Always

Chapter 10

Peeta P.O.V.

After we both calm down, Katniss goes upstairs to get dressed. I sit down on the couch with my head in my hands. It's scary to think that I could have easily hurt Katniss or our baby, but there was nothing I could do about it. The scariest thing is, it could happen again.

I'm startled out of my thoughts when the television suddenly comes on. I immediately go over to it because it's programmed to do that for special or important broadcasts only. An older red-headed lady starts speaking and I become mesmerized by what she says. I don't catch everything word for word and I takes a little while for the news to sink it, but I do know exactly what she means.

I run upstairs to find Katniss coming out of our bedroom. I can tell by the way she jumps that I've startled her.

"Sorry," I say.

"It's all right," she says as she shuts the door and walks over to me. "What's wrong?" She asks.

"An important broadcast just came on the television. Paylor had a stroke this morning."

"Is she okay?" Katniss asks.

"They're not for sure right now," I say. I wait for her to say something else, but she doesn't. I decide to finally tell her the biggest problem In this situation. "Snow's son has taken over temporarily as president," I blurt out.

Katniss's face shows shock and terror. I can tell her muscles are tensing up. I wrap her up in my arms an pull her in close. She rests her head on my chest and soon, my shirt is wet from her tears.

"It's okay," I whisper as I kiss her head. She wraps her arms around my back and both of her hands rest in the middle of my back. "It's only temporary."

"Yeah, for now," Katniss points out. "We don't know how long Paylor will be sick. We're not even for sure is she's gonna pull through."

I take her chin and tilt her head up. I look right into her eyes. "If he tries anything that will hurt you in any way, I will kill him," I say. She looks at me in shock.

"I never imagined you'd ever threaten to kill someone," Katniss says.

"I'm a husband now, going to be a father soon," I say. "I can't afford to be so reluctant to kill people anymore. That doesn't mean I'd kill just anybody, but when I have to, I will." She looks up at me and smiles.

"You're going to be a great father," she says as she kisses me.

"And you're going to be a great mother," I whisper. We stand there for a few minutes until someone knocks on the door. Before we can get downstairs to answer it, it flies open. I know at that moment that it's Haymitch.

"Did you hear the news about Paylor?" He immediately asks when he sees me and Katniss coming down the steps.

"Yeah," I reply. "I saw the broadcast come on." He points to Katniss.

"Congratulations by the way sweetheart," Haymitch says. Katniss stares at him with her eyebrows raised for a minute.

"You mean about the baby?" She asks.

"Yeah," Haymitch replies. "Duh."

"How do you know?" She asks curiously.

"Your mother told me," Haymitch replies.

"When did you speak to my mother?" Katniss growls. I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing at her for getting mad at this.

"When I was on my way over here to tell you two about Paylor," Haymitch replies calmly. I guess he knows to overlook Katniss anger at what he said. "I saw that some of the lights in one of the other houses were on, so I went to investigate. That was one of the first things she said to me. Oh, and I told her about Paylor also." Katniss's facial expression seems to soften a little.

"Thank you," she says.

"We'll, I better go back home," Haymitch says. "Liquor can't drink itself." And with that, he leaves. Katniss walks over to me.

"Did I seriously just get mad about that?" She asks.

"Yes," I reply. We both start laughing. I watch her as her hand goes to her stomach. "Is our little girl kicking?" I ask.

"Yeah," Katniss replies as she looks at me curiously. "What makes you think it's a girl?"

"I don't think," I reply smiling. "I know." She laughs.

"What makes you so sure?" She asks accusingly.

"I just have that feeling," I say.

"Well," she says as she wraps her arms around my neck. "I have a feeling it's a boy."

"Well one of us is wrong," I say as I wrap my arms around her waist.

"Yeah," she agrees. "And it's you." I kiss her.

"We'll see in a few months," I say. We both laugh into another kiss.