On the train from the Capitol, Madge sat in the window seat, her arms wrapped around her legs as she watched the tall silver citys merge into cold, grey mountains of District 2 that soon melted into the tall evergreens of District 7.

Her father walked over to her, awkwardly getting up on the bay window and looking out the window.

"So… that District 2 boy, Cato? He seems handsy,"

Madge laughed, still looking out to the scenery. "Indeed,"

"But you know he's training to go into the Hunger Games. Besides being touchy he seemed nice. Maybe you should look for guys like that… "

Madge immediately turned her head to look at him. "But dad, Gale's-," "A player," He cut her off.

"He's… he's different now!" she hesitated at first because yeah its true, Gale has been with a lot of girls, probably almost every girl in District 12 around his age. But all his flirting stopped sense he gave her the bunny in the woods that day. Ever sense then he hasn't even flirted with another girl, or looked at another girl with interest. Madge felt her blood boiling, she knew she was right. How could her dad not see that?

Her father noticed her growing angry. He took a deep breath before patting her knee.

"Sweetheart, I'm just warning you before you get hurt. He likes a lot of girls,"

"Yeah but he loves me," Madge said in a low voice before looking back out the window.

"Did you get the medicine?" Katniss's mom asked her. She nodded as she handed her mom the stolen box of medicine before walking over to Gale.

"This is going to burn slightly okay?" Katniss said as she held Gale's hand.

Her mom looked at her before patting Gale's wounds with rubbing alcohol. His grip tightened on katniss's hand as he gritted his teeth in pain, not wanting to scream or cry. Katniss noticed and bent down to look into his face.

"It's okay, everything's going to be okay," She tried to be reassuring, but her voice was shaking.

"Ready?" She asked.

Gale took a deep breath and gave a small nod. Katniss smiled before looking up at her mom, giving her the thumps up to pat down on his wounds.

Finally after cleaning the wounds and rubbing them down with antibiotics, Gale was sitting up straight on Katniss's dining table as she walked around him, wrapping a gauze around his lean torso. He winced as she cut the gauze and tied it together, tying it a little too tight.

"Oh, sorry," she said apologetically.

"It's okay Catnip…" He said hoarsely as he tried to get down off the table.

"Oh no noo," Katniss said as she ran around the table to stop him. "No you need to relax for a while before moving,"

"Am I suppose to sleep on this table? You come down at night and we read magizines and have a sleep over?" Gale joked.

Katniss played along, "If you'd prefer,"

Gale smiled, "Well thanks, but I'd prefer to go home and-owe," He winced in pain again as he tried to stretch and touch the floor.

"You never listen," Katniss said before she grabbed Gales legs and put them back on the table, motioning him to lie back down on his back. "Please just lay down, I'm going to get you some pillows for our sleepover," She smiled before jogging out of the kitchen.

When Gale could hear her footsteps going up the stairs and walk around upstairs, he slowly got up. He took deep breaths as he slowly turned. He pushed his legs off the table one by one, gripping the edge for support as he leaned down.

One foot touched the cold tile floor. He took a breath, pacing himself before he stretched and his other foot touched the cold floor as well. He tried taking a step forward and-

Katniss heard a loud clatter from downstairs. She dropped all the folded blankets and pillows as she shot out of the room and ran down the stairs.

"Gale! Gale!"

She skidded and made a sharp turn, running into the kitchen to see all the first aid supplies on the floor with Gale in the center. He was hunched over on his forearms, blood was seeping through his bandages on his back.

Katniss flung herself to the floor, slowly reaching around his waist and hoisting him up.

"You honestly never listen," She joked before getting him up on the table.

He moaned as she touched his aching legs. Gently she pushed them up on the table, then gingerly touching his shoulders and lying him down.

His eyes were closed and his forehead was soak in sweat. He was even paler then before. He also had a fever.

Katniss went over to the sink, she picked up a small dish towel and soaked it in cold water before going back and resting it on Gale's forehead. He sighed in relief.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Better… would feel better with a pillow," he joked before beginning to exhale loudly.

"Well went I went to get you a pillow you disobeyed so you lost your pillow rights," She softly laughed before raising her hand to his face. She didn't know what came over her but she wanted to touch him, needed to. He was just so hurt.

She stroked his face.

Gale turned his head more to her, his eyes still closed.

"Madge comes home today. If she asks about me, please don't tell her what happened,"

Katniss nodded. "Of course,"

The train came to a stop. Madge shot up from her seat as she ran for the door. Quickly she opened the door and ran out in the directions of Gales place.

"Hello Madge welcome back! How did the elections go?" Everybody asked as they saw her run by. She gave them a quick wave. "Thank you, yes, he won! Thanks for your support," she said over and over, finally ending up at Gales front lawn.

She walked up the fresh, overgrown grass before jumping up onto the porch. She knocked on the door eagerly.

No answer.

She raised her hand to knock again but then she heard the door creak and slowly open.

Mrs. Hawthorne looked so sad.

"Hi is-are you okay?" Madge asked concerned.

nodded, her eyes on the verge of tears. "Yes dear I'm fine. How did your father do at the elections?"

"Good, he won. Um… is Gale home?" she asked nervously, getting a very bad vibe.

shook her head. "No I'm sorry he's not. He won't be able to come out for a couple days deary, I'm sorry. Excuse me I have to go," She said before closing the door on Madge's face.

She just looked at the door. What was going on?

She walked back home, everybody in the town congratulated her on her dad being re elected, but underneath that was sadness and horror. They were all shaken up and scared. But of what?

Days passed in silence in District 12. Kids didn't come outside, stores were selling things cheaper and closing earlier. Madge had thought maybe it was because the Reaping was in a week but these people seemed more scared. Nobody hunted in the woods, barely anybody walked around alone now. These people we're scared to do anything!

Madge sighed as she walked down the road to Gale's house, her eyes averting to the tall trees that provided shade. It was beautiful.

Bump!

Madge looked down to see a little girl bump into her.

"Oh I'm sorry," Madge said gently.

"No no I'm sorry! Please don't turn me into the peacekeepers!" She shrieked before running away.

"Sorry again!" Madge called after the little girl, confusion written all over her face. There was nothing she could do now. She continued walking to Gales house, hopping onto the porch.

.knock.

It was a couple minutes before answered the door. She was looking better, but she was thinning in the face. Was she starving?

"Hello is Gale home?" she asked politely.

"I'm so sorry. He should be able to go out in a couple days, I'll send him over when he can,"

"Oh okay. Thank you," Madge said sadly before turning away.

closed the door before turning to look into the living room.

"Thank you mom," Gale said as he laid on the couch.

"You ever going to tell her what happened?"

"I don't plan to," Gale said as he slowly got up from the couch.

"Lying isn't good in a relationship," stated.

"I know but… last thing I need is for her to worry about me,"

"It's not worrying it's caring about you,"

"I just don't want it to seem like I can't protect myself or her if we ever got-," "Married?" Gales mom finished it for him. She smiled. "it's a sweet thought but Madge really likes you, she would never think that,"

"I'll visit her soon and I'll tell her," Gale lied as he casually laid back down on the couch.