𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑮𝑰𝑹𝑳 , 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐫

xxv. a house is almost a home

"Peeta. Interesting strategy on his part, the whole crush thing," he says, eyebrows raised. Octavia nods in response.

"Yeah, be sure to write that down," Octavia teases. Finnick laughs. Their obliviousness to the possibilities of next year's quarter quell was just plain ignorance.

"I love you," Finnick says, eyes full of happiness as he looks at Octavia. She gives him a small smile, along with a nod. She places her hand on his cheek.

"I love you too."

The train comes to a screeching halt. Octavia jumps up instantly, and Finnick follows. They're practically prying the door apart by the time it opens.

The sight of Eleven was terrifying. Flames engulfed buildings that were designated for manufacturing rice, bodies decorated the streets, and peacekeepers were marching around like militants.

"Oh my god," Octavia whispers. The couple runs off the train toward Octavia's parent's home.

Finnick doesn't take the time to cover his head or try to hide his presence. The stakes of what may have happened weigh too heavy for proper thinking.

Octavia sprints through the street and directly to her parent's home. She bursts through the door.

Rhea, who was sitting at the kitchen table alone, jumped; startled. Her face immediately scrunches up when she sees her daughter. Tears flood the woman's eyes as she slowly stands up.

"Mom. What happened? Are you okay? Where's dad?" Octavia asks, all at once. She pulls Rhea into a hug. Finnick shuts the door behind them, locking it.

Rhea says nothing, just cries into her daughter's shoulder.

"Where's dad?" Octavia asks again, this time more urgently. Her voice cracks through her question as the possibilities flood her mind.

Rhea inhales deeply, trying to pause her hysterical crying. She pulls away from her daughter, motioning for her and Finnick to sit down.

"After the little girl died, things got out of control. The burial, the flowers, and then the salute. It happened so fast," she says, tears beginning to prick her eyes again. Octavia is still.

"The people in the square started fighting the peacekeepers, they were setting fires, it was chaos. Some of the peacekeepers started grabbing us, even though we weren't doing anything. We were just trying to get out of there, me, your father, and Thresh's grandmother," she pauses. Reality begins to set in for Octavia. Finnick places a hand over hers.

"One of them grabbed her, they were being so rough. You know Consus could never stand by and watch that. He got between it and," her voice shakes, tears rolling down her face as she's now lost her composure.

"We didn't even know they had guns," she cries, Octavia shakes her head, trying not to believe what she is hearing.

"He died instantly."

Octavia couldn't breathe, she couldn't really even hear. Her body went numb as quickly as her heart did. Her father was dead. Finnick's presence behind her keeps her from falling completely over the edge of destructive grief.

"And Mrs. Morrowson?" Octavia asks. Her mother shakes her head. Octavia gasped, brows furrowed.

"Those peacekeepers will be dealt with, though, right? They can't just kill, there are rules." Finnick says. Rhea shakes his head at him.