A/N: This originally appeared in Kat Tales. Enjoy and review please.

Another Business Meeting

"I don't even know why I attend these meetings. I never get to contribute anything." I felt sorry for myself and I wanted to whine. "I mean, I am Vice-President and the inspiration for this business venture of our's ... ya know."

Johanna gave me a broken, half-smile. "Okay, sweetie." Johanna threw her arm around me. "I tell you what. You give the presentation."

"Oh, I don't know if I'm ready."

She squeezed my arm. "Of course, you are. We had this idea together. You described it to Samantha to illustrate and you helped me with the dialogue. You can do it." I grabbed the rough layouts and marched into the conference room with a new-found confidence.

"Okay Johanna, you go first," Effie said.

I stood up. "I'll be doing the presentation."

Effie gave me a quizzical look. "Johanna, are you sure?"

Before she answered I said, "I'll be doing the presentation."

Effie sat up straight in her chair and straightened her suit. "Okay, if you insist. Go ahead."

"Thank you, Effie. This is the rough layout for the new book. Johanna and I came up with a new character. Samantha illustrated it and we introduce her here."

"What is it?" Prim asked.

"It's called a mockingjay."

Prim and Rue sat and stared at the bird. "What the hell is a mockingjay?" Rue asked.

"You see it's a cross between a blue jay and a mockingbird."

"Aren't there enough birds out there? Why'd you have to make one up?" Prim said.

I frowned when they didn't enthusiastically embrace my new creature. "Well, because it's cute."

"Okay, besides the fact that you made it up. This means less space for The Little Duck," Prim said.

"And more importantly, less space for The Sparrow," Rue added.

"Excuse me, Rue. You can't possibly think that The Sparrow deserves more space than The Little Duck?" Prim said.

"I not only think it. I can prove it."

"How can you possibly prove that, you little midget!"

Rue stood up and went eye to eye with Prim. "You wanna take this outside?" Rue said.

"Any day Dwarfinstein." Rue was now eye to chest with Doctor Hawthorne.

While The Duck and The Sparrow went at it, I turned to Jo. "You knew they would react like that, didn't you?" Jo held her hand to her chest. "Yes, I mean you." Jo diverted her eyes. "I'll get you back for this Mason."

"Okay ladies, simmer down. I'm sure there's enough room for ducks, sparrows, and any other genetically engineered mutations Katniss can think up in that warped brain of her's." Prim and Rue sat back down never taking their eyes off the other. "Johanna, you're creative; you work it out."

"Hey, what do you mean-" I said.

"Next on the agenda," Effie interrupted.

"Wait a minute." I crossed my arms and sat low in my seat.

"Like I said, next on the agenda. I ran into Messalla, who told me that his boss, Cressida, was speaking to Fulvia Cardew, that her boss, Plutarch Heavensbee is starting a new game show. He is looking for married couples to be contestants so I signed up Katniss and Peeta," Effie said.

I woke up from my pout when my heart almost exploded out of my chest. "What? Are you insane? Peeta would never agree to that!" That sly smile on Effie's face meant something was up. "What did you do Effie?"

She leaned back in her seat and explained. "I knew you'd try to get out of this by saying Peeta wouldn't go for it so I called him before the meeting and got his okay. Congratulations Mrs. Mellark, you're a contestant on The Marriage Game."

"Wait one minute! How could you-"

"Katniss, be quiet for a minute. How come you suggested Katniss and Peeta and not me and Rory?" Prim asked.

Effie looked up at the ceiling and nodded. "You know Prim, you might be on to something. How 'bout it if all four couples knew each other? We could add Annie and Finnick, and Madge and Gale."

"Now that pink dye has finally seeped into that conniving little brain of yours. Of course, Finnick would go for it, but Gale ... NO WAY!" I said.

"We'll see. We'll see," Effie said. "Prim, you have something to add?"

"Yeah, what's with the weird names those TV people have. I mean, Plutarch, Cressida, Fulvia, Messalla. Why don't they have normal names like Primrose and Katniss." Prim said.

"And Rue and Effie," Rue added.

Effie, deep in thought, sat without saying a word, then, "How in God's name would I know?"

"Maybe they are stage names," Rue said and Prim nodded.

"Excuse me," Jo said, "why didn't you say my name was normal?"

Prim, taken aback by Jo's question, couldn't for the life of her, figure out why Jo would object. "Because it's a boy's name."

"HEY! What did I tell you about that Hawthorne?" Jo said. Now this was a fair fight. Jo was only two inches shorter than Prim but outweighed her by a couple of ounces.

"Okay, sit down and put your claws away," Effie ordered.

"Um, Effie I have another question," Jo said.

You could see the exasperation on Effie's face. "What now Jo?"

"How come you didn't think of me and Clove? Are you homophobic or something?" Jo asked.

"Yeah, and how come you didn't think of me and Thresh? Are you a racist?"

"Well Jo, while I admire your interest in LGBTQ&A...WXYZ issues and Rue, your interest in racial equality is also admirable; I must point out something to you."

"What?" They asked.

Effie got up and leaned on the desk. "YOU'RE NOT MARRIED!"

"So what you're saying is that you're a singlist."

"Shut up Jo," Effie said.

"Katniss, help me out!" Jo pleaded.

"You're on your own Mason."

Effie turned her attention elsewhere. "Rue, I believe you have something you want to say."

Rue stood up and addressed the group. "Thank you, Effie. I volunteer at a geriatric facility."

"You know, a place for old people."

"Thank you, Prim. Moving right along. I think Katniss, being a pseudo-local-semi-celebrity that she is, should visit the home. It would be great publicity.

"Excellent idea Rue. You and Katniss get together and work out the old person's home visit." Effie collected her papers. "My, don't we look like a happy bunch." Jo and I continued to glare at each other; Rue and Prim were no better. "Look, this is what we'll do. Rue, The Sparrow will get some extra pages in the next book. Prim, you're gonna be on television. Katniss, the mockingjay is cute."

The three of us smiled, but that left Jo all alone. "What about me?"

"I ain't got nottin' Jo." It seemed that Jo struck out all night. "I don't know about you four, but it's cocktail hour," Effie said.

Prim perked right up. "OhmiGod, you're right. Let's go, Rue, we're meeting Rory and Thresh at Bourbon Street in a few minutes." Prim and Rue flew out of the conference room.

Jo gave me a broken smile, "you want a drink? I'll buy."

"You're buying all night, Mason. And it's going to be a long night. A very long night."