CHAPTER TEN - WE RAN INSTEAD OF WALKING

"In the world full wrong you're the thing that's right

Finally made it through the lonely to the other side.

You said it again my hearts in motion, every word feels like a shooting star."

- Terrified, (Katharine McPhee)

"Madge?" Katniss presses as the blonde weaves her fingers through the brown locks of her friend. "Madge, you've combed your fingers through that part twelve times now.."

Head shakes as she comes to reality, sighing heavily. "Right. Sorry, Katniss. I'm kind of…"

"Distracted, I get it. It's not easy, is it?" Katniss supplies with a gentle tone.

"No." Madge concedes, her eyes looking down at the braid she's now starting atop Katniss' head.

"You and Gale are gonna get through it; you just have to let it grow back to the way it was and be patient with him. He'll likely get really frustrated sometimes when his memory fades in and out, don't take it personally. Peeta still has episodes, they're few and far between, and the more time goes on the less they occur, but when he does all I can do is be there for him and remind him who he is and why we're here. I'm sure it's the same with Gale."

Madge looks at the girl's reflection in the mirror, raising her brow. "You think?" Truthfully, she hadn't even thought to talk to Katniss about any of this, forgetting that she'd gone through something so similar, yet so worse than what she was going through.

"Yeah." Katniss supplies with a nod, the word spoken with such confidence it makes Madge smile.. "I know Gale, I've known him practically my whole life, so I've seen a lot of sides of him. If he's being an ass you can't take it personally, it's like the way his brain works. Sometimes he does stupid things."

"You're telling me." Madge mutters. "Why couldn't have the head injury taken away that part of his brain, instead of his memories? Or if he was going to get amnesia, why did it have to be like the most important years of his life. Head injuries are weird."

Katniss laughs, bending her head down as she does through. "Recoverable, though."

"Don't look down!" Madge chastises, pulling gently on the strands of hair intertwined through her fingers. "They are, thankfully. It's looking like he's starting to remember things little by little, and he's been a little warmer around the house, we actually have civil conversations after work, if you can believe it. The doctors have been giving him these rehab exercises to follow, like re-training his brain to do little things, and I think it's been helping the memories."

"Good." Katniss supplies, licking her top lip at that.

Madge hums "Mhmm," in reply, biting on her bottom lip as she concentrates on her task at hand.

There's a moment of silence, so comfortable for the two girls that Madge almost jumps at the sound of Katniss' soft voice. "Madge?"

"Yeah?"

"If you ever want to talk… I'm a pretty good listener. Still working on the conversation bit, I know I was never particularly good at that."

Madge laughs, tieing off the end of Katniss' braid before pulling at the ends to loosen it. "We haven't ever really been the kind of girl friends who sit around and talk about our problems, I don't know if it would be healthy for our friendship." She jokes, and Katniss chuckles as she does so. "But really, thank you. In my own selfishness of this whole situation, I forgot that I had a friend to lean on. Someone who kind of understands what it's like for me, and would also be super straight with me when I am being selfish. I just got so caught up in my own life and convincing myself that I was completely alone in all of this that I forgot to give you a call."

Katniss smiles, "I get what that's like, trust me. We're more alike than you realize."

"It seems like Gale has a type, then." Madge says before she can stop herself. "Anyway, let's go get you married, I bet Peeta is dying of impatience right now."

The ceremony was beautiful; Katniss was radiating in happiness, so much so that even a blind man could see it. If she had managed to look around at everyone in the room, she's sure she wasn't the only one crying (but if she was…. Damn those hormones.).

Katniss' actual wedding dress is much simpler than the ones that were designed by the capitol citizens back when she was first engaged to Peeta - If Madge and Posy would have let her, they're sure she would have worn something even simpler: her hunting outfit.

But she elected to wear a simple cut white dress made out of a cotton material. The simplicity is what makes it so stunning, and so Katniss. Madge wishes she looked as beautiful as Katniss had when she was married.

Listening to Peeta and Katniss say their wedding vows, watching them get married - the love that these two human beings have is something that Madge wishes for everyone.

The couple shares a kiss, gentle and chaste, and the small group of people witnessing the event applaud them, a few muttering "finally!".

Madge looks next to Gale, and smiles. The smile that he sports while clapping proudly for his best friend….. he looks so happy for her, so supporting and Madge couldn't ask for anything more. (Plus, when he smiles… If he would have just smiled during the war, just smiled at President Snow, the entire nation would probably be in his hands right now.)

"Gale! Madge!" The voice of Rory rings loudly through the small room causing Madge to recoil and jump slightly, hands clench tight enough that her nails are piercing her skin. With a deep breath, she straightens her stance, and frees her fingers from her fist.

"Rory, I swear to all the Gods you better have a good reason for screaming" Madge all but growls, beset.

"I do, swear. Sorry, didn't realize it was going to come out so loud." Rory says playfully, resting his arm on her shoulder. Madge hates that he's taller than her now. He jerks his head towards the red haired woman following him in tow, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"I wanted you to meet Tenna. Tenna, my brother and sister in law, Gale and Madge." As he introduces each of them, he gestures to the person he's speaking of, his smile never wavering as he does so. Madge's smile hasn't fallen all day, there's so much love in the air that she's almost jealous.

"Tenna, it's a pleasure to meet you. I think it's safe to say that Rory has told us a lot about you?" Gale says with a smile.

Madge chuckles nervously. "Yes, it is. He's told us plenty. Not that you were a red-head, though, which I am appalled by, by the way, we will have a talk about important details later, Rory." Madge shakes her head briskly, then turns back to Tenna. "Your hair is gorgeous!" She raves about the long red locks cascading in loose waves around the girls face. "Does it wave like that naturally?"

Tenna nods, a hesitant smile on her face. "For the most part. I usually twist it into a few braids at the end of the day and that adds a bit of effect to it, but yeah, this is natural."

"It's gorgeous. I wish my hair would do something, ever since I got pregnant it's been a mess of pin straight nothingness. Before I could at least get it to do something, but now? Nope. I don't know if it's because I've gotten exceedingly lazy or if there's hormones that's making it act like it owns me instead of vice versa." Madge jokes with the younger woman.

"Thank you. And nonsense, your hair looks lovely straight, it fits your face shape well." Tenna says with a friendly push to her shoulder. "I wish my hair was straight sometimes, I feel like it's easier to frame your face when it's straight."

Madge chuckles, laughing lightly, and the two women get lost in talks of the best ways to alter their hair and the features that they highlight.

Before she realizes it, it's dusk. Katniss looks exhausted as she and her new husband say their goodbyes. Though only a few close friends had attended her ceremony, (the Hawthorne's, Madge, and a few families that had returned home shortly after Katniss and had been supportive) Madge can tell that Katniss wasn't particularly fond of talking to them all night. Peeta didn't leave her side, Madge also noticed. They complimented each other perfectly.

She yawns herself, walking over to where Gale was talking to Posy and Tenna.

"Hey, sleepy." Gale addresses her.

"Madge!" Posy exclaims, "I meant to tell you earlier but I got distracted, Katniss' hair looked lovely. Can you do mine tomorrow?"

Madge nods. "You bet I can. Do you have any reason why?"

Posy scoffs, "I just wanna look pretty."

Gale laughs. "You always do, Pose."

"Anyway, I think it's time for me to get some sleep. This little child of yours has been very active tonight and carrying her around is exhausting." Madge says as she turns to Gale.

"Okay, are you staying with Katniss again or did you want to come stay with Ma?"

"Please please please stay with us, Madge! It'll be so much easier for you to do my hair."

Madge chuckles. "That's a good point. Plus, not so sure I want to bother Katniss and Peeta on their wedding night."

Her husband swallows, hard, hesitation showing in his features. "That's uh, a good idea."

He gets an eye roll in response. Men. "That's not exactly what I mean, They've had enough company for one day."

He clears his throat again, she can see him shake his head, shake off the nerves. His expression changes, a smirk takes his lips, and Madge's heart rate quickens as he speaks to her softly "So, you're coming home with me, then?" Gale questions, brows raised.

"Good gracious, Gale, you're despicable!" She laughs, though. "I've been coming home with you and to you for several years now."

He shrugs nonchalantly, "I don't remember having a pretty girl like you coming home with me."

Madge shoots him a confused and slightly upset look, though a chuckle is boiling down in the back of her throat..

He immediately turns a defensive smile on her. "What? I can't make jokes about my own brain injury? What kind of world do we live in."

Madge lets out a breathy laugh, shaking her head just slightly. "Fair point."

The walk back to the Hawthorne house is long, Madge's ankles hurt, her back hurts, and she's exhausted. So much so that the second she gets inside and Gale shows her to the extra bedroom, she flops on his bed without taking off her shoes.

"You okay, Madge?"

"I'm dead. Just leave me to die." She mumbles to herself. God, she wishes she could comfortably bury herself into a pillow. This child growing inside her has other ideas, though.

Gale laughs, walking over to her and sitting next to her on the bed. He pulls her feet onto his lap and helps her slide the flats she was wearing off. "You should at least die comfortably."

Her heart races. The moments like this, when he's so genuine and caring, they're the ones that she loves and cherish. "So considerate." She laughs.

His callused hand traces lines along the side of her foot and she squirms. "Gale Hawthorne, you better stop that" she says ough light chuckles.

"Why is that, Madge Undersee?" He presses quietly.

"Tickles."

His laugh, the one he gives her in reply, is infectious. "Why am I not surprised that Madge Undersee, the precious girl from town," His hands trace up her leg, Madge has goosebumps. Before she realizes it, his hands are on her side and she's gasping for air, unable to stop the laughter as his fingers tickle her sides gently. As he adjusts to keep his dominance over her, his sentence completes with, "is ticklish."

"Alright, alright. You caught me." She says, squirming to try and get away from his grasps, the words breathless. And though she hates being tickled, joy is radiating through her smile.

"I did." He whispers, his hand brushing along her cheek before kissing her temple. "Get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."

She hums in reply, burying herself under the covers. Sleep, like the moments that she just had, seemed divine. She doesn't have time to think about anything that had happened today before the slumber takes over her.

That night, she dreams the happiest dream she's had in months.

authors note: bet you weren't expecting to see me so soon.