Everybody Talks: Sequel

Chapter Twenty Two: Something Different

****Finnick's POV****
I can't get off the plane fast enough. As soon as we're told it's safe I take my seat belt off, grab my bag and rush towards the door just leaving everyone else behind without a second thought or glance backwards. I don't stop running when I get into the main part of the airport where I know that Annie will be waiting for me.
It barely even takes me a second to spot her in the crowd of people waiting for their loved ones. Her beautiful red hair makes her stand out against the many others. My eyes meet hers and I see a smile light up her face as she calls, "Finnick!"
I drop my bags and take off sprinting towards her as I yell, "Annie!" I rush past people barely paying attention as I try to get to the love of my life. When I finally reach her I see that she is holding a sign that says 'Welcome Home Finnick' in what I know to be her neatest handwriting. As soon as I'm stood less than a foot away from her she drops the sign and throws her arms around me. I hold her in an embrace but I can't seem to hold her as tightly as usual and something seems different about her. Before I left I could pick her up and spin her around with ease, like she weighed nothing. She seems heavier now and I know it's wrong of me to say something like that but I can't help it, something isn't normal.
I set her back down on her feet and smile at her widely because I haven't seen her in six months but I can't manage to keep eye contact for long as my eyes glance down to her stomach and see that it's grown almost as though she's... "Did you..." I absentmindedly tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, "Did you gain some weight while I was gone?" I say and she laughs nervously but I can see tears starting to form in her eyes as she says,
"No Finnick."
"Did something sting your stomach?" I ask becoming scared.
She shakes her head as a single tear rolls down her cheek. I quickly wipe it away with my thumb but feel them building up in my eyes, she reaches for my hand and places it on her stomach, "I'm..."
She trails off, as though unable to continue. We both know I know what she's going to say but I won't believe it until I hear the word that I'm afraid to hear come from her lips, "You're... You're what Annie?"
"Pregnant."
The tears building up in my eyes spill as she says it and I don't even attempt to stop them, "It is mine, isn't it?"
She nods and lets a small laugh out, "Of course the baby is yours."
"Oh thank god."
In all of that I almost forgot that we are in the middle of a crowded airport but something I feel on my hand brings me back to the room and I immediately worry, "Was that normal? Has it happened before? Are you-"
She cuts me off, "It was just him kicking."
In aw and amazement I ask, "It's a boy?"
She shakes her head, "I don't know what we're having I just have a feeling that it's a boy. I arranged a scan for tomorrow so you can see your, our, baby and we can find out the gender if we want. Do you want to go and sit down somewhere and talk about things more?"
I nod and we walk to an area of seats which is basically empty, "So, how far along are you?"
"A little over six and a half months." That makes everything dawn on me. I've missed so much, being there for Annie during morning sickness. Going to the first scan. Feeling the baby kick for the first time. Being there for Annie during the sleepless nights or when her hormones were too much for her and, just generally, being a hand for her to hold.
I feel myself crying again and I take her hand, "I'm so sorry."
"For what? You have nothing to be sorry for."
"Because I wasn't here for six months of your pregnancy. I'm sorry."
She smiles a small smile at me, "That wasn't your fault. I have more to be sorry for than you anyway, I didn't tell you that you were going to be a Dad when I've known for just under six months."
"I understand why you didn't Annie, it wouldn't have been fair on either of us to tell face to face news over Skype. I just wish I could have been here."
"Don't feel guilty about something you had no control over. Just make the most of these two weeks." Two weeks, that's all I've got to spend with my pregnant girlfriend and then I have to go back to fight and leave her here again. I won't be here when she needs me the most for her labour and the birth and I won't be here for the 1:00am feeds and changes. I don't know when the first time I will meet my child is going to be but I can't dwell on that over these two weeks with Annie. I don't know when I'll see her again after it.
I rest my hand back on Annie's bump and feel the baby kick again which instantly makes me smile. Annie's hand rests on top of mine and then I lean in and kiss her.
I'd almost forgotten how amazing it feels to have her lips against mine, it's something I'd taken for granted far too often before I left.
I never thought about how amazing it was to hear her laugh or to see her emerald green eyes light up and I will not forget that over these two weeks. I will spend as much time as possible making sure she knows how much I love her and this baby and that I will fight my hardest and not leave them by choice. I will convince my Annie that I will come back to her and that I will never stop thinking about her or our child and so much more.
We break away and she smiles at me as she says, "I'd forgotten how good that felt." and then we both laugh.
"So what else has happened apart form this, any other huge news to drop on me?"
"Well, Peeta proposed to Katniss."
"What?! How?! When?! I should have thought I would have know if that happened, I've barely been away from Peeta. Surely he would have told me."
"He left an envelope for her, it had a disk in with a recorded message and a slide show of pictures and he proposed on it."
"What was her response?"
"The whole thing made her remember him and then she got the ring from me, Peeta gave it to me before he left, and she told me she had to speak to Peeta about something before she could give him a definite answer."
"What do you think she needs to say?"
"When she fell something else happened other than her losing her memory. Whatever it was, it was serious because the doctor wouldn't even tell us. Haymitch stayed with her while the doctor told her and only those two know whatever it is. I'm guessing that it's that."
I nod, not quite sure what to say in response, "She's okay though isn't she?"
Annie shrugs, "I'm not really sure because she refuses to tell us. Whether that will change when Peeta knows, I'm not sure but she will tell us when she's ready."
****Annie's POV**** (A/N: There isn't really a reason for the change in POV besides the fact that I came back to writing on this after a few days and forgot it was in Finnick's POV so I kind of started writing in Annie's POV without realising...whoops haha)
We both nod and stay in a comfortable silence after that until Finnick stands up, takes hold of my hand and starts to walk back towards Katniss and Peeta. I see her reach into her pocket where I know the engagement ring is so I pick up my speed to the fastest I can walk which ism't particularly fast when you're over six months pregnant.
She puts the ring into Peeta's hand and he looks confused and hurt as he says, "I don't understand, I thought you remembered." with sadness catching in his voice.
Katniss' voice doesn't falter as she replies, "I do. And I've made up my mid, but you may want to reconsider yours."
"After all we have been through that's a little insulting," Peeta laughs, "I'm going to stay with you always."
Katniss starts to choke up as she struggles to make eye contact with Peeta and to say whatever she's trying to, "I know you love me, I remember that. But I also remember you saying that you have always wanted kids."
He is suddenly worried and knows there is something serious to come, "What's wrong?"
I'm guessing we're all about to find out what Katniss has been keeping from us for months and I do feel bad for listening in on Katniss and Peeta's conversation but I need to know what my best-friend felt she couldn't tell me, even when she remembered who I was. "Peeta, when I fell something happened to me. I don't know every detail or every medical term but the doctors told me, when I woke up, that it's nearly impossible for me to have children." I can't help but gasp along with everybody else and my hands quickly make their way to over my mouth. That's why she reacted like she did when I told her I was pregnant. It was the worst thing she could have heard and coming from the mouth of someone she had been told was her best friend must have been heart breaking. I can't imagine what it must have been like for her to live in the house with me every day, watching me going through something she has been told that it is highly unlikely she will ever be able to go through.
I can't believe she suffered through it all and said nothing, I feel like such a horrible person now! Why didn't she just tell me? I could have found somewhere else to live and spend most of my time instead of making some hard news even more difficult for her to come to terms with. Here I am feeling my son or daughter moving around inside of me, taking it for granted, when she may never feel it and if she does she will certainly not take it for granted.
I walk away, unnoticed, from everyone else with silent tears falling down my cheeks. I hear quick footsteps behind me and then a familiar pair of arms wrap around me. I turn around and bury my head into Finnick's chest. He doesn't say anything as I sob into his top but he does run is hands through my hair which soothes me a little but not much. After not long at all Finnick undoes his arms from around me and whispers, "Don't feel bad. Look at what's happening."
I turn back around and look to where Finnick is pointing: Peeta is down on one knee and Katniss is nodding her head, smiling and accepting the proposal. I immediately feel my tears stop and a grin breaks out on my face as I join in with the applause for the young couple and two of my best-friends who are getting married because they stick together through everything, showing how strong they are together.
My happiness is cut short as I realise I'm going to need to move out of the house. "Finnick, where am I going to live?"
"You're going to live where you've been living for the last six months, silly."
"I can't do that. How is it fair for Katniss to have to live in the same house as a girl who didn't even plan on getting pregnant but did when she will one day want to get pregnant more than anything but it will be almost impossible for her to do that."
"You know how stubborn she is. If she would have wanted you to move out you would be gone by now. She clearly wants her best friend who can make anyone laugh and feel instantly better around and she wants to be there for you too, especially for when me and the other boys and Jo are gone again.
You're going to need the girls Annie and they're going to want to be around to help you and their niece or nephew so no one will want you to move out and believe me if one of them did I would be having words.
Also, it doesn't matter whether we planned on getting pregnant or not, all that matters is that we are going to be the best parents that we can and although we won't be perfect, we will love our baby more than anything."
I nod and let out a breathy laugh and wrap my arms back around Finnick which is difficult with my bump but I'm going to take the opportunity while I can.
I love Finnick and our baby more than anything else in this world, with my friends and family immediately behind them, and that's what matters the most.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Lauren