A Dandelion in the Sun - 4
Title: A Dandelion in the Sun
Author: exquisite_ugly
Fandom: The Hunger Games
Rating: T
Characters: Katniss/Peeta
Genre: Romance/Angst
Warnings: Some sexual situations, though not overly descriptive.
Summary:
Some of Katniss and Peeta's moments together after Mockingjay that lead to discovery, understanding and healing for both of them. Multi-chapter, romance
*~*~*
*~*~*
Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. Elizabeth Stone
*~*~*
It had taken so long for Peeta to convince me to have children. Years continued to go by, but it didn't dampen my fear. It wasn't that I didn't want to share that experience with him - I was beginning to find that I did - but the fear was crippling. Could I bring a child into this world knowing what the Districts went through, what the tributes in the Hunger Games dealt with? I had dealt with so much horror, death, loss, and pain. The thought of anything happen to a child of ours was terrifying.
"Katniss, we're in this together. You're right; we have seen too much death. We lost people we cared about, people who deserved all the goodness in the world, but didn't live long enough to get it. Instead of focusing on death, shouldn't we embrace life? Make a life?" Peeta had said as his final argument.
"I don't want to push you," he said softly, pressing his lips to my temple. "I just want you to think about it; really think about it."
I had thought long and hard about it, and I finally decided that Peeta was right. The fear was always going to be there, but I didn't want to deny Peeta something he really wanted. If I was honest, I wanted them as well; it was just a terrifying thought. With Peeta's help, I could do this.
The day I found out I was pregnant, my heart started banging against my chest and my breath was choppy. When I told Peeta, a sick feeling roiled in my stomach, but seeing his elation helped calm me.
As time passed and our baby grew in my womb, I woke from nightmares when she began to move inside me. Nightmares about evil president's or mutts kept coming after me, trying to take her from me. I would wake covered in sweat, my hand covering my stomach, as I fought to shake the vestiges of the nightmare away.
Peeta always woke when I did; his arms would circle me again, his hand resting on my stomach as well, holding me as close and as tight as he could. It usually helped me to fall back asleep.
One morning, I was antsy and needed something to do to distract me, so I dragged Peeta into the woods with me when he finished baking his loaves of bread. It was a warm day, with a soft breeze, and I knew just the thing to do. I took him to the lake I used to go to with my father.
"Where are we going?" he asked as he dutifully followed me. He was never far from my side, making sure I didn't stumble. It was annoying and yet somehow sweet.
"It's a surprise," I said with a slight smile.
After some more trekking through the woods, the lake came into view. His eyes widened. "It's not like I've never been in the woods, thought not like you have over the years, but I had no idea this was here."
I nodded. "I know. It was something that I shared with my father until it became discovered during the revolution. I wish I could have kept it secret, but I decided I really wanted to share this with you and make it special again."
He gave my hand a squeeze as we moved into the little clearing. I began tugging my shirt off and unbuttoning my pants. His eyebrows raised high.
"Um, you're going in?" he asked with some surprise.
I smirked. "Of course. So are you."
He laughed. "Well… okay. You won't let me drown, right?"
I snickered. "I'll do my best. You still remember the basic stroke, right?"
When he nodded, we dipped our toes into the water to test it, and then began to ease our way into it. It was chilly, but it felt good on my sun-warmed skin. Moving further into the water, I held my arms out and felt even more at peace. I kept an eye on Peeta as he followed me, though he stayed a little closer to shore in uncertainty.
He tried the stroke I had taught him, moving slowly through the water. I managed to coax him further in where the water reached his shoulders. He bit his lip, and I smiled encouragingly.
"You have the stroke down," I told him. "And you're strong and in shape. That will help."
He practiced a little more as I paddled a little more slowly. I had a little extra weight I was carrying around with me. When Peeta paddled his way back to me with more confidence, I smiled at the sight of his blonde hair glistening in the sun and the sparkle in his eyes. His happiness was infectious.
Just as he reached me, our baby gave a little kick inside me. It was always startling and nerve-wracking, but I began to feel a little glow of happiness. I was terrified beyond belief, but it helped to see the thrill of excitement in Peeta's eyes.
So I told him.
He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me from behind. As always, my body relaxed when I felt the strength in his arms as he held me. His hands rested on my stomach and after a few moments, our baby obliged him with another kick.
I turned to face him, the delight on his face nearly palpable. "Thank you," he whispered against my lips as he kissed me softly over and over.
We floated in the lake together, hands touching and never straying far from each other. When we climbed out of the lake, we lay stretched out on our blanket, letting the breeze dry our skin. I stared down at the bulge of my stomach, thinking of the good things about this that we talked about, and felt my body relax as Peeta turned onto his side and rested his hand on it.
And as the sun peeked through the leafy trees, Peeta leaned over, brushing his lips over my swollen belly. A small smile curled my lips as we lay in what was as close to contentment as we could get.
*~*~*
It was a rainy night in early October when I woke from another nightmare. My body shook, the sweat beaded at my temples, and I turned to make sure Peeta was still by my side. His arms tightened as I breathed shakily; I couldn't help being afraid that he would disappear from my life.
Peeta was actually sleeping well, so I carefully slid out of bed. It was so close to the birth, and I was restless and scared more than ever. My mother would be on her way today, though, which helped to ease some of the fear. I paced down the hall and ended up in the kitchen, staring out at the tree line, wishing I could just take off into the woods like I used to. Glancing down at my overly-large belly, I knew I wouldn't be doing any sort of running, though.
Outside the leaves skittered over the ground as I perched on a small bench that had been placed there for my night-time restlessness. The moon cast a soft shadow over the ground, and I circled my feet over the soft grass, feeling the soft tickle against my soles. I pulled my father's coat tighter and placed a hand over my stomach. My mother had told me that the baby didn't move as much close to the birth time, so the lack of movement was one thing I didn't have to worry about.
I felt his presence before he even spoke.
"Katniss? Are you okay?"
I felt Peeta's warmth against my side as he sat down. I leaned my head comfortably on his shoulder. "Just restless," I replied. "You were sleeping pretty peacefully for once, and I didn't want to wake you."
He kissed the top of my head and rested his cheek on it. "Your mother will be here in a few hours. Why don't you try to get a little more rest?"
I agreed and he helped me back inside. He stretched out on the couch, leaving the window open slightly like he always did, and I relished the soft, cool breeze wafting over us as I leaned back against him. Once settled, I fell asleep easily.
I paced around the following morning, nervous and feeling like a balloon about to pop. Peeta was in the kitchen, baking the day's breads to take to the bakery. He was going to stay home with me today, though, and have Greasy Sae do the selling for him. He promised her granddaughter cheese buns, too. Watching him with Sae's granddaughter, how good he was with her and how she loved when he teaser her, continually showed me how good he would be with his own child.
Peeta came out of the kitchen, a streak of flour across his cheek. I smiled slightly as he came over to kiss me, his hand automatically going to my stomach. I brushed the flour off his cheek.
"Will you be okay for fifteen minutes? Do you want me to ask Sae to come pick it up, or do you want to go with me?"
I waved away his suggestion. "I can handle fifteen minutes. Go ahead."
Not long after he left, I felt a twinge in my belly and wished I took him up on his offer. I tried to relax, breathing deep, and I sat down carefully. I counted the minutes until he came back.
"Are you all right?" he asked as he came into the kitchen, smoothing his hand down my braid.
"I felt a twinge," I said, trying to hide the terror I was feeling. He knew me too well, though.
The concern and fear on his own face was enough to show me even though he wanted this, he wasn't immune to the fears of having a child as well.
"Your mother is on her way, Katniss. Was it actually a contraction?"
I bit my lip, my hand on my stomach. "I… I think so. I guess it's not something to be really concerned with yet. I just want her to get her soon."
He helped me up and into the living room. As I was getting settled onto the couch, our door opened and Haymitch just strolled in.
"How's our little sprog doing?" he asked blearily. He didn't seem quite as drunk as usual which was always a plus.
I gave him an irritated look as he perched on the arm of the sofa. "She's fine. She'll be here soon enough."
Peeta went into the kitchen to get Haymitch his daily loaf of bread. "You're feeling okay?" he asked me a little more seriously.
I considered him for a moment. "Yes, I'm okay. My mother should be here soon. I'm hoping it happens tonight; I'm not feeling very comfortable," I said my voice slightly cranky with fatigue and fear.
My mother arrived later in the afternoon while the three of us sprawled comfortably - well, Haymitch sprawled uncomfortably and snored really loud - on the couch and floor. Peeta was reading to me in an attempt to help me relax.
I relaxed fractionally when my mother came in, greeting us, and getting all her supplies inside. Sae came over to cook us dinner, and we sat down to eat with her and caught up on what she was doing in District 4. While they cleaned up, I headed toward the living room, and ended up doubled over with a contraction.
"Katniss!" I faintly heard Peeta call out to me through the roaring in my head.
My hand nearly knocked over a picture frame as I grasped the edge of a small side table in an effort to stay upright. Warm hands took hold of me, and I heard my mother's calm voice instructing Peeta to get my upstairs and into bed.
Peeta had lifted me and carried me upstairs. He whispered, "Soon we'll meet our daughter." The idea of it, even while terrifying, made me smile.
I let myself be helped into bed and tried to relax. My mother came in to check on me, though she mostly left me and Peeta alone until my contractions were within the time frame of getting ready to give birth. Peeta didn't say much as he tried to help me get as comfortable as possible. His hands worked on easing the ache in my back in the moments before my mother came in.
I finally asked him what was on my mind. "Are you scared, Peeta?"
His eyes met mine. "Terrified," he said quietly.
"Why did you want children so badly?" I asked curiously after I breathed my way through another contraction.
He smiled a little as he pondered that.
"I like kids, but I really liked the idea of creating someone, bring someone pure and innocent into the world after everything we had seen. I also liked the idea of having that little someone with you; having a little Katniss running around. I love you, and it makes me happy knowing this will ultimately bring you joy."
I gathered myself before answering. "It will," I said quietly. "It's hard, we both know that. I continue to be terrified, but I had come to realize before making this decision that you were right. I don't want to live my life in fear, though I know it'll always be there, but having something good brought into the world helps."
He laced his fingers with mine as another contraction came. "I think it's time," I whispered.
My mother came in, preparing me for the birth, and I began to push.
Peeta never once told me it was going to be okay, and I was grateful for that. We both knew things would never be entirely okay, and he knew he couldn't make promises that he wouldn't be able to keep. The only promise he made me was one he was capable of keeping; as I pushed through the pain to give birth to our daughter, he leaned close, lips skimming my ear.
"I promise to always love you and our daughter, and I promise to try and keep you safe as long as I live. Just like I know you would try to do the same for me."
I gazed at him through the haze of pain and squeezed his hand.
"You're the strongest person I know," he said, kissing my temple.
With those words, I gave one last painful push, teeth gritted, and our daughter was born.
My mother was smiling when she turned back around from taking care of our crying baby. She handed her to Peeta, and I felt a massive bolt of fear shoot through me upon the realization that this tiny human was ours, and it was up to us to keep her safe.
After nearly starving to death, struggling to keep myself and my family alive, being forced to kill in the arena, and losing so many people I cared about, I felt the tears begin. Marrying Peeta had been an extremely good thing in my life and now I had something else amazing; two dandelions in the sun after a lifetime of struggle.
When Peeta placed her in my arms, I knew he had been right. The indescribable joy filled me as I held our daughter; it was the only thing that eased my fears. The look on Peeta's face spoke a thousand words without him even having to say anything.
Love. Happiness. Fear. Awe. Excitement.
He covered the spectrum of words with one look.
Haymitch appeared then, moving toward us, his eyes on her. He didn't say anything, he just stood by us and it was enough. He laid a shaking hand on the soft, dark fuzz of hair on her head and seemed at a loss for words.
"You two deserve this. Remember that, sweetheart," he finally said, and I knew he was happy for us.
After a few minutes, he turned to leave. "Haymitch?" I said quietly.
When he turned, I could see his eyes looked damp. "And you remember that you're part of this family whether you like it or not."
He paused and collected himself again, and then he smirked. "Sure sweetheart. Grandpa Haymitch, huh? I'm sure you would want me as a baby-sitter."
"Hell no," Peeta replied with a note of affection in his voice.
The mood lightened as he and my mother left the room. Peeta stretched out next to me on the bed, and I rested my head on his shoulder. He was stroking our baby's cheeks, her soft fuzzy hair, and stroking a finger down her plump little arm. Her eyes blinked open sleepily at the touch, and I could see they were blue. She was beautiful. Her lips pursed, and she closed her eyes again, head resting against my chest. I knew I would never tire of holding her.
"What should we name her?" he asked.
I thought about it. "Hmm… what about Ella?"
He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I kind of like that. Ella Primrose Mellark."
I pressed my lips together to hold back the tears. My sister would have been ecstatic. My hand hooked around the back of Peeta's neck and pulled him down for a kiss. His lips teased mine open, and I sighed against his mouth.
"Thank you. It's perfect."
He smiled, and as my little family filled the bed, I could feel another strong ray of hope break through the dark.
*~*~*
AN: Just to let you know, I'm extending this to five chapters now instead of four, so there's one more to go after this. :o) Thanks for reading and reviewing… it's much appreciated! And again, a quick thanks to those I haven't been able to respond to personally. Oh… and just wanted to let you know, if you are on Twitter, you can follow nightlockrecs if you're so inclined. They recommend different Hunger Games fics which is nice if you like that idea.
Author: exquisite_ugly
Fandom: The Hunger Games
Rating: T
Characters: Katniss/Peeta
Genre: Romance/Angst
Warnings: Some sexual situations, though not overly descriptive.
Summary:
Some of Katniss and Peeta's moments together after Mockingjay that lead to discovery, understanding and healing for both of them. Multi-chapter, romance
*~*~*
*~*~*
Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. Elizabeth Stone
*~*~*
It had taken so long for Peeta to convince me to have children. Years continued to go by, but it didn't dampen my fear. It wasn't that I didn't want to share that experience with him - I was beginning to find that I did - but the fear was crippling. Could I bring a child into this world knowing what the Districts went through, what the tributes in the Hunger Games dealt with? I had dealt with so much horror, death, loss, and pain. The thought of anything happen to a child of ours was terrifying.
"Katniss, we're in this together. You're right; we have seen too much death. We lost people we cared about, people who deserved all the goodness in the world, but didn't live long enough to get it. Instead of focusing on death, shouldn't we embrace life? Make a life?" Peeta had said as his final argument.
"I don't want to push you," he said softly, pressing his lips to my temple. "I just want you to think about it; really think about it."
I had thought long and hard about it, and I finally decided that Peeta was right. The fear was always going to be there, but I didn't want to deny Peeta something he really wanted. If I was honest, I wanted them as well; it was just a terrifying thought. With Peeta's help, I could do this.
The day I found out I was pregnant, my heart started banging against my chest and my breath was choppy. When I told Peeta, a sick feeling roiled in my stomach, but seeing his elation helped calm me.
As time passed and our baby grew in my womb, I woke from nightmares when she began to move inside me. Nightmares about evil president's or mutts kept coming after me, trying to take her from me. I would wake covered in sweat, my hand covering my stomach, as I fought to shake the vestiges of the nightmare away.
Peeta always woke when I did; his arms would circle me again, his hand resting on my stomach as well, holding me as close and as tight as he could. It usually helped me to fall back asleep.
One morning, I was antsy and needed something to do to distract me, so I dragged Peeta into the woods with me when he finished baking his loaves of bread. It was a warm day, with a soft breeze, and I knew just the thing to do. I took him to the lake I used to go to with my father.
"Where are we going?" he asked as he dutifully followed me. He was never far from my side, making sure I didn't stumble. It was annoying and yet somehow sweet.
"It's a surprise," I said with a slight smile.
After some more trekking through the woods, the lake came into view. His eyes widened. "It's not like I've never been in the woods, thought not like you have over the years, but I had no idea this was here."
I nodded. "I know. It was something that I shared with my father until it became discovered during the revolution. I wish I could have kept it secret, but I decided I really wanted to share this with you and make it special again."
He gave my hand a squeeze as we moved into the little clearing. I began tugging my shirt off and unbuttoning my pants. His eyebrows raised high.
"Um, you're going in?" he asked with some surprise.
I smirked. "Of course. So are you."
He laughed. "Well… okay. You won't let me drown, right?"
I snickered. "I'll do my best. You still remember the basic stroke, right?"
When he nodded, we dipped our toes into the water to test it, and then began to ease our way into it. It was chilly, but it felt good on my sun-warmed skin. Moving further into the water, I held my arms out and felt even more at peace. I kept an eye on Peeta as he followed me, though he stayed a little closer to shore in uncertainty.
He tried the stroke I had taught him, moving slowly through the water. I managed to coax him further in where the water reached his shoulders. He bit his lip, and I smiled encouragingly.
"You have the stroke down," I told him. "And you're strong and in shape. That will help."
He practiced a little more as I paddled a little more slowly. I had a little extra weight I was carrying around with me. When Peeta paddled his way back to me with more confidence, I smiled at the sight of his blonde hair glistening in the sun and the sparkle in his eyes. His happiness was infectious.
Just as he reached me, our baby gave a little kick inside me. It was always startling and nerve-wracking, but I began to feel a little glow of happiness. I was terrified beyond belief, but it helped to see the thrill of excitement in Peeta's eyes.
So I told him.
He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me from behind. As always, my body relaxed when I felt the strength in his arms as he held me. His hands rested on my stomach and after a few moments, our baby obliged him with another kick.
I turned to face him, the delight on his face nearly palpable. "Thank you," he whispered against my lips as he kissed me softly over and over.
We floated in the lake together, hands touching and never straying far from each other. When we climbed out of the lake, we lay stretched out on our blanket, letting the breeze dry our skin. I stared down at the bulge of my stomach, thinking of the good things about this that we talked about, and felt my body relax as Peeta turned onto his side and rested his hand on it.
And as the sun peeked through the leafy trees, Peeta leaned over, brushing his lips over my swollen belly. A small smile curled my lips as we lay in what was as close to contentment as we could get.
*~*~*
It was a rainy night in early October when I woke from another nightmare. My body shook, the sweat beaded at my temples, and I turned to make sure Peeta was still by my side. His arms tightened as I breathed shakily; I couldn't help being afraid that he would disappear from my life.
Peeta was actually sleeping well, so I carefully slid out of bed. It was so close to the birth, and I was restless and scared more than ever. My mother would be on her way today, though, which helped to ease some of the fear. I paced down the hall and ended up in the kitchen, staring out at the tree line, wishing I could just take off into the woods like I used to. Glancing down at my overly-large belly, I knew I wouldn't be doing any sort of running, though.
Outside the leaves skittered over the ground as I perched on a small bench that had been placed there for my night-time restlessness. The moon cast a soft shadow over the ground, and I circled my feet over the soft grass, feeling the soft tickle against my soles. I pulled my father's coat tighter and placed a hand over my stomach. My mother had told me that the baby didn't move as much close to the birth time, so the lack of movement was one thing I didn't have to worry about.
I felt his presence before he even spoke.
"Katniss? Are you okay?"
I felt Peeta's warmth against my side as he sat down. I leaned my head comfortably on his shoulder. "Just restless," I replied. "You were sleeping pretty peacefully for once, and I didn't want to wake you."
He kissed the top of my head and rested his cheek on it. "Your mother will be here in a few hours. Why don't you try to get a little more rest?"
I agreed and he helped me back inside. He stretched out on the couch, leaving the window open slightly like he always did, and I relished the soft, cool breeze wafting over us as I leaned back against him. Once settled, I fell asleep easily.
I paced around the following morning, nervous and feeling like a balloon about to pop. Peeta was in the kitchen, baking the day's breads to take to the bakery. He was going to stay home with me today, though, and have Greasy Sae do the selling for him. He promised her granddaughter cheese buns, too. Watching him with Sae's granddaughter, how good he was with her and how she loved when he teaser her, continually showed me how good he would be with his own child.
Peeta came out of the kitchen, a streak of flour across his cheek. I smiled slightly as he came over to kiss me, his hand automatically going to my stomach. I brushed the flour off his cheek.
"Will you be okay for fifteen minutes? Do you want me to ask Sae to come pick it up, or do you want to go with me?"
I waved away his suggestion. "I can handle fifteen minutes. Go ahead."
Not long after he left, I felt a twinge in my belly and wished I took him up on his offer. I tried to relax, breathing deep, and I sat down carefully. I counted the minutes until he came back.
"Are you all right?" he asked as he came into the kitchen, smoothing his hand down my braid.
"I felt a twinge," I said, trying to hide the terror I was feeling. He knew me too well, though.
The concern and fear on his own face was enough to show me even though he wanted this, he wasn't immune to the fears of having a child as well.
"Your mother is on her way, Katniss. Was it actually a contraction?"
I bit my lip, my hand on my stomach. "I… I think so. I guess it's not something to be really concerned with yet. I just want her to get her soon."
He helped me up and into the living room. As I was getting settled onto the couch, our door opened and Haymitch just strolled in.
"How's our little sprog doing?" he asked blearily. He didn't seem quite as drunk as usual which was always a plus.
I gave him an irritated look as he perched on the arm of the sofa. "She's fine. She'll be here soon enough."
Peeta went into the kitchen to get Haymitch his daily loaf of bread. "You're feeling okay?" he asked me a little more seriously.
I considered him for a moment. "Yes, I'm okay. My mother should be here soon. I'm hoping it happens tonight; I'm not feeling very comfortable," I said my voice slightly cranky with fatigue and fear.
My mother arrived later in the afternoon while the three of us sprawled comfortably - well, Haymitch sprawled uncomfortably and snored really loud - on the couch and floor. Peeta was reading to me in an attempt to help me relax.
I relaxed fractionally when my mother came in, greeting us, and getting all her supplies inside. Sae came over to cook us dinner, and we sat down to eat with her and caught up on what she was doing in District 4. While they cleaned up, I headed toward the living room, and ended up doubled over with a contraction.
"Katniss!" I faintly heard Peeta call out to me through the roaring in my head.
My hand nearly knocked over a picture frame as I grasped the edge of a small side table in an effort to stay upright. Warm hands took hold of me, and I heard my mother's calm voice instructing Peeta to get my upstairs and into bed.
Peeta had lifted me and carried me upstairs. He whispered, "Soon we'll meet our daughter." The idea of it, even while terrifying, made me smile.
I let myself be helped into bed and tried to relax. My mother came in to check on me, though she mostly left me and Peeta alone until my contractions were within the time frame of getting ready to give birth. Peeta didn't say much as he tried to help me get as comfortable as possible. His hands worked on easing the ache in my back in the moments before my mother came in.
I finally asked him what was on my mind. "Are you scared, Peeta?"
His eyes met mine. "Terrified," he said quietly.
"Why did you want children so badly?" I asked curiously after I breathed my way through another contraction.
He smiled a little as he pondered that.
"I like kids, but I really liked the idea of creating someone, bring someone pure and innocent into the world after everything we had seen. I also liked the idea of having that little someone with you; having a little Katniss running around. I love you, and it makes me happy knowing this will ultimately bring you joy."
I gathered myself before answering. "It will," I said quietly. "It's hard, we both know that. I continue to be terrified, but I had come to realize before making this decision that you were right. I don't want to live my life in fear, though I know it'll always be there, but having something good brought into the world helps."
He laced his fingers with mine as another contraction came. "I think it's time," I whispered.
My mother came in, preparing me for the birth, and I began to push.
Peeta never once told me it was going to be okay, and I was grateful for that. We both knew things would never be entirely okay, and he knew he couldn't make promises that he wouldn't be able to keep. The only promise he made me was one he was capable of keeping; as I pushed through the pain to give birth to our daughter, he leaned close, lips skimming my ear.
"I promise to always love you and our daughter, and I promise to try and keep you safe as long as I live. Just like I know you would try to do the same for me."
I gazed at him through the haze of pain and squeezed his hand.
"You're the strongest person I know," he said, kissing my temple.
With those words, I gave one last painful push, teeth gritted, and our daughter was born.
My mother was smiling when she turned back around from taking care of our crying baby. She handed her to Peeta, and I felt a massive bolt of fear shoot through me upon the realization that this tiny human was ours, and it was up to us to keep her safe.
After nearly starving to death, struggling to keep myself and my family alive, being forced to kill in the arena, and losing so many people I cared about, I felt the tears begin. Marrying Peeta had been an extremely good thing in my life and now I had something else amazing; two dandelions in the sun after a lifetime of struggle.
When Peeta placed her in my arms, I knew he had been right. The indescribable joy filled me as I held our daughter; it was the only thing that eased my fears. The look on Peeta's face spoke a thousand words without him even having to say anything.
Love. Happiness. Fear. Awe. Excitement.
He covered the spectrum of words with one look.
Haymitch appeared then, moving toward us, his eyes on her. He didn't say anything, he just stood by us and it was enough. He laid a shaking hand on the soft, dark fuzz of hair on her head and seemed at a loss for words.
"You two deserve this. Remember that, sweetheart," he finally said, and I knew he was happy for us.
After a few minutes, he turned to leave. "Haymitch?" I said quietly.
When he turned, I could see his eyes looked damp. "And you remember that you're part of this family whether you like it or not."
He paused and collected himself again, and then he smirked. "Sure sweetheart. Grandpa Haymitch, huh? I'm sure you would want me as a baby-sitter."
"Hell no," Peeta replied with a note of affection in his voice.
The mood lightened as he and my mother left the room. Peeta stretched out next to me on the bed, and I rested my head on his shoulder. He was stroking our baby's cheeks, her soft fuzzy hair, and stroking a finger down her plump little arm. Her eyes blinked open sleepily at the touch, and I could see they were blue. She was beautiful. Her lips pursed, and she closed her eyes again, head resting against my chest. I knew I would never tire of holding her.
"What should we name her?" he asked.
I thought about it. "Hmm… what about Ella?"
He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I kind of like that. Ella Primrose Mellark."
I pressed my lips together to hold back the tears. My sister would have been ecstatic. My hand hooked around the back of Peeta's neck and pulled him down for a kiss. His lips teased mine open, and I sighed against his mouth.
"Thank you. It's perfect."
He smiled, and as my little family filled the bed, I could feel another strong ray of hope break through the dark.
*~*~*
AN: Just to let you know, I'm extending this to five chapters now instead of four, so there's one more to go after this. :o) Thanks for reading and reviewing… it's much appreciated! And again, a quick thanks to those I haven't been able to respond to personally. Oh… and just wanted to let you know, if you are on Twitter, you can follow nightlockrecs if you're so inclined. They recommend different Hunger Games fics which is nice if you like that idea.