Chapter 53

The train ride is horrid. People crowded the train so badly half the people had to stand. I would be one of those lucky people.

I end up squished between fat, rancid smelling, bald, guy with no teeth, and a kid who likes to pick his nose.

I thought the Hunger Games was bad.

Finally we reach District Four, and I'm flying off that train as fast as my feet can carry me.

First place, can we guess it?

That's right! Annie's place.

One problem, it's deserted.

What?

I turn around and walk down the street, confused. I reach Alecia and Brody's place. Alecia sits on the porch, strumming her guitar.

She looks up, as I walk towards her. Her mouth drops open in a surprised smile.

"Well it looks like the soldier is coming home." She says chuckling.

I smirk. "Where'd Annie go?" I ask standing in front of her, in my dirty, bloody uniform.

"They went down a couple streets, needed a bigger place." She says amused. She grabs a pad of paper and a pen and writes the address down for me. "Here you go." She says smiling up at me. "Why'd you leave?"

I raise my eyebrows and gesture to my uniform. "Military,"

Then, I turn on my heel and jog off.

When I find the place, there's a woman, with brown hair, holding a young boy, about a year old or so.

The woman looks up as I walk up the sidewalk towards the porch. Her mouth drops open.

"Johanna!" She says excitedly. She puts the little boy down and runs towards me.

Hazelle appears at the screen door, and Sophie behind her. The boys come around from the back curiously.

Annie slams into me, hugging me tightly.

I cry out in pain. "I'm glad to see you too Annie." I grunt holding my stomach with one hand and hugging her with the other.

She steps back. "What's wrong?" She says motherly-like.

I show her my stitches. "Got shot about two weeks ago," I say giving her a half smile.

She slaps me across the face. "Why did you just leave like that?" She says shrilly.

"I'll explain inside." I say chuckling.

She leads the way inside as the boys sneak in to listen to our conversation.

"I figured," I say taking a drink of water. "That after that incident with the gang, that you'd be safest away from me. So I joined the army. Been working closely with Paylor and Gorgeous. I did some double spy things, and I had a few undercover missions."

"How did you get hurt?" Annie says worriedly.

"I fucked up my exit, got shot at, wasn't lucky enough to get away from it unharmed. I crawled through a ventilation shaft in a mine to get out, and then I walked across District Two. I nearly died. But I got sent here to intercept the Mockingjay. She's been evacuated from District Twelve." I say.

"What?" Hazelle says leaning forward. Sophie watches everyone carefully.

"She's been evacuated." I say my voice cracking slightly. "I didn't do my job right. The rebels got out, and now she's got to be evacuated to keep them from using her for ransom. I'm here to intercept her."

"Well she's welcome here anytime." Annie says decisively.

"That's right." Hazelle says sadly. "Poor girl, she lost everything she had. Even her mother is afraid to talk to her."

Annie nods sadly.

"We all lost a lot." I say sitting back. "Some more than others."

Hazelle meets my eyes with hers and nods. She knows exactly what I'm talking about.

"Why did you leave so suddenly Jo?" Annie asks.

"I'm not one to settle down." I say awkwardly. "Besides, I was going to be the one to hurt you. I had to go. So I went to the military. I didn't need the paycheck, so I had them send it to you."

"That's how we paid for the house." Hazelle says gesturing around us.

"It's nice." I say looking around at the typical District Four decorations.

Tai crawls over to my chair and stands himself up, spewing random syllables and sounds at me.

I pick him up and set him on my lap.

"He grew up fast." I say ruffling his now longer curly locks of golden, red hair.

Annie smiles brightly. "It's his birthday."

"How old are ya kid?" I ask him making him giggle. "Thirty-five?"

He pokes my bottom lip still giggling.

"Is my face really that funny looking?"

He squeals in laughter.

Why am I so funny to this kid? Honestly.

"He never stops laughing." Annie says lovingly. "Just like Finnick."

Hazelle and I both snap our heads to her, watching.

Nothing happens. She just stares at Tai, who is very preoccupied with my face by the way. She doesn't zone out, she doesn't close off. She just watches him.

Crazy Cresta is healing faster than I am.

Tai points to the ground and makes a sound. I put him down and he's off towards Posy. She's busy coloring, so she doesn't pay much attention to him.

I turn back to the other two women that matter.

"So why is the Capitol Creep still here?" I say glaring at Sophie.

"I'm analyzing the household. This is a very special case, so it involves careful attention." She says like she's scolding a child.

I glare at her. Finally I tear my eyes away from her to look at Hazelle.

"Gale's doing fine." I say bitterly. Still angry over the short conversation I had with Sophie. "When you watch the news you'll understand why I'm telling you this. He's staying back in District Three to help, well, clean up."

"I haven't heard from him in over a month Johanna." Hazelle scolds.

"Hey that's his problem." I say holding my hands up in surrender. "Not mine. Take it up with him."

Annie smiles again. "We've missed you Jo."

"I've missed you too." I say sighing, then wincing.

"Are you alright?" Hazelle asks.

"Yeah I'm fine." I say waving her off. "It's just a flesh wound."

A week later, and we get a call on the house phone. Rory answers it.

"Jo it's for you!" He calls.

"I'll be back." I tell a complaining Tai.

I walk down the hall to the phone. "Yeah?" I say bluntly.

"Miss. Mason, the Mockingjay is waiting in the Justice Building."

"Alright, I'm on my way." I say hanging up the phone and running into the room I've been using as a bedroom.

It was originally Hazelle's, but she and Posy have been sharing a room since I got here.

I quickly change into my newly washed uniform, a tight fitting, green, v-neck, t-shirt and a pair of camouflage cargo pants with faded blood stains. I strap a few guns to my belt and hide a couple of knives in my combat boots and other pockets I have. Finally I grab my ax and jog off.

I open the back door to shout out to Hazelle and Annie on the porch.

"Going to the Justice Building. I'll probably be bringing back Peeta and Katniss with me." I call.

I don't wait for a response and run through the house nearly knocking Rory over.

"Hey, watch the brats." I say nodding towards Tai and Posy.

Rory chuckles and nods towards the door. "Go on Jo, I got this."

I nod at him and jog off down the street towards town. As usual, people give me a wide berth.

What? Johanna Mason with an ax? Stay away from her. Johanna Mason with multiple automatic guns? Run for the fucking hills, hide your children, trip your neighbors, she's coming for us.

Really people? I'm only violent when I want to be.

This is most of the time. But that's beside the point.

I finally reach the Justice Building. An entire fucking army stands outside.

Gee Paylor, she is definitely President Stealthy.

They let me in after a few annoying questions, and an identity check.

Because I'm an imposter.

I enter the room grumbling about the security. Inside, I find Katniss and Peeta alright.

And Katniss is eating his face.

Well, she's more of sucking on it. Close enough though.

I watch them for a couple of minutes, waiting for them to notice me, when it doesn't happen; I figure maybe I should say something.

"Okay, you can do that later; I'd really like to get out of here. There are too many idiots with guns and such." I say rolling my eyes.

Both of them snap out of it, Katniss grabs Peeta's shirt in fear.

"Watch out," I say sarcastically. "It's Johanna Mason, better hide the fact that I'm obviously enjoying Peeta's tongue."

Both blush rather adorably.

"Yep, because she really cares about our love life." I say rolling my eyes.

Peeta's the first to laugh. "It's great to see you." He says charismatically.

"Yeah it's great to see you and your tongue too. Mind keeping it in your mouth and not hers while you're around me? Really, that was kind of disturbing."

Katniss blushes deeper and I smile viciously.

"Although I'm impressed, you two can hold your breath for a really long time!" I say smirking.

"How long were you standing there?" Katniss asks.

"Oh about five minutes," I say chuckling. "C'mon, Annie and Hazelle are expecting you guys."

"Hazelle?" Katniss says not following me and Peeta.

"Yeah," I say rolling my eyes at her. "Don't worry you won't be blessed with Gorgeous' face. You're stuck with mine, what a disappointment I know, but you'll have to deal with it."

Katniss still doesn't follow us.

"Don't make me hurt you." I growl.

"C'mon Katniss," Peeta says carefully. "Annie's there with Tai."

"C'mon Fire Pigeon, let's get going, you really shouldn't stay here. With so many idiot soldiers out there, due to our idiot president, this place will be the first target for a bombing. If I die in a fiery explosion today I will skin you with my teeth." I threaten.

She follows begrudgingly.

Peeta wraps his arm around her shoulders and I lead them through town. Someone tries to reach out and touch Katniss; so naturally, I knock them out cold with a quick punch to the temple.

"You scare me Johanna." Peeta says as we walk up the sidewalk to the front porch where Annie awaits.

"Peeta! Katniss!" She says running down the steps to meet us and giving them hugs. "It's nice to see you two again. Come in." She says smiling brightly.

Katniss looks awkward and sad, while Peeta looks downright haunted.

I walk inside behind them where Annie basically shoves fish and tea down their throats.

Rory stands in the back by Sophie and Vick.

I walk right up to Sophie. "Say anything to them. And I will rip your throat out."

"Children shouldn't grow up in a violent environment."

Rory and Vick both predict what would come next. Vick yanks Sophie out of the way, and Rory stops me from lunging at her.

I regain my composure. "Fine," I spit at her. "But you don't talk to them."

I turn on my heel and walk back into the kitchen. Katniss looks awkward whilst Peeta, Annie, and Hazelle chat. I sit next to her angrily.

"Why are you angry?" She asks dully.

"Sophie," I say nodding at her as she watches. "She's here to evaluate Annie and make sure she's a fit parent for Tai. She's, well, she's not a friendly person."

Katniss wrinkles her nose. "Where's she from?"

"Capitol," I grumble.

"That makes things worse."

"Yeah it kinda does." I growl.

"Johanna, no one will tell me what's going on." Katniss says.

"I wonder why." I say sarcastically.

"I deserve to know."

"Oh do you?"

"I do, throughout the war-"She stops and winces.

"Yeah, yeah, you were everyone's piece in their separate Games." I say rolling my eyes. "The rebels want to hold you for ransom. So, I was sent here to intercept you. I was in District Three during the bombing, and when the rebels left to get you. So they sent me here. Here of all places."

It takes her a moment to catch on. "Water," She breathes.

Ding, ding, we have a dumb ass!

"Yeah," I say awkwardly. "Anyway, you're here until we get them."

"You?"

"Did you not notice the uniform?" I say scrutinizing her.

"Oh," She says awkwardly. "Army,"

"Congratulations you noticed." I say drily.

She's silent. We sit watching Peeta and Annie start cooking, whilst still chatting.

"Why can't we be that social able?" I say smirking at them.

"You don't care for people and I've never been comfortable showing emotion or speaking to new people." Katniss deadpans.

I burst into laughter. A smirk grows slightly on her face. "Why was that funny?"

"It's true." I say shaking my head and sipping at a cup of water. "It's as true as a tree is tall."

"I've seen some short trees."

"No, those are more like shrubs. I mean a real, hearty tree."

"Okay," She says shrugging.

The phone starts to ring again. I groan. "What do these people want?" I growl as I walk towards the phone. "It's my day off!" I pick up the phone from the receiver. "What?"

"Someone's in a good mood." Gale says on the other end.

"Oh, hey," I say awkwardly. I glance at Katniss and retreat out the back door. "Now's not a great time to call."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Katniss is here, and she's not so thrilled to be around anyone related to you, so,"

"I see," Gale says. I can hear the regret in his voice.

"If it makes you feel any better I haven't stopped picking on her since she arrived." I say smirking slightly as I sit down on the back steps.

I can hear Gale chuckle on the other end. "How bad has she been blushing?"

"She hasn't been any paler than magenta since."

He bursts into laughter. "Not surprised."

"Well you just think you know everything."

"No, I don't know everything; I just assume that whatever you're doing is going to be weird, funny, or downright cruel."

"Good assumption."

"Yeah, it kinda is." He says. I can pretty much hear his smirk.

"I'm so bored here."

"Why's that? You've got Annie there, my brothers; they're not exactly a boring pair, and my sister. What could possibly be boring?"

"I'm not allowed to hit Sophie, or stab her, or rip her throat out. I'm not even allowed to threaten her!"

"Violence is never the answer." Gale says wisely. Even I can tell he's being facetious.

"No, violence is always the answer. It's more fun too."

"So I've been told." Gale says his voice quivering with amusement. "I'm getting dismissed in two weeks. I'll be there for about three months or so."

"Here?" I say straightening my back. "With Katniss here? You're just asking for something to happen."

"Well she can't exactly blame me." Gale says irritably. "It's my family, my friends, you. I'm allowed to visit them. People are forgetting that this is a free country now."

"I never said you weren't allowed to come. I'm just saying things are going to be awkward, tense, etcetera."

"I don't care."

"Alright then," I say bitterly. "Don't come crying to me if she doesn't talk to you."

"What? Are you jealous again?" Gale asks genuinely frustrated.

"Again? You're the one who gets jealous. Besides, my bad for getting annoyed when all you think about is the damn Bird on Fire currently sitting at Annie's kitchen table complaining about how she lost everything she ever cared about!" I growl.

"Then why does she frustrate you so much eh? It's not because she lost her sister, you've lost your sisters too, you wouldn't hate her for grieving, I don't know everything about you, but I do know that you wouldn't be that insensitive."

"Oh I'm insensitive now?"

"Sometimes, yeah you can be." Gale says.

"Right, isn't that a wonderful thing to say." I say drily.

There's silence between us.

"I don't think about her all the time Jo."

"Right," I say sarcastically. "And trees don't have leaves."

"I don't." He says stubbornly. "I used to love her but I don't anymore. It's different now. She wasn't worth it. She couldn't accept the fact that I did what I did because I had to."

"You couldn't help it." I say unconsciously.

"I couldn't." He says almost helplessly. "I love you now Jo. I don't need her. She doesn't need me. So why does it matter that she's there?"

I rub my temple with my free hand. "I don't know."

"I've got to go." Gale says distractedly. "I do love you Jo."

"I love you too."

He hangs up the phone and I stare at it.

I really hate fighting with him like that. I mean, that was really insulting. Both of us.

"Ah, so Johanna's got a boyfriend." Peeta says sitting down beside me and nudging my shoulder with his elbow. "What's his name?"

"Doesn't matter," I say elbowing him in the ribs back.

"C'mon spill,"

"No,"

"Please?"

"No,"

"But it's Peeta! No one says no to Peeta!"

"No," I say chuckling.

"Oh c'mon tell me."

"Look I'm not in the mood." I say rolling my eyes and looking out towards the water.

"Fighting with him?"

"Yeah," I say looking away.

"Was it bad?"

"Compared to what we've had before, not really. More insulting really." I say ruffling my slightly longer hair. "Neither of us is really good at expressing ourselves."

Peeta nods and we look over at the water.

"I'm not afraid of water anymore." I say nodding towards it. "Well, that's a lie, I'm not afraid of warm water anymore."

Peeta nods. "I have flashbacks every now and again. It scares Katniss every time."

I chuckle darkly. "That's her problem."

"It's our problem. I love her, and I don't want her afraid of me." Peeta says shaking his head and looking down at his knees.

"Don't you have some cupcakes to bake or something?"

"It's bread, and it's in the oven." He corrects with a smile on his face.

I shove his shoulder. "Wipe that smile off your face Dough Dude, if Johanna ain't laughing you shouldn't be either."

He laughs and shoves me back.

"Johanna!" Annie calls. "Stop harassing Peeta and come help us real quick!"

"But-"I glare at Peeta. "He's the one harassing me!"

"Yeah right," Annie says amused. "That's the worst lie ever Jo!"

"I'm not even lying this time!" I call back standing up.

"This time," Peeta says smirking up at me.

I kick him in the ribs and saunter off towards the kitchen.

"Could you get that pot?" Annie asks gesturing towards the top shelf.

"I'm just as short as you two." I say looking at both Katniss and Annie.

"District Seven," Annie says gesturing to me.

I roll my eyes and climb up towards the top shelf and hopping down. "You could've just stood on a chair."

"I saw you shoving Peeta and figured he'd be grateful." Annie says sticking her tongue out at me.

"For your information he's the one eavesdropping on my conversations, shoving me while I'm injured, and then teasing me." I say glaring at her.

"And you don't do that to the rest of the world?" Annie says amused.

"I never said I didn't, I just said that this time, for once, I'm innocent." I say smirking.

"You're never innocent Jo."

"Says you," I say awkwardly.

"Says the planet,"

"I was innocent at one point in my life."

"Oh really? Explain,"

"I was young." I say awkwardly. "But I was innocent."

"Now you're not." Annie says smirking. "Point proven, now I have some fish to sear."

I roll my eyes and walk from the room.

From friendly banter to an argument with Gale, to friendly banter with Peeta, to talking about torture, to more friendly banter, to friendly arguments with Annie, can you spell bipolar?

I sure can.

I lay on the bed I've been assigned. It's now been moved to the living room.

Hazelle and Posy share a room, Rory and Vick share a room, Annie and Tai have a room together, and now Katniss and Peeta have their own room. I'm stuck in the living room with a blow up mattress.

Imagine how it'll be with Gale here too. He'll probably bunk with Rory and Vick anyway.

Am I really insensitive?

I guess when it comes to Gale and Katniss I am. But I'm not insensitive all the time. Am I?

Damn it Gale! Now I'm fully aware of how I sound to other people. That was my favorite trait about myself. Now it's gone with the wind.

Besides the sure to be tension, I do want to see Gale again. It is boring here.

I don't feel like moving. I don't understand, usually after a fight I just want to hit something, or chop a tree down, or something.

Am I coming down with something? I think I'm sick.

What is going on?

I lay on my side, my back facing the rest of the world. I grumble to myself pretty much incoherently.

"Oh c'mon Jo, it couldn't have been that bad." Peeta's voice comes from behind me.

"It was bad." I say rolling over and sitting up all in one motion so that I'm now facing Peeta.

"Really?"

"I fucked up, he fucked up, we all fucked up, let's face it, and I've mastered insulting people."

"What'd you say?" He asks sitting on the edge of my bed next to me.

"Some," I pause to think. "Mean things."

"Incredible, you've reached top spot in being vague."

"I can't exactly say." I say scratching the back of my neck.

"Why not?" He asks curiously.

"It's complicated."

"Oh?"

"You're not getting anything else out of me." I say sticking my tongue out at him childishly.

"What he say to you?" He asks shoving my shoulder.

"He said I was insensitive and that he'll do what he wants to." I say chuckling. "I don't mind the second part nearly as much as the first."

"Since when do you care what people think about you?"

"I'm not sure." I murmur staring off across the room.

A solid two days go by. A shame, I will never get those two days of my life back.

What a waste of time!

Katniss is antisocial, depressed, and annoyingly haunted by everyone around her. Peeta has his moments, but for the most part he's, well, Peeta.

No, it's not the Kindling Couple that's driving me nuts. It's Rory and Vick.

Those boys have a death wish.

It all started with a simple 'good morning', at two in the morning.

So two days of watching the paranoid boys, knowing that they're gonna get it, later I've got a brilliant idea.

I'm not going to do anything.

Except maybe I'll randomly giggle whenever they eat or drink something in front of me. I also plan on laughing hysterically when they sit down, stand up, or walk out of the bathroom.

I'm going to give them hugs every day before they go to school and watch them check their backs for stupid notes. I'm going to tell them I packed their lunches, and I'm going to stand by their bedroom door.

Basically, I'm going to go full out on psychological warfare.

I'm going to save my final prank for when Gale gets here.

Speaking of Rory and Vick.

I snicker as I bound into the kitchen where Hazelle is drinking a cup of tea with Annie. Rory and Vick are packing their book bags for school.

"Bye!" I say cheerily hugging Rory first and moving to Vick. "Have a fantastic day at school!"

I snicker evilly as they look at me in slight horror. Simultaneously they struggle to check their backs for stupid prank notes.

"I hope you guys have fun!" I say a slightly evil undertone beneath my cheery façade.

"We will," Rory says narrowing his eyes at me.

I narrow my eyes back at him with an evil smirk on my face. "Go on, don't be late."

Hazelle looks too tired to care about what I'm doing to her children, Annie looks curious.

They run from the house in fear as I cackle.

I sit down at the table laughing.

"What are you doing to my sons?" Hazelle asks dully.

"Just having a little fun," I say innocently.

"Don't hurt them Jo." Annie says warningly.

"I would never," I scoff. "Ever hurt them."

"Then why did you just scare them from the house, by hugging them?"

"All's fair in a prank war." I say deviously.

Hazelle chuckles as she sips her tea. "They started it, looks like you're going to end it."

"Yeah," I say laughing. "Two weeks of psychological warfare, and then I strike."

"You are so evil." Annie says chuckling.

"Mind if I make their lunches for the next two weeks or so?" I ask Hazelle.

"As long as you don't poison them," Hazelle says rolling her eyes.

"Who do you people take me for?" I ask getting up and leaving the room.

I dress in my usual uniform and stretch out for my run around the District. The phone rings.

I roll my eyes and jog down the hallway grumbling.

"I'm telling you Plutarch," I growl into the phone. "No, we don't know where your precious Mockingjay is, and yes, I will carry out my latest and greatest threat if you call one more time."

"Do you always answer the phone with something rude, insulting, or threatening? Or is it just when I call?" Gale says laughing.

"You have no idea how many times Plutarch has called the last two days. Where the little rat got the information, I don't know, but I'm about to shove my ax down his throat."

"Lovely image Johanna," Gale says sarcastically.

"Oh yeah, your mother has been complaining about how you never talk to her anymore." I say snickering. "Ever seen a mother bear, Gorgeous? I see her every day."

"You are the bravest person I know."

"I know, anyway, the Fiery Female is currently asleep, and I scared your brothers away about twenty minutes ago, so you are going to talk to your mother." I say smirking. "I've had enough of her whining."

"I get it Jo." Gale says sighing with a chuckle.

I walk into the kitchen snickering.

Well, there's Peeta.

"It's your beloved, ignorant as fuck son." I say handing the phone to Hazelle. "He's pretty too."

Peeta snorts into his tea. "Don't you-"

"Hush," I say shoving his face to shut him up. "Not now."

"Oh they don't know, do they?" Peeta asks quietly.

"No, and they won't for awhile." I grumble. "You only know because you're a nosy asshole."

"You're not?"

"People just assume when I say someone else is something, that I'm immediately a hypocrite. But you see I'm not insulting them; I'm merely saying we're two of a kind." I say smartly.

Katniss walks in quietly.

Peeta watches as he takes a drink of his tea. I chuckle and tip his cup upwards with my finger.

He spills it down his front and he splutters slightly.

I'm roaring with laughter, Katniss seems to be torn between frustration and amusement.

Annie looks similar to Katniss as well. "I'm not cleaning that up." She says shaking her head.

Hazelle glances at the soaked Peeta, the near-hysterically-laughing me, and the shell-shocked Katniss.

"You know what Gale, hold on, I'm going outside, Johanna is harassing everyone right now."

Peeta glares at me, but it lacks depth, due to his own amusement. "Do you even think about how immature you are?"

"All the time, do you even think about how hard I strive to be this immature constantly?" I say between gasps of laughter. "Well, I've gotta go, you know physical therapy and all."

"At least come and clean this up!" Annie says following me towards the door.

"It wasn't my tea!" I say slipping out the door with an evil wink and a smirk.

A/N Hey guys! So, I've had a break in studying and this happened! So, review and tell me what you think! Please?