Chapter 29
Effie adjusted her hold on Caleb so he could suck more easily on the bottle, her lips stretching into a tired smile when Haymitch appeared on the nursery's threshold. She didn't startle because she had heard the keys jingled and the front door opening a few moments earlier. But she was relieved.
"Look at that, babies, Papa is back right for feeding time…" she teased.
He leaned against the doorframe with a tender smile of his own, holding up the big stuffed bunny he was carrying by the scruff of its neck. "It was in front of the door. Didn't hear the delivery boy?"
"They were so fussy I had the TV a little loud." she admitted. As if they knew what was going on... The babies always seemed to become agitated when the trial went live. "Is there a card?"
"Your parents. Again. We're gonna drown under the gifts." He snorted. "Wouldn't have brought it in otherwise."
Of course, he wouldn't have, she realized tiredly.
The news about the babies had broken out.
They had brought them on a visit to Peeta's clinic because the boy had been asking after them and they wanted to surprise him. In theory, it should have been perfectly safe – two car trips and the clinic catered to wealthy people and, thus, relied on privacy – but they had gotten caught by a paparazzi right at the foot of her building. And there was no hiding the huge stroller with three screaming infants inside.
It had been on every news channel for two days straight, which went to show nothing had changed that much, at least where the Capitol was concerned. Plutarch had immediately countered by bringing all the exclusive details up on his networks, from their love story to their pregnancy. Neither Effie nor Haymitch had actually agreed to any of that but when he had showed up at their door looking all sheepish and carrying three identical rainbow-colored rompers with "I love my Uncle Plutarch" on the first one "Don't be mad at him" on the second and "Please" on the third one. It was so cute thatEffie had laughed, caved and forgiven him on the spot.
Haymitch had taken longer to bring around but…
It was the game, wasn't it?
They were famous people, regardless of how much they wanted to move away from that, and it was the price to pay for it.
Still, people had reacted very differently. Some were incensed they had children when so many were dead – either in the Games, in the war or in the Capitol bombing – others questioned the wisdom of allowing them to be parents and, finally, there were those – a surprising important amount, actually – who wished them well.
That had translated by gifts for the children sent either to the Presidential Mansion or directly to their door. Haymitch and Effie didn't want to accept those in case they were tricks or potentially harmful. They were paranoid people, the two of them, but was it paranoia when so many people had tried to kill you in the past? Plutarch had a team inspecting every gifted item and, when cleared, they were sent to various orphanages or children hospitals that needed them more than their babies did. So far, there had been only one case of tempering. But it was one case too many in her opinion. That someone could want to her a baby… She didn't like thinking about it.
"Did you behave for Mama, today?" Haymitch asked Amy, lifting her out of her crib and blowing raspberries on her tummy. The baby made a noise that they had long decided meant she was pleased.
He picked one of the already made bottles on the dresser and went to work feeding their daughter. Brody would be last because he had been first this morning.
"She was an angel." Effie lied. She knew he didn't like leaving her alone with the babies but, with Katniss' trial, he didn't have a choice. He was gone hours at a time, often the whole morning and a good deal of the afternoon. It wouldn't last much longer and thus she made an effort to pick up the slack.
And, truth be told, she was never entirely left alone. Annie was becoming a bit too big to be of much help and she intended to go back to Four while traveling wasn't yet too difficult as she really wanted to give birth there. Still, the girl came over regularly. Johanna was often around too, not really useful but it was another pair of arms and, with triplets, that was often necessary. Her parents had visited quite a lot too in the last couple of weeks, her mother particularly. Elindra wouldn't touch a nappy and barely consented to feed the babies, insisting Effie should hire someone for that, but she would hold them and rock them if they cried and that was already tremendous help when all she wanted to do was follow the trial on TV.
Haymitch shot her a look that told her he didn't believe her for one second. He had a point when he called them monsters. It was always fond and full of love but… They were a lot of work.
"It seemed to go well today." she commented. What the babies had let her watch, at least…
"It ain't going bad." He nodded. "Plutarch's hoping we can secure the deal in the next couple of days. Then it's over." He glanced at her before looking back at Amy, a troubled look on his face. "The lawyer's a bit concerned though… And… I'm starting to worry too."
"Aster." she deduced easily, putting the empty bottle aside and expertly rocking Caleb until he burped. "Did you manage to talk to her?"
She kissed their son's head and the inside of his little hand before hauling herself out of the chair to pick up Brody and the last bottle.
Haymitch didn't answer until she was sitting back down.
"She's avoiding me." he admitted. "She's avoiding the lawyer too, which is why he's starting to feel cautious."
Effie pursed her lips, watching him. Mrs Everdeen's attitude had become more and more troubling in the weeks leading up to the trial. The woman had thrown herself into her work as a medic, which was commendable, but she had been going on missions that took her out of the Capitol for days at a time. Aside for the first few days of Katniss' isolation, she hadn't asked if she could see or talk to her daughter. And while she had agreed to the general plan that they would aim to get Katniss declared of unsound state of mind and released to her guardianship until her mental state could be reevaluated at a later date, she hadn't gotten involved into the trial's preparations at all.
"Do you think she will bolt?" she asked seriously.
She didn't know a lot about Katniss' childhood but she had gathered enough when they were all in Thirteen. Yes, Katniss was a very independent girl but, surely, she had reasons to be.
"Hard to say." Haymitch sighed, putting down the empty bottle and cradling Amy closer to his chest. "She's sick, I think. You know… In the head. In Twelve, we call that melancholy…"
"There are treatments." she pointed out.
"Yeah." he agreed. "She was taking plants and stuff last year. Seemed to be doing okay. Don't think she had them in Thirteen though. And with Prim…" He shook his head. "You know, she ain't doing that bad. After Prim… I thought she would collapse." He buried his face in their daughter's tummy for a second. "Sure can't imagine going on if something happened to them…"
"If something happened to one of them, it would kill us but we would not abandon the other two when they need us." she retorted with unwavering certainty. "I understand her grief. I do. But…"
"You're judging her." Haymitch cut her off. "You don't know what she's been through. You haven't walked in her shoes."
Was she judging her? Maybe a little.
The crux of the matter was that Effie's only interest was Katniss, not Katniss' mother, and that Aster Everdeen had been remotely lacking as a mother ever since the city bombings if not before. Even during Katniss' recovery… She hadn't watched the girl as attentively as she ought to. And the fact that Katniss kept seeking refuge into her hospital room…
She was probably being unfair but she didn't want to be fair. She just wanted to protect her victor.
"Thing is… She missed two court sessions already." Haymitch grumbled. "Doesn't reflect well on Katniss, or so says the lawyer."
She looked down at Brody, she couldn't understand how someone could abandon their child. Even before the babies, she had been extremely protective of Katniss and Peeta. The moment she had decided they were hers, the deal was done, no going back on it, no half measures. She would have gone to the end of the Earth for them. She had gone to the end of Panem for them…
"What happens if…" she hesitated. It felt like she would jinx them if she uttered aloud what had been worrying her for a while. "What happens if she bolts, Haymitch?"
Because, the way she saw it, it was a definite possibility.
He gently nuzzled Amy's hair with his cheek, his eyes on her. "We wanted houses close together… Maybe we just find one big house." He shrugged. "I'm her mentor. Technically, I've got guardianship over the kids from the Reaping to the Games, right? So…"
She shook her head. "I do not think it is specified in the Games' regulations and I do not know the law that well."
"I'm gonna ask the lawyer tomorrow. Just in case." he promised, searching her eyes. "You're alright with this, yeah? If it comes down to it…"
"Do you have to ask?" she huffed. "I would do it myself if I thought there was a chance they would release the Mockingjay to an escort's guardianship. Won't that be a problem? As far as they know we are married, after all."
He shook his head. "I don't know…"
He looked tired.
As tired as she felt.
"Let's not talk about this anymore. Perhaps we are worrying over nothing and Aster will come around." she decided, standing up and reaching inside Caleb's crib. With one baby in each arm, she left the nursery for the living-room and settled them on the baby cushion, making sure they were secure before stretching. Something definitely popped in her back. "What are you in the mood for? I will order some food. I finished the leftovers at lunch."
"Don't care." he said, carefully putting Amy down with her brothers. He rubbed is face. "You think there's any chance they're gonna sleep tonight?"
"I will get up if they wake up." she offered, reaching for the phone. "You need some proper rest."
"So do you." he pointed out, wrapping his arms around her and propping his chin on her shoulder. He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. "I'm sorry you're stuck with the monsters all day."
"I am not stuck with our monsters, Haymitch." She snorted. "I love taking care of them. Although I do admit I would not mind some adult conversation. And three are a lot of babies to handle by yourself." She burrowed back into him. "It won't be for much longer and it is for Katniss. I can handle it."
He kissed her neck again. Two slow kisses that made her forget what she wanted to do with the phone in the first place.
"I miss them." he mumbled against her shoulder. "How fucking weird is that? I'm out there for ten minutes and I already miss my monsters."
She hadn't been away from her babies in weeks. Not even for ten minutes. The furthest she had gone to leaving them was going to the other side of the apartment. And even that was enough to make her panic sometimes. She worried about Caleb most of all because he was more fragile than the other two and the doctors had stressed that they shouldn't hesitate to check in with them if they had a doubt. But she worried about Amy and Brody too. She worried all the time.
So, all in all, perhaps it was exhausting to take care of the babies by herself all day but she preferred that to leaving them for long periods at a time.
"They are the cutest babies in Panem." she stated very seriously, ignoring his chuckles. "It is natural to miss them. Not much longer now. Once this trial is over, we can start looking at houses in Four…"
She was impatient.
Being in the Capitol limited her movements. She couldn't take the babies out on a stroll for fear of being cornered by the press. It would be easier in any District. Not perfect because they would still be public figures but it would afford them some anonymity.
"Fuck, yeah." he sighed against her neck. "Can't wait to get the hell out of this city. Get the kids out. All of them."
She was all in favor of that plan.
And how well is that plan going to work, do you think? XD Hasn't hayffie come a huge way? Look at them discussing stuff like mature adults... Do you love the babies? I will be very arrogant and pompous and confess I love my three little monsters. Will Aster bolt? Will the fact that hayffie is "married" a problem? Will they ever get to go to Four? I want your opinions!
(also just a word of update for this Sunday: I haven't finished the next episode of KTVS yes so there won't be an update on that front but I have a sequel to the president!Haymitch one for you instead)
