A Happily Ever After

A Day With the Odairs

Chapter 13

~Katniss POV~

I wake with a start, gasping for air to return to my lungs. Once I realize the truth, I burst into silent, frantic tears, almost spasming with shakiness and gasping for breath.

It was a dream.

Finnick Odair is dead.

I watched him die.

He never came back.

I choke back the building up saliva in my mouth as I cry, harder and harder as reality sucks me in deeper and deeper. I then feel Peeta, who is cuddled up with his arms around me and his head on my neck/shoulder, start stirring in response to my involuntary spasms.

"Wha-what's?" He says, stirring so he's fully awake. "Kat? Are- ah, baby," He coos as he gathers me up in his arms and sits up in bed with me. "Shh, it's okay, it's okay, I've got you now," He soothes me, desperate for me to hear him. I shudder and turn around so I can encircle my arms around his bare back, pressing his body closer to my face. "Shh, you're okay now, nothing can hurt you, I'm here," he whispers. He thinks something was trying to hurt me in the dream. But the thing that's really hurting me is reality. I shake my head hard into his soft, sweet smelling neck and pull him closer as I crawl into his lap.

"He's not heeeere," I croak, choking back up at the word 'here'.

"Sweetheart, who's not heeeere?" He whispers softly, burying his face in my own neck. I start crying harder and he goes back to shushing and rocking me.

"F-F-F-Finnick!" I choke out as I go into hysteria again.

"Shhh, Kat, shhh," he whispers, kissing my neck, ear, shoulder, and jaw. "He's not HERE but-"

"I h-had this dream th-that he came back! He g-got t-to meet Finn and everyone was s-so happy and he told us that he was-s-saved by this la-lady who was like Ma-Mags and she hel-p-ped him get back to health," I hiccup.

"Katniss, shh, he's-"

"And we were all so happy! And then I w-woke up!" I wail, clutching his hair, almost in an animalistic fashion.

"Katniss, baby, listen to me!" He says softly but forcefully as he tilts my chin up to see him.

"Peetaa," I squeak softly and helplessly. These are the times I'm too vulnerable. After a nightmare or in the night. When my monsters come out to play with my memories, twisting them into something awful and about a thousand times scarier than before. Peeta hears my pathetic cry for help and his face softens, bringing my face back to his chest where my sobs increase. "I'm so confused, Peeta," I sob. "I don-I don't know what's going on..." My voice goes on a downscale, drowning in sobs.

"Kat, shh, it's okay, you're okay, Finnick's okay-"

"What?" I squeak, yanking my head up to face him. He nods, kissing my face and ears to calm me down while simultaneously rocking me back and forth gently.

"Finnick's back, baby. It wasn't a dream, it happened last night." He whispers in my ear. I suck in a shuddery breath.

"What?" I squeak again. He chuckles.

"He's over with Annie and little Finn. We're going out to catch up with them this afternoon." I stare at him for the longest time, trembling slightly and crying silently. I then wrap my arms tightly around his neck and bury my face in with my arms.

"What would I do without you?" I say in a high, watery, choked up voice. His arms encircle me tighter and continue to rock me to and fro.

"I just wanted to help you sort the real from the not. Like you do for me." He says gently. I smile into his neck and my short fingernails scrape across his bare back softly and rhythmically. "Why don't we get some food in you, sweetheart. You must be exhausted." He says softly. He knows after a nightmare, I'm either wide awake or wiped out. I nod, tightening my arms around his neck in a silent plea for him to carry me. He chuckles and picks me up, walking downstairs where he starts cooking with one arm and me in the other.