Oh my gosh its been over a year since I updated this story. Please don't hate me, I promise I had super good reasons for not updating. But I'm back and ready to attempt to consistently update so...yeah :D Its been over a year since I wrote the last chapter so bear in mind that this chapter will not flow as well as the rest. Bear with me as I try to get back into the flow of this story. Make sure to not just read, but also review please :P Hope you enjoy.

I turn in my soft, warm bed as soon as I feel light rain down on my face.

I groan. It was too early for this.

"Please close the curtains," I say as loudly as I can, though it came out rather muffled as my face was on my pillow. I brace myself for the cringe worthy voice I know I'm about to hear.

"No! No! No! Dear its time to get up. It's a big, big, day!" The shrill, ever-obnoxious voice of Effie Trinket rings through my room.

I had literally just been kidnapped and threatened yesterday and she was making me wake up early. If that didn't warrant the right to sleep in in Effie's book, I don't know what does. Being killed, perhaps?

I fight the urge to tell her something rude and instead prop myself up on my elbows to look at her.

Her outfit was more ridiculous than ever- an orange wig with her skin painted yellow. Several embellishments and rhinestones on her skin dazzled from the light from my window.

Biting down a smile at her outfit I ask, "Why is it a big day."

Honestly, she looked like a circus freak. Gale was right when he said that all Capitolians were obsessed with freaky fashion. I smile remembering him calling an escort from District 1 two Reapings ago a "flying unicorn."

My smile quickly turns to a frown as I remember that Gale will only ever be a friend. Especially with my current predicament.

But was it really fair to call "dating" Finnick Odair a predicament?

I wasn't quite sure how I felt about him yet. He made me laugh, but didn't Peeta and Gale make me laugh as well?

He made my feel safe, but didn't Peeta and Gale make me feel safe as well?

Effie's shrill voice breaks my train of thought as she announces, "You are to have an interview with Finnick today, announcing your relationship to all of Panem!"

I shoot up, standing on my bed at her words. What? I mean- I knew we would have to eventually, but today?

I felt my throat constrict. Thoughts of Prim and keeping her safe fly into my mind.

"Lovely," I say with a forced smile, doing my best to look excited. "I simply cannot wait to let all my family and friends back in District 12 know that I am dating Finnick Odair."

Effie smiles at me knowingly and just says with a hint of sadness, "Its President Snow's order, dear."

Sometimes, I thought, Effie might just be smarter than she lets on.

"Now get dressed and go eat, hurry please," Effie says with a click of her high heels. I remain motionless as I hear a troubling sound. Effie was crying.

I whirl around to look at her but she rushes out of the room, slamming my door behind her.

What was that about? Effie always supported Snow, why was she sympathetic all of a sudden?

I close my eyes and think of once again why I am doing this. To stop the people from rebelling and dying. To save my sister.

To save myself.

Snow can't just go and sell me like I'm some sort of cattle.

With renewed determination, I jump off my bed and hurry to wash my face and slip on a green romper I had laid out the night before.

Finnick POV

My night was mainly spent worrying about Katniss. Snow had never kidnapped me to talk to him personally. Katniss had crossed a line with Snow, and I was terrified for her. I tried to laugh it off as she told everyone about her "kidnapping", but as soon as she fell asleep Cashmere left her room to come talk to Gloss and I.

While we all laughed it off as a funny occurrence, we were all scared for her. She was still too fresh of a Victor to realize how dangerous Snow truly was.

I was still pissed at Gloss but we sort of reached a cease-fire due to Katniss' predicament.

"Finnick, this is serious. Snow has never bothered to personally talk to a Victor," the blonde woman had told him nervously, biting on her nail.

Gloss had been quick to add his assent. "Cashe is right. Katniss is in big trouble if she can't quell the rebellions happening in the districts," he had said thoughtfully.

I had sighed deeply. They were right.

The siblings' words had haunted me through the night to the point where I couldn't sleep.

I won't let anything happen to Katniss.

I finally wake up from my fitful sleep full of nightmares.

I had several but all had one thing in common- Katniss being hurt.

Shaking my head, I slip on some slacks and a white button down collared shirt. I was still on District 12's floor. Haymitch had let me, after giving him about a dozen cans of beer, use a room for the time being. It was on the other side of the penthouse from Katniss because I wasn't…I wasn't going to sleep in Peeta's now empty room next to Katniss'.

I hated the fact that I was jealous of a dead kid. It made me feel like an awful person. But then again, wasn't I? I had killed lots of kids to become the Victor of my own Hunger Games.

As I walked out of my room, sunlight beamed on my face and my mood instantly brightened. That was all the past- today was today.

I whistle with my hands in my pockets as I walk into the dining room.

Haymitch was sitting with his feet on the table, holding a flask of some sort of alcoholic beverage I assumed. Effie, Cinna, and Portia were seated in a corner of the table, huddling together. Katniss was wearing a pretty green romper, her long brown locks spilled over her shoulders. Her arms were folded and she was staring at her food with a frown.

"Good morning, everyone!" I say cheekily. Everyone mumbles a response and my hear jumps as I see Katniss' eyes light up for a split second when she sees me.

I make my over to her, plopping down on the seat next to her. I grin at her and she knows I caught her look. She blushes and looks down.

"Morning, cuteness. How are you recovering from yesterday's abduction," I ask her, deciding to be bold and giving her a quick peck on her cheek.

What was happening to me? I was Finnick Odair, and I was nervous about kissing a girl on the cheek?

To my delight she didn't pull out an arrow and impale me with it, so we were making some progress. She just shrugs her shoulders without looking at me and sullenly says, "I'll live."

We're obviously everyone's relationship goals.

Joking aside, concern for her rushes through me and I furrow my brows.

I'm about to talk to her again when Cinna motions for Katniss come with him.

She looked beautiful, why did they insist on making her look like some weird Capitolian?

As I ponder this, I'm surprised when soft but strong arms quickly wrap around me. I look up quick enough to see Katniss hurrying out the penthouse with a smiling Cinna following her.

I lay back in my chair, content with life. Katniss Everdeen had just given me a hug. I hadn't even initiated it. A smug grin rests on my face.

"Odair this isn't a toothpaste ad, so stop smiling like that," Haymitch snaps, taking another swig from his bottle. I glare at the Victor from District 12. He looked even more defeated than usual.

"C'mon Mitch, don't ruin my good mood," I tell him with a fake pout, standing up to go follow Katniss to wherever she went.

"What I'm about to tell you will really ruin your good mood then," Haymitch says tiredly and I stop cold in my tracks, realizing he was being dead serious, and turn around slowly.

Katniss POV

I was wearing a black dress that was too tight for my liking. It showed every curve of my body, hugging my rear more than I liked it too.

I scowled. Snow had taken everything away from me, and now he was even commanding the way I dressed. I closed and sighed wondering what Gale and my family would think seeing my dressed like a ditz. They probably think that the fame and fortune already got to my head.

If only they knew how much I was struggling to retain my identity.

My hair was loose, curled to perfection.

I don't want to even comment on my makeup.

"You look beautiful, Katniss," Cinna says with a calm smile. I glanced at my full reflection in the mirror. I did look nice.

"You did a wonderful job, Cinna. Its just- it's just not me, though," I said, hoping he would understand.

And Cinna did, just as Cinna always had.

"I know, Girl on Fire. I would have put you in something else but President Snow…" he trails off and I nod in understanding.

We were in the dressing room behind Caesar Flickerman's stage. Finnick and I were on in 5 minutes.

I didn't even know what to say. I hadn't seen Finnick since breakfast; we had never said how we were going to do this interview.

I flush remembering how happy I had been to see Finnick, how I had given him a hug for absolutely no reason.

I look up for a moment realizing I have been silent for a while and see Cinna's face has a weird expression. I try to read the emotions on his face, but all he does is look at me with sadness and sympathy.

"Cinna, what's wrong?" I ask nervously.

He says nothing but gives me a strong hug. "You're the Girl on Fire, never forget that. No one can break you, not even Snow."

And with that he was gone, leaving me alone with my spinning thoughts.

"Katniss, listen up. Let Finnick do the talking, he's done dozens of interviews with Flickerdick before," Haymitch's voice breaks my reprieve.

"Why can't I speak for myself? You always tell me to be quiet during interviews," I say crossly, folding my arms.

"Sweetheart if I let you do the talking for this interview, Snow would probably have you executed right on stage. Now, go over to the entering hallway where Finnick is waiting." Haymitch says in a tone that leaves no discussion.

I raise an eyebrow. Haymitch appeared to be his normal self, but I could tell that something was bothering him.

"Don't stand there gawking at my beauty, get your ass over to Odair." He chides and I immediately rush our of the dressing room, faintly hearing Haymitch call out, "Remember Katniss. Let Finnick do the talking."

I roll my eyes. I was tired of everyone babying me. I had won the Hunger Games, killed a strong Career from District 2 to do so…I was far from a baby, wasn't I?

I see Finnick leaning against the wall of the hallway, dressed in a suit and looking extremely dapper.

He is lost in thought, fiddling with the buttons on the cuffs of his dark suit. I look at him curiously. Why was everyone acting so off today? He finally looks up, realizing my presence at last and I realize his sea green eyes are full of tears.

Panic hits me. Is there something they're not telling me? My head starts spinning and I realize that Haymitch, Cinna, Effie - and now Finnick- were all acting strange.

They were all acting sorry for me. I lose it.

"What?! What the hell is going on!?" I scream, tired of everyone knowing information about MY life when I didn't even know it.

Finnick just stays silent and pulls me into his strong arms. The feeling is so comforting but I push him away.

"No, stop treating me like a child. Tell me what's going on, right now," I demand, tears now coming out of my eyes as well. I was terrified. What else could be going wrong for me today?

"Katniss, please calm down. I'll tell you after the interview, please just-" Finnick says soothingly but I interrupt him before he can finish what he was saying.

"No, tell me now. Is it my sister, huh? What the hell is going on," I shriek and Finnick is about to open his mouth when an alarm starts beeping frantically in the backstage hallway we were in.

I look up, confused, in time to hear the booming voice of Caesar Flickerman announce, "Ladies and Gentleman, please give a warm welcome to Miss. Katniss Everdeen and Mr. Finnick Odair!"

Finnick and I exchange horrified glances as the crowed gives a deafening roar in response.

lol plot twist I'm actually alive. I know the majority of the readers of this will be new, but if you were an old reader of this book pleaseeeee shoot me a PM or tell me in a review. I'd love to apologize to you and give you a virtual hug in an extremely non creepy way.

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