SO WARNING/SPOILER ALERT, WE LOSE CINNA IN THIS CHAPTER. This will be the last time he's mentioned.

I. Am. BROKEN. I fell even MORE in love with Cinna while writing this story, AND Lenny Kravitz too. Like literally the two are on in the same in my mind. Like Lenny Kravitz is just Cinna's alter ego LOL. DON'T JUDGE ME.

I just love me some Lenny Kravitz, and the fact that he played Cinna makes this chapter so much harder LOL. Don't worry, I don't show his death, just allude to it. I couldn't bare the thought of actually writing it.

Like not ever.

Anyway, let me know if you all feel as sorrowful as I do.

The feels!

-thamockingjayandpeeta

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Words: 2,377

Effie was driven to her house, which was only about ten minutes away from the Training Center, but with all the people, it took a good hour to get home.

She remained calm on the outside, but inside all she could think about was Cinna.

He would surely be killed.

And what was worse is she couldn't even cry. As far as she knew, her house was still bugged.

She sat there in complete silence. The Peacekeepers ignored her, and she ignored them.

The silence allowed her to think.

By the time they arrived at her front doorstep, she had formed a plan.

She had no clue if it'd work. If they knew where she lived without having to tell them, because they certainly hadn't asked, they might win after all.

But hopefully not.

She had to try.

She opened the door to the car and walked out. Closing the door behind her she made her way up her front steps and reached her door. She immediately started fumbling around in her purse, her heart hammering as the car didn't pull off.

After several moments a Peacekeeper got out.

"What's the delay?" he asked.

"I can't find my keys. I must have left them at the Training Center."

She held her breath for several moments. Then the Peacekeeper snatched her purse, looking inside of it. When he realized she was telling the truth, he thrust her purse back into her arms.

"Wait here."

Effie waited for a few moments while the Peacekeeper talked to the driver. Then he motioned for her to get back in the car.

"It's late. We'll drive you back to the Training Center, where you'll be allowed to stay the night."

Effie nodded and got back in the car, trying to hide her relief.

When they arrived back at the Training Center, she started to get out when another Peacekeeper grabbed her roughly around the arm.

"You need to remember where your loyalties lie, Effie," and Effie recognized the voice of the man she dated so many years ago. "Tread carefully. You're skating on thin ice."

His voice was cold, and warning her.

"My loyalties always have been and always will be to the Capitol," she lied smoothly.

"Then I suggest you start keeping better company." He reached into his pocket and tossed her a picture of her and Cinna at lunch from a few months ago, and then a more recent one of her and Haymitch in 12, during the Reaping.

"I had no idea Cinna would do what he did tonight. As far as Haymitch, he's nothing more than a drunken fool. You're wasting your time with me." She tossed the pictures back to him and slammed the car door. She walked towards the Training Center and headed up to her floor.

Inside she found Cinna, Portia, and Haymitch sitting around the living room.

Cinna saw her first.

"Effie."

At the sound of her name Haymitch's head whipped around.

"What the fuck?"

"What are you doing here? All the Escorts were sent home," Portia said.

"I told them I forgot my house key. Which," she said, rummaging around in the bowl on the table, "I did." She held up her keys.

"You keep a spare key under the plant of your front window," Cinna said.

"Well I know that, but they didn't."

She put down her clutch and walked towards them.

"That was dangerous, Effie," said Cinna.

She arched an eyebrow. "Dangerous? Dangerous? You want to talk about dangerous?"

"Please don't yell at me. Haymitch already cursed me out."

"It serves you right. What the hell were you thinking?"

The tears came then.

Now that she was with the people she could be most vulnerable with.

"I've known what I was supposed to do for years, Effie. This was always my purpose."

"Your purpose was to get yourself killed?"

Cinna sighed and looked away. "Sit down, Effie. Let me get you a drink."

"You think I want a drink? Cinna I want an explanation."

"Well I don't have one," he snapped.

"Don't you dare take that tone with me," snapped back Effie.

Cinna pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "Effie, please sit down. Let me pour you a drink."

Effie shook her head and took a seat next to Portia. Cinna walked over to the bar and returned with something brown.

Effie threw it in his face.

"So amazing seeing her go off on someone other than me," Haymitch said, and she shot him a look that him sitting back and shutting up.

"I deserved that," Cinna said, wiping his face. "I'm sorry, Effie."

"Why did she get an apology?" asked Haymitch.

"If I owe anyone in this room an apology, it's Effie," Cinna said, approaching her. "You were never apart of this mission. I wasn't lying when I said most of us were prepared to die for this Rebellion. I knew not to get too close to anyone. But you? You were a diamond in the rough, an unexpected twist in a carefully executed plan. I am so sorry for getting so close to you. I know I haven't made this easy."

"I just wish you had told me." Effie wiped her eyes, shaking her head sadly.

"Tell you what? That I was always supposed to die in this Rebellion?" Cinna smiled sadly. "And what would that have achieved?" He pulled her into him. "You are a jewel, Effie, a crowned jewel. Please don't ever forget that. I love you."

He embraced her and Effie held on to him. "I love you too, Cinna"

Cinna hugged her for several moments and then he walked over to Haymitch. "It's been an honor working with you, Haymitch Abernathy. Your brilliance is unmatched in this Rebellion. I hope and pray that you too will always remember who the real enemy is." Haymitch arched an eyebrow. "There are more people like Snow out there. I trust you'll do the right thing once you figure it out. Or Katniss will." He hugged Haymitch and Haymitch slowly hugged him back. "Be kind to Effie," he whispered, and Haymitch stiffened. Cinna gripped him tighter. "Take care of her, and for God's sake, let her take care of you. Stop being afraid to feel."

He let Haymitch go and stepped back, taking a deep breath.

"I'm so sorry it had to end this way. But this is goodbye. If you don't mind, I'd like to spend my last night alive with my one true love." Portia materialized next to Cinna then, and Haymitch and Effie made their exit.

Neither one of them had the strength to look back.

XxXxXx

Haymitch was about to turn to his door when Effie slithered around him and blocked his entrance.

"Effie—"

"Did you know?" she whispered fiercely.

Haymitch hesitated and her eyes widened. "I didn't know everything," he said quickly. "Cinna did confess to me that Snow was making Katniss wear the wedding dress, and he admitted he had made some alterations. I had no idea what."

"And of this suicide mission?"

"I honestly had no clue, up until yesterday afternoon when he told me. I told him not to do anything that would get him killed, and he made the statement that he was never supposed to survive."

Effie closed her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"He asked me not to. He said your reaction had to be real."

Effie shook her head and bit her lip. She took a few moments to calm herself, and Haymitch had to admire the way her eyes dried up. "How long do you think he has?"

"He'll prep Katniss for the Games. He won't make it back here."

She sucked in a harsh breath. Then she looked at him. "And you? You plan on dying on me anytime soon?"

Haymitch stared back into her ocean blue eyes. "Me? No chance in hell. At the very least, I'm gonna live until Snow's dead. We'll see what happens after that."

She seemed satisfied with the answer and started to move out of the way when he grabbed her arm, a little roughly.

Not intimately.

Not kindly.

Nothing at all like what she had gotten used to.

"You keep pulling stunts like you did tonight you're going to get very dead, very soon, and then I'm going to get very pissed. I can't protect Katniss and Peeta in that Arena if I'm busy hunting down the assholes who killed you, which I would be forced to do, because somehow, someway, Effie Trinket, you've gotten under my fucking skin."

"Yet I'd much rather die in your arms than by any Peacekeepers hands," she said calmly.

The sound of Haymitch hitting his fist against his door reverberated through the hallway. She stopped breathing as he glared at her, his face inches from hers, a storm brewing in his inflamed eyes, flashing like lightening.

"You wanna know how you've hurt me, Haymitch?" asked Effie darkly. "I could give you a million different scenarios. And not one of them would ever involve your knife."

She pushed him away from her walked into her bedroom.

XxXxXx

She cried as she put on her makeup, knowing Cinna would never again do so.

She thought about waking up early to say her last goodbyes, but that'd just make it impossible.

More than anything she wanted to wake up from this nightmare.

But it was only just beginning.

The Games started in a couple of hours.

"Katniss and Peeta wanted me to tell you thank you," Haymitch said, and she stared at him in her vanity mirror. He was dressed and ready to go. "They said you're appreciated and the best Escort ever, and that they send their love."

She closed her eyes for several moments, and when she opened them, they were crystal clear.

Not a tear in sight.

"You do whatever it takes," she told him firmly. She stood up and went to her dresser and pulled out a notebook. "Here's your list of Sponsors. I haven't organized it based on allies yet, but you'll know who to look for."

He nodded and took the list, staring at her as he did so.

"You didn't sleep well," said Haymitch matter-of-factly.

"What, you mean with the imminent death of a friend of my mind, our two Tributes going back into the Arena, and you, well of course I slept well!"

Haymitch sighed. "Can you drop the attitude, Princess? I'm not drunk enough for this."

"Nor am I," Effie said coldly.

"You're the one that got rid of all the liquor."

"A decision I regret the more I hear you talk."

Haymitch took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. "I'll see you in a bit."

The car ride was silent and tense, and even though Effie was patting her foot, Haymitch's hand never came out to comfort her. Halfway there she grabbed a glass and poured some liquor.

It didn't help.

This time when she looked at the Penthouse Suite all she could remember was Cinna. She immediately made her way to her room, closing the door behind her, taking desperate breaths and reminding herself to breathe.

Effie returned to the living room on time. As soon as the countdown began he heard her heels clicking louder and louder as she approached his side.

The scent of cherry blossoms nearly distracted him.

Damn them for crossing that line.

He literally wanted her all the time.

Even now, as the gong sounded, and the Games began.

"Something's wrong with her," Haymitch noted, and Effie saw what he meant. Katniss was definitely out of sorts. Her breathing was hard, and she looked devastated about something.

Then they see her visibly start looking around, taking in her bearings. The Arena was… unique, to say the least, and surrounded by water, which Effie thought was going to be a problem, until….

"I had no idea our girl could swim," muttered Effie once Katniss dived into the water.

"Nor did I," Haymitch said.

"She's damned good, too."

"Quick," agreed Haymitch.

A few intense fight breakout and then—

Effie turned to Haymitch. "You gave your bangle to Finnick O'dair?!"

Haymitch looked at Effie. "He's not as bad as you think," Haymitch said, and Effie looked at him skeptically. He lowered his voice, more so out of habit than anything, though there was no way anyone could hear them. Beetee had seen to that. "Female Victors aren't the only prostitutes, Effie." She paled, her eyes widening.

"You? Did they make you—"

"Not a fucking chance in hell," he said darkly. "I'd have killed any one of them before I went to bed with a fucking puppet Capitol bitch in all her wigs and costumes. Not to mention the consequences of me slitting her fucking throat would have gotten me killed, and then I wouldn't be standing here talking to you right now."

"Talking to a Capitol bitch you've fucked a few times," said Effie coldly.

He glared at her. "I never fucked you in your wig. I can't help the costume thing. You wear what you wear." He took a drink from his glass and drank back his anger. "And you're not a consistent Capitol bitch. Only sometimes." He chanced a glance at her and she rolled her eyes, but there was a small smirk on her face.

Another crisis averted.

"After Chaff, Finnick was the first one on board for this whole plan."

Effie turned back to the television screen. "Wow. I never would have known."

"You believed it a lot sooner than I did. Finnick makes you want to hate him."

"Katniss doesn't trust him," Effie commented.

Haymitch rolled his eyes. "What else is new? Katniss doesn't trust anybody."

"Well they are in the dark in all of this."

"She's just stubborn. Refuses to listen."

"Hm. Wonder where she gets that from," Effie said dryly.

"I can't even argue with you. She must have been my daughter in a previous life."

"In your previous Western life," Effie reminded him, and he laughed.

She turned and watched everything unfold.

"Jesus, Katniss, let Finnick get the boy," snapped Haymitch.

When Finnick patted Katniss' stomach Effie glanced at Haymitch. "You don't think—"

"You're right. I don't think about it. At all. Ever. What the fuck those kids did in her room is their business."

Effie bit her lip to keep from smiling. "Well I don't think so. Peeta's a genius, though."

"God bless him," Haymitch said when Peeta stepped between Katniss and Finnick.

"Water?" murmured Effie as she noticed the sweat dripping from their faces.

Haymitch didn't get a chance to answer.

She thought all was okay for now. No important deaths.

Until Peeta walked into that forcefield.