Chapter Five

Katniss and I are walking on the beach outside the cottage. Ever since the districts were rebuilt and the rebellion ended it has been easier to visit different districts. The baby shower is going to begin in an hour. I told Finnick and Effie I would prefer not to have one. Especially with my frequent outbursts at the baby kicking. I recently have learned to control them, but I'm not comfortable being around what is left of our friends when my reactions are still unpredictable.

However Finnick has convinced me that it is good to see my friends and we'll receive gifts for the baby. Katniss understands what I mean.

"Well, it's true what they say though. You ARE glowing," Katniss smiles as we continue to walk.

"Well, at five and a half months pregnant I better be," I laugh.

She sighs and folds her arms looking out at the ocean. I'm not necessarily the SANEST person, but I have a gift for telling when people are upset. Katniss is upset.

"What's bothering you?" I ask.

She pauses and faces the ocean. I stop beside Katniss and focus intently on her.

"Nothing," Katniss replies.

I purse my lips, my arms fold over my stomach. She laughs quietly and looks at me then down to my stomach.

"It's Peeta…" she whispers.

"What about him?"

"We've been together for real for about four and a half months…and we had a serious conversation yesterday…"

Katniss slowly sits down in the sand and I follow her example, unsteadily. My stomach getting in the way. She politely waits for me to sit beside her and I settle with a sigh of slight exhaustion.

"He told me what he wants one day. He told me he wants to get married and take over the bakery and…and have a family…" she murmurs.

"And you don't want those things?" I ask.

She tears her eyes away from my stomach and looks out at the ocean.

"It's not that I don't WANT them. It's that I know I shouldn't HAVE them…"

"Why?"

"Because I'm the Girl On Fire," she says as though it's obvious.

"Which means?"

"That if the Hunger Games were ever reinstated… they would have to compete in it. I mean, definitely. Because of what I've done! I won't do it…"

"You think that me and Finnick aren't subject to the same kind of harassment?"

She sighs and shakes her head.

"Yeah, I'd made up my mind to never have kids and then…you get pregnant…and I gotta say…it's made me reconsider everything…"

"Yeah?"

She nods and continues to stare out at the waves.

"I was thinking about how you and Finnick have a lot to worry about and you guys threw that out the window and now he's gonna be a dad and you're going to be a mom and you both seem so excited…so why can't I be? Because I'm not ready. I'm not ready-"

"To believe in a happy ending for yourself," I finish.

"Yeah… but will Peeta wait? He deserves to get what he wants now. Especially after all he's done for me."

I touch her hand and she looks at me, her grey eyes sad.

"You both deserve to be happy. Peeta recognizes that and I can tell you right now that he will wait until your ready because he loves you. He really does love you. It's in his eyes when he looks at you."

She looks from my hand to my eyes and I see tears form.

"Katniss, I know what people say about me. That I'm the poor, mad girl that Finnick Odair has fallen for. But I KNOW what I'm talking about. If there's one thing I know about, it's love. And Peeta, he LOVES you."

I gasp as Katniss throws her arms around me. I've never seen her so emotional.

"Thank you, Annie," she says into my hair.

It's this moment that makes me feel like I might make a great mother…and like I won't have a breakdown at this baby shower.

FINNICK'S POINT OF VIEW

I am ultimately impressed with Annie. Not one freakout during the baby shower. She has handled the whole thing like a champ. The shower is over. The only guests remaining are Peeta and Katniss who sit on our couch whispering to each other, laughing. Effie is starting to clean up the party decorations and I am sipping a cup of tea, leaning on the sliding glass door and watching my beautiful, five and a half month pregnant wife say bye to a guest like she has never experienced a traumatizing event in her life.

It's the wife of our local grocer, Mindy and Annie is making her laugh hysterically. Annie opens the door for Mindy who thanks Annie for a good time. I look at Annie, who gently strokes her swollen belly. She's gorgeous in her dark blue silky dress that stops at her knees. I smile and Annie's eye catches mine. She gives me a delicate wave then returns to touching her stomach. Mindy leaves giving Annie a hug and Annie shuts the door.

I start towards Annie only to have Effie hop in front of me and skip towards Annie.

"Oh, Annie, that was just splendid!" she squeaks hugging Annie.

Annie embraces her back.

"Well, thank you for the shower. You did an amazing job, Effie," smiles Annie.

Effie glows with pride and pulls her into a hug again.

"Well, I have a gift for you. One I set up when you and Katniss went for your walk earlier. Would you like to see?" she asks.

Annie looks at me confusedly and I grin knowing what the gift is. Exactly what she needs. Annie nods and laughs exasperatedly. She giggles and grabs Annie by the wrist tugging her towards our bedroom. Katniss and Peeta remain on the couch talking and I follow Effie and Annie.

We walk into the bedroom and Effie walks in front of Annie running to our joint closet. I walk beside Annie and put my arm around her waist. She gapes as Effie opens the closet doors and reveals her half of the closet stocked with gorgeous maternity clothes.

"Ta-dah!" sings Effie.

I look at Annie who blinks and looks from the clothes to Effie. Effie smiles and pulls out a flowing, mint green sundress.

"This will look amazing with your hair!" Effie says.

Annie nods and walks towards the closet browsing through the dresses lazily and then looks back to me.

"Effie chose everything," I say.

She nods numbly and hugs Effie.

"Thank you," she smiles at Effie.

Effie shrugs and kisses both her cheeks.

"Anything for you, darling. Anything," she whispers putting back the dress and releasing Annie.

The mentally unstable mother of my child…acting extremely normal.

ANNIE'S POINT OF VIEW

Effie left about two hours after the reveal of my new closet. The only remaining guests were Peeta and Katniss. Peeta was chatting with Finnick and now I was sitting on the couch with Katniss.

"Well, if you were to start a family at least you could count on an Effie baby shower which is astounding," I smile.

Katniss laughs softly and leans forward looking at me intently.

"You've changed, Annie. I think this pregnancy is good for you," Katniss states.

I blink. Wow.

"I just mean…well… It's obvious you'll make a great mom already," she shrugs.

I slowly pull Katniss into a hug and she hugs back. I hold back my tears of happiness. Katniss's opinion means more than it should. The baby kicks but this time…I don't react. Katniss reacts.

"Was that..." she asks, trailing off.

I look down at my stomach as Katniss pulls away and gapes at me. Slowly I turn my gaze to her.

"Do you…want to feel?" I ask.

She nods slowly and places her hands on either side of my stomach. The baby kicks on cue and Katniss gasps, gawking at my belly. I look over my shoulder. Peeta is staring at us. A small smile on his lips as he watches Katniss warm up to the idea of having children slowly. My eyes shift to Fin's who looks at Peeta with warm eyes. I look back to Katniss.

"That's amazing…" she breathes.

Suddenly, Peeta is sitting beside her. His hands gently on her arms and his chin on her shoulder.

"Can Peeta feel?" Katniss asks.

"I really shouldn't…" Peeta says awkwardly.

I shake my head.

"It's really alright. Go ahead," I shrug.

Slowly, Katniss takes Peeta's hand and places it on my belly. The baby kicks again and Peeta laughs softly.

"That's incredible…" he mumbles.

Katniss nods. I look back at Finnick and smiles and shrugs as he begins to put dishes into the dishwasher.

Finnick and I lay in bed. The moon glinting off the ocean and shining in through our window. We are just staring at each other until Fin speaks.

"I was so proud of you today, Annie," he whispers.

I laugh quietly and smile at him.

"Katniss was right. This pregnancy… It's good for you…"

I feel tears well up in my eyes and blink them away. Finnick looks at my swollen belly that bulges a little beneath my button up pajama top.

"I wanna…I wanna try something if it's alright with you, Annie," he says nervously.

I nod.

"Okay."

He looks deep into my eyes as he scoots towards the food of the bed. Eventually his eyes leave mine and look at my belly. Both his hands touch my abdomen and he inches to where his face my stomach are only centimeters apart. Taking a deep breath and clearing his throat, he starts to do something he's never done yet…

"Um…hello-hi, I mean. Hi, there, baby…" he says to my stomach.

I look down at him and smile closing my eyes and trying to push away the happy tears.

"I'm your father… I mean your dad… Your pop?"

I laugh softly at his anxiety and look at him. He looks up at me.

"Your papa? Your daddy?" he asks me.

I shrug and nod.

"I created you, is what I mean… Uh… I've never done this… Um… baby… Baby, I wanted to tell you that I… I haven't met you yet and I am already in love with you. More than I thought I could be. I can't wait to meet you…and I promise that I'm gonna keep you safe. You and your mom…"

Finnick smiles at me and I grin at him warmly.

"Your mom is amazing, sport… She's so pretty… You're gonna love her… It's gonna be hard to compete with her, kiddo… Annie is gonna be the best mom… I love you and-"

Finnick stops as the baby kicks hard. Finnick pauses and sighs dreamily.

"From me to you, baby…"

He begins to hum a gentle melody. About two minutes in the baby kicks harder than ever before. At first, I panic but then I remember that this is good. The baby is healthy.

"Annie! Do you feel that? The baby is kicking so hard!" Finnick laughs.

I place my hands over Finnick's on my belly as the baby continues to kick. Finnick scoots back up to my eye level and plants a delicate kiss on my lips.

"He's gonna be amazing…just like you…" Finnick breathes.

"He?" I grin.

Finnick looks at me with a half embarrassed smile.

"It's a boy. I know it."

I can't help but hop it's a little mini Finnick as I stare into those deep green eyes.

"Me too," I breathe.

That night, I slept better than I had in months...