Author's note: Thanks so much for sticking with this. We are in the home stretch. I promise to try to finish out this story quickly.
Much thanks to my incomparable beta LavenderVanilla. You have been such a help this past year getting this story off the ground and to this point. I've said it before, but it is so true, that this story wouldn't have made it this far without your help.
Trigger warning: This chapter deals with war. There are descriptions of bullet and arrow wounds as well as physical violence inflicted by hand-to-hand combat and blunt objects.
Chapter Twenty-One
One lazy Sunday morning a little over a month later, they were all shocked out of their comfort by the sound of gunfire. With barely any discussion, Peeta and Finnick ran down the beach to retrieve Prim and Mags from the old woman's house.
They returned to say that they could see the smoke from the cannons firing only a few miles from Mags's home. It wouldn't be long before it was much closer.
They spent a nervous day around the house. Katniss sat in a corner going over all her arrows, sharpening and repairing as needed. Johanna and Finnick took turns watching out the window. Peeta, Mags, and Prim cooked. Annie held Adam to comfort both of them.
Later that night as the others slept, Peeta, Annie, Katniss, and Finnick met in the kitchen to talk.
Finnick announced, "Katniss and I are going to join the fight in the morning."
Annie slammed her palm on the table. "No, you won't."
Adam started crying again and Peeta quickly scooped him up from the floor to sooth him.
Finnick placed a hand on Annie's arm. "The war is getting closer, Ann. You know Katniss and I have been planning to go for a while. We need to keep you all safe."
Peeta looked between the others gathered and turned to Katniss. "You only know the bow. I don't think that's safe. Maybe you should stay behind. Let me and Finnick do this."
"And how are you going to fight, Peeta?" Katniss demanded. "Throw spoons at them?"
Peeta sighed. "I've been practicing with the gun, same as Finnick."
Everything was suddenly too loud. Annie covered her ears and shook her head. "Everyone always leaves me."
Finnick's hand fell on Annie's arm again and she heard him whispering in her ear. It was several breaths before she made out the words, "It's okay, Ann. I'm here. Peeta's holding Adam on the other side of you. You're okay. No one's going anywhere just yet."
Annie slowly raised her head and saw Katniss watching anxiously from the other side of the room. "You know what? Just leave. All three of you." She lifted Adam out of Peeta's arms and left the room.
They watched her go.
"We should all get some sleep." Peeta said softly.
"Probably." Finnick looked to Katniss. "We should talk about how we're going to do this. So we're ready when the time comes."
Peeta eyes Katniss. "You have a plan already, don't you?"
Katniss nodded as she leaned in to speak softly to the men. "We'll get as close as we can without being in the actual battle. We'll try to take off the ones ganging up on the rebels."
"How will we know the difference?" Peeta asked.
"I'm sure the Capitol's people will be better dressed." Katniss said. "They'll look healthier. The complete opposite of how they were in the last war. Snow's made sure they got what they needed this time around."
Peeta nodded. "This isn't going to be easy."
"The last three years haven't been easy." Finnick said.
Katniss snorted. "You're right."
Finnick stood and looked to Peeta. "I'm going to sit with Annie. Probably won't sleep a wink." He made his way slowly to the other end of the house.
Peeta's eyes stayed on the table.
"What are you going to do about the bakery?" Katniss asked softly.
"Annie knows the recipes pretty well by now. She can run it." He looked up slowly. "Katniss, I…"
She shook her head. "No sentiment. At least not before we go. Save it for when we're back safe and this is all over." She stood, but he quickly moved around the table and grabbed her arm.
"Katniss, please. You've lived here two months, but all your attention has gone to Annie and Finnick. What about me?"
She swallowed, looking down at the hand that grasped her wrist. "Because it hurts, Peeta. It hurts me to think about all we've lost."
"But we have a chance to get it all back. Please don't run from me. We could be leaving to our deaths in the morning."
"You love Annie."
"I love you. I want to be yours like I promised you all those years ago. When this is all over, Annie and I can divorce. And you and Finnick can, too. And then you and me can be together." He moved closer and lifted his hand to brush his fingers over her cheek.
She shook her head, the argument quickly spilling out of her mouth. "You have your baby. You can't divorce his mother. And you have your bakery. You don't need me. The truth is, you never did. You're a merchant. You've always been better than me."
He shook his head. "Not according to my mother."
Katniss cupped his cheek. "I wish you would just stay back. I don't even want to imagine the look on Annie's face if you and Finnick both don't come back."
"And what about Prim?" Peeta placed his hand over hers. "How is she going to react if you don't make it?"
She felt her throat tighten at the thought of Prim. "Annie and Mags will take care of her."
"Please, Katniss, don't expect the rest of us to be okay with you risking your life on your own. I'm coming with you. And I'm going to be right beside you."
"I don't need you to baby me, Peeta." She snapped.
"It's not like that." He pulled her in and hugged her close. "I never, ever stopped loving you, Katniss."
She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her eyes into his shoulder. They stood that way for several moments. Katniss felt relaxed and safe for the first time since they'd arrived in Four.
She loosened her hold first and headed out of the room. "Goodnight, Peeta."
"Goodnight, Katniss." He said softly.
She paused at the door and looked back at him. This could be the last time they were all safe.
Katniss held Prim close, whispering in her ear, "I love you, Little Duck. Stay inside and listen to Mags and Annie. Look after Adam."
Prim clung to Katniss. "Please come back, Katniss." She begged.
"I'll do my best." Katniss kissed her sister's cheek and then stepped back.
Peeta held Adam and Katniss could see the tears glistening in his eyes as he whispered to the baby in his arms. "I love you so much, Adam. I'm going to try my best to come home to you. I promise. You listen to your mother." He pressed another kiss to Adam's cheek and buried his nose in his baby's hair.
Finnick had his face close to Annie's whispering, "Just stay strong for Adam. And don't ever feel like you can't ask for help. Mags and Prim will be here to help, okay?"
Annie nodded and threw her arms around his neck. The pair shared a kiss just before Peeta handed Adam to Annie.
Peeta gave Annie a strong embrace.
Annie returned it, rubbing his back. "I told Finnick to keep an eye on Katniss." She pulled away. "And I want you to know that I didn't really mean what I said last night about everyone leaving me."
"I understand, Annie." Peeta squeezed her shoulder gently and brushed his hand over Adam's hair.
"Well, I'm sorry I said it anyway. I was just jealous and angry." She pressed her forehead to Adam's and then looked back to Peeta. "I know you love her and that you always have. That you always will. Adam and I will be here for you when you get back, but I'm expecting we look into divorce when you get home."
Peeta pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you, Annie. We'll talk more when we all get home."
"Safe and sound." She smiled and looked down at Adam. "Tell, Daddy you'll see him soon."
Adam lifted his little hand a moment with a little grin.
"I love you, Adam." Peeta said with a thick voice. If they didn't leave soon, he would lose all his nerve.
Finnick joined Katniss as they gathered their things by the door. They both watched as Peeta kissed Adam's forehead one last time and then pulled Annie into a tight embrace.
Peeta walked to the door and called back over his shoulder, "Stay inside."
Katniss, Peeta, and Finnick trudged slowly to the outskirts of town. They could hear the battle raging. Men screamed in pain. Bodies were everywhere.
Peeta and Katniss locked eyes. Finnick let out a shudder.
Katniss waved them back into the shelter of trees. She looked down to the battle in the little dip below. It wasn't much because this part of the country was mostly flat.
She took a deep breath and said, "Just like we talked about last night, hold back and help as much as we can from here until we all run out of ammunition. Wounding is better than killing, but do what you must." She looked between them. "Just get back to Annie and Adam. And if anything happens to me, promise you'll take care of Prim."
Peeta said, "You'll be there to take care of her yourself. I'll make sure of it."
"I will too." Finnick promised.
With a nod, Katniss climbed into a tree and waited until Finnick and Peeta were safely ensconced on either side of her before she took aim with her first arrow. She fired one after another. Some fell short, but most of them injured the men in grey uniforms enough for them to back off of the boys in blue. She heard the guns firing on either side of her from below.
She lost track of time. She was tired and her arms ached from firing so many arrows. Her legs were on fire from balancing on the limb. Eventually she reached back to grab another arrow and discovered that she had no more.
Katniss watched helplessly for a while. She noticed that a lot of people were engaged in hand-to-hand combat. After some thought, she decided to join the fray.
She realized that Finnick and Peeta had the same idea. It was chaos as she ran into the first gray uniform she could see and slammed her fist into his shocked face.
Everything happened so fast after that. Peeta and Finnick were always close, the three kept looking to each other every time they took someone down. And that was when the worst thing imaginable happened.
One moment Finnick was standing over a bleeding soldier and the next he was the one on the ground.
"Finnick!" Katniss screamed. She ran over and threw herself at the soldier who raised his gun to inflict a final blow. She ripped the weapon from his hands and smashed the stock against the side of his head, knocking the man to the ground. A gash on the side of his head bled heavily. Looking down at Finnick, Katniss could see he was in a similar state of injury.
Peeta swooped in and lifted Finnick almost effortlessly onto his back. "Come on, Katniss." He called before he moved quickly away.
"Katniss?" A familiar voice called.
"Daddy?" She looked around and had just spotted her father when Peeta grabbed her hand and pulled her hard.
They were surrounded. Had the battle moved or had they? There was no time to keep looking for her father now when Finnick was injured. They had to get him to safety and Peeta couldn't do that alone. Katniss swung the gun a few more times to clear a path for Peeta.
Eventually, they made their way to the beach, but they were several miles east of where they needed to go. Katniss remembered this from their journey here. Peeta sat Finnick down and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket to press against the wound on the side of Finnick's head.
"You need to get him back to Annie." Katniss said, straightening up.
Peeta grabbed her hand. "Not without you. You don't even know how to fire that." He pointed at the gun.
"I don't. But I have brute force behind me." She started to walk away, but he ran after her.
"Katniss, we have to get Finnick back. I promised Annie." Peeta pleaded.
Katniss turned and grabbed Peeta's face. "I saw my dad. I have to go back. I have to make sure he's okay."
"You're going to abandon me?" His voice was flat.
She kissed him hard. "I've always loved you, Peeta."
"Don't do this, Katniss." He begged as she turned away. He called after her, "I love you."
Katniss continued to walk away. If she turned around, she wouldn't be able to return to the battle raging just a mile away.
Peeta stumbled into the house with Finnick on his back. It was late, but everyone in the house was still up. He was sure they wouldn't sleep well until it was all over.
"Finnick?" Annie leaned over his prone form on the sofa where Peeta laid him.
"Got a blow to the head." Peeta explained. "Katniss went back into it, I have to go."
Annie grabbed his arm. "Are you okay?"
"I am." He pointed. "You help Mags and Prim take care of Finnick. And make sure Adam knows I love him." He hurried out the door.
Annie ran after him as the other women fussed over Finnick. "Please be safe."
Peeta paused and turned. He gently took hold of Annie's hands. "I need you to just worry about Finnick and Adam for now. I'll do my best to be safe, but I can't make promises. Just take care of Finnick. I have to go back for Katniss."
Annie nodded, tears streaming down her eyes. "Just go before I drag you back inside."
She held a tight grip on his hands and he had to break the hold far too soon. He turned as soon as he was free and started running. If Katniss weren't still in the middle of all the fighting, he would have allowed her to bring him to safety.
The battle had grown closer in the hours it took him to get Finnick home, so making it back took even shorter. He wasn't glad of it. That would make the danger for his family even greater. He couldn't see Katniss, but there wasn't much time to worry about that because someone in gray was already making his way toward Peeta.