Finnick had been having a perfectly lovely sleep. He most certainly hadn't been expecting to wake up by someone frantically kicking him.

He jolted up when he felt the foot hit his ribs the first time. He had to blink his eyes quickly before he looked over to his right. As soon as he saw what was happening, his eyes widened in fear. It looked like Peeta was trying to smother Taiya.

Tears were flowing out of her eyes as she clutched frantically at the boy's arms.

Finnick was just about to lunge at Peeta when he heard the boy whisper to her, "Shh, shh, it's ok, it's ok. I've got you. I've got you."

He wasn't smothering Taiya, he was comforting her, whilst using his hand in an attempt to muffle her screams. Yet she was panicking and trying to fight him off.

"What happened?" Finnick asked Peeta, grabbing ahold of Taiya's legs to stop her from kicking them around. "Tay, did you have a nightmare?" Finnick tried to use his voice to break through to her, but she was in such a panic, she didn't even seem close to calming down.

"Please Taiya, you can't scream," Peeta pleaded with her.

"Tay, Tay," Finnick released her legs, trying to get closer to her face, but the second his hands lifted she started kicking wildly again, so he had to push them back down.

"Please Taiya, you need to be quiet."

"Peeta!" Finnick asked. "What's happening? Was it a nightmare?" he asked, he needed to get some information out of Peeta. He needed to know what was happening, she'd never been in this much of a panic when she had a nightmare. She just wasn't calming down.

"I don't know she…" Peeta trailed off, his eyes widening as he looked at the spot opposite him. Katniss was gone. "Katniss, Katniss" he breathed before gasping. "Cover her mouth," he pushed Taiya into Finnick.

Finnick's hand immediately swapped out with Peeta's as he slapped his hand over his wife's mouth. "Shh, shh," he whispered in her ear, trying to calm her down. "What is it?"

"Katniss," a hiss echoed from the tunnel in front of them.

Hearing the hiss seemed to make Taiya thrash around even more. She was absolutely terrified.

"Peeta!" Finnick whispered to the boy, he had no idea what to do, but he had to know if Taiya had said anything to him before she worked herself up into this state.

"Katniss," Peeta sighed in relief as he stopped his district partner standing in the tunnel.

"Katniss."

Not even Finnick's hand was able to muffle the sound of Taiya's scream now. The muffled screech she let out woke the rest of the squad. Peeta's mind was whirring, and a correlation between the hisses, and Taiya's reaction was beginning to form. He frowned and looked over at Taiya. She was squeezing her eyes shut, shaking like a leaf in Finnick's hold.

"What is that?" Jackson questioned. She didn't know what to focus on first, the hissing voices, or the screaming victor currently being subdued by her husband.

Peeta's eyes blew wide open. Taiya knew exactly what was coming, that was why she was petrified. Peeta had never seen them, but Taiya had told him all about them. The terrifying lizard mutts. The one that she'd been thrown into a room with. The one that cut up her leg. The ones that she'd have to see up close every day as part of her torture. The ones she was constantly being threatened with by Snow. The ones that she was absolutely terrified of. The ones that plagued her nightmares. The ones that hissed the name Katniss. The ones that were programmed to kill.

"We got to go! We got to get out of here now!" Peeta frantically exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down!" Gale spat angrily.

"The mutts! They released the mutts!" he explained fearfully as he scrambled to his feet, not paying Gale any heed.

With the realisation they were getting out of there, Taiya settled slightly, only slightly.

Finnick frowned, not sure how he'd be able to get her to move when she was shaking so violently. Then the realisation hit him. She'd heard the hissing before anyone else, she'd been sent straight into panic mode, and Peeta seemed to know exactly what was coming for them. He knew because Taiya had told him. These were the mutts she'd been subjected to.

"Oh my god," Finnick realised. "Move, move, we need to move!" he ordered the squad. He jumped up to his feet, pulling Taiya with him, as soon as they were on their feet, she was clinging to him frantically. He had to hold up some of her weight. Her entire body was quivering, she couldn't stand without help. "Tay, keep ahold of me, please."

"Pollux, what's the fastest way out?" Katniss asked the Avox as her eyes flickered around the tunnel. It was so dark, they wouldn't be able to see anything coming.

"Come on! Go! Go!" Jackson hurried the squad back into the tunnel.

Finnick wrapped his arm around Taiya's waist and pulled her into his side. "Go Peeta," he encouraged the boy to head into the tunnel in front of them. "I've got you, I've got you," Finnick whispered to Taiya as he walked them both into the tunnel.

"No, no, no," Taiya sobbed, slapping her hands over her ears.

Finnick wanted nothing more than to sit her down and comfort her, to work through whatever distress was on her mind, but if these mutts were the ones she was so terrified of, they didn't have time for that.

Gale shot a blast of fire down the end of the tunnel, using the fire as a light to guide their way through the dark, gloomy tunnel.

They were creeping slowly through the tunnel, Gale covering the front, Jackson covering the rear.

"Please, please," Taiya sobbed. "We need to move faster. We have to go," she cried in Finnick's ear.

"I know," Finnick bit his lip, trying to stop his own tears from falling. He hated seeing her like this. "Just hold onto me ok?"

They reached a new intersection, and Gale slowly used the flashlight on his gun to peer around the corner to inspect whether it was clear. Taiya let out a whimper of fear as Gale fired another blast of fire. The coast was clear.

Taiya let out a ragged breath of relief before they continued on. They'd covered about three blocks before everyone froze.

They could hear the screams.

The thick guttural screams that bounced off the tunnel walls around them.

Finnick's hand was immediately over Taiya's mouth, his voice whispering in her ear. But she didn't even have it within her to scream anymore. She just collapsed against him, her body violently quivering as tears rolled down her cheeks like a waterfall. They wouldn't be able to take on these mutts. They'd be outnumbered. Snow knew what he was doing.

Snow had won.

"Avoxes," Peeta said immediately. "That's what Darius sounded like when they tortured him," he cast a quick look at Taiya. He didn't have to filter his words, she couldn't get any worse than she was now.

"The mutts must have found them," Cressida realised.

"So they're not just after Katniss," Homes sighed.

"They'll probably kill anyone," Gale said. "It's just that they won't stop until they get to her." They were doomed.

"Let me go on alone. Lead them off. I'll transfer the Holo to Jackson. The rest of you can finish the mission," Katniss pleaded with them. She didn't want everyone risking their lives for her.

"No one's going to agree to that," Jackson shook her head exasperatedly.

"We're wasting time!" Finnick complained. He had to get Taiya out of there. She wouldn't cope if these mutts found them. Unless she switched out of her panic and turned on her fight-or-flight response, she was dead weight, she wouldn't be able to defend herself and Finnick would be useless to the squad because all of his attention would be on Taiya. Their best bet was outrunning these mutts.

"Listen," Peeta whispered, taking a step towards Taiya and Finnick to lay a hand on Taiya's shoulder.

The screams had stopped, and the hissing had recommenced.

"Katniss."

They sounded close. Startlingly close. Taiya let out a loud sob. "I know, I know honey," Finnick pressed his cheek to her head. Nothing he said seemed to have any effect. "Can you run?"

At the mention of running, Taiya nodded and immediately pulled away from Finnick, she quickly grabbed his hand and the entire squad started to run. Pollux had planned to lead them to a lower level, but now it sounded like there was hissing coming from there, so that was no longer an option.

They slowed down when they reached a narrow gap in the wall. Pollux looked nervous, but he was the first one to crawl through. Taiya quickly pulled Finnick with her to the front. Now that she'd snapped back to attention slightly, all she wanted to do was get out of there as quickly as possible.

She went to follow after Pollux but he held up his hand, signalling for her to wait while he checked the area for any dangers. Everyone waited with baited breaths while he was out of sight. Taiya could feel her heart hammering in her chest. She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding when he reappeared and signalled for them to follow.

"Go," Gale whispered to Taiya. He could see how desperate she was to get going, she'd be quick.

She didn't need to be told twice, she immediately threw herself into the gap and swiftly commando crawled her way through. Pollux had to reach out to balance her with how quickly she had catapulted herself out.

As soon as she was out, she turned around to see Finnick exit just after her. She immediately grabbed onto him and began pulling. The others could catch up. They needed to go.

But he was determined to wait. He grabbed ahold of her hand moving so he was standing in front of her slightly, keeping her further back from whatever danger was coming.

Everyone was through. Everyone except Jackson.

Taiya didn't see the woman fall. But she heard it. She heard the screech of the mutts that haunted her dreams.

Taiya let out a loud, earsplitting scream as she quickly turned and ran, pulling Finnick with her, she wasn't leaving him any option. They were leaving.

She didn't even register the explosion sound that went off behind them as Katniss fired an explosive arrow at the mutts, attempting to slow them down.

Gale had been quick to haul the girl back up as the rest of the squad screamed "Go, go, go!"

"Come on, come on, come on," Gale pulled Katniss into a sprint.

"Pollux, lead us out of here!" Homes screamed as they sprinted through the tunnels.

Everyone was in a frenzy, water splashing in each and every direction as their feet slammed in and out of the water in their desperation to move as fast as possible. Taiya and Finnick had to stay behind Pollux, he was the only one who knew a way out.

Then a loud, pained scream echoed from behind them.

"Castor!" Homes roared. But it would be too late. There was no hope of saving him.

Taiya had been able to beat one, but that was only because it was one-on-one and Snow had shot her up with a stimulant first. She didn't think she would be able to beat multiple of them. They were too fast. Too effective.

"Castor!" Cressida cried. The man's screams were echoing around them.

Finnick couldn't fight his urge to help. He turned back to help, pulling out his gun and managing to fire off a couple of shots towards the mutts.

"NO!" Taiya yelled, pulling him away. "RUN!"

She split them off from the group, running around a corner. They didn't have Pollux. They didn't have a guide. But they couldn't stay there. They needed to get far, far away.

"TAIYA!" Finnick roared, tugging her hand, making her halt.

Taiya lifted her head up and looked forward, her breath catching in her throat.

There was a horde of mutts barreling straight towards them, screeching as they approached.

"No," she breathed, any hope she had immediately diminishing. Time seemed to slow as Taiya felt a wave of despair crash over her. "Finnick," she turned to look at her husband.

They were trapped. It was inevitable. Snow was going to succeed in killing her with the very same mutts he had used to torture her, he was going to make all of her nightmares come true by taking Finnick down as well.

Finnick seemed brave though. He wasn't focused on the mutts racing towards them, he was focused on Taiya. He wanted them both to be distracted. He didn't want them to be scared. At least they'd face it together. Neither one of them would be able to make it in this world without the other. They were just too damaged to cope.

Taiya's heart ached. She could feel it like a physical pain. There were so many dreams that they had together that wouldn't be fulfilled. They'd never get to see District Four again. They'd never get to see their family again. They'd never get to get their dream wedding on the beach. They'd never get to grow their family together.

His eyes. She used her last moments to drink in the colour of his eyes. Ones she swore she'd never forget again. The blend of sea green and azure. It was her favourite colour. It always would be.

She heard Finnick take a deep breath before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him, wrapping one arm around her head so he could cradle her as close as possible.

They were about to reach them.

Taiya braced herself and grasped onto his vest, holding on with all her might as she clenched her eyes shut.

She heard them arrive.

The mutts seemed to slow slightly.

But then they passed around them, resuming their unnatural speed.

Taiya braced herself even firmer. They were in the middle of the mutt horde.

She couldn't open her eyes, but Finnick could.

The mutts were showing no interest in them. They were just barrelling past them.

They weren't being careful though. Taiya and Finnick were both getting little scratches as they ran past.

Finnick ended up with a scratch on his arm and another of the mutt's claws broke the shoulder strap of Taiya's vest.

But none of them were attempting to maim them.

They weren't a target.

Realistically it was probably only 5 seconds, but it felt like 50 minutes until they were free. The mutts had let them go untouched, they hadn't tried to kill them at all.

"Taiya?" Finnick looked down at his cowering wife, she hadn't opened her eyes. "Taiya, they… they let us go. They're gone. We're ok. Tay?" he stepped back slightly, but she still refused to open her eyes. She couldn't believe it. It must be a trap. "Tay. Open your eyes, I swear they're gone."

Slowly, Taiya opened one eye. He was right. So she opened the other and looked around the tunnel in confusion. It was just them. Not a mutt in sight.

"What just happened?" she breathed out.

"I don't know," Finnick shook his head. "They just ran past us. They weren't interested. Maybe they're just wanting to kill Katniss?"

"But that doesn't make any sense," Taiya shook her head. "They killed the Avoxes and they killed Castor… why would they leave us?"

"I have no idea.." Finnick went to answer, but he was interrupted by the sound of gunfire. The others were still fighting. "We have to help them."

"Finnick, please, please, please," she clawed at his arm. "Please. We can't. We can't." Then she heard a scream. A familiar scream and it was like the Quarter Quell all over again. "Peeta." It was the same scream that had pulled her away from safety in the Quarter Quell. The same scream that had prompted her to separate from Finnick.

"They're in trouble, Tay. We have to help them," Finnick begged her. He wasn't going without her. But he would be filled with guilt forever if they didn't do something.

Then it was Katniss' yell that they heard. They were fighting back.

"Ok," Taiya nodded. The mutts didn't seem interested in neither her nor Finnick. Maybe that made them safe? But if they got there, and the mutts started attacking them, Taiya would be dragging him right back out.

"I love you," Finnick grabbed her hand and began racing in the same direction the mutts had just run in. "Left or right? Left or right?" Finnick asked for her opinion as they reached a junction.

"Uhh," Taiya hesitated, she had no idea. Then they heard a loud bang, and a shot of fire burst out down the tunnel to their left, sending mutt bodies flying backwards. "Left?" Taiya suggested, but Finnick was already moving in that direction.

Taiya couldn't push back the knot in her stomach that was growing second by second. This didn't seem like it was going to end well. But it was too late to turn back now. She and Finnick had already run into the open area where everyone was fighting.

The space was filled with mutts. Taiya immediately let out a whimper and pressed herself back against the wall.

"Stay there," Finnick looked at her, not breaking away until she nodded. As soon as she did, he was sprinting toward Katniss who was trapped against a wall and about to get mauled to death. Finnick wasted no time in impaling the mutt with his trident, ripping it away from the teenage girl. He made quick work of the two other mutts that were about to lunge at Katniss as well, taking them out before they'd even been able to leap. Nothing was getting past him.

Taiya was working on controlling her hyperventilating whilst she was glued against the wall. She'd never felt so useless in her life. That was until she heard a grunt and looked over to see Peeta being held down by a mutt. It was snapping at him, getting dangerously close to his head. There wasn't much he could do though, he was unarmed and his hands were still cuffed. He was desperately trying to use these cuffs to hold the mutt back, but the mutt's razor-like teeth cut through the straps like butter. Taiya ripped out a knife from her belt and threw it. Her aim was as good as it had always been. It slammed straight into the head of the mutt, killing it instantly. Peeta let out a huff of surprise, he had thought that would be the end for him. The knife ripped out of the mutt's head and sailed across the room, right back into Taiya's hand.

Peeta was stunned. She'd disappeared. He thought she'd been killed. But she was back, looking as terrified as she was earlier, but she'd saved him. She'd saved him yet again.

"Go, go, go, go!" Cressida yelled, racing up to him, yanking him up and pushing him towards the ladder.

"TAIYA!" Peeta screamed at her from the ladder. She couldn't stay stuck to the wall. She had to move.

Hearing his wife's name screamed out, Finnick quickly looked over in terror, expecting to see a mutt about to take her down. But there were none near her, they were just running past, completely uninterested in her. So Finnick redirected his gaze to Peeta who was in the middle of the ladder, holding up Cressida who was trying to climb up after him. The boy wanted her to follow him.

"Taiya!" Finnick yelled. "Go, go, go!" he yelled, waving his arm to signal her to get to the ladder. "I'll follow you."

Her terror-filled eyes were already on him, the knife in her hand shaking with the rest of her body. But still, she nodded. He'd follow her. He wouldn't lie.

She immediately peeled herself off the wall and started running to the ladder.

Finnick heard a screech and turned his head so he could attack another mutt that was attempting to grab Katniss.

It was when he turned his back that he heard the scream.

"NO!"

ShiaraS46: On another site I post this on people were begging for a chapter of Tyler finding out they all died, and I was like yes! But then I went to start writing it and was like that's too sad! I'm thinking of definitely having two one-shot chapters though, I don't want to say exactly what they are yet!

Mim31: J'adore Peeta et Taiya ! Un lien si agréable ! J'espère qu'ils vivront tous les deux...