Chapter Six

Finnick was warm and happy. He felt safe here, in his little den, sheets and pillows all around, curtain blocking out the sun. And so he groaned when Katniss stirred in his arms, jarring him from his cozy thoughts. In response he pulled her close, hoping to lull her back to sleep with his body warmth. She stilled then relaxed and Finnick smiled, snuggling his face into the crook of her neck. Katniss took her free arm and ran her fingers through his hair, softly humming a song.

Finnick moaned softly, pressing himself closer to her. Katniss began to scrape her fingers along his scalp and he felt goosebumps break out all over his skin. She started to sing softly and her hand trailed down to his face, slowly following the scars on his face. He stilled, slightly panicked, but melted under her soft touch after a few moments. Katniss had never made him feel ashamed of his scars and he had no reason to start now.

Finnick lifted his head slightly, opening sleepy eyes to look at her. She smiled at him and her hand stilled. "Didn't mean to wake you."

Finnick pressed his cheek into her hand. "Feels good," he mumbled. Her touch inspired in him something he hadn't felt since he woke up in the hospital. Finnick wanted to touch her soft skin and run his hands through her short hair. He thought of the brief kiss he had given her at the lake and his blood rushed to lower regions.

Katniss resumed her ministrations and Finnick withheld his moan, letting his hand slide down to her waist, squeezing lightly. Katniss gasped. "Fin-" The sound of the doorbell cut her off. Katniss nearly fell as she jumped from the bed. "I'll get it."

Katniss ran downstairs and Finnick groaned, flopping back on the bed. It was good she had run away, he reasoned. It might be a bit embarrassing if Katniss were to notice the bulge in his pants. He groaned in discomfort. He couldn't do anything about it lying in the bed they shared, so instead he got up and went to the bathroom, turning the shower on cold. He jumped in, cursing when the icy water hit him. After a minute he shut the water off, stepping into the warm air. Finnick grabbed the spare towel in the room and dried himself off before putting his pajamas back on.

Finnick exited the bathroom and crossed to the door of the bedroom, opening it before freezing. There was yelling going on downstairs, and he recognized the voices: Katniss and Haymitch. Finnick slipped quietly out of the room and crept to the top of the stairs.

"I hate to burst your bubble, sweetheart, but what exactly do you think is gonna happen when loverboy gets back?"

"He's not coming back. The Capitol made sure of that."

"Oh he's coming back alright, and seeing you and King Triton together ain't gonna go over well."

"I'm happy, Haymitch. Am I not allowed to be happy?"

"Yeah, and just how much does your new man know anyway? 'Cause I've got the idea that if he knew exactly what he was missin' he'd leave this place in an instance."

There was a brief pause, and Finnick realized he'd been holding his breath. When Katniss finally responded, her voice was low and hurt. "I gave them everything. I gave them me, I gave them Peeta, I gave them Prim. Why can't I have what I want for once?"

There was a long silence, and finally he heard Haymitch sigh. "I know, Katniss. It was more than we should have asked of you. I want you to be happy, I just don't want you to get hurt when all this shit falls down on you, and you're not ready."

Finnick crept closer and the wood under him creaked. He silently cursed. "Let's talk later. Finnick is awake and I don't want to deal with this now."

Finnick decided that now was a better time than any to pretend he had just gotten up and hadn't eavesdropped on their conversation. He made his way down the stairs slowly, hearing the front door close as he descended. When he finally reached the kitchen, Katniss was rummaging through the refrigerator.

"Morning," he greeted. Finnick wasn't sure how exactly he was supposed to react. Hopefully Katniss didn't know he had heard the conversation between her and Haymitch, and she seemed distracted enough to not remember their intimate moment in the bed, so he tried to play it cool. "Was that Sae?"

"No," Katniss said, not turning from her perusal of their food contents. "What do you want for breakfast?"

Finnick knew she changed the conversation purposefully, but he let her. He needed time to think about what he heard, and didn't feel like confronting Katniss now. The words Haymitch had said echoed in his head. Someone was going to come back, and it didn't take much for Finnick to connect "loverboy" with Peeta. Finnick was apparently missing something incredibly important from his memories. Katniss was happy with him. It was too early to process everything or sort out his feelings.

"Finnick?"

"Cereal. I want cereal," he said finally, not wanting to alert her in any way.

"We're almost out of milk, but I think we have enough," she said, pulling the jar from the fridge. She poured two bowls of cereal and sat opposite him at the table. Luckily they were both lost in their thoughts, and conversation was minimal.

Finnick told Katniss he was going into town before heading off. He walked slowly, his mind still spinning with questions and theories. Peeta was going to return. Katniss had said that there was something between the two, but she wasn't sure if she loved Peeta. But did Peeta love Katniss? Finnick wracked his mind, willing himself to remember Peeta. He thought he might remember a boy with blond hair and blue eyes, but he wasn't sure if that was Peeta.

Since coming to District Twelve and finding Katniss, Finnick had slowly started to remember faces and flashes of things, but he was beginning to lose hope that anything else was going to return. And yet, he seemed to remember Katniss and whom he believed to be Peeta riding a chariot together, on fire. He couldn't place the memory, but it was the earliest one of Katniss he had.

Haymitch had said he was missing something important. From the way he spoke, Finnick understood that Katniss knew what he was missing and wasn't telling him. While the thought upset him, Finnick also wondered at why he wouldn't remember something so important. And what could it be? Katniss said he didn't have any family. Maybe he had some sort of amazing job? No, they'd briefly discussed that as well; Finnick had had no job, other than that of a forced ladies man.

Finnick shook his head. These things weren't so pleasant to think about. What he wanted to think about was how Katniss had said she was happy. She was happy with him, and she wanted to stay that way. Finnick thought about the woman he was living with, her short brown waves and the few freckles that dusted the bridge of her nose. He thought of the way she smiled when he did something silly, and the soft looks she gave him when he did something nice for her. At first Finnick loved her because she was the only one he remembered, but now he loved her because of who she was. She was no longer some fragment of a memory, but the person he wanted to spend his days with.

Finnick shook his head. He was going to have to figure everything out, all the missing pieces. He took a deep breath before he headed into the garden shop. Alyssa greeted him and he picked the flowers he wanted to plant.

"I was also thinking I would get a wheelbarrow and shovel," Finnick told the woman.

"Sure thing. This way." Alyssa led Finnick to the gardening tools and he picked his wheelbarrow and shovel. "Do you need any help?" she asked him as he loaded all his wares.

"I've got it. Thank you for all your help."

Alyssa blushed, smiling at him widely. "Come back soon."

Finnick wheeled his gardening supplies back to Victor's Village. When he returned home, Katniss wasn't inside or in the yard. Slightly perturbed, Finnick got himself a glass of water before heading back out into the sunshine. He spent a long time turning the soil with his shovel, pulling up dead plants and replacing them with new ones. When he finished that he moved on to mowing the lawn. It was expansive, and halfway through he had to stop and rest, sweating profusely. Finnick took off his shirt and wiped the sweat from his face and neck. It felt good to be doing hard work, but he was wishing more and more he could jump in the lake. Maybe he could go when Katniss returned.

Finnick sighed and got back to mowing, only finishing when the sun was at its peak. He stretched and turned to head back to the house when he noticed Katniss watching him from a tree. He headed to it's base, smiling up at her. "How long have you been there?"

Katniss's eyes trailed slowly from his chest up to his face. "Awhile."

"Have you eaten lunch?"

"No."

"Let's get something to eat," he persuaded.

Katniss hesitated for a moment before she agreed. "Catch me." She jumped before he was ready, and Finnick nearly had a heart attack, his arms reaching out for her in a panic. She collided into him, knocking him down. Katniss laughed as she lifted herself from Finnick. "Sorry," she told him, though her tone was contrary to the sentiment.

Finnick smirked at her, conscious of his hands on her hips, and the way her shirt gapped and allowed him a little peek. "Oh, you'll be sorry," he said lowly, as his fingers began to tickle her sides.

Katniss shrieked and tried to fight her way off of him to no avail. The bronze haired man just flipped her over so he pinned her down and continued his assault. "Stop! Finnick! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Finally he stopped, laughing at the tears that escaped her eyes. She was flushed and panting, laying there looking up at him. Finnick brushed some hair from her face, staring down at her. She was happy with him. He was happy with her. What more could he want from this life?

He didn't realize he was staring and was slightly surprised to find Katniss' face slowly inching towards his. His gaze flickered briefly to her lips before green met grey again. Katniss was happy with him. Finnick was happy with her. Katniss was moving towards him at an excruciatingly slow pace. Finnick wanted to kiss her.

Katniss was searching his eyes for any sign of a rejection he wouldn't give. He almost growled in frustration before he realized that he didn't have to wait. He fisted his hand in her hair, reveling in the softness of it against his fingers, before pulling her all the way up to meet him. Finnick moaned against her mouth, loving the way their lips melded together. She sighed against him, and he was inspired to take her bottom lip between his teeth, nipping lightly, excited when her mouth opened slightly in surprise. He let his tongue slip into her mouth, tentatively exploring, and after a few awkward moments, Katniss returned the gesture, a nice pink hue on her cheeks.

Finnick leaned forward, slowly letting Katniss meet the freshly mown lawn. His bionic hand ghosted her side, but he frowned. He couldn't feel her with this hand, and reluctantly he moved his hand from her hair and used it to touch the small bit of exposed skin where her shirt was lifted. Katniss moaned at the touch and gave him a heated look.

"Katniss," Finnick sighed. He didn't want to think about it, not when she was enticing him so well, but his mind wouldn't shut up. She was hiding something from him, something Haymitch thought was really important. Katniss lifted her hips, pressing against him, and Finnick lost his train of thought for a moment. It took an incredible amount of will power, but Finnick was able to taper of their kisses, resting his forehead against hers. His arousal was obviously pressing against her, and he would have been embarrassed but Katniss didn't seem to mind.

Katniss stared up at him, different emotions warring on her face. He knew she felt like she might have been rejected, and so Finnick pecked her on the lips. "Can we take it slow?" he asked, his voice still husky.

A small smile turned the corner of her lips up. "Yeah." She gave him another kiss before Finnick helped her stand. His stomach rumbled and she rolled her eyes. "Alright, let's go get lunch."

They headed back to the house, and when Katniss tentatively brushed her hand against his, Finnick couldn't help but grin. He snatched her hand the next time it brushed against his, and interlocked their fingers. Katniss blushed prettily and looked away. "Do you want to go to the lake after lunch?"

"Sure." She was being bashful, and Finnick was endeared. As they neared the house, Finnick tugged her hand, pulling her close when she turned to face him. He gave her a soft kiss to the forehead.

"I'm happy," he told her. Katniss wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.

"Me too," she said softly.

Someone clearing their throat got their attention. The pair jumped apart, spotting Mavis sitting on the chair at the end of the porch. "And you give me shit," she told Finnick, smirking.

Finnick opened his mouth to retort but noticed the tear streaks on Mavis' face and snapped his mouth shut. "Are you hungry? We were just about to get lunch," he said instead. He self consciously put his shirt back on as he waited for her reply.

Mavis nodded and led the way inside to the kitchen. Finnick headed to the fridge and perused the contents. "Well, how about some sandwiches?" I have to buy more groceries, Finnick thought to himself. Katniss had been looking better, her bones not so prominent, and the dark circles under her eyes gone. But she was still painfully thin. Glancing at the two females behind him Finnick frowned slightly. Mavis had always been small, but in her shorts and tank Finnick finally noted that she seemed too thin.

Finnick pulled the chicken meat and cheese they had from the fridge and set them on the counter. The girls talked while he sliced the loaves of bread and filled them with meat and cheese. Carefully he rinsed and cut some tomato and salad greens, adding them to the sandwich as well. Finnick grabbed the olive oil from the cabinet and splashed some on each sandwich. He placed them each on a plate and carried the girls their lunches before joining them at the table.

"Thanks," they told him before digging in. Finnick ate his slowly, noting how Mavis seemed to be scarfing hers down. Noting he hadn't gotten them anything to drink, Finnick got three glasses of water and watched as both girls downed much of theirs in one gulp. Mavis had eaten her whole sandwich before Finnick had taken more than three bites.

"Still hungry?" he asked.

"No," she said quickly. "I'm going to go get more water."

"Something is wrong," Finnick said softly when the girl was in the kitchen.

Katniss nodded. "I know." Finnick gave her an inquisitive look. "Tell you later," she said quickly as their young friend returned.

"So what brought about your visit today?" Finnick asked Mavis when she returned to her seat.

Mavis nervously took a drink of water. "Um, I dunno, I just, uh, you know, um, wanted to visit."

Finnick sighed. "Mavis, you're an awful liar. We're your friends. You can tell us. What's wrong?"

Mavis looked down at the table, and her voice was barely a whisper. "They're going to send me to the orphanage."

"What?"

"It's because she's so young," Katniss said. "Both of her parents are dead and she doesn't have any family here."

"But she has her own business. She supports herself!" Finnick was outraged. How could they do this?

"It's just how it is," Katniss tried to tell him. "Until she's eighteen, unless she gets adopted, she'll be in the orphanage."

"What's going to happen to her store?" Finnick demanded.

Katniss shrugged. "Guess it'll just close. Usually kids can't work. I don't know who is running the orphanage, but if they are nice then she might be able to work still."

"After all this time? That's unreasonable." Finnick was livid. It was so unfair. Katniss just shrugged, glancing at the small girl next to her whose shoulders were shaking. Finnick clenched his hands angrily, his mind racing. Finally the obvious popped into his mind. "We could adopt her."

Katniss' eyes snapped to his. "What?"

"Finn?"

Finnick looked away from Katniss to see the watery gray eyes of Mavis staring back at him. "I'll adopt you. Then you won't have to go to the orphanage. You could live here with us if you like." He should have consulted with Katniss, he knew, but he couldn't let this happen to Mavis. Finnick was afraid to turn to look at the woman who really owned the house, hoping fervently that she wouldn't refuse this.

"You're welcome here," Katniss told her.

Mavis' eyes filled again. "Are you sure?" she whispered.

"Yeah," Katniss said, and Mavis flung herself at her. Katniss looked stunned for a moment before she slowly put her arms around the girl. Her eyes slid shut and she hugged Mavis back, and Finnick knew at that moment that she was thinking of Prim.

After a moment Mavis disentangled herself and launched herself at Finnick, hugging him around the middle. "Thanks Finnick," she mumbled into his shirt.

Finnick smiled and squeezed her back. "Well, we better head down to the Justice Building now if we still wanted to make it to the lake today."

They quickly cleaned up lunch and headed into town. Hazelle was working at the front desk when they arrived, and she greeted them warmly. "What can I do for you?"

"We're here to adopt Mavis," Finnick told her.

"Oh! Well, let me see here." Hazelle went to the file cabinets behind her and shuffled through some of the files before picking a few of them out. "Alright, well you're both of legal age. I'll just need you to sign some papers."

"And Mavis can keep her business?" Finnick asked, waiting patiently for Hazelle to return with the documents.

"Yes. Technically it will be yours until she is of age, but this will allow her to continue working at her shop if she'd like."

"Good," he said, taking the papers from her. He and Katniss read over the jargon, reading all the details. "You'll have to live with us," he told Mavis, his pen hovering over the paper.

Mavis shrugged, looking up at him shyly. "Okay."

Finnick smiled at her before signing his name and handing the pen to Katniss. He watched as she did the same and then noticed he had signed it as Finnick Odair and not Caspian Sea. "No one will see this right?" he asked Hazelle.

She noticed his panic over the name he signed and patted his hand. "Only me and the man running the orphanage. He may not even care to see it."

Finnick sighed. "Thanks Hazelle." He turned to Katniss and smirked at her. "Looks like you're a mom."

Katniss' mouth dropped open before she glared at him. "Oh shut it, Daddy Odair."

He just chuckled at her, taking Mavis' hand. "Alright my little girl, are you ready to move in?"

Mavis snorted, tugging her hand away from Finnick. "Quit being stupid. But yeah, I don't have much." She marched down the road towards her shop, Katniss and Finnick following behind.

Mavis packed her things into some bags while her new parents waited. She was right when she said she didn't have much. There was a bag of clothes, a smaller one for personal items. "I'm going to leave all my sewing things here," she said. "If I need to work I'll just walk down."

"Right then. Let's deposit these things so we can head to the lake." Finnick walked slightly behind so he could talk to Katniss. "We could put her in my room. I don't really use it after all." He had a feeling she wasn't ready to share Prim's room yet.

Katniss glanced at him and he thought she was trying to decide something. "We have another bedroom downstairs. It's been used as storage, but we can clean it out and Mavis can use that room." She looked away from him quickly and he knew by the glistening in her eyes that his earlier assumption was right. While Finnick hadn't moved any of Mrs. Everdeen's things, he hadn't needed to, the room more than accommodating their scarce belongings. Katniss wasn't ready to let go of her family yet.

There wasn't much in the spare bedroom, just cleaning supplies and boxes full of things from the Everdeen's last house. Katniss helped Finnick move them to the room they had locked Haymitch in, and soon Mavis was putting her own clothes in the room.

"It's huge," she whispered in awe.

Finnick grinned, stepping to stand beside her and squeezing her hand. "Welcome home. Now," he said, clapping his hands. "Let's go swim."

Mavis teetered nervously by her bedroom. "I'll stay here."

Finnick frowned. "Why?"

"I don't know how to swim," she stated as if it was obvious.

Finnick's mouth opened in shock. "Most people here don't know how," Katniss explained. "We don't live by the ocean."

Finnick pursed his lips for a moment before shrugging. "No matter, we'll teach you."

Mavis hesitated a moment longer then gave in. "Don't let me drown."

Finnick grinned then ran upstairs to change into his swimming trunks. He waited impatiently for the girls to change into their swimming clothes. Katniss returned first and she blushed lightly at the sight of his bare chest, quickly looking away. Finnick smirked slightly and sauntered up to her, snaking his arms around her waist and pulling her into him. "Do I get a repeat of earlier tonight?" he whispered in her ear.

Katniss turned completely red and smacked his chest, pushing herself off of him. "Hush!"

Before Finnick could protest Mavis returned and Katniss ushered them out and headed toward the lake. Finnick spent the walk trying to explain the mechanics of swimming to Mavis, refusing to give up even when she told him to shut it already. Finnick finally did shut it when Mavis' mouth dropped open at the sight of the lake.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. "I had no idea there was even a lake here."

As she hesitantly kicked off her shoes and went to dip her feet in the water, Finnick turned to Katniss who had been unusually silent. "Kat?"

"I've never shared this place with anyone before," she explained. "Not even Prim."

Finnick grabbed her hand, holding it to his heart. "Thank you, then." He tugged playfully, heading toward the water. "Now come on, before our daughter drowns!"


A/N: Sorry about the long wait, I just moved and finally got internet! I will also be changing the rating of the story to be safe. :) Thanks everyone!