When You Say Nothing At All

Chapter 9

"You're serious?" Peeta asks excitedly. I just told him about the tiny little life that we created, growing inside of me. I nod softly.

"Of course I am," I say.

"But," he starts and I shake my head.

"I'm just as surprised as you," I reply. "Its not like we planned on this happening so soon."

"Isn't Triton worried about what will happen to our baby with the war and everything?" he asks.

"Yes, but from where he stands, I'm safer here," I say. "He doesn't know anything about your world, Peeta. He knows how to protect me here."

"He'll never trust me to protect you will he?" Peeta says. I sigh and lay my head on his shoulder.

"It's going to take sometime," I say. "It was never easy for him to see me grow up as fast as I did. And I ran away to be with you. I'm sorry to say, you're the enemy in that story.

"But I don't want to be the enemy," he says. "I just want to live my life. But it seems like that isn't going to happen." I gently take his hand in mine.

"Every thing happens for a reason Peeta," I say. "Before we know it, we will be home again."

"With our little one," he says smiling and I nod.

"With our little one," I confirm. He wraps his arms around me and I lean into him. I've come to enjoy the little moments we have together like this, not speaking, but communicating to each other all the same. I can feel worry leaching off him for both me and our baby. I can't help but share his worries. There is a reason I left this life. The dangers down here are very real. I need to be on land before the baby comes because I will never be able to move her if she's born here. It wouldn't be safe.

"I want to show you something," I say finally breaking away from his embrace. I get up and begin to swim towards my cave. Peeta follows me slowly, still getting used to the pale blue tail that has replaced his legs. I guide him towards the old cave that I made my hideaway in the days when I was just a child. As I slip in, I notice that my hips have already begun to widen in preparation for my baby, making it harder for me to shimmy through. Peeta follows me and looks around in amazement.

"You collected all this?" he asks. I nod.

"I know it's all junk, but when I was down here as a little girl, it was some of the most interesting things in the world. All these little, amazing things that were made on dry land," I say. I watch as he looks around us and suddenly picks up a little toy dog and smiles.

"This was Prim's," he says. "I was carving it one of the days while we were sailing and it fell in the water." I nod.

"Yes," I say. "I was watching. I saw it fall and I brought it here before it could be destroyed in the rocks."

"That was nearly five years ago," he says.

"I watched you for a very long time," I say. "I didn't want anything to happen to you."

"You were my little guardian angel hiding beneath the waves," Peeta says fondly.

"If I wasn't, you wouldn't be here with me," I say. "I'd be married to Gale and we wouldn't be expecting our baby."

"I still can't believe you carried me all the way to shore," he says. "You're so tiny."

"Maybe, but down here, I'm almost stronger than you," I say.

"I'll let you win this one," he says and I laugh. I stare at the little dog and sigh.

"I wonder how Prim is doing," I say. Without their parents, Peeta has practically raised Prim for about four years now. Since I came along, she's nearly an adopted daughter for us even if she is less than five years younger than me. We're the ones to talk to her about her grades and where she goes when she says just "out."

"She's probably really worried," he says. I nod and feel him move closer to me.

"I miss her a lot," I say. "She doesn't even know about the baby."

"She'll be happy," Peeta says. "She's always wanted to have another baby running around." I laugh at that. I feel the little fluttering that means the baby is kicking and gently rub my stomach to calm her.

"What do you think we are having?" I ask him and he shrugs.

"I don't know. It doesn't really matter to me," he says. "Why?"

"Because I know what it is," I say.

"What?" he says. "How?"

"I'm a mythical creature," I say. "The magic I posses is all I need."

"Then why did you ask me?" he asks.

"To make sure you wouldn't get upset if it wasn't what you wanted," I reply.

"So what is it?" Peeta asks.

"Not telling," I say and he shoves me playfully.

"Tell me," he says and I shake my head and swim through the opening of the cave.

"You'll have to catch me first!" I call behind me and hear him swim after me as I flick my tail and follow the currents to the reef below the cliff the cave sets on. He gives chase and I laugh as I feel freer than I have in months. Just as I'm about to turn back, I feel tentacles wrap around my tail. I try to scream but one slaps over my mouth. I hear Peeta calling after me and tears sting my eyes as I'm pulled into a cave I do not know.

As I'm released, I turn away from my attacker and am met with a face that has been terrorizing my dreams. She corners me, sliding across the floor with her massive body bouncing along on her eight tentacles. She stops within the length of a minnow and gives me an evil red smile.

"You poor unfortunate soul," Ursula says with poisoned sugar. "I thought we had an understanding that if you got to keep your legs, you wouldn't come back here."