The Hunger Games: Uprising!

Chapter 22

I sit there, looking at her as if she's speaking to me in a different language.

How can I be pregnant?, she gave me the tablets, I took them when I was supposed to.

I can feel Peeta's eyes boring into me, looking for my reaction. I slowly turn to him. His smile is so wide I swear he's lightened up the room, and just like that it vanishes when he see's the look on my face. What do I feel?. The truth is I feel numb, I've been caught completely off guard. I force a smile to relieve him of his rising anxiety, but he know's me too well, know's that my smile isn't real.

Mom breaks the silence.

"Well I can see its as much a shock to you as it was to me" she says smiling.

"I can't believe it, how. I mean, I know how it happened but you gave me the tablets, I took them as I was told"

"I know, but I think we were probably too late with our timing darling, right from the beginning"

I think back to my first time with Peeta. The night I accepted that I could spend the rest of my life with him. That I decided to let myself love someone and not think of the unbearable consequences of losing them. As I had my father and Prim.

I look to Peeta, the look of concern on his face, the uncertainty of my reaction. I need to put his mind at rest.

But before I can say a word, he puts his finger to my lips, stopping me from speaking.

"Katniss, I know this has been a shock, as it is for me. But I don't want you to worry. I'll always be there for you and we'll deal with this together, one step at a time. Yes, we're still young, but this is something wonderful that's happening to us. You did say that one day we'd be married with our kids playing outside in the meadow. Well, here we are, and this is the first step towards that dream. A dream with nothing but happiness and safety for our child, with no Hunger Games to take them away from us".

I look across at my mum and see her smiling at Peeta. As usual his words are exactly what I need to calm me, to realise everything will be alright, that although this will be something completely new to me, I'll never be facing this alone.

I turn to face Peeta, smiling at him.

"I know you'll always be there for me, like you said, I was just shocked at the news. It wasn't something I'd planned on just yet, but the more I think about it, the more excited I get"

I wrap my arms around him and I feel him kissing my neck. I pull away and look straight into his eyes. Eyes full of love.

I turn to my Mom.

"Are you staying here tonight?"

"I'll stay over a Peeta's if that's Okay, this is your place"

I know that's not the real reason. I can see the conflict of her emotions from coming to see me here in my home, and memories of Prim, walking around the house with buttercup in her arms.

We help take her bags across to Peeta's house. Light a fire and turn on the lights. It's cold inside but it won't take long for the fire and heating to warm the house through. We arrange to meet for breakfast in the morning.

Peeta and I return home and settle down for the night. It's been an eventful day, what with last nights events, the trouble in the square and the amazing news this afternoon. We're both exhausted and we turn in for an early night. The wonderful dream I had on the flight to the Capitol returns to me with Peeta and I sat in front of the fire, with our two children playing at our feet. Snow flakes fall outside the window, but we're safe and warm in our own world.