I take my husbands hand as my mom examines his back. His face contorts in pain even though he is unconscious.
"Tell me you can save him, please!" I tell my mother through teary eyes and a runny nose. "Please save him." I whisper to her. She nods her head and continues to piece his back together.
I've always admired my mother's healing skills. It's the one time she truly seems to be living, and not in a haze.
"I don't think it cute your eye, but you better keep some snow on it." My little sister tells me after examining my eye. My mouth opens to say thank you, when a small moan comes from Peeta's lips. I brush back his sweaty blonde curls and place a kiss on his temple murmuring it'll be okay.
His eyes open only a slit, but I can see the pain swimming in his blue eyes. His mouth forms my name, but instead another moan of pain comes out.
"You're hurting him!" I yell at my mother as she pulls at his skin.
My mother simply ignores my screams and continues her work. She has pain killers in her box of medicine, but she says that you only use that for the worst cases. If Peeta isn't the worst, then I don't know what is. He yelps in pain and his face scrunches up.
"Momma please!" I scream at her. "Give him the medicine!" She shakes her head and tells Prim to put water on to boil.
"I'm going to give him an herbal tea and sleep syrup to help him." She tells my sister and me. "We can't afford to use the pain killers on just anyone." She tells us with a stern, but a sympathetic face.
I slam my hand against the table causing her tools to fall. "Peeta isn't just anyone! He's my husband and your son-in-law!" I yell at her, before I can monitor what comes out of my mouth.
No one in this room knew Peeta and I had a toasting except for Prim and mom, it's to late to take the words back now. My mother gives a look to Gale and Haymitch and has me drug out of the kitchen.
"Let go of me!" I scream at them while thrashing around. They place me on a chair in the corner and hover over me.
"So you and the boy got married," Haymitch says with a smirk. I give him a glare and turn my head slightly.
Gale's face doesn't burn with anger and hate like I thought it would, but instead with longing and maybe a hint of a smile.
"Gale I ca-", my words are cut short when the door bursts open and Mr. Mellark runs in with his two other sons. Mrs. Mellark is no where to be found and I know that the witch is as bad as she seems. Peeta deserves a real mom.
"My boy," Mr. Mellark cries as he sits next to Peeta in the seat I was taken from. He places his hand on his head and silently weeps over his son.
They remind me so much of each other, both gentle and caring. Both unable to see pain on others. Both too good for this world.
"What happened?" I ask Rye,Wheat, and Gale.
Gale takes a steady breath and begins.
"The new head peacekeeper Thread was sent here straight from President Snow. Apparently Snow though that district twelve needed to be "tightened up" on the laws. Rumors were floating around that he was looking for people that poached and that he would punish them." Gale whispers the last part and takes another breath.
"I was walking toward Cray's house to sell him the turkey I had shot when Peeta ran straight at me and grabbed my game bag. He yelled something about keeping you from the woods, but I couldn't ask why because he was already gone. Next thing I know he's in the square with his hands tied and his back being whipped." He shrugs his shoulders and looks at Rye. "He can tell you the rest."
I look over at Rye with a questioning look.
"Peeta ran into the bakery holding the turkey, I guess he was going to burry it or something. Anyways Thread was standing there buying bread," his voice trailed off into a whisper.
"And he took him into custody." I finish his sentence for him and look behind me at the boy on the table.
"Maybe Peeta thought that he could have some slack because he was a victor but instead Thread enjoyed it more. That boy is always trying to save someone." Haymitch walked in and finished the story.
"This is all my fault," Gale says as he sits down. He drops is head into his hands.
"This is no ones fault, Peeta choose to take the blame." Mr.Mellark says. I hadn't realized he was standing in the room listening. We all nod our heads and stay silent. I look over to see Peeta still pulled under by the drugs and away from the pain.
I cross over to Mr. Mellark and grab his hand motioning to the door. He nods his head and we silently walk out to the front porch. Taking a seat on the porch swing I turn to look at him and he gives me a smile.
"What's the matter child?" He asks putting his hand over mine in a fatherly way. I bite my lip and stare down at my shoes.
"Peeta likes children, right?" I ask looking up at him. He smiles at me and nods his head. "Good," I continue to chew on my lip.
"Why don't you tell me what's really going on." He says to me while leaning back in the swing. It begins to sway back and forth and I nod my head.
"I didn't want to tell anyone yet, but umm well just-" he stops me with putting his hand up.
"Katniss you don't have to be nervous." He gives me another smile and I continue.
"I didn't want to tell anyone because I'm not really sure if I should be happy or scared. I never wanted this and now that I have it, I'm afraid of what might happen." He nods his head and tells me to continue. "I've always feared having a child be reaped and when Prim's name was called I got a glimpse of what it would be like. Of what it would be like if I had a child that was reaped." I wring my hands together nervously and try to compose my thoughts.
"I'm pregnant." I barely say it above a whisper, but I know he heard.
The smile on Mr.Mellark's face is priceless and I know I made the right decision by telling him. I don't smile back, instead I wipe the tears falling down my cheek.
"Why tell me this?" He asks me. I shrug my shoulders and exhale.
"I haven't told Peeta, I was going to tonight, but then the whipping happened. I guess I told you because I don't know if this baby is something to rejoice over or be scared over. Also maybe because I wanted to ask you what Peeta will think?" It all comes tumbling out of my mouth faster than I could say hello. He looks happy, but he also has a sad smile on his face.
"Peeta will love the child no matter the circumstances. Part of becoming a parent is trying to not fear the reapings. You simply have to treasure every moment as if it's your last. Don't make the same mistake I did, don't let your child feel unloved." He says the last part so softly he starts to quiver. I take his hand in mine.
"Peeta always knew you loved him." He looks up at me and smiles. "You're going to be an amazing grandfather." I tell him while giving him a hug.
"Katniss, you can come and see Peeta now. He's awake and is asking for you." Prim walks on to the porch telling me. I nod my head and get up to leave, but not before mouthing a thank you to Mr.Mellark.
I hold Peeta's hand as he comes back to the world again. He smiles when he sees me and opens his eyes a tad bit more. The morphling Madge brought by has helped with his pain, I can tell by his eyes. They aren't filled with so much pain, instead happiness that I am here. Every second he comes more and more out of the drugged haze, but his face scrunches up each time. He stares intently at my face and reaches his hand up to brush my cheekbone and my hurt eye. His touch is so soft, I almost don't feel it.
"You're hurt," his voice comes out in a raspy whisper. I remove his hand from my face and kiss it while placing it back on the table with mine.
"So are you," I tell him while looking at his back. "Why'd you do it? Why would you take the blame?" I ask him while holding his hand and running my fingers through his hair.
"If Thread had gotten his hands on you with a turkey, he would have killed you." He tells me with the saddest face imaginable. I shake my head at him and look him in the eyes.
"You could have been killed. Why do you keep saving me from getting hurt?" I ask him while placing my face next to his.
"Because Katniss, you're worth dying for." A tear falls down my cheek and lands on his hand, but it doesn't effect him. He's already been pulled under again by the drugs. I lean in and place my lips against his chapped ones.
The kiss is warm and sincere filled with love and pain.
"So are you," I whisper to him.
I wake hours later to the sound of chair legs being pulled across the floor.
Gale stands with snow flakes in his hair and his nose a bright red from the cold.
"Why don't you go to bed, I can watch him." He tells me with a sad look. I turn my neck and look at mine and Peeta's interlocked fingers, how we were sleeping so close our eyelashes could have been tied together. I sit up straighter and pop my back, but I don't let go of his hand.
"I can't Gale, I can't sleep in our bed alone." I tell him while turning to look at Peeta, but not before I see jealousy flash trough his eyes. I know it must kill him to find out that Peeta and I share a bed, but what will he do when he finds out I'm pregnant. "Besides, I have to tell him something when he wakes up." Gale takes the seat next to me and huffs.
"So I guess he doesn't know yet?" I turn to look at Gale and back to Peeta.
"Know what?" I whisper to him in the cold kitchen.
"That you're pregnant," my breath catches in my throat and I hastily stand up. Gale doesn't move from his seat, but he looks up at me and waits for an answer.
"No," He nods his head. "How did you know?" I ask him. Mr.Mellark wouldn't tell anyone would he? And Prim and my mom wouldn't say anything.
"I heard you talking to his dad," Gale moves his head so that he points towards Peeta. "I can't say that I wasn't mad, but I know that you're happy." He tells me sincerely.
I know this must be hard on him, seeing his best friend with another man and finding out she's pregnant. "When you said that Peeta was your husband, what did you mean?" He asks while clearing his throat, obviously uncomfortable with the situation.
"Peeta and I had a toasting two months ago. I was going to tell you, but with everything going on I never found the time." I look over to see him nodding his head with a sad look.
"I'm sorry Catnip, about the way I've been acting lately. I know that by the time I told you I had feelings for you, your heart was already taken." He tells me.
"I'm sorry too. You'll always be my best friend." I tell him with a smile. He laughs a little and sits up in his chair.
"Bread boy will make a good father." He says while nodding his head in Peeta's direction.
"You're pregnant?" Peeta's voice rings through the kitchen and I practically jump at the sound of him so close to me.
I turn to face him and try to read his eyes. The pain is still swimming in the blue, but it's not alone. Hope, love, and maybe even admiration are right along with it.
"Yes," I nod my head and he begins to smile. I never thought I'd see him smile again, but here he is smiling like I've told him he could eat a whole cake. "I'm so scared Peeta, I don't know what to do. I never wanted children." I tell him while placing my face only inches from his.
"Do you remember what you told me on the train ride back home from the games?" I shake my head. "You told me that we try to forget, we try to keep living. That is what we are going to do, we are going to forget about the Capitol and the reapings. We are going to raise this baby with so much love, it'll spill over on to other people." He takes my hand in his and brings my face closer.
"We're going to be a family." He tells me while bringing my lips so close to his, I can feel his breath.
"I love you," he tells me while leaning in and kissing me. "I love both of you."
A.N. Super long chapter! Also extremely happy because she is pregnant, yay!!! I know that most of you didn't expect her to tell Peeta's dad first or for Peeta to even find out that way, but I wanted it like that. Mr.Mellark is a father figure to her and so I think that is why I did it the way I did. Anywho hope you liked it!