It's time...

Madge Undersee, 17

District 12, six months before the Reapings

Strawberries don't grow in winter.

It was a simple and excruciatingly obvious phrase that no one but Madge Undersee would think twice about. Of course strawberries don't grow in winter. It's a fact of nature, of life. The two are incompatible. The crisp berries would never ripen in the cold death that was ushered in by the eternal procession of the seasons.

Winter in District 12 was never easy due to the unrelenting reign of snow and ice, but it was the lack of strawberries that made it particularly unbearable. Madge would dread the months of winter, knowing that Katniss Everdeen would have no reason to visit.

Madge was always a quiet girl. She never spoke up in class, at lunch, or even at home. It wasn't that she hated talking, it was more that there was no reason to talk. Being the daughter of the mayor meant that her father was always busy. He spent most days in his study or running around the Justice Building carrying out a variety of duties that she had never been particularly interested in. Sometimes he would make it to dinner, but that was a rare occurrence. Madge cared about her father, but it was just a fact that they weren't very close.

Her mother was also consistently indisposed. She spent most of the time cooped up in her bedroom on the third floor. When Madge was younger, she tried to spend time with her, but it wasn't easy to bond when your mother can just escape into the depths of morphling.

These circumstances meant that Madge spent most of her time alone. Often, she would eat dinner in the dining room with the only the butler and his son as company. They were friendly enough, but she appreciated that they didn't go out of their way to have a conversation with her. The son, Will, had suddenly grown popular at school ever since coming to work with his dad. This development was almost funny because the actual Mayor's daughter was hardly popular. And she liked it that way.

She didn't like school. Everything was rather redundant and most of it was about coal, which she could not care less about. Madge remembered how scared she was when first starting school. Looking back, it made sense. Her parents weren't around, and she had no friends.

But as fate would have it, there was another girl in her class who didn't talk. Katniss Everdeen. When her classmates would be asked to partner up, Madge drifted to the sidelines. She didn't want to approach anyone, much less be approached. Working alone was always more comfortable. Katniss was also the leftover girl. It wasn't like they willingly partnered up; they just sort of ended up together.

That pattern would continue throughout their school years. The two girls would sit together at lunch while their peers would congregate in their various groups. It became an unspoken agreement between them. A mutual friendship was never verbalized or confirmed, it was just a sense of solidarity and comfortable silence.

Madge didn't know exactly how Katniss felt about her, but she was fairly certain that Katniss did not feel the same way as she did. She had been the victim of love's cruel joke. Madge never wanted to be in love with the Girl on Fire, but cupid's arrow never misses, and Katniss Everdeen's arrow had struck directly in her heart.

Most girls their age were happy to gossip and discuss the frivolity of boys, but she and Katniss never expressed interest. Madge didn't know why Katniss avoid such talk, but she hoped that it was the same reason as her.

Having never confided in others about her life, she never told anyone about her attraction to other girls. Part of her was concerned they wouldn't get it, but she was more afraid about Katniss finding out. What if she rejected her? What if she never wanted to see her again? These were fearful questions that plagued Madge's thoughts as she spent time with Katniss. She told herself that she would never tell Katniss her true feelings, but that pesky arrow in her heart wasn't going anywhere. If anything, that arrow had only been lit ablaze, scorching Madge's heart with a desire to be with a person that would never be with her.

Nevertheless, she looked forward to Katniss's visits in the summer to the backdoor of her home. Summer meant strawberries, and strawberries meant a visit from Katniss. It wasn't always sweet though. She was sometimes accompanied by Gale, who Madge could clearly tell was in love with Katniss. It seemed so obvious that she was shocked that Katniss hadn't reciprocated or acted on her feelings, if she had any.

Madge knew the likely reason was Katniss being herself: driven, focused, and unconcerned with her own feelings. But, she wanted the reason to be that Katniss did not return Gale's feelings. She wanted Katniss to be in love with her. At her core, Madge felt an immense guilt at her feelings, but she had nothing to quell the perpetual flame in her heart.

The Gale situation was particularly frustrating because Katniss wasn't exactly an open book. She was closed off, and Gale was one of the few that knew her best. Madge didn't consider herself a jealous person, but Gale? He made her jealous. All she wanted was to explore the woods with Katniss, to embrace the air of the world beyond District 12, and to be alone with the girl she loved. But it couldn't be so.

It seemed like Madge would ruminate with these thoughts forever, but then the 74th Hunger Games happened. She remembered it in vivid detail. It wasn't a blur or a feeling of altered reality. She felt…focused. It was like all her senses were fixated on the scene before her. Her mind moved faster than she could cognitively keep up with, and any emotion quickly dissolved in the solvent of yet another thought.

The pin. The kiss.

It played out in her head almost every day. Waiting to be let in to see Katniss, clutching her aunt's golden mockingjay pin, and eventually kissing Katniss on the cheek. In that state of intense focus, Madge felt like she could do anything. Giving her that pin was like giving Katniss a piece of herself, and that gift would be sealed with a kiss. Nothing could have been more intimate.

During the Games, she was nervous. She couldn't help it. The thought of Katniss dying in the Games just like her aunt was a horrible thought, but she hoped beyond hope that Katniss would return with the pin. And return she did.

Madge was so overjoyed with Katniss's return that it was easy to forget about the romance with Peeta that she would be locked into forever. Another boy in Katniss's life, yet another contender for her hand. Madge wasn't sure why it bothered her so much. They were playing a game that she wasn't even a part of. She was just a "friend."

Despite that, Katniss's return was marked with far more good than bad. She began to spend a lot more time with her following the Games and the Victory Tour. Madge tried not to think about the very real chance that these interactions would never have happened had Katniss not won the Hunger Games. She blamed herself for her inability to act on her feelings, but all she could do was be grateful that Katniss was here with her.

...

Madge's fingers gently drifted across the piano, allowing a soft and elegant melody to resonate throughout the first floor of her home. She had to make sure it wasn't too loud, otherwise mother would complain.

She let herself become lost in the melodies of the music as her thoughts settled into a rhythm of memories, a suite chronicling her relationship with The Girl on Fire.

A slight smile played across her lips as she changed keys, moving to another melodical memory. She had tried in vain to teach Katniss how to play the piano. Watching Katniss, national celebrity and Victor, get frustrated with the names of piano keys made her laugh, as well as reminding her that Katniss was a person, not a product of the Capitol.

Another key change brought her to the elusive woods, a deep desire that she still couldn't believe had come true. It was like seeing an entirely different side of Katniss, perhaps a side that was more of herself than the manufactured doll of herself she now had to present to world. Seeing Katniss have to act like some silly school girl made her sick, more than seeing Peeta with her ever did.

She also finally got to see the mockingjays in their full glory. Madge wished that she could haul her piano out and have them sing a refrain of one of her pieces, but no such dream could come true. Having the mockingjays join her in song would have made something in her family come full circle, but she wasn't sure what. She had tried to do some digging, but hadn't found much in regard to the origin of the mockingjay pin. Madge had once said that they were just songbirds, but recent events had made her retract that statement.

Her smile turned into a frown as she switched into a minor key and moved her hands to the lower notes on the piano. Another memory, a symphony of sorrow and satisfaction. The day of the blizzard.

...

It started as a normal winter day in District 12. For Madge, that meant a bit of a depressing time. However, her relationship with Katniss was no longer dependent on strawberries. There was hope, but the Capitol had other plans.

Madge sat on the floor near the piano, scribbling down a set of notes on a piece of paper. It was almost like a diary for her. Even just a small string of notes helped her find a memory that would have otherwise been lost. She didn't know that after the events of the day, she would be scrapping her work and starting something entirely new.

Her father hadn't been home at all. That was hardly out of the ordinary, but something about the silence of the house made Madge feel uneasy. She tried to distract herself with music, filling the void of quietude with the scribble of a pen that would later become a gentle trill of melodies.

BANG

Madge jerked her head up to see her father rushing past the door to the music room and up the stairs to the second floor.

"Dad?" she called, concern coloring her voice.

"Stay inside," he called back from atop the stairs. "Don't go outside, I mean it!"

"What? Why?" Madge got her to feet and placed her half-finished composition on a music stand before fluttering into the main hall.

No response came.

"Dad?" she called again. It was strange speaking like this, with such concern. She did not like it, not one bit.

After a few moments, her father raced down the stairs again.

"Important structural changes are happening, lots of work to do," he panted. "Just…stay inside. I don't need any distractions." With that, he ran off.

Madge just stood there, completely miffed. But she had caught the look in his eyes when he said he didn't need any distractions. There was something more going here, and it was bad enough that he had sounded almost cryptic.

A thought struck her. She turned on her heel and immediately headed for the kitchen.

Flinging the door open, she whispered, "Will!"

An attractive boy with dark brown hair was at the stove making stirring some sort of stew.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Miss Undersee?"

"There's some sort of commotion happening outside."

Will nodded slightly. "I passed some Peacekeepers carrying some supplies in the square, not sure what that was about though."

"Hmm," was all Madge replied with. What could be happening? Did it have to do with Katniss? Probably. That girl was always getting into trouble.

She guessed that her face must have shown a lot of concern because Will replied, "I can go out and see if you want."

"I would…really appreciate that. Thank you."

Will stepped past her and through the kitchen door. "Watch the stew for me."

Madge nodded, trying to regain composure.

After short time that seemed like hours had past, Will burst into the kitchen.

"New Head Peacekeeper. He set up a bunch of nasty looking stuff in the square. I think I saw a noose."

Madge swallowed. She didn't like the look on Will's face.

"There was a whipping," he continued.

"Oh."

This was a lot to take in. Cray had been the Head Peacekeeper for her entire life, and he had always been rather liberal with rules and regulations. Something like a whipping was completely unheard of to her generation.

Will filled her in on the details: the Victors intervening to stop Thread from whipping Gale to death, Darius being taken into custody, and Gale being taken away by Katniss and the others.

Gale was far from her favorite person, but what Will had described was awful. Katniss had been struck too, but Gale's body had been cut to shreds. She knew that Katniss must be in a state of emotional panic at the suffering Gale was going through.

She and Will stood there silently for a moment before the stew started to steam.

"Shit." Will turned to remedy that situation while Madge exited the kitchen to figure out how she could help in this other situation that involved the girl she loved.

The house hung in dead silence before a slight howl started to permeate its walls. That could only mean one thing.

A blizzard. There were times when nature mirrored life a little too closely.

It wasn't before long that found herself up in her room, listening to the howling wind. She felt so powerless, knowing that Katniss and the others were off trying to save Gale and potentially being hunted down by Peacekeepers. It had been hours since the whipping and Madge was just sitting here, doing nothing.

What could she even do? It felt like she was just an out of place note in the symphony of the Girl on Fire. All the important players were gathered together, and she was here, just alone in the silent halls of her home.

Then it hit her. There was something she could do to help. Madge cursed herself for not thinking of it sooner. She had to move quickly.

Moving silently up and down the stairs of her house was second nature to her. The pedals of the piano had helped condition her awareness of her footfalls, so she was able to make it up to the third floor like a phantasm in the night.

Her mother's room was at the far end of the hallway so that it could be far away from as much commotion as possible. Madge was sure her mother was sleeping, so being quiet was an absolute necessity. On top of that, she wasn't sure how her mother would respond to her daughter asking to take some morphling to a "friend." It was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Carefully turning the knob, Madge slipped into the bedroom. It was large, with lush red curtains and a bed to match. The room was completely dark except for a small glowing light on the left side of the room. Her mother didn't like complete darkness.

Having been all too familiar with retrieving morphling for her mother, Madge drifted over to a make-shift medicine cabinet that was formally a walk-in closet.

The door was already open (for easy access of course) so she moved right in and waited a moment for her eyes to adjust. With the nightlight's glow, she could barely make out the shelves of cardboard boxes that contained nothing but vials and vials of morphling.

She felt her stomach turn at her memories of being a child and bringing the vials of liquid to her mother. All she wanted was for her mother to be well again, but it was hard to stay optimistic. Madge had seen what morphling addiction did to people. The back-to-back victors from District 6 were a warning for the whole nation to see, but pain is a powerful thing.

Without a sound, Madge picked up one of the boxes. She moved gingerly, trying to avoid the sound of the vials clinking together.

Just as she made it to the door, she winced as a lamp clicked on and a voice rasped, "Madge?"

Madge turned to see her mother stirring in bed. Her eyes were fixed on the cardboard box in her arms.

"Mother, I'm sorry for waking you." Madge was genuinely sorry. She didn't want to cause her mother anymore pain.

"What are you doing with that?" she asked.

"A new Head Peacekeeper started today. There was a whipping and…"

Madge wasn't sure how to finish her sentence, but her mother just nodded.

"It's cold outside."

"I'll wear a coat."

Her mother laughed at that, and Madge noticed a twinkle in her eye.

"You remind me of your aunt."

Madge offered a smile, just happy to hear her mother laugh. She couldn't even recall the last time she saw her smile.

"Go on, help your friend."

"Thank you, Mom." With that, Madge slipped out of her mother's bedroom and became aware of the howling blizzard again. She figured that she should probably be scared, but she wasn't. Katniss had gone through so much worse. So many people had gone through so much worse. A blizzard was nothing but a little bit of ice.

She retracted her statement the moment she stepped outside. The cold air hit her like a cannon, nearly knocking her off her feet. It was freezing, and snow immediately caked her entire body. However, the biggest obstacle was that she couldn't see a thing.

When she opened her eyes to peer out, all she saw was white. Madge tried blinking her eyes to no avail. The world had been whited-out. There were no shapes, no figures, no lights. The only things her senses could pick up were the stinging cold wind and snow against her body and what seemed like a white blindfold melded to her face.

Madge tried to steady herself, still reeling from the shock of the cold. She had to do this. She had to. Medicinal knowledge was not her forte, but she knew that the box in her hands would be invaluable to the task that Katniss's mother was undertaking.

But how as she going to make it to their house? How could she make that journey without vision?

She couldn't stand here for much longer. She had to move. Now.

Madge took a step forward, and then it came to her. A slight tune in her head. A jovial melody she composed after going to Katniss's house for the very first time. She remembered how warm it felt, and the smiles of Prim and her mother.

Letting the melody fill her thoughts, Madge moved forward. Nobody would ever believe how she made it to Katniss's house. How she hummed a tune in her head and remembered the rhythm and direction of her feet when she would visit Katniss.

The cold was excruciating, but she pressed on. Nothing would deter her.

When Madge knocked on the door and was greeted by Katniss's mother and a parade of others, she felt just as shocked as the looks on their faces portrayed. But she had a mission.

"Use these for your friend."

She handed the box off to Katniss, who opened the box to reveal the vials of morphling. Everyone just looked at her in silence, so she didn't miss a beat.

"They're my mother's. She said I could take them. Use them, please."

Madge turned from the glowing light of Katniss and her home and raced into the storm, allowing the blanket of white to envelope her once again.

She could feel her whole body starting to go numb, but she felt elated. She had accomplished her mission and now all she had to do was make it back. And now she knew she could.

As Madge Undersee traversed the white void and allowed her head to be filled with the music of the Girl on Fire, she felt a burst of warmth in her heart.

Maybe strawberries do grow in winter.

Another long wait, but I hope it was worth it! I really liked exploring such an underdeveloped canon character. This is just my take on her of course, I'm sure others will have different opinions on her characterization.

I just wanted to say a few things before moving forward with this story. Part of the reason why updates are taking so long is because, honestly, writing this story has become a chore. I'm not having fun with the current state of things and if I'm not having fun, then I'm just doing all this work to make myself miserable.

So, I gotta do what is best for me when it comes to finishing this story. Some of the current cast of the story are being cut to make room for new characters and some characters' POVs will be cut down to make the workload less for me and to further develop other characters. I know that's not entirely fair, but this story isn't going to move forward if I don't change something.

Another part of the issue is that I'm not sure how many people are actually reading this story. It's kind of hard to motivate myself to write without knowing if there's anyone actually reading. I don't need a bunch of reviews (although they are appreciated), but I would appreciate a short PM saying you're reading just to alleviate my concerns a little bit. My brain is stupid and will not work with writing just for myself.

And to the submitters of this story, I am going to start doing check-ins just to see who is still around on the site, because I know activity on here is fairly volatile. So, for this check-in, just say who your favorite character is so far. Also, because I'm making changes to the cast, you can PM me and I can tell you what's going on with that.

For those who are reading out there, thank you. I really appreciate it even if I don't know you.

I am going to continue to work on this story to completion, but the only way I can realistically do that is with some changes and a breath of fresh air to rejuvenate the story. I hope everyone understands the decisions I'm making, and I apologize if you're not a fan, but for this story to finish, I need to do this.

Ok that's my little update since the 2-year anniversary of this story. Not sure when the next update will be, but keep an eye out because I'm not going anywhere.