Basically this is the exact same to THG universe except Finnick is still alive (I couldn't deal with his death so I've chosen to ignore it lmao) and I've paired Cressida and Gale together. I always saw them as a good team together romantically. I've kinda made them into a little family because they all lost there families, there loved ones, they only have each other now. I hope you enjoy, will be updating in the next day or so. Please review!
"Katniss come on!" Peeta shouts out excitedly. Today Peeta and I were heading up to District Four to see Annie, Finnick, Johanna, Cressida, and Gale. It took me a couple of years for me to agree to it. But after the memorials had been built, the arenas torn down, and Paylor in control I felt peace in the idea of my children growing up in a world were freedom does exist, in a world where they would never have to know suffrage.
I had just began to show, a little bump that rested under my shirt. I rest my hand on it sometimes, to feel her moving inside of me, knowing that she is real. Even though it is over now, I am so scared for my children to endure any kind of struggle. The starvation I grew up in, the hunger games. Peeta helps calm my nerves, but the feeling never truly goes away.
Peeta carries my suit case for me as I push myself up onto the train. It's similar to the one we took on the victory tour, I can see Peeta clutching the back of a chair, it must be too familiar to him. I rest my hand on his back and trace circles trying to say soothing words, it takes a little while until he released his grip from the chair. "I'm sorry Katniss. I thought I was better." He sighs, dropping himself into a chair.
"Don't be sorry Peeta, it's okay." I say giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.
"The war is over now, real or not real?" he asks with worry clouding his voice.
"real." I reply
"We're going to district four to see everyone, real or not real?"
"real."
I hear Peeta sigh in relief and sink into his chair. He still seems a little unconvinced with reality so I place his hand on my stomach. "Real Peeta, this is real."
His face lights up and smiles. "Thank you Katniss" I kiss his cheek before getting up and ordering lunch for us. It will be Dinner time by the time we reach District 4 so better to eat now and fill ourselves up.
Peeta and I are admiring the clear night sky as we pull up to the station, I see Finnick waving outside to us through the window. Peeta is first to get up and grab our bags as I follow behind. I protest every time Peeta carries anything for me, knowing I am more than capable to do it myself but he always does it anyway, it's easier to let him do these things then fight it now.
"The star crossed lovers of District 12!" He jokes walking up towards us.
"Finnick!" I say smiling as he embraces me for a hug, Peeta then gives him a hug also.
"Katniss, what have you been eating you've got so big" He laughs with a wink. I give him an eye roll as we walk towards a car. Cars are distant thing in District 12, but here they seem quite common.
"Everyone at the house?" Peeta asks.
"Yea, they're all helping out with dinner. I was the one sent to pick you up, apparently sarcastic comments and throwing sugar cubes at them doesn't help." He laughs.
"Can't imagine why you were the one to pick us up" Peeta says opening the passenger door for me. Peeta squishes in the back next to the car seat they had to put in for there son.
As we reach there house I notice the little lights that string across the outdoor deck, glistening like stars in the night sky. Peeta and I walk alongside Finnick as he opens the front door for us. We approach the dining/kitchen area as everyone comes to greet us. "Hey brainless!" Johanna exclaims with a smile.
"Hello to you to" I smirk.
"Gale." I say with a smile as he hugs me lightly. Cressida leans out from behind gale before she gives me a nod to say hello, every since the rebellion ended she was diagnosed with a post traumatic stress disorder, I don't she has ever been the same since the war ended. Gale keeps her grounded though.
Then I see little Finn, Annie and Finnicks son. A spitting imagine of Finnick in every way. "Finn!" Peeta shouts catching him and picking him up. "How's my favorite nephew?" Even though we not blood related they are the closest thing any of us have to family. I give Finn and big kiss on the cheek and Peeta does too on the opposite cheek. "Stop smothering my son, you've got your own." Finnick shouts from the kitchen, Annie giggles beside him. Putting Finn down Peeta and I walk over the kitchen and I sit on a stool that sits in front of the bench.
"So what's new with you two?" Pipes up Annie, she has always been a little quiet but she has improved a lot since the war ended, the fact that the hunger games and the war is no longer a reality and is behind Panem forever has truly saved her.
"Oh nothing really, having a baby." Peeta says jokingly with a smile.
"You!?" I laugh, "I don't see you vomiting and dealing with nausea all day"
"I don't know Katniss, putting up with you complaining about it could have the same effect" Gale says jokingly. Everyone laughs, even Cressida which is a nice sound.
"C'mon dinner is ready" Annie says motioning us all to the dining table.
Well all sit together at the big wooden table, it's comforting to be around familiar, calming faces, sometimes it's hard in district 12. Survivors coming back to twelve, hard to pick who they are, let lone try to get to know them. Like I've always said I have never been good at making friends, but somehow through the mess of the rebellion I was able to gain some. I think Peeta is as hungry as me, the last thing we ate was lunch on the train. My mouth is watering by the time the the food reaches my mouth.
I don't notice I how messy and quickly I was eating until I look up and notice Johanna giggling at me. "What?" I say defensively. It takes me a minute for it to click the she's laughing at my eating. "I'm eating for two you know" I say matter-of-factly.
"I know Katniss," Annie says sympathetically. "I've been there." She adds.
"Oh yeah" agrees Finnick. "Believe me, once you've seen a pregnant woman eat, you'll feel full for a week." Finnick laughs.
After we all finish dinner I help Annie clean up and start the dishes. "So Katniss, how is your pregnancy going." Annie asks softly.
"Good, she's moving a lot now." I say smiling.
"No really, I've had a baby of my own Katniss, I know what it is really like." she says.
I let out a huge sigh of relief that I can finally be honest and confine within someone. I never wanted to tell Peeta, he would just worry. "Honestly? Awful, my back hurts, my boobs hurt, I feel sick all the time. I want to cry every time I feel her stir. I'm so scared Annie." I confine in her.
"I get it darling, I remember when I felt Finn move for the first time, I felt a terror that felt as old as life itself, only the joy of him could tame it. I never thought I would be healthy enough, you know, mentally?" She pauses looking at me and I nod. "But I remember when I first saw him, and I first held him, that every worry I had, every headache, every time I vomited at 4am in the morning, was all worth it, I forgot every pain I had, because all I could focus on was the love that I had for him, for my little family with Finnick." She says softly looking over to see all of them laughing and giggling about something.
I'm taken back by Annie, when I first saw her, at the reaping of the quarter quell, she was so fragile and looked to be completely honest, crazy. But she was so misunderstood, she holds so much wisdom. "I'm sorry Annie." I say turning my gaze towards her.
She looks surprised, "Why?"
"Because I misjudged you." I admit.
She looks at me puzzled as if for me to elaborate.
"I saw you, at the quarter quell. I heard things from people. I just thought you were crazy." I say avoiding her eyes.
She laughs, something I didn't think she'd do. "Oh Katniss. We're all a little messed up, especially when you come out of the games. Sometimes it just gets to people more than others."
I think about for a second and it hits me that she's right. There are no winners of the hunger games, only survivors.
After the dishes are finished I go to walk over to join everyone, but I look to my right and I notice Cressida holding a cigarette outside underneath the starry lights that hang from the roof. Smoking was always a capitol thing, no one was rich enough to do it except those in the capitol. I sometimes catch Johanna smoking too. Just another way to cope I guess. I walk out to talk to her. She looks lost in thought. "Cressida?" I say before walking fully out.
She turns quickly "Katniss." She sighs with relief.
"Hey, what are you thinking about?" I ask as I sit in a chair beside her.
"Nothing" she says softly under her breath.
I know that tone to well. The lies when all you can think about is the screams of the lost souls in the war.
"It's okay Cressida, I know what runs through you mind." I say giving her a reassuring smile.
She takes in a deep drag of her cigarette, and exhales making sure the smoke doesn't blow near me. "Does it ever get easier?" she sighs.
"Yes" I admit. "It never goes away, pain never leaves, but you learn to make room for it. You learn to live, to cope with it." I say.
Cressida nods as she puts her cigarette out in the ash tray beside her.
"You have Gale, and you need to confine in him, tell him what goes on in your head. That's what I learnt to do with Peeta, and it helped. More then I thought it would."
"I don't want him to think I'm crazy" She admits looking up at the sky.
Forwarding on Annies words I say, "We're all a little messed up Cressida, even Gale." I pause for a moment. "No one comes out of the war Innocent." I add.
Cressida nods and I give her a reassuring smile.
"What are two discussing?" Pipes up Finnick as they all come and join us outside.
"How we're all a little messed up." I say smiling towards Annie.
"That we all are." Johanna laughs lighting a cigarette of her own.