plutarch stood back next to the cameraman. "We'll be getting a few minutes of you taking aim on the targets."

The trainer showed Katniss how to operate the rifle, but her large abdomen threw her aim off entirely. "Damn it!" She grumbled at herself when she missed the target completely.

It took Effie all of ten minutes before she was at Katniss' side. "What do you think you're doing young lady?"

"I'm just filming a propos." Katniss took her stance and shot off a couple of rounds only hitting the edge of the target once. "Not that it's going to be much to see."

"You're standing wrong," Effie took a position next to her. "Like this," Katniss' jaw dropped when she watched Effie take a bead on the target and hit the center each and every time.

"How the hell did you do that?"

"You didn't actually think I was going to therapy with Lavinia and Justus all those weeks, did you?" Effie clucked at Katniss. "Our trainer said I have a natural gift. I said, 'anyone can do this if they learn how to aim properly.' Now, let's try this again."

Katniss followed Effie's instructions to the tee, getting closer to the target, but her aim was still off. "I can't keep my damn balance," she said through a clenched jaw.

"Then you must rid yourself of any previous knowledge regarding how to shoot, and find a new way. That little baby isn't going anywhere for awhile. Why don't we figure out what to do?" As it turned out all Katniss had to do was adjust her stance, widen her feet about two inches more apart, and quit resting her arms on her sides. "Much better," Effie said encouragingly.

"I wonder if this will work with my bow and arrows too?" Katniss took her stance again and was stopped by a hand on her back.

"You want to tell me what the hell you think you're up to?" Peeta's glare bore right through her.

"It's a propos," She threw her hand up in the air. "Christ! Can't you people give me a freaking break? All I'm doing is filming a propos for Plutarch. I'm not going into war or anything so stop. Just stop." She yanked her arm from Peeta's grip and said over her shoulder, "Stand back. I don't want you to screw this shot up for Plutarch."

"Since when are you so concerned over Plutarch's filming?" The edge in Peeta's voice didn't disturb Katniss one bit.

"Since filming propos is all I'm good for lately," Katniss glanced over her shoulder at Peeta. "Are you seriously going to have a fit because I'm holding a gun?"

He made a little growling noise, eyed her up from behind, and said, "I guess that's all right, but that's it, Katniss. I don't want to find out you were jogging five miles or doing core exercises."

"Did you miss the part where I said I was holding a gun, Peeta?" She took a bead on the target and started shooting.

"You're impossible!" She could hear Peeta screaming something, but chose to ignore it. "Absolutely impossible!"

"She's busy, darling," Effie gave his hand a pat. "Why don't you go on and I'll take care of Katniss? She won't be out here much longer."

"Let's go, Peeta!" Johanna tugged at his arm. "The rest of our class is lining up for weapons training."

"Fine!" He pointed towards Katniss. "Do not let her do anything else out here." Then jogged by Johanna's side towards the rest of their class.

Katniss propped the gun on her hip. "Got anything else you need me to do?"

"I think we've got everything we needed," Plutarch began speaking to Fulvia and ordering the film crew back inside of Thirteen. "Feel free to keep the uniform in case we need to get any other footage of you, and leave the gun with the trainer. Thank you, Katniss. I do hope we didn't get you into too much trouble with Peeta," Plutarch's attempt at a joke fell flat with both Effie and Katniss who just stared at him. "Well then...toodle ooh ladies."

"That man is a complete oaf at times," Effie shook her head and removed the gun from Katniss' grip. "I shall walk you indoors."

"I don't need a babysitter, Effie. Besides, I wanted to do some hunting while I was out here. Between that adjustment Beetee made to my bow and my new stance, maybe I'll actually hit something."

"Oh, come now Katniss. Do you really expect me to believe you haven't been able to hit anything with your bow and arrows?" Effie was a little surprised to hear this.

"She's thrown my entire balance off, and that's pretty important when shooting," Katniss reached out automatically to grab onto Effie's arm when she stepped over a large branch. "Sorry. Even lifting my foot to walk over something has caused me to teeter lately."

"I will admit, you look to be about the size of Regina only a month or so ago. I take that to mean my grandchild is either going to be quite large, or Regina is having a tiny child."

"No, she's pretty big. I'm going to go ahead and blame it on Peeta's side of the family since Prim and I aren't giants or anything."

Effie let out a tiny giggle. "Yes, his father is a bit larger than Peeta is. I don't remember his brothers though."

"They were taller, broader in the shoulders. Kind of like a bigger version of Peeta, but realistically, none of them were giants or anything. Now Gale's dad was a big guy and Gale is..." Katniss let her sentence trail off when she noticed the strange look on Effie's face. "I didn't mean anything by comparing Gale to Peeta."

"Katniss, I do not doubt that you remained faithful to Peeta, but I would refrain from saying anything like that to him considering he's been having to deal with the flashbacks on his own now."

She felt like an imbecile even bringing Gale's name up while talking about the baby and wanted quickly to change the subject. "So how's things with Haymitch? He still pissed at you for going into training?"

"Yes, but we talked things through, and he understands why I have to go."

"Um...Effie, do you mind if I ask you what's up between the two of you? I mean...you don't have to answer if you don't want."

Fortunately Effie didn't mind answering, because it was actually driving Peeta nuts trying to figure out whether or not he should be happy Effie and Haymitch were a couple, and Katniss wanted to give him an answer. "I have had some, shall we say, issues with men. My last relationship, though it was an undercover mission for the rebellion, still left me with several scars. Both literally and figuratively. I will admit that I haven't so much as given Haymitch much more than a peck on the lips since I've been back, but only because I have had a difficult time getting past some of the more...difficult images Mr. Bettes left behind."

"You mean, he hit you?" Katniss hadn't heard about that, and if it were true, she didn't think she could tell that to Peeta.

"Yes, he did."

"Haymitch doesn't hit you, does he?" Katniss would kill her mentor if he did.

"Of course not!" Effie chagrined. "Haymitch is not one to lift a hand. He may be a victor, but he has no desire to cause physical pain...at least to me. I suppose there are some he would like to harm, but I digress." She turned to face Katniss as they reached the elevator. "Haymitch and I have found a happy medium. I have agreed to stay in Thirteen if someone suitable can be found to protect Peeta while in the Capitol, and he has agreed to take it slowly with me when it comes to our personal lives."

"How will you determine who's suitable to protect Peeta?"

"I told Haymitch if someone could out shoot me on the range, then I would stay back," Effie let out a little giggle. "He had no idea that I had spent so many hours with a gun in my hands." She looked over her hands and said, "Who knew I was so gifted?"

Katniss let out a loud burst of laughter. "You better hope I don't have this baby before they go to the Capitol, or I just might be that person, Effie."

"That's the only reason I struck that bargain with Haymitch," Effie seemed quite pleased with herself.

After they stepped into the elevator Katniss found herself asking, "Effie, do you think I'm ever going to be able to have a friend in Gale again?"

Effie remained quiet until they stepped off of the elevator in Special Weaponry where Gale could be seen through some windows working with Beetee. "He's my son, Katniss. I love him, and I know you hate being told what to do, so the choice will be up to you, but I will ask you to put yourself in his position. If you were the one that had been shown video clips of him kissing...Johanna or that girl, Delly...and she were pregnant. Worse than that, you were told the child she carried was Peeta's..." Katniss could feel her blood beginning to boil at the mere thought. "Would you understand if he continued a relationship with her?"

She immediately hated Johanna and Delly, regardless of whether or not they were innocent. Just picturing one of them with Peeta, hanging onto him, drove her insane. In the back of her head she could see Johanna kicking her tree costume to the side and jutting out her bare breasts. She could hear Delly's laugh and see her playfully smacking at Peeta's arm when he asked her about their first kiss. "Let's try not to be seen," Katniss walked through security and headed down a hallway away from Gale. "I just want to get my bow and go."

"Or we could forgo this all together and you could get some rest?" Effie suggestion fell flat. "You are one stubborn young woman, Katniss."

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing."

"I fear that one day your stubborn streak may lead to irreversible damage," Effie glanced over her shoulder towards Gale.

11:23 PM

"Hey mom," Peeta left Katniss' side for all of a minute to talk to his family. "Dad...Haymitch," he took his spot next to Katniss on the bed and fed her a few more chips of ice. "Want something for your lips? They look dry."

"No," she shook her head and gave Effie a pathetic smile. "Guess I should have listened to you when you told me to get some rest earlier, huh?" Though Katniss knew Effie had been speaking about her relationship with Peeta when talking about how stubborn she was, Katniss couldn't help but think that this was a result of it as well.

"It wouldn't have mattered, Katniss," Prim answered from her mother's side. "You didn't do anything to cause this."

"Then why is it happening, Prim? Why?" She didn't believe for a minute that this wasn't her fault.

"The doctor thinks it may have something to do with your spike in blood pressure," Evelyn answered for Prim. "It's one of the main reasons for early labor."

"So this is happening because I had high blood pressure?" The sharp pain in her lower abdomen caused her to suck in a breath. "Peeta," she didn't even have to say anything to him, he already knew.

"Okay, this is going to be a bad one. Just look at me and we'll get through it, all right?" He didn't pull his focus away from her when he said to his family, "I think the rest of you should wait outside." His breathing rate joined hers as he eased her through it. "Yell all you want, baby. It's okay." The glare directed at him instead of at one of their family members was exactly what he was hoping for.

Katniss' loud scream had her mother and sister pausing at the door for a brief moment before exiting the room. "I...don't...want...any...one..." each pant held a word, "...else...in...hereaaaaaaaaah!" She squeezed Peeta's fingers as the wave of pain flowed around her and began to push their child out of her body. "She's coming!"

"No she's not. Not yet." The doctor had told Peeta to expect this once she got further along with the contractions. "Come on, Katniss. You can get through this. It's almost over." He pressed his lips against her sweaty brow and allowed her to collapse in his arms when the pain subsided. "I'm so proud of you." He wiped the tears that started to fall on his shoulder.

"Okay, Katniss," Dr. Euclaire and her medical staff were ready to bring their baby into the world, but Katniss and Peeta weren't. "You're going to want to push with the next contraction, but you can't. Whatever you do, do not push."

The pain began almost immediately after the last one. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"Don't push. Don't push," Peeta kept repeating the words to her over and over again, holding her stare the entire time.

"Great job," Dr. Euclaire made eye contact with Dr. Fletcher. "Are you ready?"

The words Portia first spoke to Peeta the morning of the Games seemed to hold a pattern in his life. Though the physician hadn't directed them at Peeta he couldn't help but ask himself if he was ready for this. Was he was prepared to be a father? Worse yet, was he was prepared for the death of their child? With each contraction Katniss went through Peeta felt the inevitable growing nearer. "Are you ready, Peeta?" a voice inside his head asked him. "Let's do this," he whispered against Katniss' forehead as he placed one last kiss there. With her cheeks cupped in his hand Peeta sent as much strength as possible to her, willing Katniss to make it through this.

Through the Games, through the threat of starvation...the life of a victor, Katniss always found a way to dig deep and find courage deep within herself, but now she relied upon the man holding her focus. "Okay," she said to Peeta on a raspy breath. "I can do this."

"That's my girl," he took her hand in his and stood by her side as each of the medical staff took their position.

"Katniss I want you to push as hard as you can with this next contraction," Dr. Euclaire spoke over the sounds of heavy breathing and shuffling feet. "Here we go."

Seven Hours Earlier

"There you are," Peeta yanked Katniss into his arms the second she entered their quarters and pulled her in for a kiss. He held her head against his lips with one hand and her body still with the other. "Good God, I couldn't take my eyes off of you today," he attached to her lips once more. "I know I told you not to shoot, but holy cow, Katniss. You looked..." he made a low growling noise as he dragged her into their sleeping area, "...the only word that comes to mind is hot. Incredibly hot out there with that gun."

"What happened to, you shouldn't be shooting Katniss?" She laughed when he lifted her up and sat her on the edge of their bed enjoying where this was going.

"I was an idiot." He yanked her shoes off one at a time, then pulled off her socks. "Regina's in delivery right now, so we need to hurry."

"Aren't we supposed to be down there?" She yanked his shirt over his head not caring in the least.

"We'll be there soon." His lips were a breath away from hers. "By the way, if you ever go into training again, you'll regret it."

"Yes, Peeta," She flopped back against the bed and laughed at him as he crawled his way up her body. "What about hunting? Can I hunt?" She asked as he nibbled at her neck.

"Bow and arrows?" He said against her skin. "Because I saw you out there with those and...damn, that was even better than the gun."

"You're a pig Mellark."

"Correction," He knelt above her, "I'm your pig." He noticed her wincing a bit. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she lied not wanting to tell him about the pain that had started in her back during the filming of the propos.

"Good." He bent down to kiss her. After several long kisses he let his lips linger against hers and said throatily, "This day has been a lot better than I thought it would be."

"And it's about to get better," Katniss nipped at his bottom lip.

11:59 PM

"PUSH! PUSH!" Peeta couldn't believe where his day started, and where they were at right now.

"That's it, she's out. Time of birth, eleven-fifty nine pm," Dr. Euclaire began working feverishly, but no sound came from the limp body pulled out of Katniss.

"Peeta?" Katniss' eyes delved into his as they watched the bluish colored infant be handed off to Dr. Fletcher.

"It'll be fine. She's a fighter, remember?" He began to blow out breaths that puffed his cheeks. "She's a fighter," Katniss wrapped her arms around his neck as he buried his face in her shoulder. His eyes kept flashing to the clock wondering if the doctor would be calling out their baby's time of death soon.

"She's breathing!" Dr. Fletcher called out, "And we've got a strong heartbeat!"

Katniss and Peeta both let out sighs of relief, but both knew their daughter hadn't yet seen the worst of her challenges.

"Let the Games begin," Katniss mouthed to Peeta as her tears began to stream down her cheeks, hating that their daughter would have to fight so hard to stay alive.

And though Peeta didn't mouth it back, he couldn't get the words, "may the odds be ever in her favor," out of his mind.

I have decided to post an edited version of Road to Recovery on the AO3 sight. It will be a rated M version of the story and have some minor changes as well as BIG changes. If you haven't read the story, please feel free to go to the link on my tumblr page at jamiesommers23 dot tumblr dot com.