Chapter XVII

Johanna hasn't spoken to anyone since the news of Gale and his 'wife.' She eats in her room or the engine room. She comes into the dining room when no one else is there. I've tried to reach out to her but she pushes me away.

I hold Katniss tight to me as she sleeps. I can faintly hear Johanna crying in the room next to ours. If it weren't perfectly silent I wouldn't be able to hear it…it breaks my heart.

Gale and the fox—she tells us her name is Fern—are still arguing over the state and legitimacy of their 'marriage.' He adamantly claims it isn't real and she bawls. Then he feels bad and promises on the next planet we stop at he'll help her find a new life. Then she cries harder that he doesn't want her, that he is ashamed of her. He made her a room in the guest bunks but she begs to stay and sleep in his room. She always begs the excuse that husbands and wives should share a bed and Gale always retorts with another argument about how they aren't really married.

She often tries to cuddle up to him. She waits on him hand and foot. She really is doing everything to try and please him. Unfortunately for her it only frustrates him more.

"She tried to seduce me last night." Gale groans to me one morning. "I went into my bunk preparing to sleep and there she was…all naked and in my bed." He rubs his hands furiously over his face. "It's been a while since I…well you know…but I can't…not with her."

"It's only Johanna isn't it?" I ask quietly.

"Ficken!" Gale growls. "I tried to talk to her. I tried to tell her I didn't have anything to do with this whole marriage thing. I even tried to tell her I love her but she wouldn't hear of it."

"Do you really Gale? Or is this just so that you can return to your former relationship with her?" I inquire.

"I really do love her Peet." His voice is colored with sorrow. "I wish I would have realized it before I lost her. I don't know if she'll ever come back to me after this. I thought I had a chance. I was going to try to make it right…really I was. I was stubborn…a complete ass. I deserved the way she was treatin' me. But I was comin' to my senses. I love her Peet, I've always loved her…it took losing her to realize that. I was tryin' to resist at first but I'm not completely stupid…I was going to make it right. I fear now that she'll never forgive me. I don't know what I'll do if I lose her forever. I just can't. But now I somehow got myself a wife and I don't know what to do with her!"

"We'll be setting down on Meer in a few days. I'm sure you could find her a job. There are always saloons looking for waitresses or jobs on the docks."

Gale looked thoughtful and in some way hopeful. "Good idea doc." He says with a wide smile.

…:::…

"Johanna?" I call out as I shuffle into the engine room. A few small sniffles come from underneath the engine.

"Ya Cap'n?" Her muffled voice sounds from beneath the engine. I step around, over spare parts and tools, and see her combat boots just barely sticking out.

"Are ya feelin' alright?" I try to say in my most sympathetic voice.

"I'm fine." She grumbles as she pulls herself out from under the engine and onto her feet. Her voice is a little bit menacing but still I can hear the underlying sadness.

"Johanna." I give her my sternest voice. "Cut the crap. I can hear you crying at night. And right now your eyes look like a red-rimmed bullseye. You're not okay. Stop lyin' to me Johanna."

"Damn it Katniss!" She growls. "No I'm not fine. Of course I'm not fine. You'd have to be a real idiot not to notice alright! I love him! I know you know what that's like. Imagine if Peeta some how turned up with a wife. How would you feel? It's killin' me Katniss. So please leave me alone. Gale got himself married. It's just a fact. Please just let me suffer in peace."

With that she slams down the wrench she had been holding and stomps off to her bunk.

…:::…

"Cap'n." Annie's sing song voice draws my attention. "We should be landing on Meer in two days if we don't run in to any problems. Which we shouldn't cause I think I successfully navigated away from any Union patrols."

"Excellent. Thank you Annie."

"No problem Cap'n. See ya in the mornin'." She chuckles as she leaves the bridge.

"Sleep well Annie."

The calm and serenity of the night is one of my favorite things. I would never get tired of the quiet of the ship and the absolute stillness of the sky.

"Katniss." Peeta's soothing and masculine voice sounds behind me moments before he warm, strong hands gently grip my shoulders. A soft kiss to the crown of my head. "Are you feeling alright?"

I sigh dramatically. He's hovering again.

"Yes Peeta I'm fine. No pain at all. Really I'm okay. Please…for the love of all that is good please stop hovering Peeta."

"I'm sorry love." He murmurs softly and presses another sweet kiss to my temple. "I'm going to sleep. I wish you would be sleeping beside me. I love holding you close to me as I sleep."

"Mmm that does sound nice Peeta." I sigh and lean my head against his chin.

"Couldn't I tempt you to join me?" He asks with a deep and raspy tone that sends shivers down my spine.

"Sadly no. I need to watch the bridge tonight Peeta." He chuckles breathily into my hair.

"Shame." He grouses. "Goodnight Katniss." He leans around and presses a last kiss to my lips.

…:::…

"Gale?" I allow my voice to take on that sickly sweet tone that I've been using ever since I snuck aboard this god-forsaken piece of shit. I can hear his deep breaths. Good, he's still sleeping. That will make this so much easier. I pull the small vial from my vest.

"Sleeping syrup." A deep voice startles me before a large hand clasps over my hand.

"Now why would you need that? And why are you here?" Gale asks.

"You weren't sleeping well. As your wife I thought it my duty to make sure you have a good nights rest. Since you won't permit me to tire you in other ways I thought this would be the best option." I force out that sweeter than syrup voice trying to dissuade him from his rising hostility.

"I don't need any of that to help me sleep. Why don't you tell me exactly what you were trying to accomplish?"

He's not as daft as I had been hoping. But I have a mission to complete and this calls for any means necessary.

"Gale." I allow my voice to drop into a seductive tone. Even in the dark of his bunk I can see his eyes widen a bit. "I just wanted to do my duty as your wife. Of course I believe in a more natural means to help you sleep." I take a step towards him and allow one hand to trace his shirtless torso. "If only you would let me."

"No. We've been over this before. I can't. You do not have any responsibility to me. I don't want to be married to you. I'm sorry but my heart belongs to someone else."

I internally roll my eyes. Everyone on this ship is so ridiculously emotional. They sicken me.

"I wish your heart would belong to me." I may vomit. "I would make a wonderful wife. She won't." That will get him. He stumbles back. "She'll never love you like I could. She won't even talk to you anymore. She never really loved you."

"You don't know what you are talking about Fern." He looks at me with those cold steely eyes. Eyes that now are filled with doubt.

"Please Gale. Just kiss me. Only once. I promise I can make you forget about her. Just one." The seduction in my tone, mixed with his fears and doubts momentarily disarm him. I lean forward and press my lips against his.

A moment later he steps back and pushes me away. "No! I do love her. Not you. I'm sorry."

It doesn't matter now. I smirk and he raises his eyebrows questioningly. I know by now his lips are starting to tingle. This is confirmed when he quizzically brings one hand to his lips. His brain is now beginning to feel hazy.

"What the…" His body is now loosing control. He looks to me and I don't hide behind that stupid visage I had created. Now he can see that he has been played.

With a loud thump his body falls limp to the floor. Nightlock. A rare berry that can kill you before it even hits your stomach. However in a much small concentration, like the amount I had secretly spread across my lips, will merely keep him unconscious for at least a day. I will be long gone by then and my mission complete.

No more time to waste. I have to move on.

Silently I leave Gale's bunk and turn towards the other crew bunks. I quickly dismantle all the panels and override the lock functions. For now they can only be unlocked from the main controls on the bridge. I know for sure that the lovesick couple is trapped in their bunk. I hope that that fool of a doctor and the bitchy mechanic are also in their bunks but I can't be sure.

My next target is the passenger bunks. I slip down there quietly and pull out an aerosol can. I slip in and out of every bunk and spray the vapor over the sleeping faces. Vaporized sleep syrup…I should thank whoever invented this. It does make my job so much easier. The brother and sister fugitives are now out of the equation and so I slip back through the cargo bay.

In my haste however I failed to notice the quiet steps behind me until they were nearly upon me. Turning quickly I aim a well round kick to my stalker. Unfortunately they are well trained. Almost as good I am. 'Almost.' I think with a grin. However I have a mission, determination will be the deciding factor in this battle of limbs.

"Clove." I smile when she is completely disarmed. "You fight extremely well. It's to bad you are stuck among this witless crew. You have such talent."

"Who are you?" She spits through clenched teeth.

"No one you need to know." With a firm punch to the temple she falls unconscious. I slip a few drops of sleep syrup through her lips and move on.

I need to check the engine room for the moody mechanic, just in case.

"Of course, just my luck." I mutter quietly upon hearing the heavy footsteps tromping around the engine room.

I'll have to move quickly. I peer into the barely open door and wait for her back to be turned. When she does I step quickly into the room and pull my belt off. Once I'm right behind her she starts to turn. I see the moment she notices me. The shock, anger, and more. In one swift move I grab both her wrists and bind them to a nearby tube.

"What the hell you bitch!" She snarls. "What do you think you're doing you crazy hurensohn?"

"I think I'm doing my job." I sneer. Obviously…what else. These people truly are dim. I don't even know what the boss wants with their Cap'n.

"And that would be?" She questions.

"To kill your captain." The look of horror and rage that floods her dim-witted face. "And consequently the rest of you." I add just to enjoy the look on her face.

"Bitch." She roars.

"Maybe." I laugh as I turn to walk out of the engine room. The curses she's yelling follow me down the hall.

I check the remaining parts of the ship and thankfully find no one. The doctor must have been in his bunk after all. I pass by on my way to the bridge. I expect the captain to be sitting in the chair like the brainless oaf she is. But unfortunately the seat is empty.

A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry I missed a week. I found out last Wednesday that I had a paper due that following Saturday. A 67 page paper to be exact. So yeah between that and the really crazy weeks a work I didn't have time to write.

Also I just wanted to send a shout out to all the victims of the floods in Southern Alberta. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.