Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. Just playing around with it

Chapter 2

There was frantic knocking on her door. "Eff, Effie! Open the door!"

"One second!" She slipped into her heels and pulled the door open.

Haymitch stumbled in looking severely out of breath. He yanked her hand and dragged her to the viewing room of the penthouse.

Effie wondered what could possibly make this mentor so frantic. After the excitement of the feast, watching Katniss pinned beneath Clove and coming close to dying, Effie didn't think her fragile heart could take it anymore.

He pushed Effie down on the sofa as he stood beside her, back rigid, eyes on the screen.

"Wha- What's going on, Haymitch?" Her voice rising an octave higher.

"The finale, Eff."

"Should we... I mean, shouldn't we be at the Games Headquarters?"

"No, not this late in the game. No sponsors can help them now."

Effie grabbed his hand and pulled him down beside her. His constant pacing and muttering was giving her a headache. They sat beside each other, her hands in his as he gripped it to tame the panic rising in him.

Effie did not want to watch this play out but she could not tear her gaze away, Haymitch's surprisingly warm and gentle hands gripping hers in comfort. But she had to, she supposed. She owed them this much at least, being too helpless to do anything else but rain well wishes from the safety of her room and the comfort of her couch.

She saw, through the screen of the large TV, the emergence of Cato from the woods, sprinting towards the star-crossed pair. Katniss fired an arrow that sped unerringly towards Cato's chest, only for her to be shocked when it was turned back so easily by the armor that Cato had obtained from his pack at the feast.

Bracing for the inevitable onslaught from Cato, Effie was surprised to see Cato speeding past both his opponents, only to see the reason for his sudden and hasty departure from the safety of the woods: the savage and monstrous wolf muttations hot on his heels; the creations of the Gamemakers that mocked the dead by resembling closely each of the tributes that had been killed earlier in the Games, indeed wearing even a collar that identified which tribute they were based upon. Effie thought she could identify Glimmer and Foxface, Rue and even Thresh.

The wolf creatures, Effie saw, had 4-inch long razor sharp claws that promised to reduce any being unfortunate to be caught within their grip to shreds of meat, unidentifiable to all, adding another source of worry for her, another few wrinkles showing in her immaculate make up.

The District 12 pair ran for their lives, chasing after Cato in a bid to avoid the deadly mutts. As they scaled up the Cornucopia, Effie let out a strangled scream through her fingers as she saw one of the mutts had managed a huge jump and attacked Peeta who was trying to climb up the Cornucopia. Katniss above him desperately drew out one of her remaining arrows and loosened it on the mutt, freeing Peeta, who climbed past her and rolled onto the surface of the Cornucopia.

In their efforts to avoid being brutally murdered by the wolf creatures, they had fatally forgotten Cato, who was still their biggest threat alive. Effie watched in absolute horror as Cato stunned Peeta and put him in a headlock, strangling the last remaining breath out of him.

Effie watched as Katniss notched an arrow to her bow with practiced ease, with only a warning that a shot from her would send both Peeta and Cato to their deaths staying her trembling hand. Cato then began a rant justifying his murderous advance through the Games, stating his desire to bring honour and glory to District 2 by winning the Games and doing what he knew best: killing. Not for the first time, Effie let loose a turbulent tirade of colourful insults at the inventor of the Games for forcing these children to murder each other, all in the name of entertainment, in her mind, of course. God knows, their penthouse was probably bugged.

Out of breath and almost out of options, Peeta drew an X on the back of Cato's palm and a moment later, Peeta saw an arrow rocket towards him and pierced Cato, right where he had marked it with his own blood. Effie watched, stunned as Cato released a gasping Peeta and fell towards the growling, waiting mutts below. Cato tried to fend off the attack from the mutts in turn, bringing his sword up to defend himself before disappearing from view.

Effie did not know how long she sat there, beside Haymitch, watching for what must have seemed like endless hours before she heard a bloodied Cato begging, ironically for mercy. She saw Katniss, being moved enough to investigate, lay on the lip of the Cornucopia, finding a savaged Cato lying on the ground. Effie felt only mercy as she saw Katniss remove her last arrow and mercifully end his suffering with an arrow through the skull.

As Claudius Templesmith announced that he had revoked his earlier rule, a speechless Effie stood in silence as Haymitch jumped to his feet and swore angrily. He flew into a rage, throwing everything he could grab against the wall.

Effie was on her feet watching in absolute horror as Katniss and Peeta stood facing each other with nightlock in their hands, threatening to die by their own hands so there would be no victors for 74th Hunger Games.

"Stop! Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, I am please to present the victors of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark! I give you- the tributes of District Twelve!" bellowed the voice of Claudius Templesmith.

Effie gave a shriek of joy and ran towards Haymitch who had a plate in his hand and was in the midst of throwing it when the announcement was made.

She didn't know what came over her but she threw her arms around Haymitch's neck and started laughing and crying in joy before resting her head just below his chin.

She heard the plate crashed to the floor before she felt Haymitch's arms slowly wrapping around her. She looked up to him and he was staring back at her, grinning.

"They did it, huh, princess?" he said quietly. He dipped his head, cupping her porcelain face in his hands and his lips met hers in a soft kiss.

Effie was surprised and stood there stiff as a board, her mind racing and trying to register the fact that Haymitch was kissing her.

She parted her lips after awhile and dear God, he tasted of alcohol. Effie never thought that she would like it - but alcohol on Haymitch Abernathy never felt so right.

She'd dreamt of this before, kissing Haymitch, in the privacy of her mind and it was better than what she had previously imagined it to be. His lips were soft.

He broke off the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers. She brushed a strand of hair away from his face, her hand eventually coming to a rest on his cheeks.

"We'd better go and see them." he said as he slowly pushed her away from him, trailing his hands down her arms, smiling gently at her. He held her hand and gave it a soft tug, "Come, Effie."

"Haymitch, wait - the kiss we, I mean what about ..." she trailed off. Her eyes darted away from Haymitch's, unsure how to go about with the conversation.

He turned & faced her. "We'll have time to talk. Later. Now, Katniss and Peeta - they need us, sweetheart. The stunt they pulled-" he tried explaining.

Effie silenced him with a peck on his lips, tugging his hand that held hers towards the door, "Let's go, then."

As they stepped out the door they let go of each other's hands and walked to meet their victors.

They would have time for whatever it is going on between them later.

Once again, a huge thank you, to my beta, Capo for your help with the fighting scenes in this chapter :)

Thanks for reading!