This story is set in the universe of my own creating. That is to say 'Passion Lends Them Power', 'Dance with Me', 'True Colours' and 'what's in a Name?' happens in the same universe as this. (I need to come up with a name for it, I'm open to suggestions.) But as I've stated previously, I like to keep most stories self-contained, and if you notice the connecting lines/ events; awesome, if not, no drama, hopefully you just enjoy the story.
I've been chewing this idea over since I thought of it during Hayffie week, back when it was just a little drabble of an idea, so hopefully it's alright now that it exploded a little. If something is left sitting in my mind too long I end up never satisfied by the story, so I had to get this out. And hopefully others enjoy it too.
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Effie looked out the train at the familiar landscape flying past. Since the trains were back up and running, access to the Districts had been affordable to more of the public, and that hadn't arrived fast enough in Effie's opinion. It had been far too expensive at the start, and while it wasn't cheap now, things were certainly more affordable. Not that she could afford to be away from the Capitol for too long either.
That was the only thing she missed about her old job as an Escort; the pay made everything readily available to her. But everything else she was more than happy to know it was done away with.
She ran her fingers through the long brown hair belonging to the child that was using her lap as a pillow. It was hard to believe they'd been in her care for three years already.
Three years since the Capitol fell; since her sister and brother-in-law were killed; since she and Haymitch watched their plans go up in smoke with Katniss's sentence announcement; since Effie was given conditional custody of her nephew and niece.
The six year old stirred and rubbed her sleepy green eyes. "Are we there yet Aunt Effie?"
"Nearly. I think Dion would be able to see the skyline," she explained.
The eleven year old sitting opposite started at hearing his name. His blue eyes focused on what he was seeing out the window and he smiled.
"Yeah, you can."
Immediately he moved over so his sister could watch Twelve getting closer as dawn broke before them.
Her green eyes widened in wonder as she pressed her face against the window.
"There's the train station!" Lysandra squealed. "And I can see Uncle Mitch!"
Effie smiled, for some reason Haymitch couldn't seem to understand both Lysandra and Dionysius adore him. They both normally are bouncing off their seats for the train to stop and get to him. She often has difficulty getting some alone time with her District man during their visits. Haymitch tried to pretend he hated it, but Effie knew the truth; he loved their attention.
But today Dionysius was subdued. Suddenly Effie became suspicious. What could have caused him to react like this?
Before she could spare the time to ponder it, the train pulled in at the station and Lysandra was jumping by the door waiting. Effie gathered their bags, Dionysius actually taking his own, and joined the over excited six years old.
As soon as she was allowed the brunette was off the train and running down the platform to where her pseudo-uncle was waiting. Haymitch scooped the lithe girl up and her squeals of laughter could be heard echoing around the deserted station.
"Do you want to go ahead and join them?" Effie asked, seeing the look of longing on Dionysius's face.
"No, I'm okay," he replied, forcing a look of indifference onto his face.
Effie frowned. Where was this coming from?
"Hey Dion," Haymitch greeted, once he was close enough.
"Hi Uncle Mitch," he beamed.
Haymitch ruffled his hair and the boy smiled brightly.
"Sweetheart," Haymitch called, snaking his arm around her waist.
She barely had a chance to smile at him before his lips were on hers. Even now, they avoided too much public displays of affection; it was habit. The kiss was hardly more than a peck but she could feel his longing behind it. His hand was never too far from her back as he guided them towards the station exit.
"So, anything exciting happen lately?" Haymitch asked.
Dionysius gave a non-committal shrug while Lysaandra bouncing next to him eagerly told him all about what's been going on in her class at school. Effie had to suppress a smile at the look on Haymitch's face when they'd walked nearly all the way to Victor's Village without Lysandra pausing in her story-telling.
"Has she paused to take breath?" He muttered.
"She's excited to see you," Effie answered, hiding her smirk.
"Uncle Haymitch, are you listening?"
Haymitch started at the girl's question and fought to keep his face straight as he answered, "Of course, your friend just got a baby brother that he wanted to bring him in to show the class."
"Right, because we had to bring something to class and everyone said his was the best. Even though I brought the bird carving you gave me."
"Oh look there's Peeta. Why don't you let him know all about your friend's baby brother? He loves hearing about that sort of thing," Haymitch suggested.
An excited squeal and her retreating figure was all the response he got.
"Do you want to join her?" Haymitch offered. "I'm sure Katniss isn't far off, she was just checking her snares this morning. I can take your bag."
"Nah," Dionysius refused. "I can manage. And besides I'm sure Lysa will enjoy alone time with them more."
Effie didn't miss that Haymitch was throwing her a look, but she didn't turn to meet his eye. She was too focused on watching Dionysius. He wasn't enthusiastic about anything he normally would talk her ear off about Twelve. Why?
Effie felt Haymitch rest his hand on her hip and gave it a squeeze. That got her attention, and she saw concern swimming in his eyes. Haymitch agreed, something was wrong with the boy.
"Is everything alright, Dion?" she asked softly. "You know we're both here if there's anything you want to talk about."
He didn't answer, but kept looking at his feet. After a tense moment of silence he asked, "Can I go and put my things away in my room?"
"Sure kid. The house is open," Haymitch offered.
Dionysius was off as soon as the words left Haymitch's mouth. The couple watched the pre-teen disappear into Haymitch's house as they continued to walk.
"How long has he been like this?"
"Not long," Effie answered, thoughtfully. "He's been having some problems with some other boys in his class this week. Looking back he might've been a bit withdrawn after school yesterday."
"A bit withdrawn? Sweetheart, that's more than a bit withdrawn!" Haymitch gave her a look of annoyance. "That's what I'd expect from the girl after a bad day."
"I know, but he wasn't that obvious yesterday," Effie countered. "We were busy getting ready to come here, and I assumed he wasn't looking forward to the train ride over night, it is the first time we've done it over night."
They reached Haymitch's house and as soon as she was in the door, Effie place hers and Lysandra's bags down and hugged Haymitch fiercely. He returned the embrace just as strongly. He slowly pulled back, tilted her head with one hand and kissed her like he'd wanted to on the train station.
Effie loved these kisses. She could feel them in every part of her body. Her arms tightened around his chest and waist putting them flush against each other. A deep growl escaped Haymitch and he backed her against the hallway wall and a warm thrill shot through Effie's body at the sound. After a long moment they broke the kiss, resting their foreheads together.
"How long till the hospital is complete?" Effie asked, breathless.
"Too damn long," Haymitch growled attacking her lips again.
They remained lock together for another long moment, before Effie snaked an arm between them, so she could get her answers.
"How long?"
"They're on target, so two- two and a half months," Haymitch answered.
"Three more months," Effie sighed, a mix of relief and exasperation. "Only three more months."
"Still too damn long," Haymitch grumbled.
He stepped back from her when they heard Lysandra and Peeta at the back door and in the kitchen.
"Aunt Effie isn't going to be happy with this mess!" the young girl could be heard loudly stating.
"Shit, the dishes," Haymitch curse and looked guiltily to the kitchen.
Effie chuckled and told Haymitch she was going to take the remaining bags up to their rooms. Give him another couple of minutes to tidy up. He nodded and gave her peck before he disappeared into the rest of the house.
"You've made such a big mess Uncle Mitch."
"Yeah, yeah. You gonna help me kid? I'll give you extra desserts if you do."
She could hear Lysandra eagerly helping to get the dessert while Effie headed up the stairs. After popping her bag in Haymitch's room, she went past Dionysius's room on the way to Lysandra's. Effie thought she heard a muffled noise.
Quickly popping her niece's bag on her bed, she went and stood outside Dionysius's door listening. She heard it again, but this time she could hear what the noise was. He was crying.
"Dion? Sweetie, can I come in?" she asked, knocking on his bedroom door.
She heard him sniffle a few times before he called for her to enter. When she opened the door she saw him standing by his bed, head lowered. Even though he didn't meet her eye she could see he was red and puffy around his eyes and noise. If she hadn't heard him, one look at his face and she would know he'd been crying.
"Oh sweetie, what is it?" she asked, moving quickly to his side and sat on the edge of his bed. "Whatever is the matter?"
"It's my fault, isn't it?" he said looking up.
A few tears escaped and Effie wiped them away as soon as she saw them.
"What's your fault?" she pressed gently.
"I'm the reason you and Uncle Mitch aren't together; because of my appointments with my therapist in the Capitol. It's obvious you both love each other; he stops your nightmares too. If it wasn't for me, you and Lysa would be living here with him," he explained around his tears.
"Sweetie, that's not it." She pulled him into a tight hug, resting his head on her shoulder. "That's not it at all."
"No, Krats is right; everyone would be better off if Uncle Diomedes had killed me when he killed my dad," the boy tearfully confessed.
Effie was shocked; it felt like a bucket of ice washed over her. Fear swept through her at the idea where those thoughts could lead her nephew and quickly transformed in to anger.
"Don't you ever say that again," she snapped. She pulled him back and looked him in the eye. Blue eyes locked with blue; her love shinning out at him. "Don't even think it. You mean too much to many of us; not just me."
His tears had stopped falling as he kept his eyes locked with his aunt.
"How do you think Lysa would be if you weren't here? Or Haymitch? He grumbles for weeks if you two don't get to do whatever it is you do in his shed. You're the first person Katniss has taken into the woods since her sister died."
Dionysius's lips ghosted a smile at the talk of Katniss and the woods.
"Or what about Peeta? Who would show him how to work that new holoimager he got? Not Katniss or Haymitch, certainly not me or Lysa."
He sniffled loudly, and gave her a watery smile at the thought of any of them trying to work out the new holoimager.
"But it is my fault we're not here in Twelve permanently," he retorted, sadly.
"Why we don't live here has nothing to do with your treatment. Yes, Dr Dasnier is based in the Capitol, but he is willing to travel once a month, or even every second month if we move away. I have already spoken to him about it," she explained.
"Then why can't we live here?"
Effie paused, thinking of the best way to explain it to him. She pulled him to sit on the bed beside her, encouraging his head to rest on her shoulder again.
"Do you know how many children live in Twelve now?"
"Um, maybe a dozen," Dionysius answered, uncertain.
"And do you know how many of them where born in another District?" He shook his head. "None. All the children living in Twelve at the moment were either born here, or both their parents are from Twelve," Effie explained.
Dionysius was silent as he thought that over.
"What does that mean?"
"Until Twelve has all the facilities to support and sustain a growing community the government won't approve migration of families with young children to Twelve," Effie explained.
"But it has everything," he mused. "They finished off the Justice Building months ago; so order and protection are here. The new medicine facility is up and running too; that means lots of jobs are available. And they still have the school that used to have all the children of Twelve in it; so education is fine too."
Dionysius had calmed down; his aunt placing a problem before him, he would work through the parts till he found an answer he was satisfied with.
"What about medical care?" Effie asked. "There is only one small clinic in all of Twelve run by two GPs."
"They're building a hospital."
"But it's not finished yet," Effie interrupted. "Until the hospital is finished and staffed there will be no new families moving to Twelve. There was a lot of damage done in a couple of Districts during the war. Ensuring all Districts were liveable was the government's first priority. Now they're looking more closely at making everywhere sustainable."
"Once the hospital is finished, can we move here?" Dionysius asked bouncing in place.
"We will apply for migration to Twelve, yes," she admitted. "But that may still take some time. I don't want you to think as soon as the hospital is finished we can move. It may take a few weeks, even a month for it to be approved."
Dionysius kneeled on his bed facing his aunt a huge smile on his face.
"But in like four, five months we will be living here? For good? I'd never have to live in the Capitol again?"
"Yes," she said with a nod.
Dionysius launched himself at her and gave her a bear hug, grinning.
"Dion, why haven't you told me you're so unhappy in the Capitol?" Effie asked, stroking his hair.
"It's only been since Krats and his friends found out about Uncle Diomedes and what happened to Carissa that things have gotten really bad," he answered with a shrug. "But Tess and Neo have been really good. They've tried to not leave me alone with any of Krats's friends, but they were both away on Friday."
"How do those boys even know the things they do?"
"Echo's father works for the government and they snuck into his office last weekend and read the files about it." Dionysius pulled back from the hug and looked closely at Effie's face. "You're going to yell at his dad when we get back, aren't you?"
"His ears will be ringing for days," Effie answered a malicious glint in her eye.
The pre-teen chuckled and rested his head back on her shoulder.
"I love you Aunt Effie," he whispered.
"And I love you," she replied, kissing his forehead.
The two sat in a comfortable silence before Effie patted his shoulder.
"Come on; let's go see what state Lysa and Haymitch have gotten the mess he calls his kitchen into."
Dionysius jumped up, a smile on his face, but he caught himself in his mirror and looked upset at the signs of crying still around his eyes. His smile faltered.
"Just splash some cold water on it to help bring it down," she suggested, brushing his hair back.
The boy nodded and ran off to the bathroom across the hall. When he came back into the hall grinning he looked better.
"Much better," Effie nodded. She rested her arm across his shoulder as they headed for the stairs. "There's one more thing," she added. "Don't say anything about our applying to move here to Lysa, Peeta or Katniss, please. Haymitch and I want to wait until it's confirmed to say anything. We don't want anyone to get their hope up too high. So till then it needs to stay between us, okay?"
"Okay," he agreed, nodding.
They could hear loud laughter and play yelling coming from the kitchen and when Effie reached the doorway silence fell. Haymitch's annoyed look morphed into fear while Lysandra had stopped mid-laugh at seeing her enter; green eyes widening.
They both knew they were in trouble.
"She started it!"
"He started it!"
They both quickly pointed at the other trying to direct her wrath at the state of the kitchen away from themselves.
There was water everywhere. The sink at least had clean dishes in it, but it was obvious the water was soon put to other use. They were clearly in the middle of a water fight in the kitchen. Haymitch was simply soaked; both his shirt and pants from his chest to his knees were darkened and his hair looked damp too. While Lysandra looked much dryer she had obvious wet patches on her dress, and some of her hair was dripping.
The silence was broken by Dionysius's laugh that echoed in the silent kitchen. Soon Peeta, who was dry as a bone in the corner, joined him. Effie had to bite her bottom lip to not join them.
"Alright enough!" she called, silencing the two laughing boys. "Lysa I want you to mop up this mess, and then dry your dress off outside. Haymitch," she had to bite her lip again looking at him, "go upstairs and change, then you can finish off what Lysa hasn't done."
Without complaint they both quickly went to do as directed.
"I'll help you Lysa," Dionysius offered to his sister following her. "Then you can help me check up on the geese."
"Thanks Dion!"
As soon as she was left alone with Peeta, Effie burst out laughing.
"Who did start it?" she asked once she caught her breath.
"It's hard to say. Haymitch did put a lot of suds in Lysa's hair, but she was dropping dishes into the sink so they'd splash him. It soon escalated after the last dish was washed," Peeta explained.
Her two young charges were back and making quick work of mopping up the kitchen floor.
"What am I to do with them?"
"Love them," Peeta suggested, smiling brightly.
Effie gave a mock exasperated sigh. "I guess."
Peeta laughed and pulled her into a hug. "It's good to see you. It's been nearly three months this time."
"Things couldn't be helped," she smiled tightly. "You're not working in the bakery today?"
"There was an issue with two of the ovens. I've got someone looking at them today; I'll be back in tomorrow."
"All done!" Lysandra called brightly. "Can we go out now?"
Effie nodded, and the two children rushed to the back door. All Dionysius's enthusiasm had returned, and that made Effie smile.
"How much longer till Katniss is back from the woods?" he asked the young man standing in the kitchen.
"She should be back now. I'll go see if she's home. If she's not, I'll take you both to the woods edge to find her," he offered, casting a side glance to Effie. She nodded her agreement to his offer.
"Cool!" Dionysius exclaimed, opening the door for both himself and his sister.
They disappeared out into the yard, Peeta following them, and Effie could hear the geese honking at their approach.
She put away the dishes and then stood by the window watching the two brown haired children take care of Haymitch's pests. Sorry, pets.
A pair of arms snaked around her waist pulling her back to his chest. She grinned as a series of kisses were rained on her neck and she gave a hum of appreciation.
"Dion seems happier," Haymitch noted.
"We had a chat upstairs while you were having your water fight." She turned in his arms and faced him. "I told him about the migration application."
"Ah. Peeta suspects something, but I haven't told him anything. You still want to wait to tell the others, yeah?"
She nodded. Haymitch chuckled.
"What?"
"You've got your mama bear look in your eyes. I feel sorry for who ever had a part in Dion's slump this morning."
"Mama bear?"
"There is nothing more dangerous in nature than a mother bear whose cub is threatened. And someone's hurt one of your cubs."
Effie felt her cheeks flush.
"Oh, because you're indifferent to what happens to them?"
Haymitch shrugged.
"People expect it with me. I've been known to lash out to protect my own. It's always entertaining watching people discover the steel you normally hide." He kissed her nose. "You need my help breaking any noses? You know I love punching guys."
Effie laughed.
"I'll handle it. But I'm sure some boys' time won't go astray this weekend."
Haymitch nodded. "I'll get him to help me with a water tank project I've been looking into."
Effie kissed him. "Thank you."
He shrugged. "They're under my roof; my protection."
"They're your own," she whispered.
He looked past her out the window and she saw the protective steel enter his eyes. He didn't say anything but nodded once. Effie felt her heart race at the look.
"I love you," she whispered.
His eyes immediately met hers. She had to fight a chuckle. He still looked at her surprised when she said it to him. She could see the fight in his eyes. He wanted to say it back; she could see it in both his eyes and actions, but the words always got stuck in his throat.
She pecked him on the lips. She didn't need him to say it.
"Let's join them outside. It's warming up to be a beautiful day. I can't wait for summer to fully hit," she said pulling him to the backdoor. "And just think, we should be living here by then."
Haymitch chuckled. "Then you'll be complaining about the heat. At least in winter I can start a fire for you."
"Oh stop it. In summer I won't mind if you have a water fight; as long as you don't have it in my kitchen."
"It's my house! That means it's my kitchen."
Effie laughed. "I'll call it that when you do more than re-heat something in it."
"I made toast this morning," he protested.
"From Peeta's bread," she easily countered.
He playfully growled at her as he opened the back door.
"Uncle Mitch you didn't tell us the goslings had hatched!" Dionysius called.
Effie watched him go and talk to her nephew about the young his geese now had. This was as much their home as his. This was where they called home; where they felt safest. This was where they belonged.
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AN- Please review and let me know what you think. Also let me know if you feel anything is too OOC. How can I grow and learn without some pointers or corrections? But please no flames, I'm still getting a good feel for 'the Hunger Games' universe. Thanks for reading.