The next several weeks are a challenge. Katniss is introduced to the propo team that has been working with Finnick for the entirety of the time that she was locked up in the Capitol with Peeta and Johanna. After meeting President Coin, the leader of District 13, she is set to join the propo team. Restricted of course, seeing as how she's eight months pregnant, but participate nonetheless. She's updated daily, hourly on particularly bad days, of Peeta's progression. The propo's come easy enough to her, especially with her pent up anger than seems to be relieved by nothing in the literal world. Several districts have joined the fight as a result. She'd done exactly what they'd wanted her to from the beginning.

"He wants to see you," Haymitch says out of the blue after the filming of a propo.

"What?" she stops and turns to face him.

"He asked to see you, Katniss." Without a second thought she starts to walk in the opposite direction of the hospital. Haymitch follows quickly after her. "Katniss, this hasn't been easy on any of us, but you're still his wife and he would like to see you."

"Are you sure he doesn't want to kill me anymore?" she snaps.

"Katniss, you and I both know that were he in his right mind, he wouldn't have wanted to do that the last time," he sighs heavily before grabbing her hand and pulling her to a gentle stop. "I think you should at the very least, try. You're due in the next few weeks. You owe it to yourself, Peeta, and that little girl."

"I don't know if I can, Haymitch," she hesitates.

"Not necessary," he shrugs. "You need to do this for Peeta."

"I don't need to do anything for anyone," she grumbles.

"Katniss," Haymitch steps in front of her. "I'm asking you to go see your husband."

"That's not Peeta."

"Please, Katniss. I implore you."

"Will you stop pestering me, if I do?"

"Yes," he lets go of her. "Completely hands off."

"Fine," she huffs and turns around. "Let's go, before I change my mind." With her belly bigger than ever it takes longer than normal to walk to the hospital. Upon her arrival several doctors and nurses immediately ask her if she's in labor and several if she's okay, once they're all told that she coming to see Peeta, they all back off and return to their work.

"Katniss?" her mother calls to her in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"He wants to see me…"

Her mother immediately looks to Haymitch, "do you think that's a good idea?"

"He's mad at me, Emma," he steps forward and grabbing Katniss' hand, walks around her mother. Leading her down the hallway, he begins to have second thoughts. Is this actually a good idea? Why had he been for it until her mother had said something? Was he feeling irrationally protective of her, or was it justified? Doubt begins to overcome him, but he keeps walking, and in no time at all they come face to face with the doctor from the Hovercraft. Stopping momentarily to get a grasp on her surroundings Katniss continues to follow Haymitch past the doctor.

"Okay," Haymitch says coming to a stop. "He's through this door. I'll be right out here watching the monitor in case I need to come in there. He's handcuffed to a beam, so he won't be able to get to you as long as you don't get too close to him."

"If you're supposed to be reassuring me, you're not doing a very good job," she says passing him to the door. Grabbing the handle and with a heavy sigh she pulls the door open. Stepping into the room she crosses her arms over her stomach protectively and takes in Peeta. He looks much better than before, not so pale or thin anymore, healthy. More than she could have hoped for. "Peeta," she says, her voice cracking.

"Katniss," he says with a nod and sizes her up.

The two remain silent, for awhile her eyes never leave the floor, but his never leave her.

"Katniss," he barely whispers. "Thank you for coming."

Nodding, "Haymitch said you wanted to see me. Well, here I am."

"I have eyes, Katniss."

"Good," she folds her arms a little tighter. "At least those are still functional."

"That's not fair," he says wringing his hands. "You know that's not fair."

"I know," she shakes her head and shrugs, "I'm sorry. But I've never been the nice one. That's always been you."

"So that makes what you said okay?" he asks, bitterly.

"No, I guess not."

"How's Gale?" he wonders, through gritted teeth.

"Gale is fine," she spits out. Annoyed. "What does that matter?"

"Well you haven't come to see me," he says cracking his knuckles. "So I just figured you were spending all your free time with Gale."

"Now who's the one not being fair?"

"You're right," he agrees. "I should absolutely assume that you are what they tell me. I should absolutely not doubt how you feel about me, despite the fact that you haven't come to see me once. Do you love me, Katniss?" She opens her mouth to talk but he continues, "Because from where I sit, here, in this room, completely alone...I doubt it."

"You could have asked for me before now too, you know."

"I didn't think you'd come to see me," he admits. "I'm surprised you came this time."

"Well the last time I came to see you, you all but said you wished I was dead," she uncrosses her arms and they fall to her sides in fists, "so tell me why that would make me want to come here?"

"I'm not sure I meant that…"

"The you I once knew - the one I married - no...he'd never mean that. The the new you - this you - well...he might have meant that."

"You're still not being fair." The two stop talking and look at opposite walls for several minutes in frustration before Peeta speaks again. "Maybe, if I could remember some things...or could determine when they were real or not...maybe things would be better."

A voice comes over the speaker, "Then ask Peeta. It's what Annie does."

He nods in the air before making eye contact with Katniss, "your favorite color...is green?"

"Yes," she nods emphatically. "And yours is orange."

"Orange?" he asks with a cocked eyebrow.

"Not a bright orange. A soft one." She takes two tentative steps forward before stopping. "Like a sunset."

"Oh," he nods. "Thank you."

Before she can stop herself she continues, "You're a painter. You're a baker. You like to sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar in your tea. And you always double-knot your shoelaces." Her hands fly up and cover her face just as the tears begin to flow. Peeta stares at her, trying to figure her out. Looking up slowly, her eyes and face wet with tears, "What did Snow do to you?"

Peeta strains against his cuffs. "You do love me. That much wasn't a lie." She shakes her head and makes a beeline for the door, but as she does so she hears a clanking noise from behind her and stops to look back. Peeta has stood and taken as many steps towards her as he can while still being handcuffed. "That wasn't a lie." He kicks the wall behind him. "You shake your head, but in my head, all I see is the video of Gale kissing you...over and over and over and over again." He hits his head against the poll.

"That-" she chokes. "That was before the Victory Tour." Tears begin to fall again. "Before the wedding. Before this." She gestures to her stomach. "Before the Quarter Quell. That was so long ago, Peeta. So long ago." Her hand flies up to cover her mouth and stifle a sob. "I just hear you screaming. Over and over and over again. I can't sleep. I can't breathe. I can't-" she gasps audibly. "I had to listen to you screaming for weeks. I had…" she inhales and exhales. "I couldn't help you. I couldn't save you. I blew out the arena. This is all my fault!"

"No," he says shaking his head. "I know somewhere inside, that's not true."

"It is true," her sobbing becomes more violent. "It's my fault Peeta. It's all my fault. It's because of those berries. Because I couldn't kill you."

"Couldn't?"

"No, I couldn't kill you."

"Why?" he strains against the cuffs, hanging on her every word.

"Because I need you," she breaths heavily.

The door opens and in walks Gale. "Come on, Katniss."

"Really?" hollers Peeta yanking his cuffs. "You're just gonna waltz in here like that - while we're talking?"

"Yeah," he nods and grabs ahold of Katniss' elbow. "Now come on."

"No," she yanks her arm free.

"What's so wrong with her talking to me?" protests Peeta.

"Nothing," he shrugs. "She's just been so focused on your discussion that she didn't even notice that her water just broke."

"What?" She stares at the ground and sees the truth in his words. Then the pain hit. In a matter of seconds Haymitch was in the room scooping her up and rushing away. Peeta staring after them not knowing what to say, emotions confusing as ever. Haymitch just makes it to the maternity side of the hospital and placed her on a bed when the doctor appears and tells her it probably won't take longer than an hour at this point.

"You're fully dilated," he grabs gloves. "You should be ready to push shortly."

"I'm not ready…" she starts to cry. "I'm not ready."

"You haven't got a choice, Katniss," Haymitch says patting her on the shoulder.

"Gale, get out."

"But-" he tries to speak.

"If Peeta isn't going to be here, you're not going to be here. And even if he was you wouldn't-Ahhhhh!" she shouts in pain. Gale tries to stay but Haymitch pushes him from the room and is about to exit himself when Katniss calls him back with a scream.

The doctor was right - almost. In one hour and four minutes Katniss Everdeen Mellark is a mother. The shock of the rapid labor leaves her in a haze of disbelief, even as the doctor places her screaming baby in her arms, she hasn't quite gotten a grasp on the situation at hand - that is - until her baby stopped crying the instant she touched her chest. The rush of emotions in the moment bring tears to her eyes and she pulls the baby in close.

"She's beautiful, Katniss," Haymitch says, pushing the hairs on her face back behind her ears. "What are you going to name her?"

"Well, Peeta and I barely had a chance to talk about the gender, let alone any names…" she pauses taking in the brown locks of hair and letting out a slight gasp as she opens her eyes to look at her. "She's got his eyes," she swallows hard. "Lily. I know Peeta would approve. I'm going to call her Lily."

"Got any middle name in mind?" asks Prim, rushing into the room.

"When Peeta is better," she sighs heavily, "I'll let him decide."

"But what if-" starts the doctor.

"Please don't say anything like, maybe he won't, or what if he doesn't," making direct eye contact with the doctor, "because if he had the sense enough to get angry at and jealous of Gale for pulling me out of the room, and straining against the cuffs as I was being pulled out - no, he's in there somewhere, and I'm not giving up on him yet." Nodding the doctor backs out slowly. "I am never letting you go," she looks down at her daughter and weeps openly.

Over the next week, Katniss never leaves her daughter for longer than it takes for her to go to the bathroom or take a shower, and the only people she'll let even think about touching her in her absence are exactly four people: Haymitch, Finnick, Johanna, and Prim. She trusted her mother, but there was never enough time for her with her being a healer and people needing her constantly. One day after a particularly tiring one - and hours of filming a propo with the baby - Haymitch comes to her slowly, but before he says anything she gathers what he means.

"Peeta wants to see me?"

"Actually," he says interested. "He wants to see the baby. We showed him the last propo, and he asked if he could see her. I told him that I would talk to you. He got angry when he heard Gale had seen her and he hadn't. Yelled at me for quite awhile about how she was his baby and not Gale's and he had a right to see her. I agree with him, but I told him I would have to talk to you. This really is your choice, Katniss. We won't make you do anything you don't want to do, or don't feel comfortable with."

"He's right," she admits, pulling Lily closer to her chest. "He does deserve to see her." She pauses slightly before looking up at Haymitch, "How is he? Do you think he's stable enough? Do you think it would be safe?"

"Katniss, you saw him before. He's a little better, but he's not exactly his old self either."

"Not what I asked, Haymitch." She gently begins to rock the baby back and forth as she sleeps soundly in her arms. "Do you think it would be safe? I need to know that it would be safe. I need to know that he wouldn't hurt her."

"Katniss," he shrugs, "We can't know that unless we try...that's why it's your call. Yes she's his daughter, but she's yours too. If you feel comfortable with it, then I feel comfortable with it. If you want me there with you - if you decide to do it - I will be there with you. Whatever you decide, sweetheart, I will back 100%."

"Then," she hesitates, looking back down at her sleeping baby. "I'm okay with it. I do, however, want you there with me. And I want him cuffed. I want precautions, I don't want to be blindsided by anything, and I certainly don't want anything to happen to her...and I know Peeta wouldn't want that either. So yes, he can see her, but I'm going too."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," he nods. "Do you want to go now?"

"Probably should, before I have too much time to think about it." She says and Haymitch nods in understanding and they walk over to the hospital. He asks her if she wants him to go in and prepare Peeta, but she decides that no, she wants him to be surprised. "I need to see his reaction, Haymitch. I need to see what he does...and in order for that to happen, he can't know beforehand."

"Okay, Katniss." Getting to the door Haymitch stops her, "Not that I doubt you…"

"Yes, Haymitch," she smiles. "Open the door." Without another word he pushes the door open and she walks through, carrying the sleeping infant in her arms. Peeta perks right up at the sight of her and tears begin to fall from his eyes. "I named her Lily...ya know, carrying on what my father did...naming us after plants." She takes a few steps towards him and stops. "I saw her," she starts to cry, "and she is just so beautiful, that I had to name her after a flower."

"Did you pick a middle name?" he stands, hands cuffed around a poll.

"No," she shakes her head. "I thought I'd let you pick it...she's your daughter too. She has your eyes." Then Katniss begins to cry to profusely and so intently that she wakes the sleeping baby up. With a slight stretch and a whine of exhaustion, Lily resituates herself and falls back asleep. She now steps close enough to him that there is only two feet that separate them from each other.

Peeta looks down at the baby, "She is beautiful," and then looks up at Katniss, "I'm so sorry, Katniss. I'm sorry that I can't remember things. I'm sorry...I just. I'm so very very sorry."

Waving her head back and forth she speaks with a shaky voice, "It's - it's not your fault, Peeta. It's my fault. All of this," she nods down to his cuffed hands. "It's all my fault." He forces his eyes shut and stamps a foot on the ground. "It is. It's all my fault. None of this ever would have happened, if I'd just eaten those berries and died like I was supposed to."

"No," his head snaps up and their eyes lock. "No, Katniss. It's not. What you did, we did together. I could have eaten those berries and died, but I didn't. I remember...you told me to spit them out, and I did...you-saved my life. You never tried to kill me. We were a team...with Haymitch and Effie. A team."

"Yes," she says still crying. "Yes we are."

"And I loved you a lot."

"Yes, you did."

"And you love me?"

Before she can even say anything the door swings open.

"Really?!" Peeta shouts as Gale's face comes into view. "You are lucky I'm handcuffed to this poll."

"Katniss, they need us in command immediately."

"I will be there momentarily," she says through gritted teeth as she glances over her shoulder.

"Don't wait too long."

"I'm the Mockingjay, what exactly do they think they can do without me?"

"Just hurry." He turns and the door shuts behind him.

Peeta kicks the wall in frustration. "What is his problem? Am I not allowed to talk to you? See my daughter? What gives, Katniss?" He pauses and then looks between himself and the door. Several times before staring at Katniss. "Are you with him now or something?"

"What? No." She kisses her baby on the forehead. "No, Peeta. It's you. Just you."

"Katniss, do you love me? Is that real?"

She nods and immediately retreats to the door.

"I can't explain it," he calls after her. "And part of me doesn't understand it, another part can't forget it, and yet my heart tells me it's true. That I love you, but Snow messed me up pretty good, Katniss. I still can't tell what's really real."

She stops at the door and nods down to Lily, "This." Then she looks back at him. "Us. We're real. That's all you need to know. And that is absolutely something you can trust. We're real, Peeta. This is all real." Before she can utter another word, and before Peeta has the chance to say anything, she's out the door and it's closing behind her.

"You gonna be okay, sweetheart?"

"Yeah," she nods, wiping the tears away with her shoulder. "Now let's go to this stupid meeting."

"You going to take Lily back to the nursery?"

"No," she says shaking her head.

"Katniss!" Finnick hollers, catching up to them. "I think it might have been too quiet, and you too close to leaving to hear it...but Peeta gave her a middle name."

"He did?" she stops in shock.

"Yeah, as you were leaving. He said, Lily can be the nickname, but her name should be Lillian Madge Mellark. He knows she didn't make it, and he vaguely remembers you being friends…" He trails off when Katniss starts to cry. "Want me to carry her there? Give you a couple seconds break." She shakes her head and pulls the infant close.

"Daddy is still in there my darling, and we're going to get him back."