Embracing (A Hunger Games fanfiction)

Final Goodbyes

After a day of setting up tables, cooking and preparation, we all have a big sleep that night – Prudence included. When I wake up, I look into the eyes of an also awake Katniss and offer a sad smile.

“Hey,” I say simply.

“Hey,” she smiles meekly back.

I put my arm around her small my waist and draw her into me so her heads nestled on my chest.

“How are we going to do this?” she groans into my skin. “I can’t say goodbye. Not to Effie.”

“It isn’t really goodbye Katniss, but this helps you know. After this, we can begin to move forward.  Just imagine Effie’s here in spirit, right. Maybe she wants to move on too and the only way to do that is for us to say goodbye. Wouldn’t is be selfish of us not to?”

Katniss is silent a moment before propping herself on her elbow to look down at me.

“You have a way of making things sound so reasonable.”

“I know,” I smile and kiss her softly.

After getting up at seven, I shrug into a black suit before buttoning up the buttons of Katniss’s dark green dress. I help brush the knots out of her hair before going into Prue’s room to get her dressed into the light purple dress Effie had given her. I know the traditional colour for funerals is black, but black doesn’t suit Effie and I don’t think she would have liked it.

When I go into the hall, Johanna comes out of her room dressed in a hot pink and black lace dress complete with black high-heels. She scowls at me as she shifts her uniform uncomfortably.

“I’m doing it for her,” she doesn’t meet my eyes. “Effie gave this to me and I never wore it. I think she’d want me to.”

In response, I give her a hug.

*

Considering her rank, a lot of people show up for her funeral. Luckily, Haymitch had the insight to set-up a massive tent in the backyard complete with chairs. Katniss, Prudence and I sit in the front row with him, our objects of goodbye in hand. After sometime into the survace, everyone lines up in line to begin the shovelling. One at a time, we shovel one spade full of dirt onto her coffin followed by our gift. Because we knew her the most, Katniss (with Prue in her arms), Haymitch and myself are at the back of the line.

After Annie Cresta and Johanna shovel their dirt in, say their goodbyes and throw in their gifts, I step forward. I hand Katniss my painting of Effie before scooping up a shovel of dirt. I didn’t notice before, but now I feel the tears stream down my face as I look into the hole.

“Goodbye Effie. I love you, I miss you and I will never forget you,” I whisper as I toss the dirt on top. I take the painting for Katniss, kiss the paper and drop it in. I watch it hit the dirt face-up before taking Prudence for Katniss’s arms and step aside. People say babies don’t understand, but I know that from her face, Prue knows this is goodbye to Effie Trinket.

Katniss steps away from the hole and wraps her arms around me as she sobs and I hug her back. When we step apart, I loop my arm around her waist to steady her as we listen to Haymitch’s goodbye.

“Effie Trinket,” he starts and coughs awkwardly as his tears clog his throat. “You got to me right away, did you know that? When I first got teamed up with you and your craziness, it took me a while to see the real you, but when I did, I gave all the signs, but you didn’t react. So I guess I became mean because I thought you hated me. But you didn’t, did you? You told me that night... you told me that night I found out about your cancer that you loved me for a long time.”

Everyone in the crowd watches silently, crying softly so as to hear Haymitch.

“I’m only sorry that I never said it outright Effie. I’m sorry that we had only a shot time. I’m not lying when I say this though; those last short weeks were the best of my life. I finely found my other half.”

He pauses to shovel his bit of dirt onto the coffin and to wipe the tears from his cheek. Then he pulls something from his pocket and begins to turn it in his hand.

“I have our wedding rings and vows here. The officials returned your ring to me after they recovered you and I couldn’t let it go. I found our vows in the drawers. I couldn’t let them go. Until now”

He takes a shaky breathe before dropping the two golden rings and pieces of paper into the pit.

“They belong to you Mrs Abernathy and they always will.”

Katniss gives a loud cry and shudders as she presses her face into my shoulder. Haymitch looks over at her a moment before looking back down. Suddenly a familiar smirk spreads across his face for only a brief second.

“See you soon. Sweetheart.”  

************AUTHORS NOTE**********

Well... this is the final part. I can't believe it's over... I actually reall enjoyed writing this fanfiction, but I felt it was about time to finish it :) I hope you guys enjoyed it and I thank you all for the encouraging comments :) Be sure to check out my other two HG fanfictions and again, thanks so much!!!