Her Victory, Their Life| F. Odair

31. Tunnels & Mutts

They waited until morning to move. Finnick finally got Emory to calm down and they all slept.

Emory got up bright and early with the rest as they prepared to head to the subway system to move around the Capitol. It was the safest way to get around the pods. They were every 10 steps, you couldn't move.

They found a way to the tunnels and climbed down a ladder. "My brother knows these tunnels really well," Castor said, gesturing to Pollux. "He worked sanitation down here. Right after they made him an Avox." He walked around the corner and everyone followed him. Castor stopped to talk to him for a second before they headed forward.

Emory was stuck in between Evan and Finnick. Finnick was with Cameron, keeping an eye on Peeta while also doing the same for Emory. Sometimes, he didn't even want to believe she was here. He wanted her back at 13, safe, with their son.

They walked until they heard a train coming and ran for cover. They ran behind a wall and waited for the train to pass. Emory looked around and something caught her eye, "shit," she cursed and Evan looked over. "Cameras." Evan tapped on Gale's shoulder. "We have to go, they know we're here."

He nodded and talked to Katniss and Pollux before they headed forward. He opened a door and they all filed into the worker's tunnels. They climbed down another ladder and came to a catacomb type place that was covered in water.

They walked through a tunnel, following the pipes when they went off, pouring out steam for a few seconds. Everyone ducked and covered their heads in case it was something else.

"Everybody okay?" Jackson asked, calling out.

"Yeah," Katniss called out and they kept moving. The water was getting higher and Emory wished she was in her Quarter Quell suit, at least it was waterproof. If they all didn't get out of the water soon and dry off, they would get trench foot with how long they were in it.

The water got so high it reach over half her body. She was just glad that she was taller than Peeta, it was almost to the top of his shoulders.

They walked further and it drained out to going only to about their knees. It had been hours and everyone was tired. It was hot, they were thirsty and hunger, and it was wet. They came to a ladder with an opening to something that was like a pressure control tank. "All right, everybody," Jackson called. "we're gonna stop here for a bit and get some rest, yeah?" They all nodded as they climbed up the ladder to get out of the water. Emory sighed in relief.

"I'll take first watch."

"Hey, Peeta. Just tuck in there," Finnick gestured to a place so that someone could always see him.

"All right, settle in, everybody." Emory nodded and sat next to Cameron and across from her husband. He smiled at her and gave her a flirty wink, making her giggle. She looked next to her at Evan who made a gagging motion.

"You just wish Haymitch would do the same," she whispered in his ear and he shrugged with a smirk.

"Who says I haven't gotten him already?"

Emory stopped to think before she smirked, "by the fact that the two of you have slept together, but– he hates commitment and probably doesn't want to be tied down by just one person, unlike you." Eavn sighed.

"You think I'll find someone else?" Emory put her hand on his shoulder.

"Definitely."

~

Emory had fallen asleep with her head on her uncle's shoulder. Everyone was peaceful. That was until Katniss went to investigate a noise. Emory gasped awake. Something was wrong. The ground rumbled and she knew something was coming. Sh elooked and saw Katniss gone. She shook her uncle awake and did the same to Evan. "Get up! Get up! Come on!" She went and shook Finnick awake. "Get up!