Catching Fire (Katniss loves Peeta)

Chapter 12

Suzanne Collins owns all rights to the characters! Not me! This isn't the real story either!

Chapter 12

"Haymitch please let me go back in with her. I need to protect her." Peeta says calmly.

"No! No!" I sob into his chest.

"Katniss I have to get you home from the arena."

"No!" The tears are coming down in buckets. It's then when I start screaming. "Do you remember how I say 'I love you more than my life'? You're not dying to protect me!"

"Katniss. Your family needs you." Peeta says. Wait. Family. Mother. I'm going to the arena pregnant! I hate Snow! What are the odds of this being on the card? He gets rid of the rebellion leader, and it stops the uprisings.

I know what Peeta's saying. I'm needed to stay alive because I'm pregnant. No. I would stare at the wall all day. I would be like my mother. I shouldn't turn in to that. I wouldn't be able to take care of our child, protect it. Peeta should come home not me. I look at my family. Three people (counting Peeta). Peeta has more family than me. More to come back to.

I jump up and run to the bathroom. I pull Peeta with me. Odds are the bathroom isn't bugged.

"What Katniss?" Peeta asks calmly. In answer, I throw up. Peeta rubs my back.

"This has to be planned. Stopping the uprising and getting rid of me. All in one neat little package." I'm done crying; I'm angry now. Peeta pulls me into his arms. I rest my head on his shoulder, and he leans his on mine.

"I'm sorry this happened," Peeta says rubbing my back. I laugh.

"You say that a lot." He laughs too.

"I love you."

"I love you." Peeta starts to break. It's like I can hear it. He starts sobbing.

"Peeta. We have three months before we go." Seeing him cry. Hurts. Bad. Like someone shooting me in the heart.

I fall away from Peeta and into a ball on the floor. I wrap my arms around my legs. I don't cry I just sit there not knowing what to do, or what will happen. The idea that I could have a family, even a messed up one, was delusional. Stupid. I'm going die. And I'm going to kill my baby in the process. But in a way, I guess I'm saving it from the headache of having me as a parent and no Dad.

Peeta looks at me with a glint in his eyes. "Katniss.."

He leans down and holds his hand out to me. I grab it and press it against my check. He picks me up still curled up in a ball. Just then the door opens. Haymitch.

"Had to make sure you weren't doing naughty things. Not that you two would ever do that."

"Haymitch! We're not in the mood to deal with you. If you can't be nice just leave us alone for once!" Peeta yells, an oddity in this world. I cling to Peeta tighter, and he wraps his arms even tighter around me.

"Fine, I'll be nice. I'm sorry this keeps happening to you. The thing was revoked, Snow came, and now this." He says then points at my stomach. "I'm sorry about that too."

Peeta sits on the counter top, and I burrow into his chest. "I'll be six months when we go. I'll be showing by then. Especially if I can't wear baggy clothes."

"They'll find out." Peeta pushes my hair out of my face. When he does, I can see the tears he's holding back. I put my hand on his check.

"It's okay."

"Your Mom is kind of worried about what you're doing in the bathroom with your so-called boyfriend. So you might want to go back out there." Haymitch says.