PART 1.

Forgiveness.

xxx

Haymitch awoke to a silent house.

Strange, he thought. Effie was staying with him for at least 3 more days. She had recently purchased a new home in the outer lands of district 4 and was waiting for the renovation to be complete. Haymitch had offered, considering.

She had been here for less than a month but he could tell she was itching to get away. From 12, from him, he didn't really know, but most days she either busied herself around his home or crossed the village to Kat and Peetas, to see the baby.

He stood and looked around his empty home. Although somewhat dark and damp there was a warmth to it now, that had never been there before.

Her perfume lingered in the air. It was a smell he had grown quite fond of over the last few weeks. Another thing he had grown fond of was a hot meal at the end of the day, a hearty cooked breakfast in the morning, whiskeyless coffee, but only when she made it, and her voice. Something he thought he'd never enjoy. But since the rebellion, it had become something to savor, along with her company and friendship.

Indeed, Haymitch cared for the woman. A little more than he should, a little more than he dared to admit, in her fragile state, but he knew the move to 4 would be good for her. She'd be away from here and him and any reminder of the war. She would be able to regain her strength, mentally and physically and come into her own again. Then, and only then, would he brave the professional boundary, that parted their hearts and minds and then maybe he would work enough courage to tell her how he felt. What he felt. Whatever it was that he felt.

"Effs?"

No answer.

She definitely wasn't in.

He was about to walk over to Peeta and Kats but remembered that they had gone to the Capitol last night to visit Kat's mother.

An unnerving feeling stirred in his gut. She wouldn't venture out alone. Would she? She knew the dangers. He had drilled them into her the moment she had arrived on his doorstep. Quite quickly he had encouraged her to discard the fluorescent wigs and couture clothing for more 'district' attire. That had been another one of his undoings, seeing her as she was meant to be. Natural, normal…beautiful.

He spied the note on the refrigerator and the panic set in

'Haymitch,

Out of coffee, didn't want to wake you.

Back soon,

Effs'

Effs. That was the nick name he had given her when she had come here.

Damn woman.

He stepped into his boots and headed out to find her.

xxx

Worker boots, a baggy, navy jumpsuit and a knitted woolen hoodie. Effie was so far from her old capitol look, that she felt invisible. Comfy too. The boots were a little big but she could walk in strides and she felt grounded and small. Exactly how she wanted to feel.

Her hair was tied back messily and tucked beneath her hood. She kept her head low and without a speck of make up, not one curious head had turned in her direction.

For the first time, since arriving at 12, after the war, she felt free.

As she wandered the broken streets, she saw the slow production of a new line of homes, large medical tents had been erected as makeshift for the time being, but there was something so very humble about it. There was happiness in the air. The tents were laden with hanging lanterns and most of the time the folk lived outside, amongst each other, making friends, building futures. Hope was in the air and it was beautiful.

It was then and only then that she realised, she would miss her time at 12. Yes, she was looking forward to getting into her new home. A small stone cottage by the sea, with views of nothing but the ocean and the trees behind. The whole thing was currently being renovated to meet her high tech and chic standards but she could not wait to settle in. As exciting as it was she did know that she had to prepare herself. Loneliness came with freedom and it scared her.

But, loneliness was a choice she was willing to make. Maybe it would only be at night, she had her new neighbor Annie Odair and child as company during the day. But it would come. When the sun would set into the sea and the wolves in the Forrest behind would howl a goodnight tune, she would lay alone in an empty house and she would have to be ready for that

The main thing she worried about were her nightmares. Haymitch would not be there to wake her from them anymore. No one would me. She worried that her memories would creep. Thoughts of her time in the Capitol prison. The lonely nights she experienced there and the horrendous ones. Haymitch had been surprisingly great company during her weeks here. The war had definitely changed him. He seemed…settled, finally. At home in his own skin and it was very becoming of him.

In fact it had given her the chance to see him in a whole new light. The care she felt towards him was no longer out of duty, it was real. He was funny, he made her laugh. He was charming and he made her feel safe.

She wouldn't just miss their time together, she would miss him.

"Can I help you miss" The market stall holder awoke Effie from her day dream

Effie smiled humbly "Yes, thank you, Coffee, I need coffee please"

The female stall holder was much older than Effie. Her face was a map of her life and the scars across it showed what she had survived.

"You don't sound like you're from around here?" The woman stated in a low voice. Effie froze. She totally forgot. She can hide her Capitol face all she wants but she could never hide her Capitol accent.

"I- ah, I…I" Effie began to stutter in a panic. She should have listened to Haymitchs warning. She backed away from the counter slowly

"Ma'am…ma'am, don't worry" The woman began to call. She beckoned Effie back with an outstretched hand "Here, coffee, its on the house, now you get back to Haymitchs place before you're seen, ya hear?!"

Effie nodded quickly and took the tin of coffee from her hand

She mouthed a quick "Thank you" Then pulled her hood tighter over her hair and ran.

She got at far as the main square before she felt breathless. The square seemed quiet and there wasn't a face in sight so she took up solace by a near by wall. It took a moment for her to catch her breath but when she did she kicked herself mentally. Haymitch would be furious if he woke to find her out here, alone, and at such an hour. Dusk was settling in and there a chill in the air. Effie stuffed the tin of coffee into her large, woolen pocket and set off home.

Home? The thought of that made her smile but it was a genuine one. Haymitchs place is probably the only place where she'd ever felt home.

"Excuse me? Miss?"

A voice called from behind Effie, making her freeze once more. She took a breath, ignored the young male voice and carried on her way

"Hey!" He called again "I'm talking to you!"

Effie stopped and bit her lip. The sound of, not one or two but three or was it four pairs of shoes, came raveling around her quickly.

Effie turned to meet the caller. There were five of them all together. Four men and one woman. Woman was to put it lightly, the girl was no older than Katniss had been, the day of her first reaping. She looked just as fragile too.

"Well?" One of the men called to the girl, pulling her forward. Effie could see that she was shaking slightly and it wasn't from the chill. "Is it her?" He asked and the girl just shrugged. She had a fear in her eyes and the men were just angry. Young themselves, all younger than Effie. The tallest seemed to be the rabble leader, he was the one doing all the talking and pulling, he was the one holding the whip.

The whip.

As soon as Effie noticed it, curled up in his grip, she ran.

"Get her!" Some one called and Effie was floored in seconds

"Please, stop! No!" She was grappled then pulled to her feet by two of the other men and her hoodie was ripped from her back.

"It is her!" The taller one smirked "I can tell a dirty Capitol accent whenever I hear one" The men shared a laugh as the young girl watched on innocently. "You're not the first cowardly Capitol scum I've come across in our district, Effie Trinket."

He knew her name. She had been recognised. She struggled weakly against her two captors but to no avail.

"Please, let me go" She pleaded. "I'm leaving, in three days"

"You're leaving now" The tall one stated. "But, not before you get what's owed" He dropped the length of the whip and Effie's eyes widened

"The whipping post. Now"

Before she could draw breath, Effie was being hoisted from the ground like a bag of flour and carried towards the center of the square.

"Please! Stop! Haymitch! HAYMITCH!"

The men laughed. "That old drunk? Whats he gonna do? You killed his people too! Maybe we WILL get Haymitch, I'm sure he'd love to watch"

The fourth. A boy, no older than Peeta, left the girls side and pulled a rope from his pocket. Effie struggled and struggled but was struck hard across the cheek for her efforts. Her hands were tied and bound behind the post and her knees sunk down into the dirt.

"Please, don't do this!" She called out. But a crack of thunder in the sky muffled her cries. It started to rain down in hard and heavy drops.

"Lets do this, quick! Before we're caught!" one of them yelled. But Effie could see, they had already been caught, they already had spectators. A blurry set of faces began to form all around the square. She couldn't tell if it was delight or disdain that adorned their faces, she didn't care. No one was coming to her rescue.

She came to terms with the situation as soon as she realised she was on her own. She knew the people of district 12. If any one of them had thought that an innocent woman was about to be whipped at the post, they would have ripped it from the ground. But Effie wasn't a district 12 citizen and she wasn't innocent either. In their eyes she was still the enemy. A coward of the Capitol. Hiding out like a criminal in their district, ignorant to her part in the games, ignorant to their war and their lives and their deaths.

But she wasn't ignorant. They just didn't know.

Nobody did.

Haymitch was the only one, as he had been the one to find her. He was the one who had gotten her out.

The people of district 12 believed that Effie was finally about to receive her much over due punishment. What the people of district 12 failed to realise was that she'd already had it. Months and months of it.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. If she could survive rape and torture, if she could survive daily beatings, starvation and abuse, she could survive a little bit more. For the sake of clearing her name. For the sake of starting again, starting over…

endure, endure, endure

"Go ahead" She breathed. A lone tear fell upon her cheek as she pressed her self against the steel post

"You hear that!?" The tall man called out in a humorous tone. He was enjoying his time in the spotlight, he believed he was a hero. A martyr for his district. A mockingjay.

"It seems we have a brave one in our midst"

Effie jumped as she heard the crack of his whip by her ear.

"Wait" Another male voice called out "Let her do it"

Effie heard the shuffling sound of footsteps as the young girl was pushed forward.

The tall man handed her the whip and she took it with a shaking hand

"I cant" She began to cry. But she was pushed again

"You can! Remember Merida! Remember your sister!"

Effie remembered Merida.

Merida Blackenstone. She was 13 years old when she was reaped. She was 13 years old when she had died, brutally, in the bloodbath of the cornucopia.

"I cant! I cant! I CANT!" The girl began to wail, she dropped the whip but the tall man snatched it back.

"Move aside then, coward!" He said bitterly and stepped a little closer.

Effie felt strong hands at her arms, holding her steady, locking her down. She gripped the post tighter

"Go ahead!" She cried again.

But it wasn't enough for him.

"No" He whispered sharply "We do this properly. Axel, Lyric, her back. Expose it."

Effie fell numb.

The feel of rough hands at her clothes brought back disturbing memories. She began to break.

"That's better, you should cry. For all the innocent children you scentanced to death. This is for them!"

The back of her jump suit was torn away and shredded effortlessly. She took another breath and waited for the all too familiar slices of pain.

There was a gasp. Someone from the growing crowd, maybe someone closer.

All eyes suddenly feel upon Effies exposed back.

Her flesh, pink and black and glowing was laden with raw scars. Lashings upon lashings of terrible jagged wounds, cascaded across her shoulders and down her spine. They were big, they were harsh and they were ugly and they stopped the tall man in his tracks.

Effie looked over her shoulder defiantly. Fresh tears clung to her cheeks as she spoke through quivering lips

"What are you waiting for?" She cried, but the man wouldn't speak. He couldn't. He dropped his eyes and he dropped his whip and he took a step back

"Come on!" Effie called out in challenge "Give me what I deserve! Do it!"

She looked about frantically. She could see the blurry faces, she could see the look in their eyes now. Pity. Regret.

"Do it! Do it! DO IT!"

"NO!" A familiar voice broke through the dispersing crowd. She heard running footsteps and no sooner did she feel warm and heavy hands across her shoulders.

His smell, his touch, His warmth. Haymitch untied her wrists, sore from her struggle and lifted her up into his arms

"Don't you see?! Don't you all see?!" he spat, holding her close against him.

Haymitch then let his eyes wander in disgust. The ones who met his glare, backed away quickly, dipping their heads apologetically until the only one left standing there, as the rain fell down, was the tall man.

"She's already suffered for what she did!" Haymitch began "She's paid her price. THIS is what happens when you betray the capitol, as we all know. This is what happens if you choose to fight back! And fight she did! For us! For you! For every child that she was forced to reap and take from you. She swore an allegiance to us and this is what she suffered. She is on our side!"

"Haymitch- I…I didn't know. I'm sorry, we're sorry"

Haymitch eyed him angrily, his entire body tensed and his blood began to boil. Effie knew that if she wasn't in his arms right now he would be tearing the poor boy to pieces with his knife.

"Please Haymitch….Lets go home" Effie sighed and buried her face into his shoulder. She was shaking quite violently from the cold but so was he, for other reasons.

"This isn't over Adam" Haymitch sneered "I'll be watching you"

He turned his back on him and led Effie away.

Over Haymitchs shoulder Effie watched as Adam slumped to his knees. The sight of it broke her heart. She wasn't angry at him, but she too was not finished with him, for other reasons.

To be Cont…

xxx

What you think? Like, no like? :) RnR xx