The next morning, I wake up laying next to Felicia, the baby is asleep between us.
He's so beautiful, and so peaceful looking. I Pick him up, and hold him in my arms.
He squirms slightly, yawns, and then falls back asleep. I rock him slowly, looking down into his little face.
"Hello little guy, I'm your uncle Bruce. I tell you, you got your mothers looks. You are one handsome young man."
He opens his eyes slowly, and smiles at me.
"That is one of the cutest things I've ever seen."
I look up at Felicia. She's laying on her side, watching me and the baby.
"How are you feeling?"
She rolls onto her back, and lets out a sigh.
"Tired. How's the baby doing?"
I look down at the small sleeping human in my arms.
"He's doing just fine. He is a very hardy little guy."
She rolls closer to me, and sits up on one elbow. She brushes her fingers over the baby's hair.
"He's so strong. Aren't you baby?"
At the sound of his mother's voice, the baby turns his head towards her, and reaches for her.
I hand him over to her, and sit up.
"You never told me if you had picked out a name. We can't just keep calling him 'baby"
She smiles, and kisses him on the forehead.
"Why not? I think it's cute to call him baby."
I stretch.
"Yeah, but it's not a name. He has to have a proper one, a good strong name."
She just shrugs.
"Don't you think he should have a name?"
She smiles.
"He has a name."
I look surprised.
"Oh yeah? And what would that be?"
She whispers.
"It's a secret."
Just then Jewel walks in, and sits down next to Felicia.
"How's the baby?"
Felicia holds him up.
"Oh he's doing just great. He wants to thank you for helping him. Don't you?"
The baby gurgles, and waves a tiny hand. Jewel squeals, and reaches out her hands.
"Ooh! He's so adorable. Can I hold him?"
Felicia smiles, and hands him to Jewel.
She cuddles him in her arms, and makes little cooing noises.
I stand up and stretch, then walk out into the growing sunlight.
Flash and Titon are still asleep, around the ashes of last night's fire. But Sheira is up and about, preparing breakfast.
I walk over to her.
"Anything I can do to help?"
She hands me a box of matches.
"Go and start the fire up again. And wake up those two lazy bums."
I grin, and walk over to the wood pile. Grabbing some kindling, I start up a nice fire. Then I walk over to Flash, and sprinkle dirt in his face. He sits up spitting, and rubbing dirt out of his eyes.
"Rise and shine! It's a beautiful day!"
Flash curses me, as he stands up. I give him a cheerful grin.
"Well good morning!"
He roars, and starts chasing me around the fire. As I pass Titon, I kick his foot. He sits up with a yell, just as Flash runs past.
"What the heck was that?"
Titon yells. I laugh, and keep running around the fire, Flash still hot on my heels.
Jewel runs out of the cornucopia, waving her arms.
"Be quiet you guys! The baby is trying to sleep!"
We all stop, and look at her.
"That's better. Now keep quiet. You don't want to hear a screaming baby all day do you?"
We shake our heads.
"Well then, don't make so much noise."
We all make a big show of creeping around the campsite on tip toe. Which makes the two girls smile.
I find some thin rope in the supply pile, and begin weaving a sling for Felicia to carry the baby around in.
Shiera finishes making breakfast, and calls us all over to the fire.
"Breakfast is ready!"
Felicia joins us, carrying the baby.
"Should you be walking?"
Jewel asks.
Felicia smiles as she sits down next to me.
"I don't know if I should be, but I am."
I grin.
"That's good enough for me."
We laugh and joke all through breakfast.
I realise with shock that I am getting too attached to the others. I can't become friends with these people, I'm going to have to kill them. And what about Felicia? She is a marked target, there is no way that the game makers are letting her come out alive. What will happen to her son when she dies?
I glance over at the beautiful little baby sleeping in her arms, and I know what I must do.
From now on, I will do everything in my power to protect him. Even if his mother doesn't make it out of the games, I will make sure he does.
The game makers wouldn't be cruel enough to kill a newborn child...would they?
"You're awfully quiet Bruce. Something on your mind?"
Felicia asks quietly.
I look up quickly.
"Oh, nothing much. Can I hold the baby?"
She smiles, and hands him to me.
"I'll need to feed him in a minute."
I nod, and rest him in my arm.
"Has he cried at all?"
She shakes her head.
"Nope, just a little when he was born. He is a very good baby, it's almost like he's aware that we are in a dangerous enviroment."
I hold his hand on my palm. How could anything be so tiny?
He opens his eyes, and starts kicking his legs. I laugh.
"Woah there little guy. You trying to swim already?"
He growls in response, and we all laugh.
This is not good, we are all too attached to each other and the baby now. I know I could never kill any of them, and I doubt that they would kill each other.
This is a major issue. We can't be friends. Careers are supposed to be brutal and vicious. You're supposed to hate careers, and want to kill them. What are we going to do?
Sheira stands up, and brushes the dirt off her clothes.
"Well, we can't just sit around here all day. The audience had a show yesterday, what with the first day and Felicia giving birth and all that. But they are going to be bored today, just sitting around watching us eat breakfast. So why don't we go hunt down some tributes? Give them something to keep them from sending in some mutt, or trick."
The others agree, and I volunteer to stay and keep watch with Felicia. The others agree, and after packing some supplies, they set off with their weapons in hand.
Felicia and I prepare a baby space in the cornucopia, and set the baby down to sleep.
Then I settle down and continue working on Felicia's baby sling.
She comes and sits next to me.
"What are you working on?"
"A baby sling for you."
She gives me a hug.
"Aw! Thanks."
I shrug.
"No problem. It gives me something to do."
we sit silent for a while, then Felicia starts playing with a loose end of rope.
"Bruce."
"Yeah."
"What's going to happen to the baby?"
I slowly weave the rope together. Thinking for a minute before I answer.
"I won't let anything happen to him."
She leans up against me, and whispers in my ear.
"Only one person can leave the arena alive."
I twist a strand of rope tightly. Answering through gritted teeth.
"Then when I'm the last person standing, I'll kill myself."
She straightens up.
"No! You can't do that..."
"Felicia! What choice do I have? I won't let your baby die! Do you think I could live with that?"
She looks desperate.
"Bruce...I...but..."
She starts crying.
"I wish none of this had ever happened...I wish I had never been born!"
The baby starts crying from inside the cornucopia, and I jump up.
"I'll get him."
I run in and pick him up, rocking him and talking calmly.
Felicia walks in, and takes him from me, He stops crying once she takes him.
"Felicia, He is your child. He is your reason to keep on trying, to not stop fighting. I know I won't stop fighting, I will keep that baby safe, or die trying."
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