AN: So, I've decided to change it up a bit, and now when I switch POV's I'm not going to back up all the way to the beginning of their conversations. I feel like that was making things take a lot longer to move forward, so from now on I'll only show the same scene from both POV's if I feel you really need to see it from both sides.

Gale

That bastard! That filthy rat-bastard! If he makes it through the Hunger Games there is no chance in hell he's going to make it much longer. What the fuck does baker boy think he's doing?! Isn't he supposed to looove Katniss? Madge said he was playing a part to make Katniss 'less intimidating and more loveable' but here he is joined with the Careers hunting her down.

I'm sure the Capitol freaks will find this so romantic. Who doesn't love a childhood love story ending in murder? I can't believe Madge defended him!

I stop in my tracks right there. Madge had no way of knowing Bread Boy was a traitor, and after today I'm sure she'll realize how wrong she was about him. I force myself to push down any anger towards Madge. I know that if I don't I'll go off the rails, and pore all my anger out on her. It's possible that I have a slight anger issue, and I don't want to send Madge running for the hills when we've only just started.. whatever it is we've started.

I sit on my porch steps, and take calming breaths. I look on the bright side, Katniss is alive, she made it through the bloodbath. Also Peeta knows jack shit about tracking, so it's not like he can actually help them find Katniss.

A smile comes to my face, she made it. She made it through the first day, now she just needs to lie low till the end, and avoid the Careers. She can do this.

Feeling much more reassured, I start the trek to the Mayor's house.

When I get there I'm glad to see Madge is already on the back porch, all the lights are off in the mansion, and Madge is only lit from the nearby street lights. She looks breathtaking, staring off into the distance. Her brows furrowed, and she's biting her lip, as if in deep thought. I wonder what she's thinking?

I can tell when she spots me coming, because her forehead un-creases and a smile comes to her face, making my footsteps falter. It's mind-boggling, that smile of hers, being directed at me. Just a few weeks ago that would have been a scowl gracing her beautiful face.

"Hey" she calls out softly.

"Hey," I pull her up from her sitting position and into a hug. "Friends can hug right?" I question teasingly.

"Haha oooh yes, friends can hug," she hugs me back for a long moment, then pulls back and twines our fingers together.

I lift our entwined hands to my lips and kiss her hand, before pulling her forward, "Come on lets go for a walk."

"Ugh, fine. Why are you always taking me on walks? Am I too fat for you or something?" She jokes.

"Oh no, you're perfect. I'm just taking you on walks so we can have a little privacy."

She lifts her eyebrow, and smirks, "And why would we need privacy hmm?"

I stop us in our tracks and lean in closely to her face, "To do friend things, like braid each other's hair," I run my fingers through her hair. "And make friendship bracelets," I trace my fingers around her delicate wrist. "And gossip," I lean in and press my lips to hers.

She allows it for a moment, but then her finger comes inbetween our lips, and she wags it at me, "Uh-uh Gale Hawthorne friends don't kiss." She chuckles, "At least not me and my friends, so what do you and Thom get up to when you're alone?" She gives me a suggestive look.

To which I make an indignant scoff, "We don't-"

She pats my chest condescendingly, "Sure, Gale sure." She laughs, and I grab her hand that's patting my chest.

"Whatever, Princess." I pull her along, "And what friends could you even kiss? You don't even have any."

She makes a sound of disbelief, "I have friends!"

I copy her condescending pat from before on her back, "Oh sure Madge, of course you do," I nod barely concealing my laughter.

"I do!" She insists.

"Okay, okay who?"

"Okay well for one, Kat-"

"Besides Katniss."

She pauses, and seems to be drawing a blank, "Umm.. Oh Martha!"

Martha? "Martha who? Does she go to school with us?"

She hesitates, "Well not exactly, she works in town.."

Oh! Martha as in Martha's Music Shop, oh Madge. "Oh, that's cool. I guess you do have friends." I decide to let her have it, it's actually pretty sad that the only friends she has are adults. And Katniss. And well, me too now. I squeeze her hand a little tighter, "So where do you wanna walk to?"

"Eh, I don't care. We just can't stay out too late, because we've got school tomorrow."

"What can't miss a night of sleep?" I direct us toward the Victor's Village, that place will be deserted.

"No way. I need sleep. That's why I love the weekends, because I can sleep in, and get my full necessary ten hours of sleep. When I was a kid, it was bad. I was a right little monster in the mornings, you could not get me to do anything. I practically slept while they dressed and fed me, and forced me to go through my daily routines. Now, when they started giving me coffee that was a miracle. I could finally get myself ready in the mornings, but now I'm kind of addicted to the stuff."

I laugh, I can just imagine a little Madge falling over tired, while maids try to put clothes on her. "Seriously?"

She giggles, "Yup." She says nodding. We've just reached the gate of the Victor's Village, and start on down the walkway between the houses.

"Well I, for one, have always enjoyed mornings."

She groans, "Gross, you're one of those people." She gives me a look of disdain.

"What do you mean 'one of those people'?" I look at her amusedly.

"One of those, 'Oh I love watching the sun rise, and hear the birds sing their little bird songs, and blahbedy blah, you're missing out, blah blah' crap. It's sooo annoying."

Madge

Jeez he looks so offended. I'm about to bust out laughing; he's so cute when he gets all defensive.

"I am not like that. I mean yeah the sunrise is really pretty, and when the birds sing a tune it's really wonderful," I give him a see, I told you look, "Yeah, okay I guess I am one of 'those people'," he says mockingly with finger- air quotes.

"Told you," I sing song at him.

"But what's so wrong with that?" he shoots back at me.

I pause, hmm, "Well nothing I suppose, just don't expect me to get up early and watch the sunrise with you. That is so not ever gonna happen." Not even for him.

His face perks up, "That sounds like a challenge."

I shrug, "It really wasn't. It's just a fact."

"We'll see about that.." he rubs his hands together with a grin reminiscent of an evil villain. I don't like that look, I don't like that look one bit.

"No. Stop. Whatever you're thinking right now, just stop, because you will never get me up that early." I can see him making a vow right there in his head that he's going to do it.

"I'm serious Gale, it's not. Gonna. Happen." I give him as stern a look as possible.

He sighs heavily, and seems to resign, "Fine."

"Good," I walk ahead of him a bit, "So.."

"So." He repeats.

"Peeta," I say tentatively. I really don't want to talk about him, but we can't live in a fairytale world forever.

"Peeta," he repeats and I can hear the disgust in his tone. "Peeta is a fucking traitor, and if I could I would kill him myself."

"Gale, maybe Peeta is still playing with them." He gives me a look of disbelief, but before he can blow up at me, and against my better judgment I continue, "I mean he's a good guy. This can't be what it looks like I-"

"Why are you protecting him?! You saw him today, you saw-"

"Yeah, I know!" I continue desperate that Peeta isn't a bad guy, "But maybe he's still protecting her somehow! I mean why-"

"Stop defending him!"

"-would he say he loved her if-"

"I don't know Madge! Because he's some sick, twisted piece of shit? Who cares? After today, you should not be on his side." His rage is palpable, and we've stopped walking at some point and we're in each other's faces.

"I'm not on his side. I'm just saying-"

"Well stop saying then!"

I throw my hands up, "Fine!" I take an exhausted breath, "fine." I say quieter.

He lets out a long breath, "Good."

I guess I shouldn't have said anything. "I should probably start heading home now."

He looks at me hard as if trying to see if I'm mad, but I look away. "Yeah sure," he says, "let's go." But I've already started walking.

After a few moments of walking in silence, I hear him take in a breath as if about to say something, but then he shakes his head and just keeps walking.

When we get to the gate at my backyard, I turn towards him, "Goodnight."

I wait to see if he's going to say anything about earlier, or goodnight back, or anything. But he doesn't. "Ok, then." I open the gate and make my way to the door.

"Madge wait!" He calls to me much too loudly for this time of night, I think of ignoring him like he did me, but I'm more mature than that.

I turn and wait.

He pauses, and looks like he isn't sure why he called out at me. I tap my foot impatiently on the ground, "What?"

My question seems to have reminded him, and he says, "I don't want to fight. Especially about Bready Boy."

I look at him incredulous, "I didn't want to fight either, I was just trying to say my thoughts like-"

"I know! I know you were-"

"No, Gale. I don't think you do 'know'. We're supposed to be friends, but I thought friends could tell each other their thoughts without getting attacked because of them. And-"

"Madge, I'm sor-"

I raise my hand in front of me, "Stop interrupting me, and just let me goddamn finish what I'm trying to say."

He looks startled at my use of a cuss word, and he nods slowly. "Okay."

I let out a relieved breath, "Good, now, as I was trying to say, if this is going to work you can't just blow up at me anytime you don't agree with something I say." He nods still keeping quiet. "And if you had let me speak earlier you would know that I don't know if Peeta is a good guy or not. When he first joined the Careers I was as shocked as you were, and probably just as pissed. But then I was thinking what was the whole point of pretending to love her just to stab her in the back? Peeta has never seemed cruel to me, and for Katniss's sake I'm hoping he's not. That's why I'm not just immediately assuming the worst, because I'm absolutely terrified that if he's not playing them that.. That Katniss might die because of him."

I'm near tears at the end of my speech. The thought of never getting to see Katniss again, to sit with her, to talk with her, it's incapacitating.

Gale opens the gate, and wraps me up in a hug. "I'm sorry Madge. I know I have a problem with not thinking before I speak, and I get mad and lash out but.. But please forgive me?"

I look up at him, and god! He looks so fucking sincere, and his stupid puppy dog look he's got on his face. I can't help it, I nod, but I give him a light slap upside the head and point a stern finger at him, "But don't do it again."

He gives me a weird look, "I swear sometimes you remind me of.." He trails off.

"Of who?" I question impatiently.

He rubs his head where I barely slapped him. I roll my eyes, baby.

"Nobody. Nevermind."

"Okaay, whatever. Goodnight."

He leans in for a kiss, but I put my hand on his mouth and shake my head. He backs off and gives me a what? Look. "Nu-uh. No way. First off, we just fought, and I haven't completely forgiven you yet. Second, We're just friends remember?"

He groans, "You know I'm really starting to regret agreeing to that bullshit 'just friends' thing."

Does he not realize how very necessary that agreement is? I can not handle letting myself fall for Gale, which I'm sure I could, just to have Katniss come home and him leave me behind in the dust. "Whatever, Gale. I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight Madge!" I hear him call out behind me. I roll my eyes, and sneak up to my room as quiet as possible.

AN: Okay, so a little bit of fighting, but come on it's Gadge. Where there's Gadge there's fighting. Well, they won't always be fighting, don't worry. They'll get there happy time together. Umm, tell me whatcha think! Love ya'll