Hello everyone! I cannot begin to thank you for the interest you have all shown in this story. It makes me really happy and restores belief in me that I can actually write something. So a big, big, big thank you to you all. Especially my lovely reviewers. xx .side xx (Seriously? It is? Wow, that means a lot, thanks so much), PriscilaOrglene (So do I. But she isn't in this chapter so yay!), Goodbye Kitty (I know, I suck at that. I hope its better with the next updates), Gentlefurable (I never liked her either. And I love your thoughts on Haymitch. It should be his tagline or something. Thanks!), Lonelygoatherd (Thanks. And he can't act like this forever, but for now, he is a little out of character yes. It's how I imagined him to be before he got reaped and had a family. And good question, I do see her as Elizabeth Banks yes, probably just a smaller, less glamorous version of her), illyna (Thank you, I hope you enjoy this!), McMuffin (It seems everyone does. Thanks so much for the review), Savysnape7 (Wow is the only thing I can say to your review, I was smiling when I first read it. Thanks so much. And feel free to punch Coin in the face if you want), MissEffieTrinket (I hope you like this, and I hope it is up soon enough for you! Thanks for the review!), District11tribute (Well, that will be popping up again throughout the story, and let's say, that may not be the case… Well, seeing as you said please three times, here is your update), Scyfy girl (I'm glad that my story helped you through a boring bus ride. I hope you enjoyed Houston more than you did the drive up there), xXx defying gravity xXx3 (Don't die! I updated see, you get to live. Thanks so much, here is chapter seven) and DoCtOrWhOlUvEr11(Aw, thanks so much. Here is the next update, enjoy it!)

And let's commence with the story. I hope you like the 'new' character that's in it!

I was right about Effie needing us when she woke up. She managed to sleep in peace for half an hour before she began to toss around in the bed. She awoke with a scream and me, Prim and Gale left Haymitch to comfort her in private. It has been a week since this event occurred – I think the dreams are getting progressively worse.

But these dreams are doing something I never expected them to do. I expected her to try and hide from them, but instead they are having the opposite effect. It's igniting a fire inside her, and whilst the old Effie Trinket is still gone, and the new one no were close to been mended. At least she is trying to cope. Haymitch told me that after one particularly bad night she was up out of her assigned hospital bed, trying to walk around. My mum strictly forbids her to do this, due to her still been incredibly weak. But Effie was adamant she could do it. And she was up walking around in a circle. Yes, Haymitch had to carry her back to bed when she collapsed in a heap due to exhaustion. But it was a sign there is something left of her we could save.

And while she was so tired she slept for three hours before the nightmares started again, we immediately began to come up with other ideas to get Effie up and about. Simple things, like getting her own water and not having Prim fetch it. Or going across to where Finnick resides and talking to him. Finnick was all for this, I think he wants more company. Haymitch told me that when he disappeared to get her some food, he came back to the two of them talking away. Well, Finnick claims he was doing most of the talking, and she was mostly nodding. But it is an improvement.

Then Gale suggests taking her down to the eating hall with us. Even Finnick who is sat two beds down from us yells up at how stupid an idea it is, which stirs Effie from her fitful sleep.

"What's a stupid idea?" She mumbles, still in her whispering, wavering voice.

"Making you get out of bed!" Finnick yells over to us. He is playing with his rope again, tying it, untying it, repeating it over and over. It as a slightly hypnotising effect on Effie, who zones out to watch his fingers work around the rope.

"Maybe in a couple of weeks we could try it" I suggest, I know Effie is desperate to get away from the hospital. Even though, I think Haymitch doesn't think it's a good idea. I know he is still worried about Coin.

"Just give her a wheelchair and she'll be fine" Gale says, looking me straight in the eye. I shake my head at him slowly and he shrugs.

"She doesn't want to go in a wheelchair" I say to Gale, "Finnick! Would you want to go down to dinner in a wheelchair?" I yell over to him, expecting back up.

"As long as the food is good" He shrugs, pausing for the slightest moment to answer us before going back to tying and untying his rope.

"Thanks Finnick…" I mutter angrily under my breath. It's annoying enough Gale is laughing at this, but Haymitch can't hide his smirk either. "You sort it out then Haymitch" I say, leaning back in my chair and folding my arms. I cast a glance over Gale's shoulder to see Finnick smirking. At least he's enjoying himself.

"Well, do you want to try it?" Haymitch asks her. I feel my mouth drop. He can't seriously want to wheel her down to the cafeteria. This can't be the same Haymitch Abernathy.

"Try what?" Effie mumbles, looking up at Haymitch and away from Finnick's rope tying skills.

"Rolling down to eat some rubbish food" I mutter. Haymitch glares at me, before turning back to Effie.

"I think Katniss means 'do you want to go and get some food?'" Haymitch asks her, rephrasing my sentence. "But you'd have to go in a wheelchair" He adds quickly.

There's a long pause after this. Effie as began to pull at the covers lying across her stomach. Replicating the movement of Finnick's fingers with the rope slightly. None of us say anything; we have to wait for Effie to choose if she wants to go. A simple yes or no answer. She seems determined not to look at any of us whilst she is conjuring up an answer for us. And when she finally does, it's the one I didn't want to hear.

"Yes" She says. Still close to been a whisper, but we all hear it.

"Are you sure?" Haymitch asks her, looking straight into her eyes. Like he is searching for the answer and not waiting to hear it from her. She simply nods to him, and it is enough. He stands up and heads over to my mum, possibly trying to convince her to the idea.

"Well, let's make a trip of it" Finnick says, sitting up and getting out of his bed. He walks over to us, still not the strong Finnick I used to know. But at least he has got his sense of humour back. Soon he is sat on the bed and flicking the rope up at Prim who finds this amusing. Scrunching her nose up whenever it goes near her and laughing.

Haymitch comes back to us, and gives Effie a nod to confirm she can go down to eat with us. This brings out the smallest of smiles from her, and Finnick is only too happy to help her into the wheelchair.

"You're not joining us are you pretty boy?" Haymitch asks Finnick.

"You love me really Haymitch" Finnick says with a wink, before been the first of us to exit the hospital wing. Prim giggles and runs after him. Me and Gale both hang back. I've decided I'll walk down alongside Haymitch, and I think Gale is just going to follow me. I don't know exactly, but he isn't moving from his spot.

Then Haymitch nearly runs the wheelchair over his foot and Gale jumps backwards. I know I shouldn't but I burst out laughing, and Haymitch looks pretty pleased with himself too. Effie as the ghost of a smile playing on her lips too as Haymitch begins to wheel her out of the room. I turn to a shocked Gale and manage to stop laughing. Only to start again at the expression on his face.

"At least it didn't flatten your foot" I tell him, following Haymitch's lead. I hear Gale grumble about something behind me, and then run after me to catch me up. We walk down in silence for the rest of the trip. As we near the eating hall, we hear Prim laughing. I can't help but wonder about what Finnick must be doing. All I know is that he is good at hiding his true emotions.

I am pondering how he is so good at this, and too busy doing this to notice Haymitch has come to a halt. I nearly walk into him. Earning a glare from him. I don't know why, it was his fault he stopped in the middle of the corridor. He has turned away from me now before I can question him over this, and is talking to Effie.

"I can't do this Haymitch… can we go back? Please…" Effie is saying, on the verge of tears. It's quite a distressing sight. Finnick walks round the corner followed by Prim, and when he sees Effie he picks Prim up and takes her away. I am grateful for this, not only do I not want Prim to see this, but I don't want a crowd of people around a distressed Effie.

"You were determined to do this a minute ago Effie, what's changed?" Haymitch asks her, bending down a little so he is no longer towering over her. Well, not as much anyway.

"I can't… just take me back…" Effie is saying. She is staring to tremble now, her hands shaking like they were back in her cell all those weeks ago.

"You can Effie" I say, walking closer to her, bending down so I am the same height as Haymitch. She is shaking her head at me, body still shaking.

"I can't… Katniss, I can't. I'm not strong like you" She says to me. The first tears are falling down her face now, bouncing of her pale cheeks and onto her lap.

"You are strong Effie" It's not Haymitch who says this, and it certainly doesn't come from my mouth. I look up at the only other option. It was Gale who said this. And he is correct; we just need to convince Effie this fact is true. Because she is shaking her head again, looking down into her now tear soaked lap.

"He's right Effie" Haymitch says, "You can deny it all you like, but you are"

"Yeah, if I had been through what you had, I'd still be in that hospital bed" I tell her, standing up and placing my hand on hers. She isn't looking at me. She's not looking at any of us. She is staring into the distance; the tears streaming down her face come silently. It's scary to see her like this. I squeeze her hand a little and her head immediately darts around to me, her eyes are suddenly full of fear for some reason. "Effie, it's going to be fine, we aren't going to leave your side" I say to her.

"Promise?" She asks. Her voice breaks in the middle of the word, and I have to lean in to hear it. I nod to her, and her hand tightens around mine ever so slightly. I smile to her, and nod to a relieved looking Haymitch, who begins to wheel her back towards the eating hall.

"Thank you" I say to Gale, who just nods and smiles at me. I don't know what is going on in Gales mind. I don't know what he is doing. One minute it's like he cares about Effie and her well being, the next he appears indifferent. Thankfully though, whatever mood he is in towards her, he can say the right thing.

Finnick and Prim are laughing about something as we approach. They both fall silent when they see us, but both manage to give Effie a warm smile. "You okay now Effie?" Finnick asks her, she nods to him. Then with wavering arms, pushes herself from her wheelchair. Her movement is wobbly and uncertain, reminding me of Haymitch in his drunken state.

But in his sober state, Haymitch is quick and clever. And manages to put his arm around her before she hits to floor. "Careful" He says to her, lifting a disorientated Effie back up to her normal height. "Let's get you back in the chair" He says, Gale rolls the chair over to them. But Effie refuses to sit.

"I can't go in like that Haymitch" She says, "I can't be wheeled in" She says, looking at me. I know what she's trying to do; she's trying to make me agree to it. Do I though? She should be in the chair, the fact that despite been supported by Haymitch her legs can barely take her tiny weight tells me she isn't strong enough. But I also know why she doesn't want to, she has practically told us.

She doesn't want to appear weak. I don't know, but I'm sure she is worried that the residents of thirteen will judge her if she gets wheeled in to dinner. Maybe she thinks that because she is from the Capitol they already are judging her, which they probably are. Coin, no doubt, will be watching too. Not in person, but she'll have someone watching Effie somewhere. I understand why Effie can't go in the chair, and I find myself nodding.

"If she doesn't want to, she shouldn't have to" I say to them. Haymitch and Gale both give me suspicious looks, but I shrug them off. Effie on the other hand manages a small smile. I find myself smiling back, I don't know why. I feel weird doing it, I probably look it too. But Finnick is saying how we are going to have a good feast and is leading the way, Prim following at a skip behind him.

"Do you need a hand Effie?" I ask.

"Its fine, I've got her" Haymitch says before Effie can answer. I nod, and follow Gale into the dining hall. All I can hope is that no one is too hard on Effie. Unlike my prep team though, she isn't covered in tattoos and her hair isn't dyed every colour possible. She would fit in, if it wasn't for the ugly, brutal scars covering her once untouched skin. Thankfully her hospital wear covers most of them up, but a good handful are on show. It seems we have missed the rush though, and only a few people are sat in the room. It's still a few too much though. I don't want Effie around these people.

"Gale!"

I look around to see who yelled out my best friend's name, and a smile reaches my face once again when I see who it is. Finally someone I can trust to be kind to Effie.

"Come on Effie, let's introduce you to the family" Gale says, heading off towards the table. Reluctantly Haymitch leads Effie over too; I can only hope the people sat there are as accepting to Effie as they were to my prep team. Honestly, I don't know why I'm worried. The warm smiles on their faces reassure me that the dinner I was previously dreading should be fine.

"Does this look edible to you?" Finnick asks, shoving a bowl of light green soup under Effie's nose. The contents almost leaving the bowl.

I can only hope the laughs that erupt from our table have set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. Maybe this is the beginning of recovery for Effie, who despite not laughing like the rest of us, is looking happier than I have seen her during thirteen. Which, admittedly wouldn't take much, but it's a nice sight to see.

So guys, this chapter has been split into two, because it was really long and stuff. I was determined to get this up before I go away for the week. So I hope this satisfies you until the next time I can get to my laptop and continue this story. See you in a week and enjoy this chapter!

-Megan