Pregnant in the 75th

22. In our own right

Haymitch's POV

After Katniss left my house I did nothing but spend the night drinking and in the end drinking myself to sleep.

I wake to the sound of something banging from the other room. Standing up, my knife in hand I creep across the living room and towards where the sound radiated from, the kitchen. I stand outside the closed door for a moment just listening to what is going on inside. Some low mumbling and a clatter as something hits the worktop. Without a second for thought I fling open the door my knife raised to the body infront of me,"Haymitch!" A voice shouts which I recognise as Katniss as I look up to see her perched on the bench.

"You two scared the hell out of me! I thought someone had broken in!" I say taking my knife down from what I now realise is Peeta's back and putting it back in my pocket.

'Yeah I could say the same for you!' Peeta says turning around.

"Sorry son," I say patting him on the back.

"Is this what I get for making you breakfast?" Peeta says lifting a pan off the stove full of food.

"It does smell good ... But you did break in to my house..."

"Actually I unlocked the door and walked in," Katniss interrupts shaking the keys in her hand.

"I'll rue the day I ever have you a key Mrs," I say sarcastically but her face drops. "I didn't mean it like that I just..."

Peeta reaches for my shoulder,"Its not that way you said it, its what you said."

I think about it for a moment and it clicks. Rue. I said rue. "Oh sweetheart I'm so sorry." I say pulling her in to my arms. Her faint sobs can still be heard even as she cries in to my shirt and all I can do is Stoke the back of her hair, "Its OK sweetheart." I turn to Peeta who hasn't taken his eyes off Katniss for a second and mouth to him, "Do you want to swap?" He will be a lot more help to her than I will.

Peeta nods in reply and let's go of the pan and comes over to us, placing his hand on Katniss's shoulder, "Come here babe," he says and she instantly pulls herself up from me and practically throws herself at him still sobbing away, "I'll take her in the front room for a minute," Peeta says to me but all I can do is nod in reply. Nice one Haymitch.

I give them some space for five minutes and finish off the breakfast. I put the bread Peeta brought over under the grill and start on the eggs. A good old fry up after a day like yesterday sounds like a plan to me. I pull three plates out of the drawer and plate up for us all. Picking up two plates I walk towards the front room but stop outside for a moment to make sure it's alright to go in.

"What am I meant to do? I couldn't even save Rue how could I look after someone else? I can barely look after myself," I hear Katniss sob.

I decide to stand and listen for a moment, "Hey hey hey it will all be alright. I'll be right here to help you..."
"But what about that games? What if we both end up in there and we don't come back...or worse what if only one of us does."

"I'm not too sure we could pull that one twice and they let us both come out again ," Peeta says trying to joke but Katniss still doesn't calm down.

"I need them to be safe Peeta! They can't grow up in a world like this, like we did. Struggling to live, every single day." They must be talking about Prim or maybe just Katniss's family in general.

"We can do this Kat. If I die in the arena," he sighs before continuing, "If I die in that arena, all of what I have will go to them. My earnings. My house, heck even my bakery!" I hear Katniss sniffle and let out a slight little laugh, "They will want for nothing Katniss. Believe me."

I take that as my queue and kick the door open finding Katniss in Peeta's arms wiping away the tears from her eyes, "OK then you two lovebirds breakfast is served," I say placing the plates down infront of them before heading back to the kitchen for my own. When I return the two of them are sat leaning with their backs against the couch just looking at the plates of food, "What? I've not poisoned it you know?"

They both just laugh at me before Peeta replys, "We're just impressed you didn't burn anything... Especially the house!"

"Hey I survived without you cooking for me you know... Just about," I mumble the last two words but Katniss must hear and snickers. "And besides Peeta did most of the work but the amazing eggs I did myself.." I bow slightly and Peeta claps. "Ok Mister sarcastic tuck in."

We all sit in silence as we eat with nothing but the sound of clattering knives and forks as we eat.

Katniss was right about what she said yesterday. The two of them are at a disadvantage if they end up in the arena together, especially with their lack of physical training. "Ok you two so I've been thinking..."

"Dangerous.." Katniss interrupts.

"Yes it is but this might just save our loves. Until the reaping next month we train. All of us. Let's be honest none of us are exactly in peak fitness to be thrown into an arena full of people readying go kill us. I have my training room downstairs so we will all train and get ready for the worst." I turn to Katniss," I know yore good with a bow. Heck the whole of Panem knows it but if you end up in a fight over that bow at the cornucopia you need to be prepared to fight for it. There are plenty of victors out there who are good with a bow, but that's all they're good at, we need to make sure you are physically capable of overcoming them. Peeta. I'll train you with knives, a bit of spear throwing and maybe with a sword or something to that effect. They're the items that are most likely to be at the cornucopia so this way you'll be quite versatile whatever you get your hands on."

"Ok. When do we start?" Peeta asks.

"In an hour. We don't have all the time in the world on our hands so we need to get started right away." They both nod in agreement.

"Twelve will not be overlooked. We will be the ones to watch out for. Careers in our own right."

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What did you guys think? I quite like this chapter it was good to write.

-Alannah xxx