And I'm back! I hope you liked the little cliffhanger I left you with - judging by the reviews, it seems you all did! As always, thank you so very much for the visits and the reviews - I had very little internet while I was gone (I was up in Scotland for a few days then in London for a night to catch a show), but I could check my email and I was touched to see that, even while I was on break, I was still getting favorites and reviews! Thank you all so very much!

Effie was tired of hearing the same lecture. It seemed, whenever Aulus could bring the subject up, he did. Over coffee. After sex. On the telephone when she was trying to do actual work. The worst was when it happened at dinner and when they were with his friends.

It seemed that he took every opportunity to scold her like a child.

"And I asked Effie if she had control over the man - I'm sorry - I can't even call him that. He's more animal than man." Aulus let out a laugh that echoed around the table from the rest of the guests.

"She shouldn't be able to let him leave the premises. What were you even thinking, Effie dear?"

"Aulus, I -"

"It hardly matters now, though - does it? One perfectly fine suit ruined. I hope he got his comeuppance."

What Aulus meant was that he hoped the very strongly worded complaint he filed against Haymitch was successful in somehow punishing the mentor. Of course, there was nothing the Capitol would do - or even could do. Haymitch Abernathy had nothing on earth to lose by his actions. And the Capitol couldn't take away what didn't exist.

That's not to say Haymitch didn't suffer some consequences. Besides being belted with tirades by all sorts of officials - he also had to deal with an absolutely livid Effie, who, several months later, could barely remember what exactly she was shouting at him. Whatever it was though, she knew came from fear of Aulus than actual anger at Haymitch.

And she would never admit that sometimes, when she was alone, she thought about Haymitch and Aulus and laughed. But then, Peacock always gave her a funny look.

"Aulus, I know it was terrible," Effie said on their ride back to her flat, "but why are you always bringing it up? It was months ago. And the best thing to do is forget. If you keep bringing it up to your friends, they'll tell their friends, and everyone will still remember and do you know how hard it will be to find sponsors?"

"Oh, Effie, you know sponsors for your District are just idiots who want to waste money on some friend's insane bet. No one is ever serious with District Twelve."

"I am," Effie said. "It's my District."

Aulus laughed. "Your District?"

"You know what I mean, Aulus. I am its representative and you are not helping me keep a very good image."

"Darling," Aulus chuckled, "you have a wonderful image. You can ask anyone. You're pretty. You're fashionable. You're everything we love. It's not you that's tarnishing your … dear District. It's that drunk. Tarnishing Districts and tarnishing suits."

Effie shook her head. "Maybe if you knew -"

"Are you taking his side?"

"No, Aulus. Of course not. I just wish you would have common manners and not treat me like a child in front of your friends."

"A child?" Aulus reached over and put his arm around Effie. He kissed her neck. "You're not a child."

Effie pushed him away. The car came to a stop.

When Aulus made to get out of the door with Effie, she turned. "Not tonight," she said.

"Are you actually angry with me?" Aulus asked.

"Right now? Yes. Because you treated me rather rudely at dinner. Because you don't take my job seriously. It isn't just a status role, Aulus. It's a job. And you're making it difficult."

"If I'm making it so difficult - marry me and quit it. You know you'd never have to work a day in your life again."

Effie's eyes grew wide. "Marry you? Are you proposing?"

Aulus sighed and pushed his way out of the car. He went into his pocket and took out a small box.

"I was going to. Properly. With manners, as you would say."

Effie stared at the box. She didn't want to open it. But Aulus did that for her.

Inside was a large ring - gaudy and sparkly. She knew years ago it would have made her likely faint. It was so … 'in.' But all she saw now was the true stink of the Capitol.

Aulus was about to get down on one knee, but Effie stopped him. "Don't, Aulus. Don't."

"Are you turning me down?"

Effie felt exasperated. "No. I'm not turning you down. But I'm not saying 'yes.' It's been a very long night and I'm very tired. And this is a big big decision and -"

Aulus cut her off with a kiss.

"Think about it," he said. "Say yes and you can live without the worry of some idiot ruining your clothing."

Effie let him kissed her again before leaving. She watched the car disappear down the road. She didn't know what to think.

"Say 'yes,'" Hyacinth said as she spooned sugar into her tea. "It will get you out of this work. It's a good excuse. You could go back to sleeping at night."

"I'd never go back to sleeping at night - you don't just forget."

"You're thinking of saying 'no' - aren't you?"

Effie's silence answered that question.

"Why?"

"Because," Effie said, lowering her voice. "Because if I leave and marry Aulus, someone has to take my place. I'll be … sentencing someone to go through what we go through and I can't do that. I already send children to their death. I couldn't -"

"It would be the last life -"

"Hyacinth, this is awful, terrible talk," Effie said, resting her head in her hands. "If someone is going to pick names every year from District Twelve it is going to be me. Because I know that I'll do my best to give those children a chance - and who says that the person who'd follow me would do the same?"

Hyacinth stirred her tea thoughtfully. "It's your decision. Either way, you'll be unhappy."

"I've been coming to realize I've been unhappy for longer than I thought."

"It's the haze of living in the Capitol. It is all sunshine and daffodils until you're able to see reality. And some never do. Do you want my advice?"

Effie didn't ask for it, but Hyacinth went on anyway.

"Say 'yes' - but don't give up the job, if that's what you want. He can't force you. And at least you'll have a distraction to come home to. Even if Aulus isn't the man of your dreams - he's still a man. You could do worse."

That evening, sitting at home alone with Peacock pawing at her shoes, Effie stared at the jeweled box that Hyacinth had given her only a couple of years ago to help her sleep. She turned it over between her fingers and shut her eyes.