AN: Eh. Popped into my head. So I wrote it. Hate it love it, just don't give me flames. ;) Constructive criticism is appreciated. Please enjoy.
"I wish she was dead. And we all were too."
Finnick sniffled as he turned to face Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire.
She stared at him with dark eyes. Eyes that were much too old for her age.
But Annie wasn't much older. And neither was Finnick.
Annie was being tortured and hurt because of him.
He tightened another knot, the rope went taut in his finger as he finished it off.
Finnick's callused hands throbbed.
Annie had first shown him how to tie knots to relieve stress.
"What are you doing?" Finnick asked, sitting down next to a flame-haired girl.
She gave the Victor a wane smile staring off into space. "Tying knots."
Finnick's brow creased. "What?"
"Tying knots," she said simply, before turning back to the rope.
Finnick couldn't understand why this girl was so carefree, and unconcerned. Most people who saw him either praised him, or shunned him.
They were either scared of him, worshiped him, or despised him.
This girl was showing none of that.
"What's your name?"
She fixed her gray eyes on Finnick. "Why should I tell you?"
"Because I'm a Victor?" Finnick snapped, finally annoyed.
The red-head just smiled and continued tying knots. "So? Don't let the arrogance get to your head."
Finnick snorted. If only the poor girl knew what Snow made him do...
Finally the girls looked up, the piece of rope filled with knots. "Annie. My name's Annie Cresta."
He loosed a breath of relief, viridian eyes trained on the slim girl. "Finnick Odair."
"Oh I know who you are, Finnick Odair," Annie said, her eyes filled with mirth.
Finnick mumbled under his breath, "Of course you have."
She let out a breathless, FREE laugh, and that was what convinced Finnick to stay. To stay and talk to the enigma of a girl.
"Why do you tie knots?"
She shrugged, her eyes getting a faraway look. "Because it distracts me from the things I don't want to think about."
Finnick nodded solemnly, staring off at the horizon.
Annie swung her legs, her feet trailing over the water.
"Why do you come down to the docks so much, Annie Cresta?"
"Just Annie's okay," she said softly, following Finnick's gaze. "I come down here because it's where I want to be. So many questions. Maybe you should answer some of mine, Oh Amazing Victor."
Finnick snorted, shaking his head. "Don't call me that."
Annie stared off into the setting sun, kicking the water a little more. "Why?"
Finnick's face tightened, and his mouth straightened into a thin line. "Don't ask about things you don't want to know."
Annie stared at him, observing him, before nodding slowly. "Whatever you want Finnick Odair."
Then the flame-haired girl stood up, not even drying off her feet, and slipping her sandals on. She cast him a breezy look before she whirled away and walked away. She never looked back once.
Finnick stared at the place she disappeared from his sight, long after she was truly gone.
"Knots. I'll have to try that next time I get nightmares."
Katniss nodded slowly, and turned away. "I know Finnick. I know."
Finnick felt another tear slide down his face, tickling him to the point that he wanted to laugh hysterically.
Katniss' fading footsteps only made Finnick feel even more ashamed. Annie was going through torture probably at that moment, and all Finnick could to was cry.
He was pathetic.
But Finnick couldn't stop the tears. So he sat there. And he cried.
But when he slowly put himself back together enough to stop the wild sobs, he made a decision.
If he couldn't help Annie then, he could train to help her later.
So Finnick got up. And ventured out of his room.
Katniss skidded to a stop next to him, her eyes wide and filled with nervous excitement. "I made the deal for Annie too, Finnick."
Finnick's mouth spread into a disbelieving grin. "That's good."
Katniss tilted her head inquisitively, but Finnick was too far gone in his own joy.
His green eyes flashed with happiness. "That's good Katniss!"
Katniss nodded, biting her lip unsurely.
Finnick would've hugged her, but Coin was talking, and there was Annie's name.
Annie Cresta. She was going to be saved.
Finnick would've laughed, but everyone was already staring and booing Peeta.
He glared at the few people who dared to diss his friends.
They were doing something to Peeta. Peeta would've never willingly said those words. Peeta knew what the Capitol was like, what they'd do.
Finnick swallowed hard as he made way out of the large auditorium.
The hard nudges he recieved were nothing compared to the elation of Katniss' news.
His blood thrummed a two note beat. Annie Annie Annie
Nothing could stop him now.
Finnick knew he was going to die.
So he married Annie.
They thought he did it for show, for happiness and joy.
Maybe a small part of it was. But it was pure selfishness.
He wanted to have a taste of what he could've had, if he had stayed out of this damned war. But he was already too involved. Too attached.
So when the mutts tore into his body, he smiled.
When Katniss' horrified face hovered above him, he still smiled.
He smiled all the entire time the world turned orange and red.
And was still smiling when everything faded to black.
Annie stared at her babbling son. She had broken, and starved herself when Finnick died.
She hadn't even been trying. She just drifted aimlessly barely eating and never sleeping until she dropped.
She walked by the ocean and didn't speak.
And weeks later, Katniss had shown up. Katniss told Annie about how she was pregnant.
That was the first time she considered the possibility. But she just let the thought go and went back to drifting like a ghost.
She chalked up the vomiting as just another post-Games, and War symptom. She chalked the constant bathroom passes as the large quantities of water she drank so she didn't have to eat. There was an excuse for everything.
But broken, hurt Katniss had stayed.
She stayed until Annie started eating properly. She stayed until Annie could sleep a few hours without nightmares.
Then Johanna had shown up. And then Peeta, and Gale. Then Haymitch and Effie.
Annie didn't care. She was still too far gone in her dreamworld.
But as the time passed, and they all lived in the large house Annie owned, she begun to show.
Not Katniss, who had known about her own.
But Annie.
Annie who still ate very little, had grown dramatically in weight.
That was the second time she considered that Finnick may have gotten her pregnant. But she dismissed it again, falling into the hazy world of her mind.
Finally, Johanna had dragged her to a local doctor, and Annie, barely paying attention only heard heard six words the doctor uttered.
"Yes Mrs. Odair, You're indeed pregnant."
With the new information, the others slowly reeled her back into the right mind, claiming they were indebted to Finnick, and this would be how they repayed him.
She ate properly and slept properly, and though the baby would've been malnourished, because they had found out in time, the baby was saved. Finnick's last gift was saved.
"There you are, Finnick. There you are." Her son giggled and waved a meaty fist before bursting into tears.
Annie stared at her son, THEIR son, and he smiled at her.
She would be alright.
Katniss reached over and held her hand tightly. Johanna placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Everything's changed. It'll all be okay now," Annie murmured to the baby boy in her arms.
Peeta strolled in, his arms laden with rolls and butter, Haymitch right behind him.
"Oh my dears, we have so much to do!" Effie chirped, clapping her hands together.
Haymitch sat down heavily. "Why is there no booze in this house?"
Johanna rolled her eyes. "Because there's two pregnant women in this house?"
Haymitch glared at her.
"Shh, let's all calm down," Effie soothed. "Annie, why don't you smile back at your son?"
Annie stared at her blankly. Smile? She hadn't smiled since Finnick left her.
Katniss rolled her eyes at Effie.
"Don't roll at me young lady," Effie reprimanded.
Katniss groaned, but nodded slowly, rubbing her own belly. Her eyes shined with love and pride. Though there was a slight brokenness that still clung to the Girl on Fire, a hug from Peeta smoothed it out.
It would all be okay now.
Annie looked around her, and felt Finnick smiling down. Felt the laughter surround her, and the feeling of love and home. This was safe. This was okay.
So Annie smiled.
AN: Finnie was always my favorite Hunger Games couple. Sorry...Everlark is my second favorite. I know it's not long, but I've always said this. It's not the quantity, it's the quality. :) Please tell me how I did.
Also...this might be really late...but I never realized why people didn't use Peeta and Katniss' first name to create a ship name. After seeing what is looks like? Yeah. Now I know why. ;)
-Ange