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HungerGamesLoverMM

Ultimatum

Katniss

"Honestly, Gale, just spit it out already" I said annoyed.

"You don't want to know" He said coolly, and tears sprung into my eyes. What had we come to?

"I do Gale" I whined, "Please tell me"

He sighed, angrily running his fingers through his hair, "Katniss, I won for you and then I come back and you're with him!" He spits.

I gasped, "Gale" I choked out dumbfounded.

"Do you love him?" He asked.

"Gale" I said cautiously, he was obviously not in the right frame of mind to have this conversation.

He let out a breath, "You do, don't you" He said with tears in his throat.

"Gale, I love you both, but differently" I said.

"I'll wait for you then" He smiled now, determined.

"Gale, you have Madge" I said trying to make him see reason. I wasn't good for him, she could give him what he needed, but then there was still a part of me that wanted him selfishly for myself.

Gale

Katniss and I stood awkwardly across from one another, and she broke the silence first.

"I miss you Gale" She said sincerely, and I could hear the pain in her voice.

"I miss you too Katniss" I was thrilled that I was finally having this conversation with her. Maybe we could finally get somewhere.

"What are we going to do?" She asked walking towards me.

"I don't know" I said placing my arm around her thin shoulders, "But we'll figure it out" I answered, hoping we would. I would go through with the Victory Tour, because it's not like I had a choice. Maybe Madge and I could stage a public break-up or something, I'm sure she'd go for that, or at least I hope. But then there's Peeta. I know Katniss has feelings for Peeta, but do they trump what she feels for me?

Madge

As soon as I opened the door, people came streaming into my house. My prep team was here along with Cinna of course, and camera crews waited outside. I sighed; today was going to be a long day. After Octavia, Venia, and Flavius scolded me for letting myself go they got right down to work. It was like the games all over again, and I shudder as some of the memories resurfaced. I had been trying over the last couple of months to forget what had happened to me, and pretend that it never happened. It worked at first, but now the most random things would remind me of my time in the arena.

As Flavius was putting hot rollers in my hair, there was a knock on the door. I assumed it was Cinna and I smiled. Ever since the games, Cinna has been one of my closest friends. Venia went to answer the door, and I heard a man's voice not belonging to Cinna.

"We need to speak to Ms. Undersee." The man's voice said, his tone ringing with authority.

"Who is it?" I call, trying to turn around in my seat.

"Capitol business, now come with me" He said strictly.

I looked at my prep team, and every one of them was silent. Octavia gave me a tight nod, and I followed the man out of the room. I pulled my rope tighter around me, suddenly cold. The Capitol man led me around my own house and into my den that was rarely used.

"Inside" He beckoned to me, and I followed his orders, "Sit" He demanded and I listened, but now I was getting annoyed. Who was he to tell me what to do? The massive high-backed chair was swivelled around and as soon as the door closed behind the Capitol man, it turned around. I gasped, shocked and President Snow smiled.

"Hello Madge" He said, his puffy, red lips stretching into a grin.

At first I couldn't respond, but I finally managed to choke out a greeting. He smiled wider, obviously happy that he was causing me so much discomfort.

"You don't seem like the kind of girl who likes small talk, am I right?" He asked. I nodded my head, not in agreement but because it was implied, "So, how's Gale?" He asked looking around the office at the different oil paintings on the dark wood walls.

"Fine" I answered, closed off, "Why?"

"Well, all the Capitol people can talk about is whether or not you two will still be together during the Victory Tour." He said. So what?

"Oh" How do you respond to that?

"And well, most of them are hoping for you to be together" He said.

"We will still be a couple on the Victory Tour" I answered, Gale and I hadn't really talked about it, but I assumed that was what President Snow wanted.

"That's nice Madge, but it's really not enough" He said, smiling wider at my shocked expression.

"W-why?" I stutter.

"Well, not everyone believes that your little romance was real" He said.

"It was" I lie smoothly, "I love Gale"

"Yeah, well don't tell me because I'm not the one who has to believe you."

"What does Gale and I being a couple have to do with the citizen's of the Capitol?" I question.

"It's not the Capitol people who you have to believe you, it's the people in the Districts." He rested his elbows on the desk, and placed his chin on his hands.

"Why do they care?" I reply. Shouldn't they be happy that fewer children had to die?

"Some think that it's unfair that both of you got to win, that the Capitol had gone soft and was no longer in control of the situation."

"Why would it matter?" I was getting incredibly confused.

"One stupid lapse in judgement and the district people no longer feel that they have to listen to their leaders. They feel that if you caught a break why can't they?"

I let what he saying sink in. So the people were unsettled, but nothing had happened yet, "So what that they are unhappy" I say, it's not like that had stopped him before.

"Well Madge," The president began, "When people have a common goal, they band together, and when people band together against the government you get a rebellion."

My eyes widened at what he was saying. There was whispering of a rebellion?

"What do I have to do?" I ask, definitely not wanting to be the cause of a war.

"Marry Gale" He laughed as my eyes widened in shock. Marry Gale? I was barely seventeen for goodness sakes, I couldn't get married!

"And if I don't?" I question.

"Let's just say that because Seneca Crane had a lapse in judgement, he won't be Head Game-Maker again this year." I gasped louder. Did he mean what I think he meant? "Think about it Madge" Snow said standing up from the chair, "Or else" He added before he closed the door behind him. I closed my eyes, and laid my head on the desk. What was I going to do now? Tell Gale? No I couldn't do that yet, what would I even say? Oh hey Gale, by the way we have to get married or else there's going to a rebellion? No way!

Well there is one person I could talk to I guess, and as much as he drives me crazy he would know what to do.