Spark to Flame: A Finniss Story

Pt IV: Draft to Breeze

Life in District 2 is not at all what Katniss expects.

She expected fighting and shooting and explosions and battle, not visiting the wounded and recording propos and helping families catch dinner. She wants to say that she's disappointed with the lack of action going on around her – after all, she had begged Plutarch to send her here so she could be distracted with work related to the rebellion, not menial tasks like de-feathering birds – but in all honesty she's actually glad for it, thankful that she's been allowed some peace and tranquility for once in her hectic life.

Katniss looks up from her task of gutting the deer she had killed earlier in the day, taking in her surroundings.

Lush evergreen trees and fallen leaves greet her at every corner as she sits next to the campfire. She could hear the calls of various birds and animals ringing out through the forest, and not a single scream or gunshot could be heard for miles. The deer she was preparing was meant as a 'thank you' gift for the family she was staying with, one of the few groups of souls kind enough to take her and her propo team in during their stay in Two.

She closes her eyes and breathes in, taking in the subtle scent of pine trees and nature.

She had truly missed this about her home; the natural colors of tree bark and grass, the sounds of birds and crickets, the smell of wild herbs and fresh air, the inner sense of peace it brought her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt it, felt at home. The Capitol's need for concrete and vibrant colors and computer-controlled lifestyles where everything was available at the touch of a button had scarcely been a vacation, and in her mind her hunting trip with Gale all those weeks ago didn't count because the woods and wilderness outside District 13 were dead and broken, hardly as real and alive as she felt now.

She had been here for a couple of weeks now, and the only technology she handled nowadays was the video call device Plutarch used to contact her. She didn't know why, but for some reason the gamemaker felt he needed to let her know how Peeta was doing, even though no true progress was being made. He called every day without fail, telling her how they were trying all these new things and that he really thought Annie was getting through to him, and how they all missed her.

Finnick was a sensitive subject, and Plutarch knew better than to breach it with every call he made, but every now and then he'd mention how he was doing, always alluding to the fact that he was miserable without her. She knew better than to believe this, of course, but there was still some part of her that held out hope. And maybe, when she returned to District 13, she would be brave and strong enough to sit down and talk with him about it. About them. About Peeta. About Annie. Maybe they could mend some of what they had...

Katniss blinks her eyes and clears her throat, snapping out of her trance and going back to gutting the deer.

Of course they couldn't get back what they had. Finnick had Annie now. And although she suspected there was more to Finnick's actions than what was on the surface, she also knew that he wouldn't leave her for anything. Just like she wouldn't leave Peeta. They were both stubborn, they refused to give up on the people they cared about, even to the point of sacrificing their own happiness. Martyrs. And though they both knew it would be their undoing, they also weren't going to stop. Like a train headed for a cliff, they would steam right along until it all finally clicked and everything blew up in their faces. They truly were birds of a feather.

She grips her knife and tears into the skinned deer, losing herself in the focused task of feeding the hungry family waiting for her.

~*~

About two or three more days have passed when Gale comes to join her in District 2.

She doesn't expect the company – she's perfectly occupied de-feathering her latest bird when he comes randomly strolling into camp to help her – but she doesn't reject it either. She can't say that she wants Gale there, helping her with menial chores that she could easily do herself and reminding her of all the troubles that are waiting for her to return to, but of all the faces from District 13 to have to see again on such short notice, she's glad that it's her friend's and not someone else's.