SHOUT OUTS:
Thanks for reviewing The Ice Within, sparklegem108, Account Currently on Hiatus, and BaileyRene!
...
DISCLAIMER:
There are several concepts, characters, and real life things that I use and/or mention in this chapter that I don't own. These include but are not limited to the Hunger Games, Finnick Odair, and President Snow.
...
A/N: Very short chapter, but I liked it...going to work on commissions now, but I had a really good idea so I wrapped this up first. Also, this story now has a cover, and I have re-designed the When Life Became A Game cover. I wanted to have some consistent elements throughout the series, and the typography I used for the original WLBAG cover(s) just didn't work for this story. Period. So I did a re-design and...yeah, it's done. I'm going to go upload the covers to my deviantART profile now, so you can see them much larger if you'd like. Even if you're not into "supplemental piece" I'd encourage you to check them out, I really like them and I think they represent the stories pretty well. Link to my dA profile is on my FF.N profile.
...
IN THIS CHAPTER: A little bit of Language. With a capital L.
...
CHAPTER 1
THREE MONTHS LATER
District Four
When the doorbell rings early in the morning, Nataly Odair doesn't think much of answering it in her bathrobe. She normally wouldn't even be up at that hour on a Sunday, her one day off, but Finnick is leaving for the Capitol later that day, and she has things to finish before he leaves.
After all, she wasn't thinking that the President of Panem would be at her door.
Heat floods to her cheeks and she attempts to pull the bathrobe down to a length appropriate for a forty-five year woman as she lets him. She offers him tea and excuses herself to change into decent clothes, using the stealth skills she teaches every day to keep from waking Finnick up as she tears her closet apart trying to find something good enough for President Snow.
She needs to do laundry.
She eventually decides on the blue maxi dress that she wore for graduation in August. It's not exactly appropriate for the weather in December, but it's not like she'll be going outside in it, and it's the nicest thing she has. She has the money for nice things now, but she usually doesn't bother since she's doing athletic training six days a week.
She comes back down the stairs to find President Snow sipping his tea and furiously typing on a device that looks similar to Finnick's phone. They offered her one when she won, but she turned it down. While having a telephone in their house was certainly a welcome upgrade, she didn't feel the need to have the phone with her at all times.
"Is this tea satisfactory, Mr. President?"
"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Odair."
When he says "Mrs." she absently starts twisting the sapphire wedding ring on her finger. She hasn't taken it off since, not for swimming, fishing, training, or other.
"May I ask why you've come to visit us, Mr. President?"
"I was hoping to speak with your son before he goes to the Capitol since I will not be available while he is there."
Nataly Odair doesn't understand how he has time to take a hovercraft all the way here, but not to find ten spare minutes in the five weeks that Finnick will be in the Capitol, but she decides not to ask questions of Panem's president.
"Of course! I think he's asleep, but I can go wake him now."
"That won't be necessary, Mrs. Odair, but I appreciate the spirit of the offer."
She can't stop the question. "But I thought—"
"I'll be back, Mrs. Odair." The look in his eyes seems to pin her to the spot where she stands although Finnick is going to kill her for letting President Snow into his room when he's asleep.
And he walks upstairs.
...
I wake up to my door opening. With victor reflexes pretty much anything can wake you up, but I ignore it. Whoever it is will have to work a lot harder than that to get me up this ridiculously early. The sun's not even up, granted it is December.
Whoever it is comes to sit right next to me, and smells like some really nasty floral perfume. Probably someone from my prep team. Ugh. I really don't want to go to the Capitol right now.
"Happy Birthday, Finnick."
My mind shorts out at the voice, but I manage to keep it from showing on my face. What in the name of God…
Without opening my eyes or making any move to get up, I ask:
"Hey President Snow, any reason why you're watching me sleep like a fucking creeper?"
...
A/N: Well, that's that. I know you're probably thinking WTF, why would he say that?! Reasoning coming in the next chapter. I promise there's a reason.
Review?
