Disclaimer: Gale's going home! I know y'all don't want him to but it's for the best of the story, I already have it all planned. It's for the best of the story. It'll all work out. :)

"Let's get away from here, hm?"

Her voice is soft against my ear, and I wrap my arms around her. "I'd like that."

She laughs; the sound makes me smile. Her lips travel down my neck. "Why are you so damn mysterious?" I ask. But she's quiet. "Madge,"

"Shh," she brings her finger to my lips. "Don't complicate things."

"But Madge, I -"

Before I can continue, I don't feel her in my arms anymore. It's cold. She's gone.

I scream her name, and then I wake up.

"District Twelve, train leaves in four minutes!"

All I've thought about since last night is her. I didn't get the chance to talk to her. Maybe it's for the best; maybe we were never meant to be anything. The thought stings, but there's nothing I can do about it now.

"Gale!"

I turn around and she's running towards me, people chasing after her, body guards trying to keep up. They aren't happy to see me. They definitely know who I am. Cameras flash, questions are directed at both of us, but this time I don't care. She wraps her arms around me and I instantly do the same. "I'm so sorry," she whispers. "I...I'll come back, okay? I'll tell you everything -"

I pull away. "You don't mean what you said?"

"I..." she sighs. "Just, just don't..."

Surprisingly, I feel tears prick at my eyes. "Don't do this," I warn her.

"I don't know," she finally says. "But just...don't listen to anyone that says anything."

"What do you mean?"

"People are going to tell you bad things. You're going to hear bad things. And please, don't listen."

She hugs me again, but our hearts aren't in it. The one-minute whistle blows. "I'll see you again," she says, certainty in her voice. "I'm...I'm really sorry."

I can't think of anything to say, so I just bring my fingers up to her jaw, feeling her soft skin one last time. Before she can add anything else, I turn around and board the train.

The ride home is filled with anxiety. Surely everyone will have opinions of me. I got a few strange glances in the Capitol, but at home? Everyone will know it was me. If anything I may have been recognized as a soldier, but in 12 I'll be very bluntly known as Gale Hawthorne, the scandalous man caught kissing Madge Undersee.

I get looks on the train, too, but I ignore them. How am I going to explain this to my family? Ma? Thom? Posy? I wonder what Katniss and Mrs. Everdeen think. I groan. Out of all the girls I could have fallen in love with, it had to be Madge fucking Undersee, who just so happens to have people interested in her, lots of people, with cameras and opinions.

What did I expect?

Then I ask myself again if I really do love her. Hell, I don't even know exactly who she is. This leads me to start listing off the things I do know. With each thought, my stomach twists more and more.

She was from 12. Her father dislikes her. She was friends with all my friends, she kept it all a secret. She smells like vanilla, like the meadow, like clean linens. She forces smiles hoping that they become real. She gets the nightmares. She has other things to tell me. She understands me.

I get off the train confused and angry. Who does she think she is? Leading me on, asking me my life story, kissing me. Invading my dreams. Telling me that we're nothing, then coming and finding me and making me feel like we are.

The wind is cold as I step off the platform. I am met immediately with Thom's gaze.

"You know, Gale," he says, trying not to smile. "When I said to bring back a stunner, this isn't what I meant."

Despite everything I can't help but laugh, so hard that he joins in, and there's people staring. Oh well, not like I'm not used to it. "You have a lot of explaining to do," he says, throwing his arm around my shoulder. I've missed him.

"So, Gale Hawthorne, talk of the town," Thom says as we sit at a table with our drinks. I roll my eyes. His tone, though, isn't judgemental or disapproving. He seems almost...proud.

"You know her, don't you? Or you did."

His eyes grow darker. "She was a townie," he begins. "Why would I-"

I hold up my hand to stop him. "She told me, Thom."

"About the m - wait, she told you about what?"

I roll my eyes. "You guys were like, best friends! I saw the damn pictures. Why didn't you ever tell me about her?"

"I wanted to," he says, looking up at me. "We all wanted to, but she wouldn't let us."

"Why not?"

He doesn't answer at first. I begin to think he's formulating some sort of lie when he says, "She liked you a lot."

"So she avoided me at all costs." My voice grows an edge.

He shakes his head. "Those townies, you know how they are."

I slam my fist on the table. "Thom, you're lying."

"Well," he sighs, running his fingers through his hair. "She just didn't want you to dislike her. She always thought you hated her because you didn't trade at her house with Katniss. We couldn't explain to her that you just didn't like town. She took it personally."

I numbly tap my fingers on the side of my glass. I can't process all of this.

"Ain't she a good kisser?"

I look up. "You've kissed her?" Although I know it shouldn't, this causes a flare of anger in my stomach.

"Relax, Gale," he chuckles. "I've got Bristel now. We were kids. Seventeen."

"But you've kissed her."

"Hell, Hawthorne, yeah I kissed her."

"What was it like?" It's a dumb question, but I ask anyway.

"Wouldn't you know?" he laughs. "She's good. Never let me take her to the slag heap. Always told me that it was too dirty there."

"Couldn't imagine her there anyway," I murmur.

"Right? She knew what she was doing, though. Definitely on my top 10."

I roll my eyes. Then a strange feeling washes over me. "Did she ever..." I look up at him, and I feel my face grow warm.

He chuckles. "She's a virgin. Far as I know." He must see the look of shock on my face, because he laughs again and says, "She didn't like that kind of stuff, Gale. We could barely ever get her to drink, even. I can count on one hand how many guys she's kissed and how many drinks she's had."

I remember seeing Madge drink out of that flask that night in her dressing room. "But she does now," I say.

"She still probably doesn't very much," he says. "It reminded her too much of her dad."

"Her dad?"

He looks up at me, confusion etched in his features. "She didn't tell you why she left here?"

"Yeah, she did," I say. "She said he hit her once."

"Oh, Gale," he sighs, rubbing his forehead. "He was a raging alcoholic. It wasn't just once."

"What do you mean?"

"It was all the time."

I don't know what to say; confusion and hurt wash over me. Thom clears his throat. "So, uh, what are you gonna say to your mom?"

I laugh sarcastically. "I'm more worried about what I'm going to say to Posy."

He smiles. "Close the curtains next time."

"Gale Hawthorne!" my mother laughs, trying to sound stern as she hugs me. "What in heaven's name do you have to say for yourself?"

We walk into the living room. Posy sits on the couch, and she has her arms crossed angrily, but she looks up at me and I know she's trying not to smile. My mother's calm reaction isn't normal, but Posy's is. I grin and tickle her; she squirms away.

"Are you guys going to get married?" she asks as I sit beside her.

"Well," I sigh, "Madge is a really nice girl, but I don't think she likes me anymore."

"But do you like her?"

"Posy," my mother says gently, and Posy runs out of the room, giggling.

Ma takes a seat next to me. "Gale," she says, her voice warm but serious. "Talk to me."

I sigh. "She's not like the rest, Ma," I assure her. "It's all so confusing because everyone seems to have known her but me."

She nods. "It's unfortunate you didn't want to go into town back then," she says. "Madge really liked - likes - you."

"So I've heard," I sigh. "What did Posy say when she saw?"

"She said 'I knew it.'"

I chuckle. "And everyone else?"

My mother sighs. "Everyone who knew Madge said it was a shame. Everyone who didn't weren't so kind."

"I'm sorry," I tell her. "I...she kissed me first. We were talking about the nightmares, and I started crying, and..." my ears get warm and it's becoming harder to breathe.

Ma just gets up and hugs me, whispering in my ear, "Do what makes you proud."

A/N: can you tell if Gale's moods are changing? Some big things happening next chapter. Last part will be Madge's POV. Let me know how you think the story's going!