Chapter 1
Pink elephants
The train still wasn't moving and Effie couldn't keep from tapping her long decorated nails impatiently against the window sill. She was very proud of them even if they'd made wrapping Haymitch's birthday present so much more difficult.
Her thoughts had gone back to Haymitch and Katniss and Peeta repeatedly over the years. She'd read about the rebuildings in her newspaper and Plutarch had filled her in on what he knew but the last time she ever spoke to Haymitch was the day he returned to take Peeta home to District 12.
And then one day out of the blue a letter landed on her door mat inviting her to Haymitch's birthday.
Due to the destruction in District 12 and all across Panem the trains had not been accessible to the public until recently but there were still days like this with cancelled trains and these awful delays.
Effie sighed and touched the bandana she'd wrapped around her hair. She would have gone yesterday morning hadn't it been for her job. At the rate things were going she would miss everything.
When she finally did get off of the train the sun sat low on the horizon. She walked through town following the path that would take her to the Victor's Village. She'd done so more times than she could count, collecting Haymitch for the reapings and even though most of the houses and shops were newly built, the district felt familiar to her.
A soft breeze blew through the hardwood trees on either side of the road. Little clouds of sand billowed up around her dress, no matter her efforts. She could just make out the rooftop of one of the houses in the Victor's Village when a pebble landed across from her on the road. She stopped confused, then started walking again only to feel another one hit her dress.
"Yes?" she said, looking around. A shower of pebbles hit all over her dress. "Yes!" she squeaked. "What?"
And there he was. Unshaven, wrinkled shirt, his dirty blonde hair falling in messy strands around his face. Haymitch lay slouched back in the shadow of a tree, a collection of bottles at arm's reach, along with a plate with a slice of birthday cake and a spoon. He heaved himself up, not too steadily, when she made way for him while brushing her dress in exasperated motions.
"Why did you throw pebbles at me, Haymitch? That's extremely rude. And childlike."
"Good to see you too, Trinks," said Haymitch and gave Effie a big hug almost tumbling her over. Then he just slumped back down on the grass and grabbed a bottle.
"What are you doing out here?" Effie asked.
"I escaped," he said and took a mouthful. "Why're you so late? That's rude."
"The train was behind schedule. Won't Katniss and Peeta wonder where you are?"
"Left a note."
"You should attend the party, Haymitch. It is for you after all."
"What party?" Haymitch asked. "I'm stayin' right here. Better for everyone anyway. I have my bottles, my cake, the kids won't have to deal with me and everyone's getting a nice, hot meal."
"You've really thought this through, haven't you?"
"Yep," said Haymitch. He patted the space next to him. "Sit."
Effie looked from Haymitch to the ground and back again.
"No, thank you."
"You're gonna give me my present, aren't you?"
"Yes. Eventually…"
"So sit."
"… at the party. After the speeches. That's what I had in mind."
"What speeches? Come on and sit down, Eff. Have a rest from those shoes you're wearing. They look like they'll eat you."
"Actually they're quite more comfortable than my usual footwear," Effie said automatically. But she did put her suitcase aside, got a handkerchief out of her sleeve and draped it over the grass.
"You manage to go to the toilet with those?" Haymitch asked, once she'd had a seat. He nodded towards her nails and Effie cleared her throat, unable to hide how pleased she was with them.
Haymitch took a swig from his bottle, admiring her long legs.
"You know I always liked you better, Effie, without all that makeup."
"How very subtle, Haymitch," said Effie and crossed her feet at the ankles.
Haymitch yawned and scratched his stomach. It pressed against his shirt when he stretched out.
"So," he said. "Give me my present."
"You do know that's not how it works?"
"Well, you brought me one, didn't you?"
"Yes, but…"
"So give it to me," he said, flicking his fingers inwardly.
Effie sighed and reached for her suitcase. And from its depths she got out a large, flat box in gold wrappings. Haymitch's hands were weighed down when she handed it to him.
"What is this?" he asked and gave it a shake, holding on to the hope it was something liquid.
"Look for yourself," Effie said. Her eyes had lit up with expectations.
Haymitch had no high hopes. The paper rustled, catching glints of the sun when he unwrapped it.
And his eyebrows lifted when he saw what it was.
"Do you like it?" Effie smiled. "I remember you enjoy playing chess."
Haymitch ran his fingers against the chessboard, made out of some kind of dark and light stone, smooth as glass.
"I had it done especially for you", said Effie. "See." And her finger brushed lightly against the side of the board, where elegant letters spelled Haymitch Abernathy.
He opened it and saw the chess pieces, one side in black stone, the opposing side in white. They were small but they were elaborate. Armored knights, arrow bearing soldiers, bishops, crowned kings and queens.
"Well, that's one way to waste money," Haymitch mumbled and lifted one of the pawns, looking at it.
"And what do you say?" asked Effie. "When you get a present you say…"
Haymitch rolled his eyes and carefully put the piece and the chessboard back into its wrapping.
"Thanks, Eff. I appreciate your not that useful gift."
He extended his birthday cake to her.
"Want some?"
"Um," said Effie, looking at its obviously half-eaten state. "No, I'm fine."
"You didn't mind sharing with me before."
"One time," said Effie, remembering when she'd come to collect him for a reaping, hands shaking with low blood sugar and Haymitch had given her a cup of goat milk. "And I didn't know you refilled your already used cup. Not until afterwards when you were kind enough to inform me."
Haymitch snapped the seal on a bottle and Effie drew back instantly when he stuck it right under her nose.
"And I'm not drinking that! Do you even know what it is?"
Haymitch shrugged.
"White liquor?"
"That's suspiciously vague."
He took a big gulp from his own bottle, looking at Effie with a smug grin on his face. "Bet you've never been shit-faced, princess."
"Of course I have, Haymitch. I was young once too, you know."
"Really?"
"Even if I never made a habit of drinking myself blind while at work."
"We're not working now, are we?" He made her take the bottle. "Try it. You can drink my health or something. It's my birthday, y'know."
"Oh, very well," Effie said and tipped it up, having a sip. Only to crinkle her face, coughing.
"Sweet Panem," she got out. Her eyes watered and she put the bottle aside. "I'm not drinking that anymore even if it is your birthday."
She tried to compose herself and reached for her purse and the hand mirror – one he remembered from their many train rides together.
"When's your birthday?" he asked.
"You know that, Haymitch. 1th of January. It was quite dramatic actually. My mother's water broke in the middle of a New Year's dinner party. I was a little early."
"Doesn't surprise me at all. How old are you again?"
"It's impolite to ask a lady her age."
"Why? You're forty?"
"Absolutely not! Do I look like I'm forty?"
"Nah, you don't look a day over fifty-five," said Haymitch and let his empty bottle roll onto the grass.
"Well, not everyone can look as devastatingly handsome as you, can they?" said Effie, examining her reflection for a few more moments, brushed a light fingertip unnecessary along her jaw line and snapped the mirror shut. She cleared her throat and took another sip from her bottle. The liquor felt like fire going down. Now it warmed her from inside.
"But your rudeness put aside, Haymitch, I'm happy you invited me here first time you got."
"I didn't," said Haymitch. "Katniss and Peeta did. This was all their idea."
"Oh," said Effie, unable to hide her disappointment. Haymitch pulled out a wrinkled cloth from his back pocket and blew his nose loudly.
"Thought about you though," he said.
Effie smiled.
"I have thought about you too."
Haymitch lifted his bottle and Effie clinked her own against it. She took another sip, not as opposed to this "white liquor" after a few mouthfuls.
Even with the sun gone the air was warm as they sat under the tree talking and drinking and, since she didn't have Haymitch's hollow leg, Effie got gigglier and chattier by the minute. She wrapped her hands lovingly around her bottle and almost bubbled over with excitement, talking about stuff that meant nothing to Haymitch.
"And that's why Peaseblossom's designs are amazing! Amazing!" She leaned back against the tree next to Haymitch and took his bottle just when he was about to have a drink and she tipped the content into her own mouth. Rude, Haymitch thought.
Effie inhaled and rubbed the back of her hand against her mouth. She looked to Haymitch.
"How are my victors?" she asked. "How are Katniss and Peeta?"
"Better," said Haymitch. "They're living together."
"Oh, it makes me very happy to hear that," Effie said. "They deserve to be happy after all they've been through."
She rested her head against Haymitch's shoulder.
"How are you?" she asked. "You never call. I wish you'd called me. We were a team, you know. I think I would like some cake now!" she said and bolted up, grabbing his plate. "Oh, that is delicious!" she said, voice muffled. "Did Peeta make this? Delicious! You want some?"
"I'm good, sweetheart."
"Oh," Effie cooed.
"What now?"
"It feels so long ago since you called me that. Here you go," she said and placed a smacking kiss on his cheek while liquor spilt from her bottle. "I have missed you," she mumbled with her head against his shoulder. "I missed your smell. I miss your…"
"How drunk are you, Eff?"
"Um… quite drunk… I think."
She closed her eyes, took Haymitch's arm and wrapped it around herself like a blanket.
Before long she was snoring.
xXx
"Heard the escort's back," said Greasy Sae as she handed a bowl of steaming hot stew to Haymitch. "You should have brought her here, boy", she said. "Girl should eat more."
After the war when they opened the borders many new shops had sprung up in Twelve, giving you less and less need for the black market. Still, the Hob was rebuilt when the rest of Twelve were and Greasy Sae and Ripper had turned it into an eatery. The few times Haymitch felt the need of a hot plate he always went there.
He soaked up the stew on his bread, slowly chewing on it.
It felt strange to have Effie here in Twelve. After his return with Peeta four years ago he'd made Plutarch give him updates on how Effie was doing. He felt bad about not keeping in touch. Not that he didn't feel bad about a lot of things concerning Effie.
It was Plutarch's idea to have Effie escort Katniss for Snow's execution. Haymitch hadn't been happy about it, with Effie still in the hospital but Plutarch said it would give a good statement and Effie said she wanted to do it. That Katniss should be surrounded by people she knew. He'd come and visited Effie at the hospital as often as he could and they'd talked a lot. About Katniss, about Peeta, about her recovery and what would happen to Panem now but nothing about her abduction or torture. He knew some of what she'd been through, since he'd seen her injuries and heard the doctor's report. He would be there if she wanted to talk but as soon as they got even close to the subject she always changed topic.
When he returned to get Peeta she'd followed them up to the roof where the hovercraft waited, the powder on her face hiding the multi-colored bruises he knew were there. She'd wrapped her arms around Peeta, speaking softly to him and then she turned to Haymitch and hugged him as well, whispering in his ear to "Take care of them".
And when the hovercraft took off and he watched Effie become smaller and smaller he'd honestly believed their paths would never cross again.
Katniss had already traded the content of her game bag earlier and came out of the grocer's with Peeta just when Haymitch appeared, a cup of broth in hand, and they headed back for the Victor's Village together.
"Where's Effie?" Peeta asked when they were almost home. "Never saw her come in yesterday."
"There," said Haymitch and nodded to his right.
"What?"
"There," he said again but it wasn't until he turned and walked over the grass with a very bewildered Katniss and Peeta in tow that they noticed the little heap in the shadows of a hardwood tree.
Their former escort lay curled up on the grass, snoring softly. Her shoes and all the empty bottles stood in neat rows beside her. Haymitch crouched down and nudged Effie unceremoniously.
It sure wasn't the reunion Effie had imagined. She was so hungover she was almost cross-eyed but she put on a smile and got up unsteadily to give Katniss and Peeta a hug.
Haymitch gave her the cup of broth and offered her an arm for support and the four of them headed up the path to the Victor's Village.
"I can't believe I got so inebriated," Effie muttered so only Haymitch could hear. "And I can't believe you let them find me like that," she added with a pointed look at him. "What a spectacle."
"You'd rather have them finding you the way I did? Spooning me?"
"Oh, I didn't, Haymitch," said Effie with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"If you say so, sweetheart."