𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕 (Finnick Odair)

𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚞𝚎

𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕

𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚞𝚎

𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚢 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍.

It didn't take twenty years for Saffreen to get better. That came on slowly. Deecey helped, once she was old enough to understand. Once she had learned about the war in school, about the games and the horrors that Saffreen had been put through. And once Eldoris was old enough, he helped, as well, in any way he could.

Delta wrote sometimes. She asked about the children, who weren't children, anymore, but that didn't matter to the woman who still thought that Saffreen was the damaged child from so long ago. 

The arenas were destroyed. Memorials built for those lost to them, one thousand seven hundred and twenty-five children, seventeen adults, to be exact. Deecey had informed her of that number when she was sixteen. Saffreen hadn't told her that, really, everyone who fought in the games died, at least a little.

Saffreen had nothing to remember Finnick by save for memories and the golden-skinned young man who moved about the house with all of his father's grace and humor, smiling with Finnick's dimples and eyes always full of laughter.

Deecey and Eldoris knew about all of it. They'd learned everything in school, learned that their mother had won the 72nd Hunger Games and that she had only survived the 75th Hunger Games out of sheer luck that the arena had been destroyed when it was, learned that Eldoris's father was a victor as well, that he had won the 65th games with his trident and that he had died during the rebellion, lost to Capitol mutts.

The day she learned that in school, Deecey had held her mother for a long time. 

She'd been the one to explain it to Eldoris so he wouldn't hear it from his teacher.

Saffreen had been having one of her bad days then, curled up, sobbing, not speaking to anyone. She could hear Deecey talking in a steady voice, thirteen years old, then, speaking to her ten-year-old little brother calmly and carefully. He had just started to learn about the games in school.

"He was a war hero. He fought with Mama during the 75th games. He helped to keep the Mockingjay alive so that the rebellion could start. He fought in the war, too. With his trident. Mama tried to get that back, but it was destroyed in the sewers. He died there. Mama was pregnant with you, then, but no one knew."

Saffreen had fewer bad days now. If she ever did have them, Deecey would take charge, tucking her into bed, sitting beside her, sounding so much like her grandmother as she said, "It's over now. You don't have to fight anymore. You're safe."

Eldoris was eighteen when he asked the first question. "How about we write a letter to your friends? I'm sure Katniss and Peeta would be happy to hear from you."

And they had been. Katniss and Peeta, now with two children of their own, having bad days of their own. They struck up a routine of writing letters every weak.

It was Deecey who suggested that they move to District Four.

Eldoris, nineteen years old, then, had taken to the water in an instant. He really was his father's son.

Saffreen would sit on the beach every night, looking out at the water, imagining Finnick watching the sunset with her. Deecey joined some nights, bringing books with her, reading aloud sometimes to Saffreen. She loved to read.

Life was still hard, but Saffreen was happier than she had been in a long time. She had her children and the memories of her husband.

And given the circumstances, that was more than she could have ever asked for.

THE END.