Peeta

I'm woken when Daphne begins wailing around 3 am. Katniss rolls over next to me to grab her from the cradle that has replaced the nightstand on her side of the bed. Its easiest that way as Katniss heals from the trama she underwent over the long process that was Daphne's birth.

"You want me to take her?" I ask but she shakes her head.

"She's due to be hungry," Katniss says. "You can't really help me with that." I watcher as she takes a pillow and situates Daphne and begins feeding her, quickly quieting the squealing newborn.

"I'll go get you something to drink," I say and she reaches over and grabs my arm to hold me back.

"You have to wake up in a few hours to work," she says. "Just go back to sleep." I instead pull away from her and go to the door.

"I'm already awake, sweetheart," I say. "I'll just go and get you some water." She just nods and turns her attention back to the baby she's holding. I walk down into the kitchen and grab a glass of fresh water for Katniss before turning to go back upstairs.

She is a good mother. A lot better than she ever would have thought she would be. Katniss does love that baby and she wants the best for her. And it devistates her that she can't protect Daphne from the future destined of her.

And while I promised her I'd get them out of here, I don't have the faintest idea how that would ever happen. Even if 13 does still exist, I don't know that I could ever find it, much less lead Katniss and an infant there. At least not for a year or two, when Katniss would fully recover and Daphne could stay quiet enough out in the woods for us not to be found.

I return to see Katniss still sitting there obvious exhaustion written accross her face. She looks up at me and a faint smile crosses her face.

"I'm too young for this," she says quietly as I sit down beside her. I hand her the glass and she takes a drink and hands it back to me. "I don't have a clue what I'm doing."

"You're doing fine Katniss," I say as Daphne finishes. Katniss quickly covers herself back up and hoists the baby up on her shoulder. She burps the baby and settles her down back in the craddle and looks over at me.

"I'm just going through the motions. I don't even know if I'm even alive anymore," she says sadly before breaking down. "I don't even know if I love her or if I just feel like I have to take care of her. My own baby. All because she wasn't my choice." I carefully pull her to me and she clings to my arms as she cries.

"Its okay," I say. "I know you've had a hard time. I know that the post patrum depression hasn't helped. But you're doing so good, sweetheart. Once you get your meds straightened out, you'll feel better."

"I don't want to be drugged," she whispers and I look her over.

"I know," I say. "But you need them for Daphne's sake." She pushes away from me and looks at me, the tears streaming down her face.

"Do you think I would hurt her?" She says. "I would never hurt her, Peeta. Not after everything I went through to bring her into this terrible place."

"I am not suggesting anything," I say, but she sees through the concern in my voice and pulls completely away from me.

"You think I'm crazy," she says. I shake my head but she gets up and goes to leave the room, but her slow movement allows me to quickly grab her and pullher back towards our bed. She struggles beneath my grasp but I just hold her firm, knowing that sometimes she needs the pressure on her shoulders so she will relax.

"Katniss, just take some deep breaths," I say. "We're going to get you through this. Just calm down and it will all be okay. I promise."

"You promise?" She asks, still breathing heavy.

"I promise," I say. "I'll make it all better, sweetheart." She nods and I gently kiss her cheek as her rapid breathing and fluttering heartbeat slowly slow down and she calms. This isn't the first episode she's had. It probably won't be the last either. Thankfully, this one is less servere than some of the others and she recovers fairly quickly.

"I'm sorry," she whispers and I just gently run my fingers up and down her arm.

"Its okay," I say. "I know you are having a hard time. We can't ignore that."

"I'm sick, Peeta," She whispers but I just shake my head.

"No," I say. "You aren't. You are just overwhelmed. This is all new and scary. And its harder for you because you can't leave her like I do. Its always on your mind and you didn't ask for any of this. Its okay to be upset." She just looks at me and I carefully pick her up and set her up on the bed a little more comfortably. I wipe some of her tears away and she grasps my hand.

Do you think I'll ever get better?" She asks. I just nod and brush her hair away from her face.

"It's gonna take time, but you will, Katniss," I say softly, "I'm sure of it. For now, why don't you take a warm bath and see if it helps."

"Aren't you afraid I'll just let myself go under the water?" She asks. I move away from her enough to help her sit up and stand there in front of her.

"Yes, I am terrified of that very thing," I say. "So I'm going to sit outside the curtain and talk to you the whole time to make sure you're doing okay." She starts to get up and I help her stand and she just shrugs.

"There isn't any part of me you haven't seen before," she says quietly. "You don't need to bother with the curtain." I just nod and follow her into the bathroom and start the bath for her. If this is what she wants, I'll permit I won't stop her. She slowly removes her sweaty nightgown and I help her get into the tub and she just sits there a while, looking around before slowy laying back and looking up at the ceiling.

"She looks like you," I say eventually and she turns to me.

"Daphne?" She asks and I nod. "I just see a baby. Sometimes a little bit of you maybe. But I don't see any way she resembles me. If I didn't know for sure she came out of me, I'd doubt she was mine."

"She has your nose," I say. "And your ears. I even think, maybe your smile." Katniss picks at her fingernails a moment before adjusting herself a little and runs a washcloth across her leg.

"You think so," she says softly. I nod and tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear and out of the water.

"Yeah," I say. "Daphne's beautiful, just like her Mommy." A tear runs down her cheek and she looks at me sadly.

"If we get out of here, I want you to promise me something," she says and I nod, reaching forward to grasp her hand.

"Of course, Katniss," I say. "Anything you want."

"Daphne can never know why and how she got here," she says. "No matter what, she can't know that we were forced to make her and that I never wanted her. I don't want her to look at you as a monster I was afraid of for so long." I nod and kiss her hand.

"I promise," I say. "She won't ever have to know the hell you lived. That you are living right now." She smiles and moves over so she is facing me.

"It isn't all bad, you know," she says and I lean forward and kiss her gently.

"I know, but it doesn't seem so good when you are feeling so bad," I say. Katniss looks like she wants to say something else but we are interupted when the baby starts crying again.

"Can you?" She asks and I nod.

"I got her," I say. "You just dry off and get dressed. I'll get your bed ready." She nods and I get up from my spot on the floor next to her to go and calm the screaming baby.

It turns out she had just needed changed and I quickly do so for her before lifting her up onto my chest, holding her close to me as pull back Katniss' blankets and look up to see Katniss standing there in just her towel. She watch me a moment before going to the dresser and grabbing something fresh to wear for the rest of the night. I sit on the bed with the baby and Katniss comes over and sits next to me, still watching me calming our daughter. Daphne soon quiets but I still hold her to me, to be sure she's going to stay quiet.

"I always knew you'd be good at that," she says softly as I look over at her sad smile.

"I never held a baby before she was born," I admit and she smiles sadly. "You're good with her too you know. Better than you probably give yourself credit for." She searches my face for a lie, but finding none just watches me put her baby back down in the cradle.

"Do you really think I'm a good mother?" She asks quietly as I get up to let her lay back down.

"Yes, Katniss," I say as I lay back down beside her. "You are a very good mother. And someday, soon I hope, you will come to see that." I turn out the light and Katniss lets me pull her close like we always do. I kiss her cheek and she intertwines our fingers over her chest. The room is silent, save our breathing. I close my eyes, savoring these few quiet hours until the sun rises on another day in the unhappy world outside these simple, loving walls.