The Beauty Beneath The Beast

Chapter 15: Katniss

I wake up to a searing pain in my abdomen. I sit up and scream. Peeta shoots up next to me and looks at me in panic.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"I don't know for sure," I say shakily. "But I think the baby is coming now."

"Now?" Peeta asks. "As in now now?"

"Yeah," I say. "She's ready now."

"Okay," he says, obviously a little flustered but trying to stay calm for my sake. "Just try to stay calm and I'm gonna go get Mrs. Potts and your sister." I nod and hold my stomach where my baby is quite obviously preparing herself to be born, squirming around just a little. I try to breath deeply and stay calm, but I start crying.

"I can't do this," I say. "I'm not ready to do this. I can't be a mother. What am I going to do?" I hear a knock on the door before Prim peeks her head in. When she sees the condition I'm in, she rushes to my side.

"Katniss, you need to calm down," she says. "Its not doing you or Annabelle any good panicking like this."

"I'm not ready," I say. "I can't do this."

"Yes you can," she says. "You were born knowing how to give birth and take care of this baby. It's maternal instincts."

"I don't have maternal instincts!" I squeal as another contraction causes me to clutch my abdomen and clench my teeth. As it subsides I fall back on my pillow and Prim wipes a cool cloth across my forehead.

"Wether you think you do or not, you do know how to take care of this little one," she says. "Plus, you'll have both Peeta and me to help you. And considering the amount of pain you are going to have to go through before this little one is born, I think Peeta is going to get called a lot of things before this all over. So I'm begging you, at least try to be patient with him."

"I will be," I say.

"Katniss, I know you," she says. "You are gonna be really cranky and most likely blame Peeta for all the pain, and its not his fault."

"It's kind of his fault," I say. "If he didn't put this thing in me I would not be in this mess." I start trying to sit up but the dull ache from my previous contractions makes me groan and I lie back down.

"You both made this baby Katniss," she says. "Its both your faults that this is happening. So you just need to stay calm and let everything that needs to happen, happen." Just then the door opens and Peeta comes in with Mrs. Potts, whom everyone on the serving staff calls Greasy Sae because of her style of cooking everything in bear grease. Peeta walks up beside me and gently takes my hand.

"How are you feeling?" he asks and I glare at him. Before I can snap at him, Prim answers for me.

"You really don't want her to answer that question Peeta," she says. "She's not exactly in the best mood right now, which is completely reasonable considering the pain she's going through." He smiles at me and tries to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear but I slap his hand away.

"Wow," he says. "You weren't kidding."

"No she wasn't," I say. "Now since I can't do it myself, can you please help me sit back up?" Peeta nods and with Prim's help. He carefully eases me into a sitting position propping me up on pillows. Mrs. Potts, who I had almost forgotten about, goes between my legs and checks to make sure everything is happening as it is supposed to.

"She's about half way there," she says. "You should be ready to have this little bugger pretty soon. Just stay calm and let the baby tell you when it's your turn to do some of the work."

"I'm already doing all the work!" I cry as another contraction hits me. Peeta rubs my back and gently holds my hand as I crush it in mine. After it passes, I lay back and look up at Peeta. "I hate you so much right now."

"I figured," he says. Prim gently runs the cool cloth across my face and arms, taking away the sweat that coats most of my body. "You are doing so well."

"I don't really have a choice now do I?" I say. "I do this or we both die and I can't do that to you."

"Don't talk like that's even an option," he says and I see tears in the corners of his eyes. "You and this baby are going to be just fine. You're both healthy. And in just a little while, we'll have that little baby in our arms." I feel something and realize that the baby isn't going to get any further on her own.

"I think it's time," I say.

"Time for what?" Prim asks. Mrs. Potts moves around between my knees and looks up at us.

"It's time for your sister to push," she says confirming what I thought. She looks at me with a serious face. "Now Katniss, I know you're scared, but you can do this. On the next contraction, I need you to push." I nod and try to stay calm as I feel my contraction start to take over. I start to push and feel tears in my eyes. I stop and fall back Peeta gently holds me up and rubs my arm.

"You are doing great Katniss," he whispers. "She's almost here. Just a little more."

"I don't think I can do this," I say. "I'm so tired."

"I know," he says. "But you are so close. You can do this Baby. Soon we will have her in our arms and this will all be worth it." I nod and push again, feeling like I'm being torn in half. Prim smiles and looks at me.

"She's almost here," She says happily. "I'm almost an Auntie!" I look at Peeta and smile.

"You're almost a daddy," I say.

"You're almost a Mommy," he replies. I nod and prepare myself before putting all the strength I have left into pushing my baby the rest of the way out of my body. I fall back onto Peeta's shoulder. I feel like I have nothing left in me, but am forced to raise my head when I hear the soft cries of a baby.

My baby.

"It's a girl!" Prim says. "You guys were right. She gently takes my daughter in a towel and carries her to me and Peeta. I hold her in my arms and smiles as Peeta gently kisses my temple.

"Our little Annabelle," he whispers.

"Our little Beauty," I say. She keeps crying and I laughs softly. She blinks open her eyes and I see that they are a mirror image of her father's. I look at Peeta and he smiles.

"If you want, I can go clean her up a little." Prim says. "Maybe get her dressed." I nod and a little reluctantly allow her to take my baby. I turn to Peeta and he pulls me into a kiss.

"I love you," he whispers as he cups my cheek. "And I want to thank you so much for giving me the most perfect gift in the world."

"I love you too," I say. "And you were right. It was all worth it."