Johanna stalked down the Grand Hall of the Presidential Mansion. Her stiletto books clicked, the chainmail she sore over her negligee clinked, and there was a low whoosh as she twirled her mace thoughtfully. "Morning, Mrs. Hawthorne," Anna Paylor said as she passed. Johanna halted and stamped her foot to get the attention of her husband's former campaign manager. Paylor paused and turned around.

"Have you seen Gale?" Johanna said.

"Yes, I just passed him coming out of the library," Paylor said. "Actually, that's odd when you mention it... Before that, I passed him going into the greenhouse."

"Listen to me carefully," Johanna said. "Remember how Peeta thought Katniss had been replaced by a Mutt? Well, Snow and Coin are still alive, and they've really done it to Gale. I think they must be holding him hostage somewhere."

"Have you talked to the Presidential Guard?" Paylor asked.

"I can't do that until I'm sure they aren't in on it," Johanna said. "A lot of the guard voted for Coin... Peeta! Call Peeta, he will listen!" As she spoke, four guardsmen appeared.

"Madam First Lady, Mrs. Paylor," said the smiling Guard Captain, "is there a problem?"

"Oh, no, we're just fine," Johanna said. "I was just suggesting that Mrs. Baylor call Mellark's Bakery to order some cheese buns."

"I'm afraid the phones are out at the moment," the captain said.

"Then you should call the repairmen," Johanna said.

"They're already here," said the captain. Johanna looked down the hall and saw a dozen men in work uniforms coming down the hall. Their faces were painted white, and they wore red false noses.

"Run!" Johanna told Paylor. She clocked the captain with her mace, kicked another guard on the crotch, and lowered her mask before charging the squad of clowns. Paylor ran for the greenhouse. She opened the door, and found herself looking straight into Gale's silver-gray eyes.

"Anna," Gale said in his devastatingly sensual voice, and for a moment, Paylor was sure the President had escaped. Then he continued, "Anna Anna bo-bana, banana fana fo fana..."

"Yes, you have a good point," Paylor said. She headed for the back of the greenhouse, and the Gale-Mutt followed. She picked up a potted sapling, hurled it through the window and ran.

Johanna raised her mace at the nearest clown, just before a pie plastered her mask with banana cream. Even fighting blind, she put up a terrific fight, but the outcome was inevitable. The guards cuffed her, and the clowns bound her hand and foot with scarves they pulled out of their sleeves. "Help!" she shouted. "If anyone can hear me mf mmf mmff!!" She was cut off when a clown stuffed a rubber chicken in her mouth.

"Tiptoe through the tulips," the Gale-mutt said cheerfully. Paylor hefted a potted sapling. Suddenly, the Gale-Mutt turned and ran down the corridor, toward Johanna's cries. Paylor hurled the plant through the nearest plate glass pane and ran for it.

"Now what?" Snow exclaimed, peering at the flurry of tangled bodies on the security screen. Gale leaned forward hopefully. The commotion was moving. In fact, they could hear the noise outside, coming closer. A smile broke across Gale's face. Then there was a knock at the door, just before a marble statue smashed through it. Johanna came in, accompanied by five doubles of Gale Hawthorne.

"So," Johanna said, "it turns out all your duplicates of Gale do exactly what I say."

"Oh, Jojo, I'm so glad you're okay!" the real Gale shouted. "Now untie me! Quick!"

His face fell as his wife, Beetee and the ex-Presidents all said simultaneously, "Hmmm..."

Author's note: I shelved this story for a while because I needed to come up with some new ideas where to go and also felt like I could do better working on another project, "The Hunger Games Without The Hunger Games". Now I'm back, and I should be able to bring this to the finish I have had in mind pretty quickly.