Hi everyone! I am so glad that people are enjoying my story! Just to clarify: Peeta and Finnick's deaths were in sewers of the capitol, the same as Finnick's death in the book. Please read and review! I would love to hear your thoughts! Thank you!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything! All characters belong to Suzanne Collins!
Katniss' POV
Chapter 2
The train ride to District 4 takes about five hours and I arrive at the station around noon time. I called Annie at the train station back in District 2 before I left. She was ecstatic to hear that I was coming.
I step off the train onto the platform and I can immediately smell the saltwater of the ocean. I look around the platform and I spot Annie's brunette head with little Finn in her arms. She turns her head and spots me standing here. Her face breaks out into a huge smile. I run through the crowds of people and give them both a big hug.
"I'm so excited to see you Katniss! Look Finn, Auntie Katniss came to see us!" Annie exclaims. I lean down so that I am eye-level with Finn and make a silly face. He starts to giggle and curls his face into his mother's shoulder. I love his laugh; it's so adorable.
"He's gotten so big Annie, I can't believe that he's three." I tell her.
"I know. I feel like just yesterday he was a little baby."
"Thanks for letting me come on such short notice."
"Katniss," she sighs, "you know that you are always welcome to stay with us; you're family." She gives me a pointed look before continuing, "Why don't we head home and have some lunch. How does that sound Finn?"
"Good. I Hungry." He replies. Both Annie and laugh at how straightforward he is.
As we walk back to her home in District 4's Victors Village, Annie fills me in on everything that has happened since I last visited, a year ago. Finn started preschool a month ago and he is really enjoying it. Annie has been working at a local art shop that she opened over the summer. I know that she has been searching for a way to get rid of her demons and I think that art is a perfect fit. I can tell that she has a difficult time parting with Finn by the way that she talks about him starting school. I am so happy for her though. She is finally beginning to enjoy life for what it is. She is much better than the broken girl I knew at the end of the war. She was so distraught when Finnick died. She was almost eight months pregnant at that point; I think the baby was the only thing that kept her going. Her little piece of Finnick.
Finn toddles his way down the sidewalk, up ahead of us, and I can't help but notice just how much he resembles his father. He has the same bronze colored hair and beautiful sea-green eyes. He walks with the same confident stature, even at the age of three. I wish that Finnick could have met him so much. I know that he would have loved him to the ends of the Earth. For someone so small, he radiates the confidence that many of us lack. As soon as their house comes into view, he turns and comes running back to us and grabs my hand.
"Auntie Katniss! Hurry up! We have to get to mine house quick! I want to show you my big boy bed!" He says as he drags me the next twenty feet to the driveway.
We reach the front door and I notice the mailbox has the name 'Odair' on it and I am reminded of Finnick and Annie's wedding back in District thirteen. The big gathering was amazing with the dancing and wonderful music. I can still see the most wonderful cake that I had ever seen Peeta make, with the fish and the sea swirling all over it. Peeta. Thinking about him makes me happy but sad at the same time. I sigh, but I feel content as we make our way to the front door.
Finn is buzzing with excitement as Annie unlocks and opens the door. Inside, he leads me up the stairs to his room as fast as his little legs can take me. He points to his bed while he looks up at me with a large smile waiting for my reaction. The bed is the perfect size for him; a toddler bed with ocean carvings in the headboard. His sheets are navy blue and his blanket has a cute fish pattern on it. I look at him and give him one of my best smiles.
"This bed is so awesome Finn! Perfect for a big boy like you!" I tell him and he giggles, making me smile even more, if that is even possible.
Annie comes in and tells us that lunch is ready. She must have been making it while we were upstairs. I scoop Finn up into my arms and follow Annie down to the kitchen. She has made us all tuna salad sandwiches with pickles, Finn's favorite. I have to admit that it is one of my favorites too, next to lamb stew of course. I love having fresh fish when I come to District 4. I watch as Finn gobbles down all of his food, then leans back in his chair with a content sigh.
"Honey, why don't you go color for a little bit so Auntie Katniss and I can talk about some adult stuff." Annie suggests.
"Okay, tanks for lunch mommy." He replies before he hops down from his seat and goes to color in the living room.
Annie moves her chair so that she is facing me directly, "So..., what really brings you here on such short notice? You don't have to have a reason, but I thought I would ask."
"Uh... I don't really know to be completely honest. I guess I just wanted to be with someone who truly understands what I am going through. I have been having nightmares and they are progressively getting worse. They have picked up again and I just need to talk to someone and I love Gale to death, but he just doesn't understand the way I need him to." I tell her honestly.
"I understand. I know the feeling all too well."
"How do you do it? I mean, stay sane and raise Finn at the same time; he looks so much like... like... Finnick."
Annie gets a distant look in her eyes before she replies, "It's hard. I think what gets me through it is the thought that Finnick would have wanted me to be happy and be the best mother I can be for Finn. I have to stay strong for him, you know?"
"You already are Annie. Finn loves you so much."
Just then Finn walks into the room holding a piece of paper and a couple of crayons. He rushes over to me saying, "Auntie Katniss! I drawed a picture for you!" He holds up a picture that takes my breath away. It is a picture with me in the middle - I can tell by the braid - and two men, one on each side. "It's a picture of you and daddy and your friend" My 'friend' is Peeta. How does he even know them, never mind what they look like? Even though he is only three, he managed to capture the small details that made each of us distinctly us. I am immediately overcome with emotion as tears start to roll down my cheeks. Finn looks worried, so I try to reassure him, "It's beautiful Finn, thank you so much." I smile and reach down to pick him up and put him on my lap.
"You like it?" He asks.
"I love it." I reply in the happiest tone that I can manage, but I feel myself starting to break down.
"Honey? Finn?" Annie tries to get his attention but he remains unresponsive. "Finnick!" Annie says as he jolts and turns to look at his mother. "Honey, if you're all done coloring, why don't you go clean up so that we can go take a nap."
"Okay mommy." He says as he climbs down from my lap and walks back out of the room.
"I'm so sorry about that, Katniss." Annie says.
"No, no it's fine. I'm fine. I love it." I reassure her.
"I have a picture of the three of you that I used to keep in my nightstand, but Finn found it. He asked who the men in the picture were, so I had to tell him." She sighs. "Since he found out that Finnick was his dad, he hasn't been able to stop looking at the picture. He's infatuated by it. I told him that Peeta was your best friend and that both of them are gone now. I wanted to keep it simple because he is so young."
I sit there in silence, unable to speak, still shocked that Finn knows who they were. I stay like that until Annie starts to speak again a few minutes later.
"He asked me where they had gone and I just told him that they are watching over us. That they would always be a part of us and always be right here." She says, pointing to her heart. A single tear rolls down her cheek, but she quickly wipes it away with the back of her hand.
It takes a little while for everything to sink in, but I soon answer by saying, "I'm glad that he knows. He should know who his father is, especially before he hears it from someone at school. I'm glad that he heard it from you. I just... I... Annie... Annie, it's all my fault." My chest feels as if there is a large weight on it making it difficult to breathe. I start to shake and my vision becomes blurry from my tears. "Neither of them would be gone if it weren't for me. Peeta was forced to come to the Capitol with us after he had been tortured because of ME. Finnick was only going to the Capitol because I wanted to kill Snow. He... He wouldn't have d-"
"No," Annie cuts me off, "he wanted to go, not because of you, but because he wanted Snow dead just as much as you. We all know what Finnick was to him and any high-paying citizen. Finnick wanted that man dead with every ounce of his being." She gets up from her chair and walks over and embraces me in a warm hug. "You have lost just as much, if not more, than everyone. In my eyes, and everyone else's, you are a hero. You managed to eradicate Snow's corruption and the Hunger Games forever."
I nod my head against her shoulder, finally able to catch my breath. I guess she is right, but I still feel that it was all my fault. She lets go and gives me a sad, but warm smile before beginning to clean the dishes from our lunch. I stand up, taking a deep breath, and tell her that I'll go put Finn down for his nap.
I walk into the living room and find Finn fast asleep on the floor, surrounded by crayons and paper. I tiptoe over and pick him up, careful not to wake him, and carry him upstairs to his room. I open his door and quietly walk over to his bed. Using one hand, I pull back the covers and lay him down. I cover him with his blankets and tuck him in, placing a kiss on his head. I am about to leave when I notice a corner of something peeking out from under his pillow. I step lightly back to his bedside and pull a picture out from under the pillow. I see Finnick, Peeta, and I staring back at me. My heart clenches to see it. We look so happy. It was a picture that someone took of us at Finnick and Annie's wedding. That was one of Peeta's good days. It makes me so sad to see it, but the smiles on all of our faces make me happy. I place it back under the pillow and leave the room, shutting the door behind me.
Annie and I chat about less emotional topics, in the living room, while we wait for Finn to wake up. We decide that going to the beach for a picnic dinner would be a great start to my visit. Annie gets up from the couch and heads to the kitchen to make dinner. I guess I should probably unpack while I have the time. I grab my duffel bag from the front hall where I left it and bring it upstairs to the guest room, down the hall from Finn's room. It is a small room with light blue walls that remind me of the sky. The bed is covered with luscious white sheets and blankets that look like clouds, adding to the whole 'sky' look.
I drop my bag on the bed and pull out my clothes. I sort everything into piles and put them all away in the dresser. I'm so emotionally exhausted that I flop down on the bed and drift off into a dreamless sleep.
Next thing I know, I can feel something poking my arm. I slowly open my eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the light in the room. I roll to the side and see two little sea-green orbs staring back at me. Finn smiles at me and he giggles," Auntie Katniss, you silly, I waked up before you!" He grabs my hand and pulls me out of bed. I laugh at how adorable he is.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." I tell him in a silly tone.
I see that he is already in his swim shorts for the beach. How long was I asleep?
"Finn, I'm gonna get changed into my swimsuit and I'll meet you downstairs. Why don't you go see if mommy needs any help." I scruff up his hair and give him a smile, then he runs out of the room.
I walk to the dresser and pull out my green one-piece - one of the perks of being a victor is having enough money to afford a new swimsuit. I saunter over to the on-suite bathroom to get changed and freshen up.
The sun is warm on my skin as I lie in the sand. Finn is playing in the sand while Annie and I enjoy the warm, salty air. While I was sleeping, Annie had pack us all a picnic for a dinner on the beach. I try to enjoy the feeling of being away from home and I clear my mind. It is nice to be here with to people that I love dearly. I am looking foreword to some time to regain a hold on my sanity. Annie and Finn are just the people I need. I sigh with content as I listen to the waves crashing on the shore, letting my mind be in a happy place.