Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me except the mistakes as this is un-beta'd.

Note: Sorry for the wait.

Happy reading.

A Semblance of a Life

Chapter Five

Haymitch walked into the kitchen to find Effie pouring tea and adding milk to each cup. He cleared his throat slightly as not to make her jump before saying:

"Well I've managed to find them some place to sit amongst all the painting madness. You know they still look a little shell-shocked to me."

He laughed a little to himself about that last part. But then Haymitch noticed that Effie had not turned to give him a smile that was simultaneously knowing and rueful as he fully expected her to do. In fact she did not respond at all. It was only then that he realised she had been stirring the last cup of tea for a hell of a long time whilst frowning at her reflection in the glass of the kitchen window.

He immediately assumed she was looking at her somewhat scruffy appearance. Whilst he had certainly become accustom to seeing her not fully made up, in fact she hadn't been fully made up since the wedding and even then her appearance was severely toned down to what it had been before the revolution. Nevertheless, the children had never seen her without her make-up on, or with her hair scraped back, or in his old, baggy clothes that were covered in paint.

"You look fine sweetheart." He told her sincerely.

"I look like a tramp." Was her automatic reply but it still sounded distracted. Distracted enough, in fact, for Haymitch to realise it wasn't her appearance that had been worrying her at all.

"Yeah, well, you're the prettiest damn tramp I've ever seen."

To this she finally stopped stirring the tea and turned to face him. She offered him a small smile but he could see the uncertainty and … fear, at least he thought it was fear, in her eyes.

"What is it?" He asked with genuine concern.

He himself was apprehensive about telling the kids. He was wary of all of the inevitable comments and teasing that would follow but he wasn't scared. He suddenly had the worst sinking feeling in his stomach that perhaps she was having second thoughts about the whole thing – about moving there, marrying him properly, having a real life together.

Effie remained quiet for several moments. He was about to ask her again when she suddenly burst out, barely keeping a lid on her obvious hysteria:

"They're not going to want me here! You saw their faces. They're not going to want me here. Katniss is not going to want me here!"

"Don't be stupid!" He replied harshly before he could think of the words falling out of his mouth.

He regretted it at once as soon as he saw her flinch slightly. One thing he had learnt – raising a voice to Effie when she was feeling upset or insecure was one sure fire way to make it a hell of a lot worse. Haymitch brought his hand up and stroked her cheek gently, it was now a little wet from the silent tears that had fallen. He hoped the gesture would be enough to show what he truly meant.

"I'm always going to be the Escort." Effie said more calmly than before but still just as heartbroken.

"That's not true. The kids will want you here they're just surprised. And anyway you're not living with them you're living with me and I want you here." Haymitch paused for a moment before continuing, now clearly a little uncomfortable at the subject of the conversation. "We got married so you wouldn't be the Escort anymore, you'd be my wife. And you are."

That was definitely true. Both the licence they had signed in the Capitol and the toasting they had had in Twelve had been about that at its core at least. Protecting her with his name. Protecting her from the name Escort.

Haymitch cleared his throat again before going on:

"Because somehow being my wife is actually better for you in this crazy world we're living in." She might have known he couldn't have reassured her without the self-loathing sneaking its way in. "You're my wife, you're living with me and I want you here. Isn't that enough?"

She nodded and gave him a genuine smile that time that, though he'd never admit it out loud, warmed his heart a little. And he knew beyond doubt then that he loved the ridiculous mess of a woman in front of him, though he'd probably never admit that out loud either, and she loved the ridiculous mess of man he was.

Haymitch leaned forward to give her small kiss to the forehead but she burrowed her way into his side to keep him close to her for a moment. She took strength from that, from him and when she pulled away she looked more energised, more confident.

"Come on then. If I'm not allowed booze then I'm going to need bloody tea at least." Haymitch told her, finally placing the kiss to her head.

They entered the living room and Effie placed the tray of tea in the middle of the coffee table. Effie and Haymitch took their seats next to each other on a sofa directly opposite the one Katniss and Peeta were sitting side by side on. The four of them look as if they were about to face off. They were surrounded by dust sheets haphazardly thrown all around, half painted walls and an uncomfortable silence. It was quite the scene.

"So…" Peeta began, smiling sweetly.

Haymitch thought the boy already looked like he was enjoying this a little too much. Peeta was not blind to feeling the way his dear wife tended to be. He knew exactly what was going on here, he probably always had. It was only Katniss, being as love blind as ever, that seemed genuinely surprised by the turn of events.

Haymitch leant forward and rested his nervous hands on his knees. Eventually he just said it as it was, as plainly as he could:

"Effie is staying in Twelve… Staying here with me… For good."

"What about your job?" Katniss asked immediately. She remained eying both Effie and Haymitch very warily as if she had never seen either of them before.

"I quit." Effie quietly replied.

"You never quit at anything." Katniss answered just as quickly.

That was true. Effie didn't quit, it just wasn't in her nature. It was the only reason she had stayed District Twelve's Escort for so long when all the others before her had only ever managed to put up with Haymitch for a year or two. Effie simply refused to quit no matter how hard he had made her job or general existence for that matter. It was also probably the only reason that she had managed to stay alive during her imprisonment by the Capitol. She wouldn't quit at living not matter what they did to her.

Despite the truth of Katniss' statement Haymitch still felt Effie flinch beside him. Katniss' words had hit her like a blow and he had no doubt Katniss had meant them that way. She was lashing out. Katniss didn't like to be the one out of the loop, the one playing catch up.

Katniss' attitude instantly put Haymitch on the defensive.

"It's not quitting. It's a stupid job that she doesn't need. Now she gets to be here, with us." Those words made Peeta smile but Katniss only scowled all the more.

"What will you do for a job in Twelve?" Was Katniss' next fired out question. It seemed a stupid question though considering none of the three Victor's had a job currently.

"I don't know yet." Effie replied.

"I'm going to start work on re-opening the bakery soon. You could help me do that." Peeta offered.

Effie smiled at the kind offer. Her kind, kind boy was well and truly back. Not even the Capitol torturers could wipe that out of him.

"Doing what exactly? Baking bread?" Katniss laughed scathingly and both Peeta and Haymitch turned to glare at her. That seemed to get the message through to her a little as she finally sat back against the sofa, her posture less aggressive, and looked less like she was about to pounce on Effie.

Haymitch hoped Effie wasn't taking her lukewarm reaction personally. Katniss had just gotten her life back in some kind of equilibrium and whether she meant to or not Effie showing up here was threatening that. He and the girl were so alike – he understood her feelings totally even though he clearly did not share them. On the contrary in fact. Effie moving here was finally going to put his life in some kind of equilibrium.

"No, not baking. But someone has to sell the bread. If Effie can sell you and me as the star-crossed young lovers then I think she can sell some bread." Peeta said clearly teasing Katniss as he turned to give her a look that made Haymitch a little uncomfortable. It worked though as a moment later Haymitch saw Katniss smile coyly at Peeta, her whole attitude seemingly changed in an instant. He had to hand it to Peeta – he certainly knew what he was doing when it came to his wife.

"Thank you Peeta, that's kind of you." Effie said. She was obviously relaxing a little now it appeared she might be fully accepted.

Suddenly Katniss turned back towards the pair opposite her.

"And the ring?" She asked though this time her tone was completely different, not demanding anymore but just questioning.

Haymitch and Effie shared a look. He could see Effie was still a little timid, still afraid of rejection. Effie was never timid. But then she had been rejected by nearly everyone she had known after the war. Being the Rebel Escort was not an easy thing to be. Katniss and Peeta and himself were pretty much all she had left.

Still looking at Effie, Haymitch finally answered:

"We got married…" He turned to see absolute shock registering on both children's faces, even Peeta's, he clearly hadn't seen that one coming. "…Eighteen months ago…." Their eyes widened even more but neither said a thing. "…It was right after Snow surrendered. We got married in Eff's hospital room." Haymitch didn't even realise his own slip up of using Effie's abbreviated name, he was too busy thinking how good it felt to finally tell them. No more hiding.

"Why?" Katniss asked when she had found her voice after several moments of heavy silence.

"Why do you think Katniss?!" Haymitch raised his voice a little in frustration. Could she really not see why?

"To protect Effie from Coin." Peeta explained. He of course had got it in one.

"I knew that was the only way to guarantee Coin would leave her alone. Being a Victor's family was finally good for something. And it worked." Haymitch turned back to face Effie once more before he continued: "But things are different now. We're married for real."

He knew the kids would be able to figure that much out for themselves. Well, Peeta would at least and then he could have explained it for Katniss. But somehow Haymitch needed to say it, to acknowledge it out loud. He was still pretty terrible at expressing how he felt but he could at least make the nature of his marriage to Effie clear to anyone that would doubt it. Effie smiled at him and slipped her hand into his that was still resting on his leg.

"Twelve remains hardly populated. News will travel fast. You should prepare yourselves for that." Peeta warned. Both Effie and Haymitch nodded silently. They knew exactly what he meant. For once it appeared Katniss understood at once also.

"Well if anyone has anything to say about it you send them to me." She said defiantly.

Haymitch and Effie knew they could get no bigger stamp of acceptance than that.