AN: Please check out my new Percy Jackson story called… The Ex Factor! And thanks for the awesome reviews. Unfortunately, I'm well enough to go to school tomorrow so you might not get updates as often as they were before.
Peeta
Ever since I was little I've always wanted kids and with Katniss I always thought I'd never have any, so I guess it kind of came as a shock when Katniss starts pushing and out pops a baby. But as soon as I saw her I literally melted. I look at Katniss who is holding Hope and notice how tired she looks. I'm not surprised after that surprising event. "Hey," I whisper as I notice our baby is sleeping. She looks at me and flashes a tired smile. "Why don't you get some sleep?"
She nods and hands Hope over to me gently. I then pass Hope to Finnick. He looks at her in shock and worry. "What if I drop her?" he asks, panicking.
"Then I'll kill you," I say in a playful but serious voice.
I turn back to Katniss and help her slide into the sleeping bag. I sit beside her as she drifts off. "You did great," I whisper, running my fingers through her hair.
"It hurt," she replies.
"I bet it did," I say and chuckle.
"Don't be expecting another kid for fifteen years," she whispers. I smile and kiss her one last time before she falls asleep.
I watch her for about five minutes wondering how she never realised she was pregnant. I mean, I thought women felt the baby kick and felt sick. I guess Katniss did get a little emotional but that's the only sign that she was ever pregnant. And where was the bump? I noticed she'd put on weight but I thought I meant she was getting healthier and stronger and all along it was a baby.
I have to admit when the thought first popped into my head when I was watching Katniss scream in agony I thought I was gong to have a heart attack but as soon as Hope was born all my worries disappeared… but now they have returned. We are in the arena, battling it out to win. Anything can happen at anytime and now an innocent baby is involved.
I bet everyone is going crazy back home. We'll definitely have more sponsors and I can imagine the Capitol going crazy. What is Snow going to do about this? Surely he can't let my baby be a tribute. The Capitol citizens would kill him… not if I do first, of course. My thoughts wonder back to Katniss and I smile to myself when I memorise the love in her eyes when she saw the baby. I didn't expect it. I thought she'd go crazy and not even look at the baby but she took it better than I expected. Much better, actually.
I turn to the four lifesavers that had turned up just in time to help us. I glance at Finnick and smile at him grinning down at my sleeping baby while he rocks her gently back and forth. I look from Johanna to Mags and then to Wiress and that's when I notice Beetee is missing. Oh god… "Where's Beetee?" I whisper, not wanting to wake Katniss or the baby.
Wiress snaps her head in my direction. "Tick tock," she says and I furrow my brow.
She crawls towards me like a dog and looks at me with wide-eyes. "Tick tock," she repeats and starts chanting it.
"Not again," Johanna moans and I look at her in confusion. "She's been saying the same thing over and over since we found her," she explains.
"Is Beetee gone?" I ask and she nods.
"He dropped his wire when it started raining blood and he drowned trying to find it," Mags mutters.
"Raining blood?" I ask in horror and Finnick nods.
"And Fog. Oh and a large wave," Johanna adds and I furrow my brow in confusion; that's why everyone is dying- because all these events are happening. I guess Snow wants us dead pretty quick.
"Tick tock," Wiress mutters, staring at me with desperate eyes like she's trying to tell me something. Is she?
"Tick tock," I repeat. "What goes tick tock?"
"A clock, of course," Finnick says and Wiress nods her head abruptly.
"Clock," she says. "Clock!"
"A clock? Where's the clock?" I ask, confused.
Wiress stands up on her wobbly legs and spins in a circle. "The world?" I ask.
"Tick tock," she says and starts pointing to different parts of the arena. Okay, I think. Tick tock equals a clock. A clock equals… the arena? No way…
"Hey, in what direction was the blood and wave?" I ask and Johanna points in the directions. I turn around and look in the directions of the beast and the cave. "The clock is the arena," I whisper to myself and turn back to Wiress who now has hope in her eyes. "The arena, it's a clock?" I ask and she nods and throws her arms around me.
That explains a lot. The noises at night were hints; twelve booms equals twelve hands on a clock. Wait until Katniss hears about this.
Katniss
I wake a few hours later to a small cry. The noise is like an alarm clock and as soon as I hear it I bolt upright despite my pain. I look in the direction of the noise and find Hope crying her eyes out in Finnick's arms. "What do I do?" he asks in a panic.
"Come here," I say and he quickly brings her over to me and places her in my arms. She quietens down a little but still sobs. I rock her gently back and forth and automatically start singing:
Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when again they open, the sun will rise
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.
She has stopped crying by the time I finish and is staring at me with her sky blue eyes. I kiss her nose gently and wonder why I never wanted kids in the first place. Then I remember. It's as if I return to reality, like I was in dreamland before but now I'm not. I'm in the arena with Peeta and our baby; a baby that can die at any time. I force the tears not to fall; I can't show any more weakness. I feel my face heat up in embarrassment as I remember how I'd screamed and cried while giving birth. "Are you okay?" Peeta asks and I nod slightly but then shake my head.
"No." he kneels down beside me and kisses my forehead.
"I'm not going to let anyone hurt her or you, I promise," he whispers. I flash a sad smile and peck his lips softly. "We discovered something. Or Wiress did, really. She's a genius. The arena is a clock," he says and my eyes widen.
I ponder what he said and realise it makes sense and then remember the guy I danced with on the victory tour. He had had a Mockingjay watch and told me that it starts at midnight; he was warning me. I look down at our baby and forget about the arena for a second and focus on her. "What are we going to feed her?" I ask, curiously.
"Milk," Peeta says and I frown.
"Can you see any milk around here?" I ask, sarcastically.
"Well, I can't actually see it," he grins, his eyes leaving mine and travelling down. I follow his gaze in confusion and I blush when they land on my breasts. How did I not notice those grow?
"You mean I have to…" I trail off and look at my small audience watching us in amusement.
"Yes, Katniss- You'll have to get your tits out," Johanna smirks and I bet my face looks like a tomato.
I look down at my baby and sigh. If I want her to survive then I'll have to. "Finnick go away," I order and he looks at me wide-eyed.
"Why?"
"Why do you think?" I snap.
"Katniss," he laughs. "You just gave birth in front of me."
"Yeah well, you didn't see anything," I answer quickly.
"Aww look, Katniss is still being a pure girl," he teases.
"Shut up!" I snap and try to stand up so I can breast feed in privacy but I yelp in pain, which causes the baby to cry.
"No! No! No! Don't cry, I'm okay," I whisper and rock my baby again. "You want something in your tummy don't you," I say in a calm voice.
She carries on crying and I glare at Finnick and he smirks back at me. Pulling my shirt up, not really sure what I'm doing, I pop my baby's head under and guide her to my breasts. I pull my top down the further it will go so I'm only showing my stomach. "Is she drinking?" Mags asks and I nod while looking down my top, watching my baby drink.
I've just finished feeding Hope and rocked her back to sleep when I loud voice fills my ears. "Tributes of the 75th Hunger Games, listen up!" Claudius Templesmith's voice booms from… I don't really know where. "As there has been an unexpected event, President Snow believes it will be best to stop this years game!"
My eyes widen in shock and I look at Peeta. "A hovercraft will be here to collect the remaining tributes. Please stay exactly where you are seated and we'll be there shortly," Claudius finishes.
"Oh my god," I whisper. I'm going home. Peeta is going home and my baby. Home where my family is.
"Your dad is going to kill me," Peeta whispers in my ear and I can't help but laugh.
"Nah, I don't think he will," I reassure him, truthfully. It will be kind of awkward and maybe a little embarrassing but other that I think he'll take it well.
Soon the hovercraft fills the sky and we are lifted inside. My baby is rushed off straight away and I start to feel anxious. What if they hurt her? What if Snow gets his hands on her? Then I wonder why he let us out at all. I bet the Capitol was going crazy and if he didn't let us out I'm sure everyone would be against him. Then I realise that's his worst fear. If he doesn't have the Capitol he has nothing.
I stop thinking about Snow when a doctor comes to take a look at me. He wants to see if I need to be stitched up after the birth and if I'm feeling okay. And right now I'm feeling fine. I'm going home.
Review! This was going to happen from the start but I'm wondering if they're leaving too soon. What do you think?