You asked for a longer chapter, you got it. :)

Chapter 21

Effie started badly at the mention of prison. She glanced uncertainly at Haymitch, equally unprepared for what Thalia was asking from them.

"I beg your pardon, but did you say prison?" Effie asked.

"Yes," her eyes gleamed in the dim lighting of the sitting room. "A punishment fitting for a man like him, don't you think? His incarceration will bring the downfall of his reputation, and that is what Elias values above all others, aside from his money of course."

"Alright, just back it up here for a second," Haymitch raised a hand to stop her. "You want to send your ex-husband to prison – why?"

"For the sole reason that he wanted to ruin me so I will do the same to him," a smile played on her lips. "I am merely returning the favour in kind."

Effie blinked, not quite expecting it. "He might have done something unsavoury towards you but Elias has not done anything to us that could put him in prison," Effie explained. "We have no case against him. Surely what he's done to you could not amount to anything criminal?"

"Ah, let's see… Forgery, fraud, bribery," she ticked off her fingers one at a time, "just to name a few."

The surprise sat on Haymitch's features. This was news to them. None of them had thought Elias would cross the line that far but it just showed how little either of them knew Elias, especially Effie.

"Fraud? What'd he do?" Haymitch asked, leaning forward in his seat.

Thalia sighed and resigned herself to explaining the situation to Effie and Haymitch. It was not wrong of them to ask before agreeing to anything. She had read the papers on them losing custody which was something she had pitied them for and could not quite understand why it was so. From what she saw of them on television and on the papers before the law was dissolved, they seemed like a pair of parents who cared about their children. Until Elias came into the picture, Thalia thought the paparazzi could possibly have blown a partial truth into something big.

If it meant that they have a common enemy in Elias, then Thalia was willing to tell them the truth of Elias' wrongdoings against her.

"There is a word the teenagers in this city are fond of using nowadays… Shady is the word, if I remember correctly, and it describes Elias perfectly. He has always been shady," Thalia told them. "There were business deals that he was involved in that were doubtful, not by the book, so to speak. He cuts corners and take short cuts but he gets things done. When the law was dissolved, Elias' devious behavior became more apparent. Or perhaps, it was apparent because he was doing it to me."

Thalia paused for a moment, signaling to an Avox to bring out the tea. Haymitch frowned at the present of the Avox but said nothing.

Avoxes were no longer slaved servants, they were given their freedom but after years of being enslaved, most had lost their family members or could not reconnect with their families, some had difficulties assimilating with the rest of the society and only knew to serve. Laws were drafted to regulate the employment of Avoxes. They were to be provided a monthly salary and given the same rights as any other employees in the country.

"When the law was dissolved, Elias was quick to secure his claim on our assets and properties, some of which he did not even have a rightful claim to. The land in District Seven belonged to both of us but he bribed a clerk at the title deed's office to have our joint name strike off so that only his remained."

"That is impossible, bribery or not," Effie shook her head. "You would have to sign a document to transfer your name to his in the title deed."

"Exactly," Thalia nodded. "My signature was forged on the document. He was using it as a leverage to get me to renew our marriage. He told me he could do what he did to our land in Seven to our resort in Four, together with our money in the bank accounts. I refused to renew under such vile threats."

"Understandable," said Haymitch. "Felix told me that you agreed to marry that son of a bitch in the first place because of a business partnership. So threats aside, if you'd renew it, you could still have a hold on that resort, plus, that'd be good for your business, yeah?"

"Yes, I supposed it would be beneficial for my business. It was a good relationship," Thalia mused. "Elias was a good partner. Like I've said before, he gets things done. He's goal-oriented and he knew how to talk to investors. My father certainly adored him until he tried to steal from me. While we were married, our business grew tremendously and we reaped a sizeable profit. But Elias… He wanted more. He's always wanted more. I'm glad the law was dissolved because it shed light on him and it made realize the person he was. I cannot trust having someone like him in my business."

"Well," she took a breath, "now you have quite an understanding on why I want him in prison. I want my properties back and I won't have him around trying to take them away from me again. A crime is a crime, and not everything is about business or money. I cannot trust him; to renew our marriage and live together with someone I can no longer trust will be detrimental to me. It would create a toxic environment. I can always find another business partner, but there's only me to care and to look out for myself, don't you agree? "

"I'm – I'm not sure…" Effie hesitated. "Prison is … I've been in prison," she whispered it so softly but Haymitch and Thalia heard it all the same in the quiet room. "Prison isn't a place I want others to be in. He's my cousin. He's still family."

"Effie…" Haymitch called out, reaching out to touch her hand. "Hey, sweetheart, listen. Look at me."

When she turned towards him, her blue eyes were wide, staring and pleading at him silently. He brushed his thumb over her knuckles gently, reminding her that he was here and that this was real. He didn't want her to slip back into the past and lose herself, not at this moment.

"This isn't the same, Effs. It's not the same prison. It's nothin' like what you went through," he spoke to her quietly. "That time is over. Different people's in-charge now, different system, you understand?"

"Yes," she blinked, forcing a smile. "Yes, of course."

"He's willing to rip our family apart, sweetheart," he reminded her. "He's proven again and again just how far he'd go. I'm not thrill 'bout throwing a man in prison but we're talking 'bout our family right now. He's not givin' you the same kind of consideration you're givin' him. He doesn't care about us, only what he can get."

"It doesn't mean we have to stoop to his level," Effie countered.

Haymitch shrugged. "Maybe you're right but personally, sweetheart, I don't care how low I'd have to go 'cause he's gone after my family and I ain't gonna stand for it. I ain't gonna spend sleepless night thinking 'bout how I shouldn't have put a man in prison 'cause I sure as hell ain't willing' to stay awake at night torturing myself 'bout the things I could have done to keep my family together, to keep my family safe. I've been there; I ain't going through it again."

"You and I both know how it's like in the Capitol," Thalia addressed Effie. "Friendships and acquaintances at times end up with people stabbing you in the back. There are people who enjoy watching others fall and Elias is one of those people. He wants to see you on the ground and defeated simply because it gives him immense pleasure from it. Think of when you've won back custody," she implored. "Do you really think he will stand aside to see you happy? No, he wouldn't. He will see it as a failure on his part and he doesn't like failing which is why I have to take such drastic actions. It's for my safety more than revenge," she admitted.

"Look, sweetheart, she's got a point," Haymitch thread their fingers together and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "He'll come back and we'll never gonna have any peace. He might not even go after us. He might go directly for the children and frankly, I'd rather see him rot in jail than let him touch our family again. He's had so many chances to stop what was doing but he didn't. We can't let this go on, Effs."

"I have lodged a formal police complaint. Investigations are being carried out. It is all very discreet at the moment, nothing that could alert Elias to it. So I would appreciate your discretion as well."

"That ain't gonna be a problem," Haymitch assured her. "The clerk he bribed is a good lead. If he confessed, you'll have a case."

"Yes. You've read my thoughts. I've been assured that the clerk will be taken in for questioning. I'm sure it won't be long before they find more misconduct from Elias. I've had my suspicion on possible tax evasion but nothing I could help the investigation with. I'm giving the police my fullest cooperation."

Haymitch shifted in his seat to look at Effie, waiting for her to say something but she didn't, he touched her arm gently.

"We can use this," he told her. "We can bring this police investigation to the attention of the Family and Social Services Department. Do you know what it'll do to him?"

Effie shook her head.

"It'll impeach his character and cast doubts on his credibility. It'll make it seem like his words can't be trusted. Look, Elias filed that report on the basis that he was a concern family member but with all of these…. You see it, don't you? Come on, sweetheart, we've got somethin' good on our hands."

Effie bit her bottom lips, her mind going through all that Haymitch had said about staying awake at night considering all the possibilities and the 'what ifs' should anything went wrong. Was she prepared to help put her cousin in jail? Or was she willing to risk the possibility of putting her children in further harm?

In the end, it wasn't a difficult choice to make. She would protect her children at all costs. She would choose them again and again, every time.

Effie steeled herself. "What do you want from us in return?" she asked, finally.

Haymitch released a breath, relieved to know that she was agreeable to it.

"Simple," Thalia smiled. "I am aware of the deal he tried to strike with Haymitch - the one involving trading you in exchange for the help with the law. The law was still in place back then which mean that he would have contravened the marriage law. The deal would have been illegal and since he masterminded it…. I want you to tell the police the same. I would have included in my report at the police station but it would be better coming from you."

XxX

The living room in Effie's apartment was unrecognizable.

Troy had given them permission to bring the children home for the weekend and Effie had been so thankful, she tried to cook a meal for the two officers. It hadn't turned out well so she had cheated – Haymitch's words, not hers – and ordered takeout.

The children were ecstatic and they had worn out both parents with exhaustion. Still, Haymitch would take the exhaustion any day.

"Yeah, put it there, tiger. Just… place those stacks of magazines on top of the blanket to hold it down," Haymitch instructed. "Yeah, that's it. Good job."

Ethan did as he was told and it wasn't long before Haymitch announced that they were done. Ethan grinned from ear to ear as Haymitch stepped back to admire their handy work.

A large, thick duvet covered the floor. Multiple blankets were draped over the furniture in the room. Chairs were dragged over to provide support. Effie's magazines were brought out to hold the blanket in place. Inside the fort, there were flashlights, books, toys and building blocks.

Tristan peeped out from the kitchen to see their progress and ran out with excitement when he saw that the fort was ready.

Inside, Ethan was screaming.

"No!" he said angrily. "Dada built this fort for me! Stay away."

"That's not fair! It's not fair. I wanna come in."

"Nope," Ethan smacked his lips, shaking his head and infuriating his brother. "I won't let you."

"Ethan," Effie frowned, leaving the kitchen to see what the commotion was about. "What did I say about sharing?"

"But Tristan didn't help me build the fort so he can't come in!"

"Neither did I, darling," Effie soften her voice. "Does this mean that I'm not welcome either? We had a plan, didn't we? Tristan and I will prepare the snacks and you'll help your father build the fort. How would you feel if Tristan wouldn't let you share the snacks because he made them and you didn't? You're hurting his feelings."

Ethan kept quiet. Still, he remained inside the fort.

Haymitch pulled back the makeshift door, impatient with his son's behavior. "You're gonna let your brother in or you're gettin' out, tiger, and then I'm takin' this whole thing down. It's simple. What's it gonna be, huh?"

"Haymitch," Effie chided. "Don't threaten him that way."

"He'll never learn. I'm countin' to three, Ethan."

At two, Ethan reacted. He poked his head out. "Tristan can come in if he's got the password but you can't tell him, dada, 'cause it's supposed to be a secret word."

"Fine, I'll pass the message along," Haymitch rolled his eyes. Out of the corner of his mouth, he muttered to Effie, "his pet's name."

"Don't tell mama the secret word!" Ethan shouted as an afterthought except the damage was done. "Mama'll tell Tristan 'cause Tristan's her favourite."

"I do not have a favourite!" Effie gasped, indignant at such accusation. "I love you both equally!"

"Aunt Jo said that you gave Tristan his name so he's your favourite! But it's okay, mama, I'm not mad. I'm dada's favourite 'cause he gave me my name!"

"I'm going to have a long talk with Johanna Mason," Effie hissed under her breath. "First the talk about sexual kinks and now this… this false assumption."

Haymitch chuckled but it quickly died out because Tristan was throwing a fit.

"You're not dada's favourite!" he stomped on his feet. "Dada loves me more! I know so."

Effie pinched the bridge of her nose, taking deep calming breaths.

"A'right, this is just ridiculous," Haymitch huffed. "There's not competition here. Nobody loves anybody more. Go give your brother his password, peanut. Go on. I'll get the snacks."

Tristan promptly forgot about that argument as he rushed towards the fort.

"Thank you," Effie stepped in front of Haymitch just as he was about to pass by her and gave him a peck on his lips. He smirked, insisting on a proper kiss before going to the kitchen. "Ethan, we're going to come in to your fort now, baby."

"Mmm, 'kay but what's the secret word, mama?"

"Dasher," she answered.

There was a brief moment of silence before the blanket was pulled back. Effie entered the huge fort with Tristan, taking in the surroundings and complimenting her son on a job well done. Haymitch entered not long after, delivering bowls of crackers, cheese, fruits and drinks. He left again to turn off the lights and the fairy lights that Ethan had wanted wrapped around the exterior of the fort lighted up in bright colours.

Tristan cheered, clapping his hand happily. "I like it, Ethan! I think it's pretty."

The four of them settled in with Effie curling up next to Haymitch. He wrapped his arm around her, dropping a kiss to her head and burying his nose in her hair while watching his boys making full use of the flashlight while they ate from their bowls.

"When we go back, can we make a fort, too?" Ethan queried, talking with his mouth full.

"Sure, yeah," Haymitch shrugged. "We'll have a bigger space, bigger fort, right?"

"Right," Ethan smiled. "We'll get Prim, too. Oh! And Finn. He can come to our home."

"Mama," Tristan wandered over and sat cross legged next to her. "How come Prim gets to stay with her mama and dada? Finn gets to stay with his mama, too. Why can't we do that?"

"Oh, no, Tristan, we can, of course," Effie brushed his hair away from his face. "We will all be staying together really soon. Just like Prim and Finn, I promise."

"Why not now?" he demanded. "We can go home now, like, we can take a train?"

"Right now's not possible. Your father and I just have to work some things out and when that's done, we'll all go home to Twelve to stay together like how we used to."

Having heard the conversation, Ethan joined in, frowning. "But Finn said we won't. Finn's learnt to read. So he's reading lots of things. He said… He said that you won't be our mama and dada anymore 'cause that's what lots of people are saying."

Effie sat up abruptly, shocked to the bones that her children had an inkling of it. She tried so hard to protect them and keep them away from the rumours and the news.

"That's not true. We're still your parents."

"Really?" Tristan looked at them hopefully. "'Cause Ethan and I want you to be our mama and dada forever and ever, and we promise to be good. We'll be really, really good."

"You're not going to fight with each other?" Haymitch smirked.

"No, we won't," Ethan said. Just as Tristan exclaimed, "We promise!"

"Look, you're stuck with us, alright. I'm your father and your mother's your mother, and it'll stay that way for a very, very long time," Haymitch looked at them in turn. "Don't listen to what people are sayin', you understand?"

Tristan nodded. "So you love me and Ethan, and you won't stop?"

"Ethan and I," Effie corrected.

"Never," Haymitch promised and nudged Effie. "Ain't that right?"

"We love you," Effie assured them, kissing each of them in turn. "Whatever happens, you must never forget that. We love you more than anything else."

Imagine Haymitch building a fort with Ethan, and imagine how they must have scoured the wardrobe for all the blankets in the Effie's apartment. I hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter. Please leave a review and see you in the next chapter!