What if?- A Mockingjay Story

Chapter 5

Katniss's POV
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What if?
What if that child's parents never come back? What if this isn't actually a joke? What if this child is really staying with me for the next few years? But what if it is a joke? Or a dream? Maybe I'll wake up and none of this will have happened? What if I'm Wrong? What if this is something I don't have a choice in? What if this isn't a choice?
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I open my eyes slowly as a dim light seeps through the laced curtains. I sit up and rub my eyes and glance over to the side of the bed to try see the time on my bedside table clock. Instead I see a basket with a baby. It happened. It was real.... I whisper to myself
"Oh my god...."
I push my hair out of my face and look at the baby
"Oh...my.....GOD"
I say again. I look around for a moment in shock. It happened, it actually..... I reach over the basket and grab my clock. The time reads 9:50 am. Haymitch will be here in 10 minutes! I peel the sheets off of me and rush out of the room in my nightgown. I run downstairs and quickly grab the key I have hidden in a hole behind the light switch in the hall. I lock the door as well as the Backdoor and double check that all the windows are shut. I know Haymitch would try anything. I sigh loudly and lean against the counter. This can't be happening can It?

I pace back and forth in the living room for the next twenty minutes, wondering what to do with the situation. Then I hear the phone ringing down the hall. I run to answer quickly so it doesn't wake the baby. That would make things about ten times worse. I suddenly realise that it will be Haymitch. I answer

"Hello?"

Trying to make my voice sound tired as if I just woke up. Haymitch answers sweetly

"Hi sweetheart, would you mind telling me why your door is locked?"

I bite my lip but ask trying to sound confused

"What?"

I hear him snigger on the other line and he says

"Unlock your door sweetheart"

"No"

He threatens

"Will I just have to get the boy over there than?"

I say back coldly

"Try me. It's not going to make a difference"

He replies

"We'll see"

Then the other line goes silence. My body begins to act faster than my mind. I immediately pull close all the curtains in the house. Once I'm done I walk through the hall back to the living room when someone knocks on the door. I halt. I listen in the silence to hear yet another knock. I slowly walk toward the door and put my ear to it. Suddenly I hear

"Katniss?"

Peeta. I hear my heart thumping loudly in my ears. His voice is so sweet and soft. I grab the key beside the door and squeeze it tightly in my fist to resist the temptation of opening the door. I put my back to the door and shut my eyes letting my back slowly slip down the door until I am eventually sitting on the floor. Peeta speaks again

"Katniss I know you're in there. Open up please"

Part of me wants to let him in, hug him, cry on him and tell him how much this hurts. But I know deep down he is here because of Haymitch and nothing else. And that one thought makes my mind wipe of everything else. I place the key in my nightgown pocket and walk away from the door. I run upstairs and glance out a gap in the curtains in the hallway. I see him walking to Haymitch's. I sigh. I was right. I go upstairs and change into my clothes, transferring the key from my nightgown pocket to my jeans pocket just in case. I throw on a pair of jeans and a green jumper rolling the sleeves half way up my arm. After that I decide to wake the baby. I walk into my room and walk over to basket. I rub her cheek softly and whisper

"Good morning"

She yawns softly stretching her little fingers and looking at me with her beautiful green eyes. She holds out her hands looking desperately to be lifted. I lift her into my arms resting her head on my shoulder and supporting her with my free hand. I grab the basket in my other hand and bring it downstairs and into the living room. I place it on the coffee table before lifting her back into it. She smiles and waves her arms and legs in the air. I sigh into my hands as I sit on the couch. I ask her

"What are we going to do?"

I don't expect a response nor do I get one. I remember the note. I also recall that the child doesn't even have a name. I take a moment to examine the girl, letting my mind discover her name. Sophie. It's simple, nothing I've heard before. I point my finger and let her grab onto in with hers

"Sophie"

I say. She smiles with her toothless gums. I can't help but smile back. I wonder if she's hungry? Do I need to go buy her food? What else do babies need? Cots, food, clothes, diapers? All things I have forgotten. This isn't as simple as I supposed. Suddenly I hear a knock on the door. I get up and walk to the door. Before opening it I peek out the peephole. It's a man. A delivery man. I'm confused why exactly he's here. I grab the key from my pocket and unlock the door. The man has a huge smile on his face and says

"Good morning Ms. Everdeen. I have a few packages for you! Please just sign here and I can give'em right away!"

He hand me a piece of paper and a pen. I nod and begin to sign while asking him

"Who sent these may I ask?"

He replies still cheerful

"Sorry Ms! That's private information! All I know is that these are prepaid packages that were to be send to you"

I nod again. I can already tell he's from the capitol. His perkiness could not belong to a member of one of the districts. I had him the paper and pen back and he grins before saying

"Great stuff! Now I'll just bring these lil' packages into the hallway yes?"

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Six packages and 20 minutes later he has left. I sigh in relief locking the door once more. I walk back into the living room to check on Sophie. I find her asleep. I sigh once again relieved. It gives me more time to sort out the packages. I walk into the hallway and one by one open them to find all of them different baby supplies. One is filled entirely of baby clothes and bibs, the second of diapers, the third of parts to make a cot, forth of food and medicine, fifth filled with baby bathes, blankets, a playpen, a highchair, toys and other things along that line. I throw out the empty boxes and bubble wrap and start with going through the toys. The sixth on is quite small so I decide to leave that until last as its contents are most likely less important than everything else. I lift up the first one I find. It's a small teddy and stuck to it is yet another envelope. I grab it and stare at it as it sits on my palm. It's similar to the one I received when Sophie came....