Prompt : Hello I hope you still take prompts. Since we know that in the movie Effie is in thirteen, I was wondering what makes Haymitch changed his mind. I would like to see a story where before going in the arena Chaff convince Haymitch to not trust Plutarch and to take Effie with him. Thank you

Holding the Cards

It wasn't uncommon to see Haymitch and Chaff have a friendly chat but those Games were different, they were now enemies and there was no time to do small talk over a drink.

Haymitch hated meeting his friend like that, between two corridors, Beetee's flashing tie pin hooked on his collar to make sure the bugs would only pick statics. They only had a few minutes at best if they wanted to remain undetected. Both sober, both serious… It was probably their saddest interaction.

"Everything's in place." Haymitch told him. "You know the job."

Two days before the other victors would be send back to their own personal hell and Chaff was looking grimmer every time he saw him.

"It's a go, then?" Eleven's victor asked. "It's happening?"

Haymitch nodded once. Aside for Beetee, none of the victors who would be send back knew the whole plan. Everyone had a role to play and they had been instructed accordingly. Chaff's role, like most of the others' would be to protect Peeta and Katniss.

"Try to stay alive until the end, yeah?" Haymitch snorted, trying for a light tone but failing in epic proportions. "I hear they don't have booze where we're going but I'm sure we can work something out."

Chaff forced a smile. "We always do. What about the kids' families? They won't be happy to be rescued if the Capitol kill them. Your girl on fire might actually set fire to the whole place."

"Taken care of." Haymitch said quickly, not keen on revealing too much. The plan was meticulous and he had helped conceive most of it. As soon as the surviving victors would be out of the arena, a team would be dispatched to Twelve to extract the Everdeens, the Hawthornes (because he just knew Katniss like the back of his own hand and leaving Gale behind wasn't an option) and the Mellarks.

"Good." his friend nodded. "What about Trinket? You got her on board or you're going to knock her off and throw her over your shoulder?"

He looked down, not as annoyed with the light teasing in the other victor's voice as he usually was. "She's not coming."

"You're kidding." Chaff scoffed.

"She's Capitol. She will be safer here. They won't welcome her with open arms in… that place." he argued. "Heavensbee says…"

"Heavensbee is full of shit." his friend cut him off. "You've been there before, Haymitch. They will want something to hurt you with. She's that something."

"She's only my escort." he sighed. He had been repeating that to himself for days now, like a mantra.

"An escort you've been fucking for years." Chaff spat in a rushed whisper. "Don't bother denying. I know. Everyone with eyes know. You think they don't? 'Can't say I'm fond of Trinket but you leave her here, you're leaving her to her death and it won't be a pretty one."

"She's an escort." Haymitch repeated. "I bring her there, they will want to put her on trial or some shit. They're going to…"

"Get her immunity." Chaff shrugged. "You have the Mockingjay, you're holding the cards here."

Hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor and they looked at each other once before walking in opposite directions without another word.

You have the Mockingjay, you're holding the cards here…

The words kept coming back to him over the course of the evening as he watched Effie fuss over the kids, all bright smiles but dreadful eyes. The right thing to do would have been to ask her : take her chances in the Capitol or face Thirteen with her victors – with him. Yet he found he couldn't risk it. He trusted her, of course, but there were a lot of things one could reveal without even being aware of it. If she suddenly started to act skittish or did unusual things, someone would notice. He couldn't risk telling her.

As for taking the decision for her…

He found out when he cornered Plutarch the next day that taking the decision was actually easy. Yes, he would take her with him. And Coin would be happy with his "Katniss will need someone she trusts to prep her" argument or she wouldn't, but he wasn't giving the President any choice in the matter. He put his foot down, even when Plutarch tried to convince him again it would be better to leave her behind, clearly not understanding the bond he and Effie shared.

Effie Trinket would be going to Thirteen if it was the last thing he would do.