CHAPTER 3

Finnick was literally dragging Annie towards their escape route. She was screaming and pulling her hand back but Finnick was simply just too strong. But when Finnick couldn't take it anymore, he lifted her onto his shoulders and jumped back down into the sewer, thanking the Capitol for once for making the sewer large enough for two people.

He ran faster and further away from the hole, ignoring the blackness of the sewer. Finnick was using his other senses to lead him the way. Suddenly, he heard loud splashing noises behind him and he knew that the guards were just on his tail and were definitely on the advantage.

And then like a miracle, he saw someone with a flashlight running towards him.

"Run! Go out and run!" He shouted as he ran past Finnick—he just realized that it was Haymitch.

"What about the others?" Finnick managed to say out loud despite Annie's screaming.

"Just go!" and then Finnick saw Haymitch, as he dropped his flashlight to the ground, dealt with the guards swiftly and flawlessly. If it wasn't only for Annie's screaming, Finnick would've enjoyed watching Haymitch's fighting prowess comeback to life. But she was already twisting and struggling on his shoulder, wanting to come down.

"Just hang on, Annie." Finnick said as he continued to run towards their entry point. And then, he breathed another sigh of relief as he saw mockingjays approaching him from the entrance, running with their flashlights on to guide him better out of the sewers.

"Take her!" Finnick said as he handed Annie over to a mockingjay.

But Annie did not let go of his hand.

"No!" Annie screamed.

Finnick held her by the shoulder.

"Annie, listen to me." He said as he tucked strands of brown hair behind her ear. "I'll be back. I promise. I just need to help the others."

But she did not budge. She was not screaming now but tears were streaming down her face, the grip of her hands still sturdy. Finnick knew she was scared. But he can't just abandon the others.

"I'll be back. Don't be scared." Finnick spoke softly, "I'll return. I promise."

He kissed her forehead and turned towards the mockingjay.

"Contact District 13. Tell them we need back up. If the chopper arrives go ahead and leave with Johanna and Annie. The fight with the Capitol will seem to be longer than what we expected. Just make sure there'll be another chopper for us."

And then with a final glance at Annie, Finnick ran back into the darkness.

Finnick did not know how they managed to get out of the sewers. It was all a blur. But he was thankful that he did return because Haymitch was already badly beaten. Finnick didn't think twice and attacked the guards who were about to stab Haymitch. Without Annie to worry about, he put out all his Victor skills and killed the remaining guards. He returned to the prison chambers as Haymitch told him that Katniss hadn't returned and that Peeta was still trapped inside one of the cells. Finnick led another set of mockingjays back inside and they created hiatus all over.

The only satisfaction Finnick had was the look of horror on President Snow's face when he saw the chambers and realized that it was already flooded with blood and most of his prisoners had already escaped—thanks to the mockingjays that blasted the locks on their doors.

But it took Finnick so much time to look for Katniss and Peeta. He had found Peeta first but they both had to fight their way among numerous guards where, almost at the end of their fight, Peeta suffered a deep cut on his thigh, making running for him very difficult.

"Where's Katniss?" Peeta managed to ask.

"I don't know." Finnick responded as he supported Peeta.

After a long search and numerous times of hiding behind cell doors, Finnick and Peeta managed to find Katniss lying unconscious on the cold floor, blood dripping from her head. Finnick thought it was as if they were back at the Quarter Quell and a chill ran along his spine. They were back again in that universe, that space, that nightmare, where the survival of the fittest matters. But this time Finnick knew, the Capitol was their only target.

Finnick exerted all his effort to carry Katniss back to the sewer while keeping an eye for the limping and weakening Peeta. There was chaos all around that Finnick was somehow still at a loss at how the three of them impossibly got out of the chambers despite the flying Bullets, the splattering blood, and the deafening screams. They were once again met by a number of mockingjays inside the sewer and Finnick felt the relief when Katnis's weight was off him. He was exhausted and he couldn't take one more step. But as he tied his trident back on his belt, he felt something missing. Annie's net was gone.

It was as if someone or something jolted his adrenaline back, Finnick found himself running—returning back to the passage way despite the other's screaming for him not to. Everything slowed for Finnick and he felt hands pushing him back and Haymitch shouting something about a bomb. But he was blinded—blinded by the thought that he was about to lose a part of him, of Annie, that reminded him so much of the days where she still hadn't lost her sanity, where everything seemed to go perfectly where he wanted it to be.

Every detail flashed back on his head: the day he first said that he loved Annie... the look of surprise on her face after he told her of his feelings... their first kiss... the day the Games separated them... the night Finnick watched as Annie fought for her life inside the Games... the day he knew Annie couldn't recognize him...

And then like a horn blasting right directly at his ears, as the bomb exploded, Finnick fell back on the sewers, cold and unconscious, waking up the next morning learning that the mockingjays already disintegrated the prison chambers.

The first thing on Finnick's mind when he woke up in the clinic was that he failed to retrieve his net. He felt an awful lot worse when he reminded himself.

"It's good you're finally awake." Someone said beside him. Finnick rubbed both his eyes and saw Haymitch and Peeta standing next to his bed.

"Thank you for last night, Finnick." Peeta grinned at him.

"Where's.." Finnick croaked. His throat felt so dry.

"Annie's safely in your room." Peeta replied.

"And Katniss?" Finnick thought he saw a small sad smile on Peeta's face.

"She's still unconscious, but the doctors said she's getting better." Haymitch took over.

Finnick started to get out of bed and pulled out the tubes from his arms.

"Hey, hey, hey. What do you think you're doing?" Haymitch said after he gulped some liqiour from the container he always kept in his jacket.

"I need to see Annie." Finnick said with finality.

He heard Haymitch grumble more but he heard Peeta said, "Let him go. He knows what he's doing." And Haymitch let it drop.

Finnick went to gather his newly washed clothes in the bathroom and found his room now empty when he finished dressing. He walked past the corridor and saw in a nearby room Peeta and Haymitch now looking after the still unconscious Katniss. He gave Peeta a small nod and went on his way towards his room.

A few mockingjays met him on the way and some congratulated and saluted him. He was still feeling at a daze but he knew that he won't be satisfied until he sees Annie in his room. As he came nearer, he saw that Johanna just closed the door.

"Oh, Finnick!" Johanna ran and hugged him.

"Ow! Easy there." Finnick said as he rubbed his aching shoulder.

"Sorry. It's just so nice to see you awake. She hasn't eaten yet and she won't take any food from me of from Effie."

"Thank you, Johanna." Finnick sincerely said.

"Oh no, thank you Finnick, to all of you for coming back to us." Johanna smiled softly and hugged him gently this time. "Go ahead. I know you want to see her badly."

Finnick watched as Johanna gracefully walked away and waited until he was alone in the corridor before he opened the door of his room. And there, sitting in the exact position where he waited for the choppers to load, Annie Cresta was seating at the end of the bed, staring out in the window, smiling and unmindful of the happenings around her.

Finnick silently closed the door behind him and sat beside her in the bed, not wanting to break the placidness of the moment. Annie watched as the clouds drift by and Finnick can't help but smile himself. Although a little frown crossed his face when he saw small bruises along Annie's face and along her exposed body skin. He felt his jaw tightened once more but just quickly dispatched the angry feelings. His anger can do nothing to heal them.

So instead, not wanting to alarm her or anything but as he was just longing for this for so long, Finnick gently and slowly reached for the hand on her lap. He gripped it, not too tightly, but just enough for him to feel that she was truly there. And Annie, if Finnick's eyes were not deceiving him, smiled widely as he whispered,

"Annie, I'm back."

CH4 coming soon! What do you think? XD

Thank you to Elazaria, sophia666 and Mishi-boo for the reviews!

I totally appreciated them! XD