The train jolts and shifts me awake, but when I roll onto my side I notice Madge is still sleeping. Her body is warm against mine and she tightens her grip around my chest lightly. I can't help but smirk, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Her breath comes out in soft pants, reassuringly comforting. It's been awhile since either of us have had nightmares.

We'll be home in a bit, back to District 12 where we'll prepare a wedding and wait for the Quarter Quell and learn to mentor, all of which I'm not looking too forward to. District 12, where we'll try to stay quiet, remain to ourselves. I know it won't happen. The Capitol is intrusive.

"Gale," Madge's voice comes out in a sleepy murmur. "We there?"

"Not yet."

She lets out a sigh of some sort of relief and again tightens her grip around me. "I don't wanna be there."

Her old house. Her old life and memories. Her cruel father. More cameras. A celebration neither of us want to attend.

"You'll be alright," I tell her, allowing my hand to find her back and trace circles on her skin. "This is the last event we have to attend and then we're free. At least for a bit." She grunts in response and I lower my mouth down to her ear. I whisper, "If we get through it I'll take you to a traditional Seam party, yeah?" She smiles and nods as I kiss her neck. "Good."

Just as her breathing starts to even out again and I know she's falling back asleep, Effie chooses to bang on our door. Madge outwardly groans and buries her face in the pillows.

"Wakey wakey, you two! Madge, darling, you have to get ready!" I can't help but laugh as Madge painstakingly rolls out from under our covers without complaint. The look on her face is pure annoyance, but I'm sure the moment she sees Effie it'll morph into elation. "Madge! You have—" Effie takes a step backwards as Madge opens the door. "There you are." She's gotten much more comfortable with the idea of Madge staying with me, unfortunately "Chop chop! We've got no time to waste! District 12 is on the horizon, and…" our escort's voice trails off as the two make it down the hallway.

Knowing I won't be able to fall back asleep I throw the covers off and climb out of bed too. Quickly I throw on a shirt and make my way out to the dining cart where Haymitch sits eating breakfast. I mutter a good morning and he grunts in response. He probably isn't too excited to be going back to District 12 either. Or maybe he is. Haymitch isn't really one for words.

"Effie said the wedding will be in about a year," Haymitch says noncommittally. "It takes a lot to plan a thing like this."

"Alright."

"And chances are that Madge'll have her wedding dress voted on, she won't get to chose."

I frown but shrug. Of course she won't get a say in this. "Whatever has to happen."

I take some toast and bacon from the trays and a train assistant pours me a glass of orange juice. I don't want to eat too much because I'm nervous the sight of our coal covered District will bring it all back up. Then again it might be nice to see home, especially compared to some of the more guarded Districts we've been to lately.

"The whole thing will be recorded," Haymitch continues. "Broadcasted live."

"Sorry Abernathy," I grunt as I spread butter across my toast, "but I don't really care about any of this."

"Well you should," Haymitch snaps. His voice drops as he says, "At least pretend like you do."

Quickly I spurt out, "I mean the details." My eyes lift until I find a nearby Capitol assistant, pretending like they're not listening but clearly doing just that. "All I care about is the fact that I get to marry her. I'm not big on planning." Haymitch quirks his eyebrows and a sly smirk slips onto his face indicating that I made a nice save. "And as long as there's a toasting I'll survive."

"Wouldn't be a District 12 wedding without one," the drunk cheers.

We continue breakfast with small talk considering it's hard to have a serious conversation when we know someone's always listening. Madge joins us shortly and I find that she's only slightly made up. She tells me that her final look will be completed in her old house, in her old bedroom.

I know by the way she says it that she isn't excited to return to her house. She'll have to see her father. I can only imagine what sort of terrible memories she has there. I'm sure there's some good ones too, of course, but in a time like this...

"Isn't it exciting?" Effie trills and takes the seat next to Haymitch. "Finally going home! And Madge gets to spend some time in her old house, isn't that fantastic?"

"I just can't wait to see my mother," Madge says brightly. I had forgotten all about Mrs. Undersee. Madge probably hasn't seen her since she got home, now that I think of it. "It's been a very long time."

When we reach District 12 she's whisked off before I even get to say another word to her. Cameras are constantly on us and I smile and wave, trying to make it evident that it's strange to not have Madge at my side.

Which it is. Especially when cameras are present. We made a deal to never let go of each other's hand.

Portia finds me rather quickly and pulls me off to a different room to get ready, assembling me in some Capitol worthy suit that was tailored to fit me and only me. She leaves the bit of scruff I've grown from the trip home and tells me it make me look "manly".

"If you say so," I mutter as I rub at it. I'm mostly just too lazy to shave it off on my own. Sort of reminds me of my dad. She smoothes my dress shirt and smiles before pulling on the jacket. "Do you have the pin?"

"Course I do," Portia laughs. "I'm entrusted with it whenever you're not wearing it, or happen to just throw it on the ground when you change." Quickly the golden bird is attached to my pocket and she smiles. "I think it completes the look."

Again I mutter, "If you say so."

She taps my cheek quickly and then glances over her shoulder. "Madge should be ready if you'd like to go find her." Her eyes glisten as I smile and then she pulls open the door for me, allowing me to sneak through the mayor's house.

My opinion of Mayor Undersee has been changed immensely due to the knowledge that he hits his daughter and I don't feel guilty as I parade through various halls. The place is huge. Just because I sold strawberries to the Undersee family doesn't mean I was ever inside. The vast expanse of the entire house has me overwhelmed.

I make it to the second floor with ease and hear a beeping coming from one of the rooms and my curiosity gets the best of me.

With a quick glance I peer through a cracked door. I watch images quickly flashing across a screen as the words "UPDATE ON DISTRICT 8" appear. I throw a look over my shoulder before tiptoeing into the room a bit more, careful not to let the floorboards squeak below me.

There's someone on the screen that doesn't exactly fit the definition of a Capitol citizen. She looks older, more important than the newscasters that are usually on the television.

She speaks of something called a Level 3 and says that all production of textiles has stopped. I squint and take another step closer as images from the square in District 8 flicker on the screen. Mobs, fires, screaming people in rags to hide their faces. Peacekeepers shoot and kill at random.

This can't be the rebellion Madge wants.

As a sudden panic sweeps through my system I exit back into the hallway. Just in time, too, because Mayor Undersee pads up the stairs and catches me.

"Were you in there?" he asks coldly.

I jerk my head into a no and say, "I'm looking for Madge."

His expression softens for a moment, and then he takes another one to glance over my appearance. With a quick nod he points down the hall. "She's with her mother. You can go in."

It takes more willpower than I thought necessary to grit out, "Thank you, sir."

"Now if you'll excuse me," he gestures toward his office and I nod, waiting until he closes the door to find Madge.

I distance myself from the images of District 8 as quickly as I can, wondering if this is good or bad. I weigh the pros and cons. Pros are that things are changing. People aren't being quiet anymore. Cons are death. Lots and lots of death of innocent people. Maybe another bombing like District 13. The thought makes me shudder.

But if death is what it takes to get a free Panem, am I willing to pay that price? Will I pay with my own life or sit back and let everyone else do it?

I decide that if this is how it's going to be, if the uprising is going to happen in mobs with random citizens dying just for their basic rights, then I need to help. I can't let Madge do any of this alone, I can't let Districts fight without knowing what they're doing.

They need a leader. Maybe two.

I resolve to tell Madge of this later tonight once all is said and done. To insist to help. But the thought fades as I reach her mother's room.

"No, no," Madge's voice is soft and pitiful. "I really do miss you, Mommy." I feel awful standing in the doorway and listening but I'm not sure I have the courage to intervene now. I have no idea what they've been talking about. "I'm sorry it wasn't Maysilee that came home."

"Don't say that," her mother responds. The voice of Mrs. Undersee is deep and pained. "I'm so happy you came home. So happy, Madgey. I'm just sorry you had to do those awful things."

"I did it for you," she chokes out. "So I could come home to you and you wouldn't have to lose anyone again. Please, don't hate me."

"I never could. I never could." My heart clenches and I slowly reach forward, knocking on the door frame gently. "Who's there?"

"Gale Hawthorne, ma'am," I say as sturdy as I can. "May I come in?"

Her voice is no longer pained as she calls out, "Oh, yes!" I peer through the crack in the door into the dim room before pushing it open. The lights must be lowered due to Mrs. Undersee's headaches that I've heard about. I pretend not to notice as Madge wipes under her eyes with the back of her hands. "Madgey, introduce me!"

A wet laugh escapes the blonde as I move forward, taking the spot next to her by the side of the bed. "Momma, this is Gale," she says. "My fellow Victor."

"Your fiancé," she corrects with a weak smile.

I've never seen Mrs. Undersee from this close. She looks fragile, tiny, very breakable. Her condition must be worse than the rumors that float around the mines. I know she uses morphling on the daily to stop her headaches but they seem to have sucked all of the life from her. Perhaps Madge being in the Games has made everything just that much more terrible.

I extend my hand and lightly grab hers, pulling it in some sort of shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Undersee."

"Call me Marge," she responds. "Or Mom." I laugh as her hand falls limp. "I've wanted to meet you ever since you returned home! Madgey here always tells me that you're busy, and I suppose you should be considering you're a Victor and all." The elder looks toward her daughter and smiles. "She's so lucky to have you."

Unsure of what to say I force out, "I'm lucky to have her." Mrs. Undersee laughs softly and I swallow back my nerves. "Are you going to the celebration?"

"No," the woman responds sadly, "not today. I'll get to watch it though," she gesture to the television in front of her.

"That's alright, Mommy," Madge says and squeezes her mother's hand. "We can stay here if you'd like."

"No, no," she shakes her head. "You have people waiting to congratulate you." Mrs. Undersee turns back to me and smiles again. "I want to know more about you, Gale, considering you'll be marrying my daughter here soon."

Again I laugh. How can I not? "Ask me anything."

And so she does. She asks about my family and I tell her of my siblings. She asks about my father and I tell her of my death. She learns my favorite songs to dance to, my favorite tea, my favorite book. Questions I'd think have no real importance but she asks them anyway and I happily answer. Every once in awhile I'll look up and catch Madge smiling, which only compels me to answer the questions more in detail.

"I just have one more question," she says softly.

"Sure, anything."

Her eyes lower to the golden Mockingjay I have latched to my jacket. "Where did you get that pin?"

I swallow once and quickly glance toward Madge. "I gave it to him, Mommy," she answers calmly. "To keep him safe during the Feast."

"And did it? Keep you safe?"

My tongue flops in my mouth so I nod before I speak. "Yes. It did."

Mrs. Undersee smiles weakly. "Good."

I force another smile and listen as Madge lets out a deep breath of air. My hands are sweating but Madge laces hers with mine anyway, giving me a quick squeeze.

As I go to say something else, something I haven't even thought through, Cinna knocks on our door. "Come on, you two," he says. "It's time to go."

"One minute," Madge calls back.

"Second," he responds. She sticks her tongue out at him and he responds with a funny face before winking and strolling away from the room.

"It was really nice to meet you Mrs. Undersee," I say. "It's not often I get to talk with Madge's family." Not often I see the other aspects of her life. I love getting to unravel another layer of her.

"I said call me Marge," the woman huffs, but smiles as well. "It was great to meet you too. The pair of you should stop by, it isn't often I get visitors."

"We will," I answer before Madge gets the chance. I glance down into my fiancée's eyes and watch a tiny smile slip onto her face. She waves me toward the door and I nod, knowing she needs a moment alone with her mother. I press a quick kiss to her nose before exiting the room. "Bye again," I call over my shoulder.

"See you," her mother calls back. I wait outside in the hall for Madge to join me, listening to her goodbye to her mother though I know I probably shouldn't. "He's a nice boy," she says. "I like him a lot."

"Me too," Madge responds. I can't help but smile to myself at this. "I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too, Madge. I always will."

A few moments later Madge joins me out in the hallway, pulling her mother's door shut behind her. In the brighter light that surrounds us I finally get a good look at her and don't hesitate to pull her toward me. A full length silver dress that brings out her eyes ever so brightly, her hair tumbling down her shoulders in precious curls. I press a kiss to her as fast as I can.

"Beautiful," I murmur, feeling her smile against my lips.

Her hands run up my jaw and she laughs against my mouth. "Since when are you allowed scruff?"

"Since today, apparently," I say with a laugh, too. I lower my forehead to hers and glance at the thin silver chain that hangs around her neck, disappearing down her chest instead of resting on the outside.

Noticing my gaze she stands on her tiptoes, giving me another kiss. "Cinna said I could wear it as long as no one else saw it."

"How considerate," I snort. She smiles and reaches for my hand, pulling me toward the staircase. "I've gotta tell you something," I say before we reach the stairs. "I saw something."

"Not here," she says quietly. "Now smile, we have a crowd to impress."

With a groan I allow her to drag me down the stairs, and then we're being swamped in flashing lights. I'll tell her tomorrow. How much can one day hurt?

A/N: I wanted to make Mrs. Undersee a bit more gentle and loving than Mr. Undersee. How'd you think she was? I like to think she'd be happy that Maysilee's pin ended up saving someone. The bit about District 8 came right from Catching Fire. Hope you liked it, sorry for the wait!