Disclaimer: I don't own these lovely characters. Suzanne Collins is the mastermind behind them. In this story, Mr. Hawthorne and Mr. Everdeen are still alive; they were only injured very badly in the mine collapse, not killed. I thought it was about time I wrote a story with them. More backstory will be revealed as the story goes on.
Sunday morning's are the best time of the week. Gale can disappear into the woods for several hours without being missed and he can focus on his own life. Spending a whole week underground mining takes a lot out of you, but Gale has to keep his family on their feet, especially after what happened last year.
Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark were in the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss was trying to get the medicine for Peeta's illness at the Feast, but she was unable to get it in time. The guy from District 2 grabbed it before she could, and she had to return to the cave empty handed. Peeta fought against the illness for two days, but eventually, he succumbed. Katniss sobbed and pleaded for him to return to her, but he never did. She knew that she had to win for him.
Luckily for Katniss, the big guy from 2 was already injured. He was easy to defeat in the end, but Katniss was scarred. She was lifted out of the arena after she collapsed from exhaustion and a broken heart.
The newest Victor was not seen for weeks after she was pulled from hell. People began to suspect that she had committed suicide, but everyone knows the Capitol wouldn't allow that. They have to have their Victor.
Then, she was there, but she wasn't really there. In all of the interviews after the Games, she answered methodically, dull and empty. She had nothing left. Katniss might not have realized it, but she truly loved Peeta.
Katniss is different now. She doesn't make appearances in town nor the woods. She leaves for the Capitol every few weeks, and comes back even quieter than before. Touching has become a negativity. She hardly speaks to women, let alone men.
Her family is struggling to get by. Despite them having everything they'll ever need, Katniss' unhappiness contradicts all of that. Prim can hardly get her to smile anymore, and it's always a weak smile. Jude Everdeen could get some laughs out of Katniss, but it wasn't much. Lila Everdeen just stayed out of it. Jude was always better with their eldest daughter.
Gale was miserable as well. His best friend hardly spoke to him, and when she did it was only for several seconds. Ian Hawthorne tried to brighten his outlook on this mess, but it wasn't happening.
There was really only one thing that could get his spirits lifted, and that was her.
Originally, the two couldn't stand one another. They would snap at each other during quick trades at her back porch and glare at one another in town. That is, until Katniss was sent away to the Capitol. Ironically, the two people who were the most different, somehow forged a friendship.
The night when Katniss and Peeta found each other again was when their relationship turned into something much more. Really, she had liked Gale much longer than he had liked her, but as time progressed, he realized what he had been missing.
At first, their relationship struggled because Gale was either always in the mines and her father didn't exactly approve of him for his only daughter. But, Gale was determined. He fell hard for the girl with the pretty dresses and the diamond blue eyes. He realized that there was no going back.
She talked to her father but he was relentless for several weeks, until he agreed to meet Gale. Even after meeting him, Gale was below dirt in the Mayor's mind. Gale was from the Seam and couldn't provide his daughter a healthy lifestyle. But Gale refused to give up on one of the small pieces of happiness in his life.
They've been dating for around nine months, and everything's been going fine.
Until this happened.
Gale's lost in his thoughts as he stares out at the sunlight streaming through the leaves. His father remained at home this morning, to help his mother with the sickness that's in the house right now. Gale whips his head around suddenly when he hears a crunch of leaves from behind him, bow poised in his tense hand. He relaxes and drops the bow when he sees it's just her.
"You know I don't like it when you come out here without me, Madge." Gale sighs, exasperatedly, looking at his girlfriend.
She shrugs a little, "But I'm with you now." Gale frowns. Something's off, but he doesn't exactly know what.
"C'mere." He tells her, motioning for the blonde to come towards him. She obliges slowly, dragging her feet on the forest floor. Gale frowns again as she sits next to him, fiddling with her fingers. She's pale. Despite her already milky skin, she looks like a ghost. Madge's hair is thrown up into a very messy bun that she clearly put no care into, and she's wearing one of her father's old flannels. "Madge?" Gale asks, concern flooding his system. "Something wrong?"
Gale knows that her mother is dying. She's told him several times, and he worries that something has happened. They haven't seen each other for a couple days. But, Gale pushes that horrid thought out of his head. He would've heard sooner. Besides, the District would have heard the news if something had happened.
Madge starts to shake her head, but then crumbles, crawling into Gale's lap and sobbing into his chest. Gale reacts instantly, wrapping his arms tight around her back and pressing herself into his body. Gale's hands stroke her back, while hers rest on his chest, fisting in his shirt. "Oh, baby," Gale murmurs, but that only makes her cry harder. "Don't cry, baby, please don't cry. Tell me what's wrong."
She sobs and she sobs for over thirty minutes. Gale has no clue what's going on, and he doesn't know what to do. Usually, when she's upset, Madge will talk about it. But she can't stop crying enough to tell Gale what's going on. So he just holds her and kisses her forehead to get her to eventually calm down.
When her sobs turn to sniffles and her tears dry on her face, she finally looks up at Gale. "Talk to me." He whispers to her, and she stifles a sob. "Please, Madge. Tell me what's going on."
Madge looks at her fingers and she takes a heaving breath. "My dad..." She pauses a moment, and Gale tips her chin up, but she won't meet his eyes. "My dad.. He's going to kill me."
Gale's brows furrow, and he shakes his head, forcing a smile. "Why would he kill you, Madge?"
She's quiet for a few seconds, before her voice comes out in a hoarse whisper, "I missed my period three days ago." Gale doesn't say anything, but he honestly doesn't get why that's a big deal. Sure, in health class he's learned about the female anatomy and menstrual cycles, but he's never thought much about what happens if a woman misses her period.
"And?" Gale says, prompting her. Madge's eyes fill with tears again, "Oh, God, Madge what did I say?" She shakes her head rapidly and takes another sharp breath.
"You... you didn't say anything, Gale." She cries, but Gale forces her to look at him.
Gale frowns at her actions. "Madge, please tell me what's going on. You're scaring me and—"
"I'm pregnant!" Madge finally cries, tears streaking down her face. She buries her head in Gale's chest as he sits in confused silence. He slowly wraps his arms around her and she remains quiet as he processes the information he's just heard.
She missed her cycle. Gale's struck with a realization as desperate disappointment floods his body. She's pregnant. Madge is pregnant. Oh, God...
Gale chokes out, "Is it mine?"
Madge bobs her head slowly, "You're the only person I've ever..." She croaks, and trails off but Gale knows what she's saying. He was her first. She wasn't his, but it felt like his first time. It was lovely and prefect and everything he wanted for her. Oh, god, her first time and she's... What are the odds.
"I'm sorry," Gale whispers, looking down at her stomach, "I'm so sorry." She shakes her head over and over again, trying to prevent Gale from staring at her stomach.
"Stop looking," She mumbles, dropping her forehead to his shoulder. But Gale can't stop looking. Inside of his girlfriend, his baby is already growing. He doesn't know what to say to her at this point.
So they don't talk. They sit in their comfortable silence for a very long time, both thinking about something else. "Are you sure?" Gale finally croaks, and Madge nods against his shoulder.
"Yes." She pauses and her hands twine with his. Gale's grip is weak, as is his heart. "I went to Mrs. Everdeen yesterday, and she... She told me."
Gale nods as Madge wraps her arms around his chest. What Gale says next physically pains him to say it. "If... if you don't... Don't want it, Madge, we... We can..." Madge pulls away from him before he can even finish his sentence.
"No!" She yelps, looking at Gale, and he quickly backs off the subject, "No," She repeats, more quiet than the first time, "It's ours and I want to keep it."
Gale forces a smile, but inside he's crumbling. He doesn't know what to do. "Okay," He murmurs, finally letting his fingers touch her stomach. They scrape over the smooth skin and try to feel for something, but Gale knows that nothing's going to be showing just yet.
"My dad's going to kill me," She finally murmurs and Gale shakes his head.
"No, he won't. He'll kill me because I wasn't careful enough. But let's not think about that right now." Gale flops backwards so he's laying on the forest grass and Madge falls with him. "We're going to have a baby," Gale murmurs, fingers rubbing over her hips, "Madge, we can't change that. But we have to make the best of it. We're going to have to tell my parents and then figure out what we're going to do. But we'll get through it. I promise you. You're not going to do this on your own."
That night, Madge is in a daze. She and Gale left the woods a couple hours later after they had talked it over. She wasn't to tell her father until next Sunday, when Gale is off of work. He isn't supposed to tell his family until a day she can get away from her parents.
Madge is distracted all through dinner and picks at her food. Her father doesn't even notice that she's not eating. Madge is worried that anything she puts in she'll throw right up. She threw up this morning everything she had in her stomach and was miserable. Besides, everyone on her plate looks disgusting. All she wants is some oranges, but they don't have any. She's been extremely tired lately and she has been doing badly in her studies.
When she missed her period three days ago, she knew. Madge knew in that moment that she was pregnant. She and Gale have only had sex one time, and that was a few weeks ago. It's typical for her to get pregnant the first time she has sex.
Madge has dreaded telling Gale for the few days. She knew that he was going to panic. Hell, she's panicking. Madge doesn't have a clue what to do. Sure, Gale said that if her father lost his shit when he found out and kicked her out she could live with them, but what if his parents don't let her? His parents like her, is this going to cause them to hate her? Are they going to say that she's the reason Gale's tied down now? Madge has to leave the dinner table early, excusing herself before running up to her room and locking the door.
She starts crying as soon as she's alone. These mood swings are killing her. One second she's laughing and smiling, and the next she's sobbing. She tries to stifle her sobs so her father or housekeeper can't hear.
Madge starts to dread going back to school. She's going to start showing soon, and people at school will surely notice. Gale isn't even there to get them to back off of her. Her father will start noticing the changes, as well. Madge definitely has.
There's a tap on her window and her head spins to find Gale waiting in the tree. This is how he sneaks in at night when he needs to see her. Madge rushes from the floor and opens the window. Gale slips in soundlessly, landing lightly on his feet. Immediately, he engulfs her in his arms. Her tears have stopped but she feels miserable.
"Are you okay?" Gale whispers into her hair as her fingers curl into his thin jacket.
Madge nods. "I am. I just need you." Gale nods and he sits down on the bed, Madge laying down in the bed.
"Get some sleep," Gale murmurs, pulling the covers up to Madge's shoulders. "Does Wednesday work for you?"
Madge nods again. Wednesday is the day that Gale's parents will hate her, the day that her life goes to shit. "Do you think they'll hate me?"
Gale's head shakes rapidly and he bends to give his girlfriend a kiss. "Definitely not, Madge. I'll talk to them first before I have you talk. Okay?"
"Okay," Madge whispers, her hands resting on her stomach under the covers, "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Everyday," Gale whispers back, kissing her again, "I love you. Both of you."
Madge forces a smile and pecks his cheek. "I love you too."
A/N: I've been dying to write this plot bunny for a very long time. I'm expecting this to be 10 chapters long and it will be updated every day or so. I don't intend for there to be triggers during this story. I apologize in advance for it. Tell me what you think!