Author's Note: A brief step away from the mechanics of the election here and back into the many problems facing Panem.

….

Forwards

In those earliest moments it had perhaps seemed unlikely. Indeed, there had been conflicts, arguments, and confrontations. But the council representatives were working together, and the first shoots of progress were beginning to seed.

Collaboration between Thirteen and Five had seen the power restored to the northernmost communities in District Six and those in the most remote areas of District Seven would be next to see their power return. A temporary food aid package had been agreed with the Canadian government. It would only last for six weeks, to be renewed with the newly elected government. But the Canadians had been watching the electoral process with a keen eye, had seen which way the wind was blowing and knew that the likely winner was someone they could work with. Thus, chances of continued aid were high.

The Canadian public were also responsive on their own accord, setting up donation campaigns to provide food for children across their border. They were spurred on from reports by the communities living independently within Panem's territory between Six and Seven who now felt able to provide greater assistance now that they were not likely to risk peacekeeper incursions on their space.

Plans previously discussed to extend District Four's farming offering were beginning to develop, with land being prepared for cultivation and extra workers volunteering from Nine and Eleven to provide support in the earliest stages. Four's northern farming community had always been removed from the rest of the district which revolved around its centre, with its industry focus on fishing, seafood and the associated trades. But now there was opportunity for working closer together and introducing each other to their interpretations of Four's way of life.

A date had been selected for crews to arrive in Twelve to begin the clean-up and burial process. Gale Hawthorne had been left with the unenviable task of finding willing volunteers and with Katniss Everdeen's enforced return to Twelve imminent, the Victors' Village would be made liveable for those who did volunteer for the job.

District Twelve would be rebuilt from the ground up, led by the people who wished to return home. But there was a real sense of Panem uniting around its smallest district with offers of help coming in from across the country. Two would provide stone, Seven its lumber and Districts One and Four had already found teams of people who would otherwise be out of work to join the reconstruction.

It was not all perfect and nobody thought it would be. Damage to the water supply to the east, affecting districts Six, Eight and Nine continued and the Capitol and Thirteen were both sending in a supply to make up for what had been lost whilst squabbling over whose duty it really was to assist. Thirteen was closer, so geographically, their help made sense. But decisions made in the Capitol were at fault so many wanted them to bear the burden of putting things right. Thirteen did not want to be reintegrated into Panem to find itself drained of resources, but its inhabitants also wanted to uphold their reputation as one of the forces that freed their country. It would be a difficult balance to strike.

Inevitably, the economy was in ruins. Hardly anybody was in work. There was a demand for every essential resource imaginable but no supply, and Panem's currency was fast losing any value it previously held. It was a problem nobody on the council really knew how to resolve and the incoming President was to inherit an economic nightmare.

A sensible, workable system of rationing also needed to be implemented, but with supplies so uncertain and uneven across the nation, working out and delivering a single system to give what would be needed for each adult and child was a significant challenge. Supplying the country with enough for everyone to get by would take the resolve of local and national leaders and collaboration in a way that had not been possible before.

At least now they were able to work together, and most people seemed keen to give others a chance. Deep down, the ordinary worker knew that their enemy was not the worker in another district and hopefully now, there would be no need for enemies at all. There would still be debate as to who bears the worst of people's anger, whether it be the Capitol or their loyalists in the districts who oversaw the conditions people endured, but the overall feeling was a willingness to look towards the future.

….

War had scarred District Six and their internal conflicts only worsened the situation. Morphling dealers killed rivals, those who crossed them and ultimately the district's initial leader after they broke free from Capitol rule. Communities were unsafe, there was mass unemployment, severe food shortages and a lack of treatment for those who were injured and ill.

They were all problems Poppy was determined to solve and she was keen to build a team around her who shared her ideas for her home. She had put in a call to doctors from the Capitol and Thirteen to help and was looking for people with expertise in managing addiction. The people she had spent the war with were finding their reliability and loyalty rewarded. They spent months hiding Poppy, knowing an order had been put out for her capture and worked with her from her hideout to arm their fighters and supply the non-combatants.

Following on from her rush back home and her agreement with the morphling dealers, Poppy was keeping to her side of the bargain. Dealers were not being arrested for dealing on their patch but encroaching into other territory and violence would be sanctioned. Anyone caught dealing dirty, dangerous morphling would also face the consequences. Members of Poppy's team and contacts further afield were keeping a keen watch on the situation and were ready to respond to any escalation or breaches of the agreement.

Food that was reaching Six was beginning to be distributed fairly under Linden's watch. He was an outsider but was eager to make a good impression on his partner's people. He knew how important her home was to her. He was able to use his outsider status to his advantage and distributed everything that came his way scrupulously whilst being keen to prove himself and ensure people were aware that he was not collecting the spoils for himself, Poppy, and their new inner circle. But people's trust in Poppy went a long way. She had worked for District Six since her Games both under the radar and openly making connections between people in different factories, villages and towns, putting herself in danger. Therefore, anyone who she trusted implicitly had already proven their worth for Poppy did not trust easily, so Linden had received an easier welcome than he anticipated.

As with almost everywhere in Panem, there were early signs of improvements, but there was still so much work to do. Six's factories had always been health hazards and damage from the war had meant that hardly anyone could return to work safely. Yet train lines needed to be rebuilt and trains and hovercrafts repaired for supply lines. Deciding where and when works could take place was a headache. Nobody wanted to put their workers who had endured so much at unnecessary risk, but some of the work was urgent if they wanted to avoid accidents due to hovercrafts and the trains that were in service falling into further disrepair.

The workers who did answer the call would need to be paid in some respect and with cash fast losing any value, alternatives would have to be found and agreed with the council and then later the new President. There were some problems which one person and her team, in one district could not solve alone. It was all well and good Plutarch Heavensbee speaking about the early signs of cooperation, but it was needed now.

….

The situation in Two was looking up, at least for Commander Hadrian and his supporters. His steadfast belief in Colonel Lon's unpopularity seemed to be playing out as he expected, and the man had made himself very unpopular on the national stage.

There were concerns about giving such a man and such ideals airtime and the freedom to speak and organise, but at least now, everybody knew. He did not command a majority in Two and certainly would not anywhere else. Ophelia's candidacy had done Commander Hadrian a great deal of favours as people who may have been influenced by Colonel Lon's promises of a restoration of the old order, were now more likely to listen to a woman who speaks as the voice of the Capitol, but one with a different outlook. She won't sacrifice the Capitol's interests and will not leave Two out in the cold because of its previous role, but neither will she bring back the old regime or hold the door open to those now considered highly unfavourable.

Some of those in Two who had been swayed by the initial swing of momentum Colonel Lon had gathered were now beginning to have second thoughts. He was truly unpopular on the national stage. They had also realised that there would be no chance of any old Capitol leaders looking favourably at Two. They had thrown their lot in with the rebels for the second time and if old forces were allowed to regroup, there would be consequences. Perhaps Two should give the new order a chance.

Two was strong, Colonel Lon was not mistaken there, and Commander Hadrian was pleased that so many of his people had risen to the challenges presented so far. Families had tried to take in displaced children where they could, teams of quarrymen were working on rebuilding what had been destroyed, and with District Thirteen's assistance, there were people volunteering to train as nurses and doctors.

It would not be easy to make amends and the district was in a precarious position. Their role in producing vast numbers of peacekeepers had thrown their society into the spotlight as the worst of the ranks were being captured and there was talk of trials. People who Two had proudly recruited, trained, and trusted had been exposed. People who argued they were following orders were being revealed to have committed atrocious crimes against civilians and some of their own had partaken in the destruction of District Twelve.

Commander Hadrian did not want to accept those people as his own. But he could not deny that in many respects they were. So many were born and raised in Two, entering peacekeeper training as the pride of their families and leaving as the new pride of District Two. But it was preferable to have this difficult conversation early, about the role District Two had played. Better to rip open the wound now than expose it later once so much work into rebuilding had taken place. Starting afresh, with the worst out of the way would make progression more straightforward. They would just have to get through this rough patch.

He would work with the new President to find a solution. Those who had kept their records clear and for whom there was no evidence against should be able to be cleared and live their lives. If later evidence was uncovered then they ought to face the consequences, but there would be plenty who did keep themselves in line.

Hadrian had been a peacekeeper himself. He knew not to follow illegal orders, not to stray from the line, so had limited sympathy for those who took part in atrocities and victimisation. Ultimately, Commander Hadrian turned. He served in District Eleven where he had genuinely tried to keep the peace and deal with local issues fairly. He was harsh on many an occasion, as was the instruction in Eleven but he never crossed a line. He never gave up children who stole fruits from the orchards either. He returned to Two a distinguished officer and was promoted, working crucial logistical and organisational roles, knowing who was being sent where and when and managing key resources.

It was how he met Lyme and eventually some of the other victors. He was present when the Victory Tour arrived in Two and when he had proven his worth to Lyme, was introduced to Mags on Finnick's tour, the highest of honours according to Lyme. Commander Hadrian had seen the unfairness and cruelty of life in the outer districts, he saw conditions in his own home too. He knew that there were peacekeepers he could not stop, too many of a similarly senior rank as him and found it difficult, and later impossible, to turn a blind eye. So, he started passing on information to Lyme, and then giving her access to weaponry, little by little so nobody would notice, and ultimately information about deployments so she could prepare her friends in the other districts.

He had fought against his own, people who he had served alongside for years, but he knew he was on the right side. It was never the plan for him to lead, but Lyme's death had elevated his own position. He was trusted, had a good rapport with the ordinary workers and understood District Two's complex position.

So far, there had been no major disasters and compared to the situation in many of the districts and the assassination in Six, that was a good position to be in. He could navigate Two's internal politics, address the difficult questions head on and try to rebuild trust across his home. Two was going to move forward, address its past and find its new place in Panem.