After the Rebellion | Part 2

Chapter 15

25th December

23 weeks pregnant

7 weeks till wedding

-Katniss

So, this morning was a little different. We don't usually make a big deal of Christmas in District Twelve, but this year was different. The whole population of the district, Peeta and I included, gathered in what used to be called the square but is just now called the heart, ironic kind of, for a heart touching speech by the new leader, as they call it, of twelve.

He spoke about being thankful for the life he lives, carefree and powerful. He also wanted to welcome in all the new life and new member to the district and for bringing the district to what it is today, recovering it from ash and smoke and transforming it into a community as he said. He gave a speech thanking the rebels and of course me, their mockingjay. He then went on and told us to have a wonderful Christmas. There were cheers from the crowd and I couldn't help myself, I just had too, so I did. I lifted three fingers to my lips and kissed them before lifting them into the air. I saw a few looks of confusion from the people around me, but they joined me. They kissed their three fingers and raised them high into the air. It means thanks. It means admiration. It means goodbye to someone you love.

Couples came together and embraced each other in hugs and small kisses to the lips. I leant into Peeta's body and looked into his dreamy eyes before raising my eyebrow slightly. Without any words his lips were on mine in a slow, simple kiss, my pregnant stomach pressed against his toned torso, a small gesture of our love for each other.

When I pulled away and broke the kiss, I seen a small crowd of people had formed around us. I just smiled at them before they all raised the bread I didn't realise they were holding into the air and shouted together, "To the star-crossed lovers and their baby!" We all smiled and laughed together, it was fantastic.

That brings us to now, we're walking back through the district exchanging Peeta's bread for the smiles and congratulations on the baby from the people. We finally arrive home and Peeta is being the gentleman he always is and takes my coat and helps me out of my shoes as my stomach kind of restricts me being able to touch my feet anymore.

I run as fast as my swollen ankles and feet will carry me into mine and Peeta's bedroom. I lean on the side of the bed and let myself get onto my knees, this pregnancy is really ripping me apart. I have a bad back, swollen ankles and Im emotional. I push my hand under the bed and feel around until I find what I'm looking for, a box.

I pull the box out from under the bed and place it on the floor in front of me. I place my hands on the top of the bed and lift myself to my feet, picking the box up from the floor at one point. I walk out of our bedroom and slowly make my way down the stairs to the kitchen where I know Peeta will be.

I peek my head around the door and notice he's there, stood over the counter chopping up vegetables for our stew. I quietly make my way up behind him and he doesn't notice luckily, all these years I've spent in the woods hunting with my father and gale I've learnt to keep quiet on my feet not to scare the game away. I place the box down quietly on the other counter before going behind him and wrapping my arms around his torso and placing my head on his shoulder angled so I'm facing into his neck. I kiss his neck softly before whispering against where I kissed, "Merry Christmas, Peeta." He turns his body so he faces me and he takes me into his arms, resting his hands on the small of my back. He kisses my forehead before speaking, "Merry Christmas to you too, Katniss."

His words are so soft and they reel me into him, will I ever stop wanting this man? Probably not. He moves his hands from the small of my back and he bends down into his knees. I lift my top up, exposing the bump to him and he softly places his hands there, where our child is growing. I smile at the thought of it. He gently presses his lips to the area just above my belly button, a place where I have a scar from a hunting accident when my father was alive. He kisses it and whispers against it, "Merry Christmas to you too, little one." A huge smile spreads across my face as he stops but he doesn't, he carries on talking. "Will you hurry up and be here, daddy's getting impatient of what you're going to look like, will you have mummy's hair and my blue eyes or will you have my blonde hair and mummy's seam grey eyes, or will you have mummy's hair and eyes or daddy's hair and eyes. You better hurry up and come so I can hold you in my arms and tell you all the secrets about mummy and how beautiful your mummy is."

I blush at his words and start to laugh slightly before responding to him but to the baby at the same time, "Stay in there a little longer sweetie, I want you in there longer so me and daddy get some time together before our world changes forever."

Peeta looks up to me and smiles before getting back to his feet. He pulls my shirt back down to cover the bare bump. "I have a little something for you," I say softly.

"A present? Oh Katniss, you're giving me a child, that's enough. You shouldn't have."

"It's only something little, but I want you to have it."

His smile is priceless when I had him the box. He opens is without a delay, his face goes all serious and I think he's having a flashback but his face softens and his eyes look back up at me and his smile reaches his eyes, "Oh Katniss, I gave you this in the Quarter Quell, I don't want it back. It's yours."

"Open it," I reply.

He opens the medallion he gave me in the Quarter Quell, and his face lightens even more, which I didn't know was possible.

Inside holds a photo of me and him smiling at each other, eyes locked on each other's with his hands on my cheeks and you can almost see sparks of our love pouncing out of the photo. Next to that is the baby scan photo, the little figure in white amongst all the blackness as a background. The end one is empty.

"Why's that one empty Katniss?" He asks.

"I don't know, I guess we could find something else to put there in a few more years or so." He kisses me and I mean really kisses me. It's full of love and passion just like any other kiss we share but this one is different, he's thanking me.

"So your present to me was a promise of another one? Another child?"

"I never said that, I said we can find something to put there in a few years. Let's just get through this one baby at a time okay? A baby is a big step for me Peeta, I never wanted any children or to get married I just wanted to look after Prim and my mother." He smiles in response before kissing me again.

"Thank you, it's beautiful."

~~

The day went by pretty fast, we ate our stew together with our hands linked together, we both ate one handed rather than letting each other go. Haymitch and Effie came around about 5 o'clock telling us the great news that after months Effie's body has finally let her conceive and that she's pregnant with her and Haymitch's baby. This shocked me, honestly. I never thought that would happen, well I didn't see it coming. Effie told us that she's known for 2 months but wanted to surprise Haymitch at Christmas that is so sweet of her.

Now the two of us are pregnant we can finally discuss pregnancy together as she'll understand more. There will be two new babies on the scene, a Mellark and an Abernathy.

Right before we drift off to sleep Peeta whispers in my ear, "I love you, Katniss." And with those words I drift off into a peaceful nightmare-less sleep. Our legs wrapped up in each other's and our bodies close together, just like it should be.