Disclaimer: The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, two of the best books I've ever read, are owned by Suzanne Collins and I don't have any rights to them except the right to read them and love them. This is a companion fic to Firestarter.

Chapter Six

Madge's POV

I hear Peeta speak up then. "Are there any canteens or anything we can carry water in?" This isn't something I would have thought about and I guess it is from the experience both Peeta and Katniss have had from the Games that makes him think of it. I follow behind them into the loading area of the craft. The soldiers are looking in hidden bins and everywhere they can find for the canteens. They also find parachute packs and Katniss suggests that we grab one of those too. I put my arrow back in the quiver and keep my bow in my hand. I reach out for a canteen and a parachute pack. Just as my hands clench the straps of both, the craft starts to spin. I fall and then I'm plastered against the wall as the force of the spin knocks us all back. I squeeze my eyes tightly and try to ignore the quiver of arrows digging into my back. I hear a smack next to me and I turn my head just a fraction to see Gale.

Finally, the spin levels out and I fall to my knees. He roughly helps me up by grabbing my arm. I brace my legs again as the craft sways some more before finally landing. I shake off the dizziness as I swing the parachute pack up and the canteen. I barely have time to grab an arrow before Vanzant orders, "Move!" We file out of the craft and I pull up my bow as I see Katniss do the same with hers. We're looking all around. It takes me a moment to catch on that Vanzant is looking to Katniss for guidance. Katniss goes to her right and I follow her and the others as we run for cover. I hear a bird call and I see Katniss look back. We all glance behind us and I see another hovercraft directly above our own. Fear fills me up inside. A ladder descends from the hovercraft with Peacekeepers in white uniforms on it. Vanazant holds something up in her hand and pushes the button. Our hovercraft explodes and the one above it goes with it. "That may buy us some time," she tells Katniss and then looks at her expectantly.

Katniss looks around and then she sighs. "Anyone have a map?" she asks. A young soldier takes a map out of his vest and unfolds it in front of her. "Can you find where we are on it?" she asks him.

He shakes his head. "All I know is that the barren land is here before you get to District 13 on the north side. There are woods that border the western side of the District here and it also borders the barren land's southern side. But I don't know where we are in the forest."

Katniss studies it a moment longer and then calls out to Peeta. "What do you think?" she asks him as he looks at it.

He studies it for a moment and looks up. "Keep heading east then. Maybe northeast so we can know exactly where we are in relation to the border lands."

"We have to find a water source. It's going to be dark soon, so that must be a priority. No lights, no fires, and nothing that can reflect where we are back to them," she says. I'm suddenly glad that they are with us.

"Camouflage," Peeta says and Katniss nods in agreement.

"We'll deal with that once we can find some mud." Everyone is hanging on her every word. Well, maybe except Finnick and Johanna. I haven't gotten the chance to talk to her but she creeps me out a little. "Stay in the trees and away from anywhere that doesn't give cover. Buddy up," Katniss tells us. "Let's move."

We silently move away from the clearing and Gale walks beside me. Katniss and Peeta are just ahead with the commander and others behind us. We move silently through the trees and I let my heart rate slow down. I try to stay alert as we move through the woods. I'm also finding it hard to concentrate since I sense Gale's presence right next to me. He hasn't said a word for quite some time now. Suddenly, Gale speeds up to Katniss's left side.

I try not to let it bother me, but how could I not? I hear him say, "You're different."

At that, Peeta falls back to walk beside me to give them their privacy. I look over at him and his blue eyes are watchful. So many people have commented on how much alike Katniss and Gale look. But I see so much similarity between Peeta and myself. We really could be related. A slight smile tugs his lips up and I go back to listening to the conversation in front of me.

"Yes, I am," I hear Katniss say definitely as she looks around the woods. She looks anywhere, I notice, except at Gale.

He's quiet for a moment as he looks around too. Then he says, "He's changed too."

"Who?" Katniss asks.

"Peeta," he answers.

I glance over at Peeta and I see his eyebrows have shot up but he doesn't remark on that. I look back over to Gale and Katniss. "Yes," she answers again and Gale nods.

I see the tension in his back as he walks. "You're not the girl I fell in love with anymore," I hear him say softly and it almost breaks my heart. "You're a different woman." He says it as if he's seeing that for the first time. Now it's my turn to raise my eyebrows. Hope unfurls just a tiny bit in my chest. Finally, the tension drains away from him and I hear him say, "I understand, Katniss."

"Understand what?" she asks.

I hold my breath for his answer. "I understand why you love him. Why it is Peeta and not me. At least, I think I do. And I accept it. I just want you to know that." Silence reigns between them and then he falls back next to me. Peeta speeds up to be next to her. The fact that he accepts her feelings for Peeta, that he understands, makes me feel happy for Katniss but also kind of sad for Gale. Everyone knows how he feels for her, well at least they did back home, and I know it makes him hurt to say it.

I want to say something to him but it just sits in my throat. What can I say to him? I hear Peeta say, "I think I see water to the right," and I know that the moment is gone. We all head in that direction. The picture of the area is absolutely gorgeous. I'm still getting used to the feelings of woods, but I've never seen running water like this. Not in person, anyway. I dip my canteen into the water as I see others doing and take a few sips. It's cold and it tastes so good. Before I know it, I'm guzzling it and have to slow down before I choke.

I wipe my arm across my face to keep the dribble of water frin going down my chin. I watch Peeta take a handful of mud and spread it in his hair. With our light colored hair, it's easier to pick us out of a crowd than dark hair. I follow his example. I don't even flinch at the thought of the mud that gets caked into my hair. As long as it saves my life, I just don't care. I feel another hand helping me out and I look up to see Gale. He has a slight smile on his face. "What's so funny?" I ask him.

"Just thinking that I never would have imagined that you would willingly sling mud in your hair," he tells me.

I shrug. "If it saves my life, I'd willingly shave it all off." He chuckles at this but I see admiration and maybe even respect in his eyes. I smile back at him in response. His eyes are such a clear gray that in the dying light of the sun they look silver to me. I feel that funny feeling in my stomach again as I lose myself, again, in his eyes.

Then I'm abruptly brought back as I hear Katniss hiss, "Trees!" Gale grabs my shoulders and moves us into the cover of low hanging branches. He presses me against the trunk and though the quiver of arrows is digging into my back, I don't complain. His body is hard against mine and I can feel his heartbeat. A bright light shines through the trees to spot on the water and we don't move. I feel his heart speed up in time with my own. I see Gale nod over to my right and I watch as Katniss climbs a tree. The light moves away and the hovercraft leaves. I breathe a sigh of relief and that's when I realize that Gale is still looking down at me.

I raise my eyebrow up at him. The right side of his mouth wings up in a smile for just a moment. He squeezes my shoulders and then he walks away. I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. I shake it off and follow him across the clearing to where Katniss is climbing back down the tree. "We're close to the barren land, but the woods are being searched by the Capitol," she tells the commander. She gets her gear back from Peeta and looks around. "We need to eat," she says and I feel my stomach grumble in response. "Finnick!" she calls and he comes jogging over to us with Annie right beside him. "See what you can get out of the stream to eat. Annie, if you can look around the banks and see if there are any plants that we can eat, it would help."

I see his look of relief and I think it's because he doesn't want to lose sight of her. "My family will help," he says and they jog back over and start talking to a group of people. Then they start over to the stream.

"Gale," she calls and he walks closer over to her. "We need to hunt. Fish and berries won't feed thirty people." He nods and looks over to Peeta. Then Peeta and Katniss share a smile and she explains, "He'll stay here with Madge and keep a look out. Peeta is a little…"

"Loud," he finishes. He grabs her chin and kisses her hard. Then he orders, "Don't go too far and get back quickly."

She kisses him back and says, "Yes sir." She and Gale stride off into the woods and I'm left behind with Peeta.

I haven't talked with Peeta very often but he has the presence that would put so many people at ease. Unlike Gale, I think with a smile. "So," I say.

He smiles back at me. "Thank you, Madge."

"For what?" I ask.

"For coming with them to get me. I can't tell you how much it means to me." For a moment, his blue eyes go dark with pain.

I reach out and squeeze his arm. "You would have done the same. Katniss would have walked through burning coal all the way to the Capitol to get you back."

He smiles at me as we watch Finnick and his family fish in the stream. "I'm glad it didn't come to that." I watch with Peeta as Finnick gets a fish with his trident. I feel so removed from the fear a few moments ago but I wonder what Peeta is feeling. Does he really feel free?

Are any of us truly free? I know the Capitol is out there right now searching for us. Well, not me specifically, but they're searching for Peeta and Katniss. They know they were on the hovercraft. I have such a hatred burning inside of me for the Capitol. I've always resented them because of my mother. She lost her twin in the 50th Hunger Games and it destroyed her. I've resented them because while people were starving in our district, the Capitol did nothing. If anything, they added insult to injury and kidnapped the children of the District and forced them to murder. They made us watch it.

I resent them for what they've done to Katniss and Peeta. They've manipulated them, tortured them, and they've kept them apart. The Capitol has killed off our family. I close my eyes at that and think about my mother again. Her last words pushing my father and I on as she fell behind in her housecoat and slippers. I wanted to take her with us, but father hauled me up over his shoulder and ran with tears streaming down his face.

I close my eyes as the tears come. I don't mean to cry but I can't help it. I hear shouts go up and I know that Gale and Katniss are back in the clearing. I walk away to clean my face and compose myself. I don't want them to see my tears right now. Now isn't the time for mourning. It's the time for surviving.

I walk back over just as someone hands Katniss a blow torch. I watch silently as she, Gale and Peeta take turns to cook the food. Everyone sits in a circle around the parachute with the food on it and grab food at random. I eat the cooked deer and berries. It's one of the better meals I've had in a while.

Not long after that, someone decides it would be good to get some sleep in. I do feel the need to sleep. It feels as if I haven't slept for a few days. I make my way over to a tree and I'm surprised to see Gale follow me after he helps dispose of the carcass and extra food. He settles down next to me. "Hi buddy," he tells me and I laugh at the term. I know it's because of when Katniss ordered all of us to "Buddy up."

"You don't have to sleep here if you don't want to," I tell him.

He shrugs as he looks out into the night. I shrug too and I settle as much as I can in the silence that follows. He breaks it by saying, "You did good today, Madge."

Has he ever called me by name before? I don't think so because I feel giddy at the sound of his voice saying my name. Then his words settle into my mind and I look down. "I just reacted. I… I've never…" and my voice trails off. His hand grabs mine and I'm so surprised at the action that tears spring to my eyes.

"I know," he says softly. "But you did what needed to be done. It's something I never saw in you, or never had the chance to."

I just nod as I look away and wipe some tears from my face. I hear him sigh and he releases my hand. "I'm sorry," he tells me.

"For what?" I ask as I look back at him. I have to tilt my head some and I see him looking down at me. The moon is out and I see only half of his face but his eyes are filled with amusement.

"About the comment I made the Reaping before last," he tells me.

I smile up at him. "It's okay, Gale. I forgave you a long time ago."

He nods and we sit in silence again. It isn't before long that I nod off. When I wake, I realize that my head had fallen on his shoulder but it's not this that wakes me. It was the sound of gunfire.

A/N: Please leave a review!!! Thank you for reading. I'll have another update soon.