Prompt: I know you must have a lot to write but I finally came up with a prompt. Effie and Katniss have some kind of mother/daughter moment post mockingjay. You can decide the specifics but just something along those lines :)

Tiger Mama

The Presidential Mansion's hallways were crowded with rebel soldiers and, in her blue wig and brand new green silk dress, Effie felt ill-at-ease. She had never fitted in in Thirteen but, at least, when she had been wearing the same grey rags as everyone else, gazes had tended to slide on her instead of watching her with suspicion.

She wasn't the only one who had traded Thirteen's uniform for regular clothes, Haymitch had done it too, but she was so obviously… Capitol… It wasn't a good thing to be right now. Not when her people were being murdered in the streets because District people were angry and the rebels couldn't control the mobs.

The smile on her lips was fixed and fake, warranting her even more stares perhaps than the make-up and the clothes. She couldn't help herself though. This was her default persona: cheerful, clueless and dumb. It was how she kept herself safe.

Eventually, she found herself in front the Everdeens' suite and she knocked on the door with relief. The sooner she would be away from the rebel soldiers, the better. She waited but there was no answer. That made her frown. Katniss had been released from the hospital only a few days earlier and the doctors had been adamant she needed rest and constant supervision, both of which she could only found in her room.

She hesitated a few seconds more, knocked again, and then pushed on the handle that gave easily under her hand.

"Aster?" she called, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. "I apologize for coming in uninvited but I knocked and…" It became obvious very quickly that there was no one there. The living-room was empty, the doors to the bedrooms were open and… "Katniss!" she exclaimed when she spotted the girl huddling against her headboard, her legs hugged close to her chest, her cheeks damp with tears. She hurried over, sat on the edge of the mattress and gently brushed her loose hair back, mindful of the still healing burns. "Dear, where is your mother?" Katniss shook her head in ignorance, her small frame shaking with the strength of her sobs. Effie's anger rose and fell in the same breath. She understood Aster's grief, truly she did, but sometimes, it felt to her the woman forgot she had two daughters – one of which was still breathing. "No matter. Are you alright? Are you in pain? Did you take your medication today?"

That was a lot of questions and it was too much for Katniss.

Effie sighed and kicked off her heels because shoes should never belong on a bed. She moved closer to Katniss and gently brushed her fingers through her hair, not sure she would accept more just yet.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong, darling?" she asked softly.

The poor girl didn't talk a lot anymore. She wandered around as if in a perpetual daze, not unlike how she had behaved in Thirteen in times of great duress, and Effie's heart broke every time she saw the usually brave and dynamic girl like that.

"I woke up." Katniss whispered, her voice raw. "I wanted to tell Prim something and then… Then I remembered."

The girl's voice broke and she was soon crying again.

Effie opened her arms without a second thought, actually a little shocked when Katniss willingly shuffled into her embrace. She held her as tight as she dared given her recent injuries, petting her hair and murmuring empty promises that everything would be alright in the end.

Aster should never have left.

Haymitch had arranged it so she could take leave of her duties in the medic team to care for her daughter. The doctors were concerned with her mental state and with reasons. She had just lost her sister. And she needed someone around at all times precisely for this.

Effie lost all notion of time after a while. She ran out of banalities and started humming one of the rare slow songs she liked. The humming seemed to calm the girl down so she grew bolder and sang softly. Eventually, Katniss' sobs died down to hiccups but she didn't make any attempt to move away so Effie kept on singing and coming her fingers through her hair.

Her dress was wet where Katniss' cheek was pressed against her shoulder. It was brand new and delicate and now it would be ruined and, for a second, she indulged in the pretending it was what was really making her furious. Her pretty dress was ruined thanks to Aster Everdeen's irresponsible behavior when she had spent too many months wearing rags. Once upon a time, she might even have been more concerned with that than with the child crying in her arms.

Now, though…

She would give everything for this child. For her and Peeta both. Everything she had to give and probably even a little more.

She thought the girl had fallen asleep so she stopped singing but she didn't dare let go of her. The headboard was hard behind her back and she was uncomfortable. That didn't prevent her from drifting off after a while though.

She wasn't sure how long had passed before she heard the knocks on the door immediately followed by the sound of its opening. Rude, she thought.

"Aster?" Haymitch's voice called.

"Hush!" she retorted in a hard whisper that brought him straight to the bedroom.

Haymitch's frown turned to a scowl when his eyes took in the pitiful picture the girl curled up against her chest must have made. "She took off again?"

Effie's blood ran cold. "What do you mean again?"

Because if Aster had left Katniss alone more than once and he hadn't told her…

They had kept their voices low but Katniss still shifted. Haymitch's face softened when he met the girl's eyes and he sighed, crossing the distance to the bed in a couple of long strides. He sat down next to Effie and gently tugged on a strand of Katniss' hair.

"You had your medicine yet today, sweetheart?" he asked. The girl gave him a shrug that hit Effie in the ribcage. She winced but didn't protest. "How about something to eat? You had that?" There was another dispassionate shrug and Haymitch clucked his tongue once in a tell of irritation. "Let's start with that, yeah? You feel like having some soup? I feel like having some soup." His grey eyes darted up and met hers. "What do you say, Effie? Soup?"

She wasn't hungry at all but there was a warning in his gaze that she should humor him so she smiled and used her most cheerful tone. "Soup sounds delightful."

"Soup it is, then." he decided. "I'm gonna order it. How about you take a shower while I do that, Katniss? You're starting to smell."

"Haymitch!" Effie snapped, glaring at him. "This is not how you talk to a lady."

"Nobody ever accused her of being a lady." he snorted.

It seemed to make the girl react at least. She sat up and Effie was loathe to let her go but she supposed it was progress. At least until Katniss rubbed her face and did little else. Their Mockingjay was apathetic.

"Perhaps I could run you a bath, dear." Effie offered. "And I will find you some clean pajamas for when you are done."

The girl didn't really approve or decline that plan but when Effie went to the bathroom and filled the bathtub, Katniss shuffled after her and awkwardly stripped down. The burns still pained her and made it difficult for her so Effie helped her, chatting all the while to chase any embarrassment on either part. Not that Katniss seemed to care. The proud teenager who had volunteered for her sister was gone and had only left a shadow behind her.

She made sure the victor was settled in the bathtub before she left to corner Haymitch in the living-room part of the suite.

"I ordered food." he muttered before she could say anything. "She doesn't eat if whoever's with her isn't eating too."

"How long has this been going on?" she growled. "And why didn't you tell me?"

He ran his shaking hand over his face and turned to face her, exhaustion written on his features. "'Cause I didn't want you to read the riot act to her mom. Look, Aster's not doing well…"

"Neither is her daughter." she snapped. "Katniss was alone and upset. She shouldn't have…"

"Preaching to the choir." he cut her off, lifting both hands in the air. "I told Aster to call me so someone could take over when she feels like getting some space."

"Clearly she did not listen." she huffed. "We cannot allow this to continue."

"We aren't Katniss' parents, sweetheart." he retorted. "It's not like we can just grab her and move her to our room." Effie's face brightened but he cringed. "No, Effie. We can't."

"And why not?" she countered.

He smirked but it was more bitter than amused. "Missed the part about us not being her parents?"

"What does that matter?" she snapped. "I would never leave her like this. She barely got out of this war alive. She has just been released and… She needs someone trustworthy to watch over her. I will not fail this girl, Haymitch, I will not."

He stared at her for a long time and then averted his eyes. "Maybe… I can ask Plutarch about moving them next to our suite. Would be easier."

"Very well. Do that." she nodded. "And keep her mother away from me because I am afraid I cannot answer for my behavior."

She turned on her heels and would have marched straight back to Katniss' bathroom if he hadn't grabbed her wrist. She frowned at him but relaxed when he simply placed a brief kiss on her lips.

"It's really hot when you go all tiger mama, Princess." he teased.

She huffed and puffed and huffed again, giving him a glance over before striding out of the room with a new spring to her steps. That man was ridiculous. Listening to him you would think they hadn't been doing this for years.

Tiger mama.

She didn't mind the comparison.

She certainly felt ferocious when her victors were concerned.