If Fire Caught

Chapter 25: Katniss

"And I say that River is laid to rest in his home!" I say slamming my hand on the table and standing up. "I will not bury my son with strangers. He will be taken home and buried in the woods where he will be safe."

"Soldier Everdeen," President Coin says. "Stand down."

"That is not my name," I say.

"You are not married by law," Coin says. "Maybe they let you call yourself that in Twelve, but here in thirteen, your name is still Everdeen! It is a waist of money, time, and man power to take you to Twelve to bury a dead child."

"With all do respect, Madam President," Plutarch says. "Maybe letting her see what has been done to Twelve, she'll be more encouraged to think about our offer."

The others don't know I've already decided to be the Mockingjay. I've decided to hold out on telling them as long as I can, to see how much they really need me, wether I'm expendable or not.

"Very well," She says. "Miss Everdeen will be escorted to Twelve and must be accompanied by two others while on the ground." She turns to me. "Is there anyone you'd like to request?"

"Gale Hawthorn and Finnick Odair if he is feeling up to it," I say.

"Very well, you may ask them and meanwhile, we will have your child prepared for burial," Coin says.

"Thank you," I say before leaving and walking down to the hospital wing. I come into the room and see Finnick siting on the edge of his bed, knotting and unknotting a piece rope. "Finnick?" He turns to me but his expression is solum.

"Hey Katniss," he says.

"Coin agreed to let me take River home," I say.

"That's good," he says.

"I'm supposed to find two people to be with me on the ground," I say. "Are you feeling up to that?"

"For you Katniss," he says. "I can be.

"Thank you," I say. "We're leaving soon."

"I'll go see if I can find a uniform," he says standing up. He stops beside me. "You know you remind me so much of my little sister. I won't let what happened to her happen to you." He leaves and I can't help but wonder what he means. The only person that would possibly be able to tell is in the Capitol and even then, I don't think Johanna would tell me anything that Finnick wouldn't say himself.

I walk to the dorms and knock softly on Gale's door. He pops his head out and I can tell he's been crying.

"Katniss?" he asks. "What is it?"

"Coin's letting me go to 12 to bury River. I'm supposed to take two people. Finnick's one. I was hoping you'd be the other," I say.

"Okay," he says. "I'll be right there." He shuffles around inside and comes back out with wearing the standard uniform for 13. "Come on."

We go to the hovercraft and I watch as Finnick carries in a small pine box, sitting down next to me. The three of us sit in silence, the ride very solum. Each of the boys takes one of my hands. It's like they are my two older brothers, reassuring their younger sister that everything will be okay. That they won't let anything happen to me. We land and I walk in front of them, leading them to the spot I picked out in my mind as my son's resting place.

We get beneath a willow tree by the lake and I stop.

"Here," I say, feeling numb," This is where I want to lay him to rest." Gale nods and begins to dig a grave. I slump to the ground and I feel Finnick sit down next to me.

"You're doing a good thing," he says. "Your son deserves to live in the place that his mother felt so at home." I feel myself start to cry and he gently rubs my back. "I know you won't be okay today, or tomorrow or for a while after that even, but one day you will wake up and realize that you're gonna be fine, that life will go on. You'll find that he never left you. That that little boy will always be with you. In your heart."