A/N: Whoo! Second chapter posted today - to make up for the long absence. (Updated)
A few days after the attack on district two's mountain fortress, the rebels shows footage of Katniss in the hospital. She really is alive, and recovering pretty well it seems. Apparently Johnny was right, and some kind of armor in her costume stopped the bullet. She seems almost back to the Mockingjay from earlier rebel broadcasts, in the clips they show, though it's hard to read her in the broadcasts. She congratulates the districts on their wins, and being united against the Capitol. She warns the Capitol that the rebels will be coming soon. It's all very dramatic. I can't put my finger on what's different about her, and chalk it up to the injury from district two.
Rose has been dying to go out celebrating the recent rebel victories, and she's convinced me to come along tonight. After work she comes over and drags out the box of Marai's clothes, insisting I find something 'fun' to wear since Marai said I should help myself to the clothes anyway. Eventually Rose helps me find a wrap skirt that doesn't quite reach the knee and a scoop-necked green blouse she thinks matches my eyes - of course, she's only seen me with the colored lenses I've been wearing since I arrived in district four. We complete the outfit with cute sandals that will do nothing to keep my feet warm if it gets cold tonight. Spinner is coming, of course, and Rose convinced Johnny to join us too. We're headed out to a nearby city square where some locals have been gathering at night to play music in the street. I ask Bear if he's coming, even though Spinner's already said he won't, but Bear demurs and we go without him.
As we walk, Rose falls into step beside me while Spinner & Johnny walk ahead of us. "This was a great idea," I tell her. "It'll be nice to get out of the apartment for a night."
"I don't know how you stand being cooped up there all the time." She glances sideways at me.
"I don't mind," I say. "It's nice to have friends around. I just wish my arm was better."
"Yeah … so you're okay? I mean, if you need anything … to talk ... I'm here, right?"
"Uh, sure. I'm fine though, really," I assure her.
"Okay, well, have fun tonight. Maybe you can meet some people," she comments, before yelling at Spinner not to forget us.
When we reach the square, there's a small crowd of people dancing in the street and in the grass of the square. It reminds me of the Harvest Festival back home, which always included music and dancing. The dancing styles are different here, but everyone looks to be having a great time. Johnny keeps reminding me that I shouldn't use my bad arm because it might get reinjured, but he and Spinner both take a turn dancing with me, taking care with my arm as they each lead me around the square. Spinner makes me laugh, trying to make me dizzy from turn after turn using my good arm. I love listening to the music. It reminds me of the music I grew up with, the piano I used to play, and the fiddlers in district 12 who would play at the Festival when everyone would dance.
Spinner and Rose hit the dance floor together, and Johnny wanders off to look for some friends. A few people ask me to dance. One of them, whose name I forget immediately after he tells it to me, strikes up a conversation. He asks me what happened to my arm and I tell him, then nod politely as he tells a long story about the train station battle and his friend who is injured and couldn't come tonight, but I'm not really listening. Still, he keeps me company on the sidelines for a while, until Johnny turns up, excitedly telling me about some of the musicians he's met. Next time, he says he'll bring his harmonica and see if he can play with them.
We stay at the impromptu party pretty late, with its music and dancing. Spinner is actually a pretty good dancer, and he and Rose hardly take a break from dancing all night long. Rose & Spinner know a lot of people there, and as the night wears on, they bring by several friends of theirs to meet me. I'm not feeling like much of a conversationalist though, so I'm happy to listen in on the others' conversations, or just watch the dancing. On our way home, Spinner recounts moments from the party for us, like how he almost crashed into one of the musicians during one dance, until Rose barely pulled him off course in time.
We return to the apartment equal parts exhausted and exhilarated, laughing from Spinner's lively imitation of some strange dance move. In stark contrast to our exuberance, we find Bear quietly working on the tablet as usual.
"You should've come!" I tell him. "We had so much fun."
He barely glances up from the tablet. "Nah, I don't dance," he says, brushing off the idea.
"So? I hardly danced – just with Johnny and Spinner. I just sat and watched most of the time."
Rose protests, "You make it sound like we abandoned you! Besides, every time I looked you had company."
"Oh I didn't mean it that way. I had fun watching - and you guys were having so much fun. We'll just have to go again when I'm allowed to dance," I say, looking pointedly at Johnny, who just smirks and shrugs back at me.
"So who was that guy you were talking with for so long? Looked like you have an admirer," Rose asks with a wink.
My face heats up, embarrassed. "It wasn't like that. He was just being friendly. I don't even remember his name."
Spinner & Rose exchange a glance, which I don't miss, but also can't decipher.
"If you say so," says Spinner. "Anyway, I gotta get Rose home before her mom kills me. See you later."
As they leave, I collapse onto the couch.
I ask Bear, "Why didn't you come? It would've been fun."
"Too many people. Besides I had work to do." He gestures to the tablet. Is it just me or does he seem annoyed?
I'm still full of energy and I can't help trying to pull him out of his serious mood. "Can I see it?"
"It's boring, you don't want to …" he starts, but I have no patience with his work-like attitude right now.
"C'mon, please?"
I grab the tablet from his hand before he can stop me.
"Why can't I see it? Is it top-secret?"
"I didn't say that. It's just, not that interesting," he says lightly. He reaches for the tablet, but I hold it behind my back.
He could easily get the tablet back from me, his reach is way longer that mine. He reaches around me, his face inches from mine, and for a moment I stare him down in our tussle over his tablet. In that instant the thought of the other night floods my thoughts and I wonder what would happen if … instead I chicken out and twist away on the couch, my hair smacking him in the face as I fold myself over the tablet. Still, I'm satisfied thinking I have finally gotten his focus away from his work.
Instead of going after the tablet again, he stands up, grabs me by the waist and flips me onto his shoulder. I'm too stunned to even react at first.
"It's so late. You must be exhausted. You should really get to bed," he fakes seriousness.
"Spinner's not even back yet!" I argue helplessly from his shoulder.
"If you're waiting on Spinner I think you'll be up half the night. Wouldn't want that, right?" he says calmly.
"Hey!" I shriek, struggling to get down as he heads down the hall.
"Hmm, you aren't ticklish, are you?" he asks, pouncing on my vulnerability. Somehow he finds exactly the right spot in my side to send me squirming.
"That is not fair," I argue, as I try to keep from laughing. When we reach the door of the back bedroom, he swings me off his shoulder and lightly back on my feet. I reflexively lift the tablet up to keep it protected, and before I'm even settled on my feet he pulls it from my hand and turns back down the hall.
"You know what they say, all's fair in love and war," he says glibly over his shoulder as he heads back to the front room. I'm left at the bedroom door, wondering, which does he think this is?