"Huh," moaned Katniss, "What are you..."

"Brainless," spit Johanna and she rolled over and went to sleep.

Katniss sleepily put a hand on the other's shoulder, but she was already passed out. She turned around and drifted off as well.

Morning came and the two girls ate breakfast together, Johanna got into a warm red flannel and made pancakes with real maple syrup. They were delicious, cooking wasn't something Katniss expected the lumberjack to be good at, but she surprised her. After breakfast Johanna had to head off to work, and the two parted ways. It was Monday, and Katniss's week was up. Her boss had called her when she returned to the apartment, wondering why the spy wasn't captive and on her way to prison, she didn't know what to say.

Her small, temporary home was cold, so she threw some fuel in the fireplace and lit a match. She'd gathered up a spilling pile of wood bundles from visiting her perp at the lumber yard so often. She held her hands out, enjoying the warmth of the hearth, she knew that if she didn't cuff Mason and bring her back to New York within the next day or two, she would face the consequences. But now, after months of getting to know her, Katniss really didn't want to see such a beautiful and strong person behind bars, after everything she'd been through Johanna deserved freedom. She didn't even seem like she was doing any more espionage, the last report of her activity was when she'd lived in America, she had set up a really simple life for herself up in Canada now... Katniss couldn't be responsible for ruining that.

The conflicted agent knew she just had to see Mason, and when she saw her she would make the choice to either take her back to the States or let her be free. She could always tell the boss that Mason had fled just as she was about to close the case. Yeah, she could always do that. The cold windy air nipped at the girl's nose as she walked to her car and left for the lumberyard; but while making the drive, she got trapped in a terrible blizzard. Men in bright orange reflective vests told her there was no way her car was going to make it through the storm on the windy forest roads. The sky darkened and she cursed, she told them she could make it through, she told them she had to get to where she was going. They rolled their eyes and strongly suggested she head home before things got worse, but Katniss was stubborn and drove on in the snow.

She continued pushing forth until her wheels just wouldn't move anymore, the snow continued falling from the slate colored sky, piling up all around her. She blasted the heater and watched as the hours ticked by. She leaned her head up against the window and fell into a light sleep. Morning came, the snow ceased to fall and the roads had been plowed, a man tapped on the glass of her window and she woke up startled.

"Miss, are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

"Yes," she assured as she rolled down the window, snow fell off in clumps. "I'm okay, just got caught in that wretched storm last night."

"Alright, well the roads are paved now so you could probably get back home safely."

"Okay, thanks."

"Have a good day, miss."

"You too," she waved and rolled up the window as she drove away, continuing to head over to the lumber yard. She cursed again at the storm and drove for another hour. Telephone poles and been knocked down, tree branches pushed off to the sides of the road, it really had been a blizzard. She'd remembered snow storms back in New York, and for a moment she really missed home.

She got out at the yard and walked inside the small red building, but what she saw wasn't anything she was expecting. There stood two agents from the FBI, and between them thrashing around in handcuffs was Johanna Mason. They all looked at Katniss, one of the agents said, "Everdeen, was this really so hard to do? I mean you spend almost six weeks up here and can't even catch Mason, but we come in and get within a matter of hours."

"Katherine? You... you were working for them?" screamed the convict.

"Her name's not 'Katherine,' it's Katniss, and yeah she was sent over here to put you behind bars. Only she did a really shitty job of it."

"Katniss? That's your real name?"

"Johanna... I'm so sorry, I didn't..."

"Fuck you! I thought you were my friend! I can't fucking believe this bullshit, I thought I meant something to you!"

Katniss just looked away, tears falling from her bloodshot eyes. Her eyes that were swelled up with regret and betrayal. Johanna just continued to kick and squirm around in her restraints, she continued to throw harsh words at Katniss, words that stung. She elbowed the two guards in the stomachs and tried to run for the door, but in doing so one of the pulled out a pistol and shot her in the leg. She fell to the floor with a thud, her dark hair clumped with tears and sweat, she cried and screamed, "Katniss! Katniss!" Her sobbing grew louder and more desperate as she was taken out to the van.

"We'll meet you at the airport in an hour, you can leave your things at the apartment, the moving trucks will be there to take them back to New York for you. The miserable girl just nodded in defeat. "What's the matter, isn't this what you wanted?"

Katniss sat on the couch in her cold, empty rental apartment, she couldn't get the image of Johanna screaming out of her head. This wasn't how it was supposed to end, she was supposed to help set Johanna free, not cage her in. She gathered whatever she could fit into her luggage and left for the airport, she might as well just go home. When she arrived she met the other agents and their captive at the gate, Mason was predictably making a scene, one of them shoved a few pills in her mouth and she shut right up. Her left leg where the bullet had gone into her flesh was bandaged tightly, blood staining the white cloth. Katniss sat as far from her as possible. But she couldn't hide from her forever, she was assigned to sit next to Johanna on the plane and no matter how much she begged to change seats, no one would let her.

"Johanna," she said hoarsely.

No response.

"I'm so sorry, none of this was supposed to happen, I mean I was assigned to your case but, when I met you, when I grew to know you my feelings changed. I was planning on letting you go and-"

"Bullshit."

"No, I mean it, I'm so deeply sorry, I should have warned you but I didn't know they were going to send more guys up here..."

"It doesn't matter now anyway does it? I'm going to jail and I'll never have to see you again. I guess we're both getting what we want."

"I don't want this."

"Then what the fuck do you want?"

Katniss hesitated before touching Johanna on the cheek, she snarled at her and Katniss said softly, "You. I want you." The other girl looked at her in shock. "I know you wanted to kiss me the other night... I wanted it too."

"Shut up."

"Johanna..."

"I said SHUT UP!"

The rest of the flight back to New York was in silence, neither girl could say anything to the other. No words could fix what had happened. Katniss thought of all the fun she'd had over the past few weeks with Johanna, she thought of how much she'd grown to care for her and admire her. How much she missed being around her when they were apart, how happy she was when she smiled at her and told her secrets. How she wished she could turn back time, now this amazing girl that was a victim of a cruel life was sitting next to her but wanted nothing to do with her. She stared out the window, unable to look Katniss in the eye, they were both devastated for the loss of what they were building together.

The plane landed at JFK International Airport, Katniss took a taxi home and Johanna was sent to a hospital to get treatment for her leg wound before being shipped out to prison.

Katniss walked in the door of her home, a mouth-watering smell enveloped her and Peeta came rushing over from behind the stove. He embraced her tightly, smiling like a child on Christmas morning. He showered her in kisses and "I've missed you"'s. Katniss just stared on blankly, she wrapped her limp arms around him and the two sat down for dinner.