Author's note: Okay, so I went back and changed some stuff at the end. I admit, it did end quite abruptly. I'm going to blame that on my bed calling my name. Thank you to Howlynn for making the suggestion that Gale leaves too abruptly at the end. So I hope it makes more sense now. I'll be working on Chapter Twelve today.
As always, all reviews are appreciated and (as you can see) all constructive criticism and suggestions taken to heart.
Happy reading!
Chapter Eleven
It was dark when the train came to a stop and the conductor announced they had arrived at the District Four train station.
Gale stood and stretched. He walked into the station with the few other passengers and stood for a few moments, getting his bearings and waking up more fully. Then he walked out into the night. He turned left as Finn had instructed him. The main street was bright with street lights.
He counted out the number of blocks the boy had told him to travel. He looked up to see the name of the street: Oak Drive. He turned left and travelled down the darker street. They didn't seem to think street lights were as important here.
Near the end, he saw the new, brighter glow as he came upon the Victors Village. Here the street lights became regular again. He counted the number of houses and came upon the one house with a porch light as Finn had promised.
As Gale walked up the steps to the front door, it was thrown open and he was tackled around the middle by a brown-haired blur.
"You made it!" Finn exulted.
He patted the boy's back and said, "I did. You give really good directions, Finn."
"You must be tired. Come on, I got the guest room ready." He took the man's bag from his hands.
"You haven't gone to sleep, have you?" He asked as he followed him inside.
"No. I tried, but I was too anxious." They walked down the hall that led to the back of the house. There were three bedrooms. "The one on the left is Mom's room." He said, pointing.
Gale could make out her figure in the shadows.
"The one across is mine. And the third is the guest room." He stashed Gale's bag just inside the guest room.
Gale poked his head in the door across from Annie's and saw by the lamp on the desk a room painted a sky blue. There was a wave painted on three walls half-way up. On the other wall there was a mural of different sea creatures: several types of fish swimming in their different schools, an octopus, some star fish scattered here and there, shell fish of all kinds, sea horses, creatures Gale didn't even know.
"Peeta painted all that when I was a baby." Finn said when he noticed Gale's admiration of the painting.
"It's beautiful." Gale said in awe.
"My crib was on that wall."
He walked up and looked in a bottom corner. There was a man there, only a few inches tall. He was bronze-haired. He held a trident in his hand. Gale walked closer and stooped down. He had a cocky grin on his face and his sea-green eyes looked playful.
"It's my dad." Finn said, leaning down beside him.
"I thought so."
"Peeta told me that he had to fight with Mom to put him there. She didn't want it. There aren't any other pictures of him."
"None at all?"
"She put them all in the attic. She said when I was older and moved out, I could go up there and find them. They'd be mine. But she says she sees him enough in me."
He wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders. "You do look a lot like him."
"I think it makes it worse for her when she sees it. She says some days I'm all him. But she never says his name. It's my name, too. Did you know that?"
"I thought it was."
"It's almost like she wishes she could forget him. If not for me, she could."
"Don't you think like that, Finn. If not for you…" He trailed off, not sure how to continue.
"You think she would have died?"
"I'd hate to think of a world without your mom."
"Me too. I just wish she had more good days."
"I know." Impulsively, he pulled Finn into a hug. "Get some sleep, kid. I'll go check on your mom and then go to sleep myself."
The boy hugged back, almost clinging to him.
Gale felt a sob leave the boy and suddenly he was shaking all over as he cried. His arms tightened around the man.
"Hey, it's okay. It's all right, buddy." He patted his back. "I'm here now and I'm going to do my best to help."
"I feel like she's never here." He whispered.
"She does some things with you."
"Sometimes." He sniffed and sat back. "He was great at the Capitol. She's never that good. I mean, she pulled herself together a few times to teach me to swim. But Dale taught me how to fish. He's done everything for me. And even when she's together, she's still not here. You know?"
He brushed some hair out of the boy's face. "I'm going to help do what I can from now on. Okay?"
He wiped at his nose and eyes. "Okay."
"Now, get some sleep. We'll talk more about this in the morning." He kissed the boy's forehead and then tucked him into bed.
Gale walked across the hall to Annie's room. He walked over to stand beside her bed. "Annie?" He asked softly.
There was no response or movement.
He sat down on the bed and reached brushed the hair off the side of her face.
She jumped at his touch and then rolled over onto her back and stared at him in the darkness. "You came?"
"I did. Are you sick?"
She nodded.
He placed his hand on her forehead. "You don't have a fever."
She simply stared at him.
"Are you dying?"
She shook her head. She whispered softly, "But I wish I was."
"Don't say that, Annie." He scolded. "Don't you ever say that."
"You don't know. I've been without him ten years. And even before that, I never had him. Not really. He was the Capitol's."
"He married you."
"It was only a couple months."
"You created a child together in those months."
Tears fell from her eyes and she rolled back over.
"Are you going to get out of bed in the morning?"
"I don't know."
"Will you be okay?" He felt his chest tightening in fear that she wouldn't. What would become of her son if she didn't? What would become of him?
"I don't know, Gale." She wailed, pressing her face into the pillow.
He reached out his hand and placed it on her back. "I'm here now. I'll be here for a couple of days."
"Okay."
"Finn made up the guest room for me."
"He shouldn't have. That should have been me. I should do so much more; I can't make myself do it. Without him, I've become nothing."
"Annie…"
"It's true, Gale. He was the only one who kept me going. Finn is just a reminder that he's gone." She let out a sob. "How awful is that? I hate my son, Gale. I resent his existence. If he hadn't been born, I could be with Finnick right now. I'd have no excuse. I've only been holding on for him because that was the right thing to do."
"Annie, stop this. Don't talk like that. Finn has no one else but you. He loves you. He needs you."
"He has you. You take him. He likes you. You've done well with him."
"Don't talk like that. Besides, I'm in a different district. He's all Four. He'd never do well in Two. And he does well with you."
"I don't care." She sat up and looked at him. "I can easily make the arrangements. You could take better care of him than me. And he's almost ten, so he knows how to take care of himself. It's not like a baby where you have to watch their every move—"
He grabbed her by her shoulders. "He's your son, damn it. He's your flesh. Your blood. Finnick's flesh and blood. I have no right to him. Now stop talking like this."
She wrenched herself out of his grasp. She rolled over.
"Annie?"
She said nothing.
"Are you going to be okay?"
Again she said nothing.
He leaned over her and brushed her hair from her face again.
She was staring at the wall unblinking.
"Annie, I like your son, but I like you too. I think he would do better to be with you, to stay with you. If you need me, I'm here. I'll be here for a few days. If you need to talk to me, I'll gladly listen."
She shifted her eyes to look at him a moment and then blinked and her eyes were once more focused on the wall.
"Please don't do this. Don't give up."
She pressed her face into the pillow and let out a shaky breath.
He gently rubbed her back. "I don't think Finnick would like to see you this way. He loved you to the depth of his soul. I know you miss him. But your son, the one you made with him, is in that room across the hall worried about your well-being. So get some sleep tonight and I hope tomorrow will be better. I'll be in the guest room. I'm staying until Tuesday." He kissed the back of her head and then walked out of Annie's room and into the guest room. He shut the door and turned on the light.
It was a simple room, painted a similar color to the waves in Finn's room with one wall the sky blue color. He changed and then stretched out on the bed. He didn't bother turning off the light. He didn't sleep the rest of the night either. He thought about Annie's words and the desperation in her voice as she begged him to take her son.
He thought of himself. Why was he so worried about himself when it came to Annie? Finn was more important. But he thought about his growing attachment to the woman. What would he do if he couldn't hear that sweet voice coming through the phone? It had started to become the only thing that really made life worth living for him.