AN: So I was thinking about telling y'all I would update once a week, but I'm glad I didn't because that would make me a liar. Just know I'm not giving up on this story, even if it seems like it's been forever since an update, I won't quit till I'm done.

Madge

This is it. She's dead. Katniss is dead. Her world has gone up in flames, literally. There is fire everywhere. She's running as fast as she can, but I do not see how she can escape this. The capitol cameras capture every burning ash that lands on her skin, and every drop of sweat that rolls down her forehead. Every single detail in terrifying clarity.

I use every ounce of will in my body and try to send it to her, "Please, please, please." I beg desperately under my breath. "Come on Katniss you can do this. You can make it."

And she does. I'm not quite sure how, but she does. And I am so grateful. I don't know what Gale would do if he lost her. I know what it did to my mother, and I don't want him to have to go through that.

Waverly sits down next to me rubs a hand soothingly o my back, I shrink away from her attempt at comforting me. Quickly, I stand and rush into the empty kitchen. I feel kind of bad at the hurt look she gave me as I walked away, but I can't be weak right now.

Believe me, I want to let her comfort me. To let her motherly touch soothe my troubles, and soften the harshness of the world. For her arms to wrap around me, and feel protected. It would be so easy to drop this charade that I'm strong, and indifferent towards Katniss. To stop saying how much I want her to win, and start venting about how much I want her to live. To survive these awful games. But I can't.

Here, I'm strong Madge. I'm the Madge who loves the Capitol and thinks the Games are nice entertainment while also a good lesson for the districts. I'm the Madge who is having a great time watching the twists and turns of the Games, and not the Madge who needs comforting.

For right now that's the Madge I have to be, the Madge I hate. But as soon as it's appropriately late enough, I'll sneak upstairs to lay with Mom. Even passed out on morphling, she can bring me back down.

Talking to Gale would help, but we agreed to meet up tomorrow because we've been sneaking out almost every night and surprisingly enough that's not very good for my sleep cycle.

A sudden voice behind me makes me jump, it's Waverly. "Oh Madge, I didn't mean to startle you like that. I just wanted you to know that we just got word from our friends in the Capitol, Katniss' sponsors are sending her a gift to treat her burns. I'm sure it will arrive within the next few hours."

I let out a relieved laugh and hug Waverly, "Thank you for telling me that. This is great news. I think I'll go see if my mother is awake and tell her." I make my escape. It may be a little early, but I hope my father understands.

Gale

It feels as if the entire room just relaxes at once. Prim releases the claw-like grip she had on my arm, and gives me an apologetic grimace at the nail marks she left behind. "It's fine, don't worry about it. Katniss made it." It does kind of hurt, but who cares? Katniss made it out. Sure she has a pretty bad burn on her thigh, but she'll survive. Hopefully she'll get some sort of gift to help heal the burn before it gets infected or anything.

"Gale," Ma calls to me from the kitchen, "Come help do the dishes."

With only a little complaining I go to the kitchen and take over washing, giving the cleaned dishes to Ma to dry. "So, you're starting in the mines soon, huh?" Ma can never just wash dishes in silence.

"Yeah."

She sets down a dried plate, "You know you can wait until you finish school to start in the mines."

A heavy sigh falls from my lips, we've had this argument more that once. "You know as well as I do that we need the money."

She tilts her head and gives me her 'excuse me?' glare, "Actually Gale, I think we will be perfectly fine if you wait a few months and finish school."

I drop the plate I was washing in the dishwater, and water splashes us both, "Well, it's too late Ma, I already did the paper work."

She gasps, "What? Without even talking to me first?"

"Yes, because I knew you would talk me out of it." She whips me with the towel on my arm, not enough to do any damage but still oww. I rub my arm where she hit me, "I'm sorry Ma, but you know it was the right thing. I'm not getting enough money with my sales, and your laundry business isn't enough to keep us afloat."

She puts her head in her hands, "I'm sorry, Gale."

Oh god, I hate when I make Ma upset. "Sorry for what? You did nothing wrong."

"I'm sorry for not making enough money for you to not have to risk your life everyday to keep us alive, I'm sorry you don't have a father so you think you have to take his place, and I'm so sorry that-" Her apology is cut off by me pulling her in a tight hug.

"Mom, none of that is your fault, and I don't mind helping out. You know that."

She grips me tight, the releases me wiping tears from her eyes, "I know, I know I'm sorry. I just hate that you have to go down there. I know how you hate being under ground."

After the mine collapse that killed my dad I always refused to go to school on the days they visited the mines. Going down there every day for hours is going to be pure torture. Ma doesn't need to worry about me.

"Ma, I'll be fine. I'm so over that now. I've grown up since then."

She looks up at me studying me to see if I'm lying, I try to avoid my tell tale signs of lying, so she doesn't worry. She seems to fall for it, because she nods in acceptance. "Fine." She whips me, playfully this time, "Now get back to work. You nearly broke that plate." She gives me a smile a knocks her hip into mine as I get back to work. "So how's Madge?"

"Oh, she's fi- wait. No, no, no. We're not talking about Madge."

She laughs, "Why not?"

"Umm, because I'm not going to talk to my mother about what girl I'm seeing."

"So you two are 'seeing each other' now? Hmm, it's official then?" She gives me a teasing look.

Damn. Didn't mean to say that. "No it's not 'official'." Thinking about it though she did say we were more that friends, and we're going to be 'talking' soon so, "Yet."

"Well, maybe you should bring her by one day to spend some time with us in the day time. Then maybe you two won't have to keep sneaking out so late."

"Umm, I don't know about that one Ma. I don't really need her to go screaming for the hills when we only just got together." My family is enough to make anyone go nuts.

"Oh shush up Gale. She's met us before, and she was fine. Bring her by okay?"

That's true, and honestly it wouldn't be so bad. I don't know I'll have to see what Madge thinks, "Fine, I'll think about it."

She smiles, "Good, now what do you cook for the girl who can have anything?"

Madge

"Oh, Mommy," I lay next to my mother's nearly still form, and rest my head on her barely rising chest. She's so weak. I can't see her living more than another few years. The thought of losing my mom rips through my chest, and I cry silently sobbing onto my mother gripping to her frail body tightly. "I love you Mama, I love you soo much."

A hand runs through my hair, "I love you too Madgie. What's wrong?" My mother asks in her weak voice.

Sniffling, I look up at her concerned face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I can leave you if you want." I offer lightly, but I make no move to actually leave.

"No Dear, tell me what's wrong." She continues to run her hands through my hair, and I lay my head back on her tear-dampened chest.

I don't want her to know that I'm crying over her fast approaching death, "It's just Katniss. I'm so worried about her."

"Oh, Madge. I'm so sorry, I never wanted you to have to go through losing someone to the Games. I don't want you to turn out like me, but Madge Katniss is not May. Katniss has been struggling to survive her entire life, May never had to worry about that. Katniss is much more prepared than she was."

I nod, already knowing all these things, but still feeling reassured hearing the words come from my mother's mouth. "You're right. I don't need to worry so much."

"Exactly, feel any better now?"

"Yeah, thanks Mom."

"No, problem. So, how are you and Gale? Your father tells me you've been sneaking out nearly every night, are you going to see him?"

"What?! I have not been sneaking out." Dad knows I've been sneaking out?

Mom laughs, "Don't think you're so sneaky. Dad can hear you know. And you're not exactly being super quiet when you sneak in the back door at such late hours."

"Then why hasn't he said anything to me?" Dad isn't one to avoid confrontation.

"It only took me hours to convince him, but I made him leave you be. You're just being a teenager, and if the peacekeepers catch you, they'll be lenient since you're the Mayor's daughter. But don't get caught because that will be the end of your late night rendezvous' with Gale."

"Oh god, Dad knows I've been sneaking out to see Gale."

"No, no I didn't tell him. He probably thinks you've been sneaking out to see Delly's brother, since that's the last boy you went on a date with."

"Good. Dad can not know I'm seeing Gale he would never allow that."

"I'm not so sure honey, you might be surprised."

I rise up, and give her a look of disbelief. "We are talking about the same guy right? Cause the Dad I know, would not be okay with me seeing a guy from the Seam. Especially Gale." I put extra emphasis on Gale's name, not wanting to say aloud the reasons. Even knowing that my Dad got control over the mics in the house when he soundproofed Mother's room, I still get paranoid.

"Seriously, Honey. You should tell him. He might be upset at first, but I know your father, and I think he'd warm up to the idea. You could introduce them, and we could all have dinner together sometime! It would be so much fun!"

It's been a while since I've seen my mother so passionate about anything, I can't tell her no. The thought of mixing my dad and Gale seem terrible, but maybe she's right and dad won't react as badly as I think he will. Plus, I don't want to have to keep Gale a secret. For him to feel like he's not worthy enough to meet my parents. But still, it seems like a terrible idea. Ugh, fine. "Sure, Mom. I'll talk to dad."

She claps her hands in victory, "Good! I can't wait to meet him!" I smile at her enthusiasm, I hope it'll turn out as good as she imagines.

AN: I'm honestly so excited for Gale to have dinner with Madge's family and vice versa! Ahh! Sorry short chapter(well kind of), tell me whatcha think!