The Black Widow- A Hunger Games Fanfic

District 2

Nothing much changed over the next few weeks. I wasn't allowed to see Johanna often, but from what Katniss said, she had gotten addicted to morphling and it was bad.
Not that the mockingjay said much anymore. Peeta had seen to that.

By the time her vocal chords had healed enough to talk, District 2 was the last remaining Capitol stronghold. Coin wanted to send her out there to inspire people. And apparently Finnick and I were going too. From the phrasing, I didn't think we had alot of choice in the matter.
It was early morning when I climbed onto the hovercraft with Finnick and Katniss.
"So what's the plan?" Finnick asked Katniss's friend- Gale- who had been sent to collect us,
"We're going to try and shut down the power to the Capitol's bunker- the Nut. The only problem is that it's built right into the mountain.
I gave a small, inappropriate giggle as the phrase 'a tough nut to crack' jumped to mind. Gale gave me a disgusted look. Katniss placed a hand on his arm and his face softened.
Courtesey speaking, I should've felt some sort of gratitude to Gale for going in to save Johanna, but he was a difficult person not to hate. Especially since for some reason, he didn't seem to like me.
The trip to two wasn't long, but it felt like forever. And when we got there, it seemed like it wouldn't be worth it at all. Finnick and I were excluded from the tactics meeting and left to our own devices outside.
"I think this is the first time I've seen District 2 since my Victory Tour," I said,
"You've seen it on TV," Finnick pointed out,
"That doesn't count."
"It's kind of ugly," he said, "4's much prettier. At least we have the sea, and some plants. Here, it's just rock." I nodded,
"Guess that's why all their tributes ended up stone cold." I jabbed at him humourously.
"You're not funny," he said with a smile. I laughed. "I'm serious!" he said through a laugh.
"Hard to believe you when you're laughing."
"I can't help it: your laughs are infectious."
"Like a disease," I suggested, feigning dismay. He grinned,
"No. Much prettier than a disease. I like it when you laugh. I don't hear you laugh often. Not with happiness at least." That was true. When all this was over, maybe I'd make up for lost time.
"Look at me," I said, jokingly, "Twenty four years old and already acting as serious as a fifty year old."
"Twenty five now," Finnick said. I turned to him in surprise, 
"My birthday isn't_" Oh. I hadn't realised so much time had passed since the games.
"Happy birthday," he said with a nervous smile, holding out a small box. Cautiously, I opened it and cried out in joy as I found the most beautiful ring inside. It was a delicate gold band bearing a small pink pearl encased on one side.
"Finnick, it's beautiful. Thank you!"
"It was my mother's," he said breathlessly, "it was her engagement ring." I felt the breath knocked out of me,
"I think you skipped a step," I breathed, staring at the beautiful ring. He shook his head,
"In my head, I've been building to my head for years. I've just never had the courage to tell you. I brought it to the games to wear as my district token and give to you so you'd let me save you, but Haymitch made me wear his gold bangle. He looked after it for me so I could give it to you here. I wrote a poem for you and read it at my interview hoping you'd hear it. It was for you Rosie, it was always you." The words he was telling me swirled through my head and dripped from my eyes as tears. Happy tears. "Rose Gold," he said, getting down on one knee, "Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me."
As soon as he spoke the words, I knew my answer. All the years of jealousy, and unsureness suddenly made sense. I finally had clarity.
"Yes," I whispered.
Finnick's eyes filled with tears and he rose back up to my level, slipping the ring onto my finger.
"I love you."
"I love you too," I replied. And then I reached up and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I wrapped mine around my neck as we kissed.
I had never before kissed someone that I loved. I had never felt the warmth of someones' lips on mine and liked it. But now, I wanted to hold him close and never let go.
And I would never have to.
It would just be me and him.
Just us.
Forever.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finnick didn't let go of my hand the whole time we walked back or when we rejoined the group. No-one asked us where we'd been but they all knew. We got congratulations from Haymitch, who had known about the ring, but that was it.
I preferred it that way. This thing between us still felt so new and fragile that I was worried someone would come along and break it. I couldn't even remember the last time I had been happy like this.

"Are you ready to start moving?" our team leader asked. We nodded, hands still clasped. We followed him out into the open, where the refugees would come through. Katniss was already suited up and ready.
"Rose we need you to stay here near the back," the leader- Boggs- said, "With your blackouts, its still too risky to have you near any danger."
"Then I'm staying with her," Finnick announced, "What was the point of bringing us if you didn't really need us here?"
"We do need you," Boggs said, "But we need one victor to be there and take over from Katniss out there and one to appear on screens just in case and that has to be Rose because there's no person with more than three braincells who would clear her for the field."
Neither of us liked it, but eventually we agreed.

Not long after Finnick left, the refugees poured out into the square. Katniss rushed forward and began to calm them. I couldn't hear her until the broadcast started,
"That's why I killed Cato. And Cato killed Thresh. And Thresh killed Clove. You may not be his slave, but I am." The man seemed to ease. The mood in the square calmed. I breathed a sigh of relief. Until I saw one of the soldiers sneak away.
Where was he going?
Curiosity overpowering reason, I followed the man as he began to slip around the crowds and into a building behind them. What was he doing.
When we arrived, a sniper station was set up in the window. The man didn't seem to think twice before walking over and training the rifle on someone in the distance.
Katniss.
He focused, aiming towards her head.
I rushed at him as he squeezed the trigger.
And the bullet hit her dead in the chest.
The mockingjay crumbed and the man turned to me with fury.
"What have you done?" he seethed.
"I just saved Katniss Everdeen's life," I told him.
"And ended your own," he said, aiming the rifle at my face.
"You won't kill me."
His face scrunched in confusion, 
"And what the fuck's going to stop me from putting a bullet right through your head."
"You need me."
"She's right," said another voice coming in behind me out of the shadows. I spun and saw Nikolas Creed- Snow's favourite general and one of my most regular 'clients'- emerging from the doorframe behind me. "The Capitol needs the endorsement of a famous victor. Especially one who had been so rebellious." No. I couldn't go back to the Capitol. Not now. Only torture or death awaited me there.
I was finally happy. Why was it too much to ask for me to live out the rest of my days in peace. With Finnick. We could've had a nice wedding. A nice life. Lived in a nice house somewhere far away from the Capitol, where we could forget what they did to us. Forget all the death. Forget all the pain. Forget all the suffering.
Instead they were going to drag me back.
No. I wouldn't let them.
Without any warning, I bolted past Nikolas and sprinted out into the square. It was in full on chaos. People fighting. Guns firing. Dust rising. Blood falling.
Electricity crackling.
No, not now. Not now when I was close.
But I had no control.
And the electricity in my neck sparked one more time before I passed out.