Chapter 3
New Year

The air hadn't been breathable in Haymitch's house since Hazelle's days, thought Katniss when she crossed the threshold. She zigzagged between bundles of dirty clothes, shattered glass and pools of liquor, her foot clanked into a bottle, sending it rolling over the dust bunnies and she crouched by the hearth to make a fire and keep Haymitch from catching his death in here.

The phone which had been heard on and off across the Victor's Village for the past hour started ringing again by the time a flame danced up from the coals and she heard a groan from behind. She turned seeing Haymitch on the couch, a flowery sofa cushion bleached from years in the sun, pressed over his head.

"You know it helps if you answer it," she said.

Another groan and Katniss got to her feet and pulled the cushion away revealing a face that would make a less prepared person jump back.

"Morning Haymitch," she said, watching Haymitch's red-rimmed eyes squint up at her, just as the phone silenced again and they heard Peeta's voice.

"Well, hi, Effie. How are you?"

Haymitch sat up and despite the pounding inside his skull he waved both arms at Peeta like someone trying to keep from being run down by a car.

"Sure, he's here," the boy said, looking amusedly back at Haymitch, handing the phone over to him.

"What?" Haymitch said into the receiver, hearing Katniss and Peeta close the door after themselves when they left.

"Is that a way to answer the phone?" said Effie. "You ought to at least say hello when you pick up."

Haymitch grunted and reached for one of the bottles on the coffee table, trying to snap the seal while cradling the phone between his neck and shoulder.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I wanted to…"

The phone clanked against the empties by his feet when he dropped it.

"Haymitch?" he heard Effie's voice on the floor.

He opened his bottle and swallowed a mouthful, spitting into a clean spot on a soiled shirt, ridding some of the foul taste in his mouth.

"Haymitch? Are you there?"

He grabbed the phone from the floor.

"What?"

"Have you been drinking?" she asked and Haymitch would have rolled his eyes if he hadn't been so hangover.

"No, I just got back from my morning run," he said. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to wish you a merry Christmas."

"Christmas's over, sweetheart."

"I know, but you didn't answer when I called yesterday. Did you enjoy yourself?"

Haymitch rubbed his fingers over his eyes. He didn't even remember much of yesterday. Katniss and Peeta used to make him join them for Christmas, but they couldn't carry him out on a stretcher. That's what he told Effie and she sucked in a breath.

"How could you not have celebrated Christmas, Haymitch? That's the most depressing thing I've ever heard. Christmas is supposed to be celebrated with friends and family…"

"Can't say I have either of those, sweetheart."

"Of course you do. What about Katniss and Peeta? What about me?"

"Wow. So we're friends now?"

"Of course we are. It's really hurtful you're even questioning it. And you do plan on celebrating New Year's Eve at least?"

"Why?"

"Why ever not? People in District 12 celebrate New Year's, don't they? And I don't want to think about you being drunk and alone in your house on such a day. That would completely upset my digestion."

"We'll see," said Haymitch, bringing the bottle to his lips.

xXx

Effie must have been very keen on having an undisturbed digestion because within a day she'd gone and invited herself to the Victor's Village for New Year's.

She claimed it was Peeta who invited her, but it was gate crashing nonetheless. That's what Haymitch told her when the train pulled into the station and Effie took his arm, smiling sunnily at him.

"But think about how nice it will be," she said and seemed to have forgotten all about their disastrous Capitol weekend. "The four of us all together, welcoming a brand new year."

She kept talking with him about this and that on their way to the Victor's Village while curiously looking around, as she'd never seen District 12 during the festive seasons.

When Christmas arrived at the Capitol they had the trees decorated with twinkling lights, spotlights showered many of the buildings in different colorful patterns, always changing. A gigantic Christmas tree was put up on Heaven's Square, studded with more lights, thick silver tinsels and icicles. And if you wanted to escape the cold after a long day out you could always go drink hot chocolate or toddy at one of the many coffee houses or eat roasted chestnuts or burnt almonds from street stalls, making your breath all hot and sugary.
The city was never really still, never really quiet and she'd often fallen asleep to the sound of people caroling on the streets ever since she was a little girl.

District 12 looked like she remembered it from her visit before the Victory Tour. Well, not quite. There were sheaves of wheat fastened to poles outside many of the houses with mockingjays hoping about, chirping and picking, the snowy ground sprinkled with yellow seeds. There were snowmen and heaps of snowballs glowing from within in people's gardens and mats of fir twigs on their doorstep, to scrape your shoes clean before entering probably. And so all the snow. On the roofs, the trees, the meadows. White as far as the eye could see.

Smoke was rising from the chimneys when they arrived at the Victor's Village. From Haymitch's house too, but Effie didn't notice that until she was about to knock on the children's door, realizing Haymitch was by his own home.

"Katniss and Peeta," she began.

"They're at the bakery," he said and went inside, taking the bag he'd helped carry for her with him.

He bet she was forming a comment in her mind about his poor standard of living while crossing the space between the two houses and he heard her gasp when she entered.

"What, sweetheart?"

"It's just… so…"

"Clean?"

Effie stared around the kitchen. The chattered glass was gone, the floor lighter than she'd ever seen it, the kitchen sink shining in the sunlight. Clean curtains were put up before clean windows, a fresh cloth spread over the table.

"How did you manage to get it so nice?" Effie mumbled. "It's so welcoming and cozy." She smiled at Haymitch. "Did you do all of this for me?"

"Under penalty of death by Peeta."

There was even a Christmas tree in a corner, decorated with candy canes and apples on string, frilly paper angels and pine cones. She admired it for a long moment.

"Did you and Katniss and Peeta decorate it together?" she asked and Haymitch could hear on her voice she liked that thought.

"Mm."

"You know what we should do?" she said and Haymitch frowned when he heard the eagerness in her voice. "We should throw a big New Year's dinner party here and everyone would see what a lov…"

The exhausted expression on his face cut Effie off. She was silent for a long moment, perhaps remembering Haymitch on the run from his birthday.

"What if it's just us?" she said. "And… maybe the Hawthorne family?"

"They're in Two."

Haymitch sank down on the couch and Effie took a seat across from him, sitting like a queen on his armchair where the stuffing showed here and there.

"It's a wonderful day," she said. "We should not waste it. I could show you my new winter outfits or we could go for a walk or how about a nice cup of tea?"

"Nope," said Haymitch, his stomach churning at the very thought of the stuff Effie called tea. "You decided everything we did at the Capitol, Eff, so I get to chose what we're gonna do here."

"What do you want to do then?" Effie asked. "And Haymitch, remember," she added quickly. "I never meant for you to fall on the ice or get lost in the park so you don't have to chose the thing you hope I would want to do the least just as a revenge."

Haymitch raised his eyebrows at her.

"I was gonna say we go join the kids and you'll see the bakery. But now when you say it, we're gonna go… hiking," he said, uttering the first thing that came to mind.

"Hiking?" said Effie.

"Hiking," said Haymitch. "There's a hill not far from here with a view of a valley. You like that, don't ya?"

"We can't go climb a mountain in this weather. Have you seen how much snow it is outside? No, that's out of the question."

"That's sad," said Haymitch with a sigh. "Not much left for me to do then except getting drunk, I guess."

A crease appeared between Effie's eyebrows.

"There's no need for you to drink, Haymitch."

"Well, I wanted to go sit by the hillside and drink coffee with you but I guess I'll have to make do with the booze."

He got up from the sofa and into the kitchen and when he returned he brought with him a bottle of white liquor and a glass.

"Why do you want to go hiking?" Effie asked.

"Don't wanna go hiking," Haymitch said. "I'm drinking."

The liquor purled into the glass and Haymitch emptied the lot right in front of her making Effie frown. He refilled his glass and raised it to her in salute, making satisfied noises as he drank. He tipped the bottle up again.

"Stop!" Effie said, hand on his arm. "Stop drinking! I'll go with you if it's so important." She huffed in irritation for rising to his provocation. "At least I get to wear my newest winter outfit. I had it especially made for the cold winters here."

He showed Effie to her room upstairs and went to make coffee and then he had to wait almost forty minutes for her to get ready. When she finally did show up Haymitch rolled his eyes at the sight of her.

"It's the latest in fashion," she said, throwing her arms out.

Of course it is, he thought. Because like everything in Effie's wardrobe, the oddly shaped cross between a dress and a suit she wore looked more decorative than functional; not suited for Twelve in December by a long shot.

"Ask Katniss if you can borrow her snowsuit", he said. "We have some walking to do."

"Yes, I thought that we might. That's why I'm wearing this."

"You'll freeze your ass off."

"I'm perfectly equipped, Haymitch."

He snorted.

"What's going to be really interesting is watching you hiking," she said.

"Suit yourself," said Haymitch. He wasn't going to waste his breath on Effie if she insisted on being an idiot. "Just don't get all whiny on me later when I can use you as ice in my scotch."

It really was quite cold Effie noticed when they got outside. But she followed in Haymitch's tracks when he headed for the woods and told herself she'd warm up as they walked.

"Where is that mountain exactly?" she asked once they were surrounded by trees on all sides.

"It's a hill," Haymitch called over his shoulder.

"It's, it's too much snow," Effie said, already getting behindhand. "Wait!"

Haymitch waited and when Effie joined him her cheeks had reddened from the cold and the effort of walking in snow that reached her mid-calf.

"How much further?" she asked.

"Seriously? We just left the house," said Haymitch, already starting to regret his decision but he headed on without another word and Effie walked in the footsteps he plowed up. Even though he was taller than her Haymitch felt himself getting a little out of breath as they left District 12 behind.

The trees were clothed in white after the great snowfalls of the last few days. You could see the sun but it was dim, like a lamp behind a shower curtain and the silence was only interrupted by the occasional mockingjay. Well, except…

"I can't see any mountains," said Effie. "Are you sure this is the right direction? How much further?"

Sweat was trickling down his back. He stopped to let Effie catch up and for himself to catch his breath.

"How much further?" asked Effie. She looked absolutely frozen. "I've got snow I my shoes," she said just as the wind blew up more of the stuff in their faces and Effie whimpered. "I've been travelling all day! You could at least have let me settle down first. We could have made some tea with honey and cardamom and sat by the fire and have an interesting conversation and maybe some of Peeta's rolls with strawberry jam. But instead we are plodding through the snow looking for a mountain you're forcing me to climb just to annoy me!"

A heavy snow began and even with Effie's constant complaints about everything from the snow to the wind to Haymitch's lack in response he kept walking deeper into the wild and Effie kept following. It was a beautiful winter day really, despite Effie's nagging and the wind that made them squint.

"You know, in the Capitol we have sightseeings," she said, trying to hide the fact that she was panting. "Hovertrains take you around the mountains. We could do that. We'll go back to the Victor's Village now and then, the next time you visit…"

"Don't tell me you're already giving up, sweetheart?" said Haymitch. "The Effie Trinket can't handle a little snow?"

"Little snow," muttered Effie.

OK, a lot of snow, thought Haymitch. It hadn't been as cold when the air was still and clear but now the snow came down heavily, the icy wind numbing their faces.

"Let's turn back, Haymitch," said Effie.

"We're almost there."

"No, we're not! Let's go back now before it gets worse!"

"I'm telling ya, it's not far. Soon we'll turn left and then…"

"You can hardly even tell where left is at this point!" Effie yelled.

But it wasn't until they had a full blown snowstorm on their hands that Haymitch finally admitted defeat and they turned around to get back to the Victor's Village.

The snow hit them mercilessly, making it almost impossible to keep your eyes open. They staggered on as Haymitch tried to follow their tracks back but their footprints were already almost completely gone.

"I hope for your own sake you know where we are, Haymitch!"

"Ever heard the words pain and ass put into a sentence, Eff?"

"Just concentrate on getting us back!"

But that wasn't as easy anymore. What little he could see through the whiteness was just the deep woods.

This is bad.

He rubbed his hand over his eyes, gasping for breath as the wind seemed to suck the very oxygen out of the air.

"Just keep going," he called, having to shout to be heard. But he was talking to no one because Effie wasn't beside him anymore. "Eff?" he shouted and for the first time since all of this had happened he felt a real stab of fear. "Effie? Eff!"

"Here," said a voice and she materialized behind a tree and his fright was instantly replaced by anger.

"Don't wander off like that, damn it!"

It's the storm, I can't see..."

"We have to stay together!" he said and took her by the hand pulling her to him. He didn't mean to be so rough but Effie yelped out when she staggered several steps forward. Haymitch grunted something and held her gentler but still firmly as if afraid she'd be taken right out of his hand; blown away by the wind.

They kept trudging forward, hand in hand, like a pair of lost children, the wind squeezing tears from their eyes.

The forest should have thinned out by now if they were walking in the right direction. Shit, he could barely see anything. Not the trees, not any lights from the houses, not anything but the whiteness that pained his face. But he felt Effie's hand clutching his; evidence that she was still there.

"Where are we? I can't see where we are." The annoyance had left her voice, revealing the fright underneath. He heard her whimper, making him remember that if he felt cold it could be nothing compared to Effie, dressed as she was in that idiotic get-up.

"It's just a bit further," he said.

It must be. He'd go insane if it wasn't. If each step he took just brought her deeper and deeper into the wild. Why had he taken them out hiking? Why the fuck had he taken them out hiking!
He rubbed his hand over his eyes again, ridding his face from ice crystals and that's when he saw it.

"What is it?" said Effie when he stopped.

"A… a house."

A small one, embedded in snow but he felt its unyielding concrete surface against his palm.
They climbed over the snow that had filled the entrance where the door used to be and there were drifts of more snow under all the gaping holes of windows. One window was intact though, if only barely, leaving a spot where you could still see the floor and with the help of an icy log and a old twig broom, he made a place for them and they collapsed next to each other, panting for breath.

"What are we going to do?" said Effie.

"Can't do a thing, sweetheart." Haymitch said. "Just wait for Katniss and Peeta to find us."

"But that could be hours from now." Effie rubbed his hands together, trying to get some warmth into them.

"The weather's as bad in town as it is here. They'll know we're in trouble pretty fast."

"Then they will just get as lost as we are!" said Effie and Haymitch winced at the sound of her shrill voice.

"They'll come with a search party."

"We don't know where we are. How can you expect them to find us?"

"They'll come OK, what do you want from me?" Haymitch barked. "There's nothing we can do but wait until someone finds us. And quit the damn whining, alright? I don't need any headaches right now."

Effie looked about to say something else but then the energy seemed to just go out of her and she wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her face against them. The snowy wind getting in through three broken windows and the door was losing up more and more of her head wrap.

"You'll only freeze more if you're all stiff like that," Haymitch said.

Effie lifted her head, staring at him. Her teeth chattered between parted lips.

"Then what am I supposed to do? I'm freezing and I hate being cold, Haymitch!"

"Should've borrowed Katniss's snowsuit like I told you."

"Yes, and that's really helpful now! They won't find us," she said. "Not when we'll be buried under the snow. Or when night comes and it has gotten a lot colder than it is now, or when the r-roof collapses in on us."

"No, Effie. They'll find up, I promise."

"You don't know that!" she said and she squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face against her arms, shaking in every limb. Haymitch sighed.

"Come here," he said. Effie looked up, seeing him starting to unzip his jacket and she inched close to him without a word so he could zip it around them both. He leaned against the wall with Effie trembling like a puppy in the rain, close to his body. He reached up and took off the already loosened head wrap, letting her strawberry blonde hair fall down her shoulder and over her ear and cheek. He felt the scent from her hair, a whiff like summer and bubble bath and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Tell me something," said Effie through the sound of her clattering teeth.

"What?"

"Anything. Just so I don't have to think about what will happen to us."

"Nothing will happen to us, sweetheart. We just have to stick this out until they find us."
Effie buried her face in his sweater, the fabric dampening when she sighed deeply onto it.

"Tell me something," she mumbled again.

"I don't have any 'How I Got Prim the goat' stories," Haymitch said because this was really getting ironic.

She mumbled something else, words muffled by his sweater.

"What?"

"I'm sorry for every time I was mean to you."

Haymitch gave a bark of laughter.

"Effs, we've been here for like five minutes."

"I'm sorry when I yelled at your or reprimanded you and when I forced you to ice skate and… and… whenever I gave you a hard time. I'm sorry that…"

"Princess," said Haymitch, "don't tell me things you're gonna regret later. You're not gonna die here. You're just Capitol spoiled."

"Hm."

Haymitch smiled and then he remembered something. He sat up straighter and began unzipping his jacket.

"No," mumbled Effie, hand around a fistful of his sweater but he kept unzipping, releasing them and reach for his bag.

"Coffee?" she said, looking like she might marry him when Haymitch unscrewed the lid of a thermos. "Oh, you are so foresighted, Haymitch!"

"Wow. Two compliments in one day."

He poured coffee into a cup, handing it to Effie who wrapped her hands around it, almost teary when feeling its warmth.

"You didn't even want to hike," she said, taking a sip. "You just thought it would be the last thing in the world I would want to do."

Haymitch smirked, pouring himself a cup.

"And still you came along just cause I said so."

"Only because I thought we would have a nice winter picnic not far from the house. Not get lost in the woods and freeze to death in an abandoned cabin."

Effie sighed, sitting awkwardly in her outfit and sipping her coffee, until she looked back gloomily at her own distorted reflection at the bottom of the mug. Haymitch refilled it to her and then there was nothing left in the thermos. The small amount of warmth it'd given them seemed to leach out of their bodies right into the stone floor and there was nothing left to do except zip themselves together in Haymitch's jacket again.

The sight was next no none outside and the temperature continued to drop as the hours passed. Shit, he'd give every bottle in his house to sit in front of the fireplace right now. Each intake of breath hurt and his teeth just wouldn't stop chattering.

"My entire body has gone numb," Effie mumbled.

"J-just try and think about something else," Haymitch said.

"Like what?"

How much time had passed? Surely Katniss and Peeta must know they were in trouble by now? Fuck. He should've told them where they were going. Effie was right. This had been a shitty idea.

"T-talk to me, Eff," he said. "You make me nervous when you're not insisting on manners."

"I don't k-know what to talk about," Effie said.

"Tell me… tell me what we're gonna do when we get back to the Capitol."

"We're never going back to the Capitol," Effie whispered.

"Yeah, we will. Tell me what we're gonna do."

Effi inhaled shallowly, burrowing deeper into his jacket.

"I would t-take you to the Caldarium."

"What's that?"

"A spa. One of our best. Jacuzzis in five sizes. Warm, fragrant water full of bubbles, hot steaming rooms, getting full body massages with oil or honey or melted chocolate."

"Chocolate?"

"Yes." It came out like a sigh.

"What good is that?"

"It's refreshing and good for the skin."

"Huh. And I who thought you guys only used it in the bedroom."

"I never use melted chocolate in the bedroom," Effie said. "Too messy."

"There's a better alternative?"

"I'd… Oh, hush."

Haymitch grinned.

"When do you think they'll find us?" Effie asked.

"Once they've figured out we're in the woods it'll probably just take…"

"Wait, what?" said Effie. "You didn't tell them where we were going?"

"Didn't think I had to."

"But then who knows how long… What if we'll have to spend the night here?"

"There's only so many places we can be, Eff," he said, trying to say so casually but knew she must be thinking the same thing he was. That if the temperature continued to drop at this rate and Katniss and Peeta didn't show up they'd really be in trouble.

And it was darkening outside. He'd hoped the storm would blow itself out but the weather wasn't changing other than the fact it was getting colder. He brushed away the snow settling on them regularly but it just came more through the door and windows.

We're not in trouble, he told himself. Katniss knows these woods. She must know about this cabin. She'd know I'd take Effie here if I saw it. We're not in trouble.

But the hours passed, nothing changed and no one came. When Effie's trembling body suddenly stilled in his arms he called out her name sharply, his voice raspy with the effort.

"No," mumbled Effie.

"Tell me somethin'."

"No."

"Y-yes! Tell me something."

"I don't have any more stories."

"Tell me whatever you want. Eff!" he called when she didn't answer, lying unmoving against his chest. "Effie!"

"Let me be," she mumbled.

"Eff, you can't go to sleep, you know that! And I'll… I'll tell you a story."

Fuck, he was so cold all his thoughts seemed jumbled up, like it took twice as much time to sort them out before uttering them.

"Y-you remember… during the Games? Swamp year. You remember that last night?"

Effie who'd kept her eyes closed up until now blinked them open, and her fingers stroked only momentarily against his chest. Of course she remembered. She'd never forget.

It was one of the few years when they'd actually gotten a sponsor to the table. And not just any sponsor. A legend. A real Capitol grande dame, nearly a hundred years old, who had backed tributes since the birth of the Hunger Games.

She'd hardly even deigned Haymitch with a glance, despite him being the mentor and the one to seal the sponsor deals but before she left she'd squeezed Effie's hand, saying the Games Headquarters might just be getting a phone call of recommendation soon.

She'd paced the penthouse that last day, unable to think about anything else other than the fact she could finally be getting The letter this year. She'd heard the other escorts talk about it often and it was always delivered the last day of the Games season, hand written in ink on parchment with the seal of Panem and given to the escorts or stylists when they were to be promoted.

She was so nervous yet so certain she would get that letter. So when the penthouse remained deserted, when the time finally told her she'd been mistaken, that yet again they didn't think her efforts were worth anything, it stroke her hard. So brutally, painfully, mercilessly hard.

When Haymitch entered the sitting room an hour later he found a red-eyed Effie by herself on the sofa. When she saw him and the bottle in his hand she rose from the couch, in no mood to let Haymitch know about her misfortune just so he could mock her about it. But he asked her why she was crying and his voice hadn't been sneering at all, on the contrary. He'd sounded kind and considerate and it was so unexpected Effie found herself blurting out everything that had happened. And Haymitch hadn't interrupted her with any snide remarks, had even given her small comments of encouragement and then he walked over to the gigantic menu by the bar mumbling into the mouthpiece bringing them white wine and chocolate cake. And they'd spent the night together in that sitting room, just enjoying the pastries and talking.

And Effie told him things she'd never voiced out to anyone before. Her feelings when first attending the job, the mocks and prejudices she'd had to fight off from the other escorts, about how she sometimes felt like no one appreciated her or took her seriously and why, why, with all her efforts and hard work, she never seemed to be good enough for anything but the coal district. She was aware that maybe she hadn't been completely well mannered during that conversation but Haymitch hadn't mocked her for it, he'd let her get everything out of her chest and his presence and his words had made her feel better, much better because it had been one of those times she'd been positive Haymitch Abernathy really did care about her.

"I remember," said Effie. "And that chocolate cake was really delicious."

"Well," said Haymitch. "There's something I never told you about that."

"What do you mean?"

"I knew they intended to promote you. Plutarch told me. So I put on my best suit, went up to the Headquarters and advised them not to do it."

What he'd just said was so outrageous and Effie was so chilled to the bones it took a moment for the words to sink in. Then he felt her stirring.

"Wait," she mumbled. "Wait a minute. Wait just one minute!"

She tried to get up from their zipped-in position, but was unable to without opening the jacket and he felt her fingernails digging into his chest.

"You did what!?"

It was almost funny to watch Effie go from lying numbly against his chest to this woman, spitting mad, so furious it made her forget how cold she was, which was the very reason he'd revealed all that.

"Why did you do that?" She still couldn't properly meet eyes with him because of the jacket that she – despite everything – seemed reluctant to unzip, but her breathing was hot against his throat.

Because I needed you to stay with me. Because you were too associated with me and I didn't dare to lose you out of sight.

"I would have said no, Haymitch! I would have stayed with District 12. You know I would!"

"So I fixed it. You're welcome, Eff."

"Oh, Haymitch! When we get out of here I will…"

A golden square of light appeared, wandering across the wall, effectively cutting Effie off.

"It's them?"

Haymitch rubbed his sleeve against the one remaining window. He couldn't see much but he did see the lights and in the distance there were voices, calling.

"Oh, it's them," Effie said and she almost cried with relief, as Haymitch tried to unzip the jacket with stiff fingers. "Thank goodness, Haymitch. I'm not going to die in the woods with you!"

The fireplace had never been a more welcomed sight when Katniss and Peeta placed their half frozen ex-mentor and escort in a pair of armchairs, draping quilts around them and putting mugs of broth in their hands. Effie teeth clattered as she tried taking tiny sips of the warm beverage. Her bandana was back on and she'd gotten to borrow a woolen cardigan from Haymitch. It was too big on her and she was sure to look drab but she pulled the collars together, burrowing into it, in no hurry to give it back.

"I'm never going out in the woods ever again," she said. She looked to Haymitch. "I should have known better than getting attached to people whose roads aren't asphalted."

xXx

The following days went by more or less peacefully over at the kids' house, with only Effie bustling about going over the menu for their New Year's dinner and decorations.
Haymitch was mostly in the way but he went into town when they needed stuff and then he played chess with Peeta watching Effie flit about the rooms in full escort mode. It was just the clipboard that was missing.

They spent one afternoon, well into the night dipping candles. They sat at the kitchen table making pomander balls by sticking cloves into oranges hanging them up by bright red ribbons in the windows so its fresh scent could fill the rooms.

And when New Year's Day arrived crisp and cold, she forced Haymitch to sweep the floor and make paths between the houses with the sun glittering off his shovel and the icicles hanging from the rain gutters.

But he'd had worse dinners, he'd give her that. Even if he had to wash the food down with sparkling water after she managed to bribe him into a sober New Year's by promising eight bottles of his favourite Capitol whiskey when she returned. They spread the table with a fresh cloth and laden it with plates of wild turkey and rice cooked together in a thick sauce with carrots and cream and almonds. Most of dinner Haymitch and Peeta sat trying not to choke on their food, listening to Effie's hilarious small talk with Katniss.

"I must say, Haymitch," Effie smiled, half-through. "I'm having a really nice time."

"You sound surprised, sweetheart."

"Oh, no. I've always been convinced you must have nice moments in District 12 too. And see, I was right!" she beamed, reaching for the water jug, refilling his glass.

"Glad to hear it," said Haymitch, leaning back in his chair. "Cause you know how it ends, don't ya?"

"Hm?" said Effie, who had already turned to Katniss and Peeta. "Would you like some more sparkling water, dear ones?"

"Stroke of midnight will be at the Hob," said Haymitch and Peeta's glass spilled over its edges.

As long as any of them could remember, the people in the Seam joined together at the Hob on New Year's, where the fire and company and the warmth of a cup of clear broth could almost make you forget just how miserable your life was, if only for a moment. It'd been a Seam thing when the building was still located there, not far from where Haymitch's old house had been, but after they rebuilt the Hob closer in town it'd turned into something of a tradition for the whole district.

Effie was nervous, even though she tried to hide it. He could tell just by the way she clutched his arm on their slow walk into town. And who could blame her? He wondered if she'd ever actually talked to anyone in Twelve apart from them and the mayor when not standing on the stage at the reaping. But everyone already knew she was back and if she was going to keep coming back, might as well introduce her standing on the ground.

Effie shivered, looking enviously at Haymitch's sturdy jacket. It was so quiet, she swore she could hear his heartbeat. The road glittered in the moonlight, the night sky stretching out endlessly above them. She'd never really paid proper attention to the stars until her return in District 12 after the war. You could never see them from the Capitol – although they did have starlight installations in some areas on special occasions – and whenever she'd been on the train in the late hours during the Games her eyes had so often been glued to her clipboard. But the starry sky above them now twinkled and glittered in a way that would put even the most excellent jeweller to shame.

People looked their way when Effie entered the Hob with Haymitch and Katniss and Peeta but it was mostly looks of mild interest, if none at all, before people returned to their drinks and food and conversations. Place was full of people standing in groups or sitting by the tables or being squeezed together on the sofa. Some of the children sat on the rug in front of the fireplace, sharing an orange from one of the many bowls around the room. The flames on the hearth reflected itself in their eyes.

She was called Greasy Sae, the woman running the eatery – such a peculiar name – and when she wasn't taking people's food orders she talked with Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch; the sound of more people at her back, working in the kitchen.

It was strange watching Haymitch on Hob ground. There was an air of mutual respect between the people here, Effie noticed. Of knowing where you had each other. And even if Haymitch still wasn't very sociable he talked more than he'd ever done over at her place and the slightly hostile look on his face was gone. Two burly looking men, called Bristel and Thom, soon joined them along with a girl and a boy with identical yellow hair and they spent most of the night talking with them and with Greasy Sae.

"She's fond of you," Effie said when she got a moment alone with Haymitch. "Mrs. Sae. Have you been friends with her for long?"

Haymitch nodded.

"She delivered me."

A look of complete confusion crossed Effie's eyes so Haymitch told her about the old days when Katniss's grandparents were still in charge over the apothecary shop and were as close to doctors as the district had. They were town's people in every limb so the prices were often too steep for Seam people – something that would get a drastic change when Katniss's mother took over. Greasy Sae's family was one of the largest in Twelve and she'd been something of a midwife for the Seam back then.

Effie listened to his story without interrupting him and an image flooded her mind of a tiny baby Haymitch with huge gray eyes and cute little fingers and toes and not a scowl on his face. She smiled, just as Thom returned from Ripper's counter bringing cups of something hot and steaming, too reddish to be coffee.

"That's…" Effie began.

"It's mulled wine," said Haymitch, taking a mouthful. "Doesn't count."

He gave her a cup. It's rich fragrance filled her nose and Effie took a tiny sip. It tasted sweet and fruity, the alcohol only just noticeable but its warmth spreading throughout her.

She should have known it was just Haymitch being bored and wanting to mess with her when he told her stories about the barbaric district men and women who frequented the Hob eating Capitolians for breakfast, and almost bringing her own breakfast up by giving her vivid descriptions of Greasy Sae's specialties like her concoction of mice meat, pig entrails and tree bark. When in fact the tomato soup with basil leaves served today looked just as palatable as their Capitol version.

Haymitch sipped his cup of mulled wine, his eyes never leaving Effie, watching her talk with Delly Cartwright and her kid brother. Even when wearing a much more toned down dress than usual Effie still stuck out, surrounded by people's weather-bitten faces and sturdy simple clothes. She was holding a very low profile, Haymith noted, undoubtedly because she was so aware of her history here. But despite what she'd been known as to the people in Twelve, they treated her with kindness and respect. Her friendship with Katniss and Peeta seemed to be enough for most of them to accept her.

Effie felt his eyes on her and gave him a warm smile and the emotion that filled him was so strong it almost overwhelmed him: he was so glad that she was here.

At the stroke of midnight, when people counted down from ten, both of them actually joined in until finally everyone in the Hob called out a "Happy New Year!" hugging and kissing each other, left and right.

Effie smiled at Haymitch and Haymitch smiled at her.

"Happy birthday, Eff," he said and without a word Effie rested her hands against his elbows, stood on tip-toe and kissed him on the cheek. The kiss landed at the corner of his mouth, which was never her intention. It lasted only a second and yet it was enough to make his heart jump in his chest. Then the moment broke and he stared at her, blood flooding his cheeks. Effie's face was as red as his and she barely dared looking him in the eye. Despite how innocent the kiss had been her heart pounded and she tried to hide her embarrassment by hugging Katniss, hugging Peeta and then excused herself, heading for the restroom to escape Haymitch's eyes.

The sound of the bathroom door closing shut seemed to resonate inside her, like the echo of a stone gate. Her whole body was tingling. His touch still lingered on her mouth and the feel of his scratchy cheek and the softness of his lips made heat build up between her legs.

This is Haymitch, she thought, over and over again. Compose yourself, Effie. This is Haymitch.

Someone pulled down the handle on the other side of the door.

"It's occupied," Effie called but it opened and shut still and there he was. They stared at each other as Haymitch towered over her in the small space and her heart hammered in her chest. One second passed, two. She saw the fever in his eyes and her breaths quickened.

"Haymitch." That was all she got out before his lips were on hers so brutally they stumbled back a step. His hand shot out to keep them from falling over the toilet. Effie wrapped her arms around him, a moan escaping her lips as she kissed him back, his hands all over her body, touching her shamelessly. She fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, tugging it off, kissed his neck, his shoulder and up to his mouth again, driving him crazy. She was so warm and soft, God help him! He moaned, flat-out gasped when her hand went down his chest and stomach until it came to rest over his hardness, stirring his body more awake than it'd been in years.

"Eff," he gasped, the desperation clear in his voice. "Effie."

She stroked him through the fabric and he moaned again, pulling at the top of her dress, freeing more skin and when his stubble grazed her when he kissed her there Effie gasped, head thrown back, close to release just by this, desire coursing through her in hot waves leaving her so wet she could barely think. Her breathing grew more and more laboured as he caressed her up her inner thigh and when he grazed over her centre through the undergarments Effie muffled a pleasure scream behind her hand when suddenly, without warning, the door swung opened.

Katniss stared at them, mouth agape, seeing her former mentor and escort half-naked tangled together in the small bathroom. Effie stumbled back from Haymitch, eyes darting from Katniss to Haymitch and down to her half-exposed chest and she turned her back to them with a gasp and burning cheeks.

"What?" Haymitch barked out, looking at Katniss. His face was smudged with Effie's lipstick.

"I'll never be able to unsee this…" Katniss said, looking nauseated just as another familiar face came visible around the corner. Peeta, who called out in surprise, actually taking a step back and Haymitch slammed the door shut, locking it.

Effie still had her back turned to him, fervently trying to adjust her dress, her makeup, so embarrassed she was close to tears. And as the lust for her slowly faded again he tried to make sense of what the hell just happened.

"Effie, I…"

"I shouldn't be here," Effie whimpered, still trying to get her clothes back in some sort of order. "I will never be able to face them again! This wasn't supposed to happen! It wasn't supposed to happen!" She met his gaze, face hot with anguish. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered and fled the room.

Author's Note: Hope you liked that and remember: reviews are love :) Pardon me for any typos. English is not my first language.
Also, thanks to all of you reading and reviewing, following and favouriting. It means a lot and it's motivating me to keep writing.