Survivor's Remorse

(XX)Propo Party

"Peeta would never do anything to betray me. Whatever they've put in his head is a lie! He loves me more than life itself and I'd die for him. Don't ever insinuate that he would do anything that would've put us, or our families, in harms way. Peeta is the most amazing, kind, thoughtful person on this planet. Gentle. Ferocious. Caring. Rare. A gem among coal. Whatever the hell they've got going on over there, he had no hand in it until they came and kidnapped him"

The whispers began around him as the residents of 13 took in your words.

"Traitor"
"Snake"
"Capitol Mutt"

How could they not notice? Your nails were practically nubs and you loved when they were long and strong enough to skin an animal if you didn't have the tools needed. How you always fell asleep rubbing them through and around his curls, trying to get him to relax when the nightmares were too strong for you both. The way your pupils weren't slit like normal when outraged, but so wide they practically eclipsed the liquid silver that usually glinted in your mischievous eyes. Your frown was not the normal one you normally had, it was a grimace of pain, the grit of your teeth only visible due to the tightness of your jaw.

God you looked so small. Peeta loved that you were tiny but curvy. The clothes were clearly Cinna's creation but, they didn't hug and flatter your frame like his masterpieces normally did. There were small ornaments on the cuff of the sleeves that were clearly meant for Peeta to see. It looked like a cage. A tiny, golden cage. There were tiny feathers of black throughout the lining of the dress, that were stained red when you moved in the light just right. They were hurting you. Cinna had gone to great lengths to scream but whisper it at the same time. When you tilted your neck, your face was feral and Peeta knew it was genuine rage and disgust with Ceasar, not the implications of Peeta actually being part of the resistance. When your curls slid off your shoulder, he could see the small trail of blood rolling down the back of your neck, disappearing beneath the high collar of your dress.

Peeta hadn't realized but Finnick watched him walk closer and closer to the screen, his fingers tracing where his eyes landed, entranced in finally being able to see your face. Let alone hear your voice. To finally have some news about you. Finnick could hear the rising crescendo of those around him, condemning you and everything you said. Finnick also could see everything Peeta did on that screen. It may not be as bad as it could be for you right now, but it was only going to get worse now that they were using you for propo interviews to combat Peeta's. Finnick recognized the signs. They liked to show off way more skin, but they'd put a long sleeved and high necked dress on you to hide what the makeup couldn't. Which by the watery left eye, meant that it's definitely been blacked within the last 24 hours. He had to get Peeta out of here or he would absolutely lose his mind.

"Peeta", you sigh and turn to look directly into the camera. Finnick sees Peeta's body tense and he knows he has to get him out of this room right now. "I'm not sure what they've told you to get you to speak for the radicals but...get them to stop. Save our District before it's too late. Save all the Districts before it's too late. We have to stop the fighting", your fingers clench on the arms of the sofa, and neither man misses the way your brows twitch with pain at the action, leaning forward to hide it. "I know you think you're protecting me but, my life doesn't matter when everyone else needs to get along to make this work. We have to make this work. So, for the sake of us being a family again...stop this war. Come back to me. We can go back home together. It'll be just like before. Please"

Finnick's hand clamping down on Peeta's shoulder and yanking him back to his chest helped stop Peeta from wailing as he began to steer them quickly from the cafeteria and back to their room.

"Don't listen to them Peeta. Only an idiot would think she's sayin' that because she wants to"
"Fuck them" Peeta hissed bitterly, happy Finnick got him out of there, before he started breaking jaws. "He's been torturing her Finnick"
"I could see it too"
"They bust her lip. Her top lip was never as big as the bottom. It's always had a dip in the middle that she purposely keeps closed because it makes her look like she's smiling when she doesn't. It wasn't there. It hurt her to talk. There was blood on the back of her neck. They probably tortured her right before the interview", Peeta rattled off as he stared at his hands, reminding Finnick that he really did notice every little thing about you.
"Yeah I saw that too...and her hands" Finnick sighed, sitting opposite Peeta on his own bed, holding his enraged, darkened eyes. Than it dawned on him. "Peeta, she doesn't know"
"12's been burned to the ground and she has no idea", Peeta mumbled to himself, fingers buried in his hair, his normally bright hazel eyes darkened to a scary cocoa, that always meant he was on the verge of losing it.
"Then....we have to show her. Tell that Coin woman I want to go to 12" Peeta rumbled, hands on his knees as he held Finnick's eyes seriously. "Tomorrow"
"I will" Finnick nodded, standing to his feet and moving to the door, looking back with hope in his eyes. "We'll get her back to you Peeta. I promise we will"
"I know Finnick. I just...hate that I know she's hurting right now and the safest place for her is in my arms but..."
"I know Peeta. I know" Finnick nodded, praying like hell they never put Annie on the screen to appeal to him. She wouldn't be able to mask her pain even a fraction as well and it would destroy him and he knew it.  

Finnick couldn't help but wonder how Peeta was going to keep it together at 12 when he lost his entire family in the bombing. And what could he really say to reach you? Because if Finnick knew one thing, physical torture didn't have a damn thing on the mental torture that Snow enjoyed inflicting on his victims.