Chapter Thirteen

Home.

Annie didn't sleep when she had the chance. She spent the entire night lying awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, listened to Finnick snore across the room. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Rayne's severed head in the grass. She felt like she should still be in the hospital with the way she was thinking.

She was scared stiff when she heard footsteps shuffling in the dead of night. They were too close for comfort to her and she kept picturing Pascal with an ax in his hand. She should be dead, she escaped too easily, and this was how her mind was going to punish her. Annie slithered out from under her comforter to peek at the noise's source, only to find herself watching Finnick trudge out of the room, rubbing a knot out of his neck. Without him in the room, she suddenly felt more at risk and uncomfortable than ever. Annie was certain that he wouldn't return and was sitting in a frozen state of panic. She watched the faces of the Careers draw in closer to her, each with a weapon of choice in their hands. The menacing glares that stared her down dissolved into thin air when Finnick returned, dragging a pillow back behind him.

"Finnick," she said as she crawled from her bed. She was wearing a nightgown that she didn't remember changing into. Annie stood at the side of the bed and stared at him with childish eyes. He watched her, tired. Her hospital gown lay at her feet. "Sleep."

He was frozen as she slipped past him and took a perch on his chair. Annie held up a finger towards the bed, offering it to him. Finnick slumped back onto the mattress. "Are you sure?" he asked groggily. "You need to sleep, too."

She shrugged her shoulders. He crashed back into the pillows, avoiding the one she had used by replacing it with his own. Within minutes, Finnick had dozed off again and was snoring louder than ever. Annie shifted several times in the chair before finding a position that was even remotely comfortably and stayed that way until morning broke into the bedroom.

Garish light poured in through the room the moment the sun was in the sky, for the curtains had never been drawn closed. Annie liked the look of the morning; it reminded her how far away the Arena actually was. Her heart leapt excitedly, bringing a new life to her, when she saw the high-reaching fence that enclosed District Four in the distance. She knew that's where they were not only because it was their destination, but because of the squat cottages that lined the field just beyond it and the rusty water tower with her district's number painted on it that shot into the sky. Her family was probably just rousing from their beds on the other side of the district, close to the sea. It wouldn't be that much longer until she saw them again.

Annie twisted, yanking herself around by the arm of the chair, to pop the tension in her back. She stretched her legs out across the carpeted floor and rose from her perch. She darted to the window and pressed her hands against the glass. It was warm. She felt her pulse in her cold fingertips.

Excitedly, she turned to wake Finnick. He was sprawled across the mattress with one leg hanging off the side. His face was slightly red and splotchy, as if he had been crying in his sleep. Annie hadn't heard a thing and wondered what that could have been about. He stirred and she froze, waiting for him to wake.

"Annie," he mumbled in his slumber. Finnick flung his hand across his chest, it rested over heart limply. Her heart perked and her eyes brightened. "Annie…"

"Finnick," she whispered, leaning towards him instinctively, drawing away from the window. His incredible eyes fluttered open. Finnick was startled by the sight of Annie's face so close to his own. "Sorry." She turned away.

He brushed strands of dark hair away from her face with his fingertips, skimming the skin of her forehead. Annie felt of fever. "You didn't sleep, did you?" asked Finnick. She shook her head. "Silly, girl." He spoke with a groggy, throaty tone and each syllable was drenched with sleep. Annie sat back. "You should probably clean yourself up a bit, it's a big day."

She nodded and forced stiff legs to carry her from the bedroom. The narrow hallway running along the back of the train seemed more claustrophobic than ever. Annie shivered and recoiled into the far corners of her mind as she searched the dim corridor for the bathroom. Her hands quivered as she searched the walls. The first door she came to she knew was the bathroom.

Annie couldn't have peeled out of her clothes or washed her face or hair or underneath her grimy fingernails if she had wanted to. The strong scent of disinfectants that still clung to her skin from her stay in the hospital kept the smell of the Arena from drifting back up her nostrils. As fast as she could, Annie stripped of her awful nightclothes and into whatever was tucked into the drawers and cupboards. She was fairly certain that she now wore men's trousers since they, while being oversized, didn't even fall on her hips the way women's clothes should. She raked her slim fingers through her hair, pulled out a knotted wad of it, and tied it up on the top of her head. As she finished with those simple tasks, Annie was beginning to drift again.

She dashed from the bathroom and sprinted down the hallway. Images of Rayne's head and her brothers being reaped in her nightmares and Finnick about to take her down with a spear wracked her mind, she couldn't see past them. Annie ducked into every room, searching for someone, hoping to wipe the images from her clouded eyes, but didn't find anyone until she stood in the doorway of the dining car. Finnick, Gossamer, and Mags were circled around one end of the table, waiting for her.

"Sit by me," said Mags, patting the table. Annie had forgotten how sickly she sounded overnight, it was painful. She obeyed, stealing the chair beside the old woman. "How are you this morning, Annie?"

She gulped. "I am fine," she said, over-enunciating the words. Annie clenched her fists on her lap as her eyes darted around the table. They were all staring at her. Finnick was particularly worried.

"We reach the station just after breakfast," continued the old woman. She began picking at the food on her plate and gave a knowing glance to her other companions, prompting them. "Isn't that exciting?"

Annie agreed silently.

They continued the meal in utter silence. It didn't creep up on them; it crashed into them head-on like the waves. Annie's eyes brightened and she perked up at the thought. She could feel the ebbing waves wash over her toes, faint like a dream. Sunshine poured onto her shoulders. Her fingers surely tied knots. In the distance, she could see her father's fishing boat floating in the bay. Annie forcefully directed her thoughts around this happy image throughout the entirety of breakfast, it fought off the nightmares like a champion.

She gripped the arms of her chair nervously when she felt the train slow, round a corner, and pull into the station. The daylight had been blacked out by shabby brick walls. Annie immediately looked to Finnick, who tried to smile at her. The rails screeched like seabirds as the train came to a halt. Her squat cottage on the cliffs flashed through her mind, bringing a smile to her lips.

Annie rose from the table and moved to Finnick's side. He gripped her hand. Finnick lead her off of the train. Mags hobbled behind them with a smile tugging at her lips. Annie felt whole for the first time in weeks, it was unbelievable. She looked around, excited to tell Rayne that they were going back, but she grew sick when she saw Gossamer at Mags' side instead. Finnick kept her from stumbling.

"He's alright, Annie," Finnick whispered as he helped her step onto the platform. "Everything is okay."

She gulped. His words sunk in quickly and kept Annie from entirely flipping out. She gazed out over the platform, anxiously searching for her family. Annie, still, has yet to see a train station that wasn't crawling with reporters and bug-like cameras and overwhelming flashes. Her eyes darted across the wide space, searching for a familiar face. Finnick yanked her down from the train. He stood behind her, pressed his hands over her ears, and directed her through the crowd of reporters. Annie couldn't tell if it was because he didn't want her to hear them or him screaming obscenities at them.

Annie was relieved when she reached the cab, waiting at the curb outside of the station for them. It was like Reaping Day in reverse; they crowded themselves into the backseat and sped off towards the market square. She was eased into what she recognized as District Four, expensive merchant neighborhoods and well-kept buildings transitions into the slummier parts of the market. The cab pulled up in front of the Justice Building, where there was a line of Peacekeepers in white waiting for them. Annie, so enthralled with her home, hadn't noticed that the square was entirely empty until now. She climbed from the cab, still clinging to Finnick, and scanned the crowd. The hustle of the market seemed much more overwhelming to her now. She never remembered this many people in such a small space, other than the Reaping. Only this was different, everyone was shuffling around, in a hurry.

She stood in the cobblestone square at Finnick's side, clutching his hand too tightly. It was damp from the night's rain, just as she had left it. The Reaping Day decorations had been taken down, the stage struck and packed away for next year, and the crowds of district children absent. She tried not be ripped from him by the surge and flow of the crowd.

"Finnick–" she began to ask nervously when her eyes caught on a small figure running towards her. She was small, maybe seven, with dark hair that trailed out behind her like a banner. Annie's heart knotted itself several times over and throbbed madly in her chest. The girl's familiar bright eyes were locked on her.

Annie dropped Finnick's hand to embrace Calypso. She held the girl to her, felt her shallow breathing, the race of her heart, the dampness on her cheeks. Her mind swam with words and for once Annie fought through them. She forced herself to speak. "He loved you so much," she gasped, tucking the girl's head under her chin. "He tried so hard because he loved you."

Finnick, shocked at Annie's sudden change, smiled beside her. His strong hand rested on her quivering shoulder.

Annie was clinging to the last piece of Rayne. She didn't know exactly what she was feeling; she had no words for it. She broke away from Calypso for a slight moment to look down at the girl's face. She was too much like him, she could see that too clearly now, the way she didn't before. Annie's heart untwisted itself from the knots and began to relax, only to rip itself apart when the entire crowd in the market parted. The disappointment she felt after not seeing them in the train station was nothing compared to filling the void.

Vance threw his arms around his sister first, holding her tight. Calypso managed to slip away just before they crashed together. He was crying, sobbing actually, more distraught now than the day he saw her off to the Games. Annie breathed into his shoulder, arms shaking from shock and too stiff to wrap back around him.

Annie watched her mother racing to them next, eyes watering and sunken in dark circles. There was no doubt in her mind that the woman hadn't had a decent hour of sleep since the night of the Reaping. She tried to remember when that was, guilty, and figured almost a month ago. The bedraggled woman ran straight past her without even trying to pry Annie from her brother. Annie could barely see through her tears, but she still managed to watch her mother through her arms around Finnick, sobbing. The well-fed woman of District Four appeared so frail compared to the victor. "You saved my baby," she wept.

Fletcher. Penn. Nero. Spensa. Her father. Vance again. She was passed between them like a rag doll. Annie was utterly exhausted by the time she reached her mother. She slumped into the woman's arms. Finnick propped Annie up from behind, hoping to keep her from passing out. She could hear her mother muttering something in her ear but couldn't decipher words from the woman's breath and decided that it was nothing but nonsense. Annie was just so glad to be home.

"Let's go home."

Annie wiped tears from her eyes and proceeded to walk back through the district holding both Finnick's hand and Calypso's.

The eyes of the district were glued to Annie. Every glimpse someone stole of her made her more uncomfortable. She heard nothing but Nero trying to make happy conversation, how he hoped that things could go back to normal now. The squat cottage looked even better now than in her dreams. She bolted inside and settled on her bed. It looked untouched. It was so perfect.

With her eyes closed, Annie saw nothing but ebbing waves lapping at the sand. It was a nice break from the Arena. Salt water hung in the air around her. She was completely oblivious to her family standing over her at her bedside, smiling, glad that she was alright.

Hey, lovely readers. I love you all. Thank you so much for the reviews and favorites and follows. The link to my tumblr is on my profile.

I know this chapter was short. I'm sorry. I just felt that after the reunion, there wasn't anything I could keep writing about in this chapter. While the Games are over, I promise there will be a few more chapters. I hope this lived up to expectations and such. I'm still uncertain as to how I feel about it. Please let me know what you thought or what I can improve on! Thank you.