Chapter 10

(Madge POV)

His lips pressed to mine, gently, lovingly and it was over all too quickly. When I open my eyes, his face is still near mine, eyes on mine. My heart is pounding and my knees feel weak, my head spinning. He just kissed me. And I liked it. I feel so floaty right now that I can't think to speak, my mouth won't form words and even if it could I doubt my voice could speak them.

He smiles as he lets go of one of my hands and brushes his fingers gently alongside my face. "I have to go turn our passes back in to Katniss. Be back shortly, okay?" He tells me softly.

I nod, still incapable of speaking and he stares at me a moment longer before he squeezes my other hand once before letting it go as he leaves. As soon as the door shuts, I melt to the floor. I just had the best night of my life and it was with Gale Hawthorne. He'd put so much thought into our date and definitely gone out of his way to make it special for me from start to finish. Even now, him leaving to go return those passes, I have my suspicions that it was merely an excuse so that I could have a moment alone after he kissed me. A moment to let it sink in without worrying about feeling bashful. And I'm grateful for it.

It was a better date than I ever imagined it would be. The water reservoir was unique and private and the music playing added just the right amount of romance. And we danced! Gale knows how to dance! I know I must have blushed when he commented that he only dances for "Madge Hawthorne". Hearing it, my new name, from his lips, in that way, it was surreal. It sounded melodic and right. For the first time, it sounded right to me. I'd wanted to tell him that, wanted him to know what I thought, but I couldn't find the right words in my head and so I didn't.

He was so gentle, so careful all evening. Never once crossing any invisible lines that might make me uncomfortable. He'd sat and talked to me on that bench under the trees for so long. I never in all my years would have thought we'd be able to hold such conversation. I can't believe he has this whole other side to him that I never knew existed, all these years. There's something alluring about seeing him like this. Something that makes me want more. More conversations with him. More date nights. More kisses. More of him.

I get up from the floor and change into my sleep shirt before slipping into bed. You couldn't wipe the smile from my face if you tried right now. No wonder those silly girls from school all acted this way when they liked a boy. This, this happy, floaty feeling, it's like nothing I've experienced before.

I drift off to sleep as I wait for Gale to return. I'm vaguely aware of him returning and getting into bed a little while later. In my groggy state, I try to open my eyes and sit up to talk to him more but he, in his softest voice, stops me.

"Shhh, it's just me. Go back to sleep."

I feel his hand lightly stroke the side of my face as he says this. His voice sounds happy and relaxed. I close my eyes and begin to let myself drift back off to sleep but not before I take my own hand and reach it out to his.

The next morning when I wake up, still consumed with delight from last night's date with Gale. Our hands still folded together between us in bed. He isn't awake yet so I lie here, still as I can, and watch him sleep. As I lay here, my mind thinks about how it may be possible for me to be happy even if I never get my memory back. Obviously, I'd give anything to have it but should I never get it back, I think I'll still be able to be happy. I think I'll still be okay with this life. And a few days ago, that had been one of my inimitable fears-that I would never regain my memory and be trapped in a life I didn't desire. Now, after just one date, just one kiss, I feel like everything did a complete turn around.

"Morning." Gale says, startling me from my daydream. I'd been so lost in thought that even though I was looking at him, I hadn't noticed that he'd woken up.

"Hi." I say back, feeling giddy and bite my lip to try and control the butterflies that fill my stomach.

He grins and taps the tip of my nose with his fingertip. "Sleep good?"

"Mmhmm. Too good maybe. I think we might miss breakfast if we don't get up soon." I tell him as I suddenly notice the time on the clock, realizing we slept much later than usual.

"That's alright. I don't mind missing a bowl of lukewarm oatmeal. I'd much rather sleep in and wake up like this." He says, not moving from his pillow.

I again have to bite my lip to keep from over-smiling. I feel his thumb move back and forth across the back of my hand where it intertwines with his.

"Do you have to go to the Medical Center today?" He asks me.

I do. I have zero desire to get up and go right now though. Doing that means this moment has to end and right now, that's the last thing I want to happen. "I'm supposed to go let them check my stitches again. And then I have to meet with my therapist." I grumble.

He chuckles a little and then sits up, pulling me upright as well. "Aww, don't go getting grumpy on me. I'll walk down there with you if you want some company."

"You don't have anything you have to do this morning?"

"I want to go see my family but other than that, no plans at all. Then I have work this evening of course. But I can still walk you to the Medical Center before I go see my family, I don't mind."

"Okay. I'd like that." I tell him as I get up and head for the bathroom to get changed. Before I close the bathroom door I catch one last glance of him as he sits in bed, grinning from ear to ear. He's practically beaming he's so happy.

By the time we're both showered and dressed, we've definitely missed breakfast and I'm going to be about 5 minutes late for my appointment at the Medical Center. As we walk down there, Gale reaches out and takes my hand in his. This feels so natural to me now and it amazes me that it does. There's something safe about it. Something that makes me feel protected and cared for.

Once we arrive, we stand outside the door for a minute before I go check in at the front desk. A huge part of me is hoping that he'll kiss me again but terrified that he will all the same.

"Meet you for lunch in the cafeteria?" I ask him.

"See you soon." He smiles at me as he lets go of my hand and taps the tip of my nose again before turning and heading back to the elevators. My heart sinks a little. No kiss this time. But that's probably for my benefit. I've been so standoffish to him since I woke up in this place without my memories that he probably doesn't want to push his luck by trying to kiss me again. It's a respectable gesture but it leaves me longing just the same.

When I check in at the front desk, they send me straight back to see the Medic since I'm already running late. As I make my way down the hallway to the exam room, I bump into Tripp.

"Hey, what are you doing down here?"

He looks at me funny for a minute and then shrugs. "Just getting a bruise checked out." As he says this, I catch sight of the bruise and my hand goes to my mouth. The whole front of his neck is tinged purple and blue.

"Oh my goodness! What on earth happened to you? Are you okay?"

He sighs. "It was just a little misunderstanding I had with some guy. And I'm totally fine. I only came down here to get it checked out because Marah wouldn't shut up about it."

"Someone did this to you intentionally?" I ask in horror. Who would do such a thing to someone so kind?

"I seriously do not want to talk about it. It's nothing, I swear." He says, not looking me in the eye and his face covered in frustration.

I realize I'm being a little rude and apologize. "Of course, I'm sorry."

He shakes his head as if to forget about it. "I gotta get going. Had to leave work to come down here. I'll see you around."

"Bye." I call after him as he leaves without saying anything back. He doesn't seem like himself at all. What happened, I wonder? Who could possibly have done this to him? Whatever it was, he's obviously embarrassed about it and I assume that's why he's acting so funny right now.

After the Medic examines and scolds me for my tardiness, she lets me know that my wound seems to be responding to the medicines and no longer shows signs of infection. If it continues this way, I should be able to remove the stitches sometime next week. From there, I go meet with Ren. I find him, waiting patiently in his chair.

"Hi, I'm sorry for being late. It won't happen again." I apologize as I slip into my waiting chair.

"Oh no worries." He says with a wave of his hand. I guess his schedule isn't as tight as the medic's was. "So tell me, how are things going since we last spoke?"

"Well, good actually." I reply as I know my cheeks blush. "Gale and I, we went on a date."

"That sounds positive. Tell me about it?"

"It was good. I liked being able to talk to him and get to know him. It was comfortable, didn't feel forced or awkward. And I definitely feel more comfortable around him now."

"I like what I'm hearing. And what about the games? Have you begun to watch those yet?"

"Yes, I have. Still not finished, but making my way through them a little at a time. I had Tripp Krull, he was my tribute mate, watch the pre-games with me. And Gale watched with me after that."

"Was any of it difficult for you?"

"Yes. In different ways. I found out that Tripp had been a volunteer and that it had been on my behalf. He apparently cared very much for me and when Gale's younger brother was reaped, he didn't want me to have to go into the games with a family member and didn't want Gale to volunteer and me have to go in with him. That was difficult because now I feel like I'll always owe Tripp my gratitude. That was a massive sacrifice for him to have made for me and without my memory, it's hard to be the friend to him that I apparently had become before the games."

"And what else was difficult?"

"The Capitol Mutt that attacked me. Gale tried to stop me from watching but I just felt like I needed to see it for myself. And then I was sorry that I had. It was awful. I…I could have been killed!"

"But you weren't. You survived."

I nod. "I know but it still isn't easy to watch."

"The games never are dear. They never are." He says sadly and knowingly. I wonder to myself if he at one point lost someone in the games.

"So what's my next assignment?"

"I'd like for you to continue watching the games if you can tolerate it. Having someone with you is a good idea and I'd like for you to continue that if possible. Keep trying to get to know Gale. Forget about trying to be his wife but rather just get to know the real him and let yourself become comfortable with him. Do what feels natural. Your instincts are there, you just need to rouse them a bit. And I'd recommend the same with Tripp. Learn to be his friend again by just getting to know him and let things fall together as they may."

"I can do that." I say confidently with a smile.

"I know." He replies knowingly with a confident smile of his own.

(Gale POV)

I float on cloud nine all the way to see my family. Last night had been every bit as perfect as I'd hoped it would be. The whole thing, start to finish had been amazing. It really felt like I was dating her again. Not just spending time with each other because we were married and expected to do so but it felt like we were both there because we wanted to be. Because there wasn't any place in the world either of us would rather have been.

And that kiss. Oh man, that kiss. It was perfect and exactly what I would want her first, well first remembered kiss, to be. My lips had pressed into hers, quickly but softly, lingering only a second before I pulled back. Her eyes had closed and when they reopened, sparkled blue and her cheeks burned pink. I'd used every ounce of restraint I could muster to keep from pushing her against the door and kissing her again. I mean really kiss her. But I have to be patient and I have to move slowly. This is all very new and uncertain to her right now and pushing it won't win her over. And because I love her so much, I'll be patient forever, if that's how long it takes.

When I'd come back from returning the passes to Katniss, I'd found Madge sleeping already. I'd left mostly so she could think about that kiss and about our date privately. If we weren't married, she would have been able to do just that had it just been any normal date. And I didn't want to deny her of that. So I left on my errand, grinning like an idiot all the way to Katnniss's room and then back to ours. I'd tried to climb into bed without waking her but she stirred a little, groggily opening her eyes and moving to sit up. I'd stopped her though, she needed to sleep. I'd been tempted to kiss her again, maybe just on the forehead, I'd thought, but instead just reached over as she closed her eyes and run my fingers over the side of her face. She was just so damn beautiful. And then she'd surprised me by reaching out and placing her hand into mine. I'd closed my hand around hers and fallen asleep, finally feeling like things were once again becoming right with my world.

Then, this morning, there she was, still holding my hand, sort of lost in a daydream as she stared at me. Neither of us wanted to get up. Neither of us ready to be apart from one another. She'd let me walk her, hand in hand, all the way down to the Medical Center. As we said goodbye outside that door, I'd again wanted so terribly to just lean down and kiss her face again but I held back. Always with the little voice in the back of my head telling me to go slowly. Telling me that all of it would be worth the wait if I could just be patient and give her time to fall in love with me again.

Now, I'm on my way to see my family. I knock at their door and wait as I hear little feet scampering inside. Posy I think. Probably can't reach the keypad to open the door. I hear bigger footsteps and then keypad buttons being pushed before the door opens, revealing a sour looking Rory and a very hyper Posy.

"Gale!" Posy shrieks as she launches herself into my arms, hugging my neck.

"Hey, Pose. Whatcha up too?"

"Nothing. We don't haftta go to school today."

"I know. Where's ma and Vick?" I ask her, noticing Rory sulking back over to the bed and sitting down, flipping through a book.

"She' at work. Vick is over at his friend's house."

I put her down and walk over to the bed and sit across from Rory. Posy goes back to coloring in a book with a bright red crayon. Rory ignores me.

"Hey, what are you up too?" I ask, gently kicking his foot to get his attention.

"Reading. Can't you see?" He snips without looking up at me. And it makes my blood boil. What the hell is his deal?

"Hey! What's your problem?" I bark at him.

"You are. Did I not make that obvious?" He again snips.

"What the hell did I do to you?"

Posy drops her crayon at my cursing and I look up to see her staring at us. I try to shoot her a smile but she still looks at me with worry.

"Sorry Pose." I tell her before turning my attention back to Rory. "Seriously, what did I do?"

He puts his book down and finally looks up at me, eyes glaring. "I know it was you. The one who did that to Tripp's neck. And I think that's pretty shitty of you."

'Hey! Watch the language! And as far as Tripp Krull is concerned, that's none of your business."

"See, that's where you're wrong. Because the way I see it, you did something really messed up and I'm calling you out on it."

"You don't know what happened and I don't need you to call me out on it."

"I know you hit him or whatever. And I know that he may not be telling people it was you but I'm not stupid. I know it was you."

"You're damn right it was me! And I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Do you wanna know what happened? Do you? That little shmuck and his sister were making plans for him to steal Madge from me. I heard him talking about it with my own two ears! He was making moves on MY WIFE!" I shout as the anger of all this takes over me. I hear Posey's crayon drop again and look over to see tears spilling down her face.. She hates when we fight. I'm about to go over to her when she gets up and runs into the other room, slamming the door behind her. I leave her be so I can finish this with Rory.

"Gale, what is the matter with you? Huh? Did you forget that just a few weeks ago that guy did the unthinkable and took my place in the games? Did you forget that part? Have you forgotten that already? Because I haven't, not at all. We owe him forever Gale, we do."

"Rory, I didn't forget that but did you hear what I just said? He was making a move on Madge!"

"Yeah, so what if he was? It's just as crappy of you even if he was."

"How so?"

"Because even if he was, you doing what you did, acting like that, it shows how little faith you have in Madge. How you don't trust her not to fall for him. And that's not the you I know at all."

I sit back, stunned at what he just said. Me hitting Tripp makes it look like I don't trust Madge. That wasn't it at all. Well, kind of but not really. I trusted her, I did. But she wasn't herself. She didn't know me or us how how great we were together. And she did know Tripp.

Rory continues as I sit before him, still silent. "And you know what else? When Madge finds out what you did, she's gonna go ballistic. She'll freak out. And it'll ruin whatever it is you hope she feels for you again. You have to tell her."

Tell Madge? Is this kid crazy? "No way!"

"Tell her before she finds out from someone else. Sure, she'll be angry just the same hearing it from you but at least that way you're being honest with her. If she finds out elsewhere, she'll feel like you deceived her. If that happens, you'll never recover. She'll never trust you again."

I lean back against the wall. He's right. There's no way Madge can hear about this from anyone but me. I have to tell her. And try my best to explain it to her, to get her to see that I did what I did out of fear. I stand and swallow. I look at Rory, still unable to speak and just nod once. He nods back, knowing what I mean. Knowing that I'll go and try to make this right. He gets up and heads for where Posy is so he can soothe things with her for us. And I leave, heading out to fix this mess, to make things right as best I can, if that's even possible.