Here it is. The final part of Broken Bottles. I just want to say thank you so much for all your review/follows/favourites/messages. They all mean so much to me! See you again for the sequel!

Chapter 20

"She still thinks you tried to kill her?" Katniss asks.

"Yep, ever the delightful woman," I reply, smiling.

I'm thankful Katniss has forgiven me slightly. It's nice to have someone to talk to who's in a similar situation.

It's an hour before the wedding and Katniss came to see me to check I'm up and ready to go.

We sit and chat for an hour about nonsensical things, such as the weather. Not that there's much to discuss. We live underground.

At 6:30pm, a half hour before the wedding, Katniss stands to straighten my tie and then we set off through the corridors of District 13.

Annie wears a green dress that Katniss wore on the 74th Victory Tour. Finnick is dressed in one of Peeta's suits.

Throughout the ceremony, which is pretty simple, I glance around the room looking for Effie. Either she's discarded her Capitol gear to look like a citizen of 13, or they're keeping her hidden. I thought she was supposed to be here?

Maybe our little bit of conflict the other day has resulted in the nurses keeping her a bit longer.

Peeta shows up for the wedding reception, escorted by two guards. After he attempted to strangle Katniss, he's on constant supervision. After all, we have to keep our little Mockingjay safe.

Coin allowed for a limited supply of alcohol to be brought in for the wedding, and I'm happy to partake in consuming it. I'm met with glares from the man who runs my detox sessions, but everyone is in good spirits so he turns a blind eye.

It gets to 11pm and there's still no sign of Effie. Surely our little argument wasn't enough to warrant her containment in her hospital room.

I find a table in the gathering room where the reception takes place and slump into an empty chair, a glass of wine in my hand.

I'm onto my third glass when I hear the chair next to mine move and someone sit down.

I didn't hear or see her coming. She's quite a quiet person when she's not yelling her schedules in your face.

"Enjoying the party?" Effie says, accepting a glass of wine from a young waiter who approached her when she sat down.

"Yeah," I take a gulp of my wine. "Where've you been? You missed the ceremony."

"Busy," she laughs. "Aren't I always?"

"Sure are, sweetheart."

"Anyway, I won't be staying here long. A couple of hours at most. I'm still in quite a significant amount of pain. My shoulder is better but my foot…it's horrendous!"

I look down under the table and see she's wearing one of her statement pairs of killer high-heels.

"Effie! What the hell are you wearing on your feet?" I ask.

"Oh, I couldn't bear to part with them. Why, these are my absolute favourite…"

"You aren't half brainless," I tease her. "No wonder your foot is hurting!"

I look up in time to see the people on the dance floor clear a circle for Finnick and Annie's first dance.

"Haymitch we absolutely must join the group!" Effie says, pulling at my arm. I'm unsure why she's so eager to be around me. She said I'd tried to murder her less than a week ago.

"Jesus, Eff! I need my arms!"

She stands up, pulling me up with her. When we begin to walk, I notice she's limping.

"Leave your shoes, sweetheart. They're doing more harm than good."

"But…" Effie protests but then sits in a vacant chair and removes the godawful things from her feet. "If these get stolen…"

"Then I won't be buying you a new pair. Come on."

We stand in an empty spot at the edge of the group of guests, beside Johanna Mason, who looks scornfully at the happy couple in the centre of the circle.

"Ergh," she says to me. "Who'd ever wanna get married!"

"I might, one day," Effie says absentmindedly.

I can imagine Effie's wedding to some fancy guy from the Capitol. Everything would be pink and covered in feathers.

One by one, the crowd pairs off and joins in the dance. Eventually, it's only myself and Effie standing to the side. I begin to walk back to the table, but Effie pulls me back.

"No, sweetheart," I say. "I am not dancing. Ever."

"Oh, come on, Haymitch!" she says. "It's a wedding, for Panem sake! Enjoy yourself!"

"I'm far too sober to enjoy myself. Maybe in a little while…"

But Effie already has a hand in mine and is dragging me towards the dance floor.

I give in and tentatively place a hand on her waist. I haven't danced like this since District 12's Victor Party when I won my Games. I danced like this with…

It's been 25 years now. I allow myself to push the painful memory out of my mind and maybe enjoy the time I dance with Effie.

I allow Effie to guide me because I haven't got a clue. After a little while, I feel her hand slip something into my jacket pocket. I remove my hand from her waist and go to retrieve whatever it is, but she stops me.

"Later!" she whispers.

"What is it?" I say back.

"Schedule for the next week. I'm getting us all back on track."

"So the proper Effie Trinket is back then?"

"Well, almost."

More than two hours pass before Effie realises the time.

"Oh my," she exclaims. "I'm late! I'll never get everything written up! I have a month's plan to create and I haven't even started!"

"Keep your wig on, Cinderella," I roll my eyes. "Speaking of Cinderella, don't forget your shoes. I've got better things to spend my money on."

Effie finds them under a table but instead of putting them on, she carries them.

I walk her back to her room in the hospital. Before she heads back inside, she reminds me to read the schedule she's left me.

"Yeah whatever," I sigh. "Goodnight, princess.

I sit down on my bed and pull out the piece of paper. My name is written on the folded paper in neat script. Obviously Effie's.

I unfold the schedule and begin to read.

But it isn't a schedule.

It's a letter.

"Haymitch,

I was extremely touched to receive your beautiful letter the other day…"

My eyes widen in panic. I gave her her dressing gown when I visited her in the hospital. My stupid letter was inside.

"…and I have made the decision to write you one back, seeing as you haven't carried out your promise of telling me all of this to my face when you visited me in this godforsaken hospital.

Let us begin with when I first met you. You were just this thing, for want of a better word, slouched on a chair in the corner. You didn't even stand up to greet me, which was incredibly rude. A man should always stand to greet a lady.

I tried my best to teach you manners and respect, but you spent so much of your time completely intoxicated so I believe my presence made absolutely no difference to your character.

But then we got Katniss and Peeta, and you agreed to stay sober enough to help them. I saw a different side to you that year, Haymitch, and it genuinely amazed me. You were far less snappy and much more mindful of displaying, well I cannot say 'good, well, human manners rather than those of a beast.

You did have your moments, but I understand now that it is stressful and difficult to send children to die every year. I know that now, because my time in the Capitol taught me that our government has no decency or respect for it's citizens.

I am astounded you took so much time out of your life to rescue me from the Capitol. Up until the last few months, you showed a decidedly negative attitude towards me, so I never expected such valiant courage on your part.

Forgive me, Haymitch. I believe I underestimated you.

Thank you,

Your Effie x"

I read the letter twice through before folding it back up. Effie Trinket, admitting her own faults? Jesus, what kind of medication have they had that woman on?

There's a light tap at the door and Effie enters the room, smiling slightly. She's changed out of the gold dress she was wearing before and now wears the pink dressing gown I returned to her.

I make a decision then and there that there is absolutely no way I am letting her out of my sight again.

"Little something to add to your schedule, princess." I smile, holding up the letter. I'm positive she blushes.

"And what's that?"

"When all this is over, come to District 12 with me."

Effie pushed the door closed behind her and walks over to me.

Her blue eyes meet mine.

"Well, Mr. Abernathy," she smiles. "I may just take you up on that offer."

THE END

I hope you find that this chapter ended nicely :) as always, feel free to review or message me :)

Thanks for reading 3

Erin x