I was 4 years old when my mum and dad first moved to the Capitol. They were good friends with Finnick's parents, and so they dropped me off at the Odair's for months together, coming back home to occasionally check up on me. When the horrible disaster of the fishing boat took place the following year, Finnick and I, still too young to understand the terrors of the real world, were left with a fully furnished house but an empty home. Mags raised us like we were her own grandchildren. We grew up together. We met the Cresta family a little while later, and despite the fact that Finn and I were inseparable, we included Newt and Annie into our little group and played and laughed together, all day, everyday. Then the games happened. Finnick was thrown around by the Capitol as a sex slave and he let them do it in order to protect us, to protect me.

I was 12 years old when Newt was taken into the games and Finnick held me all day and night as I cried, hoping the British accented boy would make it back.

I was 14 years old when we were playing by a small cliff when I tripped and nearly fell, and would have fallen into the ocean if Finnick hadn't yanked me by my collar and pulled me to safety. We made a deal that he wouldn't tell Newt about my carelessness (I would've gotten an earful of scoldings from the protective, brown eyed boy if he had), in exchange for me baking him a loaf of district 4's signature bread.

I never noticed how he would always pretend to not like chocolates, only to give me his share, making me giddy with joy.

I was 18 years old when I was selected as a tribute. It was Finnick who advised Newt how to pick the right sponsors for my games. It was Finnick who comforted me when I had nightmares for the first few weeks I was back home. It was him who reminded me that he was my family after Snow killed my parents.

But now I watched with horror as the mutts closed in on him and he was outnumbered with only a small knife as a weapon. A knife that I gave him, just in case something went wrong, like for this very situation. It was the same knife I carried with me through both my Games.

Beside me, the once calm and collected Newt was panicking. His breathing was heavy, eyes wide and mouth agape as he muttered incoherently. I could only make out words like 'Annie', 'He can't die', 'For her', 'For them'

"Newt!" I exclaimed, his attention snapping back to me.

He grabbed my vest with shaky hands and said, "(Y/n), we can't let him die. She needs him! They need him!"

"Who's they?!" I nearly yelled, frustrated. We had no time for this. Katniss's eyes darted between the two of us and Finnick who was now cornered against the ladder as he tried to climb but the mutts kept pulling him back.

"ANNIE'S PREGNANT!" He yelled suddenly.

For a second, the world went still. I tore my gaze away from Newt and looked down at Finnick as he struggled against the mutts who had him pinned down. He screamed in pain. I didn't want him to be in pain. I couldn't handle it.

He was 24 years old when we were put together in the arena for the Quarter Quell, and if it wasn't for the rebels' plan of breaking out, he would've done everything in his power to make sure I made it out alive. Even if it meant sacrificing his life for me.

Only a few weeks back he got married to the woman he was in love with. He had just turned 25 and he still needed to live his life. And now he was going to have a baby.

Newt had tears streaming down his cheeks. "We can't let Finnick die, he is going to be a father-"

I didn't wait for another second as I turned around, pulled out my gun and aimed. Precision. That's what I excelled at. Boggs said so himself. I had 7 bullets left and I used each one of them to kill the mutts that were directly over Finn. He was now fully pulled into the water, his arms flailing above the surface.

And after all he had done for me, all the times he was there for me, all the times he saved my life, I wouldn't hesitate to make a deal with the devil himself to make sure that Finnick Odair would be okay.

"On my word, detonate the Holo."

I threw my gun away, clutched my spear and jumped down the hole, completely ignoring Newt and Katniss's screams. The mutts grabbed at me, their long sharp talons piercing through my skin. I didn't care about that. I needed to save Finnick. That's all that mattered. Pain ran through every fibre of my body as I fought against them with all my remaining strength and at the same time I tried to push Finnick's battered, half unconscious body through the water and towards the ladder. Newt reached down from top and I hauled Finn's body with a grunt over the first step, and Newt managed to get a hold of his arm, and with the help of Katniss, they started pulling him up. The mutts nearly managed to drag my body back into the water, but I never let go of the ladder.

My arms were on fire. My legs burned with every snatch they made at me. My body screamed for it to be over.

The lizards were beginning to climb the metal structure and I couldn't let them get to Newt and Finnick. And so I yelled, "NOW!"

It went by like a blur. I heard her whisper 'Nightlock, Nightlock, Nightlock'. I remember a pair of human hands holding onto me and that's when I felt soldering heat near my feet and the pain in my arms as I was yanked up. A loud screeching thud of the metal latch being closed was heard before the small explosion.

Black spots clouded my vision but I fought against it as I looked around. And there he was. Finnick Odair, his blond hair matted red and face scrunched up in pain as he clutched high left leg, blood starting to pool beneath it. But he was breathing. He was alive.

I was momentarily deaf as my ears were ringing. I closed my eyes and panted heavily, wanting to succumb to the sleep that was trying to reach me. I felt someone pat my cheeks lightly to wake me up. Once Newt was sure I had no fatal injuries, he went back to tend to Finn. He ripped the already torn cloth from Finnick's leg and Katniss handed him one of her arrows and they wrapped a tourniquet beneath his knee. Gale and Newt each took an arm and hung Finnick over their shoulder. "Cressida," Newt said, his voice hoarse. "Get (Y/n), don't leave her behind."

"Got it." I felt her cup my face in her palms and her voice was soft when she spoke to me. "C'mon (Y/n), we need to get going, we don't have time. Just a little further and we will make it."

But I couldn't move, every last bit of my energy was drained out. I was so tired that I couldn't wipe the blood off my face when it began to drip into my eyes.

She and Pollux lifted me to my feet and carried me the way Newt and Gale carried Finnick. I stumbled over my feet everytime I tried to run along with them as I kept fighting to stay conscious.

The pain was blinding.

I saw orange pillars and peacekeepers shooting at us, I didn't remember if I was hit by a bullet or not. I felt numb. There were sudden beams of light and Messalla walked right into one. His body obliterated into dust.

"Keep going!" Katniss shouted.

We dodged the beams and then the floors started to crumble beneath our feet as we ran as fast as we could. We somehow managed to escape the terror of the pods. Once we crossed it, we came to a stop by the staircase and Cressida and Pollux let me down onto the floor slowly, their faces not betraying the pain of tired and sore muscles.

I sighed as the cold tiles gave some relief to my aching body. I felt blood drip down the side of my head and from the cuts in my arms and legs. I looked down at my legs, my boots completely burned off due to the blast of the Holo and my feet were blistered badly.

Thank heavens for Dyl making this suit fireproof. I would've been burned alive if it wasn't.

They propped up Finnick beside me, but I couldn't make myself look at his injury, the quantity of blood indicated that it was a terrible one. I would've vomited if I did, but I didn't have the energy for it.

"(Y/n), any major pain?" Newt asked, his palm cradling my cheek.

"Everywhere." I said honestly. "But nothing life threatening, I'll be fine. Focus on Finn."

"Okay." He nodded, collecting his thoughts. He looked at Gale and said, "We need to get Finnick a doctor right now. He won't last another hour with the amount of blood he's lost."

"Not sure where we're gonna find one now, but Katniss's mother is a professional." He said. "If we can find some medical supplies I'm sure we can handle it for a few more hours."

"Let's get going." Katniss said, Peeta close behind her. I gained enough strength to stand on my own feet, and with Pollux's help, I could manage a run.

"I know where we are! I know a place. Up those stairs." Cressida pointed and we ran behind her, Newt and Gale at the back with Finnick in their arms. We climbed up a flight of stairs and finally came back to level ground. I breathed in the fresh air in bliss. Cressida kept encouraging us to keep going. We turned down a few lanes and ran along the pavement before we stopped in front of a grimy storefront filled with mannequins in furry underwear. She frantically knocked on the door and a few moments later, someone opened it and we immediately pushed our way inside, locking the door behind us. I slumped onto the floor and looked at the owner of the place.

She was an extreme example of surgical enhancement gone wrong. Her skin had been pulled back tightly and tattooed with black and gold stripes and her nose had been flattened until it barely existed. Long cat whiskers protruded from her cheeks and the result was a grotesque, semi-feline mask, which now squinted at us distrustfully.

"Tigris, do you remember me? I'm with Plutarch's underground. We need your help."

She pondered for a few moments before silently nodding and walking towards the back of the shop, her golden robes fluttering behind her. She moved a square mat from its place to reveal a trap door. Upon opening it, we saw a few steps lead down into the store room. It wasn't much, but it was all we had.

"I know you. You were a stylist in the Games." Katniss noted.

Tigris looked at her with imploring yellow eyes and shrugged. "Until Snow decided I wasn't pretty enough anymore."

"I'm here to kill him." That caused a small smile to light up her face.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt, but some of us are dying over here." I said, nodding towards Finnick. The simple movement of my head made it feel like it was going to explode and I winced.

"Take him down there, I'll be back with some supplies."

I limped my way down and looked around the dark storage area. It was a small cellar with no doors or windows. Shallow and wide. I dropped onto a pile of fur coats, my muscles relaxing and I sighed again in relief.

Cressida and Pollux made a bed of pelts and helped Finnick onto his back. At the end of the cellar, there was a faucet about a foot from the floor with a drain under it. Katniss turned the tap and, after much sputtering and a lot of rust, clear water began to flow.

We got the first aid kit and Newt and Katniss worked on Finnick's wounds. I wanted to ask if I could help, I needed to know if he'd be okay. I was about to move when Gale placed a hand on my shoulders and pushed me back. "Don't." He whispered. "You're exhausted. Just take some rest, we're safe here. Odair will be okay."

I couldn't bring myself to argue. After sparing one last glance at Newt, I closed my eyes and it took less than a few seconds for me to surrender to the soft fur beneath me and into a deep sleep.

*****

I slept until it was late afternoon the next day. Everyone except for Newt, Peeta and Gale were asleep. A mild throb lingered in my head and my muscles still ached, considerably more than the previous day's events.

They did say it gets worse before it gets better.

I looked down at my bandaged hands and legs, and felt another one tied around my head.

Noticing that I finally woke up, Newt leaned down in front of me, a tired smile on his face, a can of soup in his hands. "How're you doing?"

"I've been better." I said. My throat felt like I gargled sand. "What about you? You okay?"

"I got lucky." He made himself comfortable beside me and I leaned my head against his shoulder. "Cressida took care of your injuries. You'll need a lot of stitches when we get some professional help, but the bandages will hold good till then."

"Remind me to thank her later. And Finn?"

"He hasn't woken up yet, but he's stable. For now. We cleaned his wounds and stitched him up. I'm just scared that his leg might get infected. Worst case he might need an amputation." He sighed.

I looked over at his sleeping form to see most of his body was wrapped up in gauzes, a spot of blood seeping through on his leg.

"At least he's breathing." Newt hummed in reply.

He opened the can of soup and held it out, but when I tried reaching for it, the ache in my arms multiplied tenfold and I groaned in pain. "Okay, I lied. Everything still hurts like crap. I can't move."

"Alright, alright, don't do anything. Just rest." He brought the can up to my mouth and slightly tipped it against my lips and I gulped down the content slowly. Once I was done, I drank some water and leaned back against the fur coats.

"So," I said, taking in a deep breath. "Annie's pregnant."

"She is." He mumbled.

"When did you know?"

"A day before I left 13 to come here."

I let out a sigh. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

"She knew Finnick would be in a dilemma whether to go back to her or to continue fighting. If he chose to go back, he'd feel guilty for the rest of his life for not helping, doesn't matter if we won or lost. And if he stayed in the warzone, he wouldn't be in the right headspace. He'd keep thinking about her and the baby and that would've been a liability. Annie made me promise not to tell either of you. And that's why I came to the Capitol. To help and to make sure neither of you died."

"Glad that worked out."

"You're the reason he is alive. If you hadn't jumped in, the mutts would've ripped him apart. I didn't do anything, I only slowed us down."

"No, you didn't." I was quick to reassure. "The mutts might have ripped my face off if you hadn't pulled me back and Finn would have bled to death if his leg wasn't treated right. Stop giving yourself a tough time. We were put into a situation we had no control over. Let's just put it behind us and move forward, okay?"

His lips were pulled into a tight line as he nodded. We let silence envelope us as we reflected upon our thoughts. "What's our next move?" I asked.

He snorted. "You, (Y/n), are going to do nothing except focus on recovering. We haven't assessed the damage on your body yet, it's like you've been painted red and purple with bruises. You might've broken a few dozen bones for all we know. It's highly likely."

"But we haven't won. Snow isn't dead yet." I whined.

"Yes, but we've finished playing our part in this war. Don't push your limits more than you already have. I'm so thankful and proud of you for saving Finnick's life but now it's time to take a break and heal. Your body can't take anymore."

Knowing that he was right, I grumbled out a 'fine' causing him to chuckle and place a kiss on the side of my head, making sure to avoid any wounds. I let the exhaustion pull me into a comfortable oblivion once more, feeling safe in Newt's arms.

*****

"Hey, sleepy head." I said, a smile tugging at my lips when I saw Finnick's sea green eyes flutter open. He had woken up once before, but that was only due to the pain. At the time, he wasn't completely conscious, just groaned and murmured incoherently until Newt gave him some painkillers. He went out like a light after that. Newt decided to place me on watch duty since I wasn't moving around myself. But now when he woke up, his head was not in the clouds of misery, but down to earth with the rest of us. "Newt!" I called out. "Finn's awake."

Finnick placed his hand on his throat, face scrunching up in pain as he said, "Water", in a gravelly voice.

Newt crouched down in front of him and placed the opening of a water bottle in front of Finn's lips, the latter slowly slipping the water, grimacing while swallowing. "How're you feeling, mate?" Newt asked.

"Like shit. What happened?"

"The Mutts got to you. I played hero and saved you." I said simply. He raised his eyebrows with a flat look on his face to which I shrugged.

"I'm assuming since you're not writhing in agony, the painkillers are working?"

"I guess." He replied, looking down at his bandaged legs. "How long was I out for?"

"A day. Although, I expected you to be in dreamland for a little longer. You went through a lot." Newt said, proceeding to shift around the pelts to make sure Finnick wasn't experiencing any more discomfort than he already was.

"Where are we now?"

"In a cellar of a clothing shop, hiding from the Capitol. We're gonna get you home as soon as possible. I've been disinfecting your wound every once in a while. The bleeding has considerably slowed down but..."

"But?"

"It's bad, Finn." Newt whispered. "The Mutts clawed it up pretty badly. We need to get you to a hospital soon. I don't want to go into the details, but unfortunately it isn't a nice sight."

A small smile played on Finnick's lips. "Oh, how will I ever go without looking pretty anymore." He sighed dramatically.

"You'll survive." I laughed, but soon winced by the action and clutched my ribs. Even laughing felt like being hit by a hundred sledgehammers.

Okay, maybe I've cracked a rib or two.

Once again the chime of the Capitol's tune was heard and the words 'Mandatory Viewing' popped up onto a hologram on top of one of the work desks in the room. Katniss, Gale, Peeta, Pollux, Cressida and Newt gathered in front of it, while Finnick and I watched from where we were.

"To all the Capitol citizens more than a half mile outside the city circle," President Snow spoke and a new, stronger hatred swirled around my head when I saw the face of that man. "I am announcing a mandatory evacuation. Come to the mansion. I am promising you shelter and sanctuary. All refugees, come to my home. There you will be provided with food, medicine, safety for your children, and you will have my solemn oath to protect you until my dying breath."

"Wish he'd hurry up with that last path." I said under my breath, causing Finnick to chuckle. I smiled, happy to just hear Finn's voice.

"Our enemies are not like us." Snow continued. "They do not share our values. They have never known our comfort and our sophistication. And they despise us for it. Make no mistake. They are not coming to liberate us. They are coming to destroy our way of life. They are coming to bury us." The hologram went away.

"Is he still in the mansion?" Katniss asked. "Peeta?"

"Yeah." The blond mumbled. "I recognise the room."

"Where's that?"

"About five blocks away. We're right here. Off the avenues. Mansion's here." Cressida said pointing to a map.

"What about the pods?"

"Well, they'll probably deactivate the pods around here for the resident's safety."

Katniss nodded slowly. "That could work. I could get close enough."

"Every peacekeeper is going to be waiting. Next to our faces on every billboard."

"Snow's offering shelter to all the refugees. We've got to take the chance."

Cressida thought