Music's in my soul, I can hear it everyday and every night; it's the one thing on my mind. Music's got control, and I'm never letting go no, no. I just wanna play my music. – Jonas Brothers
At the same time Johanna is having a conniption over the missing bow and arrows, Tyler is woken up by someone jumping up and down on his bed. Expecting it to be Julie he rolls over and pulls a pillow over his head. "C'mon Ty! Dad is making waffles…with blueberries!" Jesse shakes his shoulders.
"Jess?" he groans, lifting his head and struggling to see her without his glasses.
She sighs. "Yeah, yeah, it's me. Don't be so excited; I don't want you to wear yourself out." She pauses. "Don't you remember Dad saying that I'd be here?"
"Vaguely." He says, reaching over to his bedside table to put on his glasses. "How've you been?"
She looks over her shoulder at the door and then back at Tyler. "Honestly, I haven't been able to get Johanna out of my head. Have you found anything?"
"I thought you said you didn't want to help." He says, confused.
"I changed my mind. The truth is that I just wanted to forget the whole thing but I've found that pretty difficult to do. So tell me, anything I should know?"
He nods slowly. "Yeah. Julie and I, uh, found evidence that she's the murderer."
She sits back and looks out the window, studying the woods sitting beyond. Then she looks back at him and away quickly. "Well. That's…that's quite a big deal. Have you turned her in?"
He shakes his head. "We gave Haymitch the evidence. And Gale is somehow involved."
"Gale? I thought he was dead."
"Just like Johanna." He says spitefully. "I was planning on talking to Haymitch about it this morning if you'd like to come. Julie is going to be there too."
"Can I invite Marcus?"
"Of course."
She smiles grimly. "Then I'm in."
At noon the group of teenagers is gathered around Haymitch's kitchen table, the bow and arrows sitting in the middle. Haymitch paces in the kitchen, the counter separating him from the group. Finally he says, "I've put a lot of thought into this." He walks around to the table and pinches the bridge of his nose in one hand while resting the other on his hip. "I decided that as much as I would like to turn Johanna in, it is ultimately your father's decision."
"What?" Tyler exclaims.
"Just let me explain." Haymitch answers calmly. "When your mother was still alive and long before you two rug rats came along Peeta swore to always take care of her. I think that still applies. If he wants justice for her death, then he'll have it but only if he wants to deal with those repercussions."
Jesse is shaking her head. "You know he'll say no."
"Probably because he's smart, unlike all of you." Haymitch says. "He knows that if he were to march into the Justice Building with these weapons and turned Johanna in, the press would be swarming your family. And if he knew that you all are still in danger of Johanna, he won't put you into that position."
Tyler sighs. Julie squeezes his knee under the table. She gives him a look that he can clearly translate as We'll just have to catch her ourselves then.
Marcus nods to Jesse and she also sighs. "Fine. I guess we'll be talking to Dad tonight then." She says to Tyler.
Haymitch takes the bow and arrows and sets them in the closet nearby. Jesse frowns at Tyler, who was about to say more to Haymitch. Haymitch sits at the head of the table and looks at them seriously. In a hushed tone he says, "I don't know if anyone is listening into our conversation but I believe someone needs to bring down justice on Johanna. She'll be out of District 12 by nightfall and that is far too soon for us to turn her in."
"So what do we do?" Marcus asks.
Haymitch looks each one of them in eye and says, "You must go after her."
"Go after her?" Jesse repeats.
"By the time 13 has soldiers out in the field tracking her, she will be fifty miles away. At least. You four going after her is the only solution."
"Why don't we just head her off?" Julie asks.
"Because Haymitch wants to know what she's up to." Jesse answers, eyeing Haymitch. "Or…no, not Haymitch; Plutarch."
Haymitch nods affirmatively. "Exactly."
"So, what? We're just sneaking out?" Julie asks, excitement lighting up in her eyes.
"You'll leave tonight at eight."
"We're starting at night?" Marcus asks. "Seems risky."
Haymitch shrugs. "Why do you think she's leaving at nightfall?"
The teens look at each other for several moments. "Well I'm up for anything." Julie says.
"Me too." Marcus seconds.
Tyler is holding his sister's gaze, knowing what this could mean for both of them. For her, she could be kicked out of the military. For him, he could lose his scholarship. For all of them, they could be killed. Or worse. He slowly nods as the fear in her eyes turns to determination.
"I'm in." she says confidently.
As night falls over District 12, Jesse offers to cook dinner for Peeta. He quickly agrees and sits on the sofa, watching the TV. Tyler hides in the closet behind their father's normal place. Jesse slips sleep syrup in the bowl of lamb stew she made for Peeta. He takes his seat at the table. He takes a spoonful of stew and puts it in his mouth. He immediately knows what is in it. "No!" he exclaims as Tyler bursts out of the closet and claps a hand over his mouth.
Jesse sits and closes her eyes as Tyler releases his unconscious father. "Like mother like son." She whispers spitefully. Then she stands and writes a quick note on the notepad on the counter. Dad, we're fine…promise. Going on a little adventure. Talk to Haymitch. Love always, Tyler and Jesse
Tyler retrieves their packs from the closet and hands Jesse the bow and arrows. She slides on Katniss's leather jacket and slips the sheath of arrows over her narrow shoulders. Tyler takes the guns out of the safe in the closet and puts them in the belt he took from his father's closet. They step out on to the sidewalk and Jesse stops, looking up at their house.
"You sure you want to do this?" he asks her.
She nods and smiles grimly. "Just taking one last look." She sighs.
He looks down at his boots and tries to hide the tears filling his eyes. "Do you think this is how they felt?" he asks, not needing to explain who they are. "When they left for the first Games?"
Jesse smiles more genuinely. "And the Quell?" she pauses. "Something like it." She muses, looking up at the house one final time before walking down the sidewalk that led to the back of Victor's Village, more commonly known as the East End.
The two slipped through the woods quietly, circling District 12. They met Marcus and Julie in the meadow, where they took a quick inventory of their supplies. Julie was in charge of getting food, Marcus survival supplies, and Jesse and Tyler took care of weapons and miscellaneous supplies. They all walk to the fence together and stop, sizing it up and then looking at the woods beyond.
"I've never been back here without Mom." Tyler says.
"I've never been back here at all." Julie admits.
Marcus and Jesse look at Tyler and then back to Julie. She scurries under quickly and quietly, leading the group. Marcus follows her and just as Tyler gets down on the ground Jesse pulls him back up by the elbow. "If she dies…" Jesse says. "She has no idea what she's getting herself into."
"I know. I'll protect her, okay?" he says, pulling away and crawling underneath the fence. After several minutes of walking they emerge from the trees and are overlooking the valley. The have friendly conversation with each other but it is soon interrupted by the snap of a twig.
"What was that?" Julie immediately asks.
Peeta emerges from the trees, hands deep in his pockets. "You still have a few things to learn. Like how much sleep syrup it takes to knock out a fully grown man."
"Shit." Tyler whispers.
"And you also shouldn't talk in such an open area. Sound travels a lot farther than you think." He continues.
Marcus nods and clutches his gun closer to his body, suspecting it's a trap. "Right. Of course sir."
"Don't 'Sir' me. What you all are doing is reckless and irresponsible and dangerous…yet so chivalrous and I won't let you come home until you're done this mission." He adds. "Did you all really think that no one knew you were going? Plutarch has planned this."
They all look at each other. "Wait, so you mean Haymitch didn't come up with this?"
"Of course not. We wouldn't dare put four amateur – well, really three – soldiers on such a dangerous mission. Don't worry, I'm not coming with you. This kind of stuff is a little after my time. But there are some things I have to tell you." They all nod in agreement. "Johanna is going to lead you on a wild goose chase. There are soldiers stationed all around the country that will keep you updated on her location. She will never be totally free; there are too many soldiers and Peacekeepers involved with this mission. When you get to the Capitol, you will set up base camp with the other soldiers. Jesse, you are going to join the attack they are planning on the Capitol."
"Why are they even attacking the Capitol?" Tyler asks.
"No one has had word with the Capitol since before Johanna escaped the hospital in Thirteen. Then Johanna kills…and then there's a phone call from Gale, who has been dead for over thirty years. Or so we thought. Something is going on out there and we need to destroy them before they destroy the country." He explains.
"How long has this been planned?" Jesse asks.
"The summer." He confesses. "Don't give me that look. Why do you think they moved you through all of those training levels so quickly? They wanted you prepared."
She huffs. "Oh my gosh. So you all have been playing us? As soon as I joined the army you started planning this. You've been planning out all of my promotions. What else have you been planning? Did you plan for Johanna to escape? Did you plan for Mom to die too?" she demands.
"Jesse." He says.
"Just tell me. Did you plan for Mom to die?"
"She knew she was going to die, yes." He confesses.
"That's why she left the code."
"A code that you all created for us to confirm it was Johanna and be motivated to run away." Tyler adds.
Peeta sighs. "I know I can't apologize for any of this, but please take this Jesse. It's already programmed for you. Haymitch will communicate with you all through it." He says, putting the Advanced Holo on the ground and walking back into the woods.
So what the Hell just happened? Please review!
~PennStateGRL4eva~