Here I Go Again

Chapter 9: Because She's Ours

Katniss' POV

I knock on Greasy Sae's door in the Seam and she opens it looking slightly surprised.

"Katniss, Peeta, You two are back awfully early," she says smiling, "You missed her too much to stay away any longer."

"As embarrassed as I am to admit that, It's very true," I say and she leads us in the house and to a small crib in the living room. I look down on my precious daughter. Peeta gently reaches down and picks her up. She blinks open her blue eyes and reaches out to him, making him smile.

"Hey sweetie," he says smiling and then he looks mischievously at me."I missed you but I think Mommy missed you more." He holds her out to me and I carefully take her from him. She reaches for my braid and pulls on it.

"Hey, that's not very nice," I say gently taking my hair from her tiny fingers. "I'm sorry we left for a little while but your Daddy and I haven't been by ourselves since you were born. We needed a little time to ourselves. We just didn't realize how lonely we were without you." She smiles her toothless grin. I kiss her forehead and pull her closer, finally feeling whole again holding her.

"You were really lost without her, weren't you?" Peeta asks.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I knew she was here. I knew she was safe. But I just felt broken without her. I've never felt broken as long as I'm with you," I say.

"Because she's ours. It's in our nature to be worried about her. She is irreplaceable," he says.

"Of course she is, but I knew she was safe," I say.

"You knew that in your heart, but after all we've been through, after what we've seen, we can't help but worry. Other than each other, she's all we have," he says. "Come on sweetheart, lets go home and get some breakfast."

"Alright Peeta, I'm tired anyway. Let's just go home. I know we're home and I'm holding her, but I'll feel better when we're in our own house," I say and we walk out after saying goodbye to Sae.

We walk quietly together through the Seam and across the district. Some people wave hello. Others, mostly the few well off merchants kids that had survived, gossip about us.

"It's so funny," one of them snickers, "Someone who never wanted children, never wanted to be married is the first one our age with a kid."

"Yeah," another one says, "There'll probably be another one born before the year is up." They both laugh and continue on their way. I look down at my little girl and smile softly. They're right. I didn't want this. But I wouldn't give the little girl in my arms up for anything.

"You okay?" Peeta asks as we walk into the house, "You were quiet on the way home."

"I'm fine. Just absorbing the gossip," I say laying Willow down on a blanket in the living room.

"They didn't bother you did they?" he asks.

"No, I'm happy Peeta. Happier then I would have been without you, without Willow," I say.

"What about the part about there being more before the year is up?" he asks.

"You know I'm not ready for another one yet. Its gonna take a while before I am. I'm okay with them thinking whatever they want to think. Its not gonna make it true. Only we can make it true," I say. I get up and kiss him before going out back to get Luca.

He sees me and happily runs into my legs, nearly knocking me over. I sit down on the back porch step and he showers my face in kisses.

"I missed you too Buddy," I say scratching him behind his ears. "You were probably lonely all by yourself. Tell you what? When Peeta goes to work tomorrow, I'm gonna have him take Willow with him and we'll go out hunting, just you and me. How's that sound?" He wags his tail happily and licks my face again.

"I'll take that as a yes," I say laughing and getting up. I walk back inside and lay down on the couch. Luca lays down on the floor next to Willow and wraps himself around her, careful of her tiny frame. He lays his head down next to her and she reaches up and starts playing with his ears. He lifts his head to get them out of her reach but when she lets out a little whine, he sets his head back down.

"She's got him wrapped around her tiny fingers," Peeta says laughing as he sits at the end of the couch.

"And your not?" I say.

"Yeah I'll admit it," he says and lays down next to me.

"What do you think you're doing?" I ask him.

"You aren't the only one who didn't sleep well on that hard ground last night," he says yawning.

"Well fine but you have to get up if she starts crying," I say cuddling up to him to the point where I'm practically laying on top of him.

"Explain to me how I'm supposed to do that without waking you up," he says.

"That, my darling, is your problem I say kissing his cheek and laying my head down before drifting off to sleep to the peaceful beating of his heart.

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Hey guys! Hope you like it! Sorry if its short!
Ttyl!
-Kayla