After the rebelion, Gale found out that Madge actually had survived the Distrcit 12 bombing. Heart broken about loosing Katniss to the baker, he gave love a second try. He realized he actually did love Madge. They had a private wedding, and settled down in District 2, where Gale worked as the Chief Commander of the Capitol's, (And secret Commander of District 13's) army, and Madge worked as a teacher, teaching the kids about the horrible war, and the struggles Panem had to go through. A few months passed, and Madge found out she was having a baby boy. The couple was over joyed. They couldn't be any happier. Gale, arriving home late one night,with roses in his hands, and a present for Madge, stood paralyed by the door, as he saw his wife, dead, liying on the floor. Blood. He thought. Blood everywhere. The walls, floor, and even furniture was covered in blood. Gale dropped to his knees, clutching Madge's hand. "I will avenge you, Madge. I WILL!" He screamed, as though the killer was standing right behind him. Calling the police shortly after, they cleaned up the crime scene, calling a doctor, realizing that Madge hadn't lost the baby, and it was still alive. Taken to the hospital, the baby stayed there until it was fully grown. Gale burried his wife in the District 12 cemetery, where they grew up, and where her family was burried. He never did talk after Madge's death. He was silent,and it worried his friends. No one could get him to talk. Johanna, one of his friends, came to his house one day. He was confused, but let her in anyway. They sat in an awkward silence, until Johanna spoke up. "Listen. Gale is it? I know we aren't the closest friends, but I do still care about you. You are practically the only person that I know, that doesn't get on my nerves. I want to help you, Gale. I'm not good at expressing anything, but this is the closest way of saying that you still are one my friends. I want to help you." Gale listened to her the whole time. He knew Johanna wasn't one to say anything nice about anyone. But when she actually considered him as her friend, he smiled and watched her struggle for words. He finally spoke in small sentences, improving slowly. But even Johanna, who was the only person he trusted, because she experienced pain herself, couldn't cure him completely. She took him to see her therapist, the one who helped her when she was rescued from the Capitol. Talking with the therapist, wasn't any different from talking to any other person, besides Johanna of course, but he finally admited hating himself, for not crying. "Not... crying?" the therapist asked in confusment. "Yes. I saw my wife dead, and I didn't show any emotion. I felt like crying, but I didn't." The therapist took this in, and after a moment, he said, "Not every person is the same. You know this. Our minds work differently. Your mind, knows that you miss her, but as much as you cry, your mind knows that you will never cry enough, to bringher back. It shows emotion in another way. You just haven't figured it out yet." Gale nodded, and left a few minutes later. Then, he finally went to the hospital, to pick up his baby. The first time he held him in his arms, he felt a pang of pain in his chest as he saw how much he ressembeled his mother. And for the first time in months, after Madge's death, he cried. Cried out of joy, grief, pain, and relief. He knew he some-how had a connection to Madge, by his son. He wanted to thank Johanna, for taking time off her life, to help him. He named his son, Jojo Maxwell Madge Hawthorne. Since he didn't have any mother experience, Johanna helped him. She was skeptical, since she never really had a child of her own, but she did often help Annie, after loosing Finnick, and they tried their best. Gale thought one night, as he was putting his son to sleep serveral months later, how grateful he was to have an amazing friend, and a perfect son.
Years later, Jojo is 7 years old.
Gale told his son everything about his mother. But he couldn't get very far, without stopping, and not talking. He realized finally what the therapist meant. His way of showing emotion, is by keeping to himself, and remembering his wife. Gale was still very grateful, and grieved for him best friend when she died of cancer. Johanna didn't tell anyone that she had it, to not worry her friends. When she died, there was a letter on the door, adressed to him.
Dear Gale,
I never really told you I had cancer. I cared about you too much. I want to say, before I pass on, and meet Finnick up in the heavens, that you were in fact, my best friend. I told you, when I first helped you, that I was never good with these kinds of things. I always felt I never helped you enough. Well, I tried all I could. I'm sorry. I hope you and Jojo don't forget about me.
Johanna
When Gale read that, he picked up his son early from school. Confused, Jojo asked where they were going. Gale answered. "To pay our respect to Aunt Jo." Jojo cried for weeks. Gale didn't talk to anyone, but he had to stay strong, for his son. A few months later, as Jojo was walking home from school, he stopped by the cemetary. He took Johanna's precious axe out of his backpack and set it on her grave. She never really was burried, as no one knew where her body was. He kneeled, and a few tears rolled down his cheeks. "Hi Aunt Jo. I miss you vewwy much. So does daddy. Are you happy? Daddy said you were in a lot of pain. Is it gone? I miss you. Bye Aunt Jo, I'm going to let you rest." He got up, wiping his nose on his sleeve, moving on to his mother's grave. He took a basket of strawberries out of his pack and set them on his mother's grave. Unsure of what to say, he began, "Uh.. Hi mommy. I never rweally meat you, but dwaddy says you loved strawbwerries. I thought you might like some. I... I love you." A tear fell on her grave, and he experienced a pang of memories. The rebellion, the bombing, his mother's death, his dad mouring. When he came home, Gale put a hand on his son's shoulder, and looked him in the eyes, "Son." he began, "We aren't a normal family. No matter how much we cry, we'll never bring our loved ones back. Just know, that even though we aren't normal, at least the odds for now, are in our favor."
Yeah, yep. If you read the whole thing; thanks. Lemme know what you think.