You know when your stomach feels like a fish out of water, flopping around helplessly? Yeah, that's a terrible simile. Let's try again. You know when you feel like someone just opened a can of worms in your stomach? How you're all jittery and you feel like throwing up? That's how Finnick felt, practically running down the halls with Katniss keeping stride with him.

His heart was beating out of his chest, a pulse he felt in his hands and neck and especially in his rebellious gut that twisted and writhed. It had been months now, since his heart was seized by the Capitol because he was too weak. Months, and he couldn't live a second more. She was that huge breath of air after being underwater for so long your lungs start to burn. That bright sunlight that always shone the clearer after a bad storm.

He pushed his way through the small crowd, ignoring the irritated glares thrown his way. The two Victors stopped short as Johanna was wheeled past. It actually took him a moment to realize that his friend was the one on that gurney, all sharp edges and bone-deep exhaustion.

He glanced back at her several times as they walked on, before the gurney that carried her finally turned a corner.

When he turned back around, Katniss was rushing toward Peeta and Peeta was barreling toward Katniss. Something wasn't right about how he looked. The hollow, animalistic gleam in his eyes. The singular focus on eliminating a threat. Finnick sprinted over, but the baker's son was already throttling the brunette.

He wasn't going to let up anytime soon, that much was obvious. So the young mister Odair tackled him. He wasn't expecting the pure ferocity of the man thrashing in his vice-like hold, and it was all he could do to pin his legs and arms against him. "Peeta, stop! Stop it!"

Of course, he didn't. Not until someone finally got tranquilizers in him.

Only when Peeta had slumped against the older man for several moments was he let go, to crumple against the ground.

Katniss was rushed off, seeing as the Mockingjay absolutely couldn't be allowed to die. Finnick stood up after she was taken to the infirmary, his mind still sifting for what might have caused Peeta to be so violent.

All of this, of course, was obliterated when he heard her voice. "Finnick!" He turned around just in time to catch Reyna in his arms. She was skinny, far too skinny, and her voice was weak and she was even weaker as he folded her against him, but the hell if he cared.

"Reyna." He breathed into her hair, before hoisting her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist and tangle her hands in his hair.

He lost his balance and found that we really didn't care, catching her on a wall and just breathing in the sense of belonging he felt, right then and there. It was like his better half was back, and he didn't ever want to lose her again.

"Finnick." She repeated his name in a whisper, barely audible.

He grinned from ear to ear. That goofy, carefree smile that nobody every really saw anymore. And then he started laughing. Actual, happy laughter. Reyna joined in, glad to be alive. Not well by any means, but alive.

It was an unspoken understanding between Katniss, Finnick and Johanna that they wouldn't talk about what happened in the Capitol with Reyna nearby. So far it had been clear skies, but it might only take one word to set off a panic attack, or something worse.

Or maybe Finnick standing up and lifting his empty food tray over her head to put it away.

Reyna immediately froze after he did that, every line of her body tense with fear. Then she stood up abruptly, knife in one hand. "Get away from me!" She shouted at Finnick, brandishing the sharp weapon.

"Reyna, listen, it's Finnick, you're safe now and–"

"I know who he is." She said, in a low voice that didn't hint at the panic behind her eyes.

"Please, I'm not gonna hurt you." Finnick murmured as softly as he could manage, setting the tray down slowly on the ground with his free hand raised to show that he had no weapon.

"You told me that in the Capitol. Then you cut me and kicked me and put all that poison in my blood!"

"You're not in the Capitol, that was a trick. Just a trick, nothing else. It wasn't Finnick who hurt you." Katniss said slowly, sending one of the bystanders (the were drawing a crowd now) a look that plainly said: 'Get help, now.'

"Just like it was a trick that you would save me, maybe. You promised, Finnick. You promised we would be free from the Capitol." Reyna hissed, twirling her knife to hold it backhand and obviously resisting the instinct to slit his throat.

He visibly flinched, taking a step back. "I wanted to trade places with you. Every day. Every single hour of every day of every week. I wanted you to be safe, to be here. I wanted to take the pain for you, but I was too weak. And if I couldn't help you then, you can bet I'll try my damnedest now. Let me help you, please. Just like when we were young."

That last sentence was the wrong thing to say.

She surged forward, barely giving him enough time to hold her back before she was aiming the knife at his forehead.

"Reyna, stop!" Johanna finally interceded.

And she did stop. Every muscle in her body froze, allowing Finnick to easily disarm her. Haymitch and two nurses barged in, making Reyna flinch at the loud noise. She made no attempt to fight as she was hauled to her feet with her arms held tightly behind her back to the point of being painful.

The sound of Finnick's voice was distant, but she still could barely hear it. "Stop, stop it! You're hurting her! Look, she's not even fighting! Haymitch, make them stop!"

Haymitch just looked away. The nurse came forward with a syringe full of that pale blue liquid she knew too well. A small whimper bubbled in her throat, and she started shaking at the sight of that horrible, awful needle.

Even Johanna flinched. "No, don't–"

Reyna started struggling, not caring that her shoulders were nearly out of their sockets. No more than 48 hours ago had she been full of that poison.

"Can't you see she's terrified! What the hell is wrong with you! The Capitol stuck her full of Tracker venom, and when she wasn't on that, she was–" Johanna's voice cracked in the middle of her tirade. "She'll only hurt herself if you get near her with that."

Close, Jo. But it wasn't herself she would hurt.

She leaned forward, hard, until her shoulder was in fact out of its socket, before incapacitating her handlers and popping her arm back in with an agonized groan. Then she was off, off to the one who would keep her safe.

She burst into his room, interrupting his manic muttering. He was on his feet in an instant, but his guard fell to pieces when he saw the state she was in.

He pushed her behind him protectively when Finnick and Haymitch rushed into his padded cell, but all his hostility was focused on Katniss.

"Don't let them hurt me, Peeta!"

A/N: wow, I'm mean. I gave you a happy reunion, and then it kinda all fell apart into angst and sad feels. Oh well, maybe next time won't be as heart-wrenching... Who are we kidding, of course it will be! Ah, but the important part is that I met the deadline! I did it! Even though I really just wrote it all today after procrastinating for two weeks. I hope you liked it, even though it was all sad and sadder. Don't forget to vote, comment, follow, add to whatever, share, and please just enjoy. This is for you guys, all of you amazing people! See you in two weeks, but bye for now!