Effie

Cecelia took her children to bed and Sae withdrew to clear the table, leaving Effie alone with Haymitch, Katniss, and Peeta.

Where are Gale and Madge?

They'd never returned after exiting abruptly from dinner. They'd missed Haymitch's debut as Santa, and the gift-giving scene with the children.

I haven't heard any raised voices. Have they reconciled?

It crossed Effie's mind that Madge and Gale might - at this very moment - be consummating their reunion in one of the bedrooms at Snow Mansion.

How rude would that be when I'm paying them good money to pretend they are Haymitch's family? They should be spending time with him, not doing heaven knows what together.

Peeta caught Effie's eye. "How about Katniss and I take care of the dinner clean-up so Sae can take a break?"

Those two seem awfully friendly, as well.

"That's kind of you," Effie said. "I guess it would be all right."

Peeta and Katniss departed, leaving Effie alone with Haymitch.

She took a seat and faced her boss. "I feel like I failed. Everyone's run off and left you alone on Christmas Eve.

"Nonsense Effie. Families with adult children don't sit around on Christmas Eve singing carols and roasting chestnuts. Everyone does their own thing."

"Do you think so?"

"Well, that's what I've heard from Heavensbee and Boggs. Both of them complain that even though they get together, they hardly spend much time with the kids."

Maybe, but your pretend kids are getting paid to be here.

"Did you ever miss not having children?" The words were out of Effie's mouth before she even thought about them.

I shouldn't have asked such a personal question.

Haymitch removed his fake beard, red cap, and wig. "Not really. I don't think I was cut out to be a dad."

"But you did so well with those children. You were a natural."

"But I got stumped when Taiden asked about the sleigh and the reindeer."

"You would have thought of something if Peeta hadn't piped up."

"I don't know about that," Haymitch said. "But I have no doubt you would be a great mother. Your kids would be doing a million things that kids do these days, and you would manage their schedule perfectly, the same as you manage mine."

Is he thinking of me as if I'm his mother?

"And you would have pampered their father, the same as you pamper me."

"I'm paid to take care of you."

"True, but you definitely go above and beyond."

Because I care for you. I only wish you'd figure that out.

"If you don't have any plans for this evening, why don't you join me in putting together a puzzle," Haymitch suggested. "I brought a new one with me. Let me change out of this suit first, though. I don't want to upset the kids if one of them comes downstairs and sees Santa Claus doing a puzzle when he's supposed to be flying around the world delivering presents."

She smiled at his concernfor Cecelia's children. He would have been a good father.

Haymitch returned five minutes later with a box bearing a colorful photo on front. He set it onto the coffee table.

Effie's eyes grew big. "It's got 1,000 pieces."

"We better get started then."

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Dalton

After an exhausting day, Sam dreamed of dancing sugar plums that morphed into Mickey Mouse who was driving a sleigh down a sandy beach. He rolled over and woke for a brief moment, a thought standing out in his mind. This Abernathy gig is turning into be my personal gold mine.

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Gale

It's your child. The words echoed through Gale's head as he stared at Madge. With her tear-stained face, messy hair, and now curvy figure she looked different from the slender, polished woman who'd captured his heart years ago. Still, he couldn't help but feel a wave of deep affection sweep over him.

No wonder she's been having a difficult time.

The logical part of his brain told him he should be angry with her for keeping this news a secret, but the emotional part didn't agree.

Madge has surprised me with the best Christmas present ever. I'm going to be a dad.

"Why are you so upset? It's wonderful news."

Her face crumpled. "I'm pregnant, and I'm all alone."

Whose fault is that? But he knew pointing out the obvious would only make things worse.

"When's the baby due?"

"June 4th."

"How're your parents taking the news?" I'm surprised the Undersees haven't come after me with a pitchfork.

"I haven't told them, yet. They don't even know we broke up."

"You haven't told them anything?"

"I was going to tell them about us, but then I found out I was expecting and I didn't want to ruin their Christmas trip to Europe."

Gale tilted his head and eyed her mid-section. He could see it now, a slight swelling of her abdomen.

"How long were you planning to hide the pregnancy? You're dressing differently than before."

"Do I look pregnant already?"

Dangerous territory.

"Not pregnant exactly. But I did notice your chest was bigger."

She'll like that. She's always complained about her small breasts.

"That's what you noticed? My boobs? Is that what you look at first, a woman's breasts?"

"It's not like that, Madge."

"I bet you've been having a fine time with the ladies of Dandelion now that we're not together."

Gale felt himself growing warm. His jaw muscles clenched. "What? If you remember how it went down, you broke up with me. It wasn't the other way around. And I haven't been out with anyone.

"No, I've spent every spare moment I've had painting the inside and outside of my mother's house. Ma wanted a red accent wall in the entry. Do you know how many coats of paint it took? Seven damn coats."

Her face softened. "I'm sorry."

How does she do that? Make me furious one minute, and then make me melt the next.

"Look, even if we're not together, I want to be Dad to my child," Gale said. "And of course, I'll help out financially, too."

He threw his arms around her and pulled her close. Surprisingly, she allowed it. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at their reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Oh Madge, what's going to become of us?

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Katniss

Sae had already filled the two dishwashers when Katniss and Peeta entered the kitchen.

"We can take it from here," Peeta said.

"Are you sure?" Sae asked. "Cecelia said she would help."

"She's putting her kids to bed." Katniss said. "Why don't you turn in, too?"

The older woman's face broke out into a smile. "Thanks. I've been on my feet all day." She untied the apron she wore, took it off, and hung it on a hook near the door.

"Hope you don't mind me volunteering us for kitchen duty," Peeta said, as they surveyed the mess in front of them. Dirty pots and pans lined the counter, and the sink was filled with serving bowls that were too big for the dishwashers.

"I don't." It gives us a chance to talk more.

Peeta washed; while Katniss dried.

"So what would you be doing right now if you weren't here?" Katniss asked.

Peeta had taken off his frock coat and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt to his elbows. His muscular forearms enthralled her.

"I'd be at my parents' house wishing I were someplace else."

She frowned. "Don't you get along with your family?"

"I get along with everyone fine, that is except for my mother. She doesn't approve of my life."

"What's not to approve?"

His cheeks took on a pinkish tint. "Everything according to her. She's always been a meddler – a regular Mrs. Bennett."

"No," Katniss exclaimed, appreciating Peeta's Pride and Prejudice reference.

I can picture her exactly.

"Oh, yes," Peeta insisted. "Both my brothers are married now and have kids, so she doesn't have as much say in their lives any more. Besides they don't work at the bakery. But I'm not married, and I work with her."

"You don't live with her, too, do you?"

Please, no.

Peeta chuckled. "I don't. I wouldn't have any kind of life if I did that, would I?"

"What kind of life do you have away from your mother?"

Don't be a player. Don't be a player. Don't be a player.

"I paint."

Katniss breathed a sigh of relief. "What, like houses?"

Peeta shook his head. "Canvases."

"You're an artist?"

"I guess so, although I don't think of myself like that."

"Why do you work at the bakery then?"

"My painting is a hobby. I've sold a few pieces, but it's not like I can support myself doing it. Besides I'm going to take over the bakery from my parents after they retire to keep it in the family."

"That makes sense."

"Anyway I get along fine with my Dad," Peeta added. "What about you, Katniss? What would you be doing if you weren't here?"

"I usually spend Christmas with my mom and my sister, but they're in California this year so I'd probably be at Gale's mom's house.

"Are your families very close?"

"They are. Our dad's died together in a work-related explosion."

Peeta stopped washing the pan in his hands and turned to give Katniss a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry.

"It was a long time ago," she said, softly. "We had to move in with Gale's family for a while because of the bills. But when my mom was cleaning through my dad's stuff, she found out he'd taken out a large insurance policy. It was enough for her to pay off our house and go back to school. She got her nursing degree. I became a teacher, and my sister's in medical school in California."

"That's some story. Really inspiring."

"That's the short version. The longer version includes a lot of stops and starts – depression and counseling, and trying to make sense of everything."

"I think trying to make sense of everything is universal," Peeta said. "Wanting to live your own life and not be a pawn in someone else's game."

Katniss nodded. "And knowing that no matter what happens, life can be good."

Peeta handed her the last pot to dry, and then released the stopper to empty the water from the sink.

Wow, I didn't expect our conversation to get so deep, so fast.

"I'm curious about something." The expression on Peeta's face was serious. "What's your favorite color?"

She chuckled at his silly question, glad that he was steering their conversation into lighter territory.

"Green. What's yours?"

"Orange?"

"Like traffic cone orange?"

"No, soft and muted like the sunset."

Katniss lay the wet dishtowel on the counter to dry. "We should probably join the others now."

They stood in the entrance to the living room. A cozy scene lay before them. Effie's and Haymitch's heads were bowed over a scattering of puzzle pieces spread out on the coffee table.

"I don't think those two shapes don't fit together," Haymitch said.

Effie forehead wrinkled. "Well they should. The picture matches up perfectly."

You go, Effie. Show Haymitch that he can't get along without you.

Katniss tapped Peeta's shoulder. "I don't think we're wanted here," she whispered, taking a step back.

"You're right. I have an idea, though."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Peeta

"I could show you the greenhouse," Peeta said.

Katniss agreed. "I noticed some flashlights in a drawer in the kitchen."

After retrieving the flashlights, they put on their coats and left the house through the kitchen door.

As they walked, Peeta explained, "Mellark's has catered some weddings here at Snow Mansion. We set up the food in the greenhouse. They raise roses in it year round."

When they reached the greenhouse, Peeta lifted a small, snow-covered statue of an angel that stood next to the door, and bent down to pick up a key. "My dad and I have had to let ourselves in a few times."

He unlocked the door, opened it, and placed the key into his coat pocket. A wall of warm air met them, along with a sweet, floral fragrance.

"Ladies, first."

Katniss stepped inside, and Peeta followed. He switched on the overhead light, and closed the door.

"It's surprisingly warm in here," Katniss said, removing her coat.

"It is," Peeta said, doing likewise. As Katniss made her way from rosebush to rosebush, reading the name tag on each plant, Peeta grew unexpectedly giddy.

I haven't felt like this in forever.

After making her way down one long table of plants and up another, she turned to him. "They're pretty, but I'm not a big fan of roses."

"Why not?"

"Thorns. I prefer simple flowers, like daisies and wildflowers, heck even dandelions.

"Dandelions are weeds."

"That's only because everyone gets mad when they mysteriously appear in the center of a perfectly manicured lawn. I think they're sweet reminders that life is full of surprises. Besides they're chock full of nutrition. Have you ever eaten a dandelion salad?"

"Can't say I have."

"You should try it sometime. It's good."

Eventually they made their way back to the door. Katniss pulled on the knob.

"It's stuck. Do you need to unlock it from this side?"

"Here let me try," Peeta said, giving the knob a twist and a hard tug. But the door remained immovable. He pointed the flashlight toward the slim crack between the door and its frame. The crossbar remained down. "That's weird. It's locked."

"You have the key don't you?" He could hear the nervousness in Katniss' voice.

"I do. But there isn't a keyhole on this side."

A momentary panic shot though him. He closed his eyes trying to remember if this had ever happened before during catering events.

We always propped the door open. We never shut it until we left.

He turned to Katniss. "I'm sorry, but I think we're locked in. The door can only be opened from the outside, and I have the key."

Well, you wanted the chance to spend time alone with her. Now you've got the entire night.

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Madge

Madge looked at the bedside clock. It was past midnight. Behind her, Gale lay snoring.

That sound used to annoy me so much. Who knew I'd miss it.

He'd walked her back to her room, and she agreed to let him in so they could talk more about the baby.

She had expected him to be angry at the news, but his reaction was different than she'd expected. If anything, he was happier than she'd seen him in a long while.

What a relief.

It was so nice to finally talk to someone about the child because she hadn't told a soul and her doctor could care less about all the little things that were so fascinating to Madge, like how she kept waking up in the middle of the night starving and needing to eat a sandwich, or how easily she grew tired, or her constant need to pee.

But Gale listened to everything. And he even asked thoughtful questions.

When he asked to put his hand on her belly, she couldn't say no; it was his child growing right underneath her own skin. But that touch, had led to a kiss or two, which had eventually led to him curling up around her side to spoon as if they'd never parted.

He's not perfect by any means, but then he's not the jerk I made him out to be either.

Madge pulled his arm off her waist and rolled over to face him. She reached out to touch the front of his hair. In the dim light of the room, she saw a small smile appear on Gale's face. Tenderness washed over her.

What am I doing? Are we back together now?

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Haymitch

They stayed up until 11 p.m. working on the puzzle, stopping after a quarter of the pieces had found a home.

Haymitch called it quits when Effie began to yawn.

"Do you want to put it away?" she asked.

"Let's leave it out. Maybe we can work on it tomorrow, or perhaps the others would like to give it a try."

Effie bid him good night and excused herself.

Haymitch went to his room, thinking about what a great team he and Effie made.

Even though he was sixty, he was sadly lacking experience in dealing with women.

I guess I've been avoiding the fairer sex even since I lost Maysilee.

His heart had been broken a long time ago. But the deep wounds he'd experienced were gone now, only numbness remained.

However tonight as they'd worked on the puzzle, the strangest sensation had come over him. It was as if he'd put on glasses and suddenly saw his secretary in a completely new light.

The way she'd looked when she put that jigsaw together had intrigued him. The slope of her nose, the set of her tongue positioned neatly between her teeth as she concentrated, an errant curl that hung over her forehead that she kept pushing away from her right eye.

She's lovely. A second thought followed. She has an entire world inside her that I know nothing about.

Was he too old for love? Was Effie interested in him or was she only being nice because he was her boss?

I should be thinking about retirement instead of considering whether to start something with my secretary who's a good fifteen years younger than me.

He pulled down the comforter and climbed into bed doubtful he'd get much sleep tonight.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Effie

The travel alarm woke her at five a.m. Effie hoped Cecelia's kids slept later on Christmas morning because she still had to set their gifts under the tree – in truth, presents for everyone at the house needed to be put out.

She got out of bed, debating whether or not to dress, but decided it would be okay to do everything in her bathrobe.

Everyone is likely still sleeping.

She tiptoed downstairs in her bare feet, over and over again to carry down the packages that had been stored in her bedroom.

Effie had begun to arrange them under the tree, when she heard a cough behind her.

Startled she turned, and let out a small scream. Haymitch was standing before her. "Merry Christmas, Effie."

I'm in my bathrobe with uncombed hair and no make-up, while he's fully dressed.

Effie's cheeks grew warm. "I wasn't expecting you to be up so early. Merry Christmas to you, too."

"I can help you with that," he said pointing to the stack of gifts.

"All right."

He came closer. "What's inside this stuff?"

"I hope you don't mind but I raided the supply closet at work," she admitted.

His eyebrows went up. "You wrapped up reams of paper and boxes of pens?"

A fit of laughter came upon her. As she wiped away the tears, she explained. "No. Remember when Internal Communications ran that employee contest and gave away iPads to the Sales staff. There were some left over, so I took them. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. They might as well get used."

Together they made quick work of arranging the gifts under the tree.