Chapter 25: The Truth Comes Eventually

Both Seneca and I had gone to District Four about two days later to tell my parents in person before we said anything to the media or officials. It was our own special thing just for this moment.

Of course being in the Capitol, we told his family first. They were thrilled for us, his mother and sister both hugging me and welcoming me to the family. His grandmother, who lived with his mother now that she was getting older, started crying out of happiness. I made sure to hug her myself to help in any way. Whenever we visited them, I never really wanted to leave and always left with a smile on my face. They were the close family I wanted.

Seneca and I had then spent time talking about where and when our wedding would be. Some dates before the next hunger games came up, but we decided after them would be better, as not to raise suspicions I was only wanting attention for my tribute and sponsors for them. Also, Snow wouldn't get mad at either of us because of my not supplying customers "needs."

Deciding an exact date was actually difficult for the both of us. Nothing seemed to work out with either of our schedules. But that was what worked for us. We were both rather organized people. Deciding as of now was going to be difficult, so picking a date was put aside. Enjoying just being together and being engaged was what was important to us.

When I finally announced to everyone in my own family over dinner than Seneca and i were engaged, I got a response I never thought I'd get from them. We were a close family, but at the same time we were always living separate lives. When I was younger, up until a few years after April was born, we always had family meals together. It ended a few years after April was born and my mother's accident.

Things changed dramatically. Troy got too old and started spending more dinners over at Adrianna's family's house, Saxon re-opened the shop with Mom, and I took care of April. We all grew up.

Almost everyone in my family jumped up and wanted to hug each of us. My entire face was sore after the event from how much smiling and laughing I did during it all. We all had good laughs, talked about events of the wedding and if we had already set a date or not, and I asked April, Coral, and Saxon to all be in the wedding once we figured out the date. April said yes to being my maid of honour, and Coral as well to being a bridesmaid. Sen asked Sax if he'd be a groomsmen, and would later ask Troy if he would.

Hopefully Troy could come to the wedding.

Today was February 14th. Valentine's day. And what better way to spend it but being forced into working for a specific client I never wanted to see? Instead of spending my day with Seneca by ourselves and not having to do anything, I had to go and please some other low life who was so lonely on Valentine's day, they had to hire a hooker.

Real classy, and really mature.

Tonight was different than my usual nights of work, because I knew walking into it I'd be working alongside another worker like me. The special client asked for two of us to come and entertain him for a while, and while I have never done something like this before, I didn't really have a say in it all.

Besides Seneca and another person, I'd never really been "pleased" myself from anyone. I hoped that they wouldn't think that way of me, because I don't think that would happen tonight. I'd put on a show like I always did, and pretended everything was special between the client and myself.

Normally, clients would either ask for a specific outfit I'd wear, or for me to bring some toys. I wore a black and red lace dress with a golden zipper up the back. My undergarments were a classic black silk and lace, with some extra buttons and straps to make the wait while I'd undress all the more anxious for the client. I didn't like hot pink as a colour for lingerie much because of these reasons, or the colour red for that matter. Lace was ruined for me as well.

My card was ironically to the same hotel that I had stayed in during my Victory tour. The floor and room number were different, but I couldn't help thinking back to that night I spent with someone other than my current fiance. The memory of thos hands on me, the heat of everything, how the entire night was an ultimate high. It was something to remember, but not something I wanted to.

If there could have been one thing I changed in my whole life, it would have been letting Finnick walk away the way he did. I should have either just chosen him at that point, or not let him leave the room. The we could have talked it out at least. I'm sure I still would have been with Seneca politically, but I know that a secret relationship with Finnick wouldn't stay very secret for long. President Snow knows everything, and we'd both be dead with our families the second that would happen.

I should have contacted him and explained everything I meant behind the words I said. He would be given the chance to explain himself as well. I could know why he got so upset when going into that situations we both knew what was at stake. Perhaps it wasn't too late for us at that point.

Strangely, my hands were shaking. nervous shaking. I hadn't had this happen since before my fifth client, where i really started understanding what I was doing. I had a reasonable excuse as to why: I was pleasing a client alongside another employee of the Capitol like myself. It made me nervous that I wasn't the only one in charge of this appointment. All the other times it was easy to pretend I was somewhere else or just to think of someone else. This time it would be someone doing the same thing I'd be doing, but to myself.

I didn't think that the managers of all the clients interested in this business would ever pair me up with someone I knew. However there were very few people I did know who were in the same business as myself. I knew of Shark, a Petra, and another face I didn't know the name to.

Shark was from my District, being a victor himself of the 59th games. He had been 15 years old at the time of the winter arena, and won because of his ice fishing skills and ability to keep warm. Only three other tributes made an alliance with him, and all of them died when a polar bear attacked their camp the second to last nights there because one of them forgot to hide their food supplies properly. He won on the default that he was the only one to survive that long.

Once I entered the business of pleasing people, I found out through clients who was who here in the capitol as well as who the other "providers" were in my field. I also found out about political upsets amongst the president's own high authorities and what exactly was done to them when they didn't agree with Snow himself. I'd heard there have been poisonings, hangings, and other punishments fitting to whatever crime they committed. They thought of never wanting to know my punishment plagued my mind often after that.

I got to the floor of where I'd be conducting my meeting with the others, and hesitated once more. Was I really cut out for this type of lifestyle? I mean not that I really had a choice, but was I really about to act like I was going to keep doing this until whenever? Will things like this ever stop? Will I ever get a happily ever after away from everything?

I wasn't given a room key, which told me I'd be meeting my client and fellow employee there in the room. But what bothered me quite a bit at how steady my hand was when knocking on the door. There were few muffled voices behind it, sounding more like colleagues talking rather than client and provider. The timbre of the man behind the door was familiar. It had a warm characteristic to it and for some reason brought me back. The Deep pitch in tone matched Finnick's compared to this man's muffled laughter. That memory pierced me like a needle to the heart. I should have never let him go. I shouldn't have let him in that night...

The door opened and I was able to catch a glimpse at my client for the evening and was grotesquely enlightened to see Callious Gold sitting comfortably on the scarlet and chartreuse bed spread. That pathetic and disgusting worm of a man - no.. He didn't deserve to be called man. He wasn't human, he was a thing. A virus. Something that needed to be exterminated and vaccinate from society. A thing that didn't deserve anything, not even life.

Not only had that man been my first client, but he was the one who began my absolute repulsion from this world. If all the people who lived here were like him, there was no hope for a better humanity. This man , in my eyes, raped me, violated every right I did so happen to have with this job, and laughed at my anger towards him. Someday I will kill this man. I'd kill him with my own two hands around his greasy fat neck.

I gave him the sweetest grimace, and just then noticed the silence that hung in the room. Something was off... Something was wrong.

"Well? Aren't you going to introduce yourselves?"

The ocean green eyes gave him away, and his naturally highlighted bronze-blonde hair was darkened by the shadow of the room and the look of horror on his face. Ice shot through me, and froze my feet. It felt like my hands were shaking violently and I could could only clench my jaw and bite my cheek to keep me from screaming.

Not him...

All I could focus in on was his breathing. It was controlled yet very rigid and spiteful. He closed his mouth and sighed a few times through his nose, the tension building. I still knew him well enough to read that from him.

"Oh, that's right. You do know each other."

Finnick swayed once more. I couldn't think about what I was doing, but grounded myself on the fact I could understand and study him. He was my rock in this moment. And I knew before he would do anything that he didn't plan on going through with this.

"Now, Since we all know each other why don't we get better acquainted on the-" Finnick mumbled something, cutting off Callious. "Excuse me?" He stepped closer to the friend in front of me. Finn wore the smirking mask he always had, but this time, let a bit of other emotions out.

"No." he smiled.

"To let you know, Mr. Odair, she is a usual." Finnick looked like he was about to vomit at the thought of pervious and regular exchanges between Callious and I. "And one of my favourites-" I controllingly flinched when he moved towards me. Finnick would see that and know exactly what this man has done.

"And you think it makes a difference to what I'm telling you? There will never be a day in any life, at any time for any reason in which I would violate this woman, in any way. Not only because it is morally wrong, something you seem to lack in the space between your balding head and fat neck, but because she of all people doesn't deserve this humiliation, Sir." Finnick stood in front of me slightly as Callious made his way closer to me. Both men stopped a foot from the other. "If you ever so much as look at her again, I will personally castrate you myself... Sir." Finnick on his games by seeking vengeance on every last career who killed innocent blood, pinned them with a net, and stabbed them clean in the head or heart to ensure a quicker death and quicker victory. He would have had his own ally win also, if they hadn't been stabbed the last minute by the final tribute Finnick had to kill. Finnick fought for the good in other people, even if it meant he was the one the world blamed or saw as sin's own image.

The broader, grosser man clenched his obese fists, and tightened his face in anger at my past lover's defiance. But he didn't put up an argument. There was no exchange after that. No "have a nice night" or even "goodbye, sir." fro either of them. They knew where the other stood, and that meant I was free from Callious.

Our hands were warm and strong in the others as we all but sprinted for the exit. Our combine footsteps rang through the hall in the silence. The elevator was quiet, all except the subtle jingle of cheap music filling the dead air. I still felt Finnick's hand on mine, and he never lost the same pressure on my fingers. I could feel a few more callouses on Finnick's hands and figured they'd be from his tendency to tie rope when he felt overly emotional or confused. It showed he had been this way more so than not.

It wasn't until we found my driver and car that we spoke again, but still nothing until I was halfway home.

"When?" He was asking. "When." His eyes looked up through his brow.

"T-two weeks after the meeting I had with Snow."

"Who..."

"Callious-"

"...that fucking bastard..." Finn whispered under his breath. It was irrelevant whether he was talking about Gold or Snow, because both for the profane label.

I always had wanted it to have been Finn that took me first, but I still didn't regret what I did with Seneca. I was still happy with him, wasn't I? I was engaged, I was alive, I had a bright future in music and not hard fishing labor ahead of me, So what was it in my that was still missing? Seneca and I agreed that until we knew the exact fate of our children would be, we'd hold of from trying, so It wasn't the need for maternity for me. I had Seneca, so it wasn't lack of affection...

We pulled up to my apartment complex as I thought. What was it?

"I could care less about what brought you to the Capitol. I'm not shocked by you getting into a theatrical arts school, or that you have a stable relationship. All that matters to me is that you are alive, you are safe, and that no one ever lays a hand on you that you don't want touching you. Do you understand that point of view at least?" I nodded my head. "I have no real connection to you anymore, besides the fact we were both survived the games. So technically you can't judge my actions. I love you. I will forever and for always. But I swear on my life if anyone does anything to hurt you or do you injustice by any means they will answer to me first. Me."

"Finnick, you need to understand thought, that no one will hurt me so long as Seneca and I are together, and we will be. We plan to for the rest of our lives." Why was I saying this? Wasn't I just wanting to be with him and run away only those few months ago? I suppose my response was automatic. It was my mind telling me the logical and correct way to live my life. It was what was planned so it must be fulfilled, that way my future and my children's future would be safe and protected by the government who... Who tried to kill me. The government that killed so many classmates of my own and forced me to kill others myself. "You need to understand this."

"I do." For the last time tonight my eyes failed in trying not to meet his. Everything else in the world evaporating around him as he was the only good, beautiful, and safe thing I saw. "But you can't change how I feel, and you can't persuade me of not murdering anyone who treats you like Callious did. I will never interfere with whatever happiness you may find. Because, Rain, of all the people in my life, you deserve the happy ending."

A beat.

"Who is it they have pinned against you?" As he spoke this I couldn't help but think of this similar moment before I was airlifted to my arena to fight. We stood at the top of the Tribute building that morning, and I asked him why he was doing these same things in the capitol, and he replied that it was because he loved me. His declaration for what I changed about him and the things he knew he loved about me instantly, made me realize just then that I possibly felt the same in a minute way. "What are they using now to make you do the same things I do?"

I answered him without hesitation or a second thought.

"You..."

It was him missing from it all.

My Finnick...