Disclaimer: I'm just playing with Suzanne Collins' characters and her world. They're hers. Not mine. Any lines from the books are hers too.
AN: This is, admittedly, a filler chapter. Sorry about that. I've got an idea for a small arc in this universe, but I'm still working the kinks out of it and this silly little story had to get out to make room.
Kaleidoscope, pt 21
Gale chuckles as Miles stumbles, falls back on his bottom and laughs.
"He doesn't walk very good," Briar points out, eyeing her brother critically. "I don't think he's gonna get it."
"He's learning, Bri," Vick reminds her, leaning back from his spot on the back porch step and poking Miles in his belly, earning an ear splitting squeal as a reward. "He'll get there."
Nose wrinkling up, she sighs, clearly disbelieving.
Gale rolls his eyes from his spot inside the back screen door.
He's told her the same thing a dozen times, but she doesn't seem to believe it. She'd had the same concern about Daisy when she'd been wobbling around on chubby toddler legs. Clearly her memory doesn't stretch back that far.
"He walks really good if I hold his hands," Sage tells them, defending his baby brother's abilities just as he'd done for Daisy. "Watch."
Gently, Sage takes Miles' hands and pulls him up, encourages him to 'Take a step, Miles, you can do it.'
Grinning, Miles lets Sage slowly walk him across the porch before stumbling again, tipping back and landing on his bottom once more beside a beaming Posy. He claps for himself, squeals in delight.
Rory scoops him up, tosses him in the air, and Gale is grateful Madge isn't around to see.
She's still back in the bedroom with Daisy, working on a gift for Charity.
Gale hopes Miles regurgitates his dinner on Rory before she comes out and stops it.
"You'll be running soon," Rory laughs, giving a laughing Miles a jiggle.
"Oh Rory, be careful with him," Gale hears his mom say, though it clearly has no effect on Rory.
"What're they doing out there?" Charity asks, leaning around Gale and smiling at the sight of Vick and Briar pouring over a book on foul migration patterns he'd checked out of the library.
She chuckles, tosses the dish towel away and shakes her head.
"Vick and his books." She points at the casserole, a concoction of bread crumbs, vegetables, and leftover meats, and grins. "That's where he came up with that by the way."
Gale laughs. "I'd never have guessed."
Her smile softens as she watches Vick excitedly explaining something to an attentive Briar.
It had concerned Gale, when Vick had told him he was seeing one of the many Shumard sisters.
Vick was sweet, gentle, and a bit soft hearted, not things Gale could connect with what he knew from his interactions with the older Shumard girls.
"Charity isn't like her sisters," Vick had assured him and Rory. "She's quiet and she's nice…"
"Real glowing description," Rory grunted, sucking on a cut on his thumb. "You talking about your date or my new hunting boots?"
Vick had thrown a rotted persimmon and hit Rory square in the back of the head for that.
Despite the misgivings, when Charity had finally been introduced to the family, after a few months of dating, she was nothing short of how Vick had described her. A bit shy, soft-spoken, and sweet, she'd immediately put all their fears for Vick to rest.
When Vick had announced their engagement, there'd been nothing but support, even from Rory.
"I approve this union," he'd told Vick, sitting back in his chair, nodding and rubbing his chin.
Vick rolled his eyes. "Oh good, getting your blessing was really stressing me."
Madge had set up the dinner they'd just finished as a celebration, also given the seal of approval by Rory. As if Gale cared.
"He's gonna be a good dad," Charity says, her voice soft, a smile ticking up at the edges of her lips.
Gale nods in agreement, smiles to himself as Briar eagerly points out something and Vick just as eagerly explains something to her.
Vick will be a great dad. He's been doting on Gale's kids since the day the twins were born. There's no question he's been building towards it.
"I mean, not yet," Charity quickly amends. "We just need to get through the toasting first."
Her eyes go wide and and her expression slips into horror.
"I mean-I don't mean-I mean that you can be going to have kids before you get married-people do it all the time! But I just mean we aren't, we don't need to-want to-aren't…"
She's a little pink in the cheeks, grimacing when she stops, one hand on her hip and the other fanning herself.
"It's hot. I'm an idiot. I'm sorry."
Gale lets out a snort of laughter.
"You're not an idiot." He gives her a reassuring smile. "It's okay."
"It's not." She buries her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry."
Leaning against the counter, just in front of Vick's casserole creation, Gale shakes his head.
"You aren't, I promise." He points outside, where Rory is spinning with Miles. "That is an idiot."
Who, with any luck, will soon have baby vomit in his face.
Uncovering her face, Charity lets out a long breath.
"I just-I didn't mean anything by it."
"I know." He shrugs, rubs the back of his neck, trying to think of what exactly to say. "Madge and I, we didn't do things traditional. We know that."
The only difference between them and half the people in the district was that their non-traditional union was broadcasted, mostly due to Madge's dad being the Mayor. It's hardly Charity's fault she knows about the rocky start.
"You seem really happy now," she finally says, her tone apologetic.
Gale nods. "We are."
Before he can tell her he hopes she and Vick have every bit as much happiness in their marriage as he and Madge have, Daisy runs in from the bedroom, her arms open.
"Hol'me daddy!"
Catching her as she leaps at him, Gale swings her up, earning a squeal of delight for his effort.
Settling her on his hip, he peppers her with kisses and misses Madge coming in, a dress draped over her arm.
Setting Daisy down, Gale nudges her out the door to play.
"I wanted to show you this to you, see if you wanted to wear it for the wedding ," she tells her. Hesitating, she shrugs. "If you-you know, want to."
"Oh Madge." Charity shakes her head as the examines the dress, now carefully spread out on the dinning room table. "It's beautiful-I couldn't take it."
"I want you to," Madge reassures her. "It's brought the women in my family a lot of joy, and I want it to work it's magic for you too. You and Vick deserve all the happiness in the world."
It's as beautiful, and as expensive looking, as Gale remembers.
Madge has offered to sell it, more than once, to help pay bills or buy food, but Gale wouldn't let her.
It was a piece of her life, a family heirloom, and she deserved to keep it.
Besides, Gale had thought grimly, each time she suggested selling it, she needed something of worth to keep her and the kids afloat if something should happen to him.
Gale watches as Charity runs her fingers over the dress, the delicate lace and silk, then pulls back, shaking her head again.
"I can't." She eyes the dress sadly. "What if I get something on it? Or tear it? It's so delicate."
"Charity, you'll only be in it a few hours," Madge reminds her. "I don't think you can do irreparable damage in that time"
"I'm very clumsy," Charity mumbles, eyes still on the dress. Finally, she bites her lip, looks uncertain before taking a breath. "If I did wear it...I'd probably need to take in the waist a bit."
Madge snorts, then grins. "I think that goes without saying."
Picking up the dress, she holds it to her chest, smiles.
"Thank you so much."
Pulling her into a hug, Madge laughs.
"You're very welcome."
Charity steps back, dress still pressed to her, examining it at different angles.
Gale grins, looks at Madge, expecting her to be happily watching Charity, but instead finds her with her nose scrunched up, frowning and looking past Gale, out the back screen door.
She closes her eyes, pinches bridge of her nose just as Rory screams in disgust.
"I've warned him a thousand times," she grumbles as she breezes out to retrieve Miles from his now puke covered uncle.
Gale just laughs.
#######
Madge gently lays Miles in his crib, brushes some of the wild curls from his face.
He'll be too big for the crib soon. She's got a few weeks, a month at best, then they'll have to think of a new sleeping situation.
"Sage might get a roommate sooner than he thinks," she finally sighs, crawling into bed and collapsing onto her pillow.
It makes her a bit sadder than she wants to admit. Her last baby out of their well used crib.
Still, Sage will be happy. He's been looking forward to Miles sharing his room with him since the day he'd been born, despite Briar warning him it's less fun than he imagines.
Gale emerges from the tiny bathroom, his hair sticking on end, and frowns at the crib, a crease forming between his eyes.
"What've we been feeding this kid?" He asks, scratching his head. "None of the others needed a new bed at this age. We got a whole year with the twins, and that wasn't even too tight a squeeze."
Rolling on her side, Madge shrugs. "He's just gonna be tall. Your mom said all four of you were long babies."
Sighing, Gale nods, a little smile forming as he reaches down and ruffles Miles hair.
"As long as he keeps puking in Rory's face, he can grow like a weed."
Rolling her eyes, Madge lays back as Gale plops in the bed, curls himself around her and kisses her hair.
"Maybe now he'll listen when I tell him not to toss my kid around like a sack of potatoes."
"Doubt it."
Madge actually agrees.
If Sage, Briar, and Daisy throwing up on him hadn't deterred him, Madge doubts Miles doing it will. Even if he had produced...above average amounts of vomit.
"Next kid that gets the honor will be Vick's," he chuckles. "Lucky bastard."
Turning, Madge wraps her arms around him, tips her head up and grins.
"And I am all too happy to let them."
Madge's childbearing days are in the past.
Gale takes a deep breath, his arms tightening around her.
"Me too."
They've both just begun to drift to sleep when Madge hears wood creak.
From the crib, Miles babbles, already standing and reaching out.
"Mama!"
Groaning, Madge starts to get up, but Gale stops her.
"I'll get him." He grunts as he stands, pops his back, then takes a few steps and scoops Miles up. "Besides, won't be doing this again."
"Unless we babysit," Madge reminds him.
Gale gives Miles a jiggle, shakes his head.
"I feel like that's a job for Uncle Rory."
Taking Miles, Madge snorts.
"I think you're right."