Annie's sea green dress flowed over her in soft waves as she sat in a wooden chair. Wiress hummed as she combed Annie's red hair. She paused as Annie sniffled. "Dear what's wrong?"
"I wish my parents -" Annie began before humming with her hands over her ears thinking about her late parents in District Four wishing they could give her away to the man she loved."Shh, sweetie, it's ok. At my wedding - I wished -" Wiress soothed as she wiped tears from the young bride's face. And I wish I could do this for my own daughter. Annie nodded before Wiress finished her hair. "Beautiful!"
"Knock Knock." Cressida called as she knocked on the door. "Annie, it's me, Cressida and the guys. We're just getting pictures of you, OK?"
"Ok. Will Finnick like me?" Annie asked shyly, receiving a smile from Wiress in return as Cressida entered the room with her camera crew.
"He will love -" Smiling broadly, Wiress took Annie's hand remembering her own nervousness as a bride-to-be. "Stand, dear." All three women laughed, talked, and stroked the fabric of Annie's dress before a whistle alerted them to the camera crew's presence. Pollux grinned mischievously while signing to Cressida.
"Shut up, Pollux, girl moments around wedding dresses are mandatory!" She replied laughing before directing the guys to get shots of Annie in her dress. "Oh, I think I hear your groom," Annie squeaked excitedly as Wiress and Cressida laughed along with her. "Yup, we're going to do the 'no look' picture."
"Ok, Finnick, I hear them in there. Get in that corner." Wiress smiled at her husband's voice on the other side of the door. Annie gasped upon hearing her groom laughing with Beetee.
"Hon, he's well hidden. Have Annie come up by the wall and extend her arm into the doorway." Beetee directed his wife as he coached Finnick to stay behind the doorway to wait for his bride to hold his hand.
"Oh - but - he can't see me -" Annie stammered nervously.
"I can't see you, baby, don't worry! Just grab the hotness!" Finnick called. Annie giggled seeing a tanned hand in the doorway. Snuggling against the wall so Finnick had no chance of seeing her, Annie slowly held out her hand. She giggled profusely as she grasped the hand of her groom to guys snapped their pictures before Beetee steered Finnick to his prep room. They could hear Annie, Wiress, and Cressida giggling through the closed door even as they finished getting ready in the guys' room across the hall.
"Who will walk Annie down the aisle?" Finnick asked as Beetee helped him adjust his tux. Beetee looked into Finnick's hopeful sea green eyes.
"Does she know anyone from home?" Beetee asked curiously. Finnick shook his head sadly. "Interesting. I guess I thought Plutarch would have arranged something -" Finnick shrugged.
"Um - well - I guess she really only knows us victors. And her parents - well - You victors have been like parents to us." Beetee raised his eyebrows at Finnick's remark.
"That gives me an idea." Beetee said slowly. "Let me clear it with my wife. I'll be right back." The young groom had an intrigued look as the inventor left their small prep room with an eager bounce in his step."Now, Annie is hidden?" Beetee asked outside the ladies' prep room several minutes later. He would coordinate the procession as he would walk Annie down the aisle in a few short minutes.
"Yes." Wiress replied. "Now don't get up until you and Finnick are ready -"
"I know, dear." Beeteee replied as he transferred out of his chair. Wiress hummed as she pushed the chair down the center aisle. She smiled at the crowd waiting in anticipation for the Cresta-Odair wedding to begin. After parking the chair in the front row, she returned to the small room where Annie sat looking into a small mirror.
"Oh - I hear them!" Annie gasped hearing Beetee and Finnick laughing before Finnick walked down the aisle.
"We're ready for her." Plutarch said smiling at the nervous bride next to the two victors who were standing in as her parent figures.
"Here he is, sweetie. You look so beautiful. " Wiress said as tears of joy choked her voice. Beetee stood in the doorway and offered Annie his arm. Wiress walked a few paces behind them. The crowd gasped and stood as they got a glimpse of the future Mrs. Odair and let out a collective 'aaaw' as Finnick lovingly took her hands in his. The Teslas smiled and held hands as Finnick and Annie exchanged vows and cheered with the crowd as they kissed for the first time as husband and wife.
Soon they joined the rest of the district for the reception where Finnick and Annie had their first dance. "Hon, it's been too long. Since we danced." Beetee said standing up slowly and offering Wiress his hand.
"Oh - " Wiress blushed and giggled before her husband led her to the dance floor. She smiled as he took her hands in his as they danced with the other couples. Plutarch waved at them before continuing with President Coin's dance lessons. Soon the Teslas found themselves dancing near the Hawthornes.
"Don't step on her toes, bro." Gale said as he and Katniss danced past Rory and Prim. Rory grinned as he looked into Prim's blue eyes. After several slow dances, a man from District Twelve came to the front of the room with his fiddle. "YEAH, LET'S SHOW THEM A PARTY!" Gale called before dancing more vigorously with Katniss. The Teslas wisely took their seats along with most of the other guests leaving the bride, groom, and the citizens of District Twelve on the dance floor.
"Let's show them the steps, they're just looking at us." Katniss said blushing as Rory handed Prim off to her before taking Posy's eager hand. Soon the crowd joined the Everdeen girls as they taught several District Twelve dances. The remaining guests clapped their hands and cheered as Finnick dipped Annie and kissed her soundly after a particularly festive jig.
"This is a lovely wedding." Wiress sighed snuggling into Beetee's embrace as the cooks from the dining hall rolled the wedding cake out."This is a good wedding indeed." President Coin said from her and Boggs' table nearby. "This shows the Capitol that our pending victory allows us to celebrate occasions like these." Once Peeta's excellent cake ran out and the fiddler from Twelve nearly wore down his fiddle strings, the wedding ended with the Odairs running joyfully through the tunnel made by their guests outstretched hands.
Life settled into a routine after the Odair wedding with the Teslas spending their waking moments in Command. Predictably, scenes from the Odair wedding were uploaded into the Capitol broadcast. "We are celebrating a joyous union. And soon we all will celebrate freedom." Katniss' voice over accompanied a clip of her and Prim dancing. Beetee succeeded in airing that propo the most the week after the wedding. When the Teslas were not working on propos, they turned to preparing the military for the impending invasion of the Capitol. The Tesla's job was to program The Block for each soldier who would enter the Capitol.
"They - is it weakness or their fear?" Wiress asked as Beetee programmed The Block for Cressida and her camera crew. Screams of avoxes would begin when they reached a certain building. "This is - how is this a training exercise?"
"The soldiers need to face their fears and weaknesses now. Before they go to the Capitol." General Boggs said stepping into the computer room. "President Coin ordered each customized drill for every soldier." Beetee and Wiress nodded grimly.
"If they cannot conquer their own battles, they will not be useful in conquering the Capitol." A cold voice said before all three stood and turned toward the door in a salute. President Coin entered the computer room and gazed at her general and the Teslas severely. "You are questioning my methods, Victors Tesla?"
"We want to know why - as engineers - we must know why -" Wiress began before Coin closed the door.
"Sit." It was a command. General Boggs, Beetee, and Wiress sat in chairs around Beetee's computer and gave Coin their undivided attention. "General Boggs, you know our district philosophy. It will be good for you to hear it again. Victors Tesla, I am surprised no one else in leadership has explained my viewpoint." The Teslas remained silent sitting at attention for their Commander-in-Chief.
"Let me explain something to you, Mr. and Mrs. Tesla. I want a safe Panem. A Panem where everyone gets what he or she needs."
"We want it too, Madame President. So why -" Beetee was cut off by Coin raising her hand to stop him.
"I have experienced pain, I have seen and experienced years of suffering. The Capitol ruled with this fear and suffering. Oppression and the Hunger Games. I train my military hard to achieve that end. Training is ruthless because the Capitol is ruthless. They were used to rule this country by fear. Yes I plan to end it. And in place, I will create a perfectly ordered Panem where everyone is safe, everything is predictable, and the citizens get what they need."
"Like they do here." Wiress said with understanding. "Here in District Thirteen where everything is controlled - regulated - "
"It is safer. I care about the people of District Thirteen. I want to protect them, provide for them, ensure their future. By control. That's the only way I can do that." The Teslas nodded. A safe Panem was one where everyone was in Coin's hands and under her control. Anyone who challengeed that control would not be welcome under her rule. But her version of a safe, secure Panem would not allow for its citizens to truly be free. "Do you understand, Beetee Tesla?"
"Yes, Ma'am." Beetee replied.
"Do you, Wiress Tesla?" President Coin asked staring hard into large eyes that stared back determinedly at her. "Do you understand that I want peace like you? That I want the children of Panem to be safe? Free from the Capitol? The way you wanted your sons and daughters to be?"
"I understand very well, Madame President." Wiress said firmly.
"Please continue to work on The Block. This conversation is not to leave this room. Lights out is at Twenty-Hundred." The three leaders stood as President Coin left the room.
"Let me know if I can be of assistance. I will be reviewing tactics in the strategy room." General Boggs said receiving nods from the victors in reply. He knew the Teslas disagreed with Coin's philosophy and would do what he could to protect them from any consequences should they openly dissent.
ODESTA WEDDING SQUEEEE! KTstoriesandstuff had girly moments while writing that and hope you enjoyed! And yes, hubby and I did the 'no look' photo and I was totally afraid he would see me heee heee heee! And my uncle walked me down the aisle as my father-figure type person. So, I understand having parental figures in place of actual parents for the ceremony.
Anyhoo... yeah, another chapter! Things are settling more into a routine here, so hopefully my updates will settle into a routine as well!