So everyone, I sat in my theater seat, hoping that maybe just maybe I could hold in my tears. The movie, of course had yet to begin, but I could already feel the sob stuck in my throat at the mere thought of the love story about to unfold. When it finally began, not to be outdone by wildly screaming teenagers (yes both boys and girls) our movie was finally here. After all this time of waiting, dreaming, imagining this moment. I would finally see my favorite book come to life. I had high expectations and to my fantastic pleasure, it met every single one.

Shaliene Woodley was an unforgettable and perfect Hazel Grace, who was poingant, witty, and all to much like the average teenage girl (minus the cannula). Ansel Elgort (who I admit I was weary of) was the flesh and blood embodiment of the one and only Augustus Waters. Nat Wolff blew me away with his narcissistic humor and casual banter. Let us not for get the unsung hero of this movie. John Green, who made sure this movie was perfect for us fans!

If I have one thing to say to you, its that I recommend a tissue box (or a couple of boxes) because this one is a tear jerker. Thankfully balanced between humor and the depth of emotions evoked by the script. The soundtrack was one to rival (500) Days of Summer, and it wad brilliantly used. So bring a box of kleenex, I cried like a baby. Everyone in that theater wasn't snuffling, I could hear grown men literally shaking in their seats sobbing. Be prepared. DONT WEAR MAKE UP (I discovered the hard way not to.) However, this is my favorite movie of all time (which makes sense matching my favorite book of all time).

I will be seeing, buying, and investing my little teenage heart (and funds) into this movie. Someday I will move people with words like John Green did for me.

So I end this unusually lengthy review to say:

Okay?

Okay.

;*)

Chapter 11

The exodus of men walking from the mines is one of the saddest things for me to see. I can see exhaustion in their eyes, coal covering and clinging to them, the lines of work engraved in their skin. Today my eyes aren't scanning the crowd for my father like they once did years ago, today I am looking for Gale. He is one of the last to emerge, they always make the younger ones work deeper in the mines. They usually don't have a kid and a wife to go home to. Gale's eyes meet mine and I can't tell if he's happy or upset at seeing my face. "Katniss, what're you doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you."

He looks past me, "thought you didn't want to speak with me."

"Gale." I scowl, "I'm trying to keep our friendship. So will you work with me?" I run my hand through my hair, and watch Gale's eyes trail the ring. "Please."

Gale jams his thumbs into his pockets, "walk with me to the house. Okay?"

I walk in stride with Gale, "how are you?" My hands are hidden in my jacket's pockets. I don't want him to be fixated on the ring when I talk to him.

"Don't play like that, Katniss. What did you need to tell me?"

"Maybe I just wanted to talk." The glance he gives me, tells me to jump to the point, "I'm getting married tomorrow night."

He snorts, "why am I not shocked? I can understand getting engaged after six months, but getting married after what, a three, four week engagement?" He chews the inside of his cheek, "so tomorrow night?"

"Yeah...Gale, Finnick and I don't want the Capitol to control our wedding or our marriage. So we are going to the Justice building, signing some papers, dinner, and having the Toasting."

Gale's eyebrows shoot up at that, "I'm shocked. I expected he would be excited to let them take control, he lets them control everything else."

"You don't know him, like I do," I snap. "I was going to invite you to the dinner, Gale. You are my best friend and it would mean a lot to me if you were there."

Gale shrugs, "I'll think about it."

"That's all I can ask for." I turn and walk away from him, not glancing back once.

Prim waves goodbye as we walk from the Victor's Village, Finnick holds my hand running his thumb over my knuckles. It's quiet in the Seam today, no one will notice our presence. The journey to my old home in the Seam, well it's now our home, is blanketed in a soft silence. We decided we didn't want the Capitol to know or have anything to do with this. While I have a home in the Victor's Village, this small house in the Seam, is where my heart is. Where my father and I once shared evenings by the fire telling stories of a time before his death. Where Prim was born, innocent and sweet as the flower for which we named her. Finnick kisses the back of my hand and smiles at me, "you look breathtaking, Katniss."

I smile at the ground and force my eyes to his, "thank you." Cinna had made this dress originally for my Victory Banquet, but since the Capitol wanted me in something more revealing he set it aside. It's a simple pearl white color with green sequins traveling up my body. It is perfect. Finnick glances at the house, "I'm sorry Gale didn't come."

I shake my head, trying to wave off the unsettling feeling of disappointment, "don't be. He said he would think about it, he didn't say he would actually come." I glance at the outside of the house at look at a small pile of uncut wood and the ax propped up against the house. Just where I left it from the Games. "We need to chop some logs."

"We do?"

I laugh, "we cross our threshold of our new home together, then we start our first fire together, we toast some bread."

"Alright," he takes his suit jacket off and hands it to me as he loosens his tie. Finnick picks up the ax and sets the log in place. I stand back and watch him split it down the middle, the accuracy, the power behind each movement one of a survivor from the Games. He turns to me with a grin, "that's the first time I've ever done that. I can't believe it worked."

"Yes chopping wood is quite the complex endeavor." I pick up two of the split logs and head into the house. All the furniture is right where we left it, there wasn't any use in taking it to the Victor's Village. We set the logs into the fireplace, both of us choosing to start the fire like we were taught in the Training center. Smoke begins to fly upwards and flit into bright yellow and red flames. "Now we cut a slice of bread and toast it." We move through each step of the Toasting carefully. Once it's finished I look up at Finnick, "now for your tradition."

Finnick searches through his bag and sets out three vials. One filled with a dark brown sand, the other with a creamy white sand, and the last is empty adorned with pearls. "In 4 we have this tradition." He hands me the vial of dark brown sand, "this is from the bank of the Meadow here." He taps the glass of the white sand, "this is from the beach in 4. We both pour it into this glass with the pearls. As we pour them together, each grain is mixed with the other, symbolizing that we have now become one. Unable to be taken apart from each other."

I smile and tip the mouth of my vial into the glass covered in pearls. Once empty, I set my glass down and look up to Finnick, "now it's official."

Finnick smiles and takes my hands in his, "yes it is, Mrs. Katniss Odair." He pulls me closer to him, I can feel his heartbeat through his chest.

I wrap my hands around his neck. "Do you think they would be happy for us? Peeta and Annie?"

He chews his lip, "yes. They might have been sad at first, but they would be happy that we're happy. Eventually, I believe they would have found their way to each other...They always wanted us to be happy, Katniss. To be happy and loved. And I plan on making sure that happens."

The space beside me is empty, an odd occurrence. Finnick usually is the last to wake up, but I sit up as the door opens. Finnick holds a large tray of food and sets it on the foot of the bed, "I made you breakfast."

"I thought you couldn't cook." For the past two weeks he has been waiting until I got up and cooked breakfast, claiming he was unable to cook any meal for himself. I think he just wanted a reason to sleep in longer. I have discovered Finnick is the opposite of a morning person.

He shrugs, "I may have been lying a bit on that one." The tray before me is full of a simple plate stacked with flat round baked cakes covered in a thick syrup, a plate of eggs, and some strawberries in a bowl. A large glass of grapefruit juice beside it. "I hope it tastes okay." He rubs the back of his neck and smiles at me, it's a shy boyish grin that nearly makes my heart stop.

"I'm sure it will tastes delicious." I grasp the fork and cut into the food on my plate, "it tastes delicious."

"You're only saying that because you're my wife."

Something about what he said makes my get a silly grin that covers most of my face, "I can't believe I'm your wife."

"I can't either, despite the fact that it's been nearly two weeks." He brushes my hair back, "I got a letter addressed to us today."

My heart stops for a moment, "from Snow?"

"No, do you remember that woman from the Capitol, the one who invited us to her wedding?" He takes one of my strawberries off the plate and laughs at my scowl, "what's yours is mine now, Kitty."

I roll my eyes, "yes I remember her."

"I got the invite yesterday, but I just now opened it. Would you want to go? We don't have to, of course. I just thought I would ask, Snow would probably appreciate that we came to the Capitol. We have been lying low for two weeks."

I nod, "I think that will give Snow some peace of mind given all that has happened in 8 and the rumors of 13."

"13?" Finnick stares at me, something about the way he said that catches my interest. Could he have heard the rumors too?

"I met two women a couple of weeks ago, who claimed to be going to 13, however their reasoning wasn't founded on anything concrete. Just speculation. They are probably dead by now, 13 is gone. The idea that they have somehow risen from the ashes is preposterous."

Finnick quickly nods, "13 is gone. Nothing left." He stares at me before looking away, "maybe we can stop in 4 on our way to the Capitol to check on Mags and my brothers. I haven't seen them since we had our dinner after we signed all of the papers." Finnick crawls back into the sheets, "I'm going back to sleep now."

"You are?"

He looks at me, "Katniss, that breakfast took me almost two hours, in case you haven't noticed the sun is barely shining." He sits up and gives me a long kiss before yawning, "I love you."

"I love you too." The past two weeks with Finnick have been indescribable, with the exception of cooking breakfast, I almost have to make Finnick let me do things. He is more than a gentleman he is a hopeless romantic. Yesterday he showed up with a bouquet sunflowers for me for no reason except that he loves me. At times it gets to be a bit much, but it reminds me of something Peeta would do. Peeta would probably shower me with all kinds of small acts of love and endearment. Once I have finished my breakfast, I slip out of bed and set my dishes in the sink. We came back to my house in the Victor's Village a day or two after we went to the small home in the Seam. We couldn't jeopardize the safety of our families because the Capitol wasn't getting its pictures and video that it demanded to keep Snow happy.

I am happy, but Snow's power isn't lost on me. I know he is waiting for me to slip up, for me to make a mistake that will give him what he needs to put me to an end. After meeting those women in the woods, I know how powerful my act of defiance was. People are risking their lives and losing them in the name of freedom and equality. Soft footsteps from the stairs signal Prim's presence, "good morning Prim."

Prim stands beside me at the sink, "Katniss?"

"Yes?" I set the dishes on the counter and look at my sister, blonde hair a tousled mess from sleeping cheek to cheek with her ugly yellow cat.

She twirls her thumbs, "I had a nightmare."

"Let's sit down," while I hate discussing any nightmares, Prim's nightmares are of importance to me. Her happiness means so much, I pull a chair out and sit across from her. "Would you like to tell me what happened in your dream?"

"It was about the Quarter Quell," she says. I will admit I too, have been waking up with terrifying dreams of Prim being reaped for the Games this year, lately though Finnick's younger brother has been included in that pool of tributes along with Gale's brothers despite our own strained friendship. "I keep thinking I will be reaped again."

"That won't happen," I squeeze her hand, "you are my sister, Prim. You have a safety many kids in 12 don't have." Snow has promised to keep Prim safe as long as I cooperate with him. So far he has stayed true to his word. "Don't worry about the Quell."

"Are you worried, Katniss?"

Another pair of footsteps from the stairs make me lower my voice, "no. I'm not worried because you are going to be just fine little duck." I pinch her cheek and give her a kiss on the forehead. I hate lying to Prim, especially because she knows I'm not telling the truth.

Prim smiles, "you don't have to lie to me Katniss. I know you are scared."

I give her a soft frown, "I can't lie to you can I." She squeezes my hand, "Finnick can help you mentor. Besides, I'm sure this will be the hardest year for you and then it might get a little easier." She shrugs, "you will be okay, Katniss. Mother and I, we support you."

"Thank you Prim." The footsteps grow louder, I look up to see Finnick leaned against the doorway to the kitchen, "morning, Finnick. I thought you were going to sleep in."

Finnick tousles Prim's already messy hair and kisses my jaw, "morning, Kitty. Remembered I have an errand to run, decided that I might as well just get up."

"Oh," I stand up from the table before speaking again, "when is the Quarter Quell announcement."

"In about five weeks, why?" Finnick sits on the counter and rubs Buttercups head. I don't understand how everyone gets that stupid cat's attention accept me.

I shrug, "no reason. Just thought it would be smart to mark that one the calendar."

"I can't believe the Games are almost here again," Prim frowns. "Perhaps this year won't be as bad."

I surely hope so Prim, I really do.