A/n. Thank you so much for the reviews and alerts! I'm so sorry this update took so long. I had outlined the story from the beginning but I just realized something in Mockingjay that won't work with where the story goes and I've been trying to figuring it out, how to continue the story and stay with canon, and thus the delay in my writing. Unfortunately, I haven't got them all figured out so the next update will take a long time and meanwhile, I hope you like the short chapter.

The characters in the Hunger Games, and some excerpts in this chapter, belong to Suzanne Collins.

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I can't exactly point my finger to what makes this year games to be different. Haymitch told me earlier that "we have a couple of fighters for tributes" this year, which is unusual for district Twelve. The fact that Katniss volunteered for her sister was already an unusual trait, nothing that the district has had in over, well however long the games have been. It's not just that, even the air seems different this year. Haymitch told me what the three fingers gesture means after my endless queries and he said something about admiration and respect. As the games went, Twelve is not the only one having admiration and respect for Katniss, apparently Eleven as well with the bread they sent. For such a district, that must have cost a fortune! I guess I can never understand them, what with the hulking boy from Eleven sparing Katniss' life because she helped the sweet little girl from his district.

I shake my head a little, I have to stop thinking about those things. What matters now is that Twelve is the only district that has its both tributes alive and with the rule change, they now can go home together. If it weren't for the incident the night after the interview, I would've believed that Katniss' adoring act towards Peeta is based on love and not something that Haymitch helps to fabricate. I decided to stay out of his business this time although there is nothing much to stay out of since he's been kept busy with our eager sponsors, ready to support the star-crossed lovers any way they can. I can't help but beaming with pride when my stories about pearls and their adolescence love paid off. It feels good to be really productive.

With my thought back to the games I focus on the exchange between Katniss and Peeta, huddling closer now to keep warm, to ignore Cato's endless painful moans. The poor boy has been at it for hours, if he has to die I'd rather he has it quickly instead of enduring a long and torturous death. As if reading my mind, Katniss seems to have the same idea. She points her last arrow at him and effortlessly strikes him in the head. And with that kill shot the canon is sound. This is it! They are the only tributes left, and from the same district. Still, no announcement is made. Haymitch and I remain quiet, creases formed on his forehead, waiting for Templesmith to call their victory. Any moment now, I think.

"Greetings to the final contestants of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games. The earlier revision has been revoked. Closer examination of the rule book has disclosed that only one winner may be allowed," he says. "Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor."

Haymitch's bottle hits the wall once the announcement was over. It was not unexpected, but when it happened it angers us anyway. The mercy of the capitol can only go so far. I knew it was too good to be true when they said two could win this year but I believed it anyway. I brace myself for the worst Haymitch will bring. I know he cares for them so much, more than he ever did for any tributes before them. Even after years of working together I couldn't reach the level of understanding he has with Katniss. The way she understood what every gift sent meant without a single note or word is really fascinating for someone who only knew him for a few days.

I try to be as calm as possible because I have to be when Haymitch is this full of rage, but I start to get panic when Katniss pointed her arrow to Peeta's chest. How could she even think for a second that Peeta would attack her, the love of his life? And those berries, aren't they nightlocks? When more sound of glass breaking interrupting my trains of thought I realize Haymitch is too busy throwing bottles to see the berries on their hands.

"Haymitch," I call as I keep my sight on the screen. Another bottle hits the wall.

"Haymitch!," I call again, louder this time.

"What?" he asks roughly. When silence follows, I know he's seeing what I'm seeing. I wonder if he can also hear the sound of my heart beating as Katniss and Peeta start counting down before my eyes.

"What the hell are they…," he doesn't continue, his nerves must have rendered him speechless. I feel his hands gripping the sofa around my shoulders tightly. I won't be surprised if there'll be dents in the shape of his hands when this is over.

"Stop! Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victors of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark! I give you — the tributes of District Twelve!"

"Haymitch, is it…. They won!" I say jumping with victory. "Haymitch they won!" I turn 180 degree to look at Haymitch and instead of looking at him, I feel his lips crashing onto mine. He tastes bitter, must be the alcohol. I pull away as soon as I realize what is happening. I can't say that I didn't enjoy it but the last time we kissed, it led to something more. His hand is still on the back of my neck even after he noticed that I've pulled away. I couldn't stop my eyes from looking at his lips before he coughs and pulls his hand back. Is it embarrassment that I see on his face? Haymitch being embarassed? That is something new.

I turn to look at the screen again cause I know soon my face would turn so red my white powder won't be able to conceal it. I sigh in relief when I see Katniss and Peeta already reach the hovercraft.

"Can you believe it Haymitch? When the district finally has a winner, we have two victors! I'm pretty sure I'm the first escort to experience this!" I say with glee, already forgetting his rather inappropriate advance earlier.

"Yeah, yeah, calm your horses sweetheart, we have to get going now. Gotta make sure our two victors ready for the interview."

I don't quite understand why he doesn't seem happy, both of the tributes are alive! He will bring not only one but two tributes home! He should be thrilled. And he kissed me! Shouldn't he at least be pleased with that? Is he regretting it already? Maybe it meant nothing to him. Yes, it was just euphoria overtaking him. This is classic Haymitch; he could change my mood in a second.

"Aren't you forgetting something, sweetheart?" he asks when I'm already walking towards the elevator.

"What?" I snap.

He doesn't answer, just holding my journal in his right hand with a smirk.

"Right," I managed to say as I grab it out of his hand.

"You dropped something," he says after I had taken few steps away.

I sigh heavily before I turn to face him. He just won't leave me alone, will he? Instead of looking at me, his eyes are fixated on the piece of paper in his hands. As I'm closer I have a clearer look of the paper and I can see that it's not a paper, it's a picture. I stop on my track when I remember the only picture that could fall off my journal. There in his hands, even upside down from Haymitch's hold I can see it, smiling with cream frosting around her mouth, a picture of Rosie from her second birthday, with dark blonde hair and steel grey eyes. Their alikeness is undeniable.

"Effie," he says. Haymitch voice startles me. He rarely addresses me by my name.

"Yes," I reply. I mentally scramble my brain for any story I can use to answer his incoming questions about Rosie.

"Mr. Abernathy, shall we?" asks the capitol attendee. I've forgotten that someone would be here to take us to the hovercraft landing. We were too caught up in the moment to even notice his arrival.

He hands me the picture back. "So that's how your real hair looks like. Didn't picture you as a dark blonde. Though I wouldn't be surprised if you altered your hair," he says as he walks to the elevator, "just like your eyes."

Did that just happen? I readied myself to answer any question he might ask and instead, he simply thinks it's my picture from when I was little. I've got to be the luckiest person in Panem! I quickly tuck the picture back in before he changes his mind.

"Aren't you gonna join us?" he asks when he's already inside. He keeps his eyes on me this whole time, as if saying that he knows something. I only nod when he's telling me things, assigning me to get Katniss while he tends to Peeta. I'm too busy thinking about his new discovery to even protest with the task division, we both know he handles Katniss better than me. When the door opens, I've never been this happy to see a hovercraft, our discussion of the picture can wait, we have more important things to do now.