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"Paisley!" I looked up from the work on my desk.

"What?" I groaned.

Finnick burst into my study, grinning like an idiot. "Guess what?"

"Um, you just played a joke on Gale?" His frown immediately disappeared.

"Forget it." He narrowed his eyes before he left the door. I snickered softly to myself before I heard a loud clatter from the kitchen.

I shook my head before I got up and walked out of my study and into the kitchen. Gale was glaring at Finnick and Finnick was laughing like a joker. I looked at the pots and pans on the ground. "You two act more like boys than men," I muttered.

"I actually got Gale to scream," Finnick giggled.

I glanced at Gale, whose face remained in its stoic appearance. "Did he really?" I grabbed the pans and looked at Gale.

"No," he said. I grinned and nudged him with my shoulder before I put the pans away. "He just surprised me."

"Like I surprised you?" He narrowed his eyes at me and I laughed, kissing his cheek softly. "Still wish I broke your jaw."

"Would have been funner," Finnick muttered.

"I really do hate it when you two gang on me."

I laughed and nudged Gale again before I sat on the kitchen counter. "Finnick, where's Annie?"

"She's at home. The baby's putting a burden on her. She told me to come here. She says hello, by the way." I nodded.

"The baby's going to come anytime soon, isn't it?"

He nodded, his face suddenly serious. "Every time she lets out a sound, I can't help but think the baby's coming. I freak out every damn time. I'm scared something might go wrong, or something. Annie's pretty much fed up with my freaking out at this point." Gale snickered.

"I remember my dad got like that with my brother." Gale, at this point, was pretty much over the mine collapsing over his dad. He would talk about it time-to-time with me before we went to bed. But sometimes I'd catch him in a room, clutching a picture he found of his father, who looked so much like him. I rested a hand on his arm. He glanced at me before there was a barrage of knocking at the door.

I frowned, walked to it, and opened it. There was Garrett, a small boy we've all come to like. Even if he was a teenager, he acted more like an adult than any of us. He was panting, blue eyes wide. "Annie," he said.

Finnick stood at the door, his body going rigid. "She's having the baby," Garrett said breathlessly. Finnick didn't stay for another moment. He was running down the streets at an alarming rate. I glanced at Gale before we followed him. Finnick was my best friend; I wasn't about to miss his first child being born. And Gale, naturally, followed because he was my husband and had to. And that was that.

We reached the hospital, where a nurse pointed us to the place where Annie was. I knew nothing about giving birth, but I knew we were supposed to wait outside while it was happening. Only Finnick was allowed inside at the moment. I looked at Gale.

"Isn't this exciting?" I said.

Gale actually smiled a bit. "Yeah."

I rolled my eyes, though I accepted his answer. I leaned on him and took his hand, which he squeezed gently. "Paisley?" he suddenly asked.

"Hmm?" I was rocking side-to-side a little, closing my eyes as we waited.

"Have you ever thought about having children?"

I stopped rocking. "Not really, no."

"I think you should."

I opened my eyes and stared at him. "You want kids?"

He frowned. "Why not?" I could feel his thumb rubbing the back of my hand. I could tell he was a little anxious for my answer. I didn't know much about his family, but I did know he had a few siblings. I guess that's one thing that contributed to the want of having children.

"All we've done is slept together. And I mean actually sleeping. Nothing's really happened. It's a bit of a leap." He shrugged, staring room Annie was in.

"I know..." He pursed his lips and I stared at the floor before I sat up and kissed him on the cheek again.

"Okay, Gale. But give me a little time to get used to this whole married thing. We've only been together for half a year, right?"

"Yeah," he said. He glanced at me and kissed me on the nose. "I understand." I stared at him for a few moments before I nodded.

"Not to mention, someone has a fear of the bedroom," I whispered.

He laughed, sitting back in his chair. "It's not me," he muttered.

I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips. "Shaddup, you." He laughed again, running his fingers through my hair.

It was a couple of hours of waiting before Finnick finally left the room. He looked exhausted, seeing as this was the most eventful day of his life, I understood. In his arms was a tiny bundle in blue. I sucked in a breath and stood up, looking at the tiny little face inside. My eyes widened at the babies absolutely clear features. He looked exactly like his father. The baby was sleeping soundly in Finnick's arms.

"Finnick," I whispered. He grinned and glanced up at me. "What's his name?"

"Haymitch." I stared at Finnick for a while and so did Gale. "He did a lot for us, Lee. I decided to repay him by naming my son after him. He thought it was a stupid idea, naturally." I couldn't help but smile.

"Let's hope he doesn't turn out to be the town drunk."

Finnick narrowed his eyes. "Language around the child."

I laughed and Finnick allowed me to hold the bundle. I held the child tightly, afraid to drop him, but got used to it the longer I held him. I stared at the small baby, a feeling of warmth billowing in my bosom. I felt proud and happy for Finnick. He had a son to carry his strong name. And a son who had his striking good looks.

"Lady killer," I whispered to the baby before I looked up to see Gale watching me. His eyes were flickering from their natural coldness to a deep warmth.

Maybe... Maybe, someday, we'd have son of our own who looked exactly like Gale. He was stoic, brave, good looking, and, yes, hardheaded. But that's all the qualities that made Gale so likeable to me. It made him real.

Description
"Paisley!" I looked up from the work on my desk.

"What?" I groaned.

Finnick burst into my study, grinning like an idiot. "Guess what?"

"Um, you just played a joke on Gale?" His frown immediately disappeared.

"Forget it." He narrowed his eyes before he left the door. I snickered softly to myself before I heard a loud clatter from the kitchen.

I shook my head before I got up and walked out of my study and into the kitchen. Gale was glaring at Finnick and Finnick was laughing like a joker. I looked at the pots and pans on the ground. "You two act more like boys than men," I muttered.

"I actually got Gale to scream," Finnick giggled.

I glanced at Gale, whose face remained in its stoic appearance. "Did he really?" I grabbed the pans and looked at Gale.

"No," he said. I grinned and nudged him with my shoulder before I put the pans away. "He just surprised me."

"Like I surprised you?" He narrowed his eyes at me and I laughed, kissing his cheek softly. "Still wish I broke your jaw."

"Would have been funner," Finnick muttered.

"I really do hate it when you two gang on me."

I laughed and nudged Gale again before I sat on the kitchen counter. "Finnick, where's Annie?"

"She's at home. The baby's putting a burden on her. She told me to come here. She says hello, by the way." I nodded.

"The baby's going to come anytime soon, isn't it?"

He nodded, his face suddenly serious. "Every time she lets out a sound, I can't help but think the baby's coming. I freak out every damn time. I'm scared something might go wrong, or something. Annie's pretty much fed up with my freaking out at this point." Gale snickered.

"I remember my dad got like that with my brother." Gale, at this point, was pretty much over the mine collapsing over his dad. He would talk about it time-to-time with me before we went to bed. But sometimes I'd catch him in a room, clutching a picture he found of his father, who looked so much like him. I rested a hand on his arm. He glanced at me before there was a barrage of knocking at the door.

I frowned, walked to it, and opened it. There was Garrett, a small boy we've all come to like. Even if he was a teenager, he acted more like an adult than any of us. He was panting, blue eyes wide. "Annie," he said.

Finnick stood at the door, his body going rigid. "She's having the baby," Garrett said breathlessly. Finnick didn't stay for another moment. He was running down the streets at an alarming rate. I glanced at Gale before we followed him. Finnick was my best friend; I wasn't about to miss his first child being born. And Gale, naturally, followed because he was my husband and had to. And that was that.

We reached the hospital, where a nurse pointed us to the place where Annie was. I knew nothing about giving birth, but I knew we were supposed to wait outside while it was happening. Only Finnick was allowed inside at the moment. I looked at Gale.

"Isn't this exciting?" I said.

Gale actually smiled a bit. "Yeah."

I rolled my eyes, though I accepted his answer. I leaned on him and took his hand, which he squeezed gently. "Paisley?" he suddenly asked.

"Hmm?" I was rocking side-to-side a little, closing my eyes as we waited.

"Have you ever thought about having children?"

I stopped rocking. "Not really, no."

"I think you should."

I opened my eyes and stared at him. "You want kids?"

He frowned. "Why not?" I could feel his thumb rubbing the back of my hand. I could tell he was a little anxious for my answer. I didn't know much about his family, but I did know he had a few siblings. I guess that's one thing that contributed to the want of having children.

"All we've done is slept together. And I mean actually sleeping. Nothing's really happened. It's a bit of a leap." He shrugged, staring room Annie was in.

"I know..." He pursed his lips and I stared at the floor before I sat up and kissed him on the cheek again.

"Okay, Gale. But give me a little time to get used to this whole married thing. We've only been together for half a year, right?"

"Yeah," he said. He glanced at me and kissed me on the nose. "I understand." I stared at him for a few moments before I nodded.

"Not to mention, someone has a fear of the bedroom," I whispered.

He laughed, sitting back in his chair. "It's not me," he muttered.

I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips. "Shaddup, you." He laughed again, running his fingers through my hair.

It was a couple of hours of waiting before Finnick finally left the room. He looked exhausted, seeing as this was the most eventful day of his life, I understood. In his arms was a tiny bundle in blue. I sucked in a breath and stood up, looking at the tiny little face inside. My eyes widened at the babies absolutely clear features. He looked exactly like his father. The baby was sleeping soundly in Finnick's arms.

"Finnick," I whispered. He grinned and glanced up at me. "What's his name?"

"Haymitch." I stared at Finnick for a while and so did Gale. "He did a lot for us, Lee. I decided to repay him by naming my son after him. He thought it was a stupid idea, naturally." I couldn't help but smile.

"Let's hope he doesn't turn out to be the town drunk."

Finnick narrowed his eyes. "Language around the child."

I laughed and Finnick allowed me to hold the bundle. I held the child tightly, afraid to drop him, but got used to it the longer I held him. I stared at the small baby, a feeling of warmth billowing in my bosom. I felt proud and happy for Finnick. He had a son to carry his strong name. And a son who had his striking good looks.

"Lady killer," I whispered to the baby before I looked up to see Gale watching me. His eyes were flickering from their natural coldness to a deep warmth.

Maybe... Maybe, someday, we'd have son of our own who looked exactly like Gale. He was stoic, brave, good looking, and, yes, hardheaded. But that's all the qualities that made Gale so likeable to me. It made him real.