A/N: This was the idea that popped in my head as I was thinking about Chapter 9. I want to show Prim taking control and her ability to size up people and situations and I needed to get rid of the Johanna situation since she popped up in my dream chapter. Still working on dialogue and now description. Thank you for the comments and suggestions again. I LIVE for them. Saw one pop up during church and read it; think that was you suffocatedsinner. ;) So, keep giving me pointers. Ellenka, I'm slowly making my way through your one shots. You guys should go read her stuff. It's disturbing in all the right ways.
"Jo, what are you doing here?" Gale asked as he appeared in the kitchen.
Johanna Mason looked up at him from his refrigerator and shut the door after she found nothing of interest. She leaned over the counter in the middle of the kitchen revealing her ample bosom barely held in by her v-neck leather vest. "Why do you think I'm here, Hunter-boy? I want to blow off some steam and you get my motor running," she smirked at him. "Don't you have any beer?"
"And how did you get in?" Gale sounded bored. "And no, I don't."
"I'm a victor of the Hunger Games. It opens all doors, baby," she said nonchalantly as she headed towards the cabinets. Johanna's heels clacked across the floor as she moved around Gale's sizable kitchen.
"Now is not a good time," Gale said in a low voice as he rubbed his chin.
"Why? I know your mother-hen…what's her name? Virginia? I know she isn't here. I saw her leave before I came in," Johanna said as she began rummaging through his cabinets. "Do you have anything to eat? I'm starving. And since when did you start eating chocolate ice cream? You're going to get fat if you don't watch it."
Gale shifted his weight. He had no idea how to get rid of Johanna. He'd thought about it a few times since the dream on the train, but he had been busy since then. And what would he have said?
"Where have you been anyway? I've come over a few times and Virginia the virgin-queen kept telling me you weren't here. It seems like you're avoiding me." She found a package of biscuits and started eating them.
"I've been in 4 taking care of some things," Gale replied.
"Well I'm really glad you're back." She sauntered up to him, pressing her body against his as she ran her hand under his shirt against his muscular stomach. "Come on, you look wound up. Let me untie those knots or you can tie me up..." When her hand dipped just below the waistband of his sweatpants he moved away from her.
"Look. I said this wasn't a good time," Gale repeated.
Johanna was pissed. She was not used to being refused. "You've been acting weird for a while, Hawthorne! What gives?"
"I guess I'm not interested anymore in our arrangement," Gale said. She asked a straight forward question, so he might as well be straight back to her. But Johanna could be nasty and he was worried about spurning her.
Johanna narrowed her eyes at him. "There's someone else, isn't there?"
Gale didn't want to give anything away so he said nothing.
"There is! Well, well, well, Gale Hawthorne! Did you find someone to fall in love with after your precious Catnip?" Gale winced at the flippant use of his nickname for Katniss. He tried not to show Johanna any sort of weakness because she literally got off on the pain of others. She told him it was actually an aphrodisiac for her.
Then something occurred to her. "Is she here right now?" Again, Gale didn't say anything. "She is!" Johanna looked like she was about to go search for the new object of Gale's affection or release.
Just then Gale heard footsteps in the hallway and a voice that was familiar, but the accent was not. "Baby! Is somebody here? Where are you?" Johanna noticed Gale's body go rigid at the sound of a woman with almost a capital accent. She looked at Gale and smirked. Johanna was going to have some fun with the little tart. Gale knew this wasn't going to be pretty, so he might as well get it over with.
"I'm in the kitchen," Gale called. He was not prepared for Rose to be in full bloom when she entered the kitchen. She winked a green eye at him as she came into the kitchen in a pair of Gale's own boxer shorts and District 13 tee-shirt that must have fit Prim when she first moved there. Four years and one augmentation later the shirt was stretched tight at the top and it left her middle bare revealing her flat stomach over the rolled down waistband that made the boxers incredibly short on her legs and ride low below her belly button. Her creamy white skin was flawless and was a nice contrast to the fire-portion of her tattoo that peeked over the collar of her tight shirt.
"I didn't feel like putting my pants back on, baby, so I found a pair of your boxers," Prim giggled. Prim looked over at Johanna and stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh. My. Goodness! Shut up! Are you?" She looked between Gale and Johanna, "Are you Johanna Mason?"
Gale was caught between amusement and fear. He decided to go to amusement. If the wink when she came in was any indication, Prim was trying on her Rose persona. "Yes. Rose Aeon this is Johanna Mason, Johanna meet Rose." He played along. He couldn't keep his eyes off her in his underwear; he had never seen that much of Prim and she had not prepared him for this.
Johanna was at a loss for words and that didn't happen very often. Prim grabbed Johanna into a tight hug and squealed. "Oh my goodness! This has just been my week! First I meet Gale Hawthorne who brings me to his place and then Johanna Mason is here. Wait!" Prim put her hands out in front of her. "Do you think there's a chance that Katniss will show up?"
Johanna looked at Gale with such a look of disgust it took everything Prim had not to burst out laughing. Prim just looked back and forth between Gale and Johanna expectantly. Gale had no choice than to go along with it. This was like hunting with Katniss, but different prey.
Gale smiled at Prim and said, "No, Honey, Katniss will not show up. Why don't you go back to the bedroom?" He winked at Prim and she giggled again.
Johanna found her voice. "Wait. This is what…" she looked at Gale then back at Prim. Johanna couldn't believe that he would choose this…woman…girl…over her! Johanna looked her up and down from the one braid down her back to Gale's underwear that didn't leave much to the imagination. Johanna knew this was out of character for him, but he had been acting strange the last few times they were together. But, it was still fun for her so she kept showing up. Her eyes went back up to the tee shirt she recognized from her time in 13.
"What the hell is that on your neck?" she blurted out changing her original question.
Prim squealed at the question and throwing a knowing look at Gale. "It's my tribute to the Tribute and the sister she wanted to protect." Prim made it sound like a recitation. Prim pulled the collar of her shirt down so Johanna could inspect it. "I'm kind of a Katniss and Prim expert. I've been following their histories since the first games. I've watched the vids so much I know them by heart. If there were any letters written and released, I've read them. I'm even planning a trip to 12 to go visit the woods and other people. I'm a year older than Prim and I've always wanted a sister who would protect me like Katniss did for Prim. You were great in the Quarter Quell! You saved Katniss, even though you cut her arm. I forgave you for that even though it left a terrible scar. I know everything there is to know about the sisters. I bet I know things that their mother doesn't even know. I've even had work done to make myself look more like them. Can you tell what it was?" Prim said all of this in one breath. Johanna just looked at her. "Really, can you tell what I've had done?"
Johanna openly scoffed at Prim. "You're a fan? Like a fanatic fan?" She turned to Gale. "You're boffing a Katniss fanatic? Hawthorne, again, what gives?"
Prim looked back and forth between Gale and Johanna. "Did I mess something up here? Are you two…you know…together?" Prim nodded her head like she knew it all. "There was nothing mentioned in the tabs about you two being together, even though it stands to reason. Johanna, you are very similar to Katniss in many ways. Katniss is aloof, sarcastic, and unfeeling and I kind of get that vibe from you, too." Prim smiled at her like she was just assessing a performance. "Gale seems to like that, especially when he…" Prim raised her eyebrows.
Johanna cut her off. "I am nothing like Katniss," Johanna said in a low tone. Johanna was completely perplexed. She knew Gale was lonely that's why she thought this was the perfect arrangement. She also knew he was kind of a sucker for the sweet stuff and she enjoyed getting under his skin. But picking up Katniss fanatic…she never would have thought he could be capable of that. Well, she had teased him about being in love with Katniss; maybe she underestimated how far into it he had fallen. She really did believe love was for chumps, but she really admired Gale's constancy and availability. Now, he has some tart with a Katniss braid in his bed and it only strengthened her theory.
"See, there's your problem, Johanna," Prim went and stood right in front of Gale and pressed her back up against his front, "if you want to load his bow you have to embrace the Katniss." She almost hissed her sister's name. "Isn't that right, baby?" Prim looked up into his face and smiled again. Gale wrapped one arm around her waist spreading his hand over her bare stomach. That made Prim giggle since she really was ticklish and Gale had never touched her skin there before.
Prim continued as Gale took her braid into his other hand as if on cue, "And Johanna, you really should grow out your hair. The things he can do with the braid." Prim let a shudder go down her body. She twisted around and ran her hands around his waist pulling him closer, "I think I'll take your advice and go back to bed. Don't leave me waiting long." She reached up and kissed him under the jaw. Gale looked down into those green eyes and just chuckled before he swiped his lips across hers.
"It's the lips, Johanna," Prim said keeping her eyes on Gale. He smirked at her because he could see Prim through the green eyes.
"What's the lips?" Johanna snapped. She didn't like that he looked so cozy-so comfortable with her. Rose looked back at Johanna.
"I got work done on my lips. It's called 'The Everdeen.' Gale just can't keep his lips away from them. Can you baby?" She went in for another kiss when she stopped before their lips met. Gale looked disappointed but Prim looked as if she had an idea. Prim slowly started towards Johanna, "Do you want to join us? I'm sure you could give me some new insights into Katniss Everdeen that few people know…"
Again, Johanna was speechless. She took a step back from Prim's advance. "Ah…no." It was all she could manage.
"I told you it wasn't a good time, Johanna," Gale repeated as he stepped forward and pulled Prim back into his arms before Johanna attacked her physically. Plus, he wanted to take advantage of the exposed skin of Prim's middle again.
"When will Virginia be back with the food? I'm starving," Prim giggled and blushed as she looked towards Johanna. "We've really worked up an appetite if you know what I mean." Prim lowered her voice again, "I mean it. You can stay."
"I'm gone, Hawthorne. Let me know if you ever get over your little fixation." Johanna headed towards the door.
"He won't," Prim said in her new accent, but a serious tone. It caused Johanna to stop and turn to look at her. "Choosing not to play along is just no fun for anyone." Prim melted into Gale's side wrapping her arms around him in a very suggestive way. "Have a great night, Jo," Prim ended with a malicious grin.
Johanna saw exactly what Prim intended in her comment. She turned on her heel and stalked out of the kitchen. They listened to the clacking of her heels on the foyer tile and both jumped when they heard the front door slam shut.
"What the heck was that?" Gale turned to Prim and asked with wondering awe. "And where did you get this shirt?"
Prim tore herself away from Gale because his touches were heating that ache in her stomach and she didn't want to have to explain any more to her mother than she was going to have to. "It was in my bag and it was about the only thing I owned that would fill my purposes. I'm glad you have all those clothes in your spare bedroom."
"What? My underwear?" Gale slapped her on the rear. "Looks good on you." She yelped and tried to head towards the door. Gale's face darkened. "Seriously, what was that with Johanna?"
"I've never liked Johanna. She used to whisper things to Katniss while she slept in the hospital. I heard her once. It's part of the reason she doubted her love for both you and Peeta. She's a viper with very slow spreading venom. I just sucked it out of your life." Prim looked at him with those big green eyes.
"I need you to make an appointment for me," Prim told Gale. "I really need to go shopping and I need help. I know who I want to help me." Gale just nodded.
"Can you take those out of your eyes so I can talk to Prim?" But, Gale didn't let go of her. He ran his finger along the fire tattoo. "I'm finding it hard to concentrate." He pulled the hair band out of her braid again and unwound it. "I mean it. I want to see your blues."
There was urgency in his voice that she decided not to ignore or question. When she returned to her room, her mother raised an eyebrow at her.
"Well?" Her mother asked in a disapproving tone. "How'd it go?" She didn't like the way Prim was going to use her body and her new face. She did not want to see the goodness and innocence of her youngest daughter taken and corrupted.
"Perfectly. I don't think Johanna will be back," Prim said curtly. She was in the bathroom taking out her contacts. She walked back to her bags and rifled through them and couldn't find anything she wanted to put on. She opened the drawer under the one where she found Gale's boxers and found a pair of sweat pants and put those on over her boxers. She looked in the mirror. "I really like them. They give me power."
"I'm sure Gale appreciates them, but power?" Her mother said dryly and still disapprovingly.
Prim turned to her. "Not with Gale…with other women. Men love boobs in all shapes forms and sizes; it's the way they're built. But other women will discount you if you don't look a certain way. I went out there looking like this," Prim pointed to her too small tee, "and Johanna was threatened. I have never seen that woman on the run because she has never met anyone as self-possessed as herself." She found one of Gale's tee shirts and it on over her own shirt. "Having them and dressing that way made me feel the part that I never could have played without them. Others may have been able to, but I'm glad I made that a part of me."
"Prim, you don't have to change who you are…" her mother started, but Prim cut her off.
"Yes I do. I must change who I am or the change will be forced upon me!" It was rare that Prim showed any kind of anger. It was poignant when she did. "When I made the decision that you would know me for the rest of your life and not Katniss I was forced to change. It forced me to realize that people in power are going to exert that power over the powerless. I don't want to exert power over others in that capacity but I'll be damned if I'm ever weak and powerless like that again."
They looked up and noticed Gale standing there. Prim continued, "Gale has taken power by obtaining a position in the government. I don't like that he works for the people who continue to hurt and separate my family after all we have already suffered and sacrificed. However, he uses his power to get us things we need and to protect us. I was forced to endure this change and I am going to use it to my ends and to my satisfaction. It just so happens that my ends are family and there lies my satisfaction as well. You need to trust me," Prim looked pointedly at both of them, "both of you. You are going to see me do things and hear me say things that will make you question what is happening to me but you must trust that at my core I am the same Prim I have always been." She looked back and forth between the two of them with intensity in her blue eyes. They both nodded, though they looked concerned.
Prim grabbed a hair tie off the dresser and pulled her long hair into one messy bun. "I really am hungry. I'll be back in the kitchen," Prim said as she left the room in Gale's workout clothes which covered her new body.
Prim's mother moved her tired eyes to Gale's. "Is that your influence?"
Gale shook his head. "Do you think I have any influence over that tidal wave?"
She looked up at the ceiling. "I guess this was set in motion a long time ago and all we do is ride the wave."
Gale looked at the door where Prim had just exited. He was reeling over how the whole scene just played out. Prim was masterful and it seemed like she improvised the whole thing. She had to, how else would she know? He had felt guilty about Johanna and tried to tell Prim on the train and she stopped him. Maybe that attempt was enough for Prim.
"Johanna Mason?" her mother asked looking back up to Gale interrupting his thoughts. "And you want me to be okay with you moving on to my daughter?"
"I can't make you okay with anything." Gale met her gaze, his steely eyes again. "Johanna was a distraction that turned into a regularly repeating mistake. I didn't know how to end it, but Prim took care of that for me," Gale said with a little smirk.
"Did Prim know about it?" her mother asked quietly. "Are any of your other distractions and/or mistakes going to show up at your house? And how long before Prim falls into that category?"
Gale shook his head at her. He was a little angry at the question. He understood her concern, but she was in no position to judge. "I thought you knew me better than that." He left the room to find Prim. He, too, was hungry and Virginia really was out picking up food. She should be back by now.
Prim's mother remained in her chair after Gale left. He pursued Katniss when she showed little interest. He slept, by his own admission, with Johanna-the barracuda—Mason, often even though he knew it was a mistake. Now he moved on to Prim. She was very uncomfortable with this arrangement and she didn't know what to do. She would be back in District 4 and Prim would stay here in 2 where Gale had easy access to her. Her uneasiness grew. Prim was obviously head over heels for him so there was no talking reason to her. She'd have to find a way to protect Prim.
"I thought I knew you better than that, too," she said to the empty room.
A/N: Off to vacation in Missouri. I'll be reading and writing while I'm gone. 3 old characters going to pop up in Chapter 11 along with some new ones that I get to make up. Anyone want to guess who pops up? Anyone?
A/N2: Another re-edited. Please forgive any typos and grammatical errors. This was my first attempt and I'm slowly going through it.
Please leave reviews even if you're reading it a year later. :) They still make me happy.