Please review! OOC! Warning: some sad parts and some soppy parts. This story gets very weird near the end.

Points to remember

Katniss didn't survive the 74th Hunger Games but Peeta did.

Katniss and Peeta weren't portrayed as the star crossed lovers.

Gale fell in love with Madge while Katniss was in the arena.

Gale is 17 as is Madge.

Enjoy!

Madge walked slowly through the forest, her feet barely making a sound. She found Gale waiting at their usual spot. His face was tense and unreadable. Madge wrapped her arms around him, breathing in his sweet scent.

It was the morning of the reaping. This year was to be the Quarter Quell. It had been announced that only victors would be tributes this year. No problem right? Except District 12 doesn't have a female victor so all the girls in the District were eligible for the reaping.

No words were exchanged between the two lovers for a few moments. Gale remembered sitting in that very spot just a year ago but with a different girl. He had loved her too. But Madge was different. It was stronger than it ever had been with Katniss.

They sat together for a moment listening to the birds singing and the crickets chirping, both lost in their own thoughts. Then Gale remembered something. He reached down to a spot out of Madge's view and took out a bowl of strawberries. When Madge saw them she laughed which made Gale smile. He loved hearing her laugh. So sweet and delicate. So innocent. Madge loved Gale's smile, the way his eyes crinkled. The way they lit up, full of happiness, hope and love.

"We have to go." Madge whispered and Gale nodded, taking her hand as they walked back to the District. Everyone knew they were together and Madge caught many envious glances. It made her laugh.

When they arrived at the square Gale was sent to watch with the other spectators while Madge was told to go and stand with the other girls. Gale kissed the top of her head for moment before letting go of her hand and walking away. Madge walked slowly over to the other girls her age. Someone tapped the mike signalling that the ceremony was to begin. Madge's father reads the story of Panem before Effie Trinket gives her speech about what an honour it is. Through the crowd Madge saw Gale watching her. She gave him a weak smile which he returned. She didn't know why but she was nervous. Then it is time for the drawing. Every year it's ladies first but because it's the Quarter Quell Effie decides to pick the man's name first. She dips her hand in and pulls out a slip of paper.

Madge's POV

"Peeta Mellark." Everybody claps for him as he takes his place on the stage. I notice dark circles under his eyes and wonder when the last time he slept was.

Effie is now rooting around in the big glass ball once again. This time she pulls out the girl's name.

"Madge Undersee." My heart goes cold. I see shock on my father's face on the stage. I look over to see shock on Gale's face as well. Numbly I move through the crowd up onto the stage. No one claps. Everyone is staring at me in shock. They thought that being the Mayor's daughter there was no way I would be called. Effie asks for volunteers but I know no one will. I'm right.

My father stumbles to his feet to read the Treaty of Treason. He manages through it before he makes me and Peeta shake hands. Peeta gives my hand a quick squeeze of reassurance but it doesn't register to me. All I can think of is Gale. After that we are led to the Justice Building where we are left in a room together. I remember coming to this room a year ago when I gave Katniss the mockingjay pin. It seems like a lifetime ago. I know that normally the tributes are left separate. I don't know why it is different this year.

The first person that comes to see me is my father. He hugs me tightly whispering quietly to me.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know how this could have happened." he keeps rambling but I'm not listening. I can't think straight. Before long Peacekeepers enter and tell him his time is up. He tells me he loves me before he is dragged away. Next is Gale.

As soon as he enters I am hugging him, his strong arms wrapped tightly around me and I know he is scared. I am oblivious to the rest of the world as my head rests on his chest. After a while he pulls away. I notice Peeta watching us.

"You'll be okay." he tells him and I shake me head.

"No I won't. I can't fight to save my life." I tell him and he sighs. He knows I'm right. I feel bad about killing a mouse. There's no way I'll be able to kill a person.

"I love you." He whispers into my hair. As the Peacekeepers arrive he presses something into my hand as I press something in his. We both had the same idea. He kisses me one last time as the Peacekeepers pull him away. Now it's just me and Peeta.

x x x x x x x x

That evening we are placed on the train. We are shown our compartments where I stay until dinner is ready. I can't face anybody. I look at what Gale gave me. It's a tiny little bag. I pull the strings and it opens. Inside are a locket and a letter.

I open the locket. It is a picture of Gale and me, taken almost a year ago. I feel tears spring to my eyes. The numbness has gone and full reality of what is happening engulfs me. My tears start just sliding down my face before they turn to great heaving sobs. I hold the locket close to my heart as I cry. I cry for myself, for Gale, for my father, my mother, my life in District 12, for Katniss, for all the other tributes and for the future I'll never have. I cry for nearly an hour before I finally can stop. There is a knock at the door. I open it. It's Effie.

"Dinner time!" she says in her cheerful, over happy voice. I stuff the letter in my pocket before following her to the dining room. I don't pay any attention to my food as I push it around the plate. I'm not hungry. Peeta and Effie both try to coax me to talk but I don't. We arrive in Capitol and are shown to our rooms.

"So tomorrow you'll both be training." Effie tells us. I nod. I think back to my time with Gale. All the things he showed me. I can think of nothing I could do except maybe set traps. I could use a knife but the likelihood of there being any in the arena was slim. Effie leaves us there with Haymitch.

"I know what you're good at but what about you?" he asked scrutinizing me. I finally found my voice.

"I can set traps." I said weakly. Haymitch nods.

"That's right. Your Gale Hawthorne's girl." He said before turning to Peeta and asking him some questions. I think to the letter stuffed in my pocket, wondering if Gale had read my letter yet.

Gale's POV

I grabbed my hunting gear before heading out the door.

"Gale!" called Mum. I turned to face her, seeing worry in her face. "Don't be long." she said gesturing to the darkening sky. I nodded. She understood I needed to be alone.

I found the spot where Madge and I had sat that morning. It was hard to think that had been less than twelve hours ago. As I sit there I open the letter Madge had pressed in my hand. As I read it I feel my heart break and tears threaten to spill.

Gale,

What can I say? I don't even know where to start. We both know I won't get out of the Games alive. Not against all those Victors. I've accepted that much. I hope you have too.

It hurts so much to think I'll never see you again but I know I can't do anything to change it.

You said you love me… so I want you to do one thing for me. Promise?

Forget me. It hurts just to write those words but it's what you need to do. For me. Forget me and find someone else. Love someone else with all your heart. There are plenty of girls in the District who I know are in love with you. Maybe someone out of our district.

Let me go.

I love you forever

Madge x

The tears came running down my face now. I loved her so much I couldn't forget her. I could see wet patches on the paper where obviously the tears had become too much for her too. I read and reread the letter over and over, my heart breaking a little bit more every time. She was really gone. And she was never coming back. I rubbed away the tears. I have to keep hope. She could survive. Slowly I made my way home.

Madge's POV

I tossed and turned unable to get Effie Trinket's voice out of my head. Madge Undersee. Madge Undersee. Madge Undersee. Over and over. I thought back to the letter I had written to Gale shortly before I saw him for the last time. was it the right thing to do?

Sometime during the night I drifted off to sleep only to be woken a few hours later by Effie Trinket. She led us to the Training Centre. The next few days passed in a blur as I got used to all the methods of self protection. I made two allies. Finnick Odair and Johanna Mason. At first I had thought Finnick was a Casanova and Johanna was a hard faced bitch but then I found there was more to them than that. Finnick was lovely and Johanna just put up a barrier to stop herself from getting hurt.

Finally it was time for the private training session. I was last. When I got in there all eyes were trained on me. I showed them what I could, throwing knives which I had discovered I was better at then I had originally thought. I found a short length of rope and tied it to the wall. The rope was about a millimetre thick and tied it in a tight circle barely a centimetre in diameter. Then I walked away to such a distance I could barely see the rope. Then I threw it.

After the private training session I headed back to my room. Effie and Haymitch were there with Peeta. I discovered Peeta had used some camouflage. I told them I had thrown some knives. They didn't seem at all impressed. Then we settled down to watch the scores.

I watched as a tribute I knew as Enobaria earned a 6. Finnick got a 10 while his fellow tribute Mags got an eight. Johanna got an 11. Peeta got a six. Then it was my turn. I stared in shock as the figure appeared. Was it 1? No wait it was…

11.

"That must have been some knife throwing." Effie said weakly. I knew I should be happy. But all it meant was I was now a prime target.

The next day a team of stylists arrived to prepare me for my interview with Caesar Flickman. After I was prepped I was introduced to my now famous stylist Cinna.

"Hello Madge. I'm your stylist Cinna." He told me. I nodded and shook his hand. "Right now. I've been thinking about how to portray you. Last year Katniss was the girl on fire. You're supposed to have something to do with coal. But I've been thinking about what I thought when I saw you. You looked... I don't mean to sound patronizing but you looked innocent and beautiful. So I was thinking about something like this." He said taking out a beautiful long silken black dress. It had no strap and didn't hug my body. I loved it. It was simple and plain. When I looked in the mirror I gasped. I looked… beautiful. Cinna spied my locket which I had been wearing ever since that first night on the train.

"Do you mind?" he asked and I shook my head, tears pricking my eyes. He opened it. He looked at Gale and me for a moment before he closed it. He left me alone for a moment. I looked at Gale's letter which I still hadn't opened. I decided now was the time to do it. I took a breath and sat on the bed before opening it.

Madge,

I'm not very good with words but I remember you told me once to just write what was in my heart so here it is…

How did it come to this? I thought nothing would be able to separate us. How wrong I was…

I think how we came to be. I was upset, my best friend was gone to the arena and you were there to help me. I don't know when exactly I fell for you but everyday it gets stronger. I don't know how you fell for me but you did and every time I think about it I can't believe my luck.

I remember the first time we kissed. It was the day Katniss died. I was alone in the woods and you arrived. You told me you were sorry about her death and I realised it was you I wanted. And I kissed you.

I remember the first and last time we made love. It seems unreal that it was just a month ago. It feels like a lifetime ago.

I remember the promise I made to you. I promised I would never let anything hurt you. I'm sorry. I never meant to break it.

You always asked why I loved you. There is not enough paper in the world to tell you all the reasons. I love your smile, your laugh, your eyes, the way you love to dance, the way you can look at the stars and say that they are our loved ones looking down on us, the way you love life and everything in it, the way your eyes light up when you get an idea… the list is endless.

Keep hope. There's always hope. Always a light at the end of the tunnel.

I love you more than you could ever know. You are the first and last girl I'll ever truly love.

Forever Yours

Gale

X

Cinna entered.

"It's time." He told me and I stood shakily. I found Peeta in the hallway. He was dressed in a simple black shirt and trousers.

It was time.

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