Hello everyone! Sorry it's been soooo long since the last update. I have been busy/working on other stories. Hopefully I haven't lost too many readers!
I know there has been some confusion about Finnick Jr's age. I'm breaking with canon. In this story, Peeta and Katniss didn't wait as long to get married and have children. Hopefully that won't upset anyone too much. Just to clarify: Finnick is 19, Poppy is 17. :)
Enjoy!
Chapter 4
I am pulled out of the sleep by someone shaking my right shoulder and calling my name. I open my eyes and get past the haze to find Finnick crouched by the side of my bed.
"Poppy, come on, we need to go now." he gently tells me. I look over at the clock which reads 8:00 a.m.
"You said 9:00." I remind him, rolling onto my stomach and burying my face into my pillow.
"I thought we could have breakfast before we go." he explains. I let out a groan, unpleased that he is making me rise earlier than planned. I breeze past him and grab some clothes from my suitcase before going into the connecting bathroom to change. I slip on my dress, brush my teeth and run a brush through my hair. I exit the bathroom and find Finnick waiting in an armchair.
"You didn't have to get all dressed up for me." he says wearing a smirk.
"Shut up." I say, rolling my eyes as I pass him. He follows me to the door and stands there quietly as I press my ear to the wood to see if the hallway is empty. It's still quiet on our floor. I slowly turn the doorknob and open it a crack to double check. No one. We carefully make our way to the elevator as I silently hope we don't run into Haymitch, Effie, or my parents. We quickly get in the lift and Finnick presses button 4. After making a quick stop to his room so he can get ready, we make our way to the fourth floor dining room. I look around the room and take in the beauty of all the various shades of blue and green in the room. The décor reflects the main feature of District 4: the beach. We sit at a small table by ourselves and keep conversation to a minimum as I mentally prepare myself for whatever lies on my parents' tape.
"Poppy, we don't have to go if you don't want to. We could spend the day on roof…hang out in the garden up there." he tells me after noticing the worry on my face.
"No, it's fine. I'm fine. I want to see it. I want to know." I respond. He reaches his hand across the table and laces his fingers with mine. After a few seconds, I pull my hand resting it in my lap. "I can handle it." I say tersely.
"Never said you couldn't." he says before shoving a large piece of muffin in his mouth.
"Oh is that why you were trying to comfort me? I'm not weak, you know." I retort. He starts to laugh, causing him to nearly choke on the food in his mouth. "What?" I ask, now angry with him. He holds up his index finger as he grabs his water goblet, trying to compose himself. I wait while he tries to suppress the coughing fit he's now experiencing. A smirk then returns to his face.
"You're just like her. You do know that, don't you?" He doesn't have say whom specifically. I know he's referring to my mother. If the room wasn't occupied by other people, I'd have him again the wall by now, telling him take it back.
"And how would you know?" I sputter back at him.
"I've seen her in action. She was in the Quell with my father. You have the same fiery temper as her. Probably just as stubborn too. Doesn't hurt that you look like a carbon copy of her." I take the cloth napkin in my lap and throw it over my plate, standing up and storming off. It isn't until I get to the elevator that I see he's followed me.
"Poppy, wait." he says jogging until he reaches me.
"No more of that, you understand?"
"Why does it bother you so much?" he asks after we are descending in the elevator.
"I hate being compared to her. You have no idea how hard it is being her daughter. Half the people in my district call me Katniss, like they are stuck in the past or something. I just want to be my own person." I say frustrated.
"Yeah I know nothing of that." he says sarcastically. I takes me a few seconds to understand what he means by that statement. I've seen photographs of his father. He bares an uncanny resemblance to him. "You know I'm sure they'd do the same to me if I didn't share his name." he says. I think he's trying to cheer me up. The elevator chimes and the doors open to the lobby. "You coming?" he asks me with a raised brow. I nod and we walk in tandem across the marble floor to the outside.
He guides me through the city streets since he knows the route. The Capitol is an eclectic mix of people. Some look downright ridiculous, dressed in eccentric outfits with hair colors matching various colors of the rainbow. We get looks as we walk with some people whispering into each other's ears. To them, it's Katniss Everdeen and Finnick Odair (Sr.) walking down the streets of the Capitol. One person even touches me as if to make sure I'm not a hologram or something. Finnick takes my hand protectively, as if to make sure they don't try anything else. I let him hold it for the rest of the way. I'd never admit it to him, but that encounter spooked me. No one in District 12 had ever done that.
He releases his hand from mine as we cross the threshold of the museum. The main atrium branches off into different wings. There is a whole wing dedicated to the Hunger Games alone.
"This way." Finnick whispers to me placing his hand on my back and leading me to a staircase. We descend a few levels until we reach a door that reads archives. I watch as Finnick jimmies the lock, which leads me to believe that we are about to enter somewhere we aren't allowed to access.
"Is this illegal?" I murmur to him.
"Kind of." he replies. I give him a look, insisting he further explain.
"They don't just let anyone view these Poppy. You need to apply for permits to gain access what's down here. That could take months."
Normally, I'm not one for breaking the law but I am desperate for answers. I give my approval with a nod and he opens the door. Inside the blue lit room are rows and rows of shelves and I begin to wonder how we are going to find what we are looking for. He must remember exactly where the footage is held because he walks right to the shelf that contains the Hunger Games videos. He grabs two adjacent containers and leads me to another door. Behind it is a view room with a widescreen monitor and a couch. He locks the door behind us and I take a seat on the couch as he inserts the first disc into the player. He sits next to me and uses the remote to darken the room. "The 74th Annual Hunger Games" flashes across the screen followed by the words "The Reapings". He fast-forwards until he reaches District 12's. I immediately recognize the square with the Justice Building in the background. It remains unchanged after all this time. It starts with a bunch of speeches and then Effie walks up to the podium, looking chipper as ever. She says a few words and then reaches her hand into the bowl before delivering the name of the girl tribute.
"Primrose Everdeen!" she calls out. I sit there in shock, confused as to why I didn't just hear my mother's name called.
"Primrose." I mutter quietly. It makes sense, why my mother tears up whenever my father brings her fresh cut primroses from our garden. They share the name of her deceased sister. I get a first look at my aunt I've never met…never will meet. She looks more like a merchant's child than one from the Seam. She nervously walks toward the stage but it's isn't long until the cameras cut to another scene. It is my mother, pushing her way to the center aisle.
"I volunteer!" she shouts over and over as she makes her way to her sister, holding her in a protective embrace. Everyone looks confused and the people on the stage are trying to figure out the logistics. This must not happen often. Effie then waves her towards the stage and I then see a young Gale Hawthorne remove Prim from my mother, taking her back towards the crowd. My mother reaches the podium and states her name followed by Effie mentioning something about them being sisters. It's then I notice Uncle Haymitch out of his seat shouting in a drunken rant before falling off the stage. I can't help but let out a little laugh. After things are under control, Effie then picks the boy tribute's name from the Reaping bowl.
"Peeta Mellark!" she says, bright and cheerful. I watch as my father slowly walks to the stage, the fear written on face. Once onstage, my mother and him shake hands. I can't help but notice the expression on my mother's face. It's a combination of shock, worry, and nervousness. I'd give anything to know what's going through her mind at that moment. They are taken inside the Justice Building and the screen fades to black.
They quickly recap the training and training scores the tributes received. I'm shocked to find that my mother received the highest score. I can only imagine what she did to earn that although something tells me it had something to do with her bow skills. My father pulls in a decent score as well. I'm not sure how he managed that. He's the least lethal person I know.
We fast-forward past the other tributes' interviews until we reach my mother's. My jaw drops to the floor as I see her emerge in a fiery red dress. She looks incredible. Her interview gets off to a rough start but the host redirects it. Near the end, she twirls around and the bottom of her dress ignites in a fiery blaze.
Then it's my father's turns. His banter with the host, Caesar causes me to emit giggles as they interact. Even from an early age my father had that charm that could win over a whole room. The conversation turns serious when Caesar delves into my father's love life. My father skirts around the questions until he finally admits there is a girl but she doesn't notice him. Caesar suggests he win the Game and then he'd have her. My father's expression falls as he tell him that won't work because she came here with him. I gasp along with the audience when I realize he's talking about my mother.
"How about that?" Finnick says close to my ear, causing me to jump. I had forgotten he was here. I grab the remote and rewind it, replaying the last line. This time I focus on my mother, sitting in the background as he uttered those last words.
"She had no idea." I say out loud.
"What do you mean?" he asks. I rewind it again.
"Look at her." I tell him. Shock flashes on her face before she conceals herself.
"Finding out with the rest of Panem." he says with a smirk. I'd give anything to know the thoughts of my mother in that moment. Was she really unsuspecting? She had known my father her whole life, as far as she told me. Was she really that blind?
We spend the next few hours watching the Games. I was shocked to learn that my father joined the Career pack but relief comes when I find out he only did it to protect my mother. That didn't stop her from dropping a nest of tracker jackers near him. Perhaps she had no idea. The nest breaks upon impact and the Career pack makes a run for it. I watch as my father tries to outrun them but doesn't get away unscathed.
"Breathe." Finnick whispers to me. I was so wrapped up in what was happening I didn't realize I was holding my breath.
"How could she?" I ask trailing off.
"Had to get out of that tree somehow." Finnick comments.
"But she hurt him." I say, noticing the swollen knots of my father's skin.
"She also thought he was trying to kill her." he says. I nod my head and look back to the screen. Two of the Careers perished, one of them being the girl with the bow. My mother struggles to free the bow and sheath from the girl and eventually does so but is met with more trouble. The remaining Careers are coming back for her, my father included. He picks up his pace and manages to reach my mother. I flinch as he charges towards her, afraid of what I will see. Instead of violence, I watch as he warns her to get out of there…to run away. She manages to get away before the boy from District 2 appears and confronts my father about letting her get away. He started fighting, drawing his sword in the process. My father holds him off for a while but the boy's sword manages to slice his leg. I let out a whimper and hide my face into Finnick's chest. His arm wraps around me to comfort me.
"Don't worry, he makes it out." he reminds me.
"It's still hard to watch."
"We could take a break if you want."
"No." I tell him. I need to find out what happens to my mother who doesn't look in much better shape. She was stung a few times and looked rough as she tried to get away.
The cameras cut to my mother, unconscious on the forest floor. A small girl around my bother's age finds her and I'm curious as to what she will do next. She looks to innocent to take my mother's life. Instead she collects some plants and begins treating my mother's wounds. I am surprised by her kindness as she stays with my mother for days until she is healed. In turn, she forms an alliance with her. She must remind her of her own sister. They do well together, keeping each other safe and then even manage a plan to cut off the Career's food supply. Then plan is successful in that they blew up the food at the Career camp. It isn't perfectly executed. Somewhere along the lines the little girl becomes trapped. My mother finds her but that doesn't stop the Career from 1 providing a lethal injury as he releases a spear into her chest. My mother reacts in an instant and the boy dies. She stays with the little girl until she passes. The footage cuts off and resumes with my mother breaking down in tears from the Rue's death.
All hope seems lost for my parents and then a rule change comes from the Gamemakers. Two tributes from the same district can come home together.
My mother calls out my father's name and begins to look for him the next day. It takes a good part of the day but she does find him and he looks horrible. I look away again when I catch sight of his leg while she's cleaning it. It's infected…very infected. She spends most of the afternoon cleaning him and treating his wounds. She lets him rest before dragging him to a cave hidden from view. I then witness what must be my parent's first kiss. It's weird to have this moment documented but it's not like they asked for it. They were thrust into these Games without their consent, their every move recorded for public consumption.
The next part is nice. They tell stories to each other, ones I had never heard before. My mother tells about story about her and her sister Prim. My father reveals when he realized he liked my mother.
As time goes on, my father gets better, and him and my mother grow closers to one another. The number of tributes decreases when there are only 3 left. The finale begins. The sky darkens and mutts chase them to the Cornucopia where they encounter the last remaining tribute, the boy who injured my dad early on.
The last part is hard to watch. I could only imagine how the people felt watching this live all those years ago. Even now, I'm fearing for my parent's safety. My mother manages to shoot an arrow into the boy's hand and my father pushes him off the Cornucopia where he is ripped to shreds by the mutts. I hide my face again but that doesn't drown out the boy's cries and agonizing screams. I bring my hands up to my ears to block out the sounds.
I hear the muddled sound of Finnick's voice. I remove my hands and open my eyes to look up at him. He smiles back to me nods to the screen.
"They both made it." he tells me.
"Yes." I say with a smile. I watch as their mournful expressions turned to confused looks at one another. They move away from the body of the last tribute but nothing happens. Then a voice rings out in the arena. The rule changed has been revoked.
"Then how…?" I trail off once again. They are both here. What could have possibly happened at the end? My parents both draw their weapons and my eyes widen. My father throws his knife into the water but my mother's bow remains on him. He tell my mother to do it. She refuses and they fight over whom should make it out. My father rips the bandage off his leg and blood trickles from it. That most likely why it had to be amputated. They fight some more and then my mother has a moment of enlightenment. She reaches into pouch attached to her belt and hold out the nightlock berries she had been saving, doling them out between them. They count three and place them into their mouths as they hear a voice announce that both of them had won.
"It was the only year two tributes won." Finnick informs me.
"I know." I say. I've learned that much from school.
"We should take a break before we watch the Quarter Quell." he says. I look to him in shock.
"You said you wanted to watch your parent's Games. They were in the Quell that year."
"I know. I just didn't think you'd want to watch it again. Once is enough."
"It's also better if you don't watch it alone." he adds.
"You sure you won't mind?" I ask. I don't want to make him sit through that.
"I wouldn't offer if I minded." he says with a smile. "Come on let's get lunch."
He offers me his hand and helps me off the couch. We sneak out of the restricted floor and exit the museum. He takes me to a small café around the corner and order lunch from a booth. We sit and talk as we eat.
"I don't understand how they both ended up getting out of there." I say.
"They had to have a winner…two was better than none." he says. I'm still confused. "Aunt Johanna told me all about it."
"Aunt Johanna?" I question, my brow furrowed.
"When she came to visit. She'd tell me stories."
"She never told me."
"Your parents probably told her not to."
"They never wanted me to know." I jeer.
"They were trying to protect you."
"And that's better than knowing the truth? Instead I'm just left to guess why I hear my mother's screams in the middle of the night or why my father had these episodes. I have a right to know."
"I'm not saying what they did are right or wrong. They were just doing what they thought was best." Finnick explains.
"I guess." I pout. "So how is the Quell?"
"Bad." he replies.
"I still want to see it."
"Ok." he complies. After Finnick pays for lunch, we sneak back to the viewing room in the museum. Finnick loads the disc and then joins me on the couch. We start off watching the reading of the Quarter Quell card and the reapings that happen from the remaining pools of victors from each district. Then there are the training scores and interviews. My mother is wearing a white dress which turns out to be her wedding dress. A look of confusion on my face allows Finnick to fill be in about the situation. I'm even more shocked when my father reveals they are already married. Finnick again has to tell me it's not real. Then my father reveals that my mother is pregnant. My hand goes up to my mouth and my mind reels. The audience has gone wild. I start doing the math in my head to see if that was me. If I was inside her when she went into the Games.
"It's not you. Just another clever lie to try to stop the Games." Finnick tells me. I let out a sigh of relief. It makes sense. If it had been true, I'd be older than Finnick is now.
The next few hours are intense as we watch what transpires in the jungle-like arena. I gasp when I see Finnick's father on screen. He's the most beautiful human being I've ever seen in my life. He also has charm in the way that he smiles and talks. I'm sure he drove the women in Panem wild. I look from the screen to the younger Finnick beside me, comparing their features. He really does look like his father. He eventually notices my stares.
"What?" he asks.
"You look just like him." I respond. He smiles and looks back to the screen.
My parents manage to find each other and join up with Finnick and Mags, his district partner. They travel away from the bloodbath and breathe a sigh of relief. It doesn't last for long when I see my father propelled back to the ground, lying there unconscious.
"Dad." I cry out, worried. My mother is a wreck when she find out he's not breathing. I find myself crying as well. Finnick's father pushes her out of the way and begins CPR on him to bring him back, which he eventually does. I look over to find Finnick staring at me.
"I'm sorry." I mutter as I collect myself.
"It's hard not to get caught up in it." he murmurs close to my ear. "Prepare yourself. More trouble finds them."
I flinch. I just watched my father die right in front of me. Do I really want to see what other troubles await them? I don't say anything to Finnick but I am on edge as we watch, waiting for danger around every corner. It seems that the Gamemakers didn't disappoint this year. Many perils face them. Poisonous fog ravages their skin and leads to the death of Finnick's district partner. Monkeys attack our parents and almost kill my father if not for another tribute. My mother and Finnick's father encounter jabberjays that mimic the cries of their loved ones. Finnick and I both are uneasy about this and it isn't until it's over that I realize that both of us are holding onto one another.
"Those were my mother's screams." he shakily tells me as his arms stay around me.
I think about the screams my mother heard. The first belonged to her sister Prim, something I knew because she was calling her name. The second belonged to a male, but it wasn't my father's. I grab for the remote and rewind it just enough to hear the last little bit to hear his voice again. The expression on my mother's face as she runs towards it tells me she cares about this person a lot, maybe even loves him. Towards the end, I think I can match the voice. I think it might belong to Gale Hawthorne. I gasp and then start to wonder about how much they really were to each other. It's clear as day that he was in love with my mother, but when it comes to her it's a little more uncertain. I keep this to myself and don't share this with Finnick.
Things quiet down for a little. I watch a conversation between my parents, them discussing who should make it out. My father then reveals that Haymitch made a promise to each of them to get the other out. I smile slightly, thinking about how that is exactly something he would do. The next day, the alliance comes up with a plan which they start to execute that night. Things go wrong…very wrong. It all starts when Johanna, Finnick and Beetee split my parents up. My mother takes the wire with Johanna while my father stays with the other men. I shriek as I watch my Aunt Johanna attack my mother. How could she do that? How could they still be friends. She leaves her there, probably to die.
My mother goes back to find my father but he's nowhere to be found. She does run into Beetee who tries to tell her something important. It seems like she eventually figures it out and that's when Finnick reappears.
"Oh no." I mutter which I immediately regret. I forgot that his son is sitting right next to me.
"What?" he questions.
"Nothing."
"You think he'd hurt her?"
"Maybe." I tell him. I can't say no.
"He'd never." he says.
"Aunt Johanna did."
"Well he doesn't." he tell me.
I watch to see what unfolds. Finnick warns her to step away from the tree but she doesn't. She ties the wire to an arrow and aims it towards the sky. Suddenly, the lightning strikes the tree and the wire ignites. My mother releases the arrow and it hits something causing the dome of the arena to break apart. A plane appears and takes my mother. The footage stops and there is static.
"That's it." he says.
"My mother told me about this before I came here…about how the Capitol took my father hostage. Where did my mother go?" I ask him.
"She was taken to District 13 with my father. Aunt Johanna also was taken by the Capitol."
"And then the rebellion started." I say. I know that much from school.
"Yes it did." he says looking down. I know what he's thinking about…his father. I'm not really sure what to say to him.
"I'll put this back." I say taking the disc out of the player and putting it into the case. I walk back to the shelf where it belongs. I then browse the contents on the shelves down there. They aren't limited to the Hunger Games. Each District has a long row of footage. I keep walking until I reach the last row and make my way down the stacks. These are Capitol-made. Many of them are labeled "experiment" and some code word or someone's name on it. There are so many of them I almost miss it as I walk by. Somehow the words jump out at me. My hand quickly goes up to my mouth in exasperation. I bring my face closer to the writing on the side of the case.
"Peeta Mellark Experiment." I whisper as I read it. This is it. This will tell me why my father is the way he is. The only question left is am I ready for it?
So what did you think? Do you think Poppy will watch the video? Let me know in the reviews ;)
