A/N: Hey guys, I'm baaaaack! If you've been following my SYOT fic, I'm really very sorry, but I've just been really busy with school work, and I could barely made any time to write this fic itself. I think I may focus more on this one for a while, although I estimate it'll be around 5 chapters or so. In case you didn't realize, this fic was written for the February Fic Challenge on the DWAC forum. If you've never been there, I STRONGLY suggest you head over. Its just starting up, but its already super-mega-awesome. Yay! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, aside from the plot. If I did, Gale wouldn't be in District 12, he'd be in my house, so that I can enjoy all his yumminess! :)

It was a dark and stormy night…

Well, no, it wasn't. Not really.

It was technically evening, the weather was cool and breezy, and the sky was as clear as Haymitch was drunk. Which was to say, undeniably so.

Still, it felt like it should've been dark and stormy. Or at least overcast. It would've suited the mood more, in Madge's opinion.

It was the most momentous night of her life. All her mind could think of was about Katniss and Peeta. About the very distinct possibility that at least one would be crowned a victor tonight. About how showers of fame and fortune could befall District Twelve any time now. It was so close, she could almost taste it! And here she was, after hours of begging and convincing her father, sitting in the town square, actually watching everything with the others!

She shivered in anticipation, causing the man beside her to look over questioningly, almost with a glimmer of concern in his dark, stormy grey eyes.

"Are you cold?" The words tumbled from his mouth in a soft whisper, lest they disrupt the others watching the Games. His hands moved upwards slightly, grasping his jacket collars, and half pulling said jacket off to offer it to her.

"No, no, it's alright Gale. Just excited," Madge beamed up at him, delighting secretly inside about his act of chivalry. This would show her mother! Not all "Seam rats" were ill-mannered, gruff, rude folk! Gale's little act of chivalry just proved it! Madge giggled a little at the mere thought.

Gale shook his head in amusement. Over the past few weeks, he'd seemed to get closer to Madge, who he previously only knew as The Mayor's Daughter, or The Girl Who Bought Strawberries. Maybe it was that they were both invested so heavily in this Games. Or that, missing Katniss's company, they turned to something else that was familiar to her, something else that would serve as a reminder until she came back. If she came back. When she came back, he reminded himself. Because there wasn't a doubt about it – Katniss was coming back.

On the screen, Katniss and Peeta were engaged in another little make-out session while waiting at the Cornucopia, something that bored and disgusted Gale in equal amounts. It wasn't that he liked Katniss or anything, oh no, but he was revolted by the girl that Katniss had become. What had happened to the fiery, stubborn girl in the woods? His reliable, ever-ready hunting partner? His Catnip?

Gale was jerked out of his thoughts rudely by a loud scream, and it took him a couple of moments to realize that it was, in fact, coming from on the screen. It seems that the mutts have found Cato. Good for him.

It was all over within what seemed to be a few minutes. It's pretty simple, really. Mutts find Cato. Mutts chase Cato. Cato runs away. Cato runs in Katniss and Peeta. Katniss and Peeta outsmart Cato, Cato falls to the mutts. There! Finished! There really wasn't much to say, in Gale's opinion. The fact is that Katniss won…

Katniss WON!

It had yet to register in his mind yet. Perhaps it was the absence of trumpets, or his more immediate concern over the small girl cowering into his side, shielding her eyes from the gruesome acts of the mutts.

That was Madge's excuse anyway. In reality, a tiny tiny part of her maybe just wanted the opportunity to snuggle in under Gale's arm, to lean her face against his hard-rock chest. To breathe in his musky scent…

God, what was wrong with her?

However, her attention was pulled away when Seneca Crane's voice came booming over the speakers. They have to be kidding. They couldn't do this! Not when it was so close…

Madge sobbed quietly into his shirt, convinced that either way, she'd be losing her friend. A hesitant hand on her shoulder surprised her. Could it be… was Gale really comforting her? She smiled a little at the thought, and glanced up at his chiseled face through her tear-soaked eyelashes.

So absorbed in her own world was Madge, that the only thing that struck her out of her reverie was the hoots and cheers erupting from around her. Looking around wildly, Madge furrowed her brows in confusion and twisted herself to face a vaguely familiar woman sitting in the row behind.

"Sorry, but what's going on?"

"Gee, miss, where have you been? The two of 'em both just won, that's what just happened!"

"I… I'm sorry? I must have heard wro-"

"Ain't you been listening? They'd just announced that 'em both be victors!" With an exasperated sigh, the woman rolled her eyes and turned back to her dancing and laughing family.

Indeed, trumpets were blaring, and Peeta and Katniss both were clearly alive and well, being picked up by the hovercraft that very instant. Madge's eyes lit with delight, as Gale noticed, and an excited squeal erupted from her mouth. She spun to face Gale.

"This… This is unbelievable!" She let out a tiny giggle, which soon let became a joyous laugh.

"They're coming home!" Ecstatic, Madge launched herself into Gale's arms, and melted into his warm embrace, oblivious to the stares and gasps from the audience around them, including that of a very intrigued newspaper photography.

Click. Click-click-click.

Oops.