Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything of Suzanne Collins', from 'The Hunger Games', and the next two books of the trilogy. ( 'Catching Fire' and 'Mockingjay')... especially the characters.

Chapter Thirteen:

Her eyes were still closed, but she knew she wasn't alone. The warmth wrapped around her was comforting, but was also suffocating her. Sweat prickled on her brow, and she realized that her face was buried in the chest of person who had their arms around her. A spike of adrenaline flooded her senses, but then recognized the person's scent.

"Finnick," she murmured.

A snore answered her, and a wry smile tugged at her lips. He shuffled in his sleep, digging his face into her neck and sighing in content. She squeaked at the contact, and pushed at his chest.

"Finnick, get off," she said. Finnick grunted at her. And she narrowed her eyes in contemplation. She slowly slide her nails down his chest to his sides, and she heard his intake of breath. His grip somewhat slackened, and she wiggled out.

She looked up to find a pair of clouded sea green eyes watching her. She took in his face, and noticed the dark circles and messy bronze hair. She ran her hand through the fluffy mess, her thoughts silent for once. He in turn took hold of a stray curl and twisted it around her finger. His eyes taking in all that he could of her, and comparing it to before she entered the games.

"Are you okay?" He finally croaked out. His voice heavy with sleep still.

Katniss stopped playing with his hair, and stared off.

"That's a stupid question, Fishboy," she finally said. And she watched as a stupid, lovesick grin stretched across his face at the nickname.

"I missed hearing you say that," he admitted.

"Why? Didn't like Johanna or Haymitch calling you that?" She teased.

Finnick rolled his eyes at her.

"Jo' calls me Fishbrains, and you know that. And Haymitch will call me anything that sounds even remotely insulting."

Katniss pondered that for a moment, and bit her lip. "True," she finally allowed.

He paused for a moment, seeing how she got lost within her thoughts. And he knew she was reliving what happened in the last week.

"Hey," he called out to her, nudging her with his arm and foot. It caused her to jolt, and scan a 360 around her. Her pupils fully bloomed in her panic. He carefully rubbed his hands down her arms, to soothe her the best he could. He brushed back some loose pieces of hair, and tilted her face towards his. "Hey," he murmured, again. This time she was quiet as he spoke. "You're going to be okay. No one is going to hurt you. We're going to try our best to not let that happen, you got that?" He told her.

He looked evenly into her silver irises, before trying again. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

Katniss shook herself out of it.

"You can't promise me that, Finn," she said.

A pain went through his chest at her words. Because even she knew the truth.

"I know… but I can try," he told her softly.

"There's my Victor!" Effie cried out. Her arms were out as she reached to grab Katniss into a hug. Katniss's eyes grew comically at the approaching woman. The bright color glittering off her burned her eyes. Before she could do a thing about it, Effie had her in her arms in a instant. Crushing her. Katniss awkwardly returned the hug in faked vigor.

"Oh, let me take a look at you, darling," Effie cooed. She pulled back, her hands still placed upon her arms as she examined her first Victor. A frown marred the corner of her mouth as she noticed how tired her Girl On Fire looked. "You're going to need to head straight to bed, if we want to get rid of those pesky circles under your eyes, dear." The familiar tsking of Effie, lifted Katniss's spirits a bit.

"Well, I did just get back from the Arena," she told her. Effie brightened.

"Yes! Yes, you did! I'm so very proud of you, Katniss! My first Victor! And from District Twelve, no less!" Katniss shook her head as her escort continued to rattle off about whatever it was that was running through that large wig of hers.

She felt eyes on her, and she didn't have to turn to know who it was.

"Hello, Sweetheart," the voice grumbled.

Katniss wrinkled her nose at the familiar stench of booze. Turning to face him, she narrowed her silver eyes at him, arms crossed. "Were you drinking during the games, as well?" She reprimanded.

Haymitch rose a bushy eyebrow at her. His drink in hand.

"You know. When a person says hello, it'd be nice if it were returned," he complained. "And to answer your question, no… they wouldn't let me drink myself into oblivion like I so wanted to."

She pulled a fake sympathetic face. "Awe, I'm so so sorry Mitchie that they kept you sober while Peeta and I were out there running for our lives." The look Haymitch had sent her almost made her lose her balance, the expression within the dark orbs throwing her for a loop.

He returned his attention to his drink, turning his head away from her.

"I'm just glad you made it out, Sweetheart," he murmured, as the burning amber liquid slid down his throat.

Katniss felt a twinge of regret from her previous statement, but acknowledged the fact that Haymitch didn't want to discuss anything more on the subject.

"Missed you too, you ole Drunkard," she said, before Effie came and dragged her away once more.

There was a hint of a smile on his lips as Effie's cheerful voice faded away with slight protests coming from Sweetheart.

"How does that feel?" He asked her, as he stood back to admire the sunshine yellow of her dress.

"It feels like it should be a grey or black, instead of yellow," she replied. Her eyes fluttering shut from both fatigue and the weight of mascara.

He frowned at her response, and messed with the ribbon that was tied around her waist.

"I know you don't want to go to this, but it customary of all new Victors," he sighed to her.

She opened her eyes, to look at him blurrily. He seemed resigned a bit, and painstakingly hopeful as always.

"I know that, Cinna," she murmured. Cinna gave her a reassuring smile, and placed his hand upon hers.

"You're going to be fine. And if you feel like you can't take it being up there with Caesar, then look in the crowd for one of us. Because I promise you we will be there for you when you need us," he said. Katniss cracked a smile at that, then frowned timidly at the mirror after Cinna disappeared.

"This is insane," she muttered to her reflection.

"There's my Brainless!" A loud voice called out.

Katniss turned to see Johanna stalking her way towards her with something gleaming in her eyes.

"He-" Katniss began, but was cut off when the infamous axe wielder of District 7 choked her in an embrace. Katniss had to hit Johanna's back to get the message across that she was suffocating. Johanna have one last brutal squeeze, before finally releasing her with a slight push.

"Don't you just say hello!" She thundered. "Fishbrains had you captive! You wouldn't let anyone of us interrupt his "alone time" with you!" She told her spitefully. A genuine grin was finally pulled out of Katniss at the familiarity Johanna seemed to bring with her.

"I missed you too," The Girl On Fire said.

Johanna sent her a false glare, but begrudgingly wiped her disgruntled expression from her face.

"I'm still going to chop him into small bits. His trident does not faze me one bit, add to the fact that everyone else will gladly help me. Especially Cashmere, Brutus, and Enobaria…" Johanna trailed off.

Katniss let out a chuckle.

"I promise when you decide to exact your revenge that I won't help him hide," Katniss told her.

Johanna grinned maniacally at that. "Thanks Brainless!"

"Katniss dear! It's time to go!" Effie called out to her anxiously.

Johanna grimaced. Her eyes focused on the young girl before her. "We'll be there for you," she said.

Katniss smiled, a brief glimpse of happiness entered her silver eyes.

"I know."

"Now Katniss. I know that this games have been a tragic experience for you, but tell me… what were you feeling when Rue was killed? I know we are all dying to know, especially that kiss with Cato," Caesar Flickerman acclaimed, nodding towards the rest of the crowd. The crowd cried out their agreement, enlightening a smile from the host, before he sent a sympathetic frown to the new Victor who seemed frozen.

"Uhh, lots of things, Caesar. Rue reminded me of my little sister…"

"Prim, isn't that right?" Caesar verified, and Katniss nodded tensely. "That was a very moving thing you did for Rue, I must say. Did anyone else experience that?" He asked towards the audience with a arm held out to them. The Capitol People cried and nodded, many of them blowing their noses into handkerchiefs and sniffling.

Caesar turned back to Katniss with a sorrowful expression on his made up face. "I'm sorry you have to go through this again, but we're going to rewatch the highlights of your games. Are you up for this?"

Every fiber in Katniss' being was screaming 'NO! NO!' but it hardly mattered what she truly felt, she was going to have to rewatch her games anyways.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Caesar," Katniss smiled reluctantly. Keeping up the facade that she was indeed joyfully grateful that she won the 74th Annual Hunger Games. A part of her was glad she survived and alive. But she hated that she was the only one alive, while the ones she came to care about were being sent home in coffins to be buried.

As the lights started to dim down, and the screen lighted up behind them. Katniss could only grip the chair's cushions tightly in her nails.

'Of course they had to start with that one.'

Brutus glared in unconcealed anger as the video was scrolling through the highlights of Sunshine's games. They had started with not with Rue's death, as they had all expected… no they had started with the Clove falling from the tree to the mutts. They knew Katniss was unprepared to see that like every other death that happened. They could tell by her posture, the way her molten silver eyes froze over and cracked under the pressure of emotion that was trying to leak through.

Enobaria was digging her polished nails into the sleeve of his cotton shirt. He felt the flexing of her fingertips as they continued to bite through the fabric in unretained malice. Her teeth clashed together as she tightened her jaw to keep from spouting anything malicious.

"It'll be over soon," Brutus leaned down to whisper in her ear.

Enobaria didn't respond, but she did tighten her grip on his arm, in which Brutus barely winced at.

"We'll just have to find Finnick as soon as they let her leave."

Enobaria stared straight ahead at the brunette wearing a sunshine yellow dress that fluffed out around her knees. Her silver eyes frozen to the screen as they played the redhead girl's and blonde Twelve boy's deaths. It hadn't come to her then, but now she realized that Katniss never knew how those two had died. Enobaria saw something else crack in the girl's eyes, and couldn't keep the snarl at bay this time. Brutus placed a hand on her arm, squeezing it firmly to relieve the tension in his numb arm.

"She's a strong one, she won't break easily," he said.

She gritted her gold-tipped fangs together. "That is a fact that worries me more, Katniss is a fighter, and she is starting a steer in the Districts without realizing what her actions are causing. But HE realizes it, and will do anything to break her, just to take out her flare."

Brutus said nothing after that.

A brunette with auburn streaks in her hair stood on the edge of the stage, trying to keep her focus on the brunette in the yellow dress rather than on the screen recounting all the Tributes' deaths. She was put in a deep teal dress that shimmered in the dim lighting, her long curly hair was tied back in intricate braids that was pinned with a bow made out of fishing net. Her hands were clasped together and pressed to her mouth, her body vibrating with anxiety.

"Annie?"

The woman in question jumped at the voice. Her sea colored eyes widening in surprise. Finnick stood a few feet away from where she stood. His bronze hair was styled and fluffed up in a way to look provocative. But from Annie's knowledge, Finnick had just arrived from another appointment set up by the President.

"She's there by herself," she replied.

Finnick joined her on the edge, where they were still hidden from both the occupants on the stage and the crowd of Capitol citizens watching the recaps. Finnick leaned his hand against a wall, his attention taken away from the renouned crazy girl from his district. The lights slowly came back on, and sea green eyes zeroed in on tensed olive skinned shoulders that glowed in the sunshine yellow fabric. Both Victors waited with bated breaths as Caesar folded a leg over his left one, and leaned his elbows on the knee. His hands held his face up, as he appeared deep in thought, watching the girl in front of him with sympathetic eyes.

"You've been through a lot," Caesar broke through the silence, the only thing you could possibly hear were everyone's breathing and gasps. Caesar touched his blue hair tentatively for a moment, as if trying to assure himself that it was still there. There was a murmur, and the host looked towards them, nodding and winking with a dazzling whitened grin. The grin quickly flipped upside down into a frown when his eyes trailed back to the Capitol's all new Victor.

"I would think so…" her voice seemed to distance itself as each word past her lips.

"I'm sor-"

"Caesar Flickerman, my dear man... Could you possibly allow me to get some spotlight tonight? Allow The Girl On Fire to get some air and have some time to mourn. I'm sure you'd find me more interesting to interview at the present time." A suave voice interrupted Caesar before he could even utter the words 'I'm sorry' to District Twelve's Victor. Caesar straightened up his posture, his eyes widening and brightening with delight at whom he saw strutting onto the stage towards him with the ever presence air of confidence. The crowd screamed out, and many citizens stared captivated with hunger at the gorgeous being coming onto stage unannounced. It was a treat, indeed.

"Finnick Odair!" The blue haired man cajoled with ease, standing up with open arms. Finnick allowed himself to be hugged by the man, before sending a wink or two towards the people watching. This caused another uproar, the noise seemed to have snapped Katniss out of her thoughts and wince at the ruckus, before she raised her head to see the back of Finnick's bronze head.

"This is a positively a heartwarming surprise! I'm in utter awe that you've got the guts to stand before us during a Miss Girl On Fire's interview." A bit of mischief came into Caesar's eyes as he sat back into his seat, gesturing for Finnick to take a seat next to Katniss. Finnick did something that shocked everyone, but not more than the girl that it was happening to. The bronze haired Victor picked up Katniss by her waist with ease, and sat down her once occupied seat, before putting her on his lap. Katniss had no clue what was happening, she was completely at a loss that he would do something so familiar in front of eyes of thousands. Not only in front of the Capitol, but in front of all the Districts. And that thought alone made her a lot more subconscious than when she felt on her first interview.

"Oh, you know I'm not afraid of a little fire, Caesar," Finnick winked, tucking Katniss in his arms comfortingly. His chin on her shoulder, and nose inhaling the perfumed scent of the girl he was holding.

Caesar laughed outright at the little joke as if it were the funniest thing he had ever heard.

"Oh, Katniss. What do you say to that?"

Finnick nudged her gently with his nose, and squeezed her wrists with his fingers lightly.

She jumped, and the movement made Finnick smirk into her skin. Katniss scowled internally.

"Well, Caesar…" she drawled out. Her silver eyes sparking in a brightness of an renewed flame. "I'm sure Odair just can't admit defeat."

Caesar raised an eyebrow at her in curiosity.

"And why is that?" Looking at the man in question, almost in accusation as if he were hiding something from him.

"You've seen my games, I'm a bit more hotter than Finnick will ever be," she commented.

"And what do you say to that?" He questioned the sea green eyed male.

Finnick shrugged, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Can't argue with that. She's got me beat."

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!"

A bottle of liquor exploded against the wall in a gusher of shattering dark glass and caramel liquid. The remains were bubbling on the ground in anguish.

The male that had the angered words directed at barely flinched except for when he had ducked from being hit by the bottle of champagne.

"Haymitch calm down," he tried to reason cautiously, his hands put out in front of him as if he were trying to tame a wild animal.

"NO! I WILL NOT CALM DOWN, FISHBOY! YOU REALLY DID IT THIS TIME! HOW COULD ANYONE NOT NOTICE THAT! OF ALL THINGS! YOU!" Haymitch shouted with a pointed finger jutting in Finnick's direction. Only reason Haymitch had not come after Finnick physically was because Brutus and Gloss were in his way.

"IT WILL AT LEAST KEEP SNOW FROM SELLING HER!" Finnick shouted back, his adrenaline pumping through his veins at the sudden hostility in the room.

Johanna and Enobaria sat back watching the show with Cashmere who just stared at both men as if she wanted to slap them.

"THERE COULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER WAY, YOU DAFT-!" There was a loud smack that echoed through the room, and occupants stared in shock. Even more so, withered grey eyes met a pair of molten silver ones that flared in anger. But what surprised them more, they were clouded over as if she were still asleep.

"You two are idiots, stop screaming like a pair of caterwauling cats. It happened, get over it Haymitch. Nothing we can do about it now. And Finnick, stop acting like you're the hero in all of this. That was stupidly risky, and I'm the one who usually gets yelled at for going into things without thinking. So, if you're all done with your tantrum, I'd like to sleep now, since I have to meet with President Snow tomorrow morning to be crowned and be on my way back home. And I will not to be reprimanded by Effie for losing sleep, and if this happens again, it's on your heads." Katniss told them stonily, before stalking out and going down the hall to her room.

"Well, I'll be damned," Cashmere echoed with a cat like grin.

Johanna seemed to be staring dreamily after where Katniss disappeared off to.

"Fishbrains, if you screw up again. She's mine."

"You're joking, right?" Gloss asked.

Johanna looked affronted. "No, no I'm not."

Gloss looked over at Finnick's closed off face. "Guess you've got some competition."

"Always." Was his response, but before Finnick could leave, the girls stopped him.

"Woah, woah… hold it up, Pretty Boy," Johanna snarked at him, causing a slight smirk to emerge on Haymitch's face. Finnick gave her a confused look, but it passed as soon as a fist connected with his cheek and right eye. He glanced through the sharp pain to see that Enobaria was the one that delivered the blow.

"I've been wanting to do that for ages now," she replied, before stalking off. Brutus leaving with her, trailed by the others. Johanna slapped him hard on his back and pushing him the direction of Katniss' room.

"Go take care of our girl for us… that is, if she still likes you, but of course I could always take your-" Finnick was gone before she could even finish her sentence.

"Well damn," she pouted.

A/N:

Aaaand that is Chapter Thirteen! Hopefully you guys enjoyed it :)

Until next time…