I'm going to try my hardest to update at least once a week, but you can't hold me to it! School is too much work this semester and I want to kill most of my professors for the work they're making me do. No fun.

Chapter Eleven

The entire workday Gale had been itching to leave work and go toward the Undersee's home, but he knew better. He knew that his family needed the money he would obtain from this particular workday, and he knew that she needed some time to herself, at least for a little bit. After that though, Gale knew that she would need him. Whether or not she was willing to admit it, she did need some of the people that were in her life and she had just lost the person she needed the most.

The day seemed to last longer than usual.

He had heard the news from Thom, who had heard it from some gossiping men at the south end of the mine. He had nudged Gale before whispering something about how Madge had found her late at night in bed, completely still and not breathing. It pained Gale to know that Madge had been the one to find her mother that way. No one needed to see that. And it was because of that that Gale knew that he had to pay her a visit, even if she didn't think she needed to see him. He knew better than to listen to her.

He wished he could be faster, but the exhaustion from the mines wore him down each and every day. He wasn't the same boy he was when he entered the mines. This newfound man was exhausted and tired of most everything.

The oak tree that he had grown accustomed to climbing when he met Madge in her bedroom was too daunting of a task on this night, so he opted for knocking on the door instead. Mabel, a woman the same age as his mother and from the Seam answered. Gale knew her to be the maid for the Undersees. She seemed surprised by his presence, which didn't surprise Gale. No one really knew of his and Madge's relationship, except for a few people from the Seam, like Thom and Bristel.

"Gale Hawthorne? What are you doing here at this time of night?" The woman looked like everyone in the Seam, dark haired and tan, except she was far more proper than most from the Seam and she dressed a whole lot better considering the Undersees often hosted events that included important people from the Capitol and other districts.

"How is Madge doing? We're friends." The word felt like poison in his mouth, but he said it anyway. How could he explain to an outsider what they were to each other when he couldn't explain it himself?

The older woman solemnly shook her head. "She's not doing very well. She wouldn't let her father anywhere near her and she hasn't eaten all day." The woman paused. "I hope you can get somewhere with her. Try and be silent though. Her father's in the guest bedroom on the third floor."

Gale nodded and ascended the stairs.

Music was coming from Madge's bedroom. It was a song played on piano that Gale didn't recognize, thought there wasn't much music that he did recognize anyway. He knocked softly before entering.

Madge sat cross-legged on the floor by the foot of her bed facing the ancient record player on a shelf, surrounded by ancient records. Her face was tear-stained, but currently at the moment there were no fresh tears on her cheeks. "Hey," she said softly, looking up at him. She moved a few of the records onto the other side of her to make room for Gale. There wasn't much of a clear path for him to make his way to Madge, but he tried his best to avoid stepping on the priceless records and books with highlighted sections.

"What is all of this?" He asked, taking her hand in his.

The blonde looked all around her. "This is the record that made my mother want me to learn piano. It's live and that makes it so much better. You can feel his passion through the keys. Listen." She turned up the knob. He wasn't good with describing music; it just wasn't him. If a song didn't have lyrics it was hard for him to make much of a song. So instead he watched Madge, watched her live and breathe through the music. Doing this, this was right up his alley.

She was beautiful. Her eyes were shut so tight, yet a few tears escaped through the closed gates. Small fists grasped at her skirt, crushing the fabric in its grasp.

In moments like these Gale knew he loved her. Seeing her like this made the aching in his chest reappear and grow. He could live without having her, though even the thought of that was enough to make his chest tighten, but seeing her like this. Seeing her in such pain was just unbearable to him. So he grabbed her and brought her onto his lap. She laid her head onto his chest and exchanged the fabric of her skirt with the fabric of his mining shirt, grasping the material as tight as possible all while sobbing uncontrollably onto his shoulder.

"She-She's gone Gale." Her head moved back so she could look into his eyes, gauge his reaction perhaps.

"I'm sorry, Madge. I'm so sorry." His hands were on her shoulders and slowly he brought them down rubbing her arms and then they were back onto her shoulders. He repeated the action, attempting to calm her. It had always worked on Posy, but Posy had never lost her mother, had never known their lost father. She'd never known grief, not the way Gale knew it and not the way Madge would come to know it.

"I tried to be a good daughter. I really did," she cried out with a trembling bottom lip. Gale nodded his head.

"You are a good daughter. She knew that. She loved you so much Madge. Everyone loves you so much."

The crying blonde laughed loudly at him. "No one loves me. I'm just fun for them. Just a good time. That's all I am. None of my friends know about me. They don't know what I'm like when I'm sad. None of them have ever seen my smile falter. I'm the fun-loving mayor's daughter. The bad girl with a golden reputation. A wolf in sheep's clothing. They don't know me so how could they ever love me?"

"Who knows you then? Someone on this godforsaken district has to know you, the real you, the one you refuse to show to the rest of the world."

Her eyes quickly shot to the left of him, avoiding his stare. "Y-You."

Gale was sure his mouth was gaping open. "W-Who? Who did you just say knows you?"

"I said you do Gale. Much to my dismay you have somehow wormed your way in and you have somewhat gotten to know me…" She paused. "Well not as well as my mother did, but you know more than anyone else…living."

As soon as the sentence escaped Madge's mouth did Gale knew another round of tears were on their way. When someone had freshly died the idea of changing who they were from the present to past was incredibly difficult. Every time you slip up and speak of them in the present the very present heartbreak comes back with a vengeance.

"Shhh" He soothed brining her back into his comforting arms. She cried about not telling her mother everything she had always meant to say. No one thinks their parents are going to die, even when they're ill like Madge's was. You always expect one more day. Just one more day and then you'll tell them how much you love them and how you appreciate all they've done for you. But that rarely comes because there's always tomorrow. Today just wasn't the right time. Procrastination at its worst. But then her cries quickly turned to never being able to learn all the great wisdom her mother had to teach. Gale also knew this feeling all too well, but he had forgiven himself of the first and had his peace with the latter. His father knew that he loved him and that he appreciated their time beyond the fence together even though Gale was young and would complain that he would rather be sleeping. His father knew that he loved the private tutoring sessions. As for the learning all that his father had to offer. Well, there wasn't enough hours in a day to learn everything that her father had to teach. His father was a fountain of knowledge that he had acquired through his 36 years of living.

When her sobs grew softer and he was sure she was growing tired he lifted her into his arms and laid her on her bed. First, he removed her blankets and tucked her small body into the bed.

The girl lying in the mahogany four-poster brought back so many memories for Gale, a lot of which he'd been trying to keep at bay. Seeing her in front of him so close made it incredibly difficult for that though. A specific memory came to mind.

Before he had gone to the mines, soon after Katniss had gone to the games Madge had accompanied Gale to a dance in the Seam. No matter what the song, Madge was pulling Gale onto the dirt dance floor, whether it was slow or fast. The dress she was wearing was tan with a turquoise lace ribbon tied at the waist. The dull color of the dress with the additional colored ribbon brought out the blue of her eyes. Halfway through a song, Madge grabbed his arm and lead him back through the woods to the fence where they had shared their first kiss, except this time she didn't shed her clothes. Instead she walked toward the far edge of the water where it was a lot deeper a lot quicker and sat down plunging her feet into the depths.

Gale hadn't moved from his spot, he had stood still by the mouth of the creek and examined her actions. Only after she had sat and established her feet in the water did she beckon him toward her with her eyes. He obliged. After removing his shoes, socks and then folding his pant legs did he sit alongside her.

Upon his arrival, Madge had tipped her head to the side and whispered, "Kiss me," a smirk on her face. Gale's face mirrored hers and he brought his lips down onto hers. He leaned into her, and held her faraway hip in his hand. From that action, a soft moan escaped her lips. He reveled in the idea that he could have that effect on her.

When she broke off the kiss, she murmured, "I like you Gale Hawthorne, I really do, but my mother warned me about boys like you." She laughed after the utterance.

It had confused Gale then and to be perfectly honest he still didn't understand it. If there was anyone who should have been warned of their relationship it should have been Gale of her. Definitely.

Immediately after tucking her in, Gale had moved to leave, but a small hand had escaped the yellow quilt and grabbed his forearm.

Gale's gaze shifted to bring the arm's owner into his sight. With a tear-stained face, Madge asked him to stay and Gale knew there wasn't a bone in his body that didn't want to do just that. So he removed his mining uniform, until he was down to his charcoal boxers and faded red shirt. He brought her body close to his and wrapped his arms around her torso. It hadn't been his intention, but now that her body was so close, her scent so intoxicating, he couldn't help but kiss the slope on her body where her shoulder met her long graceful neck.

Through the dead silence in the air, Gale could hear her whisper, "Thank you Gale" and the sentiment alone brought a smile to his face.

Yay some much needed Gadge time together. :)

Don't count on it for next chapter though, fair warning.

Reviews are very welcome :D