Ocean Eyes ~Finnick Odair ~

Chapter Eleven

     Both Katniss and Finnick were screaming, Katniss fled from the beach screaming her sister's name, and Finnick was running after Katniss probably trying to stop her from reaching the jungle. She had too much of a headstart for him though and disappeared into the thick greens. 

 The group and I ran after the pair, I begged my feet to run faster and faster but they wouldn't, before I could reach Finnick I slammed into a wall, well an invisible wall.  I was trapped away from Finnick, I started hitting what I had assumed to be some type of forcefield the game makers must put up on the different sections of the jungle. My hands throbbed but I needed to get to Finnick, he didn't deserve this torture. I thought I might break my hands until a pair of arms pulled me away from the 'glass', Johanna.  I tried to get out of her arms trying to fight off the grip she had on me. "It's the Capital doing it, he just has to wait out the hour, you'll be fine, he'll be fine. Just an hour." I listened to her words which I knew to be true and let them sink in a little,   I now had a front-row seat in watching him be tortured by jabber-jays, he was screaming mine and Mags' names until the hour was up.

I didn't notice until then that both Peeta and I were leaning against the wall again until we both came crashing through it.  I scrapped my nails into the ground as I tried to pull myself up and towards Finnick.  Who looked super defeated and as if all the light had been drained for him, I wrapped my arms around him as I finally got to him. "Hey you're okay, it's okay it's over."  My fingers found their way to his hair and started to work on smoothing it out.  Katniss was still in a panic about her little sister, although I understood that fear she had to know that Snow wouldn't do anything to hurt Prim.

Johanna must have had the same thought because soon she was screaming about it, "The whole country loves your sister, if they tortured her or did anything to her forget the districts there would be riots in the damn capital." I looked up at the girl from seven from my spot next to Finnick who had moved so that he was hugging me, his warm body pressed against mine and his strong arms wrapped around my hips.  "Hey! How does that sound Snow?" Johanna started screaming, I was sure this wasn't going to be shown in the capital now.  "What if we...What if we set a fire in your backyard!"  You know you can't put everyone in here!" 

Everyone was looking at Johanna wondering what she was thinking I'm sure, people didn't speak about the Capital let alone Snow like that unless they were asking for punishment.  The dark-haired girl looked at the group, "What?" Johanna asked, "They can't hurt me, there's no one left that I love." She sighed, "I'll go get you some water."  She said looking towards Katniss before stomping off, part of me wanted to go talk to her but I knew that it would be better to leave her alone for the time being.  That and I don't believe that I could get out of Finnick's grasp to do so.  

     Some time passed we were all on the beach again, Finnick and I did some fishing to help calm his mind and I found some oysters and was even able to make a small net and catch a few crabs.  I thought back to the first time I had one of the sea creatures it was during my victory tour when we had our stop in four, the place where I killed both of the tributes.  Someone had to show me how to open the shell as I just sat there looking at the animal, that someone was Finnick.  He of course made jokes while doing so putting on a bubbly and happy show which I would find out soon was just a show. 

Now we are all around the fire Peeta and Katniss had made eating and drinking our fill of water, it was nice almost like just a meal among friends. Not thinking about how we might have to watch any of the others die.  

"I have a plan," Beetee the remaining tribute from three spoke up. "I have a plan," he said again almost making sure that all of us were listening.  "Where do the Careers feel the safest? The jungle?"

"The jungles a nightmare," came Peeta. "Probably here on the beach."

"Then why are they not here?" Beetee said with a matter-of-fact grin, which must have annoyed Johanna because she groaned out. 

"Because we claimed it," the grin on her face grew wider.

"and if we left they would come."  Finnick was once again sliding his arm around me again ever since the jabber-jays he had been even closer than he was before.  If he couldn't touch me he was watching me, every time I glanced at him his eyes were locked on me.  Beetee told us all of his plan, and while I agree that it was a good plan it worried me.  I felt as if this plan was for more than just eliminating the remaining Careers and this was going to be the way that Beetee came up with to get the MockingJay out of the arena, and I had to hope that we were going to be getting out of it as well.  

When I found out that I would be going back into the games I simply gave up, Snow found another way to punish people.  Even though I was supposed to be safe, never to be in another reaping it was all lies.  I just thought that I was coming here to die and there would be no way that I would be coming home the victor of victors. I accepted that I was going to die and that it would be because of Snow and the Hunger Games after feeling safe from them.  I was pissed and hopeless when I arrived in the capital, nothing to live for.  Now though I have Finnick, I always have had Finnick, I just finally noticed it.  

"What do you think about Beetee's plan?" I asked the man from four, trusting him more than myself when it came to these things if I was being honest.  He was good when it came to keeping himself alive, I was good when it came to the combat but less so when it was thinking.  

"I think it is our best chance," I knew being in the games you had to be careful with what you said, never knowing when the Capital would be listening and none of us wanted to alert the Capital about the Rebels' plans on getting as many victors, who were on their side out of here and to 13.  

"We can't split up," I plea looking up at him from where we were sitting, I knew that if we needed to then we would and could.  But I don't think I could do very well not knowing where Finnick was while also trying to keep Katniss and Peeta alive.  I started to think about how grateful I was that I wasn't in love with anyone else who was in my first games.  This was torture and not doing well for my bloodthirsty image. I wondered what the Capital citizens had to say about it, so many of them were always so excited to meet the cold bloodthirsty victor.  I wondered what shocked them more the cold girl turned into the love-sick puppy or the uncatchable golden boy falling in love.  

"I know you'd be worried, but if it's what is for the best then we'll have to split up.  But don't worry princess you won't be able to get away from me too easy." He leaned his head down and pressed his lips to mine, I could tell that the kiss was all for me.  He wasn't doing it to piss the Capital off although it was nice to have this against Snow.  The way that his lips moved with mine and how his hand came up and cupped my cheek while his other wrapped around my lower back to pull me closer so that way I was pressed completely against him.

"Come on Lovebirds!" I heard Johanna shout at Katniss and Peeta, but it snapped me away from the kiss I was sharing with Finnick.  I just hoped that it wasn't going to be the last one.