I thought of this while watching one of those cheesey LMN movies. It was about a divorced couple who had each remarried and had kids with their new spouse, but had a daughter with each other. The different thing is they at the end of the movie they realized they still loved each other but that's obviously not going to happen. Anywho, here it goes.
Family
It was heard down the halls, out the back door and into the backyard, where he was tending to the geese absentmindedly. At first, it sounded like screams and he was absolutely terrified for her. He didn't seem to be able to run fast enough, scrambling to get into the house. But as the sound grew louder and closer, he was able to slow down. Laughter. Katniss Everdeen-Abernathy was laughing.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he makes his way into the bedroom where he had heard her chortles. When he turns the corner into their room, he is almost surprised to see Katniss red-faced, clutching at her sides in laughter. She's sitting at their little desk, the face-to-face chat device hooked up and broadcasting Johanna's disgusted face on their wall.
"Glad to see you're okay, Princess," he sighs, lifting her from her seat and sitting down. She just claims the spot in his lap – still laughing, mind you – and he slinks his arms around her midsection, looking at her fondly. He hadn't seen Katniss laugh this hard since… since never, really.
"What's so funny?"
"Johanna was just telling me the adventures of Portia and Finn… the kids put ice in her underwear and… oh god. They pranked her so well."
"Why is that funny?" Haymitch asks, quirking his eyebrow at Johanna. In the background of the chat he could see Portia and Finnick in their respective corners, obviously put into time out by Johanna. "Tell my little girl I'm proud, by the way."
"I will not. And I don't know why birdbrain here thinks it's so funny. It's not. It's gross and evil and… I'm going to murder the little buggers."
"Please, have your way. Maybe Effie'll shut up about 'Portia's gracelessness' and her 'scowling abilities'. I can't help it the kid doesn't like dresses, hell maybe the dresses are too outrageous for her little mind to comprehend," he chuckles. Portia turns around at the sound of her father's voice and Johanna glares pointedly at the blonde who had turned from her corner.
"What do you want, kid?" Johanna snaps. There is the muffled reply and large gray eyes before Johanna rolls her own eyes and beckons her over. "Your little girl wants to say 'hey'." Katniss moves from Haymitch's lap so he can get a good view of his little girl and goes downstairs for something to drink.
Portia's blonde hair is pulled tightly into two perfect pigtails – Effie's doing, no doubt – and a pair of square-framed glasses placed on her nose. She smiles and waves her fingers at her father, and he smiles and waves back.
"Hi daddy! I miss you!"
"I miss you too, ladybug. Are you being good for Mommy and Peeta?" At the mention of her District Four parents – she called Effie and Peeta her District Four parents, and Haymitch and Katniss were the Twelve parents – Portia shakes her head and her pigtails bob.
"I can't do it no more! Mommy won't let me play with the boys at school or wrestle with Finnick! She puts my pigtails too tight and I always have to sit with my legs criss-cross applesauce. Can I come visit Twelve?"
"I dunno… you have to ask Katniss to see if it's okay. And you have to check with Mommy and Peeta too. But I say alright. I'm sure Auntie Jo and Grandma Everdeen can use a break, no?"
"Yay! Thanks daddy!"
"Why are we thanking daddy?" Katniss asks, returning with glasses of water. "What did daddy do?"
"Portia wants to come visit us here in Twelve. I said she has to ask all four of her parents before I can send for her."
"I don't mind. I love having Portia visit," Katniss says with a smile. Haymitch grins at her before turning back to the small holographic screen.
"Hear that, ladybug? Sweetheart here said you can come visit! Just check with Mommy and Peeta okay? I don't want them upset with you."
"Okay, I'll go ask them right now! I love you daddy!"
"I love you too, ladybug. Have a good day and be good for everyone."
"Alright daddy, bye! Bye Katniss, I love you!"
"Love you too, honey." The screen clicks off after that, without another word from Johanna or Portia. Haymitch turns to Katniss and lifts her, her giggles emanating through their large room.
"Haymitch Abernathy put me down this instant!" He tosses her on the bed and crawls over her, pressing hot kisses to her mouth and collar bone.
"I don't know what about you being so motherly gets me all hot and bothered," he sighs, bringing her mouth back to his with forcefulness. When he pulls away they are swollen and red, and she looks out of breath.
"Oh now you've done it, Abernathy."
- Two Weeks Later
Haymitch and Katniss arrive in Four not long after to pick up and escort the young girl back to their home District for the next two months. Usually these trips and their length were decided by the young child herself. Sometimes Effie became too overbearing and she would go stay with Haymitch for a few weeks, but when she got sick of hearing Katniss and Haymitch's screams at night every night, she would go back to her mother.
But Portia had been staying at the Trinket-Mellark residence for a total of a year now, face chats and phone calls being the majority of their interaction. The only reason why he had waited so long to pick her up was because she had started school that year and he didn't want to interfere. But it was summer now, and she could come and stay.
When they arrive the house, the loud wails of a baby pierce through the atmosphere. Oh right. Rye Mellark, the new baby.
"Haymitch! Katniss! I'll go get Portia, have a seat," Effie says, smiling broadly. She does look tired, but she's never looked happier as well. "You're awfully late, I didn't think you would be here. Portia, honey, your daddy is here!"
There is a loud gasp from upstairs and a few heavy thumps before there is his daughter's heavy weight in his arms. Arms wrap tightly around his neck and he breathes in the sweet scent of her honey and vanilla shampoo.
"Hey ladybug!" He says, holding her writhing body. He glances down at her outfit, made of tattered jeans and a plaid shirt.
"Daddy! I didn't think you were going to come!"
"Yeah, well, I had to go visit Auntie Annie and Johanna first so sorry. But I'm here now, are you ready?"
"Mhm!"
"She certainly is not," Effie snaps, holding up a dress and shoes. "She's been cleaning her room all day in those clothes; she will wear only her dress and flats."
"She's going to spend the entire summer climbing trees and chasing geese anyways, I don't see why she needs dresses."
"She's a… oh fine, whatever. Okay, Portia go say goodbye to Peeta and then you and your daddy can go." Portia nods and jumps from her father's arms, rushing to go find Peeta so she could hurry and go to District 12.
Effie smiles after her, but when she's out of sight, the atmosphere changes to awkward.
"So… how's the baby?" Katniss offers.
"He's great," Effie grins, welcoming the small talk. "He's perfectly healthy and everything. We named him after Peeta's brother, even though it's tradition where I'm from to not follow a namesake. No matter, he's a sweetheart, like his father. He's never too fussy… oh, he's a darling."
"I'm sure he'll break all the pretty girls hearts one day," Haymitch says, cracking a grin. He wouldn't let Katniss or Effie hear it, but he did still care for the ex-Capitolite quite a bit. She was, after all the mother of his child and his first one true love. She was important to him, maybe not as a lover anymore but certainly as something. To see her happy lifted a weight from his shoulders that he didn't know was there.
"Yes, I suppose. That's just what worries me." As she says the words, Portia comes bounding out of the study with a large, rainbow-colored, stuffed unicorn. Haymitch raises his eyebrow but says nothing more, welcoming his daughter back into his arms.
"Did you tell Peeta bye?" Katniss asks. Portia bobs her head, toying with the mane on her unicorn. A very neon blue mane, Haymitch notes. He really hoped all of her clothes weren't as bright.
"You tell him you love him?" Effie adds mindlessly. Portia nods her head enthusiastically, wriggling in Haymitch's arms. He knew she was eager to go.
"Well I guess we can go then," Haymitch smiles. Katniss sees her opportunity and is already halfway out the door, calling back a 'race you to the station' to Portia. The young blonde, not one to be outdone, quickly bolts from her father's arm and out the door after her step-mother, her giggles still heard even after she passes the Victors Village gates.
"I'll see you in two months," Haymitch nods. Effie agrees before enveloping him in a hug. When she pulls away, tears are brimming in her eyes.
"It's good to see you happy, Haymitch. It suits you."
"You too, princess," he says, winking. Effie sees him to the door but doesn't go further than that, seeing as she has to stay and help Peeta look after the baby. Haymitch has to hurry and run to catch up to Katniss and Portia, so he gives a rushed goodbye. Still, he spares one last glance at Effie as he jogs away and can't help but feel as if she's still part of his family. His very large, very loving family.