Sorry the delay, went on a bit of a vacation, but I'm back now and hopefully will be updating the rest of my stories. Enjoy!

Chapter Four

With his forehead pressed against the cool maple of the kitchen table, Gale was trying his best to ignore the blonde baker, who was staring at him disapprovingly and disappointed from his place across the table. They had barely shared any words since Peeta's arrival. The baker had just followed him to the kitchen table where Gale had sat down and brought his head down, partially in shame, and the rest too soothe the spinning in his mind. Madge was the only other person to know about his problem, well other than his mother. It was no one's business other than his and those directly affected, like Madge herself. So yes, he was partially embarrassed. Even Gale didn't like showing others nothing but his best self.

"Why are you here?" Gale muttered begrudgingly.

Though he would never admit it, he was glad that Peeta was with him. He could only imagine the huge destructive turn he would have had if he had been left alone with his thoughts of his departed wife, their unborn child, and how it was his entire fault. Everything was always his fault.

"First, you should be happy I volunteered to come look after you." The baker's blue eyes bore into him. Gale turned away, still too drunk to be an offensive asshole.

He looked toward the window, into the backyard. "I'm not a child; I don't need anyone to look after me."

Peeta slammed his fist down onto the table. "Goddamnit Gale! Do you realize what you might lose? What you've risked by this stupid fucking vice? You have a beautiful wife, who happens to be one of the most amazing people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. And she's taken your shit for too long, frankly. And now you don't just have her either. You have a son on the way. A baby. That is a lot of work and Madge should've have to take care of you too when her mind should be focused on the baby." The blonde gave Gale an uncharacteristic dirty look. "Do you know how lucky you are? I wish I could have the life you have. It took a huge push just to get Katniss to marry me, and now kids? After what we've been through I don't have a chance of hell of convincing her to have kids. And you? You have everything and you don't deserve any of it."

At that comment, Gale turned to face Peeta. His upper lip curled in fury. "Do you think I don't know that? You think I don't thank God every fucking day that she didn't leave me before now? I've never pretended to be a saint, Peeta. I love my wife, so don't you act so high and mighty with me. You don't know what I've been through."

The blonde cackled loudly. "Are you trying to say that what you've been through has been more detrimental than what the rest of us have suffered through? Not only have I survived two hunger games, lost a leg in the process, but also I was tortured by the fucking capitol. I almost killed Katniss because of it, the woman I love. Everyday I face those flashbacks and so does she, but we fight off our demons together." He ran a hand through his hair, and took a deep breath. "I know you won't even tell Madge what you've seen, well not unless you've knocked back a few. She worries a lot about you. Always has. Even back in District Twelve. That woman has loved you her entire life. Even your own wife has had her fair share of trauma. She's dealt with pain and suffering her entire life with her own mother. You want to add to that? You want her to devote the rest of her life to taking care of you too? You don't have the decency to go get some goddamn help? You are pathetic, Gale Hawthorne. Pathetic." He annunciated every syllable in the last few sentences he spoke.

Gale tightened his fists on top of the table, but did nothing. He was right after all; Gale was pathetic. Completely and utterly pathetic. Totally unworthy of the love and life his wife had given him, but it wasn't like him to thank Peeta of all people for giving him the tough love he needed and deserved. Hell, he deserved worse, much worse. "Why again should I be thankful that you're here?"

Peeta grinned. "Well, when Katniss got a call from a runaway pregnant Madge informing her of her reasons for leaving you, she was pretty much in a fury. In fact, she wanted me to sock you in the face for her. I assured Madge that I would not be doing that. Oh, and when Thom heard that she was in the district and eventually figured out why, he almost hopped on the next train to District Two to give you a piece of his mind, and by that I mean his fist. You made a lot of enemies the moment you broke Madge Undersee's heart." Peeta trailed off. "So you are very lucky that I am here instead of those two… Or your mother. Now that would be entertaining to see."

Gale groaned, remembering his wife's words.

Don't worry I won't tell your mother.

Was she kidding? How could he not worry? His wife and their unborn son had left him. Gone. And despite the fact that she had assured him that she would return again, his stomach was still in knots over the possibility that she could change her mind and he would never see her again. He would never get the chance to meet his son. That was worthy of his worry, not whether or not his mother knew that her son was a complete fuck-up. In comparison, his mother's wrath didn't hold a candle to the fact that he may spend the rest of his life alone, having ruined his only chance at a happy life with the love of his life and their child.

But then he recalled Peeta's words. The moment you broke Madge Undersee's heart.

"You called her Madge Undersee," Gale slurred, his hands flat in front of him on the table.

Peeta shook his head. "No I didn't."

The drunken broken man slammed his hands down onto the table. "Yes you did. Did she tell you why she signed the letter like that? Is she divorcing me?"

Peeta examined the man before him. His eyes were open wide, as if he was suddenly sobered by the idea that his wife may be already lost to him. He was searching his face for any clues he could find, scanning wildly, but she hadn't said anything to Peeta. In fact, Peeta hadn't even known that she had left Gale a letter in the first place. He had assumed she had left no clues to her whereabouts until Peeta himself had arrived, a living clue himself.

"If I did say Undersee it's only because she'll always be an Undersee to me."

Gale's jaw tightened. "Are you trying to say that you didn't approve of our marriage? Is that what you're trying to say Mellark?"

Again the blonde shook his head. "Gale, I'm trying to say that she will always be Madge Undersee to me because I've known her by her maiden name my entire life. I'm sure you don't always say Katniss Mellark now do you and I know it's not because you don't approve of us." Peeta pushed his chair up and stood, towering over Gale now. "You need to grow up and stop trying to pick a fight with me. The only person you should be picking fights with is yourself." He bent down to grab the bag he had came with. "Where am I going to be staying? I know you can't actually lead me there so just give me the directions and I'm sure I'll find it."

Gale's eyes were downcast, but he gave up the information anyway. "It's upstairs and the second door on the right. It's the guest room; it's set up. Sometimes Madge sleeps there when… Well you can guess when." A bitter laugh escaped his lips. How fucking pathetic was it that his wife had her own other bedroom, for when she needed to be away from him? It was like every single sign was in front of him, screaming at him that he was pathetic and needed to get his shit straightened out, but he chose to ignore all of them. All for his stupid pride. And now he didn't even have that. He was reduced to completely nothing and left with nothing as well.

At the sound of Peeta's steps on the stairs, he allowed himself to look around the house and be reminded of his wife. His body ached for her. For everything from her silky smooth hair running between his fingers to the swell of her stomach. He loved when she held his hand over her stomach, lacing her fingers above his. Together they had created that. He was theirs and they were each other's. But now? Gale didn't know whom she belonged to. Did she still belong to him?The change in her last name didn't imply that. A sob escaped his mouth and he didn't care if Peeta heard him because the idea that Madge may be gone forever was a good enough reason to be reduced to tears.

He knew that he would always belong to her; she would always have his heart. That's exactly how it felt, as if he was heartless. A hole left within his chest. Organs failing left and right without the muscle that kept them alive. His whole body ached because of it. So did the place where his heart should have been. After all, it was only a phantom pain, his brain feeling pain in a place that wasn't there anymore. It was in District Twelve with his broken-hearted wife and there wasn't much he could do about it.

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