6.
Effie didn't like Johanna's car.
It was small and probably made for cities, she said she had stolen it on a highway somewhere on the outskirts of Chicago, but it wasn't made for long rides and bumpy country roads. Effie was on the back seat, squashed between the door and her backpack, itself sandwiched between her and Prim. The girl wasn't faring much better. She was trying to use her own bag as a pillow but it was hard to find a comfortable position in that car. Prim had already lamented several time the loss of Peeta's pick up. Until then, they had apparently used Johanna's car mostly for supplies.
On the front seats, Katniss and Johanna were having what could be called a conversation or an argument depending on how uptight about proper behavior you were. Effie had decided Johanna was unable to talk politely to anyone. She didn't like the woman much. Although to be fair, what had bothered her about her was first and foremost the predatory way she had been looking at Haymitch. Effie hadn't liked the way he had looked at her either.
Not that it mattered now, she supposed.
"I'm sorry he left you." Prim offered softly. It was low enough that the two girls bickering in the front wouldn't hear.
"Oh, it's quite alright, dear." she lied, a fake smile on her lips. "We had an agreement."
The girl frowned. "I thought you were together… You sounded like you were married."
She couldn't help but laugh at that. "No. No… Just friends."
Although… She thought back to nights spent curled up against his side, to banters and innuendos, to the slow game of seduction they had been playing… That moment, right after their final hug, had been the perfect moment for a kiss but she couldn't find the strength to do it. Kiss him and then say goodbye… It would have been too much for her. It would have broken her. Even now, she had troubles keeping her feelings in check. Kissing him would have been worse.
And yet the weight of regrets made it very hard to breathe indeed.
Prim's face hardened. "Friends don't leave friends behind. That's our rule, right, Katniss?"
"Too damn right, kiddo." Jo answered for the child's sister. She found Effie's eyes in the rear-view mirror. "There're friends and friends, though."
Effie didn't know if it was a threat or not but the message seemed clear to her. Given the choice, she wouldn't be the one Johanna would save. That was alright with her. She preferred to do her own saving. She trusted Haymitch to have her back but those people… She didn't know them yet.
"Don't listen to her." Katniss said, not unkindly, turning around in her seat to look at her. "We take care of each other." Her grey eyes lingered on her sister for a second and then she sat straight again. "Do you want me to drive?" she asked Johanna.
"No, I'm good for now." Johanna shrugged. "So, Trinket, spill. How does a model end up with a hobo? A sexy hobo even, if you're into the scruffy kind."
Effie glared at her. "Do you think that's any way to talk in front of a twelve years old?"
"I think you can't be a very good shag if he gets rid of you the first chance he gets." Johanna's laugh was mean and Effie turned her head to look at the landscape through the window. "Women aren't exactly easy to find those days. Men tend to stick to the one they got."
"Jo, stop." Katniss requested quietly.
It was dark enough in the car but Effie was sure they still could see the hot tears rolling down her cheeks. She hated the fact that she let Johanna's words hurt her. She hated the fact that she couldn't control herself better than that. She had always prided herself on a perfect public behavior, on the contrary to other models or would-be stars, she had never ever made a scene in public. Her public face had always been polite, smiling and cheerfully happy. And now…
"Oh, I'm just joking." Johanna grumbled. "Relax, would you? We'll find her another guy. Won't be hard to. She's a fucking model."
"Mom used to say if a guy makes you cry he isn't worth your tears." Prim piped in helpfully, grabbing her hand and squeezing it comfortingly.
Effie forced herself to smile at the girl and then glared at the woman behind the wheel. "I don't see you with a ton of admirers." she snapped.
She had hoped to strike a nerve but Johanna only laughed again, a carefree and not so sincere kind of laugh. "I'm waiting for Katniss to decide which one of the boys she wants. I called dibs on the other one."
"You're welcome to both of them." Katniss rolled her eyes.
"Both at once?" Johanna's smile was predatory and Effie wasn't so sure she was joking. "Now that's a thought."
"Not for my sister's ears." Katniss hissed.
"I'm twelve!" Prim huffed. "I know about those things."
"I'm sure you're very knowledgeable but I would rather remain oblivious to Johanna's little pervert fantasies." Effie cut in firmly. "Enough said on that subject."
"How is that pervert?" Johanna lifted her eyebrows. "'Cause I'm sure I can think of dirtier things…"
"They're in high school and you're…" How old was she? Effie gave a her a quick once over. "At least twenty-five."
Prim started to giggle and Katniss bit her lips to hide her amusement.
"First, I'm twenty." Johanna's face was somber. "Second, Gale is eighteen and Peeta is seventeen. Third and final, high school is over. In case you didn't notice, we're all going to…"
"Jo." Katniss' harsh warning and her quick glance at her sister was enough to make Johanna fall silent. However, as Effie was quickly learning, nothing hushed Johanna for long.
"Wake up." Johanna advised her, looking right at her in the rear-view mirror. "And don't insult me again or I will hurt you."
"She's all barks." Katniss snorted. "Don't worry, Effie."
Effie wasn't particularly worried but still nodded to acknowledge the girl's words.
The next few days proved Katniss right, though. Johanna was all barks and no bites. Well… If you didn't count the zombies. The young woman had a knack for swinging that axe of her the perfect way to behead zombies before they could even come close enough to her to be a threat. Between her axe, Finnick's harpoon and Katniss' bow, Gale and Effie's guns were almost unnecessary.
She found her place in the group easily enough. They were nice people, a bit like a family really, and made her feel welcomed at once. Johanna, of course, was the most reluctant but Effie soon learned that as much as the woman pretended to care for no one but herself she had a soft spot for Prim. She tolerated a certain kind of familiar behavior from the child – hugs and light touches on the arms and shoulders – she didn't allow anyone else. She often laughed and joked with Finnick and made fun of Annie but not too meanly. She was snarky with Katniss who usually retorted with something unpleasant and took pleasure in making the two boys squirm with inappropriate comments or their obvious interest in Effie and when she was feeling like it, she teased them senseless about their crush on Katniss. But she was otherwise sweet on Peeta – who wasn't? The boy was so kind and thoughtful it was hard not to be – and liked to hunt, like they called killing zombies, with Gale.
Johanna and Effie bickered daily and about everything until the moment Johanna, pretty much done with Effie's warnings, threw a sarcastic "Yes, Mom." at her and Effie realized she was indeed the oldest one.
It probably explained why the teenagers seemed to gravitate around her like lost puppies. Prim often sought her company when she was upset, Peeta came to her when Gale or Johanna had said something too embarrassing in front of Katniss or when Katniss herself had been too harsh on him – he never said anything but he sat with her quietly and listened to her nonsensical chatter – and even Katniss sometimes seemed to want something she didn't know how to ask. Advices probably but from what she had understood of their family life, the girl had been taking care of her sister pretty much all her life and was very proud and independent.
Annie was the perfect friend. She was kind and sweet and she loved Finnick dearly. It was really beautiful to watch them, they were so in love and so oblivious to the rest of the world when they looked at each other… It made Effie's heart ache each time. Even after four days she still yearned for the truck and the comfort of Haymitch's embrace. It was stupid she knew. She hadn't even known Haymitch for a month and there she was mourning their – not even romantic – relationship like they had been dating for years… It was all ridiculous.
The snarl of a zombie pulled her away from her daydream and she shot without even thinking about it. It should be worrying the ease with which she had taken to pull a trigger.
They had stopped by a store to refill on food and gas if they could find some. Finnick, Katniss and Gale had gone into the store, Prim and Annie stayed in the car – Annie was very skilled behind a wheel but she couldn't shoot straight if her life depended on it and, as a matter of fact, it did – Peeta was protecting the two cars and Effie was protecting Johanna who was siphoning gas. Or trying to. The young woman was grumbling a lot but Effie had refused to do it, she didn't want her hands covered in filth.
"Cutting it a bit close, aren't you?" Johanna sneered at her, nudging the rotten corpse at her feet with her boot. "Trying to get us killed?"
"My apologies." Effie replied, her eyes darting around for a new threat. Their cars were a few feet away and Peeta was standing on the roof of the truck, making sure no zombie could approach. A bit of warning wouldn't have gone amiss. "He's a loner." There was no other undead around.
"Good for him." Johanna replied, wiping her hands on her pants. "That's enough. Let's get back."
They did without much problem and the others joined them soon after with enough food and water to sustain them for a few days. They lingered a bit on the parking lot. They were slower than Haymitch and Effie had been, she had already noticed. They made regular stops to stretch their legs, the children didn't do well when they had to stay put for a long period of time and Finnick, Annie and Johanna were barely adults themselves so they stopped the car wherever they could and that made for slow advance. It suited Effie just fine, driving gave her too much time to think. And Johanna always seemed to know how to read her thoughts and torture her with them.
"Your turn." She threw her the keys to the small car and Effie suppressed a sigh but dutifully took the wheel. That car was awful to sit in and to drive. Gale took the truck which was good news, Gale tended to drive fast and Effie very much wanted speed right then. She would have raced to the limit of dangerous if she could but she would never dare with Prim or another teenager in the back seat and Johanna's sorry excuse for a car wouldn't have gone very far anyway. "You can take the kids, I need adult time." She headed to the truck, leaving her with Katniss, Prim and Peeta. A promise for a fun ride indeed.
Prim claimed shotgun and Peeta and Katniss were forced to sit next to each other, probably closer than they were both comfortable with. Effie thought Peeta's obvious crush was sweet but Katniss didn't give away any sign of reciprocating his feelings. She didn't encourage Gale either, came to think of that. She wanted to take care of her sister and make right by her from what she had confessed to Effie during a long and rainy night of driving when the other passengers had succumbed to sleep.
Peeta started humming off key after a while and Katniss joined in hesitantly and soon enough, they were all singing what was probably the worst rendition of We Will Rock You despite Katniss' beautiful voice. Then the kids switched to more popular songs which ended with Katniss singing a soft and sorrowful song about lost love and Effie focusing harder on the road.
A good thing too because when Gale braked abruptly and without any warning, she barely avoided crashing into the truck. She swerved to avert it and found herself running over a zombie. She immediately went into reverse when she saw it wasn't only one but about ten of them. They attacked as soon as they realized what the cars were and they were quicker than those she had seen until then. They ran after them. And they ran fast. The truck had no problem leaving the zombies behind but Johanna's car…
"What are those things?" Peeta exclaimed, turning around to look at their pursuers through the windshield.
"Mutations." Katniss replied, snatching her bow and her arrows from the floor. "They have to be. Remember what Beetee said. Quicker and smarter."
"Put your seatbelts on." Effie ordered, speeding up as much as she could. Three zombies fell behind but there were still two hot on their heels. What the hell were those things?
"I can shoot them." Katniss argued, opening her window.
"No!" Peeta objected, trying to held her back but she shrugged him off and half slid through the window.
"Katniss, dear, I really don't think…" Effie started, trying to remain calm. Haymitch had told her enough times : panic and you're dead.
The sight of an actual prey made the two zombies go crazy. Could they still call them zombies? They barely looked the part except for the rotting graying skin. They looked like feral animals.
The truck was far in front of her, she could barely see the rear lights but it soon slowed down and Gale showed at the passenger window with his gun, half of his body outside, in the same fashion Katniss was sitting. They must have switched drivers which meant Johanna was probably driving. Gale didn't seem to be able to get a good shot and Katniss was struggling with the speed of the car. Peeta was holding fast to her legs, ready to pull her in at the smallest sign. Prim was white as a sheet and clenching the edge of her seat. Effie wasn't feeling much better.
Katniss' first arrow missed his target.
The second one found a knee which made the zombie tumble and roll in the dust.
The third hit the last one in the middle of the forehead.
They all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"You are amazing." Peeta said, as soon as Katniss was safely sitting back in the car. The girl blushed and mumbled something stupid, in Effie's opinion, about having missed the first time.
The truck stopped a few miles further and they all got out.
"Everyone's alright?" Finnick asked at once, giving them all a glance over.
"I'm so sorry, Effie. They came out of nowhere, I didn't have time to…" Gale started to apologize but she reassured him quickly.
"We shouldn't stay here." Annie said, looking around nervously.
"Right." Finnick agreed readily. "And we definitely need a better car than this thing."
Johanna kicked her car as if to punish it. "Garbage bin."
"We need another road south." Annie frowned. "We should go back to the intersection."
Effie didn't feel like arguing about that so she got back in the car and listened to Peeta and Katniss' urgent chatter about this new development. Were there a lot of those quicker zombies? Katniss christened them mutts and Peeta followed suit. Night had fallen when they had exhausted the topic and switched to other subjects such as how Peeta used to help his father decorate cakes in another life where the bakery hadn't been overrun by zombies and his family wasn't dead.
Prim had fallen asleep in her seat and Effie was beginning to slump in hers. Another half hour and she would ask Katniss to take over, she vowed. She was becoming distracted, she moved automatically, slowing and speeding up in time with the truck in front of her, and not much paying attention to anything else.
Until she spied movements in her rear-view mirror.
Her first thought was that the mutts were back. She sat up straighter and gripped the wheel in alarm, her sudden movement alerted the children who immediately tried to see where the danger was.
"What is it, Effie?" Peeta asked, fumbling around the seat for the gun he had discarded.
"I don't know." she replied truthfully. The dark shape in the mirror wasn't a zombie or a mutt, it looked like…
She brought the car to an abrupt stop, startling everyone. Prim even shot awake with a distressed squeak.
"Effie?" Katniss pressed.
It was hard to tell at night. The truck that was following them was black and its shape was familiar but… And then it stopped and in the dim halo of its front lights she got a glimpse of a big pink flower dangling in the middle of the windshield.
She shot out of her seat and ran before she could think twice about it. Haymitch had barely got out of the truck when she threw herself at him, locking her arms around his neck and hugging him for dear life. He stumbled backward, clearly surprised by her attack, and they hit the side of the car but they didn't fall. He was holding her too tight for them to fall.
"I knew you would come back." she whispered in his ear. "I knew you would come back." She really, really hadn't known. He didn't answer but he tightened his hold and that was enough for her. She pressed a kiss against his cheek and then winced. "You need a shave."
"You're hard to find." he growled. She frowned but she realized he wasn't talking to her, Finnick was standing behind her, harpoon in hand. She let Haymitch go and took a good look around, Katniss had her bow out, Johanna had put her axe on the roof of the truck, Peeta and Gale had their gun…
"No offense, mate, but you look like shit." Finnick said firmly. "Got bitten while you were away?"
It was hard to see with only the car lights as a source of lighting but now that Finnick mentioned it, Haymitch did look worse for the wear. He stayed slumped against the car even though she had stopped hugging him and he looked forlorn.
"Just thirsty." Haymitch snorted. That was when she saw the way he was clenching his hands into fists. It didn't do much to hide the violent tremors. "I've been driving for three days straight, trying to find you." He looked at Effie and then back at Finnick. "You can't go south. They're broadcasting it everywhere on the radio. South is zombieland. They're saying they're acting weird but…" He waved a shaking hand in the air and then rubbed his face.
Time to take charge, Effie thought. She forced him to sit and leaned over his shoulder to turn on the interior light of the truck. Up close, it was worse. His eyes were bloodshot, his cheeks were hollow and he looked half-dead. There were packs of chips and crackers all around the front seat, the back seat was covered in clothes and guns…
"Well. You certainly made a mess of my car." she huffed. "Are you out of alcohol?"
There was a bottle in Annie's truck for medical purpose only – and for Johanna to take a swing when she fancied it but everyone pretended not to notice because it was easier than to deal with an irritated Johanna – they could borrow it, she supposed.
"My car. In the trunk." he mumbled, leaning against the leather seat. "'Couldn't drink while I was looking for you. Waste time."
She brushed his hair out of his eyes and went to the trunk. Finnick followed her. "We should give him water and food first. I'm not sure…"
"He's in withdrawal." Effie cut in "He needs alcohol." Not that she approved of that but…
Finnick nodded curtly and let her do as she saw fit. She found a bottle of whiskey in between a bundled up shirt and an empty can of gas. He greedily snatched it from her hand and started gulping it down quickly.
"Go slowly." she chided him, forcing the bottle away from his mouth. "You will make yourself sick."
He tried to glare at her but it wasn't very convincing and he made no protest when she told him to scoot over to the passenger side. "The tank is almost empty." he told her.
"We have enough to spare." Finnick sighed, before going to their own truck to get gas. Johanna came back with him and studied Haymitch while Finnick dealt with the gas problem.
"Well, maybe you're not such a bad shag after all, Trinket." Johanna sneered but then her face softened a bit. Just for a second, mind. It wouldn't do for Johanna Mason to look friendly. "You've been driving for a while, I can take his truck."
Haymitch stared at them over his bottle and didn't look pleased by the prospect.
"No, it's alright." Effie quickly refused. "Thank you."
It was soon decided that Effie would take the rear with Haymitch's truck and they started driving again as if nothing had happened, except they headed north instead of south. She didn't feel tired at all anymore, she was buzzing with energy.
"Driving drunk isn't clever but driving when experiencing withdrawal symptoms?" she clucked her tongue. "Really, Haymitch…"
He finally stopped drinking. A quick glance revealed that he had downed half the bottle and he laid down on the seat, curling up as much as he could on the bench seat, his legs dangling. His head ended up cushioned against her thigh. He was bent at an odd angle that couldn't be really comfortable.
"Seemed a shame to let you die when I spent so much time saving you." he grumbled, placing his right hand on her knee and very much snuggling against her leg. She brushed her fingers through his dirty hair and he purred like a cat.
"This isn't very proper, you know." she chuckled. "They will wonder where you've disappeared to."
"Shut up, sweetheart, I'm tired." he retorted, his grey eyes twinkling with amusement. "And this is called sharing a moment."
"What would I do without you here to teach me those kind of things?" She was grinning so hard it actually hurt.
He squeezed her knee. "Nothing good."
"You're exhausted, you should sleep." she murmured absent-mindedly, still petting his hair. She wasn't paying much attention to the road. She chided herself mentally and focused on the lights from Johanna's car that Katniss was currently driving. She probably should have accepted Johanna's offer but she didn't want to share Haymitch just yet.
"Tired of me already?" he smirked.
"Don't be daft, I missed you." she replied softly. "Didn't you miss me?"
"Did I miss your annoying voice and your stupid babble?" he snorted. "Not a chance."
"Then why did you come back?" she frowned, more hurt than she cared to let on. "It must have been a hassle to find us…"
"Not really." He gave a one shoulder shrug. "I had your maps. Only three roads to Mexico from where I left you, only one less populated area. Not hard to figure it out. I was more afraid I wouldn't catch up but you're not moving that fast." He stopped talking and frowned. "And you're going very slow, right now, sweetheart. Why are you driving grandma style?"
"We're following them." she explained. "They set the pace." And Finnick was a cautious driver. Haymitch grumbled something that probably wasn't nice. "You will get used to it." she assured him.
"Who says I'm staying?" His eyes were closed but he had still to take his hand away from her knee. "Maybe I plan on taking a nap and drive away in the morning."
"You came back, you are staying. End of discussion." she snapped. She would be damned before she let him leave again.
"You're bossy." he complained.
"If by bossy you mean I'm the voice of reason, then yes." She was going too fast and was following Katniss too closely for the teen's tastes if the girl's frantic waving through the window was to be believed. "Sleep now."
"I'm too tired to sleep." he protested, letting go of her knee to feel around for his bottle of whiskey. He found it and took a slow mouthful.
They stayed silent for a while. She drove and he drank, it was just like old times.
"I thought I was too complicated." she whispered at some point, unsure if he was already sleeping or not.
"You are." he replied after some time.
"Then why did you come back, really?" Because he wouldn't have cast alcohol aside just to find them. They weren't very fast, as he said, he'd have plenty of time to drink and still catch up with them before they went too far south. There must have been something else.
"Don't flatter yourself into thinking I need you." His voice was harsh but also a bit cautious. "It was easier when there was someone to drive now and then, that's all."
Which really meant he had missed her.
"You are a silly, silly man, Haymitch." She smiled, placing hand on his shoulder. He covered it with his briefly and then went back to his whiskey.
"Now… What is this I heard about you being a bad shag?" he asked very seriously. "I leave you for four days and you're already fooling around with someone else? You're breaking my heart, Princess."
She couldn't help but laugh at the idea of her fooling around with Johanna. "She thinks you would never have left me in the first place if you had been enjoying the sex."
"Yeah, see, I don't remember any sex." His head rolled on her leg and he looked at her, his cheek pressed against her stomach. "Not for lack of asking on my part…"
"Should I stop the car in the middle of the road so you can have your drunken way with me?" she joked.
A smirk graced his lips but his eyes were very serious. The car felt too warm all of a sudden, her breath caught in her throat and she was aware of every point of contact between his cheek and her stomach even through the thick cotton tank top she was wearing. He licked his lips slowly and she had no other option but to slow down the car because she could have sworn she was about to crash it due to lustful thoughts that would have made even Johanna blush.
"Don't tempt me." he replied, his voice low and rough and she had a difficult time keeping her head in the game.
Zombies that could jump on the car any moment, more urgent problems than her sudden need for sex, an endless apocalypse… She cracked the window open, grateful for the cool night breeze.
"Aren't we a bit flustered…" Haymitch chuckled, blatantly mocking her.
She whacked his shoulder playfully and pretended not to care one bit. "Sleep, you stupid man."