oOo

Effie couldn't believe this was happening.

Everything had seemed so rosy last year, her two Victors winning the Games, finding out they were soulmates, getting engaged… it was all so perfect!

And now this.

Katniss and Peeta weren't just any two tributes. They were hers. They mattered. And that wasn't even… no. She was not thinking about that.

Was this how the districts felt every year, watching two of their own go into the Games? Effie didn't know how they lived with it. And she knew she'd never look at the Games the same way again.

Part of her wanted to leave, quit her job, run as far away as she could. But she couldn't do that, not now. Not when she had two tributes to save. Not when Haymitch would need her.

With scores of twelve from the Gamemakers, Katniss and Peeta would be targets. And there was nothing she could do about that.

Effie was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice there was anyone else on the roof until he dropped onto the bench next to her.

"Hey."

She couldn't help it - she threw herself into Finnick's arms and clutched him like a lifeline.

He patted her back as she cried into his shoulder. "It's okay."

"It's not! You're going to die!"

He tilted her chin up. "I'll do my best not to."

Her lip wobbled. "But… Katniss and Peeta. And all the rest."

Pulling off her new golden wig, he ran a hand through her hair. "We'll all do our best." He took a deep breath. "I can't tell you everything, Effie. But if Haymitch tells you to do something, do it, all right?"

He wasn't smiling at all - not his fake smile, nor even the real one he only gave her in private. He was serious, deadly serious.

She nodded. "Okay." Then she buried her face in his shoulder again.

When she finally stopped crying, she pulled herself away and blotted her face, noticing as she did that he'd been crying too. Luckily she always carried an extra handkerchief.

Once they were cleaned up, they sat in silence on the bench, her hand in his. Effie didn't want to stare at the Capitol this year. It was beautiful, yes. But it was hiding so much ugliness.

"Tell me something," Finnick said, breaking the silence.

Effie wasn't sure she wanted to go through this exchange again. Not when he usually asked her after the Games. She knew why he was asking her now: there might not be an after the Games, not for him. She wanted to wait, have it after he survived. If he survived. But he wanted to have it now - so she would. "Like what?"

"A secret."

"I don't have any of those."

"I don't believe you." His lips curved in the first smile she'd seen from him all night.

This time, she knew exactly what she wanted to tell him. If he died next week - and he had a twenty-three in twenty-four chance of doing so - there was one secret she wanted him to know.

"I have a soulmate," she said. She twisted enough that she could lift her skirt and show him the back of her leg. "I don't know who it is. But I know they're out there, somewhere."

"Miss Trinket," he read. Then he looked back at her face. "Common greeting, I guess?"

She sat back down and smoothed her skirt over her legs. "I lost count around when I hit two hundred. I was eleven."

He whistled. "That's a lot."

"I doubt I'll ever find them unless they find me first. I was five when I spotted it but... " She shook her head. "I don't know if it had been there a day or a month. I know they're not dead - the words are still bronze, right?"

He nodded.

"But I have no idea who they are or if I'll ever meet them."

There wasn't much to say to that, and Finnick didn't try. He just squeezed her hand once, a comforting gesture.

She didn't ask if he had a soulmate. That was far too personal of a question. If he wanted to tell her, he would.

They sat in silence, just being together, until Effie yawned three times in five minutes.

"You should go to bed," Finnick said.

She licked her lip. "I… I hope this isn't our last conversation, Finnick." It felt disloyal, to hope a tribute from another district would win. But as much as she loved Katniss and Peeta, she couldn't hope Finnick died.

He kissed her on the forehead. "I hope it isn't either."

oOo

After nudging Effie down the stairs and into bed, Finnick found Haymitch sitting on the couch in the living area of Twelve's suite, staring unseeingly at the turned-off television.

Haymitch looked up and gestured for Finnick to join him. Just as well: he had some things he needed to ask Haymitch.

Taking out one of Beetee's toys, Haymitch blocked the bugs. Then he looked seriously at Finnick. He was more sober than he'd ever been, at least in Finnick's memory, and his gray eyes were piercing. "You're still in on this rebellion."

"Yes."

"And getting the kids out."

"Yes."

"Dying for them if you have to."

Finnick took a deep breath. "Yes."

Haymitch nodded. Then he pulled off a bangle he was wearing - gold, with a flame pattern. It wasn't Haymitch's style at all. He handed it to Finnick. "Here's your token."

Finnick frowned. He'd been planning on bringing either his token from his first Games - a necklace his sisters had made him - or something from Annie. "Why?"

"Got word from Plutarch. Word is Snow wants you to win."

"Me? Why?"

"Because you're a good little whore. And his biggest cash cow."

Well, Finnick couldn't dispute that, no matter how much he wanted to.

"If it can't be you, he's hoping for Cashmere or Gloss. Probably wouldn't be upset at Brutus or Enobaria. But he wants the rest dead."

Finnick held up the bangle. "What's that got to do with this?"

Ignoring his question, Haymitch said, "The Gamemakers had strict orders to make sure the Arena was water-based."

Finnick nodded slowly. That would definitely help his odds. Mags could swim as well as he could, but she was in her eighties - being able to swim might increase her odds a little, but not enough. He knew One and Two both taught their Careers to swim, but the other nine districts probably didn't have the skills. It would definitely bias the Games toward the Careers.

If, of course, any of them had planned on playing fair.

"I need you helping Katniss. And she's not going to trust you unless she's got a reason."

"And she'll recognize this?"

"I've been wearing it all week. Effie got it for me, some kind of Twelve solidarity thing. She'll know it."

Finnick put the bangle on. If he couldn't have something from his family or his love, something from his soulmate - even if she didn't know - wasn't a bad choice. Then he leaned forward and caught Haymitch's eyes, doing his best to be just as serious as the other man. "Haymitch. When Thirteen comes… get Effie out."

The rest of Four's Victors knew to look out for Annie. Natalie was gone now, Jack didn't know about the rebellion yet, and Skiff was determined to stay in the Capitol since he had no one left and the rebellion might need the intel, but Fisk and Kaya would get her out.

But no one would be there for Effie.

Haymitch's eyebrows rose. "Didn't know you knew my escort."

Finnick shrugged, his fake semi-sexual shrug. "We're friends."

"Pull the other one, kid."

He sighed. He hadn't really expected to fool Haymitch. "She's my soulmate."

That got a real reaction. "Wasn't expecting that."

"She doesn't know. And don't tell her."

"Now that I can see. And I won't. All right." Haymitch pointed at him. "You take care of Katniss in the Games, I'll take care of Effie outside of 'em."

"It's a deal."

"Now get, I want to enjoy my silence."

Finnick got.

He wasn't surprised to find Annie in their bed when he got down to Four's floor. She was reading, one of the Capitol romance novels she loved so much. He'd never gotten into them, but he understood why she liked books that were guaranteed to have a happy ending.

Annie watched as he undressed, half-hiding behind her book, and he put on a bit of a show just for her. Not the usual strip show he did for his patrons, but a more playful version. He was rewarded by her grin and the sparkle in her eyes.

Climbing into bed, he curled up next to her.

She ran a hand over his hair. "How are you doing?"

And there came reality crashing down. He didn't quite burst into tears, but a few escaped. His hands shook as he tried to deal with all the emotion he'd been suppressing. "Terrified," he managed to say.

It was the truth. Going into the Games at fourteen, he'd been scared. Of course he'd been scared - who wouldn't be? But there'd been a part of him that had known he would survive. That had known he'd be the Victor.

He didn't have that assurance now. The Arena was biased in his favor. The rebellion was working to get all of them out. They had the bread code, Beetee's plans. But so many things could go wrong.

There was no guarantee he would make it out alive.

And what about Annie? How would she handle things if he died? His parents and siblings would have lived if he'd died, back when he was fourteen. They would have moved on. If he died now, they would do the same. But Annie…

Like he'd said, he was terrified.

As Annie stroked his hair and shoulders, murmuring soothing phrases, he let it all come out. As broken as she was, she could handle this.

Earlier, he'd been the one about to die - and still the one comforting Effie. His soulmate wasn't his equal.

Annie was.

He clutched her hand. "If I die…"

"I don't want you to."

"I don't either. But if I die, I love you."

"I love you too." She leaned in and kissed him.

He responded eagerly, holding her close. He wanted this. He wanted her. "Make love to me?"

"No." She smiled, a slow beautiful smile. "But I will make love with you."

He captured her lips again, wanting to feel her, taste her. He wanted to know every part of her. He wanted her to know every part of him. "I choose you, Annie," he said when he had to pull away to breathe. "I will always choose you."

"And I will always choose you, Finnick."

oOo