Earthquakes were fairly common in District Four. In all of Rini's life, there had been only one that managed to do terrible damage. The others had only been tremors, some so minor that she could sleep through them. The bombs that dropped in rounds on top of District Thirteen were the worst tremors Rini had ever experienced. Everybody was gathered in the bunker, huddling together on small beds. Children were crying—Leona had her children in her arms on the bunk across from Rini. She had her arms wrapped around Mags, tears on her face. What if the ceiling caved in? The Capitol soldiers would be saved of the trouble of having to bury everyone.

"Are they ever going to stop?" Rini heard Aria whimper to her mother after a round had finished.

"Eventually. They have to eventually, sweetheart," Leona reassured her in a shaking voice.

Rini unwound her arms from Mags and dried her cheeks, taking a couple deep breaths. Her stomach hurt like it was cramping and she rubbed it, trying to sooth herself. "We're all okay," she said aloud. "We're deep enough that the bombs can't hurt us here." As if she needed to remind herself they were underground. "They can try as hard as they can, and they have bombed this District before and it's still standing. You'll see. In the morning we'll still be here." Her eyes wandered to the children on nearby cots, who had heard her words.

"Mags?" Leona asked, and the tone of her voice made the hairs on Rini's neck stand on end.

Mags' jaw was clenched and she was grabbing at her chest, a moan of pain escaping her lips. The collar of her gray shirt was drenched in sweat, which seemed to be pouring from her.

"Somebody help!" Rini cried, going to the woman and carefully laying her down on her back. "There's something wrong with her!" Her heart leaped to her throat when a couple people that had their doctor arm bands on came and surrounded the old woman. They pushed Rini out of the way and began to loosen the old woman's clothes. "Is she going to be okay?" She squeaked out, tears running down her cheeks unchecked. She hadn't given it any thought, rushing Mags down to the shelter, the chaos of it all and what it would do to her already frail heart.

"Get her off the cot. Put her on the floor." The women grabbed the sheets around Mags and carefully lowered her onto the stone floor. "Everybody, give us some room!" The room was filled with the screeching of cots being pushed away to give the doctors some space, and Mags' feeble, raspy gasps for breath were echoing in Rini's ears. One of them slipped something into Mags' mouth and was murmuring words that sounded like comfort as she helped her swallow. They didn't seem to be doing much more than comforting her and trying to keep her still.

The awful realization that she could be watching Mags die in front of her dawned on Rini and she went to kneel at her side, taking her hand. It was cold and clammy and she had to resist yanking her hand away. "You're okay," she whispered, her voice thick. "You're just having a…"

"Heart attack," the doctor murmured, sitting back on her knees. "It seems to be passing. Just pray that the bombs are over."

Rini swallowed and she looked at Mags. "It's okay," she whispered. "They're going to run out of bombs soon. We're going to be okay. We'll both go stay in the infirmary for a little while once we can leave the shelter." She wanted to cry at how vulnerable the old woman looked, her watery gray eyes watching her. "And soon Finnick will be here. He'll be so happy to see you, so you can't leave us. You can't leave without seeing him again. And home. We're all going to go home together." She wasn't exactly sure how long all of this would take, but she prayed that Mags would get the chance to see all of that. Finnick was practically a son to her.

Thankfully no more bombs fell that night. There were murmurs of a cease-fire but the door that sealed the bomb shelter stayed tightly shut. Mags was put back on her cot and she promptly fell asleep, too weak to do anything else. Her breaths were deep and even, and Rini sat on the edge of the cot watching her sleep. She was afraid that if she were to fall asleep that Mags would suffer another heart attack. So she watched her as others around them went to sleep, relief palpable in the bunker.

It seemed like ages until the decision to leave the bunkers was made. A stretcher was brought down to carry Mags to the infirmary and Rini was glad to see her awake. She squeezed her hand before they whisked her away, breathing a heavy sigh.

Renata's eyes widened as wind brushed her cheek. She hadn't realized that they would be going above ground to film her propo. When Coin had asked her if she would be willing to aid the rescue mission by going on camera to tell her story, she didn't hesitate in agreeing. She had been feeling quite useless for all her stay in Thirteen. Anything that would help bring the victors back Rini would do. Her hands were fidgeting, showing her nerves if they weren't already present on her face.

The rescue team was heading for the Capitol as she breathed that very moment. The thought was almost enough to make her shout, but she was hesitant in rejoicing. What if Finnick was dead? What if the mission failed?

"Renata? Are you alright?" Cressida snapped her out of her daze and offered her a small smile. "We're about ready to start. Once we're in, just start talking. Address the people in the districts; we want this to look like we're trying to sway the remaining Capitol loyalists to join our cause. You can talk about your time in the Capitol and about everything they've done to you. Just keep talking."

Rini nodded and she adjusted the cuffs of her long grey shirt.

She held out her hand for Rini to grasp, helping her down the rubble to where they would shoot the propo. "Do you need anything?"

"No, thank you. I'd just like to collect myself before we start." Renata turned away from the bright lights and took a couple breaths, her heart pounding away. Her tummy was fluttering a little, as if her baby could sense her anxiousness. The last time that Rini had told her story it was to Coin, and she had been dismissive. What if she wasn't right for this? Once again this would be a situation where Finnick would be a lot more useful. He knew the atrocities of the Capitol firsthand, more so than she did.

"Rini? We're ready."

She opened her eyes and turned slowly, seeing Cressida give her the nod to start.

"This is Renata Kelde. I'm alive and well in District Thirteen." She began to speak of the events that had happened to her after winning her games. Of the many ways that victors were kept in line, of the prostitution ring that was prevalent in the Capitol, of her abuse that she had endured when she had been forced to marry Seneca. Her voice quavered when she spoke of Cecil reaping the consequences of her defiance. She looked at her feet out of habit when she became upset, composing herself after a moment and raising her head to look back into the camera. Was everyone in Panem seeing this?

Finnick had shared with her some secrets that he had learned of President Snow during his time of serving. Truths of his fondness for poison and of his fear of losing his power to someone else. She hoped that Snow was watching. Frowning as he tried to find any trace of the girl he had broken as he had Seneca executed in front of her.

"I speak now to the remaining Capitol loyalists in the districts." She swallowed and her jaw clenched a bit. "The people you protect see you as nothing but livestock. These people are the very same that send your children into the Hunger Games year after year. They cheer for death and celebrate in the spilling of blood. We fight for a future where there aren't any games. Where we can exist in a nation without fear of being executed for speaking of freedom or equality." Renata saw Cressida nod and she took that as a cue to keep going. She wasn't Katniss by any means but the words she spoke were the truth. "Turn your backs on your oppressors and join the fight with your brothers and sisters!"

"We're cut off," Cressida announced, lowering her camera. She had a grin on her face as she walked to Rini, touching her shoulder. "That was great. We could use you for more propos."

Something in the way that Cressida had said 'use' didn't sit well with her. "Maybe. I don't know," she mumbled, shrugging her hand off her shoulder. If there was one thing she didn't want, it was to be used again for someone else.

Her back was killing her. Ever since Mags had her heart attack Rini had taken to sleeping in a chair beside her bed. It wasn't the most comfortable, but she surprisingly got more sleep there than in her bunk. Perhaps it was the lull of the machines beeping or maybe she felt safer near the doctors if anything were to go wrong. With a groan she stood and stretched her arms above her head, her tummy peeking out from her shirt.

Mags smiled at her and pointed at her, beckoning her closer. She tugged Rini's shirt up and placed her wrinkled hand on the bump, grinning bigger.

"I'll be able to find out what it is soon," Rini laughed, only a little embarrassed to have her bare belly on display. She was around sixteen weeks and getting rounder with each week that passed. "Do you have any guess as to what it'll be?"

Mags pursed her lips and thought on it before mouthing boy and cackling quietly.

"A boy? Well…maybe," She grinned and pulled her shirt down, smoothing it out. "I think so too."

The door to the room opened and Rini felt her heart stop when she saw it was Haymitch.

"They're back."

Without a word she brushed past him and entered the crowded hall, walking briskly towards the common area where the triage had taken place. Her eyes were wide and searching, seeing soldiers and doctors and bystanders alike.

Someone grabbed her arm and she gasped, turning around. Her joy fell flat when she saw it was only Haymitch again, but he pointed towards a curtained off bed. Everything around her quieted until all she could hear was her heartbeat. Each step towards the curtain was harder than the one before and she slowly reached up to pull it aside.

A battered, bruised, and bandaged Finnick was lying in the hospital bed, hooked up to a few machines. His eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell slowly.

"He started to fight us so we gave him a sedative." A doctor appeared beside her.

Renata stepped up to the bedside and took one of his hands in hers, tears pooling in her eyes. "Is he okay?" He was thinner than he had been in the area. The dark circles under his eyes made him look almost like a skeleton.

"With rest and food, he'll be just fine. You should be the first person he sees when he wakes up. After that we'll take some tests and see if there's more damage. He'll be moved to his own room after the tests." The closing of the curtain punctuated his exit and Renata was alone with Finnick.

"Open your eyes," She whispered tearfully, raising his hand to her cheek. She blurted out a small sob, nuzzling her cheek against his knuckles. "Wake up, please." She sat beside him and reached up to touch his face, letting his hand rest in her lap. His facial hair was coarse against her fingers and longer than she had ever seen it grown. The bed shifted as she moved up closer to him, planting a soft kiss between his brows. She cried for a moment against his forehead, gently combing back his hair and finding comfort in the warmth of his skin. She hadn't felt it in so long. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks; he was here.

After a while a nurse pulled the curtain aside, wheeling in a basin of warm water with a rag and towel beside it. "They didn't do much but dress his wounds. If you'd like, I can clean him a bit."

She shook her head and cleared her throat when the nurse started to leave. "If you don't mind, I can do it." She smiled weakly and thanked the woman, picking up the rag and wetting it. The dirt wiped away easily enough, but Rini took extra care to be gentle. There was some bruising around his nose, like it had been broken, and her stomach tightened. "You won't be hurt here," she said in a quiet voice. "You're safe now." She rinsed the rag in the water and squeezed out the excess, cleaning behind his ears and down his neck. As she cleaned him she hummed quietly, first a tuneless song that turned into the Talia Odair's lullaby that Finnick had taught her. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. I hope that you don't blame me for it…I've been trying not to blame myself." She swallowed. She glanced at his serene face before going back to her work. More wiping brought forth finger shaped bruises on his neck. "Oh god, what did they do to you?"

There was a commotion from another area in the infirmary and Renata frowned, carefully setting Finnick's arm down as she got up. She went to pull the curtain open when there came a very soft voice from behind her.

"Rini?" Finnick's eyes were open and he blinked a few times, his brows knit in confusion. His eyes widened a little in recognition of the girl in front of him and he swallowed thickly. "Rini."

*RAP AIR HORNS*

FINNATA IS REUNITED, I REPEAT, FINNATA IS REUNITED!

Hey yall, you are such troopers and I hope that you enjoy this update. Lot of build up but I promise more is coming and I am still excited for it!

*RAP AIR HORNS fade out*

-Kelsey xx