Chapter 26

Effie stared at the mirror, watching the rivulets of water paving its way down the planes of her face. So much had happened within the space of one day and she felt giddy, breathless as she tried to process it all.

Felix was shot. Elias was apprehended. Haymitch had married her again; she was someone's wife again, and her children belonged to her once more.

Effie gripped the edges of the sink, her knuckles turning white until Haymitch knocked on the bathroom door.

"Are you done in there?"

"Just a second," she answered.

Haymitch had gotten the twins ready for bed; cleaned and changed into their night clothes. Except, instead of being in their room they were on her bed, sitting snugly under the covers. Effie glanced at Haymitch questioningly.

"They wanted to sleep with us," he shrugged. "I thought, why not?"

The bed in Effie's apartment was smaller than the one in Twelve so with the four of them occupying it, it was a tight fit. They made do, pressing close against each other.

"G'night, mama," Tristan whispered, snuggling up to her and pressing his face on her bosom.

"Goodnight, baby," she kissed his forehead and then his brother. It was a while before Effie whispered in the dark, "Haymitch, are you alright?"

"I might fall off the bed," he replied. He was indeed sleeping close to the edge to give his sons more room in the middle. "Go to sleep, sweetheart."

"I love you," Effie told him quietly.

XxX

The next day brought with it the ire of Johanna Mason.

Johanna marched through the hospital corridors, sending nurses scurrying away at the look on her face and slammed the door open, pinning Haymitch and then Effie with a cold stare. Effie grimaced before pulling Tristan protectively in front of her, using her son as a shield since Johanna would not even think of doing anything to her with a child close by.

"It's him," Effie said calmly, nodding her head at Haymitch. "He's the one who didn't want to call you."

"Oh, that's nice, sweetheart," Haymitch glared at her. "It's comforting to know my own wife will sell me out like that."

The sight of Felix pale and motionless on the bed was enough of a distraction that Johanna completely missed out on what Haymitch just said. She approached the bed, staring down at Felix with a scowl as if he had personally offended her by being unconscious.

"He's not going to die or anything like that, is he?" she asked bluntly.

Effie blanched.

"He's gonna make it," Haymitch told her. "The surgery went well – took hours but it went well. They extracted the bullet fragments from his chest. We're waiting for him to wake up. He's gonna be okay, Jo."

"You're both assholes," Johanna muttered now that she knew Felix was out of danger, and dropped on to a chair next to Haymitch.

"Bad language! Mama, Aunt Jo said somethin' foul," Tristan shrieked and extended his hand palm upwards towards Johanna who grumbled under her breath but placed a coin on his hand and slipped another in Ethan's pocket.

"You're teaching your sons how to swindle me off my money at a very young age," she snapped at Effie.

"The use of such language is unwarranted. Perhaps now, both you and Haymitch would learn to filter your words. Felix, too. Now, when did you get here?"

"Just," Johanna answered. "I spent the night on the train. Guess how I found out?"

Haymitch leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, waiting for Johanna to give an answer.

"The newspaper," she glared. "His brother got arrested for trying to kill him, and I can't even fucking rely on you two," she hissed, "to tell me that he had been gunned down."

Effie gestured with her hand and Tristan's face lighted up as he collected another coin from Johanna.

"He didn't even hear the word!"

"It doesn't matter," Effie shook her head. "As long as you use it in their presence, you pay them."

"Fine, so what's your excuse for not telling me?"

"You were spending the weekend with Finn and Annie," Haymitch answered.

"I'd still like to know, Haymitch. Why is it you think that it's up to you to decide what people should know and what they shouldn't?"

"How is Finn?" Effie asked, neatly changing the subject. "And Annie..?"

"They're both doing great. Finn wants the boys to visit Four; said he misses them. Never been to the beach, have they? You've been to the beach before, Ethan?"

"Nope!" Ethan shook his head. "Do they sell a tiara at the beach, Aunt Jo?"

"A what?"

"Ethan, not now," Effie waved her son away. "Didn't you father said he'll get you one? If he said he will, it means he will, darling."

"Okay," he mumbled, climbing on the chair and settling himself comfortably on Johanna's lap.

Effie smiled at the sight of Johanna with her arms wrapped around Ethan, her nose buried in his thick, mess of curls while she watched Felix's heart monitor beeped consistently.

"When will Uncle Felix wake up, dada?" Tristan asked.

"I don't know, peanut."

"Maybe if you tell him that corduroy pants are back in style, he'll wake up from his coma just to put a stop to it," Johanna snickered.

Effie couldn't help but laugh at that, remembering Felix's tirade against corduroy pants two weeks ago.

"Did you know mama and dada got married?" Ethan craned his neck to look at Johanna. "I told dada he can't because he didn't get mama a tiara but dada made mama marry him anyway."

"What?" Johanna's head snapped up. "What? You got married?"

Effie smiled sheepishly. "Yes, we did, yesterday."

"This is not a joke?" she pressed further. "How did this …. I didn't know you had plans to get hitched."

"Was I supposed to make an announcement?" Haymitch asked.

"You married Effie?" Johanna scrunched her face, and then she turned to Effie, "and you married him?"

"Yes," Effie nodded. "We signed the papers at the Registry."

"You're not fucking with her, are you?" Johanna demanded from Haymitch, already taking out two pieces of coin for the boys. "Cause if you are…"

"That's very sweet of you, Johanna," Effie beamed and Haymitch rolled his eyes.

Johanna seized them up and then she shrugged. "Whatever. I know Effie has a thing for you – "

"It's not a thing. I do love him."

"- and I know you're gonna do right by her," Johanna went out. "I can't believe you got married without telling any of us. When he wakes up," she jerked her head at Felix, "he's gonna have a fit."

"He better wakes up for the toasting then," Haymitch grumbled.

It was another two days before Felix stirred, finally waking up. Effie and Johanna were next to him in seconds, watching him carefully and calling his name.

"Felix," Effie said softly. "Felix…"

"Hey," Johanna snapped her fingers in front of his face. "You there? You okay?"

He drifted in and out of consciousness but with each day, he spent longer hours awake. When Haymitch told him that the children's custody had been settled and the boys were back with them, he smiled, offering them a weak congratulation.

"I'm going to tell him you're both married," Johanna whispered out of the corner of her mouth on the third day after Felix woke up.

"Don't tell him yet," Effie hissed. The nurses had drawn the curtains and were running some tests on him. "We're not supposed to stress him out."

"I'm going to tell him."

"Stop it, Johanna!"

"I am in pain," Felix wailed suddenly, a hand on his chest, forcing their attention back on him. "I'll feel better away from this wretched place. Take me away!"

"Grow a pair," Johanna snapped. She had been subjected to Felix's whining for days since he was coherent. "I wish your brother had shot your habit of being melodramatic but no such luck."

"Have you no sympathy for me?" Felix hissed. "I am a patient here. I am ill. Get me a nurse. The hot one, if you can. The one with the beard, I do like him. Maybe he'll feed me my lunch."

Johanna rolled her eyes. "You can feed yourself. It's not like your brother cut off your hand or anything."

"Effie, Effie," Felix turned his attention to her, grabbing her hand. "I will stay with you in District Twelve. I can't be alone and helpless."

"Okay, Felix," Effie nodded. "You'll stay with us in District Twelve until you're well enough. I won't leave you alone. Please, will you take your medicine?"

"Is he always like this?" Haymitch asked.

"Yes," Effie nodded. "Whenever he was sick as a child, he was pampered, most of the time."

XxX

With Felix awake and regaining strength, they were getting ready to return home to District Twelve. All they were waiting for was for Felix to be discharged, which could be any day this week. Tristan and Ethan were thrilled and spoke to Prim each day on the phone.

Perhaps it was the excitement but the boys were getting rowdier by the day, always finding things to argue about only to be caught laughing and playing with each other in the next minute.

Tonight was no exception.

"Mama, he pushed me!"

"Ethan, please," Effie sighed, folding their clothes into a luggage. "Take turns. Don't push your brother."

"I got here first!" Ethan retorted.

"But I was born first! I should get to go first. I wanna brush my teeth first, Ethan, go away!"

In their bedroom, Haymitch who was carefully collating all the important documents – marriage certificate, birth certificates and custody documents – into a bag, paused to listen to the commotion.

It was another half an hour of jostling and arguing before the room next door fell silent. He stepped out to see their bedroom door slightly ajar with the lights turned off though he could still hear their hush whispers, talking to each other.

Effie walked towards him, smiling tiredly. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest, sighing.

"They're a handful but I wouldn't have it any other way," she told him.

"I know."

"I can't wait to go home, Haymitch. We've been here for too long."

Haymitch squeezed her shoulder gently. "Want a drink? I think we both earned it."

He poured wine for them both and settled down on the sofa, pressed against each other, sipping from their glass.

"I've been thinking about what Johanna said…" Effie broached the subject, tilting her head back to look at him. "About bringing the boys to District Four… Wouldn't it be fun? We could ask Katniss, Peeta and Prim. All of us together in Four…What do you think?"

"I thought you missed home. You haven't even got home and you're talking 'bout going away," he teased.

"It's just… We've never brought the children anywhere except here to the City during your appeals and that one time to Two when Johanna was …" she trailed off, not wanting to talk about the time she had relapsed and left her family in another district.

"Let's take it one step at a time, alright?"

"I'd like to meet Ari, too," she said wistfully. "She just turned two - Johanna told me."

"We'll see," Haymitch told her.

All further talks about District Four was forgotten when he kissed her. At some point, Haymitch plucked the glass out of her hand and settled it on the floor, as he nuzzled and kissed, and touched her till she trembled.

They're coming home, they're coming home! Reviews are much appreciated!