Prompt : Okay after the latest beautiful chapter of HaDS, can you please write a follow-up of them telling the children? Thank you so much for this wonderful story!

This refers to chapter 67 where Effie found out she was (miraculously) pregnant.

Telling The Kids

The silence in the kitchen wasn't entirely comfortable and Peeta was quickly picking up on it. Effie busied herself with helping the boy clear the table and was careful not to look him in the eye. Haymitch was staring into his glass of wine – his second that night and his fifth all day, not that she was keeping count – and probably too happy to let her take the lead on how to approach the topic they needed to discuss.

The mere idea of telling anyone about the baby filled her with a nervous burst of energy. They hadn't told a soul yet. It was at Effie's insistence mostly, she shouldn't be pregnant to begin with, there was no guarantee she wouldn't lose the baby… Haymitch had agreed to wait because he was at a loss about what to do regarding the whole pregnancy thing. He had warmed up slowly to the idea of having a child but it was still baby steps where he was concerned. He was happy to let her take the decisions.

But she was three month pregnant now and it was starting to show, she couldn't hide it much longer. Her pregnancy was going well too, except for some vitamins and dietary supplements she had to take, everything was normal. Her hand fluttered to her stomach.

"Are you alright?" Peeta asked quietly.

"Sweetheart?" Haymitch's head shot up, he studied her quickly and then pulled her chair. "Sit back down."

"I'm perfectly fine." she sighed but she still did as she was told. If Haymitch had been overprotective before, it was nothing compared to now. Morning sickness, fainting spells, stomach aches… All of those made Haymitch so uneasy he was quickly starting to act as if she was going to break any second. The faintest trace of discomfort and he was telling her to lie down or insisting on bringing her some tea. It was more annoying than helpful but she usually yielded because it was easier than arguing. Plus, it made him feel better about the whole thing. It gave him the impression he was in control.

"Are you sure?" he frowned. "Do you want to go home?"

"No." She fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm fine."

"What's going on?" Peeta asked bluntly, looking from one to the other with weariness.

"Let's wait for Katniss." Haymitch grunted, after one last look at her.

Peeta frowned and took a sit, eyeing Effie with some concern. "Are you ill?"

"Of course not, dear." Effie was quick to reassure him. "I…"

"You went back to the hospital yesterday." the boy interrupted her. "Again."

She tried not to wince but couldn't control the slight flicker of irritation. That was life in a small District for you, you could never do anything without the whole neighborhood being aware of it. It reminded her of the Capitol in its worst days.

"And they told me I was perfectly fine." she insisted with one of her fake smiles. It was, perhaps, rather short. She could see Haymitch suppress a smirk from the corner of his eyes. "Really, Peeta, I assure you."

The boy glanced at Haymitch who only shrugged.

"She's asleep." Katniss announced, coming back in the kitchen, hands free from her daughter who had been particularly fussy that night. She sat next to Peeta and frowned when she sensed the mood had shifted while she was away. "What's going on?" Her frown deepened when Peeta took her hand.

Effie and Haymitch looked at each other. He nodded at her discreetly and she took the hint for what it was. She cleared her throat awkwardly and then forced a bubbly smile on her lips, the kind that always dazzled sponsors back in the days.

"Willow is getting older, isn't she?" she said, ignoring the way Haymitch's eyebrows lifted in surprise. Of course, he would probably have simply told them like it was an everyday occurrence but it wasn't the kind of things you just simply… declare, was it? "It would be nice for her to have children her age around, don't you think?"

Haymitch rolled his eyes but remained silent. Katniss and Peeta exchanged a look and then Katniss openly made a face.

"I'm not having another child for a while, Effie." the girl laughed awkwardly. "A few years. At least."

"Yes, Willow is already a handful." Peeta smiled softly. "In a few years, maybe."

There was a wistful glint in Peeta's eyes but Katniss' face was resolute.

"I didn't mean you specifically, Katniss." Effie tried. Haymitch shifted in his chair to look at her, his elbow propped on the table, his hand covering his mouth and – more that probably – his smirk. "I mean… In the neighborhood. They could grow up together and…" The words failed her. It would be a bit ridiculous, wouldn't it? Her child growing up with the daughter of young people she considered like her own? The age difference… And it was even worse in Haymitch's case.

"Yes, I suppose…" Peeta replied uncertainly. "Is someone expecting?" Katniss looked puzzled too.

"Well… Well, you see…" Effie stammered.

"She's pregnant." Haymitch stated, obviously annoyed by her inability to be clear.

"Haymitch!" she gasped. That was not how you delivered those kind of news.

"What?" he grumbled. "You were taking forever, sweetheart."

She was so busy glaring at him, it took several seconds before she realized Katniss and Peeta had yet to say anything to their big news. She bit her lower lip, waiting for them to react.

Katniss was the first to snicker and then she started outright laughing and Peeta followed suit. Effie was quite baffled by their hilarity. Haymitch only sighed.

"You almost had me." Peeta chuckled, wiping tears from his face. "Were the hospital visits part of the joke? That wasn't nice! I was worried."

"You will have to do better than that, Haymitch." Katniss shook her head.

Effie cleared her throat and lowered her eyes. "Haymitch is serious."

The laugher didn't die down.

"Come on, Effie…" Katniss rolled her eyes. "We're not…"

"She's pregnant." Haymitch repeated, a bit on the defensive side. "We're serious. Leave her alone."

Effie repressed a sigh at his over-protective nature. What would it be once the baby was born? Full hissing on anyone who crept too close to their child?

"What Haymitch means to say in his unjustifiably rude way is that we are actually having a baby." Effie winced. "We are not joking at your expenses."

The children looked stunned now.

"Really?" Peeta asked, wide-eyes.

"Really." She placed a hand on her stomach and smiled softly.

"Well… Congratulations!" Katniss offered, stepping around the table to hug her and then Haymitch. Effie was in Peeta's arms when the girl hugged Haymitch but she didn't miss the silent conversation between them. She was happy to see Haymitch nod in reassurance.

It wasn't until they were all sitting that the girl started laughing again for whatever reason stroke her fancy.

"What now?" Haymitch growled.

"Nothing!" Katniss giggled. "Just the idea of you two with a child…"

"What's wrong with us having a kid?" he scowled. Effie was surprised when he placed a hand on hers. "We're not completely inept, you know?"

"That's not what she meant." Peeta replied, clearly fighting a laugh of his own. "You're going to spoil the kid rotten and Effie is going to have two of you on her hands. It's going to be... Very fun to watch."

"Well, I'm glad you think so." Effie huffed, a bit vexed. "Because with the amount of babysitting I've done for you, I expect you to help us. It's only proper after all."

That calmed their laughter.