Bond

Consider this chapter 3 ½. I was going to dive right in to the 4th chapter as planned, but RoryFaller and Belle543 convinced me to devote a chapter to Madge and Gale's first date. As always, I thank them for their support and betas. As always, I bow to the awesomeness that is Swishy Willow Wand for her brilliant initial idea. Eternal gratitude to for Vedastus and deirdre-of-the-sorrows for the nagging.

Disclaimer: I do not own the HG trilogy or any of the characters created by Suzanne Collins, although I sure wish I did.

A sprained ankle is a common medical condition where one or more of the ligaments of the ankle is torn or partially torn.

The study of ligaments is known as desmology (from Greek δεσμός, desmos, "bond"; and -λογία, -logia).

What actually constitutes a date? Gale was fairly certain it didn't involve mystery meat in a crappy cafeteria with his family. Not that he didn't love his mother, brothers and baby sister, but he had something more…intimate…in mind for his date with Madge today.

Gale was falling hard for the young nurse, the former Mayor's daughter. She was nothing like what he expected and he was intrigued. Madge made him smile, she made him laugh, but she also challenged him with her impassioned opinions on even the most mundane of topics. Who gets worked up about the lack of music in the cafeteria? Madge, that's who.

She wasn't afraid tell him when she thought he had his head up his ass, but she was also the first to praise him. Regardless of how many people were at their table that night, she made him feel like he was the most important person there. He had her undivided attention when he spoke and he knew that she gave a damn what he was really thinking. In the last week, Madge made Gale believe that it was possible for him to be normal, that maybe someday he could forget about the horrors of the war. Spending time with Madge was better therapy than a million sessions with Dax Jefferson, although the therapist heartily approved of Gale spending time with Madge.

Tonight would be their first evening alone, without his family and random residents of D13 participating in their conversations, and he wanted it to be special. Gale wanted to show Madge that he was serious about her. This wouldn't be easy, given the cramped quarters and limited resources of their new home in D13. However, the Mockingjay soldier was used to doing more with less and making the best of a crappy situation, and he was determined to make this date special. Gale had called in every favor he had and tonight was going to be amazing.

**LGIAS**

Madge was a bundle of nerves. It was Sunday, so Gale would pick Madge up at the single women's dormitory instead of work. Getting ready for the date was more nerve wracking than dealing with a dozen incoming traumas at work. Gale had asked her to wear something special and that triggered an anxiety attack the size of all of Panem. She never got dressed up! What was she going to wear? He was probably expecting her to dress that way she did in D12, and that just wasn't option. He's going to be disappointed, she thought, as she grimly surveyed her meager wardrobe.

There was a knock on her door, followed by the raucous laughter of young women. Without waiting for her to open it, the door flew open. In poured a gaggle of women, led by a tall raven haired beauty. "Why did I bother knocking? I live here too!" Trinity Rehm laughed.

Luckily, Madge had something in D13 that she didn't have in D12: girlfriends. The women she lived with were like the sisters Madge never had and they were only too happy to help the reserved young woman get her glam on. The relief was evident in every pore of Madge's being. "You have no idea how glad I am you're here," she moaned.

Led by Madge's roommate Trinity, the women piled in to Madge's room with arms full of clothing, shoes, jewelry and makeup. Trinity had a natural flare for accessorizing, which was horribly stifled in the drab atmosphere of D13. She was naturally outgoing, vivacious and worldly, whereas where Madge was more the total opposite. When they first met, it was Madge who had looked out for Trinity, helping her adjust to the restrictions of life in D13 without losing herself. For that, Trinity would always be grateful.

Tonight, Trinity was determined to play up Madge's natural beauty and make her feel gorgeous. "All right, girls! Let's see what we're got to work with here," Trinity said, with relish. She was in her element as she examined the piles of brightly colored fabrics. It reminded her of her past life in the Capital when she had studied under the great designer, Cinna. That man had a knack for doing more with less and Trinity was going to make her mentor proud.

As per the rules of D13, Madge had to wear the drab gray smock everyone else wore. However, it was not a work day and Trinity could jazz it up with some color. The bright red scarf from Sandy immediately caught her eye. "This is perfect!" she exclaimed, as she wound the silky fabric around Madge's head. The scarlet color looked beautiful against Madge's pale skin and golden curls, which were set free from the tight ponytail the practical nurse usually wore.

As Desdemona coaxed more gentle waves into Madge's hair, she began to relax a little. "I have no idea where we're going or what we're doing. All I do know it that this will be the first time we've been alone together," Madge said. "I have no idea what to expect," she said, wringing her hands. Squeals and giggles erupted as Diana made some suggestive comments, adding "I'd be happy to take him off your hands if you don't think you're up for it," which earned her a blizzard of pillows.

Lily contributed a pair of silver hoop earrings and Diana had a delicate red shawl that quickly found their way to Trinity's hands. It wasn't until Amita offered her heels that Madge began to doubt Trinity's judgment. "The heels are non-negotiable! Your man is bigger than the average bear, honey. You need to add some height if you expect him to kiss you," Trinity said with a sly wink, as Desi applied the pink gloss to Madge's trembling lower lip.

Madge was overwhelmed with her friends' enthusiasm and more than a little envious of their confidence in her. She still couldn't figure out exactly what Gale Hawthorne was doing with her and she was shocked each time he asked to see her again. He was even more handsome than she had remembered—Madge hadn't missed the predatory stares from the other women in their new home. It almost irritated her, because the Gale she had discovered in the last few weeks was so much more than just a pretty package. He cared about his brothers enough to set them straight when they stepped out of line. He was devoted to his mother, who had carried the family after the untimely death of her husband. He adored his little sister, gently carrying her sleeping form home each night after dinner. Madge had seen a side of the soldier she never dreamed existed but she felt that she hadn't even scratched the surface of the puzzle that was Gale Hawthorne. They had a connection she had never felt with another human being.

Madge was snapped from her reverie as Trinity dangled the heels in front of her.

It wasn't that Madge didn't know how to walk in heels. As the mayor's daughter, she was more than used to dressing up. It's just that she never liked them and never felt comfortable in them. Heels were fine if you were going to be sitting. Since Madge had no idea what Gale had planned for their date, she had no idea of the heels were a good choice or not.

Somehow, Trinity and the other girls talked Madge in to wearing the heels.

**LGIAS**

Gale's heart stopped as he watched Madge slowly walk towards him through the common area of the women's dormitory. She looked so sexy in those black stiletto heels and sheer back hose! He almost forgot how to breathe by the time she reached him.

Even with the heels, Madge was still so much smaller than him. He nearly lost it when she looked up at him shyly and smiled. Somehow, he managed to gallantly offer her his arm and say "Shall we go?"

**LGIAS**

The unfinished floorboards were what did her in, not her proximity to the man she had fallen head over heels for over the course of the last week. The uneven surface caused her to trip over her own two feet, depositing her flat on her ass, and she had never been more embarrassed in her life. Her ankle throbbed and Madge knew from past experience that walking was out of the question.

To his credit, Gale didn't laugh. In fact, he looked horrified, which made her feel even worse. Dropping the picnic basket, Gale immediately knelt down by her side, checking her for injuries. "Wait a minute, I'm the nurse," she tried to joke. "It's nothing, just my ankle. How about we have the picnic here?" Madge said.

"Could be a break farther up," Gale said, grimly as the swelling became more obvious. "Better get this looked at," he said, as he quietly. In spite of her protestations, Gale gently gathered her up and carried her and the picnic basket to the Medical Center. I end up there even on my day off, Madge mumbled.

**LGIAS**

Throughout it all, Gale never left her side. From the moment she tripped, until he gently deposited her on the gurney in the ER, he was a calming and reassuring presence. He had scooped her up in his strong arms and she was home. Madge knew that this was where she wanted to be, that this was where she belonged.

It didn't help matters that Madge knew everyone in the Emergency Room. She went to school with Hal and Jordan. Rosemary the receptionist lived on her floor and Madge was wearing the earrings that belonged to Lily, the phlebotomy tech. To make matters worse, she had briefly dated Ben, the orthopedist who was on call that night. Although they had ended things as friends, it was spectacularly awkward to be on a date with Gale and having Ben examine her ankle.

By this point, the ankle was already swollen to epic proportions and the bruising was to be Technicolor. Ben methodically probed Madge's bare ankle, as she winced in pain. (Somehow, Madge had managed to salvage the silk stockings and the heels. She didn't think she would ever get over the look on Gale's face as she rolled down the thigh-hi stocking.) While Gale didn't look entirely comfortable with Ben's ministrations, he held her hand and tried to distract her with babbling. "Bet you're never gonna wear heels for me again, huh?" he said, with a wry smile, earning him a withering glare from Ben. "Not that I want you to, Madge," he stammered. "Those things are ridiculous! There's no reason for you to wear those stupid things. I mean you're short, really short. Another two or three inches isn't going to make much difference anyway," he added. Realizing the hole he had just dug for himself, he frantically tried to dig himself out. "But that's OK that you're short. You're not really that short, I'm freakishly tall. I like short. I like…you. By this point Ben and Madge were staring at him like he had just sprouted a second head.

At this point, Madge took pity on Gale. "Ben, I think you may want to examine Gale before we leave. I think he may have hit his head when I fell!" She then dissolved in to a fit of giggles as she squeezed his hand. When he realized that she was kidding, Gale couldn't help but exhale and return her smile

**LGIAS**

By this point, Ben's examination was concluded. The middle aged doctor had diagnosed Madge with a mildly sprained ankle, wrapped up her leg with elastic ACE bandage and promised to return with a pair of crutches and some pain medication. "Believe it or not, I'm having a great time tonight," Ben heard Madge say, as she happily munched on a piece of cheese from the picnic basket.

She was a nice girl, and Ben had enjoyed the few dates they had shared. They shared a love of classical music and spent the dates listening to his bootleg copies of Capitol concerts. He thought he was quite the rebel with those recordings, he mused. "Apparently the way to her heart is to expose her to bodily injury," he mumbled. The way she looked at this guy was like something out of a Capitol romance novel. That soldier could do no wrong, although he was the only one who didn't know it. He was obviously trying so hard to impress Madge and, in his eyes, everything that could have gone wrong did. When Madge mentioned that she knew him from "home," Ben understood the connection. Madge had already lost so much, maybe this unlucky young man could give some of it back to her. There was definitely a connection between the two, something special that he almost envied.

As he rooted through the supply closet, Dr. Benjamin Barkley decided to throw the poor guy a bone. He took a pair of crutches and set them aside, as he returned to the examination room. "Well, here's the acetaminophen. However, it looks like we're low on crutches right now and we really need this room for incoming casualties from the latest Bingo Hall brawl. You know how they get on Saturday night! Soldier Hawthorne, do you think you could carry Madge back to her room? I'll get the crutches to you first thing tomorrow morning." Before they left, Ben turned his head and said to Gale "Take good care of her."

**LGIAS**

He was overwhelmed with her scent as he carried the tiny woman through the halls and back to the dormitory. Damn, she smelled good! Not a cloying, artificial, perfume. It was soap and toothpaste, plus something else that was uniquely Madge and it was intoxicating. For some bizarre reason, this date changed everything. He never wanted to let her go.

"I'm so sorry about this," he started. "I never should have taken you to the unfinished section."

Madge pulled a face. "Gale, I told you: I had a great time tonight! Next time, I'll wear my own shoes!" she said as she wiggled the toes of her good foot at him. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel badly about her clumsiness.

As they arrived at the door to the single women's dormitory, Gale wasn't sure how to end the night. Marion, the dormitory matron, met them at the door, making a huge deal about how he couldn't come in. The imposing elderly woman waddled away, saying she would be right back with a wheel chair for "Margery." Gale hated the thought of Madge living with people who couldn't even get her name right. He wanted to take her home with him and keep her safe forever.

Madge's beautiful face was inches away from his and he was torn. He desperately wanted to kiss her, but something held him back.

Suddenly, three women descended upon them. The two brunettes cleverly distracted Viola with a request for help with a mouse in the kitchen. "Marion is obsessed with rodents," Madge whispered in Gale's ear, inadvertently sending shivers up and down his spine. The third woman took charge of the wheelchair and said "Honey, I'll be here on the other side when you're ready," as she pushed the wheelchair outside and shut the door with a wink.

Gale was speechless. Madge explained, "Those were my friends, Amita and Sandy, who distracted Matron Marion. Trinity—she's my roommate—will wheel me to my room when I'm ready."

Gale was still holding her, bridal style, in his arms. It wasn't like she weighed anything and he was frozen in place. Madge's arms were wrapped around his corded neck as she whispered in his ear yet again, "You know, Trinity was the one who talked me in to wearing the heels. She thought it would make you want to kiss me.

Her hot breath on his neck and her husky voice were nearly his undoing. "But I didn't get to wear the heels long enough to see if they did any good, did I? Maybe, it doesn't matter? I think you already wanted to kiss me and I know that I already wanted to kiss you," she said, as she leaned towards his lips.

As she leaned in, Gale's eyes fluttered shut. Her soft, pink lips were everything he had ever dreamed they could be. Her pert, pink tongue teased his bottom lip, begging entrance to his mouth. One taste and he was a goner. Their lips and tongues moved together sensuously as he slowly lowered her from his arms so she was parallel to his hard body. There was no duel for dominance; it was as if they already knew each other, their bond was that strong.

He was still supporting her weight, as she balanced on her good toe. He crushed her against the door and felt, rather than heard, her moan as he kissed her with everything he had.

When they breathlessly broke apart, Madge floated to the wheelchair, her lips still swollen from their kisses. "Um…I'll see you tomorrow?" she said. "Absolutely," Gale said, as he quickly leaned in for one more kiss before he opened the door. As she wheeled Madge away, Trinity winked at Gale and said "I told you honey, all men love heels!"