A month after Annie had returned from her Games, she decided that she was going to go back into the water.

Back into the very thing that almost took her life.

Finnick was quick to tell her not to rush things, but she had managed to drag him and herself to the beach, ready to face one of her demons.

"You don't have to do this, Annie."

A nervous and trembling Annie shakes her head. "I-I'm okay. It's okay. I want to do this." The next part comes out in a whisper. "I have to do this."

Finnick takes her hand, a worried and uneasy expression creeping onto his face. He didn't want her to do this. Not yet. He doesn't believe that she is ready yet, but she'll never be ready. Not really. But if this is what she wants, he'll unfailingly support her.

Annie squeezes his hand tightly, terrified of him letting go and leaving her to die in the ocean. As if reading her thoughts, Finnick reassures her.

"I will not let you go, okay? I wouldn't do that. I'll never do that. I promise."

His convincing and firm tone is enough to convince her, and she nods jerkily, avoiding eye contact. She knows she'll lose her nerve if she merely catches a glance of his caring and sympathetic look that she knows is present.

Looking out at the horizon, Annie braces herself for what she's about to do, taking in the gorgeous sunset-pink sky. A month ago, she thought she'd never see that sight again.

Using the hand that Finnick is holding, she winds his arm around her waist, needing a better physical connection to her love to keep herself grounded. He's her anchor. He always has been, and he always will be.

Exhaling shakily, the timorous brunette kicks off her black flip-flops and looks down at the sparkling water of the ocean. Slowly, she inches forward, dreadfully waiting for the moment when the salty water laps over her toes.

When she feels the familiar wetness creep over her feet and splash onto her ankles, she inhales sharply, but her feet do not cease to move forward, advancing into the water. She cringes as she looks down and sees her feet disappear under the tide.

"You're alright. You're safe, Annie. I'm here," Finnick murmurs, tightening his grip on her slightly. He doesn't fail to notice how her toes are curling and how her hands are balling into fists. "Just relax," he coos gently.

Trying to obediently take his advice, Annie takes a deep breath, but it gets caught in her throat. Unthinkingly, she takes a few more steps onward until she is submerged up to her waist.

Looking down at the water, her eyes well up with tears at the memories that flood into her head, and breathing soon becomes difficult. Finnick says nothing, but he looks at her face, trying to gauge her emotions.

Annie stays silent; her mind is shutting itself down. She slips into a state of unresponsiveness, but in her head, she's screaming. She's wailing and desperately begging Finnick to help her. For anyone to help her. She wants out. She envisions the waves crashing over her head and feels the water choking her and burning her lungs. Keep fighting, she remembers hearing Finnick say during her Games. She had thought she heard him in her head then, ordering her not to give up, and she swears she hears him now, too.

In reality, Finnick puts both arms around his love's trembling form, insisting that she is okay, that she will be okay. He begins to pick her up in his arms to bring her back to shore, and that's when she starts screaming.

She can feel herself being lifted away. The currents are too strong; she's being dragged away from the surface. All she can do is keep kicking and flailing around in terror, hoping that she'll somehow bring herself back above the water.

Even once Finnick gets her out of the water and onto the warm sand, her ear-splitting shrieks persist, and it takes all the willpower in the world for Finnick not to just scream with her.

He knew this was a bad idea, but he can't blame her for trying. She wanted to be strong. She wanted to be brave. But the truth was, she was already courageous. She already had all the strength in the world. She had survived the Hunger Games. Who cares about the damage it caused her? That doesn't make her fragile, not in Finnick's mind.

But it's too late to tell her that now. She's trapped within the confines of her mind. All he can do is hold her small frame in his lap, wrap a plush towel around her shivering body, and tell her it's over.

"Annie? Annie, love, you're alright. You're okay. I've got you. Finnick's got you," he tells her in a calm voice. "You did great. You made it in waist deep. I'd say that's a win for us, wouldn't you?" Not expecting a response, he strokes her back, leading her head to his shoulder. He keeps talking to her, sticking to encouraging and loving words only. He tries desperately to bring her back.

After about ten minutes, Annie's heart breaking screams turn to sobs, and she chokes out, "Finn…"

He inhales deeply before replying. "Yeah? I'm here," he tells her, pulling back slightly and tipping her chin up to look into her eyes. He gently wipes tears off of her cheeks with his thumb and tucks her soft hair behind her ear.

Seeing the love in Finnick's eyes brings on a fresh round of tears, and Annie buries her head in his chest. "I'm too weak. I'm a coward! I—"

He cuts her off with a sweet kiss to the lips. She's too upset to respond to the kiss, but he completely understands. When he pulls back, he rests his forehead against hers and takes her hand.

"Annie Cresta. You are anything but a coward. You're the bravest woman I've ever met. You did amazing, okay? We'll just take baby steps. You and me. Together.

"Together," Annie repeats in a whisper.

Finnick nods and presses another kiss to her lips, and this time, she returns it. He grins and strokes her cheek, causing her to blush. He never fails to make her feel special and bashful. He chuckles when he sees the color in her face, and he squeezes her gently.

Glancing to the side to see the setting sun, Annie and Finnick watch the sun set, both of them thinking about the day. He really does see this as a victory. They're both one step closer to being whole again.

After a few weeks filled with encouragements, praise, and love from Finnick, Annie decides to try again.

This time, she becomes discouraged when she only makes it in a few steps, but Finnick reminds her that she just has to take baby steps. And she decides that's okay. As long as he's with her, she feels like she can take all the time in the world.