Finnick wrapped his arm around Melia as she snuggled against him. Her head was on his shoulder and her fingers traced circles on his bare chest. They had spent every night together since his birthday a month ago.

"Finn?"

"Huh?" he grunted.

"What would you do if I was pregnant?"

Finnick bolted straight up, pushing her off of him. He stared at her, eyes wide. They had used protection every time.

"Are you?" he asked, attempting to keep his voice steady. She turned away from him.

"I'm two months along," she whispered. Finnick stared at the back of her head.

"Two months? But that means—."

"It's not yours."

"Then who?"

She hesitated. "Kai."

He swung his legs off the bed and pulled on his shorts from yesterday. They had a large strain from the juice Melia and spilled, but he didn't care. She called to him, in tears, as he walked out. He didn't stop. Once out of the house he broke into a run, continuing until he got to the cove. Annie was sitting there, staring at the ocean, a little closer to the water than before. He plopped beside her and watched the waves.

"She told you," she said softly after several minutes in silence. Finnick could only nod. Annie looked at him, his face expressionless.

"If I had known I would've ended it," he said half an hour later. "She played me like a fool."

"No, she didn't think anything would happen with you."

"Are you saying it's my fault?" he asked bitterly. The anger swelled in his voice.

"Of course not," she answered, her voice softer than before. "That's just how she felt."

"They both lied to me. They still think I'm the Finnick they used to know."

Annie shook her head, her dark locks flowing gently. "They just don't want to acknowledge the changes." She placed her hand on top of his. "Don't be so hard on them. They'll never escape what they did now."

Finnick laid back and stared at the sky. "How come I never knew you before?"

She shrugged. "You did, but there were more important things going on."

He stared at her, curious. "When was that?"

"I was the little twelve year old you comforted before the reaping where your name was drawn. I tried to see you, but they turned most people away."

"I remember that," he whispered. "You were sobbing and it made me feel so sad."

"Do you remember the net you received?"

He nodded.

"It was the best I had ever made."

He sat up and stared into her dark green eyes. "That was from you?"

Her cheeks flushed. "I wanted to help you since you helped me." She looked back at the ocean and removed her hand from his.

"Thank you," he said softly, lying back down.

An hour ticked by. The sun was almost on top of them. At some point he had clasped their hands and she laid beside him.

"Swim with me, Annie?"

"Not today, Finn."

Two days later Finnick headed to the fish market, a small bag of coins in his hand. He hadn't eaten much since Melia broke the news to him, but Annie had finally talked him into going to the market. He only regretted that she couldn't come with him, but she had to work in the net shop. He told her he would stop by as soon as he was done as long as Melia wouldn't be there. She promised that her cousin was at home, grounded from leaving the house.

He walked around the stands, surveying the fresh catches. He picked out a tuna and some shrimp along with a swordfish. He paid more than the asking price and picked up the tab for several poorer families. By the time he was finished he hadn't even been able to get rid of half of the coins he brought.

He headed off to the net shop, the fish packaged and in a bag slung over his shoulder. The tuna and half the shrimp were for Annie and her dad. They didn't need his help to get food, but Jacob Cresta agreed that it was more convenient than him or Annie trying to make it to the market.

The shop was just a short walk from the market, but he wanted to avoid Melia's home so he had to take a slightly longer route. It only added on a couple of minutes and allowed Annie to meet him at the back door of the shop so he could go straight up to the apartment on the second floor.

He was nearly to the shop when someone grabbed his arm and stopped him. He spun around, ready to punch whoever it was. Just before his fist connected, he realized it was Kai's face staring back at him.

"Damn, dude, take it easy."

"What do you want?" Finnick said, clenching his teeth, his fist still in mid-air.

Kai eyed him warily. "I just want to talk."

"I already know." He made to turn, but Kai grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"No you don't. Listen, she was all over me. I couldn't stop her."

Finnick let out a bitter laugh. "You expect me to believe that? I know you too damn well."

Kai stuffed his fists in his pockets and glared. "Fine, but she wanted it and it isn't my fault she got knocked up."

"Oh yeah? Must've been the fish, right?" He set the bag on the ground and popped his knuckles. "You already screwed around with my girl behind my back, just own up to getting her pregnant."

"No way! How does she even know I'm the father? I'm sure there are plenty of other fish swimming around here that could've done it."

Without hesitation, Finnick's right fist slammed into the side of Kai's face, sending him to the ground. Finnick jumped on him, pounding on his former friend's face. Blood was flying from his broken nose and he used all of his strength to try and get Finnick off of him, but it was no use. The boy on top of him was on auto pilot.

"Finnick!"

He whipped his head around. "Annie?"

She was standing just outside the back door of the shop, staring in horror. Finnick looked down at Kai's bloodied head. He stumbled off of him as Annie ran towards them with a rag. She knelt beside Kai and gingerly dabbed at the wounds. He was barely conscious.

"Get the doctor," she said softly, but there was an edge to her voice. Finnick hesitated.

"Annie, I…uh…"

"The doctor!"

He took off sprinting down the street. Doctor Mairen lived on the edge of town, but he spent his days "helping" Mrs. Lance who was widowed three years prior. Luckily, her home was just a couple of blocks away.

He arrived in just a couple of minutes and beat on the door. Mrs. Lance quickly answered and gave him a big smile.

"Why, it's Finnick Odair. To what do I this pleasure?"

"I need the doctor," he answered, looking behind her. The white haired man was just walking down the stairs and Finnick pushed passed Mrs. Lance. "You've gotta come with me, Dr. Mairen. Kai needs your help."

The doctor eyed him curiously, but nodded and grabbed his bag. He said a quick goodbye to Mrs. Lance who was upset over Finnick's rude behavior and left. They walked at a brisk pace since the doctor was too old to run.

"What's wrong with him?" Dr. Mairen asked as they rounded the corner to the street where Annie and Kai waited.

"I…uh…beat him up."

"You did what?" He slowed his pace, forcing Finnick to try and pull him along.

"I lost my temper, that's all. We've really got to hurry. Annie Cresta's with him right now."

"Do you lose your temper often?"

"What? No, I don't. C'mon, we really need…"

"I know that people change after surviving the Hunger Games, Finnick, it's okay to admit if you—."

"Oh, thank goodness you're here, Dr. Mairen!" Annie interrupted, hurrying towards them and pulling the doctor to Kai. "He's barely conscious." The old man rushed to Kai's side and quickly began to work on him. Finnick watched and picked up the bag of fish he had left. Annie was at his side, staring up at him. He couldn't look at her.

After a few minutes, when Dr. Mairen announced Kai would be fine despite a broken nose and concussion, she made him follow her into the shop and up the stairs to the kitchen. He divvied up the seafood and placed her half in the freezer. He rubbed his hands, now aware of how much they ached. He glanced at Annie who was sitting at the table, staring at him once more. He tried to smile at her, but she didn't react.

"Guess you won't go swimming with me today either, huh?"

"Do you even feel bad about what you did? You could have killed him."

He winced. That word wasn't one he handled well. "Please, Annie, don't use that word."

"It's the truth."

Finnick sunk into a chair and buried his face in his hands. They still had bits of Kai's blood on them. He was starting to feel sick, just as he had after his first kill in the arena. He got over it quick; justifying it as a means of survival. That's what one had to do in order to make it out. What he did to Kai wasn't justified. The first punch was okay. A lot of guys would have done the same thing. What happened after that was far from a normal reaction. If Annie hadn't stopped him he would be awaiting his own execution in the custody of the peacemakers.

"I was…angry," he started to explain. "Kai was being an ass and he deserved the first hit. I had every intention of walking away after that, but I don't know what came over me. I couldn't stop."

Annie reached over and gently pulled his hands from his face. She cleaned them with a fresh rag, erasing the blood stains. When she was finished she held his hands in her much smaller ones.

"You need help, Finn. You say no one acknowledges that you've changed, but how can they when you refuse to accept it yourself?"

He bowed his head. "I don't want to be different. I want to take back everything that happened. I—."

"You can't change it. You can only live with it."

"It's not that easy."

She rubbed his hands softly. "Not if you have some help."

He looked up, into her dark green eyes. "I'm a lost cause, Annie."

"Then we'll be lost causes together."