Hi dear readers! I'm excited about this fanfiction. I hope you are regards to the setting of this fanfiction it's set during Mockingjay of course and story will reflection events occurred during the trilogy. Thank you for reading! Enjoy! :D

Day 1 –Heading Home

Effie and I are at the station. She couldn't let me go without a goodbye of course. Everything about changed her apart from her bubbly personality. She's not the Effie from the Reaping or the Quarter Quell. Her face is glowing, shimmering under the afternoon sun and her eyes sparkle with blossom pink. There are no bold, theatrical colours on her. Her hair twisted into this bun at the top. It's beautiful. I've never seen her like that. I know she's Effie alright but the transformation is just astounding really. So this is the real Effie.

Life as she knew it is gone. I feel sad for her. So much has changed since the last time we were together. We are all changed but we're still here while others aren't. I can sense that's where our thoughts linger.

"Your so strong my dear, so strong. You and Katniss you've had so much pain." She brushes the tears away with her finger, "while I know it'll never go away. I hope. I hope that from the pain and the ashes something new will be forged. I believe in you. I'm always rooting for you, my two little victors."

She regards me with her head tilted to the side. "I guess your not so little any more. You're grown and yet to me. To me you'll always be my two little darlings. You know. My two little love birds. You go home and you love her. You just give her those strong arms of yours and we'll walk right into them. Or just sweep her into your arms."

I shake my head. I'm not so sure any such thing can happen. Who knows what state Katniss is in and if she even wants to see me?

"My dear Effie, knows what she's talking about. Just you listen with those perky ears of yours."

She has a real sense of humour. I wonder if Haymitch knows this Effie. I guess not but I think he'd like her. I have a nudging feeling he'd enjoy it and this Effie, post-war Effie too. Actually, I think he'd like her a lot. I'll have to do something about it. I have plenty of days ahead of me.

"So the plan is you go home and you show her that the sun still shines outside the doors of her house. You have to get her to see it, feel it."

I frown at her. On the surface her words are gentle, subtle but the implication is there. Katniss isn't well. She's lost hope. I guess she's lost in the landscape of devastation. It's been months. I've been here all this time and I've had no contact with her. No contact whatsoever.

"Haymitch he does what he can. He's set in his ways, it's the only thing he knows." She ringtails around the truth I can tell, being cautious. This is true but there's more she isn't telling me.

"We threw him off" I say which makes her laugh. It's nice to hear. I don't recall hearing it before. Maybe it's gone from my memory.

"You'll try wouldn't you?" She gives up trying to stop her tears.

"Of course I wouldn't" I don't say maybe that wouldn't even be enough but i know it would just distress her even more to hear it.

"I'm always here. Please. Reminder."

"Oh Effie. Of course we will. I can speak for myself that I'll be in touch regularly and update you. And not just because you have access to things in the Capital but because I'd like to say we are more then friends, more then a team but a family. A dysfunctional one but a family nevertheless." She gasps out and starts sobbing even harder.

"You think of me as family? That's the most wonderful thing anyone has said to me. You sweet boy."

"We love you Effie. I'm sorry that you're being left alone. That I'm leaving too now."

She jest fully slaps my shoulder. "Oh sweet, sweet boy. I guess I'm. I'll miss you all. But you're all alive and I'm grateful for that. Ever so grateful. I'll greatly miss Cinna and Portia. They were such a talented duo. Cinna was such a talented, such a courageous man. A real loss not just to the world, to those that loved them – to us. He had so much more to give. They both did. I'm truly sorry they aren't with us today. That they'd never see the future. Their deaths made this new world possible." I pull her into a hug. This woman right here has treated me better then my mother and I can't help but feel sad leaving her.

While I board the train to go home I'm also heading into the unknown. I haven't been home in months. I know the district is in devastation and the bakery is gone. My home, the place where I spent my youth it's gone. Just gone.

I'm sad to leave Effie in this world that is so broken, ravished and a city of rumble so distant from the place she knew. We are all broken. Previously it was Katniss, Haymitch and I that were broken now Effie is part of our collective, she's joined us. Whether she likes it or not she didn't get a choice. I really do love her and just like that I start to cry. My tears hit her shoulders.

"I don't want to spoil your top."

"Hush. None of that talk. Who knows when I'll see you again."

"You will Effie."

We part and she checks the train schedule.

"It'll be here anytime now, my darling. Whisking you away from me."

"You're strong Effie. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise."

She blushes. "I wouldn't. Don't forget our talk when you get home."

"I wouldn't I promise." She smiles at me.

"These are just some little tiny things for my victors."

"Oh Effie you shouldn't have."

"It just wouldn't do and I couldn't let you board that train with nothing. Just the shiver though gives me chills my dear."

I chuckle as I hug her once again. I wouldn't miss the capital but I'll miss Effie. Who thought I would be saying that. To miss Effie the escort of the district twelve tributes. She's no longer an escort and we've all done things we aren't proud of – things that we had to do that haunt is. I can't hold it against her. I know nothing about the life she had, the choices that lead her here. I do know that it was a world where we had choices, which really weren't much choice's at all really. She presents me with a bag of presents. I take it from her and smile. She's got a beautiful smile I wonder if Haymitch has noticed. A plan to keep me busy someday soon.

The train pulls into the station and she kisses my forehead. This simple affectionate gesture makes me feel like a little kid. My own mother never did this. Oh I'll miss Effie greatly with her constant schedules, bossiness and cheerfulness – as well as spirit.

"What I'm going to do without you to so far way?"

"I promise we'll keep you busy. One day or another."

She laughs at that and something bursts in my chest. Maybe we'll all be alright. I can hope.

I board the train, Effie' standing on the platform watching one of her victors leave. How things have changed. There's just Effie to say goodbye to me and there's not a camera in sight for this victor. I thank my lucky stars that this is the case. I leave my bags and go to the window to wave goodbye to her. A memory flashes in my mind of standing at the train window waving. I'm standing there smiling, a young boy smile. I know it's the first train, seeing the capital and waving to the crowd awaiting us. I wave at Effie.

The train starts to pull away. Everything is exactly how I remember it, just like entering another world. It's comforting though. With all that has changed around me this one like thing is a great comfort. An anchor to the life I had before.

A life that was real and grim. I wonder what's expecting me when I get back home.