The Bean

"Plutarch, stay a minute." Haymitch called, catching Effie's eyes as the senior staff meeting ended. He didn't have to tell her to wait, she sat back down in one of the chairs facing his desk – well, more like she sank down, really, she was tired lately and he found her napping at all times of days when she could get away with it.

If it had been up to him, he would have had her sleeping all day in their room but, outside for the fact she wasn't down with that plan, it wasn't exactly practical given her job.

But since the first ultrasound…

They had done it in secret, well after office hours so no one would accidentally catch them, with Boggs making sure nobody would get anywhere near the Mansion's clinic. It had been… Well, Haymitch had seen and done a lot of things in his life but nothing had prepared him for that. Seeing the bean, hearing the heartbeat…

Ever since that night, she claimed he had become overprotective and it was driving her crazy because they still had around six months to go. He couldn't help himself. Every time she shivered he rushed to find her a sweater, he panicked every time she winced, and, generally speaking, he kept telling her to rest more…

She would strangle him well before she gave birth.

He didn't even care.

Plutarch waited until everyone else had left, apparently not really surprised that Effie was staying, and took the other chair in front of the desk.

"Is there a problem?" the Chief-of-staff asked.

Haymitch met Effie's eyes for a second, hesitating. He wasn't sure how she wanted to do this. They hadn't told Boggs or Odair because they had both guessed. They hadn't told the kids because the kids handled their schedule daily and knew everything there was to know about their personal lives – and while Katniss and Peeta had congratulated them and discretely offered them a stuffed bunny, neither Haymitch nor Effie had had to say the words.

They had agreed that, once they reached a certain point, if everything was alright, they would start telling people close to them and…

Well, she was past three months, had been forced to subtly upgrade her wardrobe, launching new trends about baggy blouses to hide the small roundness of her stomach… The doctor insisted everything was going well, he monitored her closely and there were no hints that she would have a miscarriage or… It was time.

Effie cleared her throat. "We have something to tell you."

"Ah…" Plutarch chuckled, relaxing a little. "The bean."

Haymitch rolled his eyes. "You could at least pretend you don't know."

The chief-of-staff pursed his lips to hide his amusement. "I am all ears."

"I am pregnant." Effie announced, a bit disappointed. Probably because she really wanted to announce it to someone. Well, what was he supposed to say. She would get to tell Portia and her sister. He, on the other end, would only get to do it once. Katniss had more than likely already told Prim in confidence so Chaff was really the only person left he had to tell…

"Congratulations." Plutarch offered, genuinely enough, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "I am very happy for both of you."

"Thanks." Haymitch smirked, leaning back in his leather chair.

"How far along?" their friend asked innocently.

"A little over three months." Effie snorted, not fooled. "Do not worry, I am not going away for quite some time yet and, by the time I have to take some leave, Peeta will be ready to replace me."

Plutarch made a small face but hid it well. "We cannot keep Peeta full time. He is perfectly capable of replacing you for a short period but long term…"

"I will not need to be replaced long term." Effie cut him off. "I am keeping my job."

Plutarch licked his lips, searching Haymitch's eyes for support. But Haymitch simply stared right back.

"You cannot be serious…" The man sighed. "As happy as I am for you both…"

"We've already decided." Haymitch announced. "We play this like we've played everything else so far."

"Everything else so far did not include a tiny human being." Plutarch argued. "How would you justify the baby living here? I am assuming the baby would live here…"

"Of course the baby's gonna live here." he scoffed. "Effie lives here."

"Effie has her own place, which has allowed us some leeway, but…" the chief-of-staff argued.

"We are not going to acknowledge Haymitch is the father until he steps down." she cut in. "We are turning one of the walk-in closets in the suite into a nursery on my dime and I will hire a nanny for daycare also on my dime. We will be very transparent about that."

Well… Haymitch was going to contribute to that, he privately corrected, but from his personal accounts.

"And what if one of your political opponents request a DNA test?" Plutarch insisted. "The smart political thing to do is…"

"We are aware." Effie snapped. "I am confident I can handle the PR to satisfaction."

"We'll play it the same way we've been playing it." Haymitch confirmed. "People know the truth. We ain't lying to them. We're just… refusing to confirm. They like us for it."

They were pretty popular in polls as a couple, after all…

Plutarch was clearly not happy with it. "I have to advise against doing this. And I have to say that while I would rather keep Effie as a Press Secretary, the smart thing for all of us would be for her to step down and marry you." He shook his head. "We will still be able to spin this in a couple of years and get you elected somewhere. That does not have to change our long-term plans."

But it would and they all knew that.

"We've decided, Plutarch." Haymitch said, in that tone that meant the conversation was over.

"I won't be able to hide it forever." Effie offered quietly, placing a hand on her stomach. "A few more months maybe… When we go public, if the opinion is against us… We will reevaluate."

Haymitch frowned. "No, we won't. I promised you I wouldn't force you to give up your job to become First Lady, that's not…"

"We will reevaluate." she cut him off, shooting him a look that clearly said shut up.

She had always been scary but she was even scarier since she was pregnant so he shut up.

"I can live with that." Plutarch accepted the compromise with a nod. Then, his serious expression turned into an easier one and he reached for Effie's hand again. "I am happy for you both, understand…"

She grinned. "I know."

"Boy or girl?" their friend wanted to know. "And how soon can we start buying gifts for that little bean?"

Effie laughed but Haymitch shook his head, a smile stretching his lips. "We don't know yet."

"Do not go overboard with gifts. We do not want to jinx it." Effie tempered. "It was not easy to… get here."

Understanding flashed on Plutarch's face and he nodded, still smiling.

"Well, let me congratulate you again on getting here." Plutarch insisted. "This is good news. Well… Not for the media nightmare ahead but… This is good news."

Haymitch shared a soft look with Effie.

It was.

°O°O°O°O°O°

"Well, I'm sorry!" Finnick insisted defensively, hands raised up in a peace gesture. "But I think Summercket's right. Octavia should have made it to the semi-finals."

Effie pursed her lips, glancing between him and the changing numbers on the elevator's display.

"Bite your tongue!" she huffed. "I am not sure I can have a bodyguard who thinks Viola Summercket is right about anything."

Finnick shook his head, looking for all the world unrepentant. "I'm sorry, Effie, but I am a man of principles."

"About Panem's Next Hit Model?" she joked.

The Peacekeeper nodded, a grave expression on his face. "It's a serious subject."

"And what does Annie think of this very serious subject and how well informed you seem to be about it?" she replied.

"Annie doesn't want to talk about anything not related to baby stuff." Finnick cheerfully informed her. "She's nesting. You'll see when it happens to you. I can't wait to see how President Abernathy handles that…"

She shot him an amused look, not as unaware of his antics as she pretended to be. He enjoyed riling Haymitch up by flirting with her at every given opportunity.

They were only one floor away from her sister's and she discreetly sighed in relief, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. The heels were killing her lately. She didn't want to imagine what it would be like in a few months when she would be as big as a hovercraft.

"For your information…" she told him as the doors slid open. "I already started sketching a few possible options for the nursery and…"

She wasn't sure what happened next but she shrieked in fright.

Not because she had almost collided with someone but because Finnick had grabbed her to interpose himself, offering his back to the stranger to better shield her…

"Oh, goodness, I'm sorry!" a male voice exclaimed.

By the time her heart stopped racing enough for her to make sense of what was happening, Finnick had let go of her and had his gun out. And aimed straight at Leo who had his hands up in the air and looked more than a little scared.

All traces of frivolous behavior was gone from Finnick's face. He looked cold, harsh… Ready to fire at a single provocation…

"Finnick, no!" she chided, immediately placing a hand on his arm to make him lower his weapon. "It was an accident, I…"

"This is exactly why I told Boggs your detail should be a two-men's job." Finnick grumbled, not at all putting his gun away. "Someone should have scouted ahead of us. Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

She took a deep breath and reminded herself men were clearly going stupid around pregnant women because Finnick has been almost as overprotective as Haymitch ever since the ultrasound.

"I know him. He is my sister's lawyer." she hissed. "Now lower this gun before you embarrass us further."

Finnick wasn't pleased.

Leo still looked a little terrified and he kept his hands in the air, looking at her with a wince. "I'm sorry. I wasn't looking. I was trying to get out of here before…"

The front door to her sister's apartment opened because, clearly, they were causing enough of a scene for people to start investigating, and Lyssandra's eyes went as wide as saucers.

"What is going on?" Lyssa asked, her tone angry. "What in Panem are you doing?"

Effie was scared her sister's neighbors would come out and that she would have to deal with a PR scandal. She pushed harder on Finnick's arm but it was like trying to move a mountain. Damn, that man was a lot stronger than he looked…

"Enough." she snapped. "Stand down, that's an order."

Theoretically speaking, she wasn't allowed to give him orders.

But he still reluctantly lowered his gun. "I want to search him."

"You are not searching him." Lyssa scoffed. "Effie."

Lyssa wasn't happy, that was obvious.

"Inside." Effie commanded. "Everyone inside."

At least it would be out of sight of noisy neighbors.

Finnick wasn't happy until Leo walked in front of him so he could stand between the "threat" and Effie. He missed her rolling her eyes.

"He could have had a knife." Finnick declared as soon as the front door was shut behind her. "He could have been trying to stab you. Or the…"

"Well, he did not." Effie cut him off before he could make a remark about how she was more of a target now that she was pregnant. That was not how she wanted to tell her sister, thank you very much. "Truly, that's…"

"I was just trying to get out of here before you arrived." Leo cut in, looking ill-at-ease. "We lost track of time."

He exchanged a look with Lyssa and her sister smiled softly.

Oh.

Effie grinned. "Did you, now?" She turned to her sister. "Are you keeping secrets from me, Lyssandra?"

"Are you?" Lyssa shot back, lifting her eyebrows. "Because I haven't seen you in ages and your Peacekeeper looks trigger happy…"

Effie waved her hand, dismissing that comment. "The… incident with Thirteen has everyone on edge still."

Lyssa accepted the explanation with a dissatisfied hum. Truth be told, Effie had been avoiding her. She had been taking her calls but had been finding excuses to avoid meeting as much as possible. She didn't like lying to her, even by omission, and not telling her about the baby had been harder than she had predicted, all the more so when Lyssa wanted to know how things were going.

"I really need to go." Leo said, glancing at his watch. "I have to be in court in an hour… If I may…" The question was directed at Finnick who was still scowling but stepped aside to give him a clear path to the door – and stand in front of Effie in the process. Again, she rolled her eyes but since his back was to her, the effect was lost. Leo cleared his throat. "Right." He pecked Lyssa's mouth before leaving and whispered something in her ear with a soft smile on his lips .

The moment he was out the door, Effie jumped on her sister with a girlish squeal. "When did that happen? How did it happen? Is it good? Is he treating you right? Do you need me to run a background check on him?"

Lyssa either hadn't anticipated the avalanche of questions or simply was overwhelmed by the whole my-sister's-bodyguard-pulled-a-gun-on-my-boyfriend thing because she remained stunned for a minute before she laughed. "Come inside. Let's have some tea. I have fresh-baked muffins." She shot Finnick an uncertain look. "I suppose you can have some too."

"Finnick will happily entertain himself with your TV." Effie declared, ignoring his unhappy look. She rolled her eyes – again. "Oh, clear the place first if you must!"

Sometimes she missed Gale. Sometimes.

"It's empty." Lyssa offered. "The boys are at Rufus' and I told the maid to take the afternoon."

"So you could have some private time with Leo…" Effie teased, eagerly following her sister to the kitchen, wordlessly nodding when Lyssa held out a strawberry tea box.

"Oh, hush! You sound like a teenager." And yet her sister giggled, dropping two teabags in a teapot and flicking on the electric kettle. "But, yes, if you must know. We are keeping it quiet for now."

There was a plate of muffins on the counter and Effie stole one as she perched on a stool. They were chocolate and she knew she shouldn't because keeping her figure was a huge part of actually keeping the secret but the siren call of the pastry was stronger. It was so good she moaned around it.

Lyssa shot her an amused look. "He baked them. He bakes. And he cooks. He has been teaching me."

"Marry him." she advised around a mouthful of chocolate muffin. This was too good. Lyssandra laughed and Effie lifted her eyebrows. "Start talking. Tell me everything."

And so Lyssa did.

From the first tentative dates two months earlier to the slow but steady romance that had started between them… Lyssa was naturally mistrustful but Leo was the complete opposite of Rufus. And a lot more down-to-earth from what Effie understood. The man was a successful lawyer but he didn't come from their social class. He didn't have staff to do stuff for him around the house, he wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he didn't have a political agenda behind his every action… Lyssa found that refreshing.

The more Lyssa told her about him and their relationship, the more Effie decided she liked the guy.

"We haven't told anyone yet, though, so you need to keep the secret." Lyssa urged her when she was finished, wrapping both hands around her mug. "I do not want to introduce another man to the boys so soon. They are already confused by the split…" She sighed. "They are asking after Uncle Haymitch, by the way. I know you two are busy but…"

"We could take them this week-end, if you want…" Effie hummed over the steaming rim of her own mug. "It would give you some time with your boyfriend."

Lyssa shot her a look. "I know you are teasing me but that won't stop me from taking the offer."

Effie chuckled and gave her sister half a shrug. "It is a genuine one. I miss them and I know Haymitch wouldn't mind spending some time with them…" She frowned. "What about Father? Are you scared that…"

"That he will fire Leo when he finds out?" Lyssa finished for her. "We discussed it. Leo says if he fires him, it won't be the end of the world for him. Yes, Father's company is a huge part of his business but he has other wealthy clients so… He is respected, you know."

"I know. I checked his credentials when he was handling your divorce." She nodded. "Father wouldn't, anyway. Now, Mother…"

"Oh, Mother…" Lyssa sighed tiredly, taking a sip of her tea. "She has been complaining to me about you, you know. She says she has not seen or heard from you since Seneca's funerals. Is that true?"

There was a hint of reproach in her sister's voice.

Not entirely unfounded.

"It has been a touch crazy in the office." she explained and then winced. "Truth be told… I did not want to deal with Mother. I am supposed to avoid stressful situations, you see, and my job already makes that complicated…"

She said it casually enough, stealing another muffin from the plate because… Why not?

Lyssa leaned forward, a smile stretching her lips, looking absolutely unsurprised. "Are you ready to tell me your secret now?"

She tried not to beam or grin or glow – Peeta teased her about glowing all the time – but it was hard to hide the primitive joy she was feeling. "I am pregnant."

It was all the confirmation Lyssa needed. She hopped off her stood with a delighted squeal and walked around the counter to hug Effie tight. Effie leaned against her. It might be a relatively new thing but she had missed her sister's hugs.

"I figured it out ages ago! You didn't need me to go to the clinic with you anymore and then that doctor was suddenly working at the Mansion! And I knew there was a reason you kept finding excuse not to see me!" Lyssa babbled. "Oh, I am so happy for you! How far along? Is everything going alright?"

"A little over three months and everything is fine." Effie laughed, blinking to chase the tears from her eyes. "I have the ultrasound pictures…"

Lyssa took the stool next to her and they spent a good fifteen minutes looking at the grainy pictures that didn't really show much but… Effie cherished them. She had had doubles made. She had started an album for the baby with pictures of him, of her growing belly, of she and Haymitch… She knew there would be troubles if anyone got their hands on it and gave it to the press but some risks were worth taking. She didn't want her child to ever doubt how much they were wanted.

"We are only telling our inner circle right now." Effie cautioned, once they had gushed as much as they could over the pictures. "Peeta knows and I am telling Portia next but that's it."

"You are not going to tell Mother and Father." Lyssa deduced.

Effie played with her engagement ring distractedly. "Honestly, I would tell Father but I am too scared he will make a blunder and Mother will figure it out. You know what she would do."

"She would go right to the press." Lyssa confirmed. "No, it isn't a bad idea to wait until you are ready to make it official. Do you know when…"

"A couple of months." Effie hummed. "As long as I can hide it, we will keep it private."

Lyssa gave her a quick glance-over. "You are not showing much. And I love those new outfits… You have launched a trend, you know?"

"Yes…" she acknowledged. She hadn't meant to but apparently baggy chic was all the rage right now thanks to her loose outfits. "I am hoping Portia will have a few clever tricks up her sleeves because it won't be long before people start asking questions."

Lyssa was grinning and she tugged her back into an awkward side hug. "I am so happy for you. And for Haymitch. How is my favorite future brother-in-law?"

"Driving me crazy." she deadpanned. "If you think Finnick is overprotective, just imagine what Haymitch is putting me through. The other day, he actually insisted on blowing on my soup for ten minutes just in case it was too hot and I burned myself. Then he forgot he had a crucial meeting with the new District Representative from Thirteen because he needed to ask me what I thought about a mechanical rocking crib versus a traditional one. It was urgent apparently."

Her sister burst out laughing at the picture she was painting.

"Let's hope Panem survives this pregnancy…" Lyssa teased.

°O°O°O°O°

Haymitch stood in front of the big window of the official balcony that gave onto the City Circle, watching the city buzz like it always did at night. Neon beams flashing by in the sky, cars rushing past, people crowding the sidewalks heading to one club or another… The Capitol never slept and the center was the worst of it all. He was grateful for the thick soundproof glass that kept the noises out.

The Mansion was silent too, mostly empty save from the cleaning staff and the late night office staff who were only there in case of emergency. They were in another wing entirely though. Aside from Boggs' lurking presence in the nearby corridor, this part of the Mansion was empty. Effie's borrowed phone was pressed to his ear as he waited for someone to pick up…

"Yeah?" Chaff grunted at last. From the background noises, Haymitch had no problem imagining him at whatever shady bar he had decided to haunt that night. He pursed his lips but reminded himself not to judge, that he could have easily been right next to his best friend if not in his very shoes. Sobriety was a choice and Haymitch understood why Chaff wasn't ready to make it.

"My girl'd tell you that's no way to answer your phone." he mocked, with some fondness at the thought of Effie. Even thinking about her turned him into a pool of goo lately. He wasn't sure what was up with him. The knowledge she was carrying his baby… It made him crazy.

"Ah… She'd get along with Fay alright, then." Chaff was slurring a little but not enough that Haymitch worried he was drunk yet. "It's been a while, Haymitch."

"Yeah." He winced. "Sorry. There was…"

"Thirteen. I heard. Nicely done." Chaff approved.

He had heard the official version not the highly classified one but he figured there were plenty of former special forces out there who would have filled in the blanks for themselves… "Had to give the order."

He hadn't planned on admitting that much but…

"Figured." Chaff confirmed with a sigh. The background noises receded into nothing and Haymitch guessed he had left the bar and was now standing outside beneath a starry sky that wasn't marred by pollution or beam lights. "You're okay?"

He took a deep breath and held it for a moment before releasing it. It had been a while since Thirteen's failed coup but… He still carried it within him, the weight of that order. He didn't regret it and it had needed to be done, all the more so when Effie hadn't been in that bunker with him, but… It added to a burden that hadn't needed to grow. Another life stolen. More blood on his hands.

"Let's just say I'm glad that doesn't happen every day." he finally admitted and then shook his head. "That's not why I'm calling."

"And there I thought you were just calling me to catch up with your best friend…" Chaff teased.

"Yeah, well… That too…" he replied. "Anything new?"

His friend humored him. "We got a new cow and Rue keeps bringing back injured birds home. We're a fucking vet clinic at this point."

Haymitch smirked despite himself. Every time he called his best friend and he asked after his nephews – and the two additional children – Chaff always complained about something the twelve year-old was doing, his voice full of reluctant gruff fondness that Haymitch couldn't help but mock him for it. Rue was Chaff's Katniss, he figured.

"Is the cow nice?" he asked.

"It's a cow. It gives milk, it moos and it poops." Chaff deadpanned. "Fay and the girl are all over it though. Named her Cornucopia of all things..."

"Bit of a mouthful for a cow." Haymitch remarked.

"Yeah, well… You try telling a woman she's shit at picking names." his friend retorted. "Imagine that nightmare."

"Don't have to." Haymitch snorted, his mind wandering to the lazy cat currently sprawled on his pillow waiting for him to come to bed – and to the equally lazy blonde lounging between the sheets… Fine, she was probably not lounging but she was tired lately and she was most likely lying down with her tablet, either working late or checking things out for the nursery… Apparently they needed a color theme… He was more concerned with comparing brand of furniture and their safety ratings… Odair had told him about that mechanical rocking crib they had bought for themselves – a fucking expensive one – and Haymitch was torn about it because on one hand what was wrong with a nice traditional crib? But on the other maybe the baby would like to gently be rocked in his sleep… But what if the fancy crib turned evil and suddenly malfunctioned and started rolling like a washing machine and ejected their baby and…

"Kid?" Chaff pressed and Haymitch came back to himself with a jolt, realizing he had been spiraling again. He did that. Went to worst-case improbable scenarios in his head.

He rubbed his face. "Sorry. What?"

His friend chuckled. "I asked if that's what you wanted to tell me. That you're looking for names. Cause I don't think you called to hear all about my new cow…"

Haymitch swallowed hard, his heart suddenly racing in his chest in equal part excitement and nerves. This was it. He took a deep breath, letting himself shuffle his weight from his toes to the balls of his feet… "We're having a baby."

Chaff chuckled some more, absolutely not surprised. "Kinda figured already. Good for you, Haymitch. That's good, yeah?"

He asked the last question a bit more quietly, a bit more uncertain.

"It's great." Haymitch corrected. "Terrifying as shit but great."

He could almost see Chaff nod on the other side of the phone. "I'm happy for you."

"You've got to come when the baby's here." he demanded. "I know you hate the city but… You've got to meet my kid, Chaff, and not in two years. And my girl. It's overdue. I ain't bringing them to Eleven 'cause… It's too risky, you know… But I need you to come meet my kid. You're my brother, you need to meet my kid."

Chaff was silent for a long, long time. Then he sighed. "For your kid… Sure. I'll make the trip." He sounded reluctant but Haymitch knew he would hold true to that promise. "You've got a date or…"

"Little less than six months." Haymitch told him cheerfully. "Can't fucking wait and at the same time I'm kind of hoping we stay like this forever… I can handle this. She's a hormonal hurricane but an actual baby…" He shook his head. "Say, you know anything about those fancy mechanical cribs?"

Chaff, good man that he was, let him rant about cribs for a good hour.

It's official now... In the inner circle at least... I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know your thoughts and see you next Sunday for the last chapter!