Pure Torture: a Hunger Games Fanfiction

Chapter 71

Katniss

"Cause this is what dreams should always be. I just want to stay,
I just want to keep this dream in me." -Ryan Star

I let out the breath I was holding for what seemed like ages.
It's a girl. I'm having a girl.

Peeta is so happy. I've never seen him so happy...
"Oh my god! It's a girl, Katniss, it's a girl!" He repeats as if I didn't hear.
"Nice to know brainless over here is still brainless when it comes to choosing genders." Johanna cuts in, but she's smiling.

I can't even speak. Happy tears cloud my vision and spill out, down my cheeks.
Peeta hugs me, not daring to let go of me and the little girl I have inside me.
"Our little girl." He says softly.
"Our little girl." I repeat.

I'm still in shock. A girl. A little me, maybe. Or a little Peeta, just in girl form. A thought creeps into my head, making me feel as if I'm choking. What if the little girl is blonde? What if she has Peeta's eyes and Peeta's blond hair that mirror Prim's? What if she looks like Prim somehow?
Please let my little girl have brown hair, I plead in my head.

After the ultrasound, Peeta and I decide to head home. Johanna goes back to her house, but warned us that she might be over at ours someday soon with her apparent new lover, Eric.

Walking out of the hospital, hand in hand with Peeta, I wipe a stray tear from my cheek.
"I still can't believe it." I say.
"What? You can't believe that you were wrong?" Peeta asks, laughing.
"Oh, shut up, Peeta." I laugh.
"That's right, though, isn't it?" He insists.
I roll my eyes, "Sure. But, really, I can't believe that in 3 months we'll have a daughter."

"Crazy, isn't it?" Peeta says.
"I just can't help but think about me being in the Capitol, me on the brink of death in 13 more than once, me trying to kill myself... I can't help but think of how far I've come. 6 years ago this would have been..."
"Unthinkable." Peeta finished my sentence.
"Unthinkable." I repeat, agreeing.

"Hey, do you think we should stop at Haymitch's?" Peeta asks once we're close to the Victor's Village.
"That," I say, "Seems pretty unthinkable, too."
This brings on a laugh from Peeta.
"No, but seriously, I think we should." He says.

"Peeta," I groan.
"He should hear the news." Peeta replies.
"Can't we just save it for another time?" I plead.
"No. It doesn't feel right." He insists.
I groan again, but I follow Peeta to Haymitch's house instead of our own.

"You wanna knock?" Peeta asks me.
I shrug, not really caring. I give three loud, solid knocks on the front door.
When he doesn't come to the door, I feel a rush of relief go through me and I turn to Peeta.
"Look, see? He's probably passed out, drunk. Let's just go h--"

The door opens suddenly, revealing a tired-looking but surprisingly sobered up Haymitch.
"Hello." He greets unsurely.
"Nice to see you sobered up for once, Haymitch." I say.
He gives me a look.
"What do you two want?" He asks.

"Fine, if you don't want to hear our news we can leave." I say.
"Jeez. Why so bitter? At least you're not having to quit what you're addicted to!" Haymitch says.

"Wait, what?" Peeta and I ask in unison.
"You're cutting back your alcohol?" I ask.
He shrugs and then nods his head,
"What the? Why?!" I ask.
"Jesus, you two act like you don't want me to!" He says, "And considering you two have got something coming for you in 3 months, I figured it was now or never."

"You're doing this for us? For her?" I ask, pointing to my stomach.
"Well, I didn't really know it was a her. Is this the news you came to share? That the baby's a girl?" He asks.
I nod.
"A little girl..." He says.
"A little girl." Peeta repeats.