Hello everyone! It's been awhile since I've uploaded and I'm so sorry for that, this chapter took a little longer to write, plus I had a lot of schoolwork so THAT was fun!
Anyway, I'm still accepting song requests for my "Back To the Sea Playlist"! PLEASE SUBMIT SONGS THROUGH PM OR REVEIW! I could really use your help guys! This will also give you some music to listen to while you read!
A big thanks to everyone who reviewed, I work so hard and get so little praise for this story so it means SO MUCH! If you haven't gotten the chance, make sure to read "Forever And On" by BananaLlama6, one of my most loyal reviewers!
Keep all this in mind and enjoy!
()()()()()
Chapter 6: Painful To the Eyes
Annie's POV
The water below tickles the bottoms of my feet as the sunset begins to blind me. I look down and settle for watching it as it reflects off the water below. Johanna is on my left and my son on the right but he is currently engrossed in a simplified conversation with Beetee about the new motor that he had just purchased. The darker haired woman beside me is lost in her own thoughts, probably regarding Beetee and the war. My sundress blows slightly to the side in the gentle breeze and the current of air on my neck makes me shiver even though it's warm.
"Your father's boat is about 300 mph just like my motor here, so it goes very fast and propels the vessel through the water at amazing speeds." The older man explains to my wide-eyed son.
"I wanna go on daddy's boat but mommy won't let me." Torrence pouts.
"Ah well knowing your mother she has a fairly good reason. Everything she does is for your safety and wellbeing." Beetee pats my son on the back.
"Yeah, she really loves me! Does anyone love you a lot?!"
I watch Beetee's tanner face go pale as my son asks him the most scientifically confusing question that he's probably ever encountered. Johanna, Katniss, Peeta, and other District 13 residents told be about the 75th games. Katniss told me about how Beetee used to finish Wiress's sentences and how they looked at each other with such admiration. Johanna told me about how no matter how crazy Wiress or her herself went, Beetee would always stick by Nuts and help her along as he called her a genius the entire way. Peeta told me about the look of immediate horror and regret that crossed the old District 3 man's face as Gloss emerged from the depths of the Cornucopia water with his knife bathed in the woman's blood. The boy with the bread nearly lost it on me as he attempted to describe the rush of emotion that flew through the five remaining allying victors as the death portraits appeared. In the beginning, I thought I'd never have to see my love's death and the portrait that came afterwards. My ears prick upwards and I look at Beetee from the corner of my eye.
"I used to, Torrence Odair, I used to."
"What happened?" My little boy asks with sadness in his voice.
"I left my Little Mouse alone...I turned my back on her when she needed me most..." Beetee Latier is trying to hide the tears from behind the glass in his lenses, but it's failing.
"What about Little Mouse? What happened to Little Mouse?!" Torrence asks eagerly as he picked up on the man's nickname for Wiress.
"She died, my boy. I left her side and payed the price with her blood on the water..."
My son and Beetee fall silent for a moment, Torrence doing any small gesture he can to calm the older man, but soothing me and then soothing Volts are two different tasks. I watch Torrence's Finnick side come over him as he hugs Beetee and tells him that everything will be alright. I've never seen Beetee cry until now and it's a pitiful sight, considering he's seen me let out a few sobs.
"Can you believe this?" Johanna looks at me.
"Believe what?" I ask.
"The way Volts is acting!" She exclaims as if she was being blatantly obvious.
"What do you mean?! He's upset!"
"Well I can see this!" The lumber-woman rolls her eyes. "How can he just replace Wiress?!"
"Now Johanna, I'm sure he didn't mean it that way! Maybe he was assigned Cadilla, like an internship!" I try to make sense of the situation.
"Of course! He just gets assigned this bouncy, bubbly, and smart young thing!" Johanna throws her hands up in the air and I'm guessing that Beetee and Torrence are too preoccupied to notice our argument.
"Listen, Jo, you've-"
"Only Finnick can call me Jo." She snaps.
"Listen, Johanna, he could never replace Wiress! Do you know what the two of them went through together?! You should know better than anyone! I really didn't know you would get this upset..." I sigh deeply after my argument is finished.
"I bet she's not even that smart..." The dark haired girl mutters and I put a hand to my forehead.
"Please don't give Beetee a hard time about this, Johanna. We've all been impacted very, very hard by this war and knocking people down even further isn't going to do anyone any good."
Jo just looks at me and gives a slight nod before I plop my foot down in the water rather forcefully. The splash causes her to reel backwards and hiss like a cat as she attempts to avoid the water. She's been sitting cross-legged on the dock top this entire time. By now, Torrence has fully calmed Beetee down and they both stand up, offering Johanna and I their hands. I let her grab Torrence's hand since I'm afraid that she may flip Beetee back into the water. They help us up and we stand there as silhouettes against the sun.
"Torrence was telling me that you are planning on visiting 7 soon to retrieve your belongings, Johanna. Is this true?" The older man asks as we start to walk. I hoist my son up on my shoulders again.
"Why do you need to know?" I elbow Johanna about her harsh remark. "I mean...yes, why?" She corrects herself.
"Well Katniss's ban has been lifted by Paylor and Plutarch so she's allowed to travel outside of 12. I was thinking that we could call up her and Peeta and have one big trip back to 7 together." Beetee explains.
"I'll see Ruella and Patrick!" Torrence pips up from my head.
Since Johanna doesn't answer, Beetee decides to ask me what I think. I refrain from sounding extremely excited but I'm actually all for the idea. Jo herself said that Torrence needs to interact with more kids, so Ruella and Patrick would be perfect, and I get to see Katniss and Peeta again.
"Sounds like fun." I smile. We all look towards Johanna who's walking in front of us, head hanging down slightly.
"Auntie Johanna?" Torrence chirps in question.
"Can't I just send for my stuff? Wouldn't everyone just rather stay where they are?" She mumbles.
"Well I just figured I could make a little roundabout considering I don't have to be back in 3 until Tuesday." Beetee says. It's Friday evening now and the trip will probably take about two days which is perfect for his situation.
"Wouldn't you like to get back to Cadilla?..." Johanna mutters low enough so the man can't really pick her up.
"What?" He asks, tilting his thick glasses upwards.
"Nothing." She spits back.
"Beetee, you can stay with us tonight. I'll call up Katniss and Peeta once we get home and tell them the plans, we can pack and leave in the morning! This is going to be great!" I cheer, squeezing Torrence's little wet toes which make him giggle.
"Thank you, Annie." The District 3 genius half-smiles and I bet he's wondering what's up with Johanna.
We all walk to the tempo of the nearby waves and by now the sun is beginning to disappear. Mothers are calling their children inside for the night and the kids reluctantly agree to come in for dinner which will probably consist of seafood as it always does. Boats begin to return from their ocean voyages and we see them riding the waves that lead back to the docks, the people on them chattering happily and laughing heartily at their catches and jokes. Lights turn on in the large, beautiful homes that still don't compare to mine. I feel like my large house is wasted space sometimes because it was made for a full sized family. A mother, a son, possibly a daughter, and then the father were supposed to reside in the home that we are now facing. I turn around to see a woman and her son embracing a man that just came back from work and it makes me fumble with the keys to the door as tears well up in my eyes.
"Mommy? You ok?" Torrence brushes some hair out of my face. Johanna and Beetee look worried as well, but they don't see the world around here like I do. Everything is painful to the eye.
"I'm...fine!" I exclaim as the door swings open. As I run in, Torrence slips off my back and Beetee helps him regain his footing. I feel horrible, but I flee to my bedroom before anyone can tell me otherwise.
I lock the door and close the blinds with great force, the opposite of my normal nature, and then flop down on the bed in a frenzy of tears and short breaths. Hugging the pillow that would've been Finnick's to my chest tightly, I let everything out that I have wanted to let out since Johanna arrived yesterday morning. Despite the joyous screams of the seagulls outside my open window, I can't be happy. Not worrying about what is happening to the three others downstairs, I take the pillow even harder in my arms and slowly but surely, cry myself to sleep.
()()()()()
The world is confusing when my eyelids, crusty and stale from crying, fly open to reveal the darkness that still plagues the night sky. Without a light in my room, the only thing illuminating anything is the moonlight which shines through the window. I'm relieved to find that I haven't slept until daybreak, but I don't know how I will face Johanna, Beetee, and my son downstairs.
Knowing that Finnick would want me to look remotely presentable because that helps the image that I am strong, I wash my face and comb my hair. My sea green eyes shine a bit brighter after my wash and I slip into a sea-foam colored nightdress so they don't see me in my dampened clothes from earlier. I smooth it out and walk downstairs.
"Look! They rescue pretty mermaid!" I hear Torrence shout from the living room where the light slightly creeps into the dark entrance hall.
I know he's probably forcing one of the others to watch Sharky.
"Very fascinating, the story and the animation." Beetee's voice echoes. It makes me giggle thinking that he actually seems somewhat intrigued, which much make my son extremely happy.
"Hey you two..." I say as I walk in.
"Annie!" Beetee smiles.
"Mommy!" Torrence cries.
"How are you doing, Crazy?" Johanna's voice comes from the entrance to the kitchen and I follow her into the room. It smells strongly of fish, but it smells delicious all the same.
"I'm doing okay..."
"You gave your son a bit of a scare, but Volts calmed him down when he agreed to watch Sharky with him." She tells me, preparing something on the stove as she speaks.
"Well they both seem to be enjoying it." I smile.
"Yeah, it's been rather entertaining. Volts has been complements on the animation used for the mermaid's scales and the water ripples. He finds it fascinating! Lord knows why..."
Before I can open my mouth to respond, Johanna throws a platter down in front of me. It's salad with pieces of salt covered fish mixed inside, I've never had anything quite like this before, and I question Johanna's motives.
"Why'd you make me-"
"Don't worry I fed both the "men" in there." She cuts me off.
"No, why did you make me dinner?" I ask.
"Why not? You can't starve y'know, it's not exactly healthy." Jo says sarcastically.
"...thank you." I gulp as I take a bite of the salty, but surprisingly good, salad on my platter.
"No problem, Crazy." Johanna tries to hide the smirk on her face but I can see it peeking through. Once I'm done, she cleans off my plate and puts it in the sink carefully.
"Go sit with Beetee and Torrence." I suddenly smile. "I have a little surprise for you three."
"Fine. I'm not watching Sharky though." She sneers, grabbing a cookie from earlier as she walks out.
As soon as Johanna is a safe distance away, I grab four mugs and lay them out on the counter. Mine is the one with the simple wave design, Johanna's will be the one I got from Odair's Boat Fairs long ago, Beetee will be given the one with the lighthouse overlooking the ocean, and Torrence will get his special Sharky mug that Peeta and Katniss sent him as a birthday gift last year. I use up the whole carton of milk that we currently have in the fridge and then two full bottles of chocolate syrup to make chocolate milk for all my friends and family. Yes, it's childish, but it's also fun and relieves my stress. Once all the milk has been throughly stirred, I present it to the group.
"Guys!" I saunter in with the tray, the lights are off and the blue glow from the TV makes the room look 100% cooler than normal. "Here's a surprise! Chocolate milk!"
Torrence immediately springs into the air, cheering along with Beetee, as Johanna stares at the mugs. I set down the tray and point out who's cup is who's before I snuggle in between Torrence and the right couch arm.
My son and Beetee immediately start slurping up the drink, but Johanna observes it before taking an extremely cautious sip. Once she removes the cup from her lips, she sets it down on the coffee table.
"Not bad, Annie, not bad at all." She nods.
I smile brighter than I have in awhile and throw my arm around my son. We all settle in and watch the third movie in the Sharky trilogy. There's just one thing that makes this moment different: Nobody minds.
()()()()()
"What do you mean we can't watch the credits?!" Beetee exclaims once the movie is over.
"They are BORING!" Torrence rolls his head back to emphasize his point.
"You three can watch the credits if you want, but I'm going to bed. I'll be a bigger cougar than usual tomorrow if I don't get my sleep and since we're traveling to 7, that is not what you all want. I can assure you that." Johanna announces.
"Goodnight, Johanna! Set your alarm for 9:00!" I holler after her as she walks out of the room and up the steps.
"I'll be fine down here on the couch, Annie. Thank you for all the hospitality." Beetee tips his glasses for the last time that day and hugs me and my son goodnight.
"Have good nights sleep, Beetee!" I wave goodbye after picking up Torrence who is still acting like a rag doll.
The fact that the stairway is dark mixed with Torrence's limp body makes it extremely hard to reach the top without falling, but I manage to get my son to his bedroom safely. He begins to rip off his t-shirt and board shorts so I quickly rummage through his pajama drawer until I find the cutest little fish-footies. It's a hassle, but finally I achieve tucking the hyped up little boy into bed.
"Are you excited to visit Auntie Johanna's home?" I ask, kissing his forehead lightly.
"Mmhmm! I can't wait to see the world, Mommy!" He laughs, but it makes me sad all the same.
"Neither can I, baby...neither can I..."
"Did Daddy ever see the world?" Torrence asks lightly and I feel my heart sink. Taking my son and holding him tight in my arms so nothing can rip him away from me, I slowly let the words flow.
"Daddy saw too much of the world, sweetie. Daddy saw all of the bad stuff in the world..."
"Is that why he isn't here? Is that why he died?"
With the lump growing in my throat, I know I can't say anything or I'll begin to bawl, so I simply nod and plant another kiss on his forehead. I mouth the words 'I Love You' and they could be made out faintly, but it was only squeaking. I close the door to my son's bedroom gently before running into my room.
It feels safer with Finnick's pillow anyway.
()()()()()
There we go! Next chapter is the trip to District 7! Don't forget to read Forever And On and submit songs! Also, don't forget to REVEIW! Make someone feel good! Thank you all! ~PurpleKittyFangirl