Disclaimer: I do not owe The Hunger Games series.
Author's Note: This idea just sort of popped in my head so this is mostly word vomit. I have not yet decided if I am going to continue on with this idea, but this is what I have so far and I thought I would share since I do not see many Finnick Odair/OC stories out there. I haven't had the chance to edit this/read through this yet, but again, not sure if I will continue this story. I'm not sure how long this inspiration will last with this story, but I have written quite a bit for it already.
Anyway, enjoy the first chapter and let me know what you think! Reviews are always appreciated!
She met Finnick Odair when she was fourteen. He had come by their home to offer her family condolences. Finnick had been her brother's mentor in the 70th Hunger Games. She had stood by the window, eyes watching the waves of the ocean as Finnick spoke to her parents and the rest of her siblings. Her brother had been thirteen when he was reaped and he had died on the day before their shared fourteenth birthday at the hands of the District Two tribute. He had been the last one to die in the Games. He had been so close to fourteen but in the end, the only twin that had been was her. Finnick had tried speaking to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and when she finally did turn to look at him he had flinched. Artemis and Lucien shared the same bright turquoise-coloured eyes with flecks of gold which reminded Finnick of the determined eyes that he had spent months mentoring. The words died on Finnick's lips as Artemis turned her away from him to look back out the window.
Days following the end of the 70th Hunger Games and of her brother's death, they had held a funeral out by the sea. While her mother had refused to look at her brother's dead corpse, Artemis had been nothing but determined to see the remains of her brother's body. Accompanied by her father and her two older brothers, they had met the Peacekeepers who had brought Lucien's body back - at least, what was left of it. Even after killed her brother, the District Two tribute had been relentless in tearing Lucien's young teenage body into as many pieces as possible that they had to shoot the District Two tribute with a sedative for him to stop. A side effect of the Games for the Victors always seemed to be insanity in some shape or form.
Finnick had been waiting for them outside of the doorway, joining the Hearts males and Artemis in viewing her brother's body. The mortician had led them into the cold room while saying that he tired to make Lucien look as presentable as possible. They had stood back as the mortician moved the sheet down to reveal her brother's face. Her brother. Her twin.
Her brothers had prepared for her to breakdown in tears, standing on either side of her, but she hadn't. She had already lost a part of herself in the arena when her brother used his last breath to shout out to her. Artemis had stepped forward and placed a hand on the top of his head, slowly moving her fingers to cup his cheeks. His face was cold and his cheeks looked full and heavy. She closed her eyes and breathed and allowed her eldest brother Emrys to pull her into her a hug. Her brothers Emrys and Calder had been too old to volunteer for Lucien and Artemis had been forced into the arms of her father who covered her mouth before she could volunteer for the female tribute spot.
"Promise me Lucien, you won't volunteer if I get reaped." They were laying side-by-side underneath his both. They spent time carving the constellation on his wooden bed. But they also had a bad habit of sharing beds even at the age of thirteen. But in the weeks leading up to the reaping, they spent almost every night together, their parents hadn't said anything about the matter knowing that after the reaping, they would go back to their usual sleeping habits again. They just needed the comfort of knowing that the other was still alive.
"Only if you promise me the same thing Artemis," Lucien said, turning onto his side to better face her and Artemis automatically did the same thing. She opened her mouth to protest but Lucien gave her a hard of a look as he could manage for a thirteen-year-old boy. "Promise me Artemis. If one of us gets reaped, we won't volunteer. Only one of us can make it out alive any ways."
"Or we could die together," Artemis replied softly, her turquoise eyes clashing with her brother's. "We can't let them win."
"They won't. One of us has to stay and fight, Art."
"I'm not as strong as you are Lucien."
"You're a better shot than I am," Lucien laughed.
"You know what I mean Lu."
"I think you're stronger than you know Artemis."
"Not without you, I'm not."
They had cremated Lucien's corpse. She watched as his ashes was dispersed in the air and out into the ocean. Finnick continued to come around their home every so often, so much so that her father allowed Finnick to help out at the fishery if he ever needed to occupy his time. Finnick was one of the many orphans in Panem, having lost his parents years ago in an epidemic that had their whole District reeling. It was what also caused the bad taste in their mouth when anyone tried to mention the Capitol in a good light. The Capitol that hadn't bothered to bring them medical aid until their District had been unable to meet all the expectations that the Capitol had laid out for them.
Artemis was lucky. She came from one of the wealthier families in District Four. They had a house that overlooked the ocean and her family oversaw a few of the nearby fisheries. She and Lucien, in the same fashion as their older siblings, were sent to the academy that sat at the edge of District Four when they were five. Careers was what they were called. Careers were trained for the Games, and when they were ready, they would volunteer for the Games. It was a honor to fight and to win and to bring glory for their district. But that wasn't the case for District Four anymore. They weren't Careers anymore, they were survivors - they were fighters - they were rebels.
When the Capitol had finally decided to step in and provide medical aid for their district in light of the epidemic, District Four was left to pick up the pieces of their loved ones. It left the District Four with even more of a distaste for the Capitol. While everyone still understood the importance of the Games, they were careful to hide their hatred for it when in front of the Peacekeepers. District Four had always been rebellious by nature. They were kind and free-spirited by nature, living so close to the ocean, they understood how small they really were in the grand scheme of things. They were District Four of the ocean and the ocean was controlled by no one.
Finnick's presence was something that Artemis was slowly getting used to. While she hadn't spoken a single word to the District Four Victor he always shot her a smile. Artemis spent most of her time during the day training at the academy. Had her brother been older, he would have survived the Games. At sixteen, Artemis could hit her target with her knives blindfolded. She could read her opponents next move before they even made it. Left, right, weakness in the leg, punch, kick, duck. It was unlikely that Artemis's name would be pulled on Reaping Day, it was an odd thing for two member of the same family to be called upon as tributes, but still, Artemis went to academy everyday because even if she wouldn't be in the Games there was still a fight that needed to be won.
