(A/N - I do not own The Hunger Games Trilogy or the characters in any way; all rights are reserved to Suzanne Collins)

Phone Call

It had been three years since Effie had last seen her parents. Three years since that one argument had torn her and her parents apart from each other. The disagreements, the different beliefs, and the seemingly innocent revolutionary she had become – all three her parents seemed to despise her for.

Which, was now why she stood staring at the phone off its cradle, the curling of the lead catching her attention as she followed it from the phone into Haymitch's hand. Looking up, she caught the smirk that twitched his lips.

"I can't do this Haymitch," she admitted, although her voice was quiet and rather weak.

"You're just calling your parents," Haymitch retorted, the smile not fading, "How bad can it be?"

Her mind drifted back to the day she cut them off completely.

"No daughter of mine will become a traitor of this great country! If you leave now, Effie, you are no longer my daughter, no longer part of this family!" Her father's words were harsh, and the fact her mother agreed with every word, hurt her more than she could say.

"It's bad," she muttered back to Haymitch, her eyes still on his face, although he reached out the phone to her, causing her to step back.

"Effie," Haymitch sighed.

She shook her head in reply, still stepping backwards as if the phone in her Husband's hand would hurt her. "You don't understand," she fought back; "We're finished!"

Haymitch rolled his eyes and placed the phone back down rather harshly to Effie's surprise. "Effie, listen to me," came Haymitch's calm response. "Look at me, and listen to me."

The woman whose back was against the wall once again connected her eyes with Haymitch's, a long sigh leaving her. "Why are you making me do this?"

Haymitch gave a sudden smile, but it fell from his lips as quickly as it came, and he ran a free hand through his hair. "You have more people but me that care about you, Effie. More people who love you and need you in their lives. What was said, it was said in anger, not because they hated you."

But it didn't convince the ex-escort who was now staring at the floor. "Well, they sure made me feel like that."

"I've lost everyone, Effie, my mother, my father, my siblings. Everyone who cared for me is dead and because of one man. Don't let your parents become dead to you, Effie, not when your relationship can be salvaged."

The guilt trip made Effie somewhat angry. It was Haymitch and his idea of making Katniss the Mockingjay in the second Quarter Quell that had caused the anger between a family unit. But she couldn't blame him for what had happened, she didn't have it in her, nor had she believed it to have been for a bad cause. She was angry with what one man had cost her.

"They hate me, Haymitch," Effie whispered, all strength in her voice lost.

"Not as much as they hate themselves, Effie."

She watched in apprehension as he took the phone off its cradle and held it out to her again. She was scared, but she was thoughtful. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"Haymitch," Effie whispered again.

"Take it!" he answered, his voice urgent. Effie obliged and although her hand shook almost violently, she managed to grasp the phone in her hand, holding it to her ear and pausing. "Well go on then," Haymitch urged, again.

Her other hand shook just as much and she had trouble dialling the numbers. Third time lucky, Effie was ready to place the phone back down when a voice she hadn't heard for three years echoed in her ear.

"Hello?" It was her mother, the woman who had brought her into this world. The woman who said she'd love her forever when she was a child. For a moment she was suspended in doubt. Could she do this? "Hello?" The woman repeated.

And taking in a deep breath, she replied. "Mother, it's me."

She was prepared for the rejection, but that moment of doubt in her mother's place was enough to reattach some of those broken links, because in the moments of silence, both women had regained their bravery, and when the spoke, their words clashed.

"I'm sorry," both said at the same time. And although both voices were shaky the emotion was raw. Effie looked to Haymitch and he smiled kindly at her.

Sometimes she wondered where she would be now without him.

A/N – A little one-shot, maybe a two-shot. I always thought her parents would be angry with Effie is she ever chose the rebellion/Haymitch over them/The Capitol.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! If so, Please Review!

Thanks, Katie1995. :)