Haymitch

Plutarch Heavensbee stepped into Haymitch Abernathy's large office. "You really ought to spruce this place up. Fulvia could help you."

Haymitch lifted his head from the paperwork that sat on his desk. His eyes glanced around the room that was filled with out-of-fashion furnishings and faded drapes that framed a spectacular view of the City before landing on his senior vice president of Public Relations. "I'm happy with everything exactly as it is. Is there something I can help you with?"

Plutarch shook his head. "Nah. I just stopped by to wish you Merry Christmas. I'm off to the airport. Fulvia and I will be in Tahiti for the next two weeks soaking up the sun."

"Be sure to wear sunscreen."

Christmas was ten days away and already most of Haymitch's executive staff had taken off to celebrate.

Only a half hour earlier, Jacob Boggs had wished him Merry Christmas before leaving for the Rocky Mountains to celebrate with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

It seemed as if all of Haymitch's employees had families, or at least a friend to spend the holiday with. All but Haymitch.

After the untimely death of his fiancé, Maysilee Donner, forty years earlier, he'd concentrated all his energy on building a business. But now at age sixty, all he had to show for his time on earth was a successful company and a hefty bank account.

I've far more money than any of my employees and I'm jealous of them. It'd be nice if I could do something fun this Christmas, too.

But Haymitch had no idea of what "fun" would even look like. A trip to an exotic locale? Time spent socializing with high society? Treating himself to a fancy sports car?

He picked up his phone to dial his secretary.

Effie's a wonder. She'll know exactly what I'll need, and make all the arrangements.

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Effie

Effie Trinket hung up her phone bewildered. Her boss wanted her to come up with a plan for how he should spend his holiday. But he had no idea of what he wanted, or where he should go. His only requirements were to have fun, eat good food, and be around people.

Does he want me to get him reservations for Disney World?

She doubted it, because she knew Haymitch disliked crowds. Effie sat at her computer, perusing travel sites, growing more and more frustrated.

If he's lonely, I'd gladly spend Christmas with him.

Over the past ten years of working so closely for the man, Effie had developed a crush on her boss. Fifteen years younger than Haymitch, the paunchy man with dark eyebrows and penetrating gray eyes wouldn't have been her idea of a catch when she was a girl.

But after a broken engagement, and the realization that she wasn't getting any younger herself, Effie's outlook had matured. Good looks faded, but decency and diligence were admirable qualities at any age. And Haymitch was the most fair and hardworking man Effie had ever known.

Unfortunately, because he was so respectful, he'd never so much as flirted with her or even winked at her in a light-hearted fashion. Effie had no idea how to get the ball rolling in the direction of romance.

A crazy thought sprung into her mind, a way that she could give Haymitch a Christmas that would satisfy all his requests, plus allow him the opportunity to get to know her better since she'd, of course, need to be there to supervise.

I'll get him a family of his own and let him experience a real Christmas. One that would make Charles Dickens proud. I'll spare no expense. Good thing Haymitch didn't mention a budget.

She picked up her phone and punched in a number.

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Dalton

Sam Dalton, owner of the Dalton Employment Agency, hung up the phone and smiled.

City folks are plain nuts. Still, if I can pull this one off, Myrtle and I will be able to say goodbye to chilly Dandelion and head south to sunny Florida for the rest of the winter.

But it won't be easy, he reminded himself.

Effie Trinket had dreamed up an elaborate yuletide game of pretend. She'd asked Sam to coordinate the rental of Snow Mansion, a large estate several miles outside of Dandelion, for a few days over Christmas so that her boss, Haymitch Abernathy, owner of the profitable Abernathy Industries, could experience what she referred to as "a Charles Dickens-like holiday."

But because her rich employer was without any family or close friends, she also needed Sam to hire some people to play the roles of family members: an adult son and daughter, plus their spouses, along with a couple of grandkids.

In addition, Effie needed an excellent cook, and a serving maid that would also do light housekeeping since they'd all be living at the estate for those few days.

The people Sam hired would need to be at the estate in character at noon on December 23rd and would work until noon on the 26th. Each employee would be paid $1,500 at the end of the job, plus receive a $500 clothing allowance in advance because Effie wanted them to dress in attire nicer than jeans and sweatshirts. Of course Sam would pocket a substantial fee for pulling it all off.

"You're not giving me much time," he'd warned Effie. "It shouldn't be a problem hiring a cook and a maid; there's plenty of folks locally who could easily take those jobs on. But it might be harder to find actors to play family members on such short notice, it being Christmas and all."

"We don't need actors," Effie explained. "There's not going to be a script, per se, although I'll be writing up some notes for each of their characters."

"Okay, then. That'll make it a lot easier."

He looked at his calendar and shuddered. How in the hell was he going to advertise, interview, and hire so many people so quickly?

I'll go through the list of people who've registered with us this year and start making calls. Maybe I'll even offer to be the handyman at the Mansion, free-of-charge, to be sure everything goes as planned. This event sounds like it will be quite entertaining.

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Gale

"Everything looks good. Oil's a tad low, though. Bring it into the shop and I'll top it off for you." Gale shut the hood of his cousin's car. He wiped his hands clean on his faded jeans.

"Thanks for coming over to my apartment to check out my car," Katniss said. "I'll stop by for more oil during Winter Break."

"Better make it sooner," Gale said. "The shop's closed between Christmas and New Year's, and I'm taking a couple of days extra off beforehand."

"What for?"

"I'm skipping Christmas with the family this year."

Katniss' eyes narrowed. "Is this because of your break up with Madge?"

A sharp pain twisted in Gale's chest. Everything move I make is a reaction to my break up with Madge.

But he wasn't ready to reveal that pain to Katniss. "Nope. Got a job paying $1,500 for only four days of work."

Katniss' jaw dropped. "Is it legal?"

Gale chortled. "Yeah, and it will be the easiest money I ever made. Some rich old guy is renting the Snow Mansion for Christmas and they're looking for people to pretend to be his relatives. I'm going to play his son."

"Is there some way I can get in on this gig? Does he need a daughter, too? You know how people are always saying we look alike."

"Nobody says that Katniss."

"They do too. Besides I could use some extra money, and with school closed…

"You teachers never work," Gale retorted.

"Don't tell me about my easy job. I stayed up until midnight last night reading essays." Katniss bit her lower lip. "Please Gale, how do I get in on this?"

It might be fun to have Katniss along. And she could use the money to buy a better car than this piece of junk she's driving.

"Call Sam Dalton at the Dalton Employment Agency. But you better do it right away. With what he's paying, there might not be any jobs left."

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Katniss

"I understand you're hiring for some short-term positions up at the Snow Mansion over Christmas." Katniss held the phone with one hand as she set the pot in the bottom of the sink to fill it with water.

I could sure use the extra money. I'm getting burned out eating Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for dinner every night.

"I might be," Sam hedged.

"My name is Katniss Everdeen and I'm a teacher for District 12 Schools. I'm available to work over Winter Break and I'd like to be considered if there are any positions still open."

"How did you find out about this job, Ms. Everdeen?"

"You hired my cousin Gale Hawthorne, and if it helps, we look like brother and sister. I understand you're looking for people to play the roles of family members."

"Oh, I already lined up someone to be Mr. Hawthorne's sister," the man said, "although I suppose I could switch the jobs around and she could be his wife, instead."

"Wait, will I, I mean his sister, be married, too? And what exactly does being married entail?"

Maybe Gale's looking for a hook up now that he's a free man, but I'm not sharing a room with some strange guy.

"Don't worry, we're not asking anything unseemly of anyone. I don't run that kind of operation. All employees will have their own bedroom; it's just a few days of an elaborate game of pretend. Pretend to be married and a parent."

"I'll have children, too?"

"Oh, yes. One at least. I'm still working that part out. Look, I was planning on heading home soon, but I can stay open a little longer if you can get down here within the next thirty minutes. You'll need to fill out a job application, and I'd like to get a look at you as well, to make sure you fit the part."

"I can be there in fifteen minutes." Katniss made it there in five.

"You'll do," Sam said when she walked in the door.

Katniss filled out a job application and the agency owner pulled out a camera and snapped her photo.

"I'll need this for my client." Sam already had a couple of photos sitting on his desk. Besides Gale's picture was a familiar face.

Oh, no.

"Is this the woman you hired to play my cousin's wife?"

"Why yes." His voice grew curious. "Do you know her?"

That's all I have to do – get Gale fired.

"Nope," Katniss lied. "Never saw her before."

She wondered if she should say something to Gale about the photo, though.

He's going to go crazy when he finds out that he'll be playing spouse to his ex-girlfriend. Should be one heck of a Christmas.

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Peeta

Peeta stretched out in his recliner chair and listened to a lengthy message on his phone. Sam Dalton from the Dalton Employment Agency was calling about a temporary job. Peeta had registered with the agency earlier in the year during a bad stretch when he'd seriously considered quitting work at the family bakery.

But the jobs Dalton offered weren't anything Peeta was interested in. So he'd stayed put and eventually his mother's temper had reduced from boil down to simmer.

But now Sam was offering him a chance to escape from the Mellark family Christmas, the yearly nightmare where his mother instigated fights between her three sons and four grandchildren, while his dad hid out in the garage.

Mom will have a fit if I'm not around to work right up til Christmas Day. I'll tell my family I won a trip in a contest.

Of course there was the matter of what to wear. Sam said the employer was providing $500 for clothing for the Dickens-like extravaganza.

It'll be tough to find a linen shirt, cravat, frock coat, and breeches so I'll be appropriately dressed. Hopefully I can find a seamstress who can put together something on such short notice.

He dialed Sam's number to accept the job offer.

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Madge

Madge turned sideways and looked at the view in the mirror. At least her mid-section was relatively flat at three and one-half months along. She wished she could say the same for her butt and her hips, though.

Her phone rang. She glanced down at the number. It was her mother.

Might as well get this over with.

"Hello Mama, yes I'm sure I can't join you and Daddy in Europe for Christmas. You'll just have to get your money back on that ticket you bought for me. Gale and I have plans."

She listened to her mother complain about her ex for a few minutes, then Madge made an excuse to end the call. She knew she'd have to tell her parents soon that her old boyfriend had knocked her up. They were going to have a fit, especially when they found out that Madge had broken up with him before she even knew she was pregnant.

It was the right thing, though. We're too different. It never would have worked.

Europe would probably have been fun, however the call from Sam Dalton had seemed like the more practical option.

I could outfit the baby's room in style with the money he's paying.

Madge had forgotten all about registering with that job agency earlier in the year.

Guess I can thank Gale for insisting I give Sam Dalton my resume when I was going through that rough patch at City Hall.

She knew she'd have to tell her ex that he was going to be a father sooner or later, but she'd prefer to tell him later.

He was so upset when I ended it. How will he react when he finds out I'm pregnant?

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Haymitch

"I've got a wonderful Christmas planned for you," Effie said.

Of course she does. Effie knows me better than I know myself.

"So what am I doing?"

"I think I'll leave it to be a surprise. But I've arranged to have a car pick you up at noon on the 23rd to whisk you off to your holiday destination, which is a couple of hours outside the City. You'll be home late in the afternoon on the 26th."

Sounds intriguing. "What should I pack?"

"Dress will be business casual; pack a suit for Christmas Eve dinner. But don't worry about anything else. I've taken care of it all. Just be prepared for the kind of Christmas you never knew you always wanted."

Haymitch raised an eyebrow. "Okay, Effie, I trust you. You've never done me wrong before."

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Effie

Effie laughed nervously, as she left Haymitch's office. She would have to be on her toes over those four days as she managed the Christmas extravaganza, as she'd begun to mentally call it.

Thank goodness for Sam Dalton's help. He'd e-mailed Effie headshots of Gale, Haymitch's fake son, and Katniss, his pretend daughter. Both were attractive and dark-haired. The pair even looked like they could be related to Haymitch with their gray eyes and dark brows.

His son Gale would be married to Madge, a lovely young woman with strawberry blonde-hair. Haymitch's pretend son-in-law Peeta was also fair-headed, and had the prettiest blue eyes and strong jaw line.

Effie grinned at the photos of her employer's faux grandchildren. Timmy was six, Taiden was four, and Tricia was two. They were adorable towheads. Their mother Cecelia had been hired as maid and assistant to Sae, the cook. Sam had said Cecelia was a widow who was thrilled with the thought of spending the holiday with her children at the Snow Mansion.

Effie spent the better part of a day crafting a backstory for each of them. She was tempted to give all of them new names – she'd always wanted a son named Henry and a daughter named Madeline - but realized it be would less confusing if everyone went by their regular first name.

She arrived at Snow Mansion at 9 a.m. on the 23rd. An older, gray-haired woman sat in a station wagon in the parking lot that was hidden behind bushes at the side of the property. She exited the car when Effie drove up.

"Hello, I'm Sae. I received your menus and purchased all the food we'll be needing, including some extra baking supplies. It's all in the back of my car. We should probably get it unloaded."

It took over an hour to get everything put away in the commercial-sized kitchen.

"I better get started on lunch," Sae said, putting an apron over her black dress.

"Please do. I'm expecting the others here at noon. I'll brief everyone before we eat."

As Sae set to work, arranging a platter of cold cuts and breads for sandwiches, mixing up a green salad, slicing up some fresh fruit, and setting out a store-bought chocolate cake, Effie toured the mansion.

It had ten bedrooms. The largest and nicest was a bedroom suite located downstairs.

That one will be Haymitch's, of course.

Effie cut up some paper, wrote a name on each slip, and then taped one slip to the door of every bedroom upstairs. Cecelia and her three children had the largest room because it had two double beds. The other bedrooms varied in size and decoration, but all appeared comfortable. Effie made sure to keep the women to one wing of the house and the men to the other.

She came downstairs precisely at noon to go outside and meet the faux family that Sam had pulled together. Her eyes swept over the group with pride.

What a handsome family for Haymitch's Christmas.

Already they seemed to be getting into the spirit of the holidays, with Gale and his new wife engrossed in an animated conversation.

Effie's eyes stopped at Peeta. He was attired in a waistcoat and breeches.

Why is he wearing a costume? He must be a practical joker. I'll have him change before Haymitch arrives.

"Welcome," Effie greeted them. "We have a big, big, big day ahead of us. But first I'll need to collect everyone's cell phone. You're on the clock now until noon on the 26th. You'll need to pay full attention to the roles you'll be playing, without any interruptions."