The Tribute From the Ocean (A Hunger Games Fan Fiction)

•22•

Caesar didn't talk much before they started the small video that would show the entire games in a few long minutes. It started as I volunteered to be part of the games. After, it switched to videos of me with the careers but quickly changed to an image of me running to the cornucopia at the beginning of the games. It showed images where I had been with Candy. I lowered my head during those pictures. She had been one of the only real friends I had felt I had had there apart from Brandon.

I kept my head lowered until I heard a chorus of 'Awws' echoing through the crowd. I look up and see the picture of Brandon and me kissing in the tree. I couldn't help but let my eyes trail over it. Why had it taken me so long to realize the feelings I felt for him? Everything was just a little too late.

The picture with Brandon and I stayed on the screen longer than I would've liked. I looked away and my eyes met Finnick's who had a broken expression on their face. I look back down at the palms of my hands.

There were many small clips before I heard the crowd go completely silent. I looked back up as I watched the small boy aim his arrow at me. I tried, but I couldn't pull my eyes away.

Brandon had pushed me, so that he had died instead. He could be sitting here now, coping, while I sit here, slowly dying inside.

It shows our short conversation before his death and our small goodbyes.

Then there I was. By the cornucopia. There was a small glimpse of Brass's torn body and then the rest of us struggling to save our life at the end of the games. It was awful. I turn my head as the clip turns off.

"How do you feel about being the victor, Kya?" Caesar asks me. My eyes sting with tears and my fingers tremble to the nail.

"I feel like the victor of the Hunger Games, Caesar." My voice was unsteady and raspy.

Caesar awkwardly coughs to clear his throat and starts again.

"We have a small surprise here for you today." Caesar starts. I couldn't think of anything that would bring me comfort. "Come on out!" He announces happily. I turn to where Caesar had gestured and my eyes widened in fear.

"No." My eyes lock with Keyon's dreadful ones. I was here because of him. "Get him out. I don't want him here. Get him out!" My voice cracks and my gaze flicks away from here. Keyon had been smiling at the attention he had been given, but he wasn't anymore. "I never want him near me again." I mutter the last part and stand from the chair and stumble backwards. I tried to get to wherever I had come in at, but I couldn't find it.

Everything spun like the world had just sped up. I felt a pair of hands on me, one on my arm and the other supporting me.

I was sure it was Finnick. "Please get him out." I say weakly.

"She's done here. She's going home now." I hear Finnick says over the silent crowd.

That was when I was taken downstairs. Everything had became less blurry and my footsteps were more sure.

"Annie is going to take you to change and take your makeup off, okay?" Finnick looks at me. I can do nothing but nod. I take ahold of Annie and she helps me into the same room I'd been in earlier.

Annie helps me crawl out of my dress
And into leggings and a long flowing top. She finds me boots and pulls my hair into a loose ponytail and wipes my makeup away.

"Let's get you home." Annie tells me and I follow her out. I wasn't greeted by one person or a single camera, which I was extremely grateful for.

•••

On the train, in my room, I sit against the wall wrapping myself in my blankets and my arms. The blankets had wires through them pushing heat to my body.

"Hey." I heard a voice at my door along with a quiet and hesitant knock.

"Come in." I say, my voice still hoarse. Finnick smiles weakly and pushes he door open.

"I'm sorry about the Capitol." He says to me. Since I'd gotten out of the arena, every time I looked at Finnick I wanted to sob, no matter what he said or did. My eyes squint and I can feel myself about to cry. "Oh come here." He says and walks to my bed and I open the covers to let him into the heated blanket.

"I can't hold it together. Any of it. It's seemed like that before but never like this. Never so impossible." I say, still trying to hold in the tears as I lay against Finnick. Finnick has been like the father/brother figure I'd never had in my life. I was grateful for that.

"I know." And it was worse because I knew he did know and he did understand. "I'm sorry about the note I sent you about Brandon." He squeezes me in a small hug.

"I don't care about that, Finnick." I manage to say through tears. I pause and start again. "Why did it take me so long to realize that I loved him?"

"The thing is, the world shouldn't be like this. Where there is a time limit on life. It was never your fault and it'll never be."

I stay quiet for a minute and wait to say anything else. Then he speaks again.

"Do you wanna know a secret?" He asks me. I can see the corners of his lips lift in a smile.

"What is it?" I ask him, confused.

"Annie's pregnant." I could see the excitement in his eyes as soon as it came from his mouth.

"Oh Finnick." I say, now crying of happiness. "That's amazing. Absolutely amazing."

"I know." He couldn't help from smiling. "I'm gonna be a father now. That's a weird thing to say." I laugh a little at him.

"I'm happy for you all. Really." I say with a smile. "I can come over and help you babysit?" I suggest.

"Well." Finnick starts. "You don't have anybody to watch over you alone at a House in Victors Village. It's hard to live alone after the games. Annie and I were thinking you should come live with us. The house is plenty big and neither of us want you alone."

I was speechless for a while. "That sounds fair. Thank you so much, Finnick." I whisper. I was genuinely grateful. I didn't want to have to live alone to be scared of every little thing. I was glad I wouldn't be alone.

"You're welcome." He says and kisses the top of my head.

"Then I get to spend all day with the baby." I grin, for the moment forgetting all my worries. I was okay then and I wanted to keep it that way.

A/N
Okay so I get that Annie was never pregnant in the books (as far as I remember. It's been a while) and I know they never lived together so don't try and correct me please. Don't get mad just enjoy a good ending for them would you? It's sad how much I ship Annie and Finnick.

And also I really wanna make it clear that Finnick And Kya don't like each other like weirdly. He is like a brother of father or best friend to her. I really think their friendship is important in this story though so yeah.

BUTTTT the most important thing is that this was the last chapter of the book, though I will have an epilogue out soon Thanks if you guys actually read that lol