Chapter Forty Eight

"What was that about?" Felix scrunched his face.

Peeta, standing at the corner of the room with Prim in his arm, quickly assessed the situation and made a sudden announcement.

"If you're all not in a hurry to leave, you should come over. It's been a while since any you visited me and Katniss, anyway, and Felix has never been over, have you?" he smiled and gestured for them to follow him. "I've made several paintings and it's quickly filling up the study. If anything catches your fancy, you can have them."

If his sudden offer to invite the guests over to their house surprised Katniss, she did not show it. Her eyes however, slid towards Haymitch, Effie and Adler suspiciously and caught Haymitch's imploring gaze. She nodded at him. Katniss may not completely comprehend the situation but Haymitch and Katniss had always understood each other at a level that both baffled and irritated Effie and Peeta.

Before anyone could give an answer, their decision was taken out of their hands when Finn barrelled out of the house towards Peeta's, prompting the adults to follow after him. Gale hesitated by the front door of Haymitch's house, only taking another step forward when Johanna clicked her tongue and gave him a light push on the small of his back.

"Would you like me to take the children?" Annie asked kindly, smiling at them.

"Yes, Annie, please," Effie nodded in gratitude. "Thank you. We won't take long, I promise."

Annie motioned for Felix, asking him to carry one the boys.

"Don't worry, Effie," Felix looked her in the eyes. "Settle what needs to be done with Klaus. We'll talk later. Your babies will be safe with us, won't they, my sweet honey pies?"

XxX

Adler was of average height with broad shoulders and dark hair, side parted and combed neatly. His angular face made him quite attractive and pleasant to look at. Like, Elias, he held himself rigidly, his posture gave people the impression that he was all business, which was not at all a misleading impression. He was the kind of man who could stride into a room and have silence fall over because everyone's attention would suddenly be on him. Adler commanded respect. But unlike Elias, his green eyes spoke of a different man - a man with compassion and kindness. He was the kind of man who would return people's admiration where they are given and due.

At the moment, Haymitch could tell that he was anxious. Adler licked his lips nervously. The top button of his shirt was undone and he pulled on to his collars uncomfortably. Still, he held himself with as much dignity as he could muster.

Haymitch gestured towards the sitting room, allowing Adler to enter first. A hand closed around Haymitch's arm.

"Haymitch," she stepped in front of him. "You won't lose your temper in there. Promise me."

He pursed his lips disapprovingly which made Effie cupped his cheek, her thumb brushed soothingly across his cheekbone.

"I'm on your side. Nobody else's but yours," Effie reminded him. "So promise me that you will listen to him, that you will give him a chance to explain himself. Haymitch, if we hope to learn anything, then we have to let him talk. No getting angry."

"Okay," Haymitch gave a curt nod.

Effie smiled and kissed him.

When she pulled back, Haymitch gazed down at her.

"I trust you, you know," he told her quietly. Coming from Haymitch, that simple statement held a mammoth of worth. It was not something he would say lightly. Trust meant a lot to him and Effie knew it, too. "If you think Adler has something important to tell us, if you think he doesn't know about the deal Elias offered me, then I will give him a chance to explain himself."

XxX

Adler was standing by the bay window, overlooking the front yard where Effie's apple tree was growing. When he heard their footsteps approaching, he swivelled to face them.

"Effie, Haymitch," he took a step forward. "May I call you Haymitch?"

Haymitch paused, seemingly thinking of it before he answered, "you may not."

"Fair enough. I don't blame you, not if what I heard about this whole thing with Elias is true," he answered.

"You wanted to speak to me?"

"I did, yes," Adler nodded, taking a seat across from Haymitch and Effie. He swallowed and dabbed his handkerchief to his forehead, wiping the perspiration away. "Effie and I had a talk earlier on and… I know my presence here has caused a great deal of distressed between the two of you. I apologised. I should never have turned up especially since I wasn't invited. Please, you need to understand that it was not my intention to cause any problems but I have and I deeply regret that."

"It's alright, Klaus. There was a silver lining to you being here. If it weren't for you, I would never know about -, " Effie glanced at Haymitch. "Perhaps you should tell Haymitch what you told me earlier."

Adler shifted in his seat so that he was facing Haymitch directly. "It has come to my attention that Elias tried to make some kind of deal with you."

"Don't you mean you?" Haymitch asked, arching an eyebrow

"I've been implicated."

"Oh? Well, isn't that interesting? Do tell."

"I don't know of any deals. Not one involving you or Effie or me. Not until today."

Haymitch scoffed.

"So those information Effie just miraculously appeared to her? You're telling me that they were not from you? That they were not some part of that same arrangement Elias had going on?"

"No, no, they… were from me," he admitted. "I gave them to Effie."

"So there," Haymitch waved his hand. "How can you say that you don't know anything? Don't you mean to trap her – extract something from her as repayment for all those information you've given her?"

"Haymitch," Effie warned, laying a hand on his knee.

Adler sat up straighter, his right leg bouncing rhythmically, the only indication that he was agitated. He took his glasses off and wiped them using the tail of his shirt, something no Capitol citizens would do or so Haymitch thought because had never seen many Capitol citizens with glasses on. There were corrective lenses of various colours that they could have used.

"Even before your first meeting with the Council, I already knew that you were trying to repeal the law. Elias told me about it."

Haymitch gave Effie a questioning look.

"I spoke to Elias," Effie admitted. "We were only just married and back then, if you could help it, you always spend your time away from here," she gestured around the house, "avoiding me. I was mostly alone and I miss the Capitol. It wasn't much but it was familiar. This house didn't feel like home a year ago and I felt lonely and alone. I talked to Elias and Felix often. They were the connection to home."

Haymitch inhaled sharply, turning to look at her. She gave him a sad smile. He covered the hand resting on his knee and squeezed it lightly. He knew how he had treated her early on in their marriage. She was invisible. If he pretended that she wasn't there, he wouldn't need to talk to her and he could go on as if they were not married but that hadn't turned out very well after all.

"When I heard of what you were attempting to do, I knew I had to help somehow," Adler went on.

An incredulous, disbelieving expression settled on Haymitch's face. "Why? You're not affected by -"

"Why?" Adler snorted. "Because it is blatantly unfair, that's why. And I am affected by it. You think it's unfair that a law exist telling you that you have to get married but you get to choose the person you want to be with as long you fulfil the law. It's true that some people prefer bachelorhood but how bad could it be if you could be with someone that you have chosen? The only time you're really forced into anything is when you're assigned a wife or a husband because you can't find one on your own. I know the law is not ideal but have you thought about people like me? Those in my situation?"

Adler pushed himself to his feet abruptly, running his hand through his hair in distress as he paced the room.

"Don't you think that I would like to get married some day? Do you think I want to be alone forever?" his face was turning red with each passing second.

"What's stopping you?" Haymitch frowned.

"Because I can't! I - I…," he trailed off, looking at Haymitch and Effie. "You wouldn't have given it much thought. I am aware that you would have focused your attention on bigger problems."

"What is it, Klaus?" Effie asked softly, in a placating manner. "Perhaps if you could enlighten us… We would understand better."

"It was never explicitly stated – it is not written law – but those who are unable to conceive or bear children, people like me, we can't get married. Not to people like you or Mr. Abernathy – not to those who are capable of bearing children," he started. He stared at the pattern of their rug, his lips twitched into a sardonic smile. "That marriage would not have contributed anything to the population growth. My choices are severely limited. If I do want to settle down, it would have to be with someone in the same boat as I am. President Paylor's administration would not bat an eyelash then. I could risk jail time otherwise."

Haymitch was staring at Adler. The confidence in him was gone. He sat hunched on the sofa with his hands on his knees, fingers twisting and turning the silver chain Effie had returned to him.

"We are treated like second class citizen because we have nothing," he spat, "to offer this country right now. Actively discriminated against. How is that fair? If I loved a woman and she happened to be physically fit and endorsed by the government while I am not, I am forbidden from marrying her. How is that fair, Mr. Abernathy? Don't I deserve to be loved?"

How the tables have turned, a treacherous voice whispered in Haymitch's ears. For 75 years, when the Games were still being played, citizens in the districts were treated like dirt – left to starved and die. They were not only actively discriminated against, their children were constantly being sent to their deaths. Haymitch wanted to ask Adler how was that fair? Instead, he scrunched his face in disgust. That man was whining because he couldn't get married? Because he couldn't be with a woman he loved?

"For years -" Haymitch began.

Effie squeezed his thigh sharply and shot him a glare. She shook her head, warning him not to bring it up.

"Don't do it, Haymitch," she said out of the corner of her mouth. "Don't go there. Please, focus on this issue."

"So how are you involved?" Haymitch asked.

"Elias told me there was a way I could help by palming information off to Effie. I was told that she would give it you in order to help you. I want the law to end as much as you do. Elias would not have been involved in this if …"

"If there was a way for you to get in contact with me directly," Effie said.

Adler nodded.

"Yes, even if there was a way, I could not by pass Elias to contact you directly. He would see it as a betrayal," he said. Turning to Haymitch, he began to explain, "I've always known Effie. She was an escort which means I saw her often on televisions, on interviews and if I were to get into contact with her that abruptly without proper introductions, she might not be very receptive especially since she doesn't know who I am"

"Not personally, no. I have heard of you. Everyone has at some point. You're a successful businessman, after all," Effie said.

Haymitch cleared his throat and gestured for Adler to continue.

"Whatever help I wanted to give, I needed Elias as a contact to reach either Effie or yourself. I wasn't sure if Effie would want my help but Elias assured me that he would do the convincing and that you, Effie, would take any information I was willing to give. Believe me, I only wanted to help end the law with whatever little ways that I could. You must know by now, Mr. Abernathy, during your time in the Capitol that we do not do things for free. It is not in practice to do so. Quid pro quo – that was how it was."

"I'm aware," Haymitch said. "You had to offer something to Elias for his help in convincing my wife."

"That's right. I offered a 5% downside in my share of our business profits. That was all there was to it. He agreed to it. We shook hands on it. Elias jokingly told me that when the law ends and if you both decided to get out of your marriage, he hoped that Effie and I could have our chance to start something. I thought nothing of it just that perhaps, he was conveying his hope and well wishes for me."

Haymitch squinted up at Adler, internalising the information he had just been told.

"This is all very embarrassing," he laughed a little awkwardly, giving Effie a furtive glance. "I never imagined that this was how you'd find out my feelings…Well, it doesn't matter now, anyway."

"I'm truly sorry, Klaus," Effie reached out and held his hand before letting go.

"It's fine," Adler said. "Mr. Abernathy, it was never my intention to tear you and Effie apart. I would never knowingly deceive Effie in that manner you thought I had. I never wanted to force your hand in giving your wife up to me. There is truly no point getting out of a forced marriage only to end up with another… with me, would it? I would never do that you, Effie. I lo-" he caught himself just in time and quickly amended it, "respect you too much to think you would fall for that."

And the truth is out. I hope I haven't made this confusing.

I am back! My exams are over. :) I made a new Consortium gifset on my tumblr involving the twins and hayffie, if you would like to check that out. I can't put links here.

Anyway, please do leave a review. It helps knowing what you think.