Wild Heart
A/N: In this chapter, we will wrap up the Gale storyline, and move back to the Capitol. Things there are in an uproar as Prim finds herself in a difficult situation. Katniss also has another confrontation with Cato, but not as she expected. She will also finally meet President Coin.
Setting: This one is set a few minutes after the last. We will begin in District Four, but will quickly shift back to the Capitol.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
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Chapter 08
Cause I know it ain't gone too far…
(Katniss' POV)
When I was a child, my mother would always tell me to trust my heart, to never let my mind lead me astray. Every waking moment of my life since then has been dedicated to doing just that, keeping her spirit alive in a small way. As soon as this 'Annie' stepped out into the open, I knew that things between us all would change. No matter the situation, one's beloved is his or her beloved. Love knows no bounds, even when it is going to mean your demise. He had never openly spoken about her, but his reaction upon seeing her spoke volumes…
She was the love of his life…and she had to die.
"Annie!" he cries as he races over to her, but he never makes it there. I unleash three well-aimed bolts that pin him in place. As I whirl back around, I curse as I brace myself for impact…
"No! What the fuck, Catnip?!" Gale roars as he tackles me to the ground. I grind my teeth as I kick him off of me.
"You seriously thought that I would fall for that bullshit?! You are truly gone mad, Hawthorne! I can smell that stench from a mile away!" I growl as I rush towards him, unsheathing a knife hidden under the back of my shirt.
He rolls out of the way, kicking me in my side as he moves. I grit my teeth, pain shooting up the side of my torso. I ignore it, though, as I lunge after him. I catch him in the back of his right thigh, bringing him down hard. He releases a guttural roar as blood gushes from the wound, but I do not stop. Ripping it from within his flesh, I raise my weapon and prepare to drive it into the back of his skull. Before I can, however, a large mass slams into me from behind, knocking me over the side of the dock. Before I plunge into the sea below, I firmly grasp the side…
"Fucking mutts!" I grumble as I slide down to grab ahold of the nearest support beam underneath the walkway. I know that climbing back up where I fell would be the death of me…
I move down a few feet before resurfacing. Unsheathing yet another knife, I crouch in preparation for the next little battle. What once was darling little Annie stands a wolf muttation engineered by the Capitol. This one, though, is much more evolved than any of the others that I used to deal with back home. I definitely have a fight on my hands, especially with Gale acting as its battle partner. Wolves always run in packs, so I expected this to be an unfair battle. I glance over to where Finnick was previously pinned, but do not see him. I keep my features schooled into a look of indifference so as not to alert my two attackers…
"Stop fighting, Katniss!" Gale growls as he stalks around me. He does not limp, but I do not expect him to. He and I have always had high pain tolerances.
"No way in Hell, Gale!" I ground out. The wolf-mutt growls and snaps at me, but I ignore it for now.
"I am not going to kill you; that much you should have already realized. Not so much for the whole Mockingjay thing, but because I love you. I always have loved you, Katniss. That is why I agreed to this. If it means that I can keep you alive indefinitely, than I am prepared to do anything and everything within my power to help this rebellion."
If I am honest, I can completely understand Finnick's earlier reaction to Annie more than I would like to let on. I have always known that Gale was in love with me, much like Snow is in love with Odair. I have never felt that way for him, though, and he has always known that. But as I once read, to love is to folly. Looking into his dark grey eyes, I can see the deep sincerity in his words, his belief in this foolish mission honest and true. Tears begin to form in my eyes as I realize the true implication of what I am going to have to do in order to end this. I always figured it would come to this, but still…
"I can never love you how you want me to, Hawthorne, never. And as for this rebellion, I am willing to die in order to see that it never reaches fruition." I offer him one last sad smile before springing into action.
I fling my knife at him, but turn to face the beast to my right. Using every ounce of force within my body, I slam into the chest of the monster, sending it rolling towards the edge of the docks. Rolling into a crouch, I slide free my other collapsible miniature bow from my boot. Without missing a beat, I send an arrow right through the beast's temple. I know that it is not dead, but at least it will be incapacitated for a moment. Just to be sure, as I always like to be, I send another two bolts into its abdomen. I gnash my teeth as it releases a screeching howl of pain.
Whirling around, I gasp as I see Finnick and Gale battling it out…
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(Finnick's POV)
"…I am willing to die in order to see that it never reaches fruition."
Hearing those words coming from her mouth sends both my heart and mind reeling. Seeing Annie alive completely shattered my already-fragile world, shutting down all of my common sense. I cannot lie; seeing Katniss shoot her damn near killed me. I should have trusted her, though, and I will spend the rest of my days making it up to her. But hearing her say she is willing to die…it hurt me more than seeing 'Annie' die for the second time. I felt something changing in our dynamic awhile back, but now, now I am sure of it.
Gale is strong, almost unnaturally so. Given that he is from District Twelve, however, I am not surprised, especially considering his deep connection with Everdeen. I ditch my trident, instead choosing to engage him in hand-to-hand combat. I think back on the perfect world that I had pictured all those days ago, and I remember the promise that I had made to myself. Gale is no better than Snow, the very man that he is dead-set on overthrowing. I cannot allow him to live, but I also cannot make Katniss have to be the one to kill him. She has already done so much for me…
"You will leave her be, Hawthorne! She is no one's pawn!" I growl as we grapple with one another. He laughs darkly…
"You are nothing but the lamb to be slaughtered, Waterboy! She cares far too much about you, but she will come around. You should actually be more than willing to die for her and her cause! You can finally be free of the filthy life that you have been made to live, and you can finally be with your beloved Annie!" I roar as I slam my foot into his chest…
"You do not get to speak her name! And if you truly loved Katniss as you say you do, you would never consider this! Her life is not yours for the taking, whether in life or in death!" His eyes widen as he recognizes the fire in my eyes.
"You and I are but one in the same," he whispers bitterly before lunging at me. The wind is knocked out of me as my back collides with the hard earth.
"First Mellark, and now you! I am sick of everyone trying to steal her away from me!" I laugh condescendingly as we roll through the dirt.
"She was never yours to steal, Hawthorne! And trust me, my filthy existence will love her much more than yours ever would!" I use both feet to send him flying into the side of the house behind us.
Thinking quickly, I reach behind me, grabbing onto my trident hidden on the back of my thigh. I fling it with all of the energy that I have left, sending it right through his chest. He cries out in pain as he hangs limply, blood trailing from the wound and painting the wall crimson. I look over at Katniss, staring right into her gorgeous grey depths. For the first time since I have known her, I truly see her for the woman that she is. I am more than certain now that in my perfect world, she and I would definitely know one another…
And maybe, just maybe, we could love one another.
"Katniss, I…" She holds her hand up, smiling sadly at me.
"No," is all she says before shifting her gaze over to Gale.
"So, what now, Catnip?" he asks quietly. She shakes her head solemnly before drawing her bow. I jump up, striding over to her before she can shoot…
"Finnick?" she asks curiously, but I simply take the bow from her hand.
"It is my turn to take care of you," I whisper softly before leaning down to capture her lips briefly. I smirk at her before stepping away and moving over to her former childhood friend.
"This is it, huh?" he asks bitterly. I can see the tears swimming in his eyes, the pain swirling within. I nod slowly.
"This is it," I say before reaching forward and snapping his neck. I turn back around, looking at my companion. She offers me a small smirk…
And then, the moment is ruined.
"Fucking mutts!" we scream in unison as the wolf-mutt grabs her by the shoulder and pulls her into the water below…
I sigh as I dive in, prepared to kill yet again…
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I chuckle as she walks into the room, face set in a deep scowl. If there is anything that I have come to learn of Katniss Everdeen, it is that she is as moody and fickle as a cat. She is one of the few women that I have come across that actually has an affinity for the water, but she does not like being forced into it, or anything, for that matter. I did not have to kill the wolf mutt because she had already taken care of it by the time I reached them. Imagine the remains of a stuffed animal after being tugged in four different directions…
"You keep laughing at me, and I will execute a proper repeat performance," she gripes as she takes a seat across from me, running a comb through her lengthy locks. I cannot help myself as I lean forward and drag my fingers through them…
She does not say anything, but her eyes observe each and every move that I make. Immediately after boarding the train, she shoved me against the doorway and stared at me long and hard before walking off. I could only stare back, the air between us completely transformed into something foreign to the both of us. Today was a horrific day for both of our emotions, the second-deaths of those most beloved to us too much for anyone to handle. Also, the revelation of my true feelings for Everdeen was not without its own burdens.
"What is this, Finnick?" she asks softly, grabbing onto my wrist and pulling my hand into her lap. I look down, trying to find the right words to describe what I feel.
"I am not too sure, to be honest, Katniss, not too sure…" She sighs, leaning forward to rest her elbows upon her knees. Clasping her hands securely around my own, she stares directly into my eyes…into my very soul…
"You have feelings for me; that much I am sure of. What I cannot seem to gather is why. I am not Annie by any means, and with me only comes trouble. I am about to bring the world crashing down around us, so you would be smart to stay the hell away from me and that." I smile warmly at her, using my other hand to lightly caress her face before pinching her cheek. I laugh heartily as she glowers at me.
"Everything that you say is true, but you forget that I am nowhere near distanced from this situation. As a matter of fact, I am just as invested as you are, if not more. I have fallen for you because you care, and not just any care. You have cared about me, and you have cared for me. It has been far too long since someone has done that for me, including Snow's sick form of love." She nods slowly, taking my words in and rolling them around a bit. It is damn near impossible to read her, which makes me nervous yet…excited?
After a few harrowing moments, she decides to speak.
"I am going to be completely honest here, Odair. I have only ever loved one person with every fiber of my being, and that is Prim. I did love Gale, but I had enough sense not to become fully invested in that situation. I share your affections, but I am absolutely lost on all things lovey-dovey. I cannot promise that I will be completely focused on this right now, what with everything going on. I can promise, however, that come Hell or high water, I will be there for you. I may not say it every day, but you will always be on my mind and in my heart, capiche?" I smile, nodding my head slowly. A satisfied smirk graces her beautiful features.
"What do you say we rest for a bit? The train ride will be a little longer this time," I say, winking at her. She rolls her eyes…
"You are incorrigible, Odair, absolutely incorrigible." I laugh loudly as she stands up and walks off. I race off after her, wrapping my arms around her waist once I catch up…
"You never seem to give yourself enough credit, you know," I mutter offhandedly as she looks at me curiously.
"What makes you say that?" she asks, an ebony eyebrow raised. I chuckle…
"I know that you are going to put every ounce of effort into this, and it is going to be wonderful, albeit interesting," I say before leaning down and kissing her soundly. She hums into the kiss before punching me in the arm…hard…
"Do not get cocky, Four. You have not seen anything yet…" she says mysteriously before sauntering off.
I can only smile as I follow happily…
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(Prim's POV)
"Oh Katniss, please hurry up and return…"
I sigh for the millionth time today as I grind together the necessary herbs for my task. It is the next morning, and I am absolutely exhausted. I spent the night here in the Infirmary, curled awkwardly in a plush recliner across the room. The Medical Team here is super sweet, but I have refused to let them treat the President. I need to be the one to treat him, as well as the first one that he sees when he wakes up. I am just about to finish my salve when my patient begins stirring. I sigh, knowing that things are about to get very complicated…
"You are awake, finally," I say as I roll up my sleeves and turn to face him. He looks up at the ceiling for just a moment before shifting his gaze to mine.
"That I am," he says, his voice strong and steady. I can tell that something has changed, that he has changed…
"Lay still for me. You caught the table on your way down. This will sting at first, but then it will cool and begin to smell really good." He nods, staring at me intensely.
"You are a natural Healer, just like your mother," he says. I just nod as I begin to apply the medicine to the side of his face.
"She was your daughter, which makes me your granddaughter. Katniss, too, although I realize that that is not something you would like to consider in any regard." He chuckles darkly, eyes sharpening dangerously.
"I never intended any harm to come to you, Prim. Your mother…well…she took away the one thing in my life that brought me any amount of joy. I loved her, but she made her choice. It was only natural that I would make mine." I just shake my head as I move to lean against the counter behind me.
"Where was my sister? Did you not experience any joy with her?" He looks off for a moment, tears welling up in his eyes as his fist begins to tremble…
"I never knew of Katniss until after your mother had fled. She had met Mr. Everdeen during one of her medicinal trips to the districts, subsequently having your sister away from the Capitol shadow. You were the only one that I knew about, the only one that I came to love. You have to understand that, my darling Prim." I keep my expression neutral, just as Katniss taught me.
"She was just as innocent as I, you know," I offer quietly. He smiles somewhat sadly, a fire burning behind his clear blue eyes…
"That she was until my wife decided to use her to kill Finnick and I. I cannot afford to risk her bringing down my empire, just as I could not then. I still am not sure what triggered my former memory loss, but it will not happen again. You being taken away from me will also never happen again." I bring my hand up to my chest, clutching desperately onto the golden piece of jewelry there. I pray to whoever will hear me that we will survive this because I know that now, all bets are off. He is damned and determined to kill my sister, pardon my language.
"I obviously cannot support you in that goal, grandfather or not. You need not worry about me interfering, though, because it would do no one any good. I will watch as the two of you battle it out because trust me; it is going to be one heck of a battle." He smirks at me.
"I expect no less. It is a shame that it has to come to this; I never wanted to hurt you." I smile sadly.
"The sad part is that I know you are speaking the truth. In a perfect world, the three of us would be a family, with Mom and Dad bringing us to visit on family outings to the Capitol. Like my sister, you have the power to change the world, just as you have the power to change your mind. I know that you will not, so I will not waste my time hoping. I will tell you one thing, though, Coriolanus Snow. Even the mighty fall, but the descent is nothing compared to the impact. I just pray that you make peace within yourself before then because the suffering is unlike anything you have ever known before." His eyes are wide, shock written all over his face. I smile one last time before turning to leave…
"Wait," he calls. I turn, peering at him curiously.
"Yes?" I ask. He looks down suddenly, frowning deeply…
"Do you hate me?" I shake my head slowly.
"No, but I hate the monster that you have become. You are actually a loving, doting grandpa. Sadly, that is an insignificant part of who you are." He nods, frown deepening.
"Will you ever forgive me? For all that I have done and will do…" I just look at him for a moment before shrugging and turning to leave once again.
"I already have."
With that, I leave him to his own devices…
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(Katniss' POV)
I sit in the hallway opposite my darling little sister, turning over the words that just flew out of her mouth. Johanna sits beside me, fists clenched tightly as she also digests the news. To be completely honest, I am really not that shocked. He and I are quite similar in a lot of things, something that I am not too fond to admit. I first noticed it during our meeting in the Gardens when we began bickering, if you can call it that. There was just this…something that existed between us that was dark and festering. Now, I know exactly what it was…what it is…
"So, what are you going to do now?" Johanna asks from beside me. I shrug indifferently.
"I am going to continue on, of course. His hatred for me extends far beyond my defiance; I represent all of the pain and ruin in his life. I mean, how would you feel if you not only found out that your daughter ran away with the precious little baby that you loved more than life itself, but that she also had another, older child that you never knew about?" Johanna smirks at me, obviously satisfied with my answer.
Crazy bitch.
"This should stay between us, though, guys. We do have to tell Peeta and Finnick, of course, but no one else should be trusted. I would not tell Effie or Caesar, either." We both look at Prim, shocked at how pointed her remarks are.
"When the hell did you decide to grow up?!" I ask incredulously. She giggles, blushing lightly.
"I am only doing as you taught me, sis!" she chirps sweetly. Warmth blooms deep within my heart.
"You are truly something else, Everdeen," Johanna states softly, smiling rather warmly at the two of us. I smirk while punching her gently in the shoulder.
"Whatever. Look, I have to get going. I need to meet up with Cinna before my much-delayed chat with Caesar. Prim, I want you to remain armed at all times. I agree with you wholeheartedly about keeping this between us, but we do not know who Snow will decide to tip off. I can see him mentioning it to Thread or his beloved little Careers…" The adorable blonde nods as I stand up. I ruffle the soft strands before heading down the corridor.
As I walk, I think back to what Brutus and Enobaria told me. Snow had ordered Haymitch to kill us after his attack on Mom had failed, which also ended in failure. My concern is how in the hell he found out that Mom had fled all the way to District Twelve. Someone had to tip him off, but that in turn leads me to wonder what the hell caused that person to go blabbing their damn mouth! I sigh in frustration, rubbing my temples to ward off the oncoming migraine. This is one of those moments that I need Finnick here to soothe my troubled soul…
Finnick.
I have not mentioned to anyone yet about our newest endeavor. Honestly, I do not plan on doing as such until after the Games. I would rather he not have to suffer the pity of others should I be killed. Anyway, I have always been fiercely private in regards to my love life, even though it has never truly existed. Although we were never together, I kept my lips sealed about anything and everything related to my interactions with Gale and/or Peeta back home. There are just some things that you do not talk about, and your private life should always be one of them.
"You look deep in thought, Everdeen." I halt abruptly, the voice behind me one that I did not intend on hearing so soon…
"And here I thought that I would have to wait much longer to deal with you again…" I grumble irritably. I whirl around, glaring dangerously at the one and only Cato…
And someone else…
"I finally get to meet you, Katniss. I am President Alma Coin." I nod, staring at her curiously.
"You are President Snow's wife, all hidden agendas aside. To what do I owe this visit, hm?" She laughs quietly, her silvery sheath of hair swaying gently with the movement. I try and remain focused on her, but the sinister aura emanating from her blonde companion keeps troubling my senses.
"It was purely by coincidence. Cato here was inquiring about sponsorships. Would you like to join us, maybe? There are a lot of important people coming to tour the facility next week, so it may work in your favor to have a slight edge." I smile at her kindly.
"Any other time, I would greatly appreciate it. Unfortunately, I have somewhere to be at the moment," I state politely as I turn to leave. I take a couple of steps forward before whirling around quickly, narrowly evading Cato's grasp. I practically beam as his glares from his place on the floor.
"Alright, I guess…" President Coin says slowly as I walk off chuckling. Asshole…
Moving further away, the smile on my face is replaced by a deep frown. I do not buy her bullshit, regardless of the innocent act that she attempted to play. They were both searching for me, and I am not sure why. Cato would be the dumbest asshat on the face of the Earth if he tried to attack me in front of her, and she has never met me before, so there should not be any hostility as of yet. Still, I cannot help but feel that she knows something, and I plan on finding that out. I now know her perfume, so I will be able to find her when the time comes.
"Well, Katniss, looks like things are about to get even more complicated. Great, just great…"
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The next couple of chapters will focus heavily on Snow's plans and the impending rebellion, as well as the Hunger Games. Here are some things to note about this chapter:
Snow has no clue about Effie poisoning him, but he will find out soon.
Coin and Cato were in fact looking for Katniss, each for different reasons.
Coin does not know that Snow is the girls' grandfather, nor does anyone else.
Annie is not dead in the sense that most think, as will be revealed soon.
No one knows outside of Finnick that Katniss ever left the Capitol.
More mutts will surface fairly soon, and the creator will be revealed shortly thereafter.
Thank you all for the wonderful feedback! To springbreakers, eveningshades1107, and Chrisinele-hime, you guys make me super happy with all of your continued reviewing. I look forward to the wonderfulness of your kind and encouraging words ^-^