Author's note: Not much to say except thank you for reviewing and adding this to alerts and favorites. Some angst in this chapter. A lot of angst in this story already, I know.

(And even though it's not going to be, I'll still say it as always) Happy reading!

Chapter Ten

Annie woke up to Finnick writhing and murmuring on the other side of the bed.

"Please don't make me." He mumbled. "Please."

"Finnick, honey, wake up." She said, shaking his shoulder. "It's just a dream."

His eyes opened and he squinted at her. He was breathing heavily. He covered his face with his hands and rolled away. "Thank God." He said.

She draped her arm over him and nuzzled his neck. "It's okay."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He let out a long breath. He rolled onto his back, a cocky grin on his face as though nothing had happened. "Good morning, beautiful."

She gave him a hard look. "Don't pretend nothing's wrong." She warned.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm not pretending. You're fine."

She was puzzled. "You were dreaming about me?"

He nodded, his face losing a little of its light. "Snow was…doing things to you. He was making me watch."

"'Things'?"

"Sexual things. Things no one has ever done and should never do without your consent. And you weren't giving it." He stroked her face with his fingertips. "I just love you so much. And I hate him with everything that I am."

She kissed him softly. "Don't think about it. It was just a dream."

His voice was grim when he said, "And I've assured your safety in the things that I have to do."

"I wish you hadn't." She was a little upset.

"I know you do." He kissed her softly and then got up as the alarm started blaring. He turned it off and stretched. "Got to get going."

"I don't want to." Annie said petulantly.

"I know." He leaned over her and kissed her once more. "Let's shower."

She smiled and blushed.

"Stop that. There are more intimate things that have happened between us than showering these last couple days."

"Yeah, I know. But thinking about it in the light of day…"

"Because I can only do those things when it's dark?" He dropped to his knees beside the bed and grabbed her hips, pulling Annie to the edge of the bed.

She lost her balance as Finnick tugged at her panties and caught herself with her hands behind her. "Are you really doing this right now?"

"Are you going to stop me?" He stared lovingly up into her eyes.

"Do we even have time?"

"Well, baby, you are the Victor. The train will wait for you."

She smiled and combed her fingers through his hair. "I think we should wait until we're on the train."

"Are you sure?" He kissed her thigh. "Because we can shower on the train too." He kissed a little farther up. "Or we can just tell them we refuse to leave." He kissed still higher again and again, getting ever closer to her core. He paused and looked into her eyes. "Yes or no?"

"Yes." She said, draping her legs over his shoulders.

He smiled before he pressed his mouth into her. He started gently at first and then more hungrily as Annie tangled her fingers in his hair.

She moaned softly, holding herself up by her other hand. Their eyes remained locked until, Annie couldn't take the intensity anymore and she lay back, letting the waves of pleasure crash over her. She covered her face as she cried out softly.

Finnick kissed up her body, pushing at her shirt to taste more of her flesh.

Annie's arms came around him as he pressed his lips against her neck.

"You taste so good." He said softly.

She struggled to catch her breath. "Would it be possible for me to reciprocate?"

He shook his head. "Limp as a wet noodle."

She laughed and turned her head away. "Oh, my god, Finnick."

He kissed her cheek. "It's true." He pushed himself up.

She watched him as he gathered his things. "Did I hurt your feelings by laughing?"

He shook his head and gritted his teeth.

"Yes, I did." She said softly, contrite. "I'm sorry."

"Annie, it's not you." He slammed his fist on the dresser. "I have a problem. And it's been solved, but not in a good way. I can't even feel it like I should. They just wanted a quick fix. I just want—" He cut himself off and looked away, blinking hard to keep the tears at bay. He shook his head and headed to the bathroom without another word.

Annie got up and followed, shucking her shirt as she went.

Finnick sat in the tub. The water poured on him as he sobbed heavily into his hands.

She climbed in with him and pulled him into her arms. She started crying with him.

"I just want to make love to you and it really be me." He bawled into her shoulder. "It's so hit and miss. I get turned on at the most inappropriate times. And you haven't been ready."

"Is there nothing else they can do?"

He sniffed and sat back. "I have one of the most advanced enhancements that could be given. They just didn't put all the work into it that they could. Electrodes stimulate blood flow without all the pleasure of a real erection." He pushed his wet hair out of his eyes.

"But it still happens on its own sometimes? Is that what you're saying?"

He nodded. "The first time I saw you in that damn dress." The corner of his mouth went up.

She kissed him. "We're running out of time." She stood and picked up the soap from the tray under the shower head.

He watched her for a moment before he stood and picked up the shampoo bottle and started lathering up his hair.

Annie smiled tightly at the Harvest Festival in District 4. Her father was sober enough to seem respectable. He showed pride in his daughter's victory as well as happiness at her survival.

As the night grew and the people started moving off to their homes or to smaller parties, Annie drifted over to Finnick who sat off to the side out of the main crowd.

"Now, the Finnick Odair I know is in the thick of things at all social gatherings." She said as she sat down beside him.

"Don't sit too close." He warned softly. "The cameras."

She smiled tightly and scooted a few inches away. "I guess I'm getting used to them."

"Maybe." He popped something into his mouth and started chewing thoughtfully. "Where's your father?"

"I don't know. Probably off somewhere getting hammered."

He nodded thoughtfully as he stuck another of the mysterious objects into his mouth.

"What is that?" She asked curiously.

He held out his hand. "Sugar cube?"

"You eat sugar cubes? By themselves?" she picked one out of his hand and examined it.

"It's no different than eating the candy children in the Capitol rot their teeth on." He put another cube in his mouth and munched.

She smiled and sat the sugar cube on her tongue. She closed her mouth around it and let the sugar melt.

"Good, huh?"

"Why didn't I know about this sugar-cube-eating before?"

He shrugged. "I only do it every once in a while." He offered her his hand. "Want the last one?"

She shook her head. "You eat it." She yawned.

He put the sugar in his mouth. "It's late. I don't think they would fault you for leaving. Everyone else is anyway."

"Will you be joining me?"

"It would be best if I didn't, Ann." He looked around. "They'll still be watching."

"I stayed at your apartment." She argued.

"There's an extra room. We could just adamantly say that you stayed there. No one could say differently. And I'm the great Finnick Odair. No one would ever think I could lie. I'll say you're like a little sister to me and I couldn't bear to let you stay where I couldn't keep an eye on you."

"I really hope you wouldn't want to do to a little sister what you did to me."

He smirked. "With all the things I've done…" he shook his head. He looked away. "Go home, Ann."

"You're leaving tomorrow. Will I even get to say goodbye? Other than this moment?"

"I'll stop by your house before I go to the station." He said as he looked down at the ground.

"You mean I can't go with you to the station?" she sounded desperate. She stood suddenly and hurried away without another word.

She hoped he would follow, but she knew he wouldn't. And she had to get away. The voices were starting to speak to her again after so many days of absence. If she didn't get away to be alone, she knew the cameras would catch her spiraling down into madness.

Annie pushed open her front door and was greeted with the sight of her father and a group of his friends sitting around the living room. All eyes were focused on one man who was telling an epic tale.

"Get out." She said softly.

They didn't even take notice of her. They kept on listening to the story being told.

She raised her voice slightly. "Get out."

Her father looked up a moment and smiled before turning back to the story.

That did it. She broke. She looked around desperately and her eyes landed on a glass figurine that had belonged to her mother. Her father had given it to her before Annie was born. She picked it up without any care and hurled it across the room where it shattered against the wall with a loud crash.

All sound stopped abruptly and eyes turned to her.

"Get the hell out of my house." Her eyes locked on her father's. "All of you. You aren't welcome here."

The men looked to Annie's father for confirmation.

"It's not his house. It's not his say. You get out now or I will get the peacekeepers here to drag you away."

They all seemed frightened. But whether it was from her words or the wild expression she knew was on her face, Annie didn't know. The voices were there, encouraging her. Some chided her. And they only increased in volume as she stood in silence, watching the men mill about and finally make their way out.

All except her father.

"Please find somewhere else to be." She told him softly.

"Annie…"

"Dad, just go. I need you gone. I want to be alone. I need to be alone. And I don't want to deal with you drunk tonight and hung-over tomorrow." Her throat was tight. The cacophony in her head was dropping in volume, but she knew it wouldn't last long.

"Your mother would be so disappointed."

She nodded. "In you. Not in me."

He swooped in on her. His face was inches from hers. "You want to say that again, girl?"

"Mama would have been proud of me. And she would have actually been happy I survived." Tears streamed down her face. And once again the sound in her head started increasing.

"Maybe." He deflated and walked around her and out the door.

In the sudden silence of the house, the volume in her head amplified. She silently begged them to stop. But it didn't. She stumbled to her bedroom. She didn't turn off the lights in the living room, nor did she turn on the light in her room. She crawled into bed, fully clothed. She clutched at her ears, begging for silence.

She didn't sleep at all. They wouldn't let her.