AN: Hi All, thank you for all the encouraging words and the follows you guys rock!
This really started with my sister needing sleep because her little one was up because of birds chirping at four in the morning during the spring. I asked my self what would happen if Haymitch's Geese got loose night after night. I got the impression of mommy Katniss and daddy Peeta on the verge of a break down. Effie and Haymitch to the rescue
This newest chapter is short, I know but it is a good one. It's the confrontation time (dun, dun, dun) I hope you guys enjoy it. The next to last chapter will be posted next week.
Please read and Review. I get insights from your reviews and they help me improve my writing. Any-who enjoy and until next week.
PS I do not own the Hunger Games.
"Are you sure you about this?" Katniss questioned once again.
Effie stood straighter as she walked toward the coat rack.
Katniss did not think Effie following Haymitch around as it became dark wearing a black shiny skin tight skirt and thigh high nine inch heeled boots was practical. Her whole outfit looked like it jumped out of one of her favorite comic strips. Effie completed the look with a hooded wide collar caplet and black gloves.
Effie paused putting her gloves on to glance at the mother of two. Katniss was nervous for her. It was a sign that she cared immensely. She watched as Katniss tickled Rye's belly. The baby was playing on the floor on top of a thick blanket.
Rye's gurgling laughter made Effie see she needed to readjust her life. And part of that was opening up to Haymitch and getting rid of that Ginny woman. With certainty she said, "Yes."
"You can stay home with me and Rye," Katniss said as she stood up. She spotted some of Willows smaller toys tuckered in between the sofa cushions. She and Peeta were for ever sitting and stepping on Willows Lego's and small toy accessories like doll shoes. Katniss looked to Effie, she wished for her to stay in.
But Effie was just as determined as Katniss.
"As tempting as that sounds, I have a mission I must complete."
"Effie, I just don't want something to happen to you." Katniss dumped Willow's toys into the ottoman with the storage built inside it.
"Nonsense what could possibly happen?" Effie dismissed Katniss pessimism.
"I don't know Effie, I just have this feeling."
"Don't worry my darling child" Effie countered giving Katniss a happy positive face. "I know how to sneak around."
Katniss was not impressed with Effie's assurances.
Effie turned her attention to the window by the door. She watched Haymitch leave the house. "Look he's leaving."
Katniss came around to look over Effie shoulders and muttered, "So he is."
"How do I look?"
This was important to Effie, to Katniss it would not have mattered. Yet Effie looked vulnerable, so she smiled and said, "Like a fashionable spy."
"Thank you," Effie nodded. "I should get going."
"Okay, just be careful." Katniss said as she picked up Rye in her arms.
"My dear everything will be fine. Just put that baby to sleep and get some rest." Effie advised.
Katniss raised a skeptic eyebrow. Her gut instinct was to keep Effie back. But she couldn't, this was Effie's path. "I will."
Effie nodded right before she pressed her nose to the window. When Haymitch was some distance away she headed out the door. She turned around and gave Katniss thumbs up before continuing down the path.
Katniss watched from the window, Rye in her arms. She waved and smiled, but internally she felt her gut tighten. "This is going to end poorly."
Effie followed Haymitch as he walked through the district. Effie noted differences she had not scene before. Normally when she arrived she took the path to the Victors Village and never bothered to see the rest of the district. She knew Twelve was the most affected because of Snow. At the end of the war there was nothing left. In the beginning people lived in tents, as they slowly rebuilt up the district, they began moving out of the tents and into homes.
Thom and several others had to bulldozer over the rubble after they buried the dead. The district was still in the process of rebuilding, even ten plus years later. There was construction sights scattered through out District Twelve.
Twelve was the only district that had little to nothing left, but remained the same. It was still wild and natural looking. The only difference was the medicine plant and the rebuilt mining plant that were fabricated on opposite sides of the district. The mining plant was made safer and it was built far away from the houses and the main part of town. There were new strict policies put to help maintain the miner's safety.
Effie noted the lack of coal dust everywhere as she followed behind Haymitch. He was approaching The Seam. Haymitch slowed down. Effie tried to stay out of sight. The old clapboard homes were slowly being rebuilt and there were piles of building materials everywhere. Effie ducked behind a tree when Haymitch stopped at a house.
From her hiding place she could see Haymitch knock on the door.
"It's me Haymitch."
There was a pause. Haymitch slipped his hand in his pocket and rocket back and forth, whistling as he waited.
The door opened and there she was Ginny Parks. The woman wore dungarees and boots. A knit sweater with a rooster on it completed the look. Effie wanted to gag at the outfit the woman wore. Effie question what woman in their late forties wore jean overalls and a rooster sweater with sequins. Effie rolled her eyes.
"Where are we off to tonight, Haymitch?"
"Just a walk around the town, everyone is at the meeting. I like it when the town is empty it feels like it belongs only to us. I brought sandwiches." Haymitch showed off his brown paper bag to Ginny.
"Great I am hungry."
Effie felt jealousy eating at her. She shook her fist as she whispered into the dimming daylight. "That dammed man did nothing but insult me, throw up on my red vintage Valentinos's and antagonized my every move. Yet that troll, gets homemade sandwiches and romantic strolls."
Effie was hurt and took a few minutes to calm down. Yet her fury boiled at the surface.
They had moved on and Effie trailed after them muttering angry epithets towards Ginny. Haymitch took the longest route possible. He took them through the meadow.
"Darn this muddy field." Effie breathed under her breath as she tried to walk through the meadow. Her stilettos kept on sinking into the soft ground. If she could she would interrupt them just so that she could get out of the mud.
They stopped to stare at the night sky as they ate their sandwiches.
Effie crouched behind some tall bushes, straining to hear what they were saying but could not hear them because a fly was bothering her.
"Shoo, shoo." She batted the persistent fly with her hand.
By the time the fly left her alone Effie lost site of them them. Fearing she had lost them she ran through the meadow. She picked up their trail because of that woman's heavy boot imprint on the ground.
Up ahead she could hear them laughing and joking. Hearing them only made her feel rotten. At one point that woman tried to hold Haymitch's hand but he slipped his hand though his hair and made a joke. Effie was relieved.
When they entered the town Effie's boots were muddied. However she was not upset over her ruined boots. She was utterly displeased by the ease she witnessed between Haymitch and Ginny. A clear romance was budding between them.
Effie wanted to snap that in half. All evening long she had taken meticulous notes. In the process she had hidden behind bushes, trees, houses and anything she could imagine that would disguise her persona.
"Haymitch, do you get the sense we are being watched."
"Nonsense Ginny."
"Are you sure because I thought I saw someone."
Effie squeezed in the doorframe of a shop when she saw Ginny walk toward her. There was not much space and she was afraid of getting caught.
"Ginny seriously everyone is at the meeting. Maybe it was a stray cat. One of Buttercup's mangy progeny's."
Effie sucked in her breath and only exhaled when Ginny turned around.
"Maybe you're right." Ginny shook her head.
"Come on I want to take you to Peeta's shop. His newest cake is on display." Haymitch said with pride.
Effie had to be very quiet on the pavement as she moved forward. She saw them round the corner where Peeta's bakery was. Effie would have been exposed had it not been for a pile of construction material covered by a tarp right in front of the bakery. Peeta's shop was separated from the rest of the stores in town. They were going to build a street that led to it. She climbed the pile it to see what they were up to. To get to the bakery one had to walk on the ground that was muddy momentarily.
Effie's head popped up. Her fingers dug into the carp as she watched Haymitch and Effie in action. They stood close together. Haymitch was pointing to the cake, the hair on their heads brushed. She gasped as she saw Ginny move in to give Haymitch a kiss.
Effie's foot slipped, she felt when something underneath her shifted. Soon things began tumbling out from underneath the tarp. Effie screamed as she rolled forward wrapped up in the tarp.
"EFFIE," Haymitch recognized her scream. He ran forward just as she landed in a heap at his feet.
"OW" Effie exclaimed as she tried to sit up.
"Are you okay?" Haymitch was scared out of his mind as he ran toward her.
"Yes I am fine."
"What happened?"
"I fell," Effie said feeling embarrassed that she had been caught. His concern was palpable.
"Stay right here, I'll be right back. I'm going to get help." As he ran by Ginny he said, "Take care of her."
Effie watched as Haymitch left. She would have been angry that he left her if she hadn't been so pleased with herself to have stopped that woman from planting her lips on Haymitch.
Effie knew how Haymitch lips tasted like. She recalled what it was like to feel his stubble rasp against her skin. The smell and taste of sweet brandy on his lips drove her mad. Resolved she squared her shoulders she was determined to not all allow Ginny to know what she knew.
"Great," Ginny uttered.
Effie stood up gingerly.
"You're that Trinket woman."
"My name is Effie Trinket, it a pleasure to meet you and you are?"
"I knew we were being followed. Haymitch told me I was wrong but I knew it." Ginny glared at Effie.
Effie wanted to insult the woman, but she bit her tongue. Instead she plastered a smile on her face.
"Why are you here?"
Effie was taken aback by the rude way she was spoken to. "Pardon me?"
"Look if you really cared about Haymitch you would leave him be. Let him enjoy his life. Stop meddling in his affairs like that neighbor of his, the Mockingjay." Ginny raised her eyebrow. "Some revolutionary, couldn't have kids without her dumb blond bothering for them."
Effie blinked. She never became angry she always controlled her anger even with the most trying of clients. "Excuse me."
"You heard me. You both need to stop." Ginny stepped forward.
Effie furious snapped. "Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch and I are a team. You do not know them to say such things about them."
Effie could not finish.
"Oh please, you guys think you are all so special. There is nothing special...
"About you," Effie cut her off.
Ginny lunged at Effie and both women fell to the ground struggling. They rolled into the mud. Each one trying to land a blow.
Effie got a few in, and so did Ginny. They each kicked each other respectively. Effie slung mud into Ginny's face.
Ginny grunted in pure frustration and slung mud back. Both women began throwing mud at each other. There was mud everywhere. It dripped, stained where ever it landed on the shop, on the construction material and on the equipment. Both women were yelling at each other. Angry Ginny wiped her face and rushed at Effie. They rolled and Ginny landed on top of Effie.
When Haymitch arrived Ginny was on top of Effie, her fist extended in the air to punch Effie in the face.
"GINNY!" Haymitch roared.
Ginny looked up. She sat up. Her eyes widened. Thom and so many of the people in the town meeting were present.
"What the hell is going on here?" Thom bellowed.
"Effie did it." Ginny claimed.
Effie lifted her foot and toppled Ginny over. This caused Ginny to lose it and attack Effie. Both women began fighting again. It took four men to separate both women.
"Effie," Haymitch restrained her. "What happened?"
"Ginny Parks happened, Haymitch, Ginny Parks."