Several people asked to read more about Theo, so I usually try to do the prompts from the oldest to the newest but I'm in looooove with Theo so here goes, a continuation of my story Thirteen Sheep that you might want to check before reading this one. Or maybe it can stand alone, I'm not sure.
New Acquaintances
Effie startled awake to the sound of heavy stomping. Her eyes darted around, looking for the Peacekeepers who were bound to appear. She wanted to hide but there was no place to run to in her cell, only four walls, a door and four corners.
Because of the panic gripping her racing heart, it took her longer than it ought to realize she wasn't in her cell anymore but in her new hospital room in Thirteen. It was still unfamiliar, she had just been moved there after they had finally done something for her broken ribs. Haymitch hadn't said anything but she knew it meant she was free for now, the guard at her door had disappeared and she was allowed visitors. Finnick had come with Annie and Katniss with her sister… Haymitch and Theo were almost living there with her, she couldn't wait to be cleared out.
The stomping got closer and the door flung open to let two unruly children in. She almost didn't recognize her own son before he jumped on the bed quickly followed by his friend. His hair was all over the place, his brow was covered in sweat and he was breathing heavily but there was a bright smile on his face and his eyes were shining in happiness. The other child was a little girl with hair as wild as her son, equally out of breath and sweaty.
"This is my Mommy." Theo said proudly to his little friend who didn't seem to have any qualm about sitting on the bed of a stranger. In a matter of seconds, the girl had grabbed a strand of her hair and was reverently studying the way it curled around her tiny finger.
"You're very pretty." the girl said, almost in awe.
She doubted she looked very pretty – not with all the weight she had lost, the fading bruise on her cheek and the myriad of scars on her body. And that was without mentioning the absence of make-up or wig.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Effie nudged her son, not very pleased with the way his manners had slipped during her absence. He had fared better than she had expected under Haymitch's care – relative swearing, some butchering of grammar but no more than any six years old, some regular oversight of saying please and thank you – but his overall behavior had still suffered although she couldn't quite find fault in that. Her mother had been very strict in her education of the child, he had lacked for nothing and had been very loved from the moment of his birth but under his grandmother's iron patronage he had become a quiet child more prone to play by himself in a corner with his figurines than to run around and cause havoc. With Haymitch, he had learned to be carefree and, from what she had seen, his father only encouraged him in this way. It was good to see Theo smile and enjoy himself in this horrible place, she thought, it was good he was finally free of the burden of her own secret. He deserved better, had always deserved better.
"I'm Posy." the girl said with a wide smile. She was obviously a very energetic child, she was almost bouncing on her knees and had yet to remove her grabby hand from Effie's hair. Effie let her, though, the child was sweet. "I'm Theo's bestest friend before Finnick."
Effie couldn't help but smile. "Bestest isn't a word, sweetie."
"Sure it is." Theo frowned.
It was all so reminiscent of his father – the words, the way he said it – Effie's eyes softened when she should have chided him for being rude.
"Best is the right word." she told them. "Posy is your best friend."
"Of course, I am. I just told you." the little girl shrugged. "Is it true you are the prettiest Mommy in the Capitol? 'Cause my Mommy is the prettiest in my District."
She was saved from answering that question by the arrival of a clearly out of breath woman wearing the mandatory grey uniform. She was dark-haired with a tanned skin, her hair was curly but was tied back in a practical style. Effie had been to Twelve enough times to recognize someone from the Seam on sight. The woman didn't look pleased at all, she was scowling and waving an accusing finger in the air. "That wasn't nice at all, you two. You are both going to be punished."
Effie's brain realized there was no danger but the part of her that had been covering in fear for weeks took over. It was instinctive to grab both the children and twist them around to shield them with her body – albeit not very practical, the kids ended up in a tangle of limbs on the furthest side of the bed from the woman and she ended up crushing them to the mattress. Fortunately, she was quite light and the children thought it was a game so they erupted in giggles and startled tickling each other. Her ribs ached.
"Oh dear…" the woman breathed out, more calmly. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to…" She sounded lost and Effie knew she should stop her ridiculous behavior at once but, as foolish as it was, the only thing going through her head was : protect. The woman didn't try to approach the bed or touch her for which she was grateful. It took longer than it should have for her heart to stop racing and her head to stop spinning. Theo was the first to wriggle free of her protective embrace, quickly followed by Posy whose laughter died abruptly when she caught sight of the stern look on the woman's face.
"Oh, oh." the little girl gasped.
"Oh, oh, indeed." the woman folded her arms with a stern look but it changed to worry when her eyes fell on Effie. "Do you need help? Should I go and get a doctor? I am sorry, I didn't mean to startle you or trigger… Well, bad memories."
The children were both staring at Effie with curiosity and concern flashed on Theo's face. He grabbed her hand. "You want Daddy? Daddy makes the bad dreams go away."
It was the hardest thing she ever did to force a smile on her face but she did for her son's sake. "No, I am perfectly fine, Theo, thank you. No need to alarm your father."
Haymitch would only hover over her like a mother hen and then refuse to leave the room for hours. It had happened before.
"I am sorry." the woman repeated, obviously distressed.
"Not at all." Effie waved her apologies away. "I was just… I am fine. And since Theo doesn't seem to be able to remember his manners and introduce us, I am also pleased to meet you. My name is…"
"Effie Trinket." the woman finished for her and Effie cringed at her own stupidity. Of course, she would know who she was. Everybody in Twelve knew her name and probably feared her like they feared the ripper. The smile on the woman's face was polite and sincere though, she even outstretched a hand that Effie was only too happy to shake. "Hazelle Hawthorne. This is my daughter." she nodded to the little girl. "My daughter who is now grounded. No play-time for two days. You too, Theo, and I don't think your father will be too pleased when he hear you took off without me."
"I wanted to see Mommy." Theo sulked.
"This is no excuse." Hazelle replied severely. "I told you your father was planning on taking you later. You could have waited."
"I wanted her to meet Posy!" Theo insisted.
"Then you should have asked me permission to bring Posy later." Hazelle retorted. "Both of you apologize, now."
Effie watched, bemused, as the stranger chided her son like she had a right too. She didn't know how things worked in Twelve but in the Capitol, parents or guardians were the only one allowed to scold or ground their children. The fact that the woman was doing it without even a second thought for her, like it was something so ordinary she wasn't even thinking about it, didn't settle well with Effie.
The two children exchanged a glance and then mumbled apologies. Hazelle finally smiled, it was a beautiful smile, it lighted up her face and perhaps, Effie mused, Posy was right and Hazelle was the prettiest woman in their District or, at least, in the Seam. She was older than her, closer to Haymitch's age. She was probably a friend of his. It didn't explain why she was in charge of their son when Haymitch had specifically told her he took care of the child himself. Effie had offered to keep him with her, she was well enough to look after him now. He had told her not later than this morning that he was keeping Theo with him and that it wasn't a problem so why in Panem was a stranger looking after her child like it was her own?
Something repulsive and dark churned in her stomach.
"Alright, I forgive you." Hazelle offered. "Now give me a hug."
Jealousy was an ugly thing and when she saw her son flinging himself at Hazelle's neck at the same time as Posy, she couldn't help the sharp bite of envy. A part of her was grateful someone other than Haymitch had been looking out for and taking care of her son but another part, a bigger part, was fighting the urge to tear her son from that woman and hold him close. She had never had to share him with anyone before apart from her mother and her sister, his love had always been secured and now he had apparently gone and found an alternative mother while she was being tortured.
It was unfair, she was aware of that, yet she couldn't help it.
"Theo's mommy is so pretty, Mommy!" Posy exclaimed when the hug was over. "Don't you think so?"
"Very pretty." Hazelle agreed without really looking. It was awkward. The woman seemed willing to forget she was an escort but didn't seem able to at the same time. "Now, I still have work to do and I'm sure Miss Trinket wants to get some rest…"
"It is of no trouble." Effie argued at once, gesturing Theo over. He came back to the bed happily and snuggled against her. A soft smile grazed her lips at the warmth of her son at her side. It was something she had yearned for in her cell, something she didn't think she would ever feel again.
"Even so." Hazelle laughed uneasily. "I left the laundry unattended to run after them."
"We can help for punishment?" Theo piped up, lifting his head. "Then I and Posy can play?"
"Posy and I." the two women corrected at the same time.
Effie avoided her eyes, it was getting more awkward by the second.
"Swapping punishment." Hazelle commented with amusement. "My boys taught you well, I see." She gave a theatrical sigh. "I suppose… If you both help with laundry, you could play afterwards. But I'm still telling your father and he still won't be happy with you."
"We'll help, Mommy!" Posy chose for them both.
Six years old doing laundry? Not a chance in hell.
"I will be keeping Theo with me." Effie said. "I would be happy to watch your daughter too if you have to go to work."
Something flashed on Hazelle's face but it was too quick for her to understand what it was. The children were both looking at Effie expectantly, not believing their luck.
"It's not necessary, I can watch them and I understand you should be resting." the woman smiled but it was strained. "Besides, laundry will be less of an hassle than forbidding their play-time."
"Theo won't be doing laundry." Effie snapped bluntly. She forced a polite smile on her face soon after but the damage was done.
"There is nothing wrong with doing laundry." Hazelle replied.
"Mommy?" Theo asked, obviously picking up on the tension steadily increasing in the room. She tightened her hold on him.
"There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing laundry." Effie agreed. "However, this isn't a job for children and certainly not for my six years old son."
"Alright." the woman shrugged. "Then, we will simply ground them from playing. I will tell Haymitch when he comes for Theo."
The fact that there was a "we" in this sentence aggravated Effie to no end. The fact that Hazelle thought herself in any position to talk about her son with her son's father was even worse.
"I am keeping Theo with me." she repeated since it hadn't been clear the first time.
Posy tugged on her mother's long shirt. "Why are you fighting with Theo's Mommy?"
"We're not fighting, love, we're simply having a disagreement." Hazelle told her daughter.
"Like with Gale?" Posy tilted her head.
"Precisely like with Gale." Hazelle's smile had a hard edge to it.
Effie didn't know who Gale was and she didn't care. "Theo is my son."
"And Haymitch entrusted his care to me." Hazelle argued. "What am I supposed to tell him when he comes back for him?"
"That he is with his mother." Effie hissed.
Theo looked from Hazelle to Effie, obviously distressed. "But Mommy… Doing laundry is funny! I wanna go with Posy…"
"Look…" Hazelle was suddenly calmer. "I can't even imagine what you've been through but… The way you reacted when I came in… The nightmares and the flashbacks…"
"How do you know about that?" Effie cut her off, flabbergasted. Those weren't public knowledge.
"Haymitch told me." Hazelle sighed. "Between Theo, you and the war, he's exhausting himself. We're friends, we talk."
"Friends." she repeated flatly.
"Friends." Hazelle insisted not unkindly. "I watch over Theo when he can't. I've been doing it for weeks, you don't know me and I can't imagine I would be happy about a stranger looking after my children, but he's perfectly safe with me, I promise you. What would happen if you had a flashback while he is with you?" She winced. "I'm not trying to hurt you, I'm just stating a fact."
Effie frowned, more hurt than she let on. "Is that why I am not allowed to watch my own child? Is that what your friend told you?"
Haymitch had been reluctant to leave her alone with Theo, she had noticed but she had thought it was because… Well, because she had kept him away from his son for so long. She had thought it was a petty payback of sort.
This was worse.
She would never ever hurt her child. Never.
"I am sorry, believe me." Hazelle continued. "But this is not my decision to make and Haymitch trusted me with his son. I'm sure you understand."
She did. That was the worst part.
"I want to stay with my Mommy." Theo snapped suddenly, grabbing her around the waist and holding too tight. Her ribs burned in protest. "Don't be sad, Mommy."
"I'm not sad." she whispered, combing her fingers through his hair.
"I stay and then Daddy comes and we go get Sheepy so he takes your sad away." he insisted.
"I'm not sad." she repeated, hugging him tight. She buried her nose in his hair but even his smell was different. Different shampoo. He didn't smell like a baby anymore. "You should go with your friend and have fun. You can come back later." Hazelle visibly relaxed at her surrender. "No laundry." she instructed the woman.
"No laundry." Hazelle agreed. "I will keep him safe, I swear."
Effie nodded but that was all she could do. Theo hesitated but in the end, he gave her a kiss and clutched Hazelle's outstretched hand. Posy waved at her when they all left the room.
Alone again, Effie curled on her side and did her best not to let the tears fall. She failed.
She was still curled up on herself when Haymitch finally came back a few hours later. Her back was to the door but she would have recognized his footstep everywhere. He was alone – Theo would already have jumped on her if he had been with him. He sat on the bed and then laid down behind her, placing a tentative arm around her waist, careful not to put any pressure on her ribs. It was a tight fit but she didn't scoot forward to leave him more space. Let him fall off the bed, she thought with a nasty mind.
"I'm waiting for the lecture." he told her.
She remained silent.
"Come on, sweetheart." he sighed. "You're dying to rant and I'm dying to go to bed. Finnick and Annie can't watch Theo all night either."
So, now, even Annie was more fit to watch her son than she was. She loved the victor, that wasn't the problem, but Annie was unstable on her best days and downright mad on her worst.
She didn't even have the strength to argue her point, she just curled up further on herself, feeling completely cast out. She had no real place in Thirteen – Plutarch had warned her about that during his first and only visit, Capitols weren't entirely welcomed in this District – she was broken from countless tortures and now she was apparently forbidden to look after her own child.
Theo had always been happy to see her, her presence used to be enough… But now he was always talking about people he had met or people he was friends with… She was happy for him of course, he seemed to be thriving in there and from what Finnick had told her, everyone loved him but… She missed her little boy. She missed the time they spent together alone.
"Effie." Haymitch sighed again. "If you don't…"
"You don't trust me with my son." she snapped. It exhausted her, that simple sentence exhausted her.
"That's an exaggeration." he replied. His breath was tickling her neck and she batted the hand on her hip away. She didn't want to cuddle. "And Hazelle shouldn't have said that."
"She didn't." she sneered. "She hinted very awkwardly and very politely." Sitting up was harder than it should have been but she was feeling the need to put some distance between them. Her body didn't like it one bit. Her head started spinning and she was aware of Haymitch's outstretched hands behind her, ready to break an eventual fall. It annoyed her so she pushed herself on her feet.
"Effie, you're not supposed to do that." he grumbled.
Her legs were wobbling but she took a few steps in the direction of the door. It was a slow process, even more so given that she had to grab everything that came into reach to stay upward. "She's very nice. Your friend." She didn't even try to hide the jealousy in her voice. "How long has she been playing mother to my child? It must have been going on for some time since she thinks herself allowed to punish him as she sees fit in front of me." He was behind her, following her closely in case she fell but not dumb enough to try and touch her. "Have you two been playing house, Haymitch? She's pretty. Less than I used to be, you will have to grant me this, but..."
"Are you done?" he spat with irritation. "Hazelle used to clean my house. She's a friend, that's all. She offered to watch Theo when I can't, he likes playing with Posy."
"Be that as it may." she hissed. "Why does she think she can ground my child at will? She scolds him, hugs him, acts like she's responsible for him… This isn't her place but mine. Why in Panem did you let something like this happen?"
"Because he needed his mother and last time I checked I didn't have womanly parts." Haymitch retorted. "There was only so much I could do. He missed you, he needed a woman. Hazelle was here. It's not my fault you weren't there for him, sweetheart, that's yours. You shouldn't have left us alone."
It was like a punch to the stomach and she would have collapsed if he hadn't caught her. She struggled free and continued her slow progress to the door.
"Okay." he sighed. "I'm sorry. Sweetheart…" He tried to grab her but she battled his hands away. Her body was too weak and she was relieved to reach the door. It was easier to advance when leaning against the wall. The corridor was busy with doctors, nurses or other people in grey uniforms. Everyone looked at her with round eyes when they saw her snail-like escape. "You do realize your gown is opened at the back, right?" Haymitch taunted, waving away everyone who was hinting at wanting to help. "Everybody can see your ass, Princess. It's a nice one, I will give you that, but are you sure you want everyone to look at it? 'Cause I have a problem with that…"
She grabbed the back of her gown and held it in place, flushing crimson. He was walking so close behind her she doubted anyone could see anything but still. "Give me your shirt." she requested, leaning more heavily against the wall.
"I am not going to help you break out of the hospital, Effie." he snorted.
"I want my son." she shrieked, a bit on the hysteric side. People were staring, she was causing a scene, she hated that. She turned to glare at him, still clutching her gown so her modesty would be spared. "You have no right to keep him away from me. You have no right. If this is your idea of revenge, it's petty but you've won. I will apologize again. I will apologize a thousand times but give him back to me. Give him back." Her voice broke and hot tears rolled on her cheeks.
Haymitch's eyes darted around and then focused on her again. "I'm not keeping him from you. He was asleep, I knew you would be upset, I thought we should talk alone."
"I don't want to talk." she sobbed. "I want my baby."
She didn't resist when he pulled her into a hug and she didn't fight him when he grabbed her under the knees, she simply buried her face against his neck and let him carry her back to bed. She wouldn't have been able to go further anyway.
"He replaced me." she whispered between two sobs when he tucked her in with a newly acquired experience. Clearly, Theo had taught him some things.
"Don't be stupid, it doesn't suit you." he snorted but there was no real amusement behind it. "He didn't replace you, he loves you. And it's not that I don't trust you with him either, I just think you should heal a little more before you start taking care of him again. Get stronger, learn how to handle the flash-backs. You're a wreck every time it happens. I'm used to having him with me, it's not a problem."
She tried to stop weeping but her lips were wobbling. He sighed and nudged her gently until he had enough room to lie down with her again. She clung to him this time. "He wasn't with you, he was with a stranger."
"Stranger to you, not to me." he grumbled. "It got ugly in the war room, I didn't want him to see, that's all. He was with me most of the day."
"I don't want him in the war room." she replied, wiping the tears off her face.
"I don't like it either but I want him where I can protect him if need be." he argued. "You're not the only one with a post-traumatic stress disorder in case you've forgotten. I can't let him away from me for more than two hours without freaking out and now there's you to worry about too." He dropped a kiss in her hair. "I'm trying to get Johanna moved in here. You would both be safe with her."
"Johanna Mason and her foul mouth aren't coming anywhere near my child." Her sobs were subsiding and she realized she was exhausted. Her stunt had left her body weak and shaking.
He was silent for a few seconds. "Our child." His voice was soft but firm. "I have a say. I trust Hazelle, she's a good woman."
And jealousy showed its ugly head again…
"You told her about the nightmares and the flashbacks." she hissed. "You told her…"
"I shouldn't have." he interrupted her. "I was tired, we started talking… I didn't think you'd mind."
She tightened her hold on him. "You're mine. You and Theo, you are mine. She can't have you."
He laughed out loud at that. "She used to clean my house. Believe me, she doesn't want me." He brushed a hand against her cheek to make her look up. "I don't want her either. I thought we were clear on who I want." She let him kiss her. It made her feel better even though his beard made her skin hitch.
"You're my family." She placed a hand on his jaw, wishing he would get rid of that stupid beard. "Both of you. I am not…"
"Nobody will take us away from you." he said quietly. "And I'm not letting anybody take you away either."
It was Effie who initiated the kiss this time, she deepened it until it was less about kissing and more about making out. The moment was cut short, however, when he accidentally pressed on a ugly bruise on her leg. She drew back with a hiss and he looked so guilty that she simply knew he wouldn't touch her again in that way for a while. They laid side by side in silence for a few minutes. She watched his eyes closing and then fluttering open again as if he was fighting a losing battle against sleep.
She didn't mean to fall asleep herself but the next thing she knew, she was startled awake by an insistent tapping on her foot. She pulled her leg away, her eyes wide open, searching for an enemy, one of her captors or a way of escaping the sure fate that awaited her. It took her a few seconds to recognize Finnick and the child snuggled against his chest.
"I'm sorry but Haymitch never came back. I see why now…" Finnick was grinning and Effie realized that Haymitch's arm was around her waist. He was sleeping soundlessly although his fingers were twitching, sure sign that he was having a nightmare. "Theo had a bad dream. He was asking for you. I thought…"
"Yes." she whispered, rubbing the sleep away from her face. "You were right to bring him." She didn't have time to think about how they were all going to fit in her small bed or how to keep their son out of reach of Haymitch in case his night terrors kicked in. Theo simply climbed off Finnick and crawled in the middle of the bed. He snuggled between them, jostling Haymitch so much that he opened an eye and then simply brought the boy closer to his chest as if it was a common occurrence. Perhaps it was. What did she know? He didn't seem worried about hurting him in his sleep so she let it be. "Thank you." she told Finnick again who nodded before leaving.
Theo's small fingers were clutching at her gown with the hand that wasn't holding the stuffed sheep. He was worrying Sheepy's ear between his teeth and she gently pried it from his mouth.
"Don't do that, it's yucky." she chided him in a whisper. "What was the bad dream about?"
The boy shrugged. "I don't know;"
She brushed his hair out of his eyes. He was overdue for a haircut, he was starting to look a bit too much like Haymitch. "I love you." She should tell him more often, ten times a day. It was all she could think about in the Capitol cells: how much she loved him and what she would give to see him again.
"Me too, Mommy." He tugged on her gown until she scooted closer and they were all a big compact mass in the middle of the bed that was definitely too small for three people. "Story time?" the boy requested with wide grey eyes she would never have been able to say no to. "Daddy doesn't know any stories. I asked Posy's Mommy but she doesn't know good ones like you, they're all weird." He wrinkled his nose and she couldn't help a small feeling of triumph. District children stories were obviously not up to Capitol ones. A point for Effie over Hazelle, never mind what Haymitch had to say about it. "Finnick knows lots of pirate stories. I love it best when he tells stories." Theo confessed. "Katniss helps sometimes. She does voices. And when Prim is here we dress up Buttercup and we make him play the stories for us but we have to be careful 'cause he has claws."
"It sounds… lovely." She wasn't sure she liked the idea of her son near to anything with claws but she supposed the girls would make sure nothing happened to him…
"You tell me a story?" he yawned.
"Which one?" she hummed.
"The one with the prince and the dragon." Sheepy bounced with enthusiasm at the idea. "Daddy doesn't know anything about dragons. He doesn't even know they eat sheep."
"I don't believe you." she fake-gasped in shock. "Nothing at all?"
He shook his head. "I had to tell Daddy everything."
"I'm sure he just loved that." She snickered at the thought of a sober Haymitch Abernathy enduring a long and probably vivid lecture about dragons. "Did he know any lullabies?"
Theo rolled his eyes – something he wasn't prone to do before she left him in Haymitch's care. Clearly, she needed to have words with him about what to do and not to do in front of a child… "No. He doesn't even know the one with the kitties. He never remembers…" There was a small pout on her son's mouth that told her it wasn't for lack of trying on his part. "Sing?"
"I can't sing and tell you a story." she pointed out, combing his hair with her fingers soothingly. "Which one do you want more?"
He bit his lower lips as he thought hard about the problem. "Sing."
She sang the kitten lullaby softly enough times for Theo to fall asleep. It didn't take very long. She was so busy staring at her son in awe that she didn't realize Haymitch was awake until his thumb started running circles on her arm. He didn't say anything but the I told you so was plain in his eyes. She didn't acknowledge that with an answer.
Men who didn't know anything about dragons didn't get a right to lecture her.