Really enjoyed writing this chapter, hope u enjoy reading. Rated T maybe M for content and nature.

Chapter 3.

He'd had a few difficult nights since quitting the bottle but tonight was the worst.

In his dreams he was 16 again. Armed only with his trusty dagger. Lost in a maze of white walls which suddenly became crimson and sticky. Hand prints and claw marks. Desperate screams.

"MOTHER?!"

The maze never ending. Her screams getting louder.

"ILL KILL YOU SNOW! ILL KILL YOU IF YOU HURT HER! MOTHER!? MOTHER WHERE ARE YOU?!"

He writhed in his bed, the trusty dagger that slept beneath his pillow was in hand. Tossing and turning, the dagger nicking his thigh his torso his wrist. He didn't feel it, his dream was too desperate, too real.

The endless blood splattered walls got thicker and thicker and narrower and narrower.

He heard an all mighty final blood curdling scream

"NO!"

Racing and racing but not moving faster. He reached the middle and found him there. Waiting and triumphant.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

The white haired devil turned and smiled, holding the remains of Haymitchs bloody mother in his arms.

"She fought so hard to see you one last time Haymitch. Such a pity you are always late"

"NO! YOU SON OF A BITCH! ILL KILL YOU!"

With that, Haymitch took Snow by the throat, he plunged his hot dagger deep into the side of it and held his terrified gaze.

The walls of the maze suddenly began to melt into more familiar surroundings, Haymitch looked about his bedroom. His mothers body had disappeared, but he was still a hold of Snow. His hand squeezing the last bit of life out of him as the warm thick blood from his throat caked his hand and curdled with his last struggling breath.

"Haymitch?" Snow pleaded. His mouth moved but his voice altered. It was that of a woman's. "Haymitch...please" melodic, chocking and weak.

"Effie?"

He couldn't understand. He heard her but could not see her. Looking around himself again, the dust of sleep shaking away, he focused on his bedroom walls, water jug and pain killers by his bedside, himself, sat bolt upright in his stained satin sheets, the bloodied dagger in his right hand and in his left...

His eyes followed his forearm to his wrist to his grip around Effie's bleeding throat.

"Oh my god! Effie!"

He threw his dagger down in a total state of shock, it all happened so quickly.

Loosening his grip around her throat she slumped down onto his bed, her blood oozing and pooling deep into his sheets.

She desperately tried for air, Haymitch flurried around her in panic.

"Effie, Effie I'm so...oh my god! HELP! KATNISS! PEETA! HELP!'

His sleep riddled head and pouring tears overwhelmed him, his entire body began to break down in shear uncontrollable shaking fear. His hands wrapped around her, she was shaking too, in fear of him, fear of death, her last few remaining breaths. But no one came.

"HELP ME! SOMEBODY PLEASE!"

But he knew he was too late, he'd intended that stab to kill snow. Pushed it deep into the throat as hard as he could and ripped it back out with the force of vengeance.

Now looking down at reality. The small angel that had come to rescue him from his nightmares, his screams and he knew what he had done.

He placed a shivering kiss on Effie's lifeless head holding her so tight to him. Wracked with his own selfish sobbing he rocked her. The blood still pouring, covering them both.

Haymitch screamed out. "PLEASE NO! PLEASE GOD NO! NOT HER!"

"HELP ME! HELP"

No one came

"EFFIE! PLEASE WAKE UP! EFFIE! PLEASE"

But she was already dead in his arms

"NO NO NO! EFFIE! EFFIE! -

-EEEEEEFFFFFIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"Haymitch I'm here! Wake up! Haymitch!"

He awoke, startled, shivering, crying still.

Effie sat beside him, hovering, worry adorned her Snow White, powderless face.

"Haymitch?"

He stared at her for a moment in pure unbelief before pulling her fiercely into his arms.

Her eyes widened in shock at the state of him. She felt him shaking all over, she saw his tears, felt his sweat, something that she was trying to not think about, but he was totally vulnerable, weak and needing her. That scared her. She was never needed, not by anyone, let alone Haymitch Abernathy. She'd heard him screaming, just like every other night, she knew it was down to him trying to get the alcohol out of his system so she had left him to his painful sleep. Until tonight, when she heard him screaming her name. That was new. She couldn't get to him quick enough.

He was holding on to her so tight she thought she might pass out but she didn't care. She hadn't been held this close, this desperate by anyone for a long time, too long. She rested her chin into the crook of his neck and wrapped her arms around him tighter 'shushing' and soothing him.

"Its ok, sshh. I'm here. It was just a dream, sshhh"

Haymitch pushed her back slightly so that he could see her face, he took it into his hands

"But it wasn't...I...I hurt you, Effie I was so terrified id hurt you" he cocked her head so that he could inspect her neck with his hands, nothing. He sighed in heavy relief.

His touch made Effie shiver but not in a cringey way as she thought it would have. In a way that she didn't want to think About at all, not right now, not when Haymitch was worrying her so.

She looked into his gazing eyes and stroked his face, trying to calm him when suddenly she noticed, there was blood, all over her hands. She looked at them closer and then he saw too. His body went ridged with fear.

"I did! I've hurt you! I've hurt you"

He began to shake again but she pulled his hands from his face

"It's not me Haymitch, I'm fine, honest! I think It's you, yes-" she picked up Haymitchs dagger.

"Haymitch! You've been sleeping with this? Are you mad?" She picked it up and flung it across the room "you've cut yourself!"

She showed him his wrist, then noticed his torso then his thigh.

"Gosh Haymitch! Wait here, let me get the medical box"

She ran out. He missed her already. He fell back onto his pillow and sobbed in relief. She was safe, she was safe. How could he have even imagined such a horrid thing to do. He threw his sheets off the bed, stained with drops of blood but only his blood and he was fine with that. He propped himself up on his pillows as his light came on fully and Effie quickly came to his side again, med kit in hand.

She took out a needle and filled it with a drop of morphine

"Ok, hold still"

She carefully an tenderly stuck it into his arm, near where the biggest wound was, at his wrist.

Efficiently and professionally she cleaned up the rest of his cuts with antibacterial gel, which stung him, but he cared not, the angel before him was luminous as she fussed and flurried over him. He couldn't take his eyes of her. He never wanted to again.

He jumped suddenly at the stinging of his chest wound

"Sorry!" She winced and contined to clean

"There's nothing you need to be sorry for sweetheart...you've saved me"

Effie laughed in confusion

"Saved you? Well...your lucky it's just a few cuts. Don't sleep with that dagger again please"

"I won't"

And risk ever hurting her again? If she ever came to his aid and he accidently played out his awful dream. He'd kill himself first before he dared let that happen.

The thought of losing her, having her die in his arms and by his hand cursed his mind, the image of her scared eyes would never ever leave him. He took it as punishment for the way he had treated her over the years. He took it as a sign to never ever treat her so again.

"I'm sorry"

"For what?" She asked, finishing off the bandages

"For everything. For every word, every comment, every sly dig, everything"

He took her suddenly, into his arms again.

"The thought of you leaving...the thought of me losing you Ef...I couldn't...I don't know what I'd do. I need you to know that. I couldn't...i wouldn't still be here if it wasn't for you Ef"

She took a moment, to process his words. She was stunned. Haymitch Abernathy...couldn't live without her. What a confession! She was struggling to take it in, to take the whole event in. As Haymitch looked deep into her eyes she saw a new emotion from him. Not the usual. Disregard, annoyance, frustration. No. It was lustful.

She swallowed hard.

His eyelids heavy, his lips parted and wet, his breathing quick and shallow. She wanted to kiss him or have him kiss her but, not tonight. It had to be the right time. Both alert, not half sleep dazed.

"Sleep" she breathed, caressing his cheek with the back of her hand.

His shoulders seemed to bow at her request. Yes, he needed sleep.

"We'll talk in the morning ok Haymitch?"

"Ok..."

And with that she did something totally unexpected. Something she didn't even realise she'd done until it happened, like second nature! She placed a soft and quick kiss on his lips before she retreated back to her room for the night to curse herself for being so forward and stupid.

She was falling for him.

Hard.