A/n. Hi all, thank you so much for the lovely reviews and alerts. I didn't intend to take this long to post the next chapter but life (read: college) gets in the way. Enjoy!
All characters in the Hunger Games belong to Suzanne Collins.
x
As the train lurches to a stop, I can't help but thinking of Rosie. I never leave her side this long and I miss my baby already. When the door is opened, I start making my way to the Victor Village. Other escorts just meet their victors and mentors in the justice building but when I learned that Haymitch is a drunk, I made it my duty to make sure he gets to the reaping stage on time. As I walk on the dusty gravel path, I can feel the usual stares from the citizens. My Capitol clothes alone would stand out and being accompanied by Peacekeepers on my sides makes it worse. I suppose I should enjoy the attention to keep my thoughts away from the one thing that I'm really nervous about; I'm gonna meet the father of my baby.
I knock on the door several times. The Peacekeepers are gone after I told them I could go back on my own. I push down the handle and it's unlocked. I guess no one dares trespassing into his house. He may be a drunk but he's still a victor nonetheless. If it were up to me, I'd rather wait outside until he opens the door but the reaping waits for no one. I let myself in and the reeking smell hits me instantly. Even after ten years of this I still can't understand how one lives in this condition. I sigh. At least he's not on the floor this time. I make my way to the dining table slowly. From my experience last year, taking the knife out of his grasp before stirring him up is no good, he will just wake up n slash you on your arm. This time I'm just going to drop a bottle on the floor.
He wakes up as the bottle makes a loud crash on the floor with one arm ready to attack with his knife.
"Good morning! Or shall I say afternoon, " I say as it's almost noon. I make my way to open the curtain and window to let some air and sunshine in. I can hear him groan before I even turn my back.
"Can't you just lower your voice down? It's not as melodic as you think," says Haymitch groggily.
"Well I need to wake you up, don't I? If you stopped drinking and could make yourself be on time for the reaping, I wouldn't have to be here," I say.
"In your dream, sweetheart," Haymitch says.
"One can only dream," I mutter. I still can't believe I have a child from this man, and a beautiful one I must say. It's not impossible though, he's actually handsome and those eyes..
"What?" asks Haymitch.
"I'm sorry?" I reply, startled with his question.
"You looked at me funny," says Haymitch dismissively as he's getting up, "I tell you what, you go ahead and I'll be there before you annoy the whole district with your voice amplified in the square. Unless, you want to join me in the shower?" he asks with a smirk.
I snort. "If your drunken brain can't tell you, I'm already showered, Haymitch. I'll see you there. And don't be late!" I tell him with a pointed look.
That night in the train, after I sent the kids to bed, I stay in the TV room for a while watching repeats of today's reaping. Feeling of hopelessness swirls through me again as I see the hunky tributes from One, Two and Four. Even the ones from the lower tributes are bigger than ours this year. I'm glad I'm less hormonal now because otherwise I would have cried and it would not look good at all.
I hear the clinking of bottles and I see Haymitch making his way to the sofa on my left.
"What is up with you today?" asks Haymitch.
"What do you mean?" I reply.
"Hugging the kids on the way to their rooms and kissing them goodnight? You didn't even make a single comment on their table manners," says Haymitch.
"I just feel like we shouldn't be too harsh on them and the embraces are just my way to show them some support," I say.
He snorts.
"Besides, with you being hardly functional, one of us should take charge," I say.
"You know as well as I do that the odds are not in their favor. Why should we give them false hope?" asks Haymitch.
"It doesn't mean that we have to give up on them," I say.
"Yeah, yeah. But seriously Trinket, what's with your excessive affection? I know you care but that was too much, even for you," says Haymitch.
I guess having a child tingles the maternal bone in my body and I can't help but acting more motherly towards the tributes. I have to be careful with this.
"Really?" I say, acting dumb, "Maybe you never noticed but I do embrace our tributes every now and then," I say again. He doesn't make any remarks on that and we go back to watching TV silently before I feel his stares on me.
"Did you do something to them?" asks Haymitch pointing with his glass at my chest.
I gasp as I realize what he's asking about. "Good night, Haymitch," I huff while getting up from the sofa. I can hear him chuckling as I walk away. His comment is not all wrong besides the fact that it's highly inappropriate, but I get used to it from working with him throughout the years. The breastfeeding does make my breasts bigger.
It is still dark when I wake up. It's Rosie's feeding time and because she's not with me, my breasts are full and in pain. When my attempt to go back to sleep ends in vain, I start prepping up for the day. I go through my planner again making sure everything is on schedule. The train will arrive in the Capitol in a few hours and I have a couple before I have to wake the tributes up. I'm surprised to find Haymitch already awake in the dining room. From the looks of it I don't think he slept at all.
"Haymitch! What a lovely surprise to see you up this early," I chirp.
"Not so loud, woman. If I knew you'd be here this early I would have stayed in the bar cart," says Haymitch.
"No, no, please stay. Some food will be good to absorb the alcohol. Can't have you to be too drunk for the opening ceremony," I say.
Apparently I'm making strange postures to relieve the soreness because he's staring at me again, just at me and not at my chest. I can't help but staring back at him, looking at his features which are also present on Rosie. They are not so visible right now but soon, her features will shape up to be like his or mine. Possibly, they will be a perfect combination of ours.
"Is it about that night?" asks Haymitch breaking me out of my reverie.
"What are you talking about?" I ask back, although I know exactly what he's asking me about.
"I wasn't too drunk to not remember what happened last year, you know," he says nonchalantly. I can feel blood rushing to my face.
"So we slept together, that's all. It was just a one-time thing. What about it, anyway?" I ask.
"You tell me. You've been looking at me all weird since yesterday and I can't think of any other reason," Haymitch says.
"You're drunk," I tell him. I know it's not a good reason but I can't think of a better one right now. I have to make sure he doesn't catch me looking at him again next time. Wait, next time?
"You know, if you want to get laid you just have to ask," he teases.
"I know," I say as I get up. I move to waking up the tributes before he can make any more comment on my blushing cheeks.
As we walk out of the train towards the car, I resist the urge to put my arms around the tributes. I know Haymitch is expecting me to. He already gave me the stare earlier when I coaxed them to eat slowly while not nagging them about using the correct spoon or fork.
"Calm down, sweetheart. Your fidgeting around is not gonna magically make them wonderful. They're probably dressed as coal miners again," says Haymitch when we are seated at the viewing area. He's right of course, our stylists are anything but inventive. Although it's not our tribute's costumes that I'm anxious about, I just can't wait to see Rosie again. As if on cue, the last chariot comes out and there they are, dressed as coal miners complete with the helmets.
We make our way to the chariots after the president's speech is over. Just few more hours, I tell myself. I do my best cheering my tributes and giving them some positive words. I hurry myself out of the training center after I sent the kids to bed. Luckily Haymitch is not in sight and I don't have to answer any of his pestering questions.
The next morning I'm already at the penthouse before everyone is up. I make my round to wake the tributes up and then Haymitch, after I make sure they are really awake. Despite my best attempt to get everyone talking, the mood is solemn throughout breakfast. I rush out of the training center after I did my usual round; sending the tributes to the training area, talking to important people for sponsors and checking if everything is in place. I only have a few hours for lunch and I love to check on Rosie when I can. I grow impatient as I'm being stopped by some people for a little chat. I know they are not interested in our tributes; they have little to almost no chance of winning. I could spin a theory that their true potentials will come out in the arena but after Johanna Mason's year, no one would believe it.
"Isn't that your escort?" I hear a familiar voice asks.
"Going somewhere, Effie?" Haymitch asks. I turn to the voices and see Haymitch standing with Chaff, glass in hand.
"Hello there, Haymitch! Chaff!" I call as I make my way towards them. "I'm just going to have lunch in the city."
"What do you think, Chaff? Shall we get lunch as well?" asks Haymitch. Chaff looks at him as if he just said he wants to stop drinking. I realize my jaw dropped for a second when his question caught me off-guard, I quickly shut it before anyone notices.
"I'm sure Effie wouldn't mind," says Haymitch as he looks at me. What can I say to that, 'yes Haymitch I do mind'? I'm trying my best not to glare at him.
"Of course I don't mind, Haymitch. The more the merrier!" I trill.
The lunch with Haymitch and Chaff was nothing like what I expected. We actually managed to have a decent conversation over meal with of course, the occasional arguments between Haymitch and I. I could tell that Haymitch was disappointed when no one else joined us. After noticing me missing on several occasions in the past few days, he probably expected to catch me in action.
The Games start in no time. I bided the kids' goodbye last night before they went to bed. It was harder than usual as my maternal feelings taking over me. Haymitch is already gone by this time, drinking his sorrow away. He is the most wasted when the Games is on, becoming almost dysfunctional, not that we ever needed him to sign sponsors for our tributes. I focus my attention back at the screen in our private viewing room when the sixty-second mark is almost up. As the gong sounds, I see our tributes running towards the foods and other life sustaining supplies that are scattered around the cornucopia. They are dead the seconds the Careers grab their weapons. Once I hear the canons being fired, I get out of the room to settle some formalities and make the train arrangement for District Twelve. Haymitch will have to wait until our tributes' bodies are back before I can send him home. I can only imagine the horror of facing two mourning families whose kids were put under your care.
As I walk down the streets, I can hear people cheering loudly when their favorites have their ranks up on the betting screen. The Games is not interesting at this time when most tributes are resting and the careers are still preparing for their night hunt, and most people turn to count their wins and losses.
I punch the codes and turn the handle as I hear the 'click' of the lock being opened. I find Rosie in her crib, sleeping peacefully despite all the noises outside. I wonder if her calm slumber is due to knowing that since she lives in the Capitol, she doesn't have to fear turning twelve and have her name written on a slip in a reaping bowl.
"She was waiting for you."
I turn and find my mother standing by the bedroom door. "Oh, hi mother. I'm sorry it took so long, I had to wait until the train departs," I say softly before I turn back to look at Rosie.
"That's right, he has to go back now. I wish you can get a better district," my mother says as she walks towards me. "When are you going to tell him? You can't keep her from him forever you know," she continues.
"I know mother, I know," I say. I wonder just the same.
A/n. Thanks to TheDodoBird for letting me use Rosie as Hayffie's baby name. I just love that name for her. :) More explanation on that probably in the chapters to come.