Better Games

14. Annie

A month after the night of the Lake Peeta and I are completely and utterly inseparable. There are time still when we go it alone, I hunt, he bakes and paints, we get into our phases but we are always in it and for each other, together. It is well into spring now and dandelions as well as Primroses grow around and behind our house. One hobby we both take part in together are planting flowers in our front and backyard and occasionally Peeta tries to teach me to bake, but with the new project on the District Twelve Bakery, his hands are a little more dirty than they are clean to bake.

Today I am out in the garden tending to some sprouting sunflowers when I hear him come from inside the house through the back door.

"Good Afternoon malady," he greets me. I stand up and shake up the dirt from my pants and gardening gloves to give him a hug and kiss.
"Good Afternoon," I respond. He's covered in soot and dirt from building all day, sometimes it brings back memories and I find myself questing, Why is Peeta working in the mines, only to remember that we are in a different world now. I don't have to worry every day for him to come home or for a messenger to knock on my doorstep to tell me he's gone, 'There was an explosion Ms. Everdeen, I'm sorry' I think to myself. I will never hear this words in my life, not like my mother did.

I shake myself back to reality and notice that Peeta had a letter in his hand.

"What's this," I ask.
"Oh we received it to day. It says it's from District Four, Annie." He replies.

Annie. I think. The last time I heard from her was a few months after the war. From what she told me she was pregnant, Finnick received a message while we were in camp in the Capitol, while we were waiting for the front line rebels to go through and before we received Peeta. None of us knew and he didn't tell us, Annie said because we were in a War, a cause. He was fighting for not only his country but for Annie and their baby. He died knowing he was a father. It warmed and broke my heart at the same time when I had learned this. She also wrote that Johanna would be helping her, taking care of her while she was pregnant. Annie had gone through as much as we did and without Finnick I didn't know if she was going to make it, but she is strong, stronger than me I think and I have for since awaited news.

Peeta and I wash up and her reads the letter aloud. Annie writes about her baby boy, Finn and how she is better that she can hold him in her arms. He has the same effect Finnick had on her and Johanna has helped significantly too. She writes that Johanna will be staying to help with Finn as Anis still sometimes has relapses. But she doesn't just write about the three of them. As Peeta goes on to repeat the words she wrote, the letter holds news about my mother, who I call once a month, has become the head of the hospital in Four and how Gale, who I haven't had contact since, has become a commander in District Two working with Beetee and Plutarch in the wings. As Peeta ends the letter Annie writes that she hopes all is well with us and Haymitch and hopes we have found peace and happiness. Peeta then pulls out a picture of Annie and her baby Finn and shows it to me.

"He looks just like his father," I sigh. He's adorable, handsome. Every aspect of him says either Finnick or Annie. But his hair and his eyes give it away the most. "Beautiful," I whisper. I get a knot in my stomach, the same one I got all the time when I saw a child because maybe one day they would be plastered on a screen fighting to their death. I know I don't have to fear this anymore so I shake away the old instinctual feeling, thankful that Annie will never have to send Finn into an arena like his father and mother before him.

I look up at Peeta seeing he is fully admiring little Finn in the picture.

"They're safe once and for all." He's talking about the children, mirroring my thoughts.

I go around the table and stand behind his hunched form, leaning on top of him and wrapping my arms around his neck from behind.

"At last," I say softly, resting my chin on his shoulder. And he holds on to my hands, never letting go.

AN: Amazin! This is like an intro chapter to the next one. I just wanted to add some bits and pieces to fill you guys in on how everyone is doing so far through Annie's letter which was a part of Mockingjay. The next chapter will be another detail talked about towards the end of Mockingjay. Comment and enjoy. <3 ~Gail