He hates these meetings with Snow. He walks into the waiting room and smiles at the secretary. "I'm here for my appointment with President Snow."
"Yes, Mr. Odair, the President will see you now." The secretary smiles at him.
Finnick winks. "Thanks."
The secretary blushes as the doors open.
Finnick steps in and smiles tightly at Snow. "Hello, Sir."
"Please, sit." Snow motions to a seat in front of his desk.
Snow remains standing as Finnick obediently takes a seat.
"I noticed you visited Dr. Yule's residence the last time you were here." Snow sits back on the edge of his desk. "When we reached out, she said you owed her a favor. But did not elaborate on what that was. So tell me, why are my people hiding information for you?" Snow's question sounds more like a demand.
Someone he loves will be punished for it.
"I got drunk with Enzo and accidentally cut myself. This didn't need to get out while we were training the tributes." Finnick lies easily, knowing that Enzo will back him up. Hopefully, this is enough to appease Snow.
"That's good. I thought we would have to pay your mother another visit." The last time the Capitol visited his mother, her entire shop went up in flames.
Snow sits behind his desk. "Now, let's talk about Caroline."
Her name coming from Snow's mouth causes him to see red. He quickly calms down, knowing this is just a game to Snow.
"She's progressing on track." Finnick is vague.
"That's good. She's gaining some interest in the Capitol. We'll revisit this conversation after she mentors a game." Snow dismisses him.
Dread begins to pool in Finnick's stomach. "Thank you, sir." Finnick is grateful he's on a train to 4 this afternoon.
Finnick drops his bags in his kitchen and heads outside. He sees a figure sleeping on the beach. He didn't really want to interact with anyone tonight, knowing he'll have to socialize at the wedding tomorrow, but curiosity wins.
He finds Caroline on a blanket, looking up. "You're blocking my stars."
He looks up; there's only a handful in the sky. "A little early for star gazing." He looks back at her. She's barefoot with a red sundress and her blonde hair in a tangled mess underneath her.
She moves over, and he lays next to her. "You missed the rehearsal dinner."
He looks at the sky, "Did I miss anything?"
She shakes her head, "I forgot how stuck up the Lockwoods can be."
He lets out a laugh. He switches gears, not wanting to talk about politics; he had enough of them in the Capitol these past few weeks. "What are we looking for?"
"I'll let you know when I see it." She responds, her voice flat.
He doesn't mean to, but the lull of the waves and the sand, still warm from the sun, help him drift off as the last rays of the sun leave.
"There." Her voice is so soft he thought he imagined it. He blinks the sleep from his eyes and notices she's pointing at the sky. It's a clear night, with no moon, and he can clearly see the milky way. After his time in the Capitol, where it's too light to see the stars, he takes it all.
"Stefan used to show me the constellations. I don't remember this one." She says.
He follows her arm up, "It's Lupus." He looks at her and notices the darkness hides her face, but her eyes shine slightly from the stars. "My parents taught me. They could sail by the stars." Expecting the question as he turns back to the sky.
"You never talk about your parents." She's hesitant, not wanting to overstep.
He hums in agreement. "There's not much to say. My dad died when I was 8 in a fishing accident, and I haven't seen my mom in years."
She lets that hang between them for a few minutes before saying, "Sometimes I'm glad Stefan died. He doesn't have to deal with the aftermath." Her voice is barely a whisper as if she's afraid of the statement.
He clears his throat, weighing his options. He decides to go for it. Something about the darkness makes vulnerability easier. "I'm glad you came back."
"A large part of me wishes I died in the arena." Truth rings through her voice.
He props himself on his right elbow and looks down at her. He can see her eyes shine with tears that haven't fallen.
She doesn't let him speak. "What about you?" She closes her eyes.
He looks from her face to the ocean, "My life before the games felt like a dream; this is the only reality I know." He drops back down. There's nothing he can do to offer either of them comfort.
"Can you teach me?" She's looking at the stars again.
He nods, "But not tonight. We should probably get some rest."
Finnick helps Caroline fold her blanket and walks her home. "I almost forgot." He reaches into his pocket and hands her a piece of paper.
"What's this?" She doesn't open it.
"Your dad's address." He still thinks this is a bad idea, but it's hers to make.
She smiles at him and looks like she's about to hug him, but she doesn't. "Thank you."
Finnick wakes up from a nightmare before dawn. He gets out of bed and changes into a swimsuit.
He finds Mason in the water as he jogs to the shore. Mason rides a wave in. "Hey." Finnick calls. "Wedding jitters?"
Mason walks up to him and rests his board on the sand. "Sorta. I'm nervous I'm making a mistake."
Finnick raises an eyebrow. Erin and Mason are solid.
"Not like that. I'm worried that this will place a target on her back." Mason looks at his house. He turns back to Finnick, "Can you do me a favor?"
"What kind?" He asks.
"Erin is a little worried about Bay and Alaric. Do you mind keeping an eye on them during the ceremony?" Mason shifts from foot to foot; this isn't an easy ask.
Finnick nods, "Sure. I don't think Bay will stick around for the reception."
"Before I forget, I have a gift for you and Erin." Finnick leaves his board and heads to his house.
Mason follows. "Aren't these supposed to be given at the wedding?"
"You might want this one before." Finnick leads them to a shed. There are half-finished projects all over. In the middle, there's a sheet hiding Finnick's present.
Mason leans his board outside the shed and ignores the sheet as he walks up to an unfinished board. "You're making a longboard?"
Finnick nods as he puts his hand on the sheet. "Not for you." He rips the sheet off, and underneath is a wedding arch.
"When did you have time for this?" Mason appreciates the attention to detail.
"After you got engaged, I figured you might need one." Finnick folds the sheet and places it on a workbench.
Mason smiles at him. "Erin will be over the moon. She's probably going to need to get more flowers."
Finnick helps Mason move the arch to the beach. "Thanks." All of the nervousness seems to have left Mason.
He's able to catch a few waves before he has to start his day. He's walking back when he sees Caroline weaving flowers into the arch. He walks over to her.
She smiles but doesn't look at him. "Erin enlisted some help. Which would have been nice to do this yesterday." She gives him a pointed look.
He holds a hand up in defense. "It's not my fault the Capitol kept me an extra week."
"Actually, can you help me with something?" Finnick asks.
"Sure." She continues placing flowers in the arch.
He leans on his board, "Don't you want to know what it is before saying yes?"
She stops and gives him her undivided attention. "What do you need help with?"
He smirks. "Can you keep Alaric mostly sober today?"
She blinks; clearly, it's not what she expected. "Yes, I can try."
"Good." He waves and leaves.
He takes a quick shower and heads over to Mags. On his way over, he realizes that Caroline has gotten Alaric to help her decorate the arch. That girl is a force to be reckoned with.
He welcomes himself in and says hi to Milo. "Good morning." He greets Mags in her kitchen.
"Want some breakfast?" She hands him a plate before he can say anything.
"Thank you." He feeds some of the bacon to Milo before Mags can see.
Mags sits across from him. "How was the Capitol?"
He lets out a humorless laugh. "Got some work done and met with the President. Thank you for helping with Caroline. I don't know how you did it with the three you brought back."
She's curious about his meeting but doesn't ask. "I don't think you need to worry too much. She's handling it better than I thought. I'm sure she'll have her lines memorized by the time the tour begins."
"We don't want her too likable," Finnick remembers Snow's words. "Can't let her take the spotlight from me."
Mags pats his hand. "I'll help you edit the speeches."
"Here to babysit me?" Bay is wearing a long sleeve dress.
Finnick smiles, "Something like that."
His smile falls. "Have you?" He trails off.
"Just once, this morning."
It's a short, silent walk to the beach. Finnick and Bay stop and stand with the other victors. Erin's sister and mother are there, talking with Carol. Tyler is standing behind them, glancing over at Caroline every once and a while. Finnick is surprised that Richard didn't convince his brother to invite the other wealthy families of the district.
Richard and Mason leave the house. The victors stand to one side, and the Lockwoods and Rainers stand on the other, forming an aisle. Erin's dad walks her down the aisle.
Richard officiated the ceremony, "And with the power vested in me as the Mayor of District 4, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Mason, you may kiss your bride."
The crowd erupts in cheers as Mason and Erin kiss as the sun sets.
Bay wishes the couple congratulations before disappearing back into her house.
The reception is in a canvas tent on the beach, with tables and food.
Finnick walks up to Caroline to thank her for her help. But she speaks before he can say anything. "Thank you!"
"For what?"
She looks surprised. "My dad's address."
A light bulb goes off, and he smiles.
"That reminds me, can I take a few days off before the tour to visit him?" She toys with the glass in her hands. He feels this isn't spontaneous; she's probably been trying to figure out the best way to ask him since he gave her the address.
"I'll take you." He offers.
"That's not what," she starts.
He cuts her off. "Do you know how to get there?"
She does not. "You won't let me take a break."
He smirks. "You can take a break when I die."
They eat and then congratulate the couple for the rest of the night.
Alaric starts to stumble, and Finnick walks up to him. "Hey man, let's go home."
"Congratulations!" Alaric calls out as Finnick leads him out of the tent.
The walk to Alaric's house is a quick one. Finnick only has to stop him from falling over twice. Finnick leads him to the couch, not wanting to help him stumble up the stairs. Alaric passes out the moment he lies down on the couch. Finnick makes sure he's on his side before leaving.
He heads toward the tent but realizes all the victors are gone while the Lockwoods and Rainers clean up. Finnick bypasses the tent and walks towards Caroline's house. He finds her sitting on her porch swing, drifting in the wind. He's about to speak when he notices her face.
"Watching other people's happiness, especially the victors, gives me hope. But sometimes I think that it's hoping that will kill me." Her eyes are bloodshot as she rocks the swing back and forth.
Her father, William Forbes, lives in the northernmost town of District 4. The fastest way would be to take a train, but Finnick wants to lay low with Snow watching his movements. He figures sailing is their best bet. The Capitol won't notice another vessel making that journey.
He owns a 32 ft sailboat that his parents built before he was born. After his dad died, his mom never stepped foot on the boat again. He fixed the boat up when he returned from his games.
"Good morning." Caroline is standing on the dock, looking up at him.
"Mornin' sunshine." He leans over, "Why so many bags? We're only going to be gone a week."
She looks down at her three bags and then back up at him. "I haven't seen my dad in 6 years. I don't know what to wear."
Finnick shakes his head but doesn't comment.
She carries her stuff on while he double-checks the rigging. "I did maintenance over the last few days, so we should be good to go."
Caroline is standing in the middle of the saloon with her bags surrounding her. "I set up the aft cabin for you, but I'm not sure it will fit all your stuff."
She returns and sits next to him at the navigation station. "So this is a path I laid out; this star represents our anchorage for tonight." Finnicks index finger traces a path from south to west.
She looks at the map. "I thought we were sailing through the nights?"
"Most of the time, yes, but we're not sailing tomorrow. We have a stop to make." He answers.
He stands before she can ask more questions. "Have you ever been sailing?"
She nods, "Yes, with the Salvatores. But I followed instructions. I don't know what I'm doing."
"We can work with that." Finnick heads to the helm.
He spends the rest of the day showing Caroline the ropes. He's surprised by how much she already knows. It's dusk when they arrive at their anchorage. Thankfully, it's empty. "I'm going to dive on the anchor, be right back." Finnick jumps into the water.
He surfaces a few minutes later. Caroline's sitting in the cockpit, looking at the small beach. He climbs up, grabs a towel, and sits next to her. "Tonight, we're going to go over some speech edits. We'll do training tomorrow."
"More edits?" She looks at him.
"Yeah, we don't want to make you too likable." He hangs the towel to dry and goes below deck to make a quick dinner. He hands her a plate and watches the sunset.
"What do you mean too likable? I thought the Capitol liking me was a good thing." Caroline asks.
"Yes, but the more they like you, the more you'll have to do." He answers.
She looks at him. "Like what?"
"Trust me. You want to be invisible to the Capitol." He ends it there.
They spend the rest of the night learning her new speeches and then head to bed. Finnick falls asleep to the rolling of the ocean.
He wakes to the smell of breakfast and coffee. He pops his head out the hatch above his bed in the forward cabin; there's light, but the sun isn't up. He shuts the hatch and goes to the galley.
"Thanks." He grubs a cup of coffee.
"Thought I'd return the favor." She hands him a plate.
They sit in the cockpit, facing the beach. "So what are we doing today?"
He looks at her and back at the beach. "We'll take the dingy to shore, climb up the mountain, bushwhack to a waterfall, and then go cliff diving."
"Is that all?" She looks at him, trying to hide her fear.
He smirks. "We could spar if you want."
They arrive on shore after sunrise and drag the dinghy up. "Do you know how to rock climb?" He saw her do it in the games, but that was life or death situation.
"Yeah, I used to go with Stefan." She stumbles over his name.
Finnick hands her a helmet and harness, "You're going to lead climb."
It takes her 20 minutes to climb to the top and him 15 minutes.
He stores the rope and helmets in his backpack before leading them into the forest.
"Do you know where we're going?" She follows him into the woods.
"I haven't been here in over a decade; it looks a little different, but we'll get there." He smiles at her over his shoulder. She doesn't look confident in him but follows anyway.
Finnick notices the path from his childhood is gone, but he finds the waterfall after a few hours.
Caroline sits on a rock when they arrive. He hands her a protein bar. "Thanks." She mumbles.
He drops his bag near her and takes his shirt and shoes off. He regrets wearing board shorts during their hike; there are scratches on his legs from the brush. "I'm going to make sure the water is deep enough."
"Don't drown." She eyes the waterfall.
He laughs, "Great advice."
He can feel Caroline's eyes as he jumps into the lake. It's wide and deep. He surfaces between the waterfall and the rock face. It's about a 3.5-meter tall waterfall with no rocks beneath it and plenty of depth. He swims back to Caroline; she looks relieved when he appears from behind the waterfall. "Ready?" He walks toward her.
"I'll meet you up there." She says.
He takes the small hike to the top. Caroline arrives five minutes later, dressed in her bathing suit. "Want to go first?" He asks her.
She looks over the edge. "Actually, can you jump with me? That's what happened with Lennon. She pulled me in."
He was not expecting that. He holds out a hand, and Caroline takes it. "I'm not going to warn you." He pulls her in before she has time to nod.
She holds his hand in a death grip, and a moment later, they're below the water. He opens his eyes, unable to see her due to the bubbles surrounding them. He lets her pull away. She's already headed to shore when he surfaces. He follows her.
They spend an hour or so there. Caroline gets more and more comfortable with every jump but isn't at home in the water.
"Let's head back." Finnick puts his clothes in his bag.
She gives him a tired smile.
The hike back takes longer. Finnick slows down when he notices Caroline is lagging, but she doesn't complain or ask for a break. Finnick puts his shirt on when they reach the cliff edge. "Do you know how to rappel?"
"I've done it once." She puts her helmet on.
He walks her through the process and then shows her. When she's on the ground, she asks, "Do we have to spar now?"
"Nah, let's eat, take a nap, then head north. We can spar tomorrow." He folds the rope.
"On a moving boat?" She asks.
He shrugs, "Why not?"
Caroline jumps off the stern while he makes lunch. "I was scared of the ocean on the ride back."
After a few hours of restless sleep, Finnick preps the boat to leave. She finds him on the bow. He looks up at her, "I was just about to wake you." He lifts the anchor chain. Once the anchor is up, he says, "Lift the main sail."
Caroline follows his instructions, and he heads to the helm. She waits until they're in the open ocean before asking, "What are we doing tonight?"
He adjusts the sails. "We can take three-hour shift watches. I set up the settee in the galley, so we can sleep there without rolling off and have easy access to the helm."
"Can you teach me the stars?" She asks.
He looks up; it's not dusk yet. "Sure."
Caroline makes them dinner while Finnick points them north.
Caroline quietly observes him, trying to learn as much as she can. Once the sun sets, they lay in the cockpit, and Finnick patiently points out some of the stars and constellations. After a few hours, he sits up, "I'll take the first watch and wake you in three hours."
She remains lying. "Can I take the first watch? I saw Lennon in my dreams."
He can see the tears in her eyes. "Okay, I'll switch out with you in three hours."
The following two and a half days are pretty much the same. They spend their nights looking at the stars. The days are less exciting; they review the new speeches.
It's early morning when they arrive. They take a nap before taking the dinghy to town.
As they walk through the town, Finnick realizes that most residents are 60 or older. Many are older than that, old enough to remember life before the games. He also notices that Caroline becomes more and more comfortable. "They don't notice us." Her voice is low; she doesn't want to draw unwanted attention. He smiles back. It's been a while since he's been invisible.
As they get further from the port and closer into town, people become suspicious, but no one stops them. Finnick grabs Caroline's bicep and pulls her into an alley. "What?" She asks as Finnick pushes them behind some boxes.
"Peacekeeper." They're so close together that he has to lean back to look at her face.
Caroline's eyes are wide with panic because she doesn't like to feel trapped. He can't blame her and takes a few steps back when the Peacekeepers are no longer around. "I'm kind of on Snow's watch list right now. I made a mistake." He sees the question in her eyes but doesn't want to answer it; she might blame herself.
A door opens near them, and Caroline jolts. "Hey, you kids can't be here!" A man yells.
Finnick grabs Caroline's hand and mumbles sorry, as they rush out of the alley. They seem have to hit the lunch rush as the streets begin to crowd. Finnick and Caroline hang their heads, trying not to get noticed, as Finnick pulls her by the hand. After 15 minutes, he spots the street her dad lives on, and they veer left. Caroline blindly follows him and then bumps into him when he stops. She looks up and pulls her hand back. "What do you mean you made a mistake?"
He looks around, "We can't talk about it here."
She wants to argue, but someone says, "Caroline?"
They turn to find a man, who appears to be about 40, watering plants in his front yard.
"Steven?" Caroline takes a step forward, Finnick all but forgotten.
He gives her a hesitant smile, "Yes, it's been a while. Why don't you and your," he looks at Finnick, and his eyes widen, "Why don't you guys come in?"
They follow him to a house. He stops them before opening the door. "Would you give me a minute? The house is a mess."
"Sure." Caroline sounds far away.
Steven opens the door about five minutes later and ushers them inside. "Two victors. I'm not sure what to offer you." He's fidgeting.
Finnick has no idea why he's this nervous. "Water would be great." Caroline nods her head in agreement.
"Two glasses of water. Also, your dad should be home soon." Steven moves to leave, "Oh, and make yourselves comfortable."
Finnick moves to sit on a couch but stops when he notices Caroline's frozen. He gently places a hand on her wrist, causing her to jump slightly before following him. They sit in silence as they wait for Steven to return. Finnick notices some discoloration on the walls as if there was a picture hanging there recently.
"Sorry about the wait." He places two glasses in front of them and sits across from them. His eyes dart around the room before landing on Caroline, "Congratulations, by the way."
"Thank you." She forces a smile.
Luckily Bill arrives home before Steven fills the silence. Bill stops in the doorway, "Caroline?" he looks at his husband, "Where's?" his voice trails off.
Steven jumps up. "She's in her room." he turns to the two victors, "Our cat doesn't like people."
Finnick leans forward and sits on the edge of his seat. They're hiding something. Caroline doesn't seem to notice; she focuses on her dad.
"Caroline." Her dad takes a step forward, but then they hear crying. Steven swears under his breath.
Finnick stands, "That's not a cat. And there are only two people registered to this house."
Caroline looks back and forth between Finnick and Bill.
"Dad?" She asks.
He sighs. "We never have guests."
He paces the room before elaborating. "Steven's sister left her daughter in our care. She didn't want the Capitol to know about her, so she left her with us. We've had Alice for four years now."
Finnick heads to the door, but he stops when he realizes Caroline is rooted in place. "We have to go. We can't know about this."
Bill looks at his daughter, "Please just let me explain."
Caroline stares at the water on the table. Finnick moves toward her, but Bill steps in the way.
"I watched all your games." He slumps into the seat Finnick was previously occupying.
Her dad's presence brings her back. "But you weren't there when I got reaped. Or when I came back. I needed you." Caroline moves toward Finnick.
He jumps up to stop her, "Caroline. I couldn't risk,"
She cuts him off. "Dad, she's four. I haven't seen you in six years." She shakes her head to stop him from arguing. "Please, no more information. It's dangerous." With that, she walks out the door. Finnick gives them a curt nod before following her.
They make quick time back to the dinghy, and they reach their mooring before the sun sets. He stops her before she gets onto the boat. "Are you okay?"
"You're right. I should have left it alone." She moves to get off. Sometimes he hates being right.
They work silently to get the dinghy strapped to the deck. "Let's leave in the morning," Caroline says when Finnick reaches for the mooring ball. He doesn't argue. They've sailed for the past two nights. Caroline disappears below deck, and Finnick settles in the cockpit to watch the sunset.
He wakes up to the smell of coffee. Caroline isn't below deck when he heads to the galley to pour a cup. He pokes his head above deck and sees her wrapped in a blanket, watching the last stars disappear.
She turns to him. "Good morning."
He grunts in response and moves to sit next to her.
"Thank you for taking me. It was nice to get some closure." She offers him a small smile.
He wasn't expecting that. "I'll take their secret to my grave, but they should really try and run."
She nods. "But to where?"
Finnicks heard rumors of District 13, but he doesn't want to get her hopes up."North."
"They wouldn't survive in the wilds." Caroline looks at him, but this time he doesn't have an answer.
A/N Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
littlemsstrawberry: Thank you for your review! Also, thank you for pointing out that 40 m is crazy. I went back and fixed that.
A la prochaine!