Disclaimer: I still don't own them, what a pity.
If anyone other than Prim had asked me to look for Gale I wouldn't have done it. But here I am, an hour later, standing at the fence in a pair of old jeans and a baggy shirt, listening for the electric hum. Prim stands next to me constantly throwing a glance over her shoulder as I lean closer.
"Careful!" She shouts, and I jump nearly face planting into the damn thing anyways. "Sorry," she mumbles when I throw a look at her, "I just get nervous."
"Well it's not on," I conclude, crossing my arms, "but I don't know how to get through." Prim looks over her shoulder one more time and then scurries down the side of the fence, before pointing with her small fingers.
"I've been through it this way," she says, and takes a deep breath before prying the fence up. She sighs with relief and pushes loose strands of hair behind her ears, much like I've seen Katniss do. "I'll hold it up so you can crawl under." My insides hiss at her but she hikes the fence high over her head and I drop to the ground instantly. Despite the fence being off now, it might turn on at any second. Once I'm through I lean over to help her, but she's dropped the fence.
"Prim?"
She looks down at her shoes and folds her hands behind her back. "I… I'm scared of the woods." My throat clenches and I can't seem to swallow. "I should have told you," she mutters, "but I knew you wouldn't have come… and I don't know if he's going to come back… please, Madge?" The desperation in her voice makes my heart swell.
However, my insides are hissing again, but I force a smile onto my face. "Sure, Prim." I try to hide the annoyance in my voice but I know she can hear it because she cringes, then reaches for the fence again. "No, no! Stay here, I'll be back with Gale before anyone notices we're gone." She smiles again, another genuine smile, and I know I have to do this. Before Prim can say anything else I glance out towards the mines then run up the hill towards the trees.
I've never been in the woods, never been past the fence, and technically never broken a law. My heart should be thundering with terror and fear but instead I feel… free. I feel the blood pumping through my veins and I feel the wind blowing through my hair like it's never done before. This is exciting and a voice in the back of my head is hoping I don't find Gale for a little bit just so I can soak up this new wonder.
I've never seen so many trees in my life. I pause to lean against one and just listen. I listen as the wind pushes its way through the leaves above me; I listen as birds in the distance chirp happily in the sunlight; I listen as a nearby stream trickles… there's so much to listen to. My feet pull me in the direction of the stream, simply because the only stream I've ever seen is filled with pollution from the mine and I need to see one in nature, pure, clean, and untouched by the Capitol. I push my way through a patch of bushes and end up right on the edge of the water. It's glistening clear and I dip a hand in. My body shivers by its cool touch and I scoop up a handful to splash on my face. It feels wonderful in this heat.
I find myself looking around and realizing I wish I could tell someone about this. I sigh and tug my hair into a pony tail before I continue down the edge of the stream. I can't tell my parents that I've broken Capitol laws, laws punishable by death… and it's not like I can tell Katniss anymore. Prim, I guess I could tell, but where's the excitement in that? I'm pleased I have a secret, but at the same time what good is a secret if you can't share it with anyone?
After a few minutes of trudging along I start getting hopeless. What am I even doing? Why did Prim think me, out of all people, would be able to find him, let alone convince him to come back? The boy hates me for crying out loud, can't stand to be in my presence! Besides, the woods are huge! If he's running away then there's no chance in hell that I'll find him, and I'll probably end up getting lost and stuck in the woods where I'll die off because Prim's the only one that knows I'm out here… dammit what have I gotten myself into?
As I take another step my foot is suddenly being yanked into the air and I fall backwards, my wrists painfully colliding with the ground before my elbows. I let out a yelp of pain and surprise and look at my ankle that's now hanging about 2 feet off of the ground, caught by a snare.
"You've gotta be kidding me." I snap my head around and watch Gale lower his bow as he eyes up the situation, processing that it really is me. "What the hell are you doing out here?" My wrists are throbbing in pain and I think one of them is twisted so instead of answering I'm fumbling with the trap around my foot.
"Get me out of this thing!" I hiss, not sparing him another glance. He slides his bow behind his back and saunters over, a pleasant smirk on his face. "Gale Hawthorne I swear when I get out of this thing I'll…"
"You'll what, Undersee?" He reaches down and fiddles with the contraption and then my ankle plummets to the ground. I can feel my face radiating heat but not from embarrassment, from anger. "That's what I thought."
"Prim came to my house, my house, and told me that you ran away in the woods!" Despite the pain in my wrists I force myself up and jab a finger at his chest as that same stupid smirk is still beaming from his face. "She's worried sick about you and you think this is funny?"
"The mayor's daughter breaking Capitol laws to find me, a skilled hunter, in the vast expanse of the woods, when I've barely been gone four hours." He pauses, then tilts his head to the side. "Yeah, I think it's hilarious actually." He resets the snare and I watch, my face wearing a permanent scowl. "I'm not an idiot, Madge, I have a family I gotta take care of." I cross my arms across my chest and he turns back to me. "Two, actually. Alright?"
"Well then tell that to Prim," I snap, now more agitated than before, "and… and…"
"And what?" He crosses his arm, his lips threatening to tug into that smirk again. He pauses, waits for an answer, and then lets out a brief laugh. "Exactly. And nothing." He glances up at the sky then back down at me, his eyes drifting over my clothes briefly before meeting my eye. "You of all people," he mutters.
"Just ridiculous I know. Who would have thought I could do something outside the ordinary, huh? Sheltered rich girl too scared to brave the wilderness." Sarcasm is dripping from my voice. He goes to say something, probably a witty reply, but obviously is having trouble formulating the words and shuts his mouth instead. "Well?" We've been standing here staring at each other for at least a minute.
"Well, what?" Annoyance is obvious in his tone as he learns to speak again and he crosses his arms.
"I don't know how to get back!" To this he rolls his eyes and rubs his forehead. "I thought… I don't know what I thought. I only did this so Prim would be happy, alright?" He obnoxiously sighs then pushes his way past me and jerks his head, motioning me to follow. I cross my arms and am suddenly feeling very self conscious. My footsteps are offensively loud compared to his, and he walks with a confidence twelve times the size of mine. The sun's beginning to set and I realize I have no idea how long I've been out here. I keep glancing around because I'm still pretty intoxicated from being in the woods and I'm trying to take in as much as I can. Not watching my feet I trip over a root and fly forward, landing on my wrist again. "Dammit!" I shout, clutching it and pushing myself to sit quickly. Gale turns around and raises an eyebrow.
"Princess has a mouth on her, eh?"
"I think my wrist is sprained you asshole," I hiss at him. He walks back towards me and offers his hand to help me up. With my throbbing but un-sprained wrist I manage to get standing, and he grabs the other wrist gently. "Ouch," I yank it back and he sighs angrily.
"Just lemme see it," he growls. I lift my wrist back towards him and he grabs it lightly, slowly turning it back and forth between his hands. "Well it isn't broken," he finally says, letting it drop smoothly.
"How would you know?"
"You'd be screaming," he mutters, "you're right, probably just sprained. I'm sure one of your fancy town doctors can patch you up in no time." Then he turns and starts walking again, but I've dropped my jaw and I'm just standing there staring at him. Not hearing my footsteps he turns around. "What now?" he groans, dropping his hands by his side.
"What do you propose I tell those 'fancy town doctors' when I walk in with a sprained wrist? Or my parents who know I've been gone all day? That I tripped down the stairs?" He snorts and the smirk slides back onto his face. "That isn't funny! I'm not a klutz, Gale, someone would get suspicious!"
"Would you rather Mrs. Everdeen look at it, then?" I consider this for a moment, and then nod my head yes. "Alright, we'll stop by. Now can we just get out of these damn woods already?" His tone is agitated and frustration is plastered on his face. Something inside of me feels guilty and I hold my wrist to stunt the pain. I keep my eyes on the ground so I don't trip again and my mouth shut so I don't say something stupid. After what feels like hours the sun has tinted the sky orange and we make our way to the gate. Prim is sitting on the other side with her legs crossed and her eyes light up when she sees us.
"Gale! Madge!" She hikes up the fence so we can crawl under and then latches herself around Gale as best she can.
He returns the hug but pulls her up close. "I told you not to worry about me, alright?" His voice is firm and yet somehow gentle at the same time. "I'm not gonna leave you, Prim."
"I know," she whimpers back, "I was just scared and I thought I'd have to watch the ceremonies alone and…"
"Stop it, Primrose." He pulls away and forces her trembling chin up so her eyes meet his. "I told you that I'm not going anywhere. Alright?" She nods again and then throws her arms back around him. He sighs and looks toward me for a moment, then drops his gaze. The look in his eyes was pained, scared, and I wrap my arms around myself to stop from getting goosebumps. He'd always shown indifference, and I knew better than to mention Katniss, but Prim's fear obviously stirred something inside of him that needed to be left alone. I should have figured he went into the woods to clear his head. "Come on," he pulls her up, "we have to get your mom to look at her wrist."
Prim looks up at me holding my wrist and then nods, scurrying across the field, Gale and I behind her. Within the confines of the fence I suddenly feel claustrophobic, like I can't breathe. Behind both of them I feel out of place, like a lost dog desperately trying to keep up with its owners. After a few minutes of silence we reach the Everdeen house. It's smaller than I remember it and then I'm feeling guilty all over again. When they open the door to let me in Mrs. Everdeen says nothing, her face morphs into stone. Her eyes reveal a sharp pain by looking at me but she doesn't look away.
"Madge hurt her wrist, mommy," Prim tells her, pulling on her hand and pulling her mother out of her trance. "Can you fix it?" Mrs. Everdeen grabs my wrist from my grasp without a word and gently examines it before nodding. Gale leads Prim back outside and Mrs. Everdeen gets her kit.
"Sorry to be such a burden," I say quietly as she pulls out a few bottles, gauze, and some medical tape. "Prim had me look for Gale and I tripped and…"
"It's no burden at all," she says quietly, dipping the gauze in some antiseptic and wrapping it delicately around my wrist. A shiver shoots down my spine when she speaks to me because I know she rarely talks when working. I feel even more uncomfortable as she continues her healing, her eyes dart from the work she's doing on my wrist back up to my face. A few minutes later the pain feels as though it's being pulled from my bones and I sigh in relief. After that she wraps it with tape and steps back to look at her work. "Should be healed in about a week. That's the best I can do."
"Thank you," I stand, "I didn't bring any money with me, I can stop by tomorrow, though."
"Nonsense, Madge," my name in her mouth sounds like it belongs, like greeting an old friend. "This one's on me. For… for doing Prim that favor." I smile, and she does too but it drops almost instantly.
"Thank you," I say again, and honestly I'm grateful. However, explaining the tape around my wrist to my father might be a bit difficult. A moment later, Gale and Prim walk back inside, Prim laughing at something he must've just said. Gale stops in the doorway and glances at my wrist. "I guess I should go," I say quietly and start walking towards the door, but Prim stops me.
"Wait," she grabs the wrist her mother didn't tape up. "We're about to go to the square. Will you come with us?" First I look towards Mrs. Everdeen who doesn't meet my eyes anymore, and then back towards Gale.
"I mean, I…" What do I say? Of course I want to be there with Prim, especially because she asked me, and I'm sure my father wouldn't mind, but Gale and Mrs. Everdeen? Gale drops his gaze but shrugs, then nods once before turning out the door. Prim smiles and grabs my hand, pulling me after him. I guess I'll be watching the opening ceremonies from the front row, tonight.
A/N: This one's a little longer, and the one I've been most unsure of. I didn't want to write Gale as sappy and depressed and I figured he spent most of his time in the woods right after Katniss left. I always thought Prim and Gale had this greater bond than what was mentioned in the book, considering Gale took care of her while Katniss was gone. I also always thought Madge was fond of Prim, hence the Prim/Madge interaction. I figured she always wanted a little sister and she doesn't want her to be so alone during this time. Please please please tell me if I'm going too far out of character or out of character at all. Any advice would help! Thank you for reading! c: