LEIA HAD MISSED THE FEELING OF LYING NEXT TO FINNICK. Her head was rested on his bare chest as he looked up at him through her messy curls. They had a moment before he had to begin getting ready, and neither of them wanted to move. She sighed as he brought each of her fingers and kissed them. "I tried to tell you, but I didn't want to send it in a letter."

"No, you did the right thing," he assured her, shaking his head. He released her hand to tuck some hair behind her ear. He did not even want to imagine what might have happened to her, to the baby, if it got back to the president. "Who knows what Snow would've done if he found out?"

"I really missed you," she told him. She was glad that he was back because she did not feel so alone in everything, but she hated the situation that they were in. Snow was obviously doing this to punish Katniss Everdeen, who won the 74th Games with her District Partner, Peeta Mellark, by tricked the Gamemakers.

He smiled adoringly at her, and hearing those words brightened up his day even more. He knew then that even if he died, some part of the Odair legacy would live on. "I missed you too, my love. Not a day went by that I didn't think of you."

"What are we going to do?" she questioned, sitting up so that she was looking down at him. They needed a plan or something. He was going back into the freaking Hunger Games, despite the fact that he was promised a life of peace. Hadn't the Capitol taken enough from him?

He just shrugged because there wasn't much he could say. He was going to try his hardest to come home to her and his child, but he couldn't make any promises, not with something as unpredictable as the Games. "What we always do. We'll figure it out together."

"I don't know if I can watch you go through all of that again," she muttered. She felt stupid for saying it considering that he was the one that had to do it, but she knew that she was going to struggle to watch the man she love be put through that torture again and not be able to do anything about it. If she could swap places with him, she would do it in a second,,,if it weren't for the baby.

His usual charming smile appeared on his face once again, and his eyes sparkled as he looked up at her. "I'll be thinking of you every minute of it."

"No, you need to stay focused," she insisted with a pointed look. She needed him to be totally and completely aware of everything happening around him. She was not letting him die in there. She refused to. "You're coming out of that arena alive."

"You always were stubborn," he chuckled, shaking his head.

She shoved him lightly on the chest, trying to get him to stop laughing. She needed him alive. It was not an option or something to joke about. "I'm not kidding, Finnick. I don't care that they're also Victors."

"I know," he assured her, and he reached over to wrap his and around hers so that she knew that he was listening and being serious as well. They had a child, and he was not going to laugh about coming home to them. "We have a baby on the way, Leia. I'm coming back home to both of you."

"Good. Now, we have to get you ready," she reminded him, swinging her legs over and standing up, straightening out her dress as she did so.

However, it was about five seconds before his arms looped around her waist, just above her baby bump and pulled her back into the bed. She giggled and allowed him to tug her, and she sunk happily back into the mattress as he leaned over her and began kissing her face. "Just a few more minutes."

《✵》

THE TRIBUTE PARADE WAS MINUTES AWAY, AND LEIA WAS ON EDGE. The showcase was not as important this year since the Capitol knew pretty much everyone, but it was still essential that everything went well. Finnick had been stuck in yet another skimpy costume, but the Calore woman had talked Apollo into draping a piece of gold mesh over his hips so not everything was on display.

"Remember, use your smile. Look as charming as you can," she advised. She had been giving him tips for the past half an hour while touching up his makeup and making sure that everything was perfect. He indulged her antics, allowing her to help in every way that she could. She reminded him, "The Capitol knows and loves you. Use that to your advantage."

He finally placed his hands on her arms, leaning down to look her in the eye so that she'd calm down a little bit. He honestly couldn't care less about what happened before the Games as long as he was able to spend as much time with her as possible. "Leia, I know all of this. This isn't my first rodeo, remember?"

"I know," she sighed, stopping herself from running a hand through her hair because it had taken an hour for Amethyst to fix. She took a few deep breaths, reminding herself that not everything depended on this. She felt bad for pestering him so much. "I'm just making sure. There's only so much I can do for sponsors."

"I know, and that's why I'm working on making allies," he informed her with a smirk.

She furrowed her eyebrows, running through all of the Tributes in her mind, wondering who would be trustworthy enough for him to ally with. Mags was a given. She was like a mother to him, and he would want to keep her safe. Leia knew that he was friends with Johanna Mason, so he was most likely going to work with her. However, he wouldn't be 'making allies' with her if he already knew her. "Like who?"

"Give me a second," he replied simply before spinning on his heel and walking down the line of carriages. He got lost in the people, and she could not see where he was going.

She just sighed and slowly turned around, only to collide with someone as soon as she did. Whoever it was grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her, and she looked up to see a blonde boy staring back at her with a concerned expression on his face. "Oh, my God. I am so sorry. Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you, it was just a little bump," she assured him, grabbing her stomach with a smile. She did not need him panicking over bumping into her. He was clearly a Tribute, meaning he had enough to worry about.

He looked very familiar, and it took her a moment to place him. Finally, her eyes widened when she realized that he was the male Victor from District 12. She did not know how she did not remember it sooner. He and his fiancee, Katniss, had been on their Victory Tour not too long ago. He breathed out a sigh of relief, "Okay, good. I would never forgive myself if I hurt a pregnant woman."

"You're Peeta, right?" she questioned.

"Yeah, nice to meet you," he confirmed, extending his hand for her to shake. He seemed really sweet, which made her heart break when she recalled that he was going to be in the arena in a week, fighting against the man she loved and the father of her child. "And you are?"

She was shocked by that. No one ever asked her name, especially not Tributes. They were always too caught up in their own stuff to care about her. She was a Capitol citizen, after all. "Leia."

"Nice to meet you, Leia," he repeated, and he appeared really nervous about the Parade, despite the fact that he had done it before.

She nodded. "You too. I wish I could wish you luck, but..."

"You already got someone you're betting for," he finished for her, waving her off. She wondered if he knew who she was rooting for or if he just guessed. She glanced up at Mags, who was sitting silently in the carriage, but she did nothing to indicate that she was paying any attention. "It's okay, I understand. Can you just hope I don't fall on my face?"

"That I can do," she laughed out.

He put his hands together, thanking her as he brushed past her and worked on making his way back to his carriage. "Thank you so much."

"What was that all about?" Finnick questioned, and she turned around to see him standing behind her, leaning against the carriage with raised eyebrows. She almost jumped, but once she realized that it was just him, she was calm.

"Oh, nothing," she replied, waving him off before raising her own question that was much more important. He was supposed to be getting some people to team up with him in the arena, and she wanted to know how it went. "How did making allies go?"

"It's a process, my dear Leia," he responded, smirking at her as he climbed into the carriage and stood next to Mags.