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KILL FOR YOUR LOVE.

act three.

(chapter seventy-eight, for a moment, everything was quiet)

juniper and johanna's compartment / hospital ward / the woods, 75 ADD.

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"WHY DOES IT STINK in here?" Johanna Mason crinkled her nose up as she entered the compartment. "Hale, I leave you here for however long and you've already stunk the place out." 

"Are you sure it isn't you?" Juniper scoffed as she sat down on her messy bed. It was procedure to make it every morning, but the woman neither found the patience or time to do such a thing. 

"Funny." Johanna scowled as she sat on her own sheets, across from the Victor from Ten. 

The Mason woman had been discharged from the hospital ward that morning and had to go through a tedious session with her head doctor. Of course, she was still under strict surveillance to make sure she didn't have another flashback or do anything reckless, but she was still allowed to move back into the tiny compartment she shared with Juniper Hale. 

And whilst she should have been elated that she wasn't alone anymore, the woman from Ten just wasn't. She could barely focus on her conversation with Johanna. She had to blink before spewing out some incoherent words that held no meaning. She could merely string together a sentence. 

The wild thoughts about what was happening in the Capitol tormented her. Juniper couldn't help but think about Peeta's hands locking around Katniss's throat. Couldn't help but think of Finnick intervening. Couldn't help but think of Peeta's fist connecting with the man from Four's temple, making him drop there and then. Anything could be happening on the other side of the country. Everyone could be dead. Snow could have the upper hand. Anything could be happening. 

But all Juniper knew was that Squad Four-Five-One was set to make a propo that afternoon. She heard whispers from Plutarch that it was a fairly complicated one and it only heightened her anxiety. She snapped at the man to not mention anything of the like when she was around. 

They had to have finished the propo by now. Were they back at camp? Or had the fairly complicated propo caused something catastrophic? Or maybe they hadn't finished the propo. Maybe they were just beginning it or in the midst of warming up. But Juniper tried hard to not think about it, especially with Johanna Mason staring right at her, shooting daggers into her soul. 

"What's wrong?" Johanna scoffed, finally gaining the attention of the other woman. 

"Hm?" 

"I'm finally out of that stupid hospital ward and yet, you don't even have a smile on your face," the Victor from Seven teased, eyebrows rising high. "So... what's wrong?" 

"Nothing is wrong—" 

"I spent weeks with you in a cell," Johanna interrupted her. "And I spent weeks in a hospital with you... I think I know when something is wrong." 

"It's not like you care—" 

"Maybe I do—" 

"Don't lie to yourself—" 

"Can you stop interrupting me? I'm trying to—" 

"You literally just interrupted me—" 

"You interrupted me, brainless—!"

"Brainless? Wow, can't even think of an original—?" 

"You know what?" Johanna was quick to say, throwing her arms. "Forget it. I was trying to be nice. That's what I get." 

"Sure." Juniper scoffed as she flung herself back onto her bed, staring up at the grey ceiling. Silence soon enveloped them. 

In. Out. 

In. Out.

In. Out. 

"We really need to get out of this place." 

The Hale woman furrowed her brows as she asked, "What?" 

"We need to get out of this bunker," Johanna repeated. "Get some fresh air. I haven't been outside since training and neither have you." 

Juniper slowly sat back up, narrowing her eyes at the woman as she said, "No-one will let us do that..."

"But we're Victors'." Johanna smirked. "They can't tell us what to do and what not to do—" 

"I think they can." 

"Oh, come on, Hale!" Johanna groaned. "You really need to get outside. Living in this bunker is doing a number on your brain." 

"They won't let us out, Mason—" 

"Hale,"  the woman said, her tone sterner than Juniper had ever heard it to be. "You need to get out of here. You're going crazy... thinking about what's happening in the Capitol—" 

"I'm not thinking about what's happening—" 

"But you are." Johanna was swift to interrupt her. "You need to get some fresh air. Wrap your head around things. You've been too stressed and worried about things that may not happen. You need to get out of this bunker." 

Juniper studied the floor of the compartment. She understood what Johanna was saying and was itching to get out of the bunker that was District Thirteen, but nobody would let them. The district was strict. They didn't even allow alcohol into the vicinity. But one look at Mason's face revealed that she didn't care and Juniper Hale figured it was too idiotic to fight her about the matter. She would ask anyway and would keep asking even if rejection was met every single time. 

"Fine." Juniper sighed. "Fine, we'll ask... Coin and Plutarch'll probably say no anyway." 

"That's why we're gonna ask Aurelius." 

And that's what Johanna did. The next day, the duo hurried into the hospital ward to find the head doctor speaking to Prim. He looked rightly exhausted with the war still stretching on and so did the little girl. Bags were underneath her eyes, but yet, she still tried to put on a smile once she saw Juniper and Johanna. 

"Juniper," Prim greeted. "What are you doing here—?"

"We want to go outside," Johanna interrupted the girl, speaking directly to Aurelius. "Well, I want to... I'm dragging Hale out there because it's for her own good." 

The middle-aged head doctor had to blink before asking, "What?" 

"Johanna wants to go outside, out of the bunker," Juniper explained slowly to the man. 

"I understand that." Aurelius nodded. "But why?"

"Like I said, it'll be good for Hale," Johanna said. "She's running like a mad woman in here and some fresh air will do her good." 

Dr. Aurelius swallowed a lump in her throat, looking from Juniper to Johanna before saying, "President Coin won't allow it. She barely let Miss Everdeen and Mr. Hawthorne go out hunting. She only did because it was on Miss Everdeen's list of demands for becoming Mockingjay." 

"But we're Victors'," said the woman from Seven. "She can't keep us cooped in here until the war ends."

"I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve here, Miss Mason." Aurelius cringed. "You just got discharged. Miss Hale is.... they just won't let you two go out. The authorities here are extremely strict. They won't allow it—" 

"Then say it's for Juniper," Prim interrupted. "Say it would be good for her as your professional opinion. Don't want her or Johanna to go mad in here. They are Victors'." 

"But President Coin and Mr. Heavensbee—" 

"Just try, Dr. Aurelius," Prim asked. "Wouldn't it be good for them?" 

Johanna and the blonde girl stared intently at the doctor whilst Juniper tried to avoid his eyes, looking around the reception as Aurelius remained silent. 

What happened in the vacant hospital room just after Juniper's last session with Peeta Mellark was not spoken about again. Neither the Hale woman nor Dr. Aurelius brought it up. The latter assumed the former would speak about it once she was ready and the former guessed that the latter wouldn't say anything about it because it wasn't a professional session. 

But whatever had happened, it didn't leave either ones' minds. Even then, in the hospital ward, did Aurelius stare at her with great sympathy and concern as he thought over in his head how he could persuade Coin and Plutarch to let the two women out. And even then did Juniper think about the event over and over in her brain. 

("Why do you think that?" Aurelius murmured. He scooted the plastic chair closer to her)

After a moment of silence, the man dragged his hand down his face as he replied, "Fine. I'll tell them, in my humble and professional opinion, that it would be good if you were allowed to go outside." 

"Ha, that wasn't so hard." Johanna smirked as she slapped Juniper on the shoulder. "How long will that take? I can feel the bunkerness of this place crawling up my spine." 

"Not long," Aurelius assured her. "I'm set to have a meeting with them in an hour or so. I'll make a statement about it then... if that is what you want, Miss Hale?" 

Juniper looked at Aurelius's waiting face and Johanna's stern look before sighing, nodding as she said, "Yeah... no point in fighting Mason about it." 

"It will do you some good, Juniper," Prim commented. "Going out in the fresh air... a lot has been happening lately." 

"Yeah and I am not staying in that compartment with a depressed Juniper Hale." Johanna proceeded to punch the woman from Ten on the bicep playfully. 

"I am not depressed—" 

"Nearing it," Johanna interrupted her. "You're nearing it." 

And so, the two Victors' went on with their day as they followed the schedule tattooed on their arms whilst Prim resumed her healer duties. Aurelius was set to have his meeting with Coin and Plutarch in Command by mid-day.

Juniper didn't question what the original meeting was supposed to be about. It wasn't her business. But there was something different in the air. Whenever she walked by officials, they were in a hurry. Tense. Occupied. Worrisome. 

Something must have happened over in the Capitol. Or the war had turned to someone's side. Was it to theirs or Snow's? The bad feeling that was so embedded deep in the fibres of Juniper's being was thudding, having its own heartbeat. The last she had heard of Squad Four-Five-One, they were doing a fairly complicated propo. That was yesterday and once the Hale woman had snapped at Plutarch, he didn't dare speak to her anymore about the war. 

What had happened? 

In. In. Out. Out. 

In. In. Out. Out. 

In. In. Out. Out. 

As Juniper followed her schedule for the rest of the day, the tension in the air had gotten thicker that it nearly choked her. She was getting lightheaded as she thought of Finnick and Katniss in the Capitol. Were they dead? Had something terrible happened? What had happened? 

But Juniper tried to not think about it, especially when she bumped into a giddy Johanna Mason and a pale Dr. Aurelius. The latter was surrounded by shock and nausea whilst the former was nearly jumping up and down. 

"What?" Juniper tried to croak out. 

"We can go outside." Johanna smirked, hands on hips. "What did I tell you, Hale? They can't say no to Victors'." 

"Is that true?" Juniper asked Aurelius. "Did they actually say yes?" 

But something was off with Dr. Aurelius. He was staring at the floor, face as white as a ghost with sweat beading on his forehead. He looked like he was overheating. Something had happened. What had happened?

"Aurelius?" 

"Hm?" Aurelius snapped his head up. "What?" 

"Did they actually say yes?" Juniper pressed. "Are they actually letting us outside?" 

"Oh. Yes," he muttered. "I said... in my professional opinion... it would be good for you... and they agreed." 

Juniper furrowed her brows at the man before slowly nodding, deciding to brush it off as she stared at the joyous Johanna Mason, who said, "We can go now, apparently... oh good, I can't wait to get out of this hellhole, even if it's only for an hour." 

The Hale woman's eagerness seemed to override her concern for Aurelius as she and Johanna were instructed to go to the armoury. The Victor from Seven dragged the one from Ten, nearly running like schoolchildren through the main corridors. By the time they arrived at the designated location, Juniper was panting and breathing heavily. Training had not increased her stamina. 

They had to tolerate having a tracker clamped to their ankles, trying to look as if they were listening when they explained how to use the handheld communicator. Nothing stuck in Juniper's head except for the instruction that they had to be back in an hour, a clock being portrayed on the device. If they missed the curfew, the guards assured them that they would be in serious trouble, but Johanna did not look fazed. 

They went outside into the large, fenced-in training area beside the woods, guards opening up the well-oiled gates without any comment, which was buzzing with electricity, topped with razor-sharp curls of steel. They took them through the woods until the view of the fence had left them. In a small clearing, the guards retreated back with the strict reminder of one hour, allowing the two women to drop back their heads to bask in the sunlight. 

For a moment, everything was quiet. 

It was like the war had just stopped for Juniper Hale and Johanna Mason. 

And for a moment, the woman from Ten finally got to see a sliver of beauty. The woods were filled with the afternoon sun, shining through the thin branches that suspended from the trees. Shimmering lights gleamed and glowed. It danced around the woods, radiating everything in view. There was a crunchy carpet beneath their feet with boulders coming up from the ground, covered in moss that had the most intricate details. The sky was a great cyan. The clouds filled it like a canvas, their fluffiness coming from a thick paintbrush that was glided along carefully.

There was no grey. There were no orders. There was no war. And for a moment, everything was quiet. 

Juniper, barely able to take her eyes away from the beauty of nature, glanced over to Johanna. The woman was standing with her eyes closed, lips opened partly as she took in the fresh air. And she looked at home. At peace. The wind ruffled the fluff of hair that was atop her head and her arms were extended at her sides slightly, like she was soaring. 

The Hale woman couldn't help but smile. 

"Now... ain't this better than that bunker?" Johanna murmured, eyes still closed. Her voice was slightly shaky and the Victor from Ten noticed that a trail of moisture was running down the other woman's cheek. 

"Are you all right?" Juniper muttered as she took a step closer to her. 

"Yeah." Johanna nodded, voice airy and faint. Another patch of wetness appeared on the other cheek. "I'm all right." 

Juniper took in a breath of fresh air before pushing the Mason woman softly, saying, "Come on... I didn't let you drag me out here so you could get all sappy." 

"I'm sappy?" Johanna coughed out a laugh as she began to follow the Hale woman deeper into the woods. "Well, I think we have a very different definition of sappy, but go on then." 

And so, the two moved through the scenery in silence, taking in awe of the beauty. It was a rare sight in Thirteen and the only thing near it was Finnick and Annie's wedding. 

Annie. 

Juniper had not seen the woman since the incident back in the dining hall. She knew, however, that she had gotten her own compartment with Finnick, but was she staying alone in it now that he was away at war? Was she following the schedule tattooed on her arm?

The Hale woman had no idea what was happening with Annie Cresta. 

When Juniper and Johanna found a pond that was surrounded by boulders, a small waterfall running off in the distance, they decided to spend their remaining time there. The two Victors' sat on the same massive rock that was opposite the running waterfall, which streamed softly and gently. There was a silence between them as they did, caught in a trance by the surrounding nature. 

But soon, in the silence, Juniper swiftly remembered the state of Aurelius once he had come out of the meeting with Plutarch and Coin. What had happened? Something had happened.

"I think something has happened..." Juniper murmured, watching a lily pad float around in the pond. 

"What do you mean? 

"Did you see Aurelius?" Juniper scoffed. "It looked like he had seen a ghost..." 

"Maybe he did." Johanna shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised. I reckon Thirteen is haunted—" 

"I'm being serious," Juniper interrupted as she nudged the other woman slightly. Johanna rolled her eyes. "Why would he come out of that meeting with Coin and Plutarch—?" 

"And your father—" 

"Right. Thank you." Juniper sneered. "Why would Aurelius come out of a meeting with them and look like that? Something has happened." 

"Maybe he's gotten fired or something," the other woman said, but when she saw the look on Juniper's face, she added, "Oh, come on, Hale! Now, I did not come out here for you to be all sappy. Stop worrying." 

"Well, I can't help it." 

"No." Johanna shook her head. "You can't... but if you're that scared or whatever you are, it's fine. If something has happened, then you can get through it. I know you, Hale. If there is anything you can do, it's survive." 

Juniper swallowed a lump in her throat before muttering, "You don't know me." 

"But I do," she said. "I don't know what your fucking favourite colour is, but I know you. I know what you'll do. I know how you're going to react to stuff. I know you and you know me... isn't that enough?" 

There was a moment of silence. 

"I don't have a favourite colour, by the way..." Juniper murmured with a slight grin. 

"Come on, everyone has a favourite colour." 

"Well, then what's yours?" 

Johanna's lips lifted up into the ghost of a smile before muttering under her breath, "White." 

"White?" Juniper questioned, scoffing. "You like white?" 

"If you're going to make fun of me because of a colour—" 

"I'm not." Juniper snickered. "It makes sense... you know, your hair was white when we first met." 

"It was bleached, idiot," Johanna teased. "But good memory... you were shorter then." 

"So were you." 

"And your hair was longer. Looked half-dead, to be honest." 

"And you looked different..." 

"So did you..."

"And you acted different..." 

"So did you..." 

Juniper smiled slightly before turning her head to look at Johanna, who seemed to already be looking at her. Both women had the silhouettes of a grin, but neither seemed ready to let them out fully in-front of the other. But they didn't mind. They supposed there would be better opportunities for such things and so, they turned to face the water again, shoulders touching.

And as the Mason woman became focused on the gushing sound of the waterfall, fixated on the stream, Juniper closed her eyes and allowed her head to fall onto the other woman's shoulder. She could feel Johanna's muscles tense slightly, but after a second, they relaxed.

And she too dropped her head down onto Juniper's.

Once their hour was up and they reached the well-oiled gates once more, the guards escorted them back inside the armoury. The greyness of Thirteen consumed them once more as they said goodbye to the beauty of the woods. 

The air was thicker. 

Tension. Stress. Worrisome. 

Something had happened. 

Johanna decided that she was going to skip out on the rest of her schedule and head back to their compartment. But when she invited Juniper, she couldn't help but shake her head. She needed to see Aurelius. Or Prim. She needed to find out what was the cause for all of the tension. 

And so, legs hurrying as fast as they could, heart beating wild, Juniper raced through the main corridors. As she did, she managed to snatch a quick glance into the dining hall where nearly everyone was in havoc. Yelling and crying echoed around the area. Juniper felt herself become lightheaded. 

Something had happened. 

What had happened? 

Juniper tried to shake the echoes of the dining hall out of her mind as she sped to the circular reception of the hospital ward. But as she did, she found it to be in the same condition as the dining hall. Or worse. 

Some nurses were crying as they held each other in the dark corners of the area. Doctors were scrambling about. Soldiers littered every space. Screaming. Shouting orders. The movement of supplies. Juniper could feel herself become nauseous as she looked around everywhere. Tension was heavy. It was choking her, wrapping its hands around her throat. The darkness was reaching its tendrils towards her. 

("Of course it is," Lucy said. "But Peeta... he attacked Katniss.")

("And who told you that?" Juniper questioned. "He just bruised her larynx.")

("Dark?" Lucy asked. "Juniper, the dark is to help you sleep. You need to rest.")

("Some of the nurses say you haven't been sleeping," Dr. Aurelius said. "Others say you have a fear of the dark... and a few say you have been denying sedatives and sleeping pills. It has brought up concerns with the hospital staff.")

("I will." Finnick smiled softly before kissing her right cheek, her left cheek, and her forehead. "I love you. I love you. I love you.")

Suddenly, Juniper caught sight of someone she knew all too well rushing through the reception, making her call out, "Aurelius!" 

The man stopped and turned to the side, eyes going wide as he looked at Juniper. He seemed to debate something before sprinting over to her, panting as he demanded, "What are you doing here? You can't be here." 

"Why not?" Juniper scoffed. "What's happening?"

"I... it's hard to explain." 

"Everything lately has been hard to explain. Spit it out." 

"I—" 

"If you're not gonna talk, I'll go find Prim." 

As Juniper went to walk away, Aurelius quickly grasped at her wrist, holding her as he murmured, "You won't find her here." 

Juniper raised a brow as she questioned, "What do you mean? She works here." 

"She's gone, Miss Hale." 

"Gone where?" 

There was a moment of silence. 

"To the Capitol." 

Juniper had to blink once, twice, three times, four times, five times, and even six times to fully let Aurelius's words sink into her brain. Prim was in the Capitol. Primrose Everdeen, not even fourteen-years-old, was in the Capitol?

"What do you mean?" Juniper demanded. Why was Prim in the Capitol? "She shouldn't be there. It's a war-zone. She's thirteen." 

("And yet they sent a seventeen-year-old into battle," Prim told her cooly. But it wasn't a sharp jab or a poke. It was more of a tug. Juniper Hale figured Primrose Everdeen to be one who didn't outright snap, figured she was a person who tugged. "I don't think age really matters in a place like this.")

Aurelius ran a hand through his hair, breathing heavily before saying, "The war is going to end very soon... they need everyone they can in the Capitol. Healers. Soldiers. Anyone who is capable." 

"And they sent a thirteen-year-old girl? Why?" 

"I don't know," Aurelius said. "They don't care what doctors' they send to the Capitol as long as the injured soldiers are getting the treatment they need." 

Juniper tried to take a breath as she tried to shake Prim's face out of her head, forcing herself to ask, "What do you mean the war is going to end? What happened?" 

Aurelius clenched his jaw before moving his arm to hold Juniper's bicep, dragging her through the chaos of the reception. Screams and cries bounced off of the walls and tiles, becoming louder and louder as they went further into the crowd. 

When Juniper heard a guttural scream that sounded awfully like Annie Cresta, she didn't have time to whip her head around when suddenly, Aurelius pushed her into a vacant hospital room. With the door shut, the havoc outside was fainted. 

"What happened?" Juniper managed to croak out. She could feel herself becoming worked up. Was that Annie's scream? 

"Someone should have told you... it was unfair to keep it from you this long—" 

"Aurelius, what's happened?" Juniper cried. Her throat was becoming dry and her eyes were beginning to be itchy. 

The man's cheeks were red as he began to say, "Do you remember the fairly complicated propo you were told about?" 

"Yes." 

"Well, since it was fairly complicated, there was a chance of it going wrong. And it—" 

Aurelius was suddenly cut off when the door to the room burst open, the sound of the reception becoming louder until it was trapped outside when the door closed again. In-front of them was a panting Plutarch Heavensbee, who bent down to get his breath back, hands on knees. Something seemed to be crumpled up in his hand. 

"Oh... good... you're in here." Plutarch panted as he stood upright. When he saw Juniper, all exhaustion and redness disappeared from his face. A sense of softness and calmness appeared instead. "It is absolute madness out there." 

"When do they leave?" Aurelius questioned. 

"In thirty minutes." Plutarch nodded. "I suppose that's why they are all in madness... need to get supplies onto the crafts and get ready—" 

"Mr. Heavensbee," Aurelius interrupted him, eyes narrowed slightly as he gestured his head to Juniper. 

"Oh. Right," the man said. "Juniper, how are you?" 

"Splendid," she snapped. "What's going on? What happened?" 

Plutarch took a deep breath as he began to walk calmly towards her, saying, "You might want to sit down—" 

"And you might want to start telling me what happened!" 

"Juniper, I insist—" 

"Miss Hale, sit down." Aurelius nodded as he began to scrape the plastic chair over to her. "Please." 

Juniper clenched her jaw before obliging, sitting down in the coolness of the chair as she stared intently at Plutarch, who seemed to fiddle with the paper in his grasp. Aurelius took a deep breath, hand on the back of the chair as he stood behind Juniper.

"Plutarch..." Juniper breathed. "What is it?" 

"There is a lot to explain," Plutarch told her. "A lot has happened in the past day... I've kept from telling you because I didn't want you to worry... to fall into a... Juniper, I don't know how to say this to you. I don't know how to say it in the right way." 

"Give her the letter," Aurelius said quietly. "She'll understand then." 

Plutarch looked at the doctor before nodding. He held out his hand to reveal a small envelope which had the words 'June' written across it in hideous handwriting that only Juniper Hale could decipher. 

And there was only one person left who called her June. 

"He would have wanted you to have this..." 

Finnick. 

⇢ ˗ˏˋ matz 🎧 !

— 🤭🤭

giggling when i remember i replied to someone's comment saying "who said it was finnick 👀👀" 

it most definitely is finnick.