Chapter 37

The tracking anklet seemed to dig into her skin although Effie knew it was just her imagination. She had the device on for weeks now and it had never been a problem. Her senses seemed to have heightened in her distressed state, making her deeply aware of the minute sensations her body was experiencing.

Effie breathed deeply and managed to calm herself enough to make it through the ride from District Thirteen to the Capitol. She had said goodbye to Fabius the day before she knew she was bound to leave.

"You'll be okay, my dear. Be brave. This is your chance to make sure Fox gets what he deserves," Fabius had told her, squeezing her tightly.

As she disembarked from the hovercraft and into the waiting car that would take her to where she would be housed, she noticed the little changes in the Capitol. The streets were clear of debris and slabs of concrete from collapsed buildings. More shops had been opened and life seemed to go on with a facade of normality. If she paid close enough attention, she would have noticed the haunted look of some of the people. It was a period of adjustment - those from the Capitol were still adjusting to the destruction that they had only seen on television but never had to experience until the Rebellion happened while those from the Districts were still trying to get used to the new hard fought freedom.

"You'll be staying here for the duration of your time in the Capitol," a young man in pressed uniform told her, as she was led out of the elevator into one of the rooms.

Effie disappeared into one of the rooms, fully intending to change into something more comfortable and take a nap while she waited for further instructions. She didn't hear the key turned in the lock as the door was pushed open quietly.

"Effie," someone called out as a hand touched her shoulder.

Her reflexes kicked in. She swung the bedside lamp and hit the intruder with all the momentum and power she could muster, blindsiding the man who crumpled on the floor, clutching his temple.

"Haymitch!"

The lamp fell from her hand with a thud as she rushed forward, kneeling in front of him. She took his face in her hands and titled it to the sides, inspecting the damage that she had done.

"I am so sorry!"

He grunted and sat back, leaning heavily against the bed.

"That wasn't the sort of welcome I was expecting. You've got a mean swing, sweetheart," he chuckled, wiping the blood trickling down his cheek.

"If you had knocked like any normal person instead of sneaking in like a thief, this wouldn't have happened," Effie pointed out, as she handed a wet towel to Haymitch.

"What? You blindside me with a lamp and you expect me to clean the cut myself?" He huffed, taking the towel from her. "Manners, Effie."

She dipped her head and tried to hide the smile on her face. Taking back the towel from him, she pressed it softly on the cut and cleaned the blood off his face.

"For the record, I wasn't sneaking in. I have the keys," he said as he dangled it up for her to see.

Effie looked up briefly to the set of keys and knew that Plutarch must have given it to him somehow. She was about to ask him when he arrived at the Capitol but was distracted by the feel of his thumb grazing the scar that ran from her clavicle to her shoulder.

Effie cleared her throat uncomfortably and moved to pull her shirt up to cover the ugly scar but Haymitch's hand was still resting on her shoulder. Her face turned red.

"Are you ashamed of it?" he murmured, his eyes flicking up to meet hers but she wouldn't look at him.

"Yes," Effie whispered, still kneeling in front of him with the wet cloth clutched in her hand. "Of course I am. I have so many of them since the... I'm flawed, I'm scarred for life."

"Of course you're flawed. It just makes you human," he told her.

He gripped her wrist, forcing her to release the towel and brought her hand close to his body. He slipped them under his shirt, coming to a rest on his stomach. Effie felt the uneven skin with her fingertips. A long strip of skin was raised and bumpy from the damaged tissue. Effie trailed her fingers over the length of it gently.

"I have them too. From my Games."

"Are you ashamed of it?" she repeated the question he had asked her earlier.

"No," he answered. The hand resting on her shoulder moved up to her neck, his thumb slowly stroking her throat. "It makes me angry. Each time I see the scar, it makes me want to kill Snow, makes me want to see him die a slow and painful death."

Effie smiled sadly at him, understanding exactly what he meant. She pulled her hand from under his shirt. Haymitch watched as her fingers hovered on the top button on his shirt. Her eyes flickered up to his, silently asking for permission. When he made no move to stop her and continued watching her instead, Effie slowly unbuttoned it, allowing it to fall open.

For the first time, she saw the scar from when the axe had lodged in his stomach so many years ago. The Capitol did a good job fixing it up but even they couldn't completely get rid of one so prominent.

"Surprise, surprise," he said sarcastically. "You're not the only one who's flawed."

Her eyes watered slightly. It must have taken a great deal out of Haymitch for him to willingly show her his Games' souvenir; to have to dredge up the memory by exposing it to her.

She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but his lips were pressing on hers. Before Effie could fully appreciate what was happening, he pulled back slightly, "Now don't go feeling sorry for me, Effs. I don't need it."

Effie nodded. Slowly, tentatively, she kissed him again. She ran her hands over his chest just as his own wrapped around her, pulling her closer. Due to her position, she fell forward and collapsed on top of him. Haymitch chuckled, pushing her hair over her shoulder.

"Bed," he said. "I'm not that young."

"You're not that old either," she said, helping him to his feet.

"I'm not. But I'm still dashing," he teased before silencing her with a fervent kiss. Haymitch pushed her blouse off her shoulder and turned her around. She had hastily put on the blouse and did not have the time to put on her brassiere when Haymitch had entered the room.

He ran his hand silently over the exposed marred skin on her back from the whipping inflicted by Fox. Effie stiffened, afraid that despite what he said, Haymitch might be revolted by the scars criss-crossing on her back.

His arm snaked around her stomach, pulling her against him. He kissed her neck lazily, moving up to her ear. "If there wasn't a trial, I would have killed him myself for everything that he's done. For what he did to you."

Effie knew who he was referring to and it made her insides turned to mush hearing the anger in his voice, knowing that he was expressing his protectiveness over her. She had seen him being protective over Katniss and Peeta, and now… now she was one of those people too and it touched her.

She turned in his arms and kissed him fiercely, trying to convey how much it meant to hear him say it. Their kiss turned hungry; his hands gripped her waist tightly before Effie bunched a fistful of his shirt and pulled him down on the bed.

"It's okay; he'll get… what he deserves," she said, his hand mapping out her skin under her shirt.

Effie ran her fingers through his hair as he trailed kisses along her jawline, down her throat and he didn't stop. She knotted his hair in her hands when his tongue darted out to lick her belly button.

"Haymitch," she gasped.

Gradually, they managed to relieve each other of their clothes, throwing it on the floor carelessly. Effie couldn't remember the last time she had been with a man, possibly months before the 74th Games. Her life had been a road map of stress and anxiety since they won.

She looked up at Haymitch nervously but whatever worry she had was relegated to the back of her mind when his eyes fluttered shut as he finally entered her. Their fingers intertwined above her head, both of them moving in tandem together. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his breaths coming out in short bursts as he panted heavily. Effie could feel the pressure intensifying, building and coiling inside of her before it burst and she threw her head back. Her body shook and releasing her hands from his grip, she wound her arms tightly around Haymitch's neck, holding on to him.

"I've missed you, Haymitch," she whispered in his ear when she felt his muscles tensing before he reached his peak in a shuddering breath.

He nodded, too spent to say anything. Haymitch pushed himself up to his elbow, wiped the hair that had matted to her face and kissed her forehead. He dropped another lingering kiss to the scar on her shoulder, the one that acted as a catalyst.

XxX

Someone was knocking loudly on the door, the sound piercing through the cloudy haze in her sleep. Effie blinked groggily.

"You wanna get that?" Haymitch asked, stroking her arm idly.

Effie looked up to see Haymitch, propped against the head board, an eyebrow raised in question. He had his arm around her, and her own arm was draped across his stomach.

"You let me fall asleep?" she asked.

"You looked like you needed it," he replied and glanced at the clock. "You haven't slept long, not even half an hour."

Effie moved off the bed and began gathering her clothes. The knocking grew louder.

"Just a minute!" she shouted.

Haymitch followed suit and began dressing. "Probably just Plutarch. He meant to check on you and brief you about what's to be expected at the trial tomorrow."

After making sure that they both looked presentable, Effie opened the door. Plutarch Heavensbee eased his way in with the ever present smile on his face. He took one look at the unmade bed and its tangled sheets and gave them a sidelong glance.

Effie blushed furiously, while Haymitch just plopped down on the sofa, his eyes watching Plutarch who was making his way towards Effie.

"Well, Haymitch, don't you have to check up on someone?" Plutarch asked pointedly after he had given Effie a hug.

"What?" Haymitch asked, slightly confused. He crossed and uncrossed his legs and Effie knew him enough to read from his body language that he was embarrassed at the conclusion that Plutarch had undoubtedly formed about them. "Oh, right. Katniss, of course."

He stood up. "I'll leave you two alone to discuss the trial."

He crossed the room to where Effie was sitting and bent low to whisper in her ear.

"I gotta call Katniss at Twelve, make sure she's okay. I'll see you soon."

Haymitch straightened up,nodded curtly at Plutarch and left.

He never once tried to coddle and feed her any sort of delusions about the trial and Effie was grateful. She knew it would not be easy. There were demons that she had to face and if Haymitch had at any point tried to make it sound anything but, Effie was certain she would have broken down. Effie didn't think she would be able to face Adrian Fox otherwise.

Hayffie interaction, finally. I've missed Haymitch. :)