"WELL, YOUR BABY LOOKS HEALTHY," THE DOCTOR ANNOUNCED. She turned around as the woman in the chair pulled her dress down over her stomach, smoothing it out nervously, despite the good news that she had been given. Hospitals just made Leia anxious, for some reason. It was such a contrast from the bright colors and elegant decorations that were strung throughout the entire rest of the Capitol. "Do you still not want to know the gender?"

"No, I'd like it to be a surprise," the Calore woman confirmed, swinging her legs over the side of the chair so that she could stand up and get the hell out of there.

The woman handed her a folder full of the lab results and everything, and she raised her eyebrows almost suggestively. She pointed out, "I haven't seen a father at any of these visits."

"He's been away," Leia informed her for what felt like the hundredth time. She asked every single appointment, and every single appointment, the answer was the exact same. It was not technically a lie, and the pregnant woman was not about to detail her entire tragic romantic experience with her doctor who had just spent twenty minutes spilling about some other patient's rash.

The woman tsked, shaking her head disapprovingly, like she had any sort of say in Leia's personal life. "Hope he's back before the birth. No one wants to go through that alone."

"We'll see," the Calore woman responded, a fake smile spread across her face. She knew that the woman was just trying to be nice, but she could not help but find it annoying. She would never admit it, but the subject of the baby's father was still sore.

When she stepped out of the room, Amethyst was sitting and reading a magazine, waiting for her. She raised her eyebrows and stood up when her friend entered the waiting room. "How'd it go?"

"Well. Baby's healthy," Leis responded, and the two women began walking down the hall.

There was a small pause between them, and Amethyst scanned the area around them to make sure that no one was listening before leaning in and muttering, "I'm guessing you still haven't told him."

"I can't contact him," the younger woman reminded her. If there was any way for her to contact Finnick safely, she would've done it five months ago. "Snow's getting more and more careful because of all of the uprisings. If he finds out..." She trailed off, not even wanting to imagine what could happen. Of course, Snow could end up not caring at all, but she was not willing to take that chance. "I can't risk losing my baby."

"Well, you're going to see him at the Quarter Quell. What are you going to tell him then?" Amethyst asked because the 75th Hunger Games were coming up. Normally, Leis would be grateful for the chance to see and talk to Finnick without worrying about raising suspicion, but she was terrified for this one. She was unsure of how he would react when he saw her. "Snow announces the twist tonight, and the Tributes will be here tomorrow. Finnick is still the District Four Mentor. There's no way he won't show up."

The pregnant woman stopped and whipped around to face her friend. "I don't know what you want me to say! This has to be something I tell him in person. I sent him a letter saying that I had to speak with him, but there was no answer."

"Don't you want him to be a part of your child's life?" the older woman questioned.

"Of course, I do! All I've ever wanted was a life with him, a family with him," Leia exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. Finnick didn't just leave to leave. He did it to keep them safe, and they both knew that. "But there's a million reasons that that can't happen."

Amethyst did not mention Finnick for the rest of the afternoon, but she shot her friend knowing glances when the two sat down in Leia's apartment to watch Snow's announcement. The Calore woman was rubbing her stomach and singing to her unborn child, but her head shot up in curiosity when she heard the President speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen. This is the 75th year of the Hunger Games. It was written in the charter of the games. In every 25 years there will be a Quarter Quell to keep fresh for each new generation the memory of those who died in the uprising against the Capitol. Each Quarter Quell is distinguished by games... of a special significance. Now on this eve of the 75th anniversary of out defeat of the rebellion, we celebrate the third Quarter Quell. As a reminder that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of the Capitol." Leia had not been paying much attention, but once she was sure that he was about to announce it, she leaned forward in her chair. "On this the third Quarter Quell game, the male and female tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of victors in each district."

Her stomach dropped as the cheers of the crowd filled the room. She swore that her heart completely stopped for a moment. She just shook her head at the television, waiting for the ugly old man to say that he was joking. She breathed out, "No."

"Leia—" Amethyst started, turning off the TV immediately.

The Calore woman flew to her feet, and it felt like her world was falling apart. How could someone be that evil? How could someone do that? She held her belly as she walked back and forth in the room, corner to corner. Tears filled her eyes, and she couldn't breathe as the panic set in. Finnick. Finnick. Finnick. He was all that she could think about. "No, no, no, no, no. This isn't fair! He can't do that!"

Her older friend stood up and tried to calm her down, but she was not much help, being in shock as well. She ran a hand through her hair. "He just did."

"Finnick's the only male Victor for District 4," Leia told her, stopping in the middle of the room. There was no way that what she just heard was true, right? Snow wouldn't do that. He wasn't that evil. But he would, and he was. Leia shook her head frantically as a sob escaped her lips. "It's gonna be him. There's no one else. He's going back in."

《✵》

THE TRIBUTES WOULD ARRIVE IN THE SUITES ANY MINUTE. Leia had to pretend like everything was normal and act like she always did before the Games. She smiled while Apollo and Lunia pranced around the bathroom, excited that their favorite Victor was coming back, more attractive than ever. They had rewatched the Reaping about a thousand times, commented on his smile and muscles. Leia could never bring herself to look at the screen, and she just had Amethyst explain what was happening.

Finnick's District Partner was Mags, who had volunteered for Annie Cresta. While Leia was upset about Mags, she was glad that Annie was not put through that torture again after how it had affected her. Mags had lived her life, and she was willing to die to save a young woman.

Leia was in the suite with Amethyst, and the two were setting everything up for that night. She was surprised that Apollo was not bouncing around and hovering in anticipation, but he had gone off to pick of the outfit for the Tribute Parade, positive that getting Finnick ready would not take long at all.

"He is going to hate me," she said finally. Neither of them had spoken, Amethyst just assuming that she was freaking out. She was, and the Odair man's feelings toward her were the least of her worries. However, it was the only thing she could do to not think about the fact that he was going back into the arena.

The other woman sighed, shaking her head. "He could never hate you."

"He could, and he'd be right to," Leia told her. She would hate her if she was in his position, and she was terrified of seeing the betrayed look in his eye when he stepped inside. "I didn't tell him about his child. I haven't seen him in months. His love will have faded, and with the betrayal, he will hate me."

"Leia, that man could not hate you no matter how hard he tried. He's loved you ever since you guys were fourteen, and if his love did not fade over four years of not seeing each other, it certainly won't this time," Amethyst insisted. She had seen the way that Finnick looked at her friend, and it wasn't something that just went away. "You just have to believe that your love for each other is stronger than any anger he could feel."

Before Leia could respond, the door opened, and their heads whipped over to look at it. The first thing that she saw was his beautiful curls followed by the rest of his head and then his body as he stepped into the room. She had been holding a brush, but as soon as his eyes met hers, it slipped through her fingers. It had been years since she had gone that long without seeing him, and she ached for him.

She glanced back to see that Amethyst had slipped out, leaving the two of them alone. When she turned back, she saw his eyes flicker down to her stomach and back up again. He breathed out, "Leia."

"Finnick," she said back to him.

He continued to glance between her face and her swollen belly, and she did not know if he was just in shock or unsure. It was quite obvious that she was pregnant, but he did not know how far along she was or if... if maybe it wasn't his. "You're..."

"Pregnant," she finished for him because he trailed off and was unable to complete his sentence.

He sucked in a slightly shaky breath, and she honestly did not have a clue what he was thinking. "Is it...?" he questioned, and she knew that he was wondering if it was his. She nodded quickly in response, and he brought his hand to his mouth in shock.

"Say something, please," she murmured, and she felt tears in the corner of her eyes. She refused to cry because he was the one who should be upset, but she was really struggling.

Instead, he crossed the room in a couple long steps before colliding with her, wrapping his arms around her and picking her up. He spun her around in the air, and a smile spread across her face. Everything else left their minds for a moment, and they were just two people in love that were having a baby together. Once he put her down, his hands landed on her stomach. "How long?"

"About four and a half months," she answered with a chuckle.

He looked up, and his face was more lit up than she had ever seen it. He looked so happy, and she never wanted the moment to end. There were tears in his eyes as well, and he just said, "We're having a baby."

"Yeah, we are," she confirmed with a nod, biting her lip. He leaned down and kissed her, and they both grinned into the kiss. 

But all of a sudden, his face dropped when he remembered where they were and why he was there. Everything that had faded away was slowly reappearing, and he realized just how completely screwed he was. "We're having a baby, and I'm going back into the arena."