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Gale woke her up the next morning once he was dressed in his suit for the baby shower.
"Come on Jo, we have to get going so you need to get dressed."
Johanna rolled over and brought her knees up to her chest, hugging them.
"I'm not going" she said and hid her face in her knees as if she was afraid he'd yell.
"Are you sick?" he asked worried that since she was laying in the fetal position she might be ill with the flu or something.
"No" Johanna mumbled. Gale furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing's wrong I'm just not going that's all" Gale frowned.
"Jo one of your best friends had a baby, you should be there for the baby shower. "
"No, it's in district for 4, I'm not going. Besides the baby was born 2 months ago, if she really wanted me to see it she would have brought it here."
"So that's what this is about? You feel left out because Annie didn't bother to bring the baby here? You know how hard it is to bring newborns travelling Jo and besides even if she had…"
"No, that's not it, I'm not going to district 4 so just drop it." She interrupted him blankly her voice void of emotion.
"Is this about Finn? I thought we've been over this Jo, yes Finn died and it was tragic but he wouldn't want you moping around all the time and he would want you to go to the baby shower for his son. "
"THIS ISN'T ABOUT FINN" she yelled." And well yes it would be hard to face a baby that looks exactly like him, that's not why I'm not going, I'm just not ok? I'm happy where I am and if Annie wants to show me her damn baby so bad then she can come here and I'll buy her a gift while she's here."
"So you don't want to go because you haven't bought her a present yet?"
"Of course I've bought her a present it's in the cupboard and you can bring it to her when you go to the baby shower now go, you're going to miss your train. "
"Johanna you are coming to this baby shower!"
"No I'm not and you can't make me!"
Gale just smirked and rolled his eyes then he threw her over his shoulder grabbed her dress hair brush and present and walked out the front door and to the train station. He didn't let her down until they were on the train and the train was moving. He carefully placed her on her feet and handed her, her dress. He then backed a good foot and a half backwards knowing full well that she was pissed. But instead of yelling she simply muttered "you forgot my shoes" and pushed past him into one of the bathrooms to get changed. When she re-emerged she was wearing a beautiful flowy floral dress and a scowl. But yet again she didn't yell she just silently took her seat next to Gale and stared at the floor. Gale was beginning to worry because normally Johanna would be excited to see Annie and normally Johanna would chew him out for not doing as she wanted. But today she was silent and not a word was said from her in their 5 hour train ride to district 4, even though Gale tried numerous times to make conversation she just stared at the floor as if she couldn't hear him at all. Eventually the train arrived in district 4 and Johanna silently rose and trailed after Gale. As they were reaching Annie's beach side manor Johanna tried to put on a happy smile but it didn't reach her eyes. Gale also noticed that she made a point to walk on his side farthest away from the water. He took a second to wonder why but then shook it off as a coincidence. When they reached Annie's door they knocked and a smiling Annie opened the door.
"Johanna!" she squealed embracing the girl Johanna laughed slightly
"I missed you too Ann"
Annie ushered them inside. Johanna followed Annie until she realized that Gale was frozen in the doorway. She turned around and gave him a questioning glance but he didn't see it. She followed his petrified stare and saw Katniss. Johanna quickly went back to Gale and pulled on his arm but he didn't move,
"I shouldn't be here. " He muttered.
"You were just as invited as I was." Johanna whispered.
"I can't face her Jo, not after what I've done." Jo raised an eyebrow
"What have you done?"
"I built the bomb, the one that killed her sister. It was my fault." He muttered." It was my fault."
Johanna shook her head and pulled Gale outside motioning to Annie that they needed a minute.
"That's why you moved to district 2 wasn't it?" he nodded
"I can't face her." He whispered." I can't, not after what I've done"
"Snap out of it Gale you haven't done anything, it wasn't your fault." He covered his ears, shut his eyes and shook his head refusing to believe her words. Johanna slowly took his hands in hers removing them from his ears.
"Did you know what they were going to do with your bombs?"
"I knew the jist of it but I wasn't told all of the plan."
"Did you know Prim was being put on the front line?"
"No"
"Did you plan on killing Prim or any of the rebels with your bombs?"
"No"
"Then it wasn't your fault, if anything it was president Coins fault for deciding to kill our own in order to win the war, it was her fault for putting Prim on the front line, and if you ask me she did it on purpose to try to weaken Katniss, I think she was hoping Katniss would believe the Capital had bombed them again and the Capital had killed Prim so that Katniss would for sure kill Snow I think she knew that Katniss wanted her dead too." Johanna stated matter of factly, Gale stared at her blankly for a few minutes then nodded slightly, he didn't believe it fully but it was a start and Johanna's theory made sense. Johanna leaned up and kissed his cheek before taking his hand and leading him back inside.
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