A/N: Hey, you guys. I've been super-sick, like in-and out of the hospital type of sick, that's why I haven't updated in a while. Sorry! Don't worry, I have no plans of abandoning this story.

The ride to the Capitol is short, maybe only half an hour at most. President Coin decided to use the super hi-tech hovercraft on me this time. Still, it seems to go on forever. If this goes wrong, the last friend I'll see is Haymitch. I haven't let go of his hand the whole ride. I'm worried he's going to lose circulation in his fingers from how tightly I'm gripping him, but that's not that important at the moment. When we get there, and the hovercraft lands safely by President Snow's mansion, my breathing speeds up and I feel my heart drumming in my ears. It shouldn't be this easy. Haymitch cups my face in his hands. "Katniss," he tells me, "You go in there, and you talk for as looong as you need. Drag it on forever, please. They estimate that they need another hour and a half to breech the mansion. Finnick, Jo, Gloss, they're all okay. You just focus on you."

I nod, and hug Haymitch tightly. I'm so scared that I'll screw up, and we'll all die. "I love you, Haymitch." I tell him quietly. It's not how like I love Finnick. It's how I loved my father. Haymitch is practically a second father to me. All of the victors - well, most are like a family. We're all screwed up, but who cares? We love each toher.

I stand up to walk out. I straighten my jacket. I look almost like how I did going into the arena the first time - similar outfit, trademark braid, and mockingjay pin over my heart. So much has changed since then and now. But one thing hasn't: my will to live.

"Save the sappiness for someone else. Yeah, yeah, you too, sweetheart. Go kick some ass." Haymitch smiles, a tinge of sadness visible in his eyes. He knows how much danger I'm in. He stops me on the way out. "Oh, Katniss? One more piece of advice. Stay alive." My lips twist upwards a little at our old running joke. I'll hold onto this memory forever, even if forever is only for the next few hours.

When I step off the hovercraft pad, I'm met by three or four peacekeepers, all armed. I tense up, half expecting them to shoot at me. When none of us move after a few moments, the tallest one steps forward. I instinctively hold my breath. I catch a glimpse of his face, and can't help but notice that he looks oddly familiar. He gives me a closed mouth smile at my obvious assessment - a upward twitch of the lips so subtle that nobody else would have seen it if they were looking. "Kat-, I mean, Miss Everdeen? Come with us, please. We'll be escorting you to President Snow's mansion." I nod, trying to mask my surprise. His accent is not Capitol, and neither is it from District 2. It almost sounds... like a Seam accent. The way he almost called me Katniss makes me wonder if he's from District 12. I shake the idea out of my head. Everyone knows me as Katniss. It's nothing special. I take a deep breath, and walk behind the peacekeeper, watching the other three form an awkward formation around me.

The streets are deserted, so I'm not quite sure who they are protecting me from. All the Capitol people are on emergency lockdown and aren't to leave their homes. They get canned food and water delivered via rooftop every day, but still it must be so hard on them. Haymitch's voice buzzes in my ear. They're in the Capitol. Halfway between the city's edge and the mansion. You have to keep Snow distracted for an hour at most. I mutter "Got it", quietly enough that only he can hear. If this goes wrong, the last ally I'll ever talk to is Haymitch. That in itself is more terrifying than the idea of dying at the hands of President Snow.

It's a short walk to the mansion, and the cool air is nice, especially after being underground in District 13 for so long. When we get inside the gloriously extravent home, the other three peacekeepers disperse, I don't know where. The taller one, with sandy colored hair and cheeks turned pink from the wind, smiles a little at me again and leads me inside, up the large marble staircase. While the lobby is less decorated than how it was when I was here for my Victory Tour celebration, it's still gorgeous. While there isn't a word in the dictionary strong enough to describe how much I detest President Snow, he does have good taste in decor. It's way too extravagant, even for the Capitol, but I'd prefer living here to my old home in 12 any day.

The ascent up the large, gray marble staircase only takes a minute or two, but it feels like hours. There's an unexplainable tightness in the pit of my stomach. For the first time in a long time, I'm terrified. I don't know what to expect at all. Obviously, I was scared going into the last games. But I was surrounded by friends and Finnick, so I wasn't alone by any means. And now I am. I remember the last thing Johanna said to me. You go in there and you kill him. And I'll see you soon. It wasn't teary or sweet, or even in her usual sarcastic tone. It wasn't a goodbye, that's why. She plans on seeing me soon. And Johanna Mason is by far, the most pessimistic person I know. That means there must be at least a little hope.

The peacekeepers walk me to the door of some room, and one of them ushers to me that I should go inside. My chest tightens, but I manage to give a sharp nod and take a slow, deep breath before turning the handle slowly to face my worst enemy.

What I see when I walk into that room is so unexpected, it catches me off guard. There's no guards, no guns, no cameras or microphones, from a brief glimpse around the room. Just President Snow sitting at his desk, reading a book. I close the door behind me quietly, and the click of the wooden door sounds like the sealing of my fate. He holds up a finger, meaning that I'm not to speak until he's done with whatever he's reading. After he finishes the page, he folds down the corner, closes the book, and places it on his bookshelf. Finally, President Snow looks up at me, and nods slightly. He motions to the chair on the other side of the desk from him. "Please, sit down."

Cautiously, I sit down on the wooden velvety chair. These things still make me mad. This could buy me two weeks of food back in even the richest district. Maybe even a month's worth in 12. I sit up perfectly straight, spine not touching the chair. Snow sits down after me, and takes a sip of some liquid in a white cup. He licks his lips, the lizard tongue dabbing across his puffy, stretched lips. The sight is repulsive, but I look unfazed. "You're probably wondering why I want to speak with you, Miss Everdeen. It's not some bargain, no 'Give me the Mockingjay and I'll leave you alone' tactic that your leader would use. We both know that your life, your individual life doesn't mean that much to me personally."

"Then why drag me all the way down here? Why do you want to speak to me so badly?" I ask, cutting him off. He seems slightly annoyed that I cut him off. We both know I'm not a very patient person.

President Snow chuckles to himself. It's not an evil, manic laugh, like one would expect from him. Rather, it's the laugh of someone who is genuinely amused at something. It's really unexpected from him. He continues, without skipping a beat. "I was getting to that, Miss Everdeen. I would like to just chat with you. And, warn you. Tell me, when your great army conquers the Capitol, and arrests and kills me, what will happen next? Surely, you will all celebrate the death of a tyrannical autocrat, and then the fact that there will be no more Hunger Games. But who will rule? And what will happen to you?"

I tilt my head in confusion. Where is he going with this. "Well, I'll probably leave 13, maybe go back to 4. Finnick and I'll settle down, and we'll live a calm life with no wars. At least for a little. As for who will rule Panem... I'm not quite sure. Probably President Coin."

"And tell me, Katniss. President Coin? Does she has any use for you after she has Panem? No. And we both know she despises you. Do you think she'll like to keep you around?"

"What are you trying to say?" I cut him off, and take a deep breath. I count backwards from 10 in my head. I can't let him get to me. He's just trying to mess with my head.

"I'm warning you Katniss. I'm never going to have to experience a new Panem after my rule, but you will. What makes you think President Alma Coin is best fitted to try to control twelve districts? She can't take care of one, and there won't be kids fighting to death to keep people in check. Will that make it a great lovely place that you'll actually want to live in? I doubt it."

I shake my head. Something about this seems pretty fishy. "What are you getting at. I don't follow you. Why do you even care?"

Snow just smirks at me, and takes a slow sip from his cup. After a moment, he sighs. "Would you believe me if I said I cared about the well-being of my people?"

I choke on my spit from laughing so hard. I'm not sure if he's joking or not. After I compose myself, I answer: "No. I wouldn't."

Snow raises an eyebrow at me and nods. "I didn't think so. You're a lot of things, Miss Everdeen, but you're by no means a fool." He clears his throat and continues. "Well, tell me this. Do you actually think of her fit to rule?"

"Any day, I'd pick her over you."

"Would you, really? I'm almost offended by that. Answer the question, Miss Everdeen. Yes, or no. Remember, a while back, we agreed not to lie to each other?"

I take a deep breath. "No, I don't. So what do you suppose I do?"

"So now you're coming to me for advice? Oh, how the tables have turned." He smiles, and I get an unpleasant view of his teeth and snake-like puffy lips.

"No. I was just curious of your opinion on the matter. You know, since you're so wise." I really hope it's not obvious that I'm stalling. I really need to keep him busy for as long as possible.

President Snow muses for a second, and then responds. "Well. You didn't hear it from me, but Panem is sick of this way of life. They'll want democratic elections. Or at least a constitutional monarchy, maybe even a republic. Who knows. After me, this life'll be gone. The Capitol will have a hard time adjusting, but the districts'll love it. Spread out the wealth, allow people to visit other districts, teach the children about a time before Panem. It wasn't all bad. Most don't even know why there were the Dark Days, or what that even means."

I'm taken aback. President Snow knows. "If you know all this, why not do it yourself?" I ask him.

"Well, that wouldn't be very fun. I wanted power, and hey - the districts were far too weak to rebel. They really still are. It was all 13. And, of course, you and your Victor friends. Hm, speaking of, how is Finnick?"

My knuckles clench white around the table. "He's well."

"Are you still together? I'm so sorry to hear about your loss... the baby, it is. I almost felt bad about sending a pregnant woman into the Arena, but if neither of you even knew, it was as if you weren't even any different."

"You knew?" I ask, clenching my fist even harder. My long, ragged nails scratch into the table. He frowns a little.

"Of course. We tested your blood before you went in, didn't we?" He looks at me, and scoffs a little. "Oh please, we check for everything."

I feel slightly sickened... and almost violated. He chuckles a little. "Not that long ago, I was selling you to people, don't be stupid. We've been checking every time you'd see a doctor."

"Touche." I nod. Haymitch comes to life in my ear. They're almost there. Five more minutes. Keep him busy a little longer, you're doing great sweetheart. "Still, you haven't told me. Why did you call me here in the first place? You don't seem like the type to request a friendly chat. As a matter of fact, most things about you are about as far from friendly as possible. Why do you even want me here? Am I really so valuable?"

He sighs, and rubs his left temple in small circles, in the exact spot where I would get headaches when I was younger. "Katniss, has it never occurred to you? Do you really need to hear it from me of all people? You're the Mockingjay, for goodness sake. None of this -" he motions all around, "would have been possible by you. When the rebels win, and eventually, they will, your name will go down in the history books. Your children will hear stories of their mommy being a hero. Or, you'll die. And become a martyr. I wouldn't worry about it, really. Believe it or not, I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to warn you."

I scoff. "Warn me?" There's so many things wrong with that. First of all, that would imply that President Snow actually cares about me to some extent. Secondly, I'm not going to do anything he asks of me. I owe him nothing. However, I nod, and hear him out.

"When you have the chance to kill me, don't do it. Kill Alma Coin." He says in a slow, measured tone. He's been thinking about this for a long time.

"And why would I do that?" I ask.

President Snow rolls up his sleeve, and shows me a bunch of lumps that resemble birth marks gone wrong. I've never seen anything like it. "I'm already eighty three years old. I have a old disease, from pre Panem days. It's known as as melanoma. I have maybe 6 months left. The doctors here have no cure. You know my history, it's a side effect of one of the antidotes from the poison that isn't completely curable. Also, traces of radiation was found in all of my lights here. Someone, not surprisingly, has been trying to kill me."

"Should I believe you?" I cut him off.

"We've agreed not to lie to each other." President Snow points out, before continuing, "We both know what Coin will do, once she rises to power. If you kill her, that won't happen. With me in captivity, it's safe to say that Panem has fallen as I know it. Someone else will rise to maybe more mundane power, and I'll be dead soon enough, without you involved."

That's when it hits me: President Snow is a genius. He may be evil, and it's debatable whether or not he's certifiably insane or at least sociopathic, but he knows what he's doing. He may be working for goals that have contradicted mine for the first seventeen years of my life, but now, at least for a little, we're on the same side. It feels weird, teaming up with someone I've hated for a while. I think of the old saying that seems relevant to my current situation: An enemy of my enemy is a friend. I've never believed that, but now, it's oh so fitting.

"So, what now?" I ask him. I haven't heard from Haymitch, but it's definitely been more than 5 minutes. President Snow opens his mouth to answer, but someone knows on the door and he sticks his head outside. He shoos them and comes back in.

"Well, Miss Everdeen. This is where we say our goodbyes. I'll be seeing you very soon. Farewell." Before I can respond, A bunch of soldiers knock down the door, Finnick and Gloss included, and take President Snow by the arms. Before he gets dragged out, he winks at me, and turns to Finnick. "Hello, Mister Odair. It's a pleasure seeing you, as always. You should really take better care of your girlfriend. And use protection, we've been over this before. Farewell."

Finnick rolls his eyes at him, and then the door shuts, leaving us together. Finnick doesn't look that hurt, besides a few scabs forming on his temple and a blood stained bandage on his shoulder - whatever was hurt is now healing, I can tell. "I was worried I'd never see you again." I admit. Finnick strokes my cheek, and our lips crash into each other. I kiss him like it's our first kiss again. But this time, it's not rushed at all. I pull away, reluctantly. "Hey, we have all the time in the world, don't we?"

"I don't care. I love you, Katniss. I want to spend every minute of the rest of my life with you. That could be a week, it could be fifty years, maybe more." He looks like he's about to say more, but Haymitch busts in.

"Good to see you sweetheart." Haymitch cracks a smile at me, and then rolls his eyes. "Odair. For the love of god, please keep your hands off her for five minutes?"

"I'll try." He smirks, putting an arm around me. "No promises."

We walk out and I'm surrounded by chaos. There's peacekeepers lying dead all over, and Snow is being loaded into a hovercraft in handcuffs. My mood is lifted because soon I'm surrounded by all my friends. Jo, Gloss, Thomas, and a few other familiar faces. President Coin comes over to me, and nods. "Good work soldier."

I have to bite on my tongue so hard I feel the tinge of metallic blood. I'm not a soldier, and I'm not your soldier.I manage to smile out a "Thank you." through clenched teeth. Haymitch pats my shoulder. He shoots me a look that says: Keep yourself together, don't give her that attitude. I nod and gulp.

"President Coin?" Finnick asks, "How long are we going to be here in the Capitol?"

She turns around, her grey hair not moving out of place, even in the wind outside the mansion. I wonder if it's a wig, or gelled down with sprays like the Capitol women have their hair. "Well, we're bringing everyone from back in District 13 who would like to and is healthy enough to see the trial of President Snow. After that, we'll see. So, we'll be here, indefinitely. Why do you ask, Mister Odair?"

I cringe. Alma Coin sounds like President Snow. Finnick grins. "Do you mind if I hang around... without your supervision? There's a few people I'd like to see, and I'd like to sleep in my own bed, if you don't mind..."

"Your own bed, Mister Odair?" For the first time, President Coin looks confused.

"I have an apartment in the Capitol." He clarifies.

"Fine." Coin nods, and gives us approval.

"Be safe you two." Johanna teases, but she's right.

Finnick turns to me. "Shall we?" I raise an eyebrow, and he picks me up and carries me bridal-style. We run a few blocks, laughing. The streets are empty, all the doors closed. It's like it's not even the Capitol. After a few blocks, I make him put me down and we walk down the streets slowly. It feels like it's after the end of the world, or something. There's nothing. The Capitol, a city that truly never sleeps, is in a comatose state. I don't know how to feel. We walk into the largest building for blocks, and Finnick pushes the top button in the elevator. Floor 80. He has a huge loft, with floor-to-ceiling windows, remote control everything - including the curtains. It makes the training center apartments look like a shack by comparison. It's ridiculous. He takes in my look of astonishment. "Would you like to see the bedroom?" He asks me, going to play with settings on the wall.

I drop all my clothes on the floor with a loud thud. I put my hands on my hips, and when he turns around, I say: "Does this answer your question?" He responds with a bruising kiss.

"Okay. Heads, I kill him. Tails, you get to do the honors." Alma Coin tells me, handing me a golden coin. I inspect it carefully, to make sure it's not a double headed coin or weighted. I flip it, and hold my palm out. She frowns. "Tails. Lucky you. I'll assume you'd like a bow and arrow?"

"I'll see you on stage." I manage a smile, and shake her cold, veiny hand.

President Snow is in a chair, which has been bolted to the stage floor. He's not going anywhere. His hands are tied together in his lap, and his waist and legs to the chair itself. He's in the square in the middle of the Capitol. There's a makeshift platform that's been set up, with speakers.

President Alma Coin takes the stage, microphone in hand. She silences the crowd of people. She clears her throat. "President Coriolanus Snow has been leader of Panem for forty-three years. He has been charged guilty with the following crimes: slaughter of innocent children, fraud, twenty-two counts of manslaughter, eighty counts of murder, and twelve other crimes against humanity. You have been sentenced to a very public death. Any last words?" She walks over to him, and he grins, coughing up some blood onto the floor.

"Yes, actually." He nods.

"Make it quick." She mutters, and turns to me. "I'll signal to you." She holds the microphone up to his mouth, so he can speak.

"I could just like to say, its been an honor to rule Panem, I've loved my job. It's been lovely. And I would like Miss Everdeen what her thoughts are."

"I'm going to enjoy killing you." I tell him. For the first time, I actually smile at the prospect of taking someones life.

"Why Miss Everdeen. I thought we agreed not to lie to each other."

"Enough. Alright Katniss. Shoot straight." She tells me.

I take the arrow, and place it in it's place. I don't aim for President Snow, the arrow goes past him, and shoots Alma Coin right above her right eye, like all my targets. I quickly load another arrow and shoot President Snow straight through the heart.

A/N: Finally, I finished this chapter. I'm going to try to update weekly.

Please, please please review. Now that I've basically finished Mockingjay in the timeline, I'm at a loss for what to write.