Our Own "Happy ever after..."

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and no money as been made out of this.

Chapter 8

There was something pressing on her back. Something warm and huge and... was it hairy? And what exacly was that thing around her waits?

Openning her eyes, Euphemia Trinket looked around only to find a snoring Haymitch cuddling her. Smiling, she turned around and knuzled his neck. A frown apeared on his face before the Victor tightened his grip around her.

Effie rolled her eyes and placed her smalle hands on his cheeks, cupping his face. He really was cute when he was assleep. Slowly, she kissed his nose. Of course nothing hapenned, but the Escort doubted he would let her do that when he was awake.

He must have sneeked in last night after I fell assleep... I should take a picture of him while he is like this.

To bad she didn't have the time. Desentangling herself from him, she stretched her naked body. A new day to guide new tributes... How wonderfull...Now that the girl had gotten an eleven, all eyes would be on her, so her interview had to go not well, but perfectly well. She would have to amaze all those people without making mistakes, and that would be extremely hard...

Pulling the covers up to his nose so he wouldn't get a cold (like he allways did), Effie walked to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Turning on the water, she quickly showered and dressed.

Cinna and Portia had asked her to be hers and Haymitch's stylists, but she had yet to give them an answer. What if they put some bug on her closes? What if they find out about her relationship with Haymitch?

Oh, dear. I need to stop freaking out about every litle thing. Haymitch's right, I'm starting to get paranoic... Why does everything have to be so complicated? Come on Effie, breath in, breath out... One ste-

"You're talking alone again, princess."

As she was putting on some (a lot of) make up, 'someone' had decided it would be funny to throw a pillow to her head.

"Good thing you're awake, Haymitch. We have a long long day ahead, so time to get up and dressed." Effie pulled the covers from him.

"Uhm... You know how I would feel even more awake?"

"With a cup of coffe poured down your head?"

"Bitchy, are we?"

"More like busy." she openned the door. "Your clothes for the day are on that chair over there. I'm going to wake up the kids and when I get to the dinning room I hope to see you there."

"Sure thing love."

"I'm serious."

With that, she closed the door and walked away. This banter was starting to become more and more for the fun of watching the other trying to answer than for the actual porpose of the conversation.

Effie was surprised to see that Peeta was already dressing up, so she let him be. The girl was another case. She was still very soundly assleep, and it took several nocks and calls for her to answer. If Effie didn't know better, she would think Katniss to be Haymitch's daughter.

It was already half past nine when she arrived in the dinning room. To her surprise, Haymitch was indeed already there, talking to the blond boy. She only hoped he was giving him tips.

To her anoyence, he had decided to wear something completely diferent from what she had picked up. Why do I keep trying?

"'Morning princess. Slept well?" asked Haymitch with a frown,as if he hadn't even noticed what he said. "The boy and I were just talking about strategies."

"I'm glad to see you're finally taking thi seriously." Effie pursed her lips, as if talking about strategies was something he should consider normal to do. "Anything I should know?"

"No."

"Yes."

Effie looked up from the cup of coffe she was pouring sugar in, frowning.

"Haymitch, why does Peeta think he has something to tell me and you don't?" she lifted one perfect eyebrow. The victor seemed more anoyed at the boy for having let that slip than worried about answering.

"Don't worry, you'll know in time. The only thing you need to worry about is that from now on the kids will be tutored separatedly."

The Escort blinked once, twice, looking at the man in front of her as he bit down on a blueberry cupcake.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? We had already decided to train them together and now changing like this... And after the sceene in the chariots wouldn't it confund the sponsor-"

"Trust me, okay? It will be just for today's interview."

"Very well. But I won't be the one telling Katniss about that. You two came up with the plan, you do it."

Peeta looked at Haymicth, showing some worry. The older man only laugthed, as if he had already everything planed. He probably did. That's what scared Effie so much. He's plans were allways incredibly risky.

Soon they were all sitting at the table. Katniss was hapilly munching on her breakfast, when suddendly she looked up to them. It seemed that the girl had just now realized something. Like for example that no one was talking.

"So, what's going on? You're going to prepare us for the interview today, right?"

From the coner of her eye Effie could see Haymitch's shoulders tense. Nothing that someone without a trained eye would be able to see. And she was secretly happy to be one of those.

"Right."

"You don't have to wait for me to finish eating. I can hear and eat at the same time."

"Well, there was a change of plans." when Katniss showed that she wasn't getting there (she hadn't a very good perception of things), the Victor continued. "Peeta asked to be trained alonne."

To Effie, it was obvious the girl was struggling with all those feelings. She may not have like Peeta in the beginning, and affirm that she is only there to win. But the truth was that even if someone didn't want to, if you started working together, it was inevitable to trust each other. She could only imagine the betrayel she would feel if Haymitch asked for another Escort all of a sudden.

Surprisingly, the female tribute was fast to recover, and kept it cool. Haymitch than told them that Katniss would start with me and Peeta with him, and after four hours change.

For one, she was glad Haymitch had let her deal with the girl. The Victor and tribute were too alike, too stubborn. They wouldn't have been able to talk things trough, to actually explain anything.

On the other side, he had left her with the hardest job. To tame the beast. And he hadn't told her anything about the plan. After all those years, some would think they were a team. But noooo, Mr Abernathy allways kept things for himself. And when she did the same? When she did that he would insist so much that she would end up giving up and telling him everything.

Effie understood that he had been traumatised by that other girl. God, she didn't even know her name. But why would she suffer because of that? Haymitch was the one holding the past, not the other way around.

And what if he was from Twelve and she was from the Capitol? It wasn't like Victors didn't sleep with Capitol citizens. Effie wasn't thinking about marrying or moving in, but maybe being shown that she meant more than just a fuck.

She sighted. She knew she was more than a fuck. But... it would be nice to hear it. It was just like their relationship. They weren't exclusive, but they acted as if. They weren't a couple, but they acted as if. And it would be really wonderfull if she could hear Haymitch say that she actually meant something. Just for the sake of it.

It been about two hours since they gotten to Katniss' room. The girl was almost a walking disater. Thankfully Effie had thought better than to let her train in the shoes she'd be wearing. It'd be a tragedy if those got ruined just like the other two the girl had tried on that same day.

"Not above the ankle." Effie slaps Katniss' hand for what seems to be the hundred time.

"Easy for you to talk! You've been doing this your all life." Katniss mumble was loud enough for her to hear it.

The Escort could see she was still upset. She also knew that she should be doing something about it. The problem was what exacly. The girl didn't trust her, and she had no talent for those kind of conversations.

"Not all of my life. There was a time when I was just like you." maybe if she shared some of her, the girl would also share.

"Really? You were chosen to go into an Arena and kill other teenagers?" the dark haired female, huffed and rolled her eyes. "Who would've guessed?"

"Maybe not in an Arena, but I have killed before."

Katniss looked startled at the colourfull woman. What did she meant with 'kill'? Like stabing someone? Self-defense? Was it just a jocke? Looking in the older woman eyes, she could see all the seriousness. How the fuck did this ball of cheerfullness killed someone? And why? And HOW!?'!?

"Wha- what?"

"Don't be so surprised sweatie." Effie smiled. It'd been a long time ago, and even if the first time was a shock, after a while a person gets used to it. "The Capitol is just as dangerous as the Districts. We might not have to take part on the Games, but they afect us just as much as they do to you. Only that we don't know when we'll have to fight."

"I... still don't understand. I'm sorry, but I just can't see you killing anyone." Katniss shrugged. She figured that the best she could do was to be honest.

"You know that part of the Game Makers' job is to... spice up the Game, per say. With mutants, weapons and all other things. Now, where do you think they test those things?" Effie raised an eyebrow, hopping the girl would understand.

"Wait! You're telling me that people set them free in the midle of the city?!"

"Of course not! That'd be incredibly silly!They do it on the prisioners. You see, the same way you have Peace Keepers, we also have ours. Only that yours have already very likelly been in your place. Ours... well, let just say that they are more rigid. Wich means that there are no second chances if you break a major law."

"What happens then?" this was a little to much. To discover that even the Capitol people suffered from the Games was... not expected.

"They're taken to prison. I they try to escape, if they have committed political crimes, if they don't 'behave', they get a free tour to the Game's Development department. Of course, all this is kept under wraps. The ones who know have either been through that, or found someone who was. And they're all too scared to speak."

"But you aren't."

"Oh, I am! One wrong word and I'd be gonne. But this is your room." Effie smiled. "Me and Haymitch allways check the room for bugs. There's no here to linsten."

"Oh... But aren't they angry that you're destroying the bugs."

"I'm sure they are. But since this is all behind the scenes, there's not much they can do. Besides, Haymitch and I are one of the main focus of the main focus. It would upset a lot of people if something happened to us."

"Wow... you really have it all planned."

"We have practice, yes."

"But what hapenned? When you killed someone."

"Oh, right!" they sat on the bed, next to each other. "When people come back from prison, they are not quite themselves, Those experiments... they leave scars. Phisical, emotional and mental scars. Some of them become aggressive.

When I was sixteen, I decided to aply more in my studies. So I stayed late at school. On those days, normally it was already dark when I arrived home. One time, while I was walking by one of the worst parts of the Capitol, I heard muffled voices. At first I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could. Who knew what those people were doing. They could've been drug dealers, kidnapers, rapists.

That was when I heard a female voice. And she sounded really scared. I knew it was something dangerous was going on, but it wasn't like I could just leave her there.

So when I stepped into the dark halley, I saw a man leanning over a girl about my age." Effie moved closer to Katniss. "His eyes were slightly red and gazed. He was leaning over her, speaking quickly, one of his hands grabing her wrist, the other extended, as if waiting for something. His hair was dirty and he looked like he hadn't showered in days. His shirt was ripped openned in the midle showing some deep and pinkish scars. He was so focused that didn't see me at first, but as soon as he did, his expression changed. He was scared or mad. It looked as if he had been caught stealing cookies. I remember he shoving the other girl to the ground and running up to me.

I acted on instinct. I had no idea what to do. I just grabed the closest thing to me, wich happen to be a broom, and hit him under the chin. Next thing I know, he's lying flat on the ground, dead."

"He died... just 'cause you hit him in the chin?"

"Yes. I didn't know it at the time, but if you atack someone with a blow like that and enough force, it's possible to separate the head from the spine. It's called 'Internal Beheading', or something similar. Quick, clean and instantanic. No one sees it coming, not even the killer."

"I had no idea that hapenned."

"Well, it's not something someone goes around telling. I could be in some trouble if people found out what I did." Effie hoped Katniss understood what she was actually saying. If you tell this to anyone, I die.

"What about the other girl? What hapenned to her?"

"Oh, she's fine. Has her own business, working at a lovely restaurant. Turns out the man only wanted money to by some morphine."

"I never thought you were, you know, capable of..."

"Killing?" Effie smiled sweetly. "No one ever does until they try. It's a weird experience. The last thing you should do is to let feelings get to your head. That it self can kill you."
"I already am." Katniss looked away. Effie seemed a much easier person to talk to than before.

"Don't take it personally. This is a competition afterall." the Escort placed a finger under the other girls chin and forced her to look in her eyes. "Haymitch isn't telling me the plan either. Whatever it is, he will give both of you the same chances at winning. He doesn't like unfairities."

"That's good I guess." they both stood up. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up."

"No problem darling. I've been dealing with Haymitch for a long time. I have some practice."

To be continued...

A.N.: Hey guys! I know this chapter is quite short, and that I haven't posted in a long time. And for that, I really apologiesed. But please, tell me what you think and any sugestions you might have.

Also, I'm sure all of you recived a message informing that now I have an Instagram account. It will have fannarts from diferent fandoms, theories about series and more, fashion posts, random drawings... The name of the account is Nikas_13 with a pink icon. But you will probably see it just by writing nikas.

Adeus.