Finnick's POV

Annie and I have been sitting in the seats behind Ariel as we watched the recap of the Games. The rest of the team, like Angel and her prep team are behind us. But now, everyone has suddenly rushed up to try and get Ariel to compose herself.

"This is wrong," Annie whispers, clinging to my arm. "Someone should have told her. This is cruel."

"Welcome to the Hunger Games," I mutter.

"They're over!" Annie says harshly. "Why put her through more torture?"

I didn't respond. I glanced over to see Ariel suddenly swat a syringe out of someone's hand. What are those people doing?
"Everyone stop it!" Annie cries, standing up. "Just give her air for goodness sakes! Not drugs! Especially in her condition!"

The staff members and prep team back off as Annie moves in through the crowd over to where Ariel is curled up on the floor like a child. Her cries have died down but her defeated, violent sobs continue to ring through the theater. Annie kneels down, pulls Ariel into her arms and whispers something to her. I can't hear her, but it seems to work because Ariel sits up and throws her arms around Annie's neck. Annie hugs her back and strokes her hair as she cries into her shoulder.

"Miss Cresta?" says Augustus. "We need to get back on air."

Annie nods and whispers a few more things to Ariel, then picks her up and wipes her face clean of running makeup with the skirt of her silk green dress. The stylist team rushes over to redo Ariel's face and Annie puts her hand up.

"Take it easy on her," she says softly, then pats Ariel's hand, rested on her lap. She silently returns to my side and sits quietly as we wait for the stylists to redo Ariel's makeup; and just like that, we're back on air. On the television screen, it closes up on Ariel, face remade, but dead eyes, cast down on the floor.

"And we're back folks!" says Augustus, overly cheerful. "And now is the time to present the victor with the crown. Here to present it is our very own President Snow the Second!"

The crowd applauds as Agatha Snow walks out on stage with a small girl by her side- I think it's her daughter, who is carrying a beautiful District 4 themed crown, complete with blue pearls, on a fluffy red velvet pillow.

Augustus guides Ariel to her feet and over to the President. The television shows a profile shot of both the President and Ariel facing each other, Ariel's face still downcast. Snow places the crown on Ariel's head and congratulates her. Ariel then looks up at President Snow and locks her in her gaze. There is a certain look in her eyes.

I've seen that look before. I saw it during the Games when Ariel shot her harpoon gun through Sapphire's stomach. There was a certain fire in her eyes that I see now as she faces Snow. This isn't good. Before I have time to move and stop her, Ariel lunges at Snow in a rage and claws at her face.

The little girl runs off screaming.

The audience begins to panic.

Acting as quickly as I can, I dash over and peel Ariel off the President. She kicks and screams, trying to flail herself from my grasp.

Good luck.

"You murderer!" Ariel shrieks. "You killed him! You murderer! Murderer!"

I hold her fast as she kicks and screams, the tips of her manicured fingernails red with the President's blood.

"Ariel! Calm down!" I say harshly. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

"I don't care!" she cries. "Let me go!"

Multiple Peacekeepers appear, some to aid President Snow, and others come for Ariel. A few of them already have their guns out and loaded, all pointed at Ariel who is still in a blind rage. Her crown lies lopsided on her hair as she continues to squirm.

"Wait! Don't shoot her!" I cry, turning my body so I shield Ariel from the line of fire. "She's not thinking straight. She doesn't know what she-"

"Yes I am!" Ariel snarls. "I-"

I clamp my hand over her mouth as I see one Peacekeeper cock back the hammer of his pistol.

"Wait, wait, wait!" cries Annie, rushing over and standing in front of me with her arms extended in defense. "Don't shoot! Ariel is very hormonal right now. She's pregnant and medical reports showed her hormone levels skyrocket, especially after something as traumatic as the Games."

Both Ariel and I have frozen at "She's pregnant…" and lock our gaze on Annie. By now, President Snow has been rushed off stage. I'm not even sure we're on air anymore.

"Get her out of here," says Annie, pushing me to the elevator. "This is no place for Ariel to be in her condition."

I drag Ariel offstage, who has started kicking again. The Capitol anthem plays onstage. Now, the show is over.

Annie follows us into the elevator, pushing the number 4 button for me. I spin Ariel around and hold fast onto her shoulders.

"Ariel, calm down," I say. She ignores me, the fire still in her eyes, and starts to pound violently on my chest in a fit of rage. It doesn't really hurt though.

"She killed him!" Ariel cries, still hitting me. "I'll kill her. I'll rip that bitch's heart out!"

I pull Ariel in and hold her tightly to my chest as she continues to cry and fight against my obviously greater strength. Slowly, she starts to slow her hits, and then her screams turn into heavy sobs. Finally she gives in and breaks down, clinging to my shirt and sobbing into the green fabric.

"M-Mako," she sobs, her voice muffled into my shirt. "Mako, Mako, Mako!"

Her knees give out and she starts to slide down. I don't force against her, so I just side down the wall of the elevator and hold her, looking up at Annie for any source of hope. She seems to have gone into one of the modes where she is caught in a dead stare at a particularly stressful situation such as now.

I was never one to have fatherly affection, but when I feel every inch of Ariel's muscles loosen in defeat, her only tense grip on my shirt, it's all I can do just to hold her. After losing the most important person in her life, I can't help but stroke her hair and back, hoping it would help. I'm so gentle with her though, as if the girl in front of me will fall apart if I make one false move.

I could be right.

A/N: So I had some stronger language in here earlier (for some reason my warning didn't post) and I got one complaint so I just corrected it. Ariel seems tos how enough anger without too much swearing right?