Hey guys! How are you all?
Here's my next chapter! I hope you guys like it! :D (Although i have a suspicion that you won't, whoopsie!)
Before we get into this, I'd like to do some promoting! :D My friend DrawingAddict has started writing an amazing Hayffie fic, and she needs some more reviews! So just go to www. fan fiction. /s/8461482/1/A-Spark-Ignites (without the spaces, and add in net :P) and read it up! :D Tell her that i sent you guys! :P You'll love it, it's amazing! :D
Okay, here we go!

Haymitch

I end up waking up at three in the morning after my perfect dream changes into a horrifying nightmare. One minute, Effie and I are dancing together on what seems like our wedding day; and the next minute we're both separated and locked in dungeon-like rooms. Through the paper-thin walls, I can hear frantic talking, and then Effie's agonized screams. I shout her name in desperation, banging against the walls in the hope that I might be able to break through to her, but it's no use. My dream ends with a horrible wet thunk sound and a final scream of pain from Effie.

I scream myself as I emerge from my dream, slick with sweat, heart racing. My hands instantly move to beside me, where I hope that Effie is still sleeping. However, my hands run over cold, empty sheets.

My heart rate increases tenfold and my eyes fly wildly around the dark room, looking for her slim silhouette. When I can't find it, I move to the bathroom, seeing if she's there.

She is there; just sitting on the toilet seat with her face in her hands, her body racked with sobs.

"Eff." I say simply, moving over to her. She looks up, tears fresh in her eyes.

"Haymitch…" She trails off.

"Yes?"

"Go back to bed, please. I want to be alone." Her blue eyes bore into mine, and I can see that she bears me no hatred; she just wants to be on her own. She's obviously still grieving over Crane.

"Sure, that's fine. I was just wondering where you were." I say, and then slip out of the room.

Once I was back in bed, my mind started to wander. I knew that Effie still wouldn't be over Crane; I guess I'd just have to give her some time to heal. However, seeing as I'm going home tonight, she's got plenty of time to heal.

Katniss plagued my mind as well. Surely Snow wouldn't just leave it at that: a glare as he crowns her and killing the Gamemaker were not harsh enough punishments for him. He killed my family when I stepped out of line; would Mrs Everdeen and young Primrose live to see the next sunrise? I prayed so.

Suddenly, my mind wandered back to the moment when I discovered my family were about to be executed. It was broadcast on live television, of all things. I had been shoved into a chair, with a camera stuck in my face, and forced to watch the three most important people in my life be killed because of my mistake. Just like I watched Maysilee Donner die because of my mistake.

No! This was not happening. I launched out of bed and fumbled in my drawer for my flask; needing to drive the demons away from me. I took large gulps; feeling the warmth spread down through my body, driving away any thoughts of death and pain. Even my nightmare fled my mind. Everything was replaced by the warm, fuzzy feeling that I used to crave so much. I wondered why I ever stopped drinking in the first place; who would give up such comfort?

As I slowly drank myself into intoxication, I forgot about everything that was troubling me, and only thought about nice things, like how warm my body felt after so long of being cold. Maybe Effie could do with some warmth herself.

At that moment, Effie shuffled out of the bathroom, still sniffling to herself. She looked up and saw me sitting there, with a bottle in my hand and two empty ones lying on the bed beside me.

"Haymitch!" She squealed, running to grab the bottles off the bed. She examined the duvet, probably for any spillages.

"Don't worry, Princess, I drank the whole lot. There won't be any spillages tonight." I leant over to try and kiss her, but she drew away, her nose wrinkling.

"You're drunk." She spat.

"Yeah, I'm always drunk, sweetheart. Want to be drunk with me?" I held out the bottle to her, and she took it from me. However, it wasn't to drink herself. She took the bottle, and the empty ones, and threw them all in the Capitol engineered bin that sent everything down to the waste centre as soon as you threw it away.

"NO!" I shouted, launching up and pushing her out of the way to get to the bin. The bottles had gone. "You idiot!" I shouted, whirling to look at Effie.

What I saw shocked me. She was lying on the floor, tears spilling from her eyes, looking up at me as if I was an abuser.

"Effie… I…" I trailed off, not knowing what to say. I reached down to help her up, but she shied away from me, getting up by herself.

"Effie, I'm sorry…" I reached out to her, but she jumped away.

"No, get away from me!" She whimpered. She took one look at me, and then fled the room, slamming the door behind her.

It was as if I had suddenly sobered up in those few seconds. I felt everything again; the pain of everything; but Effie's face as she stared up at me stuck in my mind. She had been afraid of me, I could tell. I must have pushed her harder than I thought.

Suddenly, a thought dawned on me. In my rage to get my alcohol back, did I act like the monster that haunts Effie's dreams? Did I turn into him in her eyes? That thought seemed a certainty; the way she looked at me confirmed it. She was frightened of me because the way I acted brought back so many horrible memories.

I should have gone after her, but I didn't. I just went back to bed and tried to sleep. I didn't want to chase her and have her crumple in front of me. Seeing one look of pain on her face was hard enough.

In the morning, I awoke to an Avox picking up crumpled clothes from my floor; probably to take them off to be washed.

Today was the day of the last interview, and then Katniss, Peeta and I would return home; this time to celebrations of victory instead of mourning of loss. It would be nice to return to cheers instead of the usual silence or sparse clapping that I get when I return. And at least now the crowd would be so focused on our victors that I could just slip away quickly.

I got up and got dressed into a passable monkey suit. It wasn't too outrageous, just a simple grey suit with a blue shirt.

At breakfast, the kids ate quietly, and so did Effie. I kept trying to catch her eye, but she wouldn't look at me.

After breakfast, the styling teams descend on the kids, and Effie and I meet up with Cinna and Portia to go over the outfits for this last interview. We eventually pick a white gauze dress and pink shoes for Katniss and a red suit with a white shirt for Peeta. The simple and girly dress is a safe bet, we don't want to go too outrageous. It'll let the speculation about Katniss' incident with the nightlock go down to a desperate attempt at love from a lovesick little girl, rather than a calculating plan from a rebel.

When the styling teams are done, Cinna and Portia leave to dress the kids, and Effie and I are left alone.

She tries to leave, but I shoot over to the door, shutting her in her bedroom, where we had met with the stylists.

"Move, Haymitch." She says, not looking at my face.

"I want to talk to you, Eff. I'm sorry about last night; I really am. I was drunk, you know that." I try to plead my case, but I can see that it's not working.

"Well, as you told me last night, you're always drunk. How do I know that you won't do that again?" She looked into my eyes, but hers were hard and cold.

"I can't promise anything. You know that. But just trust me, work with me." I move closer to her, but she backs away.

"No! I can't trust you, Haymitch. You really scared me last night! It brought back so many horrible memories! I didn't get any sleep last night because I was crying so much, and I kept dreaming that you were Damocles! I can't handle that, Haymitch. I just can't." She tried to move past me, but I wouldn't let her.

"Haymitch, get out of my way. I have a schedule to keep." She said, looking at the floor. However, when I wouldn't move, her eyes shot up to mine with anger, and she shoved my chest. "Let me out! Or I'll call the Peacekeepers!" She snarled the last bit with a high pitched, Capitol exaggerated accent.

I recoiled and reluctantly let her pass, not saying anything as she slipped through the door and out into the hallway. She couldn't trust me… Knowing that made everything different. I felt… empty somehow.

These past few weeks, I had been relying on my love for Effie to get me through virtually everything. But I had shown my true colours, again, and I had lost the trust of the woman I loved the most.

As the day went on, I slowly started drinking again. It had been so long since I had consumed this amount, and it felt good to not be so jittery and groggy all the time. I knew that Effie would not like this, but I didn't care. It was best that she stay away from me anyway.

Later, going through many bottles of whatever alcohol I could find, Portia comes in with a suit bag for me.

"Please don't let that be hideous." I snarled, waving at the bag.

"It's not. I think you'll find it passable." She grinned at me and left the bag on the bed.

As she left, I opened the bag and grimaced. It wasn't hideous like I had expected, but it wasn't passable either. A white suit and a red shirt, like Peeta's outfit. I guess we were supposed to be matching.

When I walk outside, I see Katniss and Peeta chatting to Caesar Flickerman in our living room. I guess the interview must be happening here.

The kids get themselves comfortable, with Katniss curled up next to Peeta on the sofa, and then they're live on air for the whole of Panem to see.

The interview starts off with some friendly banter between Flickerman and Peeta. They're really good together; I have to admit. They feed off each other and get everyone laughing. I even can't help chuckling myself at times.

Eventually, though, the questions turn more serious, and then there is no time for laughing. The kids need to get this right otherwise everything is ruined.

Katniss almost screws it up a couple of times. Flickerman asked her about when she first realised she was in love with Peeta, and she just sat there, looking at her hands! I wanted to launch across and throttle her, but luckily I didn't have to. Flickerman saved the day by suggesting a moment when he first felt it. I breathed a sigh of relief as Katniss fell into step behind that idea. The other time that I felt worried was when Flickerman asked her why everything changed for her when she heard the announcement that there could be two victors.

"Maybe… because for the first time… there was a chance I could keep him." She stumbled over it, but she eventually got it out. I sighed in relief; that was what I wanted to hear. She sounded sincere and in love; I was sure that many Capitol citizens would fall for it. I could see Effie smiling wide and clasping her hands together. Was that an act, or was it real? I couldn't tell.

The rest of the interview goes to plan. It is revealed to Katniss about Peeta's new leg, and she goes into shock, retreating into Peeta's chest and blaming herself for what happened. It is a perfect reaction; and it gives Flickerman an excuse to not talk to Katniss, and instead only pose his questions to Peeta. However, Flickerman has to coax Katniss out to ask her about the berries. I tense up, willing her to make the right response; to say that she couldn't bear to live without him! Could she just do that for me, and for her family? And thankfully, she does say the right thing, and I breathe a sigh of relief as Flickerman signs off.

Everyone appears to be happy as they congratulate the kids. I linger back for a moment, letting Katniss come to me. I know that she will; she'll want to know how she did.

Eventually, she comes up to me. "OK?" she whispers.

"Perfect." I say, and she smiles. She did do well; her performance may be good enough to convince even President Snow of her innocence.

I went back to my room to find my bags already packed and laying on my bed. The Avoxes must have come in while the interview was going on. I brought my bags out and then gave them to a male Avox who was waiting outside.

Another male Avox went past me with two large pink bags; obviously Effie's bags. They must be taking them back to her apartment; Effie didn't need to have two weeks worth of clothes on the train with her. At least, I hope that she didn't.

I rounded up the kids and we all travelled to the train station, where the kids had some time to say goodbye to Cinna and Portia.

The Peacekeepers round us up and escort us onto the train, which starts moving promptly. The kids go off to their rooms, and Effie retreats to the dining car, leaving me to go where I want to go; the bar car.

As I down my first glass of scotch, I can't help but remember the events of the past 24 hours. Effie had been ignoring me since the incident before the interview. Everything had happened so quickly that I didn't know what had happened really. I had been drunk, I had done something stupid, and now she couldn't bear to look at me. She really couldn't. Every time we were together, I would look at her, and she wouldn't look back.

It hurt me to think that I had screwed it up again, but I knew that I shouldn't be hurting over that sort of thing. Effie was better off without me anyway. She needed someone to be there for her even in the dark times; not someone who could hurt her if he got too drunk. I had scared her a lot last night. I'm surprised that it hadn't happened before actually. I could get so drunk that I could actually hurt her as opposed to just scaring her.

"Dinner's ready!" I heard Effie shout, and groaned. I really didn't want to have to sit at the table with them and stay in silence. I also didn't want to have to watch the replay of the interview again; but I suppose I have to.

Dinner was eaten in silence, and then we watched the recaps in silence. After the awkward moments that the four of us spend together, the kids go off for a walk by themselves. I wanted to talk to Effie, but when I turned around after watching the kids go off, Effie had vanished. I sighed, but knew that I shouldn't go after her. It was pointless really. What could I say that she hadn't already heard. So I kept to myself, watching the kids walk by the train now that we had stopped for fuel.

I surveyed the track for cameras, but decided that I could speak low if I had to. I went outside and placed my hand on Katniss' shoulder. She looks startled as she turns around to face me.

"Great job you two. Just keep it up in the district until all the cameras are gone. We should be okay." Avoiding Peeta's eyes, I leave the two of them alone; and I know that I'm leaving Katniss to tell Peeta the truth. She owes him that much; just like I owe Effie the chance to escape me. Katniss and I are both ticking time bombs, I can tell. It's just that I have less time until I explode, and I have to get everyone I know clear of the blast.

I keep to my room, drinking and sleeping, until we reach District Twelve. I throw on whatever is nearest to me, and then stumble out of my room, ready to face the cheering crowds. The kids are there, but I can feel the tension between them. Katniss must have told Peeta the truth, or the boy must have worked it out. He's not that oblivious.

Once the train stops, the kids step outside to greet the crowds, hands clasped together and smiling. Effie, in a hideous puke green outfit, steps out and waves. I stumble out after her and give one smirk to the crowds before walking down the steps and joining the Peacekeepers, who lead me through the crowd. They take me home, where I want to stay until this wretched tour in six months.

As I step through the door, I realise that I didn't even say goodbye to Effie. I'll see the kids soon enough, but Effie goes back to the Capitol with the train later. I shake my head and remember that I'm trying to get away from her, not say goodbye to her. It's for her own good anyway.

Effie

I watched Haymitch be escorted away by Peacekeepers and felt my heart deflate. He didn't even say goodbye to me. It was my own fault; I'm the one who has been avoiding him for the past two days.

He frightened me so much that night. When he pushed me over in his rush to get his alcohol back, it hadn't been my Haymitch that I looked up at. It was Damocles, and he was shouting at me for trying to defy him. Once my vision had cleared, it was Haymitch who was standing over me, but there was still a hint of my abuser there, and it had brought back so many horrible memories. I was afraid that he'd turn back, so I had left; and hadn't spoken to him for the past two days.

The train ride had been terrible; it was mostly spent in awkward silence and separation. I had spent most of my time in my room, avoiding Haymitch.

The children smiled and waved to the crowd animatedly, with their fingers interlocked. I knew that it was all an act, at least on Katniss' part, but it looked so real. Seeing their hands clasped together made me wish that my hands were enveloped in Haymitch's calloused ones; but I quickly pushed that thought out of my head. I wasn't going to see him for six months, I couldn't go dreaming about him now. I'd let him go, and there was no getting him back now.

I said my goodbyes to Katniss and Peeta, who both thanked me for being a great escort. That brought tears to my eyes, and I hoped that they weren't just saying it. I gave them both big hugs and promised that I'd see them on the Victory Tour. Then, the Peacekeepers led them away from me, and I waved goodbye to the crowd. I could feel the hatred emanating off of them, but I had to pretend that I didn't. I blew a kiss out to them, and then retreated into the train, ready to return home.

I sat in my seat and watched as the crowds dispersed. They looked happy to finally have a victor, let alone two. They'd get food every month, on Parcel Day. I felt happy that they finally could eat more, but it still filled me with sorrow that next year I would have to come back and pick two more children to fight to the death. And next year was a Quell, so who knew what might happen?

As the train started moving away, I sat in solitude, watching as the dilapidated buildings of District Twelve melted away. We passed the Victor's Village on the way out, and I couldn't help staring at Haymitch's house, wondering if he was at home yet.

"Goodbye, Haymitch." I whispered, and then turned my head away, immersing myself in my mounds of paperwork.

As all sights of the district faded, I couldn't help but feel empty. I had left my other half in Twelve, it seemed. There was nothing left in the Capitol for me; besides Cinna and Portia, now that Seneca was dead. Haymitch was the only one that I wanted now, the only one who made my life in any way special. And now I was leaving him behind.

No! Chin up, Effie! I told myself this, and tried to push all thoughts of Haymitch from my head. I would have fun when I got home; I would see my friends again, go shopping and go on dates. Everyone would know me now. It was time to move on with my life; not to mope around wishing that things had gone differently between Haymitch and I. I would have fun this year, and when the Victory Tour rolled around, I would have no need to pine for Haymitch Abernathy.

I was looking forward to it.

I'M SORRY! But I couldn't have it going well all the time, could I? :( Stupid Haymitch!
Well, I'm done with THG! Now to get onto CF and the Victory Tour! :D Yay, one step closer to where i want to be in this fic! :D
I hope you all enjoyed, please give me a review if you did! And even if you didn't, still leave me a review. I love constructive criticism! :P
Have a great week you guys! :)