Together

Chapter 25

Katniss P.O.V.

"Is everything okay?" I ask Peeta as I walk into the living room. 

He looks at me and sighs. "Sit down, Katniss." We sit down side by side on the couch and I look at him. 

"Peeta, you're scaring me. What's wrong? Who was that on the phone?"

"It was the doctor's office," Peeta says. My heart drops. 

"There's something wrong with the baby, isn't there?" I ask. Peeta shakes his head and I relax a little. "So the baby's fine?"

"Katniss, that's just it," Peeta says. "There…" He stops and swallows hard. "There is no baby."

I just stare at Peeta as I let those words sink in. Tears build up in my eyes and I start shaking my head. 

"No," I say. "No. They… They said…"

"Katniss."

"No!" I say louder. "Peeta, they told me that I'm pregnant. The doctor stood there and told me…"

"I know, Katniss," Peeta says softly as he runs his hands up and down the sides of my arms, trying to calm me down. "But they got your results mixed up with someone else's. It was an honest mistake."

I look at the floor and take a deep breath. "Oh," I say quietly. "Um… Okay." I look at Peeta again. "I'd better go clean up the kitchen."

"Katniss…" I ignore him and walk out of the living room. Once I'm in the kitchen, I grab a rag and start wiping down the counter top. Peeta walks up behind me and places his hands over mine. "Katniss, stop," Peeta says softly in my ear. 

"Stop what?" I mumble. 

"Stop blaming yourself," Peeta says. "I know that you are, so don't every try denying it." I pull my hands out of his grasp and grip the edge of the counter, willing this emotional pain to go away. 

"Peeta," I sob as my shoulders start shaking. He wraps an arm around me and pulls me in close. "We were so happy!" I cry into his chest.

Peeta's arms tighten around me and he rests his head against mine. "We can still be happy, Katniss," Peeta says. "We still have Willow and we still have each other. I'm not saying you can't be upset, because I am too. But please, please, don't forget about everything else that makes you happy. Please don't get so depressed that you start shutting us out." I quickly shake my head. 

Peeta pulls me back and puts his fingers underneath my chin, gently pushing my head up to look at him. He rests is forehead against mine, our noses almost touching. 

"Please don't forget that other things make you happy. Willow and I still need you," he says quietly, yet sincerely.

I close my eyes and swallow. "I wouldn't do that to you two," I tell him. "I couldn't do that to you two. I've experienced that too much already, and I know how awful it feels. I love you both way too much to do that to you." I stop and take a deep breath. "I didn't mean to make you think I'd ever do that." My sobs start coming back. "I'm just… really… disappointed…"

"Honey, calm down before you make yourself sick," Peeta says as he rubs my back. When I finally calm down, Peeta leads me back to the living room where we both sit back down on the couch. "Katniss, maybe we should stop trying for a little while," Peeta says. 

"No. Peeta, I don't want to give up."

"I didn't say that, Katniss," Peeta says. "I just meant that maybe we should wait until you're not as stressed out before we try again."

I nod my head. "Okay."

"Come here," Peeta says as he opens his arms. I lay my head over on Peeta's chest and he leans back on the couch. We lay like this all night, and I know that neither of us sleep. When morning comes, we hear Wilow stomping around upstairs. 

"Daddy!" Willow screams. 

"Downstairs, Willow!" Peeta hollers. Willow comes stomping down the steps and into the living room. When Willow sees us, her blue eyes widen and she gasps. 

"Mommy," Willow says as she runs over to me. "You crying."

I give her a sad smile and pick her up. "I'm okay, baby girl." She frowns and uses her hands to wipe my cheeks, even though I'm pretty sure they're dry already. 

"Daddy make it better?" Willow asks as she looks over at Peeta. 

I laugh a little. "Yes, baby," I tell her. "Daddy made it better."

"Oh," Willow says. 

"Willow," Peeta says. "I know how you can help cheer Mommy up." Willow looks at him, obviously eager to help just like she always is. "You can come with me to fix Mommy breakfast."

"Okay, Daddy," Willow says. Peeta stands up off the couch and starts towards the kitchen, but Willow still seems reluctant about leaving me alone. 

"I'm okay, Willow," I assure her. "You can go with Daddy." Willow wraps her little arms around my neck and kisses my cheek. I look up at Peeta and he smiles, looking just as proud of Willow as I feel. Satisfied, Willow climbs down out of my lap and runs over to Peeta. 

I sigh and lean my head onto the back of the couch. I try to get a few minutes of rest since I didn't get any sleep last night, but it doesn't last long. 

"Mommy!" Willow says excitedly as she runs over to me. She takes both of my hands and tries to pull me up off the couch. "Come on, Mommy." I laugh and stand up, following Willow into the kitchen. 

"Did you help Daddy make me breakfast?" I ask Willow as I sit at the table across from Peeta. 

"Yep," she replies as she climbs up into my lap. 

"Thank you," I tell Willow as I kiss her cheek.

After a few minutes, Willow looks at Peeta and gasps. "Daddy, your arm hurt," she says as she points to Peeta's bandaged arm. 

Peeta chuckles. "I burnt it yesterday, remember?" Willow thinks for a minute and then nods her head. 

"It hurt?" Willow asks. 

"Not now," Peeta says as he shakes his head. 

"Oh," Willow replies before she goes back to eating. Peeta nudges my leg with his foot and I look up at him. 

'Are you okay?' he mouths. I nod and Peeta reaches across the table to take my hand in his. 

When Willow gets done eating, she gets down and starts towards the living room. 

"Where are you going?" Peeta asks her. 

"Play," Willow replies. 

"No," Peeta tells her. "You helped me cook. Now you have to help me wash the dishes."

"Huh-uh," Willow argues. 

"Uh-huh," Peeta says. Willow giggles and shakes her head. "Go play," Peeta laughs. Willow smiles at him and then runs off. "Are you sure you're okay?" Peeta asks me. 

"Yeah," I say as I nod my head. "I'm just feeling… a little overwhelmed, I guess. You know, the news hadn't sunk in good, and then it was taken from me."

"It'll be okay," Peeta says. "And I meant what I said last night. Every bit of it. I know you want this as much as I do, but don't let it consume you, okay?"

I look at him and nod my head. "Okay," I say, hoping that I can actually keep my promise. 
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This book is getting down to it's final chapters and that means that I'll be starting on the new book soon! I have the cover and everything planned out, but all I need is a title. I have one picked out, but I'm not really feeling it. So if you all have any good title suggestions for my next book, please message it to me.