Chapter Twenty-One

From what little he gathered through the one-sided conversation Effie was having with Katniss on the phone, the change in scenery was apparently "good for him". According to Effie, it relaxes him and smoothened out the worry lines on his face. Haymitch frowned when he heard that, pressing his fingers on his face tentatively as if to check for the said lines on his forehead before he caught himself and scowled in Effie's direction.

"It looks like he doesn't quite agree with what I'm saying," Effie laughed into the phone. "Hold on."

She passed the phone to him, patted his arm with a smile and moved towards the vanity to fix her hair.

"You burnt yet? How's the tan working out for you?" Katniss teased.

"Shut up," he growled. "How's the kid?"

"Which? I can't tell the difference, anymore. You used to call us "the kids" but there's Prim now. So you're asking after Peeta or Prim?"

"Your little angel," he clarified, using the pet name Peeta had given his daughter.

"Not so bad; needs to be fed every few hours as is the case with all infant," she said with a tired sigh. "We're not getting enough sleep. You and Effie better enjoy yours before sleep became a luxury you can't afford."

Haymitch barked with laughter. "Sleep has always been a luxury I can't afford, sweetheart."

He didn't to explain it. Katniss understood nightmares well enough by now.

"Peeta's been feeding my geese? Don't forget to water Effie's apple tree," he added when he saw Effie mouthing about it to him.

He passed the phone back to Effie once he was satisfied that his birds would not starve – they may be mere animals but he kept worrying about starvation knowing how terrible it felt. He vowed that the twins will never know the meaning of the word.

Haymitch tapped his fingers against his knees, impatiently waiting for Effie to end the phone call but soon gave up when realised that she had so much more to share with Katniss about her experience with the boat and the grilled fish Annie had cooked for them which then led to the discussion of Johanna's fishing abilities. With a shake of his head, he went ahead to have breakfast without her.

"I have a list of names," she announced suddenly, easing into the seat across from him.

His eyes flickered up at her as he poured the whiskey into his tea, stirring it carefully before he gave a reply. "Of course, you do. You have a list for everything."

She wrinkled her nose as the smell of whiskey wafted up to her but otherwise said nothing. Now that she was well into her second trimester her sense of smell was not as sensitive as before which was something Haymitch was secretly rejoicing in. He swatted her hand away when she reached over to straighten the collar of his linen shirt. The buttons of his shirt were mostly undone exposing the thin shirt he wore underneath it. When he moved, something glittered at the edge of her vision. She knew what it was without having to look up. Effie had mastered the art of turning a blind eye to his silver chain.

"Thaddeus?" she asked, tapping her pen against her list once they were done with breakfast and had retired to the balcony. "Louis?"

"No and no," he replied. He leaned back against the lounger and closed his eyes, feeling the sun's heat on his face.

"Caesar?"

"Seriously, Effie?", he cracked an eye open, the grey irises of his eyes were a shade lighter in the morning light. "No."

"Why not? Most of the Caesars I know are great individuals, successful in their career – happy, jovial, free-spirited." She sighed and settled down at the end of the lounger where his feet were crossed at the ankle. "Haymitch, please take this seriously. What we name the twins are important. There's a saying at the Capitol – nomen est omen."

"What's that mean?" he asked, reaching over to take his drink off the side table.

"The name is an omen. For example, I know of a judge whose name is Justice. She's from District Five."

"What's your name mean?" Haymitch inquired.

"Well-spoken."

Haymitch choked on his drink. "Well, the saying's bullshit and you're the living prove. Hardly well-spoken, are you?" he muttered. "How many times have you said something inappropriate, hmm?"

"In my defense, there were cultural differences. How was I to know what was acceptable in the Capitol was considered offensive in the District?"

He squinted at her. "You sure Euphemia isn't a word for ignorant or something? Cause you sure were."

Had he said that five, maybe ten years ago, Effie would have been greatly offended but as it were, she knew he was only teasing – his voice was light and held no cruelty to it.

"I'd like to think that I've changed," her eyes flickered up to his before gazing down on her list. "I know myself; the person that I was, where I came from and I've accepted it. Really it can no longer be used to hurt me."

He threw her a grin and gave a curt nod. "Good."

What she just told him was testament to Effie's healing spirit; she was slowly learning to distance herself from the stigma of what it meant to be from the Capitol, especially one that was so involved in the Games, and not allow it to trouble her that much. There will always be those who will not yield and forgive; who will continue to torment her for her past but if she learnt to stay resilient and blaze through them, those words will mean nothing after a while. There were of course moments of vulnerability where it became too much for her and she would keep to herself, not that he could blame her. She couldn't be strong all the time and she will never forget the past. Still, it filled him with a measure of relief to know that Effie would not allow that to destroy her completely.

"What about Hamish, then? Spelt with an I-S-H… without the Y," she went on, trying to get them back on track. She twisted the wedding ring on her finger nervously, waiting for his reply.

Haymitch shot her a disgruntled look. "That's just my name spelt differently. Absolutely not. You're not naming one of the kids after me."

"You're the father… I don't see what's wrong with it."

"Effie, I am unique," he winked. She exhaled loudly and closed her eyes, silently counting to five. "Okay, in all seriousness, the poor child will only be confused. Imagine it, sweetheart – imagine you and me, in bed at night and you're shouting my name because," he wriggled his eyebrows suggestively, "well, we all know why you'll be shouting my name in bed. Now, the little bugger next door will be wondering if you're calling for him. You know what I mean?"

"HAYMITCH! You're absolutely appalling."

He snorted, convinced that he had made his point across. Truth was he would not burden his child with a name like his. There was nothing to be proud of in his name. He'd done nothing in his life except to fail the people who relied on him and drink his time away, and that's not a life he would want his child to have. Nomen est omen, he shuddered.

"Let's put it this way, Effie. If they're girls, I'm not naming one of them Euphemia, you can be sure about that. Well-spoken? I'd be damned. She'd probably talk my ears off."

Effie crossed out the names on her list that Haymitch had so vehemently objected to.

"Alexander? Tristan? Hansel? Nicholas?" she looked up briefly to gauge his reaction. "Haymitch, I'm nearing the end of my list! There has to be something here that you at least like."

Haymitch stared up at the clear sky above him, blinking slowly as he think. He brought the drink to his lips and paused, looking at the drink in his hand curiously.

"Martini… Martin," he said.

"Did you – No! We're not naming one of my children after an alcoholic beverage!"

He chuckled and his eyes fluttered close. Effie was furiously flipping through the pages in her thick book, muttering to herself under her breath. Then he heard the book slammed shut.

"Let's try the girls, maybe you'd be more accommodating," she announced and Haymitch resigned himself to his fate. "Lily?"

"That's a flower. Are you taking… a leaf out of the Everdeen's books?" he asked and laughed at his own joke.

Effie rolled her eyes. "Aria?"

He shrugged. Effie beamed at him. A shrug is better than an outright rejection.

"Alright, next - Luna?"

"Moon."

"No? Okay, let's see," she bit the edge of her pen. "I've got … Athena? Maryse? Ella?"

He shook his head at each suggestion which made Effie frustrated.

"Oh, Elfie!"

His eyes narrowed. "It's no better than Euphemia. That's too close to your name."

"What's your problem?" she asked in frustration, chucking the pen at him. It bounced off his chest and clattered on the floor.

"Nothing," he replied, pushing himself off the lounger. He brought his half empty bottle of drink closer to Effie who scrunched her face and pushed it away. Undeterred, he pointed to where the liquid level was. "I try not to make important life decisions until I've drank below a certain line… see here, I'm getting closer. And, since it feels like you're just throwing names at me from the book – "

"I am not throwing names at you! I've carefully chosen the –"

Haymitch shook his head and pressed a finger to her lips, effectively silencing her.

"Shut up. Listen, Effie, you're having twins," he pointed the fact out as though Effie was missing something vital all these while. "Two kids. And there are two of us. I don't see what the problem is – you name one and I name the other."

"Haymitch, do you think this is a game?"

"It's not?" he asked in mock surprise.

Effie threw her hand up in frustration. She was mumbling to herself, calling him all kinds of names he never thought was ever in Effie Trinket's vocabulary.

"Careful there, sweetheart. We wouldn't want the twins to pick that kind of language, do we? I thought they can hear you?" he needled her, watching her face grew red with anger.

"I've had it with you, Haymitch. Is sweetheart the only name you're capable of?"

"I could do princess – princesses? – if they're girls. I'll get back to you on the boys." Haymitch laughed and curled his fingers around her wrist when she made to move away. "Thought you wanted a surprise," he murmured.

"What has that got to do with their names?" she demanded crossly.

"Let's just keep the names a surprise. We each choose one and when the time comes -"

"I don't think that is a good idea at all. I mean, it's nice that we each get to choose a name but – what if I don't like your choice? That's why we're discussing names, so we both like what we choose."

Ah, there it is. She doesn't trust me, he thought in amusement. And she shouldn't – not after Martini…

"My strategy is to wait for him … or her to be born and see what fits," he told her truthfully.

"Haymitch!"

"Fine, give me the book," he held his hand out.

"Two names, Haymitch - a boy and a girl. You have three months," she said in her authoritative, bossy tone – a tone he had long associated with Effie reaching the end of her patience and wanting him to get things done quickly which, during the time of the Games, would usually end up with him talking to a sponsor trying to raise funds for his tributes.

Haymitch shook his head and snorted to himself once Effie handed him the book and left the balcony. He felt sorry for the twins already. She would be one hell of a taskmaster.

XxX

Later on that day, he found her propped against the headboard, on his side of the bed, diligently flipping through the book on baby names he had taken from her earlier. She didn't even look when up he announced that he was going over to check the bar at their resort.

"You want anything?" he asked.

"Lemon cheesecake," she replied, chewing the end of her pen.

He scrunched his face. "Where the hell do I get lemon cheesecake?"

"I don't know, Haymitch. The restaurant next to the bar, maybe?"

"This – It's not another craving, is it?" he sounded almost fearful. Her eyes sparkled in amusement when she looked up from her book. There was a teasing smile on her lips.

"I don't know but I would really love a cheesecake."

He was sure it was a craving. It was nine at night and as far as he knew, Effie had a rule about not eating past eight or a few hours before bed time at least – something about digestion and maintaining her figure. He turned a deaf ear when she tried explaining to him once.

"If there are no cheesecake –" he started anxiously.

"There will be. Don't come home drunk or you'll have to stay at Annie's," she replied simply.

Haymitch took a detour and instead of the bar, he went searching for Effie's cheesecake. He wouldn't have a peace of mind until he had a slice of it in his hand. It didn't take him long. There were two restaurants within the vicinity of the resort and while the first had cheesecake, it wasn't the one Effie wanted. He found the requested lemon cheesecake at the second restaurant and had it packed in a box.

With that in his hand, he finally made his way to the bar. He realised the problem he faced now – he couldn't stay long because Effie was waiting for him to return with the dessert. He frowned to himself as a thought crossed his mind. If it wasn't a craving, it was possible that she had asked for it so that he wouldn't spend all night at the bar. Smart.

"Mr. Abernathy," a smooth, velvety voice called out over the din of the packed bar. Haymitch turned in his seat to see a man in a sleek pressed suit walking towards him. "Elias Lewis. I'm glad to have met you here."

He recognized the name even if that was the first time he met the man. Haymitch shook the proffered hand.

"Thanks for the room," he said, tipping his glass towards the man. "Effie loves it."

Unlike his brother, Elias was all brusque and business-like. If Felix was tall and dark, then Elias was stocky and pale. His thick dark hair - Haymitch really did not see the family resemblance Effie has with Felix or Elias - was combed backwards. He wore a tightly knotted red tie over a pale pink shirt and Haymitch resisted the urge to loosen the tie – it looks terribly suffocating. While Felix boasted those high cheekbones and a sharp angular face that boded well with his lean frame, Elias's features were stern and he held himself rigidly in a very formal manner. His face was slightly chubby and rounded with a pair of deep-set eyes that looked far too intelligent it instantly made Haymitch wary. There was an air of haughtiness surrounding his presence.

"I'm glad to hear that," he bowed his head. "It would be an honour if you could join me."

He gestured towards a private room at the back of the bar. Haymitch shrugged and followed him, not wanting to offend the man whose hospitality had made Effie nothing but happy. A woman appeared behind the curtains and poured them each a drink before leaving them alone with a curt nod from Elias.

"I heard that you've had the misfortune to make my brother's acquaintance," he swirled the drink in his hand.

"He's not too bad," Haymitch found himself speaking up for Felix since he wasn't there to defend himself. He had a feeling that those two brothers had more going on than the normal sibling rivalry.

Elias gave a derisive chuckle. "You don't know him the way I do. The boy's nothing but a handful. Just a trouble piece of…I am responsible for him but he wouldn't listen to me. If he could just follow in my footsteps, he would have a far better life. Anyway, enough about him," he waved his hands, indicating his desire to move on to a different topic when he was the one who broached it. "I heard of your work with the law or should I say against the law? It's fascinating, I must say."

Haymitch didn't reply.

"I build this resort with my wife," he went on, "a joint venture, if you will. She's a small little thing, but brilliant, brilliant mind. I'd thank the law for throwing her in my path but you're not the law's biggest fan, are you?"

"Can't say I am," Haymitch muttered. He had gone nearly a week without the law on his mind and he wasn't sure if he wanted to be reminded of it now of all places.

"Effie's a good catch, all things considered," Elias replied. Haymitch raised an eyebrow which Elias either did not notice or chose to ignore. "Now, my wife and I, we're thinking of an expansion - to District 11 in particular. Their lands are far and wide and there are potential for future attractions there. I would go into details but it would bore you," he laughed softly. "The crux of the matter is that my business partner is prepared to accept a lower percentage of the share provided that …"

There was a pause. Haymitch tipped his glass back and walked over to the various decanters of drinks on the table to pour himself another. He took his time and when his glass was filled, Haymitch turned around to address Elias, wondering for a moment why he was being told things that had nothing to do with him. It was even more puzzling considering that he had only just met the man. Haymitch wasn't a businessman but even he knew that it is not common practice to discuss some business plan with a complete stranger unless… There was something that Elias wanted from him… or Effie.

"Yes?"

Elias smiled and Haymitch's fingers clenched instinctively around his glass. He did not like the way that man was smiling. It was like he knew something that Haymitch did not.

"Effie. My business partner wants her."

This chapter was initially over more than 5,000 words but I cut it off because I got tired of proof-reading. The rest will be in the next chapter. Oh, and there's no conclusive decision on names because I haven't/couldn't come up with one (or two, really). I'm not opposed to you guys throwing names suggestion at me.

Thanks for reading and for following/liking. Do review! :)