Chapter 3

The sound of knocking on my front door sends my stomach into knots. I slowly walk to the door, this is the first time I will be seeing Finnick Odair since the Victory Banquet. Haymitch promised to be here when he could smell dinner from my house, but that was in a drunken stupor and nearly unintelligible. Thankfully for him he has me who can decipher even the most slurred statements. I wipe my hands over my jeans and grasp the door, I fling it open and Finnick smiles at me. "Hello, Katniss. I was worried this might be the wrong house, given how busy this street is and all."

I roll my eyes and allow him inside, he sets down three bags and takes off some gloves. "I didn't know you were staying." I say.

"I figured it would be a pleasant surprise, plus I figured if I am going to come all the way to District 12, I should stay a few days...or a week or two."

"Two weeks? You are staying for two weeks? I hardly know you. We have only spoken for a week, at most."

Finnick winks at me, "and how close we have gotten in those seven days." He pinches my cheek, "you live alone?"

I contain my groan, I asked him over for dinner. I did not ask him to stay for a couple of weeks. "No, my mother is in the kitchen and Prim is upstairs." I glance at Finnick who smiles at me, "grab your bags, we have an extra room upstairs."

Finnick picks up his bags and follows me up the steps, Prim turns the corner and stops in her tracks, "who is this?"

"Finnick meet my sister Prim. Prim this is Finnick Odair." I say.

Prim smiles and looks him over, "you are staying for a while, I guess."

"Correct you are. Your sister is adorable. I'm assuming your adopted then, Katniss?"

I punch him in the arm, "if you want to eat you should be careful about who you insult. I catch the game around here."

"Oh, I'm absolutely terrified." Finnick smiles at Prim and follows me down the hall. At first this house was more than we could handle, we could fit our own small house in the Seam in one bedroom. My room is simple,I didn't want anything in there to remind me of the arena, the only token I still have is the Mockingjay pin that came home with me. While Prim and my mother have decorated most of the rooms in this house with anything and everything, I chose to keep my things clean and bare. I walk past a few doors that have become homes to my mother's apothecary business, since she now can buy all the supplies she needs for her patients and stores them here. I turn to the guest bedroom that sits across from mine, that's just great. "Am I to assume this is my room?"

"Guest bedroom, right here." I point across the hall, "that's my room."

Finnick wiggles his eyebrows at me, "I see we are in the same hall, Katniss. Right across from each other." Finnick opens the door and tosses his bags onto the bed, "cozy. I like it. So what is there to do out here for fun. I'm assuming you don't have the fantastic beaches they have at home."

"They have beaches is in the Capitol?" I ask.

Finnick frowns and for a moment I can see hurt in his face, it disappears quickly and he forms a grin, "No. District 4, Katniss."

"Well you were right, we don't exactly have a beach. We have a meadow, though. Its a good place to swim when it gets hot."

Finnick nods and begins to unpack his things as if he has lived here forever and every inch of this room is familiar to him. Do the Victor's homes in all the Districts have the same format? Finnick whistles as he hangs his clothes, "it's getting cold here in District 12. Does it snow?"

"It does."

"I didn't pack for that." He sets his gloves and scarf on the dresser, I wonder how long he is planning on being here, because the three bags he brought are huge. Doesn't he have a life in the Capitol and District 4? I figured Snow would have a tighter handle on his Victors, even for me he hasn't restricted me in any way, shape or form. As a matter of fact, Snow has left me alone since I won the Games. Perhaps, I have proven to no longer be a threat. I shake the idea from my mind, Snow has made it clear I disappointed him and I can't allow myself to believe that he has just forgotten about my show of rebellion in the arena. Finnick turns to me and sets his hands in his pockets, "shall we head downstairs. I would love to meet your mother."

I turn on my heel, "come on. Dinner will be served in a few minutes anyway." We walk down the stairs in what I assume is a comfortable silence, it doesn't seem like we need to say anything. I walk into the kitchen, "Mother I want you to meet our guest for next two weeks."

My mother sets down her pot of food and turns and smiles, the smile never reaches her eyes. But it hasn't reached her eyes since my father died. You can always tell when I person has given up on the inside, that is quite obvious from my mother. Everything on the outside says she is okay, she has somehow pushed past the horrific death of her husband. But if I look hard enough into those exhausted blue eyes I can see how broken she is. That I am staring at the discarded shell of a woman. "You are Finnick Odair, correct?"

"Yes, Mrs. Everdeen. It is a pleasure to meet you." He begins to discuss my mother's cooking and somehow I just stand back and watch their casual banter. His charm isn't flirtatious as much as it is a polite and subdued dazzle towards my mother. It is how I imagine most boys act around their girlfriend's father or something. That cool politeness that makes Finnick seem like a well behaved, well raised and responsible young man. I almost feel like we are asking to stay out later than our normal curfew than just making simple introductions. Finnick turns to me, "I should probably leave your mother to finish dinner, huh." He turns to me and walks to the living room. He sits down and stares at the fireplace, "should I start a fire?"

"I can do it, Finnick."

He shakes his head, "I find it intriguing." Finnick kneels in front of the fireplace and gets a warm flickering fire started. He keeps his back straight, shoulders back, sitting on his heels. After the Games I don't think any Victor is every truly comfortable. We keep ourselves poised for an attack, ready to fight at the smallest sound or the sudden movement. I bet if I jump up from my seat, Finnick would spin on his heel and grasp an imaginary trident. If someone were to sneak up on me and tap me on the shoulder I would turn to them with my fingers tightly gripped around a bow that isn't there. Finnick stands sits down across from me, "the Victory tour is some months away."

"I don't want to think or talk about the Victory tour. I'm not looking forward to the Games this year."

"None of us will, its the Quarter Quell. Every last one of us Victor's is dreading except maybe District 1 and 2. The Capitol always finds a way to make our work as mentors even more stressful than any normal Games. At least that's what I have heard. You will get numb to it after a while, Katniss. After a couple of tributes are killed and you realize that most years there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, you just stop feeling anything." Finnick hasn't ever spoken so openly to me before. We have spoken over the phone but we have kept it light, avoiding anything considered a heavy topic. I didn't think he was going to open up about being a mentor to me anytime soon. The front door swings open, both Finnick and I face it on our feet.

Haymitch laughs at us, "do my eyes deceive me or is that the Capitol's heartthrob in my neighbors living room?"

"Haymitch!" Finnick shakes Haymitch's hand. My mother calls us to dinner and I keep my mouth shut throughout dinner since Finnick's words over mentoring the Hunger Games is making my head spin. What if I can't handle the pressure? I eat about a quarter of my plate and stand up, "this was nice. Haymitch try not to pass out on the way home. Do I need to walk you across the street?" I eye the glass of water he has kept watering down with vodka.

Finnick tosses an arm around Haymitch, "I will get him home, Katniss." Finnick stands and helps Haymitch up, Haymitch isn't in too drunk, just a little tipsy. When he is in this state he thinks he is okay but can easily slip on the ice that is beginning to settle on the ground. Lately he has drunk more than usual, I think Peeta's death has taken a toll on him. It has taken a toll on me. Finnick walks out the door with Haymitch.

"He is a very nice young man, very polite." Mother says.

"Yes, well he was raised that way I assume." I help my mother stack dishes and carry them to the sink, "I think I will show him around town tomorrow, take him to the Seam."

"Will you take him to the woods?" Mother asks.

I think on it and shake my head, "no, the woods are for Gale and I." And Peeta too if he were here. He was my friend, he deserved to see my world. "The woods are my haven for myself and the few people who earn its respect."

"What if he earns it?" My mother questions, she starts scrubbing plates leaving her hands a bright pink pallor.

I shift my weight onto the counter, "then I will consider taking him. I'm heading off to bed, Mother. Goodnight." I head up the stairs and take a warm shower. I look at the panel of soaps, feeling sentimental I choose the vanilla soap. The scent reminding me of the cakes Peeta would frost, I would smell them every time I walked past the bakery. By the time I am ready to get out the shower, the scent of vanilla has brought a wave of sadness and nausea. I scrub my skin raw, pink and sore,until the smell of lavender has overpowered the scent of cakes and cookies. I wrap myself in a towel. I begin to braid my hair back but decide against it when my ribs show each time I raise my arms to braid. I toss on a shirt and some underwear. I click off the light and walk to my room and collapse into bed.

Thoughts of Peeta storm into my mind, his brutal slaughter, Rue's own slow and painful death. I sob into my pillow until I fall asleep.

"Peeta!"

I open my eyes staring out the window being splattered with heavy rain. I look over at the clock and frown, it isn't even one in the morning yet. Lightning strikes and sounds like the cannons from the arena. I gasp and pull the sheets closer to me. It was lightning Katniss. Calm down. I sit up on my elbows and allow my breathing to slow, a small pool of sweat in the small of my back begins to dry away. I blink a couple of times, force myself out of bed, and pace my room. Maybe the walk will let my mind go. Another lightning strike sends me scurrying to my bed, back pressed up against the headboard, my own body left in a slight tremor. I slip out my door and knock lightly on Finnick's door, "Finnick?"

The door opens a crack, "can't sleep?"

I open my mouth to answer and a crack of thunder accompanied with lightning makes me wince. Finnick opens the door, "winning means fame and fortune is what they say to us. They don't tell us that it is accompanied with nightmares, paranoia, stress, and nervous breakdowns over the smallest things."

I slip inside and sit on the edge of his bed, "well at least they were right about the fame and fortune part."

"Fame comes with its' own costs." Finnick sighs and sits down next to me. "You want to talk about it?"

I quickly shake my head, another cloud claps thunder and I cringe, Finnick lays down and pats the spot next to him. I tentatively sit down next to him, "you know there was one time were I was talked into attending a Capitol woman's funeral."

"That is dark, Finnick."

He shrugs, "honestly it was the brightest thing I have ever been to. Seriously, pink and yellow everywhere. And the food, it was...from another world."

I laugh, "really?"

"Oh yeah, you wouldn't believe the stuff they served. It was supposed to be to edgy for most of the Capitol and Panem. The deceased was a 'trend setter' you know? But I don't want to bore you with the details."

I settle against the pillow, "go ahead, I won't be able to fall asleep."

Finnick gives me a amused look. "You should try, exhaustion is not becoming on you." He laughs at his own joke.

I punch Finnick in the arm and roll my eyes, "what if the nightmares come back."

"I'll fight them off."

I raise my eyes at him, "with what? I don't see a trident anywhere."

"With my bare hands, obviously...If all else fails, I will resort to my charm and dashing good looks."

I laugh and close my eyes. Finnick hums a soft tune that sends me into a deep sleep. For the fist time since the Games, I sleep all night without a nightmare.

See my divergent quote? Haha! I felt sentimental! Review tell me what you think.