Our camping trip was postponed so here's another chapter. Lots of Fannie, Finniss, Galeniss fluff! :3
Special thanks to:
MellarkIsJHutch; Traya001; Nathalie-primrose; Leaf Ninja 1; Howl3; Peeta's number 1 fan;
And to you who's currently reading this. THANK YOU :)
About the name Ashby Allardyce... meh, I just got it from a hunger games name generator xD
ON WITH THE STORY!
Katniss felt someone shake her. It seems she had fallen asleep on Finnick's shoulder. "Katniss, wake up! We're almost there." He said. Katniss stirred and rubbed her eyes; she looked outside and saw the view of the sea. She looked with awe since it was her first time seeing the ocean. It was so vast, miles and miles of nothing but blue ocean. She looked like a child going to a theme park for the first time. Finnick looked down at her and smiled. He thought she looked adorable.
The car stopped in front of a rustic cabin just by the beach. Finnick hurriedly got out and ran in the cabin. "What's he so excited about?" Gale asked. They all just shrugged. Katniss stepped out and felt the wind brush against her skin, making her hair fly. The scent of the salty sea fills her nostrils and the warmth of the sun beats on her skin. The feeling was so wonderful. Who could have thought that amidst the chaos there was still a place in Panem where everything seems peaceful? District 4 was a patch of heaven on earth.
Carrying their things, the others went up the wooden steps of the porch and called out to Finnick. He didn't answer; instead an old woman greeted them. She was probably in her 80s. "Good afternoon ma'am" Katniss greeted. "Ahh yes, come in! Come in!" She babbled. They all went in. The cabin was your average beach side cabin. It was slightly above the ground in case the tide comes in. The cabin was made out of wood and had a grayish white paint that was already fading. It had two floors and the decorations were made out of shells, corals and starfishes. By the kitchen, you had a magnificent view of the beach and the ocean.
The old woman introduced herself as Mags, another victor from district 4. Mags showed them their rooms and they all got settled down. Katniss looked around the cabin and didn't find Finnick. "Excuse me but do you happen to know where Finnick is?" Katniss asked Mags, the woman simply pointed to the beach. The sun was so bright and you could hardly see anything out there but Katniss focused her eyes and saw two people under the shade of some coconut trees. She was interrupted by the sound of silver ware clattering on the wooden floor. Katniss looked behind her and saw Mags picking the spoons and forks up and so she helped.
"Why don't you cook and let me set up the table?" Katniss suggested. Mags nodded and proceeded to the cooking area. Katniss began to place the spoons and forks on the table. "You don't know how to cook?" Mags asked to kill the silence. "Unfortunately no, I don't know how to cook" she answers. "Then you should marry someone who can cook or... bake" Mags said. Katniss just smiled at the thought and remembered Peeta. "I'll see to that." Katniss said. "Who's that girl with Finnick?" Katniss asked while putting the plates on the table. "That's Annie Cresta, the love of his life" the old woman answered.
Like Katniss, Finnick, Mags and Haymitch, Annie was also a victor. She was reaped as tribute to the 70th Hunger Games and her mentor was Finnick. He did everything to keep her alive. Mags told Katniss that during the 70th Hunger Games, Annie witnessed the beheading of her fellow district 4 male tribute and traumatized her, making her mentally unstable. During the games the game makers decided to create an earthquake breaking of the dam and releasing water into the arena. All of the remaining tributes drowned except for Annie who was the best swimmer being born in district 4, the fishing district. When she came back, she was never her old self. She has certain problems which included her closing her eyes and covering her ears, laughing when it was unnecessary, and staring into the distance at strange times. "Finnick wasn't always in love with her; he would tell me that she just crept up to him." Mags said, placing the newly cooked meal on the table. "Now could you call everyone so we can have lunch?" Mags asked. Katniss nodded and left the room.
"So that's who Finnick loves, I think. Not his string of fancy lovers in the Capitol. But a poor, mad girl back home." Katniss thought as she climbed up the stairs to call Haymitch and Gale for lunch.
Finnick just watched her as she stared into the horizon of the ocean. "Hey Annie." He said as he brushed off the strands of hair on her face. She remained silent. Finnick just gazes at her features. Her dark flowing hair that flows perfectly in the sea breeze, her dark green eyes that stares onto the horizon, the same eyes that saw the madness created by the Capitol. Finnick puts and arm around her and she snaps out of her deep thought and gasps. "It's okay Annie, it's only me." He comforts her. Annie looks at him and leans on his chest as he wraps his arms around her petite body. That moment was perfect; it made him think that nothing was wrong; there was no war, no rebellion, just Annie and him on that beach, in each other's arms. It was all too perfect then he hears Haymitch shouting at them.
Finnick sighs "Come on Annie, lunch time..." He said. He took her hand in his and walked back to the cabin.
Everybody was already seated when they arrived at the cabin. Finnick lead her in and took out the chair for her. Who knew he was such a gentleman. They all sat down for the meal. It was a simple sea food menu prepared by Mags. Katniss kept looking at Annie. Katniss would describe her as a very lovely woman but there's something in her eyes that troubles her. The way that Finnick gives her water or hands her some food was sweet and adorable. He was strong and muscular, a fighter and a killer, judging by his exterior features who would guess that he could love a person that way. Annie was a very lucky girl.
After lunch, Katniss sat down by the porch just admiring everything about district 4. Gale sat down beside her. An awkward distance was between the two, a distance that never existed before the games. They just seemed to drift further apart from each other. Katniss felt awkward when she got home and saw hurt in Gale's eyes. It was probably because she chose Peeta when she could've chosen Gale. "I'm sorry" she started. Gale looked at her in surprise. "What?" He asked. "I said I'm sorry for everything. For what happened in the games, for pushing you and aiming an arrow at you that night. I'm so sorry Gale." She said. Gale inched closer to her. "Look, its okay. I completely understand everything. Sometimes you can't have what you want." He said with a smile on his face. "I know that! But somehow I feel guilty because I know deep inside you expected, you expected me to choose you because you're my best friend but I didn't. I chose Peeta" She explained.
"And he's one hell of a lucky man! But it's okay Katniss... I'm just going to say this now." Gale said pausing for a moment. "I love you Katniss" He said sincerely. "Gale, I... I love you too but not the same way you want me too. You're my best friend and that's never going to change. You aremy best friend." Katniss replied. Gale just smiled and whispered "I know" despite the smile on his face; Katniss could feel his heart breaking. The way hers broke when Peeta aimed the gun at her. Katniss figured out that karma was getting to her, she aimed an arrow at Gale and so Peeta aimed a gun at her. She hated when she has to hurt a person so close to her. And it's as if Gale knows what she's feeling, he hugged her but she didn't pull away. Not right now, she needed that hug so badly. "It's okay Katniss, don't think about it. There are much more important things to worry about." He reassured her.
"I'm going to the market!" Mags shouted out of the blue. "Wait! Finnick said not to let you go out on your own!" Katniss reminded her. "Screw what Finnick said!" Mags said closing the front door. "I'll go with her." Gale said as he rushed after Mags. Katniss smiled and faced the sea.
Not long after Finnick joins her. "Where's Mags?" He asked. "She went to the market and Gale went with her." Katniss answered. Finnick sighed in relief. "You're so unpredictable!" Katniss said. "Why is that?" Finnick asked. "Well at first look you're this flirty, attractive person whom you would think is a play boy but honestly... you're not. Seeing you with Annie, it's unbelievable!" She explained. Finnick laughed at the thought. "Wait... you think I'm attractive?" Finnick asked. Katniss laughed and lightly pushed him.
"It wasn't always this way. She crept up on me." He said smiling. "It's quite sweet actually. You have women in the capitol head over heels for you still you choose her." Katniss stated. "It didn't have to be that way... me and the capitol and those women. I never agreed to that." He said. "President Snow used to sell me my body, that is. I wasn't the only one. If a victor is considered desirable, the President gives them as a reward or allows other people to buy them for an exorbitant amount of money. If you refuse, he kills someone you love. So you do it." Finnick explained. "That's how heartless and cold he is" He said looking at her.
"That's why we're doing this right? To kill him and make a safe country for everyone we love." Katniss asked. "Exactly, Snow already took so much from Annie and I just want to make this world perfect for her. I'm doing that, whatever it takes. I know you're doing it too, for your family and for Peeta." Finnick said. She nodded and looked into the horizon. It was sunset already and the sun reminded her of Peeta. His favorite color is orange, not bright orange "but soft like the sunset..." She whispered. "You miss him, don't you?" He asked. "Terribly..." Katniss whispered. "It's going to be alright in the end. If it's not alright and it's not the end." He said. That's another thing you have to admire about Finnick. He's always so optimistic and has that free spirited nature. Then again he's strong and you can see that but deep inside he's a sweet gentleman. "Totally unpredictable" Katniss thought.
They had more in common than she first thought. Suffering from the haunted memories of the Hunger Games, wanting to kill President Snow and having their loved ones suffer. Now they had more reasons to finish this once and for all. Her thoughts were interrupted by screaming in a bed room upstairs. Finnick races upstairs. It must be Annie. It seems that she wasn't the only one with the nightmares. Katniss stared into the sunset and closed her eyes, feeling the last warmth of sunlight for the day.
Soft like the sunset, that was Peeta.
Tadaaaah! After how many hours I've finished chapter 7! Aaaaand I totally fell in love with Finnick in this chapter, he's so alfhasjdaldadhas!
And so I leave you with this.
plus I've found out that I'm part of the 1st Tumblr Games... district 7 tribute. May the odds be ever in my favor D:
Review! Please and thanks ;D