The Price of Peace (Finnick Odair)

Reckless

Evadine knew this would be fucked up the moment she was standing behind the curtain readying for her interview with Caesar Flickerman. 

Over the past few days, she had gotten to know Katniss and the others a bit better. She had spent time with Joanna and the Career Pack. The next few days would be impossible for a lot of them. 

As she stood in her final gown as 'the siren' she mentally prepared for the inevitable. 

She was going to offer up a very large piece of herself for the capitol to feast on. She knew it probably wouldn't work to stop the games... but it might. 

Finnick was called onto the stage first, just as she requested. He talked about his love for her and how he would ensure she would be the one to win the quarter-quell. Every bit of love-sick truth fell from his lips as the crowd cried with him. 

Joanna and Katniss stood not too far from her watching as she prepared herself for something big. "You planning something, Siren?" Joanna asked, examining her friend. 

If there was one thing every Victor knew, it was that Evadine Odair was really fucking good at the game. She had a plan, she always had a plan. 

"Good luck following my act... That's all I'll say." Evadine tried to smirk but it looked more like a grimace as the crowd clapped for Finnick. 

"She's gonna eat them alive," Joanna whispered to herself as the Siren got in character. 

"Now our next Tribute... You know her as the youngest victor in Hunger Games history. Victor of the 66th annual Hunger Games. One half of the greatest love of our time. Her voice is as beautiful as it is lethal, give it up for your District four female tribute, Evadine Odair!" 

The house nearly crumbled beneath the crowds' frantic screams as she took over the stage. 

She performed her signature bow and everyone stood in a round of applause so loud the districts must have heard. She rose and took her seat beside Caesar, her usual smile missing from her face. 

Caesar smiled sadly, following her lead as he took her hand in his. "Evadine Odair... The last time you were on this stage you were Evadine Ripley." 

She finally smiled, though there was a mournful agony to it that brought tears to the Capitol's eyes. 

"I married the love of my life Caesar... I would gladly sacrifice who I was to stay by his side forever." She allowed her gaze to trail to Finnick who stood on the platform behind her. 

"You volunteered again, for your friend and sister Annie Cresta." Caesar prompted. 

"It was for Annie, yes... I mean three times unlucky that must be a new record for poor Annie. But... I did it because I never wanted to leave Finnick's side again. If we were going to die, I wanted it to be together. There might have been a before Finnick Odair, but there would be no after Finnick Odair, not for me. My world would have stopped with his beating heart." A lovely tear fell down her cheek. 

"You keep speaking in the past tense... Is that no longer true? Do you regret volunteering?" Caesar asked sitting on the edge of his seat just like the rest of Panem. 

"I wouldn't have... If I didn't find out-... I-I wouldn't regret a thing if it weren't-..." She let her throat clog in a scripted moment of silence. All held their breath as they waited for the bomb to drop. 

The reason she insisted Finnick go first was so that he'd be on stage with her so that all could see his reaction. She wanted everyone to experience this pain with them. 

"If it weren't for... for what?" Caesar prompted again, just as ensnared as the rest of the crowd. 

Evadine let the moment hold, let the tension build. She let another diamond tear fall from her eye, crying so pretty for all to see. 

Then she dropped the bomb she had been saving since her medical examination for the games. 

"If it weren't for the baby." 

Boom!

Chaos erupted around them as a cry of outrage tore through the crowd. Finnick gasped in horror, praying that this was an act for the cameras, praying that this was another lie to stop the games. 

"Holy fucking Shit," Joanna whispered to herself, watching on the screen as Evadine wiped a tear from her shining sea-green eyes. 

The Capitol begged for the games to stop as Evadine stood taking the mic, all fell silent as she turned to Finnick. 

"I-I should have told you sooner... I found out after we got here. I'm so sorry Finn." That was true, she wished she had left the plot alone and let Mags volunteer. 

She was planning to lie and drop the baby bomb when she raised her hand for Annie. But the moment she got here the blood tests came back and showed that it wasn't going to be a lie at all. As if whatever deity placed her here wanted to have a laugh. Her lies became truth before they even fell from her lips. 

She was pregnant. 

Really, actually, pregnant with the child of her husband, the love of her life, Finnick Odair.

She watched as he fell into despair, jumping from the platform and taking her into his arms, real raw unscripted tears falling down his handsome face as he held her close. 

"You're pregnant?" Finnick whispered in horror. 

"I'm so sorry." She meant it. She should never have volunteered. 

The Capitol raged once more, none more than President Snow himself who demanded to see those blood tests immediately. 

He threw his wine glass against the wall, shattering it in his fury. She was pregnant. His legacy would live on. His and Lucy Gray's love would be reborn from the womb of their granddaughter Evadine. The Siren with his smile and her song. 

The paper was brought before him and it was true. Evadine Odair was five weeks pregnant. 

"Stop the games!" Cried the crowd. 

But he couldn't, as much as he wanted to he couldn't. It would show the enemy that he could bleed. He couldn't give in now, the games had to go on. He would just have to ensure that the game was rigged in his favor. 

Katniss would die. 

Peeta would die. 

Finnick would die. 

They all would die, every thorn from his side, plucked out in one final show. 

But Evadine Snow would survive. Her baby would survive. His legacy would survive! 

The Siren's final gown