Protect me ⚔️ Finnick Odair

Nineteen

"Hope is the one thing that can help us get through the darkest of times."

Unknown

Bree looked up when she heard the sound of a knock on her door.

Finnick had to go, as he had been summoned by Coin to film a prop. He had offered for Bree to come with him, but she didn't want to. Something about Coin still put her on edge. She didn't want to be around her, as she knew where Coin was. Hevensvee would not be far behind, and she definitely did not want to be around Hevensbee if she could avoid it.

So, instead, Bree had elected to stay back in her and Finnick's room, hiding from the rest of the world.

But at the sound of a knock on her door, Bree looked up, apprehensive to see who would come through the door.

"Come in," Bree called cautiously. Her guard automatically up.

Except the door opened to her parents.

"Hello darling," her Mum smiled, walking into the room

"Finnick told us he had to go, but he figured you may want some company while he was gone." her Dad explained. Stepping into the room

Bree smiled. Of course, she wanted her parents.

Bree smiled at her parents. Moving along the bed so they could join her where she sat.

Valerie came to sit with her. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder while her Dad elected to sit on the chair opposite the two of them.

"How are you feeling," Valerie asked softly.

"Better," Bree murmured. Not particle wanting to elaborate on what better meant.

"That's good," Leo smiled. Both her parents knew better than to ask what better really meant. But they knew better was good, so they would take anything they could get. They loved their daughter and just wanted her to be happy and safe.

"What do you want to do?" Leo asked.

"Could we go for a walk?" Bree asked softly. She was starting to feel a bit trapped, but she didn't want to go out on her own.

"Of course," Valerie beamed, leaping to her feet as she extended her hands, helping to pull Bree to her feet.

Together, they all headed out of the Odair's quarters.

Bree let her parents lead them as they went out for a walk around District 13.

Valerie and Leos hearts broke seeing their little girl like this. They just wanted to help her. They wanted to put all her broken pieces together and take her hurt. But there was nothing that they could do.

Although they hated the games, the one good thing about the games was that at least they knew what had happened to Bree. Knew they could watch, no matter how much it pained them. So they could know that she was still alive. They could know how to best help her when she hot out. Knowing what she went through, they should avoid talking to her about it.

But when the capital had taken her for the first time, they had truly been left in the dark. They had no way of knowing what had happened to their daughter, no way of knowing what state she was in, no way of knowing what the capital had done to her.

All they knew was that a shell of a person had returned to them after Snow had enacted unimaginable horrers to her. Breaking not just her body but also her soul.

But all Brees's parents could do was to be there for her when she needed them.

Even if, for now, that just meant taking Bree for a walk around District 13, they made ideal chatter, all skirting around what had happened to Bree and what their future held. Neither one wanted to mention it, but they were all together, so it was okay.

They could bask in each other's company for now. They didn't need to start talking about it yet. At first, they had to survive the invasion of the capital. Bree had to get past Snow first before she could think about fully healing herself, as there was no way she could heal herself knowing that Snow was still around to undo all of the progress that she had made.

✯⚔️✯

When Finnick walked into his room, he did not expect to see Brees's parents sitting waiting for him.

"Is Bree okay?" Finnick asked hurriedly. Lrhsing towards them.

"Bree is fine," Brees's mum assured him, reaching out a calm hand towards him. "Everyone is okay, and everything is fine."

"We are here for you," Leo explained, putting a comforting hand on Finnick's shoulder. We wanted to make sure that you were okay.

Finnick deflated at that.

"I don't know," he murmured. I know that I am doing better than Bree. But I still struggle. There are days when I constantly feel like I am being watched, like I'm still somehow in the games, and no one has told me. I feel like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop, perpetually on edge. But it's better when Bree is around. If I can see Bree, then at least I know that she is safe, that I can protect her."

Brees's mum pulled Finnick into a hug, rubbing soothing circles on his back.

"We are here for you." She soothed. "You don't have to bottle it up. I know you are trying to protect Bree. But we are here for you as well."

"Thank you." Finnick mrumerd into her shoulder.

"We are your family, too." Bree's Dad reminded him. Also wrapped his arms around Finnicks shoulder.

When Bree re-entered her room, she was not expecting to see Finnick being wrapped up in a hug by her parents. Standing by the door, Bree didn't quite know what to do.

Turning, she went to leave and to let them have a moment. But as if sensing her mere presence, one of Finnick's eyes opened, searching her out.

The moment he spotted her, still standing unsurely by the door, he extended an arm to her, his movement alerting her parents to her presence.

Cauitilsy Bree approached them. Taking Finnicks offered hand and letting him pull her into his hold.

Smother by not just his love but also by her parents' love.

The four of them just clung to each other for a while. Things were not as bad as they had been, but there was still a long way to go before everything was okay in the world. They just needed to carry on putting one foot in front of the other.