All for what? -A Finnick Odair x OC fic

Twenty-Two

      The hours passed by slowly. The heat making each breath I take miserable. Finnick and I take a short walk to the water, cooling off but never staying for long, never knowing what could come next. The night passed on with neither of us getting any sleep, we spent the time holding on to one another, no matter how much worse it made the heat. 

  I would hear bits and pieces of Katniss and Peeta speaking with eachother sometimes. Once Johanna stood and made her way into the woods, just brief enough that none of us came to follow. It wasn't until the next morning that I began to miss the calmness of the night. 

  "HELP ME!"

    "KATNISS, HELP ME!" 

    Katniss Everdeen was on her feet and into the woods before I or anyone else had a chance to grab her. The sound didn't make any sense though, it was her sister's voice. I had no time to question the sounds before Annie's and Magg's screams joined those of Primrose in the air. Finnick and I shared a glance as we ran towards them, cursing at the sky. 

   I drew my knife, slinging it into a nearby bird, and the sound stopped. After a moment, we were surrounded by birds, their bodies bouncing off of us as they fly so near, their chirps being the screams of our loved ones. 

  Finnick grabs my hand as the mutts surround us, pulling me away as the beaks slash against my arms. I scream, remembering the chunk taken from my arm in my games. I remember how Eva sounded as she was eaten alive by the birds. Finnick guides me through, but then halts. He smacks against an invisible wall, a non electric field, and I follow him to the ground as he falls. 

  His arms wrap around me, holding me against his chest. He places my hands over my ears, leans over me and blocks his own hearing. He shields me from seeing the birds, but I know they are surrounding us. The next hour is days long. By the time Beetee is pulling my hands off of my ears, I hadn't even notice Finnick sitting a few feet from me, looking at his hands as if they were what had heard the birds for the past hours. 

   Beetee stares at me, waiting on me to say something I suppose, but I just stare back at him. Finally, Katniss joins us and reaches a hand towards mine. She helps me off the ground, then asks, "Was that your mom?"

  I shake my head, "No, not really. Maggs actually, she won the 11th games, and Annie, the girl who won a few years after Finn and I."

   She places a hand on mine for just a second before rejoining Peeta. Beetee follows her and I make my way to Finnick and Johanna. I lower myself down to Finnick, placing my hand gently on his face, "We're okay."

  "They-"

  "They're okay," I look into his eyes, making the silent promise I know that I don't know to be true. It needs to be true, for us, for now at least. 

  "Ivy-"

  "Yeah?" I halt, readjusting myself to a sitting position. 

  "I slept with Annie," his hand is on mine, our faces are so close together I can feel his ragged breath, but I cannot say that I hear him anymore. 

   I swallow, forcing back whatever emotions are rushing through me. I stand, "Okay."

  "Years ago, you were an alcoholic, and I- That's no excuse but I-," I glance away from him to everyone else, Johanna is the only one looking and it is with pity. 

   I turn to rejoin the group once more, Finnick continues, "Ivy, say something-"

  "We need to join the group, there's a game to win," I whisper-shout at him. 

    By the time I make it back to everyone there is a plan in place to go to the cornucopia and retrieve a wire designed by Beetee. He wishes to use the wire to fry everyone on the beach with the lightening that strikes each hour. We make a promise to keep Beetee alive until then and after that, we are on our own. 

     At least one of us need to be on the side of the Mockingjay before this goes down, but how?