Author's Note: Gotta love Maverick's level-headed responces right…(personally my favorite part was the short chat between Ari and Ken but I'm just the author…its You! YOU my wonderful readers that have last words on what's enjoyable right?)

Thanks go to EWD and JB who were latest to review

Chapter 54

The Pleas of a Bee

Its nearly midnight, I don't sleep so I head for Heavensbee's office which is a hairs breath from Ziggy's I see light coming from her shop but I don't bother. Sometimes night Ziggy is a little creepy. Not in a horrifying way but I get goose bumps with the glow of the lights and her googlely eyes, makes for a chilling atmosphere despite her having gentle if eclectic mannerisms.

Of course he isn't in his office and I don't want to go searching so I leave a note.

'We need to talk.

Msg me

-A-'

I head to bed, and try to sleep.

Coin invades even my dreams, as some twisted Geppetto dangling my friends on strings and cutting them one by one. So they crumple dead at my feet. She laughing like Henry from my games. It wakes me in a cold sweat. It's almost 5 am, so says my comunicuff.

I can't sleep so I have a hot shower until my skin is bright pink. Even then I am restless.

I walk the hallways, I hate Thirteen now. Every few yards there are guards. I have to show my comunicuff as identification, showing them 'yes I am part of that group who has certain privileges'. I have to think.

I will surely have a meeting with Pluatrch soon today I should know what to ask for, and more importantly how to do so with the little amount of scaring him. He was following orders is all. I can rationalize it; it would make me feel better to know he was arguing with Coin.

I end up in the mess hall and settle on an apple. I forgo the cereal and juice. I can't think of food when Peeta is captured. It will worry Makenzie, but at the moment even my mentor in medicine is taking a back seat.

I have to talk to her, know why she wasn't at the meeting. I am sure it's a good reason. It gives me drive to go to the hospital ward.

It's the only place security is light. I mean the only people down here are doctors and orderlies, and the sick or injured. No reason to guard them.

Sure enough the night owl that is my mentor is sitting in her office. I knock on the frame and she looks up removing her reading glasses. "Nightmare?" she asks

"Don't even have to open my mouth" I smirk, "you weren't at the meeting" I add

"Coin and I don't agree over half the time, and it's on frivolous details, like cost. I've decided to leave it in Mrs. Everdeen's hands, since she has explained to me that in the seam she has had to really cut down on the expensive means to heal and deals more natural remedies; I think she'll be able to bring good arguments. Maybe if we can't use manufactured medicine her and her wonder-kid can find …alternatives" she smirks, "sorry I should have contacted you"

"S'ok, so I can't argue you back in" I sigh

"'Fraid not" she passes me my old labcoat and we walk the hallway, "we've been getting a lot of new faces in the staff, more specialized people"

"That so?"

She smiles gently and nods, "I'm more management than actually doctoring now, I do help when they have problems but we have a solid staff now"

We grab some tea from a canister the cooks send down and we walk in silence for a while.

"I heard thru Mrs. Everdeen though" Makenzie says, "a knife Ariana…really?"

"It was that or a bullet what would you want?" I ask, "and I didn't hurt anyone just scared Coin so I could leave"

"Fair 'nuff" she smirks as she sips again, I like Makenzie, she's like me, only more controlled.

We are heading back to her office at around eight am when my cuff goes off.

'meet after breakfast. My office….-PH-'

"Guess he's not too scared to page you" Makenzie smiles, "go on , I'm just gonna leave a note for the day staff and head off"

I'm waiting for Plutarch at his office. He seemed harried and worried and his hair is a mess. I laugh inside, he's stressed because since I have spat venom at Coin at the first meeting we haven't spoken. He sees me, stalls, then tries and fails to put on a brave face.

"Crane" he nods

"Heavensbee" I nod in return as he opens the door for me.

He settles at his desk, "so…you changed your mind? You'll help?"

I lean on a book case, "well yes and no" I look at him, he looks confused, "I will….protect her if she goes out, maybe guide her in etiquette out in district or if ever capitol. I won't tell her what to do in direction but I will keep her from getting killed"

"She won't get killed" Plutarch says, "one of Cinna's last projects before he was killed was body armor"

"Unless it covers her whole face as well as her body it won't protect her fully" I point out, "this is as far as I go with helping" I look at him evenly after looking at my nails, playing aloof doesn't suit me, I am a helper by nature otherwise Mav would have been dead in the arena long ago, "and it comes with requirements"

"You're hardly going to be helping" he sounds put out, "but let's hear them anyway"

"Tracer, Ziggy and Mav attend meetings" I reply calmly, "they are my staff, I get to use the communication lab, and I can take who I want there"

"By who…" he looks calm, I guess my demands are reasonable

"Mav for one, Gale is another"

He nods and frowns, "ah yes, Hawthorne" he clears his throat, "I had gotten a message from Coin late last night, Gale is out of your demands, Abernathy says since he knows Everdeen longer than any of us excluding her mother and sister he has to work with her, keep her in check so to speak"

Predictable Coin, "so wherever Everdeen goes Gale follows? Well I don't have a problem with her being in the lab, just will run it by Zigg" I say

Plutarch looks confused, "Coin thought you wouldn't want Everdeen in your circle"

"Coin doesn't know me that well" I reply "one final thing" I say since they want to play dirty, "did you at least argue not rescuing the others?"

He sighs and rubs his face, "I had started to, I knew like you said that for some reason Peeta was important, I wanted to but then Coin offered me this position, a position I knew I could do well with and"

"And you fell for it" I finish for him, "my demands are met you will have me on her 'team' I will know you have when Maverick and Ziggy show up at the next meeting" I stands straight

"That's not fair! I have to persuade Coin and she hates you right now" he looks scared for refusing

"Those are my demands" I say and leave

"My mymymy!" says the director looking at me in a square made by her fingers and thumbs, "Plutarch where do you find these people I mean just do something with her hair and she is camera ready"

"Heavensbee get this person away from me" I glare at her

"And maybe her manners" the lady says

"Just introducing our newest member" he says proudly, well he should be, he managed in very few hours to get me access to the communication lab, and Maverick and I have seats beside Ziggy and Beetee. Tracer refused, she prefers her job at training alongside Charring and wants to keep with her recruits, I can respect that. The meeting wasn't short, getting me up to speed with how the demands will be met if Katniss performs her role, that propos are going to be shot sporadically.

When we were dismissed Gale made to come over but Abernathy cuts him off and tells him to check on Everdeen, she's supposed to get her prep team with Plutarch after the meeting. We exchanged glares Haymitch and I. Maverick gets my attention when he said Beetee wants to let him test out some new chairs he could use instead of the clunky one from the hospital wing. I nod and he heads off with Ziggy and Beetee.

I am alone in the conference room.

Well almost.

"Hey sweetheart" Haymitch comes up, "look-"

"Do you hate me or was it me being bossy that made you choose to take Gale away" I said without looking up from my boots

"I don't hate you, much" he said, "Katniss needs him now, more than you"

I scoffed, "that girl is fragile, and they want her to be the mokingjay" I said angrily, "can they not see she is damaged?"

"You want the job?" he asked

I don't respond

"You're right though, I should have explained or if anything forced the issue, Coin regrets taking Katniss now" he nudged me, "so maybe there is hope, to well y'know get him back"

So that's why I am in soldier garb with sunglasses to cut the glare of the spotlights watching as the director a lady called Cressida and her assistant Massala are checking the light and setting the smoke machine to give what they call 'ambiance'.

Plutarch looks at me expectantly, "this should be great for our side" he seems excited, I had heard what had happened, finding her prep team ill treated had almost lost him his star, but she didn't quit.

I don't respond I look at my nails.

For obvious reasons, that Haymitch shows from the spectator's viewing room. He's laughing and saying it was a pathetic attempt at drumming up a rebellion.

He has a point, Katniss is no actor. Peeta could do that, no question.

"Who's brilliant idea was this?" I look at Plutarch who looks crestfallen, "not you surely Heavensbee"

"My assistant" he says