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Chapter Seven
Madge was sure a simultaneous "Fuck," went through everyone's minds when they heard sounds and rumblings coming from outside the justice building. Peacekeepers.
The merchant's head swiveled to look at Bristel, as did Thom's.
"God you're stupid," he hissed at Bristel. His hands moved to quickly untie Madge's hands. His gaze fell to her ankles and Madge bent down to untie the final binds.
Bristel opened her mouth to protest Madge's new freedom, probably fearing that she would lunge at the girl, but she wasn't vengeful and couldn't afford any more injuries, especially not any visible ones.
Thom didn't let her speak though; he interrupted her as soon as her mouth opened. "Look at her. Do you think her daddy's going to let us go so easy now? What were you even thinking? Do you ever fucking think?" He finished his scolding, grabbing Madge's hand leading them away from the group. They needed to get her cleaned up and form a plan.
They were only a few yards away from the rest of the group now, but far enough that they would struggle to hear their conversation. Not that they were even interested in eavesdropping when a huge confrontation was about to happen, one that would affect all of their lives. The peacekeepers could always be instructed to run the building, hostages be damned, trusting that there wasn't enough miners to hold down the fort. (It was the truth anyway). Everything was all on her. This had to go right.
"I'm going to assume you don't have any makeup with you to cover that bruised cheek?"
She shook her head, her hand absent-mindedly coming up to feel the bruised skin. She'd never been in a fight before; she didn't think she'd ever be in one and yet in the last few hours she had gotten slapped twice and punched twice. She had also kicked someone in the stomach.
It was like some alternative universe here. One where she got in fights and Gale loved her. The latter seemed less likely than the former.
"They're going to think we're fucking torturing you," the miner buried his head in his hands as he took a seat. "Gale is going to beat the shit out of me for letting her near you." He looked up, his grey eyes settling on hers. "I really didn't mean to, Princess I fucking swear. I'd never let my best friend's girl get hurt, especially not by Bristel." His gaze fell on Bristel, sneering at her figure in the distance. "I have no idea when she got like that. Her heart's as black as fucking coal now." He turned away from said girl, looking at Madge again. "I guess jealousy'll do that to you." Thom stood up. "In the meantime we could at least get you cleaned up a bit."
They walked in silence to her father's office. He probably assumed that she would be most comfortable in a place most familiar with her. They needed the megaphone from his desk anyway.
It didn't feel right to be in this room without Gale. It probably wouldn't feel right to be in this room with her father anymore either, not after all the kissing they'd done all over this place. She felt her cheeks burn from the memories, especially knowing that Thom and Bristel had caught them during one of their most private moments.
When she looked at herself in the mirror, she was horrified at the sight. Her hair was all over the place, at least that could be easily fixed, but her face, even makeup wouldn't have fixed it. Her lip was the worse off, it wasn't just her lips that were bruised, the entire left side surrounding it was bruised, a sickly dark purple, not to mention that the lip itself was split open, blood spilling from the cut. It matched the right side of her face in color. The cheek was one thing; she could've probably claimed that happened before she was brought here, but the bloody lip? That couldn't have happened anywhere else and definitely not by accident. A fist-sized bruise on your mouth doesn't happen by accident too often.
She ran a washcloth under the cool water, ringing it before bringing it to her lip. It stung and she winced from the pain. Thom muttered another apology that she quickly dismissed. He didn't do this to her. There was only one person to blame and she wasn't here right now.
She murmured something about wishing Gale was here. He had been great at tending to her many wounds, gentle, caring and most important thorough.
Thom chuckled from his place at her side. She turned to look at him.
"What? He was good."
"Maybe good at kissing your wounds."
Madge laughed at that. He was very good at that too.
His face turned serious for a moment before he spoke again, "he's very serious about you y'know? I've never seen him like that about a girl before, not even Katniss. I just-I couldn't believe it at first."
"Why?"
"I don't know," he rubbed the back of his head nervously. He didn't want to say that she was too good for his best friend, but that was the only thing in his head. "You're like really pretty and I don't know, the mayor's daughter maybe. What would you want with a miner?"
"Why wouldn't I like him? He's more than just a miner to me," she defended tossing the bloodied rag into the sink.
"He won't ever be able to provide the life you're used to living. You have to know that." Thom was looking at her as if it was the most obvious explanation in the world. You can't be with him, you're a merchant and he's from the Seam. You have to know the implications of that.
"I do know that. I honestly don't care." She'd spent her entire life in an empty mansion. She raised herself. By no fault of her mother, since she was ill, there was no one to fix her hair, no one to teach her about boys. Her entire life was trial and error, except there was no room for error. She had no other choice but to make the right decision each time. She would have given anything to have the kind of relationship the families in the Seam had. Yeah, they didn't have much, but they had each other. She'd spent some evenings at the Everdeen's, having dinner with them and they were happy. Despite all of her mother's mistakes, Prim still looked at her as if she were mother of the year. Her mother couldn't even sit up for longer than a few minutes at a time. All she'd ever wanted was a family.
He laughed, mocking her. "You say that now. You've never had to skip dinner on purpose. You've never gone without food. What could you and Gale possibly have in common?"
She didn't know. They hadn't had the time to get as close as she would've liked, but she couldn't let Thom know that. "Well we're both on the same page for the buried miners or I wouldn't be here helping you guys now."
Thom's face transformed again, remembering that she was helping the very people that kidnapped her. That was a testament of her character, or at least of her devotion to Gale. "I-I'm sorry Madge. I don't know what-I didn't mean it. It's just-he's my best friend. I have to watch out for him. It can't be like Katniss. He spent years pining after her for nothing. He was serious about her too, until he gave up. I didn't think he'd ever get over her and then months later I see the two of you, kissing like it's going out of style in this very bathroom. You have to imagine my surprise."
She nodded. It had surprised her too. She looked him in the eyes. "I'm serious too."
He grinned, patting her on the back, before remembering the situation they were in. "Fuck," he groaned.
"He doesn't have to see me." After seeing Thom's face she explained further. "I mean can't I just say everything from behind a curtain or something, just peering into the window?"
"What if he asks to see your face than what?"
"Well then we're fucked."
He shrugged. "Well that settles that. I think we should get out there soon."
Madge grabbed the megaphone with both hands because her hands were shaking too hard. She murmured good thoughts to herself, words of encouragement. She was just going to be talking to her father probably, just like any other Sunday night dinner. Just imagine that. Imagine that you're sitting across the table from him, except you're not a hostage and your face isn't throbbing.
"Are you going to be okay?" Thom asked, concern written all over his face. "I could do it if you want. He probably won't ever meet me."
She shook her head. It wasn't a risk she was willing to take. "Someone check outside for Gale."
Another miner, one much older than Thom and Gale answered. It didn't look like he was there. Madge's heart dropped. Maybe they had caught him sneaking out. What if they had- She stopped herself from thinking another dreaded thought. He was fine. Everything was fine. Everything would be fine.
She turned on the megaphone, bringing it up to her mouth. "Daddy?"
There was a long moment of silence before her father answered. "Madgie?" His voice was quiet. She could hear the worry and fear in his voice.
"Yeah, it's me."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise, Dad. I wouldn't be talking to you if I weren't."
"Okay," he paused. "What do they want from you all?"
She looked to Thom, who looked back at her, urging her to continue. She knew what they wanted. She wanted it herself. "They want you to fix the mines."
"Madge you know that-that I can't just do that."
"Why not? There are people down there!"
If she hadn't trained herself to be the perfect mayor's daughter she would have probably let her emotions get the best of her. She would have threatened him the best way she knew how. She might have said something like, "We'll break all the locks that we don't know the combinations to. We'll rob you blind." She could imagine the look on his face, the shock written all over his face. His face frozen in surprise before his eyebrows furrow and his features grow angry. She'd never experienced it herself, but seen his face transform in that same way while on the phone with the higher ups from the Capitol. She'd continue before he could get a word in. "We'll burn it down and if you build it we'll just burn it down again. Make the right choice Dad."
But she doesn't say any of that. That wouldn't put her father in the most forgiving of moods. He'd probably just dismiss her completely, especially if she included herself in this miniature rebellion, saying "we" instead of "they." It'd be quickly dismissed as Stockholm syndrome for sure. She used a different tactic.
"Daddy after the last mining accident you were so upset. We had just gone down to the mines the week before, spent the entire day with all of those great men. And there wasn't anything you could have done. Our district didn't have the funds to fix any of the mines, but we do now. I know we do. We're going to have a victor this year and our district will have extra money. You can spend it now to save lives." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I won't forgive you if you don't and if that's not enough. Well, we'll take what we have to with or without your permission."
She dropped the megaphone, making sure the sound is noticeable as she turned it off.
"And now we wait."
It takes about twenty minutes before she hears his voice and her heart leaps within her chest at the sound. He's safe and everything turned out as planned, so far. Her father will probably never forgive her again. She can just imagine the disappointed look on his face when they get out of this.
"Guys? Madge?"
Madge climbs over everyone to get to the megaphone as quickly as possible. She wipes the hair from her face and smoothes out the skirt of her dress as if he can actually see her behind the thick curtains, shielding her marred face from her father and the crowd of district officials and peacekeepers gathered outside.
"I'm here, Gale."
"They want to make negotiations. Is it okay if I go in, talk to you about some things?"
She nodded her head before realizing he still couldn't see her. "Yes, of course. We're open to that."
She made sure he was fully inside the building and the door behind him was shut before she leaped onto him, pulling him into an embrace. Madge buried her head into his uniform shirt, breathing in his masculine yet citrus-laced scent.
"I was so worried about you. No one could see you through the windows," she breathed out into his chest.
"I was worried about you," he grabbed her face, about to touch his lips to hers before noticing her wince as his hand touched her bruised cheek. "What-What happened to you?"
She was speechless. He already knew what happened to her and there was nothing she could say in Bristel's defense to save her from his wrath. The infuriated miner was already turning to confront her, except she was saved by Madge who wrapped her arms around his middle. "Let's go to my dad's office." She turned to the small crowd of miners gathered at the windows, "We'll be right back." They all nodded, silently thanking Madge for taking on the task of cooling Gale down before he had to be in the same room for a prolonged amount of time with Bristel.
He slammed the door to her father's office behind him. "What did she do to you?" he yelled, raking his fingers roughly through his hair.
"She punched me," Madge squeaked out.
"How was she able to do that? I told Thom to watch you. I told him to make sure Bristel wasn't alone in the same room with you at all."
Madge grabbed his hand, pulling on it so he would come toward her and wrap his arms around her. "It's not his fault. You know that."
He picked her up, placing her on the edge of the desk. Now she was closer to his level. Gale leaned his forehead onto her shoulder. "I know that, but he was supposed to protect you when I couldn't."
"I'm fine, Gale."
He pulled away from her. "No, you're not! Look at you!"
She turned away from, ashamed of her damaged face. Her lip was probably twice its size by now.
"No no no no no." he murmured holding the sides of her face in his hands. He made sure not to touch the injured parts of her face. "You're beautiful. You're always beautiful. I-I just feel responsible."
"You didn't hit me, Gale."
"I know, but I should've been there to make sure she didn't."
"Come here."
Gale stepped back into her arms, burying his face into her hair. "I can't kiss you now," he whined.
Madge pulled away, looking up into his eyes. "Yes you can, you just have to be very very gentle." Her fingers toyed with the curls at the nape of his neck, pulling his face toward her ever so slowly until his lips were hovering over hers.
"Gentle?" He asked skimming his lips over hers, barely making contact. It still hurt, but the pleasure she received from his touch was more than enough reward for the pain.
"Gentle," she affirmed pressing her lips against his with the slightest of pressures.
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