I changed a few details, just because I can.

by the way, you're going to hate me in two chapters. so prepare!

i own nothing!

Chapter Ten

It's been months since Madge last saw Gale. He still has her copy of East of Eden, but to be perfectly honest she doesn't want it back. It would just sit on her bookshelf taunting her. It's not as if she could ever read it again anyway. Maybe he just took it as a means to woo her, and never meant to actually read it in the first place. Not that it even matters anymore. Connor and her are officially a couple now, to her mother's delight. She likes to visit him while he works, watching him carve the wooden furniture with his signature look of concentration. It's soothing, usually she'll bring along her guitar and play as he works, or just bring him lunch and talk. She doesn't have to pretend to be anyone else than who she is with Connor, but it was like that with Gale too.

Gale is never really too from her mind, but now he's just been added to the list of things to block out throughout the day.

Her gaze falls to the window, but all she can see is white. It's been snowing so hard lately that they've cancelled classes. It's a good thing, considering the fact that most of the kids from the Seam don't even have suitable winter jackets.

She's mindlessly strumming. It wasn't very hard for her to catch on to the guitar, though it helped that she had the spare time to practice. She loved when Thom would come over for her lessons, after she had perfected the basics he no longer taught her much, unless the opportunity arose, but instead they would just play. Sometimes she played along on the piano. Many times she forced Thom to listen to some of her favorite songs on the radio so they could play them.

Thom liked when they sung together. It had taken so much for him to get her just to sing. Weeks and weeks of persistence. Finally he accidentally gets her to crack.

Madge adores duets to no end, especially between a male and female vocalist. Thom too has a special place in his heart for duets, but he's never known any female who was willing to sing with him. One day instead of playing one of the Capitol friendly tunes that they're incessantly playing, his fingers start playing a familiar folk song known very well in District Twelve. He knows Madge knows it. In fact, he's sure she mentioned it to him when they were dancing. When the first chorus starts he purposely sings the male's harmony, knowing that Madge will be unable to let the song go without its melody. After the first verse he's not so sure anymore that she's going to jump in, but when the chorus starts in he hears a soft voice emerge. His first instinct is to smile at her and encourage her, but he knows better. Instead, he pretends as if nothing has changed and continues harmonizing as if he didn't have a voice accompanying his. Her voice is soft, sweet and smooth. It's not a powerhouse, but she has intonation and it's clear, and to be perfectly honest her voice sounds perfect with his. Where Thom's voice emphasizes masculinity Madge's embraces everything feminine. It's the perfect voice for folk music. When the song ends, Madge's face has turned red and her ears are tinged pink. She hadn't meant for that to come out, but it just sounded so wrong without the melody! Since then Thom has gotten Madge more comfortable with singing aloud, especially with him. He even got her to sing with him in front of the band, who applauded her voice and courage. Though they would've applauded her just for standing there.

But when Thom doesn't arrive on time to their lesson, Madge begins to worry. It's in his best interest to show up seeing as her father had insisted on paying him for the lessons providing him and his family with a little extra income. He's half an hour late when he arrives and his face is hard, something she's never seen before. Even when Thom comes out of the mines, a smile and a joke aren't too far away.

"I'm sorry Madge for my tardiness; there was something going on in the square." He frowns and shakes the thoughts from his head. There's no way he would tell her.

"What was it?"

"Nothing you should concern yourself with, just don't worry about it." Lying doesn't sit well with him, especially not to Madge who he has grown so close to. Part of him is yearning to tell her the truth, after all, he's sure she will hear about it later, and wouldn't it be best to come from him? "It's Gale."

Suddenly, she's frantic. What about him? Something that could steal all of Thom's lightness must be something awful. "He was caught poaching, and he was punished in the square." With that she doesn't need anymore details because she's already put together the pieces. There's a whipping post in the square, one that is now coated in Gale's blood. Tears form in her eyes. Without a word to Thom she's running up the stairs beyond her own room and into her parent's. When she bursts into the room, her mother is staring at her wide-eyed. Her daughter didn't act like this, her daughter was calm and collected at all times.

"What's wrong, Margie?"

"There's been a whipping; it was one of my friends," her tears are uncontrollable by this point.

Her mother points to the drawer where the morphling is kept. "Take them." There's an urgency in her voice.

She grabs the box of vials and races down the hall into her own room, changing out of her skirt and blouse and into more winter appropriate clothing. She dresses hastily, putting on as many layers as she can think of. When she runs down the stairs, Thom is already gone. She trudges all the way to the Everdeen's assuming that because of Mrs. Everdeen's history in healing he would have been rushed to her side.

An apprehensive Katniss opens the door. "Use these for your friend." She thrusts the box into Katniss's hands. Katniss looks at her, suspicious and confused. "They're my mother's. She said I could take them. Use them, please."The look on Katniss's face dissipates. She knows what she's thinking, at least she didn't steal them, because then she'd have the mayor knocking down her door.

Her eyes are purposely sticking to Katniss, if she sees Gale she won't be able to control her breakdown. It will be messy and awkward, and not what Gale needs right now. Gale needs the stability of his friends and family, not the unrequited love from a measly merchant.

Before Katniss can reply, Madge is running back into the storm. Haymitch stands, "Crazy girl, I better catch her, before her mother finds out I let her run home alone at a time like this."

He grabs his coat and runs out the door, hoping to catch her. In the distance, he sees a figure fighting to walk against the wind.

"Madge! C'mon let me walk with you." Her teeth are chattering. Haymitch puts his arm around her, not only to help her stay warm, but also to lead her through the storm.

Even though he knows it's none of his business he can't help but ask, "Why?" Why Gale?

"He needed them." She's concise, not wanting to expand.

But it's Haymitch so he presses the issue. "You'd risk your damn life for a boy like him? A goddamn ruffian?"

"He's not a ruffian," she mutters under her breath. It's none of his goddamn business why she does anything. Just because he's practically related to her doesn't mean anything. In her mother's eyes he's practically a saint, but Madge can't get past the fact that he smells like such a sinner.

"What would you know? All he did was sell you strawberries right?" A smirk plays on his lips.

Madge rolled her eyes. How did her mother stand him? He visited her mother at least weekly, most of the time more. What they talk about, Madge has no idea, but he stays for hours, that she can attest to.

"He's going to be alright, right?" Her voice was small.

Haymitch eyes become serious. "Yes, but something like that changes you."

She nodded in understanding.

When they arrived outside of the Undersee household Madge invited Haymitch inside. After all, he had made sure she got home in one piece.

"No, I'm fine." He moved to leave, but Madge caught the sleeve of his jacket.

"Get inside. You haven't visited this week, and mom's been talking about Maysilee." Haymitch entered, despite his alcoholism, there's no one else who can help her mother stave off the nightmarish thoughts she has about her sister. For that Madge will always be indebted to him.

Reviews are always welcome!