Chapter Seventy-Eight; Beating about the Bush

(Stephanie & Haymitch's POV)

The dawn's rays were only beginning to spill across the lightening sky when Stephanie and Haymitch took the lift down.

Amidst the torrent of raging emotions being in Haymitch's presence was currently filling her with, Stephanie had yet to stumble across the very pertinent questions of, where they were going and why the hell were they up so early?

Haymitch found her behaviour entirely worrying and disconcerting to say the least. He was keenly aware that she had yet to even ask him about their early morning outing.

Haymitch's thoughts were occupied with suspicions that something must have happened to Stephanie to account for her withdrawn behaviour, and for the fact that she visibly flinched away from him every time he approached her.

Usually Haymitch could read Stephanie's emotions from her expression like an open book, but suddenly he couldn't decipher her expression.

It wasn't that she was hiding her emotions any better than she usually did, quite the opposite in fact.

The trouble was her expression was entirely too full. Emotions flickered across Stephanie's features like fleeting shadows; brief and indistinguishable.

One minute he could feel her eyes burning holes in his back and when he would turn to her with a questioning look, he would be taken aback by the intensity of the malevolence burning in her gaze, evidently directed at him.

But when he would open his mouth to ask her what was wrong, her expression would dissolve completely, the hatred melting away so swiftly Haymitch doubted it had even been there in the first place.

She would sniff and tremble for a few moments, her eyes lined with unshed tears and then suddenly her face would harden, a vacant haunted look to her.

By the time they had made it outside and to the waiting car, Haymitch was half-crazy with worry and frustration at trying to decipher what in the hell was wrong with Stephanie.

…

As Haymitch opened the car door for her, something clicked in Stephanie's head.

And seemingly for the first time she blinked as prominent questions crashed down on her.

Stephanie hesitated at the car door. Any other time she would have climbed trustingly on in, not doubting Haymitch for a second but now…

"Where are we going?" Stephanie asked warily.

Haymitch arched a brow at her, there was a slight desperation in his grey eyes, barely contained frustration in his clenched jaw.

"Get in and I'll tell you," Haymitch replied.

Stephanie threw him a glare, her distrust clear in her eyes before it dimmed and a deep weariness replaced it.

She knew Haymitch would never deliberately bring her to danger. He wasn't Ficen.

Stephanie clambered into the car, Haymitch following after her.

Stephanie scooted as far across the car seat as she could, turning to look out the tinted windows.

Outside the Capitol streets for once were somewhat silent, very few people out at such an early time.

Where were they going?

Haymitch shut the car door with a slam, anger and a stab of hurt flashing across his face as he seen Stephanie quite obviously move as far from him as possible.

Haymitch clenched his fists in angered bewilderment. He at least deserved an explanation for her behaviour?!

As soon as the car door closed, the car began to move off, silently making its way along the eerily quiet streets.

The parties and events for the tributes would be over for a while now in place of the training. Perhaps it was no bad thing considering what had happened at the party last night with Vir & Cron, and the evident distrust now amongst the Capitolites for those 'animals from the Districts'.

Stephanie knew there was no event scheduled per say for today. It was more going to be a chance to make last minute appeals to cement sponsors before the score at the training could scare them away.

Frenkin had told Stephanie that Isa had mentioned he would probably be having 'lunch' with Mrs Ara and her two friends; the women who had fawned over Frenkin and had been his company on the previous 'dinner date'.

Stephanie had assumed that she would be going to Dotty Evans and her sisters, but in the car with Haymitch now Stephanie was certain that Haymitch was not taking her to Dotty Evans.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong sweetheart or should I expect this silent treatment all day?" Haymitch said suddenly, frustrated and exasperated.

Stephanie flinched and then much to Haymitch's growing annoyance remained silent, pretending to watch the Capitol buildings go by, though her gaze was evidently unfocused.

"Stephanie!" Haymitch said, his voice a lot harsher than he had intended.

Stephanie's head snapped around to face him and once more Haymitch found himself taken aback in shock and hurt by the evident hatred that flashed in her golden eyes.

"I. Saw. You." Stephanie ground out the words though gritted teeth as though they were incredibly difficult to say.

Haymitch was worried. Worried, frustrated, bewildered and just plain exhausted.

But today of all days – the last thing he needed was Stephanie being difficult.

"You are going to have to be a hell of a lot more specific sweetheart," Haymitch said testily.

A hurt expression flashed across Stephanie's features and Haymitch instantly regretted his tone. But her hurt expression was gone in a flash to be replaced by one of distrust that had been quite frequent since he had woken her.

"Last night," she said quietly.

Haymitch arched an eyebrow, giving her an exasperated look.

He could not be expected to piece together riddles. He had always been one to get straight to the point and right now Stephanie seemed set on beating about a very huge bush.

"Stephanie…?" Haymitch said, softening his tone but spreading his hands out to show that he hadn't a clue what she was talking about.

There was another brief flash of hurt across Stephanie's face before her features darkened with rage, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

Haymitch almost dropped his head into his hands to give up.

"You don't remember?" she bit sarcastically, obviously not believing him.

Haymitch was seriously reaching the end of his patience.

Today was not a good day. He needed Stephanie to be on form and working with him, not against him. He had had to do a double-take when Stephanie had halted at the car door. He had seriously thought for a moment that she was going to refuse to go with him.

"I don't even know what it is I am meant to be remembering," Haymitch replied sharply.

That tirade of confusing emotions swept across her face again in quick succession.

"I saw you last night with that woman in your arms."