Sorry for the delay in updating! I realise it's been a whole month and I feel bad! I've been at work and university so I haven't really had time! But here's chapter 4...let me know what you think :)

Chapter 4

"Can I get you anything to drink, sir?"

A train attendant stood unnervingly close to the half-asleep Haymitch, who sat slumped in his chair, resting his forehead on the window. He waved the offer of a beverage away with a fluid hand gesture and returned his focus to the passing landscape of District 4.

"No problem," the attendant spoke in a strange mixed accent. Was it Capitol and District 6 maybe? Haymitch couldn't tell. "Should you need anything, I am but a call away."

Haymitch nodded without turning towards the attendant, who moved on to the next booth on the train.

How many more districts must they pass through before they reached the Capitol? He hadn't made the journey from 12 in 18 months and he hadn't kept track of the number they'd already passed. His lack of sleep, coupled with his attempt to remain 24hours sober, had made his head feel woozy. He'd boarded the train from 12 at 6am and he was due to arrive in the Capitol at 8pm. He flicked his jacket sleeve so he could see his watch. 4:45pm. Just over 3 hours until he saw her again.

Effie Trinket.

He pondered on what she would look like. Surely she'd look older. What age would she be by now? 33? 34? He remembered she was 12 years younger than he was. He'd very recently turned 45. He did the maths and realised his initial guess of 33 was correct.

Was she still so Capitol, he was forced to squint when he looked at her? Maybe after everything they'd done to her, she'd cast off her former look. He tried to picture what she'd look like under all that makeup. He'd maybe seen her without it at some point during their 6 years working together, but he was too often drunk so he probably wouldn't remember. He'd seen her without it when he'd rescued her, but her face had been so swollen and bruised it was impossible to tell what she truly looked like. He'd often jibed at her about it, saying the only reason she wore so much makeup was to disguise the fact that she was probably horrifyingly ugly underneath. She learned to ignore his comments after a while, merely narrowing her eyes at him and leaving his presence. But maybe he had been wrong. He tried to ascertain whether he was allowed to think she was pretty.

No, he told himself silently, no I am not.

Haymitch awoke to the sensation of inertia as the train pulled to a stop. He rubbed his eyes, pushed himself upright in his seat and glanced out the window. The station was too bright to belong to any of the Districts. He'd arrived in the Capitol.

He scanned the platform with his eyes, looking for Effie. He could see a short figure stood beside the grand staircase to the right of the platform. It was her.

xXx

Effie rested one hand on the banister of the staircase while the other fidgeted with a loose curl in her hair. Haymitch's train was due in at 8pm. Effie arrived, as always, with at least an hour to spare. She'd settled into the train station café for a glass of iced tea upon arrival, before moving over to the staircase to wait at 7:45pm. She'd spoken to Haymitch the night before and they both decided the staircase would be the best place to meet as it was the station's most prominent feature.

Her heart picked up slightly when the train pulled into the station. She has no idea what to say to him when she saw him. She had it all planned out in her head, but it disappeared as soon as she heard the brakes of the train.

She watched as he clambered down onto the platform. Somehow, he looked different. He was thin. Very thin. He wasn't staggering as he walked. And his hair was starting to go grey.

Haymitch gave a lopsided smile the second he saw her and made his was through the crowd towards her.

As soon as he reached her, he was taken aback when she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug.

"What the-" he muttered, awkwardly patting her back before she pulled away.

"It's good to see you, Haymitch," she smiled, before turning on her heel and leading the way out of the station.

Haymitch followed, watching the back of Effie's hair move as she walked in front of him. He recalled it being cut very short after her rescue because it was matted beyond recognition. Evidently, Effie had become very attached to her hair and hadn't cut it again since she left hospital. Her blonde curls now reached beyond her waist.

Effie had stopped wearing wigs since the last time Haymitch saw her. If it hadn't been for her outrageous dress and high heels combination, he may not have recognised her. Her makeup was a lot softer too. He silently reminded himself what he'd decided on the train. He was not allowed to think she looked pretty. This was Effie Trinket, after all.

"You're okay in cars, aren't you?" Effie's Capitol accent broke Haymitch's train of thought.

"Huh?" Haymitch said, suddenly aware she was speaking to him.

"I said are you okay in cars?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" He grumbled.

"I…just asked out of common courtesy," Effie replied, unlocking the door of a small fuschia car and sliding into the driver's seat.

Haymitch climbed into the passenger side and settled into the seat.

"Didn't know you could drive, Trinket," Haymitch glanced over at her and watched as she pulled on her seatbelt.

"Of course," she said, struggling to push the end of the seatbelt into the socket. "Why, it's considered unheard of for a Capitol lady to be unable to drive a motor vehicle.

Haymitch made a sound of assent and turned his attention to the glove compartment in front of him. Inside, he found all manner of things, including a glittering notepad.

He pulled it out and flipped through it.

"Eff?" He said, pausing on a particular page.

"Hmm…HAYMITCH!" Effie cried, almost hitting the kerb as she steered the car out into the road. "Put that back!"

"It's only your schedule, Trinket, don't yell at me."

"It's impolite!"

"Why, will I find something incriminating in here? Wait, who's Jovan?"

Haymitch smirked to himself as he watched the blush creep over Effie's cheeks.

"He's…um…" Effie stuttered.

"Don't tell me," Haymitch smiled. "Boyfriend?"

"Nothing of the sort!"

"Husband, then?" Haymitch noticed the absence of any ring on her finger.

"Actually, he's…" Effie lowered her head slightly. "He's my therapist."

"You spend years driving everyone else mad and now you've finally gone mad yourself, huh?"

"After three years, you still find your ways to get on my last nerve."

"That's my job," Haymitch threw the schedule back into the glove compartment and closed the hatch.

"So," he continued. "No boyfriend, then?"

Haymitch had no idea why he was asking this. It wasn't something he particularly cared about. In actual fact, he himself had found himself paying particular attention to a woman in District 12 for the last 3 months. It was nothing serious, but it felt good just to know someone was there.

"No," Effie replied. "Nothing."

"Hmm."

"What're you asking that for?"

"Nothing. Just thought it'd be awkward me staying in your house if you had some guy wandering around."

"How does Hazelle feel about you staying with me?"

Haymitch's eyes widened in surprise at Effie's question.

"Huh?"

"Katniss told me." Effie smiled, however Haymitch thought it looked forced. "Hazelle Hawthorne. The woman who cleaned your house before the rebellion, yes?"

"Yeah," Haymitch mumbled.

"So what did she say?"

"She doesn't know…"

"Haymitch, that's very impolite of you to not inform her of your absence!"

"Jeez, Trinket, it's nothing serious!" Haymitch was suddenly on the defensive. "I'm not married to the woman. We're just…"

"I won't pry," Effie smirked, taking a left turn and pulling up beside an apartment block.

Haymitch stepped out the car into the bright sunlight and squinted up at the building before him. Yes, he remembered being here once or twice. He thought of the time when Effie had just been rescued and he'd rushed to her apartment to grab some of Effie's possessions for when she woke up. She hadn't known it was him, of course…

Effie typed a 5-digit code into a panel and the door to the building clicked open. Haymitch pulled the door open and stepped back to let Effie in.

"I see my years of teaching you manners has paid off," Effie said, stepping through the door.

"Nah," Haymitch retorted. "Only letting you in first because I don't know where the hell I'm going."

He watched as Effie turned her face towards him and narrowed her eyes, a look that had often graced her face during their time working together. Haymitch smirked, causing her to sigh in exasperation before she stepped into the elevator.

As they stood side by side travelling to the fifteenth floor, Haymitch glanced towards her. She seemed contented, humming slightly as she watched the numbers on the dial going up as they passed each floor.

He took the opportunity to take his first proper look at her for 3 years and immediately wished he hadn't. Peeking out from the neckline of her dress was a scar, running over her collarbone. He could also see another one on her neck where her hair had been swept over one shoulder.

He knew she'd been tortured in the Capitol. He'd seen the marks the day he broke her out of prison. But he didn't know they would scar this bad.

His stomach knotted uncomfortably as he realised this was all his fault. If he'd been more persistent and forceful with her, she would have been safe in Thirteen with him while the rebellion played out across Panem. But he'd grown frustrated with her adamant attitude that nothing would happen to her and he'd allowed her to go home to her apartment in the Capitol. That's where they found her.

His thoughts were brought back to the present moment by the 'ding' of the elevator.

Effie stepped out first and clattered in her high heels towards the white front door of her apartment. She unlocked it and walked inside, gesturing for Haymitch to follow.

"Have you eaten?" Effie said, depositing her bag on the hall table and closing the door behind Haymitch.

"Yeah," Haymitch lied. His discovery of Effie's scars had evaporated his appetite.

"Right," she eyed him suspiciously. "Well, I can show you to your room. You're across the hall from my room, so please be quiet while you're in there. I rather need my beauty sleep."

Haymitch would ordinarily have made some remark about the fact beauty sleep was something she most definitely needed, but he felt out of sorts since the short trip in the elevator.

"Sure," he replied and followed her down the hall.

Effie pushed open the door to where Haymitch would be staying.

"I trust this is okay for you?" She enquired.

"Absolutely," Haymitch smiled, dumping his duffel bag on the chair by the window. "Guess I'd better sleep, then."

"Yes, I bet you're tired,"

Effie surprised even herself by reaching up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek before bidding him goodnight and leaving the room.

Haymitch changed into pyjamas. He sought out his knife from his bag. Even now there were no more Games, his nightmares were still bad as ever. He crawled into bed clutching the handle and waited for sleep to come.

Half an hour later, he was still waiting. Effie had retreated to her bedroom not long after him and he'd heard her quietly creep past his door incase she woke him up. But he couldn't sleep. And that's when he heard it.

Effie's scream from across the hall.

Why was Effie screaming? Is the idea of Haymitch Abernathy being in her apartment too much? Hehehe...I'll try and update in the next couple of days, please leave a review!

Also...the bit about Hazelle and Haymitch...I dunno. They must be pretty similar age. I kinda like them together. NEW OTP? Hayzelle or Hazmitch? Hmm.

Erin x