The Helper

Disclaimer: These characters are property of Suzanne Collins, I'm just playing with them

Peeta Mellark stood in The Twelve's library, staring at the empty red velvet chair in the town's small scale version of a Christmas Village, looking for all the world like he was about to burst into tears. His uncle, Haymitch Abernathy stood behind him, looking like he had no idea what to do if his nephew were to burst into tears.

"It's - it's alright, Peeta," he said, giving the boy's shoulder a squeeze. "You can leave school a little early tomorrow, and we'll drive down to Portland and go to the mall there."

Peeta looked up at him uncertain, his lower lip pushed out in a rather endearing pout. "But tomorrow is the holiday party at school. You said you'd help me make cookies tonight."

"Right…" Haymitch frowned. He'd known that, but things had been a bit busy the last couple of days with it being so close to Christmas and the end of the year. It was the first Christmas he celebrated since he was sixteen and it was because of his nephew. The child's family had died in a fire and he was the only superstite. They have been living together for almost a year.

He had always hated Chistmas, even when he was a child. But here he was, in a place where his nephew should have meet Santa Claus, even if he was nowhere.

Haymitch was certain though, that he had read the times for the Christmas Village in the paper correctly. "Santa" would be there from ten to seven, and it was just now five o'clock.

But there was no Santa, just an empty chair.

"Oh!" came a voice from the back of the library. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize anyone came in."

The man's face lit up as Effie Trinket came around the shelves. "Trinket," he started, then he stopped and his mouth dropped open when he saw what she was wearing.

The green skirt was a bit shorter than her usual wardrobe, and it puffed out around her legs from the crinoline that was beneath it. Her top was a simple green button down with some red and white embellishments, but what really made her ensemble were the candy cane striped stockings and the sparkly red heels. She was the most adorable Santa's elf he'd ever seen, and he was quite possibly even more smitten with her. And that was saying something given that he'd been besotted with her from the first day they met and had been harboring a growing crush every day since.

"Finally, you have learned my name. But you should add 'Miss' before my surname." She said amused.

"Uh, I'm - I mean we were -" He snapped his mouth shut and pressed his lips together, struggling for words as a slow smile spread over her face.

"Where's Santa?" the child asked.

Effie's face fell. "I'm so sorry, dear. He had to, uh, go - back to his workshop."

Peeta shuffled his feet and pushed his hands down in his coat pockets. "Oh. Why?"

She knelt down in front of him and gave him a small smile. "Well, there was a problem with some of the toys and he had to make sure it was all fixed in time for Christmas."

Her eyes darted up to Haymitch's face, and her smile broadening when she met his stormy grey eyes. "It was very last minute, I'm very sorry. I meant to put up a sign, but I got distracted reshelving some books."

Haymitch shook his head. "That's quite alright, Sweetheart."

The woman glared at him, probably because of his lack of manners.

When he had met her the first time he had noticed that she loved to behave like a proper lady. And he had found entertaining to annoy her, so he used pet names like Sweetheart or Princess.

"He is a very busy man." She added.

The Santa duties were usually covered by a combination of Mr. Heavensbee from the drugstore and Mr. Odair who taught biology at the high school. Something must have happened to one or both of them for there to be no one to cover.

"Will he be back tomorrow?" Peeta asked.

Effie bit her lip and shot another look at Haymitch. "I'm sorry, but Santa's schedule is so busy he won't be able to come back tomorrow."

The child looked almost distraught. "But Mitchy - how - how will I tell Santa what I need for Christmas?"

The man braced himself for a difficult evening of dealing with an extremely disappointed six year old. "Well, uh, we - we can go this weekend..." No, there was the Everthorne's party this weekend in the woods. "Or, um…"

"Hey, darling," Effie said, her voice just above a whisper so that Haymitch could hear what she was saying.

He flash her a smile when she glanced up at him, grateful that she'd sensed his distress.

Peeta immediate turned his attention to her, and she leaned in with a sly smile. "You know, I'm Santa's Official Helper in Twelve. If you tell me what you want for Christmas, I can tell Santa."

Peeta titled his head to the side. "How?"

"I'll text him." the woman grinned. She didn't care if it made sense or not, if it made the child happy and save his uncle some grief, it was worth it.

The boy's eyes went wide. "You have Santa's phone number?!"

Even though it was harmless white lie told for the benefit of a child, she still felt quite important."All Santa's helpers do."

"Wow…" His voice was hushed and he looked up at Effie in awe. Then he pulled a face. "Do I have to sit on your lap?"

It was all she could do not to laugh, and when she looked at his uncle again, she could see he was having the same problem. "Not if you don't want to, darling. All you have to do is whisper to me." She turned her head to the side, her eyes on Haymitch's as his nephew leaned in to whisper his most wanted presents in her ear. The way he was staring at her made her heart skip, and she had to ask Peeta to repeat his last item to make sure she got it all correct.

"You promise you'll tell Santa?"

Effie smiled and straightened, brushing her hands down the front of her outfit. "I'll do it right now."

She walked over to the main desk and picked up her phone, opening a new text message and typing out what the boy had just told her. To make it look more real, she entered SANTA at the top in the recipient list. Of course there was no such contact in her phone, but the child didn't need to know that.

"See?" she said, bending down to show him the phone.

Peeta eyed the screen and a wide grin spread over his face, much to his uncle relief. She had turned away to show his nephew the message she was pretending to send to Santa, but he could read the screen quite clearly over her shoulder. Luckily, he knew his nephew would have asked for a recipes book and for a small building kitchen that children usually used to faking cook. He had only to go out, bought them and then wrapped and hid on the top shelf in his walk-in closet. He thought he must be beaming from ear to ear. Effie Trinket was an absolute treasure.

"Thank you, Miss Effie!" Peeta exclaimed, throwing his arms around Effie's neck.

She laughed and hugged him back. "You are so welcome. I'm glad I could help. And I see that you are a gentleman, fortunately you aren't like your uncle."

Her eyes found Haymitch's again as she said his name. She had turned around and her eyes were sparkling.

Haymitch scoffed but he didn't say anything.

An idea popped into her head. "Sweetheart, Why don't you go grab some candy out of the bowl? I think there's some peanut butter cups left..."

Peeta gave a cheer and ran across the room to the refreshment table to dig through the candy bowl.

"Speaking of phone numbers..." she said as she turned to the man and held out her phone.

The message to "Santa" was still open on the screen, the cursor blinking next to it. It took him a moment, but he finally reached out and took it from her, and entered his personal number.

He wasn't sure he'd had done the right thing. Giving her his phone number. He found her annoying and crazy. Who cared that she was one of the sexiest teacher he had ever known? Who cared that he loved her smile and how she behaved with children? Who cared that she had a masterpiece as an ass? Certainly not him... Well, he might had a crush on her but it was only that.

He handed the phone back, while thinking at all of those thing. A few seconds later, his cell beeped in his pocket. Effie waited as he pulled it out to see a message from her number. Up popped the list of Peeta's gifts.

He grinned. "Very clever, Princess."

Effie's head dipped and she smiled. "Why, thank you."

"No, really you have just saved me, Princess." He added.

She gave him a soft smile and then she spoke again. "So now the princess had just saved her prince?" She asked with a strange glint in her eyes.

Her words left him unprepared and he found himself without a quick remark.

He touched nervously his hair. "I'm not... We are not.. well not that I don't find you hot.. but you are my nephew's teacher.." He bubbled.

She started to laugh at his attempt to say something comprehensive. "It was just a joke, you have to relax," she brushed her hand with his. "Prince" she added with an amusing smile on her lips.

He shook his head while Peeta hurried back to his side, the pockets of his coat stuffed with candy. Haymitch rolled his eyes.

"Umh, we need to head home and - bake - a batch of cookies for tomorrow."

She gave Haymitch a sympathetic look. "Goodnight, Mr. Abernathy. And goodnight, Peeta!"

"Night, Miss Effie!" The boy hollered back, already halfway out the door.

"Goodnight, and thank you." He sighed and inclined his head, not looking forward to spending the night in the kitchen, covered in flour.

"If you need help," Effie called out, and Haymitch stopped with the door open. She help up her phone and wiggled it back and forth. "You know how to reach me."

She winked at him, and his eyebrows lifted. "Indeed I do, Sweetheart."

Effie was standing in her small kitchen, toying with the string of a tea bag while it seeped, when her phone buzzed. She picked up and tapped the screen.

I'm bored, sweetheart. You know how to help me? Haymitch.

She smiled fondly at his inappropriate message.

Author's note:

This is a Hayffie modern au christmas story based on a scene I've seen in TV minths ago.

For now it's only a One-shot, but if you like the universe I can write something else.

What are your thoughts? Did you like it?

p.s I accept the critic, but please be polite because this is un-beta and I'm italian, so english is not my first language.