Disclaimer: I do not own this world. All canon characters belong to Suzanne Collins. Non-canon characters Allie and Phoenix belong to RandomNerdyKilljoy (Wattpad) and Phoenixsword24 (FanFiction dot net) respectively. Check out their works!

Chapter Ten: Stylists and Seven

"Okay, so here's what we're going to do," Cat grins, pointing proudly at her 'editing' skills.

Phoenix raises an eyebrow. "You're going to dye my hair gold with a red streak?" he asks, looking at the picture with slight derision.

"Oh, you could look slightly happier about it!" Cat exclaims, laughing a little. "And did you even notice the eye makeup? Ash grey with gold? That'll look perfect with the new hair colours and we can dye it back afterward!"

"You're way too excited about this, Cat," Allie tells her, smirking. "Let the guy decide if he wants you messing about with his hair and makeup."

"Phoenix?" Cat asks, calming down almost instantly.

"Sure. We'll do it," Phoenix agrees, relaxed. "As long as we can change it back as soon as it's all over."

"Would I ever do it any other way?" Cat asks, brightly.

"Probably not," Johanna says from the doorway.

"How long have you been there?!" Allie asks, shocked.

"Long enough to hear her ask that. Not a clue what you three are talking about and I don't need to know. I need to borrow Phoenix," Johanna declares, looking directly at Phoenix.

"Why do you need me?" Phoenix asks.

"Heavensbee's adamant that I can't go to Seven unless I have one Capitol citizen with me, then Abernathy said that he thinks I should take a girl, but Trinket and I have both shot that idea down. No offence, girls, but you're both really irritating," Johanna tells them, getting a laugh out of Cat and a mocking bow out of Allie. "Besides, Trinket won't let these two loose on Panem. Said something about them being clinically insane."

"Be having words with her," Cat mutters, making Johanna laugh.

"Well, anyway, no offence to you girls, but I'd sooner have Phoenix on my team. At least he doesn't seem the kind to get high and send the hovercraft down," Johanna tells them.

Allie says "You should try it, Phoenix. District Seven's actually really pretty."

"Have you ever been?" Phoenix asks, looking shocked.

"Yeah. Cat and I stole a hovercraft last year, toured the Districts. We only got caught because someone thought it was a good idea to dye her hair neon green," Allie tells him with a casual shrug and a pointed stare in Cat's direction.

"Hey, neon green is fantastic for being in trees!" Cat tells her. "Foliage is green, right?"

"Dark green and it was winter," Allie reminds her friend, bursting out laughing.

"How was I supposed to know leaves died in winter? In case you haven't noticed, this place rarely ever has dead trees!" Cat snaps, but she's laughing too.

Johanna rolls her eyes. "Phoenix, what do you say? Seven?"

Phoenix nods. "Sure. I'll come to Seven with you."

.

The hovercraft journey barely takes a day. Phoenix pulls out a pad of paper and a pen, drawing a grid halfway through the journey. "Want to play?" he asks quietly.

"What are we playing?" Johanna asks.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure, I've only ever played it once. Cat taught me while Allie was sleeping. She called it noughts and crosses," he tells her, hoping he got it right. "I prefer video gaming."

"More fun and much louder," Johanna agrees. "Sure, what's the harm in it? How do you do it?"

Phoenix smirks a little. "Okay, you need to choose," he tells her, drawing a circle and an X, then showing her the paper. "Which do you want?"

Johanna tilts her head and points to the X. Phoenix writes Jo underneath it. "Why'd you do that?" she asks.

"So we don't get confused. Now, you draw an X in one square," he tells her. She takes his pen and draws an X in the middle square. He takes the pen and fills in the top right corner with a large O. They continue in this vein for a while, each winning three games apiece.

They arrive in Seven at nightfall and Johanna immediately says "Come on. We don't have long, they want us back by noon tomorrow."

Oh, right, the prep for the execution, Phoenix thinks. "Okay, I'm on my way," he tells her, following her. They arrive first at Johanna's home where she gathers up several bags and fills them with her possessions. "What are you gathering all that up for?" he asks.

"Well, after all of this is said and done and we've taken Snow down, I promised Annie I'd move in with her. Help her with the baby and all that," Johanna tells him casually.

"You're moving to Four?" Phoenix asks, feeling some disappointment. He wouldn't admit it, not to anyone, not yet, but he'd grown to like Johanna.

"I don't like living in the Capitol. I just want to watch Snow get his comeuppance. Well, that and I want to watch Brainless wreak justice. Like she does, you know?" Johanna tells him, then perks up. "Hey, you know what's really nice in the night here in Seven?"

"What?" Phoenix asks, looking at her with a little tilt of the head.

"The forest. Come on, I'll show you!" she tells him, looking excited. She puts her belongings in a gigantic backpack and tugs him out toward the front door.

"You'd better not be taking me out there and butchering me," Phoenix jokes.

"No. You're more fun than... I don't know, Abernathy, Trinket or Brainless back there. Those three are easy to rile. Want me to tell you how to rile them?" she asks, her eyes glittering with mischief in the light of the glowing full moon.

"Go on," he tells her, less for riling them as for hearing her talk more.

"Okay. Riling Brainless is easiest. All you have to do is strip off in front of Peeta. She goes insane, it's hilarious watching her hold back. Riling Abernathy's a little harder. You have to steal all of his liquor, then bad-mouth Trinket. Just... Don't do it unless you want a dental appointment," she says, finishing on a lower and more informal tone on the last part. "I think it's hardest to rile up Trinket. She's put up with him for the best part of twelve years and she's dealt with Brainless, the lunatics she picked up and she went through a fair bit in the Capitol with Peeta, Annie, Enobaria and me. She's pretty tough to annoy. I spent weeks while she was in recovery taunting her about Haymitch. It drove her to actually clawing at me."

Johanna reveals four long scratches on her arm, much to Phoenix's horror. "She did that?"

"Yup. Taunting her about Abernathy wasn't my best idea. He wasn't pleased about it either, but it was worth it to watch the sour lemon look on her face," Johanna grins as she remembers.

They reach a clearing in the forest where the full moon beams down and they sit on a rock bench. "This is a nice place," Phoenix comments quietly.

"My older brother used to bring me here before my Games. It was always better at night. Do you have any old childhood haunts?" she asks.

"Just..." Phoenix begins, then cuts himself off.

"Go on, I'm unarmed. We're allies, right?" she jokes quietly, though the joke doesn't quite seem joking.

"Just the Seventy First arena," he admits quietly. "Not a childhood haunt, more an early adulthood haunt."

"Why that arena?" Johanna asks, trying to keep the terror and pain out of her voice.

"I... I like the Victor of that particular Games," he mumbles, so quietly he's unsure that she even caught it.

"You... You like the Victor of those Games?" she questions, as though trying to confirm it.

"Yeah," he tells her softly, not quite meeting her gaze.

Johanna grins at him, the pain of her Games forgotten in light of this new revelation. She moves a little and pins something to his chest. "This is for you. I had it made before the Quell, and I think you deserve it."

Phoenix looks down and sees a mockingjay in flight. It looks like Katniss's, but not in a ring. It looks like it's broken free of its constraints. Just like Panem. He smiles at Johanna. "Thanks," he tells her, truly touched.

"No problem," she replies and leans close. For one split second, the two have a moment of suspense, thinking of kissing the other. That's when Phoenix's pager buzzes and the message from Plutarch comes. "What's that?" she asks, pointing toward the message.

"We have to get back to the hovercraft," he replies, distracted by their proximity and noticing that her eyes are a very dark brown.

"Already?" Johanna groans. I don't want to go yet! her mind protests, her eyes focused on his for a moment, then darting to his mouth. She has to drag her eyes away as she stands. "We'd better shift ourselves then..."

"Yeah, we'd better," Phoenix agrees, though his heart isn't in it at all. The journey back to the hovercraft is quiet as they try to understand their thoughts and feelings a little better.

Plutarch meets them in the craft. "You two are quiet," he tells them.

Johanna growls "Leave it, Heavensbee."

Phoenix smiles slightly, watching her proudly. If there's one thing he likes, it's a fiesty Johanna.