Chapter Twelve

Finnick's POV

I'm tripping over myself as I run through the hallways. The training center is like a maze as it tries to keep me from finding her. I turn corner after corner, but it seems like I never get any closer. I bolt through the doorways and up the stairs, having no patience for elevators right now, knocking over Avoxes with trays of food as I go.

Finally, I turn a corner and stop dead in my tracks. Because she is there.

"Annie." I breathe, her name barely a whisper. But she turns around from her view from the huge glass windows. Her head cocked to the side slightly before a look of recognition takes over her face and a huge grin spreads across her lips.

"Finnick!" she cries, and breaks into a run. I catch her, my arms sliding around her tiny waist as I lift her off the ground, spinning around and around. I place her feet back on the floor and just stare at her.

She stands on her toes and pulls my head down to hers.

"Oh, Finn, it was horrible." She whispers, tears in her eyes.

"I know." Then I press my lips to hers. If the world ended right then and there, I wouldn't have noticed. Or cared.

She pulls away slowly and looks up at me with sad eyes, a small frown playing at her lips. I hate when she frowns.

"They say I've gone mad." Her voice is so quiet I can barely hear it.

"They do say that. They've told me." I say and a look of alarm crosses her perfect face. "But you know what?" I lean down to her ear and whisper. "But I don't care."

She giggles and kisses me again. I lift her off the ground and I can feel her smile against my lips.

"Eh hem." Someone clears their throat nearby and Annie pulls away to look at them.

Without letting go of Annie, or even bothering to put her back down, I look over to see Dula watching us, her arms crossed and a very pissed look on her face.

"Hey Dula!" I say, grinning dopily, Annie has that effect on me. "How's it going?"

"The president would like to speak to you." she says flatly, then looks at Annie as if she was something on the bottom of one of her impossibly high heels. "Both of you."

Then she turns and sashays down the hallway.

"Oh no." I mutter. "This can't be good."

Taking Annie's hand in mine, I lead us to the president's office.

"Come in." his voice says after I knock so I open the door.

I don't have time to react as a guard jumps out and grabs Annie from me.

"Annie!" I scream and start after the guard. Another grabs my arms from behind and yanks me off the ground.

"Let her go!" I shout, kicking and flailing my legs.

"Finnick!" Annie sobs from the guard's arms.

"Mr. Odair, why don't we calm down?" President Snow says from behind his big, wooden desk. The guard pushes me down on my knees and holds a fistful of my hair, squishing my face against the carpet and holding my hands behind my back with his other hand.

I keep my eyes on the guard holding Annie as the president makes his way around the desk so he's standing in front of me.

"What have I told you about keeping up appearances, Mr. Odair?" he says in a sickeningly sweet voice. He summons a third guard, who marches over and kicks me in the stomach. Hard.

"No!" Annie pleads. "Don't hurt him! Please! Just leave him alone!"

"Annie, don't" I manage to choke out.

The president continues. "Now, Mr. Odair, we have studied you, we know what makes you tick. We also know that this," the guard that kicked me pulls out a knife and holds to Annie's throat. "Would drive you crazy."

"NO!" I roar, fighting against the guard holding me, which only confirms his idea.

"We know we can't threaten you, you wouldn't care if we did kill you. But she," he points to Annie. "We can use."

Annie stares at me, her eyes pleading with me not to fight them.

"Let. Her. Go." I say through gritted teeth, enunciating each word.

"Not until you hear me out." The president says, and the knife digs deeper into Annie's throat, a tiny bead of blood dribbles down her neck.

"Stop it!" I scream, on the verge of hysteria as I wrestle against the guard.

"Remember what I said before the games?" the president asks. "About how we all have a job here. A responsibility? Well, Mr. Odair, you responsibility is to the women of the Capitol, who pay very high prices for your company, may I add." Annie's sobbing, still struggling against her captive's arms. "And your little girlfriend is so easily disposable. It's almost pathetic. Just remember that."

The guard releases me, and the one holding Annie drops her to the floor. I quickly scramble over to her and she puts her hands on either side of my face, checking me over.

"Are you okay? They k-kicked you! Are you hurt?" she stammers worriedly, her eyes roaming over me.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?" I ask, the fear evident in my voice as I wipe the drop of blood from her throat.

She nods, her eyes still wide and terrified.

"Are you two about done? I do have work to do." The president says, his voice bored, seated at his desk once again.

I stand up, pulling Annie along with me. She clings to me, not that I mind the proximity, but what bothers me is how badly she's shaking. Once in the hall, I quickly hurry her far away from the office. We end up on the roof, where Annie falls to the ground in a crying heap.

"Oh, Annie." I say sadly, crouching down and taking both her hands in mine. "Annie, look at me. Just look up, please."

She finally lifts her head to meet my eyes and I let go of one of her hands to caress the side of her face.

"I'm so sorry, Finn." She hiccups.

"What? What are you sorry about?" I ask.

"That…that I…" sniff. "G-got you into this mess… I won… I don't d-deserve to."

"What?" I demand. "Annie, don't even think that!"

"D-Derek should've w-won…Bree's gonna h-hate me now…Derek s-should've won…" she sobs.

"No, Annie, no!" I plead. "Remember what I told you before the games?"

"To w-win?"

"That I would break if you died." I tear up just thinking about a life without Annie. She reaches up and gently wipes the tear away from my eye.

"You would've managed." She says quietly, then mutters, "Don't deserve to win."

"No, the thing is, I wouldn't have managed." I state determinedly. "I would've killed myself."

"Don't do that over me."

"You don't understand!" I exclaim, frustrated. "If you had died, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I had let you down that way. I love you, it's my job to protect you."

She gives me a sad little smile and a soft gently kiss. I beam at her. Then she screams. I jump back out of surprise and land flat on my back.

She has her eyes squeezed shut and her hands clamped over her ears.

"No, no, no! Derek, no! Don't-AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Oh no. She's having flashbacks.

I grab onto her, but she struggles against me, so I wrap my arms tightly around her and pull her against my chest.

"Annie, shhh." I start soothingly, stroking her hair. "Annie, it's okay. It's not real. Annie, please, come back to me. Shhhh. It's not real. Annie, I need you, please. It's going to be okay. Annie, I love you."

I repeat this until she stops screaming and her trembling hands lower from her ears. She slowly opens her eyes to look up at me.

"How?" she asks quietly.

"How what?" I ask in confusion.

"How can you be in love with a crazy person?"

The question nearly breaks my heart.

"You're not crazy." I state firmly, still hugging her as she sits in my lap. "They tortured you. You're not crazy, you're tortured."

"You were never like this." She says stubbornly.

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret." I say and lean down so my lips brush against her ear as I whisper. "I was, I just didn't let you see me that way."

"You were?" she asks, her voice so small and fragile.

"I was a coward, you wanted to help me, but I didn't want you to see me like that. I thought I was crazy. Now it's my turn to help you."

She smiles and kisses my cheek.


Author's note.

Thank you to all of my wonderful followers, favorites, and reviewers, you guys inspire me to keep writing this story. This is not the end, I promise!

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