Johanna woke in the night, to the sound of sirens. The call to get to the lower levels ringing over the loud speaker. She stood, forgetting Katniss as she ran, swift as a deer down the steps. Suddenly, she remembered.
"Kat!" She called, her voice shrill as she turned back, racing up the stairs back to the shared compartment. The sprinklers turned on then, causing Johanna to sink to the ground, in mad hysteria for a slight second, before the thought of beautiful, soft brown eyes made her stand, forced her to continue her mad dash.
"Oh no." She entered the compartment, finding Katniss laying on the ground, shaking, tears pouring from her eyes. "Get up Kat." Johanna hauled her to her feet.
"No. Cinna, Rue, Daddy-" she mumbled the names of everyone she had lost, clinging to Johanna. Johanna's heart broke for her.
"I got you. Katniss. I got you." She murmered, lifting her into her arms, carrying her down the soaked steps. "I love you."
The sprinklers still ran , feeling like acid on Johanna's skin as she carried Katniss down the steep staircase. She fought the panic as the flashbacks came in roaring black waves.
"tell us or we'll kill her"
"Shes dead anyway, what do you care!"
The sound of the jabberjays screaming her name everytime a droplet trinkled onto her forehead as she lay strapped to the table.
"Johanna! It hurts, help me!"
"Jo! Dont let them do this to me!"
"Make it stop! Johanna!please!"
"Johanna, I love you!"
She stopped for a moment, buring her face in Katniss's neck, to inhale her comforting scent, the scent of musk and pine and forest rain. The scent of home. Then, she ran on, not stopping until she reached the bunker, flying to their desinated spot.
Their, she cried, once she was safe inside, under the blankets with Katniss , only then did she sob, her face buried in Katniss's neck, choking out words of love and pent up emotions. She cried, and Katniss held her, even though Johanna suspected Katniss would not remember it when they woke.
They slept like that, cuddled together like wolves on a cold night , each seeking comfort from the other.
Johanna slept, her dreams alternating between the safety and happiness, of laying in the forest meadows with Katniss on a warm summers day, to the hell of seeing her pulled under a strong wave, and being powerless to stop it, being to weak to save her as the strangled cries of her love slowly died away as Katniss was pulled under the dark, fanged wave by a laugh that sounded like President Snow.