After the Rebellion | Part 2

Chapter 11

November

16 Weeks Pregnant.

-Peeta

"Katniss? You need to get out of bed and walk around you've been in this bed for 4 days straight and you haven't moved a muscle. I'm sure that's not good for you or the baby, it's the baby scan today and maybe we can find out if we're have a little Katniss or a little me running around," I say opening the door to our bedroom where Katniss is still lying in bed reading through the same baby leaflets she's been reading for the past 4 weeks since we went to the midwife.

"No, me and the baby are fine. We don't need to go anywhere other than the bakery to get cheese buns," she says. I sigh in response and make my way towards the telephone on the table in the hall way. I pick it up and dial the hospital number.

Me; hello?

Hospital; hello, district twelve hospital, how can we help?

Me; is there a chance I can get a midwife out to see my wi- to see Katniss Everdeen please?

Hospital; yes of course, we'll send one out straight away,

Me; okay, thank you.

I hang up the phone and walk back into the bedroom to see Katniss stood up looking out of the window with both hands on her ever growing baby bump singing the words of the hanging tree just like she did when I saw her take over the screen during my interview with Caesar.

Are you? Are you?

Coming to the tree

Where I told you to run

So we'd both be free

Strange things did happen here

No stranger would it be

If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree

The voice inside registers this song and I start to think evil thoughts. I quickly hurry down the stairs into the kitchen and grab the back of the wooden chair. I grab the chair with all my strength and my knuckles start to turn white.

'She's a mutt, kill her!'

"She isn't," I scream.

'She killed your family'

"No she didn't"

'She almost killed you now you must kill her'

"I must kill - no."

'She doesn't love you, she's a mutt'

"She's a mutt"

The voice inside my head takes over and I start screaming uncontrollably.

I know this time it won't end quickly. I clutch the back of the chair harder until I feel my fingers go numb.

'She's a mutt.'

"She's a mutt," I scream.

'She killed your family.'

"She killed my family." I shout.

'She doesn't love you'

"She doesn't love me," I say.

I hear Katniss screaming behind me but I take no notice. That's the way it should be, the mutt screaming for her life. I feel the mutts arms wrap around my waist and I clutch the chair even harder.

'Now's your time, kill her.'

"No," I scream.

'She's a mutt.'

"She's a- no she isn't," I fight back.

"It's okay, Peeta, I'm here," her soothing voice says.

"Katniss go," I sob. Her clasp around my body gets tighter when she hugs herself closer to me.

"I'm you fiancé, we have a baby on the way and I love you, Peeta, it's not real. Don't listen to the voices in your head."

I fight with the voices once more until they stop. I collapse to the floor pulling Katniss into my lap and kissing her hair.

"I am so sorry, please tell me I didn't hurt you, and please tell me I didn't." I feel her tears soaking through my t-shirt and I instantly pull her closer to me and into my lap.

"Yo- You didn't hurt me, Peeta, you told me the flashbacks wouldn't come back, you told me, Peeta!" she sobs into my chest.

"I never said they wouldn't come back, I told you they wouldn't lead me to hurting you," I reply.

"Well you lied, they're hurting me, what if you have one when the baby comes? What am I going to do?" she sobs. I just pull her close.

"Katniss, it's going to be okay, the baby is going to be okay. Nothing's going to happen I promise."

"You can't promise me anything! You're a monster, Peeta." She stands up out of my lap and runs up the stairs. I hear her cries get louder as they turn into screaming sounds, I run my hands through my hair and stand up just before Haymitch bursts through the front door, "Bloody hell, she's already knocked up do you have to-" he stops mid-sentence when he sees me standing by the dining room chair.

"Never mind, whats wrong with her bread boy?" he asks.

"Just her hormones I think. I had a flashback and that set everything off," I reply.

"You did-"

"No, I didn't hurt her; I run straight down here and was trying to face the evil side of myself while she was upstairs singing and holding the baby bump."

"Thank God." I smile in response before Haymitch smiles back and walks out of the house, slamming the door behind him. I can't hear Katniss' cries anymore which can only mean one thing - she's okay.

"SHE'S DEAD! SHE'S DEAD YOU STUPID CAT, SHES DEAD!" I hear her scream. I immediately run up the stairs to meet her rocking on the wooden floor of our bedroom clutching onto buttercup like he was her lifeline. I stand and watch her cry into buttercups fur and I start to walk forward but something deep inside tells me not too, it tells me to leave her have her moment with the cat.