Better Games

16. Visitor

It's 5 in the morning yet the banging gets louder and louder. I untangle myself from Peeta as he wakes up, disoriented by the noise like I was a few seconds ago. I get out of bed and walk to Peeta's side of the bed, reaching for his prosthetic and attaching it to his leg stump as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes.

"Katniss you didn't have to-"
"Shh," I interrupt him kissing him quickly on the lips. I grab my robe as Peeta gets up to put on his and walk downstairs.

The banging doesn't stop.

"I swear if it's Haymitch at 5 in the morning I will-," I ramble as I struggle to open the front door but I stop when I see it's not our mentor but a woman. She looks a little younger than my mother to be specific. The woman has a kind smile and soft blonde locks that stop a few inches past her shoulders. I know this face, it nags at me but I can't remember.

"Katniss," the woman says with the smallest hint of an accent.

It's not just a woman, it's-

"Effie?" I say aloud, slightly unsure.

She starts to nod continuously and looks happy enough to cry, which she might be. I quickly bring her in a close the door, embracing her in the biggest hug I can muster up. I'm suddenly not so tired anymore.

I hear Peeta approach us.

"Katniss who's at the-"

Effie pulls away so that Peeta can see her clearly.

"Ef...Effie is that you?" He asks as unsure as I did.

"Yes! It's me my boy come here," she says tear stricken.

They hug tightly and as they pull away I look at Effie completely now. She wears a simple beige sweater and grey pants.  Simple but still screams: Style. Just like she did. I observe the natural details of her face, seeing it bare for the first time, and I come to find she is more beautiful than ever. Her eyes shine their famous green and baby hairs frame her face. Without all of that thing she calls Mascara her eyelashes are the same color as her hair and so are her eyebrows which frame her soft eyes beautifully. Her cheekbones are high with few wrinkles and her lips are a natural peach. Without all the wigs and makeup she looks as if she could've lived in the merchant part of District Twelve.

We all sit down and settle Effie down for a cups of tea. Even though it's warm outside, the misty dawn air brings a cold breeze.

"Effie you look beautiful," I let her know.
"Thank you my dear. I just arrived at Haymitch's house an hour ago and I couldn't stop myself from seeing you Katniss, I used to wake you. up around this time for schedules and I, I just couldn't wait to see you. Of course I wanted to see you too Peeta but I didn't realize you too would be here together...but I should've known." She rambles like she used to but a part of me has missed her bubbly preciseness. I understand what she means when she says she should've known and so does Peeta. Somehow everyone who knew it was an act, knew we were really in love.

"You were at Haymitch's house," Peeta asks interrupting my thoughts. I missed that part.

"Oh yes well I came to visit. Get away from the Capitol for a while. I've been caught up in that way of living for a while, my whole life practically. At 5 my favorite thing was to dress up with wigs and my parents would buy me different ones all the time...when people in the districts couldn't even afford food. People in the Capitol had everything and the worse part was that we didn't even know. Which made you hate us even more. You grew up being fearing death and we grew up fearing why the Hunger Games broadcast was a minute late. They only show what they want to show on the camera and what they didn't show we didn't know.

"I wanted to get away. The real reason I had the tribute job was because I was peppy, I was scheduled, I was beautiful. I was perfect. And the tributes were the most famous children taking part in such an honorable event," she scoffs. "I grew to hate it. I watched more than 40 children I'd cared for, even if for a short time, be sent off to the games. I never understood how personal they were until I started to love them. After a while I stopped trying to really care for them, acted like a real Capitol citizen would and see the fun of the games. I pretended and for a while convinced myself it was fun. Haymitch hated me for it but I didn't mind, he was almost always drunk. Until you two. You two broke us, he sobered up enough to keep you alive and let himself love you. We let ourselves love both of you."

A tear rolls down Effie's cheek as she finishes. But Peeta and I stay silent.

"They told us we couldn't have children you know." She says in an angrier yet broken tone. Her voice cracking as more tears fall down her face.
"The preps, the stylists, everyone except the mentors since it would be a spicier scenario if one of their children were put in the Games. Our main focus, our main goal would have to be all on the Hunger Games. Nothing could distract us and the most distracting thing, the only thing that could be more important than the Games would be a child. The tributes were our children. They could be our only focus. But how does one contribute all of their focus and support and love to a lamb prepared to slaughter. They took all the female stylists, preps, propagandists, etcetera etcetra into medical rooms the day we got the jobs. The minute we were out we were free of having children. We celebrated that it was over, not because of the outcome.

"Haymitch and I have gone through much together as you two have gone through together. We are alright together, at peace. I've only ever told him that story, and now I'm telling you. I wanted you to know, in the same way I was vain before, that I am so. I am vain yes but not a dutsy or naive. And I love my victors. You've found it."

"The life of a victor," Peeta and I whisper the old saying at the same time.

We hug Effie, comfort her, and soon we exchange 'I love you's' and goodbye's. We see her and Haymitch many times until she goes back to the Capitol. And when she goes she promises to come back, and very soon when she does

she will stay.

AN: EFFIEEE!! So Haymitch mentioned that Effie was coming to Twelve in chapters back I think it was "Soup" so here she is. I know in the books Effie is sort of under-appreciated because of how naive and Capitol-like she is but in Mockingjay Pts. 1 and 2 the movies, unlike in the book, they give her a little more character and sentiment and I really liked how they did that. She wasn't a duts she really cared about Katniss and Peeta and I wanted to include some of her past because it gives more understanding and truth to this strong character and woman EVEN THOUGH I KNOW ITS NOT CANON. And also they included HAYFFIE IN THE MOVIE. I was pretty surprised. I'm not a huge Hayffie shipper but it's funny how Susanne Collins allowed that in the movie. Cute cute. ~Gail
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