Gale's POV

It's a regular Sunday I went hunting with catnip, I caught some game and right now I'm hedging into town to sell to the peacekeepers. I'm walking past the mayors house- which is home to Madge Undersee, and i cant help but think, 'god. It's not fair. Just because they're the merchants doesn't mean they should get to live their lives in happiness! They should try to work in the mines!'

I'm about to keep walking when I tell something's up. I turn my head to the mayors house. My eyes grow wide when I see dark heavy smoke rising from the roof. I don't think anyones noticed the fire, except for me. Then all of a sudden part of the house catches on fire!

I hear screams from the inside, For a second I forget my hatred, for the Capitol, for the merchants, and for everything else that isn't fair! I drop my game bag and dash into the burning house. "Mr and Miss Undersee? MADGE!? IS ANYONE HERE!?" I keep on running around the house like a mad man, trying to find someone to save.

I hear a scream. It sounds like a females scream. But it's to old to be 's... It must be Madge!

I hear coughing and some more screaming, "Help! Help! I need help!"

"Madge!? Where are you?"

I hear some more coughing, "Gale? Is that you? HELP! I'm over here!"

I whip around and see Madge with her blond hair in a ponytail, and some of her clothes burned or ripped.

I run over to her, and scoop her up in my arms. I start sprinting to the door, to get out of this house. I dodge the burning parts of the house.

"But.. my parents..."

"Shh. It's ok."

I run out of the house, to find that Madge has passed out.

I'm greeted with a group of cheering people, probably happy that I saved the mayor's daughter.

I see Katniss push her way through the crowd while holding Peeta's hand. "Gale! What happened? Is Madge ok?"

"I'll explain later! We need to get her to your mother. She's hurt."

Katniss leads me to her house in victors village.

"Katniss? Is that you? Hey did you hear there's a fire at the Mayors house?" Prim comes to the door, and gasps when she sees Madge. "M-mom!" Prim tells me to put Madge on the couch. I lay Madge there while Prim goes to get some cold water, and a wash clothe for Madge.

A few minutes later comes to us. When she sees Madge she gasps just like Prim did. "What happened!?" Before I can answer she starts talking again, "I'll be right back!"

As soon as she leaves Prim comes. She wets 2 wash clothes and hands me one.

I start to apply the cold wash clothe on Madges arms, and her face. We dry her off, and Katniss tells me to bring Madge to her room. I follow Katniss and Peeta up the stairs to Katniss' room, and I lie Madge on the bed. Me and Peeta go out of the room, so Katniss can change Madge into some of her clothes.

"What happen?" Peeta asks.

"There was a fire at the Mayors house, I went in there and got to her in time..."

"How about... her parents?"

"I don't think they made it out... and if they did they wouldn't leave thier daughter in there, while the house is burning..."

"You're right..."

"Guys! You can come in now!" Katniss says from the other side of the door. Me and Peeta walk in, and see Madge still lying on Katniss' bed, her hair still in a pony tail, but now she's wearing a white blouse, with some shorts, that show burned areas on her legs.

walks in and informs us checks her burns to make sure nothing is to serve, checks her temperature and she somehow discovers that she got a fair bit of smoke in her lungs, but nothing to bad, and that she should be up within the next ten minutes.

I sit in a chair next to Katniss' bed and hold Madge's hand. I don't know why I care if she dies or not. I just do. Katniss and Peeta sit on the other side of the bed. We wait for around seven minutes, until Madge goes into a coughing fit. I look at Katniss with wide eyes and ask, "Is that suppose to happen!?"

"Yeah. She's going to be fine. She's just waking up."

A couple of minutes later Madge stop coughing and opens her eyes, "W-what happen?"

I need to start out gently... don't inform her about her parents... "There was a fire... at your house... and-"

"You saved me."

"What?"

"You saved me."

I awkwardly scratch the back of my head, "Uhh... yeah. I did..."

"Thank you."

"Your welcome..."

"What happen to my parents?" Gosh! What do I tell her now? I can't just say-

"You're parents are thought to be dead," Katniss says without blankly.

Katniss! You can't just say that! I mean... well if Katniss didn't say it no one would...

"Oh..." Madge says looking down at her hands.

"Can you tell us what happen?" Peeta asks gently.

"Well... mama was cooking... and she left the oven un occupied... and then one second everything was fine... then I started to smell smoke... I ran into the kitchen and saw fire... It was spreading onto the calender that was next to the oven.. I tried to put the fire out. But I couldn't. And now I have no where to stay."

"You can stay here! I have alot of room." Katniss says.

"Oh... ok. Thank you..."

"No problem."

"Uhh... guys. Can I talk to Madge alone?" I ask.

"Sure," Katniss and Peeta say. They walk out of the room, then I turn to Madge.

"Thank you for saving me," she says.

"No problem... I don't know why I did it... I just did."

"Thank you..."

Madge's POV

"Thank you..." I say.

All I need is a leap of courage. A little bit of faith... I only need a little bit to be able to tell Gale Hawthorne that I love him... I have ever since I was ten... he was twelve. It happen at lunch one day.

I was eating my lunch that my father packed me, when one of the older kids from the seam came over to me. Even through he's only a year older than me, I'm still scared. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here. The little mayors daughter. Now, now. I wont hurt you. Just give me some of your lunch." The older boy smirks at me and I look up at him with fear. He pulls me up, and tugs on my two ponytails. "I said give. Me. Your. Lunch."

I nod and scramble away from him. I take my chocolate cupcake from my lunch bag. I hold it out to him, when suddenly he falls to the ground. I look up and see that Gale Hawthorne is towering over me. He takes my cupcake, and sets it back on the lunch table.

He turns to the other boy, and sneers, "Go pick on someone your own age, you scum."

He turns back to me, smooths out my clothes, and fixes my hair. He pulls me into a hug, and says into my hair, "Don't worry. You'll be safe. I'll take care of you."

But that was six years ago. I doubt he remembers his promise. But he still kept it. He kept me safe from the fire.

"Your welcome," he says.

I look up at him and gulp.

"I love you. Wait! What!" we both say at the same time.

"I loved you since I was ten... when you helped me with that guy who was trying to take my cupcake..."

He laughs. "I remember that. I loved you since the first day I sold your father strawberries with Katniss... I was 14. You were 12. It was reaping day, and you were wearing a pink dress. And I saw how pretty you looked... and I thought about that day... with the cupcake. And how I promised to take care of you. And I realized that, if you were reaped... I would have volunteered so, I could keep my promise. To take care of you..."

I look up at him with my mouth slightly agape. He takes my face in his hand and kisses me. The kiss is soft and tender.

When we break apart, I gaze up at him lovingly. "Madge..." he gulps, "...uh... Marrymeplease," he speaks so fast that I almost don't hear him."

"What!?"

"I love you. And you love me. I have a job. I can provide food, with my hunts, and the money I get from the mines. You're the mayors daughter! I think that now you're the first female mayor of twelve since of you know... And when your house is rebuilt, we can live there. Maybe I can get a job in town! Please Madge..."

I over think what he said. It's true... I'm the mayor now... he has a job, and he can provide food.. he might even be able to get a job in town so he's out from those mines... "Ok. I will."

"Really?"

I laugh, "Really."

I picks me out of the bed and spins me around. He gives me another kiss.

And I know one thing.

I wont forget the fire. And I wont forget my parents. But I know that everything will be fine. Because I have someone who loves me.

And I love him.