After the Rebellion | Part 2

Chapter 6

-Katniss

I push the key in through the lock on our door and twist it a few times before pushing it wide open. I walk in slowly and a slightly tipsy Peeta stumbles in behind me. I close the door behind me and lock it before pulling the key out and putting it back into my bag.

I slowly make my way up the stairs, tugging at the bottom of my dress as it's rising to the top of my thighs.

I hear Peeta slowly making his way up the stairs mumbling to himself as I walk into our bedroom. I make my way over to the bathroom door and step in. I look directly into the mirror and pick up my hair brush and start to brush my hair.

I hear Peeta make an entrance into the bedroom but I don't take any notice, I just carry on brushing my hair. I put it in my usual braid and tie it before walking into the bedroom. I lift my dress over my head and I see Peeta sat on the bed staring at me. I blush slightly. Yes, he's seen me like this before but that doesn't mean he still doesn't make me nervous. I pick up his shirt of the counter in the bathroom and pul it over my head and slowly turn around to see Peeta with his eyes still fixed on me, I blush again and bite my lower lip. What am I doing? I've never done that before.

I make my way to the bed and I am immediately pulled into his arms and smothered by his wet kisses all over my face. I start to laugh and he places me on the bed softly and kisses me softly on the nose before lifting my shirt up so my stomach is revealed. He places a quick kiss on my stomach before looking back up at me. "It's a shame you can't kiss your own stomach and feel the baby underneath your lips," he says.

"I can't kiss my stomach but I can more than surely kiss you," I reply pulling his face up to meet mine so I can place a soft, gentle, loving kiss on his lips.

He may be a little tipsy but he still knows what to say, per usual.

~~

I make my way slowly through the trees down to the river bank. I step onto one of the stones and I spot something red splattered on the rock, I bend down and let my fingers touch the red substance. It's blood. His blood.

I get up as quickly as my heavily pregnancy self can and slowly follow the trail of the blood, looking around at my surroundings very carefully.

I see him there, sat on top of a rock. I start to run towards him, "Peeta!" I scream, "Peeta." I finally reach where he was sitting, but he disappears.

"Where are you, Peeta?' I scream at the top of my lungs. But there's no answer and he's nowhere to be seen.

I feel someone shaking my arm but I just shake them off, I don't want to feel anyone's touch only Peeta's. I start to run back where I came from and into the forest. I take a sharp right turn and start to run down the hill. My feet slip and I begin to find myself slowly falling, almost like I'm falling in slow motion. I instantly cover my heavily pregnant stomach with my arms. No! Not the baby. I start to scream uncontrollably, "Kill me, just don't touch my, our baby! It's the only thing i have left of him!"

I feel that same someone shaking me again but this time I tear a faint, "Katniss." Almost like it was coming from a distance, I don't recognise the voice that's calling, almost whispering my name.

I reach the bottom of the hill finally and stay there not willing to move an inch, still. I hug myself and bring my knees up to my chest so no one can get to my, our baby. I put my face down onto the top of my knees and look around for that person who was calling me, but I see nothing just an open area with a huge lake and a cornucopia in the middle of it. What am I doing back in the games? I thought they were all over. What was Peeta doing in this arena? I have to find Peeta, even if it is the last thing I ever do because that's what me and him do, protect each other.

All of these thoughts makes tears prick my eyes and a tear trickles down my cheek, it rolls off my face and drops to the floor. It feels like a flood follows in the same path of that one meaningless tear.

"Where is he? I need him!" I scream

"I need him! Our baby needs him," I scream even louder than I did before.

I start losing control, what's happened to my Peeta? Not again, I can't lose him again. I lost him once and that was the worst thing that ever happened, I really need him. My thoughts make me start screaming and crying and violently shaking again, but his time I jolt awake. My eyes searching the room for him, my Peeta, my eyes finally catch a glimpse of his red, tear-flooded face and I start to panic and instantly thinking the worst, just like I always do.

He pulls me into his arms and I let him. We start crying together and sniffling. He whispers into my ear, "You're safe now, you and this little one." his hand reaches for my stomach. He lifts up my night shirt which is covered in sweat from this nightmare I feel like I was living. His hand touches the skin of my stomach and I instantly feel warmth and loving. "You really think I'd leave you and this little one? Without you both I'm not me," he says calmly, still with a quiet sob in the middle of his words.

I move my one hand and place it on top of Peeta's that is on my stomach. "Thank you, Peeta." I quietly sob into his shirt. "I love you Peeta, always."