(Gale POV)
I'm almost out of Mayor Undersee's office when I pause and turn back. "Sir? What about Katniss? What if someone asks her about this?"
"Miss Everdeen won't be a problem. I've already spoken with her earlier."
I nod and then leave. Back in my office alone though, my mind tries to play over all of this in my mind. Mayor Undersee just forged documents saying Katniss is my cousin. So we can still be friends and it won't be an issue or a chance for some nosy reporter to make a scandal out of. I can't believe he forged documents for me. That's crazy. I can't imagine what the penalty is for something like that. Well, actually I can. I can imagine him doing that for me seeing as how he already messed around with my tesserae count and I've seen firsthand what the Capitol does by way of punishments. I shudder remembering Marcus and his punishment.
I'm grateful but uneasy about all of it. I'm not sure how often Mayor Undersee has to forge or fake documents and information but he seems to be comfortable doing it. I don't know to what degree I'd be personally held responsible if we were to ever get caught. And I still think the entire thing is stupid. Katniss is just a friend and always has been. She's never been a romantic interest of mine and as long as Madge is okay with my interactions with Katniss then really why should anyone else care? It's none of their business.
I manage to get through the rest of my day a little easier than the first half had begun. I'm still worn out and mentally exhausted but definetly feeling ever so slightly better than I had this morning. Now my work day is over and I'm torn about where to go from here. I need to go talk to Katniss and really make sure everything is okay with this whole cousins thing. I should go home and try to make some headway with my mother. Try to smooth out all the tension that's steadily building there. But really, the only thing I want to do is go find Madge and disappear into the woods with her. To be alone with my Madge.
I waste a few minutes at my desk trying to decide what I should do before deciding to try and make all three happen. Katniss will be the quickest so I'll see her first. From there, if I'm up to it, I'll go home and talk to my mother. Then Madge. I'll see her last. We won't be able to go into the woods of course but still, I'll find a way to be alone with her.
As I'm entering Victor's Village I end up bumping into Katniss.
"Hey, I was just coming to see you. Got a sec?" I tell her.
"I was just about to head out if you want to come with me." She says, gesturing to the hunting bag slung over her shoulder.
"Uh, I can't do that. And you may wanna watch it too. I'm sure you're aware that you and I have been being watched."
"I'm tired of worrying about people watching me. Everyone's watching. Always. At some point you just have to stop caring about it." She replies.
"Look, I only need a second. I just wanted to check and be sure you're okay with this whole us being cousins thing." I tell her, getting to the point. I can tell she's ready to get to the woods as soon as possible and honestly, I'm in a hurry too.
She just shrugs. "Yeah, sure. It's fine. Not like we have a choice anyway."
"No, really. I know it's weird that it even matters but apparently it does and this was the only solution where things could stay the same for us."
She chokes out a laugh. "Stay the same? When will you get your head out of the clouds and realize that nothing is the same. Nothing."
"Catnip..." I start.
She holds her hand up to stop me. "Look Gale, it's fine. Really. If it helps you out, then I'm happy to go along with it. Okay?" She tells me. I can tell she's just in a mood and not really wanting to fight with me or about any one thing in particular.
"Thanks. And be careful going out there, okay?" I tell her. I'm not sure if that tabloid reporter was watching me or watching her but I do know that neither of us saw him so I worry about her crossing the fence so close on the heels of all that. I'd hate to think someone was still lurking in the shadows watching her break Capitol law.
She nods and continues on her way. I watch her go for a moment before sucking in a breath and heading over to see my mother. This will be the worst part of my evening.
When I walk in, the kids are at the table finishing up their dinner but I don't see my mother.
"Hey, is Ma around?" I ask Rory.
"Up in her room." He tells me through a mouthful of stew.
I start towards the stairs but Rory stops me.
"Wouldn't go up there if I were you." He warns.
"How bad is it?" I ask.
"She's been up there ever since we got home from school. I asked her if she wanted dinner but she said no so I just fed us and let her be." He shrugs.
Damn. That's not like her at all. She's not one to go and hide herself away.
"Thanks for taking care of dinner for everybody." I tell Rory as I go ahead and continue up the stairs.
I hoover outside her closed bedroom door for a moment, unsure of where to even start with her. I can't just leave it like this though. I knock.
"Come in." She calls.
I go in but shut the door behind me so the kids can't hear just in case we end up arguing loudly. She's sitting on her bed. Eyes red so it's obvious that she's been crying.
"Are you okay?" I ask quietly. It's a stupid question. I know she isn't but really, what am I supposed to start with?
"No. I am most certainly not okay."
"Can we talk about it?" I ask.
"We can talk, sure. I'm not sure we can really do anything though."
I go over and sit next to her. "Ma, I'm sorry. I am. I don't want you to be upset with me."
"Why didn't you listen to me when I warned you that you were getting in over your head? Why on earth did you propose so soon? Why do you have to get married? It's complicated everything. This isn't the life our family was meant to live."
"Ma, it's not without reason."
"And you swear she isn't pregnant? That isn't the reason?"
"It's strategic. I found a way to protect all the kids and Madge from the games." I tell her, my voice low and quiet.
"How? How on earth does marrying her protect anyone? That makes no sense."
I'm silent for a second as I try to decide if I should just tell her everything or not. "Do you know what a dowry is?"
"Money or something of value in exchange for someone's hand in marriage." She says then horror covers her face. "Oh Gale, did Mayor Undersee offer you money in exchange for marrying her?"
"No, I'm the one who wanted to marry her. I love her. My only reason for doing it now instead of waiting until we're older is that there's a dowry. A whole trust fund set aside that we get control of once I marry Madge. If I have that money, and Ma, it's a lot of money, I can use it to protect the kids or Madge if they get reaped. I can use it to save them."
"That would never work." She shakes her head.
"It worked for Katniss. Did you know that's how she survived the games? She got all the money from Madge's mother's dowry. All of it went into sponsorship funds. Those funds gave her the things she couldn't have survived without. And it will do the same for us when and if we need it to. I can't watch another person I love go through those games while I sit back helplessly watching, Ma. I won't do it. This money will give all of us a little bit of piece of mind."
She sits there, taking in all I've just told her. "How did Katniss get money from Madge's mother? Her mother died years ago. And why would she leave money to sponsor Katniss instead of leaving it for Madge?"
"It's complicated. And it doesn't matter. Do you see now why I had to do it so soon? The next games are a Quarter Quell. They'll be harder. I need to know this money will be in place before they begin." I don't want to get into how there was a mix up because of Madge's gold pin or how there was a connection to District 13.
"I still don't think you realize what you've done. I don't think you've yet seen how your choices are shaping your future. How you're going to be living a life that isn't meant for you. We aren't Capitol people Gale. We just aren't."
"I know it's been hard and the changes just keep coming but I do love Madge more than anything and I have to be with her. And I'll do what I can to minimize the things that change for you and the kids but I need you to let me have this. I need you to be okay with it. It's important."
"I can't be okay with my 17 year old son marrying into a Capitol life."
"And I can't not marry Madge. So what do we do? How do we get past this?"
"We just keep moving through it. One moment, one change at a time." She tells me. Her voice is sad and it reminds me of how she sounded when we lost my dad.
"Ma..."
"It's the best I can do Gale."
"I am sorry, for whatever that's worth." I tell her. I hate seeing her so upset.
"I know. And it isn't anger anymore that I'm feeling. It's just fear."
I hug her and relief floods me as I feel her arms hug me back. I needed that hug probably as much as she needed mine. With as much resolved between us as is possible right now, I head back downstairs to eat.
After I scarf down a bowl of stew I finally get to go see Madge. It's later than I wish it was and I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep her out but I don't care. I just want to see her. Outside her front door I'm about to knock when I change my mind, deciding I want to slip in through the back instead. I've had all the Capitol related fun I can handle for one day and if I go in through the front there's a chance I may get asked to stay and socialize with whatever visitors may be here. Around back, my face immediately breaks into a smile when I find Madge alone, sitting on the back steps.
"Hey!" She calls out as soon as she sees me, a smile spreading across her face too.
"Hey yourself." I reply as I pull her to her feet and quickly kiss her.
"I was wondering when you would be able to get over here."
"Sorry I couldn't come by sooner. Crazy hectic day. I've been going nonstop."
"Want to come inside for a little while?" She asks.
I shake my head. I don't want to be indoors. I need fresh air and no walls. "Meadow?" I offer up instead.
She takes my hand and we walk though her backyard until we're fairly far out into the meadow. I plop down, laying my head back in the grass. Madge lays back too, head resting on my chest. We don't talk, just lay here quietly. And it's the happiest I've been all day.