My very first Gadge! Hope you enjoy!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Baby Steps

Summer

Madge Undersee adjusted the skirt of her white crêpe dress as she approached the front porch of the cream Colonial house with its dark green shutters. Her eyes went to the large knocker with the emblazoned 'M' just below it.

It was grand and verbose, just like her two friends.

Reaching forward, she grabbed the knocker giving the door a solid knock when a sharp pinch to her backside caught her off guard.

Whipping around, she found the leather jacket clad Gale Hawthorne standing before her.

He was forever the bane of her existence.

"Hey gorgeous," Gale greeted, his smirk revealing bright, white teeth to her frowning face. "You really filled out there."

"Drop dead," Madge muttered before looking to the door.

"That's not very nice." Gale joined her at the door. "You should be happy. I mean before, your ass was not so nice. Real flat and shit." His grey eyes traveled behind her and she tugged her skirt down. "But now, that thing looks itching to grab. Like I could just grab one cheek and go to town—"

"You pig!"

Madge's fist whipped out, socking him in the arm just like she did when they were kids.

Gale thought he was being so cool. She'd show him. She'd whoop his ass then and she would do it again.

Gale blocked her punch, all the while laughing at her anger. "I've never seen someone so sensitive over their rear end!"

"I don't even know why Katniss and Peeta invited you!" Her small purse had come into play and she smacked it against the thick sleeve of his jacket. "You should go back to wherever you came from!"

"I'm Vi's godfather so of course, I'm going to be here," Gale told her before reaching inside his jacket to reveal a crudely-wrapped teddy bear. "It's her first birthday. What about you? Where's your present, Godmother Madge?"

Leaning down, she presented him with the wicker basket full of toys and neatly-folded clothes.

"You were saying?"

Gale shook his head. "Fucking show-off…"

Madge pounced. "We can fight but I will always win." She looked up at those narrowed steel eyes. "Remember that."

"Madge! Gale!"

They turned to find Katniss and Peeta Mellark trying not to not to laugh, but failing miserably.

Katniss met Madge's eyes worriedly. She never forgave herself for trying to set up Gale and Madge in high school. It was an utter train wreck; the asshole arrived 30 minutes late to their date and reeked of another girl's perfume.

Madge had made her friend promise that she'd never have to see Gale Hawthorne's smug face again.

However, that totally went to hell because Gale was Peeta Mellark's best friend and the handsome blond was Katniss' boyfriend-now-husband.

"Come in!" Peeta ushered them inside after hugging them both. "Viola is just waking up from her nap."

Katniss went to Madge after greeting Gale. She hugged her friend affectionately.

"Sorry, I didn't warn you," Katniss said sheepishly. "I really didn't know that he would sneak up and pinch your ass."

"Katniss! Were you watching us that whole time?" she shrieked. "You know how Gale gets when there's a viable snatch in his vicinity!"

"You wish, sweetheart," Gale called out from inside the house.

Katniss practically held Madge in place.

"We thought that maybe you both had grown out of this feud. I guess we were wrong." Katniss' arm went around Madge's shoulders to calm her down. "Next time, I won't leave you and Gale alone with our big knocker."

Madge snickered. "So you and Peeta like big knockers?"

They walked into the entryway of the house as Peeta approached the two. His wife moved towards him and he wrapped an arm around her waist before kissing her fully on the lips.

"Yes." Peeta looked at his wife's abundant chest. Breastfeeding had done wonders to Katniss' itty-bitty titties. "We love big knockers. Especially me."

"Gross," Madge and Gale chorused together from their respective places.


"Vi, you are too gorgeous," Madge cooed at the one-year-old sitting on her lap. "Those big blue eyes and dark lashes are just too much."

Viola Mellark clapped her hands in excitement. She had been the long-awaited addition to their little group. The one-year-old looked like Katniss' mini-me with the exception of having her father's bluebell eyes.

The four of them had gone to the same college before traveling the world. Once they were sure that they has caused enough trouble, Katniss and Peeta got married in a gorgeous mansion just a few miles out of their hometown in an ostentatious wedding. Madge was Maid of Honor and Gale was, unfortunately, Best Man.

After, they all settled into their respective jobs; Peeta went to work for the Abernathy Architecture firm as their lead Engineering Architect, Katniss opened up Mellark Bakery becoming Head Baker and Manager, Gale wrote for Trinket Magazine as their travel correspondent, and Madge started up her photography business.

Then last year, Viola had unexpectedly come into their lives—and they all couldn't be happier.

"Vi." Gale knelt in front of them and tickled their Goddaughter's chin. "Keep smiling like that. If you don't, you'll end up with frown lines like your spinster Godmother." He grinned as she just narrowly missed kicking his crotch with her red heel.

Laughing, Gale plucked Viola from her grasp. "I like the pink panties, by the way." Madge growled. "The bitterness runs deep in this kitchen." He looked to Peeta. "Where are you setting up the tables?"

"Outside," Peeta informed him. "Let's go." He gave Madge a smile. "I'm saving you both." The two men went to the back porch and into the meadow-like backyard.

"Don't let him get to you," Katniss encouraged as she iced the cake on the counter of the marble island. "You know Gale. He likes messing with you. I have this theory that he's actually still upset over you ditching him during prom for Thresh McKinley."

"He deserved it." Madge stood from her seat and joined Katniss. "He was a total ass. The one day, besides your wedding, when you want someone to tell you that you're beautiful and what does he say? That I have lipstick on my teeth!"

"Well, you did," Katniss replied. "But besides that, you looked absolutely gorgeous."

"I didn't get laid though," she retorted and scowled at her best friend. "I know you did."

"Sweetie, I was laid in the dressing room where I got my prom dress!" Katniss laughed to herself as she twisted the top of the icing bag and started creating yellow flowers on the buttercream cake. "Then in the limo, once in the ladies room, and then over and over at the after-party."

"I get it—you and Peeta are the horniest bastards ever." Madge smiled, hearing her friend hum in agreement. "I love you both though and I love that little girl that you created. So, I'll tolerate Gale for this one day."

"Thanks," Katniss said appreciatively. "Now tell me about the Calvin Klein campaign that you're shooting with that hot model Marvel and how you let him do you in the dark room in your studio."

Madge chuckled, her cheeks warm. "I did not!"

"Pretend you did," her friend responded. "I want to hear all the juicy details."

She snorted. "Well, he does have one of those V-cuts along his hips…"


"You know you can't always bait Madge like that," Peeta told Gale as they carried out another tray of food into the backyard. "She'll only take so much of your shit."

The party was in full-swing, the neighbors of Victors Village along with their children filling the yard.

Peeta waved at his boss Haymitch, who accompanied by his wife Johanna—who was just about ready to pop herself. Gale had also met Finnick and Annie Odair along with their son, Henry, who was currently jumping in the bouncy house in the corner of the yard. Beetee and Wiress Latier, who lived next door were chatting with Madge, who had her camera in her hands, ready to catch the perfect shot.

"She makes it too easy," Gale responded with an easy smile. "Just like in high school."

"Madge kept you from getting arrested when we were in Cairo," Peeta said as he arranged the plate. "Yes, she can be a little Type-A, but that's her thing."

"Not just a little Type-A." He looked at the woman who was currently cleaning her lens vigorously. "She can be a bitch sometimes."

"You were late for your first date—" his friend argued. "—after hooking up with another girl."

Gale bit his lip, trying not to remember the look of disappointment on Madge's face. She had looked so pretty in her baby-blue dress that night and to see the hurt in her eyes nearly killed him. He had been nervous about their date as he had always noticed the beautiful blonde with the sky-blue eyes walking the halls of their school.

When Gale had gone to get her flowers, the shop girl had been more than willing to close her doors to show him how sweet she thought the gesture was.

Peeta snapped his fingers in Gale's face. "Dude, just try to be nice for the rest of the day."

"Fine." His eyes went to the Madge, who was currently trying to avoid a bodybuilder of a man. "I'll be back."

Walking over, his arms automatically went around her waist. "Hey babe."

Relief washed over her features and Madge pasted a smile on her face. "Hey honey." She turned to the man in front of them. "I was just talking to Brutus here about the new gym that he just opened. Brutus, this is my boyfriend Gale."

Gale shook hands with the brawny man before turning to Madge and planting a quick kiss to her lips.

"Katniss wanted us to look over something in the house," he informed her. Giving the man a grin, Gale led Madge away, his hand wandering to her full bottom. She turned to him and he gave her a jeering smile. "Don't get angry just yet. Your boyfriend is still watching."

He had to admit—Madge had a great ass.

As soon as they were inside the house, however, she socked him in the arm before walking away.

She also had one hell of a right cross.


"Happy birthday, dear Viola…Happy birthday to you…"

There was a round of applause and Madge watched as Katniss and Peeta helped Viola blow out her candles. The round-cheeked girl beamed, her riotous dark curls waving around her face.

The video was perfect and she couldn't wait to get to her studio to start editing.

"You did good." She looked up to see Gale before her. He sat in the space on the couch as she put down the camera on the mahogany table. His eyes went to the freeze frame of their friends and Viola blowing out the candles. "They look really happy."

"You mean, I did well," Madge corrected him, though there was little fight in her voice. "Oh my God, did we actually go to the same schools?"

"Yeah, but you paid more attention," he said. "I had a life."

"I'm so tired that I don't even care that you're being a major jerk." Taking off her shoes, Madge shifted and tucked her feet under her bottom. "It was good day."

"I agree," Gale said with a sigh. "Kind of feels like the end of an era though. Peeta and Katniss have Vi and soon they'll have more. I'll just keep doing anything with big boobs and a short skirt, according to you and you'll be—"

"Taking over the world," Madge finished for him. "Hopefully, I'll be doing some traveling in the near future. I just need to save a little more money."

"Why don't you come with me?" Gale asked suddenly. "I mean, I have a traveling account and jetting off can be tiresome and lonely."

"Because we'll kill each other before we even get off the plane," she reasoned.

His eyes were suddenly somber, even a bit nervous.

"Maybe we wouldn't, Madge. I'm not always horrible to you, am I?"

Madge shook her head. "No."

The Mellarks walked into the room, flushed but grinning.

"Vi is finally asleep," Katniss said as she sat on the armchair opposite of Madge and Gale. Peeta went to the stereo system, turning it on, and then sitting on the arm rest of Katniss' seat. She looked to her husband. "Remind me to give Prim some cash before she leaves."

"Prim?" Madge asked. "Who's that?"

"She's Beetee and Wiress' little girl," Katniss informed her.

"She doesn't have their coloring," Gale responded in confusion.

"I'm adopted." They all turned to see a young girl in her early teens with blue eyes and a single golden braid over her shoulder. She went to Katniss with a shy smile. "Vi's diaper is changed and I sang her one more lullaby before setting her down." Placing the baby monitor on the table, she look around and gave them a sweet smile.

Peeta went to her, handing her a twenty-dollar bill. "Here you go, sweetie."

"That's too much, Mr. Mellark," Prim informed him. "I couldn't!"

"Prim, you're young," Katniss told the girl with a smile. "Enjoy it and go buy something fun for yourself."

"Alright, Mrs. Mellark," Prim yielded. "Have a good night, everyone."

She left quickly with the click of the front door.

"She's a little young, isn't she?" Madge remarked.

"Vi loves her and she stops her from crying when no one else can," Katniss explained.

"Oh my God…" Peeta went to the stereo and turned up the volume. "Do you remember this song?"

"Oh, what a night
Late December, back in '63…"

Gale snapped his fingers. "We all used to listen to this song and get high in my basement!"

Peeta went to his wife, two-stepping towards her, before holding out his hand. "You have to dance with me."

Katniss took his hand, laughing as she stood up. "Why?"

"Because I remember realizing I was in love with you to this song," he told her, wrapping an arm around her waist and swaying with her. "Hypnotizing, mesmerizing me…she was everything I dreamed she'd be…sweet surrender, what a night…"

Madge giggled. "Didn't you guys have sex in Gale's basement?"

Gale twirled, pointing his finger at them. "I knew I saw ass imprints on my pool table!"

The couple danced past him and Katniss smirked. "Yeah, that was Peeta."

"Because you've given me a beautiful goddaughter and I'm actually kind of proud of you, I'm going to let that slide." Gale danced towards Madge, his hand open to her. "Get up, gorgeous. You can't be the wallflower of this party."

Madge sighed before taking his hand. "True, and I was also in that basement. I'm just as bad as all of you." She put her hand on his shoulder as he wrapped one hand around her waist and twirled her.

"Oh, I
Got a funny feeling when she walked in the room
Hey, my
As I recall, it ended much too soon…"

Gale took her free hand as they did the cha-cha along the carpeted room. They stopped next to Peeta and Katniss who were watching them in amusement.

"You make a good team," Peeta remarked and winked at Madge.

"Gale couldn't handle me," she replied. Her gaze went to her dark-eyed dance partner. "He missed his chance."

In turn, Gale pulled her closer and she could smell a bit of light alcohol on his breath as well as his spicy aftershave.

"Did I really?" he countered, his stare filling her with a molten heat that Madge had long forgotten.

"Oh, what a night
Why'd it take so long to see the light?
Seemed so wrong, but now it seems so right
What a lady, what a night…"


Autumn

"Tilt your head," Madge instructed the golden-haired model. "Now look at me…" She took the shot quickly. "Great job, Glimmer. You can breathe now."

"I feel horribly out of shape," the woman said as Madge went to the monitor just a few steps away from the slate background that she stood on. "What is this for again?"

"A yoga collection," Madge replied. "Take a look."

Glimmer joined her at the computer monitor. "Wow, I look like I know what I'm doing!"

"You have some great graceful lines during the half-moon pose," Madge commented. "You look perfect and very much the yoga guru."

"I really hope they pick me for the campaign," Glimmer told her. "Thanks for doing this. I know that you don't usually do evening shoots but I had a long shift at the café."

"You work hard," she told the model-slash-waitress. "Plus the shots by the open window during sunset looked perfect. Also, I didn't have much to do tonight. I was going to eat a whole pizza by myself."

Glimmer laughed. "Ambitious."

There was a knock on the door as Madge sat at the computer. "Can you grab that? I want to fix the color on this one shot."

"Sure," the woman said and headed towards the front door.

Madge adjusted the image's saturation; she wanted to punch up the color of the sky. It complemented the tight blue leotard that Glimmer wore and displayed her fit body perfectly.

"Are you Madge Undersee?" a deep voice suddenly asked.

Madge looked up to see a rugged blond with light eyes smiling at her. Slowly standing, she nodded wordlessly.

"I'm Cato Freeland." He offered his hand. "I just opened the practice next door and just wanted to introduce myself."

Madge shook it, trying not to ignore the giggles escaping Glimmer's mouth as she packed her things.

"Nice to meet you," Madge finally said. "So what kind of doctor are you?"

"A pediatrician," Cato said. His eyes went to the desk where a picture of her, Viola, and Gale was set. Peeta had taken the photo during the birthday party with his own camera and gave it to her as a thank you present. "So if you're looking for a doctor for your daughter—"

"Oh no, that's my goddaughter, Viola," she explained. "But maybe my friends are looking to change her pediatrician."

"Okay, great!" The man said cheerfully. He reached into his jeans pocket and produced a business card. "If they're interested."

"Thanks, Dr. Freeland." Madge hoped that her face wasn't too red. There was something about his smile that made her feel a little bit breathless. "It was nice to meet you."

"Just call me Cato…maybe we can have coffee during one of my breaks," he suddenly suggested.

"Okay," she found herself saying.

"Okay then." He smiled once more. "See you for coffee."

Madge nodded, trying to look cooler than she felt. "Alright, I'll see you."

After Cato stepped out, Glimmer rushed over to her. "You have a date!" She danced around the desk. "And, he so cute!"

"It's coffee," she said trying to downplay her own excitement. "Nothing else." Her phone rang. "You better get going before you miss your bus." She picked up the phone. "Hello, Madge Undersee."

Just like that, her world went dark.


"Is there anyone else we can call?" The police officer asked.

"No, they were both only children," Madge said as she suppressed the wail threatening to escape her throat. "Both sets of parents are gone. They were all each of them had…" She looked to the man in panic. "Was their daughter in the car?"

The man shook his head, his gaze sad. "No, she was with the babysitter. We placed her with Child Protective Services for now—"

"I need to have her with me!" Madge steeled herself. "She's my goddaughter and she's all alone. Her parents are gone and I'm all she has!"

"What the hell happened?"

Madge turned to find Gale standing before her.

Without a second thought, she rushed over to him and he pulled her into his arms as she burst into tears. He held her tight as the police officer walked over, speaking of a drunk driver, their friends attempt to avoid the man, and a car crash that she didn't want to think of.

When it was over and the officer was gone, Gale sank to the ground and took her with him.


Their house looked frozen in time, a relic of Katniss and Peeta Mellark.

When Madge and Gale walked in, their eyes went to the unopened mail on the entryway table. In the kitchen, her eyes filled seeing Katniss' neat print on the bulletin board, including the small mark from last week saying, 'Vi learned to crawl!'.

A little doodle next to the phone reduced Madge to a sobbing mess. Peeta must've been bored during a call, because on one of the notepads he had written over and over: I love Katniss, I love Viola…

"I have to find the number for CPS and we have to get Viola out of there," she started. "Then, I'll have to call someone to close my studio for a bit and then…"

"Stop." Madge looked to where Gale stood in the kitchen doorway. "Just sit for a moment because I still can't believe this is real." He went to the dining room table. "We were just sitting here with them two months ago!"

She went to him, her hand going to his shoulder. "I feel like I have to do something, because if I don't then I just think about how we'll never see them again." Madge pulled out a chair, tears prickling her eyes as she remembered Katniss' laugh. "We lost our best friends…but Viola has lost her parents."

Gale wiped his eyes. "Why did this happen?" He looked so lost, so broken by it all.

She let the sobs overtake her. "I don't know…"

"Cry it out, Madge," Gale told her hoarsely. "Let me call CPS. You should rest."

"I can't sleep," she replied. "Not in this house."

"Then go sit in the living room," he told her. "I need you to go so I can cry and then get enough strength to get Viola back." Their eyes met, his own bloodshot. "Please Madge…I can't let you see me this way."

She nodded and stood up. "I'll be in the living room."


Two Days Later…

"Madge, the lawyer is here."

She looked up from the changing table where Viola laid, her legs up in the air to see Gale watching the two. He gave her an exhausted smile, his unshaven face making him seem older and much more haggard.

Gale looked like she felt.

Diapering Viola, she lifted the little girl in her arms and then carried her over to Gale.

"Let me just wash my hands and I'll be right down."

"We'll meet you down there," Gale responded before giving Viola a bright smile. "And after we get all this crap out of the way, Uncle Gale is going to feed you whatever you want—we practically have the same appetites." Madge gave them a wave before throwing out the dirty diaper then washing her hands in Viola's bathroom.

Walking out into the hallway, her eyes went to a random picture hanging right between their friends' bedroom and Viola's nursery. It was of the four them on prom night. Peeta and Katniss were staring at one another as she and Gale smiled at the camera, his arm around her waist and her head on his shoulder.

They all looked so young and carefree.

Yes, Madge was mad at Gale then, but they shared one dance together and she had forgiven him enough to take that photo with her best friends—though she couldn't remember it. There had been some pre-party shots at Katniss' place.

Oh, what a night that had been.

Taking a deep breath, she descended downstairs and into the dining room where Gale sat with Viola across from their friends' lawyer, Plutarch Heavensbee.

Joining them at the table, she nodded at the man before sitting down next to Gale and placing Viola in her lap. The little girl remained unaware, her hands toying with Madge's tangled mane. She hadn't even showered, feeling so stuck in herself.

"First off, I'd like to say how sorry I am that we're meeting under these circumstances," Plutarch said. "Peeta and Katniss were very good friends of mine and they spoke so highly of you both." Opening his portfolio, he looked it over before meeting their curious gazes. "The house is paid off as they used the money inherited from their parents to foot the majority of the mortgage. However, if you choose to remain here, you are subject to the house tax."

"What are you talking about?" Gale asked.

"The next thing we'll discuss is Viola's inheritance," the lawyer continued. "She has a trust fund which is to be given to her after she reaches the age of 25, though Viola may contest for an earlier release should she need it."

"But, what about now?" Madge inquired. "Is there anything about whose going to take care of Viola?"

"I thought that's why we were here." The man produced a copy of a statement, handing Madge and Gale copies. "They left Viola to you and your husband."

"Husband?" Madge looked to Gale, who was trying to pick his jaw up from the table. "He's not my husband!"

"The way they talked about you two, I thought you were," Plutarch said.

Gale finished reading over the statement. "Those two were fucking insane!"

"I tried to convince them that it wasn't a good idea with your careers and such," the man said. "But, it states clear as day that they reward full custody of their daughter, Viola Eustace Mellark, to Gale Hawthorne and Madge Undersee. As of today, you are both parents."

End of Part One.

Yes, I killed off Everlark, but I feel that they lived a fulfilled, enjoyable life.

Songs: 'December '63 (Oh What A Night)'-Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons