#chasing hope

“Put them in the laundry,” she said tiredly and he smirked when she yawned, knowing very well that he was the reason she was exhausted.

Haymitch did as he was told, dropping the clothes in the laundry basket in the bathroom. Since he was there, he decided to relieve himself without even bothering to shut the door. He half expected Effie to say something – that some business was meant to be kept private – but nothing was forthcoming.

They were behaving in a more domestic fashion by the day and he truly, much to his surprise, did not mind it one bit. The woman outside in his bed was the only woman he wanted and he had her where he wanted her. They were at a good place right now – they were open and honest, and they were both willing to make it work this time around.

Last night… He smiled, tucking himself in as he flushed the toilet. Last night had been amazing.  All those times he had told himself to be patient with her and all those nights he had abstain himself had been worth it. The moment he buried himself in her had been the most singularly satisfying moment in his life. The desire and need that he had kept dormant had exploded and if Effie noticed the passion, she did not address it.

“Haymitch…” he heard her call out for him. “Are you coming back to bed?”

“Yeah, in a minute.”

He washed his hands, staring at his reflection on the mirror.

“You’re gonna grab this life by the balls and you’re gonna make it yours,” he muttered. “No two ways ‘bout it – you owe this to everyone who lost their lives.”

“The bed’s getting cold,” she complained when he took a minute too long and he could imagine the pout on her lips.

The moment he slipped back under the covers, Effie wrapped herself around him.

“I hate your hair in my face,” he muttered.

“It is just something you will have to deal with,” she patted his chest, lifting her head up to look at him, “and quite possibly, for years to come because I do not plan on going anywhere.”

Snorting, Haymitch said, “I don’t plan on letting you go either, sweetheart.”

“Good,” she hummed, tucking her head under his chin.

Effie, as he should know, loved her routines. Before he realised it, he was taking her out somewhere a day each week, usually on a weekend where they would have more time to themselves. It was not always that he asked her out, sometimes it was her.  

Their monthly trip to District Four became a part of this routine. It was something he had come to accept as being part of his life now and quite frankly, he enjoyed watching Finn grow. There was always something new that the boy picked up each time they visited.

“Do you remember when Finn was born… When we all came to visit?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, settling down next to her on the sunbed after their walk by the beach.

“We were sitting on this sunbed after I had a nightmare and you took me out of the house to calm me down,” she said. “I woke up in your arms the next morning. That was the first time I truly felt safe after the war.”

“You woke up scared,” he frowned, recalling that morning.

“I was because I did not how – we were not…” she trailed. “I was not sure where I stood in your life and where I want you to stand in mine.”

“I get it,” he muttered quietly, glad that that was behind them now.

When she reached for his hand, Haymitch squeezed it gently and drew her into his embrace. They watched the waves rolling into the shore until the sun set.

When the third anniversary of the fall of the Capitol rolled around, Finn together with Johanna and Annie were in Twelve, visiting. The unanimous decision was to give the ball a miss once more despite Plutarch’s insistent that they should make an appearance after missing it twice before. The only victor to be present at the Capitol for the celebration was Beetee, to which Haymitch sent his deepest sympathies. Beetee attended only because he happened to be present in the City on official business with Plutarch three days before the event and was roped into staying for the celebration.

“You owe me,” Beetee grumbled on the phone.

“That one’s not on me,” Haymitch chuckled. “Learn to schedule official business on weeks further away from the ball next time.”

In Hope Village, people come and go. Each time he heard back from one of the individuals the Village had sheltered and helped, and knew that these people had managed to find employment or bought a house of their own or succeeded in paving a life for themselves, it left him feeling accomplished.

He had watched so many lives slipped through his fingers. What he was doing could by no means atone for the tributes he failed to save and he wasn’t a fool to even entertain that thought but for once in his life, he just wanted to do something good and of value.

Now, there were people who stayed in his life. Ailes and Pollux, for example, both of whom had been with Hope Village for years since it started. Just two weeks prior, they had all attended Ailes’ wedding with a red-haired florist he met in one of Pollux’s communication classes. She was not an Avox, just a student who had signed up for the classes only to strike a friendship with Ailes along the way.

He liked his life the way it was now. He liked coming home to Effie and waking up to her next to him. He liked the brunch they have without fail with Katniss and Peeta at the bakery every Sunday. He liked that a week before he was scheduled to visit Four, he was all Finn would talk about, boring Johanna to tears. He liked watching the kid running to them to hug him fiercely and give Effie a wet kiss on the cheek. He liked that somehow Pollux, Ailes and his wife had become family friends.

Five and a half years after the war, Haymitch woke up to a realisation. For a long time, all he did was to stare at the ceiling, an arm folded across his chest.

“I like it better when you’re watching me sleep,” she mumbled quietly. “You’re boring a hole in the roof.”

He turned to his side, facing her. Slowly, she blinked her eyes open with a lazy half smile on her lips.

“We won’t need this place any longer soon,” he spoke quietly.

The smile faded and a frowned replaced it.

“Are we moving?”

“Hope Village,” he amended, “not this house. There aren’t many avoxes there. We haven’t been using the dormitories in months now. It’s just the classes that are runnin’, nobody we’re shelterin’ any longer.”

“I’m sure you will arrive at your point sometime today,” she stifled a yawn, pulling the covers up to her chin.

“I’m saying,” he propped himself on his elbow, “that soon, there won’t be anyone at Hope Village. No avoxes needing a roof over their heads, they’re thinning out and they’re out there doing good so … What’s the point of running this place anymore?”

Effie sighed.

“You stayed because of this program,” he ventured to say, watching her face carefully. “Everything comes to an end, even this with the Village. Are you… You’re staying regardless?”

“I am offended that you have to ask,” she huffed. “Of course I am staying. I have told you again and again, Haymitch Abernathy, I am not going anywhere. You are quite clearly stuck with me whether you like it or not.”

He smirked.

His hand sneaked under the covers to the swell of her hip. He waited for her to kiss him like she always would but she merely raised an eyebrow so he conceded and leaned forward, capturing her lips in a heated kiss.

“Good that you’re staying ‘cause otherwise,” he punctured that with a kiss to her collarbone, as he pushed the covers down, “someplace else will just bore you.”

“You’re not that interesting, you know?” she told him in jest.

“Wasn’t what you were thinking last afternoon when we did it in the empty classroom next to Pollux’s class,” he murmured. “Don’t tell me that didn’t excite you? That I didn’t keep things interestin’ fucking you when there was a class going on next door…”

“Oh, do not be so smug, nobody likes a bragger.”

“I know someone who does,” he countered with another smirk.

She stayed his wandering hands and Haymitch looked down at her to see her gazing up at him, a serious expression on her face. She brushed his hair tenderly away from his face.

"What will you do?"

He let out a breath, knowing exactly what she was asking. He had not thought that far yet so he simply shrugged and rolled off her. Haymitch resumed his initial position, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling.

"Doing exactly nothing sounds good," he said. "I got you to fill my time."

"I will drive you crazy. You need something to keep your attention occupied. We cannot be in each other’s space all the time, one of us is bound to snap.”

“We’ll make it up like we always do. Imagine all the sex we’d be doing if we argue every fucking day.”

“Teach,” she went on, ignoring his attempts at levity. “You will make an excellent teacher. I have seen you in front of a class, teaching and guiding. You can teach mathematics, Haymitch. You love solving. Teaching is your scene and you shine at it.”

Haymitch snorted.

Effie was not subtle about it. Whenever he come down for breakfast, long after she had gone off to the medicine factory, he would find newspaper advertisements on the kitchen counter where she had deliberately left them; advertisement seeking teachers to be employed at schools or news of new schools springing up in the districts which are in need of teachers, news of programmes offering training to be an educator all of which Haymitch ignored.

In the end, it was Pollux's idea that took root in him.

"A school?" Effie frowned, interpreting his signing.

The man nodded enthusiastically, a wide grin etched on his face. She had been pushing Haymitch into teaching except none of them thought to turn what they had into a school of its own. Pollux's idea had its merit. Instead of a normal, mainstream schools catered for the children and teenagers, he suggested a vocational and technical institute; a place to give young adults and others the opportunities to gain hands on skills for various specific industries.

"I could ask funding from Mr. Heavensbee," Pollux suggested. "I had a thought to offer a course in Communications and Media. It's been what I do since I escaped the Capitol for District Thirteen."

“So it ain’t for kids,” Haymitch frowned. “It’s geared for… employment. Get you the skills you need to work once you’re done…”

Pollux nodded enthusiastically, pleased that he was grasping it.

It could work, Haymitch deduced as he thought it through. They have students in that Village. Not just avoxes but others from this district who came because they found that the classes Haymitch and the others offered for the avoxes were useful in getting them a job in this post-war world. He had Effie conduct a class on the filing and management system they had in the factory and which was now employed across all the factories in Panem. He had someone from the factory came over to give lectures on work health safety while teaching the way factory machineries work.

What they had been doing wouldn’t be that much a different than what Pollux was suggesting. It would be just on a bigger scale, an evolution of what they had now.

If nobody in Twelve wanted to only be good at mining coals all their lives, then he supposed, nobody in the other districts would want to only specialise in their district’s industry.

"He might be on to something," Effie piped in, thinking he needed convincing when he was quiet for too long.

Turning towards her, he asked, “You think it’d work?”

“I do believe so. Tourism, as you know, is a growing industry in several districts especially Four now that there are freedom to move between districts and the City. The tourism and service industry would need people trained in that area, yes?”

“Yeah…”

“Say, if you are the owner of a resort in Four, wouldn’t you rather employ someone who has that set of skills to provide such customer service? Wouldn’t you want to hire a manager who understands the way hotels and resorts function? What if we are able to produce such people through this school, Haymitch? We can offer a course in Hospitality… Hospitality and Tourism Management,” her eyes gleamed as the idea began to take shape, “or Retail Management. You get the idea, don’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, tapping the pen incessantly against the edge of the table. “A practice-based learning… a more applied, practical learning than a conventional school…. Could work,” Haymitch shrugged.

Pollux beamed and Effie threw him a dazzling smile.

XXx

“You ever thought ‘bout how different your life is now? How you get from one point to another?

They stood in front of the much larger building, now four stories high with an east wing attached. His name was on the front gate, something he opposed to but the kids, Effie and even the avoxes he had helped voted for it. Haymitch, unwittingly, sat as the dean in that institution but he could never be relied on to remain still in an office. This meant that the staffs were used to having him take over some classes in which his expertise could be of used and it was during one of these classes that he found Effie sitting right at the back of the class, watching him.

He liked to think that somehow along the way, he had made Effie proud of the person he became and if his mother could see him now, that she would be proud of him too. It was a thought that made him sleep better at night when the days were rough.

“Yes,” she looped her arm around his waist and leaned into him. “It is only natural, I supposed.”

"What do you think of it?”

“I think,” Effie said slowly, “I think after all these years, I am truly home.”

A group of students chatted loudly as they walked past the couple standing under the shade of the oak tree and into the building. Haymitch paid them no mind, his attention suddenly focused solely on the woman next to him.

“I left the Capitol looking for a place I would be accepted and belonged. I found it with you. It was always with you. I shouldn’t have had to look for it.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat and pressed a kiss to her hair.

“I have not heard you talk about moving to Four or to Seven, not once have you brought it up. It has been years since you told me of your plans to move somewhere else.”

And she was right, he realised. He had not once entertained the thought of finding a quiet place in Four or Seven. It had not crossed his mind to take her with him somewhere far away where nobody could find them.

“It ain’t something I want anymore,” he mumbled.

She smiled up at him. “I supposed, we both learnt something, didn’t we?”

"What's that?"

Her eyes sparkled, as if she held all the world’s secret and couldn’t wait to share it with him.

“Home is not a place,” she said. “It’s a person. For me, that person is you and the children next door.”

It was illogical a notion but right at that moment it surely felt as if his chest was expanding, and it might explode by the sheer emotions he felt for her. He couldn’t put it into words. Nothing he said could ever justify what he felt for her. He felt a million things and one, all at the same time and the very thought that one woman could do this to him…

He tugged her close and held her tight.

“We’re finally home,” he kissed her forehead.

And wasn’t that apt, he mused.

Since he was sixteen, Victor’s Village had always just been a place for him – a house without a soul. It was some place he returned to after the annual Games ended and a place he whittled away until it was time for the next reaping.

It was exceptionally different now. This world in which he thought he would never survive to see was his. He had lived through the worse of it all. He outlived his family and friends who died to give them this peace and it was his duty – their duty – to keep on living.

As long as he held on to that little bit of hope that life would find its way in the end and with Effie next to him, he could see through the remaining years he had with a sense of contentment.

Fin.

And.... THAT'S IT! I have had such a fun time writing all sixteen chapters of this story and writing their journey to find some hope and peace for themselves. I hope you had just as much fun reading it. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the final chapter (or the story) and if you excepted that ending for Haymitch :)

“Gale dropped by,” she announced, settling down on the armchair.

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” Johanna shrugged. “He’s making his round through the districts… you know, military business, got to make sure the districts are all up to date where security is concern. Matter of time before he comes here – thought I’d tell you so you can give your girl a heads up.”

Effie placed her cup of tea down to watch her friend.

She had always known that Johanna and Gale had struck a sort of friendship in District Thirteen but she had no idea they kept in touch. Regardless of her curiousity and her need to pry more information, she also respected Johanna’s privacy. Right now, she was more concern with the news Johanna just imparted. Haymitch and the children would want to know about this, especially Katniss. The last she heard, Katniss had not parted with her childhood friend on good terms.

“Jo,” Haymitch strode into the sitting room. His eyes swept over the room, taking in the knick-knacks on the coffee table from the three guests currently living in Peeta’s house. “Here’s a list of known avoxes that came from Four before the Capitol took them. They might not be there right now but if you can get in touch with their family, they could get the word out to the avoxes of this place that I have.”

“Since when am I working for you?” Johanna sneered.

“Since right now,” Haymitch smirked. “Help me out, come on.”

“Fine, I’ll look for them when I take Finn out for walks. Gives me something to do.”

Effie shot Haymitch a triumphant look and his smirk deepened. Johanna remained oblivious to this exchange, unaware that at some point, they might have discussed the possibility of Johanna helping out as a means of giving her something else to focus on other than the toddler.

“Good girl,” Haymitch patted her knee.

Johanna pushed his hand away with a scowl. “Fuck off.”

It only made Haymitch laugh and with a wink in Effie’s direction, he left the place.

“What’s his deal?” Johanna turned towards her once he was gone. “With this programme….”

“It occupies him,” Effie answered simply, not entirely comfortable discussing Haymitch’s motivation behind his back. “He has my full support if it means he is not wholly dependent on the monthly alcohol shipment from the city.”

“You don’t have to come with me back to Four,” Johanna said out of the blue and Effie welcomed the change in topic. “Not right now… You’ve got this with him and you’ve got that work in that medicine factory.”

“That should not be a problem. I could take time off.”

“Later,” she insisted.

Effie pursed her lips but said nothing, sensing that Johanna might need the time once she returns to explain her hasty decision to leave Four without an explanation.

“And I’m not blind,” Johanna rolled her eyes. “I know you and Haymitch are trying to work something out… You always had a thing for him, right? I never understood what you saw in each other but I don’t want to get in the way of that by taking you to Four when you’ve got something going on here.”

That statement made Effie reached out to the younger woman, an instinctive move more than anything else. Johanna had never liked her; tolerated her, yes but unlike, Finnick, she had not been friendly simply because in her eyes, Effie was Capitol. It was on that basis that she dismissed Effie’s ‘relationship’ with Haymitch during the Games as nothing important. To Johanna, she was just someone Haymitch used to pass the time. Except with what she said now, the shift in Johanna’s perspective made Effie’s heart lurched. Johanna understood that there was something deeper and her maturity in accepting this fact was heart-warming.

“Johanna – “

“I know what I saw in that cell. They wouldn’t keep you alive when you knew nothing. They were dangling you as bait, the way Peeta was to Katniss. And the old man wouldn’t have been next to your bed every damn day after the rescue if you don’t mean shit to him,” she said. “So stay.”

“It will be just a visit to Four,” Effie countered.

“Yeah, sure but Haymitch is still in some denial that you’re really staying here for good. So you’re gonna shake that foundation so soon by leaving for Four right after whatever it is that you’ve discussed about?”

Effie’s eyebrows shot up.

“Did he talk to you about that?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Johanna waved her concerns away, “he told me you made your decision to stay in Twelve and you’re not going back to the City. I got the feeling that he’s having trouble believing that.”

Effie sighed. “Why would he not believe me?”

“Ugh,” Johanna growled. “I can’t fucking believe I’m sitting here doing this shit but it’s not that he doesn’t believe you, he has problem accepting it – could be waiting for the other shoe to drop. Look, you’ve got demons and he’s got demons, and it’s gonna take a while for any of us to believe any of the good things that’s happening to us right now. Seems too good to be true that he has you where he wants you or that…” she paused. “Or that Finn’s safe with me and Annie, and no one’s coming for him. I kept checking for locks on the doors and windows, you know? Kept looking out for white roses in the rooms, any sign that Snow’s coming but it’s been good so far and that’s fucking difficult to believe. You get it, right? Cause I’m not fucking repeating myself, Trinket.”

“I do,” Effie nodded.

She clutched Johanna’s hand.

“We will see through this life, Johanna. It’s been given to us, and we will live through the good and the bad, and no matter how tough it will be, we will be tougher, yes?”

“Yeah,” Johanna nodded. “Tough as a nail.”

Effie sniffled and took a deep breath. When she glanced Johanna’s way, there was a smile planted firmly on her face.

“If he fucks with you in any way, you come right over. Our place is yours, too.”

“That is … That is sweet of you, Johanna, thank you.”

She grunted. “Do what you gotta do with Haymitch and that rehabilitation programme and then, you should come and visit us. Finn’s gotta get to know his Grandma Trinket.”

For that, Johanna earned a slap on her arm.

XxX

By month’s end, Effie was already preparing to have furniture moved into the halfway house, most of which she had custom ordered two weeks in advance from the men in District Twelve. She figured it would be good to outsource the job to them, allowing them to earn some money for their own families.

“I agreed to do an interview, figured it’ll be a good way to get the word out to others out there ‘bout this place – short of advertising it in papers,” Haymitch informed her during one of the breakfast they managed to squeeze in before she had to leave for work at the medicine factory and Haymitch to the site. “You want to pick a time for us to do it? Cressida’s good for any so it’s up to us.”

Effie paused with the toast halfway to her mouth. She set it down delicately before looking at him with consideration.

“You should do it, Haymitch. This is your brainchild.”

“We worked on it together,” he argued.

“True,” Effie nodded and rose from her chair. She went round the kitchen island to his side to kiss him on the cheek. “But this is your moment,” she continued to which he scowled just as she expected him to.

“Come on, sweetheart,” he grabbed her by the waist and turned his chair so he was facing her. “We’re a team, yeah?”

Effie let out a sigh, wrapped her hand around his shoulders just as he rested his forehead on her chest.

“I’m not comfortable being in front of the cameras right now,” she admitted, running her fingers soothingly through his hair, “and I do not wish for the entire country to know that I am here.”

“You have to stop hiding,” he raised his head to look at her. “You belong anywhere in this country – wherever you damn well want to stay – same as everyone else.”

She smiled down at him and kissed him until his grip on her waist tightened, and she felt him trying to manoeuvre her so she would straddle him. She allowed him that win, partly because she did not want him to be angry on her behalf that she was still feeling as if she needed to hide away.

Effie kissed his neck and his head fell back, eyes closed. This wasn’t the first time she had been in this position with him but this was the first time after the war and she was painfully aware that Haymitch was fighting to keep his hip still. Before, he would pull her down on him so he could ground himself on her without shame until they had gotten rid of the clothes.

“You need to get to work,” he opened his eyes and gently nudged her away.

Effie stood up, a little confused as Haymitch cleared his throat.

“Is something wrong?” she cast her gaze at him. She thought they were making progress and when they were kissing, she truly wanted more in a way that she had not needed before.

“Nothing’s wrong, sweetheart. I … I want you, you know… but if we’re going to do it, then we’ll do it properly, not when we both have places to be,” he assured her by kissing her forehead. “I want to take my time with you.”

Effie blushed and he chuckled.

“You’ll be there at the interview, yeah?"

"Of course, you don’t even have to ask. I'll be there for you… to cheer you on," she winked.

Haymitch did well during the interview. She always knew he could carry himself in front of the camera if he wanted to. He explained the objectives of the program for the benefits of the viewers and took his time giving details of the classes that would be offered.

Cressida’s weekly episodes of the post-war series aired two weeks later. They all gathered at Haymitch’s sitting room to watch, Pollux and Ailes included. By that time, Cressida had already left to meet the new replacement for Pollux’s now vacant position in Cressida’s team.

Hope Village, a name Haymitch hung his head with exasperation at, opened to twenty-five avoxes excluding Ailes and Pollux. Most of them had been homeless and was simply looking for shelter, but there were also those that came with the intention of self-betterment.

On the second day, Effie watched Haymitch shook the hand of a man she knew to be living at the other side of Twelve before he welcomed the man's brother, an avox, in. When she asked, Haymitch told her that he knew the man from when he was helping the cleaning crew during the early days before she came to Twelve. Cary didn't need a place to stay which meant he would only be around during the day before leaving for home after his classes or programs for the day are over.

For the most part, Peeta was on hand and his presence had a calming effect on the new arrivals. Effie gathered their stories from them, reading from paper the words they had written to communicate with Peeta. Some was alone, having lost family members during the war. Some had gone home and felt themselves being more of a burden to their family than anything.

One of them, Liana, had found employment in District Five but her lack of ability to communicate and expressed herself left her feeling discouraged, so she packed to come here with the hopes of learning as many skills and gathering as much knowledge so she could facilitate her own progress in this world. Effie also learnt from her that she felt hopeful knowing that not all the Capitol's avoxes were homeless and jobless. Some managed to find a decent job, low-paying, but it was still a start.

Effie loved the Village for its community spirit.

In the beginning, most were wary of her, having recognised her from before. It was something she had long ago learnt to deal with so she thought nothing of it until she discovered that during one of his sessions, Pollux had explained to them the role she had in bringing up the halfway house. They did not all turned friendly overnight but they did smile at her as they passed each other down the corridor and they did exchange pleasantries, through what little sign language that Effie had since picked up.

On most evenings, she would walk in to the sight of a group of them cooking dinner in the kitchen for the rest of the residents or another two or three of them reading by the fire. She would see Haymitch in a chess game with one of them or a group sitting by the window painting the sunset with Peeta. There were times when Effie caught Katniss sharing a smile with the one or two who had gone with her to the woods.

Once, Haymitch walked in on her in one of the classrooms with a group of women crowding around a table. He laughed loudly in amusement when he saw the doll on the table with a diaper next to it.

"Oh hush now," she swatted his arm. "They told me babysitting duties are a lucrative business now in the City. It has always been even before the war, with parents hiring nannies. There is nothing funny for them to be sharing this particular set of skills and knowledge. So - "

"So they're teaching you how to care for a kid? You're all set to relieve Jo of babysitting duties in Four then, yeah?"

"Or perhaps," she paused dramatically, her eyes twinkling in mischief, "I am preparing for motherhood myself."

Effie left him gaping after her. Teasing Haymitch was fast becoming one of her favourite things to do; that and spending the night in front of the fire, kissing him until he became breathless.

During one cold winter night, as she sat by the window watching the scenery outside, she mulled over the news she received at work that morning of the possible expansion of the medicine factory. There was something nagging at the back of her mind, an opportunity to be realised if she could just put her finger on it.

The firewood cackled as Haymitch added another log to keep it going through the night. When that was done, he came over to drape a blanket over her, kissing her head as he did so. Hope Village had been open for a few months now, and between going through the finances to ensure the place would keep going and standing in front of the classrooms for his sessions, Effie was truly glad to see his time occupied. She would loathe to see his mind and potential wasted by lazing around drinking liquor all day.

“I might have an idea,” she broached.

“What about?”

“Let me talk to my supervisors at the factory before anything,” she pressed her cheek on her bend knee as she watched him, “then I’ll tell you all about it.”

She would be lying if she said she was not apprehensive but the discussion she had with her supervisors at the factory was fruitful. With their approval, she returned home that night brimming with energy and over dinner, relayed her idea and discussion to Haymitch, Ailes and Pollux.

Ailes lighted up at her suggestion. She began to notice the way he warmed up to her, no longer acting out of place when he was in the same room with her.

When the day came, Effie brought a group of the residents for a tour of the medicine factory. That was all there was to it - a tour of a factory - but due to their apparent interests in the works done in the factory, an internship programme was born. They were to report to the factory and their assigned co-worker - all colleagues of Effie in the factory – would show them how things are done to develop the skills require for them when the factory expands.

In a show of good faith, Peeta invited a few of the residents to help out at his newly opened bakery, simply to make a point that there was no need for the avoxes to work in the shadows the way they sometimes did in the Capitol and to show that these people were hireable.

With Pollux’s classes taking in students from District Twelve, it also meant that some members of the public could now conduct simple communications non-verbally and during one of Effie’s trip to Town with Peeta, she was filled with warmth to see an avox signing to a fruit seller and getting a respond back.

"It's working, isn't it?" Peeta remarked. "No one’s looked twice at them at my bakery. People have come to accept them as part of their world.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “They’re adapting and growing together as the rest of the country after the war. Haymitch has done them a world of good which had me thinking... Pollux should expand his class to take in more people from other districts as well."

There were still stragglers coming in, one or two at a time. During one of these occasions, with Peeta at the bakery and Haymitch sitting in for one of the classes, Effie took it upon herself to give a tour of the place which ended with her showing the newcomer to his bed. As she left the dormitory, a hand shot out to grab her arm.

"Didn't mean to scare you," he muttered quickly with a sheepish half-smile when she yelped. "Sorry."

The classroom was empty but there were words written in marker on the board. A drawing of a factory machine was on it together with the blueprint of District Thirteen tacked to the left. It made her assume that Haymitch together with the avox in-charge of this session must have been teaching the others of the new government's project in Thirteen. She was not at all interested in the development of District Thirteen but there were opportunities to be had there.

"Something I can help you with?" Effie queried. "I am off to Town with Liana in a while. We need fresh sheets and a whole load of yarn for the knitting session."

"Knitting?"

"Something just to pass the time," she smiled. "They're teaching me to knit and in return, I'm showing them a thing or two about designing dresses and suits."

"Right," he muttered. "Listen, I haven't seen you much ever since this place got up except, you know, at night when we go to bed."

"Yes?"

She drew him close, letting him wound his arm around her waist.

"So," he lifted his gaze to her before dipping his head to kiss her neck with a quiet mumble of, "be ready at eight tonight."

She blinked at that strange request, moving back a little to look at him.

"Tonight? Are we going somewhere?"

"Yeah. You said I should take you out more. I remembered that so I told Sae to make a table free for us," he paused and frowned, "why do you have other plans?"

"Well..."

"The knitting..." Haymitch exhaled. "I'll cancel. Should have asked you first."

Effie tried hard to fight off the grin even as she quickly grabbed his face, standing on tiptoes to kiss him. It was strange to feel this way, she thought to herself. She was not a teenager and she had been with many men, and yet... The thought of Haymitch reserving a table for them had sent her heart fluttering in her chest. It was ridiculous and at the same time, she knew it was right to feel this way about him. She should feel this way when a man she was very much interested in pursuing made an effort for her, especially so when said man hardly if ever made an effort in the romance department.

"Do not cancel. I like that you are taking charge. It is a nice surprise. I will tell Ailes to go ahead without me."

That information seemed to surprise him, causing him to raise an eyebrow in question.  "Ailes is in your knitting group?"

"Careful now," she warned. "Do not say something stupid or I will choose knitting over you."

"Alright," he raised both hands in surrender. "See you tonight. Eight, yeah?"

"Yes," she nodded, giving him a smile over her shoulder when he parted to let her go.

If anyone were to comment on the skip in her steps, she would vehemently deny it but she could not deny the excitement spreading through her at the thought of going out with Haymitch.

A proper date at last.

She was sure she was smiling from ear to ear but she couldn't help herself.

The very fact that it would be at Sae’s restaurant meant that in some ways, he truly did not mind being with her in that capacity and he even remembered something she had told him months ago. It made her giddy with the weight of the realisation that he really did want to try.

And for that, he deserves a reward, she thought as she picked on a red dress.

He had always loved her in red.

I hope you've enjoyed that long chapter! The Avox Rehabilitation Program is going well, they are all occupied with it. The bakery is up and running. Johanna's sort of accepted their relationship and had gone to Four with her own family where she belongs, and our hayffie is finally going on a date after all that. Tell me what you think of it all in the reviews :)

"We were from Town. Now that there are stalls springing up and business is picking up again in Twelve, Effie wanted to try something. She asked a tailor today if there was any vacancy," Peeta paused briefly, looking at Haymitch to gauge his reaction but his face remained impassively blank. Not surprising since there was nothing terrible yet. "So – uh – he said there's no place for Capitol fashion here, said some other things as well."

"Yeah, like what?"

"He was … gloating about how the mighty have fallen."

"That little fuck," Haymitch cursed. "After we helped raised that space for him… We cemented the damn floor and laid out the bricks for him."

"Well, he doesn't know that," Peeta pointed out. "Multiple shop spaces were built together at once. He's just renting the space from the Council."

Haymitch clenched his jaws. "Maybe he needs a little reminding. What the hell did you do when he said that? You stood up for her?"

"I am perfectly capable of standing up for myself, thank you very much," Effie chimed in from where she was. "Although it is sweet of you, Haymitch, please do not drop by to remind him of anything."

"It's rude to eavesdrop," he shot back.

Effie came out just then with a teacup in hand.

"I am serious. You will not say anything to him. I do not want him to be bullied into giving me a job," Effie said and when he was about to protest, she hastily added, "Yes, I understand perfectly that it is not your intention to intimidate him into anything but if you were to have a word with him, it will certainly seem like it."

"That wasn't the first time though, Effie," Peeta said softly before turning to Haymitch. "None of them here is willing to hire her. They do not want to be seen as a Capitol - "

"That is quite enough, Peeta," Effie interrupted curtly. "I understand you mean well but thank you. There's no reason to agitate him further."

It was only after Peeta left to head over to Katniss’ place that Haymitch addressed Effie again.

"You're looking for a job? First time I'm hearin' it."

"I did not want to say anything until after I found employment. It's just... I need to start pulling my weight around here. Besides, it will give me something to do other than fixing your shirt or learning to bake. I love Peeta, I do but I just do not feel passionate about baking as he does. What else am I doing here besides all that and teaching Sally?"

"You like teaching Sae's granddaughter."

"I do," Effie said. "I will continue that, of course, but I should also start earning and saving some money for myself, too. I need to find my footing. I need to make myself useful and relevant again."

“The boy’s opening a bakery so why don’t you just wait and work for him. Not to bake, necessarily,” he added, "but you can work the counter, yeah? You get to meet people, stuffs like that."

Effie sighed. With careful movement, she sipped her tea before speaking again.

"I want to be able to do something on my own, without having to rely on you or Peeta. That is why I do not want you to speak on my behalf to anyone. I want to know – no, I need to know – that I can do it on my own."

"So... you went to a tailor for a job? That's the best you can do?"

She gasped, looking scandalised by his insult.

"I do believe that I'll make a good seamstress," she told him rather defensively. "I went to the library as well. You are aware, of course, that the library will be open to public once more and they might be looking to hire staffs. It doesn't matter. My employment is hardly a cause for concern," she waved him off and promptly changed the subject. "How is the book that you are helping Katniss with coming along?"

A dark shadow passed across his face. This was not something he would rather talk about but he wanted to talk to her. It made him feel pathetic to crave her attention and time this badly.

"It's painful," he answered truthfully, "but in a way, it's helping Katniss heal and move on, so I'll do it for her."

She smiled and reached out to squeeze his arm.

"Oh!" Her eyes were bright with excitement. "Did you notice? I made new drapes for Peeta's house – the living room and dining room. I'm working on the bedrooms but that should be done quite soon."

It was ironic, he thought, that she still referred to this as Peeta's house when Haymitch had long thought of the house as hers.

"I'm thinking..." Effie tapped her chin and he absolutely detested the glint in her eyes, "that I can work on yours next."

"Hell, no," he folded his arms. "My house doesn't need anything."

"Of course, it does! Your house especially," she fired back. "It is cluttered with... things. If you were to keep it clean and sanitary, we might even have a change of scenery, have dinner at your house once in a while."

"Sweetheart, if you want to have dinner with me at my place, just say it," he smirked. "This roundabout way... Too much work, yeah?"

Effie narrowed her eyes at him. "We shall revisit this line of thought at a later date after the state of your house has improved."

He fought off the smile threatening to bloom on his face. She had not rejected the idea, merely putting it aside. He took that as a good sign.

"Fine," he threw his hands up in surrender. "Do whatever you want to do to occupy your time and whatever you think is best but, no pink and nothing that glitters either."

XxX

Effie's laughter filling his house was something he really could get used to.

Haymitch sat on his sofa, drink in hand watching her as she animatedly retold her story. It was good to see her this way. He still spend his nights out on the porch with her whenever the nightmares kept her at night but when the sun was out, she was different. She was happier.

"I wish you had been there to see his face," Effie pressed a finger to the corner of her eye. She had laughed too much, she was tearing. "I went by to the tailor's shop and brought all those fabric for your drapes. His eyes nearly bulged out. I think if it weren't for the money, he wouldn't have sold any to me."

"Right,” he chuckled.

Haymitch eyed the fabric, nicely sown into drapes for his living room. She had even taken it a step further and made covers for the cushions on his sofa.

"Where'd you learn how to sow? Thought you'd just buy everything in the Capitol."

"Yes, my mother's sentiment, exactly. She did not think it was a particularly useful skill to have," she said, handing him the drapes for him to put up. She had painstakingly made him clean the windows three days ago for this exact reason. "I had a summer internship with a stylist years ago and I was taught to design and create clothes. Curtains are far easier, let me tell you."

He glanced over at her. He had known her for nearly two decades and it was surprising how he was still learning new things about her.

Once the living room was done, they made their way upstairs. She wrinkled her nose at the sight of his unmade bed and he was sure that his bed would be the next thing she would tackle.

"You need fresh new sheets," she muttered as they made their way out after he had put up the drapes in his room.

"Thought you might say that."

The study was next. She blinked at the clutter of books on his table and he became aware of her poking her nose where it was not wanted while he stood on the ladder, the fabric slung over his arms.

"What are these?"

"Books," he deadpanned.

He heard the rustling of papers and when he glanced behind his shoulder, she was intently studying his scribbles and comparing it with the contents of the open book on the table.

"Are you teaching yourself sign language?" Effie queried, looking at him for the first time since they entered the study.

It was only after he was done with the drapes that he approached her. He took the papers from her hand and placed them back on the table, using the book as a paper weight.

"I am," he admitted, clearing his throat as he did so. "I'm trying to … It might help people...the avoxes."

"What are you talking about?"

He steered her towards one of the armchair and urged her to take a seat. Haymitch pulled the foot rest closer, sitting down in front of her.

Slowly, he told her of the incident that transpired in the train many months ago with Ailes.

"So, yeah," he shrugged. "Now I'm thinking of setting up a place here in Twelve, like a shelter or a... halfway house."

"A halfway house..."

"Yeah, I think that's the word. They'll be able to take up residence in the house until they can find their footing in the world. There, I want them to be able to communicate and for them to do that, I got to be able to communicate with them as well. I can't teach it to them until I get this done myself. I even thought of … The house is a place for them to learn and relearn skills, any skills that can help them get a job and stand on their own. They can learn from each other and teach it to others. They aren't slaves anymore. Pollux and Ailes have agreed to help. I was going to ask Peeta if he doesn't mind volunteering a few hours each day – he can teach them to bake and paint, still skills, yeah?"

"Oh, Haymitch," her gaze softened. "That's wonderful. That is really wonderful. The fact that you thought of them when no one else did..." Effie cupped his cheek. "You have a good heart."

Again, he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. He was never comfortable with praises especially so when they were freely given.

"You are," she insisted. "What you are giving them... Education, social and emotional support... You're giving them a gift, Haymitch."

"Let's just hope it works out, eh?" He chuckled. "Now, sweetheart, I got to ask about your plans. You're off looking for jobs so you're staying? Or is this still…. I don’t know, temporary?"

"Are you regretting your decision to let me work on your house? Are you trying to get rid of me already?” she teased.

“I’m serious, Effs. I know we talked about this and I know you need time. I said I’m going to be here and I am. Got nowhere else to be but what 'bout you? You’ve never said nothin' about what your plans are.”

“That is because I have none.”

Her answer was simple but not to him.

"Looking for a job is a plan," he pointed out.

"True," she agreed. "I am just... Taking things as they are. I do not want to plan my life three years from now or five years from now. I want to live it as it is, as frightening as it sounds," she leaned forward in her seat and Haymitch clasped her hand in his, rubbing a thumb over her knuckles. "All my life, I have schedules and plans but now... I am strangely alright with it. I just want to get better, be better."

“You’ll be,” he assured.

“The truth… The Capitol did not feel like home anymore so I came with Peeta, foolishly thinking that perhaps, I could find someplace that I could feel belonged; someplace other than the Capitol. Not here in particular but I figured, here is a start. I have thought of returning to the Capitol but I am still afraid to return and find out that I can never fit in back again. Here…. I have been here nearly a year but I am still very much an outsider. Have you any idea how scary it is not to belong anywhere? Not here and not there, a place that I have called home for years…”

The last thing she expected from him was the small, quiet chuckles. The sound reverberated and his shoulders shook. Effie was looking at him as if he was the cruelest person to be laughing in her face

“Sweetheart, you’re asking me this? I had one foot in this district and one foot in the Capitol since I was sixteen. I wasn’t district enough to be accepted into this community when I had money, food, a decent house and good clothes on my back, and I wasn’t posh enough to be accepted into your society. Have I any idea what it feels like to not feel belong? Yeah, I do, Effie, I do.”

“I’ve … I have never thought of it that way. I never thought you – I’m sorry,” she said, her eyes shining bright under the light.

“Ain’t your fault,” he muttered. “You feel lost, I get that.”

“Yes… But you and the children make it better.”

“Yeah?” he asked with a smile. “You can make this your home. Hell, it doesn’t have to be here. You and I … We can go somewhere together.”

He hated how hopeful he sounded but that was the truth and he was done skirting and hiding where she was concern.

“What I told you still stands – no pressure, alright? It’s just an option, yeah? Somethin’ we can do.”

“Yes,” she nodded.

“How about you start small? Help me help the avoxes… Help me with the program. I work better with you,” he suggested and it did cross his mind that with something to occupy her here, she would be around longer. “These little projects you’re doing with my house and Peeta’s are all well and good, sweetheart, but you’re better at planning and bossing people around.”

“Why didn’t you lead with this earlier?” she asked in exasperation.

“Cause you were looking for somethin’ that pays – this doesn’t.”

Johanna let out a breath and sank onto the chair.

"I did," she rubbed her face angrily and for a wild moment thinking that she was crying, Haymitch's heart lurched.

The last time he had seen her cry was a year after she won when she stormed Twelve's Penthouse and attacked Finnick for never telling her about the prostitution of victors until it was too late for her and her family.

"What do you want to hear? That I'm fucking sorry?" Johanna glared at him.

"There is no need for that kind of language," Effie interjected, taking a step forward once more. "If Katniss had not spotted her sitting by the fountain... Johanna regrets her action, surely you can see it?"

"She should be, she deserted them," Haymitch continued glaring.

Johanna scoffed. "Guess I learnt it from you when you deserted the three of us in the Capitol. Remember that?"

Effie gasped, her hand shot to grip Haymitch's. Peeta's fingers twitched and in a second, he began to tap them against the side of his thigh in a rhythmic gesture. Katniss stared hard; surprised that Johanna would bring that up.

The house plunged into an uncomfortable silence. His stomach roiled and he began to breathe heavily. The weight of Effie’s hand around his wrist was suddenly unwelcomed and he wanted to shake it away but she was just trying to calm him.

He wasn’t … angry. If anything, the guilt became more profound. He had been trying to move on with his life and while he always knew that it would be something he would carry with him throughout his life, he wasn’t expecting to be confronted with it today of all days.

“Johanna…” Effie called her softly, as if she was approaching a wounded animal but that quickly fell on deaf ears.

Johanna’s gaze was fixed on Haymitch when she said, “you made a promise to Finnick, too.”

Haymitch made a noise under his breath and dropped on the chair, running his hand tiredly down his face. It was a timely reminder because he had promised Finnick before he left with the squad to the Capitol. That boy was his as much as Katniss and Peeta is his, same as Johanna.

He couldn’t be there in Four and in Twelve at any given time but he could have done more. When he remembered, he would call them, at times twice a month or once every week but it was always to ask after Annie and the kid. Johanna was head-strong and resolute the way Katniss could be, but like Katniss, she could also break. He should have paid her some attention, he could have asked her how she was doing even if like him, she wouldn’t have given away much.

He could have visited them, more than just that one time when Finn was born. He had promised Finnick he would take care of his family and he wasn’t doing a good job of it, leaving the responsibilities squarely on Johanna’s shoulders.

“I should have done more,” he muttered.

Effie looked stricken. “I could have done something as well. I could have visited and lend a hand.”

“You could have,” Johanna shrugged and exhaled. “I feel like shit coming here, alright? Haymitch needs to keep an eye on his precious bird,” she shot Katniss a look which Katniss returned with a disdainful scowl, “and he couldn’t drag you all the way to Four without permission. I mean, I get it but – “

She stood up abruptly only to perch herself on the window sill.

“I want to live and have fun,” she glowered at her boots, unable to look them in the eye. “I can’t even go to the bar and bring a guy home because Annie doesn’t want strangers in the house and if I’m gone the night, she worries her head off thinking I won’t be coming back like Finnick didn’t. Stupid man, he had to go and get himself killed, and now I’m saddled with his widow and his kid – it makes me angry because I can’t live my fucking life but it’s fucking wrong to think that way cause the guy’s dead and if he had a choice he’d rather be here so I shouldn’t be complaining. Annie’s family and so is the kid, right? And I don’t have many of those – family and friends. So yeah,” she shrugged again, glaring at each of them in turn as if daring them to call her out for actually sharing how she felt, “I feel fucking rotten and it makes me look like the bad guy.”

Haymitch exchanged a look with Effie, expecting her to have something comforting or useful to stay but she seemed as helpless as he was. It was Katniss who surprised them.

“I don’t think it’s wrong to think that way or feel that way,” she said. Katniss hesitated for a brief moment, until Peeta gave an encouraging nod before she went on to share. “I know what it’s like to step in and be the one to hold everything together. My dad died in the mines and my mum was worse off than Annie. I had Prim,” she swallowed, not looking at Johanna, “to take care off. Just like you have Finn… Sometimes I feel like it’s a burden I shouldn’t carry but that doesn’t last very long.”

Johanna crossed her arms in front of her, watching Katniss curiously.

“Did you run off like I did when it gets too much?” Johanna smirked.

“In a way…” Katniss answered. “I ran off to the woods with Gale to hunt for a few hours. Maybe that’s what you need, too. You have to find your woods.”

Johanna huffed, staring out of the window.

“I’m going to call her. She must be losing her head,” she muttered, walking in the direction of the phone.

Haymitch lingered at the sitting room in his own house. Peeta and Katniss left to check on their other three guests back at Peeta’s house.

“Johanna needs a break. That is all,” Effie said. “I have been so caught up in my own healing that – “

“Don’t,” Haymitch growled a warning. “It ain’t on you.”

“They are our responsibility as well. It is not just Katniss and Peeta next door. But… Johanna and Annie are not staying around here and we just forgot. That’s the truth, isn’t it? We forgot that they might need our help, too.”

“Since when did we decide to adopt all these kids?” Haymitch snorted.

“All these kids and a grandchild,” Effie teased.

Haymitch wrinkled his nose but he was quick to say, “So you’re a grandma. I’ll be sure to let Finn call you that when he’s older.”

“You are the worst,” Effie teased. “I should visit them.”

“We should visit Four,” Haymitch corrected, “and we should make a practice of it. Thoughts?”

Effie smiled. “I think that is marvellous.”

There was no discussion on when that would be but Haymitch assumed that once Johanna is ready to leave, Effie would follow. He would just have to ensure that the project here in Twelve would be in capable hands while he was gone and he would have to inform the city that he would be leaving Katniss unattended for a while. With more than a year after her trial and the progress she was making, Haymitch was hoping for some leniency on that front. Katniss no longer require constant supervision after all.

While Johanna was here, it seemed that she fully enjoyed her time without the responsibility of caring after a toddler. She had dragged Effie together with Cressida and a wholly reluctant Katniss for a night out. Haymitch remained awake, sitting by the porch as he waited for their return and when the clock went past midnight with no sign of either of them, he was tempted to search for them himself.

He saw their silhouette an hour later. Katniss was supporting an inebriated Johanna while Effie guided a tipsy Cressida by the crook of her elbow down the path of Victor’s Village.

Haymitch did not think they would be foolish enough to repeat this scene again but it happened the night after. Effie went to keep an eye on Johanna more than anything else and despite her reluctance, Katniss went out of loyalty to the woman who was filling Finnick’s shoes.

“No more getting drunk,” Haymitch scowled as he stood by the doorway of the guest bedroom while Effie removed Johanna’s shoes. “You too, sweetheart.”

“I am not drunk, thank you very much,” Effie retorted.

“Can’t you think of something else to do with Jo other than the bar?”

She tossed him a look, a very amused one. “I never thought I’d see the day when a request to stop frequenting a bar would ever come from you.”

“I’m gonna go back to Finn and Annie,” Johanna slurred and belched, much to Effie’s horror. “I won’t – I’m not giving up on ‘em. I like them and Annie’s my friend. Like you,” she patted Effie’s cheek.

“She’s fucking gone,” Haymitch chuckled.

“And Finn’s so cute,” Johanna declared, something he was sure she would never be caught dead admitting out loud. “Wha’cha think, Trinket? He’s the cutest baby.”

“Yes, he is,” Effie indulged. “Go to sleep now.”

Effie reached over to turn on the bedside lamp, something she often did even when she slept in his bed. There was something about complete darkness that made her anxious, and he assumed, Johanna as well.

“Hey,” Johanna grabbed her wrist and tugged hard, causing Effie to lurch forward with her face inches away from the young woman.

Haymitch took a step just in case in her drunken haze Johanna might mistake Effie for someone else or mistook her for a threat.

“Trinket,” she mumbled and Haymitch relaxed a little. “Remember what I said to you in that cell?”

Effie exhaled shakily, the reminder of prison was never something pleasant or a topic she willingly talked about.

“What did you say to me? There were plenty…”

"If I die …,” Johanna paused to burp but Haymitch doubted it was that that made Effie grimace. It was likely the mention of her hypothetical death. “If I die… I want to die yelling and laughing, instead of crying like a fucking baby."

"Yes, I remember."

"I think that's how I'm gonna live my life from now," Johanna vowed. “I’ll make sure every day is gonna be kickass and I’m gonna teach Finn everything ‘cause it’s my job now. Finnick would want me to.”

“That’s good, Johanna,” Effie nodded, brushing her hair back. “Always forward, yes? We live our lives now.”

She nodded and turned on her sides, clutching the bolster close to her chest.

“Goodnight,” Effie said to the now sleeping woman.

In the Godfather’s novel, Peter Clemenza says, “May we live our lives, so that when we die we are smiling & while everyone else is crying like a fucking baby.”

She remembered now. Katniss had mentioned Peeta and she had stood there trying to understand Katniss’ words. Peeta had been doing so well… He had been getting along wonderfully that his relapse struck her. There had been nightmares, naturally. None of them could escape it but there had been nothing that would have made Katniss run to them in a panic.

“Stop, stop,” she tugged hard on Haymitch’s hand until he released her. “Both of you,” she looked at Haymitch and Katniss in turn, “return to the house – Haymitch’s house. I will see to Peeta.”

Katniss opened her mouth to say something but was beaten to it by Haymitch.

“Sweetheart, he’s in an episode. He’s not himself,” he protested with a frown.

Haymitch did not say it out loud but Effie heard his insinuation all the same.

He could be dangerous.

“I am quite capable of reaching out to him,” Effie assured except Haymitch did not look the least bit convinced which irate her a little. “Have I not been doing the same during the months I was with him in the Capitol?”

Haymitch dropped his hand from her upper arm as if her words had scalded him. She meant no harm by it but she supposed a part of him would always feel as if he had failed the boy in more ways than once. Peeta had been left behind twice while he was with Katniss.

“Be careful,” he murmured, cupping her cheek. “Shout if you need help.”

She nodded. “Yes, I will.”

It was disconcerting, she thought, that just moments ago, her heart was racing from the way Haymitch was kissing her and now, it was thumping erratically with anxiety at not knowing what to expect when she finds Peeta.

Slowly and cautiously, Effie made her way through the back door of Katniss’ house in search of Peeta. The kitchen was clear so she made her way out past the display cabinet by the stairs and into the sitting room.

“Peeta,” she called out his name softly when she spotted him rocking in the far corner away from the bay window.

The coffee table had been upended and there were mugs clattered on the floor, spilling liquid and soaking the rug.

“It’s me. It’s Effie.”

She stopped just steps away from him. Carefully, Effie lowered herself down to his height and sat cross-legged in front of him, an act she would have normally frowned on when there were perfectly functional seats to be found around the room but this was desperate times.

From experience, Effie knew not to touch him, the same way she would never touch Haymitch if he were deep in a nightmare. Instead, she started talking, letting her voice carry in the stillness of the house. She had nearly finished recounting the dinner that Haymitch had cooked up the night before and confessing that he might have stolen some of his herbs from his garden when Peeta raised his head.

“That is …. sweet,” he said with just a slight hint of confusion as if he wasn’t sure if it was an appropriate adjective to describe something concerning Haymitch. “Was it – was it sweet?”

“Well…” Effie blinked when he spoke before smiling gently at him. “It is but let us not say that to Haymitch. You know how he is.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “I – I always knew.”

“What about?”

“That there must be something… with you and Haymitch,” he said with a straight face. She could tell he was still swimming in some far distant memories and was trying to grasp at the current situation around him to make sense of his reality. “It’s real.”

It wasn’t a question but a proclamation to himself to bring his senses around.

“Yes,” Effie nodded, the memories of the night before would now always be fondly held in her heart, “I supposed there is something.”

He blinked suddenly, looking around the house.

“Where is Katniss?” he asked, his voice rose a pitch.

“She is with Haymitch,” Effie was quick to assure before things could escalate. “They are at his house. She is safe. She is worried about you but she is safe.”

Peeta sagged against the wall, still shaken but he reached out to her and Effie did not hesitate to hold his hand between her own.

She never asked what happened. She didn’t need the details to know that the book Katniss was working on, currently lying on the floor with the upended coffee table must have triggered something in Peeta.

He followed her line of sight and with a cold shudder told her, “It was the mutts. Katniss was…. She’s gotten passed the previous Games so… so now she’s working on ours. I – I forgot that we’re safe. I forgot that – that’s she’s not a mutt. I couldn’t see anything passed it – I’m sorry.”

“There is nothing to apologise for, Peeta. Not to me at least. It happens but what is important is that we come back from it. It must be really frightening for you to have your memory clouded for a moment there.”

He fixed his gaze on the floor.

“Sometimes, I don’t know if I’ll ever escape this,” Peeta admitted in a whisper.

Effie scooted until she was sitting next to him, her back against the wall and her shoulder bumping into his. She stretched her legs in front of her, wondering what Haymitch would say if he saw her in this manner. Chances were, he would smirk at her and say something to the effect that being in the district must have had an influence on her.

“I have the same fears amongst other. On some nights when I am too afraid to sleep and I sit by the porch, listening to the little noises in other parts of Twelve, I give in to the fear that I might never escape the person I was in the past,” Effie admitted the one thing she had never dared to voice out loud, even to Haymitch. “I am afraid that no matter where I am and where I go, I will always be judged for my sins in the past, that I will always be seen as the escort. It is a difficult chain to break or escape. I have no words to comfort you, darling, but … If it is something that we must live with, then we have no choice but to shoulder it bravely, yes?”

Peeta looked her way, a little surprise by the ferocity with which she said it. She was determined to move forward. Her sins were hers to bear and she would carry it with her throughout but moving forward was the only way to live. She had to let Peeta understand the same. She refused to let him be dragged by what was done to him in the past.

“You are not alone,” she comforted him. “We can all do this together. We’re a team, aren’t we?”

“When I – I slipped, I was afraid I’d hurt her.”

“She was afraid that she lost you,” Effie spoke gently.

Peeta shook his head. “I’ll come back. I’ll always come back for her. It’s just… sometimes I forgot and it slipped, and I get lost in… in the memories.”

“Katniss will be there to help you tell what is real and what is not. You and her… You have a system, a way to sort out the memories, don’t you? It has been useful, hasn’t it?” Effie asked.

He had told her about it once during their walks and personally, she thought it was good that Peeta trusted Katniss to be able to go to her to validate his memories. It meant that his treatment had served him well for him to have that level of trust restored once more.

“I am not going anywhere either, Peeta,” Effie informed. “I will always be here should you need me… or in case we need each other,” she smiled.

That made his eyes widened as he stared at her.

“You are staying? For good?”

“Yes, I am,” she affirmed. “I would hope for good.”

His lips twitched and bloom into a genuine smile that made Effie’s heart swell. It reaffirmed the fact that she must have made the right decision to stay, after all.

“That is good news,” Peeta declared. “Family should stay together and that’s what we are – you, Haymitch, Katniss and I – we’re more than just a team, we’re family.”

His words touched something in her.

Hearing the word family and knowing she was part of it for the second time in two days meant the world to her. Effie swallowed the lump in her throat. She would not cry. She would not but her heart was full. She felt happy and most importantly, accepted; a feeling that she had not harboured in a long time since the moment the Rebels fled for District Thirteen. It didn’t matter if the district was still learning to get past the person she was before as long as she was accepted by the ones who mattered.

“Come now,” she stood up and dusted herself. “Let us do something different today and have breakfast at Haymitch’s place.”

He agreed and together, they made their way but not before Peeta grabbed some left over loaf of bread and jam from his kitchen.

The next time, Effie thought to herself as they walked the short distance across to get to Haymitch, she would let him have a chance to bring Peeta around. It would be something they both needed. While Peeta never doubted that Haymitch loved him too, it would also be good for him to know that Haymitch would be there for him the same way he would for Katniss and it would do Haymitch good to know that despite them both growing up on their own, Peeta still needed him in his corner.

Effie and Haymitch were all they had now, and it would be up to them to try and fill the voids Katniss’ and Peeta’s parents had left behind.

XxX

The train station in Twelve was unlike those in the city or even in Four. There, it was a mess of commuters, throngs of people walking shoulder to shoulder, slithering in and out to get to their destination. Here, it was quieter with more room to navigate. It was easier to look out for familiar faces, an activity Katniss and Effie was engaged in since the train docked in the station a few minutes ago.

Katniss spotted them easily enough and gave a wave to get their attention. Effie stood by the side as Katniss warmly embraced the man. Behind him, a familiar looking woman approached.

"Isn’t this a lovely surprise?” Effie exclaimed as Cressida leaned forward to give her a one arm hug.

Cressida was sporting a different undercut hairstyle, choosing to shave a portion of the hair at her back and pulling the long locks into a top knot to show it off. There were also lines criss-crossing the shaved part to accentuate the style. Effie glanced at it briefly before averting her gaze, suddenly reminded of the time she was made to watch as the guards shaved off Johanna’s hair.

“I did not know you will be coming,” Effie commented.

Effie had heard of her work in District Thirteen and had subsequently met her at the Presidential Mansion after the Rebels had stormed the Capitol. While the young woman was a little rough for her taste and at times, reminded her of Johanna, Effie liked her.

“It was all in the last minute. Pollux told me the reason Haymitch invited him to Twelve a day before he was scheduled to leave and did you really think I will miss out on an opportunity to film a rehabilitation programme for the avoxes?” Cressida raised a questioning eyebrow. “It is part of the post-war efforts and it should be in our film. Tell me you think the same.”

She had point, naturally.

“As much as I agree with you, I do not speak for Haymitch,” Effie answered and since she was working with him on this, then she knew that he had no inkling of Cressida’s plans. “You will have to talk to him about this before you start anything. He is not fond of cameras trailing after him.”

Not to mention that the last thing Haymitch wanted was all the publicity and attention. He did not take on this cause for the attention.

“I will,” Cressida assured as they made their way out of the station. “Is he getting government funding?”

“Not that I know of, it has been purely out of his pocket.”

“How about showing me around that medicine factory tomorrow?” Cressida asked, her eyes gleaming with the possibilities she could get out of the trip “Victor’s Village is barred from journalist and by that extension, this film as well, but I do intend on getting other shots of Twelve just to show the progress.”

Effie nodded. There had been a filming crew during the early weeks of the rebuilding in Twelve so it would make sense for Cressida to now want to film the progression and improvement.

When Pollux and Cressida met Peeta in the Village upon their arrival, the boy stood uncertainly on the road. His time with them during the squad’s journey in the Capitol had not exactly been pleasant but Pollux broke into a heart-warming smile and stepped forward to shake Peeta’s hand. Both Pollux and Cressida seemed genuinely pleased to see that Peeta was doing well.

Peeta insisted on preparing dinner and roped Haymitch to help, claiming that he had cooked for Effie once which meant he certainly could help for the night. It made Haymitch shot Effie a look but all she did was to give his hand an encouraging squeeze as she sent him off to spend some time with Peeta.

Dinner was a simple affair and Effie found herself relaxing as she listened to Cressida regaling stories from her numerous trips in other districts. Somewhere in the middle of dessert, Haymitch had poured her more wine, leaned back in his seat with his hand stretched behind Effie’s chair, his finger tracing random patterns on her arm. Peeta glanced at them once and smiled indulgently at the pair without saying a word.

It made her a little curious if there had been anything said between Haymitch and Peeta about her in the kitchen earlier.

As dinner wound down to a close, Effie insisted that their guests stayed with them and showed them to the guest bedrooms in Peeta’s house.

“Come, stay the night with me,” Haymitch whispered, placing his hand on the small of her back.

She glanced at him and to his credit, Haymitch waited patiently, not wanting to push her.

“Or not,” he shrugged it off as nonchalantly as he could, but Effie could read the disappointment on his face.

Effie slipped her hand into his and smiled. He relaxed.

“Lead the way,” she gestured, as if she didn’t know the way to his house.

Effie was sure he could hear the racing in her heart when it became clear to her that he was leading her to his bedroom. It gave him pause and the uncertainty fleeted through his eyes. He glanced at the stairs behind her, a silent question if she would rather they settled on the sofa like they had done before.

What difference does it make? Effie rationalised. She had brought him to her room and they had spent the night there before. The flip side of the coin shouldn’t mean any differently.

“Not the sofa. Your bedroom,” she told him with confidence.

She trusted him, and sleeping with his arms around her had always made her feel safe.

Haymitch undressed her when she struggled with the zipper at the back of her dress and as he let the dress fall to the floor, he kissed her shoulder. It was an innocent kiss, something she noticed he tended to do with her lately – a kiss on her head, on her temple, on her shoulder – and it made her think that it was his own way to show some tenderness, but his thumb accidentally brushed against the scar on her hip bone. The involuntary shudder ran through her and he drew back.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s not … you. It’s just – “

“It’s okay,” he murmured gently, kissing her softly on the cheek as he handed an old shirt of his for her to put on. He made sure it was clean and that little gesture made something in her heart flutter. “We’ll get there when you’re ready.”

Snuggled on the bed, Effie kissed him and time slowed down when she was with him under the covers; her fingers lost in his hair, his weight pressing her down slightly into the mattress when he deepened the kiss and the gentle stroking of his thumb against the pulse on her neck.

They eventually fell asleep holding on to one another until Effie startled awake in the middle of the night. He stirred slightly but since she wasn’t thrashing or screaming in her sleep, Haymitch was oblivious to what was happening. She leaned against the headboard and drew her knees to her chest. Resting her cheek on the bend knees, she watched Haymitch in his sleep.

Once in a while, he would mumble something and his fingers would twitch, and Effie wondered if their dreams would ever be of something pleasant and if they would ever find peace at night or would they always be haunted by demons?

When he woke up to find her watching him, he frowned. His hand reached out for her, curling itself on her ankle.

“Did you sleep?”

“For a few hours,” she answered.

“You had a nightmare? Why didn’t you wake me? Should have woken me up,” he grumbled.

“It wasn’t a nightmare. I woke up because… I think I am not used to here, in your bed and my body couldn’t rest because – “

“I get it,” he muttered. “Your mind’s on the alert, it ain’t lettin’ you rest well.”

“Yes, I was the same when I moved into Peeta’s house when I first arrived.”

“Then you just have to sleep here often,” Haymitch shrugged, pushing himself up. “Yeah?”

She laughed lightly, and answered him with a peck on his lips.

“We have to get up,” she reminded when Haymitch pulled her by the ankle until she was flat on her back so he could kiss her soundly. “You promised to show them the site.”

With Cressida trailing after them, the camera mounted on the shoulder so she could record the scenes in Twelve, Haymitch led the group to the construction site. Pollux would have been behind the camera but as it were, he was walking next to Haymitch, communicating as best as they could.

“This is it,” Haymitch paused when the building came into view.

Shielding his eyes against the glare of the sun, Pollux inspected what would soon be the halfway house. As it were right now, the construction workers had only started working on the roofs a day before and if everything proceeded as Effie’s schedule, then the house would be ready by the month’s end.

Cressida approached, the recording device blinking red as she circled the building. Haymitch had given his consent for this to be filmed in the hopes that it would get the words out to the avoxes in other parts of the districts and for them to know that help could be found it they ever needed it.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Effie saw Pollux excitement increased which meant, he was signing fast.

“Slow down,” Haymitch chuckled. “I ain’t fluent in signing yet. You gotta treat me like a kid learning to talk for the first time.”

“That’s why you’re here,” Cressida grinned at her teammate. “You’re here to teach the other avoxes to sign so slow down and be patient.”

“Show us around,” Katniss demanded, walking into the building without any care for her safety.

Haymitch handed Effie a yellow helmet which she accepted only after making sure the others put on theirs, too. The last thing they needed was an injury from anything falling on their heads.

Peeta flanked Effie on the left as she explained the function of each designated room. Peeta knew all of this already since he had a hand in drawing the ideas Effie and Haymitch had in mind. He had spent hours on it, giving his input once in a while as well.

The main dormitory was towards the back of the building and several rooms had been designated as classrooms and activity rooms. Here, Pollux would teach them to communicate and it was Haymitch’s idea to open the class to the public as well. He argued that it wouldn’t do for the avoxes to only be able to communicate with each other and not with people outside their circle. Of course, his argument had merits and Effie’s only hope was for that programme to be well-received by members of the public.

Peeta had assured them that once the classes are up, he could lead by example and sign up. Katniss eventually agreed, too. If the country’s Mockingjay would do it, perhaps others would, too. Haymitch did not have to say it but Effie knew that he appreciated that gesture tremendously.

Since avoxes were assigned specific jobs in the Capitol, it meant that they acquired specialised skills which they could teach to one another to help increase their chances of employment later. That was what the other rooms would be for.

“I do not think I have said this enough but I am immensely proud of what you are doing here,” Effie told him, “prouder still of what you have achieved.”

“I haven’t achieved anything,” he countered. “Place is barely up.”

“You underestimate yourself. You are doing something good with your life and by doing so, you are making it better for people like the avoxes. You are giving them another chance.”

“Just trying to help,” he mumbled, clearly uncomfortable by the praise. “You and I… We got the chance to have another shot, why shouldn’t they?”

Effie smiled. Her gaze dropped to his hand and she wondered if it would be pushing it too far to slip her hand in his as they walked back to Victor’s Village. Haymitch had never been one to display affection in public and she wasn’t sure if that sentiment had shifted despite his desire for them to be something.

If she wanted to take things slowly, she supposed then that she should presume the same for him.

Effie walked next to him with her hand firmly by her sides except for the occasional moments when they brushed against each other.

That afternoon, Ailes reached District Twelve from Seven. Effie recognised him immediately from the years she saw him on the train serving them. She hesitated, unsure of his reception of her. While she had not been outright mean or cruel in her behaviour of him all these years, unlike some of her acquaintances had been to avoxes, she had still been dismissive of him until she needed him and she had been mostly indifferent to his presence in the train.

He smiled politely at her and extended his hand to her in greeting but otherwise, he seemed more comfortable being with Pollux and Haymitch. Together, they drafted a list containing names of avoxes they knew could benefit from the rehabilitation programmed and those they knew wanted to be here. It was a small number, less than twenty, but it was a start.

“Peeta,” Katniss breathed out and the tone in her voice made Effie turned towards her.

From where he was bend forward, elbows on the table, reading off from Haymitch’s list of names, Peeta raised his head.

“What is it, Katniss?”

“Come here,” she beckoned.

Standing next to her with a hand on the small of her back and a hint of worry etched on his face, he repeated his question. Katniss parted the curtains further by which point, Effie had already wandered to the window and Haymitch was pushing the chair back to join her.

“That woman sitting by the fountain watching this house… Isn’t that Johanna?”

That was a long chapter so I hope you had a good time reading it! :) If you can’t send me cake, you can send me reviews because they bring the same amount of happiness to me :)) let me know what you think of Mama Effie with Peeta or Effie spending the night in Haymitch’s bed or Pollux & Cressida’s visit or… Johanna!

See you in the next chapter.

Nearly two decades of spending his life walking on the wire, putting people at an arm's length and constantly watching over his shoulder had become the norm for him so much so that this newly found peace was something of a struggle for him to accept. He needed to learn to be a little less paranoid and find a new normal post-war.

Start with her.

Effie stirred, burrowing further into him to seek his warmth. The sofa was big enough to accommodate them but it was not that spacious. Haymitch tightened his arms around her, holding her close in case she fell off the edge and dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

The night was coming to an end and he could see the tell-tale signs of sunrise. Still, he remained lying on the sofa, contented to just hold her and enjoy the quiet. Outside, his geese had started to make a racket and not wanting to disrupt the sleeping woman in his arms, he let them.

She had woken up in the middle of night, gasping for breath and reaching around her until her hand connected with his. He had held her until he felt her breathing returned to normal and sensed her relaxing once again in his embrace.

A few more hours of sleep would not be remiss for her. Haymitch hooked his leg over hers, enveloping her fully and then he drifted off once again.

The gentle stroking on his stubbled cheek roused him awake hours later. The sitting room was bathed in the morning light.

"Perhaps, a shave?"

“I’m keeping it. Want to grow a beard – heard that’s sexy,” he said with a careless shrug and when he caught her stupendous expression, Haymitch chuckled.

“You do need better jokes.”

“Why? I have you.”

Effie gasped. “Haymitch Abernathy!”

“Relax, sweetheart,” he laughed.

It was nice to joke and tease her once more.

His gaze fell on her lips and in that moment, he really wanted to kiss her but he had promised to give her time and kissing her might be pushing it. Effie must have sensed it because the air shifted. He held his breath when he felt her move, thinking that he must have spooked her enough that she was going to leave to head back over to her place before things became awkward.

She remained where she was, merely shifting slightly to find a comfortable position. Her hand came up to play with the ends of his hair, a thoughtful look already settling on her face.

“What does this mean for us?” Effie asked.

This, he supposed, was more than just spending the night sleeping together, in the most innocent of terms. This, he assumed, encompassed all the things between them – the time spent together, the work they shared and the nights holding each other.

He had made his intention clear the night she asked him to stay in her bed. She was well aware that he was sure of what he wanted but as he glanced down at the woman in his arms, it occurred to him that Effie might need reassurance once in a while.

Even if she needed to keep hearing that he wanted her and that he wanted to give this thing between them a chance, then to him, it was a small price to pay.

Still, he took his time answering and organising his thoughts. Effie did not push either.

They have time, literally and figuratively. The sun was only starting to rise in District Twelve and it would be a few hours away before they were expected for breakfast at Katniss', and they have their whole life ahead of them to figure this out and to work things through. She wasn't going anywhere. Effie was here and he was still trying to wrap his head around that fact.

"I think you know that I've never expected to survive this," Haymitch started talking. "I left this house for the Quell's Reaping thinking that I'm never comin' back to this place. But I'm here now with you and the two kids next door. Truth is, when I stepped up to bring Katniss home and knew I made it alive only to be back here, I hated every minute of it. After Snow was captured, I made the mistake of giving myself the luxury to dream; to imagine my life anywhere else but here, a life..." He cleared his throat, "with you, somewhere in Seven or Four, you know..."

He paused for a breath, aware of the feel of Effie's warm palm on his neck, silently giving him the strength to finally talk.

"I fucking hated havin' to come back to a place where I buried my family, knowing that half the district was massacre and burnt down, and likely because of what I started with the star-crossed lovers deal years back. What do I have here, sweetheart? Nothin' much except ghosts and nightmares. On days when no alcohol supplies was coming in, time just dragged by and it gives me a lot of opportunity to think."

"What occupied your thoughts?" Effie encouraged, brushing his brow with her thumb.

He smiled a little that she was more comfortable initiating contact with him. They had been hesitant and careful, and he knew Effie could be a very tactile person. This little changes was something he welcomed.

Haymitch made a face before he chuckled darkly, "Heavy thoughts."

Effie was watching him with open curiousity. He wondered briefly if he should tell her about the walk he took to the cemetery which was destroyed during the bombings and was now an empty land for something - a memorial or the other - to be built upon it and the one-sided conversation he had while standing on the spot where his mother was buried.

“Haymitch?”

He blinked and decided to keep that story to the cemetery for another day but Haymitch needed to get the words out while he still could. Clearing his throat, he said, "I got this shot and this chance. So I thought... that, you know, maybe I should let the past go and move on, open myself up to possibilities, whatever they may be," Haymitch admitted. "It wouldn't hurt, I guess. Didn't know what they're gonna be but I just know that I should live my life now instead of wasting it like I had. I started going out to see what I can do to help… Nothin' much at first; just needed to do something, to feel useful. Then I saw an opportunity with the Avox Rehabilitation Program so I seized it ‘cause I needed to do somethin’ or I'd go crazy here."

"It is a good cause," Effie nodded encouragingly. "Dr. Aurelius would say that in some ways, by helping others, we help ourselves."

"Maybe," he let out a breath. He glanced in her direction before looking away. The next thing he wanted to tell her made the heat rise to his cheeks but he needed her to understand that he thought about her, too. "I wasn't joking 'bout what I said earlier. I wanted a possibility with you but you weren't here and I – I didn't know how to make it work when I'm stuck here on my own while you're there. So, I said nothing... then you came."

"And?" Effie managed a smile.

"Don't laugh," he warned before saying, "I see it as life throwing me another chance, y'know? It’s insane but … the two kids next door, they’re family and… so are you, sweetheart. You’re family too and I swore, this time I'd do it right. I ain't gonna fuck it up anymore. I couldn’t keep my family safe before but now… I got another chance, yeah? Besides,” his chest rumbled as he chuckled, “I don’t want to waste any more years with you. I ain't young and with my drinkin’, how long will I have before I die, huh?"

"Hush, now! Do not speak like that," Effie rebuked with a frown.

Haymitch soothed her by absent-mindedly petting her hair. Talking and sharing this with her was not as daunting as he thought conversations would be. It even felt… good, in a way. It made him feel lighter.

“You weren’t wrong. We started out using each other. The sex we had was to push down the … feelings we couldn’t deal with….to blow off steam. Back then that felt right, but now? I don’t want just that. Don’t get me wrong, sex with you has always been fucking amazing and mind-blowing but we could try for more.”

“More mind-blowing sex?”

His head snapped at her and he frowned at her audacity to joke when he was trying to be serious for once.

“I know what you are trying to say,” she said soothingly. “It’s meaning that you’re looking for, isn’t it? For this between us to mean something…”

"Yeah, I guess that's it,” he concurred, running a hand up and down her sides. “These past days with you constantly around the house.... You can be annoying – no, you are annoying - but I'd take that any time."

That remarked garnered a smile out of her.

"You are going soft on me."

Haymitch let that slide. He ran his fingers through the knots on her hair from having slept on it.

“What?” he asked gruffly when he caught the look on her face.

Effie bit her bottom lip worriedly. “Do you really think it will work between us?”

“We have to give it a shot – wouldn’t know otherwise. We’re going to argue a lot ‘cause that’s how we are and I don’t see that changing,” Haymitch told her realistically because even as they work together they still found things to argue about.

She hummed in agreement.

“We will make it up for it, too,” she said with a sparkle in her eyes. That seemed to have set off another train of thought in her because she looked away and only held his gaze when he brushed his thumb gently against her cheekbone. "I'm not … I'm not how I used to be. I do not want you to have any delusions about me. I am not as pretty or as -"

"So now you think I'm shallow," he snorted. “I didn’t make this much effort to be patient ‘bout us trying something if it’s only your look that I cared about. I want everything – the good, the bad, the ugly.”

Haymitch shifted then so that most of his weight was resting on his elbow as he gazed down at her.

“I have them too, sweetheart. I have the scars and the nightmares. I have demons, just like you.”

“What a pair we’ll make,” she remarked softly, touching his cheek in a fond caress as she looked up at him.

It seemed like a perfect moment. It felt right to him so without thinking too much about it, Haymitch leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. He counted it as a win when she did not turn her face away. She kissed him back and ran her tongue over his bottom lip, and to Haymitch who had been deprived from any form of intimacy with her for so long, that single act was as sensual as it could get.

She set the pace and eventually, she locked her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. He couldn’t help the soft moan when her fingers raked lightly on the nape of his neck. He was more than happy to let her take the lead, not wanting to push her any more than what she was willing to give.

When they finally broke apart, he rested his forehead on hers, his warm breath mingling with hers. Her eyes were closed and she was smiling, contented to lie there and bask in that feeling. He pecked her lips again but otherwise, he didn’t initiate another kiss and risk the self-control that was dangling on a thread now.

“After every session with Dr. Aurelius,” she started speaking, “he will always ask that I list all the things I love and he will always wait until I name myself.”

"Did you?" he asked, still propped on his elbow.

"Yes,” she answered with a smile as Haymitch brushed the hair away from her face, “it took a lot of work. I couldn't look at myself in the mirror for months. I hated the bags under my eyes, I hated the scars on my skin. I hated that I was broken but yes, eventually, I wrote my own name. Still," her eyes flickered away for a brief second, “there are days when I am a little unsure of the parts of me that I love.”

“Then I’ll show you all the parts that I... that I love,” Haymitch muttered. “Only when you’re ready and even then, it ain't all just the outside, Effs. There are things here," he kissed the top of her breast where her heart would be, "and here," he kissed her temple, "that makes you and I want all of that so now... don’t look back, alright? Take what I want to give you.”

Her eyes watered and he kissed the corner of it.

"Don't cry on me," he spoke quietly.

"You are too good for me," Effie whispered. "I want to try, too. I want to give us a chance to start something real and good but … I want to take it one day at a time."

He shrugged. "I have all the time in the world. If you're not comfortable with something, you tell me."

"Yes," she nodded. “Can you kiss me again?”

Haymitch smirked and he was more than happy to fulfil her demand. Kissing her was like coming home, it was familiar and it felt good. If he ever needed a memory happy enough to keep him afloat during the darkest of days, this would be it – stretched out on the sofa with Effie in his arms, kissing and touching and petting each other while the world melted away around them. He wouldn’t mind more mornings like this.

That was, until his front door slammed open and Katniss stormed in, her face contorted in pain and confusion.

“It’s Peeta – I can’t reach him. He’s gone.”

A/N: In Between Lives (which is my Haymitch-centred fic), I wrote a one-shot of Haymitch visiting his mother's and brother's grave to say goodbye after the war. It is when he realised that he's alive and shouldn't be wasting it. While I think it is a one-shot fitting for Chasing Hope, I did not want to rehash the scene here again which is why I slipped in the mention of it. If you want to read more on it, this one-shot is in Chapter 26 of Between Lives!

What do you think of the moment shared between Haymitch & Effie? What do you think of their talk or of Haymitch being honest about his feelings or the kiss they finally shared? What of the ending? Tell me, leave reviews!