Puzzle Pieces • Finnick Odair

C H A P T E R 6 2

Jessica Miller woke up and felt at peace. With her fiancés arm lay lazily across her stomach, his head just above hers, she felt happy. Safe. She lay in their bed, listening to his steady breathing as he placed a soft kiss on her head. She looked up, her sodalite blue eyes meeting his sea-green eyes and time stopped. In that moment, it was just the two. Nothing else mattered. As long as they had each other, everything would be okay.

They lay in bed in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before a soft knock was heard on the door. Finnick reluctantly got out of bed and walked out the room to answer. She could hear Katniss' voice but could only make out a few words, 'now, Coin, Jess, Peeta, thanks.'

Finnick comes back in the room and sits on the bed next to Jessica. "Coin wants to talk to you in the Command room about visiting Peeta." She nods, understanding as Finnick crawls back into bed.

Jessica rolls her eyes as Finnick wraps his arms around her waist and rests his head on her shoulder in a cuddle, "what are you doing Finnick, you just said I have to go."

"No, Coin wants you to go. I want you to stay with me," Finnick pouts.

Jessica pressed a long, meaningful kiss to Finnick's lips before pulling the duvet off her body and grabbing some clothes making Finnick whine, "no, stay a little longer, I want to spend the day with you," he puts on his cutest innocent face.

"Okay," she walks over to him, leaning over the bed to place a kiss on his lips, "then come."

Finnick sighs dramatically, "to Coin? I'd rather not," he says, thinking he's won the conversation.

Jessica smirks, "alright then, I'll see you later, yeah?" He pouts, furrowing his brows in confusion. "You wouldn't want to ignore your schedule would you, Coin wouldn't like that."

And just like that, she won the conversation as Finnick dragged himself out of bed.

"Fineee." He paused before looking at her more seriously, not knowing what exactly Coin would want and how intense it would be. "Listen, if she says anything you don't want to do, you don't have to, okay?"

"Okay," she smiles. The pair get dressed into their ugly 13 uniform before heading to the command room.

When they went in, they saw Coin, Plutarch, Katniss, Boggs, Gale, Haymitch and Beetee.

Upon arriving Jessica went over to Beetee, bending over to give her paralysed friend a quick hug before sitting in the seat between Beetee and Finnick.

She sent Katniss and Haymitch a smile. The two quickly, and easily, returned the gesture.

Coin glanced at Finnick, annoyed the boy was here instead of attending his schedule, and the thought made Finnick smirk to himself, but she quickly dismissed the thought. If she wanted Jessica's help, it wouldn't be smart to start arguments with Finnick and they both knew it, causing a smug smile to rest on the district 4 boys face.

"Thank you, for joining us. We understand that you've been through a lot, two games and-" Coin starts.

"I'm aware what I've been through, I'd rather not hear a recap, if you don't mind," she interrupts Coin, glancing at Katniss to see the girl smirking.

"Of course, my apologies. We would be extremely grateful if you could visit Peeta today. We believe that, as you've...been through similar things, and you were with him to comfort him afterwards, it would be most beneficial if we send you to talk to him."

"And what is it you want to accomplish here?" Jessica asks, in mock formality.

"We would like you to talk to him, calm him down make him feel safer, maybe. If you do choose to help, there are a few things to be aware of," Plutarch takes over.

"And what's that?" Jessica asks, intrigued.

"First, don't release the restraints. They are for both the safety of him and the people in the room. Second, he believes Katniss is a threat. That she's dangerous and needs to be.. taken out. We do not want you to disagree yet. Whatever he says go with it. As of this this moment in time, we just need someone who can calm him down, someone he can trust. We will work on the whole, 'kill Katniss' memory thing later. For now, your job would be to go see him every day, if today goes well, and just talk to him, keep him calm. Keep the trust you two already have." Plutarch explains.

Jessica looks over at Katniss and Haymitch. Katniss had a neck brace on and looked at the girl with pleading, teary eyes. Haymitch gave her a familiar, encouraging smile.

"Alright. I'll do it," Jessica agrees, watching the smile appear on Katniss' face.

"Great," Coin exclaims, "now when you go in say, 'hello Peeta-'

"I'm gonna stop you right there," she interrupts again, causing everyone in the room, apart from Coin, to suppress a smirk, "I'm not reading off a script, 'kay? I'll go in and I'll say what I think suits. After all I was in the Capitol with him. You know, when we were waiting for you to get us out and fix your mess when you left us to die?" She says, rhetorically.

Coin nods stiffly, "very well, Boggs, you may escort Miss Miller to Peeta's room."

Boggs stands, motioning for Jessica to follow and, as she does, Finnick, Katniss and Haymitch follow, much to Coin's displeasure.

AN: I rlly hate Coin and so does Jess so I wanted to make sure it's obvious she won't take Coin's shit. I love her attitude.