Disclaimer: I do not own anything from The Hunger Games trilogy all rights go to Suzanne Collins. I do however own Quinn and her story.
"Be careful there's a force field out there." Peeta laughed through laboured breaths as Katniss kissed him and wiped her tears.
Seeing that he was alright, Quinn moved to help Mags to her feet before she surveyed the area. She looked at the pair from District 12 as they hugged and kissed each other and after a moment or two she rolled her eyes.
"Come on. We need to keep moving. Find water or something." She huffed impatiently, only to be nudged in the ribs by Finnick. "What?" She whispered to him as she shrugged her shoulders.
He looked at her, amused at her lack of consideration for the two lovebirds. His eyes lingered on her as she stared at the two and huffed again before returning her icy gaze back to his smirk of amusement.
"Shut up." She muttered and wandered off ahead of the group. Her mind wandered to her previous actions. Quinn was getting soft; she had purposely saved another tribute's life on national television and it didn't benefit her in the slightest. She rolled her eyes as her mind battled with her heart and her humanity battled with her demons. The internal battles were something Quinn had grown used to but being in such a close situation with a group of people she was expected to help, intensified them greatly.
The victor from 5 soon stopped and stood with her hands on her hips waiting until her allies caught up with her. She elected to walk at the rear of the group as Katniss took the front and threw nuts at the force field to prevent another electrocution. She looked around her, almost appreciating the quiet forest but it was far too hot. Sweat beaded on her forehead and matted her dirty blonde hair, her body suit clung too tight making her claustrophobic as she traipsed behind Finnick who was guiding Mags. Boredom soon became a friend of Quinn's; she was in The Hunger Games and she had barely killed a soul, in fact all she had done was follow Katniss like a sheep, a spare part and it was getting on her every last nerve. So when the girl from 12 told the group to wait, she received a sarcastic salute from her ally who thumped herself down onto the ground. Electing to ignore the girl, Katniss climbed up the nearest tree to examine the force field and look for a source of water.
Quinn sat ripping the leaves off of a stick as Mags sat down beside her. She raised her eyebrows in shock as the old woman wrapped her hands around one of her grazed ones and smiled gently. The girl was irritable beyond explanation but she never ripped her hand away and even surprised herself by smiling softly in return.
"How we doing, cranky?" Finnick grinned as he sat across from the butt of his joke, ensuring that he was out with slapping distance.
"I will kill you." Quinn muttered in return as she threw a stick at him and bit the inside of her cheeks as she fought a smile and looked away from his eyes, in fear that she might blush. So much for staying away from him. She went back to plucking leaves from the ground, occasionally running a hand through her hair to push the strays away. She felt the stares of both District 4 victors but chose to ignore them for another minute or two. Her thoughts wandered to Johanna, if she knew the woman half as well as she thought she did then she knew that she was still alive out there and a part of her secretly hoped that they would run into one another soon; she missed the company of people that didn't expect her to care, didn't expect humanity. Quinn knew that the victor who sat in front of her accepted her any way that she wished to present herself but she still felt a strong pressure to be a good person for him and as for Katniss, Quinn was 100% sure that judgemental was her middle name and there was never any doubt in her mind that Peeta was too good for this world. She sighed: "What's her highness doing anyway?" as she stood, frowning slightly as she realised that she had subconsciously helped Mags to her feet. She was definitely going soft.
"The force field, it's a dome, we're at the edge of the arena." Katniss spoke as she finally re-emerged, "I couldn't find any signs of fresh water." She signed defeated as she pulled her hand through the top of her hair. Quinn watched as disappointment ran across the faces of Peeta and Mags.
"It's gonna get dark soon, we'll be safe if our backs are protected." Finnick spoke up drawing the group's attention, "We should set up camp, take turns sleeping. I can take first watch."
Katniss scoffed as she answered: "Not a chance."
Quinn rolled her eyes as she listened to the pair argue before she stepped in, "I agree with Finnick. If we were going to kill you then we would have done it but if it makes you feel better, then we'll guard in pairs." She spoke, as all eyes turned to her, before she addressed Katniss and Peeta, "Whoever's on watch out of you two will guard with either Finnick or I. That way we'll all have at least one person watching our backs."
Shocked at the young woman's sudden leadership, Katniss nodded in agreement and sat down. Quinn moved to sit with her back against the tree and after Finnick had made space for Mags to sleep, he sat down beside her.
"You know it makes me all tingly when you stand up for me." He smirked causing the girl to raise an eyebrow at him. "Seriously though, does this now mean that we're a team?"
The victor from District 5 thought about her answer for a moment before answering. Katniss and Peeta were both unaware of the rebellion so she knew in her heart that they would ultimately protect each other and wouldn't hesitate to kill her. She remembered the conversation that she had with Katniss, the night before the games; the girl wanted Quinn to help her protect Peeta and if for some reason the plan for escape fell through then she would kill her to save her "husband". Quinn Larkin knew in her heart that she had already intended to protect Finnick and she truly believed that his intentions were to protect her too.
"You were right you know." She whispered as she turned to look at him, "at the parade. I didn't jump at the chance to kill you." She sighed, "in fact, I think you're probably the only one I wouldn't consider killing."
Finnick's dimples deepened as he smiled at the ground, "I always knew." Was all he said before the duo descended into silence, both contemplating the double meaning. "She's a difficult ally." His voice eventually broke through the silence, "They're going to try and leave us eventually."
"Then we don't turn our backs to her. Don't give her a clear shot."
As she calculated her chances of getting out alive, Quinn knew that it would take a miracle and it (ironically) killed her. She thought about her life, how she had been transformed by the games – pulled in every direction and moulded by The Capitol – and she began to realise the time she had wasted. Having lost everything due to her stubborn nature, she had become cold hearted and spent so many years pushing away happiness; she now had nothing to live for and that made her reckless. As she sat with her head leaning back against the tree, a thought infected her mind. Quinn Larkin had truly believed that by isolating herself she had beaten Snow when all along he was still winning, still controlling her life and relishing in her loneliness, in her foolishness. She had wasted so much time and energy trying to win a never ending battle with Snow that she had let him mould her, let him change her and worst of all, let him take everything from her. Outside the games, Quinn had nothing; she had been so caught up in the war that she had unintentionally handed President Snow her future, her happiness and her humanity. She foolishly thought that by becoming the Ice Queen she had won when in reality she was the biggest loser of them all.
The victor from District 4 watched her intently, he knew that she was in a world of her own and would never let him in but as her ice blue eyes clouded with tears that she furiously blinked back and her jaw tensed in an attempt to hold back a sob, he didn't give her an option.
Quinn tensed as she was pulled into an embrace, it had been so long since she had been close to anyone and she strongly considered punching the boy but as the storm that destroyed her mind seemed to ease, she wrapped her arms around his torso and allowed herself a brief moment of comfort. Finnick smiled softly at the gesture as he rested his head on top of hers. The young woman would never give The Capitol the satisfaction of seeing her cry and although she may have just revealed the contents of her heart, for once she was truly carefree. She allowed her eyes to close briefly, allowed herself another moment of serenity before she inevitably pushed him away.
As their grip on each other loosened slightly, Quinn yawned.
"You should sleep." Finnick whispered through the darkness.
"Nightmares." was the only response he received. They remained there for another minute or two, until Quinn stood up and made her way over to stand guard with Katniss.
The two girls sat in the quiet serene of the forest that held them captive. As much as it pained Quinn to admit, she was visibly more relaxed knowing that Finnick had her back; she was used to fighting her way through life on her own but in her current situation someone else had the upper hand. The plan was to rescue Katniss and she was expected to give her life, if the circumstance should arise. The Ice Queen for The Girl on Fire – and if she was being honest, she was starting to realise that she hadn't secured her freedom by figuratively signing on the dotted line.
The victors looked to the sky as the anthem played and the faces of the fallen tributes lit up the arena. Quinn stared up emotionless as she felt Finnick sit down beside her.
"Eight." Katniss spoke as the other two nodded softly. A soft whistling that almost sounded like a lonely bird song interrupted the silence. The victors watched as a silver tin on a tiny white parachute floated down and landed in Katniss' hand. The strange contraption was accompanied by a note that simply said drink up.
"What is it?" Finnick asked.
"It's from Haymitch. I think it's a spile."
Quinn remained where she was as the Mockingjay hammered the device into the nearest tree as Finnick and Peeta surrounded her. They all laughed in joy as water poured out, all taking turns to drink; the girl from 5 smiled slightly at their happiness before standing and making her way over.
After everyone had cleaned their faces and had enough to drink, they resumed their positions. Quinn rested her chin on her knees, fighting a migraine as sleep tried to take over. However, the second her eyes drooped, they snapped open as a gonging sound erupted through the arena. She unconsciously counted them – twelve.
"Midnight?" Finnick asked no one in particular.
"Or the number of districts." Katniss suggested.
The night sky was suddenly illuminated by brilliant blue forked lightening and the trio watched as it struck the tallest tree. Quinn's eyes wandered to the man beside her, watching as the dark rings under his eyes disappeared as his green iris' brightened with every flash of lightening; feeling her stare, he pulled his eyes away to look at her only to smirk as she turned away.
"Well, if you're not going to get some sleep I will." He whispered to her before he grazed her arm with his hand and stood up.
As time ticked on, Quinn's heart won over her head as sleep began to infest the darkest corners of her mind. It took every ounce of her depleted energy to fight its darkness, to find light in the depths of her mind as the monsters that revelled in her dreams came out to play. Her eyes lingered on Peeta as she blinked fatigue away, he had already had it rough and as she watched the sweat roll down his nose as he slept she noticed the innocence that blanketed him, that survived in a world filled with terror. She quietly envied the boy knowing that the innocence she lost so long ago would never return but she vowed that she would avenge it the day she sent an arrow through the ice cold stare of President Snow.
As Katniss jolted awake, Quinn's gaze was drawn to her: "Oh would you look at that; I didn't slit your throat as you slept." she smirked. The girl from 5 raised her eyebrows in shock as the Everdeen girl started smiled and started laughing. The sound was so alien that Quinn couldn't help but smile and shake her head as she stood up and stretched.
Her joints cracked under the pressure of her movements and her muscles ached with fatigue. Her delicate face gleamed with a varnish of sweat and droplets raced each other from her chin to her chest. Suddenly a hand grabbed her arm, its owner vying for her attention. She followed the girl's pointing and squinted as her blue eyes landed on a thick white fog that crept towards them. Katniss instinctively reached her hand out and Quinn watched as it blistered in white pustules causing the girl to scream in pain. The other members of the group woke as the girls shouted for them to run.
Being the fastest runner, Quinn easily overtook the group and ran through the jungle as thorns and stray branches tore at her legs through her bodysuit. Her feet slipped on the wet leaves as she changed direction to avoid the looming poison. The breeze whipped at her hair as her heart told her to wait and her head told her to run for her life. She battled with herself but eventually stopped in time to see Peeta picking Katniss up off the ground; uncharacteristically she ran back towards them and as Peeta's leg caught on the twigs and the pain of the blisters seared his body, she picked him up off of the ground. Quinn kept a tight grip on the stumbling boy, refusing to let him fall until she heard a scream.
Not ten feet away, Finnick – who was carrying Mags – had fallen, his screams echoing in the air and Quinn hesitated. She continued to run with the victors for District 12, a crutch to the injured boy until Finnick screamed again and she instinctively and unapologetically let go of Peeta, forgetting the rebellion, forgetting her depleting chances of survival. Her feet swiftly jumped over the fallen logs and twisted thorns as she tore her way to the District 4 victors. District 12 for District 4. Peeta for Finnick.
Within seconds she had reached them and pulled Finnick to his feet as blisters covered every inch of his exposed skin. Within seconds she helped Mags onto her district partner's back and within seconds they were reunited with the victors from 12.
Quinn's action did however have consequences. Peeta inevitably fell without her and was so badly burned that he couldn't walk. Katniss whimpered as she realised that she couldn't take his weight and as the group quickly searched for a solution, Mags reached one first. The old lady smiled apologetically at the two victors who had taken care of her previously before she kissed Finnick. Quinn frowned in confusion as Mags placed a hand on her cheek and nodded gently before letting go and running into the fog. For a minute the world stood still. Quinn was frozen to her spot as Finnick shouted for the woman who was like a mother to him. She blinked back tears as Katniss tried to stop him from running after her and as the cannon went off she decided that it was all her fault. Katniss' pleas fell on deaf ears until she shook the shoulders of the other girl. As Quinn snapped back to the arena from the confinements of her head she saw the look of need in Katniss' eyes and she knew that she needed to become a leader – transform from the sheep to the Shepard.
Her hands clasped the distraught victor's face, forcing his tearful green eyes to meet her now commanding blue ones. "Finnick. We have to go." She whispered as she wiped a tear from his cheek as the poisonous fog drew nearer and after what seemed like an eternity, he nodded. "Katniss, find a clear path, we'll follow you! I have Peeta." She decreed as the group finally sprang into action.
The fog burned at her legs and the back of her neck as she hissed in pain, clenching her teeth to prevent a scream. Her will power pushed her through as she helped Finnick carry a near unconscious Peeta. Quinn had finally begun to live up to her potential.
As the group followed The Girl of Fire, they tumbled down a hill and came to a halt. Quinn watched as the fog appeared to hit an invisible wall above them. She shook as the adrenaline rushed through her veins in an attempt to keep her conscious. She hissed as the pustules mixed with the cuts she had received on her tumble down the hill and she jumped as Katniss cried out in pain.
"The water! The water helps." She shouted as her pain subsided, causing Peeta to crawl into the water with her.
Seeing that Finnick had made no attempt to move, Quinn decided that she could wait and mustered up enough energy to move towards his shaking body. Her body trembled and burned in pain as she wrapped her arms around him, half lifting and half dragging him into the water. He yelled out in pain as she submerged him and she fought screams of her own as her blisters cleared under the touch of the water. Her pain soon faded alongside Finnick's screams and as she washed water over his face and neck, he finally had the energy to sit up.
"Thank you." He spoke gently as he squeezed her hand.
"I'm sorry about Mags" Katniss spoke as she watched the pair, intrigued.
Quinn watched as Finnick tried to hold himself together as his heart shattered into tiny pieces. She stared at him blankly as he swallowed the lump in his throat and she frowned as he spoke the truth that he had protected himself from since the beginning of the games. The truth that she thought was blatantly obvious to everyone around them. The truth that she used against him in the training centre.
"She was never going to make it."
