Fighting (Sequel to Fate)

Chapter 23

Katniss P.O.V.

"Are you alright?" Peeta asks as I move around uncomfortably on the floor.

"Yeah," I moan. "It's just that sleeping on the ground isn't very comfortable on my back." Peeta pulls me over so I'm laying more on top of him.

"I'm going to crush you," I tell Peeta.

"No you're not. You're fine. Go back to sleep."

"I can't. I'm wide awake now and my back still hurts."

"You want to sit up so I can rub your back?"

"Yeah," I whine as I slowly sit up and drape an arm over my big belly. "I feel like a big balloon already and I'm just a little over halfway through this pregnancy. I'm going to be huge by the time this kid is ready to make an appearance."

Peeta chuckles and presses his lips to my neck.

"You're not huge."

"But I will be by my ninth month."

"And I bet you'll be just as cute as you are now."

"Quit trying to make me feel better because I really don't feel cute right now."

"Well, you are," Peeta says.

"I dare you to tell me that while I'm in labor."

"Do you think that I have a death wish?"

I laugh and lay my head over against Peeta's.

"I have a feeling that I'll want to hurt you no matter what you say that day."

"Well, gee thanks," Peeta says sarcastically as he laughs at me. "Are you really going to be that mean to me?"

"Of course," I tell him. "I'm going to be in a lot of pain. I'll need someone to take it out on."

Peeta laughs at me.

"I can't wait."

Even though we're teasing, I can tell that he means those three words. I start imagining how happy we'll both be the day that our baby is born. Despite the nervousness I feel when I think about it all, I know I'm going to be so ecstatic once that baby is placed in my arms.

"Can you believe that we're having a little girl?" Peeta asks me quietly.

"I still can't always believe that we're married and I'm pregnant with your child."

Peeta chuckles. "We're having a little girl whom I'll spoil rotten."

I turn my head a little to look at Peeta.

"Peeta, even if we were having a little boy then you'd still spoil him rotten."

"Exactly," he laughs.

Before either of us say another word, we hear shouting from outside.

"Stay right here," Peeta tells me as he quickly gets up. He walks off from me, but returns moments later with a worried expression.

"We've got to go."

"Why?" I ask Peeta.

"Because Capitol hovercraft came through here flying really low. They know where we're at."

Peeta pulls me up off the floor and frowns.

"You can't walk all that way with the baby."

"Peeta, I'll be fine."

"Wrap your arms around my neck so I can carry you."

"No, Peeta."

"Katniss, I'm fine. Come on."

I sigh and wrap my arms around Peeta's neck before he picks me up and takes off walking towards the other soldiers.

"Peeta, I'm too heavy to carry so you'd better put me down," I tell Peeta once we're outside in the night air.

"You're fine. Relax."

Everyone takes off walking, but another hovercraft with the Capitol seal on it flies overhead of us. Guns start going off, and Peeta shields me as much as he can while still running.

Peeta suddenly grits his teeth and screams out, and I go in to panic mode as I automatically begin to think the worse.

"Peeta!" I scream as I grip him by the shoulders. "Peeta! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Katniss," Peeta breathes out without slowing his pace one bit. "I'm alright." Peeta keeps following the crowd of people until we come to a building that looks a lot safer, and more secluded. But we don't go inside. We just stop to make sure that everybody is okay before we continue to walk some more.

"Peeta," I say nervously. "Are you sure that you are alright because I thought for sure that you were hit."

"I'm fine," Peeta repeats. "It just hit my bulletproof vest and it didn't touch me at all."

"Put me down."

"Katniss…"

"I have to make sure that you're alright," I tell Peeta as I look him directly in the eyes. He sighs and puts me down on the ground. "Show me where you're hit." Peeta shakes his head at me and laughs.

"I'm not hit, Katniss." I scowl at Peeta, and he smiles at me before unbuttoning his outer layer and peeling it off of him. He turns around, and I frown when I see the small bullet hole in his vest.

"You screamed out. I was sure that you…" I shake my head, unable to finish that sentence.

"Yeah. Well, it didn't feel too good even though the bullet didn't actually hit me."

"If you hadn't had that vest on you could have been paralyzed or even worse than that because that bullet would have hit your spine and…"

"Katniss," Peeta says as he turns his head to look over his shoulder at me. "I'm fine. The bullet didn't touch me. I didn't get shot. Please quit worrying." Peeta turns back around to face me as he wraps his arms around me. My hearts is pounding as I rest my head on Peeta's chest.

"You're okay, aren't you?" Peeta asks me as he kisses the top of my head.

"Yeah. I'm alright."

We take off walking again, and Peeta keeps arguing with me saying that he should carry me.

"I'm fine, Peeta. I can walk on my own two feet."

"I know," Peeta sighs. "But you tell me the second that you start to feel tired."

"I will, Peeta."

As we walk, Peeta keeps his arms wrapped around me with one hand resting on the small of my back, and the other he makes sure to keep resting on my belly.