I love Gale/Madge. I love that pairing so much that I did the unthinkable and decided to write a story about them where they fall in love and all of that other predictable jazz. I hope that you all enjoy despite how we all know this is going to turn out (or do we?).

Warnings- AU (majorly), maybe a bit OOC (I'll try my best), Violence (did you read the books?), and some light romance (OMG! He touched my hand and I touched my face so it's like he touched my face!)

Introduction

Losing your best- and only- friend to the games was not fun at all. In fact, it hurt Madge so much that she began to fear that she would turn out like her mother. It wasn't even about Katniss- no, it was about the horrible cruelty of it all. When Clove killed her at the Feast, she had barely been able to stop crying that evening. When Peeta woke up to find that Katniss was nowhere in sight and found that all of his hope was gone she had rushed to her ancient piggy bank in vain to see if there was any way she could afford to send him his medicine. When Cato held Clove as she died after Thresh had hit her, her heart shattered because even people who could kill without a second glance could love too.

She stood there, on the stage set up for the Victory Tour, as Thresh mounted the steps. The tribute that was too good to join the Careers. The tribute that could only sigh as the Mutts slowly killed Cato and Ava, the red haired girl from 5. The tribute that held back tears of shock when he learned that poor little Rue had been killed. Madge decided that Thresh winning instead of Katniss or Peeta wasn't the worst possible thing. At least it wasn't Marvel, the boy from District 1, who had killed Rue. It wasn't too horrible when she had to look into his eyes and shake his hand. The pain and sorrow that any decent human being would display was there. And it looked genuine.

Haymitch, being the drunk that he was, staggered, almost fell, and then threw up on Thresh, Chaff, and Seeder's feet. Seeder sighed, Thresh looked torn between laughter, pity, and disgust, and Chaff gave his old friend a large pat on the back as he laughed about how some people just couldn't hold their liquor.

The rest of the evening was a blur. All she remembered was that both Katniss and Peeta's families were in attendance as well as the Hawthornes. They were probably still expected to continue playing up the charade of Katniss's cousins. Madge looked up and across the table, over her steaming bowl of soup to come into direct contact with one of Gale's famous glares. She didn't kill Katniss. It wasn't her fault that Katniss decided to fall in love with Peeta. But Madge didn't say any of this. Instead, she shamefully averted her eyes until they rested on her bowl of thick, red soup. The color of blood.

He was back the next morning with a bag full of strawberries. She had three old sweaters, a pair of black shoes, and two dresses that she had worn when she was about five in her arms. She shoved them at him as quickly as she could and closed the door before he could give them back. About a month afterwards, he'd brought a little girl with him who couldn't stop thanking her because she was sick of wearing boy's clothes. That little girl now stood about ten feet away on the other side of the ropes. It was reaping day. And everyone ages sixteen through twenty was inside of the ropes.

Not even the strongest could hope to defy the Capitol.

The third Quarter Quell was upon them.

You know what comes now… a desperate plea for a review.

So please review! It's much appreciated!