Chapter Summary: The last time Gale found out Delly was pregnant. They finally met face to face and had a nice long little chat about no sex! Ouch. They have toasted and now begin Gale's life as a Cobbler and his married life with Delly. There first obstacle Katniss and Peeta's wedding...

Gale and Delly had been married for nearly a month, and Gale was being shown the fundamentals of the shoe business. He liked the tanning process. Creating leather was an arduous process and he understood why they paid top dollar for his hides. He was clean with a knife. Some of the materials they got from the Capitol weren't as good. Gale discovered his wife was a marvel at repairing shoes. She was efficient and worked quickly, however when she fixed children's shoes she was creative. Gale witnessed how much care she put into fixing their shoes and it didn't matter if the shoes belonged to a Merchant or a child from the Seam.

Gale was surprised that her family treated everyone fairly. Delly told him a paying customer should always be treated with respect. Gale was currently watching Delly with a Seam family who came to pick up the shoes for their daughter Zinnia. He stood by the door that led to the stockroom. There was another door at the back of the stock room that led to the shop.

"Do you like your shoes?" Delly was sitting on the floor looking up at little Zinnia.

Zinnia looked to be no older than five. Gale gripped the box he held. He wondered if their baby was going to look Seam, like him or if perhaps look like Delly.

Zinnia smiled her little eyes wide on her face. "I like the ladybugs."

"I'm glad." Delly smiled sweetly. "I was nervous, I wasn't sure you would like them because a ladybug is a bug," Delly said with mock seriousness.

Gale knew Zinnia's dad called the little one ladybug. Delly overheard him when he came to drop off the shoes last week. They were shoes that they bought from the Hob but they had a hole on the side. After Delly got through with them they looked brand new. Zinnia's father was beside himself.

Zinnia grinned showing a gap in her smile. "They're pretty. My paw calls me ladybug."

"He does," Delly said, blinking her eyes in mock surprise.

Zinnia nodded.

"Well, I am really glad. Why don't you walk around a bit and see if they fit?" Delly suggested.

Gale watched as Zinnia swung her legs and jumped off the chair and ran to the mirror.

Delly stood and Gale's eyes drifted to her midriff, he searched for a sign of their baby, he couldn't tell if there was a bump because of her oversized dress. His hands curled thinking of the baby nestled deep within her womb. There were slight changes in her body, her chest was bigger, she tired easily, and she glowed. Delly was sweet with Zinnia and he knew she would be kind and respectful to her father.

"Miss Delly, we don't…" Her father began clutching his hat in his hand. His name was Lig and he was a good man. He was an expert with metal and alloys, Lig was in charge of soldering the metal tubes that ran in the mines that pumped air into the mines. "The ladybug design is expensive, Miss Delly. I cannot affor…"

"Mr. Lignite," Delly said, gently cutting him off. "Sir your daughter is precious. I can't charge you extra for a few pieces of leather." She put her hands on her belly and gently rubbed.

"But the design is beautiful and well beyond what was quoted."

Delly shook her head. "There's no need we agreed on one price and that's what's on that slip you have in your hand."

"But."

"Mr. Lignite, look how happy your little one is, that's all the payment I need."

"Miss Delly if you need anything, ma'am just call on me."

"I'm sure Gale, my husband will call on you if we need anything."

Mr. Lignite nodded. "I'm sure with a little one on the way you will need all sorts of things. And things always break."

"Thank you Mr. Lignite. Do you solder on the side?"

"Well," Lig said.

"Because if you do, I'm sure I can send you a customer to solder a few things for them."

Gale watched Lig smile humbly. He looked to the side to see Delly's father staring straight ahead. He hadn't heard Mr. Cartwright come into the room. "She did a good job with the shoes."

"Yes sir she did," Gale replied to her father.

"Delilah is better at repairs than the missus and I," her father said.

"She was born to do this," Gale whispered.

"We will soon have a new generation to teach." Her father smiled softly then said curtly before leaving Gale's side and going back to the shop. "I wouldn't mind a few more strong grandbabies to carry on the traditions."

Gale's eyes once more traveled to her midsection knowing his baby was nestled deep within her, and this caused his heart to constrict. A few more, her father said. More children were not on his priority list. He was still coming to grips with how he ended up in the backroom of the cobbler's shop and not deep in the mines. Had he not gotten Delly pregnant, she would be right now, getting ready to marry the baker.

At the time, when they married because Delly hadn't turned nineteen years of age yet the contract between the Cartwrights and the Mellarks was easily dissolved. His bloodline ensured the shop would stay in the family. Her birthday was fast approaching, she was going to turn nineteen towards the end of the month, just like Mellark. Gale wanted to do something nice for her birthday, but he didn't know what. Things were so strained between them.

That night when he dragged himself upstairs he once more found Mellark sitting at the table.

"Hi Gale," Peeta greeted.

Gale grunted.

Delly was laughing looking flushed as she prepared the evening meal.

"I'm going to clean up," Gale muttered darkly.

"Dinner should be ready in an hour," Delly said her eyes alight with glee. As soon as Gale left he heard Delly's laughter. Gale wanted to pick Mellark and toss him out on his rear end. That baker needed to find someone to marry. Mellark should be focusing on that problem and not spending hours with his wife.

Gale still didn't like the blond baker who always seemed to be over their apartment talking to Delly, making her laugh. It drove him nuts to hear the easy-open relationship Delly had with Mellark. Night after night, he would show up and Delly would smile as if relieved to see that baker come.

Every night, Gale overheard Delly talking to the baker, and Catnip's name had come up several times, but never his name. Gale wasn't sure what they talked about but he knew something was going on. He hated being kept in the dark. It drove him mad to know she talked to Mellark and not to him. Gale recalled the time when he couldn't wait to see Delly. It was the highlight of his day. They shared a camaraderie, mutual trust, and of course a physical relationship.

He recalled how sweet-smelling Delly was, how soft her skin was, the way her eyes flashed when she came. Though he enjoyed the physical aspect he loved the intimacy that came afterward. Gale opened up to Delly, sharing his dream of having a family. His aspirations to become a foreman and possibly a supervisor in the mines. As a foreman, it would mean a life out of the backbreaking work done deep within the bowels of District Twelve. As a supervisor, he wouldn't even have to go into the mines. All he had to do was pass the foreman test, once he was a foreman he could apply to be a supervisor. Every time a supervisor retired or a new tunnel was dug, a new supervisor was chosen from the pool of Foremen.

One evening when they lay facing the other Gale dared to share how he secretly

wanted more for his kids than just a job in the mines. Delly told him he could make a living off of selling jerky or his skins in the Hob. She suggested they could open up their own business, the cobblers weren't the only ones who used animal hides. Off the top of her head, Delly rambled a few of the businesses that would buy his hides. Gale had never thought to sell his eyes to the papermaker, the tailor, the seamstress, the haberdasher, the handymen, and the furniture maker. She gave him hope.

Gale acknowledged his jealousy was the cause of the demise of the closeness they shared. He missed her. He missed his Delly.

Living with her and not being able to have what he had before was maddening. Gale took his frustrations out on work. At night when he went upstairs, Delly cooked for him. By the time he closed the shop and they ate dinner, she often was too tired to do anything.

Gale left the bathroom and his hair was still damp from the bath. Having accessible running water was one of the best things about living in Town. He padded out to find Delly was alone in the kitchen.

"Where's your friend?" Gale's eye swept the area. He went to the cutlery drawer and set the table.

"He went home." Her back was to him and she was slowly stirring the pot.

Gale nodded, glad to have that man out of the house.

Delly sprinkled salt inside of the stew.

He stood behind her and inhaled her scent, his blood thickened. "Is dinner ready?"

"Nearly finished," Delly said. She turned around and her eyes opened wide and she took a step back.

Gale sighed and took a step back. "Sorry."

"Can you hand me the bowls to pour the soup in?" Her eyes did not make contact with him, instead, he noted once more Delly looked over his shoulder. The awkwardness carried into the rest of the meal. They sat at the table quietly eating soup.

When Delly told him they weren't opening the shop. He frowned into his bowl of stew.

"It's a special day tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Peeta is marrying Katniss tomorrow we've been invited to go."

Gale doubted it was a good idea. He didn't trust Peeta even though he was willing to be the father of another man's baby, but he didn't say anything to Delly. Instead, he quietly ate his meal and offered to wash the dishes for her.

The next morning he was in a pensive mood. Gale dressed in his dark pants and a good shirt. He slipped a thick sweater over his shirt then walked out of his room to see Delly in a simple knit dress that once more hid any changes in her body.

"You look nice," Delly said, putting on her red cloak.

Gale liked that cloak of hers. He recalled the first time he saw her in it outside of the Slag Heap. He pictured the moment and it unfolded before him.

Gale was hidden in the shadows as he watched her approach from the mist.

She was a small figure. The red cloak made her look innocent like someone he needed to protect. He watched her from afar at first, then got closer. From years of hunting, he saw the hesitation in her posture. Her feet were skittish and she kept on glancing around to see if anyone was watching her.

The door opened, laughter, music and the musky scent of alcohol drifted through the air. It was sinful and decadent and it frightened her. The girl clasped her cloak closer to herself as she hid in the darkness.

Gale came back to the present. He stuffed his hands in his pocket, she looked hot in that damned cloak of hers. He pictured taking her against the kitchen table. The no-sex rule was killing him even though they weren't really talking. They talked every day without muttering a real word that mattered. "Make sure you wear your gloves and scarf. If you get cold let me know. I can give you my coat."

She gave him a smile as he led them downstairs to the back door. When they arrived at the justice building, his only thought was to warn Katniss about Mellark, but somehow it became a lecture toward him.

Katniss rolled her eyes heavenward. "Whether you want to admit it or not, Delly is your family now." Gale could tell Katniss meant every word she uttered. "You better treat Delly right. She's in love with you."

"She...she is?" Gale glanced at Delly. His heart slammed in his chest. He wondered if what Katniss told him was true. Delly had never really told him how she felt about him. Obviously, he knew she cared about him, but love-that was a different matter altogether. Looking at the situation carefully, he too didn't know what he felt. He could for certain say he'd be jealous of another man laying hands on her. He knew he was still furious with Mrs. Mellark for leaving that mark on her face. He'd been selfishly taking what she offered, they had great sex. He knew her better than anyone. He missed her, missed her yapping away. He definitely cared about her and there was a tender spot he couldn't put a name to that made him sweat.

All he understood was that he didn't like being without her. Forcing his attention back to Katniss, he cleared his throat.

"She risked breaking her contract, punishable by death, to be with you."

That was a known fact. Katniss's lecture reminded him that he was the person in the wrong. He had pursued a friendship with Delly. He was the man who broke up Delly's engagement. When they were sneaking around, he was constantly afraid of anyone finding out what was going on. Peeta's mother was called the witch for a reason. She could have locked Delly up. He shuddered thinking of her rotting away in some jail cell. "Just be careful, okay. His maw, she's a witch," he said then walked away toward Delly.

He took Delly's hand while the other one rested on the small of her back. He was lucky to be able to have even this with her. Things could have gone so differently. Delly would be marrying Mellark, and he would be alone. Katniss and he would never make a good match. Talking to Katniss opened his eyes to the fact that he and she were nothing more than platonic friends. His friendship with Delly was more but currently, it was stalled, but if Katniss's words were right, then perhaps with time they would be able to mend their brokenness. This thought brought him hope and he tugged her closer to him.

Delly gazed at him inquisitively.

He kissed the top of her head. "Nothing Red, just thinking about how lucky we are."

She smiled up at him with that smile of hers that he hadn't seen in a while. He brought her hand up and kissed it. Katniss reminded him that Delly should be his priority and she was right. He was reeling with the question of Delly loving him.

As Katniss said her vows to Peeta, he could see a spark between both his hunting partner and the baker's son. His eyes shifted to Delly and questioned if that's what Katniss saw. His eyes shifted down to her pale legs then onto her shapely body, slim waist, and ample bosom. Her eyes that many called plain shined with vibrancy as she celebrated life.

Delly was full of life, she sparkled and radiated with it. Her joy was infectious. He couldn't help but stare at her the entire night.

When they got home he thought about what Katniss said. Did Delly love him? He knew she'd risk a lot to be with him. Delly had chosen him to give her virginity to. She could have carelessly given her virginity away to any other Merchant. But she saved it for him because he was special to her.

That night he hardly slept, thinking about the months that led to that moment. How they used to talk all of the time. Gale couldn't wait to see her just to tell her about the funny things that happened in the mines. When they finally kissed he had the biggest grin the entire week down in the deepest darkest tunnels. He marveled at how one kiss progressed to them being desperate to be with the other.

During those months he was crazy about her. He thought about her at all times of the day. Now they were strained, awkward around one another and he didn't like it. He wanted things to be like they were.

With Peeta married, the man came less to the business and that eased his tension. He tried to talk to her but he couldn't come up with anything to say. So he figured he would do something special for her birthday. He went to the grocers and ordered pears.

Delly loved them.

When they came in, he snuck them into the house. He couldn't wait to give them to her. On Sunday morning he woke up ready for anything. Sunday was his favorite day. The shop was closed and that meant he could sleep in or go hunting. For the last few weeks, he had gone hunting, but he noticed Delly became green when he brought in the game that was unprepared.

Gale took the pillow and put it under his shirt trying to figure out how big she was.

He loved seeing glimpses of her changing body. He wished she didn't wear such loose clothing. Gale wanted to touch her, put his hand over his child. She avoided him, and it hurt. He could only imagine what she was going through those months before the truth came out. He didn't know how to fix this.

He heard the tinkle of glasses outside of the room he slept in. The door opened and Delly came in with a tray. She looked tired, there were faint blue smudges underneath her eyes. He noted she hadn't been eating that much.

"Red," he said, taking the tray from her. "What are you doing?"

"I was trying to do something nice," her lips trembled. "But the toast got burnt and the eggs are too runny."

Gale looked down at the tray, his heart constricted. "Come here, Red."

She climbed into the bed. Gale held her for the first time in ages. His hands gently soothed her back. "It's horrible."

"It's edible."

His comment caused her to laugh. "Only you would find burnt toast edible."

"I'm a man who's easy to please." He grinned, recalling his gift. "Stay here."

"Where are you going?"

"It's a surprise, stay here." Gale raced to his closet and from the top, he pulled out the small crate. "I got something for you. I wanted to wait until your birthday, but I can't wait."

She began sniffing. "What is that I smell?"

Gale opened the crate, and she muttered in a dreamy voice, "Pears," before he could pull one out. "You got me pears."

He handed her one and he watched as she sniffed it then took a tentative bite. Her eyes widened, and she began devouring it. It was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. These were the things that drove him wild with lust when it came to Delly. Little things like the tilt of her lip when she was happy, caused him to want to kiss her.

This no-sex rule was driving him crazy, his hands were chaffed from jerking off so much in the shower. Delly had no idea how crazy good she smelled to him. He didn't want to fall to temptation because she was right, they needed to talk, they needed to reconnect.

She took another pear and ate it too, licking her lips and fingers. "Mmmm," she moaned. "That was so good."

Her eyes were soft and dreamy like. His gift had shifted something between them and it gave him hope that they could reconnect.

A/N: Thank you for all of the likes and comments. Especially a story that is about Gale & Delly. They mean a lot. I am slowly working on updating my stories. Special thanks to my Beta & bestie Norbertsmom. You always make this pile of coal look like a bright diamond!

I do not own the Hunger Games.