The next day while they were in the middle of working, the gamemakers decided to throw literal fire on Katniss to drive her closer to the Career pack. She got injured on the process of avoiding the fireball. While running, she stumbled upon a small pool and immediately drank water to rehydrate herself. Her calf and hands are seriously injured so she soaked her leg into the water and it soothes the burn. It would be painful to move around and it will affect her chances of running so she did what worked for her since day one, she climbed a tree to secure herself.
Haymitch saw the whole thing and he bolted to find Effie. She's charming a few Sponsors but he can see the strain in her fake smile. He just knew that she saw it too.
"Hi, I don't mean to be rude but if I may borrow my escort for a moment?" he said and grabbed her by the arm to usher her in the corner of the room.
He's not fond of being polite to Capitol but he's in a hurry so he needs to get her fast without drawing much attention towards them.
"Did you see it? Katniss is hurt, Haymitch", she muttered in horror.
"I know. That's why I am here. The girl needs medicine and I am going to send her some", he informed her.
He does not need to tell her to be honest. It's his signature that's needed for the forms and not hers but the job of taking care of their tributes is theirs. Katniss and Peeta are their children.
"Go. I'll hold the fort here", she replied, appreciating his effort to inform her first before acting on his decision.
He nodded at her before dashing away to get the girl the medicine she needs to treat her burn.
The medicine got to Katniss in time and she applied it to her wound. Meanwhile, the Career had found her once again and tried to get to her but just like the last time, they failed and decided to wait it out until Katniss decided to come down from the tree so they can kill her. Peeta is still there and he's eyeing her to focus on the bow and arrow being held by Glimmer. It's then she knew that Peeta is still her ally.
Back at the Capitol, Haymitch still worked his ass off for his tributes while keeping a close eye on Effie. She has a tendency to overwork herself and neglect her health so he has to be the one to control that tendency of hers.
"Katniss Everdeen still lives. That burn ointment you sent, it must have cost a fortune but then again, your girl is working day and night in hounding Sponsors so you got it covered", Chaff appeared behind him with his usual smirk.
He rolled his eyes around.
"…not my girl", he grumbled.
"Stop. You don't fool me. If your tributes win this year, many districts will file a request for Trinket. Most Career Victors are already talking about it. She's hoarding Sponsors. I mean, she's like a fucking machine or Sponsor magnet or something", his best friend mentioned.
Everyone knows Effie is the master of her job. It's the reason why the gamemakers don't want to pull her from Twelve because she singlehandedly turned the district's image into something tolerable by the Capitol. She also happens to be well-connected and a charmer who knows how to play her cards right when it comes to Sponsors. She can best anyone, Victors or other Escorts, if she wants to and this season, she wants to so badly…and everyone is seeing it.
"They're not going to let her transfer", Haymitch muttered.
He's not even sure himself of that statement. Effie made a deal with Seneca Crane. He does not want to think about that right now but if they win, she will lose him either way. The only difference is that she will be alive and married to someone else but she's alive nonetheless. He should be relieved but it does not mean it does not hurt.
"Well, you can stop glaring at me whenever I tried to steal some of your Sponsors because as of fifteen minutes ago, we're allies", Chaff commented.
His eyes glanced over the TV and saw Katniss communicating with Eleven's tribute Rue who is hiding on another tree. Chaff was right. They are allies now.
"Alright…allies", he agreed.
Effie was forced to rest by Haymitch that night. He threatened to lock her in her room if she refused sleep so she yielded. They got enough money from Sponsors to provide food and other supplies to both Peeta and Katniss if need be so perhaps, she could really take a time to breathe.
When the morning came, the first thing she saw on TV is Katniss trying to cut a tree branch containing a nest filled with trackers jackers. The gasped she let out must have been heard across the room because one moment, Haymitch is already next to her.
"What?" he asked in alarm. She can only point out on the screen before he saw it too. "What the fuck is she doing?" he exclaimed.
He then understood why the girl was doing that. The Career pack was still sleeping on the ground below her and dropping the nest on them will take care of that problem. The thing is, the knife that she got is not very sharp and she got already stung by the monstrous creatures. Plus, Peeta was down there too and he's not even the enemy.
"Oh god…" Effie breathed out in fear.
Then, the nest fell and trackers jackers came out to play. Peeta managed to get out fast while Glimmer got caught in the swarm of trackers jackers and died. Katniss got away too but not before she got stung multiple times. Trackers jackers are nasty things. They contained venom. Soon enough, the girl will start feeling it and hallucinate. They watched as Katniss went back to the small pool and soaked herself before going back to where One's tribute died to take the bow and arrow. Peeta had returned and saw her still there.
'Run, Katniss! Run!' the boy exclaimed and shoved Katniss away.
The girl resumed running before she collapsed on a bush while Peeta fought off another tribute who tried to get to Katniss before being able to run away himself.
"We need to send another medicine for the venom", Effie muttered in panic.
Haymitch, on the other hand, kept his eyes on the screen. He watched as little Rue found Katniss and did her best to pull her away from the bush and into a clearing. Effie turned to watch that act too before her heart started melting for the girl. Rue bega patching up Katniss with leaves. Eleven's tribute just saved theirs.
"What just happened?" Effie asked.
He smiled at her.
"Our stubborn tribute just made an ally", he answered.
While Katniss and Rue bonded on the screen, Effie and Haymitch arranged for a medicine for Peeta who was injured while trying to protect Katniss from the Career pack. It became lost on them that their tribute planned on attacking the camp of the Career with the help of Rue. It was a success but then, Rue was killed by Cato who was then killed by Katniss in reflex. The little girl died in Katniss' arms as she sang her a lullaby and the whole Capitol had gone silent. Haymitch had to pull Effie aside because she's already crying. He met Chaff's eyes from across the room and his best friend's eyes are glassy too, heartbroken from the little girl's death.
They watched as Katniss laid down Rue on the clearing and fetched flowers to put around her body. It's the best she can do for her because she knows a hovercraft will come by and pick up her body but she wants to do something nice for the little girl who did not hesitate in helping her and trusting her. She's her friend. It brought tears to everyone.
And then…Katniss did something that shocked those who knows what it means. She put her fingers on her lips and raised three digits onto the air while staring straight into the camera.
Haymitch stiffened, as well as Chaff, but Effie was confused. She does not understand their reaction and the rest of the Capitol audience remained oblivious.
"What is it?" she asked Haymitch while wiping her tears away.
He did not answer her, only stared at Chaff. Effie followed his gaze and met Chaff's intense eyes before shaking his head, silently telling her to let it go and so she did.
When the night came, a gift arrived for Katniss but Effie and Haymitch did not send one. It's from District Eleven. A loaf of bread from District Eleven. Effie knows this because it's taught in Capitol school. The products that come from different districts are highlighted in the textbooks and that particular loaf is from Eleven. Chaff gifted Katniss a loaf of bread even though she's not his tribute.
"Why did Chaff send Katniss a gift?" she asked when she found Haymitch at the rooftop.
He has avoided her all night and she knows something is wrong.
"I told you. Katniss and Rue were allies. They were…friends. Chaff appreciated what the girl did for his tribute", he answered without looking at her.
She walked so she can be in his line of sight. He's in deep concentration. She can see the wheels of his brain turning.
"Tell me what's going on. Please", she pleaded.
He looked back at her and took a deep breath.
"I need you to do me a favor", she waited, "I need you to set me a meeting with Seneca Crane", he said.
"Whatever for? You know even if I can, he's the Head Gamemaker and seeing him talking with a Mentor who has a very much alive tributes inside the arena will be interpreted as cheating", she asked.
"No one is going to see us because it will be discreet, princess", he answered.
He's planning something. She can just tell.
"You're not going to tell me why you want to talk to him, are you?" she asked again.
"…not until I know it's doable. Trust me, sweetheart", he answered.
When it comes to trust, there's no need to question that. She trusts him completely. That's why she found herself agreeing to his request.
She had contacted Seneca and persuaded him into meeting Haymitch discreetly. Luckily, he agreed and met the Victor in one of the restricted corner of the Center.
Effie watched as the two talked intensely, far from her ears. She can go to them and asked what is going on but Haymitch asked her to trust him and that's what she will do. After a few minutes, Haymitch went to her and told her that it's done. She bid goodbye to Seneca and said her thanks before returning to the penthouse.
"Can you tell me now?" she asked.
"Tomorrow morning, princess", he simply said and ushered her to her bedroom to rest.
The next day, Effie is clinging to her second cup of coffee when Haymitch eagerly unmute the TV and settled on the couch. She followed his suit and sat next to him.
"You promised you'll tell me this morning", she reminded him.
Haymitch gestured towards the TV and she's slowly losing her patience. She did go out of her way to set him a meeting with Seneca and the least he can do for her is tell her why. She's about to give him a piece of her mind when a trumpet echoed at the TV. She recognized that as an announcement from the gamemakers.
'…under the new rule, tributes from the same district will both be declared winners if they are the last two left alive…'
It's like everything stopped around her. That never happened before. There's only one Victor and now, they changed the rules. Two Victors from the same district. Katniss and Peeta are both alive which means…they can both come back from the arena. She turned to Haymitch who looked relieved. This is his doing. This is why he had to meet with Seneca.
"You…"
"Yes", he answered before she can finish his question.
She should ask why but does that even matter right now? Their kids have a chance to both make it out alive. That's what matters now. Everything else is irrelevant. Katniss and Peeta can win the whole thing. She just knows it deep within her bones.
"Thank you", she muttered and leaned closer to him as he wrapped his arm around her.