The Price of Peace (Finnick Odair)

Thank You for the Music

Finnick felt as if his head was underwater. 

He held Evadine in his arms as the show progressed. However, none of the audience seemed to be watching the other tributes. All eyes were fixed on them as he tried not to cry in his wife's arms. 

She was pregnant. 

His wife, his siren, his Evadine, was pregnant with his baby. He prayed to any deity that would listen, to stop the games. 

Unfortunately, none heard his cries. 

Evadine sobbed in his arms, her apologies drowning out his choked assurances as he fought to keep himself from crying as well. 

She whispered the truth of her words right there on stage. Underneath the harsh stage lights, she assured him that she hadn't known when she volunteered that she was pregnant. She had just wanted to remain at his side, not knowing the consequences of her actions. Finnick swore that she and their baby would survive the arena, which only seemed to make her cry harder. 

They couldn't hear the rest of the rest of the interviews. 

His mind was not on the stage, it wandered to thoughts of a little blonde-headed girl, as lovely as her mother, with sea-green eyes and a smile that could outshine the sun. He thought of a little boy with wild dark curls decorated with flowers, excitedly learning how to hold a guitar. Both were gorgeous visions that danced through his dreams long before today. 

But this was real, she was pregnant with the perfect embodiment of their love and like everything else, President Snow was going to take them away. 

Each tribute did not even bother to top Evadine's baby bomb. The capitol was ready to riot to stop the games. 

After Peeta went to stand by Katniss, reminding everyone that their wedding was stopped due to the games, the room fell quiet. They all knew what came next, a guitar was already in the stagehands' grasp as Caesar glanced at the still-crying Evadine Odair. 

Caesar grimaced at Finnick's glare, turning back to the audience, "Now Evadine had previously asked to sing a song in honor of the 75th Annual Hunger Games however after all the emotional reveal tonight-" 

"No! No... I'll sing." Evadine assured, prying herself from Finnick's hold as she walked to the front of the stage. 

Finnick felt colder the moment she stepped out of his embrace. He followed close behind, wanting to remain at her side. 

She took a breath fighting the crushing guilt. Finnick stood at her side like always, ready to pull her back if need be. What should have been a happy announcement turned into a tragic weapon against the capitol. 

The guitar was placed in her shaking hands and Finnick fought the urge to smash the cursed thing on the ground and cuss out Snow for what they were going through. 

His soul only slightly calmed the moment her fingers began to dance across the strings. Her sound filled the room and the world stopped spinning. The quiet buzz of panic that had filled his head for the last twenty minutes muted beneath her beautiful music. 

Her song was what brought him to her in the first place and it brought him back to her again from within his own head. 

 Her tears kept falling but you couldn't hear the agony in her voice, "I'm nothing special, in fact, I'm a bit of a bore. If I tell a joke, you've probably heard it before. But I have a talent, a wonderful thing. 'Cause everyone listens when I start to sing!" 

Finnick fought the sad smile that begged to decorate his face. Even in her darkest moments, she is still the light of his life. 

"I'm so grateful and proud. All I want is to sing it out loud. So I say- Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing. Thanks for all the joy they're bringing. Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty. What would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we? So I say thank you for the music- For giving it to me!" 

Tears glistened like diamonds down her gorgeous face as the capital melted before her. 

"Mother says I was a dancer before I could walk. She says I began to sing long before I could talk. And I've often wondered, how did it all start? Who found out that nothing can capture a heart Like a melody can? Well, whoever it was, I'm a fan! So I say- Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing. Thanks for all the joy they're bringing. Who can live without it? I ask in all honestyWhat would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we? So I say thank you for the music. For giving it to me!" 

Her forced smile as she danced around the stage was more heartbreaking than her sobs that still echoed through his mind as Finnick fought the instinct to reach for her. 

"I've been so lucky, I love the boy with golden hair. I wanna sing it out to everybody. What a joy, what a life, what a chance. Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing. Thanks for all the joy they're bringing. Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty. What would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we? So I say thank you for the music. For giving it to me. So I say-"

All grew silent for a moment as the last cord played falling like their sinking hearts. She looked out to the crowd, pushing the guitar behind her back and spreading her arms wide for them. All eyes fixed on the imperceptible baby bump that seemed more pronounced in their grief. She leaned forward performing her signature boy for a final time.

"Thank you for the music, for giving it to me!"

Her voice broke as she sobbed once more, the microphone picking up every heartbreaking inflection. The capitol jumped to their feet up in arms to protect their siren. 

Finnick lunged for her, pulling his beloved wife into his chest as the individual protests turned into a roaring wave of rebellion. 

"Stop the games!" They cried. 

Peeta grabbed Katniss' hand and the other tributes followed suit raising their arms in defiance as Snow ordered the broadcast to stop. 

The stage fell dark and the cries fell silent. 

What a finale it would make.