Author's note: This is the wrap-up! One more chapter after this and then the epilogue. Both of those should be posted right after this.

Many thanks to my beta LavenderVanilla!

Happy reading!

Trigger warning: Finnick received a head wound at the end of the last chapter and this chapter deals with his treatment (stitching the wound) and the aftermath of a head injury. Also, there is a war raging, so there is still talk of that and possible death of our heroes. Gunfire will also be described in this chapter.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Annie felt helpless as she watched Peeta hurry away. He had looked so tired. He was covered in blood and dirt.

"Please come back safe." She begged softly. "And bring Katniss with you."

"Annie?" Finnick said softly.

Annie turned. "Oh." She dropped on the floor beside Finnick. "How do you feel?"

Prim came in with a bowl of water and handed it to Mags as she went back to the kitchen to check on the water Mags had told her to put on the stove.

Annie took the bowl and sponge from the old woman and started washing Finnick's face. "It's going to be all right." She murmured. "Mags and Prim will get you all fixed up."

"Annie." His voice was soft as he waved her closer. "I want you to know I love you."

"Oh, I do know, Finnick. And I love you." It wasn't just an automatic response, it was the truth. Just how much Annie loved Finnick, she wasn't sure. It was all still so jumbled in her mind. She finished cleaning his face as Finnick's eyes drooped closed.

Annie remembered the one time her father had hit his head one drunken night. It had bled so much and he had passed out for days. She was so sure he would die. He'd survived another ten years after that. There were many other times her father cheated death. She was full of relief every time he recovered, but every once in a while she was filled with resentment. Life would have been different if he had gone sooner. She shook herself from the morbid thought and tried to focus on Finnick.

Mags gently pulled her away. "I need to stitch him up, honey. You go check on Adam."

Annie nodded and walked down the hall on heavy legs. Finnick had to survive. Peeta and Katniss, too. Annie knew she couldn't survive her own grief and support Prim. The girl seemed so strong, but Annie saw her own loss mirrored in Prim's face.

Annie lifted Adam out of his bed. "Your daddy will be back soon. I bet you miss him terribly." She kissed his head while baring her breast to feed him. "Do you know how much Daddy loves you? He loves his Adam heaps and bunches."

There was a tap on the door and Annie looked up to see Prim. "Can I talk to you?"

Annie smiled and nodded. She patted the mattress beside her. "How can I help?"

Prim twisted her hands in her lap. "If Katniss…" She trailed off and wiped her eyes. "Will Katniss be okay?"

Annie wrapped an arm around Prim's trembling shoulders. "I honestly don't know."

"If she doesn't…" Prim's voice shook as hard as the her body.

"I can tell your sister is a very strong woman. I know she will do her best to come back to you, Prim." Annie gave Prim a reassuring hug.

"But what if she dies?" Prim asked in a small voice.

"Then you have a home here as long as you need." Annie pressed a kiss to Prim's temple. "But we won't worry too much about it because Katniss will come back."

Adam lifted his head and looked at Prim with a large smile on his face.

Annie smiled down at him. "Adam really likes you."

"I really like him." Prim held out her arms. "Can I hold him?"

Annie passed the baby over and then pulled her blouse back in place.

They sat silently for several moments. Annie watched as Prim sang softly to Adam. Her baby was getting more and more mobile as the days passed and he jumped up and down on Prim's knees. What if Peeta doesn't get to see him grow up?

No, she wouldn't think like that. And not when she just assured Prim that her sister would be back.

Annie shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Do you have much experience with babies?" She asked.

"A little." Prim gathered Adam close. "My mother's a midwife. She trained Katniss and both of them were in the middle of training me when we had to leave." She pressed her nose into Adam's soft hair. "I spent a lot of time with my beau's little sister."

"You have a beau back home?" Annie suddenly felt closer to the younger woman.

Prim smiled down at the baby on her lap. She looked up and sighed, "I almost didn't get to say goodbye to him. But Finnick and Katniss knew what it was like to just be ripped apart from the person you love."

Annie gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm certain they did."

"But now yours is back." Adam started fussing and Prim bounced him a little. "What's going to happen when Peeta and Katniss come back?" She shook her head suddenly. "No, that's not my place. I'm sorry."

Annie lifted Adam off Prim's lap and held him close. "We've all been talking. If it's safe, we'll go to Twelve. You can get back with your beau. What's his name?"

Prim grinned and a slow blush colored her cheeks. "Rory."

Annie gave Prim a quick hug and said, "You'll get back with your Rory. I'll do all I can to make sure of it. It's going to be a hard road, sweetheart, but you'll be fine."

Prim hugged her back, pressing her face into Annie's shoulder. "I don't know if it's true." She whispered.

"I don't either." Annie admitted. "But we will do our best to keep going no matter what happens. That's my promise to you. I've never been a very strong person on my own, but I have my son to care for and I have you and Mags for support. We're in this together."

"Thank you, Annie." Prim gave her a little squeeze and then pulled back, kissing the top of Adam's head.

Annie had always wanted a sibling. Not that she ever wished her father to bring another life into this world. But Prim's presence these last months had been so refreshing.
"Maybe the fighting will end soon and we can all leave." Prim said softly.

"Maybe. Until then, we take care of Finnick and look after each other." Annie stood and carried Adam into the other room.

Finnick was now stripped of his shirt. Annie took pause as she looked over the expanse of his torso. She remembered so many nights patching up cuts and soothing bruises from his uncle and the people who used him. Now, it was free from the wounds, but not the scars.

"How is he, Mags?" Annie asked as she moved closer.

"Just the blow to the head, looks like." Mags explained. "No bullet wounds or cuts anywhere. We'll keep an eye on him." The old woman sighed. "Not much else to do."

"I'll be the first to sit with him." Annie suggested.

"That will be good." Mags said as she threaded a needle to sew up the wound.

Prim stood just inside the room. "Do you want me to keep an eye on Adam?"

Annie looked in her face and saw the fear in her eyes grew as she looked at Finnick on the couch. Adam babbled in her arms. "He could use some time on the floor. And he always enjoys your songs."

A small smile formed on Prim's face. "I'll get a blanket." She stepped out of the room.

Annie sat on the edge of the sofa cushion and took Finnick's hand. Prim returned and spread a blanket on the floor in a corner and took Adam from Annie. Prim very quickly had the baby laughing and babbling. It was otherwise silent as Mags continued to sew up the cut on Finnick's head.

Annie looked over to where Prim and Adam played. It made her feel good that Prim could keep him entertained. She looked back to Mags's work. "Do you think he's going to be okay?" She asked softly.

"It's still a little soon to tell. You know how head wounds can be." Mags tied off the thread and cut it. "Keep an eye on him. I'll cook dinner."

"Are you sure? You could ask Johanna for help." Annie slowly looked up. "Or I could help."

Mags patted her cheek. "Look after them." She glanced toward Prim. "I'll take care of all of food." She kissed Annie's forehead and shuffled out of the room.

Annie pulled a blanket off the back of the sofa and spread it over Finnick.

His eyes cracked open and then slammed shut again with a groan. "Katniss."

Prim glanced over, but kept her place out of the way.

Annie's throat constricted. She shouldn't be upset. She hadn't been in Finnick's life for years. She shouldn't be hurt that the first name out if his mouth should be of his wife. She had a baby with someone else, after all.

"It's Annie." She knelt by his side and smoothed his hair away from his forehead.

He slowly opened his eyes. "Annie, what are you doing in Twelve?"

"I'm not in Twelve, you're in Four." She rested a hand against his head. "What's the last thing you remember?"

He thought a moment. "Katniss and I were in the woods." He closed his eyes again, pain evident on his face. "There was snow on the ground."

"It's summer."

"Is it." He groaned. "I can't…"

"It's okay, Finnick." Annie pressed a wet cloth to Finnick's head. "You don't have to remember anything else right now. Just rest. You'll be okay."

"Annie." He sighed and brushed his fingers down her cheek. "Wow. You're so pretty."

She blushed. "I don't feel so pretty right now."

"No, you are." He reclined and closed his eyes. "My head hurts. What happened?"

"You went to fight in the war. There's a battle close. You were hit in the head. Peeta brought you to us."

"I think I'm starting to remember." He nodded slowly and winced, his eyes pressed hard together to ward off the pain. "We walked for a month to get here, didn't we? Katniss and me." His eyes popped open. "Prim?"

"She's fine. She's right over there." Annie pointed to the corner.

Finnick looked over and Prim gave him a reassuring smile. "Looking good, kid." He said before his eyes closed again. "Everything hurts, Annie."

Annie stood. "Let me see if I can get something for your pain."

Annie paused just inside the kitchen. Mags leaned over a steaming pot on the stove. Annie wanted to walk over and wrap her arms around the old woman like when she was younger. Like all those months ago when she first found out about the baby she was carrying.

Mags must have heard her sniff and turned with a sympathetic smile on her face. "What's going on, sugar?"

"Finnick needs something for the pain." Annie wiped quickly at her eyes.

A loud boom suddenly shook the house. From the other room Adam started screaming.

Annie ran back in and scooped her boy into her arms. Finnick rolled off the couch with a painful groan.

"Let's get to the back of the house." Finnick said as he pulled himself to his feet.

Annie glanced toward Prim. The younger woman wrapped an arm around Finnick's waist and helped him toward the back of the house. Mags shoved Finnick into a corner as shouts and gunfire sounded outside.

"You shouldn't be moving, young man." Mags scolded.

"Move the bed over." Johanna said, throwing herself across the room. She started tugging on the bed herself. Annie placed Adam on the floor beside Finnick and stepped in to help.

"Turn it on its side." Prim said as she moved to help. "We can pull the wardrobe over next."

Finnick tried to get up, but Annie pushed him back down. "You're injured." She scolded. "Just sit there with my baby."

Finnick nodded and then collapsed against the wall. His eyes were still open and he was trembling. The exertion to move so fast with such an injury as his took a lot out of him.

Adam, who had recently learned he could roll over, did just that and started to scoot toward his mother. Mags picked up Adam and placed him on the floor beside Finnick once more before she leaned over the injured man to examine him.

She nodded. "You're okay for now. Just don't move again." She helped him to lie down on the floor and hurried out of the room saying something about medication.

Another explosion, this time a little closer, urged them all into action. The women pulled the wardrobe down and shoved it against the bed before jumping over the top of their barricade.

Mags returned with a medicine box and gasped. "I left the pot on the stove."

"I'll get it." Johanna hurried out of the room.

Mags gave Finnick a tincture she mixed up for pain and he reclined on the floor while he waited for it to work.

Annie sat anxiously, waiting for Johanna return. The fighting was so loud outside. What was happening? Were Peeta and Katniss out there?

Johanna returned with the pan and several spoons. "No need in letting this go to waste." She dropped it over the side of the bed frame before climbing over. "Gather around." She passed out spoons and they all leaned over the pan on the floor.

Annie fed Finnick before she took the time to eat herself. He groaned every time a loud noise jarred the house and made his head hurt worse.

There was no talking, listening to the sounds of battle as the day quickly turned to night. Would the fighting stop when the sun went down? Or would it continue until exhaustion was the final death sentence for them all?

Finnick was so tired. The pain was like an afterthought to him at this point. All that mattered was that everyone in the house was safe. And he worried so much about Katniss and Peeta.

When the gunfire started to die down, Annie got up and retrieved blankets and pillows and a shirt for Finnick. All of them seemed to forget that Mags had removed it to examine him for more wounds.

Annie was curled in a corner around Adam. He had been fussy and restless through the majority of the evening, which was understandable. Finnick tried to help, but Adam's cries only grew louder when Finnick held him. That didn't help the pounding in Finnick's head.

Johanna and Mags leaned against each other. The older woman's arthritis had to be bothering her from all the time on the floor.

And then there was Prim. Sweet Prim who only wanted the best in people, was curled up away from everyone. She hid her tears well, but Finnick saw her trembling shoulders and heard the occasional sniff.

He moved closer to the young woman and placed a hand on her shoulder, making Prim jump. She turned her head and looked up with fear in her eyes.

Finnick whispered. "It's just me. You okay?"

Prim shook her head. "I'm worried about Katniss."

Finnick nodded. "So am I."

"Do you want to go back out there and fight?" Prim asked softly, sitting up and pulling her knees up to her chest.

It reminded him a lot of Katniss and he felt a small smile lift the corners of his mouth. "If I tried I know at least three people that would stop me. And one that would never forgive me."

Prim nodded.

"You should go back to sleep." Finnick moved away.

"I wasn't asleep." Prim said as she settled back in.

"Well, try. You'll be no good to Katniss if you don't rest." Finnick curled into his own spot. Sleep didn't come quickly. Instead, he kept watched over the people he cared about that were here and prayed the others were safe.