After Mockingjay

Chapter 8

Peeta and I are woken up at around 1 o'clock in the morning. "Did you hear that?" he asks looking at me. "Yeah." I say. We both jump out of bed and run into Finnick's room. "Finnick!" I say. His crib has been tipped over with him fallen out of it and on the ground crying. "Sweety, are you alright?" I ask nearly crying and rush to him. "Katniss, look." Peeta says as he walks over to Finnick's window. It had been opened and somebody had come for him. "They almost got him Peeta.' I say looking at him.

"When will they stop?" Peeta says with a tear going to down his face. "I don't know, but this needs to stop." I tell him as I try to put Finnick back to sleep in my arms. "Let him come in our room tonight." Peeta says taking him out my arms and into his. We walk back into our room and Finnick's sound asleep now. We get into bed and Finnick is inbetween us. "Go to sleep Katniss. I'll look after him and you. You need sleep more than I do." he says pushing the stray hair out of my face. I fall asleep holding Peeta's hand, because I know he's always going to be there and he will always protect me and our family.

When we get up, it's about 7:30. Peeta is already up. Finnick is still asleep when I get up and get dressed. I walk downstairs and Peeta is sitting at the dinner table, with his coffee cup in front of him. He hasn't touched it, but he's just sitting there. "You're up early." I say sitting next to him. "I couldn't sleep very well." he says. He has bags under his eyes and I know he got no sleep last night. 

"Peeta, who's going to look after Finnick? After what happened last night, I feel like we need to take him." He looks up at me and then looks down again. "We can't take him. We can't risk letting the Capitol getting any closer to him." he says. I think in my mind "Who do I trust as much as Peeta to look after him?" I hesitate before I say it, but it just comes out of me. "Maybe Gale could." Peeta just looks at me. He is as confussed as I am. "Gale? You trust him enough to take car of Finnick?" I nod and then he nods back. "Okay. I'll go find him." I say walking out the door.

I head out to go find Gale. I'm a little nervous he'll so no after what happened a couple of days ago. I see him trading some things in the Hob. "Gale! Can you come here for a second?" he turns around and smiles at me. He drops everything he had in his hands and come running to me. "Hey Katniss. What's up?" he says coming closer to me. I step back, then explain everything that happend. "So Peeta and I have to go to the Capitol. Will you watch Finnick for us?" he has a blank face for a moment. I'm guessing he had trouble comprehending it, but so did I. "Oh Katniss! I'm sorry! Of course I will look after him." Gale says and them give me a hug. Ihesitate at first, but then hug him back. After all, we were best friends and he is doing a big favor for me.

Gale and I walk back to our house. When I walk through the door, Peeta is just coming down the stairs with Finnick in his arms. It's really quiet for a while. Peeta looking at me and at Gale then back at me. "Thank you Gale. It means a lot to me." Peeta says, giving Gale a half smile. He has come to trust Gale again too, just as I have. 

"Finnick, this is Gale. He is going to take care of you while daddy and I are gone." I say introducing Gale to him. "Hi." Finnick says in a shy voice. "Hi Finnick! We're going to have a blast!" Gale says. Finnick laughs a little, hides behind my legs, as he always does. "You will be staying in the guest room, which is right next to Finnick's room upstairs." I say pointing to where Gale's room is. "Thanks Catnip." he says hugging me, then taking a bag upstairs with him. Finnick hugs me and runs after Gale. A tear rolls down my cheek as my little boy runs after my best friend. 

I turn around and hug Peeta. "Are you ready?" Peeta asks hugging my tightly. "Ready as I'll ever be." I say sobbing into his jacket. He wraps his arms around me and serures me in a protective force-field. We grab our bags and lock the door. His arms are locked around me the entire walk to District 12's hovercraft. We walk to the hovercraft hand in hand with courageous faces on. It feels as if I can do anything. And I can. I am willing to do anything to hear my little girl laugh again.