An Evening At The Trinkets

Dinner had been a tense silent affair but, at least, Effie mused, the smoked salmon had been excellent. She had eaten her whole plate despite her mother's disapproving glances for her appetite. Effie had been famished. She had skipped lunch because the scandal involving Rufus had broken after the press briefing and Plutarch had kept her in his office for a very uncomfortable half an hour to lecture her about warning them in advance instead of handling it privately. He had been right on all accounts, of course, but she still hadn't liked being scolded that way. It had felt too much like being summoned to the principal's office – or the deputy principal's office, she supposes, given that she was sleeping with the principal in that analogy.

Her afternoon hadn't been much better. Along with her regular current work, she had tried to keep an eye on the news to monitor the Rufus' situation… She had not been really surprised when the Flavershyms had publicly got in front of cameras to refute all charges against their son – apparently it was all a giant mistake or, worse, a frame job – and blamed Lyssa for a lot of it, calling her, amongst other things, an unfit mother.

Needless to say Lyssandra had barely touched her plate and, even now, looked terribly subdued, clutching the small cup full of coffee that nobody should have been drinking that late, her eyes riveted to the old mahogany table. Anything not to look at their mother, Effie supposed, who had been as unsupportive as could be expected.

Now the three of them were sitting around the table in such painful silence that she almost bolted out of her chair in relief when Tadius came back, leading a man in his late thirties into the dining-room. The lawyer looked a bit surprised by the energy with which she shook his hand but one look at Elindra and his mild amusement vanished.

She supposed that, while Effie had been at the Presidential Mansion getting lectured by her boss, the lawyer, Lyssa and Tadius had been right there getting lectured by Elindra. She honestly wasn't sure which was the worst prospect.

"Leo." the man introduced himself. He was attractive, Effie decided. The heap of fluffy brown hair on his head went well with his hazelnut eyes. The square black-rimmed glasses that he took out of his pocket and pushed on his nose before taking a thick load of papers from his bag gave him a serious look…

"Must we go on with this folly?" Elindra placed her cup of coffee down a bit too abruptly, it clicked hard with the saucer. "Honestly. What am I supposed to say to Wanda Flavershym next time I…"

"Would you care for something to drink, Leo?" Effie asked sweetly, cutting off her mother.

Elindra pursed her lips. Probably because she considered Leo more staff than guest and you simply didn't offer beverages to the help.

"No, thank you." The lawyer flashed her a small tired smile before taking a seat – uninvited – and clearing his throat. "How are you holding up, Mrs Flavershym?"

Elindra scoffed at that address and muttered something under her breath Effie mercifully didn't hear. Their father shot their mother a look but it did little to quell the infuriated mumbling.

Effie couldn't even imagine what the afternoon had been like for her sister. Or, rather, she could only imagine too well.

She switched seats so she was sitting right next to Lyssa and could hold her hand. Her sister looked up at her, a bit startled, and then seemed to realize where she was, that she was being talked to and politely answered the lawyer.

"First thing first…" Leo announced, sifting through a few sheets of paper. "Given the situation and the charges against your husband, I got the judge to sign the sole custody of the children over to you but that is only temporary. You husband was released on bail earlier this afternoon, as you know, and has already made a move to petition for custody…"

"We need a restraining order." Tadius said calmly. "Rufus came by before dinner. He was quite insistent."

Effie hadn't been there for that and that was a shame. She had a few chosen words she wanted to tell her soon-to-be ex-brother-in-law.

"We should have let him in." Elindra snapped. "Lyssa should have handled this in a civilized manner."

"And what, pray tell, is the civilized manner to handle your husband being arrested for encouraging the sex exploitation business?" Effie hissed.

Her mother glared at her. "Oh, no need to get on your high horse, Euphemia. Do not think I am unaware where this ridiculous ploy originated. And you…" She pointed an accusing finger at Lyssa. "I thought you smarter than this. Your sister was always jealous of your marriage and now she has exactly what she wants…"

"Elindra, this is tiring." Tadius cut in. "We discussed this already. It is…"

"I am jealous of my sister's marriage?" Effie snorted. "Please." Then she realized how that sounded and squeezed Lyssa's hand. "Sorry."

Lyssa waved her free hand, looking for the world like all she wanted was to go lie down somewhere and sleep for three days.

"You could have made all of it disappear into thin air." Elindra accused through clenched-teeth. "What is the good of your President if he cannot do you a favor when you need…"

"It would have come out." Tadius interrupted. "Things like this always come out. Effie's position is…"

"Oh, yes… Effie's position…" Elindra glared at him. "How do you think she got that position, Tadius? Should we really cast stones at Rufus when…"

Effie almost choked on her outrage. "You did not just insinuate that…"

"Elindra, be careful." Tadius snapped at the same time, glancing at the lawyer who looked entirely bewildered. "And it does not matter how Effie got where she is, only that she managed to…"

"I am aware Effie's position is a plus for your business, dear, but what about Lyssa's reputation?" Elindra sneered.

"I doubt her reputation would have been better off with everyone knowing her husband went off to prostitutes and that she not only knew about it but allowed it." Effie retorted.

Elindra's glare was back on her but it softened a touch when she looked at her eldest daughter. "All I am saying, darling, is that every couple go through rough patches…"

"I'm not sure having your habits in a brothel qualifies as a rough patch in a marriage." Leo declared firmly and loudly to cover Elindra's voice. He looked shocked that this was even a subject of consideration. "And, honestly, I am surprised you don't think your daughter deserves better."

Lyssa shot him a grateful look, Effie was impressed, Tadius nonplussed but Elindra… Elindra was fuming. She glared at the man for a moment and then turned her gaze to her own husband. "Where is Morty? I liked Morty better. He knew to stay in his place."

Tired of her mother being as offensive as she could be, Effie turned to Leo. "Were all the women of age?"

Because that was the second worst thing that could have happened.

"Some of them were barely legal." Leo made a disgusted face. "But according to my information, so far, that shouldn't be an issue. The Peacekeepers are still looking into it. I wouldn't be surprised if more important names come out soon, though."

Trust Elindra to only point out the irrelevant part. "See. He was not the only one. Lyssa, darling, it is not too late. We could tell the press you were understandably angry but that after talking to Rufus – which you should absolutely do…"

"Of course, she isn't talking to Rufus." Effie growled.

Not that Elindra stopped to listen…

"Well, we could tell them you had a change of heart, that you are committed to repairing your marriage and…" their mother continued.

"And what?" Lyssa finally challenged but it lacked steel. She sounded too defeated, too exhausted…

"And it will all go away and you can go back to how it was before." Elindra insisted.

"But I was not happy before, Mother." Lyssandra sighed. "I have not been happy in a long, long time…"

Clearly, their mother thought Lyssa was being unduly difficult. "What has happiness to do with marriage? Perhaps if you had made some efforts…"

Leo almost gaped at the audacity.

Effie wished she still had it in her to be shocked by her mother's casual cruelty.

"I think that is enough, Elindra." Tadius hissed. "The decision has been made. We are not going back now."

"All I am saying is that… You have been having difficulties lately, haven't you?" Elindra insisted, her tone turning coaxing, cajoling. "Perhaps your problems with conceiving a third baby has put a strain on your relationship…"

Effie frowned. "What are you talking about? Lyssa told you times and times again she did not want…"

"I will thank you to be silent, Euphemia." Elindra commanded in that tone and, despite herself, she felt her lips smack shut. "You did enough. Your terrible influence will mean your sister's ruin, aren't you happy? Haven't you hurt her enough yet?" Her mother scoffed and turned her eyes back to Lyssa, smoothing her voice into something gentler once more. "Not that you confided in me but I know you went to that clinic… If you have… lady problems…"

"Goodness." Leo muttered under his breath, shaking his head at the nonsense.

"What clinic?" Tadius' eyebrows drew together in an unforgiving line. "What… lady problems?" Their father's face flushed red and he had troubles uttering the embarrassing words. "Lyssa, if he passed some prostitute's disease to you…"

Their father looked ready to commit murder right then and there.

Elindra froze as if that wasn't a possibility she had entertained but then dismissed it immediately. "Of course, Rufus would not infect her with anything. He is a sensible man, he must use condoms. You saw a fertility specialist, Lyssa. I know that much. Don't bother denying it, I even know you took your sister with you every time. Why you would ask her when I would have gladly supported you is beyond me but…"

Lyssa and Effie looked at each other. There was a question in her sister's eyes but Effie winced. She really didn't want to come clean about the clinic. Really, really not.

And she wasn't sure if it was the fact her secret was so close to the surface or just the oppressing atmosphere but another hot flash hit her suddenly and she was left fanning herself with her hand and hoping her mother wouldn't add together the puffiness she had already reproached her for, the hot flashes and the clinic and come up with the undeniable truth that Lyssa hadn't been the one trying to get pregnant.

Fortunately, Elindra was too busy trying to stare Lyssa into compliance.

Tadius, though, was studying her, and Effie found herself flushing a little more. It seemed to be all the confession he needed.

"Enough about the clinic. It is not the point anyway." he declared. "Leo didn't come here so late to hear us bicker, he came to put us all to speed on…"

"I refuse to let this stand!" Elindra snapped. "Divorce!" It will be a scandal!"

"It is already a scandal!" Effie exclaimed, reaching the end of her patience. "If you have missed it, I would advise turning on the TV."

"Watch your tone." Elindra ordered. "And your attitude. Lyssa… Lyssa, my darling, my sweet angel, think about the boys… Think about what it will do to them if..."

Their father slammed his open palm down on the table in a resounding smack that startled them all.

He was a hard man but he had never ever in Effie's memory resorted to violence in any way shape or form.

"I said enough, Elindra." he roared, losing his own steel calm. "Be careful all this talk of divorce does not give me ideas…" That wasn't a threat he had ever uttered before either and it left the three of them gasping at him in shock. The room finally silent, he turned back to the lawyer who was clearly trying to make himself forgotten. "Now, Leo… If you would, please."

What followed was a lot of technical stuff that Effie did her best to vulgarize for her sister's sake. Elindra left the room with an offended huff halfway through. That suited Effie just fine because it meant she could call a maid and ask for some ice tea – stress on the ice part. If anyone thought it odd she kept pressing the glass against her face to cool herself down instead of drinking it, nobody mentioned it.

Her phone chimed right when Leo was explaining to Lyssa that she needed to give him a list of all assets in her name… It was her conception app. She dismissed the notification.

"If you need to go…" Lyssa whispered, clearly having glimpsed the screen.

She shook her head. "It would be too late by the time I got there anyway. And you need me."

Her sister didn't dispute that last part.

The reunion ran for another thirty minutes. Lyssa barely seemed to be able to stay on her feet and she leaned heavily against her when they hugged goodnight.

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" she insisted. "I promise I am more than fine with leaving you my place as long as you need…"

"I cannot contemplate moving again tonight." Lyssa admitted. "But tomorrow perhaps… I am not sure I can take Mother nagging at me every second of the day…"

Effie briefly tightened her hug and then let go. "Call me if you need me. Any time. Even in the middle of the night. We're used to being woken up by emergencies, you won't bother us at all."

She wasn't satisfied until Lyssa nodded.

She and Leo walked out at the same time, Gale hovering protectively a few steps behind her. If the Peacekeeper's presence fazed the lawyer, it didn't show.

"Your mother is…" Leo hesitated once they were outside on the pavement.

"A piece of work?" Gale mumbled behind them. He had been standing in the corridor so, chances were, he heard every word of what had been said that night. She wasn't even sure it was the worst he had heard her mother utter so far, though…

She shot him a mild-glare for appearance's sake but… Really… She couldn't argue.

"I think finding a new place for them to stay should be bumped higher on the list…" she suggested and Leo nodded immediately.

They shook hands and separated. Gale escorted her to her car.

"I like him." she decided. "What do you think?"

"I think if you like him more than you like the President I can probably get a real assignment somewhere…" the young man replied, only half-joking. She whacked his chest in rebuke. Since he was in uniform, it hurt. "Are we going to your apartment or back to the Mansion?"

"The Mansion." She answered without thinking. It would have made more sense to go to her place for the night since it was late already and it was always good to let the press know she did go home from time to time but… She was tired, emotional and she wanted Haymitch.

It wasn't such a long drive but she almost regretted not simply letting Gale drive her. She insisted on her independence, on driving her own car even if it meant he had to shadow her close with his own but… Really, having a driver wasn't that overrated.

Haymitch was already in bed when she finally made her way back to the Presidential Suite, reading a thick grey file marked confidential…

"I thought we agreed the bed was a work-free zone…" she joked, kicking her heels off.

He smirked, his grey eyes tracking her every move when she lost her jacket and started unbuttoning her shirt. "Only when you're in it, sweetheart."

She took off her shirt and then put her stripping on pause to scratch Rascal behind the ears. If the flicking tail was to be believed, the cat was annoyed she hadn't done so already. "I see you found someone else to keep you warm…"

Haymitch shot a fake glare at the cat curled up in a big ball on his lap but almost immediately stroke his black fur. The purring sound was loud and Rascal soon rolled a little more on his back so Haymitch could get at his favorite spot on his belly.

It made her smile.

The way Haymitch kept watching her while petting the cat when she finished undressing made her smile even more.

"How was dinner?" he asked.

"As great as you would expect." She snorted. "Mother was in fine form."

She wandered to the bathroom to put her clothes in the laundry hamper and almost immediately walked back out, naked as the day she was born. She wanted a shower but she was also feeling a bit too lazy about it.

"How's Lyssa?" he insisted.

"You are awfully concerned about Lyssa's welfare." She pursed her lips, watching him with her hands on her hips. The overall disapproving effect was probably ruined by the fact she was naked.

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean she is a free woman now." she hummed. "Or soon to be. Perhaps you want to upgrade to a better Trinket?"

His face did something it had hardly ever done before. A mix of surprise, shock and amusement… In the end, he snorted. "You're serious?"

She pouted. "If experience serves, that is inevitable."

Poor Rascal was scooped up and placed on the floor. He was very vexed about that if the way he scampered to the living-room with his tail high was any indication. Haymitch, for his part, tossed the file on his nightstand and shifted to his knees.

He hadn't bothered with pajamas, Effie noticed when the sheets pooled down, but, then again, he hardly ever did.

"What experience?" he scoffed, crawling closer to the foot of the bed – and her.

"When we were young, all my boyfriends ended up falling in love with Lyssa." She sighed. "In high-school, it was a competition to see who would get to take her out…"

"Ah…" His smirk widened. "But I know what your problem was back then…"

She lifted an eyebrow, watching him approach… Not really surprised when he sneaked two strong arms around her mid-section.

"And what was that?" she asked.

"They were teenage boys…" He chuckled, bumping his nose against her stomach. "I'm a man who knows what he wants…"

"Are you, now?" she teased.

She wasn't exactly surprised when he pulled her down on the bed and rolled them over so she was underneath him. The weight of his body was so familiar that her legs spread automatically to cradle him.

"Oh yeah, princess…" He snorted against her throat. "And right now… I want a piece of that gorgeous ass…"

The whack on her butt didn't even sting but it aroused her all the same.

"Come and take it, then." she taunted.

His kiss was breathtaking enough that she saw stars.

WELP we knew Elindra wouldn't take it lying down. Is it me or is Tadius growing a backbone - and has guessed the confidential baby project ? Sorry for everyone who wanted the Gale/Lyssa in this story but Leo is in DA place and I'm happy to have him back to be honest... Also can we take a moment to remember Haymitch swearing the cat was a monster and he would never like him? YEP. XD

Let me know your thoughts on all this drama (because yes this is a soap opera now)!