If we burn } Finnick Odair

Chapter 2 ~interviews are a little different now~

It's been a few days by now. I don't know how many, but it's been at least 3 right? Maybe a week. I haven't eaten once, other than the occasional water. This makes me realize what they want to do. They don't want to kill me. They want to weaken me until they get what they want. After that? Yeah, I'm a goner.

I hear my door knob jiggle. The best part of my day. I love making them realize I'm not weak. They try the Jabberjay technique everyday. I'm not going to tell them I know where Finnick is and that they're not going to scare me using some false recording of his voice.

"Daphne you have 4 clients today." My face turns pale. "What?" "You have four clients." "Yeah no I don't because here's what's really funny here you have nobody to hold me to. Finnick and Mags are nowhere to be found. You think by doing stuff like this I'll tell you where they are when the truth is I don't even know myself."

I love gaslighting them.

"Okay, on other request you are to appear tonight with Ceasar for everyone to see including your friends wherever they're hiding." Finnick will know I'm alive. I smile. "But you have to say everything you're told to say or there WILL be consequences." "Deal what do I have to say?" "How you feel betrayed." My smile drops. "What?" "You claim you didn't know about this plan. Finnick betrayed you by not telling you. Now you're here as we slowly find the best kind of treatment for you while he's safe and sound. If what you say is true I'm sure you'll have no problem with this." "Not one bit."

I know Finnick, Haymitch, and probably Mags will know my tricks. I'm not worried. Why should I be?

That evening I'm taken to be cleaned up. Not by Rowan. They probably killed him. I know they killed Cinna before the games. I knew they would as soon as Katniss's wedding dress went up into flames. My dress is white going down to my ankles. It's hideous really. Nothing compared to what I've been in before. Even my pre-games look was better than this. My hair is curled into waves down my back. It often is for stuff like this. It's simple. I see Johanna and Peeta. I smile when I see them. Peeta looks terrified. Johanna looks madder than ever with a blonde wig on. She really wasn't kidding when she said she was bald.

"Hey guys." "Did you know?" Peeta asks. "Know what?" "About the plan they're asking about." I shake my head no. I can't have Peeta snitching on us. He's not him right now. I can't explain it. Is he slimmer? Paler? He looks furious. Aren't we all?

"Presented to you First Ladies and gentlemen from District 4 miss Daphne Elsher!"
I hear Caesar announce. I sigh putting a smile on my face waving to people. Please be watching Finnick.

Finnick's pov

"Presented to you First Ladies and gentlemen from District 4 Miss Daphne Elsher!" Of course the first day I walk out of my room some news comes. My eyes snap up as soon as I hear her name. She's alive. She's actually alive. She walks out in a white dress smiling and waving.

She's smaller. Paler. Her perfect District 4 tan is nowhere to be found. In fact, the white she has on even washes her out. Her blue eyes even with her smile are so tired and dull.

"It's wonderful having you back Daphne. I bet you thought you'd never sit in this seat again did you?" "No Caesar I didn't. I really thought I'd die in the games this time around. I didn't want to make it out without Finnick." "Speaking of Finnick, did he tell you about this said escape plan?"

Her eyes look at the screen and well up with tears.Them mentioning my name triggered something.

"No, no he didn't." "You cut out Katniss's tracker in the end why is that?" "I noticed when we were spinning in the arena on the cornucopia the gamemakers were after her. They stopped the spinning as soon as she fell in the water. I wanted to see what they'd do after that."

I'm honestly amazed at how quick she came up with that one.

"What would you say to Finnick if he were here or watching right now." I feel her face change. She hesitates. "Why didn't you tell me? Why would you possibly think keeping something like that from me? We've never had any kind of secret like this before. I really thought all of these years actually meant something to you..like they did to me. But clearly they didn't." Tears are running down her face. Some fake some real. It's obvious to me. No-one else. I would be crying if she truly meant what she said. But I know she's trying to stay alive and keep us alive. I'm so proud of her.

Daphne's pov

I know the capital and Caesar believed my sob story. The stutter at the beginning almost made me laugh if I weren't so focused on survival. Was it enough to convince Snow? probably not on the stage. He has cameras everywhere. Instead of wiping my tears I decide to shed some more. Maybe he'll actually think what I want him to think.

It wan't hard to fake crying. Just think of Finnick. I find myself not even sobbing fake tears. These were real. They were how much I miss him. I hope he seen this. I hope they all did. Finnick needed to more than anybody. It was kind of like a "I'm alive someone please come get me."

They don't even put Johanna on. "Why did they pretty you up if they wont interview you?" "They're scared of what I'll say. They're not scared of you or Peeta." "Dang Jo, hurt me there." I laugh. I have no idea how I'm laughing at time like this. Honestly, I think it's just so I don't break more than I already am.

We watch Peeta's interview. It's all fine really. Until he calls for a cease fire. Johanna and I look at one another. District 13 is going to go absolutely feral. They'll think we can't be trusted now. Then they wouldn't even save us. A part of me wants to scream at Peeta. "What is wrong with you? Don't mention anything about not being on their side they'll cancel everything we've worked for." But I'm not even supposed to tell him the real plan.

He comes off stage wiping his eyes. The difference between his tears and mine are his are all genuine. He misses Katniss and really doesn't understand anything of what's going on. I feel for him I really do. The capital's sick. They're holding us for ransom just as their bait hoping the rebels will do anything to get us back. That's a similarity between the the rebels and the capital. They don't care who gets hurt as long as they're in power at the end of the day. At least the rebels have a reasoning.

We're taken to a setting. President Snow sits on th thrown in the room. "I want them beside me." "Why to show that we're on your side?" I ask. Peeta takes a quick glance in me. He shouldn't be shocked he's seen me in the games. He shouldn't be shocked if Johanna said it either. Neither of us care now. I was more reserved until I found out Finnick and Mags were safe. They have nothing against me now. They pose us. Are we expected to smile too? I look at Peeta and Johanna. They're not smiling. I wont either. I love looking intimidating.

Finnick's pov

Peeta broke the fourth wall shocking I know. Asking for a cease fire. That poor kid. He was never cut out for this kind of life. But him being alive is kind of what started this in the first place.

I know Katniss was doing it just to slap the capital in the face. I don't think any of us knew that it would play out like it is. A part of me wonders if maybe they came up with the idea for the quarter quell recently. That it was never truly meant for the victors to have it out. I mean think about it. Nothing about the quarter quells have ever had anything to do with the victors. 25th the districts picked their tributes, 50th double the tributes? If it were really written in that long ago they probably thought "Well we'd have enough victors for each district by then to just have them play this little thing we call a game again" And that doesn't sound very capital of them.

Now having us back in the games I wouldn't expect anything less. The timing is what really gets me. Brave district 12 of all districts girl defy's the capital by not taking her district partners life instead tries ending both of their lives so the capital doesn't have a winner. And they make us all go back the next year? What makes me laugh is how Snow announced it not so long ago. "As a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them can't overcome the power of the capital." How did the people in charge almost a century ago know we would be rebelling that year. I don't know it all just sounds pretty funny to me.

Well I hope they're happy because right now they're winning and unless District 13 can save the rest of our team then there will be no victory.

AN- trying to keep the right timing in check is actually really hard but we're slaying it's fine