An Extra Tribute

-operation delly cartwright-

As I walk out of Command, I hear them begin talking about me. I flatten myself against the wall by the door and listen to what they're saying.

"She's changed. She's insane," Coin insists.

"She hasn't changed at all. She fights for her friends and the people she loves. We had this exact conversation almost a year ago when we first got her. She's determined," Boggs corrects.

"With the boy it's different. She's in love with him," she says.

"You just noticed?" Dad asks.

"She hasn't really gone about announcing it, Haymitch," Heavensbee says.

"She told you guys straight up, didn't she? When you first tried to get her to go with Gale," he argues. "So, she kind of did."

"You have to admit that she's good at hiding things, Haymitch. You as her father would know as much," Boggs adds.

"Yeah, I do. And I also know that she didn't want to love him." How did he know? How could he have figure that out?

"Then, why fight so hard for him? If she had a level head, she would know that this is the best thing to do for everyone, even him," Coin claims.

"She does have a level head, President. She knows enough to let our doctors still work with him. She let us put her with Gale even though it would certainly break Peeta's heart. We trusted her in 8 to work with the rebels. She watched over Katniss for months and made sure that we had a Mockingjay. I think it's good that we let her have this one, because she's let us have all the other ones," Boggs says.

"She's argued with us every time we try to do something," Heavensbee refutes.

"But, her arguments only made the operations work better," Coin admits. "She's a smart kid. I just don't understand why she threatened our entire rebellion."

"You said it yourself," Dad starts. "She's in love with him. She would and will never let anything happen to him now that she has him back. It was excruciating to have him in Snow's clutches being tortured. She blamed herself. And now she's making sure that he'll be okay, no matter what." He's observant. These are things I've only told Finnick and even then, I don't tell him everything I feel. I didn't know everything I felt. But, apparently Dad did - does. Apparently, he does.

"Why does she hate Snow so much? I know he put her through a lot, but he put Finnick and Katniss through just as much. Yet, she hates him so much more than they seem to. Why?" Heavensbee asks. I can imagine Dad shaking his head as he sighs.

"I know he killed her entire family, except for me, but he didn't know that we were family until her second Games. I don't know what else happened, though. He holds a special place in her heart for 'the worst man on Earth'," then he laughs. "I'm just glad it's not me." It could never be him, even when I hated him. Snow's evil far surpasses any abandonment issues I had when I was thirteen. And now that I know it wasn't his fault and that he's actually a good dad when I'm with him, he couldn't even come close to that. He's good and Snow's disgustingly evil.

"I think killing her family could give him that title," Heavensbee disagrees.

"No, there has to be something else. Haymitch is right, she hates him with a fury that I would never want to meet," Boggs says.

"Well, whatever it is, we can use it against him. It's good. She'll be good on the field," Coin says.

"I thought she was staying with Peeta?" Dad asks, but it doesn't sound like a question. His voice changes an octave as he makes sure my demands are being met.

"She is. But, I expect that she'll want to be on the front lines when we invade the Capitol. And by then, I hope the boy will too," she replies.

"President, he's sick," Boggs objects.