"Finnick," came Celeste's voice as he sat on the floor with the girls. "Finnick," this time it was some unknown voice and the world around him became hazy as if it weren't real. "Mr. Odair," it called again with some harshness.
Finnick blinked his eyes several time regaining his bearings. His eyes scanned the huge bedroom with the fancy furniture. He could feel the silk sheets that were covering him from the waist down. He then felt a hand turning his head.
Finnick was soon looking into very green eyes only inches from in his face that were staring back at him. He pulled his head back to see a sensual smile forming on the face with delicate pale skin and green hair that matched her eyes. As he watched her, she gracefully moved so she was sitting on top of him. He could now see her whole body, which was pale with green vine tattoos entwined all around.
"Mr. Odair, you haven't been listening to a word I have said, but I don't have to talk." The woman leaned down and began kissing the middle of his chest slowly working her way up to his lips. Finnick didn't resist (he had learned long ago that it was useless), but instead he returned her kisses and let his strong hands grasp her waist. He closed his eyes as he mindlessly did what he usually did with capitol women. One more hour then he would be on his way to Celeste's home, the only place in the capitol where he didn't have to pretend to be someone he wasn't.
Finnick knocked at the door, but when no one answered, he walked inside. Celeste and Matthew had told him to make himself at home, if they were ever gone when he came. He slung his jacket over his shoulder as he peered into the empty living room. He had hoped to find some one home.
As Finnick was trying to decide what to do, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a squeal come from the open door upstairs. He quietly hurried up the steps and looked into the room. Every piece of furniture in the room was covered in some kind of beautiful material, which Finnick quickly realized were dresses. There was silk, sequins, taffeta, lace, and several fabrics that he didn't know the name of. They were in almost every color of the rainbow.
After a moment, Finnick saw four heads seeming to bob around in the sea of material. He instantly recognized Frost's black hair with the white tips. Then he saw Stella's blond curls. He knew one of the brown ponytails belonged to Oceana, but who did the other belong to?
"You should wear this one," spoke the longer of the ponytails turning to look at Frost.
"Surah?" Finnick spoke quietly from the doorway.
The girl looked up and instantly smiled as she still held up the red dress with the short poofy skirt. "I didn't know you were staying here too."
Before Finnick could say anything a squeal came from nearby, "Finnick!" Stella hurried over in his direction. She hiked up the yellow dress that hung loosely around her shoulders and dragged along the floor.
Finnick scooped her up and laughed, "What are you doing?"
"We're playing dress up with mommy's dresses."
"Well, you look very lovely."
"What about me?" Oceana asked as she shuffled over in a light blue dress.
"I think its perfect," he smiled down at her.
"We're having a ball when Matthew gets home," Surah explained, "He went to get some snacks."
"Where is Celeste?"
"She's with her dad," Frost spoke for the first time, still looking at Finnick with a little nervousness.
"Girls, I'm home," came a call from downstairs.
"We're almost ready!" called Surah as she began to push Finnick out the door, "Go wait downstairs so we can get dressed."
"Okay," he said even as the door closed behind him.
Finnick slowly ambled down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. Matthew was busily dumping bags of snacks into bowls. "Oh good, I don't have to be the only guy."
Finnick chuckled as he picked up a bag of chips to deposit in a bowl, "So how did you get stuck with dress duty?"
Matthew laughed and rolled his eyes, "Well, we had already promised the girls they could have a sleepover the next time Surah was here. Then Celeste's father broke his hip so she went to stay with him, so that left me."
"I see. Want some help with those bowls?" Finnick asked as Matthew started loading the bowls into his arms. Matthew picked up three and Finnick picked up the remaining two. They carried them into the living room and set them on the coffee table.
"Here, help me move this to the side. The girls seem to think we need to dance at the ball and I was instructed to move things around to make room."
Soon the area was cleared. "Are you girls almost ready?" called Matthew from the bottom of the stairs.
The door to the upstairs room opened and Surah stepped out. She was wearing a purple dress that was tied with a black ribbon at the neck to keep it from sliding off her shoulders and it dragged a few inches on the floor. "What do you think?" she asked running her hands over the sequins.
"You look beautiful," encouraged Matthew.
As Surah started down the stairs Stella came out in an orange dress with a flouncy skirt which was obviously too big. "Hey, there's my princess." Stella slowly shuffled to the edge of the stairs. Finnick was about to offer to help her when she sat on the first step and just scooted her way down.
Oceana was next in a white dress with pink polkadots.
Last was Frost. She wheeled out in the red dress Finnick had seen Surah suggest. She rolled onto a small platform at the top of the stairs, then pushed a green button. The platform slowly glided down. When it stopped at the bottom she wheeled over to the other girls.
"Wow, such beautiful young ladies. And listen, I hear music. I wonder who is going to dance with them all," Matthew winked at Finnick.
"You, daddy," said Stella as she shuffled over and pulled on his hands.
"I get to dance with you? What makes you think I can dance?"
Stella put her little fists on her hips. "Daddy," she scolded lightly as he stood from his place on the couch.
"You dance with mom all the time," Oceana insisted.
"That I do," Matthew said taking Stella by the hands. He waited for her to step on his feet then began to move to the music.
"Will you dance with me?" Surah said to Finnick as she stood next to him by the couch.
"Sure," he said standing. She put her hands on his shoulders as he placed his hands on her waist. The two couples danced and Oceana flitted around them while Frost watched from her chair.
During the next song Finnick held Stella while Matthew danced with Oceana. Surah pushed Frost around in her chair. All had a good time.
After a few more dances, every one helped themselves to some snacks. "Is this what a real ball is like, Surah?" asked Oceana as she munched on some crackers.
"Kind of, but there are lots more people."
"And the food is more fancy," added Finnick as he popped a cracker in his mouth.
"Hey, are you making fun of my snacks?" Matthew said, raising an eyebrow at Finnick.
"Not at all. Honestly I would rather eat your snacks than most of the food they serve at the balls."
"It is a little much," agreed Matthew as he sipped some of the punch Celeste had made before she left for her father's.
"Dance with me," Stella insisted taking Finnick's hand and pulling it.
"Okay," he said standing and taking her hands. She stepped on his feet and he began to move to the music.
Matthew glanced over at Frost who was watching Finnick and Stella with a wistful look in her eyes. "Would you like to dance, Frost?" Matthew looked down at her.
"No," she sadly shook her head.
"Come on. Just take my hands." Frost looked a little unsure but did as Matthew said. "Now put your feet on mine." Frost looked down and put her bare feet on Matthew's feet. When she looked up Matthew smiled down at her. "Now I'm going to lift you and I want you to put your arms around my neck. Frost nodded. Matthew slowly pulled her out of the chair. When she was standing he let go of one hand allowing her to reach to his neck as he put his hand on her waist.
Once both were situated, Matthew slowly moved to the rhythm of the music. Stella let out a delighted gasp, "Frost, you are standing."
Frost smiled as she rested her head on Matthew's shoulder. "You're doing wonderful," Matthew encouraged softly.
After the third dance Matthew gently lowered Frost down into her wheelchair. It was then that he noticed a tear on her cheek. "Did I hurt you?" Matthew asked kneeling down next to her and placing a hand on her knee.
"No," she shook her head and smiled even as another tear escaped. "Being so weak, I just never thought I would be able to stand."
"You will and on your own too. Just give it time," Matthew returned her smile.
When all the girls had changed into their pajamas and all the snacks had been put away Matthew laid out blankets on the floor. Stella and Oceana brought down pillows. Finnick lifted Frost out of her chair and placed her on the purple blanket that had been brought from her room.
"Are you going to sleep down here?" Stella asked as she lay down and pulled her blanket up to her chin.
"No," Finnick laughed, "I think I will leave the slumber party to you girls. I'll sleep upstairs." Stella nodded and pulled her doll in close.
Matthew kissed each girl on the forehead before turning out the lights. There was a faint glow from the nightlight in the corner. "Good night, everyone," Matthew called as he made is way over to the stairs.
"Good night," they all called after him. Finnick followed Matthew up the stairs and both disappeared into their rooms.
Finnick was in the middle of the sea of dresses except this time the dresses were on actual women. And the room they were in was not the bedroom at Celeste's house but the ballroom. Finnick looked down to see he was dressed in his usual black tux. When music began to play one of the women stepped up to Finnick and he began to dance with her.
The music seemed to go on and on as more and more women came forward to dance with him. After countless dances he was beginning to wonder if the music would ever stop.
When it did the woman he was dancing with stepped back. "And now the real fun begins," she said as she began to unzip the dress she was wearing. The dress slipped down her shoulders and fell to the floor. The woman stood before Finnick in a lacy black bra and panties. Finnick gasped as he glanced around to see all the women were now wearing the slinky lingerie.
"What is going on?" Finnick panted as his stomach began to feel queasy.
"Mr. Odair, you know what comes next," said one woman in a lacy pink teddy. She walked over and began kissing him.
When Finnick pulled away he looked down to see his tux was gone. He was now wearing nothing but a pair of black silk boxers. Another woman in a purple nightgown came over and took his arm. She led him to a bed.
Soon he was lying down and women were surrounding him. One woman ran her hand down his chest. Soon several of them were all kissing or touching him as he tried to move away. "Stop! Stop! I don't want to do this!" he yelled only to have a girl straddle his legs and push him down. She leaned down to lock lips with him. He couldn't help but kiss back as he sat up.
"Finnick," came a small voice behind the crowd. Finnick pulled away from the kiss and leaned over to look. The women slowly parted so he could see who was calling his name. He nearly choked when he saw Annie standing in her yellow sundress. It was the one he had bought her here in the capitol. Her face was a mixture of hurt and horror. "What are you doing?" her voice trembled as tears came to her big green eyes.
"Annie, I can explain," Finnick hurried to get off the bed. "Annie, listen to me. I love you, and this is just something the capitol makes me do." Finnick brushed his hand down her cheek. "I would never do anything to hurt you," he whispered as he leaned down to brush his lips against her cheek. Then he put both of his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes, "Do you understand, Annie?"
Annie began shaking her head as the tears spilled over and down her pale cheeks. She pulled free of Finnick's grasp and slowly began to back up into the crowd of women. "Annie…Annie, please don't go!"
"You never loved me," her voice faded away as she disappeared from his view as the capitol women pushed in all around him.
"No…no!" he yelled as they began to swarm around him. Their bodies were so close that he felt as if he were going to suffocate.
Suddenly he jolted up in bed, his hands gripping his chest as he breathed in huge gulps of air. He opened his eyes to find himself once again in the darkness of the spare room. He put his head in his hands and focused on his breathing. "It was only a dream," he reassured himself as he felt his heartbeat slowly returning to normal. He rubbed the dampness from his cheeks as he looked up at the ceiling.
Finally he kicked off the sheets that tangled around him and slung his legs over the side of the bed. Finnick opened the door and shuffled down the hall and then the stairs. He quietly made his way into the kitchen. His hands gripped the counter as his body swayed a bit.
When he felt steadier, he slowly removed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was, until he gulped down the cold refreshing water. After another swig he set the glass down and headed out the kitchen door.
Finnick froze when he heard whispers and listened hard to hear what they were saying. "You're not silly, Frost. I have nightmares all the time."
"But I'm too old. I shouldn't be afraid."
"You've been through a lot. It doesn't matter how old you are. It's normal to be afraid."
"How do you know?"
"That's what my dad told me."
There was a pause before Frost continued, "What do you do to not be afraid?"
"My mom said to think of good things."
"Like what?"
"I think of my family or friends."
"I'll try, but will you sleep by me just in cast I have another nightmare?"
"Sure." In the darkness Finnick saw Surah stand and move her blanket over near where she had been sitting with Frost. "Here, hold my hand," she said when both were lying down, "Sometimes when I know someone is there that helps too."
"Thanks," whispered Frost.
When both girls were quiet for a while Finnick slowly made his way back up stairs. He curled up in ball when he lay back down. He should be too old to be scared of his nightmares also but that didn't seem to make them any less real. He lay very still trying to focus on the wall across the room. He had no intention of allowing his eyes to close. He knew in his dreams all those capitol women would be waiting for him.
In fact Finnick was so focused on staying awake he didn't feel the movement on the bed. He didn't know anyone was in the room with him, until a little head plopped down in front of him. Stella mirrored his position on the bed and her large violet eyes watched Finnick's face. After a moment he reached out a slightly shaky hand to stroke her curly hair away from her face. His gentle touch brought an instant smile to her face, which in turn brought a small, yet still sad smile to Finnick's face.
Stella scooted closer till she was nearly touching him. She leaned in, her face just resting on his hands and closed her eyes. He felt her warm breath. He had just begun to allow his own eyes to close when he heard her soft sleepy whisper, "I love you, Finnick."
Finnick gently pressed his lips to her little forehead and whispered back, "I love you too, Stella." He slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep as he wondered how it was that one small child could seem to make all his fears and anxieties disappear if only for that moment.
Finnick's eyes popped open as the bed jiggled. He saw a smiling face engulfed with blond curls looking over at him. "Dad fixed pancakes," her eyes grew larger as she spoke.
"He did?" Finnick yawned.
Stella nodded and added, "with chocolate chips. It's my favorite."
"Well, we better go downstairs," Finnick chuckled as Stella slid off the bed. As soon as Finnick stood she clasped his hand and began pulling him to the door. Finnick could smell the pancakes and bacon as they made their way down to the kitchen.
The other three girls were seated at the counter watching Matthew flip the pancakes. "Good morning! Did you sleep well?"
"Not too bad." Finnick answered as he helped himself to a cup of coffee and Stella climbed up on the last stool at the counter.
When Finnick turned to sit at the table he found Celeste smiling at him. "I wondered how long it would take you to notice me."
"How is your father?" Finnick asked as he sat down across from her.
"He's doing well. Lilia is there now and probably spoiling him rotten. I didn't want to miss all the fun."
Oceana turned to face her mother, "We had a ball, mom, and dad and Finnick danced with us."
"That sounds very fun."
"And we had a sleep over on the floor in the living room," added in Surah as she poured syrup on her pancakes.
During breakfast the girls recounted the evening's events to Celeste with an occasional comment from Finnick or Matthew. When breakfast was over Matthew left for the office and the girls all hurried upstairs to get dressed while Finnick helped Celeste clean up the kitchen.
When they were finished Finnick and Celeste sat on the porch and watched the girls play in the back yard. The girls sat under a tree and Surah taught Frost how to make flower crowns and necklaces while the younger two watched in fascination.
Stella brought a finished crown over to show Celeste. "It's beautiful," she said placing it on the little girl's head. Stella quickly climbed into her mother's lap and snuggled against her. Celeste hugged her tight and kissed her forehead. In a matter of minutes Stella was squirming to get down.
Celeste simply chuckled as the little girls flitted off to do something else. She turned to see Finnick with his brows knit together. "How does she do that?"
"Do what?" inquired Celeste.
"Make you feel all warm and fuzzy."
"Warm and fuzzy?" Celeste questioned giving Finnick a funny look, but he didn't seem to notice as he watched Stella.
"Just by her smile or a hug she makes me feel as if everything is going to be alright."
"What do you mean?" Celeste questioned again but this time she was serious.
Finnick watched as Stella chased a butterfly around the yard. "Last night I had a terrible dream," he spoke softly as a shudder passed through his body at the thought, "and I was afraid to even close my eyes." He looked over at Celeste who was looking at him with concern. "But then she came to sleep with me and I felt as if nothing bad could happen to me."
Celeste smiled sweetly, "She just knows how to make a person feel loved."
Finnick sighed and his eyes showed pain, "But how can she love someone like me?" He shook his head and blinked trying to fight back the self-loathing, "Especially with what I do?"
"Finnick, she doesn't love you for what you do. She loves you for who you are." Celeste continued when Finnick lifted his stormy green eyes to meet her soft violet ones, "Stella only knows that her friend Finnick from district 4 comes to visit her when he's in the capitol. And when he leaves she can hardly wait for the next time." Celeste laid her hand on his and squeezed gently. "Trust me. There is nothing you could do that could make her love you any less." Finnick smiled slightly and nodded.