Chapter 21. Comfort

Luckily for the squads, it didn't take much longer for Lt. Zephyr to begin the air raid counter strike. Gale finished off the last of the human mutts just as the Bonum air crafts took to the sky. With technology on par with Panem's, the battle raged on for thirty minutes until the last of the Panem hovercrafts crashed to the ground.

Johanna watched the skies with the rest of their squad until the smoke had cleared. The woman, her lips blue from the frost and both hands still trembling, dropped her gun immediately before dropping to her knees. She tilted her head down and wrapped her arms around herself tightly. Willow wiped blood off a bite on her neck that she had gotten from one of the mutts, glancing back at Johanna in surprise, while Katniss furrowed her eyebrows for a moment before slinging her gun over her shoulder, kneeling down next to the District 7 Victor. She shrugged off her own jacket and set it on Johanna's shoulders. "Come on, let's go back."

"Get off!" Johanna shouted, but it wasn't in her usual angry manner. Her voice actually cracked slightly, weakly, as she pushed the coat off her shoulders.

Katniss secured the coat tightly around Johanna's shoulders anyway, pulling the hood over her head. She stood up in just her sleeveless green hunting shirt and a pair of jeans that were so big, they had to have belonged to Madge. She thought for a moment, realized who she was dealing with, and decided tough love was the best route. "Stop being stupid, take the jacket, and stand up, because I'm not going to wear it, Johanna. And if I get frost bite and lose an arm or something, I'll never forgive you."

"Because I give a shit if you forgive me," she spat back but got up anyways.

"Clearly, you do," Katniss smirked triumphantly. Out of spite, Johanna took the coat off and dropped it in the snow before starting to head in the direction of the house. Katniss, always stubborn, just crossed her arms and followed Johanna, leaving the coat in the snow. Upon watching the two, Willow blinked and looked at Gale, blankly. The hunter gave a small sigh as he picked up the coat from the ground.

"We have nothing left to do here. Let's head back, the others should be meeting us there soon."

Willow nodded shortly before following the two older women back toward the house, mumbling something like "these chicks are crazy".

Johanna reached the door to the house first. She grasped onto the knob, but froze on the spot, remembering what waited for her inside. She stared down at her hand, eyes slightly widened and her breathing irregular. The woman tried to blame the cold for her actions since it wasn't like her to act this way. What did she care that Annie died? Johanna had nobody left and didn't care about anybody. She asserted this to herself mentally, but for some reason, she couldn't turn the handle.

Katniss faltered behind Johanna for a moment, watching her back. Goosebumps errupted on her arms, but she pushed the discomfort back and just tilted her head to the side. Could Johanna Mason actually be feeling sadness, regret? Katniss just pressed her lips together, unsure of how to comfort a person like Johanna, so she just reached forward, setting her hand over the other woman's, and turned the door knob for her. Johanna immediately pulled her hand back once the knob was turned, shooting a glare towards Katniss. Her eyes flared but she bit her tongue and pushed her way through to the living room of the house without so much as cursing at Katniss.

Katniss frowned, concerned for the older Victor, but knowing it wasn't wise to try to comfort her. She just followed her into the house, stopping cold when she saw Seeder's dead body in the middle of the living room, half covered by Johanna's jacket, and Finnick sitting on the stairs, still holding Annie tightly against his chest, face blank. Johanna's eyes widened, especially at the sight of Seeder. That came as more of a shock to her then anything, but she quickly turned to Katniss. "Go lock that door and don't let anybody in here."

Katniss nodded quickly, tearing her eyes from Seeder. She ran over to the door and shut it, locking it quickly, ignoring Gale and Willow walking up from the street. As she did, Johanna walked to Seeder's corpse. She leaned down, fixing the coat so it fully covered the sixty year old woman from sight before straightening up again. Slowly, her gaze turned towards Finnick, but she didn't move from the spot.

Finnick didn't look at them. His eyes were still focused on Annie's face, as if unsure what to do anymore. The life was completely drained from his green eyes as he slowly ran his fingers through her dark hair. Katniss suddenly felt an intense pain in her chest while watching Finnick with Annie's body. She began thinking of this war with its heartless soldiers, killing an old woman and a mad girl. If they could do that to these helpless people, what would they do to Gale? If Gale died, would she look like Finnick did right at this moment, lifeless and unsure of how she would go on?

Johanna slowly made her way over to Finnick. She ignored the knocks that came from the front door, most likely from Gale himself, before she sat down on the stairs next to Finnick. Her eyes travelled from Annie to Finnick. She knew better then anybody how badly this felt.

"Finnick... you need to let her go now."

Katniss pressed her back against the door, wanting to bolt from the room, but didn't. She kept her eyes trained on Finnick and Johanna as Finnick slowly turned his eyes up to look at Johanna. "But... but I love her."

"I know, but that won't bring her back."

"I..." he just trailed off, pressing his face back against Annie's hair. "Just leave us alone."

Johanna stood up from the spot, but she didn't walk away. Instead she turned sideways to face him better, kneeling awkwardly on the stairs before, uncharacteristically, wrapping both her arms around Finnick and Annie. Katniss turned her eyes away awkwardly while Finnick sat there for a long moment before pressing his face against the side of Johanna's arm, not saying a word.

The short haired woman just stayed still with Finnick. She felt awkward, she felt stiff, and her leg was starting to fall asleep from the way she was kneeling on the stairs, but she forced herself to stay there. She remembered the pain she felt when her loved ones were lost and all she ever wanted was somebody there for her. But for her, nobody was left and she turned cold. Johanna didn't want Finnick becoming anything like her.

She turned her head to Katniss, as if she just remembered the woman was there. She stared at her for a minute before clearing her throat. "Go outside. Now."

Katniss's face quickly turned red, but she nodded hurriedly. She unlocked the door and hurriedly stepped outside, but shut the door behind her and leaned against it so no one could get in. Outside, standing right at the front stoop, Gale blinked at her. "Um... Katniss? Can we come inside?"

"No, not yet," Katniss said quietly, her voice slightly choked, not looking at him.

Gale tilted his head, staring at her, before putting a hand on her shoulder. "What's going on?"

"They're busy," she said before she just pressed her face against Gale's chest, wrapping her arms immediately and tightly around his waist. After seeing Finnick holding Annie's still body so tenderly, her fear for everyone, but mainly Gale, had increased tenfold. The hunter's eyes widened slightly, but he wrapped his arms around Katniss regardless. He decided not to press the matter anymore, now worried mostly for her sake. He leaned down, kissing her forehead.

"Okay, we'll wait..."

There was a loud sigh from behind Gale and Willow as Haymitch arrived with Peeta, Chaff, and Amur. "Why are we all standing outside? It's cold as shit."

Upon hearing Haymitch, the hunter lifted his head up towards him, but still held on to Katniss. "Something's going on inside with Johanna and Finnick."

Peeta's eyes immediately darted to Katniss, concerned. "Katniss?" he looked towards Gale. "Is she okay?"

Katniss pressed her lips together, her face still hidden in Gale's coat. She stayed still for a long moment before slowly pulling her head back, looking around Gale to the rest of the group, face pale and drawn. "Annie and Seeder are dead. Finnick needs... some time."

"Seeder?" Chaff spoke up and, for the first time, sorrow hinted in his voice. "What happened? I thought dat Seeder and Annie were still in da house during the attacks."

"I don't... I don't know... they were supposed to be. Annie ran off to find Finnick... I guess Seeder went after her. Maybe."

Nobody else spoke. The news of everything left a lingering cloud of depression looming over everybody's heads. Seeder, the fragile old woman, was always so helpful. She never did anybody harm while Annie was too innocent to ever hold ill will against anyone. She was always so fearful, yet loving and curious. It was a blow nobody expected or believed. Katniss just looked up at Gale for a moment, eyes frightened and worried. She tucked her head back against his coat, acting like she was cold, so he wouldn't see those emotions were mainly for him and how selfish she was for not really thinking about Annie and Seeder at a time like this.

Haymitch was quiet for a long moment before sighing heavily, eyeing the door. "I need a damn drink."

"I think a few a us do after dat news," Chaff sighed before putting a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Maybe we should knock," Willow suggested quietly from behind Gale and Katniss, glancing back at Amur, worried about her mentor. Amur, who had a frown on his face the entire time, looked to Willow. He nodded quietly before stepping forward. As he did, however, the door suddenly opened slightly as Johanna stood at the doorway. She blinked up at Amur before glancing to everybody else. She snickered.

"So the whole party's back, eh? Freezing your asses off enough out here?"

Katniss turned her head slightly away from Gale to look at Johanna while Haymitch sighed again, heavily. "Stop being a bitch and let us in."

"Ask nicely next time, Mitch," she spat but stepped aside so the group could walk in.

In the living room, both Seeder and Annie's bodies had been moved, presumably by Johanna. Finnick, like the bodies, had disappeared from the living room, assumably up to the room he once shared with Annie. The woman kept by the door, crossing her arms as she waited for Katniss to pass her. Katniss let all the other Victors walk in before her and then she looked at Johanna. "How is he?"

"How would you be?" she replied flatly before shooting her eyes towards the girl. "You don't tell a single person what you saw in this room or on the stairs, got it?"

"I wasn't going to," Katniss said quickly, crossing her arms. "I wouldn't... I just... I was worried. Sorry."

"Nothing any of us say or do will make him better. All we can do is help out when we can and make sure he doesn't turn into me."

Katniss paused for a moment, closing the door against the cold. She looked back up at the woman and smiled slightly, lowering her voice so no one could overhear. "You're not that bad, Johanna. It was sweet what you did for him."

Johanna's eyes darted, locking with Katniss's briefly in a glare. However, as much as she tried, the glare couldn't help but look forced. She pulled her gaze away from her, uncertain of what to say. So, instead, she walked to the kitchen. "Mitch, pop me open a bottle or I'm taking yours!"

Katniss watched Johanna go with a slight smile before heading to the basement to let her sister and Gale's family know it was safe, wondering if she would ever truly understand the woman.