I actually planned to finish this chapter earlier this week, but I was so busy with my work that I only got to write on it only for some time. Well, here it is. I just liked the idea that he tells her about the necklace, and with the last sentence, I decided that at least the next chapter will be set in the past, maybe even the next two. All I can say is, that it will still be about the necklace.
Alright then, enjoy this chapter.
When the others left the room as well, Haymitch was one of the last ones to leave, except for Katniss. And it was her who stopped him from leaving completely. He could already guess the reason for this as well.
"You saw her lea-"
"Yeah, I did."
There was silence between the two of them, and Katniss actually hoped for him to say some more, even though she knew him better than to expect something like this of him, and this was why she sighed and stopped walking past him.
"You should talk to her."
Just as she was to walk through the doorway, he stopped her by putting his arm in the way. "Stop it, sweetheart. Why should I talk to her? You can do it as well. I know you know her as well as I do."
"Except for I don't. C'mon, you know that there is no one in here that knows her like you do." He hated to admit that she was right and only a low growl left his throat as she removed his arm and watched her pass. "Don't be so grumpy, I know you don't mind it that much. And Effie doesn't deserve it, you know that."
Without turning another time, she left him back where he was. Haymitch sighed and scratched the back of his head, before he started to move himself into the direction of Effie's quarters, where he knew he would find her.
After all, that was the only place she would ever be at, except for getting something to eat.
Making his way through the halls, he tried to figure out what to say to her.
~ • ~
When the former victor arrived at the door, he hesitated for another moment before he actually knocked at her door. No word came from the inside, but he knew he was in there. He knocked another time, still no word. He sighed, leaning one arm against the door.
"I know you're in there, Princess. If you don't talk to me, I'll just come in y'know."
He waited another moment, and when she still refused to say anything, he decided to just enter the room. He should be damned if he let himself stop by the stubbornness of Effie Trinket.
Closing the door behind him, he was a bit surprised to see her all curled up on her bed, her scarf removed, yet carefully placed on the table across from her. He had ever seen her like this, most of all not her hair. At least not at this age. It was still as beautiful as it had been as a young girl, he smiled to himself.
Walking over to her, he sat down on the bed, next to her, and watched her until she would look up as well. He could not say how much time passed, but when Effie finally looked up at him, Haymitch would see her red eyes and the wet cheeks. Of course she had been crying. From how she left the meeting it was no hard to tell that she was going to start crying. Gently placing a hand on her shoulder, he tried to comfort her.
"She's going to be alright, Princess. You know she's hard to kill. Katniss knows what she does, you said that yourself. Now c'mon, smile again, everything's fine."
Though it was hard for him to make her believe him, he somehow managed to get a small smile from her lips. "If an old drunk like me can survive this long, she actually had to be immortal!" Her smile didn't leave but faded a bit. "Don't say that, Haymitch. I know you better than that. You're not an old drunk."
Haymitch chuckled and looked down to his shoes for a moment before he looked at her again. "You tell me all the time. Always told me how I wasn't like the others, right?" He wasn't only referring to their time as mentor and escort, no, but to their childhood as well. "I dunno why, but you always believed in me." She nodded, having a serious look on her face. "Of course I did. We are a team, we are partners!"
"Princess, that's not what I meant."
To her surprise, he reached for his sweater, and was searching something under it. When he removed something from his neck, her eyes widened as he saw what it was.
Opening his hand for her, Haymitch showed her the flower shaped necklace she had given to him so many years ago. And there she had thought he didn't remember her, didn't keep her gift to him. But he was full of surprise, she should have known better.
"After all those years, you still keep it with you? I never knew, why have you not told me about it earlier?" She asked him all confused but happy at the same time. Effie knew it was hard for him to trust people, it had always been this way, and to see that he kept something this long made her feel something deep inside her heart.
But instead of answering her question, he reached out his other hand and brushed away a strand of her hair. "You know, I've always liked your hair like this the most. It you, not the Capitol. Even though it's not as bright red anymore as it used to be when you were a child." Both of them chuckled, knowing that her hair was so stunning back these years. And she had loved them so much, it was a shame that the now were almost strawberry blonde. The red was still dominant, yet you could tell it had lost its color over the years.
"I still remember the day you gave it to me. Well, both days. After all, I returned it to you at our second meeting. I still can't believe you've always had my back. Even back then."
"That is what partners are there for, right?" She smiled and took his hand in hers.
It seemed as if Haymitch had distracted her enough so that she wouldnt' think about Katniss anymore. And it was just to her own good. "Ah, yes. And I told you, you're not like those Capitol crazies." He had, indeed. But only now she realizied how much she really relied on these words. Because they were so true. None of the citizens hand any idea of all of this. Not like this.
When Haymitch suddenly wanted to return the necklace to him, she shook her head and closed his hand around it. "Do you not remember what I told you?"