Authors Note:
Hi All this chapter for Toastbaies & Geese is a little more weightier than the others. But it neeed to be written, because how else could we Everlarker's get Hayffie together, with the one thing Hayffie loves the most Toastbabies. I promise to bring back the fun in the next one.
ps do not own the Hunger Games, & unfortunately all mistakes are my own.
-Hi I revamped this chapter, thank you for all the kind reviews by the way.
Peeta looked across his window toward Haymitch's house. He rubbed his face. Sundays he did not bother to shave. When he was younger he wanted to grow hair, but could not because of the chemicals the Capitol used on his face. Peeta thought it was a personal stance against the Capitol and what they did to him to be able to grow facial hair. Now that he was older and could grow facial hair he hated shaving, but he had a business to run and had to maintain a certain professional look.
His palm rubbed the blond hair on his on his chin as he stared outside. The gesse were loitered outside of Haymitch's house squawking away. For some reason they were not as loud during the day as they were at night. When the Geese got loose at night, is where the problem lay they would wake up the kids. Getting a five year old and a three mont old back to sleep was not an easy feat. This is when Katniss herself came up with the idea to get Haymitch hitched to Effie. Peeta liked Katniss plan, but far different reasons. Peeta wanted Haymitch to finally admit he had feelings for Effie. As he stared across the street his mind plotted.
Ever since Katniss had called Effie, Peeta's mind was preoccupied with how to approach Haymitch. He spent the past few days contemplating what words he should use. Words were powerful. First off Peeta knew he had to get Haymitch to believe this was not Katniss idea. Peeta had several scenarios he could use depending on how the conversation went. Peeta rubbed his face. Everything he said needed to be carefully executed. He waited until today, his day off to complete his half of the mission to get Haymitch and Effie together. The old adage was correct happy wife, happy life. Peeta turned his head at the sound of his daughter Willow's voice.
"Mommy" Willow chirped as she played with her dolls on the floor. Her Aunt Effie had gotten her pretty dollies.
"Yes baby?" Katniss said as she pushed the rocking chair back and forth with the tips of her feet. Rye liked to be fed this way. She adjusted the blanket over her shoulder as her three month old son nursed.
"When will Rye be able to play with me?"
Katniss smiled at the question. "When he is old enough to walk, right now he still needs a lot of growing."
"I hope he gets old soon" Willow said making her dolly walk across the floor. "Mommy you were right."
Katniss fixed her gray eyes warmly on her little girl "About what baby?"
"I need a playmate. You said I needed a brother so that I had someone to play with. Playing by my self is okay but I playing with a friend is better. I don't like being alone." Willow looked at her mom as she sat in the rocking chair. She could just see the tip of her brother's blond hair over the blanket.
"Maybe you could play with Delly's children when they come over later." Katniss said looking at Peeta. Delly was coming over with the woman Ginny Parks. Peeta promised he would speak to Haymitch. He still had not done it. Looking down at he child Katniss smiled. She loved her children and her family. Looking up her eyes scanned Peeta's form. He was less formal today. His hair was uncombed and his face looked scruffy. Peeta looked very appealing with his blond stubble on his face. Katniss sighed audibly. She loved Sundays with her family.
At Katniss sigh Peeta looked behind him at wife then at his little girl who was now quietly playing with her dolls on the floor of his living room. He smiled recalling the talk they had with Willow when Katniss pregnancy with Rye was well along the way. Katniss was afraid of telling Willow about the baby until she was assured everything was okay. Willows reaction was priceless. She jumped up and down.
"Are you going to his house?" Katniss asked standing up from the rocking chair where she was feeding their son. He had to go today, Peeta could not procrastinate any longer.
"Yep" Peeta said glancing at Katniss. She had all but lost the baby weight. He liked her fuller frame, but he knew Katniss body just did not keep weight on. She would be svelte before long.
Katniss put their son inside of the bassinet. "Why don't you take Cookie with you?"
Willow looked up at the mention of her nick name.
"I was thinking about going now." Peeta said as he wrapped his arms around Katniss.
"You should, besides Rye is sleeping and mommy needs a nap." Katniss yawned snuggling herself into Peeta's broad chest. He would never stop smelling of Dill and fresh bread. It was wonderful to wake up to the sent of chees buns and pancakes this morning after a rough night.
The geese made it to their lawn once more last night. They made such a ruckus that it took them twice as long to get the kids back to sleep.
Peeta rubbed Katniss' back. Katniss was so frustrated she nearly cried. Peeta took consideration on Katniss this morning. He let Katniss sleep in late. Yet despite that Katniss still had delicate dark circles under her eyes. Peeta knew just how hard Katniss worked when she was at home with the kids. It was not easy to operate with little to no sleep with a five year old and a three month old who was still nursing. It would get easier when Willow went to Kindergarten next year. For now Peeta needed to get the operation Hayffie underfoot.
"How are you feeling otherwise?" Peeta asked.
"A little better, thank you for letting me sleep in late this morning."
Tenderly Peeta brushed a lock of her hair away from her face. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her neck. Katniss sighed as she wrapped her arms around him. Then he wickedly said into her ear "You can show me just how grateful you are later on."
Katniss gasped as his teeth nipped at her neck before placing another kiss there. How Peeta made her light up she could not understand. That hunger that began in the cave had never been quenched. "Peeta not in front of…"
Peeta winked salaciously be fore he stole a quick kiss.
Katniss turned red. Peeta was always so much more comfortable doing things like this. Katniss preferred private moments. She playfully slapped his arm. "Willow, do you want to go with daddy?"
Willow had stopped playing to observe her mommy and daddy. They seemed so happy together. She scrunched up her face curiously. "Daddy where we are we going?"
"To Grandpa's house" Peeta said. Their daughter was the exact replica of her mother. She was small for a child her age, but it was because as their doctor explained Willow was not going to be a tall girl. However what she lacked in height she had in strides with her fearlessness. She had an intrepid streak just like Katniss.
Willows blue eyes lit up at the mention of her Grandpa. "Yes."
"You have to clean up before you can come with me."
"Clean up quietly though Rye is sleeping." Katniss cautioned.
"Yes mommy" Willow replied as she tried to grab as many toys as she could to put them in her toy cubby.
Katniss watched Willow try to gather the dolls Effie sent her all at once to put in the ottoman they designated as her toy cubby.
Peeta was amused "Cookie why don't you do it one at a time."
Willow paused to give her father a hard stare.
"Of all the things she could have inherited, she got my scowl Peeta" Katniss shook her head.
"I like your sexy scowl."
"Peeta really"
Peeta loved the fact that after two kids and a little over fifteen years together as a couple, Katniss was still prudish about certain things. It was one of the things she and Effie shared. Effie was a like Katniss a prude about public displays of a affection. Both women were tough. Both women were unique and intelligent. Peeta always viewed Effie was the ultra-feminine version of Katniss. Except Effie was a bit of tease where as Katniss was more a girl of action. He rubbed his chin against her neck and heard Katniss groan. Peeta liked Katniss just the way she was. He loved that he could always make her blush. Wickedly he stole a kiss from her. He kissed her until he heard that yielding sigh of hers.
"Daddy I am done." Willow tugged at her dad's pants.
"Okay" Katniss breathily said, separating herself from Peeta, knowing now her nap was going to be about him. "Go now before Rye wakes up."
"Come on Cookie lets go." Peeta said opening the front door of their house. He quickly noted the Geese had moved on. His daughter skipped outside to the front porch. Before closing the door behind him, Peeta paused to watch as Katniss took the throw on the couch and wrapped herself in it before she laid down on the couch next to Rye's bassinet. Satisfied his family was safe he closed the door.
Willow stood tiptoed smelling the fresh air.
Peeta kneeled down to fix his little girls pig tails. He mentally prepared to speak to Haymitch. Katniss had done her job, by winding Effie up. When he came home the other day Peeta hopped she had not chickened out. He was proud of Katniss for making that phone call, things of that nature were not something Katniss was good at. He stood.
"Daddy, are we going to Grandpa's house to play?"
Peeta smiled down at his little girl. "Yes."
"Hooray" She clapped her little hands and jumped. Her dark hair bouncing after she stopped jumping. As they made their way across the yard.
Peeta chuckled at his daughter's reaction. Her enthusiasm contradicted Katniss nature. This is where their daughter was like him.
It was ironic Katniss was the iconic face of the revolution that toppled Snow. By nature she was not much of a talker, where as he was. Katniss in many respects was introspective almost shy. That quality made her vulnerable. That was one of the many things he found endearing about Katniss.
Katniss was not perfect, but as he once told her she was perfect for him. It was why when she came up with this crazy idea he supported her.
"Daddy, can I play with the duckies?" Willow asked. She was disappointed the Geese were no longer outside.
Peeta smiled at Willows use of the word duckies. When Willow started to speak she could not say geese. It sounded like she was saying yeast. So as a solution Katniss said they were ducks, witch was an acceptable solution for a two year old. For a long time Willow called anything with wings a duck. To this day she never called Haymitch's Geese, Geese she called them duckies.
"We'll see what Grandpa Haymitch says." Peeta was brining their daughter along with him as a contingency plan. He felt bad for doing this but he was going to employ his little girl if necessary. She was Haymitch's one true weakness.
Haymitch was besotted with their child. From the moment she was born Haymitch made changes in his life to accommodate her. Peeta was about to knock on the door when his daughter knocked first. Haymitch had put a smaller door knocker that was child height just for Willow to use.
The door immediately opened.
Haymitch gruffly said looking over his front porch into the yard. "Who is knocking at my door?"
Her peal of laughter reverberated throughout the front yard.
"Grandpa Haymitch! It's me."
Peeta loved the way his child's blue eyes lit up at such simple joys.
"Me, Me Who?" Haymitch could not help the smile that played on his lips as he pretended not to see his little Cookie.
"Me" She pulled on his pant leg. "Down here Grandpa."
"Oh there you are, my little Cookie, where did you come from?" Haymitch acted surprised as he kneeled on the floor. She jumped in his arms.
"I missed you."
Her childish confession made his heart melt. He had seen her yesterday morning when he came over for breakfast, but to a child that was an eternity. He looked at Peeta who stood back watching them. Haymitch then into the hands of the boy. The kid always brought him a loaf or rolls. This was suspicious to Haymitch "Peeta no bread?"
"I actually wanted to speak to you about something." Peeta hedged. Peeta had to play this right.
"Sure kid what is it?" Haymitch said.
"Can we go in; I don't want Sweetheart to know."
Haymitch understood. Whenever Peeta wanted to speak about Katniss they never used her name in front of the children, especially since their daughter was a parrot. Peeta and he had developed a sort of short hand.
It started back when during the first Hunger Games when Peeta came to him wanting to save Katniss' life. "Come on in."
"Grandpa, can I see the duckies?"
"Not now little one, papa and I have to talk. Why don't you go get your crayons and art stuff and bring down stairs to the living room so you can color for a little?"
"Okay" Willow nodded as her Grandpa put her on the ground and her chubby little legs ran to get her things.
Haymitch waited until Willow made it safely up the stairs. "So, what is going on?"
"Katniss got it into her head that you needed to find someone."
Off all the things Peeta could have said, that was the last thing Haymitch expected. He was in shock as he blankly stared at the boy. "What?"
"Katniss got it into her head that you need to find someone to share your life with."
It finally filtered in through Haymitch's head what the boy told him. His face contorted to an annoyed almost angry look. "What the hell is wrong with Sweetheart?"
"I don't know Haymitch."
"Has she gone off the deep end?" Haymitch stated the angrily. He did not need anyone interfering into his life and telling him what to do. No Haymitch was fine just the way he was.
"Haymitch she is determined to get you hitched."
At that moment Willow bounced into the room. Neither man heard Willow come down the stairs. "Grandpa Haymitch, can you color with me?"
Haymitch wanted desperately to curse at Katniss but he did not want to do so in front of his grandbaby. So he darkly uttered "Flying jellybeans. Flipping Fudge!"
Willow was tickled pink by her Grandpa's outburst. She giggled. "Grandpa Haymitch you are so funny."
Haymitch shouted "Brussel-sprouts! I hate brussel sprouts." He hated the green little cabbage like vegetable.
"Grandpa Haymitch, daddy says brussel sprouts are good for you."
At her comment Haymitch managed to calm down but not enough to continue speaking without getting angry. Haymitch was red faced. "Cookie why don't you get papa a piece of paper he wants to draw with us."
"Really!"
"Yes" Peeta confirmed. He felt bad for manipulating Haymitch in this way but it was for his own good.
Haymitch watched Willow hop toward the stairs. His mind began to spin what Peeta told him. He stood their hands on his hips. This was Katniss they were speaking about. She was not the generator of ideas. Peeta was the creative one in their relationship. Katniss was very stubborn it took her time to accept things. It took her nearly ten years to agree to have kids with the boy. Getting people henpecked was not like the girl.
"This is not like Sweetheart; she doesn't care about things like this." Haymitch puzzled, knowing Katniss as well as he did.
"Haymitch I have never seen this side of her. I mean she is on a mission. She doesn't want you to die alone."
"Could it be those dammed hormones after pregnancy hormones?" Haymitch speculated. He knew from seeing Delly and Katniss that after pregnancy they were both a mess of tears and scowls.
"It could be. I know giving birth to our son was a lot easier than when she gave birth to our daughter." Peeta supplied giving Haymitch just enough rope.
"That girl does not have a romantic bone in her body. She is more like a blunt knife when she speaks." Haymitch knew Katniss was lucky the boy had everything Katniss lacked, things like tact and sympathy. "This did not come from Katniss."
"Haymitch where she got this idea from I do not know?"
Haymitch saw the boy's face. He had a dull shade of red creeping up his cheeks. It meant there was more the kid was not telling him. "Oh hell kid, what else is there?"
"Well she and Delly…"
"Fu…" Willow was coming down the stairs. Haymitch changed his words "Fudge-sickles."
"I have the paper. Let's color." Willow said excitedly.
"That sounds great but where is your smock Cookie. You are going to use water color markers. You need your smock." Peeta gently reminded his daughter.
"Oh yeah, I forgot. I will be right back." Willow looked at the two most important men in her life before she went up the stairs.
"Okay we'll be here." Peeta answered. Haymitch was too angry to speak.
Haymitch waited until Willow was out of ear shot when he darkly said "Freaking Delly. That is where this idea came from. I bet you that nosey little" Haymitch looked over the veranda to see Willow reach the landing. "…witch, put that idea in Sweetheart's hormone filled mind."
"Haymitch you didn't let me finish."
"What else can you tell me to make this day even worse."
"You are going out on a date." Peeta said giving Haymitch a firm look. He was going to head into dangerous territory. This was when Peeta had to be truly be on his game.
Haymitch countered back "Like hell I am."
Peeta implored. "Haymitch Katniss told me Delly already set you up on a date."
Haymitch was ready to scream profanities in the air. He was pissed off that Delly had somehow gotten under Sweetheart's tough skin. Delly knew what she was doing when she wound Katniss up. It was like sending her into the fray of battle. Katniss was all action.
Haymitch crossly said "Who the hell does she think she is?"
Peeta tried to appeal to Haymitch "I am sure they mean well."
"Mean well, they are interfering with my life Kid." This felt like to him when his life was dictated by Snow.
"Haymitch you know how Delly is. She is a total romantic. She found happiness with Thom and she wants everyone to be happy. You yourself were part of her little campaign to get Katniss to agree to have kids with me."
Haymitch stopped for a moment. Peeta was saying the truth. He did get on that bandwagon, but it was only because Katniss fear was unfounded. Children were safe. There were no more Games, no more constant hunger. The quality of life for everyone in District Twelve improved for everyone. Haymitch was part of the group of people who helped Katniss realized that having children was just another natural step in life. Katniss was a natural mother, but was too stubborn to accept it before the birth of Willow.
Narrowing his eyes at the boy, Haymitch knew the Peeta was right. He was caught but he did not want to relent.
Stubbornly he answered "Tell them no, tell them I'm not playing by anyone's rules but my own."
Peeta sighed "Haymitch my hands are tied."
"Boy" said in a warning voice "What do you mean by that?"
"The woman Delly fixed you up with she'll be here by dinner time. They were going to try then."
"I am not going on no dumb date Peeta…I don't care. If I want to die…"
"NO!" Willow stood on the landing. The last words her Grandpa had spoken made her little heart feel squished. Her lips trembled as she looked at her grandpa. Memories of her duckie Scoots fresh in her mind. She hated anything to do with the word die.
Haymitch turned around to see Willow's eyes were as wide as saucers tears accumulating in them. Her little fist clenched around her bright pink smock. Haymitch recalled last year when one of the geese she called Scoots died, Willow cried for days. She learned a harsh lesson about death. Willow now understood that when things died they did not come back. His eyes flew to Peeta who looked upset.
This was the one scenario Peeta had not come up with. His only intention was to finally get Haymitch and Effie together. For years he watched them skirt around each other. They openly flirted with each other, but nothing came out of it. Peeta knew the only way to get Effie and Haymitch together was to make Effie jealous. Making his little girl cry was something he did not intend. Peeta balled his fists trying to stay in the moment. The last thing he needed was a flashback. Her wailing caused him to recall the day Prim died.
"Cookie" Haymitch gruff voice called to Willow. Hearing her small crumbling voice caused Haymitch to lose all of his anger.
"No, you can't die Grandpa." Willow demanded with an emotionally crippling voice.
Willow looked like the way Peeta described Katniss as a child. Willow wore her favorite red dress and her black patent leather Maryjane's with folded white socks. Peeta focused in on his daughter and the fact that she needed him instead of that square where all of those children died.
Haymitch quickly gathered Willow in his arms.
"Don't die, Grandpa, don't leave me." She cried into his shoulder as tears poured down her face.
Haymitch said several times trying to calm her down. "I am not going to die Cookie. I promise."
"Please daddy" was all Willow could say as she hiccupped and took giant breaths even as she cried. Willow's heart hurt. She did not want her Grandpa to go away like Scoots the duckie. Scoots never came back. She could not imagine a life without her Grandpa's hugs.
Hearing Willow call to him sapped Peeta into the present. He was able to recollect himself quickly His baby girl needed him.
"Willow Grandpa Haymitch is not going to die" Peeta comforted his child. He placed his hand on her small back. This was real, his daughter was real. His heart beat normally once more.
"No Cookie I am not going to die." Haymitch gruffly said he did not see the near attack Peeta had.
Willow lifted her head. She trustingly looked at her daddy. "He's not?"
"No Grandpa was just mad because he doesn't want to go on a date."
"What's a date?" Willow shrewdly looked at the adults. Adults were very silly sometimes.
"A date is something fun adults do with other adults."
To Willow this sounded familiar. "Like a play date?"
"Yes."
"I go on playdates with Grandpa."
"Yes you do but when adults go on dates it is to find someone they can be with forever." Peeta gently explained. This was not part of his contingency plans.
"I want to be with grandpa forever."
"Willow, grandpa needs to find someone to be with. Sort of like mommy and me."
Willow frowned as she thought about what her daddy was telling her. "You and mommy went on play dates?"
Peeta looked at Haymitch. He was not helping him. The man was simply grinning. "We used to go on picnics in the woods."
"I like picnics."
"I know it's why we are waiting until Rye is a little older to take you out to the meadow."
Willow turned astutely to her grandfather "Are you going to go on a play date to find a girl like my mommy?"
Haymitch saw it coming as soon as the boy started to talk about dates. Though there was nothing he could do. However it was entertaining hearing Peeta explain adult things to the superior mind of Willow. He looked into Willow's innocent blue eyes. "That is what you mommy wants."
All of a sudden Willow had a thought. When her mommy and daddy told her she was going to get a brother they explained that they did not want her to be alone. She needed a playmate. She placed her little hands on her Grandpa's cheeks. Wisely she questioned "Are you alone Grandpa?"
Haymitch lips thinned at her innocent question. It was loaded question he had no answer to. He was alone, he chose this. However there were times when he found the house cavernous and wished there was someone else here with him.
"Sweetie I don't think that is a question your Grandpa is comfortable with." Peeta said but his daughter ignored him.
"I don't want you to be alone. I have Rye, mommy has daddy, but you don't have anyone." Unlike her mommy and daddy who were always together Willow never saw her Grandpa with anyone. Willow knew how happy her mommy and daddy were. She wanted her Grandpa to be happy.
The way Willow said it made Haymitch feel ashamed that he got so upset. If his little girl wanted him to go on a playdate then that is exactly what he was going to do. "Okay, I will go on this playdate."
Peeta looked to Haymitch jumping in to affirm the date. "Dinner is at six. You should wear something nice."
"I can wear my pretty dress." Willow commented.
"I can't wait" Haymitch harrumphed but later that night he had to admit as he sat next to Ginny Parks he was having a good time. The gal was funny and down to earth. She had great stories to tell.
Peeta snapped pictures of the evening. No one minded Peeta was always taking pictures.
By the end of the night as he came home whistling Haymitch smiled into his home. He sat in his favorite chair and kicked off his shoes. It was then he thought of her. His nemesis, the woman that plagued most of his dreams, Effie Trinket. He wondered what she was doing.
Effie was most likely rearranging the home of some poor capitol citizen.
"She's moving on with her life Haymitch." He told himself. "You should do the same buddy."
Effie with her brightly colored hair and break neck heels was someone who he just couldn't shake. Haymitch opened the draw besides his chair and took out the picture of the kids standing next to Effie back when they were on the Victory tour. She looked utterly ridiculous back then.
He recalled how she had to be on time for everything it drove him mad. Although Haymitch had to admit they were never late because of her.
Haymitch shook his head and shoved the picture back in the draw. He slammed it shut. He should be concentrating on Ginny Parks.
"Well at least I got a second date" Haymitch spoke to no one mostly himself. He stood and did what he did every night. Since he did not drink anymore he was going to take a walk. By the time he came back he would be tired enough to go to bed.
Maybe in the future Haymitch hoped he would have someone to help him take his nightly walks with. Although he thought of Ginny Parks, a corner of his heart wanted it to be Effie.