Finding the Missing Piece: Book 5

Chapter Nine

Peeta POV- (Middle of the night)

"Peeta!" Katniss wakes me to her agonizing screams.

I automatically assume something happened to Willow but then I see her sound asleep next to Katniss, thankfully so oblivious to her mother's cries.

"No!" She whines hysterically, shaking her sweaty, tear stained face.

I jump up and hold down her flailing body, "Katniss, you're okay. Just wake up. It's alright. Everything is okay." I say, nearly having a heart attack.

My heart is beating right out of my chest.

She wails at the top of her lungs inaudible things.

I take a deep breath, trying to catch mine.

"Katniss, calm down. Shush, you're okay. Just wake up and you'll see that it's all okay." I say softly, pulling her trembling body into my arms and she freaks out, shaking and frantically looking about the room, ultimately coming out of her terror-filled slumber.

"Willow! Where's Willow?" Katniss cries out and looks around and tries to get out of my grip.

She's looks scared to death, even of me.

"Katniss, it's okay. Willow is okay. Look she's asleep right there. She's perfectly safe." I assure her.

Katniss cries hysterically and manages herself out of my arms and crawls a few inches over to where Willow sleeps and picks her up carefully and then hugs her tightly, her body shaking.

I frown at the sight as Katniss bawls.

"See. She's okay, Katniss." I assure her and put my hand on her back.

Willow stars stirring-whimpering even as Katniss rocks back and forth with her, hugging her tiny body.

"It was so real, Peeta." She cries into Willow's soft baby blanket and wraps it tighter around her as she wakes her up too.

"I lost you both." Katniss cries into my chest and Willow begins to bawl.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to wake her up but I needed to make sure she was alright." She cries, sounding so guilty as she hands me a very upset baby.

I try to calm her down too, with ultimately no success.

"Katniss, it's okay. Don't worry, we are all okay." I say as I pat Willow's tiny back as she wails into my ear.

I can barely think with the screams that make her soft words harder to hear and her crying too.

"I'm sorry, Peeta. I didn't mean to wake her up or you. I'm so sorry." Katniss cries into my lap.

I sigh and pat her back as I still try to calm the baby down.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask softly.

Usually, it's the same dream or usually, I can use context to figure it out.

Among never has she actually agreed to discuss it with me but I don't blame her.

I don't like reliving my nightmares either.

She shakes her head.

"I just had a terrible nightmare. I hadn't had one in forever and oh gosh, I scared her to death too. I'm so sorry." She says, hugging me close.

"Katniss, it's okay. Just calm down, that'll help Willow calm down." I say, sounding angry but I'm really not.

Just worried and I was scared to death when she woke up screaming.