If Fire Caught

Chapter 5: Peeta

The reaping is tomorrow and Katniss has been having nightmares all night. But they aren't about the games. They haven't been for a while now. They are about losing our baby.

Katniss stares at me with tears in her eyes and takes my hand.

"Peeta," she says. "I want to do the toasting."

"The toasting?" I ask. "Why?"

"Because when I'm taken away tomorrow, I want to be able to say I'm married to my baby's father," she says.

"You're sure?" I ask.

"This is my last night in 12, I want it to be special," she says.

"Then of course we can," I say. I get out of bed and help her because she has a little trouble standing up with the baby. She didn't end up with a huge baby bump, if you didn't know, you'd think she was just well fed, which occurs when the victors suddenly have all the money they need.

She clings to me as we walk down the stairs and when we reach the bottom, she stumbles slightly.

"You okay?" I ask.

"I'm fine," she says. Her arm rests protectively over our baby, making me smile.

"If you sit on the floor, will you be able to get up?" I ask her. She glares at me.

"I'm not that big Peeta," she says sitting down carefully on the wood floor. She gently runs her fingers over her swollen abdomen and smiles.

"What's got you so happy?" I ask.

"He keeps moving," she says. "Its so terrifying and amazing at the same time." I smile and kiss her temple before going into the kitchen to find a piece of bread.

I come back and sit next to her. She carefully takes the bread from me and pierces it. Together we lay it over the fire and watch as it turns brown. I pull it out of the fire and set it on a plate to cool off a little.

"I can't believe we're doing this," she says.

"I still can't believe you're carrying our child," I say.

"But I am," she says smiling.

"And we are," I whisper. "We are getting married right now, even if its not real."

"It's real to us," Katniss says. "Thats all that matter's to me."

"Me too," I say. I take the toast and break it in half, handing Katniss half of it. We feed it to each other and Katniss pulls me into a kiss.

"We did it," she says as she pulls away. "I can't believe we actually did it."

"I know," I say. We smile at each other and Katniss stands up, wobbling slightly. I stand up trying to steady her. She takes my hand and starts trying to pull me upstairs. "What are you doing?"

"This is technically our wedding night," she says. "And I plan on taking advantage of it." She drags me up to my room and the rest you can probably guess yourself.

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The reaping is small, Haymitch and I stand in one small roped off area, usually reserved for the children at the reaping. On the right side, Katniss stands alone in a roped area similar to ours. Her arms are crossed and resting on her stomach, trying to hide our unborn child from the prying eyes and camera's. She looks over at me with sad eyes. I wish I could give her a smile, to reassure her that everything will be okay. But I can't.

"Welcome to the Reaping for the 75th Hunger Games and this year's Quarter Quell," Effie says although her voice is lacking her usual flare. "As always, ladies first." She has to reach into the bowl and she stretches her fingers to snatch up the lonely piece of paper that has Katniss' name written on it.

"Katniss Everdeen," Effie says sadly. Even though she knew this was coming, Katniss flinches as her name leaves Effie's lips. She lifts her head high, trying to hold back tears as she mounts the stage. She stands beside Effie and looks at me, as though she's begging me to change my mind.

"Now for the boys," she says, trying to hold in her emotions. She reaches into the other bowl and pulls out a slip of paper. "Haymitch Abernathy." She breaths a sigh of relief.

"I volunteer," I say stepping forward. I look at Katniss and see a tear she doesn't bother to wipe away run down her face.

"I can't let you do that boy," Haymitch says.

"You can't stop me," I reply before walking up to the stage. Effie looks at me and pats my shoulder.

"This year's Tributes from District 12, Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen," she says unenthusiastically. She backs away and I take Katniss' hand and give it a gentle squeeze, just as before. I mouth 'I'm sorry' to her and she nods. She can't do anything to stop me now, and she knows that.

We are about to go into the Justice Building but the peacekeepers start ushering us towards the train.

"What's going on" I ask.

"Change of plans," the head peacekeeper says. "You're going strait to the train.

"No!" Katniss cries, "Please, I have to say goodbye!" the peacekeepers start shoving us towards the train and Katniss starts screaming Prim's name. We are escorted to the train car and the door shuts harshly behind us. Katniss wraps her arms around me and starts sobbing loudly into my chest.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper into her hair.

"I don't blame you Peeta," she says. "I would have done the same thing."

And for a very long time, we just hold each other as the train speeds away to deliver us to the Capitol.