Chapter 21 : Gone In Three Days

Haymitch kept on scribbling on the piece of paper he had snatched from Effie's notebook while she wasn't looking, trying to make it readable. His penmanship, as his escort had often pointed out over the years, was atrocious. Having less than steady fingers wasn't exactly helping with that.

He was vaguely listening to the banter the kids were exchanging over their breakfast, something about how Katniss could have lived on hot chocolate alone…

Effie was uncharacteristically withdrawn. She was sitting between him and the boy and she had been stirring her coffee for the past fifteen minutes, a yoghurt opened and forgotten in front of her. She was staring into space.

Haymitch glanced at her from time to time but didn't try to engage her in conversation. She had cried the previous night and it had been very awkward – mostly because it had happened right after he had made her climax with his mouth. He had tried to comfort her but nothing he had said had worked. She had run from the room and had only returned hours later, smelling of cigarettes and tasting like white wine.

He wasn't sure where she had gone. Two's floor maybe. It seemed Two's escort wasn't doing well either, the dark bags under Valeria's eyes were visible despite the heavy make-up.

She had hold on longer than he had thought. The last day of Training… It meant he would be gone in three days and that… He wasn't sure how to help her accept that. He was barely accepting it himself.

"Have you decided what you would do for your private sessions?" Effie asked suddenly, putting an effective end to the light mood.

"I don't know." Katniss shrugged casually, leaning over the table to steal Peeta's untouched toast.

"Perhaps you should take this more seriously, then." their escort snapped, surprising everyone. "Those scores could make all the difference and yet, here you are, without a single care in the world."

"Without a single care in the world?" the girl repeated with a sneer.

He and Peeta exchanged a look.

The boy cleared his throat. "Maybe, we should…"

"I do not see you committing, Katniss." Effie hissed. "Ever since the Reaping…"

"Sorry I'm not the perfect victor you dreamed about." Katniss spat. "You want me to be more like Enobaria, maybe? You want me to say how awesome it is to go back?"

"I never claimed anything of the sort!" she retorted.

"Then what are you saying?" the girl snorted. "How do you want me to commit?"

"Perhaps you could stop pretending Haymitch is not going to die to save your life, for a start!" Effie scowled, her voice rising and her accent becoming even sharper. "Perhaps you could stop being selfish and realize that what you do matters! Perhaps you could take a minute to think about what you are going to show the Gamemakers instead of joking about hot chocolate like it is the most important thing in the world right now!"

Her words were followed by a heavy silence. Peeta was rubbing his forehead and staring at his plate. Katniss and Effie were glaring at each other. And Haymitch… Haymitch wasn't quite sure how to react.

He railed in his instinctive annoyance, signed the letter and folded it in four, aware that not addressing the issue would not solve anything but not sure anything he could say would make it better either.

Effie was losing it.

He had known it would happen eventually but he had selfishly hoped she would only collapse once he was gone. He didn't know how to do this. She was the strong one. Always had been.

She was the one who kept them all together, who insisted on hoping until the very last second…

He didn't know how to do that.

"I never asked Haymitch anything." Katniss snarled. "I never asked anyone anything. I don't need anyone. I don't…"

"Oh, will you stop!" Effie cut her off sharply. "I know you suffered in the past, Katniss, but you are so… entitled."

"I am entitled?" The girl almost started laughing. "You're calling me entitled?"

"Let's not go there." Haymitch warned firmly. "'Cause the way I see it, you're both behaving like brats right now."

"I never asked you anything." Katniss spat, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Never. It was your choice to go and get whipped for me. Or to do… whatever. I didn't ask you to do anything for me. All I said was we needed to keep Peeta out. I didn't ask you to protect me. That's not on me."

"Do you even hear yourself?" Effie shouted, half rising from her chair, and the kids both recoiled because it was the first time they had seen her so… angry. Her composure was gone, the mask was off… "You are an ungrateful little…"

He slammed his fist on the table and she fell silent.

Everyone fell silent.

"Sit down, sweetheart." he demanded. "And try to remember you're a lady, yeah? You're so fond of reminding us we're the ones without manners, it'd be a shame for you to start acting barbaric."

Effie glared at him but she did sit back down, properly chastised. Her cheeks were visibly flushed under the white powder.

"My apologies." she said at last, with a clipped voice. "You are right. I did not mean to lose my temper. I simply think it would not be remiss to show some commitment to this team."

"Maybe I should hang a dummy and paint Crane's name over it. It sure would make an impression. Or maybe I can burn it and write Cinna on it instead. That's commitment enough for you?" Katniss sneered.

Effie let out a shocked gasp and hastily looked up as if searching for the bugs. Panic was written all over her face. Panic and sadness. That was a low blow. "How do you even… Who told you about Seneca? How can you… You cannot say those horrible things, Katniss!"

"Good riddance." the girl insisted. "From all the people the Capitol killed, Crane was the worst."

"Now, that's unfair and absolutely…" Effie started, her eyes bright with tears. Her voice broke and she stormed out before she could completely lose her composure.

Peeta let out the breath he had been holding as soon as she was gone. "That wasn't nice, Katniss."

"She's the one who attacked me!" the girl said defensively. She didn't look quite at ease, though. Haymitch supposed she knew she had crossed a line. "And how was I supposed to know she loved Crane so much?"

She could be so stupid sometimes.

Haymitch pocketed his letter and stood up, glaring at the girl. "It's not about you or Crane. It's the whole thing. She's upset."

"Upset by what?" she scoffed. "The possibility we don't get perfect scores?"

He shook his head at her. "You're so clueless, girl. Must be nice to be you, not care whose feelings you hurt."

"Haymitch." Peeta reproached.

He waved his hand and left the boy to explain or to elude. He didn't quite care about who knew what anymore.

Effie wasn't in her room so he headed up to the roof, not really surprised to find her sitting on the ground with her back to the wall and an unlit cigarette in her hand. The lighter and the packet were lying a few feet away where they had obviously been tossed in frustration.

She looked up at him, her cheeks bathed in tears, clear pinkish tracks in the white powder, and he sighed.

He sat next to her and simply embraced her when she crawled on his lap like a child. She buried her face in his neck and he rubbed her back while she cried, propping his head against the wall at his back, watching the blue sky overhead.

"You were unfair." he told her once the sobs turned to hiccups.

"Life is unfair." she countered. "You taught me that."

"Come on." he chided. "You're not angry with her and you know it."

"She treats this whole thing as a joke!" she snapped. "She does not realize…"

"Course, she does." he snorted. "She just doesn't know how to deal with it so she's got that stupid idea in her head that I can do whatever I want, she's still gonna have my back. Maybe she's even thinking she's gonna help me win. Who knows with that girl… Joke's on her, though."

"The things she said about Seneca… About the private sessions…" she insisted.

He squeezed her nape. "I'll make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. Won't lie, it'd have some spirit but we can't afford making Gamemakers mad at us. They're probably already out for our blood as it is."

"Promise me." she begged. "Promise me she won't pull any of those stunts. We already got in trouble last year for her shooting at them. We cannot…"

In trouble was a light way of putting it. Gamemakers had screamed at him for almost an hour about the arrow Katniss had shot at them.

"I promise." He bumped his chin against her forehead. "We're gonna be very boring. I'll throw knives… She can do fishhooks or whatever. Boring and safe."

"Thank you." she breathed out in relief.

He pressed a kiss against her wig. "You can't lose it like that, sweetheart. I need you to keep it together. Peeta's too green. You're the one we're gonna count on out there."

"I know." she whispered. "I apologize."

"Don't…" He sighed. "I ain't looking for an apology. I know it's not…"

"You are right." she interrupted. "I should be… I should be stronger. For the children, at least." She shook her head. "I just… I wish Katniss would…"

"It's Katniss. Not much to expect there." he snorted, leaning in to capture her mouth. His fingertips danced on her jaw, angling her head the way he wanted it. "We don't have much time left."

He had hoped the kiss would soften it but her face crumpled in pain. "I know."

"Tomorrow, we take a day off." he told her. "No chasing after sponsors and no prepping."

"But the interviews…" she immediately argued.

He shut her up with another kiss. "Prepping the girl never worked before and I'm used to all that shit. We don't need that. We need… It's gonna be our last day." She turned her head away but he gently grabbed he chin and forced her to look at him. "It's gonna be our last day. I wanna spend mine with you." He caressed her cheek, catching some wayward tears, and then coiled his hand around her nape. It would be their last day of freedom. The day of the interviews was usually filled with far too much prepping, last minute advices and a lot of panic. There wouldn't be much free time. And the night before the launch… They wouldn't enjoy that. "Let the kids have their day together. Hell, maybe Katniss will finally figure out she loves him before it's too late…"

Effie chuckled but it was more hollow than amused. "It took you thirteen years."

It wasn't a very subtle dig for words he wasn't ready to utter yet.

"Let's hope she's quicker." he smirked, stealing another kiss.

She surrendered to that one without any reserve.

They got lost in it like they tended to do. She shifted so she was straddling his thighs rather than sitting on his lap, her hands sneaked beneath his shirt… There was no easy access to her skin, not with the blue puffy dress she had on but he didn't let that deter him. He copped a feel where he could and squeezed the curviest parts of her…

"You will be late." she mumbled against his lips.

"Too bad." he dismissed, deepening the next kiss so far that she moaned. That sound shot straight to his groin.

"Haymitch…" she begged. For him to stop or to continue, he wasn't sure. He kissed the line of her jaw, down her throat… The nails she dug in his shoulders were painful. "Enough. Enough. We don't have time for this."

"I'll be quick." he promised with a smirk, finally managing to sneak his hands under her dress.

"You are impossible." she hissed but still lifted her hips enough that he could open his pants.

She coiled one hand at the back of his nape and pulled him into a violent kiss, her other hand sneaked in his underwear and stroke him to hardness. She was on top and in control and he couldn't do anything but follow her lead.

There were worse things though.

He bit down on her collarbone and got told off about it at length, even as she rode him hard. How she could still lecture him when his own mind had gone straight to the gutter and remained there, he wasn't sure.

Her orgasm hit her mid-sentence and he would probably have laughed if it hadn't triggered his.

He was definitely late now but it was well worth it.

They sat there for a long time. He distractedly caressed her arm and she rested her forehead on his shoulder.

"I need a favor." he asked at last.

"Anything." she whispered.

He reached in his pocket and struggled to extract the now crumpled note. "Get that to Alina and introduce the boy."

She frowned but safely placed the note in her corsage, where nobody would find it. "Why?"

"Because there won't be many victors left after this Quell and she's the one I know best." he shrugged. "The kids are gonna need a mentor."

She clenched her jaw and gave a brief rigid nod. "Is that all there is in the note?"

There was more than just curiosity in her voice, a touch of jealousy maybe.

"Effie." he sighed.

"I know you have a history." she replied defensively. "I would not fault you for… I would not mind if…"

He snorted at that. "You'd mind."

Her fingers hooked around the gold bangle in a possessive gesture.

"Perhaps I would. A little." she admitted. "However… I would also give you everything you want, Haymitch."

"I'm just asking her to take care of the kids." he retorted, a bit annoyed to have to justify himself. "And herself. Nothing else."

"Alright." she accepted, perking up a little. Her face was a mess. She looked like she had melted. He cupped her cheek and clumsily tried to make it better but make-up wasn't his strength and he only ended up making it worse. She wrinkled her nose. "I must be a sight."

"Sad clown." he teased, stealing a kiss.

"That is quite the appropriate description." she confessed against his lips. "We cannot stay here all day."

"Private sessions aren't before this afternoon." he pointed out. "Leaves us with the whole morning…"

"I have work to do." she protested with a last deep kiss. Then, she stood up and there was no holding her back. He watched her disappear down the stairs that led back to the penthouse and took his time fixing his clothes. He picked up her cigarettes and lighter too, in case the kids found it and thought it was a good idea to start smoking.

He dropped them on his nightstand once he was back in his room to change his make-up stained shirt. Peeta knocked on the door just as he was slipping on a new one.

"I'm sorry but you really need to go down now." the boy said, after clearing his throat.

"Katniss' already gone?" he asked.

"An hour ago." Peeta confirmed. "About earlier…"

"Be extra nice with Effie today." Haymitch instructed. "If you think she's about to lose it, pull her aside. It's a dangerous game. Nobody can see how close she is. Got it?"

The boy nodded and Haymitch patted his shoulder on his way out.

The elevator ride felt endless and lonely. It wasn't comforting to think it would be the last time.

Everyone seemed more invested in training that morning than ever since the beginning of the week. Katniss was working on learning to differentiate poisonous roots from edible ones. He gave her a wide berth for now, joining Chaff and Brutus at the spear station instead.

"Problem leaving the bed, buddy?" Eleven's victor mocked. He wasn't really in the mood for that kind of jokes and his glare must have been answer enough because Chaff lifted his hand and his stump in the air in a peace gesture. "Okay. The kid said you were running late, she didn't say why."

He grabbed a spear and tossed it with the same relative results as usual. He had become a bit better at it since they had started training but it still wasn't enough. He could touch the dummy. Sometimes. Never where it would kill anyone.

"They should get it." Brutus said, seemingly out of the blue. If Effie had gone to Valeria the previous night though, there were chances Brutus had heard about it. "We're victors. That's what we're born for." Two's victor shook his head. "Doesn't matter. The thrill of the fight… It's worth any woman. If you come back and get the glory, you can find another one."

Chaff was wincing and very much staring at his feet.

Haymitch sneered but didn't gratify that with an answer. He stormed to the empty snares work station and struggled for hours with the too thin leather stripes that his unsteady fingers couldn't tame. He simmered in his frustration and anger all morning until it was time for lunch.

He was still scowling when he took his place in the line between Mags and Cecelia. Mags patted his arm with a sympathetic face and advised him to take a deep breath. He tried to listen but it was… difficult.

He hated when Effie was upset.

It was stupid, maybe, all the more so given how much time he had dedicated to upsetting her in the past… However, there was upset and upset. He liked riling her up, he liked nagging until she snapped… He liked getting under her skin. This? It wasn't that kind of upset. It was the bad kind. She was in pain. And his instinct ordered him to find whatever was hurting her and destroy it.

Except he had already tried to destroy the Capitol and look how that had ended up…

Katniss joined him next to the dessert cart, as he was trying to decide if he wanted the chocolate cake or cheese or both. She grabbed a piece of cake and awkwardly lingered, shuffling her weight from one foot to the other.

"Spit it out." he snapped eventually.

"I'll apologize when we're back." she sighed.

"Good." he commented. Effie would probably have an apology ready for the girl too but it was best to let her stew a little - Katniss tended to think she knew everything better than anyone.

"I didn't know she was so upset." she insisted. "I mean… I knew she was upset but not… Not that much."

"She loves you." he snorted, snatching the cake, the cheese and some apple pie for good measure.

"I thought you hated each other." she commented as they made their way to the table. "I didn't know you were friends."

"We've known each other thirteen years, girl." he scoffed. "Even if we weren't friends… You think it'd be easy to send someone you've known for so long to their death? She's not the only escort who's upset, I guarantee it."

Escorts had been very subdued during their official appearances. Sure, it could be because almost all of them would be replaced the next year but… You got attached to people. Even if you didn't see eye to eye with them. It was human to get attached.

"I like her, you know." Katniss made a face. "She's kind in her own way. It's just…"

"She's Capitol." he finished for her. "Capitols act a certain way. For some, it's genuine. For others…" He shrugged and placed his tray down at his usual spot, distractedly clapping Chaff's shoulder as he sat down. His attention was all on Katniss though. "While we're on that subject… Learn not to say bullshit everywhere, yeah? 'Cause what you said this morning? Where you said it? Stupid and dangerous."

Katniss frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Walls have ears, love." Chaff piped in from his other side, leaning to snatch the wine bottle from further down the table. "The sooner you learn that, the better."

"Play the game when you're not sure who's listening." Haymitch added.

Her grey eyes studied Chaff, wary and mistrustful, and then darted back to him. "I didn't say anything bad."

"The moment you saw Effie was getting upset and went completely off-script, you should have nicked it in the bud." he countered. "That sort of things happen, you suggest getting some fresh air. On the roof. Outside. Whatever. You want to discuss heavy shit, make sure you do it in private."

"Trinket lost it?" Chaff asked, low enough that it would remain between the three of them. "Bound to happen. Even Viola's less cheerful than I expected. Can you believe she made sure I had a double ration of scrambled eggs this morning?"

"Careful, you're gonna screw her before you know it." he joked.

Katniss let out a shocked noise – sex was always a big no-no with her – but Chaff's scoff was clearly disgusted.

"Don't give me nightmares." Eleven's victor snorted before recounting a funny anecdote about his escort's awful behavior for Katniss' sake.

It helped relax the girl, at least.

Haymitch was far from relaxed.

He was dreading having to perform for the Gamemakers.

This chapter is alternatively titled "Trinket lost it?" haha. It was bound to happen, wasn't it? How did you enjoy this chapter? Effie's breakdown? Katniss being her blind self? Peeta being forced to keep the peace? What about that day off before the interviews? What are your predictions on that? Next week we meet someone new! Care to guess who? Let me know your thoughts!