How Did This Happen?

Chapter Four: Announcement

(Katniss's POV)

"The male and female tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of victors."

Before I can get up, Peeta's arms wrap around me, reminding me to think about the baby's safety.

The baby will be born not too long before the reaping. I'm about four months along and there's still another six months before the Games, but we can't leave her behind. We'll have to hide her, probably strap her onto Peeta's chest and cover it with a big shirt.

Prim, Peeta, and Mom get closer to me as I bury my face in my husband's neck.

"Can we be alone, please?" I ask Mom and Prim.

They nod and go upstairs, leaving Peeta and I by ourselves.

"What will we do?" I ask into his neck.

"I don't know, baby girl. We're just lucky the baby will be born before the Games," he says, stroking my hair.

Haymitch comes through the door, drunk as always.

He comes over to us. "So, I see you two didn't take this too well."

"No kidding," Peeta snaps and firms his grip on me.

Haymitch glares at him. "I need to talk to your girlfriend here."

I shake my head. "You can tell him too," I say, snuggling closer to my husband.

He nods and sits down beside me. "We'll need to start training. This time we'll need to train like Careers. You two at least."

I glare at Haymitch. "Are you not seeing this-"

"What, sweetheart?"

"Don't cut her off, or I'll cut off your-"

"Peeta, it's okay," I reassure my husband and he lays his head down onto my lap.

I look up at Haymitch. "Haymitch, I'm four months pregnant. There's only one month between my due date and the reaping. If there's any 'training' happening, it's going to be getting my belly thin again. Not for arena training. I think Peeta can help me out anyways."

I look back down at my husband who nods. "I worry about her, Haymitch. She's everything to me, basically. If we push her too hard while she's pregnant, it could kill the baby and possibly her. I can't have that happen."

Tears start streaming down his face and he leans up, burying his face in his hands.

I glare at our old mentor and comfort Peeta.

"I'm terrified, Katniss. I can't help but think that Snow will kill the both of you," he chokes out and I wrap my arms around him, rocking him slightly in my arms.

"Sshh. He won't hurt me, Peeta. I promise you. If I can defend myself against Cato, I can defend myself against the president," I reassure him and he buries his face in my neck as I do to him sometimes.

Haymitch sighs and gets up. "I'll leave you two alone."

With that, he leaves and Peeta bursts into tears, making Prim and my mother rush back into the room.

"What happened?" Prim asks, stroking Peeta's arm.

"He's scared that Snow will kill me and the baby," I answer her, stroking Peeta's hair.

"The poor thing," my mother says.

Later, Peeta falls asleep and I look at my family. "I'll put him to bed. I'll just sleep on the couch with him," I tell them.

Prim nods and goes upstairs, soon followed by my mother.

I get a blanket and spread it over Peeta's sleeping body on the couch and snuggle under the covers beside him before falling asleep myself.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

So that happened 😭

Tomorrow I'll see Melissa and Miranda again at school yay ☺️

"You've always been strong." -Luke Skywalker Return of the Jedi.

BYEEEEEEEEEEE