Against The Tides - Epilogue now posted (Finnick & Annie fanfic)

This is the final chapter - the Epilogue.

Here is an excerpt:

Annie could see it. She looks into those little eyes and she can see him in the shape of the little baby’s face. He was bound to be the most beautiful baby she had ever seen, and she is determined to have him grow up as loving and caring as his father by sharing who he was.

She doesn’t know if it is tears of joy or tears of sorrow that overwhelm her soon after the delivery. Most likely it’s both, along with a tinge of everything else that had happened to her in the past five years, but either way, it is enough for the doctor and nurses to give her a sedative to help her sleep it off.

That night, she dreams of him and their baby. Finnick holds him in his arms and smiles, gently kissing his son on his forehead, and then he looks at her and says, “I love you both. I know you’ll be a wonderful mother.”

Against The Tides - Chapter 32 now posted (Finnick & Annie fanfic)

This is the final chapter before the epilogue!

Here is an excerpt:

Annie gazes at his face. She’s made it a point to memorize as much of his features as possible. She likes being able to close her eyes and still see him in her mind, exactly how he looks. She loves the way his hair changes color when he moves under the lights in the dining room. It’s a horrible kind of light, though. Not like the natural light of the sun or the moon, but his hair is still able to change color under them.

She’s entranced when she sees the shades of sea foam green swirl in his eyes, as if they were of the sea themselves. Her heart thumps just a bit harder when she notices the corners of Finnick’s mouth turn up and his cheeks turn a darker shade, as if he’s blushing for some unfathomable reason.

It’s not that she hasn’t seen these nuances in her husband before, but they mean so much more now. They are a part of her world, a world she thought she would never have again. She doesn’t want to take it for granted. She wants every second with Finnick to be as memorable as their first touch, their first kiss, their wedding night.

Mornings like this one, where she’s the first one awake, gives her a chance to take it all in. Sometimes she has to ask him, especially after a trying day or after being away from him for too long because of his training, if they’re really married.

Yes, we are, he would say with his most sincere look. Sometimes she wonders if it hurts him that she asks that question, as if she had forgotten. As if she had lost that part of her memory. But it’s just the opposite.

It just seems too perfect, too much of a dream for it to be real. I remember, Finnick. I remember it like a dream that I never want to wake from. And it’s real. She told him that once before. And she remembered his smile then, too.

Against The Tides - Chapter 30 now posted (Finnick & Annie fanfic)

An excerpt from this chapter:

One day, the guards take Peeta out of his room and walk him down the hall.

“Where are you taking me?” he asks the guards as they continue walking. They don’t say where exactly, only tell him that he has a very important job to do for the president.

Johanna obviously hears it, too, yelling through her door, “Whatever it is, Peeta, don’t do it!”

Enobaria, who hasn’t said much since she’s been in there, laughs in a deep, evil tone, and Johanna yells at her. “What’re you laughing at, you pointy-toothed freak?!”

This only makes the gravelly voiced woman laugh once more. “As if he has any choice in the matter,” says Enobaria.

Annie hears a pounding noise coming from Johanna’s cell and she wonders if Johanna used her head or her hand to beat against the wall. But at least nothing else is said by anyone.

For some reason, Annie wants to know exactly when Peeta comes back, so she leans against the door and listens for his return. It is a long time before Peeta returns from wherever it was they took him, and Annie thinks she could feel the heaviness in the air, the heaviness that weighs on him. She knows there is something amiss, and even though she wants to ask, she’s not sure if she really wants to know.

Johanna even tries to talk to him, but he doesn’t respond. Or at least not loud enough for it to be an actual conversation. Even with Johanna’s cell between them, Annie thinks she hears him mumble Katniss’ name.

Annie thinks of where Katniss could be. Did they take him to see her? Is Finnick here? She wonders if Snow has them in a different area of the building. Finnick? Are you here?

Against The Tides - Chapter 29 now posted (Finnick & Annie fanfic)

An excerpt from this chapter:

Finnick knew the moment it happened, when Mags grabbed his face and kissed him, that he wouldn’t be able to hide his pain over losing her, too. His cup of emotions was already filled to the brim when the Peacekeepers in District 4 pulled him away from Annie.

This is why he needed time alone. He didn’t care if Katniss could see his pain. He was tired of holding it in. She let him be by with his thoughts, and he was more grateful to her than she probably realized.

I’m sorry, Mags. He doesn’t know why it’s necessary to think such things now, knowing that she can’t hear or see him, but he does it anyway. I know you’d probably be mad at me for being so weak at a time like this. But I can’t help it. You were like a mom to me. How can I not cry over you.

Finnick tries to take a deep breath, but it goes in shaky and it goes out as silent sobs. You’d probably smack me over the head if you could right now. Finnick chuckles slightly at his own thoughts. But you can’t, and I’m sorry about that, too. He pauses and wipes his nose. I hope it didn’t hurt, Mags. I know it’s too much to wish for, especially now that it doesn’t matter, but I hope it didn’t hurt. Even if it didn’t, I’m still sorry. You shouldn’t have been here. But I know you would ask me who it should be then if not you. I don’t know. I guess no one.

Against The Tides - Chapter 28b now posted (Finnick & Annie fanfic)

An excerpt:

One thing’s for certain, no matter what Katniss Everdeen has to give to the rebellion, even if it means freeing them all from Snow’s grasp, there is no way he would willingly allow Annie’s death. None at all. He’ll have himself killed first before that happens.

That is what Finnick says to himself right before he hears Tessa, the escort for District 4, call out the name for the female tribute. “Annie Cresta!”

He holds his breath. He was right. She is going back into the arena. He hears her cry out hysterically, in a way that he hadn’t quite heard before, and it’s as painful to his heart as a knife would be, but he doesn’t turn to look at her. It will only make him break down in sobs, and he doesn’t want anyone, especially those in the Capitol who are watching this all, to see his weakness.

Against The Tides - Chapter 27 now posted (Finnick & Annie fanfic)

Here’s an excerpt from this chapter:

“It doesn’t matter what we do anymore, does it?” Annie asks rhetorically. “Either way, we always end up in pain. We always end up hurting ourselves or others. Finnick, it’s getting too easy… to easy for me to block things out. I don’t want to get lost, but sometimes I want to give in. To just not feel anymore.”

Finnick reaches out to her, but she steps back a bit. His surprise turns into hurt and he looks away from her. “Wait,” she says. “I need to say this first, and I can’t if… you’re holding me. You distract me sometimes.” Finnick is still a little wounded by her small rejection, but he can’t help but smile just barely.

electricalice:

Annie and Finnick by *mary-chan

Against The Tides - Chapter 26 now posted (Finnick & Annie fanfic)

An excerpt from this chapter:

Finnick turns to look at Annie, watching the breeze blow her hair around her face. He can almost feel her arms around his waist, her face pressing against his back, holding him in comfort as his eyes gaze at her frame from where he stands. His love for her continues to grow with each day that passes. He could almost forget there is a world beyond the walls of his house when they’re around each other. And it doesn’t matter what they are doing, whether it is talking with each other, eating together, holding each other’s hands, or kissing. As long as she is with him, he is perfectly content. A war could be waging right outside his door, and it wouldn’t have mattered if she is by his side.

Against The Tides - Chapter 25 now posted (Finnick & Annie fanfic)

First 3 paragraphs of this Finnick and Annie story:

Finnick didn’t have time to think about what happened, or how, with Turlach and Mags around, Garcen was able to take his Annie. He didn’t dare allow himself to feel guilty about leaving her, either. Self-pity isn’t going to do anything to rescue Annie. He will deal with all that later, but now, all his focus is on finding Annie and dealing with Garcen one last time, no matter what it took.

Heat courses through his body as his fury consume him. Droplets of sweat appear on the sides of his face, but he doesn’t notice them at all. On any normal day, they would’ve made him itch until he wiped them away. But this was no longer any normal day, and he wondered in the briefest of seconds if there would be another normal day in his life.

The problem with his anger and his uncontrolled desire to kill Garcen was that it made it hard for him to think rationally. Well, it made it hard for him to think, period. Where would he take Annie to keep her safe? Where would he take her that they wouldn’t be able to find her? Where?

Against The Tides - Chapter 25 now posted (Finnick & Annie fanfic)

Finnick didn’t have time to think about what happened, or how, with Turlach and Mags around, Garcen was able to take his Annie. He didn’t dare allow himself to feel guilty about leaving her, either. Self-pity isn’t going to do anything to rescue Annie. He will deal with all that later, but now, all his focus is on finding Annie and dealing with Garcen one last time, no matter what it took.

Heat courses through his body as his fury consume him. Droplets of sweat appear on the sides of his face, but he doesn’t notice them at all. On any normal day, they would’ve made him itch until he wiped them away. But this was no longer any normal day, and he wondered in the briefest of seconds if there would be another normal day in his life.

The problem with his anger and his uncontrolled desire to kill Garcen was that it made it hard for him to think rationally. Well, it made it hard for him to think, period. Where would he take Annie to keep her safe? Where would he take her that they wouldn’t be able to find her? Where?