I do not own The Hunger Games.

Finnick Odair is precious.

The Girl With The Green Eyes

No False Hope


It wasn't that Finnick didn't believe she could survive and win The Games.

"Okay, uh, what can you do? What are you good at?"

It wasn't that he didn't care.

"Oh. Um. Well. Nothing, really. I've . . . never had to . . . survive before."

And that was exactly it.

"What about survival? Have you ever been camping?"

He knew she couldn't.

"No. Not really."

And he didn't blame her. It wasn't her fault.

"Can you build a fire?"

Children, well, teenagers, well anyone, didn't deserve to have to fight and die just to appease the ruthless warmonger that ruled Panem.

"Um, sometimes? If I have a lighter."

Well, President Snow maybe.

"You won't get a lighter unless a sponsor gives you one."

Finnick sure would like to see him down in the mud and blood and filth at the very end of The Games.

"Oh."

When your desperate, gibbering mind and flailing, failing body lashed out at another living, breathing person in order to continue your own cursed and damned survival.

"What did you do back home?"

So when Annie couldn't answer the question, couldn't stop trembling or crying, Finnick Odair decided . . .

"Oh. Uh. I went to school. Helped my mom in our shop. We make bread."

Of course you do.

. . . he hoped she died quick and in not too much pain and fear.

"Okay."

Though even that . . .

"Well, . . ."

. . . was still . . .

". . . I guess we'll just start with survival skills."

. . . a very long shot in The Games.

"Thank you."

Indeed.

"Yeah. Sure."


It's really not Finnick's fault. He's seen too much.

Despite his outer flare and charm, he's very haunted.

And the bread thing is not copying Peeta. It's a District 4 thing.

I'm going mostly by movie with a few little snippets from the books.

And I'm not using the Career Tributes mention in the book because Annie doesn't look like a Career and neither does Finnick.

Though I could be wrong.

Anyway, thanks to Radio Free Death for so graciously reviewing before and EmV45 and em . rus for adding your support to this tale as well.