Enchanted; A Finnick and Annie Fanfic ♥ (Currently Revising/Editing)

Chapter 7: I Have to Protect You

Sorta a PG-13 chapter...just warning you! It's not thattttt bad, but just knowXD -Sarah

*A few years later. Annie has just turned 16 and Finnick is nearly 19*

"Finnick, you were supposed to be here nearly two hours ago." I'd been waiting at our spot on the beach for what seemed like forever before Finnick had come, running, apologizing like he always did.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Really. Something just...came up." He was out of breath, from running here, I guess.

It started a few years ago, when Finnick turned 16. He went to the Capitol regularly, for weeks at a time. People from the Capitol would randomly come to District 4 to see him. Whenever they were around, he'd spend time with them. Blow me off for them. And almost every time he told me to meet him anywhere, he'd show up hours late claiming "something came up".

Finnick tried to kiss me, but I pushed him away. "No. I'm tired of this! You're always away in the Capitol. And if you're not there, Capitol people are here. And then when you blow me off or whatever, you don't even tell me why! I'm so sick of it! Why can't you just tell me where you've been?" I was getting worked up. About to cry.

"I'm sorry, Annie," Finnick muttered, "But I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because...I have to protect you."

"What does you being with Capitol people instead of me all the time have to do with my protection?"

He sat on the sand and patted for me to sit next to him. I did, but I hugged my knees to my chest.

"Annie...I really don't want to tell you, but I can't stand it when you're mad at me." I glanced over at him, and he looked really sad.

"I'm sorry, Finnick," I whispered. I felt bad. I knew I shouldn't be mad, but it was hard not to be. "I'd just feel better if I knew. Screw my protection."

Finnick took a deep breath and turned to face me. I moved my legs and looked into his eyes, but he wasn't looking at me. he grabbed my hand and took a couple more deep breaths before looking up at me.

"Annie..." His voice was very quiet, as if he was trying to make sure no one could hear us. "Do you know what a sex slave is?"

"Y--yeah," I stammered and nodded. Finnick gently squeezed my hand and looked down at our hands, instead of at me.

"Well...th--the Capitol...President Snow...they threatened me. The day I turned 16..." A couple of tears fell down his face, and I kissed his cheek. He squeezed my hand again. "Snow told me I was good looking. I'm what the women in the Capitol want. So they can have me, all of me, any time they want to. I have to let them do whatever they want to me, do whatever they want me to do to them, or..." He trailed off. I shifted to sit on my knees, and Finnick layed his head in my lap.

"Or what?" I whispered. I pulled his hair out of his face and ran my fingers through it. I felt his tears on my legs.

"They kill you."

"Oh, Finnick." I waited to speak until he rolled onto his back and looked up at me. "You don't have to do that to keep me safe."

"Of course I do! They...they'll kill you."

"I'm not going to let you torture yourself for my protection."

He smiled a little. "It's not always torture. I usually pretend it's you, and it helps. But you're not like any of them, so it's hard to do that."

I kissed his forehead. "I'm still not going to let you do that anymore."

"I don't really have a choice, Annie. What the Capitol wants, the Capitol gets."

"Not this time."

He sat up and put his arms around me. "What do you plan to do? Start another rebellion?"

"I don't know. But when the time is right, I'll do something about it."

He kissed my cheek. "Just be careful."