Author's Note: We are down to the last few chapters dear readers, so much to tidy and so few chapters to do so in! oh what to do? what to do?!...keep reading of course!

Thanks to FH11 and RR for the reviews

Chapter 98

Retrieval

Gale POV

We nominated Greasy Sae, she's been around the longest. She practically knows everyone in our district that is still alive. Plus she knows what we need. They had wanted me to take this position but I can't.

My mind isn't on my district it's on the two girls that are locked in the tribute's tower right now.

Three months of waiting, of staying in the safe area of the Capitol. Finnick finds me and we find a place that would be a shrine to any Capitol citizen.

Seneca Crane's apartment. I walk in and nothing has been disturbed for the two years he has been dead. There is still a layer of dust on things.

Finnick and Annie help me tidy things up. Mom had found a temporary place for my siblings and her. In fact they are staying with the Letorches in Two for now until district Twelve is rebuilt. The Letorches are nice people, not what I expected from a career district. Kayla welcomed with open arms, and has been close to Posy ever since, Daniel is now a senator for Two. They even consider Ariana their own.

"Hey" Annie says, holding a frame, "can we fix this?"

Finnick goes over, "okay now that is just too adorable" he's smirking.

When I put down a dishcloth and go over rolling up my sleeves for the second time today I see why they are smirking.

It's a picture of just Seneca and Ariana, they must have been ten and five there respectively. Hanging upside down from swings probably from the school they attended. Smiling like little demons. The glass had been cracked down between them, ironic.

"She must have really loved him" Annie says, "he must have really loved her, so much."

Finnick wraps his arms around his wife and expecting mother of his child, "he did, broke him when she faked her death, I bet he was overjoyed to see her alive again" when I look at him confused, "talked to Haymitch about it before he left to help Boggs, that whole rule change…her idea basically, breaking the tributes out of the quell" he points to the five year old, hair loose and getting surely tangled by brushing the ground, "she has a penchant for doing the right thing."

"Killing Snow was the right thing wasn't it?" I ask then look out the window, it's staring directly at the tower my girlfriend is being kept at. "Finn you know that tower, it's safe right?"

Finnick looks up and then frowns, "well yeah it's meant for the tributes, safe place as any. Don't worry Gale, she's okay."

"Both are" Annie says from the kitchen, "we need to grocery shop."

I'm about to answer her when my communicator, long since silenced since Coin was killed and Snow, goes off.

"Meeting, Snow mansion, bring Finnick" I read quietly, "hey Finnick!"

Haymitch and Boggs are already there. Ken isn't nor is Delly, there is a guy from two Jordan I think his name is, Sae is there. Plutarch is there….unfortunately. He steps aside and Vivian comes in, she looks unsure as to how to address us. "Where are the others?" she looks at Plutarch.

"Beetee says he will get the cliff notes from me" Haymitch says, "he's still working on the programmable PODs, the other ones…damn if I know how we will disengage them"

She nods, "well make sure he gets the broad strokes, he is head of my technology department. And Makenzie?"

Plutarch clears his throat, "she says she won't come until she gets permission to check on Everdeen and Crane Madame President"

Wait…what did he-

"President?" Finnick says

"Madame President" Plutarch says matter-of-factly.

Vivian gives Heavensbee a 'shut the hell up' look and he steps back, "yeah turns out the best person for the job didn't even know it" she smirks, "some of you I have asked to come so you can spread the word, others I need to talk to privately, it's not gonna be easy putting this place back together. A lot of damage has been done to the districts; it could take months, years before we are on stable ground"

"Commander?" I speak up and Plutarch clears his throat

"Try 'Madame president' before Plutarch blows a gasket" Vivian smirks

"Why did you ask me and Finnick here?" I ask forgoing the formality, I stood side by side with her in eight…President may be her title but she's always gonna be Commander to me.

"Finnick had a face everyone recognizes, we need him to do some propos, bring Annie along if ya want Finn" Paylor says, "we need you to get the word out about the new management, make sure people understand what their representative can and can't do and what they have to do to get from us what they need, from building new homes in Twelve - that's why I have Mr. Jordan from two, he's offered to help rebuild what was lost in some of the poorer districts- to supplies to anything really," She nods to him.

"You and I sonny have to talk" Sae says bluntly.

"Honor m'am" he touches the cap he is wearing.

"And Gale?" Haymitch asks before I can get to asking about myself.

"That's what I meant by 'privately'" Paylor replies.

Everyone is dismissed except for me, Finnick goes off with Plutarch to run thru what he needs to, Cressida and Massala are still with us but we had lost one of the camera men, my mind is drifting to what we had done when I hear Vivian clear her throat.

"So" she says

"Have you seen Ariana and Katniss?" I ask and she shakes her head

"I've been kept way too busy. In her first week she hadn't slept but we got an anonymous phone call saying if she has problem sleeping the sound of a rain storm knocks her out better and safer than any drug" she says smirking.

"Tracer?" I ask and she shakes her head, "who?"

"We don't know but we've been doing as prescribed, she's sleeping a lot better, and eating." She pauses, "Gale how do you feel about being part of my cabinet, you and Ariana actually."

I blink, "but…we're only twenty, well I am, Ari is turning twenty in the summer" I pause, "what is the job?"

"Well you I want to appoint as Secretary of Defense" she smirks.

"Surely Boggs, or Charring or even Castiel-" I begin but she cuts me off.

"I asked them, Boggs won't he's already representing Thirteen, Castiel wants a quiet life with his fiancée, and Charring says he doesn't want anything to do with politics." She pauses, "plus Boggs nominated you, he says you showed a lot of promise in training, and he saw how you treated the other soldiers, you're a born leader Gale."

I have a hard time wrapping my head around this, me an official. What do I tell my family, Katniss…what about-

"And Ariana?" I look confused, "she's no fighter."

Vivian smiles, it's a very kind smile, despite her being hard nosed when we were in district Eight she does have a soft spot for my girl and anyone Ariana seems fit to be friends with, "well she studied law for two years, I guess the best thing is to let her run with what she loves, she was great as a healer but I think she's better suited for the palace of justice." she gets up when I look confused, "Attorney General, I haven't told her because I haven't had a chance" she nudges me towards the door, "let's go get her."

I have never been in Tribute Tower before; I only saw it on television. It's bigger in person. Both Vivian and I look at this place like its something more than it really is.

"To think this is the last place a lot of kids called home" she shakes her head, "we are going to use it for people staying here to help with disarmament, its gonna take a long time to make the capitol safe again"

"Why do I feel we shouldn't be here" I tell her.

"Because this is something that was just for victors and tributes…and their prep teams of course" she says, "personally I'm intrigued to see what it was like to be here, come on."

We ride an expensive looking elevator to level five. It opens to a lobby and a guard greets us. He salutes Paylor then looks at me agreeably.

"How is she?" Vivian asks

"Last I checked her was an hour ago Madama President" he replies, "she was okay, quiet, pensive as always, sipping tea and pacing."

"And Katniss?" I ask

"Not my jurisdiction sir" he stands at attention.

"Does he-"

"Yeah he knows who you are" Paylor smirks

We enter to more guards, avoxes were given full pardons and a lot of them left their posts. Some have gone to Eight to learn sign language and then find work there, helping to rebuild.

"Where is she?" Paylor asks because as much as there are guards at every door she isn't in the main living area.

"Her room Madame President" one says pointing past a large picture window with small ledge. I can imagine Ariana as a small girl perched there, looking out on a city bent on seeing her die.

"I'll get her" I say softly touching Vivian's shoulder.